Where to start...

Well just weighed in for my biggest loser group and looks like I won the competition with the most % weight loss at just under 10lbs.  So I'm happy about that but need to maintain focus now through Christmas.  Where I'm sure I'll get glares from my family when I skip dessert and stuffing and all their sauce laden- artery clogging dishes.  I have to say in all of this my family is the most unsupportive of everyone I know, in particular my mom and my sister.  I don't know why.  But my guess is that they have their own piss-poor body image issues to deal with and can't stand to see someone working hard on them selves which in turn makes them feel worse about their own effort.

Which brings me to my second topic, my workouts.  Last weekend or the weekend before last rather, I competed in a fundraiser for my gym that I have been going to.  It was the hardest work out I have ever completed and I felt pretty good about my self for doing it.  I tried to tell my family about it and they couldn't have cared less, but who cares right!  I don't want to be like them anyways.  I'd rather model myself after my in-laws who are gym fanatics.  I want to be 65 and still working out.

Fraud.

I just read my last post and I feel like a fraud.  3 weeks later and I still weigh the same!  I have been attending Spark pretty regularly but after those super intense workouts my cardio has suffered.  I am realizing that although Spark is pretty fun it isn't doing the job it was meant to do and that is burn my fat.  I can't totally blame that though.  The eating continues to be a struggle.  I have really pulled in the reins on the eating out and am getting back to grass roots here and that is eating at home.

I also have consulted my workout log from the last time I was losing weight after my first child was born and noticed at most days I was completing double workouts.  So we (my husband/trainer and I) reworked my workout schedule to include double workouts 3 days a week.  It is going to be tough but do I want to weigh 164 lbs forever?  No I don't.  So I must find a way to get these workouts in.  We also decided that spending 200$ a month on Spark is not worth the expense if I am going to half ass it.  I am actually fine with that and need to do what I know works.  Which is...STICK TO THE DIET!!!!  and do lots of cardio. I am hoping to report some weight loss soon!!!!

Back in the saddle

Almost a month gone and I am hoping to get back into the blogging.

We were away to Ontario for the second week in October it turned out to be a botched trip complete with a house fire and the end of a 20 year friendship for my husband.  The lesson to be learned from this trip... don't stay friends houses who don't have young children with your young children.  It just went so horrible.

I also came back 2 pounds heavier.  After a week back at Spark and my regular workouts I'm back to where I was before I left.  It feels like I just wasted those few weeks.  So my month total loss was only 2 pounds.  I have to pick up the pace in November here as my Biggest loser group is weighing in at the end of the month.  Although it does seem that a few of the members have lost interest as 3 of them never got back to me with their midpoint weights.

Now that I'm back my Spark workouts continue to go well.  I would like to continue longer cardio to get the fat burn going.  Diet is always a struggle for me. But I only ate pizza once this week and have a few days of dinner time salads under my belt.

Well off for my early morning run.

Long time no write.

Wow so much to write here, where do I begin...

Again I have been neglecting my blog. Well that stops here.

Thursday- I went to Spark again and did a full kick-you-in-the-ass workout and really it did.  I didn't come in last which made me feel good.  Then again there was only 4 of us.  I can see how effective this style of work-out can be when it comes to weight loss and increasing your overall fitness in a short amount of time.    But really that is all it is good for.  I was sweatier than I have ever been after that class and the next day I was sore in places I didn't think I could be sore.

Friday- 50 minute run,  with my body feeling so sore, it hurt every step I took.  This run was like pulling teeth to get done.  Especially with my obnoxious 2 year old threatening to throw his toys on to the belt of the treadmill.  Ugh! I don't know what to do with him.

Saturday- I weighed in for the mid point of my Biggest loser group.  I was happy to discover I was down another pound.  But my delinquent group has failed to send me their weight as I requested.  I guess no one wants to lose any weight.  I also went to the weight loss and fitness seminar put on by Paul Plakas www.paulplakas.com. It was actually very good.  He touched on the mental aspect of loosing weight, which I know is my biggest obstacle.  I really don't know why I don't value my self enough to get this weight off.  Why, sometimes I value a taste of chip, cake, candy, or what have you over my self esteem. I know I would much rather be 130 lbs again and be able to walk into any store and have almost any piece of clothing look good on me.  That felt great!  I think these next few weeks I am really going to work on that.  Because as on the heels of this great day I opted for a chicken burger from Wendy's instead of my salad.

Tomorrow is another day.  It will be off to Spark in the am, and then Turkey dinner with the fam.  I know I will be able to control my eating as I'm really not a fan of mashed potatoes and I don't like pumpkin pie.  So I'm sure I'll do great.

blog-neglect

So again I have been neglecting my blog but that is not at all a reflection as to how my workouts and such went this week.  I'm just feeling that overwhelming tiredness that I am tired of complaining about...like that play on words there?

I am joining Spark www.sparksportconditioning.com. It is pretty expensive but I think it will give me the jolt I am looking for.  If I end up loosing the pounds faster it will be worth it.  I went in for the intro-session today and was timed on the base line work out.  it consisted of a 500m row, 40 squats, 30 sit-ups, 20 push-ups, and 10 chin-ups.  My time was 6:58 the trainer said that it was a fairly impressive time for the first time out so I was happy with that.

Sunday was a day off.

Monday- I went to Spark again for my first full session.  The work-out consisted of a lengthly warm-up which I found very effective,  the say it is exactly the same every day.  Then lots of running drills ending with some wind-sprints.  A definate plus to the class format is being able to push your self a bit harder to edge out your class mate.  We then proceeded to "Totals day"  where we did olympic style powerlifting and the goal was to increase the weight as you lowered your reps until you maxed out.  These totals then go on the wall under your name as a goal to beat next time.  Since it was my first time we mainly focused on form for Squats, Press and Deadlifts.  It was fun to use the bumper plates as they are larger then regular gym plates and it makes it look like you are lifting way more than you are.  I quite enjoyed this segment and gave me something new to strive to.  The trainer said although today wasn't "balls out" (his quote not mine)  It is still good to work on strength and learning the exercises properly for when it comes time to do the work out full out.  All in all I am very excited to continue going.

As for diet I've been doing better than I have in the past for the last few days. I am going to keep it up.  I'm hoping to see it reflected in the scale on Saturday as it is our mid point for the Biggest Loser group I started.

I'm a little late here.

After a day off on Sunday I decided to start the week out right with a great work out at the gym.  As tough as it was to complete my intervals with the plethra of injuries I am starting to sustain I had a great one.  My running shoes have crapped out on me making my right knee and foot feel very strained, I also think the injuries can be from the fact that I am increasing the distance, weight and intensity that I am training at as my fitness improves all in an effort to convince my body to shed some pounds.

After the parade of junk I ate over the weekend I have managed to get my diet back on track these last two days, save for the slice of the bread I made tonight.  I am wondering if I should put a small amount of carbohydrate back in with dinner as I do feel better if I have eaten a little.  With out it at bed time I am very tired and almost light headed and in the morning I wake up feeling very sluggish and faint until I eat my cereal.  Something I must discuss with my husband/trainer tomorrow.

I am hoping I have something positive to write in here tomorrow as I have my month end weigh in.  I know exactly why if I don't lose any weight though.

I must confess.

So my husband caught me in a lie today and I am feeling very ashamed.  On one of the dairy queen runs this week I was caught in a moment of weakness and got a cone for my self and ate it while I was driving home.  He asked me if I got anything for my self and I lied and said no.  I was feeling too bad about eating it that I couldn't bring myself to tell him.  I guess rather than him talk me through it I thought I could just put it behind me and carry on.  I have been feeling so frustrated with myself lately,  I really really want this weight gone but I continue to make excuses and continue to eat pizza, wings and ice cream.  I really need to get my head back in the game.  I guess it seemed easier last time to loose the weight and now that it isn't happening as easily this time.  It seems I have given up.

Friday.

Well today went very well.  It started with a 40min run on the treadmill.  It felt great, I didn't even think about stopping.  I was able to finish with a tempo run at 6.2.  I was very happy with the way it went.   I also went for an hour walk with a friend.  That feeling continued on for the rest of the day as I stuck to my diet until diner where I had a slice of pizza and 2 wings.  I must say the novelty of pizza is wearing off on me.  I am not even enjoying it.  I would have felt better if I had finished the day with a salad.

fighting through it.

Another great workout under my belt today.  I did my weight program as well as an extra 30 of cardio after.  I really didn't want to go today and after a poor showing at the gym last time I am really glad I managed to fight through it.

As for diet I am staying the course,  I did have a spoonful of pasta with my dinner tonight.  Tomorrow we are planning on going out for dinner and I must stay strong and order a salad for dinner.

rebound!

So after the funk I've been lamenting about lately I am pleased to report I did great today.  This am I was able to complete my intervals run with out any interruptions.  I actually increased the pace I was running at as well as the time.  My running is certainly starting to feel like I am back on track.  I just have to work on increasing the distance.  My knees are really feeling all the running I have been doing under this weight.

This afternoon my husband put me through a really tough workout that saw my HR peak over 200bpm.  I know I'm really working hard when I can get my rate that high.  I know he is getting frustrated listening to me whine and complain about my lack of weight loss and really wants to help me achieve my goals.  I hope this little extra push will reflect in the scale.   As for diet, the goal is to not eat out this week at all.  Tomorrow I will have dinner ready before either of us can change our minds.

I must admit I am already stressing about how I am going to complete my bike without any interruptions.  So we'll see how that goes tomorrow.

Doing great!... NOT!

Well it's been a while.  Probably a good indication as to how I am doing in other aspects of my life, namely my diet and work outs.  I've been eating a lot of comfort foods lately to combat the stress I have been under.  I really feel it is the lack of sleep that is the main source of my stress as well as a trying almost-2 year old, our finances,  my husband's issues, and dealing with the decision to move our family to the west-coast, just to name a few.  It's funny as my life feels like it is out of control at the moment I am feeling immense anxiety when it comes to the organization and cleanliness of our house.  I almost feel that the feeling like I can't catch up around the house mirrors how I feel in the rest of my life.  As I walk from room to room I see all that I would like to organize and clean but I just can't seem to catch up.

I really have to learn to put my self as a priority as opposed to those "things" that I need to do around the house.  I find my mind has been drifting during my work outs to those tasks that are waiting.  I used to find going to the gym my time of solace, time to meditate away from the kids.  I must work on feeling that way again this week.  I am planning on adding extra work outs so that I am doing a "double" twice a week, which may seem a monumental task as it seems I am constantly interruped by the kids during my workouts.  Last week I had good momentum going on my run and my son kept turning off the treadmill on me.  It was hard to regain my focus after that.

So putting my failure this week behind me I am going to work on pushing through the plateau/ funk I am finding myself in.  Even though I have not lost any weight I do feel like my body is changing.  My clothes are fitting different and my fat seems to feel looser around my belly.  I believe If I keep pushing it will begin to melt away.

The focus this week :  take care of my self first, house second.

Time to get serious.

Ok, over the last few days... maybe weeks my motivation has be seriously dwindling.  It is time to get serious now.  It is now going on 13 weeks since I've had my second baby and the weight is not budging and I know why.  The diet.  I've been too easy on my self.  Since I can't work out twice a day like I did with my first I have to be even more diligent with my food intake.  My husband and I have been emotional eating as of late as we have been stressed to the max.  Part of the reason I've been so down is my weight so does it make sense to make my self feel better by eating... no it doesn't.  I feel great after a good workout.  And I'm going to start focusing on that.  Like how I feel right now.  It is Sunday and I was supposed to go for a ride with a friend but in the back of my head I knew she would flake out on me.  I was feeling a bit anxious and my husband suggested I go to the gym.  I'm glad he did that because I feel so much better.  I feel I got my focus back.  I don't want to look like this any longer than I have to.  Even more motivation is we might plan a trip to a sunny destination this spring and I want to feel good in my bathing suit before we go.  So here we go.... back on the wagon!!

The bumpy road.

With the onset of the long weekend as well as some sleepless nights has sapped my motivation hardcore, also the motivation to write in my blog.  My husband thinks it's because I don't want to admit in here how poorly I have been doing, he's wrong.  It's because the lack of sleep is making it difficult to string even a few words together to make a sentance that makes sense.  When I think of all the reasons my motivation may be waning, the lack of sleep is probably the biggest.  So here goes my synopsis of the week.

Monday - Chinese food buffet... nuff said.
                 No work out- too lazy.
Tuesday - 20 minute jog- major fatigue had to walk half way through.
                 Diet- 9/10
Wednesday- Great bike ride in the basement- Completed very tough work-out called Dropping the       Hammer by Troy Jacobson.
                  Diet- ate chicken fingers and fries from Dairy Queen.
Thursday- GREAT run!  I did a 30 minute jog, build for 20 minutes to tempo for 10 minutes.  I finally feel like my running is improving!  I didn't have to stop and it felt great.
                 Diet - so far so good.  I've eaten every thing I'm supposed to at the appropriate times.

The looong weekend.

So as my week off comes to a close, my husband aka "trainer"  has been dreaming up ways to spice up my workouts and hopefully convince my body to start shedding some pounds.  We have both been bombarded by friends who have signed out for the new fitness craze "crossfit" ultra crazy workouts using simple equipment.  Which can easily be done at home.  So inspired by these hardcore workouts my husband has come up with some 20 minute versions that we can do together after the kids have gone to bed.  We went shopping today and bought some resistance bands and  8 lb, 12 lb and 14 lb medicine balls.  I gotta tell you that I am actually excited to begin these workouts together with my husband.  Last summer we did a lot of working out together, which I miss. While having 2 kids and little time together we haven't had the chance to really do a lot together.

I have not yet rated yesterday so I will do that first.

Friday:

9/10 workout-20 minute easy jog on the treadmill, I think my running is starting to come along, we'll see when I get into the longer runs this week.

8/10 diet- Pretty much stayed on track with the diet.

Saturday:

Day off of workouts.

5/10 diet, two meals eaten out,  Lunch was a chicken wrap at Bp's quite tasty but no idea what was in it. Dinner was a stir fry from wokbox.  Again no idea but today was a cheat meal day.  Just next time only ONE meal is eaten out.

Tomorrow is another day...

Just keep Swimming...

So this is me post baby #2 in August.  I don't look much different and as of this morning I weigh the same.  After that I was lamenting and disappointed.  I was going to write a long feel sorry for my self post in this blog but I did my 20 min easy jog on the treadmill and I feel better.  Aside from the weight I have shown a lot of other improvements since this picture.  I remember just walking through the park took my breath away.  Now I can run 30 min with out stopping, I biked for 90 minutes twice this week.  I can feel that my strength is returning in my weight work out.  So If I just focus on all I have already "gained" as well as keep improving on my diet,  I know this weight will start to come off.  My neighbor helped put this into perspective for me.   I keep looking at how Marcus is 3 months old and I still look like I gave birth yesterday.  I really have only been working out for 6 weeks now, So really it hasn't been all that long.  Like Dory the fish says in Finding Nemo... you gotta just keep swimming...

So for yesterday's workout

9/10  I love doing those "base builder" bike work outs, as I get really sweaty.  Which makes me feel like I'm burning a lot of calories.

9/10 Diet, fish and frozen veg for dinner. yum! well not really on the veg but we ran out of spinach.

Wednesday.

What a busy day,  first a play-date in the morning down at my friends house.  She lives about a 15 minute walk from us.  Then a unexpected play-date in the afternoon by my friend and her two boys visiting from out of town.  It was a day off from work-outs as it is my "rest" week.  So I don't have a rating for that.

7/10 Diet- I had half a tortilla with my fajita chicken, I could of had more veg with dinner,  but Jason and Marcus were in the middle of meltdowns which made for a-scarf-down-what -you-can type of meal.  My husband asked me to go get him a sundae from Dairy Queen which is always hard, and it being hot outside I really really wanted one too.  But as I was leaving I caught a glance of my back rolls in the mirror and decided having ice cream wasn't worth it.

It's 6 weeks until our vacation and I was hoping to feel better in my clothes by the time we go.  I have a gift certificate left over from christmas and was going to use it to buy some clothes for the trip as I have absolutely nothing to take with me.  How frustrating.

Tuesday

It's day 2 into my "light" week and I'm really feeling guilty, like I should be going all out. But I have to remember that your body needs the time off just as much as it needs the high intensity work-out.

work-out 7/10 Today was a light 20 minute jog, I guess I'm giving it a lower score because it was an easier workout.

Diet 7/10 Again with the pizza! I had my spinach salad and a small slice of thin crust pizza, still... I'm not supposed to be eating carbs for dinner. But oddly I'm not quite as famished as I usually get this time of night.

Monday.

As my back has been killing me we've decided that I should take the week off of weights and work on my cardio. So today I completed Spinnervals base builder II disk. I really like it, I burned 700 calories was soaked in sweat and thanks to my in-laws I was able to complete the 90 minute ride in peace. It was actually a really nice break from the kids.

9/10 for work-out I really felt like I burned some calories.

8/10 for diet, as I continue to go carb-less at dinner I am really hungry by bed time. I'm hoping this convinces my body that it needs to burn fat.

The Scale Doesn't Lie.

Today was the official weigh in for my Biggest Loser group. And boy it wasn't pretty! It is funny how your perception of your self is different than your actual self. One of the participants also just had a baby and I thought she must be bigger than me, but our measurements were very close. It definitely changed the way I see my self. I weighed in at 170.8 lbs. That is absolutely no change from my last weigh in. I am feeling a bit discouraged. The weight does not want to budge. So I must ask my self where am I going wrong. It must be diet, I have been partaking in the pizza and fast food that my husband has been eating. I must work on my resolve, THE FAST FOOD STOPS HERE! It is salad for dinner every night.

My workouts I feel have been going well, I might want to start stretching my cardio to 1 hour, which is hard to do with a busy 2 year old as well as a fussy 3 month old. But it has to be done, I have been thinking back to when I lost my weight the first time. I remember the weight started to come off when I started to lengthen my cardio. This is why we must keep records, as my husband would say. I'll look back and see what I was doing last time.

Today was a day off so I won't rate my work out.

7/10 for diet, Cesar Salad and Ribs aren't going to help the weight loss. Back to spinach and chicken tomorrow.

Saturday.

Today I took a break from the rigorous workouts and went for another bike ride with my friend who is training for her triathlon. I think my bike fitness has really come back as she struggled to keep up a good pace I really had no trouble at all.

5/10 work-out, no stairs just bike today.

5/10 diet, breakfast and morning snack started out ok, lunch was a grilled chicken burger from A&W with some nibbles of my son's fries. Famished after waiting all afternoon in a car dealership with out my afternoon snack, we had pizza and wings for dinner. So we will see how that affects my weigh-in tomorrow for my Biggest loser competition.

Another good day.

With the "biggest loser" weigh-in looming in the very near future, Sunday I am more concerned about making a great start than weighing-in heavy. I think if I can build up some momentum going in to the competition I may have better success then if I were to slack. I find it hard to get motivated but once you are there it is easier to stay motivated. My work-outs for instance continue to get better and better. There was a time when I didn't always feel like going to the gym but at the moment I really look forward to it. And I think it is showing in my work ethic once I am there.

10/10 for Work-out today. I just keep feeling stronger and stronger in the gym. I feel like my muscles are returning to peak form, just need to get the layer of fat off and then I'll be able to really see the hard work paying off.

8/10 for Diet, The cravings remain high, especially around 3 when I have my yogurt. But I have always been a real carb-aholic.

Life is a roller-coaster ride.

When one day is down, use that as motivation to make the next day up. Which is what I did. I had an excellent bike, even with my son bugging me every 5 minutes. I did "suffer-o-rama" of the Spinervals cycling DVDs. Which are a killer workout and you don't even have to leave the house.

Workout 9/10, I suffered to "Suffer-o-rama" the last time I did this disk I had to soft pedal a few times. This time I was able to complete the workout, not be able to walk up the stairs after but I completed it none the less.

Diet. 9/10, I ate my meal plan as specified. Still feeling the carb cravings in the late afternoon though, but I should expect that.

What is the opposite of "Great day"?

I'm not sure why but today I've been feeling so fatigued, lethargic, spacey. Could it be the lack of sleep catching up to me? Slashing carbs from my eating plan? Chasing after a busy 2 year old. But enough with the excuses. Tomorrow is a new day.

6/10 Workout, My running is still feeling horrible, and I imagine it will until I can get this 35 lb "weight vest" off. I did have to walk at the 15 min mark.

5/10 Diet, we ordered pizza, nuf said. I will count that as my cheat meal for the week.

Great day!

So after a great work out at the gym my cravings for junk were at an all time high. I was at Costco and the hot dog stand was calling my name louder than ever. It was like they knew I have a weakness for them. I even went as far as to check my wallet for the two bucks it would cost to get one with a pop, but I held strong. I remembered how hard I had worked in the gym today and didn't want that to go to waste. So I pushed the cart past the dogs and didn't look back.

8/10 for Diet. I made myself a tasty salad for dinner and actually enjoyed it. As back in my "bigger girl" days eating a salad for a meal was just unheard of.

9.5/10 for work out as I gave it my all and had my husband's voice in my head saying "the only way your body is going to change is if you make it hurt" so I said that over and over. I also complete and extra 20km bike ride with my friend who is training for a triathlon and needed a riding partner tonight. It felt great. I really feel like my fitness is starting to come back.

How did I do today?

Well today was Sunday, my day off work-outs so I can just evaluate diet.

6/10- I slept till 11:30 so I had my breakfast when I woke up, my regular snack at 3pm, I also had a handful of chips while dinner was cooking. Dinner consisted of my set portion of chicken, 2 ribs and a vegetable. I should have had my spinach salad as well. As I am feeling pretty hungry as I am writing this.

Well off to bed to start the week. I'm glad that it is Monday tomorrow as my babysitters (the grandparents) come in the morning so I can hit the gym.

So I'm back today to let you know how today went. I'm really liking my Saturday routine of stairs in the river valley. In our river valley there is a set of stairs with 3 sections with an adjacent hill. so I run the hill then do the stairs with push ups and crunches at each section. I repeat this 4 times. So I'm giving my workout today a 9/10 as I was able to shorten my interval time and decrease the amount of rest I needed in between sets.

Diet was great until supper time which I afforded my self a "cheat meal" consisting of an "Angry Tendercrisp from Burger King, no fries though.

I'm feeling super tired today and thank goodness tomorrow is my rest day.

How did I do today-Friday

So I'm a day late writing in my blog. My husband would say that is already showing a waning motivation. I'm just exhausted, between getting up at night with my 2 month old, dealing with the other boy who has hit the "terrible twos" stage and trying to give it my all every day with the work outs. Also trying to maintain some sanity by having friends over for the afternoon during my would be "nap/shut the eyes for 5 minutes time".

So how did I do today?

Workout- 6/10 I hate running, I really do. And it is even more difficult with this extra 35 lbs. Last summer, I wouldn't say it felt great, but it was a whole lot easier with a lighter frame. So I did 30 mins on the tread mill. 1 minute HARD and 4 jog. I did have to stop in the middle as my legs and back have been ceasing up. Again the extra weight is probably the culprit.

Diet- 8/10 I'm glad to say I've been able to shake the chip and candy cravings and keep a bag of each around for my husband as he like to nibble when he gets home from work. My big challenge at the moment is to ensure I drink enough water. I can never seem to so I think that will be the focus of the next little bit here.

How did I do today?

Here is my nightly assessment of how I did with diet and workout.

Work-out: 8/10

I would be proud to say I killed it in the gym today. I completed my workout as given by my trainer Paul Plakas the first time I went to lose weight. In stead of the 2 minute bike in between sets I have been doing a 2 minute sprint on the treadmill. This really got my heart rate up and had a good sweat going. I also was able to increase the weight on a couple of exercises.

Diet: 7/10

I pretty much stuck to my meal plan and ate at the right intervals. I did however succumb to a 60 calorie popsicle in the afternoon. The salad I made for dinner tasted great.

All in all a good day!

Here I go again.

So here I go again. When I met my husband I tipped the scale at nearly 180 lbs. This is heavy for a little 5'2" frame. He introduced me to fitness and a healthy way of eating and slowly but surely I made it down to 130lbs. I had never felt better, I had trained for a triathlon and place a very respectable 15th overall, showing me that I actually can lead a fit life style.

My second pregnancy landed me on "light activity" at 21 weeks and then in the hospital on bed rest for the last 4 weeks with an early delivery via c-section at 35 weeks. But I'm not totally complaining as my little peanut arrived safely into the world. So I guess it is for a good cause, (which I'm sure I'll try to guilt him with that later). Now I am feeling the effects of this. My muscles wasted to nothing and just going up a flight of stairs winded me. I wanted to get moving again right away like I did with my first but the incisional pain made it difficult to even walk a great distance.

So here I am 9 weeks post delivery and 3 weeks into my work outs in my quest to return to my former self. My husband had suggested this blog as a way to stay accountable and motivated as he had seen one similar. It followed it's author through a 1 year journey through his transformation. I thought hey that's a good idea as I can stray off the path easily. I have even gone as far as to form a Biggest loser competition with friends to rally the troops. Look for that weigh in on Aug 30th. So first things first... I'm going to ask my husband to take some before pictures when he gets home tonight to complete my first post on the blog. This isn't for the faint of heart people. The one thing my husband (and fitness mentor) taught me is that first you have to get real with your self then you can get in the mindset to change your self.