I have a confession to make.

Last week, I had more blow it days than perfect days. And that hurt to admit! I have lots of excuses for why we ate out so much last week and why neither I nor Sam ordered anything even remotely Thrive approved, but I won't bore you with any of them. I must say that I am beyond shocked at how quickly those bad habits can re-emerge! For 8 weeks we did great...rarely eating out, following Thrive religiously with very few blow it days. Then last week, life happened, and instead of using what we learned with Thrive to get through it, we just reverted back to our bad habits. You would think that after the first day of eating bad, when the heartburn set in, when the gas set in, when the stomach upset set in, we would have got a clue and started eating right. But no, it turned into another day of eating junk, followed by heartburn and all the rest. We talked about it every night, how miserable we were, how did we eat like that every day in our "past life", and yet we woke up and did it again the next day....and the next...and the next.

I am proud to say that I have now had 2 perfect days and am finally back in EFB. I feel 100% better, and hope that by writing this here, I can look back on it when I am tempted to blow it again and see that it really wasn't worth it. I am afraid to step on the scale and have decided to give it a week so that I don't fall over in shock when I see the number, LOL!

So to you Thrivers out there who may be tempted...it ain't worth it. The stomach upset alone is enough to make you wonder how on earth you lived this long eating food that bad for you, LOL...

As for me...I will just subtract these bad days from my allowed blow it days and move forward.

Drumroll, please!

Today was my final 7 week WI and I lost 2 more pounds! That makes a total of 16.2 pounds from Thrive in just 7 weeks! Added to what I lost on WW I am now down 35.2 pounds! That's a whole lotta weight! That's like my daughter holding a 5 pound bag of taters, LOL! I also lost about 14 inches...nearly 4 in my waist and 4 in my hips, alone! It's amazing. Almost 2 whole pants sizes.

I also have to give props to my wonderful husband, Sam. He started Thrive when I did and he is now down 40 pounds. Yes, folks, 40 pounds! He is one of my "why's"...he had high blood pressure, cholesterol, triglycerides (over 600!), 2 parents with diabetes and he was over 300 pounds. Pretty much all that has cleared up now! Neither of us suffer from heartburn or acid reflux, when it used to be a nightly thing.

I can honestly say that Thrive has not only changed our lives...it has SAVED our lives! It feels so good knowing that we are getting healthier as each day goes by. To know that the food we put in our mouths is FUEL for our bodies...instead of just insulin-inducing sugar-filled junk!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend...I know I will!

As I sit here watching "The Biggest Loser" (one of my all-time favorite shows!), thinking about how inspirational these people are, I realized that working for Thrive gives me the opportunity to be just as inspirational to people I meet here in Rome! WOW! That is such a blessing! The thought that people are watching me change my life and it is making them want to change theirs just blows my mind! OK, maybe no one is feeling like that yet, but they will!

I have been in training for about a week and a half and so much more is starting to make sense to me! I lost 19 pounds with WW, but my clothes didn't get any loser...then I started Thrive and have lost 14.4 pounds and have lost at least one pants size, almost two. This is because I did not change my eating habits with WW and it caused my body to burn muscle...with Thrive I have trained my body to burn body fat and THAT is what is making my clothes fit better! It's amazing!

I have been dragging my feet and having some blow it days...I think it's time to put it into overdrive and get this weight off! I am so ready to start looking and feeling even better!

Hope you have a wonderful day...I know I am!

Good morning all!

Wow, what a rough few days! Between the stomach virus that ravaged its way through my family, my 2 year old daughter slicing her foot and ending up in the ER needing stitches Wednesday night and ending up in the ER myself last night, I must say that this is not a week I particularly care to repeat!

That said, though, I went to Thrive yesterday and THAT went great! :) First of all, I had my WI and for my weeks 3&4 together I lost 5.4 pounds! YAY ME! That brings me up 11.2 pounds lost in my first 4 weeks of Thrive and added to the weight I already lost with WW I have now lost 30.2 pounds! WOW! With this WI I not only topped 30 pounds lost, but I also blew my first 10% loss out of the water! I am beyond thrilled. At some point soon, I hope to be able to see a difference in my body...but it will come! Depending on how much weight I end up deciding to lose, I am between 1/4 and 1/3 of the way there!

I have also been given a WONDERFUL opportunity to help people that are in the same situation that I am currently in, and who are where I was before I found Thrive, and I am beyond excited at the thought of being able to help people! I know a lot of people read my blog, and this way I hope that my story will help show people that YOU CAN DO IT!

My Thriving FB Buddy JR (whose name I won't post cause I didn't ask her permission, LOL!) and I have decided to start our own personal "challenge" that is going to last for the next month. She has an event to attend out of state on September 26 and that is my mother's birthday and the day that I have a "blow it" actually planned. Between now and then our challenge is to have no blow it days and for me to get in all my water. I am excited about it and hope that anyone who reads this and wants to join in with us, contact me! I am going to put our stats here on my blog if she will agree to it, so that I can look back on it when I feel the need. I think this is just what I need to kick start my weight loss and get it where it should (could?) be!

Enough for now...and my thought for today is that today I will choose to eat to live, not live to eat!

Where am I now?

I just realized that it's been a while since I updated my blog, and since I'm at home sick today, it's as good a time as any I guess.

I am still doing Thrive and enjoying it. My first week I lost 5 pounds, but my second week, I only lost .8...this might be why I haven't been updating...I was so very disappointed. If I were to guess, I would assume that I had such a bad loss because I haven't been getting my water in. I have had a terrible cold and sore throat and drinking just hasn't been at the top of my list of fun things to do.

I didn't make it to WI last week because, well, it just didn't happen. I had a lot of things going on and the time wasn't there...and if I'm being absolutely honest with myself, it's also because my scale wasn't showing any kind of a loss for my 3rd week on Thrive, and I couldn't bear that to be my official 3rd WI.

I've had a great Thrive week, even getting in my water, then woke up with a stomach virus. I shouldn't complain, because I'm the 4th person in my household to have it this week, but still...this is my blog and I wanna complain and whine. So today I haven't been able to eat hardly at all...and what I have eaten is not Thrive-approved. It stinks to have a blow it day because I'm sick and could only think of a certain cereal to eat, but it is what it is. I have to get better before I can worry about my eating.

I just pray for a loss this week...it is a 2 week loss, and I don't know how I will handle it if I lose another .8! I know I shouldn't focus on the numbers, but on the fact that I feel so much better now than I did...but I can't help it.

Crossing my fingers for a decent loss!

100 Reasons to Lose 100 Pounds

I am going to re-post my original 100 Reasons to Lose 100 Pounds...I have some new followers who may not have seen it, and besides, it's always good to look at your "why" again!

100 Reasons to Lose 100 Pounds

100. I want to know what I look like with only one chin.
99. To not have to worry about whether I will fit in a booth at a restaurant.
98. So that I don't embarrass my children. School is hard enough without having a fat mom.
97. To wear low waisted jeans.
96. To go jogging with my boys.
95. So I never have to step foot in Lane Bryant again.
94. So my daughter will want to look like me.
93. So I never have to hear "you have such a pretty face..." again.
92. So no one will recognize me at my next high school reunion.
91. To not be the token fat chick in any given situation.
90. Because I want to live to see my grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
89. So I never have to hear the term "morbidly obese" pertaining to myself.
88. So my clothes aren't so big they could double as a tent.
87. So I don't get diabetes.
86. I don't want to be the fattest person in my family anymore.
85. I want to buy clothes in a regular store.
84. I want to learn Victoria's Secret!
83. I want to like my outside as much as I like my inside.
82. So I will want to have my picture taken.
81. So people will want to take my picture.
80. To not worry if my shirt shows a bit of my stomach.
79. I want to feel good about myself when I look in the mirror.
78. I want a regular bath towel to wrap around me comfortably.
77. I want to put on sweats and look cute instead of like nothing else would fit.
76. I want to be able to walk more than a block without getting winded.
75. I want to fit more comfortably behind the steering wheel. My legs are short so I have to be pulled way up!
74. So I can fit behind the desks in my kids' classroom. (right, Christina? LOL!)
73. So I can comfortably paint my toe nails.
72. So I can wrestle with my sons and not worry about squishing them!
71. I want to be able to slide on the enclosed slides on playgrounds.
70. So I can turn cartwheels again.
69. To be able to cross my legs comfortably.
68. To swing in a swing at a playground without the sides digging into my legs.
67. To wear boots that will zip over my calves.
66. To get a haircut without worrying if it will make my face look even fatter.
65. To wear a bathing suit.
64. To be able to tie my shoes without propping my foot up on something.
63. To meet someone new without being wary that they are thinking how disgusting I am.
62. To have enough energy to keep up with my kids
61. Being able to ride a roller coaster without worrying if the bar will fit.
60. To run in a race.
59. To see the shock on peoples’ faces when they see me after losing weight.
58. Being able to keep up with other people.
57. No more stares from strangers (or random comments)
56. Feeling brave enough to speak in front of people.
55. Go to an indoor rock climbing wall and fit in the harness thingy they strap to you .
54. So I can tuck in a shirt.
53. I want to feel stronger.
52. To give my family a fighting chance of not having the same health problems as me.
51. To sleep better.
50. Being able to sit on my husbands lap.
49. Going for a run on a fall morning.
48. So I can wear a button up shirt without worrying about gaps.
47. So people won’t ask me when my baby is due.
46. Seat belts will fit properly.
45. Movie theater seats will be more comfortable.
44. To not feel like thin/healthy people are better than me.
43. So I can ride a bike again.
42. Feeling comfortable speaking to people with out having to think about what they think about me.
41. Not being so hard to move.
40. Not being called “heavy set” or “large”
39. So I can wear a sleeveless shirt.
38. So I don’t have to struggle to get up out of the floor.
37. To show my kids how to eat healthy.
36. To show my kids that playing outside is more fun than playing on the Xbox.
35. Being confident to go after things I really want in life.
34. To help my kids grow up never having to know what it feels like to be fat.
33. Learning to control my emotions rather than eat them.
32. To shop and cook healthier.
31. So my hubby’s clothes are soooo big there is no way I can wear them.
30. So I don’t sweat and look like I’ve been swimming just from walking to the mailbox.
29. So that the floor in my mothers hall doesn't creak so loudly when I walk down it.
28. So that when we eat at a restaurant, the server doesn't automatically look at me and say "and what are we having for dessert?"
27. I want to be able to get a massage without being self-conscious.
26. So I can get a pedicure or manicure without being afraid that the technicians are talking about how big I am in their native language.
25. So that I can become a lifetime WW member and not have to pay for meetings anymore!
24. To step on the scale in the doctors office and not see them move the bar over to "200" automatically.
23. To have the energy to keep my house clean instead of just sitting on the couch.
22. So that I can wear the same clothes from one winter season to the next winter season.
21. To get up from the floor without grunting and grabbing a hold of something to pull myself up.
20. To determine that I do, in fact, have collarbones in there somewhere.
19. So that the inside thighs of blue jeans don't wear out before the rest of the jeans.
18. To be able to talk about wanting to run a 5K and not have people look at me the way they currently do.
17. So that the gowns at the hospital and doctors office fit me...and I only have to wear one!
16. To finally wear shorts again.
15. So I can shop in Old Navy stores instead of just online, which is the only place to buy their "plus" sized clothes.
14. To no longer have multiple "X's" on my clothing tags.
13. To not weigh the same as a 6'5 offensive lineman.
12. So that I don't weigh more than the men in my family...and they are NOT small men.
11. To jump on my husbands back without fearing I will break it.
10. So I don't have to constantly hold my stomach in so it doesn't stick out quite as far over my pants.
9. I don't want to feel like my family talks about my weight when I'm not around.
8. To wear cute, sexy Halloween costumes...when you are fat, you can be a witch or a cow.
7. So that when I sit down I don't automatically cross my arms and rest them on my stomach.
6. To be able to stand up and look straight down to see my toes or the numbers on the scale.
5. I want to feel comfortable to join a class (aerobics, belly dancing, etc).
4. I want to have awesome "before" and "after" pictures.
3. I want to grow old with my husband.
2. I want to show other overweight people that you CAN lose the weight...if I can do it anyone can!
1. For once in my life, I want to be a HOT CHICK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

1st Thrive Weigh-In

I have officially completed my first week as a member of Thrive Weightloss...and I lost 5 POUNDS!!! I am beyond thrilled! I have now lost 24 pounds since April. I won't mention how many more to go, cause I'm not focusing on that right now. But I am one pound shy of having lost 10% of my body weight! And I'm a pretty damn fat chick, so that's a good bit of weight, y'all! :)

What have I learned after a week on Thrive?

(1) If you eat enough protein, it keeps you from getting hungry between meals.
(2) I don't really NEED a coke to get me through the day.
(3) If you follow the program, you lose weight in your stomach and you can, indeed, feel a difference in your clothes in just a weeks time. (WOW!)
(4) I truly CAN live without white bread, butter and white sugar. I have loved ON those things for so long I didn't think I could do without them...but I CAN!
(5) It's ok to have a "blow-it" day every so often.
(6) I feel better today than I have in a long time.
(7) Since I am eating better, I know I am getting healthier.
(8) I have a "pretty face" now andI'm gonna be a freakin knockout in a few months, LOL!!!

My struggle seems to be getting my water in every day. I chose to "blow it" today and will start Thriving again tomorrow...the deal I made with myself is that if I chose to "blow it" today, I would make sure to get my water in every day this week. I can do that. :)

Hope everyone is having a great day...I know I am!

J