I'm Back In Pictures

(by Kris)

Today is my son's first birthday. For the first time in a VERY LONG time, I liked how I looked in pictures. It means so much to me to be in photos with my kids, I've avoided it for so long. Well, not anymore...I'm back!

Week 7

(by Kris)
Weight = 215.2

Today, I went solo to the WW meeting. Momma is sick...really sick! Our WW center changed locations and today was my first time in the new center. I was a little scared that the scale wouldn't be calibrated the same (actually, I think it is two pounds heavier) as our normal scales. But, it was still kind to me...LOL. I met some new milestones and got to celebrate! I lost another 3.6 pounds for a total loss so far of 26.4 pounds. That earned me a 10% reward (a key chain) and a 25 pound loss reward (a charm for my key chain). I also had the opportunity to talk a little bit about my journey. For a moment, I started to get choked up when I mentioned that it's hard for me to believe when I pick up my 22 pound son, that I've lost more than what he weighs! It's a great feeling though. The old saying is true, "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels"!

After my meeting, my WW leader wanted to talk to me about my next goal, which I told her is 199 pounds. She also expressed that I'm losing a little too fast, especially since I'm still breastfeeding. At this point, I should have lost around 7 pounds...not 26 pounds! She understands how I'm excited that I'm losing weight so fast, but told me that not only could it affect my milk supply (which I don't really mind at this point since my son is a year old today), but that it's not good for your organs to lose weight rapidly, and I'm less likely to keep it off. I admitted to her that I'm not very good at eating all of my daily points. She suggested that I try harder and try to lose weight a little more slowly. So, I didn't feel bad about having my son's birthday cake today...and eating it too! LOL

Keep momma and her health in your prayers!

I Love Losing Weight

(by Kris)

The time seems to be flying by and the pounds seems to be falling off. I'm so glad I made this decision. I feel so much better already! Tomorrow is weigh in day (week 7) and momma and I will be going to a new location. I'm pretty sure that I'll receive my 10% milestone reward. I'm pretty excited about that!

Together we have lost 37 pounds

(by Momma)
Yes! A good week. I'm down a total of 15 pounds.

Tomorrow is Easter and today I've got a lot of orders. It is amazing to be baking so many wonderful things and loose weight. See my website for Scheff Bakes www.scheffbakes.com.

Today I am baking a coconut cream cake, an assortment of gourmet brownies and have lots of Easter cookies to hand decorate. It's going be a busy day.

Happy Easter Everyone!

6 Week Weigh In

(by Kris)
Weight = 218.8

Momma and I had another great week. She has some exciting news that I'll let her share. Let's just say that it feels so good to reach milestones! I lost 3.2 pounds this week, for a total loss of 22.8 pounds - that's how much my son weighs!!! My size 18 clothes fit comfortably now, that's exciting. I'd really like to take the time to look up some new recipes to try, after all, I did buy a new WW cookbook.

I'm Starting To Hear It

(by Kris)

This past week, TWO people commented on my weight loss. The first person said, "You have lost weight!" to which I replied, "Yes, I have!!!!" hee hee hee. And this past weekend, somebody else mentioned that my face looked thinner. That made me really happy because I despise the "fat face". YUCK! Anywho, these compliments drive me to succeed. Thank you!!!!!

Weigh In Day

(by Kris)
Weight = 222.0 pounds

Momma & I weighed in again today. I'm down another 3.6 pounds for a total of 19.6 pounds in just 5 weeks! Momma is down too, and together we've lost about 31 pounds. That's a lot of weight!

I'd like to set a personal goal this week, but I'm still trying to decide what it should be. Honestly, I need to up my water intake, and lessen my snack food intake.

Oh, and I'd love to try some new recipes this week, so if anybody has a great recipe they'd like to share (no red meat), by all means!

Jump Start Weight Loss

(by Kris)

I saw this on the Today show yesterday & wanted to share:

1. Fruits
Strawberries
Kiwi

2. The 3As
Artichoke
Asparagus
Arugala

3. Couscous

4. Double-Duty Proteins
Eggs
Yogurt

5. Nuts (be careful of calorie intake)
Pistachios
Almonds
Walnuts

One Month Complete

(by Kris)
Weight = 225.6
It's been a great month! I've been cooking more, grocery shopping more, eating WAY healthier, and I feel a million times better! Momma and I weighed in on Saturday and we were both VERY happy with the results. I'm down another 3.6 pounds this week, for a total of 16.0 pounds for the first month!

Hubby and I celebrated our 8 year wedding anniversary yesterday and went out to dinner. I researched the restaurant, and planned ahead what I was going to eat, to help me stay on track. For the first time in my life, I ordered steamed veggies...and I ENJOYED them! Oh, and I skipped the FREE dessert. When I left, I felt SO GOOD about the choices I had made...AND I was able to enjoy my food and not feel guilty.

Together we now have lost 27.8 pounds

(by Momma)

Week 4 - I lost 5.8 pounds this week for a total of 11.8 pounds. Kris is down a total of 16 pounds.

Just counting points and eating pretty much things I like. Yeah, it would be very easy to go over the "allotted" points you just have to choose wisely. For example, I would love to have something really cheesy (I love cheese) but that's not happening right now. Lean Cusine makes a really good spinach and mushroom pizza that is not too bad with a creamy alfreado topping (7 points).

New Discovery

(by Kris)
1 point Klondike fudge bars. They're cheaper than the WW bars, and O-M-G...they're soooo good!

It's Getting A Little Harder

(by Kris)
For some reason, this week has been a little tough. I've had cravings for Chipotle and Papa John's. Fortunately, my hubby is also doing Weight Watchers, so he's been my rock! We're staying on track, but it hasn't curbed my cravings. Tonight, I went to the grocery store and as I was bringing the groceries in the house, I noticed that I felt thinner and it felt good! So, I repeated over and over (out loud), "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels", "It feels so good to be thin"! I love this feeling & I need to remember the good feelings when I'm feeling the urge to be bad.

Today Was A Good Day

(by Kris)
I have a bad back and it has been really sore for almost a week now. My daughter has been begging me to take her to SeaWorld, so today we went. I took 4 ibuprofen and headed out the door with both kids. In order to 'stay on track', I packed a little cooler with a bunch of low point snacks (granola bar, banana, vitatop, etc...). For lunch, I bought my daughter the kids' mac & cheese. It comes with fries and she hardly ate any food. One thing I struggle with is turning down food. When I saw all of her leftover lunch, it took every ounce of me not to chow down! I allowed myself 1 fry and 1 small bite of mac & cheese. Thank goodness I had my snacks to fill the urge to eat. I was very proud of myself! We did a lot of walking which must have earned me about 2 activity points. It was a good day!

I LOVE This

(by Kris)

(from "The Beck Diet Solution")

I now know …

• I can control my eating if I plan in advance what I need to do and if I practice what I need to say over and over to myself.
• when I’m tempted to eat something I shouldn’t, I need to pull out my list that contains all the reasons I want to lose weight.
• just because I’m hungry doesn’t necessarily mean I should eat.
• cravings always go away, and there are things I can do to make them go away faster. I don’t have to give in to them.eating a reasonable breakfast and lunch is important so I won’t overeat at night.
• if I don’t follow a nutritious diet, I’m more likely to cheat.
• I have to make time for dieting and exercise.
• I have to prepare in advance for sabotaging thinking.
  
• I need to sit down and eat slowly and notice every bite — every time I eat.
• if I eat something I shouldn’t, it’s just a mistake. It doesn’t mean I’m hopeless or bad. I don’t have to make it a bigger mistake by continuing to eat whatever I want for the rest of the day.
  
• I have to put my needs first sometimes.
• it’s okay to say no to people who offer me food.
• I have to watch out for fooling myself. Every single time I put food in my mouth, it matters.
• I need to give myself credit every time I do what I’m supposed to do.
• if I regain weight, I can go back to using the skills I learned to lose it — every time.
• I can do it! I have the skills now. I know how to do it, and I’ll have these skills forever.

Don't Quit

Don't Quit

When you've eaten too much and you can't write it down,
And you feel like the biggest failure in town.
When you want to give up just because you gave in,
and forget all about being healthy and thin.
So What! You went over your points a bit,
It's your next move that counts...So don't you quit!
It's a moment of truth, it's an attitude change.
It's learning the skills to get back in your range.
It's telling yourself, "You've done great up till now.
You can take on this challenge and beat it somehow."
It's part of your journey toward reaching your goal.
You're still gonna make it, just stay in control.
To stumble and fall is not a disgrace,
If you summon the will to get back in the race.
But, often the struggler's, when loosing their grip,
Just throw in the towel and continue to slip.
And learn too late when the damage is done,
that the race wasn't over...they still could have won.
Lifestyle change can be awkward and slow,
but facing each challenge will help you grow.
Success is failure turned inside out,
the silver tint in a cloud of doubt.
When you're pushing to the brink, just refuse to submit,
If you bite it, you write it....But don't you quit!
- Author Unknown

Inspirational Quotes

Who doesn't love a good quote? Add yours in the comments.

"A minute on the lips is a lifetime on the hips" - Unknown Author

"Food doesn't taste as good as thin feels" - Unknown Author

"You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be." - David Viscott

"You must do the thing you think you cannot do." - Eleanor Roosevelt

"You see things; and you say "Why?" But I dream things that never were; and I say "Why not?"" - George Bernard Shaw

"Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality." - Ralph Marston

"You're never beaten until you admit it." - George S. Patton

"You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance." - Lee Iacocca

"Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can." - Unknown Author

"It's not whether you get knocked down; it's whether you get up." - Vince Lombardi

"My advice is to go into something and stay with it until you like it. You can't like it until you obtain expertise in that work. And once you are an expert, it's a pleasure." - Milton Garland

and my personal favorite...

"Never, never, never, never give up." - Winston Churchill

We're Already 3 Weeks Into This

(by Kris)
Weight = 229.2 lbs.
Momma & I weighed in yesterday. Eating-wise, I had a great week, but for some reason, I was certain it wasn't going to show up on the scale. I have a digital scale at home, but it's stupid - you have to step on the dumb thing at least three times, and hopefully two of those times you'll get the same reading. So, it's hard to judge from home whether or not I've lost any weight. But, I'm happy to report that I'm down another 3.0 pounds! YES!!!! So, I've lost a total of 12.4 pounds...in THREE WEEKS! I know soon enough my weight loss will slow down, but man, what a great start to this daunting challenge!

How much do I want to lose total? I'm not really sure. I'd be happy to be somewhere in the 160's. But first, there are several other milestones I'm looking forward to reaching. I've already lost 5% of my body weight!!! 217 will be a 10% weight loss. Getting to 213 will be nice, that was my starting pregnancy weight with my second child. Being under 200 will be huge! Reaching 175 will be great too, because then all of my WW meetings will be free! So, I look forward to enjoying & celebrating each milestone!!

Really quick, I just had to share that I had the opportunity to bring a great friend with me yesterday for her very first WW meeting. I'm so proud of her for taking the first step to a healthier, happier life! I'm also excited about the feedback we're getting on our blog. We will be posting recipes and links to our favorite websites to help all of you who want to join us on this AWESOME journey. For now, check out www.skinnytaste.com and www.kitchenparade.com for some great low point recipes! Bon appetite!

I get knocked down but I get up again

(by Momma)
One week and up 2.8 pounds. ugggghhhh. I'm going to do great by next week's weigh-in because there is just no rhyme or reason for being up that much, however, I did have a higher than normal sodium intake.

It makes me discouraged but determined. I know can do this!!

Kris is AMAZING. She makes it look soooooooo easy, but then she would be the first to say "it is easy, momma!"

Inspiration

(by Kris)
I've been told by a few people that our blog is an inspiration to them. That makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, because it is THOSE people that inspire ME! Knowing that the life changes I'm making inspires others, drives me to succeed! Thank you (you all know who you are) for sharing your feelings with me. Weight loss is TOUGH! Being overweight SUCKS! Feeling a lack of energy is DEPRESSING! We will overcome this...TOGETHER!!!!

I've also been asked, "Well, what do you eat???" Here's what I've had today, so far:

Spinach & Feta Omelet (3 points), English Muffin with Laughing Cow Cheese (2 points) and Coffee (1 point)

Chocolate Muffin Top with coffee (3 points)

Black Bean & Cheese Quesadilla (5 points) and Grapes (1 point)

YUMMY, YUMMY, YUMMY!!!!

Meeting a Challenge

(by Kris)
This past weekend, our WW leader challenged us to try 10 new foods/recipes this week, and I always love a good challenge. So yesterday, I bought a new WW cookbook & went to the grocery store! Here are my new foods/recipes, so far:

1. Vitatops (1 point - in the freezer section)
2. Low Cal. English Muffins (1 point)
3. Lite Laughing Cow Cheese (1 point per wedge)
4. WW Giant Frozen Latte Bars (1 point)
5. WW Chocolate Snack Cakes (1 point)
6. Last night I cooked a Chicken & Broccoli recipe w/ a garlic sauce (7 points)

So, I've got 4 more new foods to try. Granted, what I've tried are mostly sweets , but I can't deny the fact that I have a HUGE sweet tooth and MUST have low point sweets in the house if I want to stay on target.

Together we lost 18.2 pounds

(by Karen)
I think Kris really lost more than she is saying. Her hair was wet and she was wearing jeans - LOL. There is NO WAY I would go in with wet hair -- heck, I don't even shower before I go in because I don't want any extra moisture going on me/in me prior to weigh in.

It has been easier than I thought. Had a couple of days that were tough because I just wanted to nibble all day long -- nerves.

First Weigh In

(by Kris)
Weight = 232.2 lbs.
It's been two weeks since momma & I joined Weight Watchers & today was our first weigh in. I lost 9.4 pounds and was ecstatic!!! I now weigh 232.2. This was better than expected, so I'm very pleased. Our challenge this week is to try 10 new foods/recipes. Momma and I both agreed that that is a lot, but why not give it a shot?

Let There Be Cake

(by Kris)
Today is my daughter's fourth birthday. We had an awesome day filled with Build-A-Bear, a puppet show, a 7 point Subway lunch, and...cake...YUMMY cake! My momma is a professional baker & it's near impossible to turn down ANYTHING that she makes. She made the prettiest cake for my sweetie's Strawberry Shortcake themed birthday. I ate a piece WITH ice cream after lunch, ate 1/2 of a thin crust pizza for dinner, and had another [small] piece of cake with ice cream. Granted, I've been planning for this kind of day all week long. I've been good about 'saving' some points for tonight. I'm even ending the week with leftover flex points. But, it's hard not feeling guilty about my food choices today - maybe it's because I'm weighing in at 7:30 in the morning. But, I'm going about the 'weight loss thing' with a different mentality this time around. I'm not looking at my weight loss as a bunch of weekly sprints, I'm thinking about it as if I'm in a marathon. I'm in this for the long haul with the understanding that I will have my ups & downs, but ultimately, I will reach my goal! I'm not trying to reach any particular milestone tomorrow, I've eaten REALLY healthy all week, we've not eaten out at all this week (except for today's Subway) - and that's HUGE for me. I'm doing a great job and I'm confident that the scale will be kind tomorrow.

Catching Up

(by Kris)
I'm trying to play catch up with the blog to bring you all up to date. Long story short: Weight Watchers is going really well. I started out getting 36 points per day, but have lost enough weight (about 4 or 5 pounds) to need to recalculate my points allowance. I'm now allowed 35 points per day, and honestly, I'm struggling to be able to eat them all. Last night, I went to bed with 2 points left over, and tonight, I'm going to bed with 9 points left over!! This feeds my fear of losing my milk supply [for breastfeeding].

I am proud, however, of my commitment and determination to stay on track. Mom and I went to Hilton Head, South Carolina, over the weekend and we were so good! We brought groceries & ate most of our meals in the hotel. We only ate out twice, and one of those times, we only ate 1/2 of our meals.

Tonight, I did some stretches while watching "American Idol" and even pulled out the 'ole five pound weights. I sense my body yearning to feel better...I like that. :-)

Willing Spirit...Weak Body

(by Kris)
Day 2:
I passed up bagels & cream cheese in church this morning & pizza and soda at a work meeting in the evening. We read this bible verse today & I had to share.

Jesus said, "Watch and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the body is weak."

Momma says .............. February 20, 2010

(by Karen)
Kris and I went to our first WW meeting. I didn’t want to go. Actually weighed more than I thought I would (and I was guessing high). Felt angry driving home like I was upset that I was going to be missing out on something …………. mainly food. I am not focused on doing this.

Let the Journey Begin...(again)

(by Kris)
Weight = 241.6 lbs.
February 20, 2010 - Mom & I took the plunge and attended our first Weight Watchers meeting. Neither of us were ready, mentally, to start losing weight - but we're both, how should I put this, frugal, and found a 1/2 off coupon. We had to join!

Here's a little background on me, Kris. I'm 31 years old, been married for almost eight years, and have a wonderful daughter who's about to turn four, and an awesome little guy, who's 10 months old. I'm still breastfeeding, and scared to lose weight, for fear that it will affect my milk supply. This is my third time on the Weight Watchers wagon. My first time was in 2004, when I lost 73 pounds. I LOVED being skinny!!!

December 2003

December 2004

In May of 2005, I got pregnant with my daughter and gained 75 pounds!

Once my daughter was 14 months old, I started Weight Watchers for a second time and lost 69 pounds. After reaching my goal, I began my training as a Weight Watchers employee and worked for the company for a short period of time.
I gained a bunch of weight & then in June 2008, I became pregnant with our son, and gained an additional 46 pounds.
Now that our son is 10 months old, I'm ready to do this again. I'm starting out at 241.6 pounds & I'd like to lose 70-75 pounds.

So why am I doing this? I'm doing this because I want to feel better about myself. I want to be in pictures with my kids. I want to have more energy. I want a bigger wardrobe - I'm tired of wearing the same fat pair of jeans EVERY day. I want to feel confident around others. I want "me" back! I'm so ready to do this!!