The ME I WANT to BE - Weight Loss Support Week of 10/12

[greysangel]

Well, nobody spoke up so I'm taking the topic :D

How's everyone doing this weekend? Are we working it? Slugging it? Staying the course or slipping down the slope?

This past week was a good one for me...all my planned workouts and clean eating without obsessing. I've switched my reading focus from exercise into eats again...this time concentrating on overeating and binging. I always thought that if you weren't purging, then you didn't have a binge or food abuse problem. I took the step from Geneen Roth onto Dr. Christopher Faiburn's Book, "Overcoming Binge Eating". It's a very informative read. I can easily say that I used to have a serious problem, and now I have a managed problem...but it still lingers there. I often have to fight the urge not to have an "out of control" moment with food. I'm usually alone, I'm usually needing to feel calm (either from excitement or anxiety) and the occasional binge that does happen always start with sugar. This is useful information...something I can monitor and try my best to avoid.

My topic this week I'm calling the "Rodeo Roundup...Everything I learned, I learned from x programs" We've all done various eating plans or diets. Some were very successful, some moderately so and some tanked. We also have a wealth of information on this board. Even a program with moderate success has a nugget of information you can pull from. My hope is that we can all share some.

Programs:
Weight Watchers - I can eat anything within guidelines and watching proper portion sizes. After a lifetime of being denied and denying myself certain foods, WW really opened up my eyes to how to manage my day and week while incorporating whatever foods I was feeling like. This was a lifesaver, especially in the beginning where I really couldn't concentrate on anything else!

Cooking Light - For the most part CL goes hand in hand with WW. Their portion sizes are (for the most part) healthy and moderate. With CL, I learned what portion sizes were with complete meals and learned the joy of cooking various styles and incorporating it into my diet.

Liquid Dieting - I did one through St Luke's and I did slim fast. I learned how to lose lean muscle mass along with fat and still crave sugar. Now the only liquid dieting I do is my post workout protein smoothie...no sugar in the ingredients :D

Body for Life - I learned the benefits of a structured exercise program and the importance of switching it up every so often. I also learned the importance of food as fuel, frequent but small meals and rest. I really made the connection with whole unprocessed foods with keeping my moods stable and my body feeling the most energetic, and I learned that "free day" triggers old binge behaviors in me. Finally I learned the role of carbs and the difference between low carb and carb balanced with protein and healthy fat.

Authors-
Willet - The evil of trans fats, the role of healthy fats and a sensible eating plan for life (not diet)
G. Roth - That so many women use food for love and I'm not alone!
Fairburn (current read)- That certain foods can be an addiction. The way sugar stimulates seratonin in the brain. The history and examples of various compulsive eating and how food mimics addiction with certain people just like any other addiction with others.


So what's your roundup?

Have a great week everyone!

Jeanne

[Jessica]

Great topic, although I haven't really tried that many things.

Cooking Light-- Healthy food can taste good. Healthy food can incorporate cooking styles and ingredients from many cultures and nations. Healthy food can be easy.

But...you still have to read the label and know what is in your food. Fat from salmon is better than fat from cheese. Veggies are healthier than lowfat brownies. Be a smart consumer, whether you are cooking from CL or Stick O'Butter Magazine.

Weight Watchers-- Portion size. The difference between a small bowl of cereal and a big bowl of cereal can make a huge difference on the scale. It is not so much what you eat as how much.

Geneen Roth-- I am the same person no matter what the scale says. And, I also use food for love and comfort and I don't need to do that. No matter how many chocolates I consume, or how many pitas with hummus, the past will not change and I am not helping the future.

Shape magazine-- Exercise does not have to be boring.

My college roommate-- The power to change is within me. Even I, a klutzy former couch potato, can work out and lift weights and get stronger.

This board-- That weight loss and the path to health is not always smooth. I am not the only one who backslides or regains weight or struggles with food issue. I've learned so many tips and tricks from this board, but it's the support I really value, because I have learned the importance of trying again and staying the course.

[badunnin]

I'm staying the course here. Stressed out with school, and it's taking its toll. Only 9 weeks left. *sigh*

After dropping 5lbs in a month, I've stagnated there. Not that I can blame my body. Although I'm not eating an awful lot, I haven't been excersizing, which is what really does it for me. On the upside though, I'm holding my own through PMS. Hopefully on the other side of this period, I'll be able to get back on track and drop that last 4lbs.

As for this week's topic, I haven't ever tried a diet plan/program, or read any dieting books. I have what I think is a healthy relationship with food. I don't use food as a reward, I don't eat when I get stressed, or for comfort, etc. Even when I lost 35lbs a few years back, it was just by switching from bad, cheap, college girl foods to more fruits and veggies, etc because I moved back home and could afford to buy better quality food. Maybe that's the lesson I've learned - quality. Hmmm.

[pbutterfly]

Just wanted to pop on and say that I'm here and staying the course! It's been a busy time lately, but I'm hanging in - and making a point to spend time on ME and my goals.

I want to really give this topic some thought and the answer it deserves, so I'll post more when I have time to really do it right! Great topic!!! And I am looking forward to more great answers to learn from!

:)
lynne

[Kayaksoup]

I'm thinking and thinking and truth be told, everything I know or use I learned from life or throught this board.
I have never followed a diet plan, although this might not be a good thing, but rather went with my gut instinct. Which tells me that eating right and exercising are obviously going to help me lose the weight I gained by NOT eating right and NOT exercising. I have gotten a lot of valuable info from the CL boards about what foods are *made* of etc and of course, encouragement from reading about all your experiences:)
Linda

[RebeccaT]

My answer will be similar to many of yours:

WW - portion control and planning for events

CL - cooking as joy, as release, as comfort, doesn't have to be laden with fat and sugar. Many of those foods hold no appeal to me anymore.

Willet - difference between good carbs and "empty" carbs. A white flour bagel may not have any fat, but it also has virtually no nutritional value.

This BB - can I just steal Jessica's entire comment? :o :D

This weekend was good, but not great. My mom was in town, and since she is maintaining her loss on WW, we both made an effort not to use each other as an excuse to eat. However, because of the celebratory nature of a visit like that, and because I wanted to show off a little my cooking skills and a couple of Houston restaurants, I had to dip in to my FPs fairly significantly. It remains to be seen what effect this will have on my WI on Friday. But the rest of this week will be much less of a challenge, and I will only eat my point target and some APs.

Happy Monday, all!

[JanetJ]

Hello all! Here's my roundup:

Weight Watchers - that all foods are ok, in moderation. Being able to plan for events and meals. WW has also taught me that one "bad" meal doesn't mean it's a "bad" day. It's also helped me to eat more balanced meals and more fruits/veggies.

Cooking Light - well, first of all, it's taught me to cook. I barely cooked at all before this BB. It's also taught me that healthy food can taste wonderfully good and that I have a passion for the kitchen.

Jenny Craig - well, it did teach me about portion sizes. Unfortunately, it also taught me that if someone tells me exactly what to eat for every meal I am not learning what I need to know to feed myself once I go off program.

Liquid diets - I didn't do one, but watching my mom taught me enough to know they weren't for me.

Decent week and weekend for me. Only got in one intense workout this weekend, but that was planned. Eating was ok...I stayed on plan but felt that I was eating too much processed stuff. We'll see what the scale thinks tomorrow. My size 8 jeans are fitting! I also went suit shopping last week and had to buy several size 8's there - though the saleswoman had to convince me that the 10's were too big. I'm having a hard time accepting the single digits for some reason.

[pbutterfly]

Roundup --

The Plans -
The Stewardess Diet (c. 1982) - Taught me that proteins satisfy, teeny portions that border on starvation DO make you lose weight... but that the deprivation means that I'll overeat to make up for it when the 'diet' is over. Taught me, most of all, that a set menu isn't for me. Without choices, I won't stick to it.

The Cabbage Soup Diet -- Taught me that I like soup, and that it can be a filling food to help with weight loss. However, the limited menu (soup, with certain 'extras' on each day) reinforced the lesson above - variety is important!

Nutritionist -- Taught me portion sizes and the value of each different food group. That we really DO need things from each for our bodies to work at their best.

Weight Watchers -- The biggie. Reinforced portion sizes (with easier ways to 'measure'). Gave me tools for getting past 'bad' days/meals without giving up. Most importantly, made me take responsibility through the journal. Knowing that I have control over it is both scary and exhilerating.

The People -
My step-mother -- Taught me that there are people who will judge me based on my appearance. Taught me about negative voices and eating through emotion.

My husband - Taught me the flip side... that I can be loved for who I am on the inside.

Bootcamp Buddies - Taught me more about personal responsibility and not making excuses.

My WW meeting group/youse guys - Teaches me that I am not alone - something that I struggle with, someone else does too... and we can help each other find a solution.

JeAnne in particular - Taught me to view exercise as another way to honor my body/self, not just as a necessary 'evil' to lose more pounds. This has been a huge shift, which I am grateful for.


Readings-
Self Magazine - The Self Challenge was a huge teacher for me - it taught me I could see something through and succeed, and that I could find exercises that were fun.

Willet - The good fats/bad fats, good carbs/bad carbs deal.

Roth - Finding new ways to love and heal the self (because food doesn't do that, not matter how much I try it!)

Thin for Life - Pratical tips from people who've been there.

Cooking Light - Light food can be fun! :)

:)
lynne

[greysangel]

OOh I forgot thin for life...that's a great read :cool:

Here's a good article I thought I would pass on:

"Success is a pattern, not an outcome!"
http://www.uncommoncourtesy.com/success1.htm

Happy tuesday!~

[d_ferrero]

emerging from lurkdom on this thread to say how much I'm enjoying this topic, and to thank you all for sharing. I'm working through my own 'roundup' and will be back when I've collected my thoughts into something coherent and perhaps even useful.

[greysangel]

I actually wanted to add to the round up:

Low carb - Atkins/SouthBeach/CKD et al.

For me, I cannot completely deplete carbs...and for me, that includes *just* eating veggies. Carbs are essential for energy...without carbs, I feel completely drained, wonky etc. I also dont like the scale manipulation...ie you eat a bagel and gain 4 lbs and feel like a failure. I found when I tried to lower carb intake enough to be considered "low carb", not only did my energy and mood suffer, but it also led me to eventually overeat. My energy is at it's highest with meals that consist of equal carbs to protein, with a little healthy fats thrown in.

J

[rosie_one]

Had to think about this a bit... It's a good topic.

2 people in my life who had major influences:

My Mother - Who scrutinizes, necessarily for heath issues, every bite of food she eats and exactly the impact it has upon her. A habit I didn't inherit but a baseline understanding still sticks with me. Eat good = feel good. She always cooked naturally for me while I was a young 'un and loves me no matter what happens.

DH - had serious weight issues for the first 28 years of his life and one day, decided to do something about it. He did, very successfully and brought me along for the ride. (I had always been in denial about that extra baggage, especially post baby. I felt like I wasn't quite fat really, just not terribly strong and healthy.) This made me realize what benefit good health is and that it isn't something to be taken for granted. Also that it IS under my control.

One woman who gets some credit too:

(gads, this is corny but) Oprah - I've watched a total of ONE of her programs in the past decade and it just happened to be one that made me realize that my DH not only had a weight problem but specifically a carb. problem. Definitely got us pointed in the right direction. He'd still be torturing himself with the likes of slimfast if not for that show.

Programs:

The Carbohydrate Addicts Diet - Rachel Heller This was the first diet program I had ever tried and I got lots of good things from it. Weighing in frequently, positive thought processes, an understanding of good vs. bad carbs. Being "creative" in difficult food situations. (like ordering the shrimp cocktail and then declining the cheese biscuits at red lobster) This was the biggie for us as it really did work and as we felt in control we gained confidence. This diet also reinforces the "one meal at a time" philosophy. If you blew it just now, just make better choices next time, don't get down on yourself. Pessimism gets you nowhere.


The Zone - An understanding of the importance of balancing the different kinds of foods that provide for good health throughout the day. A concept of BMI and why it's important. Oh yeah, and an introduction to the zone perfect bars, which I love and eat daily for breakfast. Never ate breakfast before, now I feel like I couldn't go without it.

Resources:

CL and BB - Knowledge that food can be healthy AND taste good and a sense of community.

The Omega Plan - This is a mediterranean based diet plan. We never did the program, but the book had great information about omega 3s and the good vs. bad fat thing.

Fresh Start cookbook - this book helped me to keep our weight off post carbo. regulation diet. Very good, healthy, tasty food ideas.

Yoga Class - Gave me an understanding that I don't have to be sweating and gasping for breath to be doing myself some good in the exercise dept. Also very grounding and helped me to appreciate how much my body really can do.


Lots of good stuff in there. It's good to think about it all.


It's been a good week for me. The fall rush around is starting to wind down (I hope). We planned a little vacation to Door County at the end of the month, which I'm very much looking forward to. Still have lots of house projects going on (jackhammer woke us up at 7:45 on Saturday morning, ugh) but that will slow down when the weather turns. Almost look forward to the dead of winter every year. Things get very quiet and cozy and I like the downtime.

Have a good week,

Alice

[buffygirl]

My Roundup...

WW - same as everyone else, portion control and journal for success.

Fitness - great articles about exercise, enables me to mix it up.

SBD book - great info on good carbs vs bad carbs and eating more balanced meals.

Dr. Phil's new book - I'm not very far into it, but so far have learned and adopted several things. He has some great things to say about stopping the negative self talk and getting into a "right thinking" mode. It has helped me lots so far. Emotional eaters should check this book out.

My mom - It is no secret where I get my using food to medicate from. It has been amazing for me to watch her (as some of you know DH and I are living with my parents while our house is being finished) use food to heal all. I've gained great insight from it.

As for me, I'm back to trying. I'm reading Dr. Phil and went back to WW yesterday. The FP plan seems reasonable and more palatable to me. I always used to "steal" from the bank so that never worked for me. Having the Flex Points up front will work better I think.

BK

[ebobbitt]

I'll come back later but I just read this on e-diets and thought it was interesting:
http://www.ediets.com/news/article.cfm?code=24045&article_id=8546

[RebeccaT]

Lunch Alert:
Zatarain's has a new frozen bowl called Vegetable Jambalaya. 4 WW points, spicy, filling, loaded with grilled veggies... the only thing it's missing is protein (only has 6 grams). But if you can make up the protein elsewhere in your day, this is a pretty darn good emergency lunch!

Just thought you might like to know! :D

[pbutterfly]

Elizabeth - I really liked that list of 50 tips in the article. There were some good tips in straightforward, easy wording! :)

Rebecca - That rice bowl sounds good. Maybe a small package of pre-cooked chicken strips added to it would be a good way to up the protein for a few extra points. (Or a side of cottage cheese.) I'll have to keep an eye out for that, in any case.

I had a bummer of a weigh-in yesterday (up 2 pounds in 2 weeks), but I'm trying to focus on the positive changes I'm seeing in my body from all my gym-time and I truly believe that eventually the numbers will follow.

How's everyone else doing this week?
lynne

[greysangel]

The only thing on that rice bowl, check sodium. I LOVE LOVE zatarain's rice mixes etc, but they are high on the sodium...probably not a meal you want before weigh in :D Although I bet it would be great with some whipped cottage cheese right in there.

Lynne - I was actually thinking of you last night. I am currently working through the Fairburn book I mentioned and I also am reading the Schwartzbein Principle which I think it also chock full of information more along the lines of the Willet book. She's big on whole foods ie foods you can grow, harvest, farm or pick. One of the things she says is that when you make the switch to less processed food, you immediately feel better but you don't necessarily lose weight. By eating whole foods, exercising and starting to put your body more on an even keel, you are healing your metabolism and slowly building it back up- reversing the damage that has been done with years of overeating and/or dieting. This would certainly explain my weight staying within a couple pounds over several months as I have made the switch from low point processed food to whole grains in addition to upping the activity ante. Just food for thought I figured I would pass along. There *are* things happening under the hood :)

Have a great day everyone. It's really hitting me now about the taping this weekend. I saw signs up at the gym this morning warning members about the taping going on on Saturday, so now I'm back to nervous excitement. If you have a moment, please keep me in your thoughts and pray that I will be able to speak eloquently and convey the impact that healthy living has had on my life.

thanks very much!

JeAnne

[Gracie]

It has been interesting reading everyone's roundup. There are some "plans" that I'd forgotten about!

I'm not sure about the names of some of the plans I've tried over the years but here goes:

Weight Watchers - the only time I achieved success. Helped me to eat a bit of everything and taught me about portion control.

Lettuce and Grapefruit Diet - circa 1975 - 1985 - the belief that you could eat whatever you wanted at a meal if you also included lettuce and grapefruit to "chew up" the calories.

"Cleansing Diet" - again circa 1980 ish - strict diet of planned meals for 2 weeks (mostly protein and vegetables) then back to your old habits. The idea was that you'd lose enough weight in the first 2 weeks to keep trying.

Diabetes Exchange Diet - circa 1970 ish - this seems like the forerunner to WW. Lists of foods and portions in exchange lists with recommendations for how many exchanges of each type you should have.

CL, WW and BB recipes - I've always loved to cook but I credit this BB, CL and WW recipes to teaching me how to cook more healthily and how to effectively substitute for fats and sugars without sacrificing taste.

Reading - this BB. I don't take time to read books other than best selling fiction but I read everything that everyone else reports on and learn from that. One of these days I'll really read Hussman's website and Willett's book.

I've had a great week so far. Usually when I stray from this thread I haven't been good, but not this time. Last week was an eating disaster. It was my birthday week and I just had one food challenge after another and the food won all week. However, this time I was OK with it. I gained 2 pounds after losing 2.6 the previous week but my new self said "at least I'm still 0.6 pounds down" and went on with this week which is going very well.

JeAnne - how exciting about the taping! Do you know when the show will air?

Loren

[greysangel]

Loren - they said probably around the holidays...mid december to mid january. I'll be sure to post :D

say those prayers!

j

[RebeccaT]

Originally posted by greysangel
The only thing on that rice bowl, check sodium. I LOVE LOVE zatarain's rice mixes etc, but they are high on the sodium...probably not a meal you want before weigh in :D

Yep - I checked this one, and it had just over 600mg of sodium. Not great, but not as bad as many convenience types of foods out there. I just clued in to the effects of sodium in the past 6 months or so. I used to love bringing a can of soup, Amy's or Campbell's, for lunch... low point and very satisfying. Then I realized that every time I did that, I was consuming almost 1200mg of sodium!!! :eek: :eek: Needless to say, I haven't done the soup thing in a while (although I really liked the Campbell's Italian Wedding Soup!).

JeAnne, you will be in my thoughts this weekend!

[hannah_phi]

I haven't tried any "diets" I guess I started this out pretty well informed, but I just wanted to check in. I'm enjoying reading all the pitfalls and positive aspects of diets that others have tried.

I haven't had such a great week, but UNM has Fall Break this week which means that this is the first day of a four day weekend. I am promising myself that I will do a major house cleaning, exercise each day and catch up on some reading for my classes.

I did get great news though. My teaching assignment for next semester was finalized this week and I got the time I hoped for (MW 5:30-6:45). I don't have to be at school any day before 1 PM! This gives me lots of time to exercise and keep my life in order, plus I'm finding that I study best in the morning lately. My hurdle on this schedule will be reminding myself that it is not a free pass to sleep in until 10 AM every day, since I'll need to make use of the mornings.

[greysangel]

http://www.sacbee.com/24hour/healthscience/story/1027908p-7212754c.html

:mad: :mad: :mad: :mad:

[RebeccaT]

grr.

Two weeks into the new WW plan, and I am exactly the same. As much as I like the new FP plan as far as a lifestyle, maybe it's not the right plan for me to lose weight...

:( :( :(

[pbutterfly]

JeAnne - That's interesting about the changes that occur internally in that period. Makes sense, and explains why both you and I have FELT changes - and seen them visually - while not seeing numbers on the scale change. Thanks for sharing that! :)

And, ugh, on the article... though with insurance companies, it often does come down to the monetary bottom line. That's the problem with total privatization of health care - as a business, money issues can be in conflict (and win out over) true health issues - especially in the short term.

Rebecca - Had you had success on other WW plans before FP? Are you eating all (or most) of your FP? Maybe you could sit down with your leader just to see if there's a way to make the program work for you. And if, in the end, it's not the weight-loss program for you, I wish you all luck in finding what works for you soon! :) Hang in there... every experience is a learning experience, even if you're learning what doesn't work! (See JeAnne's topic o' the week! :))

Hannah - Jump back in where you are and forgive what's already done! Sounds like you have a GREAT schedule for the coming semester - YAY!! :) I don't work until noon most days, so I have the same struggle with getting up. I just have to jump out of bed the first time I think of it, before my brain is awake enough to start making the case for snuggling under the covers. (I don't always win, but more often than not I get up!)

Loren - Congrats on the new mindset. You're right -- overall, you're down and that's the important part... and no sense in wallowing in the negative when looking at the postive can move you forward. :) There are events that are worth a splurge (and sometimes even a backslide)... the key is to not let the one-time-thing turn into anything bigger. You've succeeded in that! YAY!!!! :)

lynne

[RebeccaT]

Lynne, I had great success with WP last year. I have considered going back to that, and actually that's pretty much what I am doing. I am not eating all of my FPs, only about half. I eat some of my APs every day... I have to, 20 points a day (my target) simply is too little food! Now, this weekend my mom was in town, plus it's PMS week, a week when I historically gain a wee bit or am the same. I can chart that over the past 1.5 years of weighing myself every week - this particular week of the month I have only lost maybe twice. So I am going to give it two more weeks, and then evaluate whether this is the plan for me. I hope it is - I really like WW overall! Oh, and I do WW online, and I don't go to meetings. Thanks for the suggestions! :)

[pbutterfly]

Rebecca - Sounds like you have a plan! :) Let me know if you want to share journals or anything for the next couple weeks as you continue to try and tweak the program. I'm still working on making it work for me, too! :)

lynne

[greysangel]

In a word....exhausting.

The crew showed up on time at 9:30AM for set up just as I was finishing up lipstick AND de-fluffing/furring the couch The first half of the day was my interview session which was long and definitely emotionally draining. There were a lot of deep questions about growing up, but then again without them, you wouldn't have the contrast of the "now" I suppose. One of the funnier things was that I smiled during talking about the painful bits and shed my first tears when talking about the first time I met Chaz :o I'm such a dork!

By the time the interview was over, my stomach was audibly growling and I was SO THIRSTY! Who knew that talking for two hours would make you completely dehydrated! I don't know how you teachers do it all day...kudos to you :) We "broke" for lunch and then came back for Chaz' interview and later my friend Matthew. Chaz is pretty good about being sensitive and emoting on a regular basis, but I have to say, the bits I heard were so emotional and passionate. I sat upstairs with tears in my eyes and just thought over and over what an incredibly lucky gal I am. :o :D

Once the interviews were over, they had to videotape all the pictures I had pulled...another painful reminder of weight associated with pain/stress in my life. The videotaping of each picture took a long time and having to give approximate weights/ages etc was pretty draining. The day went about 45 minutes longer than planned and that was 45 minutes too long! By the time they left, we descended upon dinner and just sort of vegetated the rest of the evening. The day in total was almost 10 hours.

My only complaint is I didn't feel there was enough talk about the "present"..the changes in me and our lives. I guess a lot of that will be by example today, but you all know how much I believe in the power of word. I'm hoping that the sound will be on again and we'll be able to tap into that the rest of this weekend. I don't believe there will be sound during the cooking and the gym today but I could be wrong. She may be jotting down things I say, or it may come up again ...who knows?

I gave it my best though!

Onto day 2! Today is "reveals/reenactments"...the stepping out of the "before" dress, the footsteps going to the door for take out, sort of cheesy things like that. Then there is a cooking segment (I'm doing a barley dish, of course ;) )and then the gym segment :eek: I'm hoping it will be a shorter and more fun day than yesterday!

JeAnne

[TLee4]

Jeanne,
Thanks for sharing your experiences as you go through this amazing experience! You are in my thoughts, and keep us posted!

:)
Terri

[greysangel]

Well it's Sunday morning and it looks like rain :( I'm hoping it will clear up for the ceremony later today. I am pretty beat between the taping, being off my sleeping schedule, being off my food schedule and eating whatever is around. Yesterday it happened to be chinese that we used for "reenactments" and my fingers look like snausages this morning. :o The only thing that has saved my energy level has been the gym which I went to on fri morning before the taping and yesterday morning before the taping.

So yesterday was more fun than Friday, but still a long day. First was the "reenactments"..little action segments to sort of recreate the before life. So that was a few hours of typing words on a monitor (spending time on the internet), recreating answering the door for pizza or chinese takeout, pouring bowls of cereal etc. This was tedious as we did each thing several times. Then came the wardrobe changes and reveals...probably the most fun of the day. Getting into my old wedding dress and shimmying out of it in a sassy dress, getting into an old denim dress with chaz and dancing out of it into a dip, being covered in front with chinese take out boxes and tossing them to "reveal" me in a fitted chinese dress. Hokey, cheesey but very fun. Then came the cooking segment and then the gym segment where I had to lift the same weight 100 times :o Talk about going to failure! There was no break yesterday, so unfortunately my eating was kind of all over the place...a bit of chinese here, some of what I cooked, more bites of chinese standing up, a glass of water where I could...ugh. I cannot wait to get back to "normal".

So pray for good weather everyone and wish me luck! The hardest part is over seeing as I'm already married ;)

JeAnne