Introduction & Set Up for Newbies- What's this All About?

This Ten in Six blog is a free support group environment for ladies looking to lose 10 lbs in 6 weeks. We are from all across the country and challenge our own individual excuses every day to live a healthier, active lifestyle. The only rule for participation in this blog is that you've got to try your darndest to be positive and uplifting. Over time, you'll get to know each other a little, cheer & be cheered, uplift & be uplifted, inspire & be inspired. Weight loss and lifestyle renovating take time- it's a marathon and not a sprint. This awesome group of gals will help you on your journey, whether your just starting out, if you're almost to your goal, or even if you're aiming to maintain. No fad diets, just honestly trying our hardest to make overall changes for the better in our habits.

There are a few keys to this blog's success: First, everyone's holding you accountable, in a positive and fun way, to whatever goal you've set for yourself. No nagging, but just encouragement, girls excited to hear how you're doing. Second, we have awesome tools for tracking calories burned & calories consumed with the My Fitness Pal free online profile, and awesome tips & tricks for healthy lifestyles from all the girls participating in this blog. And third, we keep healthy living at the forefront of your thoughts each day by either emailing you the post each weekday or emailing you every time another challenger comments.

Regarding the subject matter of the posts, Mondays are typically check-in days, Tuesdays & Fridays motivation days, Wednesdays recipe/snack sharing days, & Thursdays workout sharing days. Check it out by scrolling through our older posts over the last few months. You can also click on any topic that interests you in the cloud of topics on the left side of the blog and it will pull up all posts with that particular topic as the label.

So, are you in? We hope so! If you are, follow these steps to get all set up on the program. This next Ten in Six challenge will begin with weigh-in & measurements on Monday morning April 26th and will conclude with weigh-in & measurements on Monday morning June 7th.

Create a free personal profile on the My Fitness Pal website. This is what you'll use to enter in your goals, weight, measurements, calories consumed, calories burned, etc. If you already have a profile, zero it out by deleting the past weight measurements (Click "Home, "Click "Check in," Click "Edit Past Entries," at bottom, delete all old entries). You don't have to delete the past measuring tape measurements.

When you're in the My Fitness Pal profile, click on the tab that's called "Tools." Then click on the link in the middle of the page that says "Get Your Personalized Weight Loss Badge Now." Then the second badge on the left down from the top, copy & paste that code to me in an email.

Email me (sarah.a.weight at hotmail dot com) your first name (or screen name if you want to stay anonymous), badge code, and what you want in your little bio on the right side bar. We'd love to see what your favorite workout is, what your favorite healthy snack is, what your goal for this challenge is, and what your reward will be when you succeed (massage, manicure/pedicure, new pair of jeans, new pair of shoes, new workout outfit, new swimsuit, new iPod, weekend getaway, new haircut, new healthy kitchen gadget, new bra, new make-up, new CD/iTunes album, etc.). Also let me know if you want your email address added to the blog so that whenever another challenger posts or comments, it goes straight into your email inbox. And of course you could choose to not be emailed at all.

On the morning of Monday, April 26th, log into your My Fitness Pal profile and enter your starting weight and all the starting measurements you want to (read the instructions in the "How to Accurately Weight & Measure Yourself" link on the left  sidebar of this blog page). Start tracking calories consumed & calories burned through workouts. Check in daily to the blog here to let us know how it's going, what you're up to, share your successes & encouragement, etc. I'll ask for specific things in the posts for you to add your comment on or to check-in on, too.

Other things to note: Weights will be private (unless you want to share) b/c we'll just be reporting how much weight and how many inches we drop; no one will know the starting #s. No references to last names for security purposes please, or neighborhoods you live in, or which trail you're going to be running on at a specific time in the future, etc. Just be smart. I don't want to have to go private with the blog. Let me know your favorite songs on your workout playlist and I'll add them to the workout playlist that plays at the bottom of the blog when you hit the play button. I will also be doing 2 side challenges (one the second week and one the fourth week) for fun prizes.

Relatively NEW: Email me and let me know if you want to be a guest blogger! I'm always looking for fresh ideas for posts and fresh articles/studies/research/ideas to share on here. A genius girlfriend suggested to me having a sign up for the various 10 in 6 gals to create the daily post some days. I love it! And I think you guys will, too! So I'm just going to manage it for now privately via email. Feel free to email to me a Motivation post, a Nutrition post, a Workout post, a Feel Good post, etc. I'll be compiling them all in a big document on my computer and will pepper them throughout the 6 weeks of the challenge and of course give credit to who wrote the post. I can't wait for this to freshen things up on here! Also, let me know via email if you want to buy/provide a prize for a side challenge winner!  Or if you have side-challenge ideas!

If you were on the last Ten in Six Challenge and want to continue, just remember to zero out your info & send me any updates you want to your bio and what your new reward is going to be :)

If you were on the last Ten in Six Challenge and DON'T want to continue, just let me know and I'll delete off your bio, badge, & email address.

So go out and get all your girlfriends, moms, sisters, etc. to jump on the challenge here and decide now to challenge their excuses and reach the fitness goals they want to hit! I am so excited for this to start up a fresh round :) Let me know if something's unclear in the instructions above.

Final Check-In

Hello, girls!

You made it to the end of the challenge!  Share with us your overall results: change in weight & change in measurements.  Yay, you!

I move tomorrow, so in light of this, I'd like to take a 2 week break between now & starting the next session, instead of the typical 1 week. 

Recruit your friends, refresh  & recommit yourself, and can't wait to see you all back on here on the 26th of April!  I will post instructions on here later for newbies to get all set up.

Feel Good Friday

Good morning, girls!  Here we go, embarking on the last weekend of this challenge!  Monday morning is the final check in!  Whoa! That flew by!

For today, I want you guys to read this post from the Athleta Chi Blog & respond.  http://www.athleta.net/chi/2010/03/30/my-makeover-for-mind-body-spirit/

It's about how to do a makeover on your mind, body, & spirit.  Pretty much what I want you all awesome ladies to glean from this is that if you feel stuck in a rut, find a few minutes for meditation to clear your mind, find a new physical activity or exercise to try, and seek out some kind of new knowledge or intellectual venture (grab a good book!).  And of course get lots of sunshine (w/ sunscreen on of course :) ).

Let me know what you think of this!!!!!!!!!

Feel the Burn Thursdays

Good morning, shrinkin' divas!

Just a few little reminders here on our workout sharing day:

1. Energy Bars or Sport Beans or Gel or anything:  Keep track of ALL your calories consumed and ALL your calories burned and stay within your net caloric goal.  Perhaps you didn't burn enough to warrant a high calorie energy or protein bar.  Check out this article from Bicycling Magazine: http://www.bicycling.com/article/0,6610,s1-4-21-21630-1,00.html
2. Sleep: "Moodiness, anxiety, and irritability are all effects of losing out on sleep"  This has been big for me.  Last night I got an unusual 12 hours of sleep and it made all the difference in the world.  If I can get that in once a week, I would be a new person.  I go to sleep a grinch and I wake up a superwoman ready to take on the world.  Check out this article from Runner's World Magazine: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/1,7124,s6-238-267--8028-0,00.html#
3. Workout Outdoors: Think unconventionally with your workouts.  It doesn't have to be a dedicated hour at the gym.  It can be just a 10 minute romp around the park with the kiddos.  (Ok, except when you live in crazy Wisconsin and it decides to snow in APRIL) Except for that rarity, being in the sunshine just makes you happier than being cooped up indoors.  Check out these ideas for outdoor workouts from Women's Health Magazine: http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/outdoor-workouts
4. Emotional Outlets: When your emotional trigger or stressor hits, and you turn to food, first of all try so hard to recognize WHY you got in that mood in the first place, and find an alternate method of dealing with it.  This is something I'm a novice at, but I've heard working out is a fantastic stress reliever.  For me, when I get in a good workout, I'm just proud of myself and want to shout it from the rooftops, so everything else that is bugging me in my life just isn't that big of a deal anymore.  It's all about my feelings about myself.  Here's an article about stopping binge eating from Shape Magazine: http://www.shape.com/weight_loss/diets/stop_stuffing_yourself_secrets
5. Strength Train: Don't forget this important piece to your workout program.  Cardio looks more appealing b/c you become sweaty and blast huge calories, but weight training (dumbells, resistance bands, pilates, core work, squats, crunches, etc.) has big pros that can't be overlooked.  You'll look slimmer, you'll rev up your metabolism, and you'll be strong. Don't worry about bulking up- that doesn't happen to women.  Here's info on Weight Training 101 from Shape Magazine: http://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/weight_training_101
6. Water: Are you drinking enough of it?  Sodas, even diet sodas, tend to make your midsection bloated.  Water will energize you, keep you hydrated enough to not confuse thirst signals w/ hunger signals, & keep you healthy.  Here's the link to the tool from Runner's World that helps you calculate out how much you need to be drinking each day, something we've posted on here before: http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-302--5382-0,00.html#

So what workouts have you been up to lately?  What do you have planned for this weekend???

Whatcha Eating Wednesday

Good morning, ladies!  Hope you're all doing great despite the weather being drizzly and gyms being locked (mini-me was locked out of her gym this morning :(  )

Overcome it all! 

So here's the day where we share what we've been eating.  What snacks have you been enjoying?  What meals?  Any good recipes? 

I'm making Smothered Chicken one night this week.  There's not really an exact recipe for it, just something my mom used to make when I was growing up.  I think it may have it's origins w/ Weight Watchers actually. 
*Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
*Mushrooms, sliced
*Onions, sliced (optional- I don't use them in this recipe)
*Reduced Fat Swiss cheese slices

Saute the mushrooms & onions in a dabble of olive oil.  When cooked, set aside.  In skillet cook chicken breasts until about a minute from being done.  Add back in the mushrooms & onions, warm them up in the skillet bottom, then when warm, stack on top of the chicken breasts, then place cheese slice on top of the mushroom & onion pile on top of the chicken breast.  Cover skillet until the cheese has mostly melted & is "gluing" the goodies on top of the chicken breast.  About this recipe, I don't use the onions, but I use TONS and TONS of mushrooms.  I love me some sauteed mushrooms :) Good w/ a side salad of greens.

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, beautiful girls!

Feel overwhelmed with your hectic schedule?  Head spinning?  Feel like you're being pulled in too many directions?  I do :)

So here's a cool article from Fitness Magazine about strategies for finding time to eat healthy even when you have next to no time.  http://www.fitnessmagazine.com/weight-loss/tips/diet-tips/make-over-my-diet/

How do you guys squeeze in healthy eating?
What are your time-saving ideas?

Monday Morning Check-in

Good morning beautiful girls!!!! It's our second to last check-in this
challenge. Starting our final week today!
Share with us your results from the scale this morning and share what
your game plan is for this week.

Feel Good Friday

Happy birthday, Abrey & Michele!!!!!!!

I hope you're all ready for an awesome weekend :)

So, did any of you write out a little reminder to yourself of how
awesome you are? Did any of you read it each morning?

Share your experience w/ the side challenge! Do it before the end of
the night tonight, then I'll do the drawing of the side challenge
participants tomorrow morning :)

YOU all have meant sooooo much to me. Thank you!

Feel the Burn Thursday!

Good morning, girls!

What workouts have you been doing lately?  Be specific!  We all love new ideas, even if they're old :) What's your game plan for this gorgeous weather weekend?  Anything to offset Easter dinner? ;)

It helps me to have some kind of race/event goal in mind, then I am excited to work out hard, and I'm pressured in a good way to work out hard.  I just decided to aim for my first sprint triathlon.  I know Valerie has multiple marathon race goals this spring.  Mini Me, Meghan, & Marianne are doing a half marathon this summer.  Amy C & Isolde are each doing different sprint triathlons later this summer. 

There are so many different events to pick from. A 5K walk for your favorite charity?  There are running races, trail runs, bike rides, walks, duathlons (run, bike, run), triathlons (swim, bike, run), adventure races (run around a city w/ teammates, Amazing Race style, scavenger hunts, etc.), and muddy obstacle course races (Warrior Dash, etc.).  There are family fun runs, doggie charity walks (Bark for Life), etc.  There are endurance walks (Relay for Life, etc.).  There are relay team marathons, city-to-city relays, etc.

I challenge you all to find something fun that floats your boat & commit to doing it!  It will excite you, you can recruit your healthy-minded friends to join you, you can have fun, & best of all, it will get your butt out there working hard to get ready for it!!!!

Here's my favorite search engine for races: http://www.runningintheusa.com/Race/Default.aspx

And completing something that was hard for you will give you SO MUCH CONFIDENCE! 

If you've done a race goal before (any goal), then share your thoughts on it, how it makes you feel, how it helps you train, etc.  Sell it to those on here who haven't set a race goal before :)

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, sun-kissed sistas!  I hope you have all accepted Meghan's challenge to get out and enjoy the weather outside this week. It's BEAUTIFUL!

Reminder: If you want to participate in the side challenge going on right now, see last Friday's post & create your own little message to yourself that you read each morning.  Call it a manifesto, a vision, a mantra, whatever you want.  It's for your eyes, to uplift you, to remind you of how incredible you are, to change your mood, to invoke a spirit of love, gratitude, confidence, and peace.  Do it soon so that you can have a day or two to read through it and share with us all on Friday the effect that this writing you did had on you.  Email me or comment on this Friday's post with your experience, share a line or two with us if you feel like it (you don't have to), etc.  At the end of the day Friday I'll do the drawing to see which of the participants won the prize of the dishwasher-safe, re-usable snack baggies!

For today's foodie post, share with us what yummies you've been enjoying.  Any good & healthy grill recipes now that the weather is gorgeous?  Any good cold salads now that it's warming up outside?  Even if it's the same ol' same ol' go ahead and share with us! 

On Saturday I enjoyed this Strawberry Chicken Salad recipe that is a modification of a less-healthy version from a dear friend of mine about 10 years ago.  I had literally been craving it for weeks.  Totally hit the spot :)  Super simple, too.

Strawberry Chicken Salad:

• Bed of lettuce, baby spinach, spring mix, green leaf, romaine, whatever you want (I prefer spinach)
• Strawberries, washed, de-stemmed, & sliced (I used frozen ones thawed out b/c it's just what I had on hand)
• Chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size cubes

Dressing (makes TONS- I quartered it for just the 2 of us):

• 1 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup truvia (original recipe calls for sugar, so let conscience be your guide :)  )
• 1 small minced onion
• 1/3 cup vinegar
• 1 Tablespoon dry mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 Tablespoon poppy seeds

Directions:

• Cook the chicken thoroughly in a skillet
• Mix all the dressing ingredients together
• Put lettuce on plates, put chicken on top of lettuce, put strawberries on top, drizzle on dressing (a little goes a long way)

If you want to put more carbs in there, it's good with Far East brand Rice Pilaf. You could also add mandarin oranges or pecans if you wanted to the salad :)  Oh, and the picture isn't really the salad I made- it's just what Google found me :)

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, girls!
Well, me, Jen, & Mini Me are all cleaning up storms, stirring up dust, and prepping for our moves.  All this spring cleaning feels great.  I love it. 
On that note, here's a little message about spring cleaning not just your homes but spring cleaning your minds.

Eliminate Clutter Inside and Out
by Jon Gordon

"We just de-cluttered our house in order to put it on the market. It feels so good I wonder why we didn’t de-clutter it a long time ago. Why do we live with so much stuff we don't need? It's not just a house question but a life question too.

"Why do we fill our life with so many things that weigh us down? Things we never use. Thoughts that hold us back. Habits that limit us. Distractions that derail us. Negative people that drain us. Fear that paralyzes us. And countless time zappers that sabotage our performance and productivity.

"We spend so much time and energy on things that don’t matter that we don’t focus on what does matter. We fill up with so many things that generate negative energy that there’s no room for positive energy to flow into our lives.

"So today I want to encourage you to Spring Clean Your Life-both inside and out.

"Get rid of the physical clutter which might include a messy house, a pile of papers on your desk, mail spread out all over the counter, a closet filled with old clothes you never wear or old salad dressings in your refrigerator. When you attack that to-do list, go through your piles of paper, clean up your desk, or throw out the trash in your car, you clear out the old and make room for the new. This simply makes you feel better.

"The same goes for mental clutter. Spring clean the junk in your mind and you’ll eliminate the mind clutter that prevents you from focusing on your priorities and you’ll make room for great thoughts, exciting opportunities, endless possibilities, and an infinite supply of joy that is waiting to fill you up. You just have to make room for the good stuff.

"Spring is a time of vitality, renewal, and re-birth. Seeds sprout plants, flowers bloom and nature comes back to life. You can do the same. Just get rid of your clutter and your energy will soar.

"Action Steps:

1. Pick one space in your house and/or office that is cluttered. Organize it and throw out the clutter. Observe how you feel when you are finished.

2. Identify one toxic belief or habit in your life and let go of the clutter."

So, ladies, what do you think?  It's a little hokey, yes, but give it a little thought today.  Is there mental clutter that you should let go of?  Something that is preventing you from being successful in hitting your weight loss & fitness goals- something that's inside your head- something that you can overcome & clean away?

Monday Morning Check-In

Good morning, girls!  How did your 4th week go?  Let us  know how much you're up or down, what your thoughts are, what your game plan for this  week is :)  Make it a great 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!

Feel the Burn Thursday

Good morning, booty-kicking babes!

Reading other people's success stories is a proven motivator.  I love it.  It makes me think my struggles & my starting point are no where near as rough as it could be or I don't have near as far to go as they did, but at the same time, reading these stories makes me feel supported, makes my emotions/struggles validated, makes me feel connected to them, like "if they can do it I can do it."  It's a win-win!

I saw a recent cover of Good Housekeeping magazine (not one I'd normally pick up :) ) and it was all about the Biggest Loser success secrets, Helen's story (winner from last season), etc. 

How Biggest Loser Winner Helen Phillips Lost 140 Lbs
Secrets from the Biggest Loser

Re: Helen: "She looks as strong and fit as she did the day she left the Ranch, thanks to a regimen that includes everything from putting in two-hour workouts to packing her car every day with a cooler full of healthy snacks....They agreed to make getting healthier a family affair: On weekends, they exercise together (running, walking, and riding bikes) and group-shop for fresh fruits and vegetables, which they then chop and prepare for the week. And they support one another in making sure the house is stocked with healthy cereals and other staples like low-cal unsweetened almond milk (half the calories of skim milk). Phillips's strategies for keeping the pounds at bay follow some of the proven basics of weight maintenance, says Thomas of the NWCR. Here are some of those keep-it-off behaviors:"

• "Stick with a low-cal, low-fat diet — about 1,500 calories per day, with less than 30 percent coming from fat (Phillips consumes about 400 additional calories per day to help fuel her daily exercise; see Helen Phillips's 5-a-Day Meal Plan).
• Eat breakfast every day — it helps prevent overeating.
• Forgo the high-fat, high-sugar empty calories of fast food.
• Keep a daily food journal and step on the scale regularly.
• Exercise at least 200 minutes per week (Phillips works out about 120 minutes per day).
• Cut TV viewing to 10 hours or less per week (the national average is 28 hours). Phillips went from watching up to five movies in a row when she was heavy to almost zero now.
• Avoid taking weekends and holidays "off" (Phillips indulges in one higher-calorie day a week, a practice she started at the Ranch). "

So what do you guys think????  Honestly, I was never super fond of Helen on the show, but she's done such a great job of keeping it off and inspiring others, that I kind of have more respect for her now after reading this article.  We're doing those tips, by the way----we all rock!  Slowly but surely, we're doing this weight loss & fitness challenge the healthiest way possible!

What workouts have you been up to this week?  Anything fun & active planned for this weekend?

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, wonderful women!

I hope you're all having a great day so far.  This was interesting from the new Fitness magazine (click on the image to make it bigger so you can read it :) so I scanned it in to show you:

So think about eating & enjoying lots of yummy veggies & blasting calories, girls!  :)

Share what yummies you've been eating & enjoying this week!

Tuesday Motivation

Good morning, mentally strong amazing women!

I've got to admit that the last three weeks I've been weak at best in my workouts and healthy eating willpower.  But that's the past, and this is a new week!  I got out for a long 2 hour run last night and it honestly woke me up.  I forgot how much a good hard workout refreshes me, cleanses me, heals me emotionally, etc.  Just smilin' up at the sunshine :)  Nicki, the song "Blue Skies" came up on my play list and made me think of you!  I was such a nerd, smiling and saying hi to everybody and their dog who was out and about yesterday evening :)  I even had a "go gettum" cheer for a mom jogging pushing 2 kids in a stroller (sadly wasn't Valerie, though).  My game plan for this week is to make exercise a priority again.  It has to get scheduled in 5 days a week, blocking off a chunk of time on my schedule.  I just suffer emotionally and mentally when I don't, not to mention my waistline, but honestly, it's the first that's the biggest killer for me.  So this week, I've got workouts at a high priority and I'm going to make it happen.  You ladies have helped me SO much with your determination, climbing back on the wagon, and your support.  I love hearing all your little daily successes- so keep sharing them!

This article hit home to me this morning- "Mental Readiness" by Vanessa Kennon

"This past Saturday, my daughter and I attended an excellent Self-Defense class. The instructors immediately began to teach us techniques to be used should we ever need to defend ourselves against an attacker. They would show us a move then have us practice it repeatedly; show us another move then practice that one repeatedly. They even let us punch and kick them - while holding protective pads, of course. But the idea was to simulate a real situation so we would be familiar and not have only played it through in our head, but acted it out. As we were practicing throughout the duration of the class, we were allowed to ask questions and “what if” scenarios to which they would very thoughtfully respond and demonstrate. They kept reminding us throughout the course that we must have several moves in our arsenal against an attacker. Their consistent message was to try numerous and varied moves so as to keep the attacker guessing and stunned. Further, they gave us awareness techniques. In other words, as I stated previously, an excellent course! About three-quarters of the way through is when it all rang true to me; one of the instructors stated that most people will try one or two different things and sometimes maybe three to ward off their attacker before giving up. He said “once you give up mentally, your attacker has won!” At that very moment, I realized he was not only right about an attacker; but it’s true about anything in life. When you give up mentally, you are defeated. This is why it’s so important to keep ourselves mentally “in shape”. We must feed ourselves positive information (i.e. informative and empowering books, CDs, music, and messages), we must work out mentally each and every day (positive affirmations and incantations), we must visualize and role play in our mind’s eye the end result we wish to achieve."

"Finally, a poster on the wall stated it like this:
“You have not failed when you have been defeated. You have failed when you have given up.”

"Never give up on what it is you know to be your true authentic self! Never give up on your passion or dream! Everything I read and have been taught tells me I do not have to know “How” I’m going to achieve anything; rather, all I have to know is the end result I hope to achieve. The “how” will unfold and reveal itself."
"Exercise your brain and train it to know what it is you want and see yourself living it as if it is already achieved! Much like the self-defense class my daughter and I took, you will be glad you did."

I hope all you amazing Ten in Six women have a fantastic day!

Monday Morning Check-in

Good Morning, springtime sweeties! It's our halfway point. Check in
today with measurement news in addition to scale news! Let us know
your game plan this week.

Feel Good Friday

Good morning, feisty females :) It's the weekend! Yay!

Here's another mosel of food for thought from Harry Hoopis (the guy from Northwestern Mutual out of Chicago who wrote that Olympics article I posted a couple weeks ago):

"There are 3 types of people in this world:

Those who make things happen,

Those who watch things happen,

And those who wonder, what happened?"

"So which of the above are you? Are you in charge, making it happen or making excuses? Are you letting yourself off the hook or do you plan to hook a big one? Are you working to your potential or do you take the path of least resistance?  First, there is a price for success and its always paid in advance, and second, the only place I know of where success comes before work is in the dictionary."

"The reason you don’t do it is related to what author and speaker Jim Rohn says, “Either you run the day or the day runs you.” So you know you need to run your day. However, all too often the conversations I have are about the day running you."

 

"Your [success] is the accumulation of all the little decisions you make."

 

"So I am reminded of the story of the guy who is kneeling on the sidewalk in a busy city like Chicago. He is apparently pleading to the Lord to let him win the lottery. So week after week, after the winning number is drawn, he is on his knees, begging “Oh Lord please let me win the lottery!” Finally after weeks of this, the man is still pleading on his knees when suddenly a voice bellows from the sky. It’s the Lord and he says, “Hey, why don’t you help me out and at least buy a lottery ticket?”"

 

"Folks, this is not about luck. The only luck I know of is when preparation meets hard work. Make a decision now to be the kind of person that makes things happen, not one who watches things happen, or the one who wonders, what happened? It all comes down to those little decisions.  To reach your “most amazing future” you must be able to fend off distractions...and run your day the way you want it to be run." 

 

So I see this as fitting in with our weight loss and fitness goals.  We can't just sit by hoping the inches will come off.  We've got to actually get out and do hard work, even when we don't feel like it.  We've got to actually watch our calories spent and consumed.  I love the concept of running your day instead of your day running you.  Today's your day, girls! Go out & grab it by the horns!!!!!!!!  MAKE it a fantastic weekend :)

Feel the Burn Thursday

Good morning, sunshiney sistas!

I hope the reason you're all a little quiet on the blog this week is because you're OUT enjoying the gorgeous SuNsHiNe :)  It's ok, I'm just teasing, I know life's busy.

So yesterday's article had a TON of exercise info in it, too, not just food info.  So if you haven't checked it out yet, I highly recommend it! 

Here's another valuable article, this one from New York Times.  Read it all the way through as it may seem a bit pessimistic if you don't complete it. 

"When you diet without exercising, you lose both muscle and fat, which is counterproductive because muscle loss significantly lowers your basic metabolic rate, the number of calories your body uses at rest."

"The more muscle groups involved in your activities, the more calories you are likely to burn."

What do you guys think of the article?  What workouts have you done this past week and what do you have planned for this weekend?  Share your successes with us!!!!!!

I researched a bunch of online reviews for a running leash for me & the pup, and found the highest rated one was called the Buddy System.  I picked one up at a store here (Bad Dog Frida on Atwood Ave in Madison) on Tuesday night and had a great run w/ the pup on Tuesday night and Wednesday night.  I LOVE LOVE LOVE it!  I love that it's a leash that allows the pup to move from my left side, to my right side, etc. and it slides around my waist.  I love that you can adjust it to be pretty short so that the pup is forced to stay right next to you.  I love that my hands are free and my gait isn't leaning to one side like w/ a typical leash.  Fantastic! 

Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Good morning, girls!  Happy St. Patrick's Day!!!!!!!!

What have you been eating lately?  Share great ideas w/ us for snacks, meals, treats, etc. 

I just read this Runner's World article about Weight Loss Myths.  Great info!  Another testament that our MFP & reduced calorie diet of dropping lbs really slowly but steadily is the healthiest way to do it!  And the picture that goes w/ the article made me laugh out loud :)

The info about the "fat burning zone" on treadmills/ellipticals was news for me.  Up the intensity, gals :)

The myth about lifting light weights with higher reps was interesting, too.  We can strength train like MEN and b/c of our reduce calorie diet, we'll never bulk up or get disgusting looking- we'll just get toned faster.  Yay!

I love how it says you can't deprive yourself of "bad foods" but just keep things steady w/ your daily caloric intake goal.  And how bingeing on the weekends can undo all your weekday hard work, again, just keep things steady w/ your daily caloric intake goal.  And mini-meals, it's pointless if you don't keep things steady w/ your daily caloric intake goal.

I like the "a calorie is a calorie no matter when you eat it" part. 

There are a lot of recipes in there, too.  OK, sorry, I know it's a long article.  It's good, though!

Share what yummies you've been eating or what you've got planned ahead of you!