Weekly Goals

Technically speaking...I failed each goal that I made for this last week.

HOWEVER

I still am counting it as a success. 

Why?

Because I did so much better than I normally would have.

I only attended one Zumba class... but I did attend ONE Zumba class.  Go me!

I had cake to celebrate my parents' birthdays...but I skipped my pre-proportioned treat for that day and still counted the cake in my calories.

I ate out for two meals...but I talked myself out of several others.

The important thing is that I kept moving forward.  Don't ignore the little successes.  It's all part of the big picture.

Here are this week's goals:
1. Attend two Zumba classes.
2. Be diligent in counting ALL calories.
3. Drink 3 full glasses of water a day.

What are your goals this week?

Little Steps

It's that time again for me.

The holidays are over.  The massive amount of sweets are put away.  Life is back to it's typical routine...whatever that is around here.  :) 

It's time to buckle down once more.

I'm starting this week with three basic goals to get me back on track.

GOALS:
1. Attend at least two Zumba classes.
2. Consume only pre-proportioned treats.
3. No eating out.

What are your goals for the week?

The New We

I recently traveled to Idaho where I got to meet up with all of my family - including, of course, Chelsey.  Here is a picture of the "new" us now that we've been spanking the pounds so successfully.  I still wish I had her super gorgeousness and long legs, but I must say, I'm pretty proud of how far we've both come!

 Go us!!

(Ladies, don't be scared to share your recent photos with us on our Facebook page! We're all in this together.)

Tuesday Tips - Eating Less, Eating Out

Sometimes it's really nice to dine out.  To splurge.  To have that thing that you've been craving.

But dine out meals have huge portions and can contain a day's worth of calories.

Ouch! 

This leaves you two options:

Only eat one meal that day. 

OR

Eat less of that meal.

My husband has recently started watching what he eats as well.  Once we collectively realized how many calories we would consume in one sitting, we started being smarter about our choices.  Sometimes, if we both agree on something we like, we simply split our meal. We both eat plenty, consume less calories, and spend less money.  Win, win, win.

However, when we have differing tastes or cravings, I will instead get my own meal and instantly set aside half of it (I may even ask for a box and box it up right away).  I make a logical decision at the beginning, before I start getting beguiled by taste buds, how much of that meal will end up in my tummy.

What works for you when dining out?

5 Ways to Loose Weight At Work

I recently spent just over two weeks working crazy long days.  

(I was gone from 7 am till 10 pm or later every. single. day.  Madness!!)

What was worse is that I was constantly surrounded by unhealthful foods that smelled really amazing and were very tempting.

Now, I may not work all of the time, but I did gain a few insights.  Here are 5 tips that helped me succeed at weight loss while working.

1. Be Prepared

"...to be prepared is half the victory." ~Miguel de Cervantes

The weekend before I started work, I developed a plan.  I went shopping for healthful foods and portioned them out in easy-to-grab containers.  That made it easier to pack and plan my lunches and dinners.  I also made these breakfast sandwiches so that in the morning I could have something quick and easy to eat.  I made a meal plan so that I knew what I could pack and how many calories it was.  And then, just in case, I packed a few extra goodies (granola bars, nuts, cheese sticks, etc) so that if I was feeling super hungry, I wouldn't be tempted to grab any of the junk options readily available.  It took just a little time on the weekend to keep me on track for two weeks.

2. Go The Extra Mile

I thought of how I could get in a little extra movement every day.  I parked further away.  I used my break times to take quick walks around the grounds.  I volunteered to deliver anything (by foot) that needed to go somewhere.  I made a conscious decision to stand and walk and move whenever I could. I went the extra mile...literally.

3.  Stay Hydrated

I carried two giant water bottles with me every day.  Having lots of ice cold water helped me avoid high-calorie convenience drinks, made me feel fuller, gave me energy, and helped to boost my metabolism. 

4. "I Don't Eat That"

One of the biggest obstacles at work is avoiding all of the goodies and treats that others bring to work. I found that if I told the others I was on a diet, that they would say, "Well, you don't have this every day.  You can break your diet for just one day."  I know that they meant well, but since goodies were brought almost every day, that logic was quite fallible.  Instead, I found it much easier to say a simple, "No, thank you."  If they really pushed it I would follow up with a simple, "Thanks, but I don't eat that."  For some reason, people did less "convincing" when I made this simple statement.

5. Say YES Every Now And Then

On occasion, we would have a potluck or a special occasion that I would join in on.  I wanted to have the fun that comes when you bond with others over meals.  I would simply plan ahead (if it was a pizza day, I would log my pizza calories first thing in the morning so that I knew exactly how much I would eat and what else to pack for the day) and then I was able to enjoy food with my coworkers without undoing a whole week's worth of work.

What have you found helpful when it comes to losing weight at work?

Before and Afters

I couldn't be more proud of our lovely spankstas!  In the last few months, as a group, we have lost a total of 102 pounds!!  Oh yeah, we rock!

 ROSIE KAY

Starting weight: 140

Final weight: 134.8

Total lost: 5.2 lbs

 

JOJO

Starting weight: 181

Final weight: 169.2

Total lost:  11.8 lbs

CEE BEE - 3rd place
Starting weight: 244
Final weight: 219.4

Total lost: 24.6 lbs

 CHEY BABY - 2nd place

Starting weight: 204

Final weight: 179.8

Total lost: 24.2 lbs

 SARA LOU - 1st place

Starting weight: 204

Final weight: 171.8

Total lost: 32.2 lbs

Final Weigh In

We have reached the final weigh in for the competition! Here are the results. We will be coming back soon with some before and after pictures as well.

Sara Lou: 

Initial weight: 204
Last week's weight: 172
Today's weight: 171.8
Weight lost: 0.2 lbs
Percentage of weight lost this week: 0.1% 
Total weight lost: 32.2 lbs
Total percentage: 15.8% 

Chey Baby: 

Initial weight: 204
Last week's weight: 181.8
Today's weight: 179.8
Weight lost: 2lbs
Percentage of weight lost this week: 1.1% 
Total weight lost: 24.2 lbs
Total percentage: 11.9% 

Cee Bee: 

Initial weight: 244
Last week's weight: 220.2
Today's weight: 219.4
Weight lost: 0.8 lbs
Percentage of weight lost this week: 0.4%
Total weight lost: 24.6 lbs
Total percentage: 10.1% 

Jay Low: 

Initial weight: 176
Last week's weight: 174
Today's weight: 172
Weight lost: 2 lbs
Percentage of weight lost this week: 1.1% 
Total weight lost: 4 lbs
Total percentage: 2.3% 

JoJo: 

Initial weight: 181
Last week's weight: 172.6
Today's weight: 169.2
Weight lost: 3.4 lbs
Percentage of weight lost this week: 2.0% 
Total weight lost: 11.8 lbs
Total percentage: 6.5%

Rosie Kay: 

Initial weight: 140
Last week's weight: 136.2
Today's weight: 134.8
Weight lost: 1.4 lbs
Percentage of weight lost this week: 1.0% 
Total weight lost: 5.2 lbs
Total percentage: 3.7%