The Wife Weighs In...Week 21

Happy Leap Day, GHMIW fans!

This month has been ridiculous. I feel as though I am just running in circles. Work has been so busy and we've had extra commitments and I have just felt like we haven't had a moment to take a breath. Yuck.

Between Tony's business trip, a co-worker being out with pneumonia, and our family working hard to avoid contracting the stomach flu, this has not been my most focused week. I did not get to the gym even one time...not even for yoga on Monday! Boo!

But, I had a very good loss this week. Hurray! I finally broke through the plateau. That gives me great motivation to stay on track next week, so that I might be able to continue the momentum.

Have a good weekend, everyone!

Until next week,
Laura (a.k.a. Elle Tee Jay)

2/22/08: 187.0 pounds
2/29/08: 184.2 pounds (a loss of 2.8 pounds)
Total loss: 44.2 pounds (only 0.8 pounds to a 45-pound total loss!)
Next goal: 182.0 pounds (2.2 pounds to go)

P.S. Laura's shortest...update...ever.

The Wife Weighs In...Week 19

Happy Friday, GHMIW fans!

I feel as though I have some renewed momentum today. What a relief.

I have been on a weight loss plateau since the Christmas...up a little, down a little, and not really going anywhere. After almost six weeks of standing still, I started to panic a little...this is how things usually begin to unravel. My fear was that the little ups and downs were going to start becoming a series of little ups and ups, then a series of big ups. I needed to get things back on track...and fast.

Inspired by my darling husband's stand-off over the last couple of weeks, I decided to take a stand of my own. For me, it began yesterday. I logged each and every crumb and morsel that passed my lips yesterday, something I haven't done for a long time.

In addition, I made a bold move yesterday morning at the gym. Some of you may remember the horrible experience I had with a personal trainer when I joined the club. Since then, I've wanted to talk to a different trainer about designing a new weight program for me, but I've been fearful, thinking that it might be another disaster.

I started talking to one of the club's female trainers yesterday morning (I'll call her "Stef"...'cause that's her name) and before I knew it, she was apologizing for the last trainer's behavior, running me through a new assessment, and setting me up with an appointment to work with her next Tuesday morning.

Stef is friendly, positive, and supportive. She understands that I am a mother of two with a full-time job and not a lot of extra time to spend at the gym. Plus, she doesn't care that I can only afford to work with her once every three to six months. I can't wait for next week's session and am hopeful that starting a new strength training program will help build on the momentum I'm feeling this week.

I had a good loss this week and am at my lowest weight since beginning this journey. (Hurray!)

I may have broken through the plateau, but I am not resting on my laurels. This is only the first step in the turn-around. I will probably relax a bit (but not a lot) over the weekend, as I will be spending it at the cabin with Tony's family. However, the stand-off will be back in full effect on Monday.

Until next Friday,
Laura (a.k.a. Elle Tee Jay)

2/01/2008: 188.4
2/08/2008: 186.8 (a loss of 1.6 pounds)
Total pounds lost: 41.6
Next goal: 182.0 pounds

The Weigh-In Week 27

What is up with that cheesy smile?

217.2! That's what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of 1.2 pounds!!!

214 here I come.

Here is my feel good story from yesterday.

My lovely wife and I took the day off to try and get all of our Christmas shopping done in one day. A task we almost succeed at.

We took a few minutes out of power shopping for others to do a little power shopping for ourselves at Banana Republic. Banana Republic is a store I have been in maybe once in my life . That trip lasted all of 3 minutes. I left once I realized the only thing in the place that would fit me was a $90 cashmere scarf.

This trip was a different story. I browsed around for a few minutes before a sales person approached. Being unaccustomed to the ways and fits of the "Republic", I asked the salesman about their sizing. I believe my exact words were, "Are your sweaters slim fitting?"

The salesman took a moment to size me up and then uttered these magic words.

"You look like you'd wear a large."

not. "Ha, Why would you want to know?"
-or- "They're too slim for you!"
-or- "You wouldn't even fit in to our Double XL"

Simply, "You look like a large."

And it was casual and nonchalant, not incredulous or surprised.

I was so overwhelmed at the world of choice now open to me that I left the store without purchasing anything. I am having to readjust my whole fashion world view. This is going to take sometime. But fear not Banana Republic I will return... and soon, there is this slim fitting red zip up sweater that I have my eye on. Size large please.

This weeks winner is Teresa. Teresa nailed it with the first guess of the day. Nicely done Teresa. Only 9 votes this week. Nearly their for a prize ...but not nearly enough.

How about this for this weeks prize, you all win my thanks and gratitude for helping me get through a big week. Pretty good prize, huh?

Have a great weekend everybody.

Tony
12/14: 217.2lbs
Goal: 220 lbs. ACCOMPLISHED
NEW GOAL: 214
3.2 lbs. to go

The Weigh-In Week 26

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOAL!!!!!!!!!!



218.4!!!! That is what it said on the scale this morning!!! A loss of 5lbs.

This one is no flu fluke! I hereby declare Goal #1 Accomplished.

It feels like this has been a long time coming ,but really a year to lose 70 lbs. is not that long. And honestly, the last 62 of it only took me 26 weeks! I'm not bragging...in fact, I still can't figure out why I didn't do this ten years ago. I guess it's all about the proper motivation.

And I'm not done yet. 220 was an arbitrary goal. I choose it at random before I knew what my real goals were going to be. Over the last 26 weeks I have a much better understanding of those goals.

NEW GOAL #1:
214 by January 1st. A loss of 4.4 lbs. This is a pretty ambitious goal considering the holiday feasting and if I don't make it I'm not going to beat myself up. To make the goal I will have to lose 1.2 lbs a week.

At 214 my BMI will be 29.8 which would move me out of the Obese classification and into Moderately Overweight. It would be nice to start the new year Overweight.


NEW GOAL #2:
199 by May 29th 2008...my 34th birthday. I'm not sure if I will ever make it under 200lbs, but why not shoot for the moon huh? To achieve this goal I will have to lose .78 lbs. A week.

At this point I'm not really doing anything extra to lose weight. I am simply trying to live healthier. Hopefully the way I am eating and exercising now is the same way I will be living years from now. I may cut back on the workouts eventually as life gets more hectic with the girls, but I hope to still keep working out 3 to 4 days a week.

For now I am just letting my body do it's thing and find its own equilibrium. If that happens to be 210 instead of 190 I am just fine with that.

Which brings us to...

GOAL FOR LIFE:
Stay Healthy, Look Healthy!

I'd like to tone my body and put on more muscle and I will be able to run a 5k before this is through....but my biggest goal of all is to be healthy, at whatever weight I net out.

Only seven votes this week so no big winner. The closest was my Cousin Ali, who has been a huge supporter from the very beginning. Her guess of 3.4 may have seemed crazy high to the rest of you, but I say it was crazy like a fox! Way to goal Ali.

And thank you again for all of the support and encouragement you have all given me. If I've said it once I've said it... I couldn't do this without you all.

Have a fantastic weekend everybody!

Tony
12/7: 218.4lbs
Goal: 220 lbs. ACCOMPLISHED
NEW GOAL: 214
4.4 lbs. to go

P.S. That first picture is me doing the "Rocky" move...not me trying to show off my muscles!

The Weigh-In Week 25

223.4. That is what it said on the scale this morning. A gain of 2.4.

I guess there are two ways to look at this week. I could be happy that I lost more than half of the weight I gained over the Thanksgiving holiday or I could lament the fact that I have had my biggest gain since this whole thing started.

I haven't made up my mind yet.

I guess I am disappointed to still be in this up and down hovering pattern so close to my goal . It's been a month sicne I hit 220.6!!! At the same time that goal is just a number. The real goal is to live a healthy life and I think I am doing that pretty well.

So screw the scale. As long as I continue to exercise and eat better, then I am doing what I need to do. The numbers will come when they come.

Granted I will keep weighing in each week.

Tony
11/30: 223.4 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
3.4 lbs. to go

The Weigh-In Week 24

221! That is what it said on the scale this morning. A gain of .2 pounds.

I think the scale gnomes messed with the scale because they were ticked at me for cheating and moving the weigh-in!

Actually, I realized this weekend that I have allowed Friday and Saturday to become free-for-all days, where I eat whatever I want. Then, come Monday I workout like crazy and eat healthy and evreything evens out. I guess I just didn't have enough time to even out this week.

There's always next week...or the week after that.

Have a great Thanksgving everybody.

Tony
11/21: 221 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
1 lbs. to go

p.s. Sorry about the late post. I just couldn't get to the computer this morning.

The Weigh-In Week 23

220.8!!!!! That is what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of 2.6 pounds.

Considering the week I have had it is genuine miracle. .. fingers crossed this one is not another fluke worm.

I will admit, I broke down and did a small bit of stress eating this week. It was a crazy, overwhelming week with lots of tight deadlines and late nights and responsibility, oh my. It was also a week where I manged to work out my stress in the gym instead of in the kitchen! A big, big step for me.

I just did 45 minutes and 3.7 miles on the treadmill and I feel like a new man. Still a brain fried man, but a different brain fried man then I was when I went into the gym.

Ok since I stopped making sense somewhere shortly after 220.8!!!!! I'll rap things up and come back renewed and refreshed on Monday.

I am moving next weeks official weigh in to Wednesday to see if I can't make my goal before Thanksgiving!!!! So look for a special holiday edition of Guess How Much I Weigh on Tuesday.

Cousin Angie was closest this week with a guess of 2.2. Nice job Angie. Sadly no prize though.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Tony
11/16: 220.8 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
.8 lbs. to go

The Wife Weighs In...Week 9

Good morning, GHMIW fans!

All right…let’s get it over with. Get a cup of coffee…it’s going to be a long one.

I am bitter. Here’s the story:

As reported last week, I visited our local gym/club/den of Satan for a tour of the facilities. After some general waffling (mmm…waffles) I went back Saturday morning to enroll/enlist/sign away a little piece of my soul. I avoided signing up for any extra programs, which was a big success for me. At that point, we set up an appointment for the first of two complimentary consultations with a personal trainer.

Sunday morning at 8:45, I left for the gym. I was bright and shiny, excited about the first day of the rest of my life, excited about the prospect of my new lifestyle, excited about the new body I was going to earn. I was like a little girl on her first day of school (maybe it was the pigtails). At 9:00, I sat down in front of a rather large 27-year old with a shaved head. I’ll call him "Jason" (‘cause that’s his name).

I told "Jason" that I had lost 35 pounds and that I had about 50 to go. I also told him that my ultimate goal is being able to wear more body-conscious clothing (okay, let's be honest...I told him I would like to have a body that could pull off slutty clothes if I so chose) and, while I am excited to reap the health benefits of exercise, my main motivation is pure vanity. He liked my honesty. I thought we were off to a good start.

This was an assessment session, so I got on the treadmill, did some (very few) push-ups, and some stretching. I also had my body fat measured. Let me say that I was not shocked when I found out that the results were not glowing. I haven’t exercised on a regular basis in over 10 years. It wasn’t an earth-shattering realization that I am not the picture of fitness. I know that I am a "before" (or possibly an "a little while later")…I was there because I want to be an "after."

Over the next 20 to 30 minutes, Jason told me (among other things) that my eating was "for sh*t," rolled his eyes when I mentioned Weight Watchers, and scoffed at my mention of a yoga class by telling me it was "really only glorified stretching." What was most annoying was that he really didn’t listen to anything I had to say. He would ask me a question, then start rolling his eyes and shaking his head before I’d even completed my answer, all the while watching what was going on in the rest of the gym instead of focusing on me and our conversation.

In that short amount of time, I went from being an intelligent, sassy, strong, confident woman who had made positive and successful changes in her life to being a stupid, lazy "fat chick" who had achieved nothing and had no idea what she was talking about. And, for a brief moment, he succeeded at making me see myself through his eyes.

We made an appointment for 8:00 Monday night. I met my neighbor Ali for yoga at 7:00…definitely not just glorified stretching. I loved it. By the time I sat down in front of Jason once again I had some sore muscles, but I had shaken off the negative stuff from the day before and was ready to get to work. It didn’t go well. The workout was tough (which I was fine with), but I didn’t have his full attention and he wasn’t supportive. I had hoped for an experience where I felt like I had a partner in the fight, but he was all about negative motivation. I felt as though he was trying to motivate me by making me feel bad about myself, like he was punishing me for being out of shape, instead of wanting to help me achieve something. It was really yucky.

When I told him that I couldn’t afford the more than $500 a month to work with him, he completely wrote me off. Obviously, my priorities weren’t in the right place and my goals weren't really all that important to me. When I asked him about planning a session every three months or so, in order to assess my progress and change up my program, his response was, "Well, I guess it would be better than nothing."

I left the gym feeling kind of embarrassed, kind of ashamed, and kind of like I should ask for my money back. All this from a gym whose sell line is… wait for it… FEEL GOOD INSIDE.

I went back Tuesday morning at 6:30 (very sore) for 45 minutes on the treadmill, and felt better. I went back Wednesday morning at 6:30 (still quite sore) for an hour on the treadmill, and felt even better. I decided to take sort of a "to hell with him" attitude about the whole thing and use it as additional motivation for my success. I went back to the gym on Thursday morning at 6:00 for cardio warm-up, strength training, and an additional 30 minutes on the treadmill, and felt pretty darn fantastic. My attitude about the club has turned around (okay, it's not really a "den of Satan"). I even ran into an acquaintance who works out early every morning...she was positive, supportive, and glad to see me.

This week marks some major successes. Joining a gym, overcoming the scourge that is "Jason" (who totally didn’t even have the decency to say "hello" when I greeted him with a cheery and smiling "good morning" on Wednesday...jerk), getting to the gym at an ungodly hour three days in a row, and finding out that I think am really going to enjoy this exercise thing. Hurray for me!

So, why am I so bitter? I gained 1.4 pounds.

This leaves me with 5 weeks to lose 8.8 pounds, including Thanksgiving. Therefore, I am readjusting my goal. My new goal is to reach 182 pounds by February 1. 182 pounds will move me from being obese to simply overweight…and won’t that be a happy thing?

Have a great weekend, all…and a happy Thanksgiving! No weigh-in for me next Friday, unless I decide to find a WW meeting in Davenport, Iowa. I know it’s a possibility, but is my actually making it there really all that likely?

Laura

11/09/2007: 192.4 pounds
11/09/2007: 193.8 pounds (a gain of 1.4 pounds)
Total loss: 34.6 pounds

New mini-goal: 182 pounds by February 1
11 weeks and 11.8 pounds to go!

P.S. Thanks to Angela for being so supportive about my wanting to give in to evil foods last week. I also had a lot of support from other friends and family (thanks, too!), who congratulated me for not giving in to my cravings. After reading that, I thought to myself, "The word 'cravings' seems a little off the mark. It’s not really about just wanting to enjoy some French fries…in fact, it’s not even really about the food at all." DING! What an epiphany.

P.P.S. I wonder how it’s going to be before Tony tells me to get my own darn blog and stop trying to take his over.

The Wife Weighs In...Week 8

Good morning, weight loss fans!

I had a surprisingly good week this week. You know, one of those weeks where you don't think you did all that well but are pleasantly surprised when you step on the scale?

Despite a good loss, I felt as though I was dangerously close to veering way off-path. I didn't have a binge or anything like that, but I felt that familiar exhaustion creeping up on me...that feeling of just being overwhelmed. I was overhelmed by a couple of big projects at work, by my outside commitments, and by the things I know I need to do at home. My greatest desire this week was to take solace in foods I know I shouldn't be eating, foods I haven't eaten in months...cookies, chips, french fries...anything sweet, salty, greasy, or full of fat would have done the trick.

This was not a desire for a quick splurge, which is something I can handle. This was something much bigger and much deeper. Fortunately, I was able to rein things in, but it was a very scary feeling. It was a huge reminder that in order for me to reach my goal and keep the weight off, I am going to have to ever-vigilant. For me, heading off-track can happen in the blink of an eye.

On a positive note, I am pleased that I was able to identify that feeling and keep myself from taking the first step down the slippery slope. I had an 8th straight week of loss, and shaved another point off my BMI...down to 31.

As an additional success, I actually visited the local gym and got the tour. I plan to call later today to schedule a time to register. This is a HUGE step! So, by next week, I should be a woman with a gym membership and at least a few workouts under my belt. Wish me luck!

Have a fantastic weekend!

Laura

11/02/2007: 194.6 pounds
11/09/2007: 192.4 pounds (a loss of 2.2 pounds)

Total loss: 36 pounds
Next mini-goal: 185 pounds by December 21

6 weeks and 7.4 pounds to go!

The Weigh-In 22

223.4 Lbs. That's what it said on the scale this morning. Both a loss of 2.2 and a gain of 2.6 depending on whether your glass is half full or half empty of water or a Brandy Manhattan.

I am extremely happy with this result. 2.2 is a great loss over the past two weeks, considering I didn't really watch what I was eating last week. I'm still in great shape to reach 220 in the near future.

Marathon not a sprint...marathon not a sprint....

No winner again this week, but Heather was the closest with a guess of 2 lbs even. Nicely done Heather, nicely done.

I am having crazy computer problems so I'll keep this short. Of course I have an insanely busy day. Busy day + bad computer = stressed out Tony... I look forward to taking that stress out on the treadmill in a few hours!

Tony
11/9: 223.4 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
3.4 lbs. to go

The Wife Weighs In...Week 7

Good morning, weight loss fans!

I bit the bullet this week and retired my fall weigh-in outfit. I had been weighing in wearing a lightweight skirt and a tank top, but it's getting too darn cold for that! So, this week, I weighed in wearing jeans and a sweater (my winter uniform), an outfit I know weighs about 3 pounds.

Isn't it amazing what kind of games we play with the scale?

I figured I was safe because my first morning weigh-in would have set me up for a loss of almost 4 pounds. It remains to be seen how much of that loss has to do with the afore-mentioned possible stomach bug.

So, my loss was small this week, but that is perfectly okay with me. This week marks 7 straight weeks of loss. In addition, I didn't eat any of the girls' Halloween candy or any of our trick-or-treating leftovers. The even bigger success is that I'm not even interested. It doesn't even sound good to me...not even the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which are my all-time favorite. That's a step forward.

So close to that next 5-pound marker!

One final note...because this has been consistent thread throughout my posts...no exercise yet again this week...unless you count trick-or-treating (which I really can't). This is my ongoing challenge and an obstacle that I need to conquer in order to get to the place I want to be. And, that's all I have to say about that.

Have a fantastic week, everyone!

Laura

10/26/2007: 195.4 pounds

11/02/2007: 194.6 pounds (a loss of 0.8 pounds)
Total loss: 33.8 pounds

Next mini-goal: 185 pounds by December 21
7 weeks and 9.6 pounds to go!

The Weigh-In Week 21

220.6!!!! That is what it said on the scale this morning!!! That's a loss of 5 pounds!!!!

Sadly there may be an asterisks attached to this amazing drop. Both my lovely wife and I seem to have picked up a stomach bug from our daughters this week. Some resulting physiological issues associated with said stomach bug may have contributed to this miraculous decline.

I guess we won't know for sure until next weeks weigh-in. If the number jumps back up the loss is tainted...but if it stays down...well woo-hoo for me.

There are a few other factors that may have contributed to this mornings scale sensation. Yesterday’s workout was a killer. An all new routine that targeted a whole lot of new muscles. I worked out earlier than usually which probably shocked my system a little as well. Plus last weeks weight gain was probably inflated based on a few days of bad eating vs. actual weight gain.

While I think the stomach bug may have contributed an extra pound or 2 to this week’s loss, I was probably on track to loss 2 to 3 pounds just from diet and exercise.

Which means I could very well be in sight of reaching my 220-pound goal next week!!! Once I reach 220 it is just another 6 pounds until I move out of the obese category and into to merely overweight!


No winner this week since we only had six votes. The closest to the mark was Teresa with a guess of 2.5 pounds.

Tony
11/2: 220.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
.6 lbs. to go

p.s. Sorry for the over abundance of exclamation points. Guess I'm a little excited!!!!!

The Weigh-In Week 20

225.6. That's what it said on the scale this morning. A gain of .2 lbs. Streak number 2 is broken!

If my life were a movie, my tragic breakdown and confession on Monday would have been followed by a three day montage of extreme workouts, raw eggs and motivational pep talks from an old Chinese guy.

Sadly my name is not Daniel or Rudy or Rocky and this is not 1985.

My heart rending confession was followed by two days of hard workouts and well planed meals and one day of a big lunch, a beer, some cheese and crackers and a sandwich from the deli down the street. I blame the beer and the cheese for that .2 lbs. gain!

So lets focus on something positive.

This morning as I was pulling on my size 36 jeans and cinching up my brand new belt to the last notch, just before I slipped on my Large t-shirt, I noticed two things:

1. What were once massive man boobs along the lines of double D's have now become actual pecs. I think I can now stop referring to my chest as "my boobies."

2. I am starting to see some muscle definition on my arms. Not much, but the muscle is beginning to overtake the flab. In fact there is almost no more waddle hanging off the bottom of my arms. So those of you who had taken to calling me Turkey Arms, can kindly stop your taunts.

I don't know about you but I am looking forward to a nice big loss next week.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Tony
10/26: 225.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
5.6 lbs. to go

p.s. No winner this week. When I gain, we all lose. Sorry.

The Weigh-In Week 19

225.4! That's what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of 1.8 lbs. and week 4 of the new "streak".

Looks like exercise won out over excess... at least for this week. Don't worry, I am not planing on testing the exercise vs. excess threshold on a regular basis.


So close to Moderately Overweight.

Our winner this week is my Dad with a dead on guess of 1.8. Although she did not win, Erin also deserves a little recognition. As a first time guesser she missed the mark by just 1/10th of a pound. The guessing was tight this week all around so all you non-winners should be proud of ourselves.

For his faith and fatherly support my father wins a home cooked meal, to be cooked by me at some point in the next three weeks. Really the prize is getting to come over and spend some time with his adorable granddaughters, I'm just throwing the meal in for free. And yes mom, you can come too.

It's yard work weekend at the Johnson house this weekend. Lets hope we can have at least one dry day!

Have a great weekend everybody.

Tony
10/19: 225.4 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
5.4 lbs. to go

The Weigh-In Week 18

227.2! That's what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of 1.4. And week three of the new "Streak"!

I had a dyslexic moment this morning thus the messed up t-shirt. Now we are off to breakfast to celebrate. I know I shouldn't celebrate a weight loss with food but the circus isn't in town and I can't afford a '67 Mustang just yet... so Perkins will have to do.

Our big winner this week is Evan!!! Evan has consistently been the most concise guesser,rarely more than a number and his name. So we will keep his congratulations concise as well. Evan will win something nice from Duluth. I don't know what it is yet, but I'll know it when I see it.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Tony
10/12: 227.2 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
7.2 lbs. to go

Weigh-In Week 17

228.6! That's what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of 2.8 pounds! And week two of the new "Streak".

This one was probably the most unexpected loss so far. I did not get a lot of running in this week and I ate out or had a catered lunch nearly every other day. Guess this lends even more credence to the idea that my body has adjusted to my new diet .

Here are the things I am excited about:

I only have 8.6 pounds left to get to my first goal!

I am only .8 pounds away from losing 6o pounds!

I passed another "ten" milestone this week.

Being under 230 pounds for the first time since being a sophomore in college!

So yeah, I am excited!

Here is something else that I am excited about. The winner of the Guess How Much I Weigh Contest this week is My Lovely Wife. Way to go sweetie. You have always been my biggest supporter... or my shrinking supporter...or my own special biggest losser...well you know what I mean.

Sadly we didn't get 10 votes this week, but I think My Lovely Wife can expect a special prize tonight any way. "Wink, Wink. Nudge, Nudge"

That's what she said!

Wait a minute, I don't think I used that right.


Here's proof that I do indeed wear things other than white t-shirts and jeans. This is one of my new Steve and Barry's outfits. Pretty stylin' huh?

Have a great weekend everybody.

Tony
10/5: 228.6 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
8.6 lbs. to go

Weigh-In Week 16

231.4! That's what the scale said this morning. A loss of 2.8 pounds.

And yes that is a dirty diaper in the background. We were in a hurry this morning...what are you going to do.

Back on track!!! I just realized week 16 means this is the end of the 4th month. Wow! Time really flies when your shrinking out of control.

Which reminds me of one of my favorite quotes:

"Time Flies like an arrow. Fruit Flies like a banana" - Groucho Marx

Not a lot of time to prattle on. I'm really excited to be back on track. That's about it!

Our big winner this week is my Aunt Sue with a guess of 2.6 lbs. For her ability to almost Guess My Weight in a single bound I'll be returning her recipe magazine that I have had for 2 months and sweetening the pot with another healthy recipe magazine. Congratulations Sue!

That's all for now. Stay tuned for some hopefully wonderful news from my lovely wife.

Have a great weekend everybody.

Tony
9/28: 231.4 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
11.4 lbs. to go

Check, check. Umm...hello...is this thing on?

So, Tony has asked me, the afore mentioned “lovely wife,” to become an actual contributor to his blog. For those of you who don’t know me, I tend to be a bit verbose, so I know this post is going to be long. My intent is not to take over my darling husband’s piece of the blogosphere, but I felt a little background info was in order.

I have lost and won countless battles in this seemingly never-ending war with the scale. When I was pregnant with twins, I was encouraged to eat (A LOT) because I was losing weight. I lost 15 pounds over the course of my pregnancy, before giving birth. It was fantastic! McDonald’s double cheeseburgers and milkshakes were finally an approved part of my diet and my nightly bowl of ice cream was practically prescribed.

Mid-March, when the girls were about 14 months old, I was the heaviest I had ever been and was staring down the barrel of my 35th birthday. I decided it was time to make a change.

I decided I didn’t want my two beautiful little girls to have to struggle with their weight and body image the same way I have throughout my life. I decided that I needed to lose weight in order to keep up with them and to be around for the long haul. I also decided I was sick and tired of having to shop the plus-sized clothing racks.

I joined Weight Watchers (WW) on March 9, 2007. I lost a few pounds here, gained a couple there, and would only show up at meetings once every three weeks or so. I lost a total of 11.8 pounds, but I was having a lot of trouble staying on track. Then Tony made his grand announcement to the world and got serious about his own weight loss. His unflagging discipline has been fantastic motivation for me.

I will admit, his streak of amazing losses has had me jealous some weeks (and occasionally downright bitter), but I'm very happy for him and just have to remind myself that men lose weight much differently than women do.

We have become comrades in the trenches in this war against the scale and it’s amazing how much easier it is to keep fighting when you’ve got someone fighting by your side. In my mind, this is the final battle and I am going to keep fighting until I win. If it means that I have to go to a WW meeting every Friday morning at 7:30 for the rest of my life, so be it. It’s worth it, and so am I.

So, in the spirit of Guess How Much I Weigh, I think it’s only fair that I provide full disclosure, too. When I stepped on the scale at my first WW meeting, I weighed (gulp!) 228.4 pounds. That’s a number I don’t ever want to see again.

Thanks to Tony for asking me to “weigh-in” with him every week. I will try to keep my posts shorter from here on out. My weekly update is below.

Have a fantastic weekend!
Laura (a.k.a., Elle Tee Jay)

03/09/2007: 228.6 pounds
09/21/2007: 202.0 pounds (a loss of 0.8 this week)
Total loss: 26.4 pounds
Next mini-goal: 199.9 by 10/15/2007; 2.1 pounds to go
(wouldn’t it be sweet to do it in one week?)

Weigh-In Week 14

234! That's what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of 2.4 lbs.! And 14 straight weeks of loss.

I feel really good about this week. Over the last two weeks I have finally settled in to a way of life that feels sustainable. I'm obsessing less over what I eat. I still track my calories everyday, but I don't feel like I need to be so uptight about what I eat. I have come to a point where this is my regular diet vs. being on a diet. My body knows what it needs now. And exercise has started to become more routine. Less of a chore and more just part of my every day. Let's hope I didn't just jinx myself by talking about it.

I realized this morning that this is very close to the weight where I first started thinking I needed to lose weight. My first major push to drop a few pounds came during the year leading up to my wedding, which would have been 8 years ago. It's amazing that I have accomplished in 6 months what I have been trying to do for 8 years. And it's all because of the help and support I get from you! Thank you.

Another thing I realized this morning, those large white t-shirts are starting to fit pretty comfortably. Unfortunately, my only remaining pair of jeans are starting get a little big. May have to hit the outlet mall this weekend.

This weeks winner is Cousin Angie! She guessed 2.4 right on the money and with a whopping 13 votes this week we will for sure be giving Angie a prize. Angie for your keen ability to forecast the future of my shrinking mass I will be sending you a copy of this months Cooking Light magazine. I am sure Cousin Josh will be very excited!

Have a great weekend everybody!

Tony
9/14: 234 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
14 lbs. to go

Weigh-In Week 13

Keeping the streak alive.



236.4! That's what it said on the scale this morning. A loss of 2.6 lbs.

Like I said, it was going to be a surprise this morning. At least I was surprised. The last thing I said to Laura last night was, "I think I might have a gain this week." Then again, it has been well established that I have no clue what is going on with my body.

Here's the fun part. I can now say I have lost more than 50 lbs! Rock On! 51.6 lbs. to be exact.

My mom is the big winner this week, with a guess of 2.4. We only had 9 votes so no prize, but my Mom has been taking care of the girls while Nana Heather is off living the good life in New York this week so I'll probably do something nice for my Mom anyway.

Speaking of Nana Heather's adventures in New York, here is a Picture of Nana Heather and my sister at the Today Show this morning. Maybe you saw them on TV.



In case you can't pick their fuzzy faces out of the crowd or have no clue what Nana Heather and my sister look like, here is the annotated photo.


Here's a link to video of Nana Heather and Sister Sarah on TV this morning. They are on the left side of the screen, right over Daisy Fuentes' right shoulder.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Tony
9/7: 236.4 lbs.
Goal: 220 lbs.
16.4 lbs. to go