I got comparison photos of Justin posted.  He looks great!  I can see improvements in all pictures particularly his front and side photos.

 

I finally finished getting my comparison photos completed. You can tell my hair grew, to find any other changes, you'll have to look REAL hard.  I did realize that my derrier is protruding less in the new side photo - that's a plus.  I did include a picture of me in one of my favorite dresses, which fits more loosely, YEA!

 

Justin and "his" girls posed for a lovely photo that, unfortunately, did not turn out.  I will get a new one taken as soon as I can so you can see him in his suit. 

 

I also have some of our garden. I tried to get a new picture of our garden, but the camera did not want to cooperate, so I will have to try again later.  We'll try and keep photos coming as it grows.  I am looking forward to the fresh fruits and veggies.  I'm hoping to learn how to can successfully this year - and that we do so well that we need to can.  We'll eat what we can, and can what we can't. 

 

ttfn,

Tammy

Justin:  Weighs 206.2, for a weight loss of 17.8 lbs.  Outstanding!

 

Tammy:  Weighs 201.2, for a weight loss of 12.4 lbs.  OVER 12 lbs lost to date!  YIPEE!!!  Just over 1.2 lbs to go to be below 200!

 

I was also excited to see that as a team, we have lost a combined weight of over 30 lbs!

 

Speaking of 30 lbs, Terri suggested a challenge between the two of us for each of us to lose 30 lbs by July 5.  Sounds good to me!

 

As for the New "Post MPMU" Challenge to each lose 15 lbs by the end of May that Justin and I signed up for, Justin is 3.8 lbs down, and I am down 3.2 lbs.

 

We had a lovely weekend.  Friday, Justin and the children got the garden ready while I picked up a few more garden supplies and some items our church's youth group needed to host Easter breakfast and decorated and prepared the area for the breakfast.  One of our neighbors allowed us to borrow their tiller so they tilled up half the back yard and the front flower garden.  When I got back, the older children and I went to the Good Friday Tennebrae service.  It is very special.  When the pastor's wife closes with, "Were You There?" I get goose bumps and teary-eyed everytime.  (Tennessee Ernie Ford sang my favorite version, but hearing her voice reverberate through that somber room is something special.)  Justin stayed home with the baby because she is just at the age that she is too fussy for a service like that.

 

Saturday, Justin, me and our 4-year-old worked most of the morning and all afternoon in the garden and yard, planting vegetables, flowers and herbs, weeding, fertilizing, watering, and working the soil in the smaller areas Justin couldn't get with the tiller on Friday.  That was enjoyable work / exercise.  It was a beautiful day for gardening.  It was supposed to rain on Sunday, but it did not do as much as we had hoped.

 

Afterward, we went to Justin's sister's home for a family get-together and had a nice dinner and a good visit.  We discovered that the baby LOVES pinto beans.  Cool beans! 

 

We had a lovely Easter together.  The service was nice.  (It was my turn to keep the baby entertained, so I didn't get to see and hear all of it.)  We got to visit with my parents after lunch for a bit, then had a relaxing afternoon.  (I was told to go to bed and sleep since I didn't get to sleep at all since I woke up Saturday morning.)

 

I hope everyone had a blessed Easter and has a wonderful day!  I hope your weigh-ins have gone / go TERRIFIC!  Good luck everyone!

 

Tammy

Christi just outed me - I am in fact a certifiable dingbat.  Are there any of you out there who are close to being out of a certain range and mentally go to the next lower range - I guess out of wishful thinking?  When I weighed early yesterday, I told Justin, "I weighed 103.8 lbs this morning.  Just .2 lbs more and I will have lost 10 lbs."  He looked at me strangely (which I thought was kind of rude considering my excitement) and said, "So you weighed 103.8 lbs, huh?"  It took me a moment, then I realized what I said.  Doh!  I don't even want to weigh 103 lbs,but I am definitely ready to be out of these 200's.  I guess I'm looking so forward to being out of the 200's, that my mind just makes the jump for me. 

 

Also, we took some measurements the other night and compared them to two weeks ago.  We are going to wait 2 more weeks before posting them because they were curious - according to those measurements, Justin was overall up by 3/4" (but when measured initially could not quite fit in part of his favorite suit and at the time of the most recent measurement could.)  Also, the measurements showed that I was down overally by more than 8".  That would be great, but I want to wait and see if that is true.  That seems like a lot of inches down for not so much weight lost in 2 weeks.  I think it was human error.  Our son's best friend said that he could tell I had lost weight (he has been at college and hadn't seen me for a bit), but I'm a little suspicious of the compliment because he also wanted our son to spend the night that night and may have been buttering me up.  I'll still take the compliment - who's going to turn down a perfectly good compliment? 

 

Have a great day!

Tammy

As I mentioned in an earlier blog, I had caught a virus.  I thought I was well, but I was WRONG.  Our baby caught it also and wound up much worse because her little ear canal got infected.  She has been running a fever between 104.1-105.3 since Sunday.  The good news:  she did not have any fever this morning!  YEA!!  She still has an icky tummy, but I think that is due to the amoxicillin.  I have been so concerned that she was getting dehydrated.  She is drinking more today already and has more of her appetite back.  I am so relieved for her.  I was achy last night, my throat still hurts, and I sound like a frog, but as of this minute, I am feeling much better.  (Not hot, chilled, or achy.)  I was supposed to sing part of a song as a solo for Easter, but I don't think that will happen.    That's ok.

 

Unfortunately, I am really behind on things I need to accomplish.  I am going to prioritize and get done what I can before Easter those things that must be done before Easter.  Everything else can wait until after Sunday.

 

I did weigh myself ahead of schedule yesterday and have lost .4 more lbs and all I have to do is lose .2 lbs more and I will officially have lost 10 lbs.  YEA!  That will be great!

 

I am working on my recipes to share.  I hope to have those up soon.

 

Justin is off tomorrow, so maybe I will actually convince him to get our progress photos taken.  I will be sure to get one of him in his three-piece suit.

 

Have a great first day of Spring!

Tammy

Don't read this if you don't want to know anything extra about tonight before the BL show, but they had clips on the Today Show with Tim Gunn.  Britanny was one of the ones getting a make-over.  I was surprised because I think of her as a bigger threat than Maggie.  I still don't see why they couldn't include that in the show last week unless they simply ran out of time from allowing the kicked-off contestants to weigh in.

 

Tim Gunn commented that the men did not want fitted clothes and that they were more difficult than the women.  That was interesting.  He commented that the women were just so excited to get clothes that fit and looked flattering on them.  I would love flattering cltohes.

 

Our son doesn't have Boy Scouts tonight, so Justin will get to watch most of the show with us tonight.  That will be fun.

 

Take care,

Tammy

Justin:  209 lbs, lost 1 lb from last week and a total 15 lbs so far (YEA!!) for 6.7% weight loss to date.

 

He wore his three-piece suit to the funeral yesterday (and looked very handsome I might add) - this is the same one he could not quite fit into a few weeks ago and his slacks looked very nice on him.  He said his next goal is for his neck to be smaller so he can button the top button on his favorite dress shirts.

 

Tammy:  204.2 lbs, lost .2 lbs from last week and a total of 9.4 lbs so far for a 4.4% weight loss to date.  (I'll take it - at least it is down.)  I know why it is only this little, a friend gave me a tub of my all-time favorite treats that I have not gotten to have for 20 years or more and I have had a couple a day.  I'm going to throw the remainder away because I have had my fill and can go a few more years (just maybe not 20) without them again.  I am just happy to have my weight go down at all after last week.

 

Starting tomorrow, every evening is booked until Sunday because in addition to this being Holy Week, I have my usual Tuesday outings with the children and Wednesday is church council that both Justin and I are now on (my last year, his first).  Next is Maundy Thursday, Good Friday (with a beautiful,powerful service at the Rock Church in Norse), a synod WELCA meeting Saturday morning and early afternoon then on to my sister-in-law's, up early to prepare a continental breakfast at church, then Easter morning service, then REST.

 

I did find out that Justin gets Good Friday off as a holiday - YEA!!!  He had to work all this weekend, so it will be good for him to have a day of rest.

 

I do hope the baby is feeling better today.  The girls and I did not go to church yesterday because I was still somewhat achy and my throat hurt, with a mild cough (Justin had to work in the morning so he could go to the funeral in the afternoon).  The baby did not wake up until I went to change her diaper at 10:30am yesterday - she NEVER wakes up that late - and she was scorching hot.  I have 5 thermometers in the house and the one I wound up using showed her temp to be 101.4 - but after checking it later, I am sure it was much higher.  Even the Motrin did not get her temperature all the way down.  Last evening an hour AFTER some Motrin and Tylenol, her temperature was still 102.1.  It did finally go down more.  If her temperature is still up today, I am going to get her a doctor's appointment and see if she has more than a virus.

 

I am going to try to get the girl's Easter dresses mostly finished today.  Wish me luck!

 

We did not get our new pictures taken yesterday because the baby was so ill, but we will try to get them taken tonight and put up this evening or early tomorrow.

 

I hope everyone's weigh-ins went well.

 

Blessings to all of you!

 

Tammy & Justin

I was struck dumb yesterday afternoon when I received a phone call from one of the ladies at church who told me one of my friends, who was in her mid-forties, died suddenly of heart failure Wednesday evening.  She and her high school-aged daughter had been visiting her in-laws, went home, she asked her daughter to move something for her and died.  Her family also lost a granddaughter the middle of last summer.  The baby was born prematurely and fought for several months, but could not overcome her heart problems.  I am praying for their family, especially the daughter in high school (I believe she is a junior this year) and her granddaughter that I have had the privilege of teaching in Sunday school the past year.  My daughter and her granddaughter have been good friends because my friend would bring her to church with her anytime she kept her for the weekend, and sometimes would meet her parents halfway just to bring her.  The parents live about an hour away from here.  She is the big sister to the baby who died last year.

 

My friend had diabetes, lost weight, but had a severe heart condition.  If I remember correctly, she had had the problem most of her life.  She had major surgery about 18 months ago or so and was doing much better.  She was active in ladies' organizations and walking.  I knew that I would see her at the local clinic rather frequently for one reason or another (I work there on occasion helping with their computers.)  She had just been so active that I forgot that her heart was so frail.

 

I know that God alone know the number of our days and I really do look forward to joining Him in Heaven, but I want to live to see my children grow up and play with my grandchildren.  I made some mistakes in my eating Wednesday and particularly yesterday.  I must get myself back on track and focus on the goal of health so that I can not only watch my children grow, but play with them and be active with them in the process. I don't want to look back and realize I missed out on opportunities because I was unhealthy and did not take every opportunity to get healthy and play with my children.

 

Justin has a doctor's appointment this afternoon - a physical.  He had one not too long ago, but this is a different doctor.  She is an internist who is very thorough from what I have been told by a friend of mine who works at the hospital / clinic and others.  Justin has not been on blood pressure medicine for several months now, not because his blood pressure is down, but because the first prescription made him feel like he had something caught in his throat all the time and the second medicine cost $50 per month WITH insurance and did not lower his blood pressure.  He also feels like he is falling apart with aching joints and such.  I hope he follows through and asks about quitting his snuff.  Nicotine has bad effects on one's health and he already has some precancer cells on his gums from it.  Both his parents died from cancer, but he insists that he is not going to get mouth cancer and that he will not lose his jaw.  Who knows, but stopping now would be better than waiting.  (Yes, I am a nag.  I just don't want to continue to watch him increasing his risks of cancer.  He knows it is because I truly love him that I ask him to stop.)  Quitting may even help his blood pressure.  We'll follow-up with the outcome.

 

On a good note, tomorrow is our 5th anniversary and he has been banned from the Boy Scout campout on threat of being physically evicted if he shows up.    This will be our first anniversary that he has NOT gone camping with our son.  He likes this campout in particular because they help with a chuckwagon cook-off.  I have practiced making chicken fried steak for years and I must say, it is REALLY good, but I went two years ago, and there was someone who out did me.  MAN, was it good!  They even had mashed potatoes that were out of this world.

 

Saturday is supposed to be really nice - actually hot at 90 degrees, so hopefully we can go to the local state park and walk or fish.  We just have to figure out how to keep the baby happy if we decide to fish.  It is supposed to rain Sunday and that is the day of my friend's funeral, so it would be nice to do some fun things tomorrow.

 

Due to our plans for the weekend, I probably won't update this until Monday - weigh-in day for us.

 

Have a great weekend and blessings to everyone.  I hope your weigh-ins go well for those of you who have them this weekend.

 

Tammy

I am certainly impressed with the weight losses of those who went home, but isn't the point of continuing when they got home, not only to be more healthy, but to try for the $100,000 prize?  Why bring them back?  I understand this is a "reality game show," but that really put a fly in the ointment.  Also, I am not glad to have Mark back.  I would much rather had Bernie or Trent or the man eliminated in week 3.  Obviously, Mark has the highest percentage and it is not a popularity contest.  Maybe they needed two more weeks to fill?  Ali really did a fantastic job on her own and the first week back.

 

I was really disappointed that we have to wait one more week to find out who gets eliminated.  I'm sure that keeps the carrot out there for us, but jeepers, it is really frustrating.  My guess is that Britany will be the one voted off because she is a bigger threat than Maggie in the long run.  I'm sure Dan will really kick it up next week after only losing 4 lbs this week since he usually puts in such high numbers.

 

Mark said he is only 3 lbs from his goal, so maybe he will reach it and go home soon - again.  It will be interesting to see how Ali plays into all this.

Justin is the same this week as last at 210 lbs - 14 lbs lost to date.

 

I weigh 204.4 lbs - 9.6 lbs lost to date (1.2 lbs down from last week.)

 

God is surely working in my life.  I know this because of the opportunities I've had to hear the message he has that I need to hear when I need it the most.  Satan has tried to make me feel like a failure in certain areas of my life and tried to keep me focused on these failures and my hurt rather than God's redemption and love.  The failures don't have to do with dieting, but could translate into affecting that area if I turned to food for comfort instead of God and those God put in my life who love me.  God is so wonderful!  We are so blessed to have a loving God who wants us to love Him and turn to Him in good and bad times - in success and failure.  Sometimes Satan obscures that fact, but God is so good to find me where I am and remind me that He loves me so.  He is truly a loving Father.

 

My virus is better, but not completely better because I was not able to get the rest I needed over the weekend, but I am sure I will be better soon.  The girls seem to have this a little bit, but they are busy bees, so they are doing okay overall.

 

Wishing blessings to each of you!

 

Tammy

I checked.  I don't have allergies, I have a viral infection, so I will be resting, drinking juice for the infection, and hot coffee for my throat, and praying my children and husband don't get it.

 

Blessings to all!

Tammy

I'm feeling kind of low right now, like a personal failure, after a discussion I had with someone.  My sweet little girl saw me crying earlier and told me that, "God doesn't want me to be sad.  God wants me to be happy."  She is such a sweetheart.  I'm trying to perk up, maybe when I go to sleep, I will wake up with a better perspective, or at least the capability to address what is wrong - or what is perceived to be wrong.  I'm not sure which it is - reality or perception.  Only God knows for certain.

 

I started sneezing last night.  My allergies are tearing me up - Runny nose, soar throat.  I am on the verge of laryngitis and have a knot on one side of my throat.  I get moodier more easily when I feel poorly.  I took my regular daily allergy medicine, plus the one I take when my allergies are active this morning.  Hopefully they will clear up in a few days.  The worst part is Texas weather.  In the 20s one minute and in the 70s a little later.

 

It was gorgeous today.  The girls and I played in the backyard.  The four-year-old and I tried to jumprope.  I stink at it - at least in the backyard with unlevel ground.  The best I could get today was 6 in a row.  We played a little soccer together.  The baby got the soccer ball and brought it to me.  I thought she wanted to play with it or have me hold her or be on the ground.  It took a few tries, then I figured out that she wanted me to carry her while I kicked the soccer ball around the yard.  She thought that was great fun.  Adding 20+ extra pounds probably helped the exercise a little, also.

 

I sat down outside in my director's chair on the unlevel ground, but thought it was sufficiently level.  I was talking with Justin on the phone and was not rocking or anything, but leaned into the back of the chair just enough for it to tip me over backward into one of the toddler walking bikes that was right behind the chair.  It could have been worse, but boy did I feel silly.

 

I did get a good bit accomplished today, but there is oh so much more to do.  With God's help, I will accomplish what He wants me to achieve tomorrow - whatever that may be.

 

Sorry if anyone reads this and gets bummed.  I just needed an outlet and I couldn't really talk to anyone because they are all asleep and I couldn't talk without crying anyway.

 

I'm starting to feel better.  God willing,  I will have a good night's slumber and see the world fresh tomorrow.

 

Blessings to all,

Tammy

First of all:  Justin has lost 14 lbs as of this morning. Yea!  When he loses 6 lbs more, he will be 1/3rd of the way to his goal weight.

 

I lost 7.8 lbs as of this morning and when I lose 7.8 lbs more, I will only have 80 lbs more to go.  I like nice, even numbers. 

 

The weight is coming off slowly, but steadily for both of us.  I am completely ok with that.  I've done the lose quick, gain quick - and then some, diets before.  What we ard doing works for Justin and me and our family.  He will reach his goal before the end of the year regardless - his slacks fit better each week and he's looking really handsome in his suits  Justin's leg and arm measurements are already fairly close to what I want mine to be.  He has thin legs, but carries his weight in the middle like an apple, which doctors say is the most dangerous way.

 

It may take me until Christmas 2009, but I WILL get there - and be more than halfway there by this Christmas.  I am a little more eager for Justin's weight to come off simply because of his high blood pressure - the last time he measured it, the top was in the normal range, but the bottom number was 90 (that's what I am accustomed to for my top number).  I want mine to come off to be fit, healthy, energetic, and to feel sexy rather than like "The Blob." 

 

It was far too windy and cool to have a picnic yesterday, unfortunately.  Justin took us out to eat to a family restaurant about 1 hour away from home.  I had a veggie plate and he had pot roast and vegetables.  Afterward, he let our older daughter and me go look at Easter outfits for the girls at the Outlet Mall - he waited in the car with the baby so she didn't have to get out in the wind (and to avoid girly shopping).  I then ate 3/4 of an ice cream cone and was completely satisfied.  (I haven't had ice cream in over a year because I am allergic to milk - and it has been over three years since I had a Braum's ice cream.) It was a nice treat.  I can probably go another couple of years without one now.

 

I don't know if we will get to go outside today or not.  If it warms up and doesn't rain on us, the girls and I will go play in the backyard for a bit.  They are talking about a blowing snow just north of us.  I like playing in snow, but not when it is really windy.  Also, it has been too warm lately for it to stick.  Who knows, maybe it will snow at Easter on the bluebonnets again this year like it did last year.  That was the only snow we got last year - in April - and we haven't had any this year, yet.

 

Well, I have chores to do.  Maybe I will be lucky and get a few done before the baby wakes up.

 

Have a blessed week everyone!

Tammy

 

I'm planning on fixing blackened tilapia, brown rice and zucchini & tomatoes for supper tonight.  I'm looking forward to that.

We had a lovely day today.  It was overall a nice, relaxing day - no place to have to go, Justin was home to help with the children.  It was very nice.  I got a pleasant workout in this morning.  We watched the gymnastics trials today.  I love to watch that.  This was the first time we could get our older daughter to watch them with us.  I would LOVE to be in condition to do some of that again.  This evening, we took the girls to the park to play.  That was fun.  Our 4-year-old is starting to get the hang of straightening and bending her legs to help herself swing.  I tried to see where I was physically on some of the equipment.  I have a LONG way to go, but at least I have a fun way to measure where I am.  I can't even do a single pull-up.  Justin did one.  We are thinking about a picnic tomorrow if it doesn't rain.  Maybe we can work on our jumproping skills and play some soccer together.

 

Have a lovely weekend everyone and best wishes on your weigh-ins.  Ours is Monday morning, so I will write more then.  (I only cheated at looking at the scale once this week since Monday.)

 

Tammy

Justin lost 2.4 lbs from last week.  Yea, Justin!  Justin is +1.4 lbs from his goal for this week, but is doing well.

 

I gained 2.2 lbs, from last week, but here is something interesting:  I lost .5" in my waist from last week and my scale that measures body fat percentage showed that my body fat percentage was down 2.5 lbs and my lean mass was up 5.9 lbs.  That makes me feel a lot better.  If I have more lean mass, my metabolism will be up so I can burn calories more efficiently.  We'll see next week...

 

The bad news, I was WAY off my goal of being below 200 this week.  I WILL get there.

 

Have a great week.

 

Tammy and Justin

Well, last week started off really great, and then we got overly busy and it went down the tubes.  Weigh-in day is tomorrow, I am expecting that, for me personally, it will be awful.  Other than Wednesday of this coming week our schedules should be reasonably normal, so I hope everything will be much better for our diets.

 

Today, I taught Sunday school about Jesus feeding the 5000+ with 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread, and we discussed God's provision and generosity.  In worship service, the sermon was about the Samaritan at the well and Christ's Living Water (John 5.)  The pastor pointed out that the Samaritan woman was surely thirsty coming at noon to fill her jug (in addition to likely being scorned by others, which would have been why she chose that time over early morning), but her thirst was a spiritual thirst, not a physical thirst, because after talking with Jesus, she rushed to town to share what she heard and left her jug.  Later, when the disciples came, after the woman left the well, they tried to get Jesus to eat, after all they were not there at the time specifically because they had gone to get food.  Christ's response was that his food was doing God's will.

 

Personally, I know that I worry WAY too much, take for example, my worries that I wrote about early last week.  God provided in a completely unexpected and unusual way for us.  The Sunday school lesson combined with the sermon made me wonder how much of my appetite and thirst are not physical, but spiritual and emotional needs that I am not seeking the right type of sustenance to fill - living on the provision of God in my life.  How awesome it would be to say that my sustenance is doing God's will and that is all I need.  Man (nor woman) can live on bread alone, but how much do I fill voids and anxieties with bread rather than the Word of God?

 

I am so glad for God's Word and that it is alive today and that His Word meets us where we are in our lives, while we may have heard and read 101 times, even the 102nd time, God can make His Word new in our hearts and lives.

 

May we all grow in this journey to allowing God to fill us with His spirit.  It is hard, because the closer we come to God, the harder Satan will work to detract us, but in prayers for one another, through Jesus Christ, we CAN and WILL overcome.

 

God bless you all!

Tammy

Monday, I nticed that Chris from "Team ThinWithin!"  created a blog entry that referenced a Good Housekeeping article about people who have lost a lot of weight.  She noticed that one of them had gone to a class from http://www.weighdown.com.  I looked into that.  It is very interesting and something I am going to look into further, not just for Justin and me, but for my parents as well.  My mom is a worrier like me, I learned from the best.  She cannot exercise because her left knee needs to be replaced and she cannot do it now (bone-on-bone) and she has bulging discs in her spine.  They have tried countless diets and spent lots of money trying to be successful.  They were once and looked great, especially my mom.  She was AMAZINGLY gogeous, but the weight loss was through a powdered diet for around 9 months, and when they went to start eating regular foods again, they did not learn the proper way to eat.  They put all their weight back on.  My daughter LOVES her grandparents so much, and while I know that when it is their time to go, it will simply be their time to go, I would like for them to enjoy their grandchildren - and their own lives - more by being healthy and feeling well.

 

Justin wound up not getting home from work until 2:00 am Tuesday morning from his job that he goes in at 7:00 am.  It was cold out, but thankfully not raining and he did not get too wet working on the watermain leak.  He has had a croupe for awhile, and I think it is getting better, but working out in the cold and wet for so long and getting so little sleep (he was up again at 5:30 am to go back to work) concerns me or his health's sake.

 

Last week and this have been a little crazy, so my meal planning for homemade meals has basically been shot - at least until tomorrow. We have had so much going n each night.  Tonight we have a Lenten soup supper and devotional at our church.  I get to get back to cooking regular suppers tomorrow.  I can make and freeze recipes, but some of the items I want to make don't freeze quite as well.  Not being consistent makes it hard for Justin, also.  When we were visiting yesterday evening, he said, "I have been doing really well. I haven't been going to the pantry in the evening, looking around, and getting a fingerful of peanut butter."  Yes, anyone using their finger to get peanutbutter out of a jar is really icky, but the girls and I don't eat it, and our son is a guy, also, so I am not going to make a big thing of it. has been wanting his peanut butter and syrup treat.  That just does NOT sound appealing to me, but that is something common for the people Justin's age who grew up in this community.

 

As for the Biggest Loser episode last night, of course Paul was going to be the one sent home as he was the biggest threat to the others, but he was the one least able to do it on his own at that point.  I felt like his family and friends were basically cruel, at least codependent, when they did not help Paul with his will power, but encouraged him to be tempted by his most tempting foods.  Bernie's friends were really bad about that, too.  It's like the people got a kick out of torturing their friends and family by rubbing the contestants' noses in what they could not eat.  At least Paul won a lifetime membership to 24 Hour Fitness before he was sent home.  That can help.  I would LOVE to have that - and to have a 24 Hour Fitness gym nearby, I don't know where the nearest one is, but I know that it is more than 50 miles away in any direction.

 

I was amazed at the success the Blue Team had at home.  That is really tremendous for them to know that they will be able to go home and succeed.  I think by the Black Team sending Paul home, it will be that much more difficult for them to continue to win weigh-in challenges, but not impossible.

 

I am curious about next week's episode.  Personally, I would have rather stayed at the ranch than go to Las Vegas.  I have talked to some people who live there and they were really friendly, but I am not up to all the gambling and glitz.  Las Vegas' marketing approach to reviving their "Sin City" nickname does not appeal at all to me, either with the "What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas" and the inuendo.  But, I wasn't offered the trip now, was I? 

 

As for me, I am trying something new.  So far it seems to be working quite well, but we'll see how things progress. and what I weigh come Monday - that is the true test.

 

Blessings to all of you!

 

Tammy

Shanz was kind enough to leave a quote from her friend, "You are not manager of the universe."  It made me laugh, especially as I visualized all the things in the universe that are being overseen by our great God, there is no way I could manage the universe, I have trouble managing my own schedule, much less the rising and setting of the sun, the phases of the moon, the rotation of all the other planets, the seasons, much less the lives of people and all life on earth.  Gracious, and I'm just worried about a simple piece of mail.    God has all these wonderful things in His mighty control and everything works on schedule.  What in the world do I have to be worried about?!  The day is better already.

 

I am so blessed and privileged to have taken the incentive to join Biggest Loser MPM because I have met such beautiful people through this.  We are all going through our own challenges, but we are not alone in this, and many of us have similar situations and stories.  What a blessing and opportunity this is!  I am so grateful to God for each of you.

 

Blessings to you all!

 

Tammy

Justin:  Weighs 213.8 for a total loss to date of 10.2 lbs (a loss of 3.2 lbs from last week), for a total percentage weight loss of 4.6%.  He had hoped to be at or below 210 this morning, but he is doing great.  He is 1.8 pounds above his weekly goal weight, but I bet he can make 210 by next week and be right at his goal weight.

 

Tammy:  Weighs 206.4 for a total loss to date of 7.2 lbs (a gain of .2 lbs from last week), for a total percentage weight loss of 3.4%.  On the plus side, my scale calculates body fat percentage, and I have gained lean mass and loss fat mass.  On the other hand, while I did not eat over the top at any time last week, the further the week progressed, the more stressed / depressed about some things (that are out of my control for the most part), I became.  When I really realized this, I prayed and turned it over to God.  I didn't even feel like going to church yesterday.  I am glad that we went.  I was blessed to be at worship and to have two darling students to teach about how much Jesus loves us.  I am doing better, but I still catch myself anticipating some things for which I just have to wait, but then there are other things that are contingent so I get apprehensive.  Worrying won't add another day to my life, so I will continue to pray about it.  If any of you read this and feel like it, would you pray for me that God would help me to not worry about these things.  I know he has control and everything will work out in his time, but knowing it and living it aren't always the same thing.  (I am a very good worrier, not as good as my mom, but very good nonetheless.)  One of my favorite quotes is, "Worrying is like a rocking chair, it gives you something to do, but you don't get anywhere."

 

My weight is currently 4.8 lbs from my weekly goal weight, which means that hitting my goal weight for next week of below 200 lbs is not likely, but I will continue to do my best.

 

I have seen some people's weigh-ins for the current week and everyone seems to be doing great!  Keep up the great work, everyone!

 

Tammy

Justin got ready to go to a Widows Banquet that his lodge sponsors each year.  The first thing he said when he began to get ready is that he is on track to be at 210 by Monday.  Way to go!  He put on his grey suit and it is looking really good on him.  The waist rolled just a hair at first, but then didn't anymore, not even after sitting, or bending over to put his socks on and then standing up.  His vest looked nice, too, just barely snug.  It buttoned without pulling.  It won't be long at all until those suits are just right on him again.

 

I am very proud you, Justin!

 

Love,

Tammy

For those of you who don't live in Texas, you may want to look into The President's Challenge http://www.presidentschallenge.org.  You can receive awards and join as many groups as you want.  Maybe you have boys in Boy Scouts who are working on their personal fitness merit badge - this would tie in nicely with that.  Your school can participate (and is encouraged to do so).  You can join as family, friends, or businesses / organizations.  The Presiden't Challenge includes activities that you may not think of as activities to include, like gardening, fishing, playing frisbee, children's games such as tag or hide-and-seek, skating, archery, golf, and so forth.  (Walking with our daughter while she played tag with us added to the fun / intensity of our walk.)

 

More on the Texas Round-up...  If you go to that web site http://www.texasroundup.org, you will see a number of cities and communities that are participating and have groups or events already planned.  For those in Texas, there may be one near you.  (I won't make the ones in El Paso or Slaton.)

 

For both of these, the challenge is 30 minutes per day 5 days per week for six weeks (ideally longer) for adults and 60 minutes per day 5 days per week for those 18 and under.

 

I know we are already challenging ourselves, but it is nice to have a short-term reward for ourselves as we work hard at the objective of losing weight and getting healthy.  Many of us have already completed our first six weeks and another six weeks for a tangible, non-food reward might be nice.

 

Justin, myself, and our daughter are already enrolled and our son will when he gets back from his weekend trip.

 

Take care!

 

Tammy