April 30th starts week 12!

This challenge officially ends next week.  Monday starts week 12.  My suggestion for another challenge is to do a few less weeks.  That way we can all stay super motivated??  12 weeks is hard when someone is way ahead of the pack. You feel like you can never catch up. But I think it's been quite successful to help us get through what could have been a weight gain winter. At least we were all trying to stick to this challenge! Even if we maintained, at least we didn't gain.  Scott has had incredible will power for the last 11 weeks.  He has run for an hour every single morning (except Sundays) at 5:15am.  Those little points are very motivating.  Since Mary is the only one that paid, we will be returning her money and we can put it toward another challenge.  (or you can go buy yourself a darling new outfit.  Ryan doesn't even need to know)

I'm proud of us for even attempting to stick with this.  It's been fun to challenge myself...excluding the week I went off sugar.  That was the worst.  Seriously don't know how you Paleo's do it.  Momma needs her sugar!!

How is everyone doing? 

Week ?-Mary Ann

I am almost right back where I started, so I will have to be strong to get where I want to be.  SERIOUSLY!!!  So nope, didn't make my goal this week, just didn't think I would miss it by a mile.

Holy Crap!  The 4 pounds gained was NOT worth the travel junk food and Easter Candy.  It is punishment week!

CHALLENGE Week Eight

Since we are all probably in a bit of a rut, let's have this week's challenge be to share a favorite:

Breakfast (Mon.)
Lunch (tues)
Dinner (Wed.)
Snack (Thurs.)
Lunch (Friday)
"Treat" (Sat)

You can post them all at once or each day--even though points would be for each day.
Can't wait to see what all of you are doing!

Week NINE-Mary Ann

Holy Crap!  We are nearing the end and I am starting to panic that I am not going to make my goal.  I am hoping to increase my exercise (especially because I have the 1/2 Marathon and Woman of Steel races breathing down my neck).  I lost weight this week, putting me back in the place I was four weeks ago.  The place where if I accomplish my goal, I will weigh in at a weight I have been only once in the last 7 years!  It would feel really good to get there :) My goal this week is to lose 1.5 lbs!

Challenge Ideas

Play with kids for 20 minutes
Go for a walk with your spouse/family
Give yourself 20 minutes of quiet and rest during the day.
Share a healthy recipe daily
Share a favorite (treats, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks)

Mary Ann - Week Eight

I have gained weight.  I have to admit I am a little discouraged, but I also have not been very focused on weight loss right now.  I am sad to admit that I use food as a coping mechanism.  I can't say that it comforts me, it's more of an impulse, when I am stressed I eat a lot of food.  Most days it is food on my plan.  I did have one day this past week where I steadily ate garbage.  I felt terrible--I had a headache, my guts hurt--it was awful, but I just kept on consuming.  If I do not lose this week, I will adapt my portions and total calories as well as eat paleoish. My goal is to lose 1 stinking pound.

Week 8

Week 8 is here!  Scott has officially lost 15 lbs!!!  So proud of him.  His will power has been a sight to behold!  He did not like my weekly challenge of wall sits.  He pretty much cursed me daily.  So, if anyone has a challenge they would like us to do, please post.  Otherwise, everyone make a personal weekly challenge and stick to it everyday!  Keep working hard.  4 weeks is still a long time to accomplish great things!

Mary Ann - Week Seven

This fat is wicked! I have carried it for so many years and tried to lose it soooo many times and I get to this place ALWAYS and end up deciding the timing is wrong for the effort and commitment it would take to get it to budge. I hope I can stay motivated.
So obviously, I did not make my goal weight! I did lose weight, just not enough. My goal this week will be to lose 1 pound.

WEEK SEVEN CHALLENGE!!

Half way there everybody!  At the start, 12 weeks didn't sound that long...some days it feels longer than others and then you wake up at you're already at week seven. 

Week Seven Challenge:  1 min. plank hold daily, longer if you can,  1 min. wall sit daily and 64 oz water daily. (sorry Mary, it's for our own good!)

If anyone has any ideas they would like to throw out for the weekly challenge, you're welcome to do so.


Scott and Leslie's goal will remain the same.  It will be a tougher challenge this week as we are traveling to Rexburg and there's always lots of delicious treats and eating out.  We will do our best! 

Scott lost another lb. this week and is down in the 170s which has evaded him for years.  Good job Scotty!!

Good luck everyone!

Scott and Leslie week six

More of the same for this week for both of us.  And Scott lost another pound!  He's in the same boat Mary's in where his body has never been below this weight since his mullet wearing, country dancing glory days, i.e., high school.  So these last few lbs might be a challenge.  Keep up the great work everyone!!

Jen Jessop

So I weighed myself mid week and had lost 1.5 lbs....and then on Sunday it was back to where it started...oh well! I will keep doing the 1200 cal diet and work out 5 days a week however I have been going 6 days a week!

Mary Ann week six

Gained 2 pounds this week! Damn it! Goal this week will be to lose those 2! I'll keep on with what I'm doing with food.

So I have totally sucked at this weight challenge as far as recording everything so that is part of my goal along with 20 pushups a day and 1200 cal diet with one cheat day.

WILL POWER!

I have spent the last two days listening to back to back episodes of Cake Boss.  Ellie is sick and it is her absolute favorite show.  I LOVE CAKE!! It is torture.  I can't stop thinking about it! It doesn't help that I know I have a stack of cake mixes begging to be made and a freezer full of chocolate.
It is toxic, it is toxic, it is toxic, it is toxic....maybe I can drive the thoughts out!?!

Jen Jessop

I know that I am not strong enough to EVER give up sugar and I don't eat that much. Way to go sticking with it for a whole week! It seems that if I can't have something, I want it even more! So no sugar would not work for me!

This week I am going to stick with the 1200 cal diet, exercise 5 days a week and drink 64 oz of water (not going to lie...I like my water in the form of diet coke....this is very hard for me!)

I lost .4 on the scale, not sure if that is oz? My goal is to maintain my current weight and see more muscle definition...I should have measured at the beginning......

I am an Emotional Eater...SHOCKING I know

Replacing old bad habits with new good ones IS really HARD for me!!!

I made my goal!!!! 2.4 lbs weight lose and I am down 10.3 lbs from the start. Only many more lbs to go.

Mary, I am going to get that number like you I may just be months behind. Mine has been haunting me for years.

Yes, Leslie sugar has been hard for me but I binged last night and payed for it this morning.

Scott, those cookies looked YUMMY!!!! Impressive that you walked away.

My goal this week is 2 lbs
I will continue to do my no sugar and I am starting to cut carbs out this week. (I am making my Drs. very nervous. I told them no pain no gain!)
I will enjoy Gary's birthday cake on Friday and a little ice-cream to go with it
I am struggling to add more then 20 minutes of exercise to my diet. This may have to be my goal next week.

I realized this last 48 hours how much I am triggered by emotional eating. Candy is the first thing I crave (cadbury eggs, peanut butter eggs) easter candy when things are thrown at me that I have no control of.

Everyone have a good week!!!






I am struggling to make old BAD habits into GOOD habits. I guess years of perfection haven't helped.

Scott I am impressed

MARY ANN - Week FIVE

My weight loss has surprised me...I lost this week AGAIN.  I was VERY EXTREMELY nervous about my goal, but I lost 2.6 lbs., making my total weight loss from the beginning 11.8 lbs.
The trouble is that my goal this week will play a mental game with me.  MY GOAL IS TO LOSE ONE POUND by eating when I FEEL hungry and sticking to my paleo plan.  I will cheat on Friday and have cake for Maggie's Birthday.
My goal weight at the end of this week will be a weight I have only blipped to ONCE in the past five years (that's weighing myself daily people!).  I am now to the fat cells that have alluded me for years.  I will beat them this time!
And the weekly challenge SUCKS! Seriously! SUCKS!
PS...I think we need a place on the blog for the weekly WEINER, I mean winner.  Go Scott!

Leslie and Scott's goals week 5

Leslie's goal this week is to follow diet/exercise plan and to do the daily challenges. I am ABSOLUTELY not going off sugar again. (Shelly, don't know how you've been doing it!) I will only eat what sugar I can incorporate into my diet plan, but going completely off sugar really messed with my pysche. Like I said before, Momma needs her chocolate.

Scott's goal is to continue with 1500 calories along with the daily challenges. He also will be incoporating sugar back into his diet. At least we know we tried no sugar and we did it for a whole week! Pretty amazing.

Good luck to everyone and here's to a great week!!

Week #5 Challenge is...

This is from Scott... "let's do all the challenges!" So, that means, 64 oz. water, 100 abdominals and no eating after 8:30pm everyday this week. We can do it!

FYI-Water and Abs don't mix

It is not a good idea to guzzle down 64 oz. of clear, lifeless fluid at 11:45 and then proceed to pump out 100 sit-ups, just to finish before midnight.  NOT A GOOD IDEA AT ALL!!!!

I hate my challenge this week

I've been doing so good with only 1,500 calories a day, however this addition of no sugar is no fun. I can tell you next week I'm not doing this again.

We had a retirement party that was catered. (Mmmm salad) Then I went to a weekly meeting and the cookies with the smiling faces were literally calling my name (I think I was halucinating).

This is really hard! However, I'm happy to announce that I did not partake.

Mary Ann -- week four goals

Sounds like everyone is seeing some success with the challenge! Yeah! I had a successful week of weight loss-- 2.8 lbs! Whoopee! I have a new love of spinach warmed up in the microwave tossed in butter. Makes me warm inside!

Working out has been hard for me, but I really want to this week. My weight loss goal is 1.5 lbs this week. I'm still going paleo, although I really cheated tonight...banana cream pie AND strawberry shortcake after a night of bread and pasta Italiano. I will also cheat with a piece of cake on Monday for Ellie's birthday. Actually I will only have cake if I workout on Monday, that's a good idea.

QUESTION ? With no official challenge this past week do we all get points or do we all not? I've left that blank for now.

Keep on going friends!

week #4

My goal for this week is no sugar in the form of candy, chocolate, cake, pretzels m&ms (sniff sniff),  you get the point.  You all might want to avoid me because Momma needs her sugar.  But I will try.  My kids asked if they could do it too.  :)  We have successfully hidden all the girl scout cookies and fruit snacks.  Please be extra loving with my inevitably grumpy children...

Congrats to everyone trying to make healthier lifestyle changes.  xoxo

I lost my pound that I gained. I actually ate more. I stuck to my 1200 cal but ate ALL 1200 cal. I will stick to the 1200 cal diet and exercise 5 days a week using Body for Life workouts. I hope to lose 1 lb again this week and keep seeing the changes to my muscles.

Week 4 - Challenge

All,

This week's challenge comes from Rachel. The daily challenge is to continue with 64 oz of water a day, plus 7 hours of sleep and 100 sit-ups or any abs exercise. If you love the plank the equivalent would be five one minute planks. (I'm just guessing here let me know if you disagree.)

Also, only three people have paid. It is my belief that if you pay now you will be more motivated and commited to continue on your plan.

We wish everyone a continued success this week! Your good enough, smart enough and dog-gone-it people like you!

Week 4 Goal

My goals for the week:

No sugar in the form of chocolate, cookies or candy.
Weight Loss goal 1 lb.

To date I've lost 7.5 lbs! all fat. that is 30 cubes of butter off of my belly and surrounding stomach area.

What week are we even in?

I want to raise my hands high in the air like when Halle's team scores a goal and scream with joy.
I DID IT!!
I lost 4.5 lbs this week. My goal was 2. I think I may have found what works for me finally. Cutting out Sugar

What I learned:
* I need to be more prepared when I know I am going some place or eat before
I found myself at a wedding shower with only sugar to eat
* I was nicer to my family no huge sugar mood swings
* I was so TIRED (sleeping 7 hours each day no problem)
* My body ached - i told myself it was my body eating itself because it didn't
have sugar to eat
* I love to DRINK - (it is a good think it isn't liquor)
diet coke, water doesn't matter as long as I go to Maverick

To do this week:
to add more exercise to my day/week
continue to drink
continue my eating plan like last week

Goal:
2 lb weight loss

I love either one of Rachel's challenge ideas

I drove past Branburry Cross on the way to the accountant.  I always take them donuts.  I knew I couldn't resist so I went empty handed.  I still don't know which was the best decision.

Two weeks ago I learned that even though nuts are on my diet I can't eat a whole costco bin in a week.

I don't know how the challenge works.  (What was last weeks challenge?)  Is someone assigned to make it up?  Do I have a responsibility for this or do I make my own?

I would love an ab challenge.  (100 abs of something everyday)
or my other suggestion is 2 vegetables every meal they must be 2 different colors.

Not perfect YET, but the challenge is working.

Thank Heavens for Sunday's after weigh in.  I let myself cheat so the rest of the week is doable.
Loved the sourdough toast with butter and a coke.  It was my only craving this week.  Maybe a  cookie this evening and I'm back on it.

Too bad I didn't think to pick up my Branburry Cross yesterday.  I could have used a sabbath donut.  Ever since Scott sent the picture I think that replaced my toast craving.  Thanks for the subconscious challenge.  I hope you don't end up with M&M's or Cadbury Eggs on your doorstep the last week of April.

Good Luck everyone! keep at it.

Mary Ann - Week Three

Gained .6 lbs this week, despite a solid week on my plan. This week I will continue on Paleo eating with some dairy. I will also be increasing my fruit to 2 servings a day instead of just one. My weekly goal is to lose a pound.  I will also exercise at least twice (doubling the average of the last two weeks).

This challenge sucks

The last two weeks we've had way too many opportunities for good food. I've turned them all down. I'm in an all day training and I just had to turn down Banbury Cross Donuts. Did I mention that it is an all day training!

Jen Jessop

UGGHHH!!!! I gained a pound...I totally believe it is all muscle baby!!! Stuck to my diet...not so much on the drinking water....oh well there is always next week.

Bedtime eating & bedtime sleeping

This sucks! I hate the not eating after 8:30 rule! I'm dying! I should have gone to bed hours ago to make this work!

So I'm going for my same goal as last week :)

My challenge is to keep up the 1200 cal diet and lose 1 lb this week. I will have one cheat day but not too crazy!!! Also workout 5 days and drink WATER!!!!

Week Two--MARY ANN

First--congrats SCOTT!  Wahoo!  I love winners; I hate losing.  That is my lot at the moment, to be a big LOSER! Yeah, loser, as in I LOST 7 POUNDS last week.  Hahaa!  Not so bad to be a true LOSER!

I was rock solid on my diet last week despite:

1. A day of barfing (I would have celebrated recovery by eating whatever I wanted for a day or two had I not been in the challenge...body's gotta heal right?!?) 
2. A very stressful hospital trip with Ellie.  The cheeseburgers and french fries looked good every night!  Instead I ate totally paleo--I even had tossed salad for breakfast to get my veggies in!

I'm looking forward to week two and staying focused.  My weekly goal is to lose 1 pound.  This is very ambitious for me, because I sincerely doubt my body will strip off another one after giving up so much that is precious to it.  It would be highly unusual--and I am very familiar with these pounds I keep losing and finding.

ONE POUND and eating paleolithic foods (with a bit of dairy)--that is my plan!  I'm giving myself ONE fun dessert for Valentine's day for a cheat!  Feul the chihuahua!
arf! arf!

Leslie's Goals

Weekly challenge goals +
Follow personal meal and exercise plan
One free night in St. George

Scott's Goals

Continuation of last week:

1,500 Calories
1 free night in st. george

Plus weekly challenge goals

week two

Hello Everyone!

It looks like we all did a pretty good job getting into the swing of things.  Scott was the big wiener, I mean winner.  :)  Good job Scott!  He had a perfect week.  As I looked over the spreadsheet, some of you forgot to put in points for the weekly challenge which was 5 points if you made your weekly goal.  So go back and log those in. 

We haven't heard from Jen G., Heather and Kim.  If you are in, please log your points and post your weekly/long-term goals by tomorrow.

Also, please bring your money to me and I will be the treasurer.  You can bring the entire $60 or
$10--$5 for last week and $5 for this week.  Please drop the money off either tonight or tomorrow.  If I'm not here, put your name on it and drop it in my mailbox.

The weekly group challenge is no eating after 8:30pm along with consuming 64 oz of water daily.

Keep up the good work and remember:  It takes 4 weeks for you to notice your body changing. 
                                                                 8 weeks for your friends and
                                                                12 weeks for the rest of the world.
                                                                 Give it 12 weeks.  Don't Quit.

I could KISS my scale!

I made my goal this week, I wanted to Kiss my scale. 5 pts. I also was successful at keeping the chocolate donuts away from my mouth.

I am happy Hope is unable to read numbers quickly or she would be broadcasting my weight to the world. She watched me get on the scale and said, "WOW mom you have 3 big numbers in a row, Lauren and Halle only have 2." Thank you Hope not all of us can be below 99 lbs.

My goal this week is to continue to count calories.
Diet: 1400 calories
Goal: 1.5 lbs (this week will be hard because I will be at a soccer tournament on the weekend)

I think the challenge should be to not eat after 8 or 8:30 and still drink the 64 oz. of water.

I think I would have given up many times last week especially on the weekend if it wasn't for knowing I was being accountable to everyone. So thank you! It may take a village to raise children but it WILL take a village to keep me on track to lose weight and get healthy.

My quote of the week:

"Skinny people look good in clothes, fit people look good naked"

Well I missed my two pounds by a few ounces....oh well! I find it strange that Brian can pretty much eat the same as before...well maybe smaller portions, and lose 5 pounds!!!!

Can SUNDAY morning just get here!!

For me Sunday morning and weight in time can't get here soon enough!!! I have made some huge observations of myself this week. My headache has not goon away (I believe that is from lack of carbs). It sure isn't from lack of diet coke!

The weekends are the hardest for me which I find weird. Gary went and got the chocolate donuts this morning! Just smelling them made my mouth water. Hard to believe I have made it almost a week.

I am praying for a 2 lb weight loss but am afraid my last 24 hours and the next 24 hours may be my demise adding to my already out of control weight.

CHEERS! I am on my way to get my water and another 64 oz of sweet nectar of LIFE pleasure!

Is it weird?

So as many of you have heard, Ellie and I are at Primary's. Turns out the girl is diabetic. Can I tell you what sucks? Tonight as I ate unseasoned cooked spinach, a salad and bland chicken...Ellie had an Ice Cream Drumstick. Is it weird that my diabetic daughter has more room to indulge?!? Yes it is!
My diet has actually been great. I think if I had not made the commitment to change my diet, this week would have been one soaked in cake, cookies and donuts...oh...and ice cream! But I'm pretty damn sure the scale is gonna have my back this week. Oh yeah oh yeah! 5 points are in the bag!

whoa

Whoa!  Can you say MAJORLY cheated?  Not a good food day.  Drinking my water, however.  And I'm about to go to bed!

DAY TWO-I BARF-I WIN?

I spent a good portion of the morning barfing, so I will most likely be getting my weight loss goal accomplished this week!  maybe even a head start on my long term goal

Motivating Little Points!!!

I agree with Leslie!

If it wasn't for 1 stupid point I wouldn't be getting my exercise clothes on to go out and walk for 20 minutes to get 1 point. Also, I wouldn't be sucking down my 64 oz. of water at 8:00 at night to get another point.

Maybe I will walk to maverick to get my water and drink it on the way back! Kill two birds with one stone.

Maybe my weekly challenge should be to try and drink less then 120 oz of diet coke in a day. Plus 64 oz of water in a day. No way am I getting a 1 pt for 7 hours a sleep tonight unless I sleep in the bathroom.

Thank you for keeping me MOTIVATED or I would have eaten all my meals at McDonalds today. (I hate McDonalds except for the diet coke)

motivating little points, aren't they?

I wouldn't have worked out as long as I did today if there wasn't a point attached.  It's only day 2 but these points are quite motivating!  I hope everyone is feeling good 48 hrs in.  Only 1,968 hrs to go. :)  But 574 of those hours we'll be sleeping...

Weekly goal 2lb

Long term goal 24lb

Workout 5 days a week 20-40 min cardio then lift either arms one day and then legs the next.

Diet 1400 calories a day

Let's all get hot for this summer and get shakin r booty!!!!!

Leslie's Goals

I currently run a 5K in 32.5 minutes.  My goal by week 12 is to run a 5K in 27 mins 51 seconds, plank hold for 2 min. and maintain current weight.

This week's goal is 1200 calories a day along with Scott's indulgence of one weekend night eating something delicious.

I'm excited to be able to be in a support group with you all.  I wouldn't be making these goals without the extra encouragement.  Running is super hard for me and I'm going to need every single day of the 12 weeks to try to attain my ultimate goal.  May not even happen, but I'll try.

kim's goals

weekly goal: 1 lb. a week
long term goal: 12 lbs.
drink 64 to 100 oz. of water each day
follow my "total health and fitness" weekly menu
cardio 3x a week 
lifting 3x a week
i am allowed one cheat meal a week, if needed

Brian Jessop's Goals

lose 2 lbs a week

Lose 30 lbs by end of challenge

Eat a 1900 cal diet and cut out Mtn Dew....

Workout: Cardio 3x a week, strength training 3x a week

Jen Jessop's Goals

Lose 2 lbs a week

Long term goal is to lose 6 lbs and maintain to end of challenge.

workout 5 days a week, drink 64 oz water a day

Scott Schwendiman's Goals

My weekly goal is to lose 1 lb per week.


Long-term goal is to lose 12 lbs.





This week my goal is to eat 1,500 calories or less per day (except for one of the weekend nights I will give myself a few more calories for a night out, but only one night and I won't go crazy and order everything on the menu.).

Shelly Munson Goals

Weekly Goal: 2 lbs
Long Term Goal: 18 lbs lost

My food plan this week is to count calories (1300 daily) and not eat ANY chocolate dunford donuts. This may seem easy to all but for me that is my main food source along with diet coke. This is my plan for this week and my diet may change weekly according to my blood levels.

Mary Ann Goals PLUS WEEKLY CHALLENGE

Weekly Goal:  1.5 lbs. lost
Long Term Goal: 15 lbs. lost
DAILY CHALLENGE FOR ALL:  DRINK 64 oz. of PURE WATER each day
My food plan is to eat Paleo plus some dairy (greek yogurt, sour cream, cream, cheese) this week...I'll moderate dairy once I have a better idea of what I am doing and can shop accordingly.