The GIRLS!!

I've been meaning to introduce them to you for a while....

here's the best team in the world ;)  Team THIN IT TO WIN IT

I'll introduce them in alphabetical order - cuz its easiest ;)

Jennifer

She is our Captain :)  We can always count on Jen to lead the way, give us great recipes, encourage us, and set the standards HIGH for our weight loss!   She motivates us and inspires us and even though I just met her - we've shared a lot of our lives together and she's become a real friend - outside of the challenge - to me :) I get excited whenever I see her name in my inbox - and I love that she thinks of me throughout the day, and isn't afraid to drop a quick note to see how I'm doing! Unfortunately for her - my notes back to her aren't that quick.  LOLOL  drink that water Jen!  this counts as communication! hahahaha    i love my team :)

Margarita

She is the baby girl of the group!  :)   I think we all feel like we're the older sisters of Rita!  She works hard - like (HARD hard) for crazy hours and raises her daughter and goes to school..... her schedule is crazy but she never gives up.  She is always setting new goals for the week and working hard to reach them.  So proud of her endurance!  And she loves to keep the conversation going in the forums for our team with updates and insight - i love my team :)

Tanjanique

This lady is my sister from another mister. hahahahaha  Seriously - we have connected on such a deeper level - and just like Jen, we have shared more of our hearts than what normal team members would do.  We don't feel like strangers at all.  It was one of those friendships where you're SURE you must have met earlier in life and just forgot!  hehehee  I love that she is always ready to try new things, and she's open and has such a tender heart but also keeps it real!  :)  I love that she is COMMITTED (her special word) and encourages us to be too!  And she's always quick to tell us what nasty food NOT to try. hahahahahahaha  Laughter is easy with T, but so is everything else!  i love my team! :)

Terrae

Terrae is another hard worker with a busy work schedule!!! But she always makes time to encourage us and share motivational posts and really - get us laughing!!!!!!  You can get a great sense of her personality through her texts and when I see her name pop up  -i know i'm about to either laugh my butt off - or get motivated to get moving!  She doesn't waver in her confidence that WE WILL HIT THOSE NUMBERS and we WILL WIN!  I love that we're all so positive and focused!  A text from Rae Rae is the way to start the day! hehehehe  have i said that i love my team?!!! :)

Anthony (unofficial mascot)

hahaha - Anthony chimes in with funny stories, encouragement, updates on his own journey (he isn't officially part of the team, but he's still part of our journey) as much as he can.  He's another busy one!  He's my friend OUTSIDE of the team, so I could go on about him, his humor, his support, his counsel, and his friendship for a very long post.  but i'm not going to. LOL  As you can see our pink and black team picture is missing him... so we made him send us a normal picture and photo-shopped pink and black pom poms to it.  LOL  He was a good sport about it - but i won't post it here ;)  love my team!  (mascot included!)

So there they are!  Two more months and you will be looking at the WINNERS!!!! 

VIDEO Weigh in Week 20 (Team week 3)

Been two weeks since my last video weigh in - and i'm down another 4.5 pounds.

*moment of silence while I fist pump the air, and break it on down, dance-off-style*

And if you could see me right now, you would see the greatest Michael Jackson impression ever.  EVER!!! you would probably think you were actually watching MJ.  But nope.  it's just me.  telling those pounds to "Beat itttttt, Beat itttttt, no one blah blah feels defeated." (30 years and i never really figured out the lyrics.)

I'm serious.  I am so happy!!! I'm kicking my leg, I'm popping my hips, I'm spinning like a top.  and if I could moonwalk, I would moonwalk all over this house.

ohhhhh life is good when you are 4.5 pounds lighter.

I think I need another dance break.  Shamon!  Shamon!!! heeee heeee heeee!   Right about now i need a glittery glove and loafers.

Awesome?  or terrifying?  You decide.

Back to my 4.5 pounds.  They are gone.  for good.  they have been destroyed.

and I'm so excited!!! and I just can't hide it!  *oooooh.  Pointer Sisters.  I haven't had a good Pointer Sisters dance session since my sister's wedding.  Remember that, Laurel?!?!  LOL*  hmmm i think i need to find that picture ;)

found it!

1987 called, girls.  It said it wanted its choreography back. So fun!  :)  

Ok - Enjoy my video and my happiness and *ahem*  pay special close attention to my clavicle bones.

 They are now very visible.  and me likey.

When i hit the tree

I play a little mind game.  it's called "You don't have to go forever, just go until you hit the tree"

yep.  that's really the name of the game.  and don't mock it - cuz you're gonna be using it soon.

...yes, you will.

Ok  - let me back up a little bit.

Remember how i was like - ohhhhhhhh i took a month off and woo hoooo - i'm so ready to start back into exercising and blah blah blah.  Remember that girl???

yeaaaaah.  that was NOT a good move.  Rather, it was quite the fool move.

The day BEFORE i started back, I really did feel pumped!  I really truly was sooooo ready to get back into the swing of things!!!

  Until the first day I had to get back on track.  And then I was like....

wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. whyyyyyyyyyy did i take a month offffffffffffff?!?!?!?!?!
It was not as easy as I thought it would be to jump right back in.


so here's my advice if you're ever considering this.  don't do it.

DON'T DO IT.

don't ever take a month off.

i know what you're thinking. cuz i thought it too.
"oh but i mean, like... i can take a month off if i need to. cuz i really WANT to be working out and so.... when i have the chance again - i'm gonna get back into it like i never left it."

do.
not.
do.
it.

It felt like I had taken a year off.

Those first few workouts felt like I was wearing weights on every limb.  "Jog????"  what in the world did that word mean?  I barely understood "brisk walk".

However, I clearly understood "dragging".

I fully comprehended "wheelbarrow, anyone?"

and I could completely wrap my mind around "dear God, help me."

so you wanna take a month off?  go 'head.  Make sure to come back and comment on this blog about how right I was.  I will be sure to reply "told ya so."

ok but now?!?!

team competition is ON.

this is week 2.5 of NO excuses.  this has been like... what? 20 days of JUST DO IT, LEAH!!!

and i did 3 miles this morning, then tonight - i went out for a nice walk at sunset.

Cue paradise

Me loves me home!

But - i live where mountain lions come out after sunset.  mm hmm! so....

back to my mind game.

Mayyyyyybe we'll jog a little.  I like kitties, but I don't want to be dinner. Perhaps a little increase of speed would be beneficial??

"No prob.  You don't have to jog forever, just go until the next tree."

i hit the tree - and i felt good.  

Well look at you!  go girl! "You don't have to jog forever, just go until the NEXT next tree"

how about that sign?  done.  try to go to the telephone pole? piece of cake.  what about that gate?  til the stop sign?  past your house and go to your sister's?  BOOYAH.  

here's the cool thing.  well, there's two cool things - i jogged FAR. and you know what? it was more of a run than a jog.  I had a pretty decent stride!  so -  that's the first cool thing.

second - normally - my lungs burn out before I feel the strain in my body.

Tonight?  I never got to the point where my lungs burned.  like - at all!!!!

My legs got a little tired, but never to the point where i was ready to quit.

could it have been the fact that my body was flooded with the adrenaline from the fight or flight response over the potential of being cougar chow?!?!

maybe.  mayyybe.

but please don't pee in my cheerios.   i'll take it.

and i'm sure i'll feel it tomorrow.  but let's just let Future Leah deal with that surprise.

Fantastic!!!

I'm so thrilled with my progress!

I know I didn't do a video yet.  but i will i will!  i need to show off my ribbons and move my rocks!  LOL

I love my jar of rocks!  I see them all the time and i always think ahead to the day when I get to move the final rock into my POUNDS DESTROYED jar!

so this past week - what happened?

My baby girl turned 13.  no more kids in the house - only teenagers!

I finished a major project  (it looks amazing and i'm so proud of it!)

We started school (and we're enjoying it!!!)

and i lost enough weight to earn my 4% ribbon.
FOUR PERCENT RIBBON, BABYYYYYYYYYYYY

Of course - this is only the weight that I need to lose for the competition.

   I BLEW PAST 4% A LONG TIME AGO for my individual challenge!!! :)

this team competition is at week 2.  We only have 12 weeks, and HealthyWage will not count more than 16.6% weight loss. (for individual, and also for team)

so i am ahead of the game with 4% lost in 2 weeks!!!!!! :)   Well on my way to that magic percentage of 16.6%!!

and when I hit 10%, i earn my entry fee back!  woo hooooo!!!

life is busy - but i'm staying focused and loving every bit of it!!  This has been the easiest attempt to lose weight that I've ever done before.  It's awesome and I can't wait to hit my final goal!

I will be back to post my video this week.  seems silly to do one for last week when it's already Wednesday - so i'll see you on Saturday!  :)

Working hard! Le

Fed Up

We just watched the documentary Fed Up.

crazy. crazy. crazy.  If you haven't seen it - you might want to take a night to watch it.  It's streaming on Netflix.  only 90 minutes.

Food companies with money (lots of money) have the ability ... and the power... to do a LOT of damage to the food industry as a whole.

But thankfully, with knowledge comes power.

If you don't live in a food desert (places that don't have access to fresh food)  then you have just as much access to healthy food as you do to processed junk. And you have the power to make changes with the choices you make.

Food companies will never stop making things that make them money. (They are a business that answers to stockholders - it does not surprise me that they will go to any length to make money.  It does not surprise me that they put their dollars above our health.)  But if they start to see a decrease in their sales - they WILL start listening to the public. If there is money to be made, (or money to be lost!) they WILL listen to the public!

Want a perfect example?  10 years ago, how many gluten free options were in the stores?

and now?

Exactly.
People made that happen with their dollars.

Do yourself a favor and break the habit.  Stop the sugar addiction.  Kill the carb addiction.

The following movies are all movies that we've seen as a family and all have fantastic messages.  We've not followed one philosophy completely.  We have done our homework and researched, and we've adopted a compilation of things that make sense for OUR family.  and you should do the same!
But after watching amazing documentaries like:

Fresh
Food, Inc.
King Corn
Forks over Knives
Back to Eden (you can watch this one for free on his website )
Food Matters
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead

   
 ...we've started to become a lot more informed and have started the life-long change to whole, fresh, organic, LOCAL foods.

It's not a perfect, smooth transition.  We STILL have junk every once in a while.  But let me tell you, I can see that my body works MUCH better (and we get sick less often) eating a lot less junk food.  and when you do eat junk occassionally - your body is in a position where it's a LOT healthier to deal with the junk faster and more efficiently.  Eating junk once a month is a lot different than eating it every day.

I know... you think ... junk food might be poison, but it's tasty, delicious poison!  lolol

yeah hahaha - it's pretty addicting.  It's actually formulated to be as addicting as it possibly can be!
Watch Fed Up and find out just how addicting sugar is compared to cocaine.  I think you might be surprised...

but you know what?  the longer you're away from junk - the nastier it seems.

There are things that would appeal to me in the past - that now??? ughhhh gross.  It looks fake, tastes fake and makes me feel sick FAST.

I really do recommend that you watch a few of those documentaries.  I don't think you'll be sorry you did.

I'd love to hear from any readers ( or fellow HealthyWage peeps) if they've seen a huge difference from cutting sugar.  What's been your experience?  Or... did you see the movie and feel differently?  or... did you see the movie and you're inspired to kick the habit? After seeing it, I felt VERY strongly about the parents' role in this whole thing.  what do you think?

you can post here - or if you're on the HealthyWage forum- feel free to just reply to my comment that i posted!  :)


i'm gonna jump off my soapbox now and get into bed to sleep!

;)  night!

VIDEO: Week 18 weigh in (or week 2 of 12 in team challenge)

From now on - I"m going to mention the week that it is for me in the individual challenge  (week 18)
but more importantly - i'm going to stress which week it is in the TEAM challenge.

why?

because my weight loss for the TEAM challenge will automatically hit the weight loss i need for the individual challenge.

having said that..... my scale is going to be spared his dreaded meeting with Mr. Hammer.....

because he has come around to seeing my hard work and decided to give me my proper due.  LOL

check out my vid for this week :)

stupid stupid stupid stupid scale

my scale is stupid.

In our house - we try not to say "stupid."
we tell our kids - "saying 'stupid' means you have nothing original or creative to say.  Say something with intelligence to describe your situation."  (they just LOVE it when we make them complain with some "smarts") lol

but.... my scale is STUPID.

i'm working my butt off this week. my legs are on fire and i'm about to do workout #2 - cuz ummmm let's face it.  sometimes you need to kick it into high gear and we shouldn't work through injuries, but we can work through sore.

and tonight. we are gonna work through some sore.

and Sunday.  i'm just gonna make a little prediction.

Sunday, Mr. Scale better come around to seeing things my way and being a little reasonable.

cuz on Sunday, if Mr. Scale is still in a feisty mood, he's gonna get un-feisty when he meets Mr. Hammer.

and possibly Mr. Gasoline and Ms. Match.

and maybe even Mr. Dumpster.

just sayin.