Just One Change Weight Loss Week 7

Linky Rules
There are no rules. Just sign the linky at the bottom to promote the blog love. 

It would be great if you also jumped in and posted your Just One Change for the week, but we have to make these changes when were ready. If your ready, Jump in! It can be a weight loss change, an addiction change, or any other change in your life you know you need to make.

My Recaps.
Week One-Couch to 5K.
Week Two No dairy or Carbs.
Week Three. Buy A Scale.
Week Four. Sever Emotional Ties to food.
Week Five My Conversation with a cupcake.  
Week Six & Taking Control.

Week Seven. I am more excited this week. I have had a really hard time staying on the ball, but I think I have gotten more focused. I wish I could report a higher number, but sadly, I have only lose 7 pounds since I have started my Just one change weight loss.

Not to be hard on myself, but seven pounds in seven weeks? It's time to get more physical Big Mama. My clothes fit a little bit better, my feet are smaller since I dumped the soda again, and I have lost a lot of water weight.

Here is my insight for week seven. Notice the traps. What traps am I talking about? Well, it's easy to notice, though hard because they. are. everywhere.

My aunt treated us to a movie. Nothing to snack on. Well I can't say nothing. Popcorn. "Would you like extra butter with your popcorn?" Why do they always ask that? It's always a skinny chick too. I opted for a small lemonade and then watched The Secretariat. Movie secrets we all know. The theaters make little money, if any at all, on the actual movies. So what do they make money on? Concessions. That's right. "Would you like extra butter on your 2000 calorie concession?" One giant tub of popcorn, two 44 oz drinks and a candy for like $12 or something! Seriously? Then there was a sign that simply states, "Refills come free in large combo purchases." Because you absolutely need 4000 calories of popcorn and 88oz of soda for a horse race movie. I will be honest in admitting I used to fall for it. Now, it is just disgusting. Totally a trap. And a very expensive one at that.

I might as well make a down payment on a heart attack.

If your tempted to purchase something unhealthy at the gas station, pay at the pump. There is absolutely nothing in there good for me. Unless you count the 2 day old fruit basket towards the back. Its a trap to get you inside, once inside they can throw all this stuff at ya. You find your self giving in to 'what looks good'.

Taco Bell, which tempts me to say inappropriate things, has came out with 'Come get your fourth meal' for the day. Suggesting to us to change our behavior in the fact that we need a fourth meal at midnight-one in the morning. Totally a trap.

Pay attention to ads, poster signs above gas tanks, slogans, banners, billboards, and radio suggestions. There made by highly paid psychologists, and marketing experts that invite us to things that are necessarily natural or good for us at all. If your aware, you'll notice it a lot.

My secret. Plan a head and have snacks ready. I take string cheese, apples, almonds or a trail mix. Lots of water and I usually have to give Mr Big Mama the debit card, so that helps too.

Good Luck Changers! Be sure to sign the linky, and It would be great if you posted a change that your making in your life too!

Just One Change Weight Loss 6th Week & Taking Control

Linky Rules. There are no rules. Just sign the linky at the bottom to promote the blog love.

It would be great if you also jumped in and posted your Just One Change for the week, but we have to make these changes when were ready. If your ready, Jump in! It can be a weight loss change, an addiction change, or any other change in your life you know you need to make.

My Recaps.
Week One-Couch to 5K.
Week Two No dairy or Carbs.
Week Three. Buy A Scale.
Week Four. Sever Emotional Ties to food.
Week Five My Conversation with a cupcake.  

Yo Peeps!

Here I am with the 'Yo' thing again like I grew up in Thugville. I am so not a Yo person, but that's okay. I can dig it.

This week has been much better and I think I am finally gaining control on my life.

Isn't it amazing what we choose to control and what we don't? Let's admit, Big Mama may have control issues.

Why? Because she's an idiot. But then Big Mama learned something a few years back. It was this simple quote.

"The smartest people on earth realize and choose what they can control and what they can't."

I can control how I treat my body. Sometimes, we feel like were spiraling out of control, and let's be honest we have all felt that way when it comes to our bodies. 

"I can't control what other people say or do. I can only control how I react to it."

I say that to my kids yo' all the time. They really get tired of hearing it. Aren't I a genius??

I don't know what me being a genius has to do with what I am saying, but I couldn't resist throwing that in.

Week Six. Take Control. You chose your life. Not the cupcake. Not the food. Not the bad job. Not the bad relationship. Not the needy friend or co-worker. Not the Psychology Test due today Big Mama (*^@*!!) Not the divorce. Not the suffocating parent. Not the government (uh, oh! Don't talk politics Big Mama!)

I can't think of anything else that we choose to allow control over us.

Spread you wings and fly, Angel. You can do it!

Angel? WTHeck? 

Okay, so Big Mama's a mush.

A controlling fatty mush.

Won't it be funny when Big Mama is skinny, and people still call her Big Mama?

It will be like seeing someone you thought would be totally different and they say, "Wow! That's Big Mama!"

That's right Peeps! One of a kind.

The Hubby is telling me I am full of myself now. I control weather or not to listen to him. :-) 

Just One Change & My Conversation With a Cupcake

Linky RulesThere are no rules. Just sign the linky at the bottom to promote the blog love. 

It would be great if you also jumped in and posted your Just One Change for the week, but we have to make these changes when were ready. If your ready, Jump in! It can be a weight loss change, an addiction change, or any other change in your life you know you need to make.

My Recaps.
Week One-Couch to 5K.
Week Two No dairy or Carbs.
Week Three. Buy A Scale.
Week Four. Sever Emotional Ties to food. 

I am still working on trying to change my emotions with certain addictions in my life and was naive to think that that was a one week process. No Big Mama. Its not. 

Take for example, the Hostess Cupcake. I may have had a few of these in my last few days months. So I decided to have a heart to heart with my dear friend. I need to let them know that they are no longer needed or welcome in my life right now. This is pretty much the just of the conversation.

I place the cupcake on the counter.

Not eye to eye, because that would make us equals. I stand above it so that it knows I am superior.

"Listen here fatty." This is me talking to the cupcake, not the other way around. "It's time you and I have a heartfelt talk about where you stand in my life."

It doesn't say anything back. Good. Appearantly it only talks back after you have ingested it.

Should I be worried that I had to establish the fact that the cupcake didn't actually speak back to me?

Oh, well. This is a mind trick. Go with it Big Mama.

"You tell me that your full of comfort. You say that I need a break. You also tell me that you will help me feel good, relax, and taste good."

Replied silence.

"But none of that is true." I am circling the cupcake now in total interrogation mode. "You have no power over me. You are not relaxing. You are very deceptive, and have more chemical uplifts than my ADD cousin on speed."

Silence.

"I do like the icing decoration on top, though. That is cute." I have to add that in. "But, just like dumping the sexy doctor. You have to go. Don't cry over me. You will recover."

Then I ate the cupcake.

Which may sound silly, but I was changing my emotion to it. And it worked! It's like I could taste all the chemicals this time and it was gross!! I no longer desire a hostess cupcake.

Victory!

Big Mama is gonna get skinny, one cupcake at a time!

Link Up!!

Plus, stay tuned, I have some awesome guest posters lined up, yo! (I seriously just did the YO thing! Ha!)

Do you have a story to tell about making a change that inspired greatness in your life? It can be anything! Email me at jerrhe04@yahoo.com

Just One Change Weight Loss 4th Week

Linky RulesThere are no rules. Just sign the linky at the bottom to promote the blog love. 

It would be great if you also jumped in and posted your Just One Change for the week, but we have to make these changes when were ready. If your ready, Jump in! It can be a weight loss change, an addiction change, or being less of a mean commenter change.

Okay...got that out of my system...moving on...

My Recaps.
Week One-Couch to 5K.
Week Two No dairy or Carbs.
Week Three. Buy A Scale.


I still have  my scale up in the closet. I will weigh myself again. This week.

Didn't I say that last week?

Baby steps Big Mama. This is a total life change, not a mad dash to the skinny finish line. 

I had already scheduled my Just One Change post for Tuesday at 12:00am. Something didn't feel right about my post.

If you ever wonder how it is I have time to post all through the week, truthfully, I don't post at all until Friday through Sunday! Then schedule it to appear the next week! Taaaa-Daaaa!! Yes. Big Mama. Can. Read. That is a wonderful blogger feature, just incase you didn't know.

I must have been overly sarcastic, or perhaps slightly obnoxious. But then I am always that way, so couldn't have been that! Then after watching Biggest Loser tonight, I realized that I needed it to motivate me and wake me up!!!

My typical day...

Get up, get kids off to school. If I slack off on my morning shower, then I don't get one for the day. Sorry neighbors, I will try to stay down wind when that happens. Otherwise, I blame the children.
After girls are in school, I get to go to class, or stay home and do homework, laundry, think of pulling something out for dinner, then forget. Clean, chase three kids at home, send hubby off to work, (he works nights) put 2/3 kids down for nap, wake them up to go get sisters from school, chores, homework, reading, music study,through something frozen in the micro to de-thaw for dinner then clean up, bath, chore touch-ups and bed. If I am on the ball, this is all done by 8:00pm. Kids are usually out by 9:00 after several threats of early bedtime the next night, and revoking the after school snacks for the next day.

You really want drama? Take away the after school snacks. Whew! They. Think. They. Will. Die!



Anyway, after all that, I take a break! Nice relaxing moment. Babies asleep. Kids asleep. Hubby at work.

My Time. Relax. Snack.

Drink. Usually Chocolate Milk, or a Pepsi. Maybe Sometimes juice. Wish it were alcohol. Then tell myself that would be ridiculous fighting off more addiction.

Stupid Satan that thinks he makes sense in tempting me with alcohol. What a Loser. Seriously. Miserable. Loser. (This is me admitting that alcohol tempts me. Especially during high stress points, and rare relaxation moments.)


Anyway, I feel emotionally connected to 'My Snack Time' and I suddenly, just now, realize why the kids freak out when they don't get their after school snack. It must be as important to them, as this is to me.

Hmmm...interesting.

Writing this, totally makes me feel so tricked. Which brings me to my point.

These foods...

 Used to mean-Relaxation, peace and quiet, comfort, de-stress-ment (totally not a word, but you get it.)

Which basically means I am emotionally attached to these by subconsciously conditioning myself to believe that they make 'chill out', feel good, and calm me.

No! Big Mama! They make you Fat!

When I see them now after watching the biggest loser (if you saw the show you totally know what I am talking about) they mean diabetes, obesity, feeling awkward in public, large clothing, bad circulation, lack of love and support, less drive, no energy, wishing you were thinner, and the worst would be bad health promotion to your children.

That hit me. Totally what I needed to hear tonight.

So, my change for the week. Notice and sever all emotional ties to food. Easier said than done, but a week is seven days, I am sure I have some time.

Big Mama's gonna be skinny!! Big Mama's gonna be skinny!!! Big Mama's gonna be skinny....

That should totally be a country song. With a trailer home and a John Deere.

If that happens, really, ya'll are my witnesses and I totally get rights to the single.

And seats to the CMA's.

And an after party at Garth's house.

Do they serve alcohol at after parties?

Okay, skip the after party.

I picked this guest poster for this week because she is real. I mean, they are all real, but she is someone that we can all relate to regardless of our ages, sizes, and weight loss experiences.

Thanks Lindsey, here is what she writes... 

Today's guest poster is Lindsey from One Creative Housewife, an eclectic look at the adventures of one spontaneous, spunky, gal, trying to get by in a world of chaos and confusion.  Here, she shares about her struggle with weight loss, gaining it back, and rediscovering her motivation.


Weight loss.  It's one of those icky phrases that, quite frankly, I don't really want to think about.  I have been overweight since I hit puberty and my grandmother passed away, all in the same season.  I have gained weight nearly continuously since it was up to me to figure out how to feed myself, take care of myself, and motivate myself to move, rather than just vegging out with a book, a craft project, the tv, or, now, the computer.  Since I gave birth to my son nine years ago, I have been obese.  Yep, that's right.  The big O word.  No, not the really nice O word.  The one that stands in the way of everything. 


The first time I was complimented on losing weight was when I experimented with smoking in high school.  Suddenly, here was something that I could put in my mouth that wouldn't cause me to gain.  In fact, it helped me lose because I was so busy fiddling with the cancer sticks that I had no desire to eat that jelly doughnut.  A friend's mom encountered me on my weight loss when I was in the elevator on a band trip to Toronto.  It was Mother's Day weekend and my mom was not there.  She told me that I looked really nice, that it was good that I was losing weight.  I was a size 12.


After my son was born, I used nursing as an excuse not to lose.  I needed those extra calories to feed my baby!  I continued to gain.  And gain.  And gain.


When my husband proposed, I was so excited about trying on wedding dresses.  That is, until the stores didn't have any in my size to try on.  The fitting attendants had to choose their largest samples and hold them around me, with the zipper strained in the back.  However, I still found the perfect dress for me.  My mother bought it for me, but when it came in, it didn't fit.  I had to lose 2 inches in 6 months in order to wear my dress on my wedding day.


This led to my first trip to Weight Watchers.  I lost the weight, but not nearly my 10%, fit into my dress, and went on my way.  We got married and I began cooking for my husband.  The weight came back.  Weight Watchers take two, several years later.  Again, I lost a good deal of weight.  I was finally down to the number that I was when I was discharged from the hospital after my son was born.  Then came two pink lines and 40 more pounds.


So, here I am.  I am currently 230 pounds.  My motivation comes in spurts.  I joined a gym and went for a few weeks, but then lagged behind.   I cut out soda and missed it too much.  I drank so much water I lost 7 pounds in one week, and put it back on the next.  Now, to be fair, I have lost 10 pounds since January 1, 2010.  The weight loss is slow because I am not sticking to a plan.  I understand that, if I were to go back to Weight Watchers and have the weekly support of public weigh ins (which equal mortification) and meetings with other people who struggle just like I do, I would likely be able to beat the scale.  But, I'm afraid of failing.  Of wasting the money one more time.  So, here I sit.  On the computer, enabling my rear to spread a little bit wider.  Out of breath when I walk.  Worrying over the hikes I will have to go on with my Scouts later this fall.  Here I sit, struggling to want to do something, anything, about my weight.  Yet, here I sit, leaving it for another day.

Just One Change Weight Loss 3rd Week

Dont forget to sign the linky at the bottom!

Linky Rules: Just sign the dang linky!! You do not have to participate to sign in!!! Although, we would love to hear your stories!!! And of course, I'd love for ya to steal my button here to spread the word!

Week three. I still feel fat. I am not doing so well. I need Jillian Micheal's to come scream obscenities at me until I want to punch her in her rock hard abs. But that would probably just hurt my fist. I am looking forward to the Season Premiere of The Biggest Loser. I always get bu-kuu motivation from that.

My Recaps.
Week One-Couch to 5K.
Week Two No dairy or Carbs.

I did more Couch to 5K thing. It still feels really awkward. I am not stopping. Although I would I would suggest getting really good workout music so that your not running around the track with songs in ear such as, "How'm I supposed to breate with no air? No air? No airehhhhhh?" and "If you look closer it's easy to trace, the tracks of my tears..."

So that's the recap. I definitely second Jennifer's last Guest Post about getting clothes that you feel good about working out and being seen in. Very motivating!

Week Three's Just One Change-Buy a scale. I used to think that you didn't need a scale. Just measure your fitness buy the way your clothes feel. Too tight, then obviously, get some fitness in. Too lose, go down a size.

Then I realized that there is around a 15 pound difference in 'too loose' or 'too tight' in the same size pants. So, if you had a scale, you would notice in 5 pounds that your slipping away, not in 15. Make sense?

"How'm I suppose to breath with no air? No air? No air-eeehh....!"

It is really hard to get workouts in. My target bike broke again. I may, or may not have sworn viciously and kicked it several times while wearing my new workout clothes one block away from my house. That in itself may, or may not have been my workout for the day.

I did some Bike Window Shopping. (what is that? Bike Window shopping? Like Jumbo-Shrimp??) and I picked out a bike that was like $350. *sigh* I can't justify spending $350 dollars on me before Christmas. So, I keep kicking deal with Target Bike until I can get my real bike.

I really want to go to the gym, but honestly, I feel too fat to go to the gym! Isn't that the most ridiculous thing ever??

Yes, Big Mama it is. That is what the Gym is for. Fat people to get in shape, and skinny people to stay that way.

I know, I know! But who really wants to be behind Big Mama on the treadmill!

Big Mama! That is RE-DIC-U-LUS!!

Well I know, but that is how I feel, and you can't tell me that others don't feel that way too!

That is the end of this public conversation with myself.

I wanna do Zumba, but Fat people don't do Zumba! I think there should be a weight class to exercising like there is in wrestling. Different Classes. I wanna go to the gym with a bunch of 400lb people so I can feel like the skinny chick!

Not Gonna Happen, Big Mama. *Sigh*

Where was I? Week Three. Yeah, buy a scale. Take it to gym, alter it 15 pounds on the plus and weigh the skinny chicks...

No Big Mama. Just buy a scale.

Okay, so I bought the scale a day later. I weighed myself. I then threw it up on the shelf in the back of my closet. That was $15 dollars that could have gone to my bike Christmas.

It's a good thing that I am doing this. I believe I can do it and I believe that next week, when I weigh in, it will be lower.

This weeks guest poster Andi from This Random Life tells us why we can do it.

What first inspired me to change? I think most of us could say alot has inspired us to want to change, but doing it of course is another thing. We do the fad dieting for a day, eat bad the next, then say we will start something new the following day. So after doing this for years, and yes I'm only 25, it was time. I got up one morning, put my scrubs on for work, and they were tight. Scrubs??? Tight??? So that evening I went to Weight Watchers and signed up! Weighing in at 180.6 lbs.. (I'm only 5'1")

How is my life different? Everything is different. My self-image most definitely! I feel comfortable in a pair of jeans (mostly), I can shop easier, my attitude is better because I feel better, and I'm healthy! I really do feel like a different person and only for the better!

What joy have I experienced? I think the best thing to experience is when people haven't seen you for a while and they say things like, "Oh my gosh, you look great!" or, "How much weight have you lost?", "What are you doing?" Or even everyday people I work with commenting, these people whom see me Monday through Friday noticing makes me motivated to keep going!

What advice would you give to anyone who may believe that there is no hope for them to be fit or healthier? 1st-You can do it. If you stick with that attitude, (yes I still struggle EVERYDAY with this), you really can do it! 2nd- Support. You need people in your life that are willing to eat healthy too, whether it be a wife,husband, co-worker, mother, father, sibling, best friend, anyone. This has helped me tremendously. My boyfriend and I try to cook healthy all the time and without him I would have gotten off track! (Because I did get off track every now and then, but everyday is new and everyday I can do better!)3rd- There is no limit. Whether you weigh 500 lbs or 120 lbs, being healthier has no bounds. The "skinny people" will just stay thin and have good blood pressure and cholesterol and the "heavier people" will lose lose lose and have good blood pressure and cholesterol! Just because you may have 300 + lbs to bite the bullet doesn't mean you can't do it. And lastly, there is hope. We all looked at this blog for a reason. We are in this together, reach out, everyone struggles sometimes, I bet even the "skinny people!"

What is one change everyone could make right now that would help? Drink water. Water flushes fat. Start there. Add a slice of lemon, lime, or orange. You can do this!

PS. Last WW weigh in 147.4, equaling 33.2 lbs lost :) It has been about a year since I decided to change, it may come off slow, but it will come off! Goal weight: 132 lbs.

Just One Change Weight Loss 2nd Week

Week One Highlights

Did the first week of Couch to 5K thing.

I felt like my legs were going to fall off. I am changing the name of my running shoes from 'running shoes' to Wheezers.

The good news, the creepy gas station manager gave me the thumbs up as I was jogging by. I don't dare say why...I am still perplexed. Plus, I jogged by a girl walking home from work, and she enthusiastically told me to 'keep going!' which I thought was cool, but then I realized that the fat girl jogging down the street needs all the encouragement she can get.

Not to talk bad about myself, but to be the weight I am and jogging? It is not easy. So I don't mean to toot my own horn, but Toot! Toot! I mean, really, how many 200+ pound women do you see jogging down the street. We totally rock!

Okay, I can't believe I just did the toot toot thing.

Moving On...

Week #2 Change One Thing. This may or may not be in addition to week one's change.

My Week #2 Change, No Dairy. Oh my gosh. I totally stubbed a fingernail typing that out. It was not my decision. Trust me. I found out, that Lylah Rose disagrees with any Dairy passing through me to her. *Sigh* Soy Milk, here I come. Which I thought would be dreadful tasting, but it's not bad at all, and I am not just saying that...

My biggest problem. Cheese. How do I do with out cheese? When I go out to eat, I always ask for extra cheese and I can easily say that no one ever uses extra cheese the way I like. I find my self telling them, 'if your going to charge me $.50 for extra, then by Gosh, CLOG AN ARTERY EXTRA CHEESE!' Hence the 200+ pounds maybe???

Then, I also found out that all the spasms and pain I have been having in my throat/chest area is due to a food allergy to Carbs and Starches. So, for me there is another unexpected change, all in week one.

So, altering Week #2 Change, No Carbs, Starches, or Dairy. I.Am.Dying.

I'd better be a skinny chick real soon! I never, never would have eliminated them on my own. Did I say NEVER enough times? N.E.V.E.R!

It's a little more than Just One Change, which was the entire point. I wanted ONE change in one week. Somehow I bargained with three. But this is a good thing...right?

Guest Posting this week on their weight loss story is an awesome mom of five that lives just across the street from me.

Jennifer is wonderfully giving, a hard worker, and a exercising machine! I can't tell you how often I have seen her biking, jogging, and doing it all! She is truly amazing! But, I will let her tell you her story.


My dear friend asked me to share my weight loss journey, and I'm thrilled to do it. This journey began about 3 years ago. I am the mother of 5 children, all born from my own body. This was wondrous, and yet had definitely taken it's toll. Each pregnancy and nursing period had put about 10-15 lbs. on me, pounds that I did not lose again between children. At my heaviest, I weighed in at about 240. I'm about 6 feet tall, and I could really hide my weight well (so I told myself) until I got a look at the photos from our summer vacation. Here's the one that really shocked me.

I couldn't believe I really looked like that. I didn't look like that in the mirror (when I took the time to peek.) Not long after, my sweet 4-year-old daughter drew me a picture of the prettiest me she could.

Wow! I looked so good. Not too skinny, but just perfect. That drawing, timed as it was after my eye-opening photo shoot at the river, made me decide it was time to do something. I wanted to match the image my daughter saw. I wanted to be healthy, and the excess weight was killing me. I had back problems, foot problems, problems breathing at night. My cholesterol was too high, and I was concerned about becoming insulin-resistant (pre-diabetic.) It was definitely time, and there were no more excuses. My husband and I had decided our family was big enough, so no more childbearing, no more nursing. In addition to not having excuses, I realized that every year I put this off things would only get harder. It was time to get serious about getting healthy, and for me that meant losing weight.

As I saw it I had 2 issues. 1. I ate too much. 2. I did not seriously exercise. To deal with problem #1, I spoke to my doctor. She prescribed an appetite reducer for me, Phentermine, which helped immensely in reducing the amount I ate for those first few months until my stomach was used to the smaller portions I needed to be eating. If you want to have a completely natural weight-loss journey, more power to you. For me, I saw no problem in using any tool available, so long as it didn't imperil my health. In terms of what I ate, I tried to keep my diet as real as I could. After all, I wanted a lifestyle change that would see me through the rest of my life, not a weight-loss regimen. I ate everything my family did, just less of it than I used to. I cut out most of the sugar, most of the processed foods, and all the cheap fats. Hello, home-cooking!! Yes, I lost weight on home-cooking, because cooking from scratch uses much healthier ingredients than heating up something from the store. I only used real butter, real olive oil, and lots of coconut oil. The real key was to watch my portion sizes.

Some tricks: Use a smaller plate; Fill your plate the first time and do NOT go back for more; Never eat out of the package - always serve your portion onto a dish and put the package away; Put your fork down on the table after each bite; Never have a "treat" unless everyone else is having some as well.

To address issue #2, I had to find an exercise that got my heart rate up. My daily rambling walks with the stroller weren't cutting it. I decided the exercise of choice would be biking. I purchased a bike trailer at a yard sale and got my dad's old bike in working order. There I went, on a 25 year-old bike, pulling my toddler and my preschooler around town every morning. It was hard work. I rode about 7 miles each day. I also found a stationary bike to buy from a friend and kept it in the basement, so there were no weather excuses. Rain or shine, I was working out.

Some tricks: Find a friend to work out with; Take photos of yourself every month - the pounds come off slowly, and sometimes we can't see it for being in the heart of it, but photos help make the little advances clear; Keep track of your weight and find someone to be accountable to; Get exercise clothes that look good - it's easier to work out if you look good. Really.

The combination of eating less and exercising took it's time to work, but over the course of about 18 months I lost 60 pounds. As I got thinner, new types of exercise opened up for me. I began to run in races. I started going to a gym and doing strength training and aerobics. All these things have helped me keep my journey going strong. The idea of a journey is a bit of a misconception, though, unless you recognize that this journey will never end. I have put as much as 20 pounds back on at times before I really buckle down and work it back off. It's a struggle that I will always be involved with. But it is so worth it. I am so much healthier than I was 3 years ago. My back problems have almost disappeared. My feet no longer hurt all the time. I can walk barefoot again. Sleeping is easy (as it darn well should be!!) The non-sleeping bedroom activities have improved as well. It's amazing what a little added flexibility and stamina will do. My cholesterol is within healthy levels again. My resting heart rate is 56. Wow!! I plan on being around for my great-grand children. Not just being around, but being healthy.



All in all, I would not change a thing about my life. Yes, I was heavy for a while, quite heavy. And I'll fight with that for the rest of my life. But I love this journey I'm on. I've learned so much about controlling my life and my choices, about having respect and love for the person that I am, regardless of my weight, and about trusting myself. I have power that I never before realized I had. Everyone does. You do. Use it.

Just One Change Weight Loss

Guess what I did? I bought running shoes. I didn't even know they made shoes just for running! But they do and now you know!

So, I finally got the right restraining order on Curtis Stone, and apparently he wont be stalking me anymore. I am so sad depressed relieved. So because he has been tied up, properly detained, I will not be doing any more Tuesday night recipes...for now.

I am however wanting to host 'Just One Change' Weight Loss. I am going to focus on changing just one thing for this week. No big commitments. This week, I am going to use my running shoes. For reals.

We all have bad habits. I have more than anyone. So I think we could all focus on making the next week slightly different than the week before. This is not a major overhaul people. It is changing ONE thing for the week. Here are a few examples...

Add fruit to my breakfast
Stop skipping breakfast
Eat more veggies
Drink more water
No more late snacks
Lower my sugar intake
Go for a walk
Get better sleep
Stop Soda
...you get the idea

Now.The.Scary.Part. I am going to post my weight. You don't have to do this, but I am gonna do it. I.am.scared.


235 No Stink. For Realz. I know I will feel much better in a week when it is lower and I post it then.

I can push a ten pound seven pound baby out of my body with no medication, and not be terrified. But putting my weight here terrifies me. You don't have to do this, but I need the accountability.

Side note, If this ever becomes a book, I do not want to sit on Oprah's couch, or be in her book club. Not that I don't like Oprah...but this is a good post for later.

I am also opening this up a Linky on the bottom of this post. If you are participating, please LINK UP! There are no rules, no having to follow anyone (unless you want to of course, and I encourage it!) just keeping in mind that the next week you are going to make one change to better you life. No commitments. Just one change. Post what you changed, how it made you feel and LINK UP!

I would like to kick off a little less about mwaaa and a little more about others and their enthusiasm about being healthy.

This is Marissa. She decided to change one thing in college, and it has changed her life. I asked her to guest post and tell us her story. You can check out her blog and be sure to comment and tell her you came from Big Mama's place.


Hi, I'm Marissa!! When Big Mama asked me to write a guest post, i was MORE than thrilled but then I sat there staring at my computer screen like..."what the heck am I suppose to write??!" So, here we go...
I am a 30 year old, stay at home mom to two boys-three if you count my husband! I was an overweight teen, went off to college and got F-A-T!!! I was not taking care of myself at all. Not eating right, not exercising..none of it! One day I decided to go to the local gym with some of my not-so-fat(pretty much, perfect) bodied friends! It was there that the light bulb went off. It was there that I decided I needed change in a BIG way. I started working out, asking questions about foods, what was "healthy" and with that came me wanting to help others find that "light bulb moment"! I lost 78lbs.in 8 months and am proud to say I've kept it off for over 10 years! Now, am I in the running to become the next top model?? HECK NO! I have to work at weight loss every day, its a struggle and always will be for me! I went on to earn a degree in Health Education and Exercise Physiology to help others like me...find their way. You may be reading this and feeling like it won't happen for you? Its too far gone, right? Wrong. Its never too late for change. Never too late to choose a healthier way of living. Being a mom, I struggle with finding the time to cook healthy, to exercise, but if you tell yourself YOU CAN, then YOU WILL. I sound like a "motivational speaker" talking, but its the truth!! My husband has also struggled with weight, after our second son was born, he had let his "healthy" side go out the door...faaaaarrrrr out the door.
(if there's anything I have learned, it is that if someone is not ready for change, you cannot FORCE it) I am proud to say he's lost 75lbs. in 5 months! There is no better time than right now to make a change...you will feel better, you will want to do more with your children, you will find that taking care of yourself from the inside will make you feel so good-its empowering. I love hearing from people that I have helped on their weight-loss journey, they are SO very proud of themselves, I am so proud of them, but at some point will say,"I just never thought I could do it." But I guess the BEST motivation for them was having someone tell them they COULD do it. If you are reading this saying, "I just don't think I can do it"...I am here to tell you, YOU CAN.

Thanks again Big Mama!!
Marissa