4 WEEKS!!

It's incredible how not doing something for a couple of weeks, turns into not doing something for three weeks, and now four weeks.  Darryl and I have not tracked our points the last month! I know, horrible, right?  We are still eating healthy (Darryl more so than me), but just haven't been tracking our weekly point totals. It also didn't help that I had a MONSTER weight gain over the holidays (I eventually DID weigh in).  I then lost a majority of that weight (I think it was mostly water weight), only to regain 4 pounds last week.  Possibly a result of my TOM, because I definitely did not eat enough calories to gain 4 pounds in a single week!  So, with all the ups and downs, tracking points has been the last thing on my mind. It's actually been rather discouraging....

But on a more encouraging note... thank goodness my husband is an amazing cook! He made Maryland crab soup this weekend that was freakin' fantastic!!!  The man can make some magic happen in the kitchen!  Cooking for me is such a nightmare.  My timing is always WAY off.  With my meals you get meat that's gotten cold (or overcooked) because I forgot to make a side for it.  Darryl makes the yummiest meals. This is the week we are going to go back to making menus and my hubby is going to be working his magic (he doesn't know it yet and will likely find out when he reads this. :-) He's been in a bit of a funk lately, so hopefully some good food will help him through this rather gloomy winter.

So we will get back on track with our points. Just gotta make it happen. And I am going to ignore the scale for a couple of weeks (going to hide it in the closet) and just do what I know I have to do. Eat clean. No more sneaking Grandma's snacks at 10:00 pm and then feeling super guilty about it afterwards. So bare with us, and stay tuned... this journey is NOT over!

Off the wagon

Jessica

So the last few weeks have been BUSY! It's incredible how quickly I revert back to old habits when things are hectic and stressed. I certainly eat when I am stressed and generally crave carbs when stress hits. I haven't weighed in on the scale recently, but I feel bloated and have absolutely no energy. So it will be a return to clean eating tomorrow.

For 2013, my goals for myself will not be related in any way to fitness or dieting. I have found that one bad day is generally enough for me to throw the whole thing out the window. My goal for 2013 is to be more organized. More organized when planning weekly menus, more organized when I actually go shopping, more organized at home, and more organized with the kids. With schedules to keep, homework to do, workouts to fit in, and a mother-in-law to keep in good health (not to mention keeping ourselves healthy), I think the best way to do all of those things is to stay as organized as possible.

In 2012, I had my weekly planner that I faithfully kept up to date all throughout 2012 until December hit. I purchased my 2013 weekly planner and have entered all of the important days and doctors appointments to remember through February. We've set up homework centers for the kids to tackle their nightly homework (thanks to all of Darryl's efforts). All that's missing is good lighting.

Tomorrow we will stock our fridge with all of the healthy fuel for our bodies in preparation for our kids returning to school. And we'll get back to logging our points for our challenge by putting a copy of the spreadsheet on our home computer for easy access.

So while I fell off the wagon over the holidays, I feel more confident in knowing how to get back on. I have all the tools necessary. Now is the time to begin using them.

Happy New Year! 2013 is going to be a great year!!! (And I am going to finish this challenge strong! No way Darryl has a chance of winning!)

Darryl

So....here I sit, 2 weeks later. Things not going well and not feeling very motivated to continue with what started so well. The holidays and some other personal issues made the last 2 weeks tough to get up for. I wish I could say that I am feeling good about getting back on this thing, but I am not.

I am hoping there is something out there that will light a fire, maybe it will be the thought of going to a glorified nursery. Who knows.... only time will tell.

Week 2 Recap/Results.... We have a leader!

Darryl

SUNDAYS ARE TOUGH!!! During the football season, I have to say that I will not be a “good boy” on football days. Tailgating last week led to poor eating and this week I found myself eating better, but a liquid diet may not have been the best thing for me.

Eating is better these days. I realized that Jess and I are on the right track this week when watching TV I saw a commercial for Papa Johns and said “that doesn't even look good...”. I find myself forcing myself to grab that fruit off of the counter that used to sit there and rot. I am also finding myself avoiding the traps that are in the teacher's lounge which have been so tempting in the past.

The working out this week was decent. I don't care what anyone says, this X-Factor work out is pretty tough. I have heard it called “Insanity Lite” and it maybe, but it is something that is pushing the two of us to our limits right now. If it is a lite version of Insanity, it will prepare us for our future workouts!

I have to say that this adventure is becoming easier. Much has to do with the support I have with my partner, my wife and opponent. However, the words of encouragement from friends and co-workers has been awesome. Jess and I are doing this to help ourselves become more healthy, but to hear others tell us they might take this idea for themselves is great! To think that something that Jess and I came up with to help our futures may help those close to us is a great feeling!Now... the results!

Darryl's week 2 results: 53 points and a 1 pound loss. Under 190 for the first time in a year!

Jessica

Week 2 is always the true test of whether you will stick to something. There were highs and lows, but we both made it through the week and got our move on. 6 days of working out this week! Some of the workouts were less than stellar efforts, but we pushed through. I think I need to add a bit of variety -X-though. Doing the elliptical on my non-XFactor days has become a bit boring. Fresh air may be just the thing to keep things a bit more interesting. That, and some good tunes on the MP3 player.

Now as for my eating this week... looking back at my food diary for the week, I notice that my carbs, fat, and sodium have been WAY high this week, which likely explain my less-than stellar loss this week. I was sure I had done enough to get at least a pound off, but alas, I only lost 0.4 pound this week. As I posted on MFP, a loss is a loss and I hope that those 0.4 pound won't ever be seen again.

I think the biggest challenge this week has been myself and my over-thinking and researching everything. As I noted, my carbs, fat, and sodium were pretty high this week. I increased my fruit (because a book I read said I could eat all the fruit I wanted in the morning), which increased my carbs. I tried to add protein by eating more nuts (because a website said that 30% of what I eat should be protein), which sent my fats through the roof, not to mention my sodium. And I tried to limit my cholesterol (well because that's what my doctor told me to do), which meant that I struggled with getting to my protein goals. Does your head hurt? Mine does. I know I am over-thinking this, but I am trying to understand what my body needs. And depending on what book you pick up at the library or at the bookstore (not to mention the internet), what you need is different from one book to the next. I can see why weight loss has become big business and why there are so many people out there trying to cash in. I will read anything and everything if I think it will help me reach my goals, even if the message is often inconsistent. In conclusion, I still have no clue. The only thing I can wrap my brain around and make sense of is... calories in, calories out. So that's what I will stick with and I am going to stop stressing over the rest of the numbers.

As for my point totals this week, 52 points!

Overall results:

Darryl:104 points

Jess: 103 points

Week 1 Recap/Results!

Week 1 is complete! It was awesome. I was talking about it with a co-worker and he noticed the change in energy and things of that sort that has come from better eating. The best thing for me so far is the fact that I am cooking again! We had very good meals this week and I had a blast preparing the meals for the family.

I did not miss a chance to exercise this week, until today (Sunday). Had to take a rest day yesterday and am going to the Ravens game this afternoon. However, I did get on the ice twice this week with lots of action both times, so I feel as if I am ok in terms of that. The best part of the week for me in terms of exercise came on Friday. I had NO INTEREST in working out, but I pushed through and got through the workout. Not the best push ever, but last week, I would not have even started.

In the past, I have read that it takes just 2 weeks for your body to get used to new routines, so I have one more to go, but it feels as if my body is liking the new direction it is going. In the upcoming week, I will continue what I have done this week to make sure the body is all about the new way of life!

Looking back at the week in terms of points, I am not too upset by it. In fact, I am really happy with the outcome. The only day I didn’t eat a good breakfast was when I had an early morning and got a late start. I didn’t get the fruits and veggies in one day. No matter, the accountability of this challenge is making a difference. Even though Jessica thinks she is going to win, but there is no way I can let that happen. No matter what, it is a win-win for both of us, but I would much rather spend my day in Florida with the GATORS than the Flowers! Keep doing what you are doing babe… just know, you have NO CHANCE!

Darryl’s Week 1 Results--- 51 points earned with a 3 pound weight loss. Down to 190!

Well… it’s been one week of changing my eating habits and exercising more and the first four days were super easy.  The fridge was stocked, there were plenty of fruits and veggies to choose from, and I had plenty of healthy snacks on hand.  And then it was Friday.  Perhaps it was boredom from the work that I was doing that day or the fact that our stock was beginning to dwindle, but I had the worst sweet tooth on Friday that could not be satisfied by fruit.  A week ago I would have given in to every single craving. But I am happy to say that I didn’t and found a small snack size bag of M&Ms was plenty sweet.

But, the biggest challenge this week has been my over-thinking and over-researching everything.  What is my TDEE and should I eat that much or below?  What is my BMI, my BMR, my body fat percentage?  How much protein should I eat?  How much exactly is one serving of whichever vegetable I was considering?  Should I only eat fruits in the morning?  Should I eat any sort of carbohydrate after 3 PM? Based on a variety of web sites, I should be eating between 1,200 to 2,100 calories a day to lose weight. That’s a pretty large range, right?  So I changed MyFitnessPal settings twice and then tweaked it again based on some other article I was reading that said that I should eat more protein (130 grams per day).  Can we say information overload?

So my approach is going to be to go with what works and to tweak things when things stop working.  Portion control, 5 or more servings of fruits and veggies a day, water, water, and more water, and the most important thing…. Exercise.  Even if it is only 10 minutes at a time, moving is better than not moving.  I managed to exercise 6 days this week for a total of 230 minutes during the entire week.  My reward for all of my efforts this week was a 2-pound loss and 51 total points for the week.  Hopefully I can keep the momentum and outpace Darryl to avoid the dreadful trip to Gatorland. J

Jess’ Week 1 Results--- 51 points earned with a 2 pound weight loss.

Our Week 1 Point Totals

		Darryl							Jess
		M	Tu	W	Th	F	Sa	Su	M	Tu	W	Th	F	Sa	Su
Starting weekly weight
Pound Lost	+1	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
5-pound bonus point	+1	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
Pound gained	-2	0	0	0	0	0	0		0	0	0	0	0	0
Healthy Breakfast	+1	1	1	1	0	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	0	1
Healthy Lunch	+1	1	1	1	1	1	1		1	1	1	1	1	0
Healthy Dinner	+1	1	1	1	1	1	1		1	1	1	1	1	1	1
5 fruits/veggies per day	+2	2	2	2	2	2	0	0	2	2	2	2	2	0	0
Skipped Meal	-2														-2
Daily Workout	+1	1	1	1	1	1	0	0	1	1	1	1	1	0	1
Missed Workout	-2							-2
MyFitnessPal Log	+1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1	1
Weekly Blog	+5	5	0	0	0	0	0	5	5	0	0	0	0	0	5
	Daily Total	12	7	7	6	7	4	8	12	7	7	7	7	2	9
	Weekly Total	51							51

Our goal setting post!

DARRYL

Be ready for MORE of this!

Today we start!! Not much to say here except…. I will be winning this thing! I start the challenge at 193 pounds with a nice little over the belt belly hang. I can’t sit in my car with a belt on comfortably. It is time to change! My goal through this journey is not to become “ripped” or over the top in shape. I just want to start living a healthy lifestyle again.

My goals are to do some sort of exercise 6 days a week. The exercise can come in the form of a workout (P90X, Insanity or XFactor), a run, or a hockey game. I also want to get back to eating better. I am SICK of the nasty feeling of not eating well. I am not going to become a “food Nazi” but I  am going to work on avoiding the easy out when it comes to food. It’s time to start cooking again! I also want to become accountable for all that I do in order to become a better version of me! This blog, along with DAILY logging into My Fitness Pal will help me do that. With all of that, I would like to lose 20 pounds getting down to 173 pounds.

I am happy to have my wife along side with me as we change our lives for the better. It’s a shame that she doesn't have a chance! I wish her all of the luck in the world, as I want her to be successful in this journey as well. But, at the end of the challenge, we will be going on an ALLIGATOR adventure when we go to Florida this summer!!

Yes, the adventure of my choice for our summer trip is a day at GATORLAND! 

JESS
People who know me well know that I am an introvert.  I like to figure things out on my own and often get lost in my own thoughts and come across as being aloof or, as in high school, a loner. So when Darryl said that we would be documenting our weight loss journey from this point on in a blog and that it would be a competition between the two of us, I must admit that I had a serious internal panic attack. I am still unsure of how I am going to embrace this process.  But what I am sure of is that what I have been doing as of late has not been helping me reach my goals.

I have to say that I am closer to my goal than I was a year and a half ago when I was 30 pounds heavier.  But a few slip ups along the way have taken their toll and have given me that same feeling of hopelessness I felt when I began changing my life 18 months ago.  I considered Weight Watchers or Jenny Craig but dreaded the idea of having to answer to someone or be held accountable by someone.  But perhaps that is precisely what I need to get the scale moving in the opposite direction again… to be held accountable by someone other than myself.  So I am at least willing to try putting my journey out there. But I am not quite ready yet to share what most women keep as very closely guarded secrets.  So I won’t be documenting my weight, but will gladly share my goals, my frustrations (there are usually many), and my successes.

To begin with my goals, my first priority has to be to get my cholesterol levels in the normal healthy range. High cholesterol runs in my family and so getting that under control is definitely a priority (eating a paleo diet is definitely out). My second priority is to get my BMI in the healthy range. For my height, losing 22 pounds will get me in the healthy range.  Losing 33 to 35 pounds will get me right in the center of that range.  So for the purposes of this challenge, and for smearing my husband’s face in the mud, my aim is to lose 30 pounds over the next 33 weeks.  My exercise and diet goals fall within the points system we have laid out for ourselves.  Now to only create the spreadsheet that will keep track of it all!

Does Darryl have a chance of reaching his goal weight by the time we go on our trip? Of course. He'll probably lose it in the first month.  Does he have a chance of winning this challenge, however? Not a chance! Especially if I tempt him with McDonald's Egg Not milkshakes and French Fries.  Not that I would ever even think about doing such a thing.... ;-p  But you can all be assured that our non-kid oriented excursion for the summer will be a trip to the Bok Tower Gardens (however, I do reserve the right to change my mind when the official visitor's guide arrives... I had to pick this in a bit of a rush since we officially start this challenge tomorrow).

The US to Fit Challenge!

As the description says... we are going on VACATION next summer! Among the adventures we are going to take with our children, Jess and I would like to do something for US! So, to help (since we seem to be motivated by going on trips) we have established the Us to Fit Challenge. We will earn points from now until the trip which is planned for July. Our goals are to eat better, exercise and be accountable for all of this. The points are as follows:

Weekly weigh-ins

+1 pt for lb lost

bonus point for every 5lbs lost

-2 pts for lb gained

Meal points

+1 pt for healthy meal

+1 for UNDER cal intake daily

+2 pts for 5 fruits/veggies

-2 pts for skipped meal

Exercise points

+1 pt for daily workout (exercise, run, or sport)

-2 pt for missed workout

Postings points

+1 for every My Fitness Pal day logged

+5 for weekly blog

Overall weight loss
+10 for reaching our goal
A fraction of those 10 points for lbs away from our goal. (If one of us is 5 pounds away from the goal at the end of the challenge, they will earn +5 points)

Whichever one of us earns the most points by July 4th, 2013 will get the adventure of their choice. These will be determined as we do more research of the area we are going!

Wish us luck and follow us! Help keep us motivated! 

Darryl and Jess!