Yo-Yo

I'm not doing a Yo-Yo diet but, I keep loosing a couple pounds than gaining it back. I actually think I'm self sabataging. I'll do really good for 3-4 days, then I eat everything in sight. The babysitting has been going well. I'm enjoying the structure and more kids in my home. My sons are usually doing pretty good with it. Logan, has his days where he needs tons of attention and it is hard to hold him and keep up with 3-4 other kids. I do it, but by the end of the day, I am happy to hand him off to daddy after those needy days. Jack goes back and forth between being happy to have friends around to not wanting them to play with his toys- so he is still adjusting. Food wise, I've been trying to make somewhat healthy meals for the kids for lunch. I've been including a protein, fruit or veggie, and sometimes a starch. Yesturday they had turkey, green beans, and peaches- mostly peaches. Then snacks weren't as healthy yesturday- animal crackers and apples in the morning, gold fish in the afternoon, and both gold fish and animal crackers as a late afternoon nap. I ate cupcakes for breakfast-2, green beans for lunch, a couple animal crackers, and chili for dinner and no night time snacks- yet- this is the time I like to eat everything in the kitchen. On Sunday, I made a bad decision for weight loss and brought tons of cupcakes home and ate all but 4 of them:(

So, I gained again. I really need to buckle down. I started babysitting full-time last Thurs- that should really help with weight loss because I'll be busy and eating with the kids and no meals out- less meals out. I'm sure why this is so hard this time. I'm really having a hard time following though on my plans for weight loss. I have done better drinking water- and I thought I was doing better with potions, but I guess not- the scale tells how well I do...
So, my plan this week be more aware of what I'm eating- I am going to write down what I eat this week- that should help me realize what am eating.

Speaking of forming good habits...

...I've completely forgotten my day TWO weeks in a row now and am going to post on Sheri's day just so I can catch up a bit. Sorry, Sheri!

Anyway, these past two weeks, I've come to learn a few things. #1 - I really did lose most of my brain when I had children. #2 - It's NEVER coming back! #3 - I need to slow down...a TON. I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I try to multi-task, but without writing things down, I forget half of what I was planning to do. I finished 95% of my shopping before December even came upon us and I was so proud of myself and thought I'd have so much time to do whatever I wanted. WRONG! I'm even busier now. And most of it has nothing to do with Advent or Christmas. So, while completely stressed out, I was still holding my weight...losing a small amount.

Then this week came. My husband went down South for a business conference for the week, so I decided to pack up the boys and visit a dear friend of mine about 5 hours away. I had not seen her for almost 2 1/2 years and she is one of my closest friends that I have. We met in college and instantly were best of friends. She has two beautiful children around my boys' ages, so it was perfect! Those few days with her were exactly what I needed! We did nothing but sit around and chat and watch our children play. It was then, along with some great spiritual reading, that I realized what I've been missing in this season of joy and peace. I was missing simplicity. I was missing time taken to enjoy the present. And once I slowed down, I was no longer stressed out. So, I vowed to keep that going. And that is part of what I've decided will be my New Year's Resolution. Once I take time to breathe, I will be a happier and healthier person overall. And I got to workout twice!

So it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be

So yesterday we went to the mall because I really needed to get a pair of jeans and I have been putting this off for the longest time. The biggest issue I have had since losing weight and having my kids is finding pants that fit around my legs and thighs the right way. If I get pants that fit my waist they are too tight around my legs and if I get pants to fit around my legs they are baggy around the waist. A lot of it is the fact that I need to have skin removed from my whole body but I dont have the money for that.
After not having luck at certain stores I ended up having to go into Lane Bryant because they advertise having this system that is suppose to make jeans fit you better. While in Lane Bryant I had a mini breakdown while talking to the boyfriend because I told myself when I was losing weight that I never wanted to end back up in Lane Bryant because I shopped there at my heaviest. But I sucked it all up and I got these 2 really nice girls working at the store that helped me. The jeans that I did grab at first ended up being too big for me and the girls told me that I was crazy and putting myself in too big of clothes and making myself look bigger then I was. They ended up grabbing jeans for me and I found a pair that I was happy with. I ended up fitting into a smaller size then I was giving myself credit for and their so called system did have me in jeans that made me feel better.
On a positive note I am down 3 pounds from my weigh in last week. I just need too stay more aware of what im eating and drinking more water.

Weight Gain

I didn't know what to write last week, because I was very disappointed in myself. So, I procrastinated... So last week I gained 3 pounds which brings me to my original weight. This week I lost 2.2 pounds-a little better. I did well with eating at home 2 weeks ago- not necessarily healthy always. This last week, I just tried to watch portions. Next week-- I am going to commit to drinking water. I shouldn't be having that hard of a time staying on track. Things are going well. I also want to add a veggie to every lunch and dinner. I just need to remind myself I will feel better and be happier if I loose weight. So, here goes another week.

I Am Not Even Sure Where to Begin

Emotional eater?  That's me...to a T.  I never realized this before starting to stay home with my daughter almost three years ago.  Before that I was always working and therefore, during the day, had a very regimented schedule with breaks, lunch hours, etc.  Since I rarely ate out, I was preparing my lunch the night before, etc and prepared relatively healthy items, and I just did not really have the time to emotionally eat at work.  So, since being home with my daughter and having a less rigid schedule and free reign with food, I have come to realize the truth - that my major, major issue is emotionally eating.  I eat when I am happy, sad, bored, stressed, angry - you name it.  The worst though is most definitely when I am stressed for any reason.  I most certainly find comfort in food and especially carbs and/or sweets. Now, what do I do with this exactly?  That is what I am desperately trying to figure out.  I had the idea recently to come up with a list of things that I could do when I feel the desire to emotionally eat - things to do that would occupy my time until the temptation passed, etc.  The problem is that being a mom of an almost 3 year old, finding time to do a "hobby" is kind of difficult, but that is the one thing that I figured would really work.  So, I know there has to be something I can do to occupy my time - something I enjoy.  I just need to figure it out.  So, that needs to be my goal.  Uh oh, I just wrote it on a blog for all to read so I guess I best be getting on that, huh?  :D

Well, that brings me to the fact that this past little bit has been a whee bit stressful, and yes, I have drowned my sorrows and issues in food.  Ugh!!  My husband, Hannah and I drove from Chicago to Virginia last week to visit my family.  My husband had to drive back a couple of days ago to get back to work.  My daughter and I will be flying back next week.  My parents, who are currently living in Italy for work, came in for a visit for the holidays which is what brought us here.  My sister, brother in law and niece all live here in Virginia.  My daughter will be 3 years old in February, and her cousin, my niece, will be 2 years old in March so they are almost a full year apart in age.  The stress I have been dealing with has been the fact that my daughter acts out a lot while here because she sees my niece being babied a lot and given tons of attention.  It breaks my heart for my little girl if you can understand that.  I don't want her to think for one second that she plays second fiddle to anyone.  I want her to feel so loved and comfortable in her own skin.  I just wish I could protect her little feelings forever and ever.  I know what she is doing is totally normal and age appropriate, etc, but I stress because I feel like maybe my family (though I am sure they don't) thinks she is being "bad" or they get annoyed with her, etc.  She regresses while she is here, copies the younger niece by whining and crying because she sees the younger one getting the attention for it so she figures she will try it, too.  Problem is that no one finds that okay since she is a year older.  It is just rather heart breaking really.  I know she is loved to pieces.  My stress is dealing with all the time outs, etc that have to go on because she is acting out, etc and also the stress of knowing that somehow she feels a bit unloved or less loved which is making her act this way.  So, I am drowning my stress in food.  And again I say ugh....  

On a positive note I did realize that in just a bit over two months we will be going as a family to Disney World.  So, I realized what an amazing time to set a goal which may kickstart me back into gear.  I will figure out what that realistic goal will be and let you all know.  My daughter and I come back home on Wednesday.  We are having fun visiting with family and hopefully more fun will be had, but at the same time, I am excited to get back into our routine and enjoy the holidays in beautiful Chicago.  Also, I am excited to get my little girl back.  ;)  

One last thing....you may have heard, but if you have not....there is a boycott going on against Ralph Lauren.  Being a woman who has had self esteem/body image issues for some time and now being the mother of a precious little girl, the issue of promoting healthy body images in little girls and the definition of TRUE beauty has become my major soapbox.  Ralph Lauren has been one of the worst at distorting the definition of beauty in women and crippling millions of girls' and womens' self esteems.  Please go to the Facebook page for ATB Action Network Boycott Ralph Lauren to join the group and to learn more about this important cause.  Ralph Lauren is sold at numerous places including the CHAPS label that is super popular at Kohls.  Stop giving your hard earned money to this man until he learns what he is doing to our daughters.  Thanks for listening and standing up for TRUE beauty.  <3

Blah

So I know im a day late writing but things have been a little crazy for me and by the time I got my son to sleep last night I was really tired so I went to bed. These past few days with my toddler daughter have been crazy and im just at the point where I want to cry. It all started on Monday when I went to go put my son down for a nap in her old crib which she hasnt slept in in 5 months. I put him down and she started throwing the biggest fit she has had in a long time because that was her crib and the baby couldnt sleep there. So since then she has wanted to nap and sleep in her crib. The only thing is she will fall asleep in the crib and then wake up screaming and crying to go into her toddler bed. Then the other day she managed to climb onto her dresser from the crib and she knocked over the lamp and broke it. The littlest things also seem to be setting her off and becoming a bigger issue then they really are. Like this morning she dropped a little bit of yogurt on her pj's and of coarse she started freaking out about it. Needless to say im just really tired.

As far as the weight thing goes I havent been doing as good as I would like. The stress I have been feeling lately havent been helping with my eating. The stress just triggers my mind to want to eat. I hate to say it but I feel like when im in a stressful moment the food becomes like a drug and soothes my nerves. The sad thing is healthy food doesnt help its all about eating the junk food especially candy. Growing up as a fat girl has really left me with some bad habits that I have had a hard time breaking. Giving in makes me feel like a failure. Right now that is my biggest feeling - FAILURE. I feel like a failure at being a mom right now and a really big failure at this weight thing.

On a side note I watched The Biggest Loser finale and I couldnt believe how good Danny looked. He lost 239 pound and just looked amazing. I felt really good for him. He took everything he learned and just ran with it and did an amazing job.

Happy birthday (And cake and icecream and ...)

My younger son turned one today! I can hardly believe how time flies...and then, the depressing thought of how I'm still NOT back to my pre-pregnancy weight (from him, not all the way back to the beginning) even though an entire year has passed.

A week and a half ago, I decided that I was going to set a high goal for myself for this time of year. Yes, along with birthdays dispersed throughout the holiday season (aka. Thanksgiving thru New Year's), I am set on the road to losing weight amongst all the candy, cookies, hot chocolate, and overly delightful meals that will be set before me. I have parties to attend and baking to do and I am setting this goal. I will lose TEN pounds by New Year's. Why, you ask? Because it's time to stop making excuses for myself. I'm sure I've said this before, but I am very much an overeater. I don't label myself as an emotional eater (although that happens from time to time) but I just over do it when I see good food in front of me. I used to make the excuse that I'm a breastfeeding mama, so I need those extra calories. Haha. Was that a joke! I am training myself to say "no" and to eat all in moderation. Good foods will be around after this meal, so I don't need to act as if this is my last meal. And even if it would be my last meal, I am sure that once I'm dead, I'm not going to care.

With this goal, I'm 3 lbs in! Seven heavy pounds to go, but I am proud of myself. I am weighing an all-time low since having Mark. I've lost 5 1/2 pounds total since I started this weightloss group and I know I can do it! Next goal: EXERCISE more!!! It's so easy to not go to the gym because that requires so much coordination and getting myself out the door in this (brrr!) cold. I can do it. I know I can!

Plus, I am a bridesmaid in two weddings this summer, so I want to look my best :).

Im not at a good point

These past few weeks have a been a real test on me and I must say that I failed. That is really hard for me to admit especially to other people. Things at home with the boyfriend are holding on by a thread and a lot of issues came up that need to be worked on but I dont know and I feel like all I can do is just throw my hands up in the air and scream. So needless to say that has triggered a lot of unhealthy eating in me. Stress and emotional eating has gotten the best of me. I stepped on the scale and I just wanted to cry. I really know that I have to step up my game on losing weight and eating healthy because when I see the numbers go higher on the scale it just reminds me of being 314 pounds again and I cant be that person again. I need to refocus on losing 30 pounds and going from there. I am planning on losing at least 2 pounds by next weeks check in.

Back on Track:)

So, after quit awhile of a hiatus, I'm back on track. Life can get the best of me, stresses with Logan, traveling, and just plain giving into, my constant urge to eat out. Just an idea of how many meals we've eaten out in the last week - we have 8 new glasses (free at McD's with a super size meal) So, tonight we went shopping- healthy shopping- Caputo's. When I shop at Caputo's I come home with fruits, veggies and meats:) A very good choice when following the lifestyle change I NEED to make. So, my plan- 3 healthy meals- few carbs, high fiber. Soda, My actual biggest weakness- not sure what I'm doing there- not ready to give it up. I may just focus on eating healthy and portions, but allow myself my soda--
I keep thinking baby steps is the way to go-- change one habit each week, or one new goal each week. So my goal this week is healthy meals and I'll let you know next week how it went.
I do have some stresses and difficult eating situations coming this week- Logan is having a test to determine ultimately if he needs a feeding tube on Friday (I keep eating double for him even though he is not nursing) Then Friday night we have a party for Aaron's work- stressful in the fact that it is lots of unhealthy food and stressful in the fact that I don't know many people there. Then on Saturday is my Birthday- I have to have cake for my b-day (weakness number 105). We are also going out of town for the weekend- Sat. and Sun. So, with all of that, wish me luck:)

Happy Thanksgiving!

Wishing you a happy and blessed Thanksgiving today!

Since today is such a wonderful holiday, I have actually not had time (or the thought) to weigh myself, so I will forgo this tonight. However, I did want to say that since today is Thanksgiving, one of my biggest goals has been portion-control. I kept reminding myself throughout the day that I did not need to eat in excess just because it's the holiday of massive amounts of delicious food. So, I ate regular, good-sized portions and was full by the end, but not stuffed to the gill. And now, I'm off to spend some time with my boys, so I hope this day has been nothing but full of laughter and joy for each and every one of you! God bless!

It's Been Awhile....Oops! ;)

So, yea, it has been a while since we have posted.  Remember when we said in the beginning that this blog was going to be a chronicle of real life struggles and real life successes.  Well, I guess you could say we have been in a bit of a struggle of late.  Just an example of how life so easily gets in the way of what we set out to do.  So much is going on now.  Jason (my husband) has been working like crazy lately filling in for a coworker who has been under the weather so he has basically been around for dinner and then off to bed to get ready for another day of the rat race.  We have also recently transitioned to the "big girl bed" with our almost 3 year old so Mommy has not been getting a whole heck of a lot of sleep these days.  I am so bad about letting the teeniest break in routine knock me off of achieving my goals.  In other words, I am a stress/emotional eater at its finest.  So, one thing we, as a group, have all learned recently is that it is super important for us to make a decision within OURSELVES to better ourselves and go down the road of weight loss because if we are pretty much only relying on each other for support, then as soon as one person starts to struggle we sort of all go down, too.  Instead we talked last night about the fact that if we rely on ourself and do this for ourselves then when one person starts to falter, we can come together and provide support and help pick that other person up.  So, basically, we realize we need each other for accountability and for support but in order to be the best friend and support network we can be, we need to first of all go down the road of health and weight loss for ourselves.

We came up with a few things to hopefully help us stay on our path.  We are going to begin to email each other daily or close to it and answer a few questions in the email - an accomplishment we made, something we did not do so great at, a small goal we had for the day and whether or not we met that goal.  That will really help us to daily hold each other accountable.  We also assigned each person a day of the week to weigh in and to subsequently update our blog.  We meet on Tuesday nights so we decided to take a break from the blog on that day and most weekends, but we are aiming to update the blog Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays.  We left last night with a renewed drive to succeed knowing that along the way we will deal with more struggles because we are indeed human and we may take two steps forwards and one step back, but at least we are still heading in the right direction and through the power of friendship and also love for ourselves, we will eventually succeed in this journey.  

Stepping out of the box

The other day I was listening to Oprah (because with 2 kids thats about all you can do) and her show was about stepping out of the box, to be bold. On the show Oprah had 4 women do three things - roller derby, sky diving, and skinny dipping. I found the show interesting and it did make some good points. For me it made me think that I have pushed part of "me" down deep inside. Growing up as the obese girl I never wanted to bring extra attention to myself all I wanted to do was hide myself, hide my fat. I know that there are lots of things I have and still want to do. I feel like on the outside I dont truly represent myself. My mom always told me that when I was little I was fearless but I feel like I have let the world get the best of me. One of the moms on Oprah said she wanted to do these things because she wanted her children to be proud of her and look up to hear. I know how that feels. Being a mom of a girl really makes more aware of how I am as a person. So part of this journey for me is to be true to myself. I dont want to hide behind all these walls I have put up. I have also decided that after this winter and yucky weather I am going going to make a bold move and step out of my box and do something daring. I would also like to challenge my other mommy friends to do this too. Now im not talking about a new hair color or wearing a dress im talking about more. For me I think that will be skydiving or rock climbing. I havent totally made up my mind but come on ladies lets think big.

Another thing that always catches my attention is the theme song to The Biggest Loser. If you really listen to the words I think it can be inspiring and the part that always gets me is -what have you done today to make you feel proud - I think that should be something we should all think about because as moms we should be proud of ourselves and our family.

Now I have to run because one child is crying and the other needs a diaper change.

Why Do I Do It?

Snacking. Snacking. Snacking.

I know it can be okay, even good to snack, but for me, it's more just something to do with my hands. As a mom of 2 little, energetic boys, you'd think that I'd never have issues with keeping my hands busy. After all, running around, chasing after them, along with the endless (or so it seems, some days) diaper changes, clothes changes, and cutting up their food into itty bitty pieces should keep my hands busy enough. Unfortunately, that's not the case. I have categorized myself as a "bored eater." I tend to munch when I am not keeping busy - and by busy, I mean, so busy I don't think about eating.

This is probably my biggest issue. That and portion control (but that's another topic for another day). And exercise. Okay, so this is a big issue for me. I need to eat something small inbetween meals because I'm a nursing mom, but I know it should be more nutritious, instead of potato chips, ice cream, or pasta that's leftover from last night's meal. I should also make sure to eat more lean proteins and veggies and fruits. So, this past week, I've been making more of an effort. I haven't done 100%, but I've been doing better. I've eaten a couple apples and said "no" to pasta. Another thing I've been working on is limiting my pop (or some might say, "soda"). I drank pretty much nothing but pop while in college. It was my caffeine-staple. When Scott and I first got married, we both were HUGE pop drinkers. However, once Matthew was born, our budget got cut to less than half and we cut it out of our daily diet. It still was something I tended to crave, but since I was pregnant with Mark, I really worked on drinking a LOT more water. And these past couple of weeks, I've been limiting myself to one glass of pop a day, if that. I've noticed that the healthier food that I eat, along with drinking water most of the time, my taste for pop has declined considerably. I can't stand to drink more than a small glass and once I have drunk the glass, I have no desire for more.

Along with trying to change a few small habits, I've been working on getting organized and getting my half-finished projects into finished projects. I'm a very crafty person - I love starting projects and really enjoy making things myself instead of buying them at the store, but I tend to start something and never finish it. So, that's also another goal. It'll get things done (much to the relief of my husband!) and it'll keep my hands busy. All the while, keeping a glass of water next to me :).

Feeling Beautiful

Self-image is a topic that touches every single woman, and it is certainly a big part of our weight struggles in this group. This topic has been touched upon so many times in our conversations.



Without knowing and believing that we are beautiful and a priceless, it is so difficult to become our best on the outside. It is too easy to become wrapped up in what the world views as "beautiful." And it is too easy to measure our self-worth by approval from people around us, whether it be our spouses, family, or comparing ourselves to friends or even the airbrushed models in magazines. But that isn't where we should be looking. We should know that we were created beautiful. We were created with dignity and that dignity comes from God, so no one can take that away or lessen it in any way. To begin our journey to becoming the best we can be, it has to start here to be truly successful and long-lasting. One scripture I have always loved, and unfortunately forget all-too quickly, is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20. It reads, "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been purchased at a price. Therefore, glorify God in your body." All that we do, all that we are is to praise the God who made us in His image and likeness. If the holy Spirit finds our body as His dwelling place, 1) shouldn't we see how beautiful our bodies must be? and 2) shouldn't we want to keep them as clean and beautiful as we are able?

So, that's my goal to begin this journey - to remember this and remember that my beauty is already there...I'm just doing my part to make this temple as beautiful as I can for my Lord.

All About Tracy

My name is Tracy, and I am 34 years old.  I am mom to Jack who is 2 1/2 years old and to Logan who is nine months old.  I am married to Aaron.  

I was average weight when growing up.  I gained weight after marriage.  I was able to lose 35 pounds on Weight Watchers a couple of years before having my first son.  With life's ups and downs, I gained the weight back slowly.  After having my children, I have gained all of my previously lost weight back and then some.  When I am really able to get myself to focus, I can lose weight.  I am most certainly a stress eater which is much of my problem now.  I gave birth to Logan, my second son, in January of this year.  He has been such a blessing.  Unfortunately, he was born with numerous health issues and has already undergone numerous surgeries and procedures in his short nine month life.  This, as one might imagine, has put an incredible amount of stress on me.  As much as I want to lose weight and get into shape once and for all, I am having a very difficult time eating healthy for any length of time.  

~Tracy

All About Camisha

Hello!  I am Camisha Williams, and I am 25 years old.  I am mom to Callie who is two years old and to my newborn son, Declan, who is two months old.  

I have struggled with weight my entire life.  I remember always being picked on for being overweight.  Growing up I turned to food to comfort myself and by the time I was 20 years old I was 314 pounds.  At that time I changed my life, and I ended up losing over 140 pounds.  When I was 23 years old, I gave birth to my daughter, Callie and at 25 years old, I gave birth to my son, Declan.  At this point my goal is to lose at least 30 pounds of baby weight and go from there.

~ Camisha 

All About Jennifer

My name is Jennifer Hannah.  I am 26 years old and have been married to Scott for just over three years.  I am mother to Matthew who is 2 1/2 years old and Mark who is ten months old.  

I grew up in a very health-conscious home and never really struggled with my weight growing up.  As I entered into my teenage years, I started eating a lot of carbs.  I went off to college and gained my "freshman 15".  I managed to lose 5 of the 15 pounds in time for my wedding.  I became pregnant shortly afterwards and gained 50 pounds. I still had some of that pregnancy weight on me when I became pregnant with Mark.  Now, I am 40 pounds from my pre-pregnancy weight.  Even more than losing, my hope is that I will get into shape.  I have always been the last one to finish any kind of physical activity.  I would love to be able to run a mile or two and build my endurance and strength.

~ Jennifer

All About Sheri

We thought we would start off with a more detailed bio on each of us so you would know where we are and how we came to be in "this place". 

I am Sheri.  :)  I am 35 years old (yikes!) and am married to Jason, my high school sweetheart.  We have one daughter named Hannah who will be turning 3 in February, and we have a fur child/Black Laborador Retriever named Denali who is 6 years old.  Let me see...let's travel back to when this weight thing started.  Ugh!  Well, in high school, I weighed in at about 105 lbs soaking wet.  LOL  Sooooo very long ago.  The funny thing is that looking back, my eating habits back then stunk!  I remember eating a Taco Snack and cinnamon roll each day from the cafeteria for lunch. Man, I literally can still taste those things - they were so incredibly yummy.  Beans, meat and cheese fried into a tortilla?  What could be better?  Bleck!  Also, I was addicted to Mountain Dew, Funyuns, Skor Bars and Ben and Jerry's Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream.  Yet, I still only weighed 105 lbs.  I think my portion sizes were definitely smaller and I was also very busy with working, social life, extracurricular activities, etc so while what I ate was unhealthy, I did not have time to eat a whole lot of it.  

Anyway, so then comes a move across country from Alaska to Tennessee for college.  So much change....bring on the emotional eating and the comfort food.  Gino's breadsticks with chocolate sauce and powdered sugar at night, late nights at Perkins Restaurant studying and eating, you get the picture.  Well, by the end of my freshman year, I was 138 lbs.  Ha!  What I wouldn't GIVE to weigh that again!!  Isn't that funny?  Well, at the end of my junior year, I decided it was time to do something about it so I lost about 25 lbs through watching what I was eating and exercising.  I felt great.  Then, just about a year later I moved to Alaska and got married.  You know what they say happens when you are happily married.  Yup, the pounds started packing on...AGAIN.  Finally, in 2001, I decided it was time for them to go away again so I lost 37 lbs.  I was totally a happy camper again.  Then, Jason and I moved across the country again from Alaska to Virginia which brought its own stresses, of course, starting over in a new place.   So, you guessed it...bring on the pounds...AGAIN.  

In 2007 we gave birth to our beautiful daughter, Hannah Lauren.  I was able to lose all of my pregnancy weight rather quickly which was a good thing; however, that did not mean I was where I wanted to be.  I have lost 10 pounds and gained them back a couple of times since  having Hannah.  When Hannah was four months old, we moved from Virginia to the suburbs of Chicago.  Jason was offered a management job for a local railroad here which allowed me to stay home and raise our daughter comfortably so it was an answered prayer.  So, here we are, 2 1/2 years later living in Chicago, and I have decided it is time to get rid of this for good. No more yo yo dieting.  It is ridiculous especially once I type it all out to you guys because now I really see just how many times I have lost and gained the same pounds.  LOL Not good!  :)  Thanks for sharing in our journey!  I hope you find some inspiration for yourself along the way!

Blessings!
Sheri 

Water

I've been having a hard time eating healthy because of stress. I'm trying to limit serving size, but I am craving unhealthy foods- mac and cheese and coke big time. I am definitely not drinking enough water so that's my goal for today.

A Little History to Start Off With

We are a group of four friends (Sheri, Jennifer, Camisha and Tracy) who met because of one main thing we had in common.  We were searching for some connection, searching for support, and searching for ourselves after joining what was then a new club for us - motherhood.  All of us were moms to one when we joined a local moms group called Busy Bees.  Those children are all well into their toddler years...whoo-whee.  Several of us are now on round 2 with Baby #2 having been born since we first all met.  As you might imagine and many of you know, motherhood, while so extremely joyful, can also be rather tiring.  If you have ever watched TV and seen those hilarious Suave commercials, you know that it is a bit easy to lose a bit of yourself after becoming a mom.  Suddenly, it is not about you.  Suddenly, everything revolves around that precious, tiny baby that you are holding in your arms.  Well, that does not ever really stop, it just changes as they grow.

Well, a few of us in our Busy Bees mom's group realized that we had even more in common than just being moms.  We realized that we were struggling with some of the same things. In the process of taking care of that precious, tiny baby, yes, we started to lose ourselves.  Suddenly, we were waking up and looking in the mirror and not really liking what we saw.  This led us to start a little subgroup - our own little support group to help each other lose weight and focus more on ourselves in all areas.  Moms work so hard every single day that we deserve to give ourselves a little time and energy.  Just like they always tell me everytime I travel with my Hannah Banana on Southwest - "In case of a loss of cabin pressure, place the mask on yourself before assisting your child with theirs".  You have heard it before.  We can't possibly take care of our family the way we should if we don't take care of ourselves first.  So, we welcome you and thank you for joining us as we share with you the real triumphs and inevitable struggles on the journey to the inner "me".