The Shrink-a-Versary Extravaganza Challenge begins

Can I just tell you I'm SO excited about this challenge. SO excited because the Sisterhood has been around for almost a year and it makes my heart so happy to think of all the wonderful people I've met in shrinkdom! I've forged strong bonds with people who are so amazing and inspiring and just downright freaking awesome!! Without them, my life would not be as full as it is at this very moment.

So on to the good stuff!

My goal for this challenge is very conservative. The reason is that I've continuously set lofty goals for myself, and time after time, I fall short of meeting them. For once, I want to meet my goal and feel that victory!!! So my goal is to lose 5 pounds over the next 7 weeks. I feel good about that goal and I feel like I can achieve it.

As far as my EA Sports Active 5K challenge training goes, it's been kind of hit and miss. Illness and rainy weather have tried their best to derail my efforts, but I'm staying the course. I might not be running the entire Sisterhood 5K come Sunday, November 8th, but dagnabbit, I'm going to give it my all. I'm going to push myself to make it as far as I can before keeling over on the side of the road and passing out!

Today's Shrink-a-Versary Extravaganza starting weigh-in: 142 (up .8 from last week, if you're keeping track!)

You should seriously consider popping over to the Sisterhood and checking things out! We're an awesomely cool bunch of people with a goal of being fit and healthy!!

Good luck to all of you who've joined our fantastic challenge! I hope you find the kind of fulfillment I have at the Sisterhood!!

A new challenge

Tomorrow, over at the Sisterhood, we're starting a brand-new-super-duper-exciting challenge called the Shrink-a-Versary Extravaganza. Did I mention it's going to be exciting? And challenging? Okay, good. So the reason I'm telling you this is because I want you to come over and join us! Even if you don't need to shrink! Even if you just want to get in better shape and hang out with pretty much the coolest group of chics (and guy) on this here internets.

See you tomorrow. Over here. K? Bye!

Shrink for Good Parade of Cans

Get a load of my cans!


Our last challenge at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans revolved around Weight Watchers' Lose for Good campaign. We named our challenge (most appropriately) Shrink for Good! The premise was for every pound lost, we would donate a pound of non-perishable items to our local food banks. In conjunction with this, Weight Watchers committed to donating $1 million to help fight childhood hunger.

Let's just say we're all shrinkers and our local food banks are growing, for good.

Personally, I only lost 3.6 pounds during our challenge, but I did commit to donating 100 pounds of food, no matter how much I lost.

This is a picture of 50 pounds of my donation. Yes, I sat down with a calculator and tallied up all the ounces after figuring out my scales wouldn't cooperate and weigh my stuff for me! This 50 pounds is also representative of all the weight I've lost since I started this journey 3 1/2 years (and a baby!) ago. WOW.

I will be stopping at the grocery store tonight to pick up the rest of my food donation, and I'll be dropping it all off later this week, so come back and check out the rest of my cans, m'kay?

And if you feel so inclined, sift through your pantry today and pull out some cans for YOUR local food bank. Somewhere there's a child who might be so grateful you took the time.

OH! I almost forgot!!

Last week: 142.6
This week: 141.2
Loss: 1.4 pounds WOOT!!!!

Shrink for Good

At the Sisterhood, we've teamed up with Weight Watchers and their Lose for Good campaign! We're shrinking, and as we shrink, we're setting aside canned goods (equal to the number of pounds we've lost) to donate to our local food banks. For real! It's amazing and inspiring, and I haven't had any problems with motivation over the past two weeks. As a matter of fact, I made a very big promise to everyone at the Sisterhood that I aim to keep!

And as if that wasn't enough, we've also teamed up with EA Sports Active for their 30-Day Challenge! We're a little over a week int to the challenge, and all I can say is WOW! Who knew that working out could be so fun. Seriously. I would normally rather run over my feet with a lawn mower than workout, but I actually look forward to EAS 30-Day Challenge. Of course it helps that I'm doing it with all my sisters and brother!

Here are the fruits, or non-perishables if you will, of my labor over the past 2 weeks (that's Mia serving as my hand model-a-la-Vanna-White):



Last Week: 144.8
This Week: 143.6
Loss: 1.2#

That's 2.4 pounds gone so far, and only 7.6 more to go!! Can I do it?!!!

If you want to lose a few pounds, there's never been a better time or a better reason. Lose for Good is benefiting 2 amazing charities, Share Our Strength and Action Against Hunger, by donating $1M, and encouraging all their members (and non-members) to donate canned goods to local food banks. Last year over 4M pounds of food was donated. WOW!!

Even if you don't need to lose a few pounds, you can still participate in Lose-a-palooza. I mean, with a name that freaking awesome, why wouldn't you want to participate?! Here's the skinny: Weight Watchers wants you to get social. Hit Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, and your blog, and share the love of Lose for Good with your readers! Go here to read more about how Weight Watchers will donate a dollar every single time you mention Lose for Good on September 15th!

That is all. Well, except I really want to encourage you to grab a few cans from your pantry right now, and next time you're out, drop them off at the nearest food bank. Click here to find a food bank in your zip code. You could be making all the difference in the world to a child who's hungry.

Shrinking Days of Summer - Final Weigh-in

Today is the final weigh-in for the Shrinking Days of Summer Challenge over at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans! That's a mouthful!

I am happy to report that I've finally broken through my stagnation! I lost a total of 6.2 pounds over the last 7 weeks. Now that might not sound like much to some people, but trust me, at this point, it HUGE for me. I have a little under 13 pounds to go until I hit my goal! Every pound is so much harder at this stage, so I feel like I've had a huge victory here!

Want to know what I'm afraid of? Gaining those 6.2 pounds back while I'm at Blogher. I've already decided that I'm going to let loose and enjoy myself. I'm not going to obsess about my weight. I want to enjoy myself. Now, you might be thinking that I have the wrong mindset here. After all, this is not a diet, but a way of life. And you're right, except that sometimes it's okay to indulge. There will be times, like this, when I'm faced with an unbelievable opportunity to enjoy myself, and by gosh, I'm gonna live it up. I know what I'm getting myself into, I'm fully prepared to work extra hard to undo the damage over the next couple of weeks. It's called damage control, folks, and we'll all have to do it at some time.

I know that when I reach my goal weight, my body is not going to magically stay that number forever. I will always have to stay on top of my eating and exercise. I will always be watching that number, and the minute I see it start to creep up, I'll buckle down and make sure it doesn't spiral out of control. Because I will never, ever weigh 193 pounds again. Heck, I'll never weigh 150 pounds again. EVER.

Can I just tell you that I feel amazing? I do. So amazing. It's wonderful to put on a pair of pants from my closet and realize that they are too big. I enjoyed shopping for Blogher and realizing that I've gone down another size, and the new size is not tight!

Here are my numbers:
Challenge Start Weight: 148.8
Today's Weight: 142.6
Total Loss: 6.2 lbs.

Over and out for now, friends. I've got so much to do before my trip! If you're going to Blogher, let me know! I'd love to try and meet up with you :)

Weigh-in Wednesday

It's week 5 for the Shrinking Days of Summer Challenge over at the Sisterhood, and I'm proud to say that I'm down again. Really down. More down than I've been in the past 10 years! Woohooo!!

Challenge Start: 148.8
Last week: 145
This week: 143.6

I've lost over 5 pounds on this challenge and I'm super stoked. I feel like I've finally had a break through. I've been thinking about what I've done differently, and to be honest, I've completely quit counting points. I've been semi-tracking calories, but mostly, I've just been watching what I eat. I feel like I've finally figured out what I need to eat and what I don't need to eat. Getting in my 5 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday and making sure to keep up with my water has been key. I'm trying to get into the swing of working out everyday again, as well.

So here's to another great week of shrinking, Sisters!!

p.s. WAY TO GO TEAM RED!! All of you did great this week, and I'm so proud of you!

Shrinking Days of Summer Challenge

Today is weigh in day over at the Sisterhood!! I'm proud to report a loss this week. Yes, I lost weight while I was on vacation. WOOHOOOOOO! I can honestly say that I tried hard. I didn't drink any margaritas, I only had one dessert, which was shared with my family, a few MGD 64s, and I stayed away from fried foods (with the exception of one dinner). I am so proud of myself. I'm sure that all the walking, sweating, chasing my kids, and swimming helped out some, too.

I love to eat, and I love to eat at fun new places on vacation. This was so hard for me, but I kept thinking about my goal and wanting to get there and how I was sick of spinning my freaking wheels. So I did it. I rose above my desire to eat anything and everything.

Last week: 146.4

This week: 145

Change: -1.4

Yay ME!!

Go Team RED!!

Shrinking Days of Summer Challenge - Week 1

My friend April pretty much summed up exactly how I feel this week. I am so very close to finally reaching my goal!! The goal I set 3.5 years ago. Yes, it's been that long, and no it hasn't really taken that long. I had a baby somewhere in that span of years! I have 16 pounds to go. SIXTEEN. Less than 20!

These last few months have been so tough, though. SO TOUGH. Tough than I ever thought it would be. I've bascially yo-yo my way slowly down to where I am today. A good loss one week, a gain the next, nothing the week after that, and so on. It.is.so.frustrating that it hurts sometimes, and I've had thoughts of just giving up and staying where I am. I don't look bad, afterall. That's just not good enough, though. I want to cross the finish line, and I want to look hot. I want to feel the wonderful sense of accomplishment which comes along with reaching a goal I fought hard for. I want some fanfare, dammit!

Did I mention that over at the Sisterhood we've teamed up? Biggest Loser style? And it's on. We are competing and I'm so excited. I feel like this is just what I needed to get my butt in gear. And can you imagine the fanfar when I cross the finish line? In first place. With.......

TEAM RED?

Yeah, I said it! Go Team Red! Go Team Red! Go Team Red!

Because if I keep having losses like this, I'll reach my goal soon and hopefully help Team Red take it all!

Last week: 148.8

This week: 146

Change: -2.8

WOOHOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

Shrinking Days of Summer - Weigh In #1

OmyholygoodnessI'msobusyIdon'thavetimetodoanything!!!

Did you get all of that? Seriously! My BFF in the whole wide world, Lisa, is here visiting this week with her brood of 3 and we're going non-stop! Swimming in the river, scrapbooking, playing, drinking, etc. Lots of good times.

We're starting a brand new challenge over at the Sisterhood today, and this time we're doing it a little different! We have teams and let tell you how awesome the turnout is. There are 17 teams and and I have no doubt we'll end up with 20 before it's all said and done!

I'm on Team RED, and we've already decided that we're going to win this whole thing!!

My fabulous teammates are:

Becca

Nancy

Melissa

Lisa B.

Arianne

Okay, so down to the dirty numbers!

My starting weight for the challenge is: 148.8

Yes, that's up from 2 weeks ago, but that's what happens when you've got alot going on and aren't really committed. That's all changing right now!! I'm certainly in this to win it, and I will not let my fabulous team down! GO RED!!!!

Weigh In Wednesday

Today is the last weigh in for the Shrink Into Summer Challenge over at the Sisterhood. Are you sitting on the edge of your seat and biting your nails in anticipation of my weight loss revelation?! Well, sit back and get those nasty fingernails out of your mouth. I did not lose. As a matter of fact, I GAINED.

*crickets chirping*

Do you want to buy me a drink? Please.

Challenge start weight: 146.6
This week: 149.2
Change: +2.6 lbs.

That's right, I gained 2.6 pounds during this challenge.

Let's break it down. The first weigh in, I gained. Second, I lost. Third, I gained. Well, you get the picture, right. Somewhere in there I did the 30 Day Shred and then went out of town for week. I lost my motivation and found it. Several times.

Overall, I feel much better about myself today. Much better. I am working out. I did the 30 Day Shred. I am doing it again. I can see a difference in my body. I might not be lighter, but I feel so much stronger. I am fully committed to losing the last 19.2 pounds. Heck, I've already lost 43 pounds, so I know I can do it. I just need to stay on track.

I was talking to Lisa last night and I came to the conclusion that I might be a little bored with Weight Watchers. Heck, I've been doing it off and on for years. It just donesn't feel challenging anymore. It's boring, and when I get bored I lose interest. Doesn't everyone? So I'm thinking about trying something different. Maybe I'll just get old fashioned and count calories? Maybe I'll try the South Beach Diet. I'm not sure. I know that I have 2 weeks until the next challenge starts, so I can figure something out. I do know that I'll continue Shredding and working out everyday. I've never felt better. My body is firmer, less jiggly. Less jiggly is good. Very good.

p.s. Why did Weight Watchers change their site AGAIN? Is it so we won't get bored? I think it would be great if the damn pages would load to I can enter my weight and look at my chart. Whatevs.

Weigh-in Wednesday - Weightloss Rollercoaster

It's weigh in Day with the Sisterhood!!

I refuse to say that I'm yo-yo-ing. I am not. I am moving down slowly, but surely. I know weight loss takes time, patience, perseverance, and more patience. It is often frustrating, hard, and I occasionally suffer from a huge bout of total and complete burnout. I don't know if you noticed or not, but I didn't weigh-in last week. It was that bad. At least it felt that bad to me. I was mad at myself, and a little too embarrassed to share my results.



Let's take a look:


4/15 - 147.4


4/22 - 149.6


4/29 - 147.0



So as you can see, I slipped, fell, wallowed in complete burnout, and then I picked myself up, dusted off and tried to turn it around. I honestly think that gain was alot of water retention because I ate crazy things like fried chicken (gasp, and on the day before weigh in!) and Mexican food. Lots of sodium there, Sisters.



The point I'm trying to make is that all of us are going to have those weeks. The weeks when we eat like crap because we're burned out. The weeks where we fall off the exercise wagon because we just don't feel like doing another squat, lunge, or push up. The weeks when we just want a break. And that's okay, as long as you realize that each day is a brand new day, a day to start fresh, to not wallow in self-pity, to realize that you can go on. Live and learn, girls. Live and learn and then get back on the wagon and recommit yourself. You must!!



Weightloss is a roller coaster. You are not going to have a loss every sinlge week. Heck, some weeks you'll probably gain. That is okay because over the long run, you'll go down, down, down (just with a few little hills in the middle!).



Here's is my Weight Watchers weight tracker - it highlights perfectly what I'm talking about. As you can see, I've come down alot. But look in the middle at all of those weeks when I went up a little (well except for that week it went way up, just ignore that one, I'm pretty sure my scale was on crack that week).

And yeah, my first name is Virginia, just in case you noticed :)

So here's to a new week. A fresh start.

And yes, I'm still Shredding. Everyday but 2 so far. I'm on Level 3 Day 3 today and I've never, ever felt better. NEVER!

Weigh-In with the Sisterhood

Week 3 has come to a close on the Shrink Into Summer Challenge!

Start weight for the Challenge: 146.4

Last week's: 148.6

This week's: 147.4

Loss: 1.2#

So yeah, I'm officially up one pound since the start of the challenge, which sucks. Not sure what happened that one crazy week, but I'm slowly working my way back down. I'm super pleased with my loss this week and I felt like it was hard earned! I mean, Jillian Michaels is kicking my ass every single day. Really kicking it. The good news is I'm enjoying it! Almost too much.

This is the first time I've ever been committed to exercise. EVER. Sure, I've walked and even joined a gym once about 15 years ago, but I've never, ever stuck with anything, and certainly not for 10 days in a row. It's basically a miracle. There are two reasons I've stuck with it this time.

1. It's a group effort. All of us Shredding Sisters are doing it together. When I woke up on day 2 and could hardly move my arms, I wasn't the only one! I found comfort in the fact that so many Sisters across the country were also unable to lift their arms above their waists. As we approaced the Day 2 workout, we were all dying together. And you know what? We all made it through together and now look where we are!


2. I felt like I could see (or at least feel) results almost immediately. Maybe it was all in my head on Day 2, or maybe I put my contacts in the wrong eyes because I couldn't move my arms, who knows. I felt stronger (and sore as an em effer), and that kept me going.

Each and every day has been a little easier, but I'm still a little sore. And today, on Day 10, I can see a difference. My husband can see a difference. My friends, too. And that, my dear Sisters, is all the motivation I need to keep going!

So I will start off this new week with a bang! I will continue to track and eat all of my WW points, I will Shred every.single.day without fail. Heck, I might even start trying to walk everyday, or maybe do some Wii Fit. Yes, I'm feeling that motivated! I am on my way down and I might not reach my 10 (now 11#) pound goal for this challenge, but I will, without a doubt, be healthier, stronger, and thinner this summer. That is exciting for me!

Weighing In with the Sisterhood

Week 2 of the Shrink Into Summer Challenge with the Sisterhood!

It's Wednesday, oh yes it is. And this morning, I did the log roll out of bed and struggled to move my arms up high enough to get my contacts in so I could read the number on the scale. I should have just left the damn things out because I could have saved myself the pain of lifting my arms above my waist. The number went down, but not enough for me!! But you know what, it went down!! After my girls weekend I just posted about. I drank, I ate (with some caution), and I drank some more. Shopped too, but that doesn't add calories, unless you count that Starbucks I picked up at Target. But I digress!!

This week I started Shredding with the Sisterhood, and sweet Jesus I see why they call it shredding. I feel like every single one of my muscles is shredded. Day one left me feeling completely inept and dreading the next 29 days. Day 2 came around and I was so sore I couldn't move my arms at all. Today is Day 3 and dare I venture to say that I'm not quite as sore? My arms still feel like they're going to fall off at any moment (and to be honest, it wouldn't hurt my feelings), but I feel better. And the energy? Oh yeah, I have so much energy it's freaking INSANE. I haven't felt this energetic in YEARS. It's totally worth the pain and getting stuck sitting on the toilet yesterday. Totally.

So on to the numbers.

Last week: 149.2 (STUPID)

This week: 148.6

Loss: .6#

I'll take it. But it better be alot more next week. That's all I'm sayin'

Head on over the Sisterhood and see how everyone else is doing! If you don't get anything else, you'll get a laugh at all of us whining about how much our arms hurt! And maybe, just maybe, you'll be tempted to hang out and shred with us. I pretty much dare you!

Shrink Into Summer with Sisterhood!

Today marks the start of our most exciting challenge yet over at the Sisterhood! I can honestly say I've never been so excited to start a challenge. It doesn't hurt that I had an awesome loss this week! AWESOME!!!

Last week: 148.8

This week: 146.4

Loss: 2.4

YES!

It seems after stagnating for the past couple of weeks, I finally did something right and kicked my weight loss back into gear. I think that something is called, ahem, excercise. Yeah, I started exercising, but not in a going-to-the-gym-and-getting-sweaty kind of way. Nope, I laced up my shoes and hit the dirt road and started walking. And I got the Wii-Fit board out and blew the dust off and started getting busy with it. I'm officially the hula hoop master in my house!

So stop by the Sisterhood and help all of us bid farewell to our current weight. The new challenge is going to be non-stop fun with lots of prizes and giveaways!!

I guess I need to set a goal for this challenge, huh? Well, it's 8 weeks long, so I'm going to set my sites on a 10 pound loss.

Weigh-in Wednesday

Today is the final weigh-in for the Kiss Me, I'm Shrinking challenge over at the Sisterhood!

Over the past week, I've traveled to Austin to visit Lisa and come home to house guests. It's been non-stop busy. With that being said, I'm disappointed that I'm not logging a loss this week because I wanted a strong finish to this challenge, but I'm also glad I didn't gain.

Challenge start weight: 150.2

Todays weight: 148.8

Loss for the Challenge: 1.4

My goal was to lose 3 pounds and obviously I didn't make it. I would love to wax poetic about maintaining or goals or whatever, but I'm sick with a head cold right now and there's nothing I'd rather do than take a nap!

Thanks for stopping by! Please head over to the Sisterhood and give some support to all of our shrinkers!

AND, we're also having a super-awesome giveaway at the Sisterhood, too! Hurry, because it ends tomorrow!

Weigh-in Wednesday

It's time to weigh-in with the Sisterhood again. I'm not too proud of my eating behavior over the past 4 days. I started the week out so strong, even managing to step up to Lisa's challenge of 5 servings of fruits/veggies a day. But then my hard drive crashed and the stress/boredom eating ensued. And ensued. And ensued. Yeah, I was doing some stress eating.

So here we go, the results:

Last week: 148

This week: 148.8

Change: +0.8

SUCK.

I'm leaving today to visit Lisa, also a Sister, so hopefully we can keep each other on track!!!

Wednesday Weigh-In - Hello again

It's that time again: Weigh-in with the Sisterhood! This is the first weigh-in for the Kiss Me, I'm Shrinking Challenge!

Here are my numbers:

Starting weight: 150.2

This week: 148

Loss: 2.2

WOOOHOOOOO! I'm back in the 140s AGAIN. I actually got down to 148.8 a few weeks ago and then gained some back, so I'm super-duper excited today. Hopefully, I'll never see the 150s again.

The funny thing is, I didn't really spend too much time counting this week. Well, I did count, but kinda blew off the weekend. I also ate out several times, but tried to make wise choices and cut my portions in half. Apparently it worked. I was actually scared that I'd hit a plateau and would be stuck at or around 150 forever.

This week we also have a mini-challenge at the Sisterhood: 5 in 5! We're encouraging everyone to get in 5 servings of fruits and vegetables for at least 5 days this next week. I've been trying to do this, but don't quite make it everyday, so I'm gonna see if I can rise to the challenge this week.

Here's to another great week of Shrinking Jeans!!

p.s. Thank you for all of your support and encouragement! It really makes me feel great to know you're pulling for me :)

Wednesday Weigh-In - A brand new challenge

Guess what? It's Wednesday and there's a brand new challenge over at the Sisterhood!

I am so excited because this challenge is only 3 weeks long and I'm hoping that the fast pace will help me stay on track. Less time to screw up, right?! I know, not the best attitude...

So here we go with the weigh-in:

Last week: 150#
Challenge Start (today): 150.2#
Change: +0.2# - UGH!

My goal for the next three weeks is to lose 5 pounds. Can I do it? I think I can!! And with all the support of my Sisters, I know I'll give it my best shot.

Wednesday Weigh-In - End of the Challenge

It's our weekly weigh-in over at the Sisterhood and the final weigh-in for our Looking Fine for Valentine's challenge! That means we get to start all fresh with a brand new challenge next week!

I wish I could come here today and celebrate dropping even further into the 140s, but I can't. When I stepped on the scale this morning, I weighed more than last week. I'm not going to make excuses, but I am going to list the reasons why I think I gained this week:

• I did not count my points or log anything this week.
• I did not count because I went on a long weekend trip and just didn't feel like doing it.
• I ate lots of salty foods over the last few days.

So I can totally see that I'm at a point in my weightloss where it's not going to come easy. I have to count and log my points. I have to. My weight will not go down if I don't.

Last week: 149.6
This week: 150
Total Loss for the Challenge: -5.8 lbs.

My goals for the next week are to log every single point every single day, and to exercise every single day. I can do it!

Wednesday Weigh-In - HELLO 140s!!!

It's week 5 of the Looking Fine for Valentine's challenge over at the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans. Week 5 seems to be the week for me ;)

Challenge Start Weight: 155.8

Last Week: 152.2

This Week: 149.6 WOOOHOOOOOO!

I did it! I finally slid into the 140s! Barely, but I did it!! I think I'll be on cloud 9 all day today :) I haven't seen this weight in ages. Well, I did weigh 149.8 for like 20 minutes before I found out I was pregnant with Mia, but before that? I can't even remember. It's been at least 8 years. I am so excited and so motivated to keep going!!!!! Apparently counting and logging all my points did the trick.

I can honestly say I don't think I'd be here without all of the support I get from my fellow Sisters. Thank you so much!! Keep up the good work, all of you.