Did You Miss Us?

You may have noticed that two weekly weigh in's have come and gone without a blog post from these losers. Um,...yeah.  I week and a half ago(9/15) Katie was in Haiti and my weight hadn't changed. I just didn't have the guts to post again about an unsuccessful week on the scale. Though I have been working hard at the gym and making better food choices (for the most part) it is hard not to be discouraged when the number on the scale doesn't change.
This past Thursday (9/22) I was hoping for at least a small reduction on the scale. Nope. I was up a pound. Not again! The goal of this blog was to have accountability and to succeed publicly not fail publicly. I was ready to shut the blog down. Failing in front of your friends sucks. But, Katie and I talked and we've decided not to shut the blog down.  Instead we will post/weigh in monthly. We both want the accountability and we both want to stay on track, but the weekly meeting with the scale has become torture for me and I've made it even worse by having to go public with the number here. Apparently my weight fluctuates a lot on any given day of the week. For example, I was 169.6 on Thursday morning and then 166.6 on Friday morning! Katie is pregnant of course, and is maintaining her weight well but on a weekly basis doesn't have much to report.  She's still sick, and doing her best to survive the day taking care of her two little ones. (By the way,  her trip to Haiti was vomit free & great!!)
I think this new plan will serve us both well. We will continue to weigh in weekly with each other and post here each month. See you in October!

Whitney:
Current Weight: 166.6
-/+: - 2 lbs
Total Loss: 9 lbs

Katie:
Current Weight: 177
-/+: -1 lb
Total Loss: 1.6 lbs

Things Are Looking Up

Whitney
I'm sorry yesterday was such a depressing post from me. It was definitely a low day. And, I think I secretly wish that this blog would inspire others by our determination, dedication, and success. Instead I feel like it's been more like a play by play in slow motion of a car trying to start and then stalling out. Not too inspiring. But, I have once again reminded myself that this is about being real. There are probably more "stalled starts" people out there than the radically inspiring. But, I am not content to stay where I am cause being here is not fun! Success will come. The pounds will come off. The healthy eating will be permanent. I will not throw in the towel and I will not give up.

I have to say I am blessed with some pretty amazing family and friends. Thank you for your encouraging words and providing me with some hope. After a crying jag on the phone with my mom she told me to get to the closest local gym and join. NOW. Well, I have always been one to obey my parents (Ha!) but this time I did just that.  In the past, I've always belonged to a gym. I did step classes in college and even slide classes(taught by Mary Wannall!) - remember those? I did early morning body pump classes before work in my early married days and the list goes on and on. But, when Forester got sick with cancer I let my gym membership go. Let's face it. The gym is one of the germiest places on earth.  I couldn't risk exposing myself to the funk and then bringing it home to my son who had no immune system. Plus, financially we were rocked. That was two years ago. Though I'd like to think I can consistently work out at home I'm just not good at it.  I need to go somewhere. Show up. Once I show up I'm going to work out. But when I'm at home trying to choose between reading books to Slade or Jillian Michaels, Slade wins almost every time.  So... back to yesterday. I marched myself down to the gym close by (ESAC) and met up with a friend who is also a trainer there. She met me with a hug and a huge amount of hope and encouraging words. I left there with a new membership (that is affordable!) and a plan.  That sweet friend also let me join in one of her group training sessions this morning and kicked my booty! It was great!! I am going to sign up to do this group training at least once a week. And, she is going to help me with my food choices, too! I am really starting to grasp that I have deceived myself into thinking that I know how to eat healthy when really I've only had tricks and cheats to get weight off. On top of all that positive goodness, I have received several encouraging emails and texts and phone calls from you all. Thank you for picking me up when I was down. One special friend who also happens to be a dietitian was able to explain to me that I hadn't really gained 5 lbs in one week.  She wrote: "Any time you have large weight gains and for that matter large weight losses it is due to fluid losses or retention not fat gain or loss.  It is an unfortunate fact that anytime we cut out a nutrient or shift the nutrient intake significantly we will also have shifts in our body fluids." Good to know! And also what my friend and fellow juicer, Andrew, confirmed. (by the way, Andrew has been juicing for 58 days and has lost 50lbs! Check out his progress at: http://juicefatboyjuice.blogspot.com)

So, I continue in the journey with determination and lots of prayer. I'm ready to be healed up in this twisted area of my life and I'm going to continue to seek God for that healing!

Thanks for standing with me.

Week 8 Weigh In 9.8.11

Whitney

Wow. That's about all I can think of to say. I'm up 5.6 pounds this week. #!%!$!! I'll admit I've had a few splurges during the week/long weekend. But, seriously?? Some of the things I had were wine and sushi, a turkey burger and a few fries, a gin and tonic. But not all the in the same day and not in huge quantities! And, I still stayed within a 1400 calorie budget.  I've added protein, like plain tuna or deli turkey to my salads this week with my usual no dressing except red wine vinegar. I've been having greek yogurt for breakfast... I could see me being up a pound or so because of the alcohol and carbs but 5.6? What in the world is going on with me?!?

I've thought about going back to just fruits and veggies but I can't do that for LIFE. I don't want to lose 40 lbs that way just to gain it all back as soon as I eat other foods again. It's not realistic for a long term lifestyle. I need to figure out how to lose weight and keep it off in a healthy way that is doable for life. I don't want to be making meals for my family & then meals for me for the rest of my life.
I'm at a loss and to be honest I'm feeling quite defeated yet again. I see it working for others around me but maybe I'm destined to be a chubby girl.  I feel like throwing in the towel. Hard work without much pay off is very unmotivating. What's the point?  It's been 8 weeks of trial and error and not much to show for it.  Sorry for the "poor me" post but it's just where I am. This sucks.

 Week 8 Weigh In: 168.6
  +/- this week: +5.6
Total loss in 8 weeks:  7 lbs

Katie
Whit's post makes me sad and frustrated that we don't live next door to each other so we can just be constantly building one another up and eating together, working out together, etc.  It doesn't seem right that we're not sharing a kitchen :( My only suggestion would be to start a hard core workout routine (with weights) and cut the alcohol completely for 6 months.  I would also research any meds to make sure that's not throwing things off.  That's just my two cents, but I'm sure any other comments would be appreciated. Anyone been in this same boat before?? I feel like she's being very diligent.

On the flip side, I have a little good news that has nothing to do with weight at all!  I got a 13 week ultrasound this morning and everything looks great with the baby GIRL.  Yep, Ryan is going to have a little sister.  Yes...how frightening is that to envision.  I'm already imagining the newborn having to wear a helmet when she hangs out with her sister, just to be safe. Pray for us :)  We could also use an extra dose of prayers for our trip to Haiti. Steve and I leave Saturday morning and will be gone for the week.  I know God is going to do amazing things and I'll be anxious to provide the update.

They weighed me at my appt this morning and it was 178, so I'm pretty much keeping steady.

Week 8 Weigh In:178
 +/- this week: -0.5 lb
Total loss in 8 weeks: -0.6 lbs

Week 7 Weigh In 9.1.11

Katie
Still sick. Still not making it to the gym. Still hoping for better days.
In the meantime, though, I got to hear a sweet heartbeat and it was wonderful :)  It was 170 bpm, so the nurse is already guessing girl.  I feel like it's a girl, too, but we hope to find out for sure next Thursday at a 13 week nuchal ultrasound.  This is when we found out the sex for Jack and Ryan. We'll see. Hopefully I'll be able to tell you something at next week's post.  For now, we're starting to prep for our mission trip to Haiti on September 10th. Steve and I are both going and we're so excited.  For any of you that have helped us raise funds, THANK YOU SO MUCH. We'll be sending out a letter soon that will tell more details about where we'll be staying, etc.

Week 7 Weigh In: 178.5
+/- this week:  +.5
Total change: - .1

Whitney 
My reboot fast is over! I actually extended it by 2 days since I was out of town on a retreat and completed 17 days of fruit & veggie juices & smoothies, as well as raw and cooked fruits and vegetables. I drank only water and hot green and herbal teas. Of all the things I could have craved or missed, I really missed coffee. So...I'm back to drinking coffee but only one cup in the morning and it's my only caffeine for the day.  Otherwise, I'm quite unsure of what to eat these days. Too many choices! I'm actually considering going back to the reboot plan. If I do I think I would add whey protein to my smoothies and some other proteins to my salads.  But, I'm just in the thinking stage right now. I feel like it's inevitable that I will gain back a pound or two just because I'm eating more of a variety. Does that make sense to anyone else or is that a twisted way of thinking? I like seeing the numbers on the scale go down and I want it to continue.  I'm even back into a couple pair of jeans and shorts that were too tight to wear a few weeks ago. Yahoo! Now for the weekly stats.

Week 7 Week In: 163
+/- this week: -2.0
Total Loss: 12.6

Week 6 Weigh In 8.25.11

Okra Chips

Whitney
Well, I have only 2 more days on my reboot plan and I'm excited about eating some other foods soon.  Not the foods you might be thinking as this is a reboot to a new way of eating. My goal is to be characterized by clean eating from here on out. Characterized, meaning how I plan to eat 90% of the time. I'm still learning what it means to be a clean eater but I'm excited about it. I want to be the best I can be! So, back to the foods I'm looking forward to eating. PROTEIN!  Adding tuna to my salad or some grilled chicken sounds divine! But, I think I'll start with some beans and nuts and see how I feel. I will be on a retreat this weekend so I will probably continue a slightly modified version of the 15 day reboot until Monday.

I continue to feel pretty good. No headaches! Any fatigue/sleepiness I've felt I've have been able to directly connect to my drugs. I'm really ready to wean off of those.  So, overall I am encouraged and also very curious what foods cause me to feel badly when I eat them. That will be another interesting journey in itself.

Now to find out if I'm a loser! The scale has fluctuated a bit this week but I woke up to a 2.2 lbs loss. Yeah!  That is a total of 6.6 lbs in 13 days. I was kinda hoping I would lose 10lbs during this 15 day reboot but I know that was probably an unrealistic goal. I am very happy with 6.6.

Week 6 Weigh In: 165.2
+/- this week: -2.2
Total loss: 10.4

*I started logging into My Fitness Pal and trying to lose weight a week or so before we started this blog. So, that's why my ticker to the left is always different. I had lost 1.2. So I've synced them now by adding that 1.2 to my total weight loss.

Green Smoothie Cheers To Your Health!
Whitney

Katie
I've been in Charleston all this week and, in general, have felt a little better than usual.  During those times, I've tried to sneak in some greens and make some healthier choices. If I continue to feel better (ignoring the hack this AM), then I'm going to try and work my way back in to the gym next week.  I'm tired of laying around and feeling so lethargic.  In the meantime, I have a baby check up this afternoon at 4pm, so please pray for a sweet heartbeat.  It will be music to my ears :)

Week 6 Weigh In: 178
+/- this week: -1.0
Total loss: 0.6

Reboot Day 8, 9, 10...and 11

I apologize for being absent the last few days. I know I've said this before but I don't know how other mommies of little ones blog everyday. I mean, life is crazy busy all day long I hardly have time to eat!

  So...It kinda feels like I've been doing this a loooong time. It mostly has to do with how much time I spend in the kitchen and at the grocery. I think if I wasn't cooking/fixing meals for my 3 children each day in addition to my own meals it wouldn't feel that way. I've also experimented with several different recipes which takes time. I would assume the longer I do this the easier and faster it will be. I definitely have not eaten enough the last couple of days and probably more fruits than vegetables as they are easier to grab and go. But my smoothies are packed full of veggies! Yesterday I was closer to a 70/30 veggie-fruit ratio. Much better and I am going to do the same today.

Hunger hasn't been a huge issue most days and when I am hungry it's usually because my days are just so busy that I haven't had time to eat.  I'm still feeling pretty good with bouts of tiredness but that is probably due to my medications and not eating enough. I wouldn't say I'm craving anything in particular but other foods still look good, smell good and are tempting. But, this is teaching me that I am capable of resisting anything at anytime. It's all about prayer, commitment and mindset. I can do this, I can do this....

Now that I'm less than a week away from the end of my reboot I am really contemplating what foods I want to reintroduce and when. I have felt bad for so long and I am definitely feeling better than I have in a while. I'm thinking I'll reintroduce foods one at a time and see how they make me feel. I'd like to be able to pinpoint what foods make me sick. Not sure the best way to do that. I'll have to investigate. Any insight you may have, please share!

A wonderful treat this week has been having Katie in town with her kiddos. The poor girl feels like dump. We're just praying the end of that is right around the corner. It's so exhausting to feel nauseous and tired while also taking care of a one year old and almost 3 year old. Hopefully a few days at the beach has helped. Keep praying for her!

More tomorrow....I think. :)

Whitney

Weigh In Week 5 8.18.11

Green Smoothie

Whitney

Well, it's day 7 of my Reboot and I feel good! Today I started my day with some watermelon, had a green smoothie for lunch, homemade baked kale chips as a snack.  And since it was spaghetti night at our house I made some spaghetti for myself! Spaghetti squash that is, with a homemade tomato sauce. Yum. So thankful that I have some long distance friends who are also doing a reboot who gave me the idea for that recipe. It was really good!

Making kale chips

 My boys started school this week and it's made it tough to work out. But,  I still got 4 workouts in and pushed myself to go faster and for longer during my last two runs. I was getting into a routine of working out in the morning before Pete left for work but now that the boys have to be up at 6:15 to get ready for school it's put the kabosh on that. So, I need to find a new routine...hmmm.  I really miss being able to go to the gym. : -(
So I'm sure you're wondering if the scale has been good to me after this week of rebooting. I am pleased to say that I am down 4.6 this week!  That makes kale chips taste even better!! I hope that this next week proves to be just as successful. I'll continue to blog daily about my journey. I wish I had more time because I would love to share recipes and such. Maybe I can end my 15 days by doing so.  Off to make my dessert for the night - fresh strawberry and spinach smoothie!

Week 5 Weigh In: 167.6
-/+  this week: - 4.6
Total Loss: 7

"Spaghetti"

Katie
I'm alive. How's that? I'm nauseous and sometimes miserable, but I knew this was coming and I also know there's a light at the end of this tunnel. Hopefully I will see that light sooner rather than later.  With Jack, the morning sickness was terrible every day, and lasted 20 weeks.  With Ryan, it was terrible some days (much like now), and only lasted 14 weeks.  I'll be 10 weeks on Saturday. I'm so anxious to get back to the gym and eat something GREEN, so please pray that this lets up sooner rather than later.  In the meantime, I did try one of Whit's smoothies (with some spinach and celery) and it was great! She's rockin' it and I'm so proud of her discipline!!!!

Week 5 Weigh In: 179
+/- this week:  +3
Total loss/gain: +.4