I hate exercise.

I think that bears repeating....I hate exercise. I can not motivate myself to do it. I hate the bittercold weather we've been getting here in the west central portion of Wisconsin. We average 8 inches a snowfall in all of December and we got that in a few days last week. I hibernate when the weather is like that. I don't want to go outside, I want to curl up in my bed with a book and some cocoa and settle in for winter. Breathing in the freezing air is SO!! not my favorite thing to do. I hate the (literal) pain my neck when I breathe too heavily (which no one but me seems concerned about). I miss riding my bike with 80 pounds of toddlers in the trailer. I miss the cool but not cold days of fall.

So, that weight loss thing I was doing over at Diet Cake? Yea, I gained a pound and a half. woohoo for me. Tis the season for giving, right? I just gave myself more weight to lose. I wasn't particularily careful about my eating until yesterday and I haven't exercised at all...unless you count chasing and lifting two toddlers and a 6 & 7 year old.

Here's my goal for this coming week: eat more carefully. Think about portion sizes. Spend 5 minutes a day (start small!) at least 3 times this week on the gazelle that's collecting dust in the basement.

So, this portion size thing. It's tricky. I don't know by sight what 4 oz of chicken is or even what a serving size should be of some things that I make. So, that's what I'll be working on this week. I know that measuring cups are super helpful. And knowing that a serving size of goldfish is 54 fish and that is equal to about 2/3 cup instead of counting out 54 fish everytime I have them is helpful. I have trail mix here, that serving is 3 tbsp. So, I get out the measuring spoon and put in a small bowl. And another for TJ to have, too. I have fruit and veggies in the house and don't measure those servings. But, if I'm having my 1/2 cup of cottage cheese, I only have half a pear and let TJ eat the rest. I measure my milk and cereal. I am more contious of reading labels. I've been pretty good about avoiding HFCS and aiming for more fiber (though I usually miss the mark on that one...I'm not too fond of salads without plenty of dressing.

And I really need to write down what's going in my mouth. I didn't realize that my 16 oz mug of hot cocoa is 300 calories and I have at least 3 of those a day. That's almost half of my calories for a day in just those 3 drinks.

Diet Cake: Day 1

Ok, I weighed in this morning at 180....that made me feel pretty good. I had been hovering about 183 and modified my eating a week or so ago. Yay me! So, if I'm gonna do this and do it half-way well, I'm gonna be reading and posting fitness and healthy eating tips over the next couple weeks. I believe in being educated. There is SO MUCH bad info out there, so I'll wade through it and post what I think is most helpful.

Today is that we need to eat enough. Yes, that means that you don't starve yourself to lose weight. Your body NEEDS fuel and to get that you need to eat enough calories. A yummy snack is cottage cheese with some fresh fruit on it...pears are so good with it (Yes, mother, I've been convereted to a pear eater). Try to eat 5-6 times a day. Keep your meals small, but eating more often, you don't need to eat large portions only 3 times a day. DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST. It's proven that people who eat a good breakfast lose more weight than those who don't.

We also need support. You can't "go it alone" and expect to have LONG LASTING weight loss. That's why weight watchers and other groups have meetings. You need the support of like-minded people to help you. Don't have the time and/or money for Weight Watchers? Join SparkPeople.com. I know I've mention them before but the same holds true now. There are some great tools on that website. They can give you a target calorie count and you can input what you are eating to make sure that you're getting what you need.

So, go check out the girls at Diet Cake and join me and the others for a great holiday challenge!

5-15 with PRIZES!

Do you want to lose 5, 10, maybe even 15 pounds? What are you waiting for?? Prizes? Hmm, that could POSSIBLY be arranged....The girls over at Diet Cake (click the link for the rules) are having a little contest . Between tomorrow (December 5th) and January 15th they are challenging you to lose weight. They are offering up a MYSTERY prize valued at "dozens of dollars"....isn't that tempting!! OOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! All you have to do is go to Diet Cake tomorrow and check in with your name and weight. Then, once a week until the 15th of January check in that you are still participating. Easy peasy!

I've gained back 3 of the 25 something pounds that I lost this spring, so I'm gonna join in with the hopes that I'm able to keep the holiday 15 off my hips this year. Maybe even lose another pants size...BOY wouldn't that be nice?? So, who wants to join me??