Monday Morning Check-in!

Good morning, beauties!
Hope you had a phenomenal weekend.
Winner of our "Snap a photo on a Hike" this past weekend is...... MEGHAN! Woohoo!
Here's her pic of her family on a bike ride on the trail.

Meghan won a $10 gift e-gift certificate to REI.  DONTCHA WISH YOU PLAYED???? :)

Here's a pic of my hike this past weekend.

So let us know what your results were!  We're at our halfway point!  Are you ampped up for the final half?  What's going to be your focus for this week?

Feel Good Friday

Good morning & happy Friday, friends!

Everybody welcome Isolde!!!!!  She's jumped on the blog this week with us and I just posted her bio over on the right side bar.  Glad to have you!

For today's post, I wanted to introduce the next side challenge!  It's one that's really personal, near & dear to my heart: Create a personal manifesto. For those who want to participate and tell us about the experience, you'll be entered into a drawing to win this prize from me: Dishwasher-safe & Reusable Sandwich/Snack Baggies.

Thank you, Wikipedia :) "A manifesto is a public declaration of principles and intentions, may also be life stance-related. Manifesto is derived from the Italian word manifesto, itself derived from the Latin manifestum, meaning clear or conspicuous."

So this challenge is going to be you typing up a document (however short or long) that you can read each morning (put it on your nightstand, in your bathroom, in your office, etc.) and have it be very clear about your dreams, vision, principles, goals, etc. Let it change your mindset, let it inspire you to realize how awesome you are, let it inpsire you to realize how blessed you are, let it create a paradigm shift in your attitude to one of hope, betterment, constant improvement, and love of self & others.  Let it inspire you to SUCCEED in your weight loss & fitness goals! 

I created mine about 3 years ago, and every time I read it, it relaxes me, softens my heart, calms me down, and let's me focus on what's really important to me.  It's all stuff I know, nothing's new, but somehow just reminding myself of it is important.

Here's mine- yeah, it's personal- but I don't really care who sees it (click on it and it will get big):

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend filled with lots of moving around and lots of being good to yourselves!  Remember to not take the weekends off!  Be strong!

Side Challenge #1

"TRICK EXPERIMENT"

Ok, ladies!  Here's this week's side challenge!  It will run up until next Monday.  It's kind of a flexible challenge.  So today pick one of these tricks below (I pulled them off of this Reader's Digest article http://www.rd.com/living-healthy/easy-ways-to-lose-weight-50-ideas/article16057.html) and set up an experiment.  Try to tackle just one of these tricks sometime today through Sunday, so you have 5 days to do it.  Then on Monday, w/ your check-in, let us know how you did!  Let us know which one you picked, if you think the trick worked, if you had fun doing it, if it made a difference in your appetite or attitude, etc.    Of course you can pick more than one if you're feeling super playful and ambitious.  Of all the participants who do this side challenge, I'll put your name in a hat & draw out a winner who'll get a prize given/mailed to them!  Have fun!!!!!!!!

10. Bring the color blue into your life more often. There's a good reason you won't see many fast-food restaurants decorated in blue: Believe it or not, the color blue functions as an appetite suppressant. So serve up dinner on blue plates, dress in blue while you eat, and cover your table with a blue tablecloth. Conversely, avoid red, yellow, and orange in your dining areas. Studies find they encourage eating.

12. Downsize your dinner plates. Studies find that the less food put in front of you, the less food you'll eat. Conversely, the more food in front of you, the more you'll eat -- regardless of how hungry you are. So instead of using regular dinner plates that range these days from 10-14 inches (making them look forlornly empty if they're not heaped with food), serve your main course on salad plates (about 7-9 inches wide). The same goes for liquids. Instead of 16-ounce glasses and oversized coffee mugs, return to the old days of 8-ounce glasses and 6-ounce coffee cups.

11. Clean your closet. Once you've reached your target weight, throw out or give away every piece of clothing that doesn't fit. The idea of having to buy a whole new wardrobe if you gain the weight back will serve as a strong incentive to maintain your new figure.

13. Serve your dinner restaurant style (food on the plates) rather than family style (food served in bowls and on platters on the table). When your plate is empty, you're finished; there's no reaching for seconds.

16. Use vegetables to bulk up meals. You can eat twice as much pasta salad loaded with veggies like broccoli, carrots, and tomatoes for the same calories as a pasta salad sporting just mayonnaise. Same goes for stir-fries. And add vegetables to make a fluffier, more satisfying omelet without having to up the number of eggs.

18. Avoid white foods. There is some scientific legitimacy to today's lower-carb diets: Large amounts of simple carbohydrates from white flour and added sugar can wreak havoc on your blood sugar and lead to weight gain. But you shouldn't toss out the baby with the bathwater. While avoiding sugar, white rice, and white flour, you should eat plenty of whole grain breads and brown rice. One Harvard study of 74,000 women found that those who ate more than two daily servings of whole grains were 49 percent less likely to be overweight than those who ate the white stuff.

30. Use flavorings such as hot sauce, salsa, and Cajun seasonings instead of relying on butter and creamy or sugary sauces. Besides providing lots of flavor with no fat and few calories, many of these seasonings -- the spicy ones -- turn up your digestive fires, causing your body to temporarily burn more calories.

39. Take a walk before dinner. You'll do more than burn calories -- you'll cut your appetite. In a study of 10 obese women conducted at the University of Glasgow in Scotland, 20 minutes of walking reduced appetite and increased sensations of fullness as effectively as a light meal.

46. Sniff a banana, an apple, or a peppermint when you feel hungry. You might feel silly, but it works. When Alan R. Hirsch, M.D., neurological director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation in Chicago, tried this with 3,000 volunteers, he found that the more frequently people sniffed, the less hungry they were and the more weight they lost -- an average of 30 pounds each. One theory is that sniffing the food tricks the brain into thinking you're actually eating it.

51. Brush your teeth after every meal, especially after dinner. That clean, minty freshness will serve as a cue to your body and brain that mealtime is over.

53. Passionately kiss your partner 10 times a day. According to the 1991 Kinsey Institute New Report on Sex, a passionate kiss burns 6.4 calories per minute. Ten minutes a day of kissing equates to about 23,000 calories -- or eight pounds -- a year!

54. Add hot peppers to your pasta sauce. Capsaicin, the ingredient in hot peppers that makes them hot, also helps reduce your appetite.

***NEW INFO SATURDAY 3-13***

Kim, who won our last side challenge, and the to-be-announced winner of this side challenge on Monday will receive a Mead Meal Planner!!!!!  I'm way excited about this.  LOVE IT!  It's a magnetic calendar that you put on the fridge, plan out your meals, and has a grocery list pad attached to it!  Should make meal planning more convenient!!!!!  (And there's a Target gift receipt w/ each if you don't like it :) )  So, here's your reminder to do one the side challenge trick experiments this weekend and be ready to report on Monday morning with your check-in!!!!

Side-Challenge

Alright, you creative cats :). Email me a pic of your healthy recipe
albums! As plain, as techy, as simple, or as extravagant as you want.
I will post them all on here. Say, by the end of the day Monday? All
participants will be put in a drawing for a fun prize!!!!
Tomorrow morning is final weigh-in and final measuremets. I am
thinking then the usual 1 week off then start the next Ten in Six
Challenge on March 1st? What do you think?

Cherise
Here is one of the recipes from my Healthy Recipe Album . . .

Kim
I loved this challenge, however, it is still a work in progress and I still have a lot to do to finish it. So I bought a very basic 3 ring binder and typed up my favorite/healthy recipes and divided them into sections breakfast, lunch, dinner, sides, desserts and snacks and I even tried to find a picture to go along with the recipe. I also have a section that shows measuring equivalents and another that shows emergency substitutions. I am still working on showing the nutritional facts for each recipe but at least I am off to a good start and this will really help me in reaching my goals!

Sarah
Here's my inspiration and here's what I've got worked up so far.  It's a big 12" x 12" scrapbook w/ 4 x 6 openings in each clear page inside.  It's divided into different sections.  Here's the beginnings of my chicken section.  I plan on adding more recipes and more photos throughout the years...... 

Feel Good Friday

GOOOOOOOD MORNING, girls :)  Horray, it's Friday!!!  I couldn't be happier!!! 

So remember the first side challenge during this 6 week Ten in Six challenge that was to plan an active date?  Well of all the participants, I drew Jen's name and here's the Polar water bottle she won that I'll be giving to her tonight.  BPA-free & Phthalate-free in case you were wondering :)  My hubby loves these for summer bike rides b/c it keeps the water cold in the hot sun.  I know Amy uses them, too.  But the gift receipt is inside the bottle.... haha  Horray, Jen!  Can't wait to hear how all that dancing goes!

The second side challenge is kind of a big one, but it's one that I am REALLY REALLY REALLY EXCITED about!  It will last not just today through next Friday, but today through the end of the challenge (3 more weeks!).  It's been something I've been meaning to do for a long time, since all my recipes are loose-leaf computer printouts smeared with food in a huge stack on my counter AND in my cupboard.....with hodge podge books & what not interspersed of course....

2nd Side Challenge: Half the battle (or more than half the battle for me) in making a healthy meal plan and grocery shopping list for the coming week lies in REMEMBERING yummy, healthy meal ideas or lies in FORGETTING the cheesy, fatty, greasy meals I grew up eating. Wouldn't it make eating healthy easier if we had a quick collection w/ nutritional facts at our fingertips in the kitchen? This side challenge is something I've had on my to-do list for almost a year now! For this side-challenge, make a small healthy recipe album of your favorite recipes (include kid-friendly recipes, too!). You could do a small online collection, add in pictures of the foods & the nutritional facts per serving. You could print it out or keep it in digital form. Could be a word document or an elaborate online scrapbooking album. You could get all crafty with decorative 4x6" paper cardstock cards inserted into a photo album to keep on the kitchen counter. Or you could simply write out healthy meal ideas on 4x6" cards and put it in a small album to keep on your counter. The # of recipes you do is all up to you. If you want to do just dinner ideas, go for it. If you want to include breakast, lunch, dinner, dessert, and snack ideas, more power to you. If you want to have a section of just quick kids lunch box components, awesome. You could use a card file box instead of an album if you want. Do whatever you want to do. You could even just have a long Word document on your computer- keep it all digital.  Or put all your existing unhealthy recipes out of sight and just leave your healthy recipes in your already organized kitchen.  Have a favorite unhealthy meal at a local restaurant? Then re-do it at home, making your own healthy substitutions and voila- an edited recipe! Make sure you have the serving size listed on it and all the nutritional data like calories, fat, protein, fiber, etc. (You can analyze a recipe in MFP by going to a blank day in the future, entering in all the ingredients for the dish, then dividing out the total # of calories by the # of servings, dividing fat, protein, etc.) Take a picture or two of your finished album product and email it to me. I'll post them all when I get them. Use your creativity and make it completely your own!


I picked up a 3 ring binder from a scrapbooking store last night w/ the 12" x 12" blank clear pages inside that is meant to hold 4x6 photos in different collage arrangements.  I am so EXCITED!  The binder is shiny buttercup faux leather so it will wipe clean easily from all my food splashes (hmmm....maybe I'm a sloppy chef) and protect my recipe cards.  I want to put just healthy stuff in it, and of course it will grow and expand over the years, then maybe a sealed off top secret opaque envelope at the back for all the sinful family recipes I don't want to lose track of, but shouldn't be looking at when I'm flipping through the book planning meals :)  I can't wait to start it this weekend!

End of First Side Challenge

Good morning & happy weekend, girls!  The side challenge for this week has been to plan an ACTIVE date night or an ACTIVE girls night out or adventure.  I am so happy that so many have done this- 11- that's incredible!  Just think what this commitment to a healthy lifestyle communicates to your family, to your friends, to the new YOU.  I love it :)  Here's what everybody's got planned in the order in which I received them, and I edited specifics to keep this as safe as possible:

JEN R:  DANCING "[My husband] and I are going to go dancing (ward dance in Feb, specifically). If that ends up not happening, we will go Contra Dancing by the end of Feb (13th, 20th, or 26th all available...). I commit! :)"

AMY: SNOWBOARDING "[My husband] and I have set an all day date for Jan 26. We are going snowboarding... I'm going to take a lesson since I have never snowboarded. [He] is dusting off his boards as we speak!"

KIM: SKIING, RACQUETBALL, & BOWLING "Well my husband has been trying to get me on the mountain for several years now and teach me how to ski. Everyone in my family either skis or snowboards and I am the last to learn. I usually play the cheerleader role and go up and take pictures and cheer them on but this year I think I will be brave and finally learn...We are going to go play racquetball ...and then we are going to go bowling. Boy my husband is going to be exhausted by the end of the night with skiing, racquetball and bowling all in one day! It should be fun and I am really looking forward to it and I'm glad I have another week to muster up some courage to learn to ski..."

LESLIE: SWIMMING "[My husband] and I have decided to go swimming at the YMCA for one of our date nights-- instead of eating out, like we usually do. I think it will be fun to change up the usual date-night routine and do something active together."

SHANDA: DANCING "My date night is going to ballroom dance class with [my boyfriend]! Learning the merengue is amazing and such a great workout then we stay for the group lesson so we are dancing for about 2 hours. We always leave class a little out of breath and smiling. Afterwards we go home and cook a healthy dinner together experimenting with fun new ideas and foods."

ABREY: ROCK CLIMBINNG, TENNIS, SWIMMINNG, ROPES COURSE, ZIP LINE, & SNORKELINNG "We have planned for our cruise on ship : rock climbing, tennis, swimming, also [my husband] and my sister have committed to workout with me on ship at least once each!! Off shore in Cozumel we are doing a ropes course, zip line and snorkeling adventure!!"

TARA: SLEDDING "I am off to a girls weekend this weekend in Galena and we are going to go sledding tomorrow morning after breakfast."

JENN P: WALKING, RUNNING, & HIKING "Since my husband is [overseas] I can't do a date night with him until the end of March! (He'll be coming home for a couple weeks on leave!) But I do have a friend/family that we do a lot of stuff together--our kids are close in age and have a lot of fun together. This week the kids were out of school for three days so we (both families) went to the ocean for two nights. We spent hours walking the deserted boardwalk and chasing our dogs in the sand. That was my fun/active time. We are also planning on taking a mountain hike together when the rain stops here."

MEGHAN: ROCK CLIMBING "I've been wanting to try some indoor rock climbing for a while and I thought that would make a really fun date. I found a place ... they offer climbing until 10 pm M-F. -perfect for a date night! [My husband] and I are definitely going to check this out!!

CHERISE: WALKING/HIKING "My active date night idea is to go for a walk/hike. We've got a lot of great parks around here and I would love to just go for a walk with my husband!"

SARAH: SNOWBOARDING "My hubby and I are going to give snowboarding a shot the 2nd week of Feb (deals on Tuesdays for beginners' lessons).  He's never tried it and I had a disastrous first attempt 7 yrs ago!  We are going to be so sore, but it should be a hoot!"

AND THE WINNER IS...........

Feel Good Friday

Good morning, slimmin' women :)  Everyone's comments yesterday were great- I am so impressed with all that movin' & shakin' going on! 

Fridays are all about positive mental vibes, each of us inspiring ourselves and each other to hold strong through the weekend to our commitments.  Often, the huge chasm between doing the healthy lifestyle and bingeing has to do with a teeny tiny mental dialogue we have with ourselves.  The biggest one I used to fall victim to a lot was "Oh, well, who cares, this little thing isn't going to make a difference" and another one was "I worked so hard- I deserve this!"  BIG pitfalls!  I think that's why I love this article so much: 7 Mental Tricks That Shed Pounds.

I think to change our internal dialogue, we first need to reflect on all of our accomplishments and hard work, acknowledging our little successes, the decisions where we made the right choice, each bead of sweat that dripped from our bodies, every time we reached for the veggies and fruit, etc.  After you've got your good base foundation of feeling proud of yourself, then add to that all the things that you are grateful for, building your resolve tall and strong.  Then finally, after you're filled to the brim with good pride and gratitude, add a little roof to that tower, a roof of all of us 10 in 6 gals who are in your same position, who are trying our hardest, who are cheering for you and supporting you.  That's a pretty good looking building, eh?  :)  YOU are amazing and YOU deserve to feel confident, sexy, and proud NOW of all you've accomplished this week!  YOU are showing your excuses and old habits who's boss!  YOU are defining who you are and what you will become, not letting life just happen to you.  YOU rock, girls :) 

Here's the first side-challenge, should you choose to participate :)  This will run from today to next Friday morning.  Those who participate and email me their plan by next Friday morning will be entered into a drawing for a fun little prize that I'll give or mail to you. 

Date nights or Girls Nights Out don't have to be nights and they don't have to be centered around a 10lb italian pasta dinner with a dozen breadsticks- challenge the traditional notion of dates/GNO! Schedule a fun and active adventure instead! Plan and schedule a big active activity for you and a significant other or for you and a girlfriend to do some day within the remaining 5 weeks of this challenge. Pencil in the date, get confirmation from the other particpant, and then let me know via email what your plan is! Once I get them all, I'll make a post of them (censoring specifics so we're stalker-free). Come up with even better ideas than I have here :)  Is there an indoor rock wall gym near you that you and a friend could go to for a few hours of workout and laughter? Is there local gym that you and a friend could try out a "free-look" day pass at (pretend you're interested in joining) and take a spinning class, or take a dancing class, then relax in the pool, sauna, or hot tub afterwards? Is there a local dance studio that you and a friend could venture into for one lesson? Is there a yoga studio you've been wanting to check out that you and a friend could make a date to pop in for one session- maybe try Bikram if you've never tried it before? Is there a local ice skating rink or roller rink? Is there a state park that you and a friend could plan a hike through? Is there a local park district cross-country ski class that you could sign up for? Plan an afternoon or evening at a ski resort learning how to snowboard or ski with a friend (many places offer highly discounted evening passes from 5pm to 10pm). Try something new! The key here is to HAVE FUN and to be creative! And when we do it with a friend or spouse, we have even MORE FUN! Show your friend/spouse the new committment you've made to live life with spontenaity and fun, to be active, to make workouts an adventure! "When a friend is waiting for you, you're less likely to back out!"

And the winner is.......

Thanks for donating such an awesome prize, Amy!  The winner receives cannister of Arbonne caffeine free daily detox tea, a package of Arbonne Figure 8 weight loss chews (really yummy BTW), & an Arbonne eye shadow sample.

The participants in the "send me your schedule" side-challenge were all entered onto pieces of paper, put in a bowl, and the winner was drawn at random....

Drumrolllllllllllllllllllllllllllll....

TADAAAAAA!!!!!!

Congratulations, Abrey!  I'll give you your prize this coming week!  Horray!

(I'm out of town Friday morning through Sunday evening)

Thanks to Jen, Marianne, Tara, & Red Hot for also particpating :) Bum one of those yummy chews off of Abrey next time you see her!

Side-Challenge: Schedules

Email me your schedules for the next two weeks and I'll print them out then scan them in as .jpg files to post here!  Click on each to see it enlarged. 

Sarah's Game Plan:
I just revised my schedule to reflect how I REALLY eat, and to provide for the flexibility of my "moods" in what I feel like eating any particular day.  This will be more realistic for following & provides more flexibility.  Can't wait to see what the rest of you are doing!!!  It will give me good ideas for the two weeks after this challenge instead of the same ol' same ol' :)  I hearby COMMIT to the following schedule:

Abrey's Game Plan:

"Here is my schedule for the next two weeks or at least a pretty good idea of what will come. I know things will not be exactly as ordered but I do have the menu worked out and my workouts haven't been changing much except adding time/distance/weight."

Red Hot's Game Plan:

"I don't have a schedule, but I do have a plan:  I hereby commit to the following schedule:  I will diligently write down everything I eat and not "sneak" any treats (w/o accountability).  I will go running every day that we're on vacation...free babysitting, so no excuses!!"

Jen's Game Plan:
"Here's my 2 week plan. I want to explain a little: I usually only plan dinner; however, when staying with relatives I have no control over that, so I just will do my best. During the day I do lots of repeat snacks, each a combination of a fruit or veggie with a protein and maybe a whole grain. If it looks repetitive, it is, but I like all these foods. I vary the smoothies or yogurt to add variety. I planned to have 1 treat on Christmas and 1 on New Year’s Eve. Make it a great 2 weeks everyone!"

Dec 22

Yoga/strength builders/ 15 minute walk

oatmeal/walnuts/milk

Traveling: String cheese, granola bar, apple, grapefruit, prunes, handful of mixed seeds/nuts, deli meat slices

Sweet potato, cottage cheese

Sandwich for dinner

Dec 23

Yoga /15 minute walk

Oatmeal/nuts/milk, apple/PB, granola bar/string cheese, PB/toast/grapefruit, Egg white sandwich

My mom’s food: I’ll select meat and a veggie.

Dec 24

Yoga/strength builders/ 15 minute walk

Oatmeal/nuts/milk, apple/PB, granola bar/string cheese, PB/toast/grapefruit, Egg white sandwich

My mom’s food: I’ll select meat and a veggie.

Dec 25

Yoga / 15 minute walk

Oatmeal/nuts/milk, apple/PB, granola bar/string cheese, PB/toast/grapefruit, deli sandwich

Chili, 1 treat.

Dec 26

Yoga/strength builders/ 15 minute walk

Oatmeal/nuts/milk, apple/PB, granola bar/string cheese,

Party: lowest fat/sugar & highest protein choices

Dec 27

15 minute walk

Oatmeal/nuts/milk, apple/PB, granola bar/string cheese,

Party: lowest fat/sugar & highest protein choices

Dec 28

15 minute walk

oatmeal/walnuts/milk

Traveling: String cheese, granola bar, apple, grapefruit, prunes, handful of mixed seeds/nuts, deli meat

Sweet potato, cottage cheese

Sandwich for dinner

Dec 29

Yoga/strength builders/ 15 minute walk
Yogurt/oatmeal/flax meal, smoothie, salad with ham, granola/string cheese

Black Bean Soup

Dec 30

Yoga/ 15 minute walk

Smoothie, omelette, PB toast with apple, prunes, granola/string cheese

Eating out: salad at restaurant.

Dec 31

Yoga/strength builders/ 15 minute walk

Oatmeal, egg white sandwich, smoothie, granola/string cheese

Homemade pizza

1 treat

Jan 1

Yoga/ 15 minute walk

Oatmeal/nuts/milk, apple/PB, granola bar/string cheese, PB/toast/grapefruit, salad

Carrot & Sweet Potato Soup

Jan 2

Yoga/strength builders/ 15 minute walk

Oatmeal/nuts/milk, apple/PB, granola bar/string cheese, smoothie, omelette with veggies

Sesame Chicken with brown rice

Jan 3

15 minute walk

String cheese, granola bar, apple, grapefruit, prunes, handful of mixed seeds/nuts,

Black Bean Chicken Soup with Almond Nut Corn Bread

Jan 4

Joining the gym today to start running on the treadmill 3X weekly.

Tara's Game Plan:

Marianne's Game Plan:

"I have made a simple schedule that I feel like I can honestly stick to. Simplicity is the key for me - I make everything on this schedule easily and quickly and our 3 kids eat everything listed very well (even our littlest Luke with soy and milk allergies). When I have simplicity in the kitchen, I am out enjoying more active parts of life more and have happier children - thus, again, freeing up more time for play and other projects. I'm going to duplicate this schedule for the second week, too. Minus the ham on Christmas, but including the cross-country skii on saturdays! Sat Jan 2nd is the Candlelight Ski/Snowshoe/Hike at Blue Mounds State Park. Here's a link for info: http://www.wisconsinguides.net/candle-light-ski-314.html "

wed

kashi go lean

cut vegis

grilled chicken steamed vegis

4 mile run

grilled vegis, berry smoothie

thurs

kashi go lean

apple

roasted vegis, squash soup

turbo jam, elliptical

vinegar popcorn, salmon

fri

kashi go lean

cut vegis,

at lakehouse with friends, roughly expect:

oatmeal cookies, ham, grean beans

roasted pear, gingerbread

run 4 miles, sledding with lots of kids

sat

at lakehouse with friends, roughly expect:

kashi go lean

apple

cheeseless pizza

cross-country ski

berry smoothie, gingerbread

sun

kashi go lean

cut vegis

whole grain bread and jam

potroast, vinegar popcorn

mon

kashi go lean

cut vegis

grilled chicken, steamed vegis, brn rice

4 mile run

grilled vegis, berry smoothie

tues

kashi go lean

apple

leftover rice dish

turbo jam, eliptical

black bean soup with whole grain bread

Side-Challenge: Crisco Sculptures!

Amy C:
"I was inspired by the body of overweight women everwhere.  Note how her shoulders come up to her head with a little space for a thick neck.  Her arms don't hang straight down due to the size of her upper arms and breasts. Lying on her back her breasts spread down and out.  Her belly folds over even when lying down, and lists to one side due to it's size.  I'm happy to say my body never looked quite like this, but I have seen many at work. No judgement here, I'm just glad I will never have those 7# back!!"

Nicki:

"I finally settled on a heart, since hey, were all helping our hearts right? Hee hee...It really was amazing to see how much a pound of fat is in this form. Even just one pound lost IS amazing! There are three pounds here and wow is it disgusting. I found myself wishing that we could all just heat up our bodies and then have the fat melt off of us. The crisco got pretty hot and liquidy in my hands from sculpting so that should work right?"

Marianne:

"I can see what a treat it is to pass up sweets! My sculpture includes some of my all time worst temptations - things I've passed up to lose the weight it represents: a Riesen (you know, those yummy caramel chocolates) on the top, a stick of twizzlers licorice in the middle, and m_and_m's on the bottom. It was so fun to feel how much fat is now NOT on my body. And lots of it is sweets I passed up, so it's making me want to pass up more sweets and have more pounds of fat off me!"

Sarah: 
"You have to use your imagination on this one b/c my sculpting ability is pretty blindman-meets-drunkard but my scuplture is my muffin top that no longer exists!  It's a close up, so like from my hips to my ribcage.  Always having that bulge of fat, spare tire, that rolls up and out of your jeans, so excited I no longer have that after YEARS!  Wow, it's so amazing to think that the 3lbs I sculpted with is no longer on my body!  It's big!"

Thanks for you girls for participating :)  Ok, everyone, now vote on the poll I am putting up right now on the right side bar!  Remember, you vote however you want to, whether you pick the funniest one, the most professionally done one, the most impressive weight loss amount one, the most heartfelt blurb, etc.  No rules.  We'll see who the winner is on Monday!  Even if you didn't sculpt, still vote.  And if you want to sculpt over the weekend, go for it!  I'll still post our pic on here :) 

Have a wonderful weekend!  And along the lines w/ what Nicki said, let's heat up our bodies, sweat a little, and let that lard SLIDE off us!

Feel the Burn Thursday

Ever heard of lactic acid?  Or heard that after a hard workout, your stiffness and soreness is a result of the built up lactic acid?

I wanted to learn more about it, so I Googled :)

After looking at Wiki, and reading some articles in a few online medical journal articles, I found this simply put article from the New York Times that explains that the lactic acid build up theory that it causes fatigue and muscle soreness is a MYTH. 

Lactic acid is a fuel for your muscles, and it's a good thing, but it's completely out of your muscles an hour after a workout, so it doesn't correspond even with the muscle soreness. 

So working harder & longer, building on endurance, THAT helps you get better at performance, stamina, and endurance.  The soreness after a hard workout is because of the damage you've done to your muscles, and doing that damage and letting it heal/recover makes the muscles STRONGER and more apt for excellent efficiency and endurance.

What workouts have you done this week?  What great workouts do you have planned for this weekend?

**Side-Challenge:   Make your Crisco sculptures today or tomorrow and sometime Friday evening I'll post all the pictures w/ blurbs that I get emailed and post the poll for you all to vote over the weekend!  Remember, the prize is smthg awesome from Arbonne from Amy!!!

And to keep the randomness flowing, here's a ditty that I came across from motivator Dale Smith Thomas & I highlighted my favorite parts that apply to each of us awesome challengers in this blog:

Beginning Today

Beginning today I will no longer worry about yesterday. It is in the past and the past will never change. Only I can change by choosing to do so.

Beginning today I will no longer worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will always be there, waiting for me to make the most of it. But I cannot make the most of tomorrow without first making the most of today.

Beginning today I will look in the mirror and I will see a person worthy of my respect and admiration. This capable person looking back at me is someone I enjoy spending time with and someone I would like to get to know better.

Beginning today I will cherish each moment of my life. I value this gift bestowed upon me in this world and I will unselfishly share this gift with others. I will use this gift to enhance the lives of others.

Beginning today I will take a moment to step off the beaten path and to revel in the mysteries I encounter. I will face challenges with courage and determination. I will overcome what barriers there may be which hinder my quest for growth and self-improvement.

Beginning today I will take life one day at a time, one step at a time. Discouragement will not be allowed to taint my positive self-image, my desire to succeed or my capacity to love.

Beginning today I walk with renewed faith in human kindness. Regardless of what has gone before, I believe there is hope for a brighter and better future.

Beginning today I will open my mind and my heart. I will welcome new experiences. I will meet new people. I will not expect perfection from myself nor anyone else: perfection does not exist in an imperfect world. But I will applaud the attempt to overcome human foibles.

Beginning today I am responsible for my own happiness and I will do things that make me happy . . . admire the beautiful wonders of nature, listen to my favorite music, pet a kitten or a puppy, soak in a bubble bath . . . pleasure can be found in the most simple of gestures.

Beginning today I will learn something new; I will try something different; I will savor all the various flavors life has to offer. I will change what I can and the rest I will let go. I will strive to become the best me I can possibly be.

Beginning today. And every day.

Author unknown

Make it a fantastic day, ladies :)

Monday Morning Check-in

Good morning, beautiful ladies J   How has this past week been?  Share with us how much you’re up or down in weight.  And it’s also the halfway point in our 6 week challenge, so check those measurements and let us know your progress!  What is your game plan going to be this week?  Is there something small you want to commit to & want us to hold you accountable for?

***UPDATE***

This is the 4th week we're embarking on, so here's the side-challenge, which I think is going to be eye-opening and fun!  Should you wish to participate, there's a fun prize from Amy C. for the winner!  Create a lard sculpture using your weight lost during this challenge of CRISCO.  So if you have lost 3 lbs so far this challenge, go out and buy 3 lbs of CRISCO, plop it onto a tin foil/wax paper lined cookie sheet or plastic plate, or whatever you want to use, and let your creative juices flow, sculpting whatever it is your heart desires.  Leaning tower of CRISCO?  Little monster of weight that you get to destroy?  Something symbolic or artsy fartsy?  Sculpture of a lazy woman?  Have fun with it & be creative.  I hope this will be eye-opening when you really see how much of that lard that is NO LONGER ON YOUR BODY!  I hope it will rejuvenate your resolve to get more fat off your body :)  It will be so grossly fantastic.  I can't wait to do it.  So whenever you want this week, sculpt your masterpiece, and then email to me the picture of your masterpiece w/ a couple line explanation of what it is or what it means.  I'll post all the pictures on Friday morning and then I'll post a poll on the right sidebar for you all to vote on the best one (the term "best" being quite loosely subjective and 100% up to the voters- whether it's the most impressive amount of CRISCO, the most creative sculpture, the best explanation, etc.).  Voting will last through the weekend & the winner will be announced next Monday.  If you feel really ambitious, you can buy and use the amount of CRISCO that represents the TOTAL weight you've lost in these challenges, if this is not your first one obviously.  You can use the weigh-in amount from today or if you want a little extra motivation, weigh-in on Thursday morning and use that new total as the amount for your sculpture so it's bigger- should help push you to make it a phenomenal Mon-Weds!  Please vote even if you don't participate in the side-challenge.  Ready, set, GO! :)

Feel the Burn Thursday

Good morning, fearless females!  Check out this article: Staying Fit During the Holidays.  Scroll through all 12 pages/slides.  What stood out to you the most?  For me, it was 3 things, 1) wow, I need to eat more apples :), 2) I need to be sure to keep myself non-sleep deprived if possible, and 3) I need to hit the weights more than I am. 

So weight training, strength training, resistance training, whatever you call it, is key to shedding fat.  Doing calorie cutting alone, you're more likely to lose muscle weight in addition to fat weight.  Incorporating cardio & strength training will help you maintain and gain muscle while just losing the fat weight.  But what if you find weight training really....blah ba humbug?  Me, me, me!  One solution would be to find fun new strength training workouts that don't involve repetitious bicep curls w/ dumbells.  Try a physically intense yoga routine with lots of planks and leg lifts.  Try a Bosu or Body Sculpting/Pump class at your gym.  Try a new DVD routine using a big ball.  Try a Kbell/Kettle Ball workout DVD.  Try to mimic some of the unusual moves they do on Biggest Loser, like jerking ropes up alternatingly, rolling a tractor tire, sledge hammering a tractor tire, pushups on the treadmill, kettle ball swings, pushups w/ dumbells under your hands and lifting each side once you're up at the top of your pushup, etc.  Here is a home strength plan by Shape magazine but it does require quite a bit of home equipment like a medicine ball, bosu ball, pilates ball, resistance band, etc.  This is another strength training program but just consists of 3 upper body moves, also by Shape, but I have all the equip to do this at home, so I think I'll try 3 times a week for a while!  Hold me accountable :)

Another great option is this ab workout from Women's Health magazine, that Nicki & a few others of you have tried out and liked before in this challenge.  Or try putting yourself on the 100 Pushups challenge or 200 Situps challenge or 200 Squats challenge (each of these has an app for the iPhone to do & track the challenge). 

How do you ladies get in your strength training?????????

(BTW- I forgot to set up for the side challenge this 2nd week, so there will be just one and it will be in the 4th week, with a fun prize from Amy C. for the winner!)

Our Creation Boxes

I love them all!  I hope those of you who participated in this second side-challenge had a good time capturing via your creativity all the goals and dreams you have in quotes, pictures, clippings, etc.  4 of us did it that I have emailed pics of so far...but send them later on and I'll add them in :)

AMY F:

-Rollerblades - because I LOVE the feeling I get when I rollerblade and I want to get back into it

-Tennis - Tennis makes me happy and I would love to be in a tennis league or tournament someday

-My boys - why I try to stay healthy.

-Skiing - there is a rush that comes with this sport, and I want to get back into that too.

-5K run - One of my goals in the next year or 2.

-Me and Dave - our engagement picture - where I want to be weight wise!!! When I felt the sexiest!

I also have a list of a ba-zillion things that I want to do before I'm fifty - some are physical things, some are vacation things, but all things I want to experience in life!

This was a great thing to do, and I have mine now on my window ledge above my kitchen sink, where I am most of the day! hahah!

NICKI:

My printer hasn't been working so I couldn't print any photos off. I'll definitely add to it though. :) Basically I wrote down all of my "Why's" along with all of the other things you suggested. I also included a bunch of other goals and dreams that I'm headed towards that don't have anything to do with health, but definitely go along with the person I want to become. Thanks for getting us to do this, it was very good for me!

MEGHAN:

Here's my creation board! I put pics of my family and me to remember who I want to b healthy for. I have a pic of a cruise liner and Bora Bora b/c that's where I want to go looking all hot and sassy! The Berbee Derby runners are on there. And most important, two quotes with happiness in the center reminding me that I hold in the palm of my hand.

SARAH W:

My jar is filled with a whole bunch of quotes I love all about us becoming what we think about the most, about dreaming big, about letting the inner us guide us along, about achieving goals. 

Same with Nicki, my things in the jar aren't all physical fitness goals.  A lot of them are things I want to accomplish in my life, like run a bunch of marathons in fun places, look smokin' hot on our vacation to Hawaii next  June, have toned arms & shoulders, have a home filled with redheaded kiddos, have snuggly pups, be an active and healthy mom, and finish a century cycling ride (100 miles).  I also have some clippings from some magazines of some cute skinny clothes I want to buy. 

I plan on adding to this jar throughout the next year or so.  I love it.  Absolutely adore it :)  I shared all its contents and quotes with my hubby and it was a really good experience. 

And I love that you all have opened your hearts and spirits and shared such beautiful dreams and goals with me over the last 5 weeks!  I appreciate and cherish each of your contributions, words of encouragement, tips & ideas, and overall support.  YOU are what makes any one of our fitness programs a long-term lifestyle change and not just a temporary kick.  THANK YOU!!!!!

I know a couple others of you were working on boxes of your own.  Whenever you do finish, and no pressure, no rush, email me it and I'll post it on here :)  Keep dreaming big!  What you think about yourself and your future is what you'll become...

Monday Check-In

Good morning, Ladies!  How was your weekend?  Share with us how much you're up or down in weight and any changes you've noticed.  I can't wait to hear how you all did in your first week!

Also, today's going to start the first side-challenge :) Here it is: There are 13 active participants this time around in the 10 in 6 challenge (I haven't heard from Kim for her info and I haven't heard from Jessie if she'd like to continue from last challenge, so these two aren't counted in the 13).  If, as an entire group of 13 active participants, we collectively lose 26 lbs total (2 lbs per person average), then I'll send you something special in the mail as a prize :)  Yes, I stole this fair and square from BL, but I don't care.  I think 2 lbs for each of us this coming week is definitely do-able.  Your fellow challengers depend on you!  You can do it! Push it extra hard!

Feel Good Friday

Hello, beautiful ladies! We only have 10 more days left in this challenge- I can't believe it's been so long already. First, just to flaunt, here are the prizes going out today to the two participants in the t-shirt side-challenge. Congratulations, Linds & Nicole! Linds is getting the Smartwool multisport socks & Nicole is getting the Smartwool running socks.

Second, I thought this quote from the Runner's World magazine's Daily Kick in the Butt (they email a daily motivational quote) was pretty hilarious.

"It's the road signs, 'Beware of Lions.'" -Kip Lagat, Kenyan distance runner, during the Sydney Olympics, explaining why his country produces so many great runners.



Think about that as you're out and about this weekend getting in great sweat sessions, calorie burns, and pounding the pavement. Your lion could be the positive reinforcement/motivation you shared with us at the beginning of the challenge, ie your kids, your happiness, peace, sexiness, etc. Or your lion could be the negative reinforcement of what the old lazy you was like. Let that push you forward into charging your goals! I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Monday morning starts the last week of the 10 in 6 Challenge! Make it a great finish!

Calvin Klein aint got nothin' on these T's!

End of 2nd Side Challenge! Here we go :) There are 3 submissions and I've posted the artists' own comments below. If you click on each image, you should be able to get it to come up on your computer screen really big.

First is Linds' shirt: "'Never Eat More Than You Can Lift'" I think it's hilarious. I chose Miss Piggy because 1) her advice is true you shouldn't eat more then you can lift and 2) she ALWAYS had confidence even if she was a pig, she still thought she was beautiful."


Second is Nicki's shirt: "'Action expresses priorities'" -Gandhi I chose that one because it reminds me that if I claim my priorities are to get healthier and lose weight then I have to be doing something to prove that to myself that entails something more than just saying it. Actually eating differently, taking time to exercise, setting goals, etc. The little cartoon guys were just cute. You can't see them very well but they're doing all kinds of exercise. One the back it says, 'It's not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves.' -Edmund Hillary. That one speaks for itself a little more."


Finally is my shirt: "'Excuses abound but I decide each morning to challenge them...and eat them for breakfast'" This isn't a cool quote or anything, just something I think about a lot. There's always a negative excuse, things I used for years, like I'm too tired, too busy, too stressed, too slow to see results that it's not worth the effort, too exhausted, too hungry, etc. I didn't lose weight until I DECIDED to lose weight. Making the decision to challenge all of those negative excuses that are inevitable to pop up- that's what takes guts- every day- it doesn't get easy or go away- it's a decision every day that I have to make- the decision to not stop and to not give in to the easy."


Ok, and this isn't part of the official side challenge, but it's too cute to not share- Nicki's kids decorated their own shirts to wear for when Nicki does her first half-marathon!


Thanks for playing along in the side challenge, Nicki & Linds! Since there were only two of you playing, I am not going to bother with the poll, but just send you each a treat :) Yay! Have a splendid weekend, everyone. Get out and be active!