Cincinnati Losers

Cincinnati Losers - Join Us on Facebook

2011-07-06T06:48:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know we've created a fan page over on Facebook for Cincinnati Losers. Our hope is that this will allow us to be more "in the moment" with our efforts and it can be a place where we can all (you too!) share our successes, challenges, insights and concerns.

We hope you'll come join us!

Cincinnati Losers on Facebook

A Kick in the Butt

2011-07-05T08:08:00.000-07:00

Four years ago, I weighed 281 pounds. For the second time, Tom and I began a liquid diet through a local hospital and, by April of the next year, I weighed 221 lbs. for a loss of 60 lbs total. (You can read about our journey on that diet at Diminishing Returns.)

As of this morning, I weigh 303 lbs., 22 lbs. more than when we started the liquid diet four years ago and 82 lbs. more than my lowest on the diet. A lot of things happened between then and now (my mother died, we started blogging about beer, my work stress level got even higher), but it all comes down to me and what I was doing. Or rather, what I wasn't doing.

In the beginning of 2009, I started training for walking the Flying Pig half marathon in addition to continuing our water aerobics. I got all the way to walking 8.5 miles one Saturday. But, I made the mistake of walking in cold, damp weather with a chest cold. It got much worse and I got to stop training for a while to recuperate. The slide that had already begun got steeper at that point.

Since that point, I have started and re-started SparkPeople more times than I can count. Last year, I was asked to join Cincinnati Losers and I managed to post all of two times. Our trips to our local Y to do water aerobics got so infrequent that we tried taking the months of January and February off this year to see if that would help push us a bit when March arrived.

All this time, I kept thinking something's going to happen to get me back in the weight loss mode again. I won't buy new clothes so I'll have to diet to fit in the ones I have. Yeah, right... That didn't work. When I go over 300 pounds, it will shock me into losing weight. Well, that happened in last September and I'm still there.

It was a conversation on Twitter that made me think I need something more. As you've already read, I'm not shy about sharing my weight unlike most people I know. About a year ago, Leo LaPorte of the TWiT Podcast Network was talking about the Withings Scale on This Week in Tech. This scale can be set up to send your weight directly to SparkPeople or even tweet your weight. In my search for the something that will make me get serious again, I bought one and set up a twitter account for it - https://twitter.com/#!/carlas_scale. I was talking with someone who was interested in the scale and he mentioned being reluctant to tweet his weight. I pointed out that "Not saying the number out loud doesn't make it not true."

That phrase kept sticking in my mind. And then, over this past weekend, I realized why certain diets and plans worked for me and others didn't. I need accountability. Not so much public humiliation, but being held accountable for my actions. So when Shannan asked about creating a Facebook fan page for Cincinnati Losers, I was one of the first to say "YES!" I need that kick in the butt every once in a while that gets me back on track. I need to know that someone is paying attention and someone is watching my journey.

So, I'm asking... both my fellow Cincinnati Losers and those of you following us on Facebook... please ask if I got to the Y this morning. And have I tracked my food on SparkPeople. And did I get my water in today. And, most of all, please kick my butt when the need arrives. My goal is to make it a smaller target to kick as each day goes by. Many thanks in advance!

-- Carla

One 1/4 mile at a time

2010-07-15T10:00:00.000-07:00

Um ... hello.

I was an original Cincy Loser. Now, when it comes to weight loss, I'm really just a loser. I completely gave up.

In 2007, I put on tons of weight due to several deaths in the family. So in 2008, I got myself a trainer, worked out with her diligently for 6 mos, all in an attempt to lose the funeral weight. I even ate better.

NOTHING HAPPENED. Seriously, getting a trainer was not the best use of my time or money. She never taught me the things I wanted to know (like how to correctly use the machines instead of how to modify the machines in ways she thought were better) and I neither lost weight nor gained muscle. She was a great person though, and currently the head trainer at my old gym.

I was ballroom dancing once a week too, but that (which I'm still doing) is an incredible amount of fun but not necessarily always challenging to my muscles. Ballroom dancing is now more of a stress reliever for me than a way to exercise.

I started traveling again in late 2008 and truthfully, I haven't really stopped. Staying healthy and traveling is a really hard thing to do, and I'm a big sucker when it comes to being lazy.

Where does that leave me? Way too overweight and not happy about it.

Me now. Even the groundhog
thinks I should get in shape.

I've had this weird flirtation going on with my bicycle for a year. Last year, I was amazingly inspired by my friend Jen, who has become a cycling goddess in less than 2 years. I got my poor dusty bike out of storage. I have a nice bike, a fancy Cannondale purchased for me about 15 years ago. 15 years ago I rode it twice before I decided that I was afraid of cars.

So, I stared at my bike for the last year. In June, before a 3-week round of travel, I dropped off my bike at the shop for a tune-up, cobwebs, rotted tires, and all. The cycle guys just stared at me then made fun of the cobwebs.

I picked the thing up - tuned up, new wheels, and shiny - on July 2, the day after I returned home from my trip, and proceeded to stare at it for two weeks. I made up all sorts of excuses, which included buying a bike lock and a helmet, amongst other things I don't need.

Monday I got on the bike. I have such a huge fear of cars and I'm terribly out of shape, so this was a pretty big deal. I rode around 2 blocks in my neighborhood, coming in at .94 mi. When I came back on Monday, I walked into my kitchen and fell down. My legs were - without exaggeration - jelly. I downed several bottles of water and dragged myself to the couch. By the end of Monday, my abs were hurting, my back muscles, and my shoulders and arms (from clutching the handles for dear life).

Tuesday I made myself get back on the bike and do it again - same route. I was still a little jelly when I came back, but I didn't collapse. My abs hurt less and I think I actually relaxed a little in my upper body.

Yesterday I was downtown all day, so there was no way I could have ridden the bike. But today I made myself get back on the damned thing and I rode 1.30 mi. (I added a block.) I know it's not much. I have friends who regularly ride 70-100 miles every weekend and here I am cheering about a mile and a quarter. But I'm so terribly out of shape ... Tomorrow I'm adding another block, I think. Or I might keep the same distance and change up the route. It's not all flat either. I hadn't realized how many gently sloping hills we had around here. (Hell going up, but fun coming down.)

I have it in my head that I can do this. I want to be able to ride to the grocery store - and back - which is 4 miles roundtrip and I want to do it by the end of summer. It's a physical challenge for me - and a mental one. There are a helluva lot of cars between me and the grocery store.

I also desperately need to find a gym. Near me, there is an LA Fitness, a Better Bodies, and an Urban Active. I want to do a free week at each and make up my mind. I hate gyms with a passion because I prefer to be alone when I work out. If I had a spot in my house for an elliptical machine, you would never ever find me at a gym. Picking out a gym is hard; making me go to one is about like pulling teeth.

My ultimate goal? Well, I'm not really looking at this in pounds or inches any more. I want my clothes to fit better and I want to feel better about myself. I also have promised myself a reward.

I love Seattle and our own Cincy Loser Laura has moved out there and is an avid cyclist. There's a town near Seattle called Skagit Valley that each spring erupts in tulips. If I can keep cycling, and stay in shape over the winter, I want to fly out to see Laura next spring and take a ride through the tulips. That's my reward.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Photo by kashyap_hc, used under a CC license

I'm baaaaaaaaaaaaack!

2010-07-12T11:31:00.000-07:00

Tap…tap…tap…is this thing on? Ew, I haven’t seen this must dust since I pulled that treadmill out from under the bed. You still there? It’s been a while, eh? That’s enough snickering from the skinny bitch on the left and you over there, PUT.DOWN.THE.TWINKIE – just cause I’ve gone off the rails doesn’t mean you gotta go with me!

Yeah, it’s Amy – ten pounds heavier than when we last met – back for another crack at this crazy little think called please God make my ass smaller, er, I mean weight loss. Success shall be mine! And before you roll your eyes and mumble (as my husband did) “yeah, sure, we’ve heard this before”, let me tell you that I’m just coming off my first week back in the saddle and I’m down TWO POUNDS thank you very much.

(bows and waits patiently for applause to die down)

Ok, so what’s different this time? I’m not going to Weight Watchers right now. While I think the WW program is one of the best things out there, I needed to shake it up. When I was working the program, it was half-hearted and I knew more drastic measures were needed.

What drastic measures you ask (with that trademark look of horror on your face)? Don’t worry - no surgery, no crazy pills, no clinically diagnosed bulimia, anorexia, etc. No folks, by drastic I mean EATING LESS and MOVING MORE. Gasp – sometimes you gotta kick it old-school simple.

Our family joined Silverlake last month and I’ve been working with a trainer for the last couple weeks. I’m doing strength training with him twice a week and cardio on my own 3-4 times a week. He is also guiding me on my eating (more on that next week if you're lucky) – challenging me to staying under 1467 calories a day and upping my protein intake drastically.

So far, so good. I haven’t been starving, and saying NO to certain things is easier than usual. I’m trying to take it one day at a time. I have a reminder on my phone every day, it dings and a message pops up asking: WHEN ARE YOU EXERCISING TODAY? Then I carve out some time in a given day – even if it is just a walk, something everyday.

Two things I’m working on this week:

1) Putting work-out clothes (6 days worth) in my car w/shoes & socks. Then there is no rushing around in the morning tracking things down which could easily lead to an excuse NOT to work out. I washed and packed everything on Sunday night - I’m set for the week.

2) My trainer said that 25% of my intake should come from protein-rich sources. So I’m looking for more sources of protein. Let’s face it, I can’t just walk around with a sirloin in my purse and gnaw on it every time I get the urge. Well, I could but people would likely stare. So I’m on the hunt for portable, convenient ways to protein-a-fy my daily snacks. Easy additions so far have been hardboiled eggs and these terrific POWER CRUNCH bars! Check them out they are terrific. A little pricey if you get them at the gym, but I found them on Amazon for ½ the price Silverlake charges, so I ordered a box. Cookies & Cream is my favorite flavor, but they are all good! If you have any protein ideas that don’t involved meat products in my purse –leave ‘em here in the comments, would ya?

To me, this time around has to be manageable – nothing complicated, nothing crazy.

Becoming One of the Beautiful People

2010-05-14T04:04:00.000-07:00

Following is a guest post from Chris Cole. Chris posted here on Cincinnati Losers a few months ago and is STILL going strong. I think you'll agree his journey is inspiring!

Hello again, Cincinnati Losers! The last time you heard from me was in February when Shannan asked me to submit something. At that point, I had lost 63 pounds and was feeling pretty good.

Today, I’m down 101 pounds and feeling great! My last submission was titled “The Tipping Point,” and as each day passes it becomes clearer to me that what separates successful weight-loss efforts from the countless unsuccessful ones is just that – a tipping point. A moment when you decide, once and for all, that you’ve had enough. Enough of the aches and pains of everyday life. Enough of the dread of going to certain restaurants or sporting events or getting on an airplane because the seats are too small. Enough of losing your breath walking from the car to the office. Enough of growing out of expensive clothes you purchased just months earlier. Enough.

So you change. It starts slow with little things. Frankly, early on you have no idea what you’re doing. You start counting calories. Maybe you get a gym membership. You go and you look around at the machines and it’s all overwhelming and intimidating. You see beautiful people. Everywhere. They’re lifting the big weights; they’re sprinting on the treadmills faster than you could run if a bear was chasing you – and they’re not even sweating; they’re living beautiful people lives, and that in and of itself intimates you. You pick out a machine that doesn’t look too complicated – maybe a recumbent bike – and you hop on. You start pedaling. You ride until your butt is just too sore to continue. You burned 250 calories. Is that good? You have no clue. You’re too sore to go the next day, but the day after there you are again. With the same damn beautiful people. (They go every day.) You hop back on that same bike and you go again. You crank up your iPod with some up-tempo music you love now but will soon come to detest because of its Pavlovian effect on you. This time you’re able to burn a few more calories, but you still have no clue if its even worth the effort. Two-hundred and seventy calories sure doesn’t sound like that much. And how can the human butt get so sore so quickly?

As you pedal on, the miles turn into weeks and the weeks turn into muscle. You’re amazed. You never noticed your quads before, but hmm…there they are. And you don’t get as sore as you used to. Oh, and you’re burning closer to 500 calories each visit now. And you’re not as sore the next day, which is good because that means you can think clearly enough to do some Googling and you find out that burning nearly 500 calories isn’t that bad. And you realize how important it is to keep an eye on fiber and sodium and fat too. You see references to net calorie burn and other scientific-sounding stuff, but that’s all a bit much for now. It’s enough of a challenge for you to just track the calories, pedal the bike and not kill the beautiful people.

After a few months, you’re bored with the bike. So you hop on the elliptical machine and holy hell. How can something that looks so simple cause such misery? It’s everything you can do to last three minutes. But you notice that in those three minutes you burned more calories than five minutes on the bike. So the next day (you’re able to go to the gym back-to-back days now) you do the bike awhile and then hop back on the elliptical. Eight minutes this time – SCORE! The trick, you figure out, is to bend your knees a little and get into a rhythm. In no time at all, you’re master of the elliptical. You can go 40, 50 minutes. Granted, you sweat so much you literally slip from time to time on the puddle gathering below you. You begin to think, “If I can do this, surely I can go join the beautiful people on the treadmill.” You do. At first you walk. Slowly. And flat. Over time, you speed up and begin to work at an incline. Soon you’re running. Damn – you haven’t run since…the 1980s. Literally. Your day-to-day aches have been replaced by sore hips and joints from running and ellipticaling, but it’s such a good feeling.

You’ve lost some serious weight at this point and you start to think about things you’ve never thought about before. You’re sitting in your office, daydreaming about the run you’ll get in tonight. It’s sick, but you love it. Your body is feeling great and you realize there is nothing you cannot do. You do some more Googling and decide that you’re going to start training for a 5K. You think back to before you started this madness when you didn’t even know what 5K meant – it’s 5,000 something, but it might as well have been miles. Now you’re planning. Next year, you’ll do some version of the Flying Pig Marathon. Probably not a 5K – you could do that now if you really worked hard. Nah, half marathon at least. Maybe the full 26+ miles. Why not? You’re getting stronger – much stronger. The comments and compliments are coming pretty regularly now. It’s all a bit embarrassing, but at the same time it fuels you. And you finally feel comfortable venturing into the weight training area of the gym. You realize the beautiful people are actually quite welcoming. They show you how to use the crazy-looking machines. You start small. On some of the machines, you don’t even use the weights – you can only manage the weight of the machine itself. But you do it. Then the real muscles come. You begin to notice things like biceps, triceps and collar bones. You have collar bones – who knew?

As frustrating as it was to grow out of expensive clothes in no time at all, you’re now thrilled to shrink right back down through those same clothes. The shirts you wore at your previous job 10 years ago…now too big. The T-shirts you wore in college begin to hang off of you. You keep the belt you wore before your tipping point as a reminder. You’ve been poking holes in it for awhile now and it’s getting ridiculous. There are 15 new holes in the thing and it wraps halfway around you when you put it on. You bought a new belt last month, but you’ve already started to poke new holes in that one too. It’s a nice problem to have, but it’s a problem nonetheless. You need new clothes, and the realization hits you that for the first time since you were a teenager you don’t have to shop at some specialty store. You secretly cry in the dressing room the first time you get an XL to fit you – the same way you did the first time you realized a 5XL fit you.

Just when you start to think you have this thing beat, you hit your first real, stubborn plateau. It’s like quicksand. You work hard – real hard; you eat healthy – real healthy. But nothing. You lose one pound this week but gain two the next. You start to get frustrated and so you work even harder. You up your weekly gym visits to eight (one each day and twice on Saturday). Still nothing. As quickly as things got started, things have stalled. What do you do? You ask the beautiful people. Their advice is all over the board – lift more, lift less, take supplements, mix it up, stop working out completely for a week. Hmm…given the exhaustion, this last option seems like a good one! So you do it. And it takes everything you’ve got not to go to the gym for a week. Your body heals and the rest does wonders for those sore hips. A week later, there you are back at the gym. You’re shocked how much you actually missed the beautiful people. You hop on the scale, full of fear and dread for the first time in months. And to your utter amazement, you’ve lost 7 more pounds. Seven. How in the hell did that happen? You get your workout in (four miles on the treadmill, 30 minutes on the elliptical and 15 minutes on the rowing machine) and then head home to once again work the Google. You begin to realize just how complicated the human body can be. Ahhh…that must be what makes weight loss such a challenge, you conclude. It’s half art, half science.

Back on track, you decide that it probably is time for you to mix things up. You’ve been using the same three or four cardio machines for months now and while you’re not completely bored, you’re ready for something new. A coworker tells you about a class he’s thinking of taking – something called Muay Thai (back to the Google). Wow. It looks serious. It’s like kickboxing on steroids. Something the beautiful people would do, but probably not for you. After a few days of heavy persuading, you agree to give it one shot and so you go. Great…more beautiful people. But these are even nicer than the ones at the gym. Once they realize you’re taking it seriously and actually want to improve yourself, they welcome you with open arms. Soon, you’re kicking the bag so hard your shin will look like a medium-rare ribeye steak the next day. Your left big toe is blistered from pivoting on the mat, your right big toe is bruised and swollen from kicking the bag wrong and your ankles aren’t thrilled with you either. But you love it. The next week, you’re the first to arrive.

You’re down 101 pounds and your life is literally changing every day. What once seemed completely impossible (running, taking mixed martial arts classes, shopping for clothes at the mall) is now your day-to-day life. And you know to an absolute certainty that you’ll reach your ultimate weight loss goal. You’ve really known it since your tipping point, but now others look at you and they know it too.

Yep, as I said in February, life is good.

Chris Cole

Starting Weight – 370
Current Weight - 269

My "War on Weight" Tools - Part One

2010-04-14T07:10:00.000-07:00

The fact that this post is ten days late is a good indication of how crazy the last few weeks have been for me. My winter school term ended on Monday and yesterday was spent dealing with all those little errands that piled up while I was busy grading. So, today, I'm finally going to share with you some of the tools I'm using in my "War on Weight" the 2010 edition. I'm going to have to break into two parts because one of my tools isn't fully implemented yet on my Diminishing Returns blog. (I need to add a widget to this WordPress blog but the CSS isn't loading properly on the admin page and nothing can be done there. Tom's tried to fix it with no luck. Hoperatives was doing this too, but has stopped. We're running out of ideas on what to try! Any suggestions?)

1. SparkPeople - To be honest, this isn't my first time using SparkPeople. I've re-started more times than I can count. But I'm back and I'm working to get back in the habit of tracking my food and exercise again. I'm CarlaGS on SparkPeople if you would like to connect me there.

2. The Spark book - I actually won this book from my fellow Cincinnati Loser Shannan's blog. It's been sitting on a table in our condo for about a month. I recently purchased an iPad and I realized this morning that, if I'm going to read it, I need an electronic version. Now that I've done that, I'm going to pass my hard cover copy along to a friend.

3. R.C. Durr YMCA - We love our local Y. We love it so much that, when we were searching to buy our first home, the "must" was that it had to be close to the Y. We really slacked off the first three months of this year, but we're in our third week back and it's been great. Everyone there welcomed us back and has encouraged us to keep coming back. We jog in the pool some days and alternate with a 50 minute water aerobics routine on other days.

4. The Biggest Loser - I'll admit it. I love this show. And I've been one of those people who sat on the couch watching it while I was eating. But, today and many times in the past, it has been my inspiration. It's the reason I got this post finally written. :)

5. MapMyWalk.com - In addition to the water workouts, I'm adding walking back into my life. I started training for walking the Flying Pig Half Marathon last year (unsuccessfully) and I found this great web site for charting your walking maps. It's a nice supplement to SparkPeople's training tracking. Maybe next year I can try for the Half Pig again...

So those are the first five of my "War on Weight" tools. And, as soon as I get the WordPress problem fixed, I'll be back with more!

An Introduction

2010-03-30T06:22:00.000-07:00

If you've taken a glance at the list of Cincinnati Losers lately, you may have noticed there's another name there now. I was thrilled that I was asked to become a Cincy Loser and it's high time I introduced myself.

My name is Carla Gesell-Streeter and, with my husband Tom Streeter, I write Hoperatives.com, a Cincinnati beer blog devoted to "Believers in Better Beer (In Cincinnati and Beyond)". I also blog at RadioCarla.com and soon will be reviving the newly re-designed Diminishing Returns blog.

Compared to the other Cincy Losers, I'm the tallest (6' 0"), the heaviest (288.8 pounds as of yesterday) and the oldest (48). I've been doing this weight loss thing for a looong time. I realized today that I've taken water aerobics classes in four different states. I've been a member of Weight Watchers in three states plus online. I tried Nutri-System when I was working at a radio station in Illinois. With my husband, I've done medically supervised liquid diet twice (we documented the most recent time at our Diminishing Returns blog. Weight loss surgery is something I won't consider at all.

As the daughter of a dietitian, I grew up eating whole grains and drinking skim milk. But, junk food became my way to rebel. I literally was a closet eater since I hid my Hostess treats and candy bars in my bedroom closet. Thanks to a teenager's metabolism and a large frame, I didn't really see the effect of this bad eating. Thirty years later, it's caught up with me.

As I start off on the weight loss journey again, I have several tools that I'm using. Some are ones I've used in the past, some are new and one is fairly radical. On Friday, I'll share with you the tools I'm using in my "War on Weight" the 2010 edition.

--Carla

Waisting Away

2010-03-22T19:20:00.000-07:00

I would be downright lying if I told you I got skinny.

But if my pants (and the daily look-at-myself-naked-in-the-mirror) are any indication, I am decidedly slimmer.

This phenomenon started revealing itself several weeks ago, and my doctor confirmed it last week. I've lost about 13 pounds since mid January.

Considering I went to San Francisco for a Restaurant Week-based trip a few days after that initial weigh in, I'm guessing I've actually lost about 16 pounds.

Not exactly chump change.

I haven't been on a scale in five days, but I know I've been extremely good since then, and by "extremely good," I mean:

Eating breakfast every morning (usually Special K and skim milk)
Taking my Metformin every morning (I'm not diabetic, but I do have insulin issues)
Consistently working fruits and veggies into my diet
Relying on treats like fat free cocoa instead of other decadent sweets
Restricting my alcohol intake during weekdays

These aren't hard and fast rules, but these are probably a good representation of what I'm doing to trim calories/fat out of my diet.

Next, I plan on working more water into my diet and creating a regular walking program. The weather is turning, after all, and I plan on taking advantage of the sunshine.

No one's gonna steal my sunshine, and thanks to this weight loss, I'm walking on it.

Poll: When do you Workout?

2010-03-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

I was talking with my girlfriend the other day about working out. We were debating the best time of day to do so. Personally I like working out first thing in the morning, it sets the tone for the day. My friend said she preferred working out at night, because it helped her work off a stressful day. This got me wondering, when do most people work out?

Getting Back on the Horse

2010-03-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

So that last two weeks have been pretty pathetic in terms of my weight loss effort. I share this because I need to. I need to hold myself accountable and I know by telling you you'll keep me honest.

Losing weight and staying "with the program" is hard and while I was off to a great start, like many folks do I hit a road block.

Yesterday I had an epiphany.

This isn't just about weight loss. This is about doing something for me. Putting me first. (Thank you Mendy for that realization). I'm going to start trying a few new tactics - new tasks that I hope will keep me in the right frame of mind so that I can finally start reaching my goals. I've been reading SparkPeople's book, The Spark, and it's really inspired me and given me some ideas.

1) A minimum of 10 minutes of exercise a day (Thanks Chris!). Who doesn't have 10 minutes they can set aside for themselves??? While my goal is to make it to the gym at least 3x a week, if I can't, there's no excuse.... I own a stationary bike.

2) Attend spin class at least once a week. Spin is so much fun and such a great workout. I always feel better after class and the amount of calories you burn in that a short amount of time is incredible!

3) Read more articles on the SparkPeople.com site (and not just for Spark Points, lol). I find that on the days that the SparkPeople eNewsletter arrives in my inbox, I am much more focused and less likely to "cheat" than on days when I don't have that reminder. Reading the tips and the success stories of other members really helps remind me why I am doing this.

4) DRINK MORE WATER. I think that my obsession with drinking coffee (with creamer) is holding me back. I've started drinking it all day long and I think those calories are putting the kibosh on my efforts. I am going to try and limit myself to 3 cups of coffee a day, and increase my water intake to 6-8 cups of water a day.

5) Continue to eat healthier. Along with the help of my friend Phyllis (a nutrition expert) and by using SparkRecipes, we've really started to explore new foods and are starting to change our eating habits. It's been great to watch our go-to foods evolve into healthier meals.

-----> Shannan

Cinch It

2010-02-28T07:21:00.000-08:00

My pants are falling down.

All day long - whether it is my jeans, my cargo pants or my black dress pants - I am hoisting them back up around my hips and bum.

This is a new phenomenon for me. Normally I'm one of those girls who have to do deep knee bends, squats and half splits when I put on a pair of just-washed pants.

You know how tight something can be when you throw it on straight out of the dryer, right?

Well, something happened, and now all my pants are probably a few pounds away from being around my ankles.

Two weeks ago, I had a significant health scare. I was preparing dinner for my dear friend Bluegrass Brit - Taco Night. I hadn't eaten anything for lunch (and the lettuce and veggie salad I did have wasn't that hearty).

There I was, buzzing around a skillet of browning beef, diced tomatoes and sliced avocado, when I started sweating. My dear friend was chatting away, but I just couldn't be bothered to engage in the conversation. I stared around at all the fixings and was overwhelmed to even assemble my own tacos.

That last one was a significant sign, considering I'm a girl who has never turned down a scrap of food.

A trip to the doctor revealed that I may be on my way to developing diabetes.

the doctor put me on a prescription for Metformin and ordered me to test my glucose twice a day for a month.

Apparently, pre-diabetes is completely reversible - once you get the Big D, it's not.

On my own, I started pursuing a healthier diet. No hard and fast rules, other than I insist on eating breakfast every morning. Normally a bowl of Special K with skim milk (the only kind of milk I've ever preferred), I know this little step helps me fire up the metabolism while I'm watching Good Morning America before heading to work.

I'm paying more attention to portion control and the number of fruits and vegetables I'm eating. Like I said, I'm not following any official "diet," and I'm allowing myself to fulfill the occasional craving when they strike. Just yesterday, my busy schedule got in the way of my eating at "regularly scheduled" meal times, and I drove by a Burger King.

The thought of a charbroiled Whopper with cheese made my head spin.

A trip through the drive-thru satisfied a craving that had the potential to snowball into an unpredictable moment down the road. Ever had one of those moments where you've scarfed down an entire frozen pizza on your own? Me, too.

I'm trying to avoid those moments, and that's why it's okay in my book to thwart diet tragedy with a Whopper now and then.

The rest of the time, it's skim milk, cereal, plentiful fruits and veggies, low-fat yogurt and other healthy choices.

And as much as I love a good cocktail/glass of wine/pint of beer, I'm trying to curtail my imbibing, knowing only too well how much those drinks add up to massive calories.

I've got an appointment in the weeks ahead with a dietitian who will provide me with a more concrete plan to drop weight (I need to lose AT LEAST 40 pounds to be back in a place where I can wear all my cute clothes).

A hesitant exerciser - I plan on hammering out a regular walking routine once Cincinnati's wacky weather settles down to something decidedly spring-like.

My pants are falling down.

And I don't mind a bit.

Guest Post: The Tipping Point

2010-02-17T08:10:00.000-08:00

After hearing a little about Chris Cole's amazing weight loss story during the Fox19 segment we were in together I invited him to share more about his journey here on Cincinnati Losers. I think you'll agree it's pretty inspirational.

- Shannan

Hello fellow losers. My name is Chris Cole and I am finally doing it. I began my journey to good health on Nov. 9 and have lost 63 pounds. Shannan has asked that I share my experience here on Cincinnati Losers and I’m more than happy to do so.

People have asked me why this latest effort has been different. Why is this working when so many earlier attempts failed?

Well, first of all I had moment. I think for all of us, that moment when you really turn the corner and begin to make sustainable changes cannot be predicted or easily explained. Sure, it may come after some traumatic medical event or it may be a person’s last choice and last chance. But for most, there just comes a time where you are no longer willing to accept living with the weight. And it doesn’t feel all that different from prior times when you committed to finally getting in shape (only to give up after a few months or a few days or a few minutes). It’s really only in hindsight that you see – that was the moment; that was when everything changed.

For me, that moment came on Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009, at 10:14 a.m. I hopped onto Facebook that morning and saw that a co-worker had challenged a mutual friend to a 20-pound weight-loss challenge. Sounded fun, so we made our own 40-pound bet. We weighed in Nov. 9 and I began my journey at 370 pounds, easily the heaviest I’d ever been.

I started slow, going to the gym two or three days a week and doing what little I could. Looking back, it wasn’t much. But I began to make healthier food choices and I kept with the workouts. And I posted everything on Facebook – every workout, every weigh-in, every small victory and every minor setback. I put it all out there for my whole world to see. I also discovered a great little iPhone app called “Lose-It!” which helps you count calories. I started seeing a nutritionist through Northern Kentucky University (where I work) and, with her guidance, began to focus on calories, fiber and sodium. For me, if I try to worry about anything more than that, it just gets overwhelming.

The pounds started to come off. On Dec. 1, I’d lost 12. By Jan. 1, I was up to 27. Along the way, as I approached the finish line in the 40-pound challenge, others stepped forward and made challenges of their own. At one point, I was in two 40-pound challenges, a 20-pound challenge, and a 6-pound challenge. Well I won that original competition in mid-January (my reward was getting to control the loser’s Facebook page for a day). Soon after, I won the 6-pound challenge and a few weeks later I won the 20-pound challenge.

Today, after 14 weeks, I’m down 63 pounds. That’s 4.5 pounds per week for three months. I’m about 12 pounds away from winning my second 40-pound challenge (the challenges overlap). When I win this one, the loser has to shave his head. J

I can’t say exactly what it is that makes this time different; all I can do is spout out that same tired cliche you’ve all heard a thousand times before – it’s a lifestyle change. I didn’t know what that meant until about month into this journey. But now I no longer agonize over unhealthy snacks or midnight cravings. My kitchen is full of fruits and vegetables and Healthy Choice meals. I’ve not taken a drink of anything but water and 1% milk since November, and I drink about 140 ounces of water every day. As importantly, I no longer think of the gym as punishment for a lifetime of bad decisions, but rather as an opportunity – a gateway – to a lifetime of good health and limitless possibilities.

I’ve got a long way to go. I’m at 307 pounds now and my goal weight is 185. I’ll get there. I’m 100% sure of that. There are three things that give me such confidence.

The first is Facebook. It is the perfect weight-loss companion, no matter what type of diet you’re on. It allows for instant feedback/encouragement/motivation, and if you’re willing to put yourself out there as I have, it holds you accountable for every decision you make. When you’ve had a long day and don’t want to go to the gym, your Facebook friends will know that you’re blowing it off. And they’ll know when you have a bad weigh-in. No more hiding.

The second is the challenges. I’m a very competitive person and if it’s within my power I will not allow others to defeat me. When I’m at the gym and I’m tired after a good workout, thinking about how nice it will feel to settle into the massaging recliner at home, I think about my opponent(s). I convince myself that they are somewhere at that very moment doing P90X or rocking an elliptical. And I push on. Burn 50 more calories…OK, now just 50 more. The challenges won’t stop until I reach 185.

Finally, I’m confident because for the first time in my life I’m starting to understand the science of weight loss. For me, losing weight was always sort of a magical mystery. You ate less, you exercised and your body eventually began to shrink. There was no rhyme or reason. Now I know that weight loss is a science. Want to lose one pound? Easy – burn 3,500 more calories than you consume. Want to lose 185 pounds (my goal), burn 647,500 more calories than you consume over however long it takes. It’s pretty much that simple.

At the end of the day, when people ask me specifically how I’m doing it, I tell them this – I consume between 900 and 1,200 calories per day and I burn on average about 500 calories every single day at the gym. My nutritionist would like to see me consume a little more, but we both agree that as long as the weight is coming off and my body isn’t telling me otherwise, what I’m doing is working quite well. And I feel fantastic. I have more energy – even after two hours at the gym – than I ever had before. My knees no longer ache and I no longer need a nap every evening.

Yep, life is good.

Chris Cole

Starting Weight – 370

Current Weight - 307

Social Media and "Losers"

2010-02-13T09:53:00.000-08:00

If you watch Fox19, you may have seen me on their 10 o'clock news earlier this week talking about my weight loss efforts and how much social media, and the Cincinnati Losers blog, has inspired and helped me.

In addition to me, the segment features Chris Cole who uses Facebook to help him stay on track. He's lost 50+ lbs and his story is pretty inspiring.

Social media has played a huge role in both motivating and educating me on my weight loss and dieting efforts (THANK YOU!!!). How about you? If social media is helping you with your weight loss efforts, we'd love to hear about it! Here's the segment if you'd like to see it.

Traveling & Dieting, Say what?

2010-02-03T15:40:00.000-08:00

I write here today because I need your thoughts and positive vibes. This weekend I head to Nashville for a blogging conference. I'll be there Thursday - Sunday and am worried that my progress (7lbs so far!!) will be greatly hindered with the temptation of road food, fun/fancy dinners with old friends and the dreaded excuse "it's just more convenient to eat this."

See you would think, because I am writing about this and congizant of the pitfalls that I would be OK. But I am not so sure. I know me. I know that I will fall off the wagon and if I do, I'd rather it be a short fall and not a long one!

I've not traveled while dieting before, so if any of you have any tips, I'd love to hear them. I am planning on packing some healthy snacks in my bag, but when it comes to meals I am going to have to get creative.

Shannan
Current Weight: 153
Starting Weight: 160

UPDATE: After reading this post, my friend Phyllis who is a health coach, sent me the following tips:

TOP 10 TRAVEL FOODS

1. Chia seeds (find them at whole foods, your favorite health food store or www.emeraldcitytea.com)

2. Nuts, seeds and dried fruit/veg

3. Vegetables: sugar snap peas, cut jicama, celery, carrots, cauliflower and bell peppers (hummus to dip)

4. Fruit – cherries, plums, apples, pears, grapes, clementines

5. Hard boiled eggs

6. Ezekial sprouted wrap, organic turkey slices, sprouts & spicy mustard (this might be hard to find on the road but you get the idea)

7. Flax or nut crackers –check ingredients

8. Greens Plus Bar with Protein

9. Homemade trail mix (nuts, seeds, dried cranberries, dark choc chips, coconut)

10. Emergen-C, Sencha green tea powder, probiotics

You Spin Me Right Round

2010-01-27T04:01:00.000-08:00

Continuing my effort to lose weight (can't believe I am staying with it) on Monday I tried my first spin class. I must admit that I have been avoiding spin class for years. My friends have always talked about how great it was, but something about it scared me.

Well talk about feeling dumb. I loved it and it's a GREAT cardio workout and best of all? The time flies by. Here's a quick video I found that gives an overview of spinning. I will def. be doing this again, and again, and again.
Shannan
Starting Weight - 160
Current Weight - 156

When the Lights Go Out

2010-01-11T10:08:00.000-08:00

I am writing today because I have a confession and need your help. My name is Shannan and I am a late night snacker. It's true....9pm hits, the boys go to bed and all I can think of is, "I wonder what there is for me to snack on?"

Some of you might think a snack is OK. What's the harm in a little late night treat? Well it's not the good snacks - nuts, fruit, etc. - I'm crazing. It's the evil snacks that fill my mind, in particular, chips & chocolate.

I don't know what it is. It's like the lights go out and I lose all self control. Last night I annihilated a 1/3 can of Pringles and barely stopped there. Just going to bed is not an option when I am not tired.

What am I doing wrong? How can I curb these cravings? Does it have to do with my diet during the day? I really want to nip this in the bud so all my hard work during the day isn't for nothing.

Help!

Shannan
Starting Weight - 160
Current Weight - 158

Win a Copy of The Spark!

2010-01-07T09:27:00.000-08:00

CLOSED: Congrats to Feoshia, Carla & Big Lug Jay! They were our winners!

I've mentioned before that I am a big fan of SparkPeople, the online site that specializes in helping people achieve a healthier lifestyle.

I first discovered the site back in 2006, and have returned everytime I've needed help getting back into shape and back on the dieting bandwagon.

In December, SparkPeople released it's first book, The Spark, that promotes a 28-day plan for losing weight, getting fit, and improving your lifestyle. I am getting ready to read the book, and to celebrate the launch, we here at Cincinnati Losers have three copies of The Spark to giveaway!

About The Spark:

The Spark: The 28-Day Breakthrough Plan for Losing Weight, Getting Fit, and Transforming Your Life.

This groundbreaking book will connect the dots between weight loss, fitness, better health and lifelong goal achievement. You'll discover:

How to increase YOUR odds of success with the 27 proven secrets of success used by thousands of successful SparkPeople members and 100-pound losers.
A 28-day program that distills the best of SparkPeople's tips and advice into a simple, fun, easy to follow program–all new and available only in this book!
A special workout program created by Coach Nicole, featuring SparkPeople's 10-minute exercise solution to help you fit in 10 minutes a day!
Delicious SparkDiet meal plans and a mix-and-match meal system that lets you eat more delicious foods that keep you satisfied while losing weight.
The Spark's special formula–a breakthrough combination of strategies that will lead to the end of dieting, lasting weight loss and better health.

Win It:
Three lucky readers of Cincinnati Losers will win a copy of the book, The Spark.

To enter, complete any of the following tasks and leave a comment letting us know you did so. Additional entries can be achieved by completing more than one of the tasks ;-). Contest is open to Cincinnati/Dayton residents only (we are the CINCINNATI LOSERS) and ends at Midnight on January 18th. Winners will be drawn at random using a random number generator.

Leave a comment sharing your favorite weight lost tip
Share your SparkPeople.com user name
Leave a comment with your favorite weightloss blog(s)
Follow the Cincinnati Losers blog (see right sidebar)
Add Cincinnati Losers to your blogroll
Tweet the following about the giveaway - Cincy Losers is giving away 3 copies of @sparkpeople's book, The Spark! http://ow.ly/TJmq

UPDATE: I am also giving away 2 copies of The Spark on my personal blog, Mommy Bits. Feel free to enter on both sites! Also, you don't have to live in greater Cincinnati/Dayton to enter the giveaway there.

For those of you who are interested in purchasing The Spark, it is available online at Barnes & Noble, and through Amazon.

A big thank you to the people at SparkPeople for providing us with copies of The Spark to share with our readers!

Sweat The Small Stuff

2010-01-03T11:12:00.000-08:00

I am drinking skim milk in my coffeehouse-deliciously-flavored-coffee.

Note I said coffee - not latte or cappuccino or mocha or chai. Coffee. Vanilla flavored coffee with two packets of Splenda and a healthy splash of skim milk.

Sans half and half.

This is a significant sacrifice for me.

I like frothy. I like over-the-top. Whether we are talking cocktails or coffee or sandwiches or dessert. You name it - I like my insert consumable item here elaborate. And flavorful. And extreme.

And the wheels come to a screeching halt when one signs up (Renews? Re-ups?) to roll with the Losers.

My life on the lam has lasted more than I care to admit. I've run wild with abandon, gorging on decadent cheeses, drinks and drinks and drinks a plenty. The recent holiday season was the Super Bowl of my decadence, dishing up almost a party (or two or three) for each night of December.

I can just imagine the apron of fat draping over my abdomen growing and multiplying with every bite and sip.

So, despite my affinity for all that tastes good on the tastebuds, it is time for me to regain self control.

My goal? Not a number or dress size. I just want to look good naked.

I want to look good enough to wear a swimsuit at a hot travel destination with zero shame. I want to be confident about my body when I strip down to my skivvies with a man I care about.

I want to be able to admire the body I see when I step out of the shower. Right now, I sigh and throw the towel around my body, trying to cover up what everyone can see.

The plan is not overly ambitious - in the beginning.

Calories in versus calories out. That's the way this game is played, right? I am going to rely on shortcuts that help me indulge in the things I love while making wise choices for my diet.

I am going to drink my water if it kills me - and I'll tote it around in a bottle in my purse if I have to.

I'm going to score some new tennis shoes - kicks that will let me walk and run and jump and otherwise exert some energy, which is definitely in order after a late night New Year's Eve celebration that involved everyone at the party committing to do the. Flying. Pig. Half. Marathon.

What the hell did I just get myself into?

Thankfully I have you all. I have my lovely Losers. I have my wonderful friends.

And I have a vision of how great my naked body used to look oh so many moons ago.

Right now is about sweating the small stuff. Skim milk instead of half-and-half. Five minutes of moving versus five minutes of lummoxing.

I can do this.

Look at These Losers

2010-01-03T08:40:00.000-08:00

Was going through folders on my computer and found this picture of the Cincinnati Losers from August 2008. Oh how I'd like to weigh now, what I weighed then.......

"Sparking" Change

2010-01-01T06:48:00.000-08:00

Like most people, I am using today as the launching point for my weight loss efforts. Things have gotten more than a little out of control and I now weigh what I did right after I had my youngest.... 4 years ago. It's embarrassing.

I've known for a while that I have been "living la vida loca" when it comes to what I've been eating, but everything came to a head two weeks ago when my boys asked me to take them to the pool. You see, when I went to put on my swimsuit, it didn't fit. It didn't fit. I had just worn it ALL summer and looked great in it, and now I looked ridiculous - squishing out from the openings - in particular the mid-section.

This was my wake up call, my realization that I needed to get my act together and make some changes.

So, how will I do it? What's my game plan?

I am heading back to SparkPeople.com. SparkPeople.com is an amazing weight loss web site & community that helped me lose 20+ lbs back in 2006. The site is easy to use and connects you with others who are in similar situations. They also have a great calorie tracking tool that you can also access from your iPhone.

If you are on SparkPeople, my username is sd_boyer, I'd love to connect with you. I can use all the support I can get!!

Happy weight loss to you in 2010.

Shannan
Current weight ~ 160
Goal weight - 135

We're Back!

2009-12-31T07:40:00.000-08:00

That's right. After months of slacking we are ready to be losers again, and this time we mean business!

Stay Tuned.

BMI is bunk!

2009-07-05T18:23:00.000-07:00

OK, so I'm not disclosing what my BMI is, but trust me, I'm overweight. I've often wondered how BMI works-- how it doesn't take into things like muscle weight, bone density, even things like small girls with big boobs-- how all weight is the same. NPR posted a great article on why BMI is bunk-- turns out it's not really scientific, but just a guy who wanted an easy way to do some statistics! No fair!

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106268439&sc=fb&cc=fp

Michelle: I Quit the Gym (Sort Of)

2009-05-27T09:45:00.000-07:00

I hate the gym. Not my gym specifically, which is actually a nice quiet pleasant gym (as far as gyms go). But I hate going. I hate working out on machines I'm not overly sure how to use. I end up just using the elliptical or treadmill and the recumbent bike, and I'm done. I'm also completely freaked out by other people at the gym. I have so little confidence in what I'm doing, I feel like everyone is staring at me and laughing. OK, I know they're not, but I feel like they are. And all those hot moms who have nothing else to do in the summer but hang out at my gym (which is also a tennis club) just intimidate me further.

Last year, I worked with a personal trainer for 6 months. She was supposed to teach me how to use the machines, but she didn't really. She was more into stretchy resistance bands and giant balance balls. Sigh.

About a month ago, I broke out the dusty Wii Fit. I keep hearing how people lose weight using it. I've got to tell you though - I never really worked up much of a sweat with the Fit, although I had a lot of fun. I'm a big fan of the game where my Mii is dressed up like a penguin, diving for fish.

In an effort to perhaps use this gaming system to my advantage, I picked up the Gold's Gym Cardio Boxing game. That's a lot of fun, but it's pretty much just boxing. I enjoy cardio boxing a lot, but I still needed more if I was going to do this every day.

So we went out the other day and purchased EA Sports Active Personal Trainer. It comes with a resistance band and a leg strap for your nunchuk. And it's fun.

I chose to do the 30-day fitness challenge. Every day it's a different series of exercises that work all my muscles. Trust me on that one. The squats and lunges are killing me. I never felt the burn at the gym the way I do with this video game. Did I mention it's fun? I look forward to doing it.

The 30-day Fitness Challenge takes me right down to the wire for Alaska. We leave June 30. I'm hoping that this game, combined with weekly ballroom dancing and occasional hiking, will have me in tiptop shape for both vacation and BlogHer.

So I suspended my gym membership for 3 months. That will give me time to decide what the hell I'm doing.

Amy: Week 40 Ugh

2009-05-27T09:35:00.000-07:00

I mean nothing life threatening of course, maybe a tapeworm or something.

That about sums up the last month or so, how are you guys doing?

Amy: Week 34 - Enough is Enough

2009-04-14T10:03:00.000-07:00

It was hard stepping on that scale today, knowing the number awaiting me would not be a pleasant one. I had been steadily gaining up until a few months ago when I just completely went off the wagon. That's putting it mildly, I fell off it, then slashed it's tires, then set it on fire. It now sits in my front yard, up on blocks covered with a tarp, a family of woodland creatures reside there now.

I wish I had some trauma to blame it on - you know like alien abduction or something equally cool, something other than busy schedules and laziness and general lack of motivation. But I don't.

For this to work, you have to want weight loss more than you want that cookie or cake or bag of chips or the couch. For the last few months I have not prioritized health over instant pleasure, I have opted for the temporary buzz over the long term happiness.

I'm mad at myself. I know it's a waste of emotion and it does little to get that number down. It does little to make it so I'm not gasping for breath after a flight of steps. It does little to give me the energy to want to do anything - play with my daughter, tend to the house, cook a meal - after a long day at the office.

Yes, I'm mad and sick of feeling this way. Sick of wishing I was thinner when a special occasion rolls around and I have nothing to wear. Sick of abusing this otherwise healthy body I've been blessed with. Sick.of.it.

It needs to stop. I gained ten pounds since mhy last weigh in, in early February. Ten pounds that I've worked hard to lose only to gain back again a dozen times. It stops here, it stops now.

It's time to get to work. Who's with me?

Michelle: Hiking out of my weight loss hole

2009-04-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

I'm still here. And despite the fact that I've ignored the whole weight loss thing for a few months, I'm trying to get back on track.

In November, I had the opportunity to go hiking outside of San Jose, CA, with my friend Russ, the Winehiker. While the short hike pretty much kicked my ass, I noticed something. I overall felt better and my back, miraculously, didn't hurt. I resolved then and there to start hiking as soon as spring arrived in Cincinnati.

Spring's here! I bought hiking shoes. Actually, I've purchased two pairs of hiking shoes - a 7 1/2 and an 8. Apparently I need a 7 3/4. I'm walking around my house today with one on each foot, deciding which one fits better before I send the other pair back. Hmm ... what's better? My toe hitting the end of the 7 1/2 or my heel going up and down in the 8.

We're going hiking this weekend. Just on Saturday, and we're starting small and local. Big Bone Lick State Park, nearby, has 3.5 miles of trails and even a herd of buffalo. My goal is to hike the whole 3.5 miles.

Hopefully that won't kill me. I've been a terrible Loser. I've ignored the gym since November and I haven't ignored dessert. (Somehow, someway, I'm still a size 8, but that baffles me.) So I'm out of shape.

There's an 8-mile hike I want to do in Alaska this summer, and I hope I can be in shape for it. It's good to have a goal.

Wish me luck!

Laura: Nice Weather, More Effort

2009-03-21T13:58:00.000-07:00

Spring's here. I guess I can come out of my cave and start working out again.

I had great intentions during the cold months for getting moving and eating healthy. What did I do? I pouted on the couch and ate comfort food because I couldn't get outside that much (and enjoy it). I'm curious to see if I ever get the motivation to change that.

Anyway, after my first taste of warmth this week, I'm already getting back to my warm weather routine. I'm out walking, getting my bike tuned up, and in a new twist, I'm heading back to pilates class. Went to class today and my body is thankful, and traumatized. Muscles that haven't gotten work in months are feeling it.

I'm also experimenting with different vegetables and grains in my cooking as I continue to work on making my diet less meat filled. I purchased some rutabagas today and some bulgar. I even picked up some tempeh. We'll see how it goes.

Here's hoping my spring enthusiasm lasts longer than my winter enthusiasm for healthy living did.

Shannan: Back at it (Week Number 3,256 - OK, maybe I am exagerating)

2009-03-09T10:10:00.000-07:00

I suck. It’s true. For months I have been saying that I was going to train for a 5k and for months I have been making excuses. It’s embarrassing really. I used to be a long distance runner for crimeny’s sake! I held the record for the 1500 M at my middle school for 13 years. Why do I keep avoiding it?

The answer: Who knows. Am I lazy? Am I afraid of doing something for myself? Am I afraid of FINALLY losing this last 15 lbs (you may recall it was the “last 10 lbs”…)? I don’t know. I wish I did. I have the time – in the mornings – and I have the support and encouragement of my husband.

Well this morning I took a step in the right direction. I got myself up extra early – 5:00 a.m. – and I met my friend Phyllis at the gym. Together we walked 3 miles (around 3.6 speed) on the treadmill and damn it, it felt AWESOME!

What is wrong with me? It was so easy. I was able to workout and get back home with the boys not even realizing I’d been anywhere. Maybe it was knowing that someone was going to be there waiting for me to arrive. That I couldn’t back out. Maybe I need not only to be held accountable online, but to have one of my girlfriends there to work out with me? Maybe that is what it will take until I get over my commitment issues?

Apparently I have a lot of things to figure out. One thing I do know, I have got to stick with it this time.

For those of you working out, and sticking to it, how do you do it?

Shannan

Amy: Week 27 - Meal Planning Made Easy!

2009-02-24T06:59:00.000-08:00

Nothing is more central to weight loss than well-balanced meal planning. For me, meal planning can be my saving grace or my Achille’s heel. If the day falls apart and I can’t make it to exercise, I can at least salvage the day with smart choices that compensate a little. Or if I’m forced to work late, a healthy casserole in the fridge can keep me from the verge of doom and gloom at the McDonald’s drive thru. You can see clearly in my weight loss chart how essential thinking ahead on the food I’ll consume each week translates into success.

But it ain’t easy. We’re busy, whether it’s work or family or just life draining the sands from the hour glass each day, we’ve got a lot to do. Planning seven “jump-start” breakfasts AND seven “moderate, but filling” lunches AND seven “don’t blow it now” dinners AND oh, don't forget healthy snacks (not of the Oreo variety) in between isn’t a snap for me. To say nothing of keeping variety and what your family will actually eat in mind.

That’s why I was so excited to meet my new gal-pals Tricia and Cortney at Blissdom in early February.

Tricia and Cortney @ Blissdom, photo by Jenny at Mommin' It Up

These wonder-women started a blog apparently just for me - Once A Month Mom! They have worked out a system to prepare 15 breakfasts, 10 lunches and 15 dinners, neatly and orderly once a month. That’s right, you cook the lion’s share of your monthly meals on one day (usually takes 4-8 hours), freeze them and viola - no more fluster and frustration wondering what to cook each day.

(For those of you with little, little ones Cortney and Tricia also offer a homemade baby food track - also once a month - it looks so great it almost tempts me to have another baby! Almost!)

But it’s not just a bunch of recipes and a wish of good luck that Tricia and Cortney offer, they’ve laid out the complete grocery lists for everything, recipes and instructions on preparation in the once a month mode, tricks and tips to be successful, plus they’ve done all the math - SCORE! Basically all their hard-earned expertise and time-consuming work is handed to you and all you have to do is read, shop, cook and freeze. Well, and thank them for each yummy bite!

I’m am super excited to try it out. Their system is set up for a two-Mom approach. I’ve recruited my sister in law to join me on the adventure. We’re gonna do our cooking day on Saturday and I’ll be sure to let you know how it goes next week. Wish me luck!!

The winner is...

2009-02-04T09:47:00.000-08:00

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

Timestamp: 2009-02-04 17:46:49 UTC

The winner is Insta-Mom. I'll be contacting you shortly via email to get the cookbook out to you right away!

Sorry to get this up so late - the surprise snow yesterday threw me for a loop!

Wii Fit

2009-02-01T12:27:00.000-08:00

So does anyone out there use a Wii Fit? I talked my gym down a few bucks a month, and am supplementing the gym by using a Wii Fit.

I just started today. How depressing. It told me my weight (173, at least I'm consistent...) and my BMI (29), and my Wii Age.

The first time I did my Wii Age, I was 41 (!).

The second time, I guess I got used to the balance board, I was 33.

That's a little better, but I'm only 28!

So I figure that I can start going to the gym after work for 45 minutes, and on days when I don't have time to do the whole go-to-the-gym, change-before-rehearsal thing, I can sneak in some Wii time. It is pretty fun. I'm darn good at the Hula Hoop!

Anyone else use the Wii Fit?

Amy: Week 23 - Staying S.M.A.R.T.

2009-01-26T08:51:00.000-08:00

With the encouragement of Julie, my Jazzercise guru, I’m proud to report that I exercised five days out of seven this past week. I stayed within my points and followed the healthy guidelines every.single.day. And I took off 1.4 pounds! Thrilled - Thrilled - Thrilled

Now that I’m getting back on track, it’s time to start setting short and long term goals. We all need to be mindful of this - in all areas of our lives. What goals have you set for yourself? Did you write them down? Did you put them somewhere you’ll have a daily reminder? Do you reward yourself properly when you hit one of your goals?

I’ve been following these guidelines (thanks Weight Watchers) to help make my goal setting more manageable and effective:

SMART Theory for Setting Goals

S
Specific: What exactly are you going to do? Make it clearly defined and simple.

M
Measurable: How long? How much? What are the milestones you will reach along the way?

A
Attainable: Make it reasonable. Do not expect to lose 50 pounds in 3 months. How about 5 to 8 pounds a month for X amount of months?

R
Rewarding: You have to stop and reward yourself along the way. Small rewards for reaching modest milestones will keep you motivated and keep you positive.

T
Time-limited: Set an end date. That last thing you want to do is keep your resolution open ended, because you will have less focus. At the same time, make sure you give yourself enough time to attain your main goal.

This week’s goals are as follows:

1. Get more walking in - especially on the days I don’t do a Jazzercise class.

2. Plan menus for the week so there is no temptation to cheat when dinner time gets too hectic.

3. TAKE MY MEASUREMENTS (still haven’t done this yet!)

4. Introduce a new WHOLE GRAIN to my diet.

Those are all doable, short-term goals I can manage with my busy schedule. What are your goals for this week? Take a minute to think about it and jot something down. Even of it’s just one simple thing like "take a multi-vitamin everyday" or "drink enough water to stay healthy and hydrated" - a goal is a goal and it all starts with a small step in the right direction.

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

We all want to add healthy food to our choices and whole grains are the best way to do it. But what the heck do you do with Bulgur Wheat? Or Quinoa (just between you and me, I’m not even sure how to pronounce it, much less cook it!)?

So to achieve my #4 goal, I picked up the cookbook: Whole Grains for Busy People: Fast, Flavor-Packed Meals and More for Everyone by Lorna Sass. It’s just what the nutritionist ordered for a whole grain virgin like me.

And one lucky Cincy Loser reader will win a copy! Leave a comment here listing at least one short-term goal you’re working on this week - leave as many as you’d like (I’d love to hear about them), but you must leave at lease one to be entered. You can get an extra entry if you tweet the giveaway up - just leave a separate comment with the link to the tweet!

The deadline is 11:59pm on Monday (2/2). I’ll announce the winner in next week’s Tuesday post.

GOT EXERCISE?

2009-01-22T06:45:00.001-08:00

For any Cincy folks looking to jumpstart their exercise in the new year, Jazzercise is offering one heck of a promotion. On Monday, January 26th, sign up at participating Jazzercise locations (I know for certain the Oakley and Downtown centers are participating, many others I’m sure) and you can jazz your way to fitness for $0, nada, nothing, zip-pa-de-doo-da until March 1st. Details below. Not in Cincinnati? I’m sure this is nationwide, so check it out at a location near you and GET MOVING!

Amy: Week 22 - Feeling the burn, the burn of calories!

2009-01-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

I’ve stayed on plan all week. I’ve gotten back to Jazzercise. I’ve gotten my grove back. Filled with determination, inspiration and perspiration! I had a little gain on Sunday (my new weigh-in day). But it was minor and didn’t get to me.

But now for the real news...the winner of the PB2 giveaway. Crack your shells for:

MIZGREENJEANS!

She’ll soon be enjoying the sweet, guilt-free bliss of peanut butter. I’ve gotta tell you, I ordered a few jars of this stuff and after tasting it everyday since it’s arrival, parting with MizGreenJean’s jar is gonna be tough! It’s delicious and so peanutty. If you’re interested in purchasing some for yourself, visit PB2's website here.

This week’s focus at WW’s was recognizing true hunger signals and responding appropriately to them. It seems like an easy concept at first glance. You feel hungry, you eat. But for anyone like me who has spent years overeating all the wrong stuff, A+B does not always equal C. As I told my group Sunday, I believe I spent an entire decade never feeling hungry. How could I? I was eating all the time. I never gave my body a chance to tell me when it actually needed nourishment because I was constantly changing the subject with Ho-Ho’s and Ding Dong’s and pizza and beer.

So we’re getting to know one another, my stomach and I, slowly. All too often I let my hunger get the better of me and go too long between meals. And you can imagine my level of self-control once food is before me in such a scenario. So I’m snacking more and listening closer to the signs my body gives me.

I’ve also gotten a work-out mentor at Jazzercise and that has really helped in making me accountable. I know someone is out there noting when I’m not there and checking in with me. It’s made a world of difference. Julie is nothing but positive energy and she’s gonna help whip this body into a lean, mean dancing machine. Thanks Julie!

Oh and by the way, the friend I mentioned last week who’s just getting started on WW lost over THREE pounds this week. I’m so excited for her and thrilled to share her success with you guys.
Here’s to seeing less of us next week!

Michelle: Run Gabby Run

2009-01-19T07:18:00.000-08:00

I know I've been rather, um, incommunicado recently. You see, spending most of November on the road + the holidays did not do my body good. And I haven't gotten 100% back on the diet wagon either. I'm about 70% there. A trip to Las Vegas next week will push me back down to 50% or so, I'm sure. February is my new start. The gyms will empty out, and I have no trips planned. Obviously, travel is the biggest fuel in my Excuse Machine.

That said, I wanted to mention my friend Gabrielle. I've talked about her in the past: she dropped over 100 pounds in 2007 and she looks incredible. Well, she did a lot of that by running - first on the treadmill and then venturing outside. Now she's training to run Cincinnati's Flying Pig marathon. Gabby is funny and honest and inspiring to a lot of folks. I thought I would let everyone know about her Run, Gabby, Run blog. Soon her entries will be transferred over to a CinWeekly blog (Congrats Gabby!). I thought those of you working on the Couch to 5K initiative might enjoy reading what she's doing.

And I promise I'll be back, and behaving, in February.

Amy: Week 21 - Getting back to business

2009-01-13T08:06:00.001-08:00

Grueling...there is no other word to describe my weight/diet/exercise experience over the month of December. Self control - gone. Energy - huh wha? Wisdom - ha! Excuses - far too many to count. And it was so bad that December morphed into January and I didn’t get back to business til I got a little inspiration from a friend who decided to join Weight Watchers last week. So my “new year, new you renewal” was about a week or so late - better late than never I guess.

So I’m back on the horse - and the horse is huffing from the FOUR POUNDS gained over the holidays. Did I eat one of the wise men or something? Ugh. One step forward...nine steps back.

But I’m here, I’m ready and I’m recommitted. I weighed in just a bit ago and I'm down a bit. Nothing to throw a parade over, but down is always better than up.

Here are my goals for the month of January:

Take my measurements
(so I have another way to calculate success when the scale is temperamental)

Lose five pounds by February 1st

Get back to Jazzercise 3-4 times per week

Follow the WW principles like I was before the holidays got me

Weigh in once a week so I keep things in check

To celebrate the new year, I’m trying a new product that was recommended by one of the WW leaders last week. Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you PB2 from Bell Plantation.

Peanut Butter is the forbidden fruit to many dieters and certainly this Weight Watcher has a hard time calling it quits with just a tablespoon or two. So how wonderful is this: PB2 is made with premium quality peanuts that are slow-roasted to our specifications and pressed to remove the fat. It’s all natural with no artificial sweeteners or preservatives. Same consistency as full-fat peanut butter with all of the roasted peanut flavor, but with more than 85% less fat calories. You mix this peanut “butter” powder with water or your favorite jam and voila you have the peanutty taste without the fatty side effects! Per serving it’s 53.2 calories, 1.87 grams of fat and 0.48 grams of fiber or 1 point for a two tablespoon serving in the WW world. I’m excited to give it a try and it should arrive from the UPS guy tomorrow.

And I’m giving a jar away to one lucky reader. Leave a comment here telling one thing you’re doing to start the new year off right. I might just steal the idea from you! Winner will be selected next Tuesday - I’ll announce the peanut lover in my normal post. Good luck!

Shannan - Eating My Veggies

2009-01-13T07:32:00.000-08:00

This week I am trying something a little different. If you read my blog, Mommy Bits, you know I've been experimenting with menu planning. I did my first menu last week on a whim but it really wasn't that healthy. It was more about what I had in the cupboard. This week I sat down and really thought about what I would make. I needed to find dishes I could prepare that would be both appealing to my boys, as well as healthy. Not being a cook (or traditionally liking to cook) I knew I was going to have to do some research online.

For my first official menu plan I decided to go the Vegetarian route. Here's what I am looking at for this week:

Monday - Fruit Plate (Boys have soccer, I have a late meeting)
Tuesday-Black Beans & Rice: Brown rice, black beans, corn, tomatoes, onion, shallot & avocado
Wednesday- Veggie Wraps: Whole wheat wraps, hummus, gr. pepper, tomato,
lettuce, cucumber & avocado
Thursday- Soup: Diced tomatoes, onions, potatoes, corn, celery, tomato paste and veggie broth
Friday (Date Night) - Boys having Grilled Cheese & Veggie Soup, Fruit Cup.
Saturday - Veggie Tacos: Whole wheat tortillas, vegetarian “meat” crumbles, tomato, avocado, lettuce, corn & salsa.
Sunday - Pasta Dish: Whole wheat pasta, garlic, olive oil, walnuts & sun dried tomato.

My hope is that menu planning will help eliminate rushed dinners and the tendency to just make "what's easy" which is not always necessarily what's healthiest.

PS. If you have any Vegetarian recipes that rock, I would love to have them!!

Eating Well in 2009 (Recipes)

2009-01-08T05:34:00.000-08:00

With the new year I've resolved to cook more and eat better. In my quest I've been doing a lot of searching on the internet for good recipes. This morning I was on the Food Network's site and saw that Ellie Krieger is doing 30 Days of Healthy Recipes to kick off the new year.

I looked through the recipes and they looked really good. Here's a link if you'd like to check it out!

Laura: New year, new resolve

2009-01-03T16:33:00.000-08:00

So, it's 2009. Hard to believe, isn't it. It's that time of year when people will begin making resolutions, and the vast majority of them will fail to keep them through February. I definitely fall into that category every year. So, this time, I'm going to create some principles to try to live by in 2009, instead. These are flexible guidelines, but they are something that adds purpose to the new year.

So, here they go...

1. My body was meant to be active, and staying active keeps me healthy. Everyday, I will try to move, whether I bike, walk, run, go to pilates, or walk up the steps instead of taking the elevator.

2. I will eat more wholesome foods and watch my portion sizes, but I won't beat myself up when I really need a delicious cup of Aglamesis Bros. Cinnamon Ice Cream or a giant juicy burger. Food is fuel for all the things I want to do in life. It is not bad.

3. I will not stress about the little things. And let's face it, I have a great job, family, friends and home -- so any thing I would stress about would be small in comparison to what so many people are facing in our city and our world.

4. A healthy lifestyle starts with a healthy home. I'll continue to work on improving the indoor environment in my house. It needs to be a place that encourages a healthy lifestyle.

So, that's it. Those are my guiding principles for 2009. So far, so good. In the last three days I've been on an 8.5 mile hike, learned to ski (and, wow, are my muscles punishing me for it), and been on a two mile walk. I've cleaned my house from top to bottom, and Jon and I have come up with a strategy to keep it that way.

So, here's to an outstanding 2009 -- a happy, healthy new year.

Shannan: Week 19

2008-12-30T07:38:00.000-08:00

Dear Scale,

I just want to let you know that you can suck it! You are so mean to me. Why is it that every time I step on you the numbers seem to keep rising? WTF? What did I ever do to you?

Sure I've indulged in a few "heavy" meals lately but that's not my fault! I blame our fore fathers (and my Hub's and mother's yummy cooking) for creating the traditions of family dinners on Thanksgiving and Christmas!

And yes, I've had some candy (OK, a lot of candy), but again, that is not my fault either. Someone put a TON of it in my stocking. I had to eat it so the kids wouldn't. I was only trying to be a good parent!

It's the Holidays. Isn't this supposed to be the time for "goodwill toward men," and all that crap? I don't know why you have some sort of vendetta out against me but I would appreciate it if you would knock it off.

Sincerely,
Shannan "I need to get my ass back on my diet ASAP" Boyer

Laura: Xmas is no time to diet

2008-12-27T06:16:00.000-08:00

I went to a Christmas program recently, during which the choir sang a song about holiday eating called "Christmastime is no time to diet." That pretty much sums up the last month for me. All weightloss have been regained, fitness is at a pitiful low, and clothes are not looking so great on.

It's about time to start a new year with a new resolve for fitness and healthy eating. I'm doing the couch to 5k training program -- in theory, with Shannan and Loree. We'll see how that goes. AND, my dear husband bought me a bicycle trainer for our house for Christmas. Since I can't really get out to ride that much (because I'm a winter wuss), this is great for me.

Not really any excuses now, are there? Odds that I come up with excuses anyway? Pretty good. I'm working on it though.

UPDATE: Just finished a run, and I really don't like running that much. My husband swears it's because I'm not breathing right. May be true. I'll keep going though and see if I can push through over the next couple weeks.

Amy: Week Seventeen - Trying to Stay Afloat

2008-12-17T10:44:00.000-08:00

Okay, things are nuts here in Cincinnati - Christmas, work, extra-curricular activities, you know trivial things like showering and making sure you have clean underwear. The stress is mounting and I don’t see it easing til January.

Over the weekend I burnt my hand pretty badly getting STEAMED VEGGIES out of the microwave. Proving once again that eating healthy is crazy dangerous. And how did I respond to the attack by the steamed veggies? Well with a big ass bag of M&M’s of course. This is just one example of the kind of week it’s been.

Yesterday, the snow came early and I’m one of those overly worrisome drivers, so I skipped my WW meeting and headed home to avoid the traffic/white death. I hope to get there tomorrow and I’ll keep you posted on my results.

One thing I did want to share with you is this new site the gals at Cincy Chic shared with us Cincy Losers. WeightView allows you to upload your “before” picture and they will digitize an “after” picture of what you would look like 10, 20, even 50 pounds lighter. I’m still awaiting my after pic, and I’ll share as soon as it comes of course. But this is an example of what it does:

For me, one of the hardest things about losing weight is the fact that it takes so long to see results. If you're like me, you want immediate evidence of the work you're doing. That's what I like about this website - if gives you a snapshot of the future, the future you can have if you keep working on your goals for a healthier you. That photo will motivate me and remind me of the reasons I'm skipping those hot fudge sundaes!

Check out the press for Cincinnati Losers!

2008-12-16T09:06:00.001-08:00

Cincy Chic Magazine's "Geek Chic" issue profiled the Cincinnati Losers! Go check it out!

Look at us being all SATC in front of the McAlpin.

Thanks so much to Cincy Chic for the opportunity to share our stories. Now, maybe I'll actually start losing weight again....

Amy: Week Sixteen - Finding "Momentum"

2008-12-10T07:54:00.000-08:00

So it’s Wednesday, which is clearly not Tuesday. I had my weigh in yesterday and strangely stayed exactly the same. I don’t have many weeks like that, and I’m a bit surprised. I slacked on exercise a bit and got a little wild and loose with my tracking/food consumption. It was a nice surprise to maintain.

Weight Watchers launched a new program this week - MOMENTUM. I’m still familiarizing myself with it, but I think it will be good for me. The main objective of the changes seems to be to help us make smarter choices. On most days, I stay within my points. I dip into those extra weekly ones more than I care to admit, but for the most part I follow the plan (the old one) pretty well. What I don’t do however is make good choices as I’m doing so. So I eat what I want, within the points allotted to me, but there are many days I feel hungry. This new program hopes to change all that.

We’ll see. I’m excited. I’m a total nerd and new materials are heavenly to me. I often find I do better when I really have to think about the program, so changing it up helps me re-focus. You can get lazy and “cheat the system” as Kate reminded me yesterday.

The first thing I noticed at my meeting were the new posters. One caught my eye and really made me think. There were two meals side by side. Both were pasta dishes and both were valued at 10 points each. That is where the similarities ended. On the left plate were four small pieces of cheese-filled ravioli with a scant topping of marinara sauce, presumably something off the menu with no concern for fat, fiber or calories. On the right was a heaping plate full of shrimp, whole grain pasta, broccoli, tomatoes, onions topped with marinara sauce. Both looked delicious, but could both fill you up and keep hunger at bay?

It struck me because I’m totally the left plate kinda person. I don’t want to compromise the fat and taste I’m so accustomed to, so I tend to go for smaller portions of the higher point-value items. And far too often, I’m hungry within an hour or two after. Well no wonder, who the heck can survive on four crummy pieces of ravioli? Then, when faced with hunger later in the day, what kind of choices am I making to fill the void? Usually I go without, crashing my metabolism or grab whatever is handy. Amazing how there’s rarely a bowl of barley handy...

Weight Watchers isn’t rocket science - it’s user-friendly for anyone of course, but it does hit you in the head like a ton of bricks and you’re sitting there like “DUH, of course”. I’m a pretty smart cookie, but I guess I need that ton of bricks from time to time.

Just a note of thanks

2008-12-08T05:28:00.000-08:00

It's not my day to post, but I thought I'd pop in and say a big THANK YOU to the other other girls.

Yesterday, we had a photo shoot for an upcoming issue of Cincy Chic. The hair and makeup folks made us all look ultra-fabulous. (Thanks Cincy Chic!) It was also the first time all 7 of us have been together in months.

I wish I had a photo here, but you can try to imagine. We all had a blast! I was yet again so impressed and amazed by these 6 other women.

So I just want to say Thank You. Each and every one of you is beautiful and inspiring.

Know that you have all inspired me this weekend.

Cheers,
Michelle

Shannan Week 15 Part II

2008-12-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to add to my post from yesterday. I wanted to mention how awesome social media is. In the less than 24 hours since I posted I have found a support network for my effort to get from the Couch to a 5 k in two months. It's amazing.

Let me explain.

After posting here at Cincy Loser last night I sent out a tweet on Twitter saying that I'd written an update on my weight loss efforts. My Twitter feed automatically posts to my Facebook page so my friend Phyllis, who I met through my son's school, read my post. After reading it she emailed me volunteering to be my gym buddy -- at 5:30 a.m. people!! -- how awesome is that?

Then today two of my friends from Twitter - Marcy from Stretching a Buck and Emily from Mommin It Up -- both invited me to partner with them for online support in doing the Couch to 5K Running Plan. I have NEVER met Marcy or Emilie in person. I first 'met' them when I worked with them on a project for my public relations agency. After working together on a project we all stayed in touch, and became friends.

I guess I wanted to share this as a reminder to us all about how social media is impacting our lives. Social media has created new communities, new support options be it weight loss, parenting, etc. and new friendships all of which are now no longer restricted by physical location.

It's amazing to me.

Sorry to ramble. I know it's shocking enough that I posted 2 days in a row....

Shannan Week 15 --- Surving Thanksgiving

2008-12-02T19:24:00.000-08:00

I m happy to report that I managed to get through Thanksgiving relatively unscathed. I did gain 2 lbs..... (stupid, delicious cheese ball) but I feel like it could have been much worse.

As you know I've kind of been at a stand still with my weight loss - I haven't lost weight in a month! This week I have decided .... (dramatic music here.....)to return to the gym.

I started contemplating a return to the gym last week when I received a letter from Silverlake (our family - friendly gym) that they would now be allowing members to use their sister gym - Better Bodies - at no additional charge. While I love Silverlake, Better Bodies is closer to my house which means I can sleep in a smidge longer before heading out in the a.m. to work out before work (I like to work out and get back home in time to get the boys up for school).

My return to the gym was further supported when I came across a few Tweets between my friend Loree and Cincinnati Loser, Laura this week. They were talking about a program called The Couch-to-5K Running Plan. I'd never heard of it before but it's a program that helps you gradually work up to running three miles with just 2 months of gradual training. After looking at the training schedule I think I'm going to do it.

I'm hoping the Couch to 5K Running Plan will give me another form of accountability and also freshen up my weight loss efforts which have gotten a little stale.

If you live in NKY and like working out at the butt-crack of dawn (5:30 a.m.) shoot me an email at Shannanb@gmail.com. Maybe we can be workout buddies??? I would love to start next week.

Amy: Week Fifteen* - Steady as she goes

2008-12-02T13:06:00.000-08:00

*Here's a funny: I had to look up how to spell fifteen...funny in a "whose gonna take care of me when I completely lose it" kinda way

Here's hoping you all had a nice Thanksgiving.

You know the weight loss bandwagon? Yeah, well I power-vaulted off of that bad boy early. Wednesday thru Sunday are just a blur. The only upside? I did exercise four times last week and that is saying something. Exactly what it says I have no idea, what with my mouth full of crap the other 23 hours of each of those days.

But that was last week and the wagon has come back around to pick me up. I went to my weigh-in today and I'm down 0.4, thrilling me to pieces, but convincing me that my metabolism is bi-polar.

Remember Gwen from last week's post? I hope you read that piece - and the second part because if you're looking for a guidepost in this weight loss journey - she is it! Now, during my workouts when I start to slack off I chant GWEN GWEN GWEN. The other women in class think I'm a whack-a-doodle with a real thing for some chick named Gwen, but hey, whatever gets me through.

Today, during our meeting, someone achieved Lifetime Member status. Norbert started WW about 2.5 years ago. He is now 286 lbs lighter. 286 lbs?! It's nothing short of astounding. What an inspiration.

I'm now gonna alternate Gwen Norbert Gwen Norbert in my chant-thru-my-workout routine. That'll really shock 'em.

My friends over at Does This Blog Make Us Look Fat are doing the "32 Days of Christmas" (weight loss edition). Go check it out - they'll make you laugh enough to burn that second piece of pumpkin pie right off. How you burn pieces three through eleven is your own problem.

Amy: Week Fourteen - Meet Gwen and Be Inspired

2008-11-24T10:53:00.000-08:00

My friend Kate recently introduced me to a wonderful woman, Gwen Papineau. At first glance Gwen might look like the average twenty-something: beautiful, hardworking, fun and full of life. But there's so much more to Gwen.

This is Gwen

Gwen has been kind enough to lay out the story of her last fews years and it is nothing short of extraordinary. It made me laugh and cry. I was Gwen then and I look forward to being the Gwen of now someday soon. She'll make you believe in yourself people, and I'm not overselling.

Please pop over to my "regular" home on the internets to read Part One. And then visit dear Kate's blog, read Part Two and thank her for bringing Gwen's story to us!

PS - I weigh in today and I'll update you on my progress tomorrow. Today, just enjoy the beauty of Gwen!

Michelle: Oops!

2008-11-20T07:21:00.000-08:00

With the exception of Amy and Shannan, we're slackers here at Cincinnati Losers, aren't we?

Since I've last posted, I've traveled to California twice for a week each, to Bourbon country for a day, and judged a wine competition in Columbus. This weekend I'm heading to Tennessee to judge a wine competition and then following weekend - Thanksgiving - I'll be in rural Indiana with my grandmother.

What does all this mean? I don't know how to diet and travel.

First off, having spent an inordinate amount of time in airports lately, I can tell you than when you have very little time between flights and not that much money, it's insanely hard to eat healthy in an airport. Lots of Burger King, very little Doc Green's. Truthfully, I don't even remember seeing anything other than fast food in the San Jose or Salt Lake City airports.

Road travel? Well, so far there's Applebee's, Wendy's, and Cracker Barrel.

I've destroyed any progress I've made so far on the diet. 8 lbs? Right back on.

Oh, and I spend a good deal of December baking - cookie swaps, potlucks for my husband's office, baked goods I give as gifts ... the list is endless. And baking tends to lead to my gaining weight.

So I officially admit I'm weak-willed. I cave to my schedule. My plan for the next 6 weeks is to not gain any weight and not go out and gorge myself on cookies or candy. I'm going to make an effort to work out. But I'm probably not going to go out of my way to "diet" either.
I know, I suck.

I'm going to "reboot" the diet in January.

I am weak willed and fluffy.

Image Credit

Amy: Week Twelve, which has morphed into Thirteen

2008-11-18T10:35:00.000-08:00

Sorry for my absence last week. I can't even recall why I didn't post. That's the kinda month I've been having - busy but not sure what is making me so busy.

Weigh-in today and I'm down 2.6 (total lost to date: 33.8). I can't wait to hit that 35 lb mark - I take this five pounds at a time and my up and down rollercoaster has made it tough getting to 3-5!(I'm high-fiving you if you couldn't tell!)

Some good news: I got a Blackberry. (Ryan, at the Cincinnati Bell Store in Crestview Hills was terrific. Hi Ryan!) I know it sounds silly, but I think it's helping me with my weight loss. This weekend at Sam's I made a better choice on granola bars because I was able to calculate the points with Weight Watchers Mobile to make the decision. I've programmed my Jazzercise workouts into my calendar and set it to remind me the night before so I get up and get my clothes ready for the 5:45 am session. Getting into that mindset is half the battle.

So what's working and what's not?

Working

Jazzercise - still loving it! The classes and routines are getting easier. Jazzercise is running a promotion. You partner with another member (HI Maggie!) and if between the two of you, you attend 36 classes by Dec 31st you get a cute little eco-friendly shopping bag. FREE STUFF is a great motivator for me! The instructors are terrific and I can feel my body firming up!

Water - getting it in and then some, especially on workout days

Healthy Food Choices - I'm making good choices and I really feel the benefits in my energy level and endurance.

Points - I'm sticking within them. I'm using more of my weekly flexible points than I'd like, but I think the bump in activity has made it necessary, and I'm still losing. If it ain't broke, right?

Not Working

Dairy - it continues to be thorn in my side. I ran out of Silk Soy Milk last week and the wheels just fell off that bus completely. PLAN OF ACTION: Stop at Whole Foods TONIGHT and get the Soy already!

Walking on my non-Jazzercise days - that was my plan. I haven't stuck to it. I need some activity on those off days. PLAN OF ACTION: Resume walking at lunchtime. The fresh, cold air will do me good!

Weekends - I'll be having the best week and something happens early Saturday morning. I'm bitten by the anti-mojo bug. I stop drinking my water and my point calculations becomes questionable at best. I must get my brain into gear that this is a 7 day a week process. I kick myself when I think how much faster the weight could be coming off if I didn't take a mini-holiday every week. PLAN OF ACTION: Reach out to other people for words of encouragement and a kick in the pants if necessary.

So what's working? What's working you? Think about it and then pick one of the things not working and make a PLAN OF ACTION this week. BABY STEPS! I'd love to hear about it! Next week the Battle Royale begins. It's us against the holiday weight gain. We'll get through and we'll get through together kid!

Those of you who know me, know I'm a little Twitter-obsessed. Twitter was one of the main motivators in getting the Blackberry...yes, I'm that pathetic. Anywho, now I have a good-for-me reason to be on Twitter. @wwtweets started up a couple weeks ago and there are 160 tweeters who are tweeting about their Weight Watchers efforts. Join us! These folks have been just that extra push I need each day to stay focused and make it work!

Julie: Week... yeah. Miss me?

2008-11-10T07:43:00.000-08:00

So, several years ago, a really well-known and world renowned doctor diagnosed me as having Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, which is linked to insulin resistance. Dr. Glueck (he's local) discovered a treatment for it that helps someone with the symptoms restore fertility, rebalance hormones and lower cholesterol. I stopped the treatment (Metformin) because it made me really ill, and at 21 or so, I didn't want to feel sick all the time.

However, I went for my annual checkup with my GYN a couple of weeks ago, and he said, "Wow, is this the most you've ever weighed?"

It's hard to say "Hey now, not only had I eaten lunch, but I was wearing tall leather boots and winter clothes, butthead. I weighed five pounds LESS this morning!" when you're wearing a paper hospital gown.

Instead, I said, "No, I've been about twenty pounds heavier."

"Do you think you should go back on the glucophage?"

"Uh, yeah. Probably."

So he wrote me a prescription, and I started taking it a week or so ago, and upped myself to the full dose a couple of days ago. It really does make me sick, but I know that it'll eventually go away. It has changed my eating habits. I absolutely must eat with it, and I take it in the morning and evening, so I'm eating breakfast again. It has to be something substantial, so I've been doing bagels and light cream cheese. Lunch also has to be light, and honestly? Dinner is light, too. I felt awful after eating a big dinner the other night, and I just need to change the way I eat. I can still eat what I like-- just a lot less. The clean plate club no longer exists.

I think I may go back to Dr. Glueck, too. He has a great dietician and can keep my lipids and other hormones under close watch, and I think my insurance covers it.

(Yeah, and I also just saw a picture of myself from the Obama Victory party. From below. I look pregnant. That's just not normal. Kate says it was a bad angle. She's really sweet.)

Meanwhile, don't Michelle and I look pretty? This is why photos should be taken from ABOVE.

Amy: Week Eleven - Another Quickie

2008-11-05T07:02:00.000-08:00

I'm a day late, and a dollar short - please forgive me.

I lost 1.4 lbs and gained a President yesterday. I really was so wrapped up in the election, I completely forgot about posting. But I went to my meeting, lost and I'm feeling good. Really good.

I slacked on the exercise but I'm recommitting tonight at Jazzercise.

Until next week...

Shannan: Maintaining and Motivating

2008-11-03T07:01:00.000-08:00

So I didn't really lose any weight this week but I managed to maintain - and that is important. With Halloween on Friday and a wedding on Saturday (with one of those vicious chocolate fountains) I thought for sure that I'd gain a couple of pounds. Some how though I managed to slide and to my amazement, when I stepped on the scale this morning it still said 145!

I wanted to mention real quick the power of words and how they impact people. This week my husband really noticed my weightloss and made a comment about it. It wasn't a big comment - just something simple, but it made me feel amazing. It really was the pick me up I needed to motivate me to stick with this diet and not just settle in.

I guess I wanted to share this as a reminder of how much words can mean to someone. If you notice a change in someone, take the extra second or two and let them know. You just might be the motivation they need to keep going.

Laura: A Quick Check-in

2008-11-01T17:55:00.000-07:00

I lost a pound this week. I've been pretty disciplined during the last week -- cooking, bringing my lunch, even hitting up a spin class. I think it may have been possible for me to lose 2 this week, but I weighed in right after spending an evening having multiple beers and eating chicken dip. Overall, I feel like I'm on track. I just have to keep it up!

5 pounds to go!

Amy: Week Ten - Ick

2008-10-28T10:41:00.000-07:00

The scale was surprisingly hateful today - I'm up almost a pound. I'm a little confused and I'm praying this is simply Mother Nature related.

Could my Jazzercising be turning me into a woman of steel so soon? Ha, I don't think so. But it's frustrating because I feel lighter. I know my clothes are looser, so where the hell is this 0.8 hiding? Dirty bastard.

If I posted something now it would be very negative and no one needs that, so I'll sign off for now and try to figure out why the wheels fell off the bus this week.

One good note though. Remember my posts about Lose for Good with Weight Watchers? It looks like over FOUR MILLION POUNDS were lost worldwide during the effort and ONE MILLION DOLLARS will be sent to battle hunger in the US and worldwide.

Til next week...

Shannan: Making Good Strides

2008-10-27T07:18:00.000-07:00

This last week and a half I've really hit my stride. The weight has started coming off again and I've now lost a total of 15 lbs!!!!! With just 10 more pounds to go, I really am hoping to buckle down and am going to try and be serious. These past few weeks were filled with booby traps and pit falls - camping out, trips to Nashville and the infamous Pancake Pantry (who could resist!!), wedding receptions tempting me with tasty hor's doevres and cake, how could I be expected to resist such temptations?

Well the last wedding is in sight - this weekend - and them I'm out of excuses. It will be time to buckle down and bust off those last 10 pounds. I'm a little nervous about making it happen as we put our gym membership on hold for the month of November and it's getting colder outside. I might have to look into working out at work, which I'm not a big fan of, but I might have to suck it up and do it anyway.

I leave you with a YouTube video from Saturday Night Live featuring two of the country's top trainers:

Thank you all for your support. This blog has definitely been a great motivator for me.

Starting weight: 160
Current weight: 145
Total lost: 15 lbs

Kate: Weighing In On Health Care

2008-10-26T13:58:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to lie ~ this post isn't really about weight loss.

I mean, it is in a big-picture-being-overweight-is-bad-for-your-health kind of way.

But I've decided to warn y'all up front so you can pass up reading the rest of my rant - because this blog is a phenomenal way for me to talk about how your vote on Election Day is also a vote for your health. And I should also say this post does not represent the beliefs of every Loser posting on this blog. These beliefs are my own, so if you want to berate someone, feel free to head on over to my own site.

But before I get on my soapbox, I think I should underscore a few points we can likely all agree on.

1) Fat does not do a body good.
Scientists in Sweden just released the results of a study that shows obesity can bring on arthritis for folks who are middle-aged and older. The research is interesting, but it doesn't take an expert for me to realize all the extra pounds of flesh on my hips, legs, tummy, chest, etc. are all taking a toll on the bones, muscles and cartilage holding up my 5' 8" frame.

Obesity is also related to some cancers and diabetes (and a possible first fall in life expectancy in 200 years).

There's no two ways about it - being fat is really bad. Really, really bad - at least where your health is concerned.

2. Healthy food is expensive.
When was the last time you bought organic? Noticed the difference in the price for a bunch of organic bananas vs. the conventional (read: Chiquita) kind? What about the price of a healthy salad at McDonald's compared to the least expensive Value Meal? Go to the neighborhood grocery store and spend ten bucks on produce and ten bucks on processed food - I'll bet you dollar to doughnuts that you'll walk with more food if you stock up on Spaghetti-Os, Lean Cuisines and frozen chicken fingers than apples, broccoli and spinach.

Good, healthy food is expensive, and unfortunately we are passing on this difficult paradigm to our nation's schools.

Think about it. When your child wakes up in the morning, you ensure she brushes her teeth and washes her face. You make sure she buckles her seat belt as you drive her to school, and then you kiss her goodbye. Each morning, you take every precaution to ensure your little girl is safe and healthy ~ and when she spends your money on lunch in the school cafeteria, she's forced to buy processed pizza slices and french fries. Her cafeteria tray comes in contact with nary a vegetable or fruit - and it's all because the schools don't have the cash to provide each child with a healthy meal.

The path to obesity starts young - and it's a path that is especially hard to avoid if you're impoverished.

3) Hell... being fat is expensive - for everyone.
The astronomically rising number of people reaching obesity is a societal first. Never before have there been so many overweight people on earth. I suppose it's a perfect storm of fatty foods and the prevalence of convenience these days - the convenience of driving thru to get your food instead of walking and hunting for it. The convenience of easily eating three (fatty) meals a day instead of two smaller meals and one more substantial one. The convenience of having so many different kinds of foods at our fingertips. Whatever the case may be, there are more obese people walking the earth than ever before, and it's taking its toll on our privatized health care system. The nation's insurance companies are shelling out billions to cover claims for obesity-related ailments.

Seventy five percent of our nation's health care costs are tied to patients who have one or more chronic conditions - chronic conditions that are likely associated with being overweight.

Your office will likely have to raise its health insurance premiums someday, and it's because that lady in accounting is carrying an extra hundred pounds.

Okay, maybe not literally, but I think you get my point.

So there we have it. My trio of arguments that help explain why solving the U.S. obesity crisis is essential to our way of life - and our longevity of life.

And now for the soapbox portion of this interlude.

Both presidential candidates have a health care plan they want you to know about.

Senator Obama wants to offer expanded access to Medicaid and mandatory health care coverage for children. He wants to require employers that don't offer health insurance coverage to contribute a portion of payroll to a national plan (exempting small businesses - and offering them refundable tax credits on 50% of premiums). Obama's plan would cut premium payments for families by about $185.

A non-party think tank determined Obama's plan would reduce the number of uninsured by 26.6 million in 2010 - from the current 48.9 million.

Senator McCain wants to replace the current income-tax exemption for health insurance premiums paid by employers with a refundable tax credit of $5,000 per family (and $2,500 for individuals). McCain also wants to let people buy insurance across state lines. McCain's plan would increase premiums for families by about $379.

The non-party think tank says McCain's plan would reduce the number of insured by 21.1 million by 2010.

I don't think I have to underscore the big points for you, but I will:
Obama will give Medicaid to more of the nation's needy.
Obama will ensure every child has health care.
Obama's plan will cut your premiums.
Obama's plan will boost health coverage for 26.6 million (5.5 million more than McCain's plan).

Some of you might read this and think it's all rubbish.

But I prescribe to a dogma that includes good health care for everyone - at a price we can all afford.

See you at the polls November 4th - I'll be the one casting her ballot for Obama.

Laura: I'm baaaaaaack!

2008-10-25T18:10:00.000-07:00

So, guess what guys? I'm married. I'm married and I only have one mortgage. Last time I posted I had reached the pinnacle of lifetime stress with a home sale in jeopardy because of title issues and because I was just a week away from my wedding. In the end, I didn't lose 10 pounds. I think on the big day I was only down 2 pounds, but I found a really great fat sucker in thing at Victoria's Secret that made it look like I lost 5 more pounds, so life was good.

After the wedding, I fell off the dieting wagon. Wait -- who am I kidding? I jumped off the wagon, did a couple cartwheels and then mooned the wagon. I ate like a king who loves cheese, meat, and ice cream for a couple weeks solid until I decided it was time to regroup.

For the last week I've been trying to reform. I started with an attempt to start cooking healthier foods instead of the comfort foods I was raised with and can cook with my eyes closed. I tried a few recipes from my most recent Fitness Magazine, which surprisingly has a lot of great food ideas. Here are two recipes I thought were particularly good.

Whole Wheat Linguine with Green Olives (serves 2)

Whole wheat pasta
1/2 cup halved red or yellow grape tomatoes
3 tbs sliced green olives
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 tsp dried rosemary
Grated Romano cheese

Prepare pasta according to package directions. Saute tomatoes, olives and garlic in olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add white wine; let simmer 3 minutes. Stir in rosemary; toss with cooked pasta. Top with grate Romano cheese.

Sauteed Baja Fish

2 6-ounce white fish fillets, such as tilapia, halibut or flounder
1 1/2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp chili powder
1 lime, cut into wedges
Snipped fresh cilantro

Lightly rub fillets with 1 tbs olive oil and season with chili powder. Rub remaining 1/2 tbs oil in a heavy skillet. Heat skillet over high heat. Saute fillets for 3 minutes per side, or until fish just flakes easily with a fork. Serve with lime wedges and snipped cilantro.

Now that I'm starting to get a hang of this light cooking thing, I need to work on getting to the gym. Now that it's getting colder and I can't go out on my bike, motivating to workout will be very difficult. But, where there's a will there's a way. Let's just hope I can find the will.

Still got 6 pounds to go.

Amy: Week Nine - Jazz Hands!

2008-10-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I was contacted by the owner of the local Jazzercise studio. There was a new program kicking off and they were enrolling twenty-five fresh faces to take part. The program incorporates Jazzercise classes with nutritional guidance and mentoring and it lasts twelve weeks.

I lucked out and got selected. Thanks Wendy! Fortunately there was no dance audition tape required, so my lack of coordination and basic rhythm did not disqualify me. It may end up injuring one of my classmates, but that is a post for another day.

I went to my first class on Thursday and loved it. The hour workout combines cardio, strength training, toning and stretching, so you get the whole package in one workout. The program requires that I do this workout at least three times a week for the first four weeks.

The class itself was pretty low-key. Everyone was dressed in comfy clothes, no shiny lycra or Flashdance outfits in sight - thank goodness! They were women just like me in all shapes and sizes and incredibly welcoming. My instructor Tina was supportive and thankfully didn’t draw attention to me while I was finding my feet (and then tripping over them from time to time). It’s not like a bootcamp where they call you out and egg you on, it’s a fun and comfortable environment.

Music is the key to this workout. It keeps you moving and it makes the time fly by. I’ll admit at about song three I was gasping for air and wondering if I was crazy, but by song five I found my groove. When I couldn’t get the moves right away, I just marched or slowed things down a bit - the key was I kept moving the whole time.

Once the aerobic part wrapped up, we did a most wonderful stretch routine. It seems silly but it was like having that delicious, relaxing glass of wine after a hard day.

I know it’s early, but I really think I may be on to something with this. I went out of town this weekend and hoped to make it back on Sunday for the last class of the day. Time flies when you’re having such a great time with Shannan, Susan and Jennifer, so I didn’t make it. I realized that I was disappointed to have missed the class - ME disappointed to miss out on a chance to exercise? Huh, what?

It’s reminded me of what the experts have told us for years: you have to enjoy the exercise you’re doing or you won’t do it. So keep that in mind. You may not be into running or aerobics, maybe it’s swimming or tennis? You have to find what works for you to make it stick.

Great news - I'm down 2.8 today for a total loss of 32.4 lbs. 42.6 to go! Til next week...

Amy: Week Eight - Getting Inspired

2008-10-14T07:49:00.000-07:00

One of the many things I love about Weight Watchers is that you don't have to look very far to be inspired by someone who has been there, done that. There is a woman in my weekly meeting that has lost 93 pounds. WOW. My leader has lost 40 pounds. WOW. The woman I sit next to has lost 65 pounds. WOW. WOW. WOW.

In those meetings, I'm at my best. I'm hearing what I need to hear, feeding off other's resolve and stroking my own ego a bit as I share my success to date.

The problem is maintaining the inspiration and motivation - the mojo - in the six days ahead.

Staying focused and on track, finding my mojo, is as important as my walks and counting points. And it's clear that Mo's been on vacation this week. It's not easy to always possess that "go get 'em"-ness is it? And it's not just about saying no to seconds or getting out of bed early to exercise. It's keeping your eye on the prize - the end result that you're hoping for so you're always reminded of the reason for all sacrifice.

This week was seven days of weakened willpower and low-energy strung together - a complete mojo-free environment. Ugh. Usually, I can take one or two days like that, but this week just steam-rolled me. As you might recall, I spent the October 3rd weekend in DC. Amazing how you can be out of the office for just two days, but somehow that converts to two weeks of being behind. I was rushed and stressed, missing my usual lunch time most days, not to mention time for my walks. This frenzy continued into the evening and I got out of the habit of planning our dinner the night before, so the 6 o’clock shuffle led to many bad choices.

I didn’t journal. I wasn’t diligent about drinking water. Exercise was weak to say the least. Heck, I didn’t even take my multi-vitamin most days. You know you’re off course when you can’t manage to SWALLOW A VITAMIN!

We have to expect these weeks and know the willpower will be tested the most at these moments. All I can really do is learn from it and move on. Hope for the best on the scale today, but prepare for the reality!

I'm up 0.4 today. And I'm disappointed, but not surprised. But that is the past and as I gobble up the delicious salad before me, I'm savoring something even more delicious: it's a brand new week.

I've made a pact with myself to seek out a new source of inspiration each week, a mojo-nator of my very own.

To that end, I had planned to write today’s post based on this search and last night's outing. EQ at The Party Source hosted Pam Anderson (no, not THAT Pam Anderson) for a lecture/cooking demonstration. The was a great night, the food was fabulous (and healthy to boot!) and I was lucky enough to share it with Mr. and Mrs. Get Fit.

I want to do the post justice and share some recipes and photos, so I’m going to work on it in the week ahead and post it next Tuesday. Believe me it will be worth the wait and you might have a chance at a pretty terrific giveaway.

As this new week begins for me, one thing I definitely need to get back to is PLANNING AHEAD. As cheesy as it is if you FAIL TO PLAN, YOU PLAN TO FAIL. With that in mind, here’s a Weight Watchers recipe I tried last year that brings great tastes of autumn together in a spicy stew. I love soups and stews at this time of year. This one is even better because you can use your slow-cooker which is another thing I love love love. Enjoy.

Moroccan Slow Cooker Stew

Ingredients

* 1 spray(s) cooking spray
* 1 small onion(s), chopped
* 1 medium garlic clove(s), minced
* 1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded & cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 1 cup(s) carrot(s), baby
* 1 cup(s) canned crushed tomatoes
* 1/2 cup(s) vegetable broth
* 1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
* 1/2 tsp ground cumin
* 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
* 15 oz canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed
* 1/2 tsp table salt

Coat a small skillet with cooking spray. Add onion and garlic; sauté for 5 minutes.

Place squash in a 3-quart or larger slow cooker (crockpot). Add sauteed onion and garlic, carrots, tomatoes, broth, cinnamon, cumin and red pepper flakes. Cover and turn on to low heat; simmer for 6 hours.

Add chickpeas and salt. Stir, cover and heat for an additional 5 minutes.

Yields about 1 1/3 cups per serving. Makes approximately six servings.

Helpful hints:

Partially cooking a hard-shell squash makes it easier to peel. Pierce the gourd in several places with a fork, microwave on HIGH for 6 to 10 minutes, depending on size, and then peel.

Though delicious on its own, this cumin-scented stew can also please heartier appetites when spooned over whole wheat couscous and sprinkled with minced cilantro.

Top with plain, fat-free Greek yogurt to help cut the spice

Doug and I like this with warmed pitas too. Having grown up in households where bread as a staple of every meal, it’s weird to sit down to a stew without a lump 'o carbs. Pitas are a great alternative to the super-heavy breads we all love and you can find delicious low-fat alternatives easily.

Til next week...Happy Stewing!

Weightloss Flatlining (A Little Humor to Lighten Things Up)

2008-10-13T19:10:00.000-07:00

So another week with no weightloss. I'm not too upset. Rather than ramble on I thought I'd share this workout video featuring Jim Carey. Just a reminder that we shouldn't take this all too seriously.
Enjoy!

Kate: The Prodigal Loser

2008-10-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

I am 99.653 percent sure almost everyone has had a diet like this before.

You know ~ the diet where you're actually not cutting calories, excercising or giving the slightest effort to make the number on the scale a little bit smaller?

Yeah, that's me.

I can't put my finger on the exact reason, but let's say that my wayward commitment (was it ever there to begin with?) is a perfect storm of emotional heartache, personal insecurity, social excess, utter surrender and motivational complacency.

The emotional heartache comes from deep inside my heart, where I am still nursing the wounds that come with a loved one's loss. You can read more about it on my other blog.

The personal insecurity is not a new phenomenon in my emotional makeup. I've long struggled with my shortcomings in the way of dating, beauty and a myriad other topics. I've come to terms with some of those weaknesses, but I am still seriously doubting my personal commodities in the meet meat market of life. I sense those insecurities are getting in the way of any sense of entitlement I may have towards a thinner, healthier me.

The social excess. Ahh, the social excess. I became the life of the party the minute I packed up all my belongings and moved into the University of Kentucky's Blanding Tower in 1995. For many years I'd been relegated to the dork table in the high school cafeteria, so in college I completely let my alter ego (and perhaps my id) takeover my persona. Kate the Party Girl had some missteps along the way (which, by the way, I am very grateful for) but has toned things down quite a bit in her 30s.

That doesn't mean I don't know my way around a bottle opener - be it wine or beer.

Get a few glasses in me, and I am still life of the party. The trouble is - the party usually always includes some damn good food, too.

Which brings me to utter surrender - that's the best explanation I can use to describe what I feel when I see good food. Fat, greasy, rich, fried whatever. Brie cheese is my kryptonite. I don't know if it's a predisposition embedded in my genetic code (watching my parents in action, I suspect it is), but I am pretty powerless when it comes to that triple-cream-goodness-on-a-plate. Same goes for anything potato based (knowing my Irish and German heritage, I KNOW this is a genetic predisposition) and most chocolate flavored items.

I don't really know why I am experiencing the motivational complacency. I believe I'm entitled to the same happiness and health as everybody else,but I think my recent funk has undermined my drive to make it happen. Despite what my mother says, I know losing weight does not a husband bring, and perhaps its the premature anticipation of disappointment that's stalling any success.

But today is a new day.

The weather is gorgeous, and whatever emotional demons I'm dealing with today - I need to remind myself they can be shhhhed away just as easily with a walk as with a doughnut.

Time to tie on the tennis shoes.

Amy: Week Seven - And not a salad in site.

2008-10-07T10:40:00.000-07:00

photo from stock xchng

I left more than my points counter and ipod at home this weekend. My willpower was nowhere to be found either. I spent four days in Washington, DC - known for it's mouth-watering dishes just as much as it's monuments.

To my credit, I did walk a fair amount. But as much as I walked, I don’t think it will make up for the fact that the words “no thank you” never crossed my lips. Tapas (sure, they are little, but not after you eat twice your share); fish stuffed with Boursin cheese (eliminating all the good fish qualities); tortellini in a pesto cream sauce (yeah, I’m certain that was low fat); breakfast panini stuffed with eggs, smoked bacon and cheese (oh, my). To spare what little dignity I have left, I’ll not even mention the alcohol consumption. I will say that if you run across a Ginger Vodka Cooler, you should prepare to be wowed.

And so it goes.

Therefore, this shall be a week of rebuilding. Much like the Bengals’ entire season or decade depending on who you talk to.

I head to my meeting for weigh-in shortly. You know what’s amazing and wonderful about this blog is that if this past weekend had happened two months ago, Weight Watchers wouldn’t have seen me for weeks. But I know I need to get on that scale, face the ugly truth and get back to work. That is exactly what I’m going to do. Thanks for keeping me honest...be back soon.

Remember when I wrote last week about how you can do everything right and still not lose and yet there are weeks when you know you’ve cheated and you still see results? SHA-ZAM this is one of those weeks. I guess the walking evened out the gluttony and I’ll gladly take it. I’m down 1.2 and I hit 30 pounds! 30.4 to be exact! Maybe it’s a fluke? Maybe my fat cells are using reverse psychology? I don’t know, but I’m down and I have all week to work my butt off to make sure I stay down!

And I meant what I said, I wouldn’t have even gone to the meeting if I wasn’t accountable here, so I really do owe it all to you!

The meeting topic this week was SOUP, which on the surface after a weekend of tortellini and panini and a host of other inis doesn’t sound so exciting. But give it a try. Have some low-fat, low-cal soup on hand as we head into this fall season. With a tasty, crusty bread and a nice glass of wine, it’s the perfect autumn meal.

photo from stock xchng

Another tip to try, if you’re heading out for a night on the town and your favorite restaurant, fill your tummy a bit with a cup of soup. It’ll make saying no to those complimentary rolls or fatty appetizer that much easier because you won’t be so hungry when you sit down to eat. Here's a little trivia for you too: last week when the Dow was plummeting, the only major stock that rose was Campbell's, so there must be something to this soup business, eh?

Here’s a simple, yet filling soup to get you through those times when your stomach growls. This famous Weight Watchers recipe is known to everyone as an easy, zero point alternative when you need more food but don’t want to spend the points or calories. It's quite tasty to boot!

2/3 cup sliced carrots

½ cup diced onion
2 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups fat-free broth (chicken, beef or vegetable)
1 ½ cups diced green cabbage
½ cup green beans
1 tbsp tomato paste
½ tsp dried basil
¼ tsp dried oregano
¼ tsp salt
½ cup diced zucchini

Spray a large saucepan with nonstick cooking spray, heat. Saute the carrot, onion, and garlic over low heat until softened, about five minutes. Add broth, cabbage, beans, paste, basil, oregano, and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer, covered, about fifteen minutes or until beans are tender. Stir in the zucchini and heat for 3-4 minutes. Serve hot.

Makes four 1-cup servings

Get creative - use any of your favorite veggies - the more the merrier! Or spice it up with your favorite seasonings and fresh herbs. You can easily make this soup your own.

Until next week...

Confession Time - Shannan

2008-10-06T07:27:00.000-07:00

I have a confession. I have been hiding behind guest posts because I've not been happy with my results, or should I say, lack off results.

I think I got to confident. The first few weeks I was watching every morsel I ate, writing it down, being good and the weight was falling off. I was walking at lunch - eating right and I'd lost 10 pounds in 5 weeks. I was feeling good.

As the weight started falling off I think I became complacent. I started allowing myself a bite or two of the things I shouldn't be eating, I used "special occasions" and "events" as excuses to break free from my diet plan. I found myself too busy to talk a walk at lunch. Worst of all - I have yet to really use my Weight Watchers membership.

I have decided that today is the day I get back in the game.

I am 15 pounds away from my goal weight. I don't want to fail this time. I want to loose the weight. I want to weigh what I did before I had children. I want to be that girl again.

This weekend I had a conversation with a friend that really put me back on track. I won't name names because I know she didn't mean it the way it sounded, but here it is in a nut shell:
Friend: Picking up photo off kitchen counter "Wow. When was this picture taken?"

Me: "Back in 1999. I was in Ft. Lauderdale for Spring Break. We were getting
ready to go out to the bars"
Friend: "Wow. Look how thin you were.
I can't believe it."
Me: "I know. It's been 10 years...."
Friend: "I mean,
look at your arms. You were thin."

Truth is, while I know she didn't mean it the way I heard it, it hurt my feelings. Had I changed that much? Other than aging (gracefully) do I look that different?? I don't have the photo electronically but I will try and get it scanned.

So, this week my goal is to get back into my eating routine, use my Weight Watchers membership and start walking at lunch again.

Current Weight: 150

Goal Weight: 135
Total Lost: 10 lbs

Michelle: Trying Something New

2008-10-01T13:01:00.000-07:00

I'm a picky eater. I don't like veggies, really, except the starchy ones and I eat a limited amount of meat (usually not cute animals). I live on carbs really. So I'm really hesitant to try new things.*

I've been trying to get better and on this weight loss journey, in particular, I'm trying to keep an open mind. I've got 6 other girls counting on me after all, and all of you readers. It's time to make changes and that includes being a little daring, for me, on food.

This is a slow and steady process. I'm trying to start opening my mind to fish, although right now it seems to be fish in restaurants and not fish my husband wants to cook at home. He's a great cook, but eating something at home is a whole other level of commitment. A few weeks ago I tried cordoba, a white fish, at a wine dinner we attended at Oceanaire. Much to my surprise, I liked it! I seem to prefer the white fish to the red. However, we might be headed to Alaska next summer, so in that case, I need to learn to eat salmon.

Kevin bought these turkey burgers and he has been itching to try them. I suspect they're a little like the JTM of turkey burgers - premade patties that you pop onto the grill. I'm a little nervous, but I think that's what we're having for dinner tonite. We also picked up Morningstar Farms - vegetarian - mini corn dogs. Apparently I used to like these and now suddenly have a mental block, so those are on the agenda too.

The big one, for me, is the Silk. I was inspired by Amy's post last week so I went out and purchased some Silk light. I already can't stand the taste of milk, so I purchased the vanilla flavored. Do you know it tastes like melted vanilla ice cream? And it's just sweet enough that I no longer need to dump a few packets of equal on my corn flakes to satisfy my sweet tooth. Who knew? Thanks Amy, for that needed push into Silk.

I grew up in a family where we ate at a rapid pace (I still have to work on that one) and we lived on hamburgers, pizza, and spaghetti. That's it. So trying new food is a big deal for me. These are all little steps, I know, but they all count towards getting healthy.

Weight Loss: Holding steady at -6 and trying not to be frustrated by this.

*How am I a wine blogger you ask? I blog about the wine. It helps to have a great friend who tells me all about the food.

Amy: Week Six - Putting the pieces in place

2008-09-30T08:29:00.000-07:00

Weight lose is a big puzzle for most of us. So many elements go into your success or failure. And each person’s puzzle is separate and unique from everyone else’s. I’ve learned the hard way that what works for one of my friends or even my spouse won’t work for me necessarily.

It’s tough. First, you gotta find all the pieces. Define your motivation, map out your strategy, learn the hows and whys of your metabolism. Once you have your corners in place, you move on to those tricky middle pieces. Dealing with cravings, making sure you lose in a healthy way, eating the foods your body needs, adding exercise to your daily routine. Then there are always going to be those one or two weird pieces that never seem to fit. You know like facing stress (without a bag of M&Ms in hand), making it through holiday seasons (without a holiday ham attached to your ass), facing the pitfalls that come your way (without jumping into a bowl of hot fudge). If you work at it long enough, the puzzle comes together and you see results.

But what happens when all the pieces come together and the scale didn’t get the memo? There are going to be weeks where despite our best efforts, we just don’t lose. Any number of factors could be blamed, but the bottom line is that you walk away from that scale feeling dejected, like all your hard work and going without was for nothing.

I’ve been there. I’ve had weeks where every box was checked off, I did exactly what I was supposed to do and still didn’t see results. On the odd flip side, I’ve had weeks where I’ve cheated more than once and found success. Who knows what evil lurks in those fat cells of ours?

You know that Mucinex commercial? The one where the germs are little green creatures that take up residence in your nasal cavities? That’s what I picture when I think of my fat. Green little monsters that pro-create way too much. They’ve set up home in my body for years now and they’re tough to evict. On the weeks where the loss is low or non-existent, I can just see those SOB’s, bags packed, clearly unwanted, but holding on for dear life.

I wish it was easier and faster, no doubt. Who doesn’t? But it isn’t and I’ve faced that fact. It’s probably going to be a year before I’ll see the whole fruits of my weight loss efforts and hit goal. A year of sacrifice and choices not easily made. The comfort comes from two places: the success I’ve already seen and the better health I’m already feeling.

So the puzzle is always a work in progress. Sometimes pieces get bumped around and knocked out of place. When this happens you simply have to pick them up and start placing them again.

This week, I had a couple bad days: hard time saying no to seconds and no to cravings. But I tried with each new day to get back to making it work. I'm up 0.4 lb and I began my period yesterday, so I can't complain.

Til next week - keep making the pieces fit!

Wanna a little help to get going? I'm raffling off two three-month Weight Watchers Memberships at my blog. Stop by and enter now through 11:59 pm tomorrow (10/01).

Guest Post ~ It Takes a Village to Lose the Weight

2008-09-29T05:30:00.000-07:00

Please join us in welcoming Susan from Mr. and Mrs. Get Fit. On her blog, Susan and her husband Jay chronicle their journey from fat to fit.

Weight loss is an odd thing. It’s very individual in many ways—only you can decide how many calories you take in and how much activity you do to burn them.

But losing weight sometimes feels like a team effort. Actually, weight loss could be compared to an Olympic sport like running or swimming. Sure, an Olympic athlete has to be unbelievably dedicated, hardworking and talented to win. But where would she be without a coach to guide her daily workouts? Without a trainer to help her build the right muscles and eat the best foods? Without family and friends to encourage her when she feels like giving up after an injury or setback?

Successful weight losers usually have at least a few people to support them during their losing period—and beyond. My husband and I started losing weight together at the beginning of 2008, committing to ourselves and each other that we would get fit. This partnership in weight loss formed a strong foundation for our new lifestyle.

But we didn’t stop there. We launched a blog called Mr. and Mrs. Get Fit to reach out to a bigger network of cheerleaders. Based on many previous attempts to get fit, I knew we needed to feel accountable to the world—not just ourselves—in order to stick to our plan.

Our moms read the blog, of course. So did a few of our close friends. Some readers from my other blog, Working Moms Against Guilt, chimed in from time to time. Before we knew it, our little weight loss blog had 50 to 100 people checking in daily to see how we were doing. When we did well, they cheered. When we struggled, they chimed in with encouraging words and helpful tips. Talk about support!

The more I found myself blabbing about our efforts to friends, coworkers, acquaintances, anyone who would listen … the more I noticed how it helped me stay on track. Just knowing that they knew I had a goal kept me going, even when it would have been so easy to say, “Good enough.” Accepting a compliment about how much slimmer I looked made me feel like I owed it to that person to continue—I couldn’t let down my adoring fans! And so we trudged, jogged, occasionally sprinted on, losing nearly 100 pounds of fat between the two of us (with another 100 to go).

Perhaps the most powerful social motivator was (is) those friends and blog readers who have flat out said we inspired them to get healthy. (See that Cincinnati Losers’ blogroll on the left? We’re listed as “Inspirational Losers.”) Whoa. Now it’s not just about us and our fat. We’re role models now. Other people are shedding their excess pounds and bad habits, all the while looking to us as a beacon of the Great Fit Hope. How can we let them down?

We won’t. We can’t. Mr. and Mrs. Get Fit want to make ourselves, each other and our entire support network proud. Even when life makes it hard to get and stay fit, we will always have those coaches, cheerleaders, family and friends to give a nudge and help us get to the Olympics of Losers: to achieve and maintain healthy weight for life.

Laura: When life gives you lemons, make diet lemonade

2008-09-27T17:03:00.000-07:00

I don't know how it happened, but I managed to lose a pound this week. I think amazing amounts of stress can actually lead to weight loss. I know I mentioned that the wedding was starting to wear on me and last week, I gained a pound. This week, things took a turn for the laughably stressful.

My dress was finally located on Tuesday, which was an exciting turn for the better. Now we're in the final details stretch of the wedding, and I'm starting to calm down about that, which is good, because life totally blew up on another front. I'm in the process of selling my house in Covington. Jon owns a nice, larger house in Oakley, so we decided to live there and sell mine. Lucky for me, I was under contract with someone after only 6 weeks on the market. Everything was moving smoothly until I found out on Monday that I have a title issue. Basically, there are still some liens on the property originating when the previous owner's ex-husband deeded the house over to her. Sorting through the paperwork and getting this resolved has been a nightmare, and I reached my ultimate stressed out low on Friday afternoon when it was suggested that I get a lawyer to prepare for "worst case scenarios." I actually had to leave work. I was totally distressed. Luckily, I have very understanding bosses.

Anyway, the closing was supposed to happen on Monday, but that will be postponed "indefinitely" -- Ugh. Hopefully we'll get it worked out soon enough that the buyer doesn't want to back out.

So basically, I've been totally distracted from the wedding and my goal. I'm feeling good that despite all the insanity, I'm still down 3 pounds from where I started. I wouldn't say I'm making the best eating choices right now, but I'm definitely eating less. This week, I'm going to focus, so at least I'm feeling good for the wedding next Saturday. Lots of fruits, veggies and whole grains this week. And, a bunch of water.

My goal is to lose two more pounds this week, so I'm looking the best I can in my wedding dress (which is perfect, by the way).

Monika, Week 5 - Welcome back dear sweater

2008-09-27T06:36:00.000-07:00

It’s fall…my most favorite time of the year. The leaves are changing, there’s a slight chill in the air, and oh yes…it’s time to get out all my fall and winter clothes. Sweaters, jackets and turtlenecks oh my! Fall clothes are wonderful. You can get away with not wearing uber-tight things and revealing things. In fact, from a meteorological perspective, you need to layer up to be appropriately attired for the weather. Fall clothes cover you up and keep you warm and are more forgiving and delightfully camouflaging. Fall is when I can breathe a sigh of relief…no more bathing suit anxiety, no more fretting over whether or not my arms look good in a tank top, or wondering if a sundress is too short and shows too much thigh. Nope, my beautiful, amazing fall clothes cover every single problem area. In the past few seasons, the fashion gods have smiled down on us and the swingy A-line shirts that literally make everyone look bad (read: looks like you’re wearing a tent) are very in and everyone’s wearing them. Think you can see a flaw wearing one of those babies? No way.

Almost every single fall I’ve had this moment where I’ll stand in front of a mirror and think about how this year, this season, I’ll be able to diet and exercise from September to April and have a big diva-licious moment in the spring where I reveal a svelte new me. I’ve decided to make a commitment to sincerely trying to do it this season. And, when all of the Cincy Losers succeed with our weight loss goals, I want to see us all wear those darling sun dresses and go to a swanky affair to show off our beautiful selves! No cardigans allowed!

Julie: Week 5, and dreams

2008-09-25T08:14:00.000-07:00

I have a reoccurring dream. It's not a nightmare, but it's a little on the disturbing side. The circumstances are always different: I could be backstage, or at dinner, or at my desk, or sitting on my couch, but the outcome is the same.

All of my teeth fall out. Way more teeth than I have in my head either break off or fall out compeltely. It doesn't hurt, but it's bloody and disgusting and so incredibly vivid that when I wake up, I check to make sure I have all of my teeth. I always do.

I definitely think that dreams are the way for the unconscious mind to work things out when it doesn't have anything else to worry about. I guess I'm a little into Jung and Freud (I did a lot of work with them in my program in college) in thinking that symbols in dreams are somewhat universal. Apparently, teeth represent stability. Teeth falling out represent feeling out of control.

I guess I do feel out of control. I haven't been good about my diet, I've been stressed out and haven't been going to the gym. There are a few things going on that have made me feel disconnected and out of control, too. So how do I gain control?

For me, dieting is about control, and that may be unhealthy. When I lost weight two years ago, I was in one of the most unhappy times of my life-- mid grad school, unemployed, in an awful marriage and generally miserable. I couldn't control any of those things, so I controlled my eating. I am trying to sort out if I want to lose weight now because I want to lose weight, or because I need something to control when I can't control other things. I don't want to lapse into disordered eating, exercising or thinking.

In any case, I'm at 172.6. Down from a gain. I guess I'm not as out of control in my eating as I thought.

Michelle: Ups and Downs

2008-09-24T17:31:00.001-07:00

It's been a week or two of ups and downs. I gained back one pound that I've lost, now putting me at -7 instead of -8. I've behaved poorly as far as the diet goes, but some good things happened as well. Let's review, and we'll start with the not-so-good:

Downs

Threw out my back. I had back surgery a few years back and I never really returned to normal. Occasionally I do stupid things that remind me of this.
Case in point, I worked my butt off at the Bacchanalian wine tasting event last Thursday night. But I should have had a job that required sitting down, but I was embarrassed to admit why I wanted one. Instead, I was standing up, in heels, head down and hunched over, for several hours as I uncorked and bagged over 300 bottles of wine. Sometimes I wouldn't even look up for an hour. It seems I compressed some things in my spine that really shouldn't be compressed. This seems to happen if I stand up for over 30 minutes anyway, but I really pushed it this time. Lessons learned: fight for sitting down job and don't wear really awesome heels. I spent most of the last few days flat on my back or hobbling around like I'm 80. I live in fear of another surgery, so I should really be more careful. Part of my working out is building up the weak muscles around my spine.

Took lots of painkillers. Thanks to the aforementioned issue, I succumbed and took a fair amount of Vicodan, among other things, this weekend. My back hurts on a regular basis, but I tend to work through it. It takes a lot of pain for me to break out the Vicodan, as I hate painkillers. The real downside to the painkillers? They make me hungry!
Ate too much. I was hungry. Painkillers or not, I was starving. I started out by eating 100-calorie snacks, but after 3 little bags, I'm sort of defeating the point. Diet? What diet? We ate at Otto's in Covington on Friday night. Have you eaten there? The pork I had was beautiful and delicious. (Julie, you would have loved it.) I ate it all. Thank goodness my back hurt too much to wander around Oktoberfest, or who knows how many cream puffs I would have devoured!
Lack of working out. I haven't been to the gym in a week and 1/2 now and I've only had 1-1/2 dance classes. I had to stop in the middle of Monday's quickstep class because the pain was just too much. Talk about frustrating. I've got to get myself back to the gym, but now I'm afraid I'll hurt myself again.

Ups

The week was not a complete loss. Not at all. Despite all the downs, I only gained back one pound. I'm okay with this. Forgive my french, but shit happens. Setbacks happen. One can only accept it and move forward.
My jeans fit and fit well. I hate shopping for jeans. I find it almost as painful as shopping for swimsuits. I pulled out my last year's jeans, all size 8s that were too tight by the time I shelved them for summer and discovered, to my absolute joy, that they fit. In fact, some are slightly too big and others fit absolutely perfectly. In particular, my 7 for All Mankind super-pricey designer jeans fit like they were meant just for me. Hooray!
My ribbon theory is working. Remember at the beginning I said I'd measured my inches by using ribbons instead of measuring tape? Well, the bust ribbon hasn't changed (of course not), but the waist ribbon is now too big by at least an inch! Yay! This makes me really happy. In fact, I felt thinner and hotter all weekend (even if I was hobbling). Feeling good is a big part of all this, right?
Hollywood is catching on. This made my week. First, The CW has come down on several of its new 90210 stars for being TOO thin and is encouraging them to eat. I love that there is now recognition of too thin. Have you seen these girls? They're such sticks I wonder how their legs can hold them up! Then on Dancing with the Stars (my favorite show), Carrie Ann Inaba told Susan Lucci to bulk up and gain some weight. Susan Lucci, the indomitable Erica Kane, looked too frail. If these folks look so small on camera, how tiny are they off? In addition, my favorite new professional dancer on the show, Lacey Schwimmer (from So You Think You Can Dance), has a bust and hips. I love Lacey - she's got a lot of muscle, but she's got a lot of curves. As a ballroom dancer myself, I aspire to Lacey.

So the week wasn't a wash, and I don't feel too bad about the bonus pound. I'm not back up to 100% yet with my back and my movement, but my dance instructor gave me some yoga moves that are helping. Hopefully I can be off the Vicodan by the weekend and back on track with the diet and healthy lifestyle.

Amy: Week Five - Not too shabby

2008-09-23T08:26:00.000-07:00

I’m a few hours away from weigh-in and I’m feeling pretty good. Even if the scale doesn’t reflect it, I’ve had a good week: exercised five days out of seven, stayed within my calories/points each day and didn’t use any flex points (for those of you not familiar with Weight Watchers you have an allotment each week of “extra” points or calories to be used as you need to). And bonus, I met all the healthy guidelines each day. The healthy guidelines recommended by WW are pretty standard like most plans:

Water - 6 to 8 svg/day

Fruits and Veggies - 5 svg/day

Dairy - 2 svg/day

Healthy Oils

Multi-Vitamin daily

Activity

I’ve slowly been working my way through the list and making these elements part of my daily routine. The one that has hung me up for a long time is the dairy. It’s not that I don’t like milk, I do. It’s not that I don’t like cheese, duh, I do. I’ve seen the “got milk” commercials and I know that milk can be an important part of a healthy diet, maybe even help with weight loss efforts**. So while I didn’t need any convincing on the benefits, someone needed to convince me on using all those points for a glass of milk. I only get 25 points a day and an 8 oz glass of (whole) milk is 4 points! But this week, I found a solution to the problem. I’m done crying over ~~spilled~~ undrunk milk.

Ladies and gentleman, I give you Silk Soy Milk Plus Fiber! This product is calcium-fortified making it a suitable alternative to traditional milk on my plan. It’s delicious and is only 100 calories/0.5g fat/5g fiber - which calculates to ONE point for each 8 oz glass. I can drink a glass in the morning and a glass at night and voila! I have my dairy for the day and I can still actually eat.

There are dozens of other benefits to soy milk - go check them out, it might be just what you’re looking for!

So, now you’re saying to yourself, ‘okay, she’s getting the dairy, yada, yada yogurt, but did it make or break the week?’. Well stay tuned, I’m heading to the scale right now!

I'm baaacccckkk! Miss me? Well, you're missing less of me because I lost 1.8 pounds this week. That walking and soy milk - it does a body good! Til next week...

**Please note that dairy is NOT a magic pill to weight loss; but an important piece of the puzzle that includes reducing caloric intake and increasing movement. - Cincy Loser

Weight Watchers Winners

2008-09-23T03:55:00.001-07:00

I am excited to announce the winners of our very first giveaway - two free Weight Watchers Memberships. Drum Roll, Please......

Emily from Mommin It Up & Greisie from Amazing Greis !

Thank you to everyone who entered and to Weight Watchers for offering us this great giveway. We'll be contacting our winners shortly with all the details they'll need to get started.

Stay tuned as we've got more great healthy giveaways coming up!

Shannanb aka MommyBits

Guest Post ~ Deconstructing Cravings

2008-09-22T07:04:00.000-07:00

How exciting, our first guest post! Please join us in welcoming Phyllis McCarthy, a Certified Health Counselor fron Northern Kentucky to Cincinnati Losers.

The body is an amazing source of intelligence. It is always there for you, pumping blood, never skipping a heartbeat, digesting whatever food you put in it and maintaining homeostasis. Is this reliable, intelligent bio-computer making a mistake by craving ice cream or a hamburger or chocolate? Are cravings due to lack of will-power or discipline? I’d like to suggest that cravings are not a problem. They are critical pieces of information that tell you what your body needs.

The important thing is to understand why you crave what you crave. Perhaps your diet is too restrictive or devoid of essential nutrients. Perhaps you are living a lifestyle that is too boring or stressful. Your body tries to correct the imbalance by sending you a message: a craving. A craving for something sweet could mean you need more protein, more exercise, more water or more love in your life. The key to stopping the sugar craving is to understand and deliver what your body really needs.

Your body knows best and is always trying to create balance. However, products like refined foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and drugs (which have little or no nutritional value) are confusing to the body. They throw the body off-balance and can create serious cravings as your body tries to get what it needs to restore internal harmony. The more your food is whole and healthy, the easier it is for your body to stay in balance and provide you with a happier, healthier life.

No book or theory can tell you what to eat. Only awareness of your body and its needs can tell you. Of all the relationships in our lives, the one with our body is the most essential. It takes communication, love and time to cultivate a relationship with your body. As you learn to decipher and respond to your body’s cravings, you will create a deep and lasting level of health and balance.

The next time you have a craving, treat it as a loving message from your body instead of a weakness. Try these tips to respond to your body:

Have a glass of water and wait 10 minutes.
Eat a healthier version of what you crave. For example, if you crave sweets, try eating more fruit and sweet or root vegetables.
What is out of balance in your life? Is there something you need to express, or is something being repressed? What happened in your life just before you had this craving?
When you eat the food you are craving, enjoy it, taste it, savor it; notice its effect. Then you will become more aware and free to decide if you really want it next time.

Phyllis McCarthy is a Certified Health Counselor and loves helping people create happy, healthy lives in a way that is flexible, fun and free of denial and discipline. Visit www.cincyhealthcoach.com to learn more about health counseling, sign up for the Healthy Habits and Happenings newsletter or check for upcoming events including the Sugar Blues tele-class on October 8 and October 20. If you want to gain control of your sugar cravings without willpower or deprivation, check this one out!

Kate: Roadblock

2008-09-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

Single girl is my shtick.

Every Cincinnati Loser has her own brand of blogging - some of us are mothers, some of us are vampy fashion mavens, some of us are brides-to-be and some of us are food and wine divas.

I am single. That's my "gig" ~ at least where blogging is concerned.

Most of the time it's great. I go to fun parties and have fun weekend afternoons, and I never have to hire a sitter or consult a man to determine whether his calendar coincides with my designs for decadence.

I sleep in late, I drink cocktails early and I eat whatever I want.

That all poses a problem when you're trying to make a little bit less of yourself in the world.

And that's the rub.

I've talked about this before on my blog, I definitely have a subconscious belief that if I can shed the pounds (or at least a few of them), I will make myself more attractive to a potential suitor.

I'll look good naked - and the men I meet will want to find out just how good.

But after a months-long dry spell (I think we were singing Christmas carols the last time I had sex), I have reached a strange point in my singleton universe ~ I'm ready to throw in the towel.

If my life were a movie, I'd be transitioning from the buxom, blonde main character into the crazy teacher who wears holiday themed sweaters and enjoys a solo home life with her many cats.

Yeah, not so sexy. Right?

And so every time my mother grabs my plump but pretty face, and tries to convince me You would have to beat the boys off with a stick if only you'd just lose some weight, I just want to yell I'm okay with the curve! I'm okay with the size 18! I'm okay with the one piece!

But sometimes I'm really not.

I actually would love to wear a two-piece while tanning along a sparkling, cerulean pool behind one of Vegas' most glamorous casinos. I'd love to wear a dynamite cocktail gown (without a bra) to an elegant black tie affair. I would love to skinny dip in a pool and not be self conscious about the part that comes between wearing clothes and diving in the water.

I am weathering this storm of indecision.

Sometimes it's a season of complacency dotted with determination. Other times it's period of militant commitment laced with brief indulgence ~ and sometimes I think this storm has more to do with my status of Single than it does my health or diet.

Right now I'm thick in the middle of the former - and it kind of sucks.

Oktoberfest (and the preceding days) rolled into my life, complete with goetta balls, fried pickles and the tastiest bier from the Homeland. I am fat and happy.

Or am I?

The scale shows that I have been living life on the lam - and now regret has infiltrated my psyche. For this week, I am taking a "bye" on the weekly weigh in~ even Weight Watchers gives you the option to abstain one time.

I've had my fill of fried food and (solo) reckless abandon.

It's time to get back on the wagon and hit the road headed towards a town called Success - both in weight loss and personal satisfaction.

Monika: Week 4, Getting off on the wrong foot

2008-09-21T07:34:00.000-07:00

Talk about setting a tone for the week! While we didn't lose power and have any catastrophic damage from the windstorm of last Sunday, it certainly felt like such an unsettled week because of my constant worrying about friends and family. I give myself kudos for not stress eating...partially from willpower and partially because the Kroger lost power and we missed a chance to get our weekly groceries. Monday rolled around, and with it came the stories of people having damage, no power, no way to iron clothes, do make-up and basically prepare for the week. To me it just felt like there was a sort of frantic, nervous energy and emotions were running higher than normal.

By Thursday it seemed that everyone had calmed down, power was slowly coming back on and people were looking towards the weekend and Oktoberfest. I was out on Thursday evening at Bacchanalian Society on Fountain Square, enjoying a beautiful night. As I walked through the crowd, I ran into a guy that I had the misfortune of meeting a few months prior at an Art Museum event. When I had originally met him, he managed to both insult and offend me (in my opinion) so I was less than enthusiastic to see him. Standing there on the Square, I was surprised to hear him say hello, ask how I was, and be perfectly polite. Then, he followed up with an apology for his comments when we initially met...he admitted that he had been drinking that night at the event, realized that he had behaved like an a**. Since I wasn't expecting him to even remember what he had said, I accepted his apology, shook his hand, and moved along.

Between the windstorm and my encounter with this guy, I got to thinking about the idea of getting off on the wrong foot. I know that in a lot of cases we get off to a bad start with people, jobs, and to bring it full-circle, dieting and weight loss. I think the key is to not let a bad start set the course for your destination, no matter what it is. Keeping a positive attitude is another form of willpower, and probably more influential than we credit. I believe that even though this week wasn't a loss week, I am okay with it...I know that life got crazy, I coped and I came out the other side. This is a new week, and I'm going to get off on the right foot.

Overall, I stayed the same this week. No gain, no loss.

Laura: Two weeks to go and heading backward

2008-09-20T13:45:00.000-07:00

It's been a stressful week, and much like Julie, I'm a stress eater. I'm a stress eater deluxe. Shannan totally busted me with a buffalo chicken burrito on Friday -- which was amazingly delicious -- and it helped me forget for a brief moment that my wedding dress is missing! That's right, missing.

And it's not like the alterations people have it -- no, it's two weeks until the wedding and it hasn't even arrived from the dressmaker yet. They keep telling me they will call when it arrives, and they'll check on where it is -- but now that it's more than a week late and I'm getting few answers, I'm starting to get worried. When I get worried, I eat.

I gained a pound this week -- so I have to find some way to deal with the stress of the wedding other than eating burritos and burgers. Ugh.

Oh, and have I mentioned I'm going to have to have this thing altered for sure? How I'm going to do that in two weeks or less is going to be interesting. My waist is two sizes bigger than my bust and hips (not gifted with the curves, this one). And, since my fiance and I are close in height, I'll be wearing flats so I won't be taller -- meaning length must come off.

Somebody, get me a burrito!

Photo Courtesy of Stock.xchng

Julie: Week 4, and a setback

2008-09-19T12:54:00.000-07:00

Last week was pretty darn stressful. I had the power outage (my power is finally back as of 7:30 Thursday night). I got stranded twice; once because of my own stupidity and once because of a bad gas gauge on a loaner car. I had a small party on Saturday (after being stranded earlier in the day). Am I a stress eater? Oh, yes I am. My apartment was completely silent, I read a book and ate cookies and didn't feel terribly bad about it.

We all have bad weeks, and I think large amounts of stress can be considered "bad". Amy had a really good point: first, the pound I gained this week might contain muscle from my workouts (possible, but not probable) and even then, I have a good excuse. We all have our stress relievers. What I need to do is find a healthier stress reliever that I can do at home without electricity.

Good thing though? Shopping this week! I bought some clothes that fit-- I may have gone up a jean size, but I feel so much better in clothes that fit me well. Today I'm rocking a purple lace and cotton shirt from Bebe, a black pencil skirt, hose and heels. I should probably post a picture, but I don't know who'd take it at this point. Just goes to show you-- clothes can definitely help make the woman. Buy clothes for the size you're IN, not the size you want to be. You'll feel and look better, sexier, more proportional (or more sophisticated, or whatever you're going for) if your clothes fit-- that goes for too big AND too small.

Michelle: Update (Week 4)

2008-09-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

Those of you in Cincinnati know that this has been a crazy week thanks to a freak windstorm last Sunday. The week before that was perhaps my busiest of the year, as we had some sort of dinner event every night.

Sunday morning we took in a movie, where I avoided the movie theatre popcorn, but somehow managed to dive full-throttle into a brunch buffet we found on our way home from the film. Brunch is perhaps my favorite meal, with my favorite food. Even through the power had already started flickering while we were in the restaurant, it was still rather enjoyable. For instance, there were real eggs instead of egg beaters.

Tomorrow is "Cookie Thursday" at my husband's office and I'm about to go spend the afternoon making several dozen chocolate covered cherry cookies. I love to bake, but I tend to put on pounds every time I do it.

The last two weeks have been a lesson in not depriving myself of things, but exercising portion control. Last week I was great about portion control. This week, well, my food choices haven't been that great. With so many grocery stores closed, we ate what was left in the house, which wasn't necessarily the healthiest. I finally made it to Remke's Grocery last night, which had just opened around 3 pm. Their shelves were bare. I've never seen so many people wandering around a grocery store, and we all had fairly empty carts.

My big challenge this week, other than getting back on track with portion control and healthy eating, is working out. (Does picking up branches and cleaning up the yard count?) I have a dance class tonite but I haven't made it to the gym yet. I've had trouble finding the motivation. Honestly, with such perfect weather, I have no excuse not to walk.

Weekly weight loss: 2 lbs
Total weight loss: 8.2 lbs

Amy: Week Four - Taking it up a notch

2008-09-16T07:40:00.000-07:00

It’s amazing how fast this week seemed to go. And what a week.

Like most, I spent time watching all the tragedy down south unfold as a result of Ike. My prayers go out to everyone there as they try to rebuild their lives. I can’t even imagine. In Cincinnati, we got a smidgen of what those folks are going through with an unbelievable wind storm on Sunday. Power continues to be out around Greater Cincinnati as of today. My family was very lucky. We didn’t lose power and with the exception of a few large branches in the backyard, our property did not suffer any major damage.

And surprisingly, neither did my willpower. I made good choices for the most part and controlled my portions. Eating quite well to boot!

After last week, I decided that even though I was losing, I wasn’t getting the full bang for my buck. It was now or never to start incorporating the exercise piece of the equation. “Real” exercise intimidates me. I’m painfully out of shape and have been for years. It’s embarrassing to be the only one panting when walking up steps. At my last meeting, a fellow member recommended starting small - walk for twenty minutes a day. Get my feet wet with exercise and build from there.

Inspired by this simple wisdom (sometimes you just need someone to SAY IT, you know?), I purchased the WW Walking Kit - a walking DVD/CD for beginners. I haven’t broke in to the DVD portion yet, which will be perfect for the treadmill as the weather becomes less manageable, but the CD is perfect with a basic warm up and cool down and three timed workouts so you can fit a walk into whatever schedule you're faced with.

To make the walking more portable (and less geeky using my old school CD player), I borrowed Doug’s ipod and downloaded the workouts. Once clipped, the only other item I needed to bother with was packing my sneakers each morning. Of course now I want another pair of sneakers so I don’t have to bring them back and forth, and these are sweeeeeeeet!

I began walking at lunch last Wednesday and have continued to do so five days this week. It was such a thrill to add those activity points at long last to my journal. And walking at lunch provided two benefits: I wasn’t easily tempted by co-workers heading out to eat and I fit it in my busy schedule.

Before I started, I doubted what kind of real workout you could get from doing something so basic - something we all do everyday anyway (you know to get to the fridge and whatnot). I was so wrong. With the right music setting the tempo, incorporating my arms and maintaining good posture, it was clear fifteen minutes into that first walk that my heart rate was up, sweat was beginning to form and I was moving.

I’ve walked the 30 minute workout now five times. Today is weigh-in, will I see the results? Stay tuned....I’ll be back after lunch to let you know.

I'm back (that was quick, I'm like lightening, eh?). The scale has spoken and I LOST THREE POUNDS! THREE POUNDS! That is a total of 27.8 since I started Weight Watchers. I received my twenty-five pound award at the meeting and I'm on a cloud. Can't wait to walk, so I'm heading out! Til next week...

Hey, don't forget about your chance to do good - for you and the world. Comment here for a chance to win a three-month Weight Watchers Membership. Remember, between now and October 18th, every pound lost by Weight Watchers Members will be turned into the equivalent of a pound of food for people who go hungry each day. LOSE FOR GOOD: Help yourself while helping others.

The awful Truth: Shannan

2008-09-15T17:59:00.000-07:00

This week I managed to get back on the horse and stick to my diet.

One thing I did do this week that is important in my dieting was pick up a new scale. I've been using one of those cheap $10 scales for years. You know the kind - the weight varies based on where you place it on the floor (best spot is to the left of the toilet). Well this weekend I picked up a digital scale and right away it confirmed my suspicions. My old scale had been lying to me. Telling me big FAT lies - almost 10 lbs worth!

I had kind of suspected it and had been accounting for it in my weight reports but I hated seeing my suspicions confirmed. It had been fun (and ego boosting) to think I was close to my goal weight.

This week I am going to explore healthy snacks (in particular the ones involving chocolate!). I am hoping to put together a list of things that you can eat that taste good and satisfy those chocolate cravings.

Weight lost this week (no idea how this happened): 2.8 lbs (please note my old scale was lying to me, this is based on what I thought I had lost and what I actually weigh subtracted from what I thought was my starting weight..... Does that make any sense???)
Total Weight Lost: 7.8 lbs

Laura: The mother of all colds (week 3)

2008-09-13T08:38:00.001-07:00

After spending last week working out daily, I spent the first half of this week in bed nursing the worst head/chest cold I've had in about a year. I felt it coming on last Friday, and by Sunday, it was a challenge to drag myself out of bed to do anything, let alone work out. I was pretty much confined to the house when not working through Tuesday, and even as the cold started to die down at the end of the week, my lungs were sore and my schedule was busy.

I guess it's fortunate that the cold wrecked my appetite for a few days, because despite the lack of physical activity, I managed to lose half a pound this week.

I'm definitely starting to feel a lot better, so it's time to get back on the exercise horse. I've only got three weeks left until the wedding, and losing that extra 7.5 pounds is starting to seem impossible. Time to remind myself that it's not about the number, it's about how exercise and eating make me feel.

Despite it all...

2008-09-12T05:47:00.000-07:00

I can't quite believe it. I hopped on the scale this morning and found...yes...wait for it...down 1 lb! Considering the weekend I had in Chicago, I was very happy to see the scale moving in the right direction (163). Yes, it's a slow loss, but I refuse to be discouraged by the simple fact that I'm not dropping weight at an uber-rapid pace.

I'm still feeling pretty stubborn about working out. I have my membership at the Blue Ash Rec, and I haven't been to even see the new building, check out the new gym, etc. To be brutally honest, I'm a little intimidated to go. I knew where everything was in the old building, knew how to find the locker room, the different gyms where the classes were. And now? Now I have no idea where anything is. Considering how ill at ease I feel in the gym, I hate not knowing how to get around in the new rec. I know I should just go, get a tour, ask, but I can't bring myself to do it. For whatever reason, the gym is like the last frontier for me...and I'm such a chicken to try to cross. Starting Monday I'll be working out in Blue Ash, so I will literally have NO excuse to not go work out. Anyone go to the Blue Ash Rec who would want to be an early-morning workout buddy? Ideally, I'd love to take kick-boxing in the morning at 6:15...but how awesome would be to have a friend?

Sidebar: Another issue I have with working out in the morning is the whole "getting ready for work in the locker room" thing. Does anyone do this? Pack your clothes, make-up, everything and literally get ready for the day at the gym? This seems so weird to me! If you have any pointers on how to get ready quickly, please comment!

(Used with permission by Everday People Cartoons)

Julie, Week 3: Work it, baby.

2008-09-11T12:08:00.000-07:00

It's obvious: I can only do so much to curtail my social life. I'm the friend you ask about good food, so of course I have to... I don't know, eat it? I'm finding that portion control is my key and five course meals are my downfall-- but not if they're tasting menus and I don't eat it all.

So, coming to the realization that it's fall, and I have a ton of social events starting up, I decided to exercise. Nothing has changed since last week; I still hate it and sort of dread it. However, if I get to the gym BEFORE I go to work, I have no excuse. Terry gets up at 5:45 and I see him out the door by 7. Why go back to bed?

So, this week, I have trudged before dawn to go to the gym. Monday, I went to the Hyde Park Urban Active, which was so packed I gave up-- Monday was my sole "post work" workout because I didn't have anything to do after work. I gave up and went to Bellevue! Bellevue's Urban Active is so nice-- it was crowded, but there were plenty of machines for everyone.

Tuesday, I did my first morning workout. I went back to Bellevue, and it was pretty dead-- I watched The Today Show while I used the elliptical.

Wednesday, I went to Urban Active in Hyde Park. I'm just going to skip Hyde Park and drive up to Mason next time. It's smaller, but it's nicer and the machines aren't all broken. I ended up reading a magazine on a recumbent bike because I couldn't find a working elliptical.

Today, I took a day off-- had some car trouble (silly battery) and wanted to make sure I had time to call AAA. I figure I walked 13 blocks in heels last night, so I got a little extra exercise yesterday.

Other steps I'm taking: If I drink, I limit myself to one glass of wine or one cocktail and then drink water or diet Coke the rest of the night.

I have a wine dinner coming up tomorrow night, and I'll be there with Michelle. I'm going to drink wine, but not the entire glass. I'll eat my food, but not the whole plate. Moderation, moderation.

And I'll be back at the gym in the morning. It actually feels nice getting up so early, and I'm sleeping a lot better.

I lost .5 pounds this week-- despite overindulging. Maybe it's working!

Michelle: A Little Sad (Week 3)

2008-09-10T07:16:00.000-07:00

This week I seem to be battling the blues. It's funny, because I've never been busier as I am this week, with an event (or two) every night through Sunday. So, onwards to the depressing post of the week.

I think the blues are tied to several things. Among them, it's the one year anniversary of my father-in-law's death this weekend. He died at age 58 from early onset Alzheimer's.

He also died almost a month before my little sister suddenly passed away. So that's looming on the horizon as well. My dad has been calling with updates on the headstone.
When do you finally get past things like this? Does it get easier?

Finally, I'm organizing a wine tasting for tomorrow night for the scholarship fund in memory of my sister. Usually, I've got a whole committee behind me. This time, however, it's just me organizing everything, trying to get people to attend, sending out press releases, and more. The rest of the committee has no interest in wine. (You'd think they'd have interest in helping promote the event, but that's another gripe for another time.) There are still 8 seats left, folks, if you want to come. Regardless, the whole situation is both stressful and upsetting.

Anyway, I'm feeling rather defeated and like a grey cloud is following me around. I've had a headache for 3 days. My first reaction is to eat. Of course, eating when I'm stressed and/or upset is what got me into this mess in the first place. I remember when being sad would actually cause me to lose weight. It was only last year that I started reaching for food to make me feel better.

Of course, it's sort of a vicious cycle. When I stop myself from grabbing the chocolate bar, I then get depressed that I got myself into this weight issue to begin with. It's all terribly self-defeating.

Knowing that I'm doing this to myself doesn't seem to help. I sort of feel like I'm drowning and that only a string of licorice or a Pixie Stick (or a whole package) will keep me afloat.

Total pounds lost - 7
Pounds this past week - 1, Who knew?

Amy: Week Three - A pox on my house

2008-09-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Call it what you want, I’m calling this week a HUGE SUCCESS - double exclamation point!!

I lost 0.8 lb, for a total of 24.8. Missed that 25 lb mark by inches. I was disappointed at first. I really felt I nailed things this week. I wasn’t as active as I could have been, but my eating stayed steady and controlled. So while I would have preferred 1.8 - I’ll take it.

The reason this week remains a huge success is that the little devil that sits on my shoulder constantly telling me “psss...you’re deserve those M&M’s...we could really use a milk shake...wouldn’t Taco Bell be so good for a midnight snack?” was in rare form since Sunday.

Like most Sundays, the Cribbs Family spent the morning in prayer...at Children’s Hospital. Little Miss Parker had the oddest looking rash which had been gradually growing since Friday. Sunday morning it exploded. Freaked me out. I was convinced we had spiders (deadly poisonous ones of course) or bed bugs (from all that world traveling we do) or a witch had cast some sort of warting spell (if could happen). I should probably mention that I’m not the rational one in times of illness with my daughter. I often have to be talk down from the ledge and I prefer that talking come from a board-certified surgeon whenever possible.

Turns out despite the immunization shot she received, P has chicken pox, atypical chicken pox making her unique, unpredictable and lumpy.

So began our ointment/benadryl/oatmeal bath/stop/rinse/repeat regimen. Add that to the fact Doug ran away from home/had to leave for Indy for work shortly after we received the diagnosis, and you have the perfect storm for this overeater anonymous.

She’s doing quite well - the pox aren’t as full blown (fingers crossed) as they would have been had she not had the shot and the anti-itch options seem to be helping. But man after that third or fourth calamine lotion soaking, the Oreos were calling to me. It was that or drink heavily and I needed to be awake for the next round of gunk on her trunk. Good thing I was too embarrassed to take Parker out in public because we would have spent the day at Aglamesis.

But I stayed strong.

My only real exercise was bench pressing Parker as I checked her for new spots, but I didn’t binge. I made the healthy meals I had planned instead of eating the pound of cheese I really wanted. Luckily, because of my new grocery shopping motto (Don’t have it in the house today, you want have it on your ass tomorrow) there weren’t a lot of things there to tempt me. I did hit the wine from time to time (you gotta give me something) but I didn’t over-indulge and I didn’t mindlessly munch while doing so.

I’m happy - 0.8 is gone - and I proved that I can stay the course even under the most stressing times. So, how did your week go?

No, I have no idea what this picture means.

PS: Don’t forget to sign up to win one of two Weight Watchers Memberships. Click here!

Shannan: A Milestone (week 3)

2008-09-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

This weekend something exciting happened. I was able to fit into a pair of pants that I had not been able to wear for nearly two years. It was an amazing!

I am not sure what made me decide to try them on, as I mentioned before, I had not been able to wear them since 2006. For whatever reason I did and they fit.

It's such a small thing but I feel like it's given me that extra boost of encouragement I needed. I mentioned to some of you that I had a horrible diet week last week. Between an anniversary dinner and then dinner out with my girlfriends on Friday I hadn't done much at all to move the needle backwards on the scale.

This week I am feeling a new energy. Just that little taste of success has really made me want to loose this weight more than ever. Who knows. Maybe I'll be able to fit in go one of my "going out"shirts from the good ole days by the time this is over?!?!?!?!

Weight lost this week (no idea how this happened): 1 lb

Total Weight Lost: 5 lbs

Update: Ok. Because Amy asked, here is one of my favorite shirts from back in the day. The picture doesn't do it justice!

Kate: Rollecoaster (Week 2)

2008-09-07T06:51:00.000-07:00

I think I'm a little bit more sensitive than the average bloke.

I read subtlety between the lines of conversation with friends, and sometimes come away with disappointment, hurt or distrust.

My family has always been a source of emotional conflict - usually relating to feelings of inadequacy, neglect or rivalry.

Whatever the scenario, I have found a friend to help me cope through the heartbreak. I don't know when it started. Maybe over cocoa and Girl Scout cookies. Maybe over a piece of pie leftover from one of my mother's dinner parties.

Food became a tool to fill the void in my heart. When I was young I had no idea I was really filling the void in my stomach (and fat cells).

These days I am acutely aware of this paradigm.

I know that I reach for the ice cream or cookies or chips or cake or you-name-it when I'm feeling empty. That's why I have eradicated any sort of decadence from my refrigerator, freezer or pantry (save for some semi-sweet chocolate chips that are mostly used for baking but sometimes doled out in limited qualities to appease a sweet fix.)

Instead, I relegate my indulgences to one-of experiences requiring a trip to the ice cream parlor, bakery or grocery.

More likely, I fix my need to feed with delicious, sauteed veggies seasoned by whimsy - sometimes flavored with special curries and spices I picked up in Europe, other times I feel like an apothecary finding the perfect cure for the blues in my traditional spice rack. Other times I turn to small bits of cheese and delicious fruits.

That I use food to comfort my mood is the true problem at hand. I know I need to find other ways to address emotion - whether it be with long walks, hikes, bike rides or moments of book reading.

But until I can fix that Pavlovian relationship, I will have to take comfort in knowing I am at least making wiser choices when fixing my feelings with food.

(broke even this week/1.6 lost total)

Laura: Rolling and walking along (week 2)

2008-09-06T12:43:00.000-07:00

After breaking even last week due to an exciting weekend in Gatlinburg, I decided to get serious and really come up with a strategy I could live with as I try to get wedding dress ready. It's less than a month to go until the big day, and the pressure is certainly on.

One thing I've definitely learned about myself over the years is that my key to success is completely tied to exercise, for a couple reasons. First, I suffer from pretty severe reactive hypoglycemia that's given me problems for years. I actually have a food drawer at work to help me deal with the problem. It's best if I eat every 3 hours or so, and preferably items that are high in fiber and low in refined sugars. I'm also supposed to avoid caffeine, which I've been trying to do lately because it definitely causes my blood sugar to dive and me to snack more than I should. It's hard for me to go under my daily recommended caloric intake of 1750 calories when I'm eating so often. I can do 1500 most days, but 1200 is pretty near impossible. Exercise definitely helps with the blood sugar thing too. I don't know why, but it works.

The other reason exercise is so important to my success is that I generally eat out 3 or 4 times each week. It's completely tied to convenience most of time, but sometimes, as my fiance says, "I just need to feed my tasty."

So, here's the new strategy, and it's working so far, because I've lost 2 pounds this week:

I'm going to exercise 5 days a week for at least 30 minutes. Some days it's just getting a long walk in. Sometimes it's riding my bike (my preferred form of exercise as I typically burn about 500-600 calories per hour). And, if all else fails, and the weather is miserable, I'll go to the gym.

I'm running most of my errands on foot or by bike. This has been more interesting than expected, as I'm really having to plan out my trips so I don't have to carry too much back or so I don't forget something and have to turn around. I bet I walked 4 miles this week just running errands.

I'm going to make smart eating choices -- salad over fries, fruit instead of chips, water instead of soda, etc -- but I'm not counting calories or measuring anything, since it makes me crazy.

So, that's the plan. Here's hoping I can stick to it. I really feel great when I exercise, but sometimes getting the motivation to get started can be tough. I just need to visualize myself putting on the wedding dress and how nice and toned I look and how much energy I have.

Photo Courtesy of Stock.Xchng

A Big FAT Giveaway!

2008-09-05T12:53:00.000-07:00

Contest is Closed. We'll announce the winners on Monday!! Thanks to all who entered. We appreciate your support!!
Shannan

Last week Amy posted on Weight Watcher's Lose for Good campaign that launches this Sunday, September 7th. For six weeks (September 7 - October 18), for every pound lost by its members, WW will donate the equivalent of one pound of food to Share Our Strength up to ONE MILLION DOLLARS.

So why am I posting this information again??? Because the good people at Weight Watchers have given us two complimentary memberships to Weight Watchers Online to giveaway! That's right people. Just leave a comment with the silliest diet you ever tried- perhaps you only ate grapefruit for a month or you lived on carbonated water and h pixie sticks, whatever it was, share it in the comment section and you'll be entered to win.

We'll announce the winners here on Friday, September 19th. Two lucky people will be on their way to being losers, just like us!

Note: You must be a resident of the U.S. to enter. Please include your email address in your comment if it is not attached to your user name.

Monika: Week 2 - Ready, Steady, Go!

2008-09-05T08:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend proved to be not as bad as I thought. We went camping at Mammoth Cave, which included hiking, horseback riding, playing frisbee...tons of physical activity. We sat around a campfire and had drinks and made s'mores. At the end of it all, I'm down a half pound. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't look at a half pound as big success. But, considering all the landmines that the camping trip held, I'm pretty pleased.

This weekend I'm off to Chicago for a bachelorette party. I'm more worried about this trip than the camping trip, mostly because I'm sure we'll be eating often, drinking a lot and partying. My goal is to walk as much as possible, and to dance as much as I can. If I'm going to make this work, I have to somehow incorporate my life into my life...does that make sense?

I know these situations will keep popping up. With Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years mere months away, the best think I can do for myself is come up with a strategy for attack, then implement it now before the real challenges hit. My mantra for myself is ready, steady go. First, I get ready by thinking through where I'm going, what we'll be doing, how I can incorporate activity to offset crappy eating or drinking, and to consider how I can lessen the bad factor of the food choices I make. Once I've got my ready plan, I have to hold steady to the plan, which is the hard part. It's easy for me to get swept up in the excitement of the crowd, and let myself excuse little slip-ups. Then it's Go! Go! Go!

Julie: Week 2, and holding fast

2008-09-04T09:33:00.000-07:00

I admit, I didn't have a great weekend. Labor Day weekend, having people over, a few too many appetizers, a couple of drinks I shouldn't have had-- all in all I came out? Even.

Not bad. Not totally disenchanting, but not bad.

Holidays and vacations are my total weak spots, thus no difference this week. I mean, come on-- we all know that I have a love affair with food that surpasses simple sustenance and comfort. I'm into the artistry, the history, the science-- you name it. I read Gourmet and Slashfood like some guys read porn. Thanksgiving has become my favorite holiday. So, taking into consideration my obsession with food, I have to combine exercise and portion control. The portion control is much easier than the exercise.

I really need to start exercising. Aside from walking around downtown, I'm not an exerciser. I never played sports. I danced until I was in my teens, but don't feel like taking dance lessons. I have a gym membership (Urban Active) that I rarely use. I have yoga mats and DVDs at home (have you tried to do yoga with cats? Difficult!). I have lots of excuses and little motivation. Exercise bores me.

I'm the kind of girl that always has a book with her. It's darn hard to read while on an elliptical, and I somehow have the mindset that a recumbent bike is lazy. Appreciate nature while biking around? Not my style. Running? Ew. As much as my friends (and boyfriend) tell me they love it, I just can't get behind it. Wii Fit? I'd have to find a Wii. It goes on and on.

So what the heck can I do besides force myself to go? Once I start doing it, will I really ever enjoy it? I never have time after work-- how freaking early do I have to get up?

What does a girl do when the last thing she wants to do is break a sweat?

(Image from V for Virtuoso through Creative Commons license.)

Michelle: The Secret to Having a Cocktail (Week 2)

2008-09-03T11:29:00.000-07:00

Image from Flickr user cayusa via Creative Commons

As I read our tweets and our blog posts, I realize that many of us worried about alcohol consumption as a source of calories. Since I'm a wine blogger, it wouldn't be in my best interest to stop drinking wine. Or spirits. Or beer. Well, maybe beer.

In fact, I've given up beer, but that's about it.

Over the last year or so, I watched my friend Gabrielle drop a dramatic amount of weight. What was so amazing is that she did it on her own - no support group, no Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig, no Nutrisystem. She used plain old will power, self-discipline, and exercise. She looks great, and she's maintaining beautifully. Now, Gabrielle is a pretty big drinker, but she didn't cut alcohol - not even beer - out of her diet. As she became a smaller sized person, I think her tolerance has decreased, but that's about the only difference. I aspire to be Gabby.

Kevin and I visited a winery the other day, where we had a picnic lunch. We packed cold cut sandwiches - cracked pepper turkey on wheat bread with low-fat cheese - and we purchased a bottle of wine. I drank about 2 bottles of water as we powered through that wine. That, my friends, is my secret.

Even at home, when we're drinking wine or spirits, I'm constantly sipping on water. There are a lot of benefits to this. First of all, water is just good for you and useful in losing weight. Next, it keeps you from over-indulging. Whereas you could have been filling up with wine or beer or martinis, instead you're filling up on water.

Order that martini. But before you order the second one, force yourself through a glass of water. Have a bottle of wine with dinner, but after every few sips, have a drink or two of your water. You'll be amazed at how it fills you up and slows down your drinking. I'm amazed when others don't do this, and equally amazed at how many times in my life I should have done this.

In other news, my last workout session with my trainer is next week. At that point, after having weekly sessions with her since May, I'm breaking free and am going to work out on my own for a month before finishing my final two sessions. Once I'm no longer required to go to the gym to meet someone, things are going to get a lot more complicated. The gym, quite honestly, makes me uncomfortable.

Last I checked (late last night), I lost 6 pounds over the last week. Yay! I suspect it was mostly water weight, but who am I to complain?

A final sort of un-related note: Since you now know that you just need water to successfully get through a night on the town, I want to invite you to a charity wine tasting. All the info is here, but 100% of the proceeds benefit a scholarship in my sister's memory. Pre-registration is required. I'd love to see you there!

Amy: Week 2 Every four weeks or so...

2008-09-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

Image courtesy of Stock.Xchng It's that wonderful time each month when I'm reminded of my womanhood. Of course weigh-in this week will be somber and I doubt I will hit the twenty-five pound mark as I had hoped. Fingers crossed I'll hit it next Tuesday.

I'm grumpy and bloated and feeling deprived. We all get this way, right? The old me would have wallowed and headed to the freezer for ice cream consumption, but luckily I've stayed strong. It's reminded me once again that emotion is such a piece of this weight loss pie. See, I'm thinking about pie again?? Ugh. So I'm not going to dwell on those things I'm avoiding. Instead I'm going to talk up a most fantastic event beginning next week.

On September 7th, Weight Watchers begins a most amazing campaign: LOSE FOR GOOD. For six weeks (September 7 - October 18), for every pound lost by its members, WW will donate the equivalent of one pound of food to Share Our Strength up to ONE MILLION DOLLARS. Internationally Action Against Hunger is benefitting from the program. So for doing something good for me, I get the added bonus of doing real good in the world.

I did some calculating and assuming I continue to lose about a pound and a half each week for the next five weeks (I have to account for another visit from Mother Nature of course), Weight Watchers will donate the funds to help feed a child for a month! A MONTH! What an incredible motivator - it might be just the push I need to start moving more. I've got the eating less down for the most part, the moving more...

So think thin thoughts for me won't you? By the next time you hear from me, thousands of pounds will have been lost and thousands of dollars will be working in this country and this world to end hunger.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to everyone affected by Gustav this weekend. You can contact the Red Cross to help with relief efforts.

Okay, I'm going back to being grumpy and deprived.

Shannan: Week 2 I can do this

2008-09-01T16:41:00.000-07:00

Sorry to post so late in the day but I spent this past weekend down in Burnside, Kentucky boating with some friends.

Going into the trip I was nervous about maintaining my diet. I wasn't sure I'd be able to keep it going. I didn't know if I had the will power to eat the way should, while watching everyone else eat "normally". Surprisingly.......... I did quiet well.

To help keep me on track I packed lots of fresh fruit - grapes, apples, blueberries to snack on, on the boat. I tried my best to resist the pringles and cheezits (it was tough, I did eat one or two.....). For lunch each day I went with a plain turkey or ham sandwich. In the evenings I let myself indulge a little and went with whatever everyone else was eating - just in moderation.

While I know this probably doesn't sound that impressive, I am proud of myself. I keep saying that it is all about the baby steps and I really believe this. Just making little changes (that gradually grow into something bigger) to my routine seems to be the best way for me to lose weight.

Weight Lost: 4 pounds

Kate: Comfortably Numb

2008-09-01T12:08:00.000-07:00

Carnie Wilson says she's trying to heal herself from the inside out.

That's the wisdom I gleaned while watching Tyra Banks this afternoon.

I don't normally stoop to this level - watching Tyra, I mean. Talk shows aren't my bag but I do think the former fashion model has done a lot to promote Hollywood's dire need to embrace real women. Remember when she wore that swimsuit on tv - the same one that the paps snapped her in while on the beach? The tabloids made a huge bru-ha-ha about Tyra's thighs and butt, and so she trooped out on the show in the same bathing suit and grabbed her "big fat ass" and essentially dared the world to insult her beauty.

Remember?

Stick with me folks, there's a point to all of this.

So anyway - Tyra. Carnie Wilson. Talk show. The two ladies are chatting about being healthy and the perils of celebrity, and Carnie says something about how she just needs to be happy being Carnie, not what other people want her to be.

And I was like, Hell yeah!!

We've all talked a little bit about it on this blog - some of us have a much higher potential for being skinny. I have slim to no shot of being skinny - I am built to be buxom or bombshell. I have have big breasts and curvy hips - there's no mistaking that I am a woman! I love wearing things that accentuate my assets and I love celebrating my feminine form. I am comfortable with who I am - but I've gotten to the point where perhaps I am a bit too comfortable.

I remember another time when I was curvy and yet there was less of me. Back in the day, I spent more time in my sneakers than I did on the couch. I ate more vegetables and fruit and less ice cream and cheese. I loved myself and treated my body like it was the only vessel through which I can enjoy life.

I don't really know what happened.

Somewhere between the comfort and the stress (I know, odd combination) I managed to let myself go. I forgot that nobody's going to take care of me but ME.

I was numbed by life.

The holiday weekend was rough. It was a nice break from the busy-ness of life, but it was full of late nights with limitless glasses of wine, indulgent dinners of lobster and drawn butter and brunches of croissant french toast, crepes and egg casserole. I tried to tow the line when I could, but most of the time I was more than happy to reach for another sip of sangria.

I can't beat myself up over my past mistakes, the only thing I can do is try to make wise choices next time - and heal myself from the inside out.

1.6 lost

Laura: A lesson from Dollywood

2008-08-30T09:00:00.000-07:00

When this post appeared on this blog I was on my way to Dollywood, where I likely had a some nachos, maybe some funnel cake or a soft serve cone -- and despite the fact I was blowing any pound losses I would have made had I been at home over the weekend -- I'm was perfectly happy with it. After all, it's my bachelorette party weekend. (Yes, I wanted to go to Dollywood for my bachelorette party. Accept me.) I'm spending a weekend with my best friends and my sisters. It's so rare that we're all together, I'm going to enjoy every last minute of it.

I'm writing this on Thursday night before I head out on my trip -- and for the past few days I've been thinking how my post is going to have to be about my failures from the week and my inability to resist temptation while traveling. But, after some reflection, I realize that wanting to enjoy myself and not letting my experience be controlled by food isn't a failure. It's ok to not eat perfectly every day, for every meal. I'll try to make some good choices -- maybe skip the french fries with my burger, have water instead of soda, you know, the little things. I'll be moving around and walking a lot -- more than I do on an average work day. I'll be fine.

When I get back, I'll pick back up on my workout routine. I got a 27-mile bike ride in on Sunday morning, and made a conscious effort to walk a lot more this week, but I never made it to that 6 a.m. spin class, thanks to a crazy schedule this week. For me, I know my route to health is all about exercise -- after all, my 10 pound weight loss has to do with me getting back to my fit weight. Exercise frees me from the guilt that comes from food -- that feeling I get when I know I've eaten too much but it was sooooooo good.

So, as far as eating went, it was a good week. Through Thursday I ate very well and was on my way to a 2 pound loss this week. I'm sure I've negated it.

Weight loss: 0 pounds

Exercise: Not bad, ramping back up.

Mood: Great!

Talk to you next week!

Monika: Week 1 - Identifying the culprits

2008-08-29T06:59:00.000-07:00

Last night I went out with friends to have dinner and to see Cowboy Mouth in concert in Covington. We ate dinner at Riverside Korean where I ordered my favorite, Dolsot Bim Bap, which consists of rice, veggies, tofu and an egg all served in a stone bowl. After dinner we walked down to Madison Theatre for the show. Our first stop inside was the bar where I ordered my first drink. After the opening act, and while waiting for Cowboy Mouth to start, I pulled out my BlackBerry to check messages. Sipping my second drink, I read through my mobile Twitter feed, which was full of encouraging tweets from the Cincy Losers. Did seeing those tweets make me feel a teeny bit guilty for the excess of Dolsot and drinks? Of course. Did I put down my drink and exchange it for water? No.

This morning I weighed myself for the blog and discovered that my weight hadn’t budged an ounce. Even while standing on the scale half-asleep at 6am, I don’t want to admit that my social life is the biggest culprit in my struggles with weight. I know it’s a no-brainer that I’m not going to lose weight if I’m constantly eating restaurant food and drinking cocktails. I don’t believe in total deprivation, but with hard numbers (164.5) staring me in the face it clearly is time for me to be honest and face facts: if I’m serious about weight loss and fitness, I need to reassess priorities and do a better job of balancing going out with being healthy.

Most importantly, I have to cut back on the cocktails. Second, I need to make a commitment to working out at least twice a week and going out less. For someone like me who lives to be the life of the party this is going to be very hard to do, and I’m counting on the support of the Cincy Losers to be successful.

This weekend Aaron (the boyfriend) and I are camping with a group of friends. I have high hopes that all the hiking, swimming and horseback riding that we’ll do will kick-start me in the right direction. I also found a brilliant website that sends daily emails of healthy foods, recipes and gives WW Points values for foods. www.hungry-girl.com If you sign up for the email list, you can go back to yesterday’s post and snag their grocery list of the best healthy foods to buy at the grocery store. I’m going to the store on Monday to buy they (she?) recommend.

Julie: Week 1, and body image

2008-08-28T07:46:00.000-07:00

"We all want to be skinny, right?"

Someone said this to me recently and I have to admit, I got sort of angry. Is this what we, as women, are now thinking? "I want to be skinny!"

I don't know about you, but I want to be healthy. And it took me a long time to get there.

Like Michelle, I realize that I am a curvy girl, and I've never had a problem with it. This is one of the reasons I had to stop taking ballet when I was 12 and already a 34C-- ballet dancers aren't curvy. They're sinewy and muscular but curvy? Nope.

For very long time, I swear that I was the only one who realized that I was a curvy girl and wouldn't be anything else. My mom, who at 5'8" is as tall and thin as I am short and curvy, essentially poked fun at my burgeoning bosom and I distinctly remember her saying something to the effect of "Once you go over 160 pounds, there's no going back." She's the same person who poked my stomach last month when I commented that I was eating out too much. Gee, thanks, Ma. She means well, but she's never had to battle with her weight (she's gained about 15 pounds since 1973) and has no idea what sort of body image she should have instilled in her daughter.

I've had boyfriends who have broken up with me because I'm curvy (one particular in high school who patted my stomach! Argh!), and my ex was into tall, skinny goth girls (also known as "not me. At all.").

ARGH.

So I will tell you right now: my goal is not to get skinny. My goal is to be healthy. I know that unless I have a tummy tuck, my stomach will not be flat. I do not want to have to work that hard to make my body do something it doesn't want to be. I want to eat healthfully because it's good for me, not because I want to please men (who often prefer curvy anyway) or women (who I think are our harshest critics; far harsher than men!). I want to exercise because human beings are made to move, and it makes my heart healthier and has a thousand other benefits. I want to eat good food-- not diet food, marketed specifically to women because we are so desperate to lose weight that we buy it-- in small quantities (exception: Lean Cuisine, because they're all I can remember for work).

So healthy. Like Nigella, who relishes food and is curvy and seems to have a happy home and career.

Numbers for the week:

No workouts, yet.

2.6 pounds lost

172.2.