Week.........

Current weight-230

So yeah, been awhile eh?

I gave up. Not completely, because I was still running. But weight watchers and trying to control my eating, that went right out the window. Then I hurt my ankle or achilles tendon in some way or form so I can't run anymore.

I'm paying for this weight watchers thing, and I wasn't even using it for over two weeks. Not great money management at all.

I needed a kick in the ass basically. And I got it this weekend.

My cousin Jinny, who did the fabulous layout for our page, has done amazingly well on weight watchers. She looks absolutely amazing and she's almost to her goal and I'm so envious.

That was the drive I needed, to see the success right in front of my face, to know that it can happen. It can be achieved. Thanks Jinny, :)

Week 11-I think

Last week: 231 >:/
This week: 232

I blame finals.

Week 11ish - Mel

Previous weight: 231-233lbs
Current weight: 229

Oy, the past few weeks have been hectic as all get out.  Went to Houston for Thanksgiving, moved into a new place with Meg, boy shenanigans, busy time for both jobs, etc.

Thanksgiving I really didn't do all that bad.  I ate all the good stuff, had a slice of my aunt's pecan pie, drank my dranks... overall didn't go crazy though since I just ate a little bit of everything.  Thanksgiving without a tummy ache, woot!

The thing I'm having trouble with now is that it's the holidays... I work at a well-to-do private school with well-to-do moms who love to bring homemade holiday treats for the staff.  One mom brought this crazy molasses bar thing, just omg.

Here's to trying to go to the gym more often next week :P

Week 10?

Last Week: 225
This Week: 231

What...the..fuck? I didn't eat that much at Thanksgiving nor did I eat that much overall. I'm so freaking upset about this. I'm hoping it's only water retention, but I can't talk myself outta this one. And considering how much I've bene running and working out, I feel like I should have lost a lot, not gained 6lbs.

So frustrated.

A lot of good things have happened this week, so I'm not going to let that get me down. I'll just try harder this week. Here's hoping...

Week 9

Weight last week: 229
Weight this week: 225.8

Woot! That's all I'm going to say. Cause tonight and tomorrow are not going to be pretty, lol.

Week 8-late late

Sorry, this is way late, but mostly I didn't post because my weight didn't change. No ups, now downs.

Oh! And here's the recipe and picture from the Backed Mac N Cheese with Broccoli we made about three weeks ago.



2 sprays of cooking spray
12 oz of uncooked pasta, gemelli or some other twisted pasta (about 2 1/2 cups)
1/8 tsp of salt, for pasta water cooking
10 oz. broccoli florets (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 tsp butter
1/3 cups bread crumbs
3 Tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 cups fat-free milk
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cups onions (we didn't put any in here cause frankly I don't like onions, so we kept them out and the recipe was just fine!)
1 cup low-fat shredded cheese, cheddar variety
1 tsp Dijon mustard (we used honey Dijon, much better!)
1 1/2 tsp table salt
1 tsp pepper

Instructions:
1 Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees, coat a shallow 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray
2. Cook pasta in a large pot with freshly salted water. Add broccoli to water three minutes before pasta is done; drain and return to pot
3. Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, melt butter over medium heat; add bread crumbs and cook, stirring often until golden brown (about two minutes), Remove from heat and transfer crumbs to a small bowl, stir in 1 tsp of Parmesan cheese and set aside.
4. In large saucepan (same one from above, just be sure to wipe it down), whisk together milk and flour until blended (here's where you add the onion); Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking frequently. Reduce heat to low and simmer til thickened, about 2 minutes.
5. Remove from heat and whisk in cheddar cheese, mustard, salt, pepper, and remaining two tablespoons of Parmesan cheese. Pour over cooked, drained pasta and broccoli; toss and mix to coat.
6. Transfer to the baking dish. Sprinkle on bread crumbs evenly. Bake until bubbly at edges, about 20-25 minutes. Divide into 8 pieces and serve. Each serving is worth 5 points.

We also added some grilled chicken, just give some protein to the mix. It was simple frozen grilled chickn strips from Target, easy and one serving is only two points, so all in all, this meal was pretty good on the points scale.

It was a hard recipe, especially with a really inferior whisk, but it turned out really awesome. I gave it an 8.5 =)

Week # ___

Last weeks weight: 237
Current week: 235

w00t! 2 lbs down!!! I tried really hard this week too! I was definitely tracking my points as if my life depended on it. Now if it will just carry over to this week. Sheesh.

I didn't post last week because I felt really lame. I didn't gain any, but I didn't lose any. I was stuck and I was really irritated that I was still at the same weight. Because of that set back I made sure this last week to be REALLY good about tracking points and not going over at all. I'm really proud of myself and what I've already accomplished. Since I started weight watchers I've lost a total of 10 lbs!!! It's great too because I can feel and see it in my clothing now. I mean, I'm still in the same size 20 but they are starting to get pretty saggy on me. Soon enough I will need to go and buy some new jeans and pants. I can't say I'm terribly upset by that. =] It makes me really happy to think that I'm only 15 lbs away from the weight that I was when I first started college. Sometimes 15lbs seems like nothing...and then sometimes I think of how long it's taken me to lose these 10 lbs and how I have had some difficulties. However I'm still really encouraged by the thought that no matter how long it has taken me, I've still lost it. So regardless of how long it takes me to get to my ideal weight I just need to be consistent and preserve through it until I get there. =]

Week 8 - Mel

Previous weight: 235 lbs
Current weight: 231-233 lbs

I weighed myself a couple times this morning and got both 231 and 233... so I dunno.  I'm thinking of getting a new scale because mine is being shiesty.  I get weights all over the place it seems.  They're always within a 5lb range so maybe that's just natural body stuff.

Tomorrow is another workout with our trainer but Meg won't be there :(  Last week, we got box with him and in the middle of it he would shout 'NECK!' and we'd have to grab him around the neck and pretend we were kneeing him in the face... yeah.  And he was egging us on.  "Break my nose!"  It was intense, hilarious and awesome.

Week 8

Been two months, and so far it hasn't been that bad.

Last Week's Weight: 228
This Week's Weight: 229

Suck.

Oh well, I haven't worked out since Saturday and I've been going over and right at my points so I'm not too surprised. I AM working out today, even though my energy is kinda low, but I think that just comes with being over-worked and busy. So, time marches on and I'll continue working hard. I'm proud of all that we have accomplished so far, keep it up ladies! :)

Previous weight: 236
Current weight: 237

Up a pound. Disappointed but can't be surprised. I should be happy that I didn't gain more than that considering I didn't track anything this weekend really. Still...I wasn't happy to see even an extra pound on the scale. I know what I need to do though so that's all there is to it.

Week 7

Current Weight: 235lbs

Woot, down to 2lbs so I think that's a pound a week?  I could deal with that since I don't workout ever.  BUT the three of us are going to sweat it out with our trainer again this week.  I'm stoked and already a little bit achy at the thought of it.  That first workout he did with us had me wishing I had a walker to help my jello legs. 

Today, I did the tiniest bit of jogging for a walkathon fundraiser we had at work.  Then the little girl I was jogging with stepped on a nail that on a board that fell off our playground equipment.  Crazy stuff.  So I bandaged her bloody foot up... then she got up and kept walking!  I couldn't let her get more laps than me with a bloody nail wound in her foot, so I just kept on walking with her.  It was pretty spiff.  Not really a workout, but spiff.

Week 7

So today has already been a good day for a few reasons.
1) My pink eye is no longer contatgious so I can go back to work, yay for $!
2) Because I was quarantined yesterday, I went buckoo nuts over my homework and finished the majority of it, meaning I only have the Think Piece to write and done!
3) I didn't track my points yesterday, but since I wasn't all that hungry and didn't eat HORRIBLY, I know I kept within my points.
4) I weighed myself and found out....



I'm down four pounds! Woot!

Last week: 232.2
This week: 228.4

So not exactly four pounds, but I'm rounding down dadgumit!

Yay!

Good things will hopefully keep coming this week, Zumba today and tomorrow, working out with Chris, trainer awesome on Saturday and then having another WW meal and movie. I'm excited! The recipe we're trying for this Saturday is Baked Mac N Cheese with broccoli. I'm going to be a rebel and add grilled chicken though (I think it'll add half a point to a point on the meal, making it a 6.5 or 7 so still low!), yay! Pictures and recipe to come if we likey =)

Friday Night Dinner

Chicken Fingers w/Ranch Dip
&
Seasoned Fries

Friday night Bri, Mel, Benita, and I made dinner. I found this recipe on the weight watchers website and told the girls that we should give it a go. Here are the ingredients.

• Cooking Spray
• 1 lb of boneless, skinless, chicken breast
• 1 Tbl spoon of Dijon Mustard
  
• 2 1/2 packets of uncooked, instant oatmeal
• 2 tsp garlic herb seasoning
• 1/2 table salt
• 1/4 black pepper
  
• 2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch fries
• 1 Tbls Creole seasoning
• 1/2 cup fat free ranch

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 400ºF. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray.
  
  
• Coat chicken strips with mustard. Combine oats, garlic herb seasoning, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dip chicken strips in oat mixture and turn to coat; place chicken strips on prepared pan.
  
  
• Arrange potatoes around chicken on pan; lightly coat both with cooking spray. Sprinkle potatoes with Creole seasoning.
  
  
• Bake, flipping once, until chicken is cooked through and both chicken and potatoes are tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes. Serve chicken and potatoes with dressing on the side. Yields about 3 ounces of chicken, 1/2 a potato and 2 tablespoons of dressing per serving.

Points Value: 6
Servings: 4
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30 minutes

I have to admit that I was a little hesitant to try this recipe (and to be honest...any recipe I find on here I'm probably going to be weary of) just because chicken fingers are something that I LOVE. Chicken Fingers with Texas toast and some gravy and fries man oh MAN! However I was pleasantly surprised at how good this chicken tasted. The oatmeal after being baked gives the same kind of crunchiness that you would get when eating the fast food chicken fingers. The one thing I would suggest with the fries is to coat the potatoes in vegetable oil. When they are baking it helps to make the potatoes cook faster and to be more crunchy, but the ones that we ended up with were still just as good. I was kind of a wimp though with that Creole seasoning. It was a little spicy for me...I would have to be very conservative with that seasoning for myself....I'm a wimp I know. Out of 10 I would definitely give this meal a 7. I enjoyed it A LOT and it was way easy to whip up. Combined with good company it made for a GREAT night! I'll let the other girls give their rating for the meal. I have one day left before weigh in day...I'm a little nervous about this one because I've been too lax in my tracking and I've eaten a lot more. I'm hoping that I'm over-exaggerating the eating in my mind and if nothing else, I've stayed at the same weight. Here's to hoping!

Week 6

Weight= 232

No gain and no loss, so not too bad.

I re-joined weight watchers, just the online one this time, not the stupid meetings thing. That was just awkward and then having to get weighed at the beginning and having someone have that judgment in their eyes if you were up or down. No thanks.

The online one is going okay. Today has been a complete wash almost. We had a Halloween thing at work where I dressed up and all that and in the spirit of things I think I might have overeaten. Not sure by how much, but anyway, back on track tomorrow. That's all that matters, is getting back on it and not giving up.

I didn't run at all this week. And considering I'm going to attempt to run a marathon in December...not so great. Well half marathon, but still...I need to run more. I have good and bad weeks. Sometimes I'll have a week where i run three times and week, and then ones like this week where I'll run none. Crazy.

Cooking with Meg, Mel, and Benita-doing a weight watchers recipe. It smells good, but we shall see. If not, then the number for Pizza Hut is handy :)

Eh, another week.

Previous weight: 238
Current weight: 236

Weight Loss: -2 lbs

It's definitely no 4 or 3 lbs but it is something and I can't be upset by it. Today I felt like I had just TONS of points left over after lunch! I had my slimfast in the morning, for lunch I had a lean cuisine meal with a salad (the ranch and croutons of course have been accounted for). I still had a very fulfilling dinner and since I had the points left over I definitely had some ice cream (ww ice cream)!! OOooo it was so yummy. I'm going to try and be a lot better this week though (Friday I went out with a friend from high school and had a little much to drink and used quite a few points). However this week I plan on being more conservative with my points so I can have a bigger loss for next week! Until then!

I told me so

Current Weight: 237 lbs

Yup, still the same weight.  It's discouraging but not unexpected.  Last weekend was the TX/OU game with Briana's family in Ft Worth.  Lots of yummy (but nono) food and beers.  Bad Melanie!

I've gotta get better at working out.  I'm thinking it'll get better in the next couple weeks.  We have decided that Briana is going to be the trio's official personal trainer, I'm the trio's accountant, and Megan is our stylist. 

Meg and I also applied for our apartment together finally!  We move in towards the end of November.  The complex is awesome and has a 24/7 fitness center that I can't wait to use.

Week Five

weight: 232

*sigh*

I should have seen this coming, but honestly I thought I was doing better. I'm actually even making myself go to bed earlier because I think not getting enough sleep is hindering my weight loss. So I got some more sleep this week and what did I get? More tired. *big sigh*

Working out this week has been goodly. Run, weights, Zumba, and doing another thing of weights today. I just thought that I would be doing better, but I guess it's just going to take a bit of time. I might make the plunge and start Weight watchers again, it seems like it's helping Meg and I think having something regimented might help me a bit.

Special shout out: Thanks to Jinny for pimping out our page :) Looks awesome lady!

Week...I forgot.

Past Weight: 241
Current Weight: 238

Weight Loss: 3 lbs

YAY!!!!!! It's fun because even just the 7 lbs that I've lost since starting weight watchers, I can already see clothes fitting a little bit more loosely! I definitely feel better too, about myself especially. I was talking to Jinny about how the only thing I don't like about the program is that you can become obsessed with watching your points. There have been days when I contemplate eating something then decide against it because I will be using the points...and sometimes it's only like, 2 points. The last couple of days I've been pretty consistent with my breakfest and lunch menus: slimfast for breakfest and a turkey & cheese sandwhich on wheat and 10 crackers. Usually by the time dinner rolls around I've still got quite a few points left. My Aunt made this steak the other night and it was GOOD! And it was only 3 points and definitely worth it. Maybe I'll get the recipe for another post.

I can't wait to see how next week looks!!

So I made some Weight Watchers Halloween Cupcakes this past Saturday for a BBQ. The ingredients and the recipe are a little difficult but not TOO bad.

Ingredients:

Cooking Spray
2 1/2 Cups all purpose flour
2 Cups Splenda
1 Cup unsweetened cocoa
1/2 cornstarch
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp table salt
1 Cup fat-free egg substitute
2 Cups water
1 Cup light corn syrup

That's all just the DRY ingredients. Then we have the icing:

1 1/2 Cups sugar
1/2 Cup water
2 medium egg whites
1/2 tsp table salt
1 Tbsp light corn syrup
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 tsp decorating icing in orange

Now for the Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350ºF. Coat two 12-hole muffin tins with cooking spray and line with cupcake wrappers.*
  
  
• In a large bowl, combine flour, Splenda, cocoa, cornstarch, baking soda and 1 teaspoon of salt; set aside.
  
  
• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg substitute, 2 cups of water and 1 cup of light corn syrup.
  
  
• Spoon egg mixture into flour mixture and mix until completely smooth and incorporated.
  
  
• Pour batter into muffin tins until each hole is completely full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Allow to cool completely.
  
  
• While cupcakes cool, make frosting: Heat a medium pot of water to boiling.
  
  
• In a medium metal or glass bowl, beat sugar, 1/2 cup of water, egg whites, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup and vanilla extract with an electric mixer on high speed for 1 minute.
  
  
• Place bowl of frosting over rapidly boiling water (you are creating a double boiler) and beat at high speed until the mixture forms soft peaks, about 7 to 10 minutes.
  
  
• Remove frosting from heat and beat on high speed until mixture is thick enough to spread, about 5 minutes. Frost cupcakes, create a spider web-like design on each with icing and decorate as desired. Yields 1 cupcake per serving.

I will say that making the icing was probably the best part! I wasn't expecting to make a marshmellow icing. I just thought it was so awesome that I made home made marshmellow! Oh man it was awesome. The actual cupcake itself could have been sweeter (of course because I LOVE sweet stuff) but on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 being the worse) I would give it 5. It wasn't just like OH MY GOSH AMAZING!!! But it was good.

Week... I'm late

I apologize, I'm a slacker of a blogger.  Wednesdays (the official blog day) aren't good for me :P

Current weight: 237 lbs

Two weeks since my last update and my weight has juggled a bit in those weeks.  The week after I got the flu, I got my appetite back and I started eating regularly again and I think I gained 2lbs back.  So this week I was prepared to just have gone back to the weight I was two weeks ago.  And voila, 4lbs down from what I was two weeks ago!

Last Saturday was the tribe's (me, Bri and Meg) first boot camp session with Bri's coworker.  Oh...my...goodness.  My thigh muscles felt like they were literally going to just fall off my legs for days afterwards.  I almost bit the dust a couple times at an unnamed Albertson's location.

Since boot camp I haven't really worked out much at all.  I'm super terrible at working out.  Each week I tell myself I'm going to work out but ya know... stuff comes up... like the new season of House.  But boot camp every Saturday morning is doable and that'll keep me at least doing a little something.

This weekend is Texas/OU weekend which means a lot of beer and probably some awesome food.  I get to do it all with my second family... so it's like a holiday... and holiday calories don't count right?  During the week I'm really good about watching what I eat but weekends, whoa buddy.  It all goes out the window.

PS: I 100% agree with Megs in her previous post... we're going to be total maneaters when we get all small and healthy.  It's going to be brutal and I will have no mercy. HA!

Week Four

So Week Four is now almost over and I'm down another pound, woot! 231 yessssss.

I was a bit better at getting a workout in: bike on Monday, running on Wednesday, Zumba on Thursday and running again today.

This weekend should be okay, lol. I didn't get tickets into the Texas game (SAD!) but I'll be going to the padre's and watching it there with him, lady D and the Dizdar. So all in all, it's going to be a great game :)

Weigh In Week 4

So this last week has been my official week back on Weight Watchers. I won't lie, I had few days where I ate a little more than my point allowance for that day (and when I say a little I really mean like 2 or 4 points). Even so, sure enough I have gone down FOUR POUNDS!! WHOOOHOOOO!!!! This is so exciting and so encouraging. Mel and I were talking one night and we both agreed that if the three of us (Bri, Mel, and I) were skinner, we would be EATING men. For real. I mean, we're all beauties...but for whatever reason boys/men are not really looking at us (except for the occasional drunk guy). They'll be sorry when we get to our new healthy selves, that's all I have to say (not hateful or anything).

I just realized something....all three of us (Bri, Mel, and I) shorten our names. Or maybe I just do it to all three of us. But all of our names have the potential to be shortened to only three letters and still make a name. Random I know. I thought it was kind of cool.

This weekend I'm going to a BBQ at a friends in San Angelo and I'm going to make one of the cupcakes recipes on the Weight Watchers site. I'll post a review about it when I get back and I'll post a picture as well! TODAY I GO CLIMBING!!!!! Did you know for an hour of climbing you get 12 activity points on weight watchers???? Crazy. That's almost a m&m sonic blast!!!

All right...I'm done for the day.

Week 3 (Late I know!)

Well I'm down a pound this week. I new it because I went to the Doctor on Wednesday and of course they weigh you first thing. So a lot has seemed to happened to me since last week. My visit to the doctor was sporadic and actually had a reason behind it. I had been experiencing some tenderness and bumps on the back of my head (in my hair) and neck. So at the Doctor I am informed that I have shingles. Basically a re-surfacing of chicken pox that my body, due to stress and a weak immune system, has physically acted out. Shingles itself is not terrible but the fact that my immune system in my 24 year old body couldn't fit it off is not a good sign. Shingles usually only happens in older people, or people with weak immune systems (and both). So Tuesday I go in for some blood work to be done and then on Thursday I have a physical. Great Fun.

I haven't been working out A LOT but I have been working out. Today Bri, Mel, and I had our first assessment with Chris, a trainer at Briana's Gym and her boss. He was really funny and I can see why Briana likes working under him (he is pretty much the male version of her). He was DEFINITELY knowledgeable and knew his stuff. I would like to continue with the training even if it is only a couple of times a month. I must ask my personal accountant if that is within my budget (I start a new job on the 19th and I'm trying to be responsible and make myself a budget).

I officially re-started weight watchers on Friday. Today has been a good day. Due to my schedule and the way things lined up, I didn't really have the time to just sit around and eat a whole lot. I was VERY tempted to get a pastry at work (and by work I mean my now previous job at Starbucks) and a drink because the drink is free. Good on me though, I didn't. I went to Briana's and had me some healthly granola and a gronola bar instead. Even with a pizza and some baked chips I stayed pretty much in my points, I only went two over and considering I worked out today I think I did pretty well. We shall find out next week though!

Week 3

I didn't lose any, but I didn't gain any either. I haven't worked out once this week cause I was 1) too nervous about my lecture and 2) feeling like poo. Now the cycle is complete, the lecture is over and I still feel like poo. Came home early from work and I'm staying at home til class tonight. Hopefully I'll be better by Saturday when we have our first boot camp session with Chris :)

Good Week

Yay, down to 232!

I didn't think that I was going to lose anything, but cutting out some calories and cutting back on one thing of coffee a day really helped apparently. A pound a week is a good starting point =) And now since I don't have class I'm going to watch my Netflix movies, hasta!

Flu pounds...

Current Weight: 241 lbs

Since my last update, I've lost another 8 lbs!  But it sort of feels like cheating... I'm accounting for most of them because I got some superhuman flu sickness last week that knocked me out for almost a week.  All I did last week was sleep and eat popsicles.  I literally don't think I ate anything else.  My appetite has been pretty slow to come back too.

I've never been a big breakfast eater so one of my eating strategies for losing weight has been to make sure I eat at least 3 times a day and definitely sneak in as much breakfast as I could.  My little routine had become a protein bar for breakfast, deli sandwich for lunch, and a salad or something random for dinner.  But coming out of my sickness, I flat haven't been able to finish any of my meals.  I get too full and nauseous.  Maybe it's the antibiotics I'm on but it's freaking me out a little.

Sigh...

As for me- I'm up three pounds. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised but I was. I know I did cheat quite a bit but I worked out this last week more and consistently than I have in a while. So needless to say I am a little upset. Of course this just made me want to eat more however I've found that the last couple of days I have been more aware of what I am eating. I've worked out everyday except yesterday (that was my off day for working out). Hopefully I can't stick to this and really begin something for myself here.

Week One

Oh-kay, so I'm a few days late, but basically here was the weigh-in results...

233.5

So like, half a pound. Better then nothing, but still not great. And since I wasn't feeling great this week I cheated A LOT and had McDonald's #3 (which I haven't had in YEARS!) and got ice cream yesterday. Plus we're having a breakfast thing this morning in the fitness office with doughnuts, pigs in a blanket, and fruit and stuff. *sigh* Moderation, moderation, moderation!

The last first post!

Seeing as it is my first official post, let's get some official business out of the way.

I'm Melanie (or Mel), a 24 year old nerd with hippie tendencies and I weigh 249lbs.

That was sort of liberating, to just put THE number out there.

From as early as I can recall, I've thought of myself as a chubby girl. I remember thinking I was the blob in a size 12 back in high school. Now if I could buy a pair of size 12 jeans, I'd kiss strangers in the street. Since my preteens, my weight has been a steady slope upwards. Another couple years, another size. And with that new size, always came another idea for losing all the weight.  The idea would generally last until I woke up the next morning. But I've never felt as serious about actually doing it as I do now.

About a month ago, my mom went to a new doctor who put her through a battery of testing. She was poked and prodded all around town. Every doctor said the same thing... "Lose some weight and yadda yadda doctor stuff." She was telling me this and I realized that I'm 50lbs heavier than her. What would all of those doctors say to ME?

Mom and I joined the gym down the street, aptly named Crull Fitness, and try to squeeze in at least 2 workouts a week. It isn't much (and I hate making this excuse) but our schedules are hectic at best. The only days we're mutually free from school, work and more work are Thursdays and weekends.  It's life though, you have to deal right?

I've also quit all the tasty sodas that I used to so generously chug.  Now it's all Coke Zeros, water, and my morning cup of coffee.  I've discovered that I actually love all the flavored Coke Zeros.  They've got Cherry and Vanilla flavors, both are delicious. The Vanilla is even a little sweet, I save those for a fix after work if I need it.  I never thought I'd ever consider a diet drink as a treat.

A month ago I weighed 265lbs. Since then I've lost 16lbs. My big woohoo goal is 150lbs but really, I think I'd be happy getting into those size 12s again.

So I'm done with the excuses. Done not doing all the little things I've passed on doing because they're too tiring or too hard or too embarrassing.

16lbs down, 99 to go!

Confessions

Okay, first post! Woot!

I guess I should start off by stating that I, like Mel and Meg, I am 24. And as I just weighed myself yesterday, I am 234lbs. I have to say that number shocks me a bit, I thought I was doing okay and had lost a bit, but I guess not...

I've never really had a problem with working out. I actually like it. I love to run, it helps to clear my mind and helps me to think. Doing weight workouts is pretty easy because I have about twenty people around me who specialize in exercise science who can tell me if I'm doing good with my circuit training. However-food has always been my problem. Sometimes I don't know when to stop. It started early too, I was a really picky eater when I was younger and had a really bad sweet tooth. According to my Dad, I used to make my Mom cry because she would clean my room and find hidden candy wrappers and stuff like that. No wonder I had horrible cavaties when I was younger...

Anyway, so I've been pretty much active for a long time but food's the problem. I decided that maybe I needed different motivation. My friend Jen talked me into running a half marathon with her in January. And in December a friend at work convinced me to run the White Rock half-marathon with her. That's 13 miles. In one day. In one race. Twice. Lord help me. I've started my "training". I put that in astricks because I have been slipping a lot. My running was not great, hasn't been since I started working full time and been on my feet a lot. I used to be able to run 3-4 miles and be fine. Now I can get through about a mile and half but that last half is a bit slow going.

I'm also doing Zumba, doing weight training circuits, and biking. My eating though? Suuuuuuuuuuuuck. I'm working on it. I just keep on seeing me having to give up during the race because I didn't train smarter and I just had to have that ice cream, or that burger or pizza or whatever. I'm trying to keep myself positive and everything but it's hard to ignore my impulses. Like yesterday when we had our staff meeting with cupcakes? I had one cupcake and then I had another. And the worst part was, I knew I didn't need it. I just wanted it. Blah. I felt horrible afterwards and couldn't stop thinking about the amount of carloies I was putting into my body and getting nothing out of it. So I'm stopping. Or at least I'm trying too. Old habits are hard to break.

I've had a long talk with a doctor and health nut (thanks Brian and Sabrina!) and we all agreed that 160lbs is a good weight for me. I've got a big frame so anything lower might make me look sickly, lol. So that's it! 234-160......74lbs. We can do it though, together we are strong!!!

The First of (hopefully) many!

So this is my first official post for what is (hopefully) going to become a weight loss blog for Mel and I (and maybe Briana if she answers me back). So as of this morning I weighed myself in at 243.5 which is actually 3 lbs less than I thought. I actually told Melanie last night (as we watched the season premiere of Biggest Loser-which inspired this blog) that I was at 246. I have been working out, and pretty hard for me, almost every day. I've been briskly walking and jogging for 45 minutes on the treadmill and then doing some toning. Along with that I've been drinking slim-fast in the morning (because it's easy and fast) and usually at night my Aunt makes a salad along with a good meal. I guess all of this combined has turned out some results.

I'm happy that starting this process I've already lost weight from where I thought I was. So I think this is a good start to a new and healthy ME!

More to come...DUH DUH DUN!!!!!