I had a pretty good day considering I have company in from out of town and it's a little bit stressful.

I made our company cinnamon rolls for breakfast and I stayed in the living room while they ate them. I made myself 2 hard boiled egg whites, an english muffin and some grapefruit. For lunch I took the girls to Burger King. I got a Whopper Jr (10 pts) and a side salad (0 pts) For dinner I had a Mr Pita 7 pt chicken caesar pita and another salad. At that point I was at my point limit, but I had 2 brownie cup things I made. I was doing a trial run for my daughters birthday and since I have a few more people in the house, I figured they could help eat some.

Usually when I have people staying at my house, we eat out everyday. I don't count points because it is a "special" occasion so I allow myself to go crazy. Not this time. I've only got to get through one more day and then it will be back to normal around here.

I also walked on my treadmill for 50 mins. I may work out again tomorrow. Not so much for the exercise itself, but for the stress relief. I am not used to having a 13 year old around and it can be stressful. I can just hide in my basement for an hour and walk and listen to music.

My daughter's 4th birthday party is next weekend. Aside from the cake, I will have some healthy choices as far as food goes. I'm really optimistic about the week coming up. I'm back to my pre Christmas weight and this week coming up should be just as successful as last week.

I want to start by saying I read this blog and she's giving away stuff. Check it out:

http://tjstestkitchen.blogspot.com/2010/01/tjs-giveaway.html

I entered, you should too!!!

Now, onto the good part. I have lost FOUR pounds this week! I hate to say that my husband was right, but boy, oh boy was he right. I haven't been doing anything differently, except maybe only doing the strength training DVD's 3 times a week and cardio 5 times a week. I've added in every WW point for working out. I'm never hungry and I feel really good.

Yesterday, my BIL called to tell me that he and his daughter are coming into town today and staying the weekend. My daughter is so excited that her cousin is coming to stay. I am too, but I am also a little worried about my eating. I have a tendency to tell myself that it's a special occasion and I can go ahead and pig out.

They showed up today about 3 pm with a Cafe Mocha from Starbucks in hand. My niece knows I love them so what was I supposed to to do? I drank it. We also went out to dinner. However, this time I absolutely pigged out..... on the salad. My plan was to go in, fill up on the salad so I wouldn't eat the pizza that was coming. I had 2 pieces of pizza, which for me is pretty good. I had 25 points left for the day going into dinner as well as 31 flex points for the week, so I think I actually might be ok.

I did the LCW today and tomorrow I was going to take the day off, but I'm going to try to do cardio. I think it might help with all the calories I consumed today.

One thing I cannot figure out is when I see an improvement on the scale, I am happy at first and as the day goes on I think about ways to sabotage myself. It's not conscious, I just find myself thinking about the "bad" foods or wanting to "cheat." I would think that having a good day would make me want to eat healthy, but it almost has the opposite affect. I don't understand that at all. I want to lose weight. I want to be healthy. What am I scared of??

I have a few theories that I won't bore you with, but I need to figure this out. I've been thinking about a professional therapist. I've been in therapy before and actually liked it. I can't say that it helped me figure out any of my issues, but it was nice to talk to an impartial person about my life. I just wasn't getting anything out of it so I stopped going. It may be time to start again and get these things figured out once and for all.

FINALLY! I know it's not much, but I lost one POUND! I am soooo happy about that. I've been the same weight for 2 weeks now. I've been working my butt off and stupidly have not been eating all my points. Last weekend I corrected that and started following the plan as directed. I've cut back to working out 5 days a week. Today I was down a pound. To me, that's a lot.

It symbolizes to me that my plateau is over. As long as I stay on track, I should start losing again. I feel great.

Lately I've been thinking about maintenance and it scares the sh*t out of me. I read so many blogs where the people have gained some or all the weight back after losing it. My WW leader says to just deal with the fact that this is a life long thing. I have it in my mind that when my "diet" is over, I can relax and "just" maintain. Haha. How stupid is that? I need to come up with a plan eventually on how I'm going to do that.

I am going to hit my goal by the end of the year. It will happen. I don't want to sabotage my efforts because I'm afraid I won't be able to maintain my weight, so I need to come up with something. I just have a really hard time thinking that I'm going to have to do this the rest of my life. Does that mean it will constantly be on my mind for the rest of my life? When is it going to come more naturally to me and possibly easier? Will that ever happen or will it be a constant struggle? Frankly, I don't want to struggle the rest of my life. I can deal with the fact that I need to make healthier choices and I can never go back to how I used to eat. What I can't deal with is thinking that I will be 80 years old, sitting in my rocker thinking about brownies I can't have or pizza I can't eat. Will I ever just be able to relax and not dwell on my weight or the food I'm eating? I sure hope so.

This was my breakfast this morning. These Fiber One muffins are really good. I was skeptical at first, but OMG, they are good. I have an issue with the Fiber One bars. I love the way they taste, but they give me terrible gas. The muffins did not do that. A muffin is 3 points and totally worth it. I also 2 hard boiled egg whites so I got some protein to go with the muffins without adding my WW points.

The second picture is of a chicken stew I made for dinner. It's from the Weight Watchers Momentum Cookbook, pg 121. It's called "Best Ever Country Captain Chicken." It wasn't bad. It's 6 pts for a cup and a half. It has a sweetness in it from the raisins and the cinnamon. It was good, but I'm not sure if I'd make it again. My husband hasn't had it yet so if he doesn't like it, chances are I won't make it again.

I also made brownies for dessert. I got this tip at a WW meeting- take a box of regular brownie mix and add in 3/4 cups water and a can of rinsed black beans (don't use anything else. No oil or eggs). Now, I know that sounds strange, but they are really good. I rinse the beans and then puree them. I have tried it without pureeing, but I didn't like them. Someone said the beans take on the chocolate flavor, but I didn't think so. I thought they tasted like there were beans in the brownies. I got the brownie mix that has the added fudge in it so I think that added a point or two. I made them in an 8x8" pan and cut them into ninths. A brownie is 5.5 pts. However, you can either have a smaller piece or use a bigger pan to save on some points. They taste really good and you get the bonus nutritional value from the beans.

As far as exercise goes, I did The Shred DVD today and 20 mins on my stationary bike. I know I am healthier because I got through The Shred much easier than I used to. I remember the first time I did that DVD and I barely got through it. I did break a sweat today, but I wasn't panting and dripping with sweat like the last time I did it. Next time I do this workout, I'm going to go to Phase 2. I think I need more of a challenge.

This is one of my favorite meals. I've been making it a lot lately, Lots of veggies and just a little bit of rice. I also make my own sauce. I have a WW book called "Meals in 5 ingredients or less" and they have a recipe in there for stir fry shrimp. I don't always make that, but I make the sauce because it is a lighter version of bottled sauces. One thing I've noticed about eating healthy is everything has such a heavy sauce on it. Once you stop eating all that salt and sugar, it doesn't taste very good.

I did the LCW with the upper body sculpt today. I couldn't quit finish it. I would say I did about 95% of it and then had to stop. Some days I can power through just about any work out and other days I can't quite do it. I'm still proud of myself.

I was complaining to my husband today about the scale not moving. (Yes, I know I said I wasn't going to weigh myself anymore, but I just can't do it) He said to think about a plateau as you'd think about breaking out of prison. If you have a 10 ft wall to bust through, you don't know that you have 10 ft ahead of you. You just do the work and someday you will get through. I could be at 9 ft right now and will never know that I only have a one foot to go before I see the results I want.

I'm not anywhere close to giving up. It might be my imagination, but I see results on my body. I see the muscles forming, I feel how much easier doing push ups is getting. Shaving my legs while standing up in my shower stall is much easier. My clothes are fitting much better. I am making progress, just not on the scale. It will come. I know it will and I'm going to keep pushing myself to do more and more.

One more thing I started doing that might help. I am adding more veggies and fruits to foods I prepare. For instance, I added mushrooms and onions to my egg substitute this morning. I added pineapples to my stir fry last night. I am adding more filling foods to my meals so I won't be hungry an hour after I eat.

Another thing I wanted to mention is I've beaten the odds. Most people give up their resolutions by Jan 21. I haven't given up! I'm still going strong! It feels good to know that I've beaten the odds and still going strong!

Got back to the gym today and I've made a decision. (validated by Diana- thank you!) I am going to start adding in my exercise points and using my flex points. There are days when I am starving and don't eat. I can't do that. My body needs the extra food when I work out hard. Especially on days when I do the LCW. We went out to eat last night and I felt like I was cheating by using some flex points. I've got to get that out of my head.

My leader once told me that the weight watchers plan was different and instead of the weekly flex points, you'd just get 5 more points a day. The changed it and worked it so you could eat them all at one time or divide them over the week. I like thinking like that. It's like you bank those points each day and you can use them daily or all in one shot.

I need to get more people reading my blog. I was thinking about it today. I am convinced that people cannot see the mistakes they are making, but can clearly see other people's mistakes. I want to ask people who read my blog what mistakes I'm making. I read other blogs and think "Why can't they see what they are doing wrong?" We all know what we are supposed to do to lose weight. Why is it so hard to see our own mistakes we are making on our own journey? I think I figured out a big one with thinking that I can not eat all my points. I also need to be more meticulous about tracking, like with the restaurant last night.

I am watching the Hope for Haiti telethon right now and it is heart breaking. If losing weight is my only struggle in life, I will take it with open arms. Sometimes we need to put this in perspective and realize that losing a few pounds is not really *that* huge in the whole scheme of things. I look at my daughter and thank God that she is healthy and our home is intact and we don't have any major struggles. I obsess over what I eat and don't really think about the people who don't have food. I think about the clothes I wear and how I hate wearing a size 18 while there are people who don't have clothes at all. Sometimes we just need to put our struggles into perspective and realize that we have it pretty damn good.

I took today off from working out. I did clean my entire house, so one might consider that a work out. I don't. I'm trying not to feel guilty about not working out. I know my body needs at least a day a week to rebuild itself. I just hate not working out when I actually want to. My back has been bothering me since my last LCW, so I'm going to have to deal with taking the day off.

I also used some of my weekly flex points, which I don't normally do. It was probably not the best day to go over my points, but we had a babysitter and we wanted to have a nice, quiet dinner. I was very proud of myself. I ordered a salad (which ended up being 13 points!), a steak and veggies. I asked the waitress to ask that the veggies not be prepared in butter and they tasted like the were prepared properly. I really wanted the loaded baked potato, but I knew that I'd be happy with the veggies once the steak came. I was really mad about the salad. I looked up the points on DWLZ.com. I will have to double check, but I am pretty sure it said the chopped, pecan salad was 8 pts. I went to the restaurant thinking the salad was 8 pts. I came home and decided to double check the nutritional value on Outback's website, and guess what? The salad was 13 points! I was so upset at myself for not double checking it before I left! So, because of that, I had to use some of my flex points. I know that isn't really "cheating" but I feel like it is. It's one of those irrational thoughts I have in my head. I get 28 points a day, so shouldn't eating 24 points be better? Our leader always says no, but in my brain, I think that the less I eat the better.

Still not improvement on the scale but I did get validation in another way. I was walking through a store today and my pants were literally falling off. I just bought these pants before Christmas. I could not believe how loose they have gotten. I brought out the tape measure and my waist is .25" smaller than the last time I measured myself a few weeks ago. If I can get validation in other ways, I don't need the scale.

Jillian Michaels is trying to kill me. I'm on week #3 of LCW and OMG. I thought it would be a different work out, but it's not. It the LCW and the body sculpting workouts COMBINED. OMG. My first thought was "there is no way in hell I will be able to do this" Guess what? I DID IT! I have to work on my internal dialog. Why was my first thought of failure? I pushed through it and it was hard, but I did it. I am getting stronger and stronger each day. Why can't my brain comprehend that? Why don't I know that I can and will do it every time? I have never quit a work out. I might grumble and complain throughout the whole thing, but I do it.

I need to work on positive thoughts and build up my self esteem. I think that is the only way I will be able to lose weight and keep it off.

I am also putting away my scale. After much thought, I've realized that I need to learn to get validation from myself, not a machine. I don't give a damn what number I am on the scale. All I know is I am feeling great, stronger and stronger each day and that is all that matters.

Week #3 and it's not what I thought it'd be. Let me back track a little. Last Thursday I decided that it was time to jump on the scale. Full of hope and thinking I had lost at least 2 pounds, I was devastated to see that I had GAINED a half a pound. I was truly devastated. Really, honestly, ready to cry. I worked out every day, doing both the LCW and doing at least 45 mins of cardio. I was sticking to my WW points daily. I was at my wits end. I spoke to a couple of people about my gain and they said the usual "It must be muscle gain. You are doing great!" I'm sorry, but that is bullshit. Let's just say I should have lost a pound in that week. That would mean that I gained a pound and a half of muscle in one week?!?!?! I really don't think that is possible. I have no actual facts to back that up, but even Jillian Michaels can't help me build that much muscle in one week. I still do not know why I gained instead of lost weight.

I came to the conclusion that what I was doing was not working. I had more success in week #1 and I was just watching what I ate and working out like a maniac. This week I have decided to do a combination of both. I'm watching what I eat, but if I go over a few points I'm not worried about it. I am working out, but there is no way in hell I am going to work out 11 days in a row again. Not gonna happen. As a matter of fact, I took today off. Not intentionally, my day just got super busy and I couldn't make it to the gym. However, I do plan to go the rest of the week.

Have said all of this, I have to say that I am extremely proud of myself. Last week I was disappointed to find out my body did not produce the results I wanted it to. Yes, I was sad for that day. But, the following day I realized that I can do this. I will lose the weight. It might not be 30 lbs in 6 weeks, but I will reach my goal this year. I cannot fail. The reason I cannot fail is I want to work out. I want to watch what I eat. For the first time in my life, being healthy is starting to come natural. I would never dream of going to McDonalds for a double cheeseburger. That used to be a weekly if not twice weekly habit. I have broken several of my bad habits and have realized that I just feel so good when I'm being healthy. Physically and mentally. It is just not possible to have the attitude I have and continue to lose weight. I look thinner when I look in the mirror. I feel good when I get out of bed. I am going to succeed and just knowing that makes me feel like a winner! F*ck what the scale says. I don't care! I just know I'm feeling good right now and that's all that matters.

Week #2

I'm done with week #1 and it feels great. I am on day #2 of week #2. The work outs are getting harder even though I am doing the same thing. I think my form is improving so my muscles are working harder. I am not nearly as sore as I was last week. I know this week will be a little easier because I know what to expect. I am a little afraid of next week when the work outs change. I am taking Wednesday totally off from any form of exercise. Tomorrow will be day #10 for me and that is just too much. I am doing it and I am getting through it. I am really looking forward to Wednesday.

I did not weigh myself today. I know my period will be coming within the next day or two so I hate to weigh in and get a false gain. I have been great on my diet since my cheat night. I should be down, but I'm not going to chance it. I am doing too good to mentally psyche myself out and screw everything up.

I had a little disagreement with my friend today. She has been my BFF since 1st grade. She lives in PA and I live in MI so our relationship is mainly email. We do get to see each other a few times a year as well. Anyway, she told me how she doesn't agree with my cheat night and pigging out. I don't agree with her going out for a burger each Thursday night. I think she is being somewhat of a hypocrite saying I can't have a cheat night and pig out, yet she goes to Five Guys each Thursday night with her hubby and son. I finally realized that we have to stop nagging each other and agree to disagree. The thing I know for sure about weight loss is you have to find what works for you to be successful. You can read all the diet books out there, but if it doesn't work for you, you won't stick to it and do it. WHY do we always have to push our views on other people and insist that our way is the only way? I do it, my friend does it. Why can't we just support each other, even if we don't agree on how someone is doing something? I just don't understand why we have to be so hard on ourselves and each other. I honestly think we are coming from a loving place. She is succeeding with her way and thinks that it should work for everyone and I feel the same way about my methods of dieting and losing weight. So, for anybody struggling to lose weight, find what works for you and stick to it. Don't listen to anyone else if they don't agree. Just find something, anything that you can do consistently that won't drive you crazy and go for it.

3.5 Pounds lost!

It's not the 5 that I was shooting for, but I'll take it. I just wonder if I follow WW 100% next week if I'll get that 5 lbs. I wish there was an * or something by the "Lose up to 30 lbs in 6 weeks" so I would know how many calories the people who will actually lose the 30 pounds eat during that 6 week period. Or, did one person who weighed 400 lbs lose 30 pounds in 6 weeks? Or was it someone typical like me, just watching what they ate and committed to doing this work out for 6 days a week? It's most likely someone in the middle. A heavier man who can lose weight faster than I can.

I read a lot of weight loss blogs and the woman who wrote one of my favorite blogs gained 3.5 pounds this week so how can I possibly complain? I'm really not complaining. I'm happy with that loss. Now next week I am going to stick to my 28 points a day faithfully and work out the 6 times again and see where I'm at a week from today. I've also decided that I'm going to take one full day off from any kind of working out. I did take a day off from the LCW, but not from totally working out because the day I took off from LCW I went to the gym. It will most likely be Wednesday which means I have 3 more days to go and I get a day off. That puts my total to 10 days in a row working out. I will be the first to admit that is too much. That is why I am forcing myself to take a whole day off next week. I've been reluctant because I'm in a groove and don't want to blow it. I keep telling myself that it's only for 6 weeks and then I'll do something else. That is what keeps me going everyday that Jillian is kicking my butt.

I'm off to enjoy my "cheat night" and have the best pizza in the whole world!

I'm not going to number the days anymore because apparently I can't count. I've got 2 Day #3's. Oops. So, I'm at the end of week #1 doing the Biggest Loser Last Chance workout. Surprisingly, I am still sore most days, but not as sore as I was the first few days. I notice after doing this DVD for 5 days that my form is getting better so I think my muscles are working harder. Tomorrow is the last day of week #1 and I am really proud of my progress. Now I know that I have to do the same thing next week. Make time EVERYDAY for this work out. I've lost 3.5 pounds this week. Hopefully by tomorrow it will be 4 pounds. I would be thrilled to lose 4 pounds a week for 6 weeks. I would be almost 25 pounds down and firmly into the 190's. I haven't been there since my wedding 10 years ago.

I am also controlling my eating pretty well. I took my daughter out to dinner tonight and made some really good choices. First, I started with a salad with ranch dressing. For the first time ever I dipped the fork into the dressing and ate the salad. I was shocked at how good it tasted. I am a person who drowns their salad in dressing. I was so happy that it tasted so good and that I didn't drown my salad this time. Then I had a chicken breast with cheese on it (yes, cheese is not good, but it's ok because I worked out today and ate very little before this meal), mashed potatoes with no gravy or butter and plain corn. I ate half the chicken and half the potatoes. The only problem is we ate really early (4 pm) and now I'm getting hungry. I have to figure out something to eat that is healthy. I have to do this before I get too hungry and don't care if it's healthy or not.

Tomorrow my husband and I are going out to dinner alone. I am eating pizza at a really good place and I'm going to enjoy it. I am going to work out earlier in the day and make good choices throughout the day, then I will eat pizza until I am satisfied and I won't feel guilty about it. At least it's really good restaurant pizza, not cheap pizza that is hardly worth the calories. I have always given myself a cheat night when dieting. When I'm not dieting, every night is a cheat night, but when I'm dieting, one night a week is good. I've worked hard this week and I deserve it. Remember, this is not a sprint, it's a marathon. If it takes me an extra month until I hit my goal because I take cheat night, so be it. I will not deprive myself every day for the rest of my life. To me, that's not living.

Day #3

I took today off from the LCW. I have to do it 6 days week so I figured that since I am half way through week #1 it would be a good day to take off. I still went to the gym and walked on the treadmill for 45 mins. I was surprised at how sore I still was this morning. It has gotten better throughout the day, but never in my life have I been so sore from working out. It makes me realize how hard the people on The Biggest Loser work out. I don't really like working out an hour and a half a day which is what I do when I do my cardio work out and the LCW. I can't even imagine working out the 6-8 hours they do a day. I don't think I could ever be on that show. I don't think I'd make it through each day working out that much.

I watched the first show of Season 9 of BL last night. I was sad the yellow team went home. I was hoping Sunshine would make it further. I feel bad for younger people struggling so hard with their weight. I really hope that I never enable my child to be fat. I hope she can cope with her issues without using food. If I've learned one thing about being a parent, it's never to say "I will never do (fill in the blank)" Almost every time I've said that I've gone back on whatever it was. I can say "I will never let my child be fat" but I'm sure my mother said that at some point too. I am just shocked at how big these young people are. It makes me wonder what they've gone through that they have the need to stuff themselves with food. I just can't even imagine being 20 and weighing 300 lbs. It's very sad.

Day #3

I am less sore today which is a really good thing. I was able to get through day #3 without any problems. However, during the last circuit on the "Last Chance work out" I did modify because my knee felt like it was going to snap. My knees crack going down stairs. I make sure I do squats right so I don't injure them. So, when my knee started to feel strained, I did jump ropes from the previous circuit. I figured that as long as I'm still moving it would be ok. Once I get stronger, I will be able to do that circuit because my arms will be able to hold more weight. That is my hope anyway.

After doing day #3 of the LCW, I went to the gym and used the elliptical for 45 mins. Jillian's work out is really only about 30 mins and I felt like I could do more so I did. My daughter likes to go the daycare at the gym and she needed someone to play with so I went. She can go into the daycare for up to 2 hours so I worked out, showered and read a book for 45 mins. I figured that I deserved some time to read since I worked out so much and have been really healthy today. As a matter of fact, I still have 17 pts left for today. I'm planning on having chicken stir fry for dinner so that won't be that many points. I've been going over my allotted points these past 2 days so I think a day with staying under my points will be a good thing. I've lost 2.5 pounds so far this week. I realize that some of it is probably sodium from all the "bad eating" I've been doing these past few weeks, but at least the scale is going in the right direction.

I hate the cold weather and it's very cold in Michigan. I think it's 25 degrees out there right now. Since I don't like being outside, I'm going to take advantage of this time of year and work out as much as I can indoors. Some people like to do outdoor winter activities, but I'd rather have a root canal then be outside.

I was listening to a podcast today and the guy said (Scott Smith- motivationtomove.com) that statistically New Year's resolutions are broken by Jan 21st. That's not gonna be me. This will be my LAST year needing to lose weight. Next year will be all maintenance. I am sick of dealing with being fat. I am sick of not feeling well. I am sick of having to shop in plus sized store. I'm sick of it all. I'm just not doing it anymore. I've made the decision. I am giving myself the gift of good health this year. I am dedicating time and energy to do this. I will say "no" to dinner invitations if I am not sure I can get something healthy. I will not over schedule myself so I don't have time to work out. It's time to be accountable and make this a priority. I hate hearing people say "I've tried every diet and they just don't work." That is total bullshit. They DO work moron! You just have to DO THEM! You have to FOLLOW them. You have to get off your ass and exercise FIVE DAYS A WEEK!! Take accountability for your actions! I have made myself fat. It's nobody else's fault that I am fat. I have eaten myself into oblivion. I have watched hours and hours of tv. I have been LAZY. YES, a fat person actually saying they've been lazy! I am choosing to change those behaviors and by doing that, I WILL lose weight. More activity + Better food choices = weight loss. It's a no brainer. I am not a stupid person. I know how to lose weight. I have chosen to be lazy and take the easy way out. NOT ANY MORE.

Day #2

I did my Biggest Loser Last Chance Work out 2 days in a row now. I really like the program because each day is a different work out. I am seriously sore today but I pushed through the pain and worked out anyway. So far the work outs have been about 40 mins. Today I also added 25 mins on my treadmill to do some extra cardio.

As far as eating goes, I'm doing well. Yesterday I ate a piece of salmon for dinner with some left over home made mac and cheese. I threw it out after I ate it. It was really good and dangerous for a diet. I also tossed the spinach dip I was addicted to. I actually kissed the container goodbye as I lovingly placed it into my garbage can. How pathetic is that?!?!? We went to a neighbors house for dessert last night and I ate 2 cookies and had a cup of really good cappucino. I need to get one of those machines!

Today I have done very well. I did go over my points though because it is my husband's birthday and I had a small piece of cake with a scoop of ice cream. The piece of cake was really small because I got him one of those cakes you get for a child on their birthday. I cut it up into 3 pieces and we each had one. My daughter loved it since kids always love things that are their size. So, I don't know who many points I actually had today, but I did well. The majority of the "bad stuff" has either been eaten or thrown away so I'm feeling pretty good about the rest of the week.

I was thinking that if the DVD is actually accurate (and I am in no way saying I believe it) if I did lose 30 lbs in 6 weeks, that would be 5 pounds a week! YIKES. I'm not saying I can't do that, but that is a lot of weight to lose each week. I'm committed to seeing this through though. I get to take one day off this week from working out and I'm thinking it will be Saturday. I did well with managing my time today and working out even though it was a school day for my daughter so I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm hoping this soreness will go away soon so I can kick it up a notch. I am following the "beginners" on the DVD and want to move up to the other people in a day or two.

Another new year, another list of goals. I am doing things differently this year. My husband got me the DVD "Biggest Loser Last Chance Work out." I did day #1 today. It says on the box "Lose up to 30 lbs in 6 weeks", so we are going to see how much I can lose in 6 weeks. I'm not going to approach my "losing weight" resolution with diet. I'm going to approach it with exercise, and as much of it as my body will take. I'm not saying I'm going to work out for 2 hours a day and then go home and eat pizza. I will still continue on Weight Watchers and track my daily points. I'm just amping up the exercise. I want to see how much I can actually lose in 6 weeks if I do the work out as laid out on the DVD. Six days a week, for about 45 mins a day. I will also add some extra cardio in on days that my daughter goes to school. She likes to go to the gym to play in their daycare so I will do about 45 mins of cardio on those days. I will continue to tell myself that it is only 6 weeks. If I can get through 6 weeks of this, I will be extremely proud of myself.

My thought process is this: I can't seem to get my eating under control 100%. So, if I work out a lot on most days, and only blow the eating a couple times a week, I will lose weight. Once I get started on a program, I can usually get myself motivated to stick with it, so I'm not especially worried about the eating. I still have a lot of junk in my house from the holidays that i need to get rid of. My husband will flip out of I throw it away so I need to find someone to give it to, or very slowly eat it. I'm specifically talking about some spinach/artichoke dip I have. OMG, that still is SO GOOD. I'm the only one eating it and I've eating half a tub over these last few days which is probably a pound. I need to get rid of it. Since he doesn't eat it, he probably will not notice if I throw it away.

I also have one other little obstacle. My husband's birthday is tomorrow. I'm going to see if I can find some single size servings of cake so we aren't stuck with a whole cake to consume. My husband also wants to start being healthy (although he doesn't have weight problems, his issue is cholesterol) so I don't think he'd argue about one piece of cake.

I'm not starting this year with a super hyper motivation thinking I'm going to lose 50 lbs in a month. I'm approaching this like a marathon, not a spring. I will lose 50 lbs by the end of the year. That's 12 months to lose 50 pounds. Totally doable.

I have a feeling I will be going through withdrawals over the next few days. My SIL just went back home to VA leaving behind TWO BAGS of her home made chocolate covered Oreos. Dammit. I've been eating so much this past week that I know I will crave chocolate and other crap for a while. Hopefully seeing progress on the scale will help.

OH, one other HUGE thing I am doing is forcing myself to drink 8, 8oz glasses of water a day. I have totally gotten out of that habit and I need to start. My skin is so dry and I am thirsty all the time. It is SO COLD here and drinking water will help me in so many ways.

So, Happy New Year and I hope whoever is reading this will have a healthy, happy 2010!!!