Well, hello, hello!! As you've probably read on my homepage, I'm pregnant! Jason and I were wanting another child, and we are absolutely ecstatic that now is that time. I have to admit though that one of the first things I thought about when I found out I was pregnant again was my weight. It was my last pregnancy that I gained 100 pounds are ended up getting to the point that made me finally decide to join Weight Watchers. I first had to face the reality that yes, I am going to gain weight. And that's fine. It's healthy. I'm growing another human! Then I realized that just because I gained so much weight last time, that didn't mean I had to gain a ton this time. I mean, how many fit pregnant women had I seen who had healthy pregnancies without gaining a ton? Lots! I knew that with some hard work and a little determination, that I too could remain fit and healthy during my pregnancy, while keeping my weight gain to a minimum.

And so far, I have done just that. I am currently 19.5 weeks pregnant and have only gained 6 pounds. I gained that my first week last time! I am certainly not sticking to a perfectly healthy diet 100% of the time, instead opting for a couple days on, a day off type of plan. I eat super healthy for a few days, and then take a couple days (usually the weekends) to enjoy things that I normally wouldn't eat during the week. I am also continuing to exercise 45-60 minutes four to five days a week. I am actually still doing my FIRM videos! I have simply modified the moves so that they are less intense, and I also take several breaks during my routine so that my heartrate doesn't get too high. What used to take me 40 minutes, now takes me about 70!! But I can absolutely say that it the exercise that has kept my weight down. Like I said, my diet isn't wonderful, but my commitment to fitness is. I worked too hard for too long just to take a 9 month break and be just as out of shape come June as I was when I began working out two years ago. I also know that moderate exercise not only increases the pregnant woman's health, but that of the baby as well. So you better believe that I am going to keep up the exercise for as long as I can!

I am also still weight training, though only twice a week with slightly lighter weights. I don't want to lose all that precious muscle I've gained!!

So now on to the fun stuff...the baby! I have already had two ultrasounds, and the baby is perfectly healthy! That of course is the most important and exciting news. My most recent ultrasound was last Friday (January 26, 2007), and aside from learning the baby was healthy, we also found out we're having a GIRL!!!!! It was completely unexpected and absolutely thrilling!! Since we already have a boy, having a girl next is wonderful! The tech was actually having trouble determining the baby's gender because she had her legs closed, but once the doctor came in, the baby moved around and flashed its "girl parts" (as he put it). He said he knew immediately!! I have another ultrasound at 25 weeks, so it'll be confirmed then.

Now about why I have already had two ultrasounds. The first was at 13 weeks because the midwife though I was measuring around 16 weeks. Well it turned out I was 13 weeks, and actually the baby was measuring about 12 weeks (because I had thought my cycles were running 35 days apart). This last ultrasound at 19 weeks was because of high blood pressure. Now, I do not have high blood pressure...at least not in the doctor's office. But it seems everytime I step into a doctor's office, my BP shoots up. When I was pregnant with my son, I had gestational hypertension (borderline preeclampsia), and since my blood pressure was such a problem last time, they're keeping a close eye on my this time. And even though my BP is sometimes high in their office, I have a monitor at home (thanks to my parents), and it's ALWAYS normal. But I understand that they're just being precautious.  And it's OK because the perinatologist they sent me to is wonderful and has state-of-the-art technology, so when I get an ultrasound done (in 2D AND 3D), I leave with a DVD and picture CD. It's awesome!

So stay tuned here as I update you on my pregnancy journey....and yet another weight battle!!

Here's a couple pictures for you...

This is a belly picture at 14 weeks. This was right after I had "popped."

And this one was taken today, at 19.5 weeks. Not a ton of difference, but that's coming!!...

Surprised to hear from me? I have, in all honesty, totally slacked off with the site, being extremely busy with life. I apologize to those that look to my site for inspiration. It's still here though!! Freewebs has recently raised their prices, so I had to put my site back on free mode. I'm looking around for another free host that might give me more space and bandwidth. But I'll keep this one up too so you can know when and where the site might move to. I might just have a mirror site.

So life has intervened this summer. I have indulged probably way too many times. I never weigh myself anymore, and that's because everytime I get on the scale, it does nothing but sow discouragment. My guage is my clothes. When they start to feel tight, I diet back down for a week or two until they're comfortable again. It's just better (mentally) for me to do it that way than to constantly be obsessed with a number. Plus, as has been evidenced by my recent pictures, I have a lot of muscle, and have put some on the past few months, which makes me heavier anyway. Hey, as long as I'm still a size 5, why would I care what a stupid scale says anyway?!

Oh, for those of you who have expressed interest in my husband and I's ministry, we have now officially incorporated. We are Pulse of God Ministries, Inc., and you can check out our website at www.pulseofgod.org. There are some major doors opening in that area for us, so stay tuned for news on that!

I know, I know....where has Malinda been?! Is she alive? Has she gorged herself into oblivion? Ha! I am alive and still kickin'! When I last wrote, I had recommitted and was going out of town. Well I ended up taking my cheat day, and the entire following week off of WW because quite frankly, I was tired of all the weighing, measuring, and couting. Plus, I had been dieting for so long, that I think my body just needed a break. (I later came to find out that diet breaks are actually highly recommended to keep your metabolism from dropping too much, and to keep your progress positive. I was hoping that the week off would rev up my metabolism a bit, allowing me to eat more to maintain. Well I am now about three weeks post my week off, and doing great. I haven't weighed myself in I don't know how long, and I like it that way. My clothes are my judge. As long as I can still comfortably fit into my 5's, I'm happy regardless of what the scale says.

While I am aware of points, I don't count them quite as religiously anymore. I'm really just concentrating on getting adequate protein, fats, and carbs, and eating healthy, whole foods. My goal is to be able to eat 2000 calories a day on maintenance, and after such a long stint on WW, it's taking some time to build my metabolism back up.

Anyway, just know that I'm still here!! :-)

Well so far, so good! I've been doing great back on plan, and I've actually stepped up my workouts a little bit. My current routine is a bit incosistent, as I tend to do what I feel like for the day, although still alternating cardio and weights. I've been jogging 4.4 miles outside early in the morning lately, and let me tell you...a good outside, early morning run definitely beats the boring old treadmill!! I can honestly say that I really enjoy running (most of the time), and that is quite amazing for me to say! I NEVER thought I'd say that related to any sort of exercise, much less running!!

We had a birthday celebration at our house last night for one of our friends, and while everyone chowed down on cheesy pizza, cookies, chocolate cake, and ice cream, I obediently enjoyed my broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, and mixed fruit. (OK, so for dessert I had a WW Smart Ones Cookie Dough Sundae - which by the way was EXCELLENT.) I find that it's much easier to say no to junk when I have SOMETHING healthy to munch on. I also had a couple of friends here last night that are fitness buffs like me, and they abstained as well....and there's power in numbers. That's why weightloss buddies are good because it's much easier to stick to plan when you have someone else that's saying "no" with you.

I'm actually debating whether or not to take my planned free day or not. I just feel so great since I recommitted, and I almost feel that taking that day will ruin all my hard work. But then again, I'm not trying to lose anymore, just maintain. So the jury's still out on that one.....it looks like I'll just wait and see if I want it when it gets here.

Alrighty, I'm off to start another on-plan day. I just got back from my 4.4 mile run, and I still have the entire day ahead of me. YIPPEE!!!!

Wow!! Is it really me?! Am I really writing a new journal entry?! I'm sure some of you just assumed I had dropped off the face of the earth, or more appropriately, just got too busy with my "thin" life to care about where I came from. While I have been extremely busy, I will never forget the road I traveled to get here. It's when we forget that we find ourselves back at the starting line, sulking as we realize the road we were on was really just a big circle because we didn't see the road signs. And that brings me to my next point. I am recommiting to the program for the next month. What?! Has she gained weight?! Has she gone crazy?! Well, while I have gained a couple of pounds (my weight has been bouncing between 125-128 for the past few weeks), I am not gaining fat, and I have attributed the gain to water and muscle, because while my weight has gone up a little bit, I can still fit nicely in all of my clothes, and I actually have MORE muscle definition than ever. That is, however, when I'm not extremely bloated from a day of fun in the sun, food and fellowship. And that is exactly why I am recommiting. This summer, it seems there are countless opportunities to indulge in all the foods I stayed away from for so long, and while I get back to my normal eating and exercise the next day, I'm left with a TON of water weight and bloating, which makes me feel sluggish and huge.

I have heard since I started WW that maintenance can be more difficult than losing, and I always brushed it off with a "yeah right" mentality. Now I understand what I had heard for so long. It's very easy to get so comfortable with your new thin self, that you end up indulging a little too much, and develop the very mentality about food you were just freed from. So....before that happens, and in order to discipline myself a little more and banish a summer full of bloating, I am recommited to follow WW, counting every dang point, for the next solid month. Does that mean I won't indulge on certain days? No, it just means that I will count the points (and not do it as often). I am trying to cut my free days to every two weeks, versus the two-three times a week deal I've been on. My goal is to maintain what I have, not lost anymore, so while most of the time I will be strict with counting points, I do still want to have the occasional free day to keep leptin levels high, and keep me from losing <gasp> muscle.

I am also herby stating that my first official freeday during this recommital will be on Sunday, July 23. That's actually a little less than two weeks away, but my husband and I go on a business trip the Friday before, and while I fully intend to stay OP during our stay, the day we leave and return home, I want to be a little relaxed.

So, there you have it. GraceGirl7 has made the decision to recommit. I am now accountable to all of my readers, and I will be posting my progress during the next month on here. May you be blessed and prosper!!

Hello!! What a crazy two weeks this has been!! First of all, I decided to declare GOAL. Yep, that's right!! I'm officially at my WW goal!! I had it set at 115, but with as much muscle as I have, I'd probably have to lose some to get to that number, and I also think I'd be too skinny. I upped my goal to 122, so yeppers, I've MADE IT!! After nearly 18 months of being OP, I have FINALLY made goal. It feels awesome!! I actually weighed in at 119 last week, then went to Florida to watch my cousin graduate high school, and I decided to go completely off program for an entire five days. I just ate whatever I wanted, no weighing, measuring, NOTHING! I can't believe how quickly I packed on the bloat. I probably put on 15 pounds of pure water between all the food, the lack of water intake, and the awful Florida heat. I lost muscle definition almost immediately. It's amazing to me how our bodies react to what we ingest. I think I really freaked it out!! It was nice to be able to eat whatever, but I have to admit, it made me feel sluggish, worn-down, and tired. While I liked the eating part, I like how I feel when I'm active and eating healthy better.

By the last day of our trip, my size 5 jeans were VERY tight, which was a little discouraging, but I knew I'd be back to exercising and eating right when I got back home. I thought it would probably take at least a week to get rid of the bloat, but suprisingly after only a couple days, the water is almost completely gone, and I can fit into my size 5's again. Actually, I think my arms are LEANER than when I left. Now I'm thinking the five day jolt might have helped me get rid of some of that stubborn tricep fat. I still haven't weighed myself though, and I probably won't for a couple weeks. I just don't like the darn scale anymore. It does more to discourage than encourage!! I can measure my progress by my jeans!

So now that I'm at goal, I enter into the wonderful world of maintenance. I have heard that maintenance is even more difficult than losing, so I'm trying to figure out how to best work the program. I'm debating about whether to steadily up my calories, or just stay at my regular level, while throwing in one or two off program days a week. I'm thinking the latter might be better for me because my caloric needs change so drastically from day to day. I have some days where I'm just not all that hungry, and then I have days where I'm starving all day. So I'll probably just play each day by ear and eat accordingly. Since I just came off my first prolonged period off program since I started, and I now know how easily it is to get my weight back down, having a few off program days doesn't seem as scary to me as it once did. I wouldn't recommend that approach to everyone though. You have to be sure that after the "free day", that you will get back on the wagon. Most people can't go off their diet for five days and get right back on like me. So don't try it unless you're SURE your "free day" won't turn into a "free month"!!

That's all I'll write for now. I'm still working on adding new recipes. I have MANY to come!!

Howdy!! Things are going great on my end. I can honestly say that I do much better not weighing myself as often as I used to. It seems at this stage in the game, when I weigh myself and see a maintain or a small loss, I use that as an excuse to just eat all the wrong things and get sick in the process. By not weighing myself as much, I find it much easier to stick to healthy eating because I am not so fixated on a scale number. I much rather prefer taking my measurements now, and yes, I'm still losing a little at a time. I'm really just working on toning up the last little bit. I didn't come all this way just to quit at the finish line!!! I'm just so glad to have found something that works for me, and something I can stick with forever. The great thing about this program is that even when you do have those occasional days when you fly off the handle, you know what to do now to combat the problem before it gets out of hand.

We had my son's second birthday party on Easter, and I allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted that day because I was NOT going to worry about counting calories. I wanted to enjoy cake and ice cream along with my son!! It was great to have a guilt-free food fest and not gain a pound from it!! The next day, I was back to clean eating which is really the key to sustaining weightloss.

Since the weather has been warmer, I have also had the chance to live that scenario I've played in my head so many times...the fit mama playing with her son on the playground while the not-so fit mamas watch from the park bench. I was always determined to NOT be that mom on the bench, but right in the middle of the sandbox, chalking up wonderful, lifelong memories with her son. And it's been a blast!!!

My exercise routine has been anything but consistent these days. I still get in a couple days of HIIT twice a week and a couple weight sessions, but when, and on which days, vary greatly. I pretty much do what I feel like doing that day, but still making sure to not work the same body part two days in a row to allow the muscles to rest. I also still do some steady-state cardio sessions, but I've been opting more for walking with my son outside now that the weather's nice.

So I'm officially a size 4-5. I can even fit into a few 3's, but I like my pants a little loose, so I tend to go with the 5 regulars, and the 4 petities. It's honestly very strange to go shopping for single digit sizes and "smalls". I guess I still feel like that big girl sometimes even though I know I'm not. This summer will be my smallest, fittest summer ever....and I can't wait!!!!

Well hey there!! I have been extremely busy recently which is why I haven't posted a journal in awhile. My son turns two this Thursday, and he has decided he doesn't like taking naps during the day anymore, so my online time has been very limited. (If you have recently emailed me, I'll be getting to those shortly.)

I'm holding pretty steady in the low 120's, bouncing from 121-125. I think my body likes it here, although I know I'm still losing fat, but I also go as heavy as I can on my weights so the scale doesn't show that. I honestly can't wait for the intense heat of the Georgia summer because I'll finally be comfortable wearing short sleeves! And sleeveless shirts? I can't even imagine that!! :-)

I'm still doing HIIT twice a week, but I'm varying my FIRM workouts lately. I pretty much just do whichever video I'm in the mood for. I still do Upper Body Sculpt at least once a week, although now I know the routine by heart so I can do it to music with my son laughing at me. :-) I love lifting to music so much better than Janet's instructions.

On a non-weightloss note, my husband and I have started a home church on Saturday nights, and it's really starting to take off. God is awesome and faithful, and each week, more and more people come. We're going to outgrow this small apartment very soon! Last Saturday night, we were already full! We were actually just offered to use some land when we want to do outdoor services when the weather gets a little warmer. Word is spreading around here about what we're doing, and actually last week, one of the women who came for the first time to our house, was talking to a total stranger at a gas station when he told her about OUR home church that she was on the way to! That blew me away that someone we don't even know has heard about our work here, and it's like God confirming what we're doing. We haven't advertised at all for it with everyone coming by word-of-mouth. We are going to start advertising, so I can't imagine the numbers that'll show up when we do! We just want to create an environment that's comfortable, and where you're not judged by what you wear and how you look. We want everyone to feel welcome, and right now, we have an age range of 10-50 that attend! Church these days has made people feel judged, uncomfortable, and worthless, so we wanted to have a place where people can truly feel the freedom of God without the baggage of man.

That's all for now. C-ya!!!

Has it really been over a month since I last wrote?! Wow, I'm really slacking!! :-) My life has been insanely busy the last few weeks, so I haven't really had a chance to update the site much. My husband, son, and I went out of town last week to a church conference, so that was an awesome break from our daily routine. We brought tons of groceries to cut our food costs, and so I could easily count points! I came home to a 1.2 pound gain, which kind of surprised me because all of my clothes are looser, but at this stage in the game, the scale is such a poor indication of progress. I mean, I have been consistently watching as the remaining flab I have melts away, and yet the scale bounces up and down. I have been lifting very heavy during my weight routines, so I know that has something to do with the fluctuations too. I'm honestly at the point now where the number on the scale doesn't bother me (as long as I don't notice it continuing to climb). I've actually been thinking lately about only weighing myself once every four weeks or so. I'd much rather use my clothes and measurements to gauge my progress anyway. I would like to hit my Weight Watchers goal of 115, but to be honest, I really just want to get at the flab that's left, and if that puts me at goal, then so be it.

So...I may not be posting a weigh-in result every week like I have been. I'll probably still weigh-in once a month (at least), just to keep an eye on that number, but my clothes and my mirror will be my biggest indicator of my progress.

My HIIT has been going well. Last week I took the entire week off of exercise, which was perfect since we went out of town. It was my first full week off of any structured exercise in probably 6 months. That's WAY too long!! I need to take a week off at least every 10-12 weeks, but I found that I like exercise so much, that while I would scale back, I couldn't NOT exercise. :-) It's amazing how much a person can change!! So I was back at it this week. Yesterday, I only did Upper Body Sculpt, and today is usually my rest day, but because I took last week off, I decided to do a good old-fashioned steady state cardio session on the treadmill since it's been so long since I've done one. I did 4.5 miles on the treadmill in 60 minutes today. It felt good, but it really makes me appreciate my quick HIIT sessions. I've found that doing HIIT has really helped my aerobic capacity so much!!

I'll be adding some new recipes, foods, menus, and pictures to the site soon. I hope to get to that soon. I promise it won't be forever until I write again!! Bye for now!!!

Well I gained 2 pounds this week. But I'm actually OK with it because one, it's TOM, and two, I went waaaaayy heavy on my weights last week. I had a KILLER workout on Saturday; it was great!!! So I know the gain is more likely water and muscle than anything else. And actually, I look more cut in the mirror, so I even think I did lose fat, and possibly gained some muscle (as well as water because of my muscles repairing themselves.

I did my HIIT session this morning with my son watching cartoons in the living room. I've been reading about how a lot of people just hop off the treadmill during their active recovery because slowing down and speeding up the treadmill is not only time consuming, but it's incredibly annoying!! So what they do is use the railings to hop off, pace around for a little bit, hop back on, then complete their interval. Well I finally worked up the nerve to do it this morning, and it was soooo much better!!! What I did was slow down to 8.0, use the railings to hop on the sides, slow the treadmill down to 6.5, get off, pace around my son, get back on the sides, and then five seconds to my next sprint, get on at 6.5 and then speed up to 9.0-9.5. (I actually went as fast as 9.5 this morning!! I NEVER thought I could go that fast!!!!) All that might sound complicated, but it's really not. And it's MUCH quicker to speed the treadmill up from 6.5 than 3.5!! Besides, my son thought it was hilarious that I was running full-force on the treadmill, jumping off, walking around him, then doing it all over again!! He thought it was a game!! :-)

I have also decided to quit carb cycling. At least for most of the week. I still might do low carb on Wednesdays and Sundays, but the rest of the week will be regular WW. I know, I know, I said just last week that I was sticking out the full six weeks, but honestly, I don't think the results are worth it. I honeslty don't see much of a difference with my weightloss doing regular WW than carb cycling, and even if there is a slight difference, I don't think it's worth the deprivation. I think I'd just rather lose slower, even if it takes me the next 6 months to lose these last 10 pounds!!! I may throw in a week or two of cycling, but as for now, it's plain-ole' WW for me!! I LOVE WW, and tweaking it just made me crazy, lol!! I also don't think I was eating enough calories carb cycling. I did still stick to my points, but because most low carb foods are also higher in fat, I'd have to eat a ton of veggies and then a few high-point items throughout the day, and that would be it!! It just wasn't for me. I can handle one day every so often, but watching my carbs five days a week was just too much. It really made me want to eat all day on my high carb days, and with regular WW, I'd pace myself because I knew I could just have that same thing tomorrow. Not so with low carbing. Like I said, I still might do low carb at least on Wednesdays (and maybe Sundays), but as for the rest of the week, I'll just stick to my points. OK, enough talk about that!

Remember to keep us in your prayers about our ministry building project. We just had a meeting last night with a friend and possible MAJOR investor. If everything goes as we talked about, we really won't have to worry about the financial part at all. So just please pray and agree with us that in everything we do, the Lord's will is done.

Now....I'm going to go eat some bread.....hehehe...

Yay!! I am VERY please with today's WI results!!! I lost 1.2 pounds!!!! That may not sound like a lot to some, but when you're this close to goal, 1.2 is HUGE!!! But the biggest reason I'm so thrilled I lost is because of my nothing-short-of-a-carb-binge last Monday, lol!!! I ended up going over my daily points by 29 points!!! No, I didn't go over my flexies last week, sticking to my program faithfully the rest of the week, but since I'm only used to eating a few flexies a week, I was VERY HAPPY I didn't gain. I have to say though, I did EVERYTHING last week to get the water weight off from my high points day before today. I drank at least 125 ounces of water a day to flush out my system. I was honestly just hoping for a maintain, so seeing a loss is exciting!!

This is my fourth week of carb cycling, and I have to admit, last week was hard. We all know I carb loaded (majorly) last Monday, but as for the rest of the week, I wanted to just go back to plain old Weight Watchers. What I've realized is that when I'm told I CAN'T have something, it makes me want it even more, so the things I stayed away from on my medium and low carb days, I would gorge on my high carb days. This is NOT healthy. One of the reasons WW has worked so well for me is because the program doesn't deprive you of ANYTHING. ALL FOODS are acceptable foods as long as you don't go over your points. That was perfect for me!! If I wanted ice cream, I'd eat it and count the points. If I wanted McDonald's fries, I'd eat them and count the points. So now all of the sudden I would have days where I couldn't have my beloved bread, and it made me want to eat half a loaf on the days I could.

So.....I've decided to start net carbing. I had only planned on carb cycling for a period of 7-8 weeks, and this is week 4. When I tell myself I'm going to do something, I like to stick to it, and I can deal with a few more weeks. I have decided though to start being a little more lenient on my medium carb days to keep myself from gorging on my high carb days. So, enter net carbing. What net carbing means is that you can deduct the grams of fiber from your total carb count to get a "net carb" count which are the only carbs you have to count. Some people on Atkins and such do this, and some don't. I hadn't been, but found that 5 days a week, I was killing myself by denying my body the foods I had lived on for the last year during my weightloss journey. So on my medium carb days, I am allowing myself to deduct the grams of fiber from the foods I eat. So...the bread that I eat is double fiber bread, which means I can have 2 slices for only 10 carbs!!! Yay!!! I started doing that last Tuesday, and it really helped me stay on track the rest of the week. And 2 low carb days a week is much more manageable than five days of deprivation.

I have also decided to change my workout routine for the next 12 weeks. I have decided to start taking Wednesdays completely off from exercise. About mid-way through my week, I would always start to feel a little burned out from my workouts, so taking Wednesdays off would be a nice, and well-deserved, break.

I have also decided to start a type of training called HIIT. HIIT is High Intensity Interval Training. Some of you who have read my fitness page might be saying, "But I thought you were already doing that?" Actually, what I've been doing is simply interval training, with a couple of high intensity intervals. HIIT is maintaining that high intensity during the entire workout. I had been reading about it for about 6 months and was honestly just kind of afraid to change anything. But after reading so much information on it for so long, I have decided to try it for the next 12 weeks, instead of my regular treadmill sessions. OK, so what exactly is HIIT? I'm glad you asked!! HIIT is a short, high intensity workout, where you work at 90% of yor maximum heartrate. I have been reading that even though it only lasts an average of 20 minutes (and sometimes 15), and you only need to do it 2-3 times a week, it burns just as many calories (if not more) as regular long duration cardio. So how could a workout that lasts a measley 20 minutes be just as good, and in fact better, than working for a longer period of time? Well, the answer really lies after the workout is over. You see, with HIIT, your metabolism is raised for a greater length of time after the workout than normal cardio, which allows you to burn an astonishing amount of calories. I'm going to be posting more about HIIT on my fitness page too, but to keep you informed, HERE'S A GREAT ARTICLE.

So obviously, there are many benefits to doing HIIT. Having a two-year-old, the idea of getting my cardio done in only 20 minutes is awesome!! Heck, even without a child, it's awesome!! Who actually WANTS to spend hours on the treadmill?? We have so much more we need to do!! I actually did my first session last Friday, and it was great!! I did feel like I was going to die about half way through, but they say, if you don't feel that way, you're not doing it right!! And it was GREAT to be done with it in 20 minutes flat! I've decided to do HIIT on Mondays and Fridays, while still doing the FIRM's "Ultimate Calorie Blaster" on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I probably don't even need those cardios, but the FIRMs are just so much fun!! I may actually start subbing Allie's "Maximum Cardio Burn" in there just to add some variety. So with my HIIT and those DVD's, that'll be PLENTY of cardio.

On another exciting note, I bought a new pair of pants last weekend, and besides the fact that they were half off, they were a size 5!!!!!!! That's right, folks...a size 5!!!!!!!! I was so excited when they fit and were comfortable!! I just can't believe I'm a size 5!!!! Yay!!!!!!

And in unrelated weightloss news....

Many of you have been asking if we got that building I wrote about last week. Well, actually, all the money DID come on. People were pretty much just throwing money at us because they believe in what we're doing. Unfortunately, the owner of the building backed out and decided at the last minute not to rent the building to us. We were all crushed, but knew that God obviously has something bigger and better planned. We're actually talking about buying some land up here and building our own building, but I'll keep you informed on all of that.

My husband and I went to see the movie "End of the Spear" on Saturday. And I must say....IT WAS AWESOME!!!!!!! GO SEE IT!!!!!!! I can't praise it enough!!! It's a TRUE story about American missionaries who seek out the most violent tribe in the world to tell them about the Lord. Well upon making contact, they're killed almost immediately (if you read the synopsis, this is NOT a secret, so I'm not blowing this for you, lol) by the tribe. Through a series of events, the wives of the missionaries end up living with this tribe. It's about how the truth and reality of God can change even the most indigenous and violent people of the world. It was really MUCH better than I expected, as so many Christian films are cheesy and poorly written. This was not. It kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and left my husband and I both in tears. GO SEE IT!!! SUPPORT THIS MOVIE!!! You can see it at your local theater.

Now that I've written a book, I think I'll give your eyes a rest. :-) Yay for my loss this week!! Bye!!!

Wow!!  I had just had the biggest bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios I think I've EVER had!!!!! It's midnight now (technically 01/31), and I just closed up a HUGE points day!!! I've been scheduling 10 extra points on Mondays, but today I made it 20!!!! I was just so hungry all day!!! I worked out twice today, so that probably had something to do with it, but geez, I feel like I ate like a pig, LOL!!!! I thought I was finished too, until I had a sudden need to eat a huge bowl of cheerios without weighing and measuring. I wanted a bowl so big that I wouldn't want cheerios for the next month, hehe!! I just counted 10 points for it because I imagine it was at least that!!

But hey, at least I had a healthy dinner: spaghetti squash loaded with veggies and part-skim mozzarella cheese. It was yummy!!!! I just can't believe I ate so much!! I'm actually full!! And that't not a feeling I feel very often! I think it's actually good to eat until you're full every once and awhile, because it seems like all I do is eat my allotted portions, and if I'm still hungry, that's too bad!

At least I didn't gorge myself on junk and blow my points! I mean, I ate twice my dailies, but I still didn't even go over my flexies for the week!! Last time, I just didn't count points, and ate a bunch of junk!!!

So now I'm off to bed with a full tummy (I know, I know, that's bad!!). I enjoyed my cheerios, and now I'm back to "normal". :-) Gosh, I hope that big ole bowl o cheerios doesn't affect my WI next week. Oh well, it doesn't matter if it does. I guess that's the nice thing about already having lost most of the weight I need to lose. Before, there was this urgency to lose weight, and I wasn't willing to leave any room for mistakes or error. Now, I feel as if a weight has been lifted (HA!), and there's no longer this pressure to never mess up.

So those cheerios were good. And so was my spaghetti squash. Now I have to gear up for my medium carb day tomorrow. :-)

G'night!!!

Hello there!! I just got finished doing 30 minutes on the treadmill. I'll do 30 minutes again a little later. I really like to split up my cardio on Mondays because Sundays are my low carb days, and doing a full 60 minutes first thing Monday morning just takes too much out of me.

So I maintained at WI today. Actually, since I step on the scale about 20 times, I saw a few 123.8's in there for a .6 loss, but I always like to take the first number I see. And besides, I almost feel like I'm setting myself up for a gain next week if I take the lowest number I see today. I'm happy with that maintain even if it would've been nice to see a loss. I started using 12 pounds weights (thanks Mom!!) this past week, so I was really expecting some water weight gain from that, so the fact that I stayed the same makes me happy.

This has nothing to do with Weight Watchers, but I ask for your prayers for my husband and I. My husband is a preacher, and we, along with another local couple are over a youth group here in Georgia. We have been looking for our own building for awhile (with the Pastor's consent), but were having trouble finding one in this small town. Well we finally found it!!! It's absolutely perfect....3200 square feet and only $1300 a month. It's a steal for the location, size, and quality. I just ask that you say a prayer that the Lord will provide the finances to move in VERY quickly, as there are a couple more interested patrons (though not as interested as us according to the owner). This building is really our chance to get our ministry the building it deserves.

We also just found out that we have been invited to New Orleans, Louisiana to link up with another ministry there and do whatever we can. So please pray about that as well. Our youth group took a trip to another city last Friday night to minister to about 500 youth, and it resulted in many salvations and rededications. It was awesome!! God is really moving in this hour!! So please just keep us in your prayers.

If you would like more information about our ministry, or if you would like to donate to our building fund, please EMAIL me.

Alrighty, I'm off to eat some breakfast!!

Bonjour!! Today's been a great day!! I'm on medium carbs today, and so far, so good. I love experimenting with foods, and I found an AWESOME low carb and low point snack. I like to call it Pumpkin Mousse, and I found it on one of the low carb boards I frequent. I am really excited about it because it yields a whole bowl and it's only 1 point!!!! I love pumpkin, and it turns out it is very good for you! It's low in fat and calories and loaded with fiber. I'm going to put the recipe on my recipe page, but I wanted to share it with you here too. You take 1/2 cup of 100% pure pumpkin (Make sure it says pure pumpkin, not pumpkin pie filling. The pie filling is MUCH higher in calories! You can find it on the baking aisle next to the other pie fillings.). You put the pumpkin in a bowl and add 4 tablespoons of fat free cream cheese. (I used fat free to reduce the points values. You can reduce it further my using less, but it's only 1 point for 4 tablespoons anyway!) Then you put it in the microwave and zap it on high for 1 minute without stirring. After it's been microwaved, stir it until the cream cheese and pumpkin are well mixed, and then add 1-2 packs of Splenda and a dash of Pumpkin Pie Spice. Stir until combined. This is sooooo amazingly delicious, it's very filling, and it's only 1 point!!!! It's also only 7 net carbs including the 1 packet of Splenda, and 8 for two. Heck, 8 grams is still pretty low, so why not use two to make a great dessert mousse!! Anyway, I am soooo exited I found this!! It's great!! (Credit is due to OBX NUT on the lowcarbfriends.com message boards for discovering this!)

And are you still confused about carb cycling?? Well here's a great article that helped me make the decision to start a cycling program. CLICK HERE

I am also working on a new page to the site. I want to start posting some daily menus so you all can see exactly what I eat. I have had a few requests, and I figured that not only would it be great for you all to get an idea of how I eat to lose, but also it will help me cut some of the unnecessary processed stuff out of my diet. My New Year's resolution was to work on cutting most (not all) of the processed stuff out of my diet. Maybe posting my menus will make me want to have a diet that's a little more clean. So that'll be something to look forward to.  I hope to have that up later this week.

So long for now!

Hey there!!! Today was a good day to say the least. I had an AMAZING WI this morning for a loss of 4 pounds!!! It was my biggest WI yet since my first week. If you've been reading my journal entries, you may have heard me mention the idea of cycling calories to keep your body from getting stuck in that rut which slows, or even stops, our weightloss. Well after last week's maintain, and the feeling of just being ready to be at goal already, I decided I needed to do SOMETHING to shake things up. Well aside from calorie cycling, I sat down to figure out my macronutrient ratios (the percentages of protein, carbs, and fat that make up our total daily calories), when I realized that 70-80% of my calories were coming from carbs. Now, I love my carbs, but I know that the healthiest way to eat is to have a good balance between the three, and 70-80% carbs is NOT balance. So after doing some research and scouring Tom Venuto's Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle ebook, I decided to do an 8 week calorie and carb cycling plan. What does that mean? I'm so glad you asked!! I am still doing WW. (Heck, I'll probably ALWAYS count points, or at least be aware of them!) But I'll have one day a week where I eat 10 flex points (as well as my earned AP's), and stick to my dailies the rest of the week. Also, I will be alternating my carbohydrate intake around my workouts for the week. Confused? Let me explain further...

First, this is NOT a low carb diet. This is a plan that I have researched and realized that MANY bodybuilders and fitness models use to get lean for a competition, wiping away those last few stubborn pounds of fat. Low carb diets usually consist of a consistent drop of carbs, usually under 30 grams a day, which forces the body into a state called "Ketosis" which allows the body to directly burn fat for energy instead of carbohydrates (because you consume next to none). The problem (for me) with a low carb diet is that I am way to active to keep my carbs that low for too long, and I need my bread!! I also know that with any diet, when you allow your body to get used to a certain way of eating, you can set yourself up for failure when you revert back to your old habits, or in this case, start eating carbs again. So, what I am doing is this:

For every day of the week, I will eat a certain number of carbs based upon my workouts for that day. Currently, my schedule is as follows:

Monday: HIGH CARB (150-200 grams) and HIGH CALORIE (10 flexies) - Cardio

Tuesday: MED CARB (0-75 grams) and AVERAGE CALORIE (daily target points and AP's) - Cardio and Weights

Wednesday: LOW CARB (0-30 grams) and AVERAGE CALORIE - Cardio

Thursday: MED CARB and AVERAGE CALORIE - Cardio and Weights

Friday: HIGH CARB and AVERAGE CALORIE - Cardio

Saturday: MED CARB and AVERAGE CALORIE - Cardio and Weights (1 FIRM video)

Sunday: LOW CARB and AVERAGE CALORIE - Rest

*see my fitness page for my detailed workout schedule

On the medium days, I plan to play it by ear to see how I feel physically to determine whether or not I will eat below 75 grams of carbs. For instance, last Saturday, I felt fine with under 30 carbs, so I just made Saturday a low carb day as well.

What this does is not only shake things up a bit to get the fat falling off again, but it also keeps the body from getting used to what I'm doing, where consequently my progress suffers. I had thought about doing this for awhile now. I thought I might want to drop a few carbs to help with the last few pounds, and now that I'm here, I feel it's the best thing. And you know what? I actually look forward to my low carb days!! Why?? Because I get to eat things on those days that I normally wouldn't eat otherwise. I have started eating ground beef, cheese, and actually more veggies now!! I'm not afraid of bacon and eggs anymore either!! And you know what else this does? Not only does it keep the body from getting used to how many calories and carbs you consume, it also doesn't get used to the types of food you eat. I was successful this past week for all of these reasons. My body just needed a little change!!!

So now are you wondering what happens when I start eating normally again? Well, nothing!! You see, my body doesn't have time to adjust to my low carb days because I only keep my carbs at that level for a couple days before I bring them back up again, so it never has a chance to rebel against carbs! This isn't something I'm going to do very long though. I had planned to do it for 8 weeks, last week being my first, so 7 more weeks, or until I get to my goal of 115. (And no mom, I won't look anorexic....just healthy. I want to be able to show off these muscles and there's still some stubborn fat hiding them!!)

So that's my new way of eating. I'm finding a whole new world in low carb recipes, and they really excite me!! It's a little tricky counting points and carbs, but with some planning, it's no big deal. I really find myself eating alot more veggies lately because not only are they low carb and loaded with fiber (which cancels out the carbs), but they're also really low in points!! Actually, the CORE plan is almost like a lower carb version of WW, so I often "switch plans" for the day just to get food ideas from it. (I can't switch completely, because FLEX helps me control my portions.)

So today's WI was awesome. I knew I had lost something after this first week of cycling, but I was shocked to find out I had lost that much!!! This really works!! :-)

I'll keep you updated on my progress!! Today was great, BTW!! Having a high carb/high calorie day really gives me something to look forward to. It's like my reward for being good all week. So tomorrow I'm set for my medium carb day, beef, cheese and all!!!

Hello!! You're probably wondering why I'm posting something on Sunday. Well, yesterday was a monumental day for me!! My mom took me shopping because almost all of my clothes are hanging off of me (even my smaller clothes), and I was in deperate need of something that fit. Well guess what? I bought my first size 6 jeans!!!! I could hardly believe it. I knew I was at least probably a 7, but a 6?!?! And I'm wearing them right now!! hehe... Not only that, but I also got a size "Small" jacket. This is so strange to me. A size 6 and a small?? Wow, is this really me?! I mean, it wasn't too long ago that I had to shop in the plus size sections looking at XXXL's. I am just amazed at the transformation I've made. So I just thought I'd share my excitement. It's a HUGE time for me. I am so very proud of myself and am LOVING my new size 6 jeans!!!!! Woohoo!!!!!!!!!!

Good morniing!! Well I just had my WI, and I maintained this week. I was actually expecting a big loss because all of my clothes this week became miraculously smaller. I was a little surprised to step on the scale to see that I hadn't lost at all, but I guess that's why the scale is so misleading. You can actually have great progress one week even if the scale doesn't say so. I know I'm losing fat, and that's all that matters. And besides, a maintain this late in the game is awesome. Thank goodness I didn't gain!! I expected the last few pounds to be a lot more difficult, so I'm not in any kind of a hurry. I just know how I want my body to look by the summer, regardless of what the scale says. It's also TOM, so I know that's affecting things as well.

I've kept my consumed calories the same for the past few weeks, so I'll probably bump them up a little bit today just to rev up my metabolism a bit. Nothing too crazy, just a little bump to keep my body guessing.

So long for now. I missed my workout this morning, so I'll be doing it when my son takes a nap. Keep pressing on!!

Hello!! I'm just sitting here drinking my cup of coffee before I get on the treadmill, and I thought I'd write something in my journal. After my morning workout on Wednesday, I started to feel nauseous, and that lasted almost the whole day. Thank goodness I immediately felt better the next day, but even so, I'm going to go a little easier on my workout this morning.

Well I definitely feel like I've lost weight this week. Do you know those weeks where's it's like you just feel smaller overnight?? I've discovered muscles and bones that I've never seen before, lol! My chest muscles are peeking through and I noticed you can see the outline of my ribs in my back. It almost seems strange that the very thing some people take for granted is the one thing that gets others excited. Who knew I'd be all hyped up about feeling muscles and discovering bones? I think my collar bones are still my biggest excitement. I just knew that I'd be the only person to ever lose weight who still didn't show collar bones, lol, but no!! They're showing quite nicely!! It's almost even strange to take a shower and feel so much of you that's hard when you felt fat for so long. My husband even complains now when I sit on his lap because of my "bony butt", lol!! (Of course, we want a FIRM, not bony butt, right?)

OK, enough rambling about muscles and bones. I just get excited when I can feel myself losing weight. Even if the scale doesn't show much on Monday morning, I still feel great. :-)

Now, I'm off to workout!! Gotta keep pressing on!!!

Oh, and Jesus is LORD!!!!!!!

35 minutes later...

OK, so I just got finished doing 2.57 miles on my treadmill. I'm splitting up my cardio today, so I'll do another 2.5 miles around 3:00. I can just work so much harder when I split them up, and I also don't feel like I'm killing myself!! I still like my long sessions sometimes, but it's nice to break up the monotony and split them up.

Now, my son is awake, so I better go get him!! See ya later!!

Today's WI was a big day for me. I lost another 1.2 pounds (YAY!) which means I am now at 128.4 which is the SMALLEST I'VE EVER BEEN as an adult!!!!!!! I am so excited I can't contain it! 129.5 was my lowest weight that I know of, and as I've said, that was after starving myself for a full 28 days. The weight came back on (plus some) in about a week. What's great about being this small now is that I know how to keep my weight here, and what's even greater is I can eat and it won't make me gain! Woohoo!!! :-)

I was going to have a cheat meal tonight, but decided against it. I haven't had a cheat meal (an off-program BIG meal) since I had my one and only cheat day on December 19th. I wanted to start incorporating cheat meals (instead of days) every couple of weeks or so to keep my metabolism guessing. I still want to do that, but maybe every month instead of every couple of weeks. Why? The guilt I guess. Gorging on one meal made me feel horrible last time I did it, and it was NOT worth the sick feeling and guilt I felt afterwards. Not to mention it took me two weeks just to get rid of the water weight damage it did to my WI's. Yes, I'm now smaller, but I don't want to play around until I'm at my goal. I just know that since my weightloss has slowed a bit due to the fact that I have less to lose, I don't want to unnecessarily slow it down even more for a few minutes of pleasure. It's just not worth it!!

Oh don't get me wrong, I'll still have the occasional cheat meals, but maybe as rewards for hitting goals instead of a regular occasion. If it ain't broke, don't fix it, right? I've been successful at losing this much so far, and I don't want to compromise that success.

OK, now that I got that off my chest, back to my BIG success this week. Yay!! 128.4 pounds!! As I said, my weightloss has slowed a little recently, so I am just so happy to see ANY loss, especially a whole pound!!!!!

I did workout today. I did 4.4 miles on my treadmill early this morning before my son woke up. I LOVE getting my workouts done first thing in the morning!! It leaves me the entire day to get done what I need to, and it makes me more efficient throughout the day. It's kind of a pain to have to wake up and first thing hop on the treadmill and run, but man, it feels so awesome afterwards!! I guess that's another reason I didn't cheat tonight. I just feel like all that hardwork is for nothing if I sit down and eat the wrong things.

So long for now!!

Wow!! I just had a great workout!! I think those three days off from exercise helped my workouts because yesterday I had a great one, and today I had two great ones!! I did a total of 70 minutes and 5.26 miles (2.3 and 31 minutes for the first session and 2.96 and 39 minutes for the second session). That's the most I've EVER gone!!! 5.26 miles is crazy!! I don't want to do that all the time, but man, it sure feels good to do it every once and awhile!! My treadmill says I burned 960 calories!! I know that's not accurate because caloric burn is based on gender, weight, age, etc, but it sure is awesome to see those numbers!! I plugged my stats as best as I could into caloriesperhour.com, and I probably burned about 500+ calories. At any rate, it was still a kick-butt workout!!

I did UBS after my son went to sleep last night, and I think it's about time for me to buy some heavier weights. On some of the moves, my 10's felt too easy. I need to find some 12's. They're not as popular as the 15's, but 10 to 15 is too big of a jump I think. 12 would be perfect!!

So I'm back on my workout schedule, and I feel great!  Now, I have to go eat!!! :-)

Today is a HUGE day for me and WW. It is my ONE YEAR WW Anniversary!!! I began this journey one year ago on January 3, 2005. I had hoped that I could lose 100 pounds in a year, and with much determination, sweat, tears, and support, I have made my goal. I have actually even exceeded it by losing 103.4 pounds!! That is a phenomenal feat in only one year's time. It's so wonderful to know that all of my hard work has paid off and I now have a new me!

I also made it to the wonderful land of the 120's with yesterday's WI!!! I am so extremely happy to be here! I was hoping that by my one year anniversary, I'd be in the 120's, so I am so excited to say that I have reached that goal as well! I am now at a comfortable 129.6. I never want to see the 130's again!! They turned out to be my most difficult decade. I was in them for 9 weeks, 1 week longer than the 150's. I flew through the 140's, so I'm hoping maybe the 120's will be the same, although I'm not holding my breath because I know that since I don't have a lot left to lose that weightloss tends to slow dramatically. So now I'm on my way to the 110's in my quest to be in the best shape of my life. Actually, I already am in the best physical shape of my life, I just have some more fat to lose before I can really see all those muscles I've been working so hard on! It's strange to be able to feel hard muscles! That may sound weird, but when you've never felt muscles before, it's such a cool feeling to feel the muscles in your legs and arms without straining.

I am also working on being the smallest size I've ever been. I only have one pair of pants left that aren't baggy on me, and even those are starting to sag in the rear end, lol! And they're even made to fit snug! Those are 9's, so I know if I bought 7's I could wear them. I'm reluctant to though because I don't know how long I'll be in those 7's as I'm working on being in a 4-5. My goal size is a 4, so I'll either just wear baggy pants until then or find a thrift store and get some 6/7's. Wow, I can't even believe I'm talking like this. It feels weird to talk about me being a size 7, but I am!! And a 4/5?!?! I've NEVER EVER EVER been that small!!! And I'm so very close!!!

Today was the first day I've worked out since Friday. Friday night I pulled my trapezeus which eliminated my weekend workouts, and yesterday I was sick with a head cold. I usually go ahead and workout if it's just a head cold, but I didn't get much sleep the night before and was just so tired. I've learned to listen to my body. When it's telling me it needs rest, I rest!! I also don't have this urgency that I once had to lose weight. In the beginning I was so adament about getting my workouts in and doing everything OP 100%. Now, it's like this huge pressure has been lifted. It's pressure I put there myself. I had specific goals, and now that they're all reached, I can ease up a little. I plan on losing the last few pounds slowly. I'm happy with my weight now, but I know where I want to be, and I'm not rushing it.

Anyway, today I did 4.81 miles on my treadmill in 65 minutes. That's pretty darn good for me. I can do 5 if I split up my cardio into two 30 minute sessions, but the fact that I did 4.81 in one session is really great. I probably shouldn't have pushed myself that hard, but I usually do when I'm in the middle of my workout. I really do need to ease up a little on my treadmill workouts because it makes me not want to get back on there the next day! I need to make myself not push so hard. You don't need to, Malinda!! You're giving yourself plenty of time to lose the last few pounds, remember? :-)

My week's workouts are kinda messed up since I didn't workout yesterday. I was just going to pick up with my normal Tuesday workout, but decided to focus on my cardio this week to make up for it. I'll probably do a split-session 30 minute treadmill workout tomorrow, my usual Thursday and Friday, and then on Saturday do UCB. And I'll probably do UBS tonight after my son goes to bed. I know, I know, working out at 10 at night?!?! Hey, that's what dedication is!! Besides, I haven't lifted weights since THURSDAY of last week!!! That's too long!! I want to keep my muscle strength!!

So I've now written a book, but that's OK, because I needed to. :-) Happy One Year WW Anniversary Malinda!!! WOOHOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's been a week since I last wrote? Wow!! Well as I'm sure everyone is aware of, this past week was Christmas, and with all the festivities and parties, I am proud to say that I have lost 2.2 pounds at today's WI!! Yay!! Granted last week I gained 2 pounds, I am glad I lost those 2 and another .2. I am now less than a pound away from the 120's!! I really really really hope to be there by next WI, so I'm going to be doing everything I can this week to do that. I can only stay OP. If I make it next Monday then YAY!! If not, then it's on to the WI after that. THERE IS NO TURNING BACK!! :-) The 130's have shaped up to be my most difficult decade, and I'm not surprised since I have a lot less weight to lose than I once did. I find myself looking in the mirror a lot more lately, stunned at what I see. "Are those muscles I see?" "Is that really me??" I guess it's only natural though when someone loses a tremendous amount of weight.

I finally got my hands on the original pictures that made me realize I needed to do something about my weight. I've posted them on my pictures page for all to see. I saw these pictures around New Years '05 and absolutely could not believe I had gotten that big. Well pictures don't lie. They're brutally honest. I haven't seen them since that lightbulb moment a year ago, and now that I have them back, I am shocked, amazed, awed, inspired, and everything else. I can't even believe that is me in those pictures. I never felt that big. I am literally a new creation, inside and out, as the Lord so graciously promised to do when I found Him. I see little changes in me everyday that multiply into big changes, and for that I am so very thankful. Jesus is awesome.

My hubby took me to the mall today to get a couple belated Christmas gifts, so I splurged on a little Smashbox, Urban Decay, and MAC makeup. I love makeup!! :-) I also got the new Flyleaf CD. They rock!!

I will try not to wait a week to write again. This week should be a little less hectic than last so maybe I can find the time.

Au Revoir!!

Hey there!! Well, I had my WI this morning, and sure enough, I gained. I actually had my biggest gain yet of 2 pounds! I'm not freaking out though because I know it's not fat. I had a no-counting day last week, so my body's still trying to get back on track from that. TOM is also visiting me, and we women know how much that makes us gain water weight. Last week was also my first week back exercising after my exercise off-week, so my body is also adjusting to that. So it's definitely not fat weight. It's all water weight that should go soon. I really need to invest in some body fat calipers so I can measure my progress that way rather than with the scale. The scale can just be discouraging sometimes.

I should see the 120's sometime in the next few weeks. It'd be really great to see them in time for my WW one-year anniversary on January 3rd!! I can't even imagine being one-twenty-something. I've only known that number for one day when I was 16, lol!

I slept in this morning after a late night last night, so I didn't get to workout yet. I'll put in an hour on the treadmill when I put my son down for a nap around 2 or 3. I just could not get up this morning! I've done so well with my weightloss, that I'm really taking the last few pounds slow and steady. I'm not in a hurry to reach my ultimate goal, which really isn't a number (which technically on WW is 115), but is more about how I look and feel. I'm starting to see my muscles peeking through, and that's really exciting to me. I just want the rest of the fat off so I can see those pretty muscles that I've been working so hard on. I might make the scale number to 115, and I might not, but that's not what's important. I just want the excess fat off. :-) I am determined to see my weightloss to the finish, and not just stop when other people want me to. I've noticed that there's a point in my weightloss journey when there are people that don't want you to lose anymore. And I understand that. To them, I'm tiny!! And I do appear that way. But I have my own personal goals, and I know there's still fat to lose, and I'm not stopping until it's gone. OK, I'll stop venting. :-)

So long for now!! xoxo

It's been awhile since I've written anything in here because the site has been frozen. That happens when a lot of people look at the site, and it being a free site, I only have a certain amount of bandwidth I can use a month. I really apologize for that and am in the process of becoming a paid member to eliminate these problems.

Anway, the awesome news is that as of my 12/12/05 WI, I have now officially lost 100 pounds!! I actually had a huge loss of 3.4 pounds, so I've now lost 102 pounds!!! I'm amazed that I have come so far. In my last entry, I was really discouraged because I seemed to be stuck around the same number for a few weeks. Well on Thanksgiving I really pigged out, and my next WI I was down 1.4 pounds!! I think the day of upping my calories confused my body enough to get rid of the fat it had been holding onto. I'm now at 131, and so extremely close to being in the 120's. The lowest I ever remember myself being is 129.5, so to be below that number is really going to be awesome!!

I decided on Monday to not count points. I've been so strict with WW since I started almost a year ago, only having one day off (Thanksgiving). So I decided to take what bodybuilders call a "cheat day". I pretty much just ate what I wanted, but I did still get in an hour on the treadmill. I'm back to my program now. I did peek at the scale this morning, and was up 4.2 pounds. I'm not fretting about it though because in order to gain 4.2 pounds of fat in one day, you'd have to eat about 14,000 calories above maintenance. That's just insane. The gain is simply due to water and the food that's still in my system. Most of it should be gone by my next WI, and if it's not, it definitely will be by the following Monday. Most bodybuilders take a cheat day every week, but I just can't do it that often. I decided about every two weeks I would have a cheat meal rather than a cheat day. I think I just ate too much on Monday, and I'm still feeling the repercussions. My stomach still hurts, and this morning, I could only do 30 minutes on the treadmill because of it. I'll do another 30 later, but I wanted to do a full 60 minutes.

Anyway, we just put up our Christmas tree last weekend, and Elisha is fascinated by it. Every morning he begs that we turn it on. He's doing pretty well about not touching the ornaments. He's just so intrigued. It's cute.

So long for now. I'll keep you posted about what happens at next WI. See ya!!

Well the 130's are shaping up to be just as difficult as the 150's. I gained this morning, which I'm not real happy about considering I've been doing two cardio sessions a day. I may actually try to go back to less intense, longer sessions to see if that gets the scale moving again. I'm not going to fret too much about it because I know the scale is not a good indication of progress, but I hate knowing after a week of busting my booty, I gained weight. Although, my only meal yesterday was a big one. We went out to eat at a buffet style restaurant with my husband's grandparents, and I ate alot! It was the first time since I started WW that I really ate without being overly concerned about points. Granted it was the only meal I ate, I still ate a lot of high fat, high carb foods. Now that wouldn't cause me to gain a pound of fat overnight, but it could cause me to show a water weight gain. I'm really hoping this is not my first plateau. I know, some people would be like, "You've lost 95 pounds, and this is your first plateau?" I've been very careful throughout this journey to keep changing things to keep from having a plateau. I'll give it another couple of weeks before I determine that's what this is. I just don't know if doing two shorter cardio sessions was as effective as I thought it might be. It seems to work great for some, but if it ain't broken, don't fix it right? I might try this week to do one longer, lower intensity cardio session instead of two shorter ones. OK, I'll stop rambling about my gain. It's really not that big of a deal; it's just when you get on a weightloss roll, you want to keep it going as fast as you can. I want to see the 120's, darn it!! :-) 129.5 is my lowest as an adult, and I want to get there!! And you know what? I WILL!!!! So bye for now. I'll keep you updated on my progress. Much love!!

Today's been a pretty good day! I ate a lot at dinner last night (I made the Cheddar Chicken recipe on my website.). I dipped into my flexies by a few points which is a rare event for me. It's good though to up your calories every now and then. It keeps your metabolism guessing. Anyway, today I'm being real good with my eating, trying deperately not to munch on my son's snacks. :-)

I did 3 FIRM videos today! Yes, 3!!! I did Ultimate Calorie Blaster when I got up this morning, and I just completed Upper Body Sculpt and Jiggle Free Arms. I wanted a really good upper body workout since I had to go easy last week. It was great!! I don't think I'm going to do that too often though. It's a little much. And why do I always earn a million AP's on days that I don't have anything special planned for dinner?!?! Now I have tons of points, and my hubby's eating leftovers from last night which means I'll have whatever I can throw together. It's the days I actually have a big meal to look forward to that I have no AP's. Oh well, I guess it keeps me honest, or something. :-)

Speaking of food, I need to eat lunch!! Later!!

Well, I'm back!!! A lot has happened since I last wrote in this journal. Jesus is awesome. I just have to say that first and foremost. :-) I'm now in the 130's and can hardly believe it! I flew through the 140's!! I was only there for 4 weeks!! That's half the time it took me to get through the 150's!! Only 1.8 pounds left until I have a healthy BMI. And only 4.8 more pounds until I hit my 100 pound mark!!! Wow, that's so amazing. I've come so far. And I am sooooo very happy I stuck with this program. What a difference a year can make!!

Last week, my son and I had some sort of stomach bug which made it impossible to workout or even eat for that matter. It was a difficult week, but I'm glad it's over! And speaking of working out, I've changed my routine quite a bit. I've decided to do two 30 minute sessions on my treadmill 3 days a week instead of my usual 50 minute session. I seem to work harder knowing I don't have to go as long, and I've heard double cardio is great for getting the last few pounds off. This is my 4th week doing that. I've also added some more FIRM workouts. I've discovered "Jiggle Free Buns" which is an amazing lower body workout. I try to do that at least once a week. I thought my legs were in shape until I did that one!! It's really great right after "Jiggle Free Arms". I also really like "Complete Aerobics and Weight Training" from the BSS2 system. It's so much fun and is a great workout! I do that one when I want something extra. My husband calls me "the workout queen", hehe, because I'm always working out! But that's a good thing, right? I just don't feel right when I don't exercise. It was hard to not workout when I was sick. (Well, until I stood up and felt like I was going to puke all over the place.) :-)

Alright, that's all for now. Peace out!!!

I made it to the 140's!!! I am so excited!! The 150's were definitely my hardest decade to get through. I guess it's because I started weight training which made me gain twice, but man, they seemed to take forever! I thought I'd never get here! Well here I am, at 149.4. I dropped to 20 points a day too which so far, isn't that bad. I've been earning my AP's. (Although the more you lose, the less AP's you earn for the same exercise!) I only have 18 more pounds to lose until I'm where I was when I met my husband. Since I'm doing the FIRM though, I'll be a lot smaller when I get there then when I met him because of muscle tone. I keep telling myself, "Only 10 more pounds until I fit in those jeans." But as Carla (FREEMEFROMFAT) reminded me, I'm a Firmie so it'll probably be a lot sooner than that!! I can already fit into all my old clothes, but they're still a little too tight for me to confidently wear out. Another couple of weeks FIRMing, and I'll be wearing them proudly!

It's great when you lose weight because even though I haven't bought any new clothes, it's like I have a whole new wardrobe because I can wear things I haven't worn in 3.5 years. I always said, "One day I'll wear those clothes again," and that one day is just about here!! WW is awesome!!

Hello!! Man, my arms are sore today!! I just received the FIRM's Upper Body Sculpt from their BSS2 series, and all I can say is, "WOW!" It's a really hard workout for your upper body. I had read all the great reviews about it and found it on sale for $9.86 at deepdiscountdvd.com. I had been doing Jiggle Free Arms for my upper body work, but this one is all sculpt. The only cardio (if you could call it that) is during the warmup. I had to keep pausing it to adjust my TransFIRMer box since they use the Fanny Lifter, but I think the TransFIRMer is much better for this workout anyway. (If you do this one with the TransFIRMer, I did the first set of pushups on the incline like in Jiggle Free Arms. The tricep dips I did both sets on the fully assembled TransFIRMer, and the third set of pushups I did just on the 8" step.) Anyway, I am very impressed with this one and will definitely be keeping it my rotation for awhile. I'm sure to get results as evidenced by the pain!!!