Well, I know it's been a few weeks since I've contributed to our blog, so I decided I need to put in my two cents!  Jen and I finally made time to get up early and work out in the morning before work on Wednesday.  Because of our schedules (we both work weird starting times at least a few days a week), it's hard for us to actually get up and work out together first thing in the morning.  But, we did it this week.  We worked out to the Cardio Max DVD, and let me tell you, that will kick your butt if you're as fat as we are!!  My legs were burning and sore for two days, and I even made sure to drink more water than usual...Bob is a maniac with those darn squats and lunges!!!  Is he crazy!?!?

 

Anyway, I felt really good about actually getting going with our workouts.  Now, if we could just make it a daily thing!  I really hope that everyone reading our blog each week doesn't think we're giving up; we're not.  We just need to re-capture that momentum we had early on.  It's been tough, but I guess that's what we're always going to have to deal with; life!!  Interruptions and weird schedules are just a part of our everyday lives, and if we can't figure them out now, we're not going to get any closer to our goals, and that's not acceptable.

 

Next week, we're going to try really hard to get up every morning and work out before work.  I'm hoping we'll have positive progress to report.  I haven't been updating my "ticker" because I haven't been losing.  It's depressing, but true.  So, I tend to run back to the avoidance that's been a hallmark of my weight problems all along.    If I ignore it, it isn't really true....ever been there??

 

I've been trying to get in enough calories without getting too many, but let me tell you, that's been a struggle, too.  Some days I just don't feel like eating, but I know I have to, so I eat yogurt and soup and salad or a quick dinner.  But I know something's not adding up.  I hate knowing what to do, but not how to do it!!  Jen's been doing okay with her diet, too.  She eats a lot more salads than I do, and she tries really hard to take the right kinds of foods to get in her calories during the day without going over.  I'm really proud of her.  One of these days, she's going to blow me out of the water, and I can't wait for her to succeed!

 

I'm still waiting to hear about the job.  I called the contact person back on Thursday and left her a follow-up message, so we'll see.  In the meantime, I'm just thankful to have my job when so many people are struggling to find or keep a job.  I'm just trying to stay positive.  There's just so much going on in my head right now.  Sometimes, I'm not sure if I'm mentally prepared to do this, but I need to keep reminding myself that there's no time like the present and that if I'm not ready now, I'm never going to be, because life doesn't stop going on just because I'm not prepared!  : )  Well, hopefully, I'll have positive things to report next week once Jen and I actually start working out each day to the DVDs!!  Keep us in your thoughts; we could use the encouragement this week!

Well, I am very excited right now!  Jess and I are going home to Nebraska.  That is where I am originally from.  My granny is turning 75 in just a few short weeks.  We are having a HUGE party for her.  I try to go home every year, but it doesn't always turn out that way.  We just bought our tickets today, so it is really starting to sink in that I am going to get to see my family and friends.  Jess and I have been trying really hard to make healthy choices as far as eating goes.  I am just afraid that when we are in Nebraska, we will forget about the eating healthy.  Hopefully my family and friends wil support our choices.  Anyhow, I think that I am off to bed right now.  Tomorrow, I definatly have some more things that I want to share though... 

Well were to start...  Well, I thnk the last time that Jess wrote in our blog she talked about how I hurt my back.  Well, I doesn't seem to be getting any better quite yet.  On an exciting note however, i can walk again.  I think Jess informed you all about how I hurt my legs at physical therapy.  Well my legs have healed.  Thank God!  About my back though, sometimes I think that I will never get better.  I am going to see my doctor again on Thursday, so I will see what she has to say.  Sometimes  think that if I can only lose some weight that maybe that may also help my back.  I am REALLY stuggling righ now with the weight lose.  Not to long ago, I found out that I have an underactive thyroid.  Sure I am being treated for it, but it is making it extreamly hard to lose weight.  So, tomorrow is the start of a new week.  For me that means that I can start new.  I am going to try so hard to just get back on track.  I think tomorrow morning I am going to work out to "Cardio Max", one of the dvd"s from the biggest loser.  I thnk working out with Bob will be a GREAT way to start out my day.  I will keep you all updated...  Right now, I am off to bed to get some rest...  Talk to you more tomorrow...

 

 

 

We're checking in to report a few developments in our life this week.  About a month ago, Jen was diagnosed with a rhomboid strain in her mid-back.  (For those of you who don't have a clue what I'm talking about, the rhomboids are a set of muscles that connect the inside edge of your shoulder blade to your spinal cord and help you pull things toward you when you stretch out your arms.)  So, since she's been injured, she can't lift the weights she wants so badly to get started on.  Also, she's been in physical therapy twice a week.  This Thursday, the therapists had her pushing and pulling a loaded sled-like cart, and instead of helping her back, she's hurt her legs.  Now, her thigh muscles are so sore, she can hardly stand and sit without pain.  They're stiff and tight, and it's painful to walk, go up and down stairs, and even stand up straight.  We're hoping that some light work on the elliptical machine will stretch out the muscles and get rid of the stiffness, so we're going to try that tomorrow.  In the meantime, I've been massaging her legs at night before we go to bed. 

 

In other news, I found out on Thursday that my sister is having a baby girl!  We knew she was due July 3rd, but we didn't know the gender until now!  So, this new baby will make the 5th grandchild, and the first girl!  This same sister has 2 older boys (8 & 6), and my other sister has 2 boys (2 1/2 & 2 months).  I can't wait to meet her!

 

Also this week, I interviewed for a new job.  It would be a regional HR position, and the salary would be significantly more than I'm currently making, so that would be a huge opportunity; not just for the better money, but for the job itself.  I've missed the "general" HR stuff; you can only learn so much about benefits!  : )

 

Another "Also this week", my best friend got engaged!  I'm very excited for her; he's a great guy and they're really good for each other.  So, now I have to start thinking about weddings!!  On one hand, I'm excited, and on the other, YIKES!! I have to fit into a dress?!  And look decent for her wedding pictures?!!  YIKES!!  Just three more reasons why I need to do this NOW, and make it stick!  I have big things coming down the road; new baby, new job, best friend's wedding....what next?!

 

I'm still trying to be very conscious of the food I'm eating and the choices I'm making.  I've gotten away from writing down everything I eat, and I can tell that keeping track is something that's really beneficial for me.  When I was writing things down, I was actually making progress, and I could gauge how many calories I had left in my "bank" for the day, so I was more honest.  Now, I don't know where I stand, so I just let things go.  That is proving to be my downfall these last 2 weeks.

 

Since we've started a new month, and Phil saw his shadow (yeah, I'm from PA) so we have 6 more weeks of winter, I'm ready to get moving for spring.  I love the warmer weather...I'll be watching for my tulips, daffodils, and crocuses to come up soon!  I wish I had more space to plant a big vegetable garden, but for now, my beatiful flowers will keep me smiling!  I can't wait! Once it warms up, I know Jen and I will start planning for our summer camping trips.  We try to go at least a few times every summer.  If you've never been camping, I encourage you to try it.  Just know that setting up a tent is hard work, and sharing a bathroom in the woods is not for the faint of heart!  We love it, though...it's so relaxing to sit by a fire and talk about your goals and dreams.  I'm looking forward to all of those things soon, and I'm hoping this year to get a bike to take with us.  I haven't been on a bike in years, and I'm hoping my butt will fit that bike seat this time around, too!! : ) 

 

So, we're still weighing in on Mondays; after this weekend's Super Bowl, I'm sure we'll have "interesting" numbers to post! 

Well...what can I say?  It's been a tough week to say the least.  We've been stressed at work, busy at home, and we're so tight on money this month that everything is a luxury (a.k.a. not possible right now).  We've been off track all week long, and we're seeing our weight go nowhere.  We NEED Bob & Jillian!  I know once we get started and the weight really does come down, it'll be so exciting to get on the scale each week, but right now, it feels like a huge disappointment, and I hate to write about it.  I knew going into this that there would be weeks like this, but I didn't think it would happen so soon!  We were supposed to start out strong, and keep that momentum going, (hello, PRESENT MOMENTUM is our name...) but we're being held back for some reason.  Mostly laziness, I've decided, but also stress and the fact that my mind races every night before I finally fall asleep.  It's rough.  So, with all that drama floating around in our world, we've decided that it's time to re-commit.  Jen actually came up with the title of today's blog, so I guess she's been thinking about it for a while! 

 

What does it mean to re-commit?  Well, if you take it literally, it means to commit for the second (or third, or fourth) time...to commit again.  So, seeing that this is about our 547th time of re-committment, I think we need to actually start acting like we're serious about this.  We know we want to lose the weight; we're just hesitating.  Jillian would be on me hard for this: I just don't know if I can do it.  I feel like I can't, so I struggle to get started.  I know there are things I CAN do, but for some reason, I'm still hesitating.  I hate that.  I think the only way I'm going to actualy overcome my hesitation is to just do it.  I think I'm going to do that today.

 

Jen has to work a few hours at her job today, so I'll work out for awhile while she's gone.  I know that sounds strange; after all, this is supposed to be a TEAM effort, right?  But sometimes, I think I can focus better when it's just me.  I'll aim for 20 minutes on the elliptical machine and a 30-minute (or so) yoga video.  I toyed around with yoga in high school, and I loved it.  I'm actually very flexible for a fat person.  When I was in high school, my cousin (5 years younger than me) and I found a basic yoga book with great photography of the poses and great written descriptions of the correct movements.  We created our own routine, and took a tape recorder and recorded ourselves reading the correct steps to do the poses.  We would play that tape every morning for about 6 or 8 weeks over summer vacation, and we really started to see a change.  Once we got back to school, we gave it up.  I wish I had found a class during college (or even now!) to continue, but as they say, Life got in the way!  I know the benefits are there; I just need to make it a habit, along with eating healthier, exercising regularly, and keeping track of our money!  It feels like I'm reinventing my whole life all at once, which is overwhelming.  I know the popular advice is to take one thing at a time, but I always feel like I'm running out of time - that my life is slipping away and I don't want to miss anything.

 

My goals for this week are to: Complete 4 workouts (at least 20 minutes on the elliptical machine), at least 4 yoga sessions (follow the video), blog on here at least 3 times, drink more WATER every day, and start my January money summary (we keep track with Microsoft Money - a great investment).  I think that's good.  I'm trying to get my entire life organized, so having concrete goals will definitely help.  I'm going to schedule these things into my planner for the week, and schedule time to write to keep you updated on our progress.

 

Thanks to everyone who leaves a little note of encouragement.  You don't know how much that means when we've struggled like we have this week.  It's great to know there's a community of people out there who "get" us.  Good luck to you also.  The hardest part is getting the momentum; once you've got it, everything should fall into place more easily.  At least, that's what I'm hoping!  We're still trying to catch it!!  We'll keep you posted!  Have a great week!!

The week was long, but we made it.  We've been eating healthy, but really haven't been committed to exercise yet.  I work 10-hour days and I don't get home until 8 at night, and by that time, I'm so tired, I don't want to do anything.  I like to work out in the mornings cause it gets my day jump-started.  I just haven't dedicated myself to getting up at 5 or 6 am yet.  For Christmas, I got the new Biggest Loser workout videos, Cardio Max and Power Sculpt.  I'm really excited about that and today I want to start working out with Bob on Cardio Max.  Bob and Jillian motivate me, and that's good.  Jess has been sick all week with a nasty cold, so I'm not sure if I'll get her to work out with me today. 

 

Most of my friends would tell you that I talk a lot, and that I always have something to say.  But I just can't figure out what to type right now.  I'm an very animated person, so my stories are usually very interesting to say the least.  I think I'm not awake yet!  Tonight we're going to our friends' house for dinner.  They both know we've turned a new leaf and we're starting to lead a healthy lifestyle.  Jess and I have decided that it's okay to have one "cheat" day each week; however, this doesn't mean we can go crazy.  It just means that we don't have to be so strict.  After all, it's Bob who says you can have dessert once a week!  We'll let you know tomorrow how it goes!  Got to go for now because we're going to do some dishes and laundry.  I still plan on working out to Bob, so I'll also let you know how that goes.  Later!

Good morning!  It's Sunday, and I'm the only one up, even though it's nearly 9:45am!  This first week has been interesting, but really good, I think.  Jen and I have been extremely diligent about writing down our food intake, including calories, fat, carbs, protein, sodium, cholesterol, and fiber.  It takes a lot of work, but keeps us focused on the foods we're choosing. I'm finding out that my food calories run about 1200-1300 a day.  I can't seem to figure out why I'm fat.  I know that sounds really weird, but let me explain. 

 

In the Biggest Loser Cookbook, the recommendation is that if you are between 150 and 300 pounds, take your weight and multiply by 7.  That will tell you the number of calories you need to get daily to lose weight.  Well, if you take 300 X 7, you get 2100.  I'm nowhere near getting that many calories in!  At least not now.  I've given up drinking pop ("soda" for those outside of southwestern PA and a few other locations), which I know was a source of loads and loads of calories for me.  I usually drank 1-2 20 oz bottles of Coke or Dr Pepper a day.  Now, I'm proud to report, I haven't had a drop since last Monday!  I'm surprised I haven't had withdrawal!  Last time I gave up the pop, I had a headache for 4 days straight; nothing would get rid of it!  Now, though, I haven't noticed a change at all, other than I'm drinking the same amount or more in water during the day. 

 

But anyway, back to my calories...I keep reviewing the diet journal, thinking I'm going to find something that will clue me in to why I'm so heavy.  I know, it's too early to tell at this point, and everyone starts off on the right track, so I'm just going to have to watch for trends in my eating habits.

 

The other thing that's got me stumped right now is: Should I eat 2100 calories or should I stay somewhere between 1200 - 1300?  I know there's wisdom in the concept of "if you don't eat enough, your body thinks it's starving, and you won't lose at all", but my doctors have said for years that I should cut back to no more than 1200 calories aa day if I want to lose weight.  I think this is part of the reason I struggle so much.  I'm just not sure what to do!

 

Another interesting twist on my journey is this: In March 2005, I had gastric-banding surgery.  I know what you're thinking; she must've been heavier before!  Well, alas, no.  I have actually gained weight since then, and I'm heavier now than I was then.  The day of my surgery, I weighed in at 287.  The story behind this is that I was working for a very small family business (12 full-time employees), and they were in the midst of a research project in conjunction with a local university (it was mostly fact-finding and data entry that we were involved with).  When the project was about 4 months from completion, the company had yet to find another project that would bring in as much income each month, so they were forced to let staff go.  I, being in HR and not a sales-generating position, was the first to be laid off.  In case you don't know, companies with fewer than 15 full-time people do not have to offer COBRA continuation to their employees, nor do their health plans have to allow it independently, so I was stuck!  When they let me go, I had no warning, and my benefits ended that same day.  It took 3 months to find a job, another month to get coverage there, but then I found out that their plan didn't cover any follow-up care for my surgery.  Unless I was able to shell out about $600 a visit, there was no way I could go back for follow-up adjustments to the band and consultations about my diet and exercise, etc.  It took me 15 months after I was laid off to find insurance to cover my follow-up, and it wasn't even through my job!  Jen was able to get domestic partner coverage through her work, and we put me on her health plan.  The great medical plan I have at my job (and I mean that seriously, not facetiously) considers the band "experimental" and won't cover my follow-ups.  On top of that, since I hadn't been in for adjustments, I was able to eat large quantities of food, just like I had been doing before the surgery.  With the band in place, I developed a hiatal hernia near the top part of my stomach, which makes eating extremely difficult and painful when it decides to flare up.  Sometimes, all I can manage is soup.  Its a no-win for me.  That's why I'm trying so hard to do this program without the band adjustments.  I feel like nothing has ever worked for me in the past, but I'm ready to try again.  I have to; my health and my very life are at stake.  I know that until and unless I lose this weight, I'm not going to have a normal life; I'm in pain and depressed a lot and I'm so frustrated.  I'm trying very hard to make peace with my body and start listening to it instead of everything else around me. 

 

We're still struggling with the workout side of things.  Right now, I'm rotating 1-2 days a week on the 10-7 shift at my job, so that throws off the momentum for the rest of the week.  By the time I get home, it's nearly 8pm, and I'm starving (since my last "snack" is supposed to be at 4).   I'll fix dinner and we'll just get caught up in whatever happens to be on TV until it's time to go to bed.  I know, it's just laziness.  I'm working on that part of me, too.  I'm worried that I'm not going to be able to do this, so I make excuses instead of just getting started.  Another place I have to work with my body and not against it.  I have to just know that I feel good after it's over, and use that as motivation to get moving!

 

We hosted Movie Night last night.  My core group of college friends (we all live in the Pittsburgh area) get together once a month (usually) at someone's house and bring food, chat and catch up and occasionally even watch a movie!  I splurged on several pieces of high-quality chocolate and a blondie.  (My buddy Kate can bake!!)  Jen and I have decided to allow ourselves one free day a week, so we barely ate anything yesterday until the girls came over.  I'm hoping that hasn't hurt me too much!  Now, I have to get some breakfast for the ones who stayed the night, and then we'll get this day started.

 

Gotta jet!  : )

Jessie

Well, yesterday was the first "official" day for us on this diet, and I think we're doing okay.   Jen and I have been off work since December 31st, so today is the first day I'll be going back in to my job.  We're not doing so great on the workout side, but that's about to change!  I'm more of an evening person when it comes to working out; I like to get through my day and relax into my workout (I know, that sounds strange, but working out always makes me feel great.)  I always seem to find any possibly excuse not to work out in the morning - I'm tired, I have to hurry and get ready for work, I have to pack a healthy lunch; whatever I can come up with!  So, I think I'm going to try the evening workout this week and see if that makes a difference.  I'll tell you what, though, just writing this down and knowing that someone, somewhere is going to see it makes me really think about it before I commit to doing it.  I can't let you down when you read the next blog entry!!

 

Our marathon cooking session went pretty well over the last 2 days; I still have a few things left to make (turkey meatballs!), but overall, we got a lot done.  My upright freezer is PACKED!  I really recommend you invest in one; now's a good time to do it, since they're changing out the "model year" on appliances (yes, they have model years, too), and you can usually get a good deal on a floor model or a scratch-and-dent type.  We won't have to grocery shop for meats or frozen veggies for about a month!

 

I've discovered that our 2 best resources for cooking lighter versions of our favorite recipes (meatloaf, crab & tuna cakes, etc.) came from "The Best Light Recipe" cookbook and "The Biggest Loser Cookbook" (spicy meatballs!).  I'm excited to try more of these recipes.  What really surprised and delighted me about The Biggest Loser cookbook is that it is really REAL food.  No crazy ingredients required or a long prep time; we're in a hurry and we're living on the financial edge, so anything that requires me to wait 24 hours or buy fresh gingerroot for one recipe isn't going to cut it!  I need to use stuff I have on hand!  That's my new grocery rule, so I tried to stock up on things I know we'll use for the next month or so.

 

Well, I guess that's it so far today; I have to get ready for work and pack a healthy lunch, so I gotta jet!  Wish me luck as I manuever through the crazy maze that is my job!!  : )

It is early Sunday morning, January 6th, and I'm up and getting ready to start pre-cooking.  Jen and I have decided that the easiest way for us to keep on track is to prep our meals in advance; that way, we only need to microwave or reheat our dinners.  I know, for me, the biggest challenge I have is "What's for dinner?"  I come from a family of 6, so cooking for two has been interesting, and I still haven't quite mastered it yet.  Since we own at least 6 cookbooks on healthy eating, and the Internet is an endless source of new light recipes, we're going to try our hand at cooking meals for several weeks in one day.  We'll bake lots of boneless, skinless chicken breasts, make meatballs from ground turkey, and use frozen veggies to prepare for quick casseroles and stir-frys.  I recently bought lots of fish filets, such as salmon and tilapia; we'll broil, pan sear, or grill them at least once or twice a week.  On Wednesday, we pre-cooked some 93/7 ground beef, drained most of the remaining fat off, and packaged it into 4-oz portions in baggies.  They're in the freezer now, and I'll use them on nights when we're having a quick pasta dish or to toss into a low-fat version of a casserole I'm preparing today.  I'll be using recipes from lots of sources: "The Biggest Loser Cookbook", "Eating for Life", "The Best Light Recipe Cookbook", "The South Beach Diet Quick & Easy Cookbook", a few from other cookbooks, and of course, the Internet.

 

The other goal we've set for ourselves this year is to save money.  Everyone knows how money can be tight, and we are no exception.  I'm amazed at how much debt we're loaded with, and we've made reducing it a major priority this year.  While our food is cooking today, we'll get our money plan in gear, too!

 

We've decided to weigh in on Monday mornings, but I snuck a peek at the scale today, and although I won't tell you what it said, I'm happy with it.  I think keeping track in a public place is going to be helpful for me.  I'm one of those people who likes to please others, so this should be interesting.

 

Wishing you Wellness, Jessie

We have been watching The Biggest Loser since the first season.  We’re excited to be able to participate in a Couples challenge from home!  Jen turned 30 in January and Jessie will be 30 in April.  Since we’re both around 300 pounds, we’re starting to experience health problems.  Our doctors have said the best way to correct them is to lose weight.  We have both tried lots of ways to drop the pounds, but nothing has stuck.  Jessie even tried surgery, but hasn’t gotten any results at all.  Our number one goal is to be able to fit our butts into the seats when we go out with friends or travel.  Right now, we worry about airplane seats, restaurant booths, stadium seats, movie theater chairs, even our driver’s seats in our cars!

 

We are going to mix cardio, weight training, yoga, and a healthy, easy-to-maintain, realistic diet plan.  Jessie loves to cook, so trying new, healthy recipes will be fun!  We’ve gotten The Biggest Loser Cookbook, Fitness Plan book, and all 4 DVD Workouts already, and we’ve even invested in home gym equipment.  We are serious, and we’re excited.

 

We’ve chosen the name Present Momentum as our team name because it captures exactly our goal.  The present is NOW and momentum moves us FORWARD with FOCUSED ENERGY and PASSION.  Momentum is all about starting the process and then keeping it moving!

 

We want to win the chance to meet Bob and Jillian because we belong with The Biggest Loser winners.  We are taking what past contestants have shown us is possible and now we’re going to do it, too.   We are going to prove that no matter what, if you get the momentum and keep it going, you can reach your goal, even it if it 150 pounds to lose!