Candy is Good...

Guess this pumpkin had too much candy...

Candy is our friend. Candy is good, candy is our friend....

Or not, lol!

Today's plan: I get to have 5 pieces of candy, my choice. But just 5, and I'm talking the "fun size" pieces. This way, I get to enjoy without going crazy.

Happy Halloween, ghouls and goblinettes! I'll be back on Monday with a recap of the weekend plus those progress pics and measurements I promised.

263,520

263,520 minutes = 4,392 hours = 183 days = 6 months

I remember when I first started this journey on 4/30/09, I daydreamed about writing this very post. I wanted the title to say, "1/2 of a year, and 1/2 way to goal!" I wanted to lose 50 pounds by today.

I didn't do it.

Instead, as of this morning, I weigh 215.6, a loss of 2.1 pounds this week, and 31.6 pounds lighter than what I weighed on April 30th.

And I am so very happy with that!

Did you know that according to my husband, I no longer snore when I'm sleeping? I used to be so embarrassed about my snoring. I knew it was because I was fat, so I would apologize profusely anytime I was sleeping in a room with someone other than my husband. Now, my husband told me the other night I was so quiet he thought I was dead (and he insisted that it was not wishful thinking)!

Did you know that I am officially out of plus-sized clothes? I went shopping at Macy's last week, and everything I bought was from the Misses section - including a pair of size 16 cords. I haven't worn size 16 pants in 6 years.

Did you know that I haven't had problems with my asthma in over 2 months? This is typically my worst time of year. The cold air and moldy leaves are the worst for my allergy-induced asthma. I haven't had to use my rescue inhaler in about 2 months - I can't remember the last time I went this long without having to use it.

Did you know that at the gym Wednesday night I walked faster and harder than I ever have in my life? I really, really pushed myself - I was nervous, a little bit scared, and very sweaty. But I did it! I cannot believe how far my body has come in the past 6 months.

So while I'm not 1/2 way to my goal yet, I am soooo far ahead of where I was 6 months ago. I've battled weddings, pregnancy scares/hopefulness, extreme stress, and lots of birthday parties... and I survived. I write this today as a woman who has her eye on the prize. Not to be 100 pounds lighter than I was in April (although that will be awesome!), but to be the best, strongest, most confident woman I can be.

Progress pictures and measurements to come on Monday - I just didn't get time to do them yesterday.

New Domain!

Hi all - just a quick update to let you know I have a custom domain...

http://watchmybuttshrink.blogspot.com is now...

http://www.watchmybuttshrinking.com

Supposedly Blogger will redirect from the old domain to the new one, so you shouldn't have to do a thing. Just sit back and enjoy, lol!

Have a great night!

Instant Gratification Girl

It's Thursday, people! Only two more days until candy day (dun dun dunnnnn)...

Before I get to the meat of my post, I have to send out a big HOLLA and thank you to Brenda for bestowing upon me "The Gorgeous Blog Award", and for saying such sweet things about my blog!

My mom and I talk to each other pretty much every day. She works at a college in Manhattan, and we gab about everything from my kids to TV to whether Obama faked his birth certificate (my mom watches WAY to much FOX).

My mom has also struggled with her weight for most of her life, so I know she gets it when I talk to her about my journey. Yesterday, I started talking to her about how I feel like overeating is just part of my personality. I like to call myself Instant Gratification Girl (da dada da!).

If only I looked that good in a costume....sigh...

I say this because my need for instant gratification extends beyond my need to eat whatever I want. If I see something I like, I want to buy it - right there, right now. If I want to do something, I do it pretty much without hesitation. For example, I signed up to write for a mom's blog, even though I already have 2 of my own blogs, my own business, and OH YEAH - I'm taking care of my two kids all day!

So part of this journey is not just learning to eat well, to exercise and to just plain take care of myself. I also have to learn how to say NO to myself; how to wait a bit before deciding if I really, really, really want something. It means stopping my impulse buying and taking time to think things through before committing myself to another project.

I believe this is the lesson that I will continue to learn long after I lose this weight. But losing the weight is a good start. I hope that someday I can hang up my cape (after thinking about it first, of course).

Tomorrow marks my 6 month milestone on this journey - I'll be posting new progress pictures, measurements and thoughts on this past 1/2 year.

A Quickie

It's Hump Day, people - so here's a quickie for ya (heh heh)...

If you watched the Biggest Loser last night and did not cry at some point, then you have a heart of stone. Holy sob fest, Batman!

I got my confirmation from Millionaire that my episode is airing next Thursday!!!!

I made a shocking revelation this week...I do not like chewy granola bars.

I'm plugging away with my diet this week - definitely in the zone for now, hopefully it shows up on the scale on Friday!

Okay, my sweets - I'm off to take the kiddies to music class. Have a mah-vel-ous day!

Torn Between Two Lovers...

I took another kickboxing class at the gym last night. Kicked my butt, that's right, that's right! (Just a bit of poetry to brighten your Tuesday...)

I'm probably dating myself by sharing this song, but as I thought about today's post, I instantly started humming this little diddy:


No, I'm not having an affair!

I'm torn between cardio and strength training, folks.

You see, I ♥ cardio. My cardio is sweaty, heart-racing love. I love the challenge of working through that wall that comes up about 15 minutes into my workout. You know that wall, right? When you start telling yourself, I can't do this, I'm tired, my toe hurts, my hip hurts, ugh not another hill, why is this so haaaaaard... . And then you bust through that wall and suddenly you're hitting the incline up another notch or two and rockin' out to the Black Eyed Peas and before you know it 60 minutes are up! That cardio that leaves you breathless, shiny and oh so happy.

But then, there's strength training, and boy do I love the strong, silent type. I love when I get to add that extra weight on my machine, and watching my muscles pump while I count my reps. I feel like superwoman at the end of a good weight session.

So, where's my dilemma? Well, when I strength train, I gain some weight. I'm sure it's just water, but still...at this juncture in my journey I kinda go batty if I see the numbers go up on the scale. But I know that strength training is important.

On the other hand, cardio keeps the pounds going down, but lacks the muscle-preserving properties of strength training.

So, my friends, what should I do? Do I brace myself for the temporary weight fluctuations while I establish a strength training program, or do I continue with mostly cardio for the time being? Because right now, that's what I'm thinking: do cardio for now, and when I'm more comfortable with seeing my weight go up a bit, then start the weights.

Please weigh in (heh heh, get it) and tell me what you think!

Pumpkinpalooza!

Hello, my friends! How was your weekend? Saturday was a wash out here in good ole' New Jersey. I did get my butt to the gym, though. Yesterday was just *the best* fall day - sunny, breezy, cool.

We started the day with a feast of pumpkin goodies - Pumpkin Muffins AND Pumpkin Pancakes!

The muffins are diet friendly, the pancakes are not - but they were gooood.

We traveled 1 1/2 hours to Delicious Orchards in Colts Neck, NJ. My brother is a big fan of the place, and for good reason. What a delight! Unfortunately, I was so dazzled by the vast displays of goodies, I forgot to take pictures. You should thank me, though - if you had seen the incredible cakes, pies, donuts, cookies, chocolates, pasta.... I actually had a mild panic attack when we walked into the joint.

I'm happy to say I walked out with just a jar of apple butter (oh yes) and a hunk of maple flavored cheddar cheese (weird, but in a good way).

We had some eats outside which were not very healthy (cheeseburgers and fries), but I shared mine with the kids so I didn't overdo it. Then we took a small drive down the road to a nursery so the girls could pick out some pumpkins.



It was just one of those terrific days - the kids were in good spirits, I got to spend time with the 'rents and my little bro, and the weather was spectacular.


I think I did pretty well with the eats - not the most nutritious meals, but I think my calories were in check at least. I'm keeping my gym streak going tonight with another visit. The mojo continues to live strong!

A Dear Jenn Letter

Dear Jenn,

I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you for coming out of your "funk"; thank you for realizing that all this hard work is definitely worth it. Thank you for taking the time to go to the gym, even on those nights when you just wanted to collapse after a day of running around with the kids.

Thank you for fighting the urge to eat when you knew you were not really hungry. Thank you for finding something else to do to take your mind off of your urges (and for finally cleaning out the drawers in the kitchen!)

This past week has been such a great success. You've pushed yourself back into a healthy lifestyle, you've eaten well, and you've moved your body more in the past week then you did in the past 2 months.

Please continue this good work - your heart, muscles, lungs, mind, children, husband and family all thank you for taking care of yourself and for making your health a priority.

With Love,

Jenn

Weigh-In Day! Plus, I Bought A Coat And Cried

Ahhh, it's finally FRIDAY!!! This week felt extra long for some reason. We're hoping to finally take the kids to get pumpkins this weekend at a place called Delicious Orchards. Should be fun (and delicious?).

I'm happy to report a decent result in this week's weigh in!

Last week's weight: 219.9
This week's weight: 217.7
Total loss: 2.2 pounds!

Total overall loss: 29.5
Pounds from lowest weight: 3.4

So, a good week all in all. Considering Aunt Flow moved in this week, and I started strength training again, I think 2.2 is good. Of course, I wanted to lose all 5.7 pounds that I gained, but we know that's the stuff of reality shows, not real life!

Yesterday my mother-in-law came over to watch the girlies so I could get out for a couple of hours (yes, she is a cool mom-in-law). I was in desperate need of a new winter coat - my old coat was 10 years old, the lining was shredded and (hallelujah) it was too big for me now.

So I walked into Lord and Taylor armed with a 25% off coupon and a gift card from Mother's Day that I haven't used yet.

As I started strolling through the outerwear section, it took me a few minutes to realize that I was in the regular sizes and not the plus sizes! I instantly felt a bit of a letdown, bu then realized - hey, I can shop in this section! Now, I was on a mission. I tried on practically every coat there, lol! The only ones that didn't fit were the Calvin Klein ones - but I don't need Calvin to be happy.

I was able to find a coat that I LOVED - and I chose it because I liked it, not just because I could get it closed. AND...it's an XL...incredible. I was so happy, I cried.

Not me in the picture, natch.

Oh, and because the coat is fitted, I CAN'T gain any weight - if I do, it won't close and I'll be without a coat this winter, haha.

Have a great weekend, all!

Cold-Blooded Assassin

Because of the many recent birthday parties for my 2 year old, my house has acquired a dozen or so balloons. The Mylar ones at that, which means they last for. ev. ah. My ceilings look as if they've sprouted downward-growing hairs, and my husband and I are constantly freaking out when a stray balloon ribbon grazes our necks while we sit on the couch.

But, my girls love them, so I don't have the heart to get rid of them all at once. Instead, I have become a balloon assassin, picking off one or two of them each night after the kids are asleep. I don't have a specific "mark", but a balloon's demise is largely determined by where it is in my house at the time I go hunting.

If one makes it into the kitchen, you can pretty much start the funeral. There's no way I'm going to try and cook with some stupid balloon dancing around my kitchen ceiling. If they're in the dining room, their days are numbered. Tonight, there were four in there - the two closest to the kitchen bit the dust. The other two looked practically relieved that they got to live another day.

Okay, so by now I hear you screaming at your computer screen: "What the &%!* does this have to do with weight loss??" Oh ye of little faith...

In the same way I've been picking off the balloons, I've also been picking off my bad health habits. I got a comment the other day on my What I Eat post, basically saying I'm eating all processed crap and why can't I just eat all natural, "real" foods? Now, to be honest, this commenter was referring to my sample menu from when I first started this journey back in May. I needed something that was easy to do, and the foods I chose helped me get started.

Things have changed somewhat since then (for the better), so I updated my sample menu to reflect how I'm doing things today. As I have tweaked my menu, I've been assassinating the "bad" stuff and replacing them with better foods. Even still, it's not perfect. I still use Splenda in my coffee. I still eat processed foods - VitaTops, Morningstar Farms, and Weight Watchers ice cream.

BUT - I've also made a lot of great changes: more protein overall, cut out the Slim-fast, trying to get more veggies in my day (by adding spinach to my wraps at lunch).

One by one, I'm assassinating my bad habits, and replacing them with the good ones. Eventually, the balloons in my house will be gone, and eventually my bad habits will also be part of my past, may they rest in peace.

In the meantime, I'm busy staking out my marks, looking for my next target...

Tastes Like Fall

Happy Hump Day!!! How is your week going so far?

I'm still recovering from all the giveaway madness around here. The best part of the giveaway was all the lurkers that came out to comment. I have lots of new people and blogs to check out now!

Oh, and let me give a big ole' HOLLA to all the new followers that have popped up!! Glad to have you guys here! Please don't be strangers - leave a comment now and then.

For those who played the game, the answer to yesterday's "name the movie quote" was Austin Powers!

So today I wanted to share a fantastic recipe I recently made. These sweet potatoes taste just like fall - warm, sweet, spiced just right. This recipe is from Cooking Light, November 1999. I adjusted the portions, since the original recipe served 12.

Gather up your sweet potatoes, give them a good scrub, and peel them. Then cut them into cubes, and throw them in a pot with the water and the lemons.


Make sure you take the membranes off the lemon sections, or else you'll be fishing them out of your hot potatoes (not like I had to do that, I'm just saying...)


While the potatoes cook, gather the yummy ingredients and get them ready. I only had pancake syrup on hand, but I bet this tastes even better with real maple syrup. And yes, I have since gone out and purchased real maple syrup!


Once your potatoes are done, spoon them out, and leave the liquid in the pot.


Bring the liquid to a boil and wait until it reduces down to about 1/4 cup. (This is a picture before it reduced.)


Add all the butter and sugar yumminess, and stir it well.


Then add the potatoes back in, and cook for a couple of minutes until they are hot again.


What you have are little orange bites of goodness, people! Slightly sweet, with tartness from the lemons and a bit of spice - they make an everyday meal a little bit more special.

Maple-Glazed Sweet Potatoes
You'll need to peel and section a lemon for this dish. Take care to use only the flesh by removing the skinlike, white membrane from each section.

4 cups (1-inch) cubed peeled sweet potato (about 1 1/2 pounds)
2 cups water
1/8 cup lemon sections (about 1/2 large lemon)
1/8 cup packed dark brown sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons maple syrup
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
dash of ground red pepper
dash of salt

Combine first 3 ingredients in a large saucepan; bring to boil. Cook 20 minutes or until tender, stirring occasionally. Remove sweet potatoes from pan with a slotted spoon, reserving cooking liquid. Bring cooking liquid to a boil; cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 12 minutes). Stir in sugar and remaining ingredients. Stir in sweet potatoes; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated.

Yield: 6 servings (serving size: 1/2 cup)

CALORIES 142 (14% from fat); FAT 2.2g (sat 1.3g, mono 0.6g, poly 0.2g); IRON 0.7mg; CHOLESTEROL 5mg; CALCIUM 30mg; CARBOHYDRATE 29.8g; SODIUM 46mg; PROTEIN 1.5g; FIBER 2.7g

All I Want Is A Frickin' Drumroll...

Allllll-righty, my pets! Are you ready? Did you sleep last night, or did the excitement keep you up like a kid on Christmas Eve??

Okay, I know this isn't the Academy Awards, but I was SO EXCITED about running my first-ever giveaway. We had a total of 97 entries, isn't that cool?? Not bad for a newbie.

So, I went over to random.org and entered the numbers. I waited anxiously for the whole milisecond that it took to generate the number:


And then the number popped up!

And the winner is....


Number 17, which is AMANDA!!!! (*editor's note: I mistakenly wrote Andrea when this post first went live. My bad. Blech.)


Congratulations!!!!

Please send me your full name and address asap - watchmybuttshrink[at]gmail[dot]com. You've got 48 hours to respond, so hurry! Vitalicious will send your SuperSampler to you directly from their warehouse, so I will be sending your information to them.

Whew! All that giving away made me tired, lol.

And for those that didn't win, don't despair. I already have another giveaway idea, but I'll give you all a little time to recoup from this one.

In normal life news, I'm still working my mojo, and really hoping that this Friday shows a nice big loss to get me back in the game. I've already clocked in three workouts for this week, and I still have 3 days until weigh-in!

Have a great day, everyone!

P.S. Please excuse the cheesy web-cam pictures - I have no excuses for why I did them, but please - come back tomorrow!

P.P.S. My blog title is an obscure reference to what movie? Anyone? Hint: The actual movie quote makes reference to sharks and laser beams...

Well Hello, Mojo!

Happy Monday, Ladies and Gents! How was your weekend? Did it rain and snow like it did out here in the boonies of New Jersey? This picture is from Saturday. I swear I live in an alternate weather universe...

So I know all of you were pacing the floors and biting your nails down just waiting to find out how I did since I announced my "Back on the Wagon Plan". I'm very, very, very happy to report that I ROCKED it this weekend!

Friday was day one of my new plan of action. I was a good little tweeter and used twitter to post all my meals. I went to the gym while the kiddies napped (the Hubs was working from home, score!), worked out HARD....and it felt goooood. My arms were like rubber! I ♥ lifting weights.

Saturday we had a kiddie party for my 2 year old's birthday. And what does every kiddie party mean? (Cue the "Jaws" music...dun-dun. Dun-dun. Dun-dun-dun-Dun-DUN-DUN-DUN....)

CUPCAKES.
Please stop screaming, it's just a picture, it can't hurt you.

Yes, I made cupcakes for her party and I sat there at the party while everyone scarfed them down - I DID NOT TOUCH A ONE. No thanks! None for me! When we got home, I put three in the fridge for the girls and the Man, and threw the rest away. Amen!

Sunday was a quiet, rainy day at home. We had plans to go pumpkin picking, but Mother Nature's being a real b*tch lately with this weather. I'm hoping we can get there by next weekend - the kids have been looking forward to it. I did sneak out to the gym again yesterday while the girls were napping, and had another killer workout.

So, that's 3 days under my belt, peeps! My mojo is definitely back - I can feel it. I feel exactly like I did when I started this journey almost 6 months ago.

It's good to be back!!

P.S. - Today's the last day to enter my Vitalicious Giveaway! Comments are closed as of 8PM EDT tonight, so if you haven't entered yet, go now! Winner will be announced mañana!

A "Back On The Wagon" Plan

There comes a time in every weight loss blogger's life (with the exception of Jack Sh*t, who is an anomaly), when one must atone for one's sins, contemplate past transgressions, and decide whether to continue this journey or to let their blog (and weight loss) fade to black.

Well, have no fear, because there's no way I'm fadin', baby. It's time to get down to brass tacks. Time to restart, re-evaluate, and regain my momentum. It is time to kick some serious butt-shrinkin' ass!

So, first let's pay the piper. I got on the scale this morning, and friends, it was NOT pretty.

219.9
5.6 pounds up from my lowest weight.

Okay, big breath....

Okay, one more big breath....

Okay.

I'll be weighing in every Friday from now on. I like weekly weighings. The daily stuff was not working for me. And I think Friday is a good day - hopefully it will keep me motivated over the weekend.

Next, I tried to understand why I'm eating any and everything lately. I think I'm bored. I got a tweet yesterday that said:

LilGreenMama @JenniferNobile not trying to be flippant but try a hobby! something to keep your hands busy so you cant eat!

And she had a good point. It seems like my bingeing happens when the girls are napping. I don't eat a lot in front of them because I don't want them to see me pigging out. (Thank goodness, could you imagine if I ate like that ALL DAY?) Also, lately I've been sitting in front of the boob tube while they're asleep. Now, I like Dr. Oz a lot (his show yesterday was amazing), but he's not doing much for my butt if I scarf down cookies while he's on.

Finally, I realized I have some stuff in the house that's should not be here - cookies, specifically.

So, here is my "Gettin' Back on The Wagon" Plan:

1. I threw out all the junk that was in my house. All the cookies, and anything else I couldn't control myself with.

2. I wrote up a HUGE to-do list! Instead of sitting in front of the TV, I will take care of items on my list. I will continue to add new items to the list so I always have something to do besides eat.

3. I will "tweet before I eat"! Melissa mentioned she had seen others do this, and I like the idea. If anything, it will make me think twice before putting something in my mouth that I'm not supposed to.

On top of these steps, I just need to get my butt to the gym. I'm reading Jillian Michael's Winning by Losing, and she has some interesting workouts in there that I'd like to try. While I think she's a sell-out for hawking diet pills, I do think she knows how to help people lose weight, and her book has some good stuff in it. I've got her Master Your Metabolism book to read next.

Okay, it's day one again for me! My promise to myself and to you is that I will have three days of good eating and moving, so that come Monday, I will have a post full of positivity!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The 70 Pound Gorilla In The Room

You may have noticed I haven't mentioned my weight lately. That's because I haven't weighed myself in days. And THAT'S because I haven't been eating well, and I don't want to see how bad it really is. I'm guessing I'm up about 7 pounds from my lightest weight (which was 214.3 on 9/12).

Do I really think if I ignore it then it doesn't exist? I guess the childish part of my brain thinks so. But the rational, normal part of my brain knows that this behavior has got to stop. So, what's the hold up?

I wish I could tell you. I've posted my motivators up all over the house, I continue to buy healthy foods, but then I binged yesterday on anything that wasn't nailed down. WTF??

I'm not throwing in the towel, though. I am going to weigh in first thing tomorrow morning, and will report back here, good or bad. Cause I know you guys got my back, right? Today, I'm just working on keeping the binge monster in his cage. I know that having just one day of good eating can do wonders for my motivation and self-control.

I'm Vitalicious...and You Can Be Too! (GIVEAWAY!)

Hello my sweeties! I am so, so, so excited to bring you the very first...

Watch My Butt Shrink! GIVEAWAY!!!!

Last week I mentioned that one of my "go-to" meals was 2 VitaTops with PB2 on them. Several of you commented about the VitaTops, so I thought I would see if the nice folks at Vitalicious would be willing to giveaway some of their goodies....and they graciously agreed!!

CHECK OUT WHAT YOU CAN WIN:
The winner of this giveaway will receive the Vitalicious SUPERSAMPLER!!! (ooooo....ahhhhh....)

This awesome sampler pack includes:

Assortment of 100% natural chocolate muffin tops and brownies:
4 Low Fat VitaBrownies
2 Low Fat Chocolate Fig VitaTops
2 Low Fat Banana Nut VitaTops
2 Low Fat Double Chocolate Dream VitaTops
2 Low Fat Deep Chocolate VitaTops
2 Low Fat Fudgy Peanut Butter Chip VitaTops
2 Low Fat Golden Corn VitaTops
2 Low Fat CranBran VitaTops
2 Low Fat AppleBerry VitaTops
2 Low Fat MultiBran VitaTops
2 Low Fat BlueBran VitaTops

Isn't that cool?! You get to try pretty much all the flavors of VitaTops!

So, what do you have to do to win? Simply come to my house, do some light cleaning, play with my kids for 1/2 hour on the floor, write next week's blog posts....(hey, I can dream).

Seriously, all you need to do is leave a comment here, answering the following question:

What fashion fad do you wish would make a comeback? Yup, totally unrelated, but entertaining! (By the way, my answer is leg warmers!)

Want a 2nd chance to win? Write up a blog post about this giveaway, come back here and leave a separate comment with the link to your post.

Do you want a THIRD way to enter? Okay! Tweet about the giveaway, come back here and leave a separate comment with a link to your tweet. (My twitter handle is @jennifernobile)

So you have up to three tries to win this awesome package of goodies. Make sure you leave a separate comment for each entry (max of 3 entries per person). I will be checking all entries to make sure they are valid.

The winner will be chosen randomly using random.org to generate a number. All entries will be numbers in sequence in the order they are received. Giveaway is open to anyone!

All entries must be received no later than 8 P.M. EDT on Monday, October 19th. I will try to contact the winner via email if possible, but please check back here on Tuesday, 10/20 to see if you won. The winner will have 48 hours to respond - if I cannot contact the winner, then another random number will be chosen. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries received.

The folks of Vitalicious are donating the SuperSampler for this giveaway. I am not being compensated in anyway for doing this contest (pity). The package will be shipped directly from Vitalicious to the winner's address.

Whew! Okay, that's it! Have fun and good luck!

Award-a-palooza!

Two posts in one day! Don't worry, I won't make it a habit.

I've gotten several awards over the past couple of weeks, so I wanted to pay it forward with another addition of the GREAT BUTT SHRINKING BLOG AWARD!

Isn't she purty?

There are no "rules" for this award - just enjoy it! If you want to pass it on, be my guest! If you want to tell us 27 things about you using only colors and numbers - more power to ya! The only requirement is that you recognize that you've received this award because you ROCK!

Okay, here we go:

Chubby Chick! She get this award because according to her husband her butt really is shrinking! Plus she is just an awesome blogger.

Hadley! Hadley is a terrific writer - she writes from the heart, always has interesting posts, and gives great comment (rrrowww).

Kat! Besides being GORGEOUS, Kat has a great style and always has something interesting to say.

That's all I'm giving out today, folks. I've given out 23 GREAT BUTT SHRINKING BLOG AWARDS so far - I've got to pace myself or I'm gonna run out of blogs!!!

Hasta Manana - don't forget about the superlicious giveaway I'm having tomorrow!!!

6 Weeks, 6 Reasons, 1 Month of Regrets

There are roughly 6 weeks left before the Thanksgiving (our Canadian friends just celebrated theirs, eh!).

Since the week before Millionaire I have been waffling with my eating and exercise. Mmm...waffles... Just kiddin'. Seriously, it's been a good month since I've shown consistency with my plan. I've been eating crap more days than not, and getting to the gym about once a week.

::Hangs head in shame::

I have no excuses except to say I've lost my focus. Which is part of my mantra: FOCUS. PATIENCE. PERSEVERANCE.

• I've forgotten how awful I felt about myself before I started on this journey.
  
• I've forgotten how important it is for my kids that I do this - not only for their own relationships with food, but also so that that have me around for a long time.
  
• I've forgotten that we want to have another baby but I do not want to go through being preggo and 100 pounds overweight again.

So, in an effort to get my focus back, I have printed out the following list and will be pasting it everywhere: in my bedroom, on my desk, the fridge, the car. Anywhere where I may be tempted or in need of a reminder.

My Six Reasons Why I MUST Lose This Weight NOW:

1. I want my two girls to grow up to be women who love their bodies and love themselves. I want them to remember me as their fun, active mom who gave them healthy food and taught them how to eat the right way.

2. I want to be around long enough to see my grandchildren get married.

3. I want to become less dependent on my asthma medications, so I can breathe easy without having to take steroids every single day.

4. I want to influence my family to get healthy too. I want my parents to be around long enough to see their grandchildren get married.

5. I want to stop cutting myself short because of my weight. I want to stop thinking that every slight, every negative situation, every time something doesn't go my way is because I am fat. I want to give myself credit where credit is due, but I can't do that now because I feel like I've failed in life because I gained so much weight.

6. I want to be a HOT MOM!!! I want to wear whatever I want, I want to be sexy for once in my life.

In other news....I'll be posting again this afternoon with some GREAT BUTT SHRINKING BLOG AWARD action!

PLUS...get ready for a super-duper giveaway to be announced tomorrow!! It's my first giveaway, and it's gonna be good!! Vitalicious, you might even say....hint, hint.