New Year's Resolutions? Yeah, I got 'em.

I'm a resolution-maker, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. It's not like I say in August, "Oh man, I really should stop drinking a bottle of wine a night...well, I'll wait until New Year's to stop!"

Hmmm...but if I really did start drinking a bottle a night I might be less stressed....

Oops, where was I? Oh, I was explaining how I don't use resolutions as an excuse to stall on changing bad habits. I do use New Year's as a time to reflect on the past and focus on what I'd like to achieve in the future. Sort of like an end-of-year town hall meeting for the business of my life, lol.

I read a great post by Brenda at "B Fit By 40", where she explained that instead of resolutions, she chooses a word to describe how she'd like the impending new year to be. So, I've tied both her word idea and my resolutions together, and in the spirit of blogginess, I decided to share it all with you.

My word for 2010 is:

TIGHT

Yup. Okay, let me explain. Urban dictionary lists one of the meanings of tight as, "3. Stylish, cool, having everything together." (Don't make me tell you what some of the other meanings were!)

Tight for 2010 means:

1. A tight (fit) body. I gotta get'er done, people. 2009 was a good start, but I'm not even half-way to my goal, and this chickadee ain't getting any younger. I know what I need to do - I just have to DO IT.

2. A tight budget. My spending matches my eating habits, and I've got to learn to go on a wallet-diet as well as a food diet. That means no more credit cards, and making do with less.

3. Running a tight ship at home and with my business. My house is a mess, plain and simple. There's stuff everywhere, and we just can't live like this anymore. I've got to organize and get things under control. Same with my business - I'm so BAD at keeping my books. I couldn't tell you how much money I made this year, because I just don't keep track. That's got to change.

My last resolution doesn't really fit the tight description. If I am blessed with another baby this year, I am resolved to have a HEALTHY pregnancy. I want to have one baby that is under 9 pounds! Seriously, if I'm lucky enough to get pregnant again, I really want to keep my weight gain under control with a healthy diet and exercise.

Oh, I also made a pact with my husband that 2010 will be "The Year Without Fast Food". We vowed to stay away from all restaurants with drive-thru's and paper wrappers around their food. We've included Chinese food in this pact, but not pizza.

Look for the counter on the left hand-side of my blog tomorrow that will keep track of the "Days without Fast Food" - sort of like the "accident free days" tracker they had at Caldor when I worked there in the 80's.


Oh the stories I could tell about that place...

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To all of you wonderful, beautiful, sweet and amazing readers: I wish you all an INCREDIBLE 2010. May your dreams come true, your goals be realized, and your hearts be filled with joy and love.

Happy New Year!

New butt shrinking fun, coming in 2010!

Hi gang! How's your final week of 2009 going? I am overwhelmed by the amount of toys my house has accumulated, along with the turf wars going on between my girls. I've resorted to threatening to send it all back to the North Pole...

Check this mess out:

Hello, Toys R Us would like their train aisle back!

The end of the year always causes me to reflect on the past months and think about where I'd like to go into the next year. Today I'm thinking about this blog, and about you, dear readers! If you had told me back in May that I would have thousands of people reading my blog by the end of 2009, I probably would have done a classic "spit take" with my glass of Slim-fast. (Which I'm not drinking anymore, by the way. Have you heard about the recall?)

So, here's what I plan to offer you in 2010...

1. More recipes! I'm giving myself a goal of one recipe a week, which I will photograph and present with my personal review.

2. More giveaways! Man, I LOVE giveaways! I'm hoping to do at least one a month in 2010! Whoo-hoo!

3. More weight loss! Yup, goes without saying...

4. Success stories! Everyone loves a good success story, and I'd like to start highlighting others out there that have won the battle.

5. More product reviews! Most of my reviews are done on my own - I find something I like and I share it with you guys. But, I may present products that have been sent to me, and if I do, I promise to be forthcoming and honest.

With all of the above, I'd like to sprinkle more of my everyday life in there as well. I sometimes do not post a story because it's not "weight loss related", but I think you guys can handle some off-topic posts, right?

So, that's it! If there's anything else you'd like to see on this blog, just let me know! I'm here to please (that's what she said, heh heh).

OH - I started up a Facebook fan page for this blog, so if you'd like to follow along, just click here!

Peace out, peeps!

My top weight loss tips

3 Days til the New Year! I cannot believe how fast this year went by.

I was thinking about my weight loss journey and thought I'd share with you guys the things that I feel really helped me lose weight this year. Now, weight loss is a very personal thing and I don't suggest that these tips will work for everyone. But - you never know!

1. Find some "go-to" meals and stick with them. I find that when I have too many choices, I tend to overeat. But when I stick with one or two breakfast choices and one or two lunch choices, I tend to stay on track. For me, my breakfast choices are either 2 VitaTops with PB2 or an egg sandwich made with 1 whole egg plus 2 egg whites on an Arnold Deli Flat with some Laughing Cow cheese. Lunch is usually deli turkey on a wrap with hummus and spinach or a Lean Cuisine pizza.
2. Plan out some snacks. I'm not a 3-squares-per-day girl. I need my nibbles between meals, so I tend to make my main meals a bit smaller so I can fit in some snacks throughout the day. Breakfast is my biggest meal, around 400 calories, then I have a small snack mid-morning, followed by lunch, which is usually around 300 calories. I have another small snack in the afternoon, then dinner is about 400 calories again. Sometimes I have a treat after dinner, especially if my meals have been light in calories throughout the day.
3. Don't keep wearing your "fat" clothes. Wearing clothes that are a bit tight is a GREAT reminder to me to stay on track. When I start wearing my sweats and baggy shirts it becomes way too easy to overeat. Try to get some clothes that fit as soon as you can. Even if they are just a bit tight - it's harder to eat an extra helping of pasta when your waistband is digging into your belly!
4. Try to eat protein at every meal. Protein is great for making you feel satisfied and keeping hunger at bay. Try to have a bit of protein with each meal and snack, and you'll be less likely to be hungry in between. Some examples include: some hummus with crackers or veggies, some yogurt with some fruit or granola, some cheese or peanut butter with apple slices.
5. Exercise sucks, but you gotta do it. I hate to exercise, but I can feel a big difference in my body and mind when I don't do it. Exercise keeps you focused on your goals, and tones up your muscles. It makes you feel like you can do anything, which is important because losing weight is HARD. You need to keep yourself strong and positive as you go through this journey, and exercise is a great way to do that.
6. Lose the "all or nothing" attitude. This one is hard for me, and is something I will have to work on for a long time to come. So, you had a cookie for breakfast. So what? Does that mean you should have a Big Mac for lunch and brownies for dinner because you "screwed up"? Hellz no! For the longest time I felt like a stupid loser if I ate something that wasn't the best choice, and those feelings led to eating like crap for hours or even days afterward. I'm retraining my mind to stop this madness!!! One cookie is not going to break your weight loss efforts. Just move on, make a good choice at your next meal, and give yourself a break.
7. On the other hand, don't give yourself too much slack. I haven't weighed myself since before Christmas, because I've been eating terribly for days. But, just because I don't step on the scale doesn't mean that extra weight isn't there. Keep accountable to yourself, and maintain your weigh-ins. Make good choices because you want to treat yourself well, and if you screw up, try to understand why. These are two things I have to work on in the coming year as well.
8. Keep it simple! If you want to maintain your weight loss, you have to develop a plan that you can do forever. For. ev. er. That means it has to be simple and sustainable. When I first started this journey I signed up for a local gym. And I went, about 3 days a week - at night after my husband got home from work. That meant I was working out until about 8PM, then taking a shower and eating dinner at 9PM. It wasn't working for me. So, now I'm going to do my workouts at home. This way, I can eat my meals at normal hours and still help get my kids to bed.
9. Remember your motivation. Everyone had a reason to start losing weight - that one thing that pushed you into taking action. Don't ever lose that motivator! Write it down, post it on your wall, in the bathroom, in your wallet, where ever and when ever you need to see it. When you find yourself straying from your plan, focus on your motivator and find that feeling you had when you first started. It will help pull you back in and get you moving in the right direction again.
   

So, what are your top tips for losing weight? I'd love to hear what works for you!

Photo source

Stick a fork in me, because I'm done.

Holy holidays, Batman! What a whirlwind of a week. It was fun and exhausting - and fattening. Oh, so fattening...

So as you may remember I decided to make bread to give as gifts to some friends and family members. My thinking was a. - no cookies in the house to tempt me, and b. - it would be easier than making dozens of cookies. Sheah, right! When reading the recipe I somehow failed to see the steps that called for kneading the dough for 10 MINUTES, and then having to let it rise for 2 1/2 hours!

If you need to get in an upper body workout, making bread is a great way to do it, let me tell you. My shoulders, upper back, stomach and triceps hurt for days. Well, I did make 6 LOAVES of bread in 3 DAYS, so that could have been why I was so sore. It was good bread, don't get me wrong, but I will never try to make so much bread in so little time.

OH, and remember when Overstock screwed up with the main present I ordered for the girls? Well, guess what showed up unannounced two days before Christmas? Yup! I don't know if it was my rant on this blog or just an act of fate, but I must announce to the world that Overstock came through in the end. My girls LOVED their scooters:



Overall we had a terrific Christmas - got to visit with both sets of parents, plus a visit with my cousins. The girls had a BALL, and everyone was so very generous. My hubby surprised me with a new telephoto lens for my camera, too - which means I hope to take some great pictures in the new year!

Yeah, so I'm avoiding the whole reason why I write this blog, which is my eating and exercise habits....which all went down the tubes this past week. I wound up baking and eating a batch of cookies (for Santa, wink-wink), and happily indulged on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and beyond. And exercise? See the paragraph above about my bread baking escapades, cause that's all I did.

On the plus side I did order a Wii Fit Plus for myself, which should arrive soon. I am also planning on a good day of eating, which will include a sugar detox and as many fruits and veggies as I can get! I can feel the difference just by eating poorly this one week - I'm sluggish and bloated, I've got indigestion, and I just feel....icky.

I'm not getting on the scale until Thursday - at least I'll have a fighting chance to get a decent number if I can keep off the sugar and fat from now until then!

Retro Butt Shrinkin': The Woman In The Mirror Is Not Me

Yeah, so - I'm not weighing in today. My eating's been out. of. control. So, I'm going to enjoy the holiday, then get back in the game. This will be my last post until Monday. For all my readers that are celebrating this week - a very Merry Christmas to you! Have fun and stay safe. I'll "see" you all next week! In the meantime, here's another favorite post:

The Woman In The Mirror Is Not Me

Sometimes, when I look in the mirror, I feel like I'm looking at a stranger. I know it's me, but the image I see is so new and different. I'm always shocked for just a quick second when I look at my reflection. I'm still not used to seeing the outline of my jaw and the sculpting of my cheekbones.

I look into my eyes and there's a sparkle that's been missing for a long time. I have hope, I have confidence, I have a look of determination. That look in my eyes makes me smile, and I see how far I've come already, not just with weight loss, but in self acceptance.

I've had sort of a revelation recently, an "aha!" moment: I accept and love myself as I am right now. I don't think I've ever felt this way about myself! But if I were to stay at this current weight for the rest of my life, I would honestly be okay with it. I would like to be thinner because I think it's healthier for me, but I accept and love myself at the weight I am right at this moment.

This is such an incredible breakthrough for me, because for almost my whole life, I didn't like myself very much. I was insecure, unsure and embarrassed because of my weight. It affected not only my outward appearance, but how I thought of myself as a person. I started to put myself down, tell myself I was no good, that I didn't deserve anything positive or fun because I was fat!

I know some of you might feel this way. It's not easy to stop putting yourself down once you start. As women, I think we're taught to be self-deprecating. If we are proud of ourselves and our achievements, we're conceited or self-centered. But that's just not true! Be your own best friend - each and every one of us is so much more than just our outer appearance. I have met so many warm, caring, funny, intelligent, thoughtful and insightful people in the blogging world, and I've never even met you all in person! I can just imagine how fun and wonderful you all must be.

Sorry if this sounds a little preachy. My heart hurts when I hear people putting themselves down, because I know exactly how they feel, and I wish there was something I could do to make them feel better. All I can say is try to learn to love yourself RIGHT NOW, and things will only get better from here on out!

Photo courtesy of Luana Ribeiro via flickr.

Retro Butt Shrinkin': You Like Me! Do You? Really?

Yet another installment of "Retro Butt Shrinkin'", some of my favorite posts that have appeared on this blog over the past year. Today I'm most likely cleaning my house like a madwoman, while I continue to bake that $?*&#!@ bread - why, oh why did I think that making bread from scratch would be EASIER than making cookies? Well, while I toil away, enjoy this post from the past:

You Like Me! Do You? Really?

For a long time I thought that I was fat just because I ate too much. And I am, in a way. But after years of reading up on weight and following my own intuition, I know it's much more than just the food.

I was watching Oprah one day (before my kids took over the TV). I think it was the episode where she was discussing how and why she gained back the weight. And she explained that it was because her life was out of balance, so she was stressed out and started eating. She also said that there is always a reason - there is something going on emotionally that causes someone to overeat. Its never just about the food.

Ever since watching that show, I've thought about my reasons. Why am I 100 pounds overweight? Why did I let myself get this heavy? Here's what I've come up with so far:

• I'm a person who strives for approval. I always want everyone to like me, and when they don't I get upset. Food provided comfort at times when I didn't get the approval I was looking for.
• At one point in my life I was extremely depressed. During this time, I gained close to 50 pounds. Although I am no longer depressed, I incorporated those bad habits into my life, and have not replaced them with better habits.

I really have to work on the approval thing. I'm always afraid that someone is mad at me, isn't that strange? I want to learn how to not care too much how others think of me. I mean, if I did something to hurt someone, then they should tell me, but I think I'm a pretty nice person most of the time, so I don't think I hurt people very often!

It's a constant struggle to manage all the emotions and feelings that go along with being overweight. But I know that I must deal with these things in addition to the diet and exercise if I want to make this time the LAST time I lose weight.

Retro Butt Shrinkin': Skinny People Just Don't Understand

At this very moment I'm probably hip-deep in wrapping paper while simultaneously baking bread from scratch and making sure my kids don't "redecorate" the Christmas tree. So while I multitask, here's a post that first "aired" in May of this year...

Skinny People Just Don't Understand

I'm talking about people who were born skinny. You know the ones: "Oh, I can eat whatever I want - I can't seem to keep the weight on." The ones you watch walk away after that statement and fight back the urge to break their skinny little legs. Okay, most of them are very nice people, but they just don't get the whole fat thing.

I have skinny friends who eat like birds and then say to me, "You don't need to lose weight." Come on!! I may be fat but I'm not stupid. I know they don't want to say, "Hey Jenn, lookin' rotund today!" but you don't have to lie - just say something like, "You have nice eyes" or "How 'bout those Yankees?"

My husband is a skinny person - always has been, always will be. I love him to death - he is a kind, loving man who married me for ME, and never cared about my weight. He's never teased me or made me feel less than beautiful in his eyes. But on the occasions where we talk about it, he's said that he really doesn't get why I can't stop eating. He says, "Why can't you just stop? Just don't eat the bad stuff and don't eat too much of the good stuff." So I explain how food is an addiction, and that it's not really about the food. I *think* he gets it.

So if there are any skinny people out there reading this, please don't take offense. I know you mean well! But you just don't understand.

My poor husband

This is my wonderful man with the girls, last Christmas...

Wow, where the heck did that weekend go, people? My weekend was made up of mostly:

Oh wow, there's a huge storm coming!
Oh boy, better get what we need today, there's a huge storm coming!
Okay, let's go, where is this huge storm?
It's snowing! It's snowing!
5 inches? Meh.

We took the girls out in the snow yesterday, but it was blustery and the snow is that fine, powdery stuff that is probably great for skiing, but not as much fun for playing...

Meanwhile, I've been on a hormonal and emotional roller coaster this weekend, thanks to Aunt Flow coming to town (and she didn't even bring Christmas presents!). Man, what a wreck I am! Of course, I tried to dull the effects of my hormones with cookies - didn't work, lol. I did take a nap yesterday while the kids slept, which was veeery nice. And my poor husband has been baring the brunt of my extreme mood swings, I'm sorry to say.

Hmmm...what else? TMI ALERT: My little one pooped in the bathtub while the girls were bathing Saturday night! My super husband cleaned it out, because I just couldn't deal! I made him throw out half their bath toys - good thing Santa is bringing them new ones, lol! Seriously, that was SO GROSS!

So what are your plans for the holiday this week (if you celebrate)? We are going to my parent's house on Christmas Eve, where we will have the traditional Italian dinner of seafood. We don't do the "7 fishes", because no one in my family eats fish much. Instead we have LOTS of shrimp, fried calamari, and my brother has macaroni and cheese because he doesn't eat any fish.

On Christmas Day we're hosting my in-laws, and I'm making a ham, along with potatoes, asparagus, butternut squash and corn pudding. Should be yummy! I'm thankful we can stay home on Christmas Day - last year we went to both grandparents' houses, and it was very tiring.

I'll be mostly MIA this week, as we prepare for Thursday and Friday. I'll post some favorite "retro" posts from earlier in the year, and I'll check in on Thursday morning for this week's weigh-in. I hope you all have a great week!

Weigh-in day: An Early Guest

Hello, happy Friday, and happy one week until Christmas! I think I'm finally done with gift shopping - now comes wrapping, wrapping, wrapping....

Today's weight: 215.6

Last weight: 216.3

Loss: -0.7

Meh.

My lack of lossage is due to a surprise guest - Aunt Flow. Not only is she not welcome around these parts right now, but she decided to show up 2 days early, just to rub it in.

Double meh.

My "eat like you're pregnant" plan is going pretty well, although there are improvements to be made. I have been indulging a bit here and there - an extra cup of coffee, or a few bits of chocolate...gotta work on that.

There are three cream puffs in my fridge, left over from a batch I made for my husband's pot luck at work today. I'm very glad I didn't make four - but today I will be focused on not pilfering one before my family eats them after dinner.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Holiday plans, and a rant...

(This is a picture from last Christmas - my big girl's first gingerbread house!)

Happy Thursday, chickadees! One week until Christmas Eve, and I am in full-on panic mode, lol! Got my Christmas cards done last night, so I can cross that off my list. My very. long. list. But, most of it is fun, so I'm enjoying the craziness!

I'm going to start with my RANT, because I am still steaming about this...

About a week and a half ago, I saw a tweet from Overstock.com about these cute scooters that I thought would be perfect for my girls. They are sit-on scooters that they power by moving the steering wheel back and forth (no pedals). I thought they would make a great "big" present for the girls, and I hopped over to Overstock to get two of them. I had visions of the scooters under the tree with big bows on them, and the girls racing each other all over the house...

So, I placed my order, and the next day I got an email saying that it shipped, with a tracking number from UPS. Scheduled delivery date was 12/16. And so, I waited....

Flash-forward to yesterday - no scooters. I go online and click on the tracking info - all it says is, "billing information received". Yeah, you can see where this is going. I emailed Overstock, and asked what was going on. I get an email this morning saying there was an "error in their inventory systems" and that they do not have the scooters. They were "happy" to give me a refund for my order plus a $5 credit for my next purchase. I told them they can take their credit and stick it where the sun doesn't shine, 'cause that was the last time I ordered with them!

Here's what gets me - if I didn't email them, were they EVER going to tell me they had an problem? Or would I have been sitting here on Christmas Eve wondering where the scooters were? Now, I have a week to find something else for the girls. I know this isn't what Christmas is really about, but I was so excited to have a "wow" present under the tree for them, you know?

OK - rant over!

I've been thinking about the next couple of weeks in regard to weight loss and this blog. Here's what I came up with:

I will weigh-in tomorrow as usual, and then I will weigh-in again next Thursday, because I know I'm going to be doing some damage on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. From next Thursday through the rest of the year my plan is to maintain whatever weight I am until the new year. If I lose between Christmas and New Year's, I'd jump for joy, but I mainly just want to stay the same.

I will weigh in again on the Sunday after New Year's (the 3rd), and then resume my Friday weigh-in's from then on.

Also, from Christmas Eve through New Year's Day, I will be posting some "best of" posts - the ones from the past year that got a great response from you guys, or ones that I am particularly fond of. I will be checking in on all your blogs during that time, but I'll be taking a break from writing so I can spend time with family and friends.

Sorry for the super long post today! I'll be back tomorrow with my weigh-in - will I hit my new low number?? We shall see....

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Holidays!

From my family to yours -
a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

No cookies for you!

For those of you who are Seinfeld fans, I am channeling the Soup Nazi today!

NO COOKIES FOR YOU!

As I was reading blogs today I realized that I just cannot bake a bunch of cookies this year. I don't have it in me to make dozens of tasty treats and not eat them. I know me, and I know how strong my resolve is right now. It's just not happening.

I am planning on making bread to give as a gift for some friends, but it's hard to "sample" a loaf, you know? A bite mark in the corner would look a little suspicious, lol. So the bread-making is safe (plus the recipe I'm making is actually pretty good calorie-wise).

I'm okay with the no cookie policy. I will bake a small batch early next week for my girls to leave out for Santa, but I'm planning on cutting down the recipe so it only makes a dozen or so. This way, the girls and my husband can have a treat, and the rest will be for Santa. They'll never even miss the usual pile of cookies I have this time of year.

What about you? Are you revising any of your holiday traditions to fit in with your healthy lifestyle?

I'm gonna go with half full...

So, the "100% weekend challenge" is over. Major props and thank you to my girls Coley and Amanda for all their support this weekend. We were textin' fools! Be sure to check in on their blogs to see how they did. It was tough for me to eat 100% on plan all weekend, and well...

I didn't make it.

Let me back up a bit to Friday - what a great time the hubs and I had in NYC! We had the mostly delicious, so-not-diet-friendly dinner at The Palm (which will never happen again because ohmygod it was so damn expensive). It was frickin' freezing out that night, so luckily the theater was right across the street.

Wicked was a great show! Not the best I've seen, but very good. The 1st half was MUCH better than the 2nd. The Gershwin Theater? Massive FAIL. For several reasons:

1. Charging $6 to check a coat! 6 DOLLARS for a hanger? Really?
2. EIGHT BUCKS for a bottle of water!!
3. It was SO hot in the theater, it was distracting. I know it was cold out, but don't they realize people will be wearing warm clothes (and holding their coats because NO ONE paid six bucks for coat check)??

Okay, so after that night, I rocked Saturday. We stayed over my parents' house, which can be a huge issue for me, but I had just a small serving of scrambled eggs and two small pancakes for breakfast. The rest of the day was on plan and I was feeling gooood.

Yesterday I had a gift show for my jewelry business. Like a good little butt-shrinker, I had made a healthy lunch and snacks to take with me. But, I left the house in a sleepy haze at 6:15 AM, and forgot my food. DOH! Plus, my little girl decided to wake up early, and she was NOT happy to see me leaving, which made me feel anxious and guilty. You see where this is headed...

Breakfast yesterday was Dunkin Donuts (and I do mean "donuts"), and lunch was a cheeseburger and fries. I did chill with the eating the rest of the day.

So, as I thought about the weekend, I decided I could either beat myself up about this, or I could see what I did RIGHT this weekend. Glass half full, right?

• I had a great day on Saturday, and resisted the sausage and syrup at breakfast. I also resisted the urge to get a large Pumpkin Spice latte while out Christmas shopping, and instead got a small latte with skim milk and NO sugar!

• I stopped the madness yesterday when I got home from the jewelry show, and ate well for the rest of the day.

• 50% is better than 0%!

And so today I start the week feeling confident that I can continue to have 100% days from now until Friday. I'm hoping that this is the week I hit a new low number (finally!). I was 214.3 back in September - here's hoping I weigh in at 214.2 this week!

Photo Source

100%, 1.5, and doubling-down

Ahhhh....Friday. It is a very, very chilly Friday here in NJ - 15 degrees this morning!!!

So, I know you are all DYING to know how Coley and I did in our "Just One Day" challenge. We pledged to each other that we would have just one day (yesterday) of being on plan 100%. We emailed and texted each other throughout the day.


I'm pleased to report that WE DID IT!!! We both stayed on plan 100% for the day!!! And for that, the scale goddess was very kind to me. Check it:

Today's weight: 216.3

Last weight: 217.8

Loss: -1.5

YES! Even with all the crap I ate earlier in the week, I managed to eek out a 1.5 pound loss this week!

So now we get into the nitty-gritty, the nemesis of all dieters: THE WEEKEND

Photo source: burnt out impurities

Coley has agreed to go into the weekend with me with a plan of staying on track 100%. It's gonna be hard for both of us - she's got a bunch of birthday parties, I'm going to be at my parents' house for part of the time, plus I have another gift show for Katie's Charms. We've pledged to continue to email and text each other throughout the weekend to make sure we're on track.

So, are you with us? Care to double-down and have a 100% on plan weekend? Just think how great we'll feel on Monday - and how we can use that momentum to have a great weigh-in next week!

Come back on Monday to find out how we did - and let me know if you had a 100% weekend as well!

Plan in action...

Excuse the look on my face here - I was going for "gritty and determined", but it looks more like "constipated".

So the "Just One Day" plan is in full effect! It is 2PM here in NJ, and so far I'm 100% on track!

• Breakfast was a slice of homemade low-fat pumpkin bread, a bit of 2% greek yogurt and 1/2 an apple, plus coffee with a splash of cream.

• Snack was 2-60 calorie cheese sticks.

• Lunch was a Joseph's Lavash wrap with turkey, hummus and spinach, with a side of Food Should Taste Good Sweet Potato chips.

Now, I'm entering the critical time of day - nap time. While my kids nap, I tend to snack. And sit in front of the computer. But today, I'm going to keep myself busy - I've got new beads to take pictures of for my eBay store, Christmas cards to send out - plenty of things to keep me from rummaging through the cupboards.

Coley has been awesome - we both went to the mall today, so we were texting each other during our travels. We both bypassed Starbucks, and came home for lunch instead of eating at the mall. Success!

Tomorrow I'll report on the rest of the day, plus it's my weigh-in day (dun-dun-duunnnn). My hubby is taking me to NYC to see Wicked tomorrow night! Plus, we're having dinner at The Palm (thank you, Millionaire!), so I'll be indulging a bit tomorrow night. BUT...

I'm thinking of doubling-down on the Just One Day theme, and doing a "Just One Weekend" challenge for myself. I would be pleased-as-punch if I got through a whole weekend without overeating or eating poor choices....can it be done?

Just one day

Okay, don't be hatin' on my make-up free face and slick hairstyle - it's a snow day, peeps!

I made a deal with my girl Coley that we would help each other have just one day of greatness. One day where we are 100% on plan. We made a pact to encourage each other and report our progress throughout the day via email to make sure we both stay on course.

It's come down to this. I need just one 100% day to get myself back on the track. Each day I start off with good intentions and then one thing leads to another...I think most of you can sympathize. But if I could have just one day under my belt, then that would give me the motivation and support to maybe make it two days in a row...

Tomorrow, Thursday, is that day. Today, I'm doing okay - my portion for breakfast was a bit large, but so far I've been keeping the unnecessary snacking in check. Today I'm holding on, but tomorrow will be the day.

Just one day...

Oh, and P.S. - if you're not reading Coley's blog yet, please do so - she rocks! :-)

Just another manic (overeating) Monday...

What is it with me and Mondays? For the past few weeks, I've noticed a disturbing pattern:

I eat like crap on Mondays.

Yesterday, I wound up in the McDonald's drive-thru for lunch, and snacked until dinner.

Why Mondays? I don't know - maybe I miss my husband? Sad that the weekend is over? Bored? Who knows...whatever it is, it is mostly frustrating.

This is gonna be short and sweet today, because I'm just flat out mad at myself, and honestly don't have much more to say! I shall use my usual writing time to catch up on your blogs.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Ho-ho-ho, Happy Monday, everyone! My family and I are neck-high in the Christmas spirit today! We spent the whole weekend doing holiday stuff. This is the first year my kids are really aware and excited about Christmas - it is so fun to experience it all with them.

Friday my hubby had the day off and we took the kids into NYC to see the tree and FAO Schwartz.

A huge snowflake over 5th Avenue

I can't believe how good my kids were that night. Even when we had to wait 45 minutes for our dinner, they were just happy and calm. I may or may not have had a patty melt with the most delicious french fries that night. But, we did do quite a bit of walking, so I call it a wash, lol.

Playing the big piano at FAO

Me and my mom with the girls

It was the perfect night in the city. The crowds were there, but not as bad as they could have been. It was slightly chilly but not uncomfortable, and the tree looked amazing.

Saturday was a snow day! We got half our lights up outside before the snow came. What was supposed to be 1 to 3 inches turned into 5 inches of the white stuff! We spent the rest of the day putting up our indoor decorations and watching movies with the kids.

Yesterday was a gorgeous day again - chilly, but the sun was out and everything was covered in snow. It was a perfect day to get our tree. We went to a local Christmas tree farm and cut down our tree. The girls LOVED it - such a fun day!

My food choices were okay this weekend - I did indulge a bit, but kept it under control, and a little scale preview shows me about the same as Friday, so I'm happy. Today I'm planning on a home workout - I might pull out my old P90 DVD and give it a shot.

Oh - an update on my friend and her little baby boy. They are both doing well! Little Thomas is still in the NICU and will probably be there for at least the rest of the month. But, he's doing everything he's supposed to be doing, and my friend gets to snuggle with him every day. Thank you to everyone who prayed and sent good thoughts their way.

Have a great one!

Weigh-in day: to be expected

Happy Friday, folks! Hope everyone is plowing through their holiday shopping and sticking to their diet and exercise plans!

Today's weight: 217.8

Last weight: 218.4 (on Monday)

Loss: -0.6

Considering Monday was a terrible eating day, I think 1/2 pound loss in 3 days is respectable. Of course, I'm still 3.5 pounds away from my lowest weight.

The "eat like I'm pregnant" plan is going well so far. I'm still eating the Clif bars for snacks, just because I have a few left and I don't want to waste them. They're not "bad" for me, just not the best thing I could be eating, but I only have a couple left so by Monday I'll be rid of them.

We're taking the kids to see the tree in NYC today, plus a stop at FAO Schwarz - should be lots of fun. It's their first time, and my 3 1/2 year old is SO into Christmas this year, so this should be something she'll remember for a while!

I hope you all have a fantabulous weekend! Make sure to get some rest, drink lots of water and be kind to yourself!