Mamavation Monday: Slowly But Surely

It's the first Mamavation Monday of summer, though here in North Carolina it's felt like summer for weeks now. It's a scorcher out there.

While I didn't record a huge weight loss, this week was much better for me than last week. I've still got a lot on my plate -- figuratively -- but I have a plan cooking to make sure it all gets done and to make sure that I also make and take time for myself.

That's really the key in all of this -- making that time for yourself and taking it. And I'd let that slip over the past few weeks, putting other less important things ahead of more important things like sleep, exercise, nutrition and nurturing. I'm working on reprioritizing, but it is difficult some times.

For instance, it's now officially summer, so my son is no longer in preschool for four hours three days a week. That effectively cuts my workweek in half and also cuts into my fitness time. I'd planned to take advantage of one of the privileges of our family gym membership, which allows my son to spend up to three hours a day there in the kids' Club Zone while I workout onsite or snag a few hours of time at my office.

It seemed like a win-win plan just a few weeks ago because my son LOVES going to Club Zone and running around with the other kids. I'd get to work out and to work -- all without the extra expense of hiring a babysitter.

Then, came the kink in the plans. You have to be potty trained to play at Club Zone, which I thought we were. But little man is showing some major potty training resistance when it comes to Number 2 (sorry for the TMI, but this is my reality). He's had a couple of accidents at Club Zone, and while they haven't asked us to leave, I don't feel comfortable leaving him there until we've worked through this problem. He knows that poop belongs in the potty, but lately that hasn't stopped him from going in his pants.

So, I'm suddenly my window for exercise is greatly abridged. And I'm trying to figure out a workable solution that allows me to handle my work obligations -- gotta pay the bills, after all -- with my need to work out. (And did I mention that it is too durn hot to work out outside in this sweltering N.C. heat?)

Whine time over now.

I managed to drop another half-pound this week to 259.5, for a total loss of 20.5 lbs. I'm hoping to be able to post a bigger weight loss this week as I plot my return to the gym, dine on scrumptious meals made from delicious local produce and put me first.

I'm also debating whether I want to apply to be a Mamavation Mom for Campaign 5. I really want to be a Mamavation Mom, because I find that the scrutiny of participating in such a public life makeover is very motivational to me. It keeps me on track and the desire not to disappoint keeps me from cheating. However, given my crazy schedule this summer, I wonder if now is the right time for me to apply to be a Mamavation Mom again. I want to be able to fully commit to the process because I know Leah will kick my butt if I don't.

Thoughts on this? Thoughts on potty training resistance? Creative solutions to my workout dilemma?

Coming next week, another scale photo.

Mamavation Monday: One Goal Reached, Now Need a Reminder

Things have been busy these past few weeks, hence my absence on Mamavation Monday.

Frankly, I'm feeling a little overwhelmed today, too, but I didn't want to let another week past without posting.

I finally reached 20 pounds, but I'm feeling kind of stuck. It's like I'm slipping into old patterns again, namely not putting myself first and not making myself a priority. And so I'm not eating as well, not exercising as much, not gettiing enough sleep and bowing down to stress.

I need to get motivated again and get back on track, but at the moment, I'm kind of lost.

It's been one of those days, to say the least. Signing off now so I can get one of the million things I've been trying to get accomplished all day done. I promise not to be such a downer next week.

Mamavation Monday: So Close I Can Taste It

It's Mamavation Monday again, and I can't believe that campaign 4 is almost over. Rachel and Kim have been incredibly honest, funny and motivational as the Mamavation Moms. And I can honestly say that participating in Mamavation and the Move It & Lose It Challenge has been a life-changing experience for me.

There have been many times over the years when I've committed to losing weight and changing my lifestyle. Only once have I truly been successful, but then I returned to my old habits and the weight crept back on.

I'm not really sure why Mamavation works, but it does. This time, I was as fed up at being fat as I've ever been. But as I've learned in the past, simply wanting to change isn't enough. This time, though, I had an incredible online and real-life support network. And I think there's something to be said for these VERY PUBLIC weekly weigh-ins.

Even though the numbers are going down, I really hate having to post my photos of my toes on the scales every week. I hate people knowing just how fat I am and just how fat I was. But there's also something incredibly motivating about putting those numbers and photos out there. I've not received one negative comment -- "God, you're a cow" about my numbers from my online or real-world friends. Instead, people are applauding me for my bravery and for my progress. YOU GUYS RULE, AND I REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR SUPPORT.

So, even though the Move It & Lose it Challenge will soon be over, and I'll no longer be required to post toes-on-the-scale photos, I will continue to do so. (Maybe not ever week because I'm kinda a slacker when it comes to uploading photos from my camera). But I will be posting my weight every week and photos at least monthly because the accountability is essential to my journey.

Now, for this week's numbers.

I'm down 1 pound to 261 for a total weight loss of 19 pounds. I'm so close to 20 pounds (since applying for Mamavation) that I can almost taste it. That's happen next week, I promise. Actually, my goal for next week is to get to the 250s.

I'm not sure how I'll fare in the Move It & Lose it Challenge. The other sistas are fierce competitors, and I'm happy to lose with and lose to any of them. If our weight loss percentages are calculated based on our Mamavation application weights, I may have a chance at winning one of the prizes. But either way, I feel like a winner. Since the end of March, I've lost 6.79 percent of my body weight. Yeah, me.

After a vacation and being sick last week, which kept me out of the gym, I'm ready to kick my butt into gear this week. I want to torch off the calories and the pounds this week. My gym bag is packed for today, and I have lots of yummy, healthy meals planned for the coming week.

I'm excited to post my before-and-after photos and measurements. I'll update the post with those later today.

Gotta give some love to this week's Mamavation Monday sponsor, Subway, which is the only healthy fast food option out there. I love their subs, and I can't wait to try the new breakfast sandwiches. Thanks, Subway, for your support and for showing us all how we can live healthier lives.

Update: Here are my AFTER photos and measurements

Bust - 52.5 inches (down 1.5)
Waist - 46 (down 2.5)
Hips - 57 (down 2.5)
Thighs - 29.5 (down 1)
Arms - 17 (no change)

Total inches lost 7.5!!!!!!!

Can I jusr say how hard it is to take photos of yourself. These aren't the greatest. I had to balance the camera on my banister and stand in front of my son's room - hence all the animated movie posters in the background. And in these, I'm just back from a trip to the gym, so I look really pretty -- NOT!

Mamavation Monday: Back in the Swing of Things

It's Mamavation Monday, and I have to admit that I'm not feeling very Mamavated! I'm still catching up on sleep and laundry from our fun, fun, fun vacation at Disney World.

For a vacation, I think I did OK with my eating. I watched my portion sizes, made sure we packed healthy snacks and ordered my food "guiltless" when we dined out. (Boy was it tough to have the grilled shrimp at Macaroni Grill when everyone else was pigging out on gooey pasta.) However, I did splurge a couple of times. I had a few cocktails during the weeklong trip, and I also ate dessert once. (Oops, I just remembered I sampled a small bit of fudge. Maybe I didn't do as well as I thought.)

On the plus side, I drank tons of water -- still no caffeine -- and got in a ton of exercise. Four days of park hopping equals a ton of walking. Boy did my legs get tired, and boy did I sweat a lot. Maybe later I'll post one of those sweaty Disney photos.

But the photo that matters today is the one of the scale. (I'll apologize in advance for the quality of the photo. I had to take it with my cell phone. We flew to Disney, but my computer rode back with my parents, who drove. And I haven't gotten it back, so I can't upload photos from my good camera.)

This week, I lost that pound I gained last week. So, I'm at 262 again, for a total weight loss of 18 pounds.

My commitment this week are:

- get back to the gym and rev up my workouts
- religiously track my food using Weight Watchers points (I have 6 points left today!)
- drink lots of water
- eat more protein and fewer carbs
- hit the farmer's market for some fresh, local produce
- get back on Twitter and support the Mamavation Moms and the Sistahood

I'm going to bed early tonight, so I'll miss MamavationTV. But I hope you gals have a great time.

Also, I can't wait to check out Open Sky, this week's sponsoring of the Mamavation Monday blogging carnival.

OpenSky "is a new commerce platform that enables authors, bloggers, media personalities, media brands and publishers to establish direct customer relationships with their audiences. These influencers are able to hand-select products and services related to their area of influence and expertise that they love and offer them to their audiences via their blogs, websites, newsletters, Twitter stream, Facebook pages, or public visibility. So basically, it's like Amazon, but better cause you get a higher rate of return and if you have a product you adore that they don't carry, they will find it and get it in their shop for you."

I can't wait to shop in the Mamavation OpenSky store.

Mamavation Monday: Vacation Challenges

This is just going to be a quick Mamavation Monday post because I'm on vacation and I don't have much to report.

Because of our trip, I had to weigh in on Wednesday. I thought about packing a scale to take with us, but I thought that would be a bit extreme. And I couldn't spare the room in my suitcase.

When I weighed in mid-week, I was up a pound from Monday morning's weigh-in: 263. I'm not letting that get me down, as I know the scale can fluctuate depending on a number of factors. I think I had a pretty good week. I Fit in a cardio workout six of seven days, including a marathon swimming session in which I logged 60 laps. (When I returned to the pool a few days later, I could only do 40 laps. But to be fair, I'd been out running errands and walking that day, so I was wiped!) I also did some measurements and was pleased to have lost 2.25 inches in my waist and an inch in my hips and bust. I didn't do my thighs and arms.

This week coming week is going to be challenging for a number of reasons. I'm on vacation at Disney with my hubby, son and parents, and there's lots of temptation around. I've allowed myself a few well-chosen treats, but I'm also trying to choose well. For example, tonight at dinner at Macaroni Grill while everyone else got yummy-looking pasta, I had grilled shrimp and vegetables and a salad.

I'm getting my exercise in, but not by hitting the gym. Sunday, we were at the Magic Kingdom and logged I don't know how many miles walking the park. (Unfortunately, my pedometer broke, so I don't know how many steps we walked. Judging by how my legs and feet felt, it was hundreds of thousands of steps!) I did wear my brand new Earth Footwear Kinetic shoes, and they provided good support for all that walking. Throughout the day, I reminded myself that I was burning four times the calories thanks to my choice of footwear.

Since I'm on vacation this week, I'm not setting any overly ambitious goals for myself. But I do plan to:

Make sure that my water intake is high. I've been very diligent about staying hydrated while at the Disney parks.
Fit in some light exercise on the days we're not doing the Disney parks (But I will also listen to my body and rest if I'm wiped out from the previous day's touring.)

I hope the Mamavation Moms and Sistas all have a great week. I'll be back tweeting and encouraging you all when I get back from vacation.

Tomorrow, Animal Kingdom...

Mamavation Monday: Plateaus

I thought I was having one of those plateaus that we'll be talking about tonight on Mamavation TV.

All last week, every time I got on the scale it hadn't budged from last week's number. That despite some healthy living achievements that I'm pretty proud of:

• working out hard six of the last seven days. (Most days, I aimed for an hour of cardio)
• 7 days without my beloved Coke Zero or any other diet, caffeinated beverage
• 3 days without any caffeine; as part of Pete Cohen's program, I said adios to my morning coffee and will be caffeine-free for at least 21 days

Before writing this post, I decided to weigh myself one more time for the record, and the scale reflected a 2-pound loss: 264. If I'm to trust that number, that's 18 pounds total! But I don't feel like those last two pounds are real yet. I wonder if I'm in the throes of a real plateau or some hormonal fluctuations. Could my "special lady time" be to blame?

Regardless, I'll be very interested to hear tonight's Mamavation lesson on plateaus. I think I'll put some of the plateau-busting strategies to work this week to ensure a good weight loss.

This should be an interesting and challenging week because I'll be pressed for time, and I've got a full workload at work and at home. (We're prepping for a Disney trip. I'm wishing I had a pair of shoes from Earth Footwear -- the sponsors of this week's Mamavation Monday carnival -- for all the walking I'll be doing at the Magic Kingdom et al. I'm happy to provide my address if the Earth Footwear folks want to overnight me a pair of size 8.5s!)

This week, I also plan to:

• continue writing down my meals and tracking my points on Weight Watchers
• keep up the no-caffeine challenge
• drink more water (it's getting HOT here in N.C., plus I need to drink more water.)

Good luck to my fellow Mamavation Sistas. I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Here's my photo for this week's Move It & Lose It Challenge. Next week, I promise my toes will not look so horrid:

Mamavation Monday: Move It & Lose It Week 3

This past week was a crazy week, and I was really concerned that the busyness of my schedule would negatively impact my weight loss.

I have several public relations clients who are in the home furnishings industry, and last week was the semiannual High Point Furniture Market. That's typically a super-busy time for me as I'm finalizing press kits, touring Market showrooms and entertaining clients. Last week was true to history. I had several 14-hour workdays on top of my personal responsibilities, and I found that I didn't have a whole lot of time to focus on my new eating and exercise plan. Add to that meals on the run, furniture showrooms filled with fattening foods and high-calorie drinks and a fancy dinner out with a client. Opportunities for sabotoge were around every corner.

I didn't do a good job of tracking my food last week. While I kept track of my Weight Watchers points in my head, I didn't keep my food diary, which I've found is very important to keeping me on track.

However, I tried to make sensible choices. During that client dinner, I had a salad and a chicken entree, rather than the sinful shrimp and grips or pasta in cream sauce. I also skipped cocktails and desserts. I avoided the candy bowls and dessert trays at the showrooms I visited, indulging only once with a one-inch square cranberry cookie bar.

I also fit in exercise when I could, making time for several walks and several trips to the gym -- even though I was REALLY exhausted from the hectic week. Thanks to the other Mamavation Moms for providing me the motivation and the kick in the tail I needed to get to the gym.

I think being busy also worked to my advantage. I didn't have a lot of down time or free time for snacking. I really just ate my meals with very little between-meal snacking.

I am ecstatic to report that I'm down another 3 pounds this week, for a total weight loss of 16 lbs. I'm now down to 264, as the photo on the scale shows. That's an important milestone because my real-world weight loss partner and I have pledged that after every 15 pounds, we get to buy ourselves a treat. She's very close to that milestone, as well, so I'm feeling a trip to Nordstrom coming on. I am currently in love with Foxcroft's colorful wrinkle-free blouses. So pretty, so me!

I'm also super-excited to be an official member of the Mamavation Sistahood. I was so suprised when I saw my welcome on Twitter.

This week, now that the craziness has calmed down, I need to refocus on my goals. I'm pledging to be diligent about writing down my food and tracking my points on paper, not just in my head. I also need to kick up the exercise since I missed several workouts last week. I'm thinking this may be the week I try Zumba!

Good luck to all the other Mamavation Moms.

And before I forget, Mamavation Monday is brought to you this week by Chiquita Bananas. I'm allergie to bananas, but my husband loves them, and not just in banana pudding! Those new smoothies sound delicious and so healthy!

Mamavation Monday: Developing New Habits

It's week 2 of the Mamavation Move It & Lose it Challenge. This week, I've been focused on unlearning bad habits and replacing them with good ones.

Lord knows, I have plenty of bad habits when it comes to food, exercise and taking care of myself -- or rather not taking care of myself. And I know it will be hard to leave many of those habits behind. But I am making headway.

This week, I've been taking advantage of the weight loss coaching offered by Pete Cohen TV , and I'm really enjoying it. It's helping me get to the root of why I persist in certain behaviors and giving me strategies for turning those bad habits into good ones.

I haven't officially started Pete's 21-day program yet; I'm still in the orientation period. But I have been trying to focus on several of the "tools" that Pete says will lead to weight loss. Specifically, I am:

• taking a 30-minute walk every day (Plus I'm trying to squeeze in at least 4 workouts weekly on top of those walks
• eating my food more slowly
• eating only when I'm hungry and trying to recognize what's fueling my cravings at other times
• listening to Pete's relaxation and meditation MP3 nightly (This one definitely works; I always fall asleep before I get to the end. Not sure what Pete says in the last 5 or 10 minutes; I hope he's not subliminally convincing me to send him all my money!!! :) Just kidding.)

In addition to using these tools, I'm following Weight Watchers and journaling my food. I've been trying to shake my exercise routine up a bit, interspersing walking with workouts on the elliptical machines, lap swimming, tennis, Wii workouts, classes at my gym and Exercise TV videos.

My commitment to myself has paid off. I'm down another 2 pounds, for a total weight loss of 13 pounds. As my toes on the scale photo shows, I'm now 267. Still a long way to go, but not as long as I had to go just a few weeks ago.


Here's to another week of good habits

Mamavation Monday: Move It & Lose It

I wasn't chosen as one of the Mamavation Moms finalists, but I haven't let that derail me from my new commitment to get healthier and lose weight.

While I didn't win one of the coveted Mamavation spots, I am losing. And that makes me a winner.

In addition to counting points on Weight Watchers, resisting temptations working out with my girlfriends and busting my butt on the Wii, I'm also participating in Mamavation's Move It & Lose It Challenge for those of us who applied to be Mamavation moms but weren't chosen as finalists.

Every Monday for the next seven weeks, I'll be posting a weekly Mamavation Monday update about my weight loss and fitness success. (Hopefully, there won't be any failures). In all likelihood, I'll be posting well beyond the campaign's 7 weeks because I have a lot to lose.

But not as much as I once did.

I'm happy to report that since applying to be a Mamavation Mom, I'm down 11 pounds. I'm not quite sure yet how many more I have to go. I haven't set a final goal. Right now, my goal is to simply move and lose -- one pound at a time.

Today's Mamavation Monday carnival is sponsored by Subway. Thanks for the sponsorship and for all the healthy eating options you offer.
As part of the campaign, I have to post before and after photos, my measurements (va-va-va-voom), and a weekly photo of my toes on the scale. (I'm thinking a nude shot would have been less humiliating!)

But here goes because today will be the last day I look like this. Today will be the last day that I weigh THAT MUCH. And at least I can take solace in the fact that my arms aren't as big as Hulk Hogan's 24-inch pythons. And I do have an hourglass figure -- a three-hour glass, that is.

Before Photos

That first number is a 2. The scale is a little glitchy, but when I get down into the 100s, that won't matter anymore. And I hope you appreciate that I got a pedicure so you wouldn't have to look at my talons. Regular pedicures -- another perk of this Mamavation thing, I'm liking it already.

Now for my measurements:

Bust (measured at the fullest part): 54 inches. (What can I say, I'm stacked!)

Waist: 48.5 inches

Hips: 59.5 inches

Thights: 30.5 inches

Arms: 17 inches

Now, I'm ready for another week of living healthier and taking care of myself.

Need Motivation? Then you need Mamavation

Full disclosure time.

I'm traditionally built. Plus-sized. Phat. Rubenesque. Thick. Fat. My hourglass figure is supersized. I'm a before when I really want to be an after.

Well, it's time to stop wishing and hoping and time and to do something about it.

I've applied to be a Mamavation mom and to chronicle my weight loss journey online in hopes that my story can help inspire and motivate other moms like me who are living in a body that doesn't represent who they really are.

In doing so, I'm making a very public commitment to eat less, move more and lose weight. I'm acknowledging on the Internet -- gulp! -- what's clear to anyone who's ever seen my double X butt: I need to lose at least 100 pounds.

Here's my story -- years of bad habits and bad decisions distilled into a 4-minute video:




Before we talk weight loss any more, I have to point out that my roots aren't really that bad and that my hair and complexion aren't really that green. It's the fluorescent lights. I'm going to need better lighting for my "After" video.

OK, back to the topic at hand. I really want to be successful with my weight loss this time, and I think Mamavation will be the key. If I'm chosen as a Mamavation mom, I'll have access to nutritionists, weight loss coaches, exercise coaches and a team of mentor moms to motivate and push me to achieve my goals. I'll also be part of an entire community of moms who are dealing with their own weight loss struggles. We'll be motivating and holding one another accountable -- two key elements for success, in my opinion.

I need to ask you to support me in this effort. I'd love to read your comments and atta girls here, and if you have a weight loss success story, please share it.

I also need you to do one other thing for me.

Send a tweet -- or send a hundred -- to @Bookieboo, the Chief Mom at Mamavation, letting her know that you're behind me during this process. I promise, the view will get better. :)

Tweet this message to her:

"Hey @bookieboo! I want @googoobuybuy to be the next #Mamavation Mom. She has my support!"

My goal is to get a tweet for every pound I need to lose.

Stay tuned for more posts about my progress.