Main

April 16, 2007

Welcome to Week 7 of the BigSliceOff

How is everyone doing?  I'm still not losing any weight, according to my scale.  Nope.  Still weighing in at 172 pounds and holding. 

You're not going to find me crying in my ice cream this week, though, because I've lost a full inch off of my waist, and a quarter inch off of all my other measurements as well.  Victory!  Plus my pants are a little bit loose, and that, my friends, is fresh out of the dryer. 

Take that, you piece of (*&(*@(*&*!! scale.  I spit on you and insult your mother.

I've been slacking on my water consumption, and so I'm making that the focus this week.  8 glasses.  Every day.  It shouldn't be so hard to get that much water in, but I find that I'm really having to think about it.  Like, a lot of thinking.  About drinking water.  That is lame.

Lame, but necessary.

Get your scale numbers to me (photos optional)  Click here, my lovelies, and email me.

I wanted to talk about exercise, too.  I've been really groovin' on Leslie Sansone's walk/jog and 4 mile walk DVD.  I alternate, and have done one or the other every day for the last two weeks, in conjunction with my daily yoga.  This routine flies in the face of everything I claim about my personality and exercising goals.

I claim that I am easily bored, and prefer to have a wide variety of activities to choose from. 

I claim that I prefer to exercise outside, and alone.

I claim that jogging gives me shin splints, and I can't possibly even think about trying it again.

You know what?  There is a freedom in just following the leader, knowing what you are doing, and autopiloting through the alloted time.  You don't have to have your head 100% in the exercise to get the benefits.  Something about moving my body in a repetitive, rhythmic way allows me to mentally chew over some of my problem areas, and leaves me feeling able to tackle that backlog of laundry, or catch up on correspondence, or whatever.

While I still do prefer to exercise alone, I like having the 'company' of a DVD telling me what to do.  I like seeing other people doing the same thing I'm doing.  I like to compare their arms and saddlebags to my own, and speculate on when, if ever, I will look like that girl on the left.  As for exercising outside, well, I still like to do that, but I always feel like I'm on display when I'm outside walking.  And I worry that my butt is jiggling or my shorts are riding up, and I feel self-conscious.  At home, I can just dork out with no worries. 

Finally, shin splint?  Seem to be shoe-related.  I've been able to jog myself silly (doesn't take much) with my new shoes that work with my high arches, and I'm pain-free.  Go me! 

I'm going to introduce you to some of your fellow BigSlicers this week... we've got a great group, and I apologize for not running these mini-interviews sooner.  Y'all are some funny, funny gals.

March 13, 2007

The Field Narrows.

Good morning, BigSliceOff-ers! BigSliceOff-ettes?  What shall I call you?

Nevermind that for now.  I'm going to purify my contestant list this evening.  If you sent me a start weight by last Friday, you're good.  If you haven't sent me your weight for this week yet, do it today. 

If you do not want to participate after all, no worries.  I'll be dropping participants who have not checked in after two weeks.  (Lots of data entry with this contest.  Heh.)

So!  I'm still working on my posture.  I'm sitting up straight right now, and it doesn't feel natural to me.  But I'm keeping at it. 

I'm also making myself a goal of doing a yoga DVD every day for the next six days, in addition to my other fitness efforts.  I've got 700 of them, so this shouldn't be a challenge.  In fact, I challenge each of you to add some yoga to your daily routine.  Doesn't have to be a full session.  Doesn't have to be official yoga.  Take some time to stretch and relax your body while breathing deeply. 

If you're interested in doing yoga from a DVD, I personally love all of Rodney Yee's stuff.  If you're a beginner, try his AM workout.  In fact, let's do this:  I'll randomly select a commenter on this post, and mail her the AM/Stress Relief/PM yoga workout DVD.

Oh, yes.  One more thing - gimme 50 calf raises (hold onto your desk and go up onto the balls of your feet and then back down) and 50 toe-touches.  Keep your knees soft, and breathe. 

And be glad it isn't jumping jacks again. ;)


March 9, 2007

Not Counting My Chickens

So, how is everybody doing?  Having a good week?  Feeling strong?  Or are you struggling?  Just a reminder, if you're on the fence about joining in, today is the last day to be in the running for the $50 gift card prize.  Comment here or email me at bigslicejenny@gmail.com and I'll sign you up.

I've gotten some wonderful suggestions about how we can support and encourage each other, and I'll be tackling those this weekend.  I am really excited about seeing ALL of us succeed.  We can do this.  Even if we don't want to.

I think I'm down two pounds this week, but I'm not going to shout it from the rooftops just yet.  I like to take all seven of my daily weigh-ins and average them to get my total.  I fluctuate so much from day to day that it makes me crazy.

As we head into the weekend, I want you to make a plan for something fun and indulgent - something that makes you feel wonderful, but doesn't involve food.  Leave me a comment and let me know what you're planning.  I'm still musing on my own plans.

Also, if you've been slacking on your five hours of exercise this week, now is the time to pick up the pace.  Tie on your tennis shoes and take a long walk with your family.  Put on your iPod and rock out in your living room.  Whatever you need to do - get those minutes done and recorded.  I'll be asking on Monday.

Weekends are the worst for me, eating wise.  I have more time to cook, but all I want to do is snack all day and eat out.  I'm not doing it this weekend.  I'm keeping my water glass full, and I'm planning all three meals for the next two days.  And I'm sticking to it, even if my husband decides he wants to go to In N Out for a double-double with cheese.

Be watching for an email (I know I've been saying that all week - they will go out tonight to everyone who has committed to participating) that will let you know what I need from each of you in order to stay in the running for the prizes.

March 2, 2007

The BigSliceOff will start Monday!

Ready for a little friendly competition?  I'm really tired of seeing the same old numbers on the scale, and I've been inspired by all the television weight loss competitions I've been watching.  While most of us can't drop out of our lives to focus on diet and exercise, we can steal some of their ideas, and try to adapt it to our own situations.  So, let's do this thing.

Ground rules:

Follow whatever diet you want - but make it sensible and balanced, okay?  No crazy only lettuce and diet soda routines.

Plan your dinners.  If you are like me, breakfast and lunch isn't such a major dilemma.  I can eat the same things day in and day out.  But the family likes variety at dinner.  Once a week, sit down and spend ten minutes planning out your week's food.  I'll post mine.

Get moving.  I'll be posting weekly exercise goals plus challenges.  These aren't going to be difficult, and you can save your excuses for your mama.  (You can also expect a little trash talking from me.)

Be accountable.  At the start of each week, I want you to take a photo of your weight displayed on your scale.  We'll do this every Monday.  This is to keep you motivated through the weekends - and also to keep your pedicures current.  Heh.  We'll also take our measurements once a month.

I also want you to tell someone what you are doing.  Tell your husband.  Tell your kids.  Tell your best friend.  Encourage them to help you by joining you in exercise, not offering foods you can't resist, and by distracting you when you are feeling weak.

If you are already a blogger - consider blogging your challenge.  If you aren't, CafeMom can have you up and running in five minutes.  Send me your links! 

Get enough rest.  If you are a night-owl like me, start by moving your bedtime up by 30 minutes.  And then do it again.  Your body needs time to regenerate.

Drink your water.  I don't care how you get it in, but you need 8 8 oz glasses daily.  Start drinking in the morning, and keep it with you until you've gotten it all in. 

Finally - we're going to stop the negative talk.  We're going to forgive ourselves for gaining weight, and we're going to tackle one choice at a time.  If you mess up at lunch, you'll go back to your sensible plan at dinner.  If you mess up after dinner, you'll wake up tomorrow and start fresh. 

Got it?

I'm going to create a one-sheet print-out-able file that will give you a place to record your weekly menu, your weight and measurements, your exercise challenges for the week and your water intake.  I'll have that available in my sidebar by this evening.  Feel free to modify it as you see fit.  Mine will be taking center stage on my 'fridge.

Here's what we are playing for, and how I'm judging:

At the end of each of the next three months, I will compare your starting weight with your ending weight.  I'm cooking up prizes for our progress check-ups.  At the end of three months, I will do one final comparison.  The dieter who has lost the most weight (in pounds) will recieve a $50 gift certificate of her choice.  If there is a tie, we will use minutes exercised as a tie breaker.  Track those minutes!

So!  This weekend, take some Before photos.  Find your measuring tape.  Change the batteries in your scale.  Start thinking about the way you want to eat. 

I will keep the "official contest entry" open until Friday, March 9th.  I don't know if comments are actually working - it has been a rough week.  If you'd like to participate, but can't comment, send me an email bigslicejenny@gmail.com and let me know you're in.



August 16, 2006

A Contest! A Contest!

Everybody!  Quick!  Run over to see Amanda at The Naked Ledger - she needs your best budgeting tips, and she's giving away a $50 gift card!  Not only does she give amazing advice, but she's hilarious.  If you haven't been reading, get over there, tell her BigSlice sent you, and enter the contest!

August 5, 2006

Funky.

We didn't end up going to the fair today.  I spent much of last night wandering my house, waiting for tylenol to kick in.  I have this new, apparently hormonally triggered back pain thing that causes me to ache and quake.  I couldn't find a comfortable position, so I paced around the house, taking breaks for a few yoga poses that triggered spasms and left me exhausted.

Around 4 am, I managed to get comfortable on the couch, so I slept there, until my children got up at 6 am.  This made me cranky.  Really, really cranky.

I started out my day in a funk, and by midmorning, I managed to involve the whole family.  The kids were fighting, I was stomping and hollering, and my husband was alternating between hiding and trying to inject some sanity into the proceedings.  It was his call to move our fair visit to tomorrow, and a wise one, judging from the headache I'm sporting.

I'm determined to head out to the fair tomorrow, but before I do, I want to squeeze in a walk around the neighborhood.  I am desperately in need of endorphins, people. 

July 18, 2006

Made.

While folding a load of laundry this afternoon, I got sucked into that MTV show "Made" - I hadn't seen it before.  This one took a nerdy kid and made him into a break-dancing B-boy.

Oooh!  My little heart was all a-flutter.  I know, I should come to terms with the fact that I'm a thirty-three year old fat woman, but I want to be a break-dancer!  I can see dropping the kids off at school, and then throwing down a flattened refrigerator box and kickin' it old school style with the other moms.  And then maybe a little trip to Starbucks. 

Sounds pretty great, huh? 

Okay, for those of you who are new readers - I guess I should explain.  I've always had this thing about making up scenarios.  It doesn't take much to get me off and running either.  Take the hula hoop situation.  I discovered that I couldn't do it.  I couldn't hoop.  Man, I was bummed.  Then someone suggested a sports hoop.  Then came an innocent flyer about a school hula hoop contest at the ice cream social.  And before you know it, I'm boasting about strutting into the contest with my own custom hoop to pounding theme music. 

So, needless to say, it doesn't take much to set me off. 

Break-dancing!  Yes!  I updated my netflix queue to include a family friendly beginning break-dancing DVD and I'm already planning my outfit.  Big Slice is in the house!

I promised a contest, and I'm still giggling over my mental image of my breakin' debut.  Let's do some haiku again -

Alright - prizes will be awarded to the 'kus that tickle my fancy. 

Your topics:

  • Hula hooping
  • Bikram yoga
  • Break-dancing
  • Schoolyard Showdown

Go! Get your haiku on!  Refresher: three lines 1st line five syllables, 2nd line seven syllables and 3rd line five syllables.  Have fun with it!

OH WAIT!  I just talked to Jenn over at Hip Mom and Trendy Tweens, and we want to make a little mischief and spread the love around to our ClubMom blogger sisters.  You get extra brownie points for every extra haiku you leave (without explanation) in the comments one of our fine ClubMom blogs.  In fact, go post some haiku on your own blog, and trackback, and we'll all have some fun.  Whee!

July 7, 2006

Oh, All Right.

Y'all are a bunch of googling fools.  So many right answers!  So many right-ish answers, too!  I'm going to have to be more tricky for the next contest, I think.

SInce so many of you guys got them right, I'm calling it early.  Prizes for everyone!

For the record:  Here are the products in question -

SunnyD® Reduced Sugar
Cool Whip light
Reduced Fat Jif Peanut Butter Creamy
Diet Pepsi
Sugar Free Fat Free Instant Jello Chocolate Pudding

How do you feel about these products, after reading the list of ingredients?  Are you freaked out (like me) or fine with it (like Mel over at The Amazing Shrinking Mom) - I admit to still craving and occasionally eating these foods, albeit the full-fat, regular sugar varieties.  Better living through science is something that we, as good little consumers, tend to believe.  Should that apply to our food? 

Oy, my daughter is hauling me away from the monitor.  I'll post the names of the winners and the prizes in a bit. 

July 6, 2006

I'm Going Down, And I'm Taking You All With Me!

I know, I know.  I promised a contest... it is at the bottom of the entry.  Read on down, and find out how to play.

Somehow, despite the poor eating and the disorderly exercise over these last five days, I've managed to lose another pound.  I'm not going to question it.  I'm just going to do a happy little dance, and celebrate reaching 175.  Woo hoo!  That leaves me with six pounds to lose before BlogHer to reach my goal for my Month of Motivation.  Le me see, I've got 16 days to do it...I"m thinking it is doable.

I loaded the three kids up today and took them swimming at our pool.  We have a nice little pool for our homeowners association, and before today, I've always been terrified of taking my three houligans with no other adult to help.  Because, let's face it, taking three daredevil children with varying degrees of swimming ability to the pool, and then having fat issues on top of it all - it's not a really enticing idea. 

After our vacation in Florida, where I saw that no matter how you look at it, there is always going to be someone hotter than you, and someone who has even more weight to lose than you, and that is just the way it is.  In a sea of vacationing families, I blended into the crowd.  Gratefully, I might add.  Until I creamed my knee, and then I was a little conspicuous with the %&@^%#&% and blood and all.  Hah!

So, anyway, if I can bare my Big Slice swimskirted butt at a waterpark, I figured my neighbors could just deal.  And you know what?  No one gasped in horror as I strolled toward the pool.  No one averted their eyes, or made oinking noises.  Everyone was busy enjoying their own afternoon at the pool, with their own children. 

This just in:  I'm NOT the center of the universe!  I know.  I'm shocked, too.

After swimming around for an hour, we headed home to make dinner.  I know, next week - I'll make a real menu.  This week, I'm sort of scrounging around, using up things in my pantry.  I made a yummy pasta with a jack cheese-white sauce, with steamed broccoli and cauliflower and canned turkey meat (that I don't remember purchasing, but whatever) stirred in.  The kids ate it up, and had slices of watermelon for dessert, while I chowed down on half an avocado and two saturn peaches along with my serving of the pasta.

Have you tried saturn peaches?  They are the ones that look like they've been smushed.  If you can get them, give them a try.  They are amazing.

I'm going to do my PM Yoga DVD before I turn in, and start my day with AM Yoga in the morning.  I am shocked at how non-limber my body has become over the last few years...one day, one sun salutation at a time.  I also managed 10 boy pushups, but my stupid, stupid pectoral muscles are girlie and sad, and it is going to take me weeks before I can manage the 50 that Steph is waiting on. 

So!  Contest!  Here goes...

In The Fat Fallacy - Dr. Clower has these great quizzes in the beginnings of each chapter.  He lists the ingredients in a common food item, and gives a few hints to help readers guess what he's talking about.  Sound tough?  Take a look below - each of these five foods are popular, well-known brands found in supermarkets across the country.  Even more important - these foods are billed as Healthy Choices by their companies. 

Here's the challenge:  name these foods.  Leave me a comment with your answers, and I'll choose winners on Saturday morning.
 
1)  Heavily marketed to kids, this product has 50% less sugar than the original - yet still comes in at 13 grams of sugar for a single serving. 

Ingredients:
WATER, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP AND 2% OR LESS OF EACH OF THE FOLLOWING: CONCENTRATED JUICES (ORANGE, TANGERINE, APPLE, LIME, GRAPEFRUIT), CITRIC ACID, MALIC ACID, ASCORBIC ACID (VITAMIN C), THIAMIN HYDROCHLORIDE (VITAMIN B1), NATURAL FLAVORS, MODIFIED CORNSTARCH, CANOLA OIL, SODIUM CITRATE, CELLULOSE GUM, XANTHAN GUM, SUCRALOSE, ACESULFAME POTASSIUM, NEOTAME, SODIUM HEXAMETAPHOSPHATE, SODIUM BENZOATE TO PROTECT FLAVOR, YELLOW #5, YELLOW #6.

2) This 'healthy' entry is a favorite of dieters who like a little something with their pie - or, you know, to eat straight out of the tub.

Ingredients: WATER, CORN SYRUP, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL (COCONUT AND PALM KERNEL OILS), LESS THAN 2% OF SODIUM CASEINATE (FROM MILK), NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, XANTHAN AND GUAR GUMS, POLYSORBATE 60, SORBITAN MONOSTEARATE, SODIUM POLYPHOSPHATES, BETA CAROTENE (COLOR).

3) This is one of those head-scratchers... why is all this stuff in here?  Natural food varieties have two ingredients.  TWO.  Also, Dr. Clower points out that Zinc Oxide is the stuff in diaper ointment - which hello...suspiciously close to DOG CRAP.

Ingredients: PEANUTS, CORN SYRUP SOLIDS, SUGAR AND SOY PROTEIN, CONTAINS 2 PERCENT OR LESS OF: FULLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OILS (GRAPESEED AND SOYBEAN), SALT, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES, MOLASSES, NIACINAMIDE, FOLIC ACID, PYRIDOXINE HYDROCHLORIDE, MAGNESIUM OXIDE, ZINC OXIDE, FERRIC ORTHOPHOSPHATE, AND COPPER SULFATE.

4) Mmm.  Phosphoric acid and aspartame.  Now, that's healthy!  But hey, no calories!

Ingredients: Carbonated water, caramel color, aspartame, phosphoric acid, potassium benzoate       (preserves freshness), caffeine, citric acid and natural flavors.

5) This is another dieter's favorite, perfect for one of those low-points sweet fixes.  But what IS it?

Ingredients: MODIFIED FOOD STARCH, COCOA PROCESSED WITH ALKALI, MALTODEXTRIN, TETRASODIUM PYROPHOSPHATE AND DISODIUM PHOSPHATE (FOR THICKENING), CONTAINS LESS THAN 2% OF NONFAT MILK, NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FLAVOR, SALT, SOY LECITHIN, CALCIUM SULFATE, XANTHAN GUM, MONO- AND DIGLYCERIDES (PREVENT FOAMING), ASPARTAME AND ACESULFAME POTASSIUM (SWEETENERS), RED 40, YELLOW 5, BLUE 2, ARTIFICIAL COLOR.

Alright - get to answering!  I've got some great prizes for this round, so guess away.




   

June 28, 2006

Winners, All Around!

After giggling myself silly over all your wonderful haikus, I've chosen a few favorites to single out:

Mir -  I almost snarfed my juice when I read this one.  Mir wins a $5 Target card!

Pre-baby ass, gone?
Oh, my mistake. There it is!
Right behind my knees.

Ginny -  Now, this is devotion.  I would almost pay to see that.  Almost.  But I'm nicer than that.  Ginny wins a $5 gift card, too!

Oh, Big Slice panties
I'd wear you outside my clothes,
I love you that much

Elaine - manages to express the clever brainwork of a dieting mind, and also evoke the Stealers Wheel classic - 'Stuck in the middle with you' - Elaine is another $5 gift card winner!

Cupcakes to the left
of me, salad to the right.
Ambidextrous?

HG -  Girl, all I have to say is amen.  Amen, amen, amen.  HG is our final gift card winner for the Big Slice Haiku challenge!

Osmosis. That is
how those dam-ned videos
should work. From my shelf

I've got a little something for all my haiku participants - watch for an email from me!

As to my own winning...

I lost a(nother) pound.  I am 177 pounds!  Wooooo! 

I feel like I've been a rogue agent, because somehow I've managed to fill my computer's memory entirely, and it won't allow me to download the photos from my camera to prove that I'm holding true to my promise to photograph all my meals.  I swear, I haven't gone dark.  I'm still part of the team.  I'm just undercover is all.  I'll be figuring all THAT out today and getting those pictures up.

I've been also making good on my promise to exercise for one hour daily, although yesterday, my second half-hour came in the form of pushing a grocery cart around Trader Joe's.  With 110 pounds of kids in the basket.  Plus groceries.  Lots of healthy groceries.

By simplifying my menu this week - the cost of food came down quite a bit.  I'm getting ready to throw myself on the mercy of our ClubMom blogger financial guru, Amanda over at The Naked Ledger to help me get my household budget in order.  Have you guys checked her out yet?  She gives fantastic advice and information - go say hello, and tell her I sent you!

Melissa Wiley, over at The Lilting House is doing fantastic on her decluttering Month of Motivation - she's making me want to pull out some garbage bags and get to work! 

This is Day Three - let's hear how you guys are doing!  Sticking with your goals?  Do you need some encouragement?  A boot in the butt? 

Here's our next contest:
From today until Monday, we are going to stick with the plan like glue.  Take a look at those guidelines you set out for yourself, or jump in and declare yourself in the comments to this entry.  Then set a short term goal. 

Mine - I will lose two pounds by Monday, July 5th. 

We'll do this on the honor system, but if you'd like to take before and after pictures of your toes on your scale, or of your closet before and after cleaning, or whatever your goal, that would be fun, too.

Let's do this! 

June 26, 2006

Let's Have A Little Fun, Hmm?

I promised a contest, didn't I?  Here's what I want you to do:  leave me a haiku in the comments.

Haiku is composed of three lines.  The first line has five syllables.  The second has seven, and the third has five. 

Inspire me.  Amuse me.  Make me jealous with your mad 'ku skillz, yo.  Feel free to leave multiple haiku moments for me.  It can be addictive, I warn you.

Here are your topics: 

1) Dieting
2) Exercise
3) Virtual Models
4) Big Slice Panties

I'll award prizes on Wednesday, and announce the next contest.  Haiku away, and tell your friends.

Motivation Month!
I am inspired to send
you Big Slice panties.

www.flickr.com
mizzjenny's 300 Calorie Meals photoset mizzjenny's 300 Calorie Meals photoset
Powered by
Movable Type 4.0
Blog Widget by LinkWithin