Changes, changes, changes...

I've been taking it easy on the dieting. I haven't gained thank goodness! I still have 13.7 more to lose and it's a slow process for me but this is by far the best summer I've had in many years. I've actually been wearing shorts and skirts!

I have been going through some stressful things but I have not been turning to food. If anything, I've had no appetite at all. After 20 years my husband and I are walking our separate ways. It's really a good thing for us given our unique situation. We are still able to be great friends which will be wonderful for our daughter.

I've been looking for a job for months and I think I'm getting close! I have a third/final interview with a great company in downtown Kansas City this Friday. I am really hoping for a good outcome so that I can start this new chapter in my life.

Sorry no pictures to post! I have no new ones! I would love to have some pics taken with my daughter this Fall and / or for holiday cards.

Happy dieting everyone! (And maintaining!)

My Olivia is turning 8!

Olivia enjoyed a fun-filled day with a few of her closest friends in honor of her birthday which is coming on July 5th. They went to lunch at her favorite spot, The Dish, followed by two hours of action packed fun at Monkey Bizness!

I had a picture snapped of us together before we left for the birthday festivities.

Current Picture

Finally, a current progress picture! This was just taken today. Please ignore my metal mouth! I'm told I'm nearing the end of the journey to acquiring my straight pearly white teeth!!!

Current Stats

To Date:
-60.2 lbs on Jenny Craig Plan
17.6 More Pounds to Lose

I've gone from a size 22 jean to size 14 so far!

Slowly but surely...

P.S. NO, MY TEETH ARE NOT ROTTEN! I HAVE BRACES ON MY TEETH! UGH!

New progress pic coming soon...

I'm long over due for a current progress pic. I'll try to get one on here soon!

March 29th Weigh In

I just weighed in today at Jenny Craig and I lost 2.8 lbs.

I think i've lost 48.8 pounds.

I think I have 29.9 more go to.

Current BMI: 28.6

One more thing! I just got into a size 14 jeans today! I'm down a total of 8 number sizes since I started this journey. This is when I realize it's paying off!

March 15th Weigh In

I guess I've been spending too much time in MySpace and not enough time here. I'll have to bring up to to speed!

I had a nice weigh in Saturday with a 4.8 lb loss.

Total pounds lost: 46
Remaining: 31

February 23rd Weigh In

Wow! I'm reeling! I didn't post last week because it was horrible. Nasty bad weigh in last week. I gained so much. Thank goodness I got all caught up this week.

Drum roll...

I lost 6.2 pounds this week! Now I know this is great but when I look back TWO weeks at where I was, I really only lost .6 pounds. Does that tell you how bad I messed up last week? I would have been thrilled to break even so I'll take the .6 pounds any time!

Thanks for your ongoing encouragement and support! It means so much to me!


To Date:
-40.2 lbs on Jenny Craig Plan
37.6 More Pounds to Lose

February 9th Weigh In

I just returned from my weigh in today and was happy to see another decent weigh in. I lost 2.0 pounds this week! I have been at my half way point for a couple weeks now and we finally took my half way photo. I am currently 37.4 pounds away from my goal. It seems so much more attainable now!

New Smaller Size to Report!

Okay, I'm still a little surprised but while I was out shopping today at JCPenney's I thought I would try on some jeans in a smaller size just out of curiosity. I started the diet in size 22. A couple months ago I got into a size 18. Well today I was able to get on (buttoned and zipped!) a size 16! The cut was all wrong so they looked ridiculous on. I stood there and laughed at first then I started to feel pretty good. It helps me keep going as I see these little victories along the way.

Anyone else having problems w/ JC site?

I can't seem to do ANYTHING except VIEW the JC message boards. I'm unable to reply to messages, view profiles OR use the chat room. I'm so frustrated.

If you had troubles and are back up and running, can you please tell me how you got it all to work again?

Thanks!!!

Can you believe it?! THREE pounds!

I was hoping for a good weigh in this week and I got it! After last week's fiasco of a 2 pound gain I am so happy.

I guess I can update my stats now...

Not So Good

+2.0 pounds today

Look at this before photo!

This photo was taken 3 or 4 years ago of me and my two sisters, Kenna and Joni. I am the very overweight person in the middle. I get such a kick out of this now because I look so different now. Plus, Kenna was being her usual crazy self and she goosed me to get me to laugh and it worked.

FINALLY MADE IT OUT OF THE 200'S!

Today was a major milestone for me! When I met with my Jenny Craig counselor, Linda, today, I was pleasantly surprised to see that I lost 1.4 pounds this week and finally made it below the 200 mark! I wish I had my camera to take a picture of the numbers. It is hard to believe. Now that I can cross that goal off, I will now work to get into the 190's, then the 180's, etc. Setting smaller goals is really the key for me.

I'm going to try to do things a little differently now. I am only eating Jenny's breakfast and dinner entrees, plus a few of my favorite desserts to save money. I am really nervous about doing this but I am going to keep a positive mind and attitude. I have created my weekly menu, including things I'll fix for myself, plus I'll continue to meet with my counselor each and every week. This should help me succeed. If it doesn't work as well as I hope, I'll go back and pick up with the "Half Way Menu". I'm currently 2.3 pounds away from being at my official half way point.

Let's keep this adventure going!!!

Join the COMMIT TO BE FIT CLUB!

Check out a new site I put together to hopefully be a great inspirational and motivational place for ALL of us. It is YOUR site as much as it is mine. Bookmark it and visit it often. If you have something to add to the content or something that deserves its own link, please let me know as soon as possible.

I know we have a few Jenny Craig buddies already part of this network who have reached their goals, so let's work to post your very own success stories here with photos and all! After all, you are our inspiration too!

If you have any interesting ways to prepare some of the Jenny Craig entrees, as well as great homemade diet friendly recipes, lets get them on here!

Let's see how great we can make this site!

January 12th Weigh In

Hey! I'm pleased to report a 1.2 pound loss this week because I didn't have much activity at all. I have to get that going again! For the life of me I can't seem to get out of the 200's! I am not going to post my "official" CURRENT STATS on my blog link until I get back to where I was before the holiday gain, but right now:

Current Weight
200.6 (SOOOOO close!)

Total Inches Lost
26.5

Remaining Pounds to Lose
42.6

I really need to take this more seriously.

P.S. I went with the "glow in the dark" bands on my braces this week. I just couldn't make myself go with some of those colors Olivia hoped for. The "glow in the dark" ones are basically invisible which is nice for an adult.

I've Got The Jenny Craig Website Blues

Has anyone tried to access the Jenny Craig website lately? I have tried every which way to get into the site and it is one error message after another. I'm ready to knock this computer off the desk!

Someone please tell me that this isn't just happening to me!

Meet My Sister

My little sister Kenna is beginning Jenny Craig today! Check out her blog which is linked in the far right column. I'm including a picture taken a few years ago that will help you place a face with her name.

Kenna, you can do it! This really does work if you do what they tell you to do. It will be fun to track your progress on your blog. Keep us posted!

Zesty Grilled Chicken Salad

This is a clever way to use the Jenny Craig Chicken Sandwich!

(This is to die for!)

1. Place chicken in Ziploc bag. (Save sauce for something else and save bun for this meal.)

2. To chicken, add 4 T lemon juice, 2 T light soy sauce and 1 t chopped garlic.

3. Allow chicken to marinate in the refrigerator as little or as long as a day. (If you are immediately cooking it, just leave it out to thaw.)

4. There are 3 cooking options for the chicken---all are fantastic! Pick one! a) Brown in skillet sprayed with Pam type spray b) Cook on BBQ grill c) Spray cooking sheet with Pam type spray and brown in 350 degree oven. If I am cooking in a pan or in the oven, I like to drizzle the chicken with the marinade and let it cook down. It doesn't take long to cook since it is pre-cooked chicken.

5. Slice cooked chicken pretty thin to make it go far. Top your favorite salad ingredients with it. I prefer a ranch type dressing with this.

6. For the garlic toast, you can lightly coat the bun with some olive oil Pam type spray and sprinkle with chopped garlic before you broil it.

Banana Cream Pudding Dessert

This is a delicious way to use the Jenny Craig Toffee Bites!

This has always been a favorite snack for me. I love to add sliced bananas to light banana cream yogurt (or light vanilla yogurt) and then sprinkle with crushed Toffee Bites. It is something I look forward to a couple times a week. I may continue to do this when I'm on maintenance using a 100 calorie package of my favorite crisp cookie.

Smokey Chicken Fajitas

This utilizes the Jenny Craig Chicken Fajita dinner entree. These are already good but I wanted to tweak it to taste like the fajitas my family has been enjoying for years.

I dump the chicken and veggies in a skillet sprayed with Pam type spray. Add 2-3 T of lemon OR lime juice and maybe 1/2 - 1 single teaspoon of Liquid Smoke. I sprinkle about half the season packet to this and let it heat through. It really does make this extra good.

Easy Homestyle Chicken Salad

This is super easy and healthy. It is a homestyle chicken salad recipe that I created after sampling some at a deli in Portland. I loved it so much that I bought a container with the ingredients listed on the lid and I cracked the recipe. If I'm making it for friends and need to jazz it up even more I sometimes throw in a handful of cashews. I don't do the cashews while dieting though.

1 can Swanson's white chicken
Pam spray
poultry seasoning
salt
pepper

Drain chicken and spread on foil sprayed with Pam. Sprinkle with poultry seasoning, salt and pepper and stir together.
Bake or broil until lightly browned and still moist, NOT crunchy.

celery
sweet yellow onions
light mayo
light sour cream

While chicken is cooking, dice up some celery and sweet yellow onions (as much as you like). I usually use about 1/2 cup of each, give or take. It is whatever you like.
To this I add 1 tablespoon light mayo and 1 teaspoon light sour cream. Sometimes I add more of these but I always use more light mayo than sour cream.

Stir everything together when the chicken is done (even if it is still hot) and enjoy! If you need to add a little more salt and pepper you can but it probably doesn't need it. It is such a simple recipe but is really good. By re-cooking the chicken with seasonings it gives it a truly homemade flavor. I can eat this with just sweet grape tomatoes and be satisfied but sometimes I have a have a few snack crackers with it.

Holiday Photos Continued

I have so many pictures to share! You will see some pictures taken at Olivia's class party, during her "share" time at school (she got to bring one of her cat's to school and give a little presentation about herself), niece Ava's 1st birthday, silly family photos, December ice storm, Christmas morning, Olivia's holiday music program, etc.....

I hope you enjoy them!

Even More Holiday Photos

We try to have a gingerbread decorating party each year and this year we scaled it back a little and only let Olivia invite one friend over. We made larger houses and it was a lot of fun for them. She invited her best friend, Katy, over and they had hot chocolate first, followed by decorating the houses, then an ornament exchange. It was a lot of fun for the girls!

Every year before the holidays we gather the women and smaller children together for a Kraft Tangy Italian spaghetti dinner to remind us what we ate when we were growing up.  We had spaghetti, salad, fried potatoes, cornbread and garlic bread.  Carbs, carbs and more carbs!  We had a $5 gift exchange, gave the kids stockings full of goodies and let the kids decorate cookies.  Olivia made some chocolate dipped pretzel rods to serve and that week and I had a 2.8 pound gain!  It is the only gain I had during the holidays and it is a lot harder to get that 2.8 pounds off than it took to put it on!

Today's Weigh In

My weekly weight loss does not deserve a drum roll.  It is more like a "thud!"  I lost a scant .2 of a single pound.  I have lost a total of 1 pound this month.  It is all my fault.  I need to get to cracking again!

On the up side of things, we took new measurements and since I began this journey the last week of June (2007) I am down a total of 26.5 inches (bust, waist, abdomen and hips only).  

Like last week, I cannot bear to look at my stats and change them for the worse.  Once I catch back up (just 1.8 more to lose) I will gladly do that!

If there is but one thing I need to ask for support on this week, it is to get back into my walking (activity) routine!  That is all I need to do to step it up!

Thanks for your encouragement and support.

Meet My New Friend

After hearing how great this little doo-hickey is from my sister, her sister-in-law and a Target sales associate, I thought I would give it a try too.  I eat salads and veggies more than ever now and anything I can do to help make that easier is something to consider!  I have only had it for about 18 hours but I have already diced peppers, onions and strawberries.  It makes great fruit salsa.  

You too can have this awesome gadget for the low, low price of just $19.99 at your local Target store!  (Ask where the "As Seen on TV" section is!)

This Week's Loss

Hi All!

I only have a minute so I can't share my official stats with you, but I wanted to let you know that I lost .8 of a pound this week. Whew! What a relief! I know I drive my consultant Linda crazy sometimes because I made her stay in her office while I weighed myself. I expected to find a horrifying number today, but when I stepped on and saw the loss I called her out to see it with her own eyes too. She gets me. She helps me out so much. I was prepared to not log this week's number in. I'm so grateful! Since I gained 2.8 last week (!!!!!) I now must lost 2.0 pounds to get back on track. If I can lose 2.1 I will be out of the 200's! It is a long time coming so I cannot wait! I hope I don't lose it and cry buckets of tears the day this happens. Boy is it ever taking a long time to get to the 100's! Back and forth, back and forth. I just want to get there already!

Enjoy your New Year's celebrations. Get your heads on straight so that you can enjoy them without making it totally revolve around the food.

2008 is the year! Cheers!

More Holiday Pictures

This is a picture of my niece Riley, two nephews Evan and Isaac, and daughter Olivia.

Happy Holidays!

I haven't posted a current progress picture lately. This was taken in mid-December. I think I was down about 35 pounds total.

Why The Scale Lies

I ran across this article a while back and I thought it might help those who think they need to weigh on a daily basis.

"Why The Scale Lies"

By Renee Cloe
ACE Certified Personal Trainer

We’ve been told over an over again that daily weighing is unnecessary, yet many of us can’t resist peeking at that number every morning. If you just can’t bring yourself to toss the scale in the trash, you should definitely familiarize yourself with the factors that influence it’s readings. From water retention to glycogen storage and changes in lean body mass, daily weight fluctuations are normal. They are not indicators of your success or failure. Once you understand how these mechanisms work, you can free yourself from the daily battle with the bathroom scale.

Water makes up about 60% of total body mass. Normal fluctuations in the body’s water content can send scale-watchers into a tailspin if they don’t understand what’s happening. Two factors influencing water retention are water consumption and salt intake. Strange as it sounds, the less water you drink, the more of it your body retains. If you are even slightly dehydrated your body will hang onto it’s water supplies with a vengeance, possibly causing the number on the scale to inch upward. The solution is to drink plenty of water.

Excess salt (sodium) can also play a big role in water retention. A single teaspoon of salt contains over 2,000 mg of sodium. Generally, we should only eat between 1,000 and 3,000 mg of sodium a day, so it’s easy to go overboard. Sodium is a sneaky substance. You would expect it to be most highly concentrated in salty chips, nuts, and crackers. However, a food doesn’t have to taste salty to be loaded with sodium. A half cup of instant pudding actually contains nearly four times as much sodium as an ounce of salted nuts, 460 mg in the pudding versus 123 mg in the nuts. The more highly processed a food is, the more likely it is to have a high sodium content. That’s why, when it comes to eating, it’s wise to stick mainly to the basics: fruits, vegetables, lean meat, beans, and whole grains. Be sure to read the labels on canned foods, boxed mixes, and frozen dinners.

Women may also retain several pounds of water prior to menstruation. This is very common and the weight will likely disappear as quickly as it arrives. Pre-menstrual water-weight gain can be minimized by drinking plenty of water, maintaining an exercise program, and keeping high-sodium processed foods to a minimum.

Another factor that can influence the scale is glycogen. Think of glycogen as a fuel tank full of stored carbohydrate. Some glycogen is stored in the liver and some is stored the muscles themselves. This energy reserve weighs more than a pound and it’s packaged with 3-4 pounds of water when it’s stored. Your glycogen supply will shrink during the day if you fail to take in enough carbohydrates. As the glycogen supply shrinks you will experience a small imperceptible increase in appetite and your body will restore this fuel reserve along with it’s associated water. It’s normal to experience glycogen and water weight shifts of up to 2 pounds per day even with no changes in your calorie intake or activity level. These fluctuations have nothing to do with fat loss, although they can make for some unnecessarily dramatic weigh-ins if you’re prone to obsessing over the number on the scale.

Otherwise rational people also tend to forget about the actual weight of the food they eat. For this reason, it’s wise to weigh yourself first thing in the morning before you’ve had anything to eat or drink. Swallowing a bunch of food before you step on the scale is no different than putting a bunch of rocks in your pocket. The 5 pounds that you gain right after a huge dinner is not fat. It’s the actual weight of everything you’ve had to eat and drink. The added weight of the meal will be gone several hours later when you’ve finished digesting it.

Exercise physiologists tell us that in order to store one pound of fat, you need to eat 3,500 calories more than your body is able to burn. In other words, to actually store the above dinner as 5 pounds of fat, it would have to contain a whopping 17,500 calories. This is not likely, in fact it’s not humanly possible. So when the scale goes up 3 or 4 pounds overnight, rest easy, it’s likely to be water, glycogen, and the weight of your dinner. Keep in mind that the 3,500 calorie rule works in reverse also. In order to lose one pound of fat you need to burn 3,500 calories more than you take in. Generally, it’s only possible to lose 1-2 pounds of fat per week. When you follow a very low calorie diet that causes your weight to drop 10 pounds in 7 days, it’s physically impossible for all of that to be fat. What you’re really losing is water, glycogen, and muscle.

This brings us to the scale’s sneakiest attribute. It doesn’t just weigh fat. It weighs muscle, bone, water, internal organs and all. When you lose "weight," that doesn’t necessarily mean that you’ve lost fat. In fact, the scale has no way of telling you what you’ve lost (or gained). Losing muscle is nothing to celebrate. Muscle is a metabolically active tissue. The more muscle you have the more calories your body burns, even when you’re just sitting around. That’s one reason why a fit, active person is able to eat considerably more food than the dieter who is unwittingly destroying muscle tissue.

Robin Landis, author of "Body Fueling," compares fat and muscles to feathers and gold. One pound of fat is like a big fluffy, lumpy bunch of feathers, and one pound of muscle is small and valuable like a piece of gold. Obviously, you want to lose the dumpy, bulky feathers and keep the sleek beautiful gold. The problem with the scale is that it doesn’t differentiate between the two. It can’t tell you how much of your total body weight is lean tissue and how much is fat. There are several other measuring techniques that can accomplish this, although they vary in convenience, accuracy, and cost. Skin-fold calipers pinch and measure fat folds at various locations on the body, hydrostatic (or underwater) weighing involves exhaling all of the air from your lungs before being lowered into a tank of water, and bioelectrical impedance measures the degree to which your body fat impedes a mild electrical current.

If the thought of being pinched, dunked, or gently zapped just doesn’t appeal to you, don’t worry. The best measurement tool of all turns out to be your very own eyes. How do you look? How do you feel? How do your clothes fit? Are your rings looser? Do your muscles feel firmer? These are the true measurements of success. If you are exercising and eating right, don’t be discouraged by a small gain on the scale. Fluctuations are perfectly normal. Expect them to happen and take them in stride. It’s a matter of mind over scale.

No comment this week!

All I'm going to say is it is not easy to diet with holiday treats all around everywhere I go. That's it. Nothing else to say this week.

I ALMOST MADE IT!!!

I had a decent weigh in today. I lost 1.8 more pounds. I never expect to lose a whole pound so this makes me feel wonderful! I needed to lose exactly 1.9 pounds to be back in the 100's and I missed it by .1 of a pound! Oh well, at the rate I'm going I will be there by the end of the year for sure! What an awesome gift I am giving myself! Even though it would be easier to ditch the diet over the holidays, I'm hanging on and forging ahead!

I've been having a few cravings for things off limits so I'm going to enjoy some things today without any guilt! I have strategically scheduled my weigh in's around my holiday functions. This really does take a little stress off me. I will be weighing every 10 days for the next two weigh ins so that I will once again be able to weigh in on Saturdays. My family enjoys when I weigh on Saturdays too because we can go to the movies or enjoy a dinner out that night. I have to give and take now in order to keep the weight off. If I go out once a week with my family I will be able to stick to my diet the other six days. It has worked well from the very beginning of this weight loss journey so I'm not changing a thing!

Weightloss Ticker

Pinch me! I must be dreaming!

I am so happy after my weigh in today! I am down 2 more pounds! It is sometimes slower than I would like it to be but I'm down 34 pounds after 23 weeks of the Jenny Craig plan. That is all that matters! If I could lose just 2 more pounds by Christmas that would make it the best Christmas ever!

Thank you to those who help keep me motivated. (You know who you are!) You have no idea what it means when people recognize that the hard work and determination is paying off.

Wacky Week!

I've had some struggles with 2 Thanksgiving dinners and 2 all day shopping excursions. I should be weighing today but I am taking a day trip a couple hours away for a funeral. The next time I weigh will be next Monday. Hopefully things will be going well by then. I am just 3.9 lbs from being out of the 200's for good! I can't wait!

I'm off to my Jenny Craig meeting......

Here we go! One last weigh in before Thanksgiving! I'm hoping for at least a pound since last week's weigh in was so good. (It usually doesn't happen two weeks in a row for me!) I need a little "cushion" in my weight loss in order to make it through my two Thanksgiving dinners this week!

I'll be back later with the results! Wish me luck!

I am back with results. It was a small loss like I anticipated. I lost .6 of a pound this week. My hope is that I can at least break even at the next weigh in!

4.2 MORE POUNDS GONE!

I am in a great mood! I had a surprising weigh in today. I was hoping for at least a pound but when I stepped on the scales I was pleasantly surprised to see a 4.2 pound loss! I will have one more weigh in next Wednesday before my TWO Thanksgiving dinners! Heaven help me!

MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT!!!

Okay, I have to write in my blog one more time today! I took my birthday money to Target today to look for some jeans and I came out wearing a pair 4 number sizes smaller than I went in! I know I'm a dork but I loved the way these fit soooo much that I wore them out of the store! I haven't worn something out of a store since I was a kid!

I think I lost 1 pound overnight!

I walked in to my stylist yesterday with longer hair and walked out with this! I stepped on the scales today out of curiosity and I lost exactly 1 pound!

This should give me a little bit of an edge for my next weigh in on Wednesday! Hopefully I will not become OCD about it and keep going, otherwise I will end up bald!

GREAT WEIGH IN TODAY!!!

I can hardly believe what the scales said today! After all the JUNK I ate over the past 10 days, I only GAINED 1 pound! I have never been happier! It would take an essay to write down all the things I ate that I shouldn't have. I am starting to believe that I have experienced divine intervention this week. There is no other explaination.

My focus over this next week is to re-commit myself to this diet. I know I can do it. We all slip up some along the way.

I am going to work super hard to stay on plan and eat every Jenny food I bought because this means I will be eating what I am supposed to eat to do this the right way and be successful!

What's up with that?

I need to do something! I can't seem to stay faithful to the diet this week! I haven't binged but I have had so many nibbles and things that I can't begin to count them. I sort of feel like there is someone else living in my body who is making me do this! I feel like I need a break but I'm afraid if I step away for a week, it will become out of control and I won't return. It is too easy to grab whatever and eat it.

What's up with that? Is anyone else experiencing this? I wonder if it is due to the colder weather?

I am a ball of nerves but I have no intention of quitting.

"My! You must be VERY proud of all the weight you've lost!"

This is how I feel NOW

MARCHIONESS STRONG ARROW HERE...

I guess I was worried for nothing because I lost 2.0 pounds this week. Sigh.

This is how I feel NOW:

THIS IS HOW I FEEL THIS WEEK

I don't want your sympathy. I'm being honest. I feel like crying the way my Olivia did on the first day of kindergarten. While I have not abandoned my diet this week, I have not given it my all. Exercising did not enter my mind this week and I could have been more careful with the food. It is all I can do to continue. As I pass the 4 month mark, I feel weak. I'm not giving up though. I need to get through tomorrow's weigh in and re-focus. (How many times have you all heard this?) Thanks for your patience everyone. Do not expect to see a log of all the exercise I should have done this week but didn't.

The next time I blog I will have become my super inspiring and motivating altar ego by the name of MARCHIONESS STRONG ARROW. (If anyone needs their own name, see me!)

IF

If you think you're beaten, you are
If you think you dare not, you don't
If you like to win, but think you can't
It's almost certain you won't.

If you think you"ll lose, you're lost;
For out in the world we find
Success begins with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you're outclassed, you are
You've go to think high to rise.
You've got to be sure of yourself
Before you can win the prize.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man
But sooner or later the man who wins
Is the man who thinks he can.

by Unknown

Can't quite put my finger on it.....

I don't know what is happening but I feel out of sorts today. I forced myself to walk yesterday even though my back was still achy from the 5K. It feels totally normal again as of today so I'm hoping to get a walk in today as well.

I feel a struggle coming on and I have 2.5 more days to get it under control before weigh in Friday. I wrote down all my individual losses and I definitely see a pattern, so try as I might, I'm not expecting to lose a whole pound this week.

This is what I'm talking about:

Week 1: -4.4
Week 2: -7.6
Week 3: -1.4
Week 4: -2.8
Week 5: +1.4 (Silver Dollar City vacation)
Week 6: -2.4
Week 7: -2.0
Week 8: -.2
Week 9: +.4
Week 10: -2.4
Week 11: -.2
Week 12: (No Weigh In)
Week 13: -.6
Week 14: -2.2

Looking back, I think I was more careful in the beginning. I avoided using too many of the "limited" things. Now I think I eat what I feel I must to like something. I need to evaluate what I've been doing and see if I can buckle down and hopefully see more significant losses.

WE DID IT!!!

Olivia and I just completed our 5K Run/Walk for EYES on AIDS this morning! We are very proud of ourselves and each other and took a picture shortly after crossing the finish line. It was hot and humid here today and there were several hills. Olivia had a hard time after the first 1.5 miles so I am especially proud of her for finishing with me. She was way ahead of me part of the time but we got back together for the last 3/4 mile and finished together. Prior to the event, we were able to have a live telephone call from a lady over the speakers from Africa. She thanked us for doing this to raise money for the many children orphaned because of AIDS.

We definitely finished in under an hour but not much! The results and event photos will be posted this afternoon at http://www.eyesonaids.com/ if anyone wants to see it.

Time for Renewal

Today is a new day. After being worried and depressed about diet-related things all week, I managed to lose 2.2 at the scales today. I want to renew my commitment this week and focus primarily on the foods. Looking back through the weeks I realized I haven't been as strict as I should.

It was also time to renew my driver's license this month so off I went to take care of it today. In order to keep myself focused on my weightloss goal I decided to change my weight on my driver's license to reflect my goal weight. The lady working the counter didn't seem to notice that I am over 50 pounds over this weight! Now I have one more way to focus on my goal!

Tomorrow is the first 5K (walk) I've done for the past 10 years! I'll take some pictures to share on my next blog entry.

Oh yeah, I finally made my 10% goal today too!

Three Months of Hard Work

Wow! I just realized that I have completed three whole months of doing Jenny Craig! I'm a little nervous because this is the same amount of time I fizzled out on all my other weightloss attempts. The thing I'm having the most trouble with now is not cheating. I feel so weak at times. During this trying time, I was able to eat out at a restaurant. Yesterday my daughter wanted to eat at Cracker Barrel but I cleverly talked her into eating at Chili's with me (she hates Applebees). I am proud to say that I ordered the "guiltless chicken platter" which had the most benefecial nutrition info as listed in my Jenny Craig Dining Out Guide. It was really good too. Prior to deciding to eat there, I actually did consider Cracker Barrel, McDonalds and Sonic, so I'm thrilled with the outcome. This feels like a major accomplishment given my shrinking will power.

I want to thank my Jenny Craig buddies, a.k.a. extended family, who are ever so encouraging to me. They always know what to say and what I need to hear. I'm thinking we can do this if we know that we can really turn to each other for support when it gets difficult.

I also want to thank my husband (Mike) and daughter (Olivia) for providing me with ongoing support. My daughter is the best at getting me out to walk! She is my biggest cheerleader! Thanks to her 'nagging' me about signing us up for a 5K next weekend, I did it! And my husband, talk about support! Not once has he complained about his meals at home or the weekly cost of doing this weightloss plan. He encourages me all the time and notices changes in the way I look. That does wonders for my self esteem and desire to succeed.

I am reminding myself, "It is a brand new month, so get movin'!"

CALL ME A SHRINKING SNAIL

I was so excied to weigh this week. I walked six straight days, totally out of character for me. I think I must have been reincarnated as a snail because after working so hard I lost a whopping .6 of a SINGLE pound. I seem to be going at a snail's pace lately. I haven't been too upset over it today because we took new measurements and I do like the results. To date I have lost 22.2 pounds and 18 inches from my body (not including my legs and arms because they only measure the torso at my Jenny Craig centre).

One realization I had this week is that I have been skipping my afternoon fruit snack. Looking back at my second week (when I lost 7.6 pounds in a single week) I ate at least two fruit servings a day, one being in the afternoon. I really feel that I should be eating this afternoon fruit serving to help keep my metabolism raised. This is what I'm going to focus on during the coming week, as well as to complete my weekly exercise challenge with my wonderful "Chat Brat" companions.

I am planning to participate in a 5K walk next Saturday morning, October 6th. The last time I did this was when I worked for Nike in Oregon. This is a little more than 3 miles so I hope I can make it. It is for a good cause, to raise money for AIDS orphans in South Africa. I got the idea to do this from Javier (JD) who is also doing one. I will be sure to take some pictures to share to prove that I actually did it. (I won't believe it until I see it for myself, but remember, I'm from the "Show Me" state!) My daughter, Olivia, is excited to do this with me. She is only 7 years old so I'm not sure how she will do. We will probably be snails for the 5K too but that is fine with me as long as I cross the finish line!

Four days and counting...

It is crunch time! I have a meeting with the scales (in just four days) Friday morning at 10:20. Since I didn't step on the scales at last Friday's meeting, I'm anxious to see where I'm at. I have managed to walk Saturday, Sunday and today. I plan to continue this the rest of the week. I was doing excellent (food-wise) until Saturday when my family and my sister's family decided to meet for lunch at Chili's. For some reason I had brain fog and ordered some Shanghai boneless chicken wings and an order of mashed potatoes. I tried sharing so that I wouldn't "have to" eat it all, but I was only able to give away 2 pieces of chicken and a few bites of mashed potatoes. (Dang them! It is all THEIR fault!) To be completely honest, my daughter got the molten chocolate cake (one of MY old favorites) and of course I had to have a few tastes. When I got home I felt awful because I was about to explode! I decided to skip my supper altogether to hopefully account for at least some of the damage. I am choosing not to beat myself up over this little stumble because the old me would have eaten like this a few times in one week. I am different now. If I want to endulge once in a while, I will. I am an adult and can make my own choices. I have learned how to give up some things in order to have something special once in a while. What I am still trying to tackle is how to eat smaller portions of things I truly love.

Off to a good start...

I just finished my exercise walk and I feel great! I really wasn't in the mood to get out and sweat but now that it is over I'm so glad I went. It gave my daughter and I some time together too. She is one of the reasons I'm doing this in the first place! It seems like yesterday when she was clutching Bear and watching the birds outside the dining room window.

The Maker's Diet

I've been trying to follow as many principles from "The Maker's Diet" as possible since the beginning of the year. It is next to impossible to do while consuming processed meals with the Jenny Craig plan but by the time I'm finished I hope to have a handle on it. Author Jordan Rubin really makes some great points about the foods our bodies were intended to consume to stay in good health for thousands of years, according to scripture. Prior to eating this way he was seriously ill and near death. Turning to God's plan when the doctors gave up on him is what turned his health around. If you just open your mind and use a common sense approach, some of this may speak to you too. I'm anxious to get to my goal weight so that I can detox my body and purge all the toxins and remains of eating these processed meals. I want to eat for optimal nutrition via organic and whole foods while using the portion control principles I'm learning with the Jenny Craig program. I do not want to be skinny. I want to be healthy!

*Be sure to check out the Before/After photos of Jordan Rubin follwing these lists. It is astonishing as well as inspiring.

Below is a breakdown of foods based on "The Maker's Diet." There are three different categories as well as a list of "The Dirty Dozen: Foods to Avoid" that Jordan has compiled.

"The Dirty Dozen: Foods to Avoid"

1) Pork products - pigs are scavengers and will eat literally anything including feces and tumors of other pigs; God called pigs "detestable" or "unclean" in the Old Testament

2) Shellfish and fish without fins and scales, such as catfish, shark and eel - all hard-shelled crustaceans such as lobsters, crabs and clams are scavengers and are "unclean"

3) Hydrogenated oils - shortening, margarine; found in processed chips, crackers and other baked goods

4) Artificial sweetners - aspartame, saccharin, sucralose and its sweet cousins; may prove detrimental to your health in the long term; triggers toxic substances to cross the blood-brain barrier, causing neurological problems

5) White flour

6) White sugar

7) Soft drinks

8) Pasteurized, homogenized skim milk

9) Corn syrup

10) Hydrolyzed soy protein - a known "excitotizon" which means it has the potential to cause neurological disturbances; found in imitation meat products

11) Artificial flavors and colors

12) Excessive alcohol



EXTRAORDINARY FOODS
(Best to consume between 50-75% of your daily diet)

M e a t s
(grass-fed organic is best)
beef
elk lamb
veal
buffalo
goat
meat-bone soup stock
beef or buffalo hotdogs (with no pork casing)
beef or buffalo sausage (with no pork casing)
jerky (with no chemicals, nitrates or nitrites)
liver and heart (must be organic)

F i s h
(wild or ocean -caught is best, and the fish must have fins and scales)
cod
fish soup or stock
grouper
haddock
halibut
herring
mahi-mahi
orange rouphy
pompano
salmon
sardines (canned in water or olive oil only)
scrod sea bass
snapper
sole
tilapia
trout
tuna
wahoo
whitefish

P o u l t r y
(pastured and organic is best)
chicken
duck
poultry-bone soup or stock
chicken or turkey bacon (with no pork casing)
chicken or turkey hot dogs (with no pork casing)
chicken or turkey sausage (with no pork casing)
Cornish game hen
guinea fowl
turkey

L u n c h M e a t
(organic, free-range and hormone-free is best)
chicken
roast beef
turkey

E g g s
(high omega-33/DHA or organic are best)
cavier and salmon roe (must be fresh, not preserved, and must not come from the sturgeon, which is an unclean fish)
chicken eggs (whole with yolk)
duck eggs (whole with yolk)

D a i r y
(organic is best)
goat's milk plain whole yogurt
homemade kefir made from raw cow's milk
homemade kefir made from raw goat's milk
organic cow's milk yogurt or kefir
raw cow's milk hard cheeses
raw cream
raw goat's milk hard cheeses

F a t s & O i l s
(organic is best)
avacado
butter, cow's milk
butter, cow's milk, raw, grass fed (not for cooking)
butter, goat's milk
butter, goat's milk, raw (not for cooking)
coconut milk/cream (canned)
oil, butter (ghee)
oil, coconut, extra-virgin (best for cooking)
oil, expeller-pressed peanut
oil, expeller-pressed sesame
oil, olive, extra-virgin (not for cooking)
oil, unrefined flaxseed (not for cooking)
oil, unrefined hemp seed (not for cooking)

V e g e t a b l e s
(organic fresh or frozen is best)
asparagus
artichokes (French, not Jerusalem)
beets
broccoli
Brussels sprouts
cabbage
cauliflower
corn
carrots
celery
cucumbers
eggplant
garlic
lettuce (all kinds)
mushrooms
okra
onions
peas
peppers
pumpkins
spinach
string beans
sweet potatoes
tomatoes
white potatoes
squash (winter or summer)
leafy greens (kale, collards, broccoli rabe, mustard greens)
salad greens (radicchio, excarole, endive)
raw fermented vegetables (no vinegar)
sea vegetables (kelp, dulse, nori, kombu, and hijiki)
sprouts

F r u i t s
(organic fresh or frozen is best)
apples
apricots
bananas
blackberries
blueberries
dates
figs
dried fruits (no sugar or sulfites)
grapefruit
grapes
kiwis
lemons
limes
mangos
melons
oranges
papayas
peaces
pears
pineapples
plums
prunes
raisins
raspberries
strawberries

G r a i n s & S t a r c h y C a r b o h y d r a t e s
(organic is best, and whole grains and flours are best if soaked for 6-12 hours before cooking)
amaranth
buckwheat
millet
quinoa
sprouted Essene bread
sprouted Ezekiel-type bread
sprouted whole-grain cereal
fermented whole-grain sourdough bread

S w e e t e n e r s
date sugar
unheated raw honey

B e a n s & L e g u m e s
(best if soaked for 12 hours)
black beans
black-eyed peas
broad beans
garbanzo beans
kidney beans
lentils
lima beans
miso
natto
navy beans
pinto beans
red beans
soybeans (edamame)
split peas
tempeh
white beans

N u t s & S e e d s
(organic, raw, and/or soaked is best)
almonds (raw or dry roasted)
almond butter (raw or roasted)
Brazil nuts (raw)
flaxseeds (raw and ground)
hazelnuts (raw)
hemp seed butter (raw)
hemp seeds (raw)
macadamia nuts (raw or dry roasted)
pecans (raw or dry roasted)
pumpkin seed butter (raw or roasted)
pumpkin seeds (raw or dry roasted)
sunflower butter (raw or roasted)
sunflower seeds (raw or dry roasted)
tahini (raw or roasted)
walnuts (raw or dry roasted)

C o n d i m e n t s , S p i c e s , & S e a s o n i n g s
(organic is best)
salsa (fresh or canned)
apple cider vinegar
Celtic sea salt
guacamole (fresh)
Herbamare seasaoning
herbs and spices (no added stabilizers)
ketchup (no sugar)
mustard
omega-3 mayonnaise
other marinades (no canola oil)
Real salt
sea salt
soy sauch (wheat-free, tamari)
tomato sauch (no added sugar)
umeboshi paste
other salad dressings (no canola oil)
raw salad dressings and marinades
flavoring extracts, such as vanilla or almond (alcohol based, no sugar)

S n a c k s
healthy food bars
carob powder
flaxseed crackers
goat's milk protein powder
healthy macaroons
healthy trail mix
organic chocolate spreads
organic cocoa powder
raw food snacks

B e v e r a g e s
coconut water
purified, nonchlorinated water
lacto-fermented beverages
raw vegetable or fruit juices
natural sparkling water, no carbonation added
unsweetened or honey-sweetened herbal teas



AVERAGE FOODS
(Should make up no more than 25-50% of your daily diet)

D a i r y
(organic is best)
goat's milk
amazake
cow's milk
almond milk
cheese (cow, goat or sheep)
cow's milk cottage cheese
cream cheese
fat-free yogurt
low-fat yogurt
plain sour cream
soy milk
cultured whole soy yogurt
heavy cream
oat milk
rice milk

F a t s & O i l s
safflower oil
sunflower oil
soy oil

V e g e t a b l e s
(organic is best)
canned vegetables

N u t s , S e e d s , B e a n s & L e g u m e s
organic is best
cashews (raw or dry roasted)
peanut butter (roasted)
soynut butter (in small quantities)
cashew butter (raw or roasted, in small quantities)
peanuts (dry roasted)
tofu

C o n d i m e n t s , S p i c e s , & S e a s o n i n g s
(organic chemical- and preservative-free is best)
ketchup
mayonnaise
salad dressing
marinade
pickled ginger
wasabi

F r u i t s
canned fruit in its own juices

G r a i n s & S t a r c h y C a r b o h y d r a t e s
(whole grains and whole-grain flours are healthiest if soaked for 12 hours before consuming)
brown rice
corn
oats
barley
kamut
rye
spelt
white potatoes
whole-grain pasta (wheat, kamut or spelt)
wheat
whole-grain dried cereal

S w e e t e n e r s
honey
barely malt
maple sugar
Stevia
agave nectar
brown rice syrup
organic dehydrated cane juice
xylitol

B e v e r a g e s
(organic is best)
fresh ground coffee (limit to one cup per day)
pasteurized fruit juices (not from concentrate)
pasteurized vegetable juices

S n a c k s
healthy popcorn
rice protein
milk or whey protein powder from cow's milk
baked corn or rice chips
soy protein (nongenetically modified)



TROUBLE FOODS
(Should be consumed with extreme caution; greatly limit or avoid altogether)

M e a t
pork
emu
ostrich
rabbit
veggie burgers
bacon
ham
imitation meat products (soy)
sausage (pork)

F i s h & S e a f o o d
all shellfish, including:
crabs
lobsters
oysters
shrimp
eel
squid (calamari)
clams
mussels
scallops
catfish
fried or breaded fish
shark

P o u l t r y
fried or breaded chicken

L u n c h M e a t
corned beef
soy lunch meat
ham

E g g s
imitation eggs (e.g., Egg Beaters)

D a i r y
American cheese (singles)
homogenized milk
processed cheese food
soy cheese
commercial ice cream with sugar
low-fat or skim milk
rice cheese
yogurt with sugar or artificial sweeteners
any dairy product with added stabilizers, preservatives, sugars or artificial sweeteners

F a t s & O i l s
canola oil
corn oil
lard
shortening
cottonseed oil
margarine
any partially hydrogenated oil

N u t s & S e e d s
honey-roasted nuts
nuts roasted in oil

C o n d i m e n t s , S p i c e s & S e a s o n i n g s
all spices that contain added sugar or preservatives

F r u i t s
canned fruits in syrup

B e v e r a g e s
commercial beer and wine
fruit juices or drinks made from concentrate
fruit juices or drinks with artificial flavors
sodas
chlorinated tap water

G r a i n s & S t a r c h y C a r b o h y d r a t e s
baked goods
instant oatmeal
white or unbleached flour
dried cereal with sugar
pastries
white rice
bread or crackers made with white or unbleached flour
pastas made with white or unbleached flour

S w e e t e n e r s
sugar
corn syrup
high-fructose corn syrup
all artificial sweeteners, including:
acesulfame K
maltitol
sucralose (Splenda)
aspartame (Equal)
sorbitol
saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Sugar Twin)

M i s c e l l a n e o u s
snack foods with sugar, partially hydrogenated oils, artificial sweeteners or unbleached flour