Fitness Unscripted

REALLY?? It STILL hasn’t clicked yet?!? // Andrea H.

2013-05-03T08:00:00.000-04:00

Hi! My name is Andrea and I’ve been a part of MLFC since August of last year (I think). I’m 27 and single, live in Kansas (until Memorial Day, then moving to Colorado to be near my family and friends), and teach for a living. For a long time, I have been thinking about my weight and WHY I am the way I am. I know that it is my fault and I blame no one else for the choices I have made my entire life. It has been an interesting learning experience for me to think about the “Why?” Let me start from the beginning.

Family History: My mom and dad have been married for almost 35 years and when I was little my dad traveled for work and being the youngest in my family I think my mom was a little overwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong, my parents are AWESOME. They give me love in the best way they know how. I have two older sisters who have always been close and most of the time I felt like the outsider.

Now onto me. For as long as I remember, I have always been plump. I was the cute little girl who was chunky and sweet and knew how to throw tantrums to get my mom’s attention. My sisters and I always played outside or make-believe inside so I didn’t have a serious problem with weight, but I definitely was never skinny. I always have had an intense love for sweets and could smell chips from a mile away. When Halloween came around, I would collect my candy, give the stuff I didn’t like to my dad, eat my candy, and then start eating my sister’s candy before they could get to it. I would sneak into my oldest sister’s room, find her candy and eat a few pieces at a time so she wouldn’t “notice”. HA! I wasn’t fooling anyone. But this is just the START of my long journey with weight.

When I was ten, my parents decided to move to Colorado from Wisconsin. We left all of our extended family behind and moved to the land of the unknown. I had a VERY hard time with the move and struggled in 5^thgrade. I’m not sure how I passed because I never did anything. I was withdrawn, uninterested, and unfocused. All I wanted to do was eat and sleep. Yes, now I know that I was depressed. My teacher never did anything and my mom never did anything. I think my mom was having the same feelings though. She started eating chips all the time and was gaining weight as well. Within a year, I had gained 30 pounds. 30 POUNDS! I remember the doctor telling me that and my mom saying “That’s a lot of weight in 1 year, Andrea.” But that was the end of it.

When I would sleep over at friend’s houses I would sneak upstairs and get more snacks out of their cupboards and hope no one would catch me. I was out of control. In middle school, I remember getting laughed at because I wore the same pants two days in a row. For a girl who already is depressed, that was something I never forgot. I played basketball and volleyball on teams for a long time and when I started getting older I tried out for a traveling basketball team. The coach said I was too fat. I couldn’t make the high school volleyball team because I was too fat, even though I was SO MUCH better than several other girls. During volleyball tryouts, I got laughed at when I was serving the ball because my armpits were sweaty. Again, will I ever forget that? No. I was made fun of and avoided by a lot of people in school.

When I started college I weighed 220 pounds. After my second year of college, I lost 30 pounds doing Weight Watchers with my mom during the summer and working at a daycare. I was active and eating less. Back at school, I gained about 10 pounds back but not horrible. After my junior year was over, I joined Weight Watchers again during the summer and again lost 30 pounds, so I was down a total of 50 pounds. I weighed 170ish and felt great! However at the beginning of my senior year my “friends” and I were at a party and a guy thought I was cute. I wasn’t interested but they wouldn’t take no for an answer. I didn’t talk to him that night but I sent him a message on Facebook to say hi and he asked me out. I said “sure” even though I wasn’t really interested, it was nice having attention. After I replied that I would go out with him, he stopped talking to me. I was devastated. I assumed there was a big joke about me and how stupid I was, especially since he was back with his girlfriend. I gained weight.

Now a lot has happened since then, but basically I feel like I’ve been on a diet since. I fail and try again. I’m always thinking of the next quick fix. I have been sneaking food from friends, hiding food from my neighbors when I get home with fast food and they are outside, hide food from my parents and sisters, and eat way too much. I know what I need to do, but I get hungry on Day 1 of any diet and give up. I know that I still suffer from depression and that when I get home from work I’m bored and tired so I eat. Food is my friend, my energy, my anti-depressant. I workout consistently for a long time and then see no results because I have no control in the kitchen, so I give up.

Basically my point is this. I still don’t get it. Nothing ‘works’ for me because I’m not working for it. I know what to do, but I don’t do it. BUT... I’m proud of myself for not ever giving up. I will keep trying, and trying, and trying until I get it. It may not be today, or tomorrow, but I know that I have the support system I need and if I keep pushing eventually I WILL get it and it will be a sweet, sweet victory.

Relationships Require Reps, Too! // Christy M.

2013-04-01T07:00:00.000-04:00

Hi, Fit Campers! I don’t have a blog, but I’m no stranger when it comes to guest posting or stalking blogs. I love them and don’t know what I did on the internet before I found my love for all things blog related. Thanks for taking the time to read a little about how my fitness journey has been going.

In July of 2012, I was excited to see that my shipment from Victoria’s Secret had arrived. I ripped open the package, ran to my room, and rushed to put on my purchase. The person looking back at me in the mirror was not the person I expected to see. The Summer of 2011, I could have worn a two piece and not have felt too overly conscious. 2012 was a different story. The two piece was not public appropriate and I wouldn’t even show it to my boyfriend. There’s something entirely different about letting someone see you in a bikini compared to your undies. At least for me. The next morning I stepped on the scale and pretty much knew what it was going to say. It was a couple pounds worse than I had expected at 158 pounds. I’m 5’4” and have a curvy build. I know that if I hadn’t put on that swimsuit I probably would still be “ok” with how my weight was creeping up. I’m getting older, right? I’m not built like I was in high school. I have curves now. These are all the excuses that kept running through my head.

I decided to start running. I ran a 5k after 8 weeks and then ran a half marathon 8 weeks later. I was a runner. I’m now at 138 pounds and so close to my goal weight. But, that’s not what I wanted to talk to you ladies about. I was so sure that when I dropped the weight I would be completely happy with my life. I have a long-term relationship, a great job, a house, dogs who love me, supportive family, etc. But a few weeks ago, I decided that one of those things wasn’t as “fun” as I thought it should be. So, I just decided to end it. I broke up with my boyfriend. I was willing to work on my weight and fitness, but for some reason I didn’t want to work on our 3-year relationship.

He moved 4 hours from the city he’s always lived in to be with me. He loves video games, is naturally slender, and isn’t always the most sensitive guy. He doesn’t really like to try new things and I just thought that I needed someone who checked all the things off my list. I broke up with him on a Saturday night and called my BFF Sunday morning. I was devastated that a relationship I thought was going to be forever was now over. She said some things to me that really opened my eyes.

BFF: “I’m so proud and inspired by the changes you’ve made for yourself this year. You’ve really gotten your shit together. You’re excited to work out and see your body changing. You deserve someone who is there to give you an “atta girl” when you leave for a race/run and to get excited for you.” Our conversation lasted quite a bit longer, but I realized that my breaking up with him was the first time that I had really laid out what was a deal breaker for me. I hadn’t put it in those words before so he had no idea how big of a deal it really was. When something isn’t working for us in a personal relationship (family, husbands, kids, friends, dogs, etc), we have to speak up for ourselves. Later that Sunday afternoon the guy and I decided that we both wanted to put the work in. As the great Jersey Shore has taught us, “Teamwork makes the dream work”.

In my delusional dreams, I was going to get fit and drop weight to get happy. Everything else would just fall in place. Life is work. It should be fun, but it’s not going to always be easy. Even if you’re fit and healthy. I had to figure out what makes me happy when I’m not focused on my healthy lifestyle. But, my relationship deserves the same focus and attention that I give to myself. After all, I’m half that relationship and want it to be a part of my life forever. So, I’m working on it and giving him more of the things he needs, as well, so we both feel like we’re in the right place.

I’ve seen numerous ladies mention how emotional this journey is. I think my failure was focusing so much on the fitness that I didn’t look around at the rest of my life, too. Thank you ladies for helping me get my shit together with relationships in my life. I had the career thing down, but I was a mess in other areas. You’re my daily dose of inspiration for health, fitness, weight loss, sex, and so many other things.

The deets on TurboFire. // Jen J.

2013-03-10T19:28:00.004-04:00

Long time no post! I've been meaning to give you guys the skinny on TurboFire for some time now, but life has been mad crazy lately and I just haven't had the time. As of today, I am on day two of week seven; which means I am over halfway complete! That puts me in a good position to articulate what the program is all about.

What: TurboFire is a 90-day cardio conditioning program - part kickboxing, part dance - and includes 12 workouts on 5 DVDs. The program is comprised of four different types of sweat sessions.

1) Fire Classes - These classes are really the core of the program as this is where you really get into the kickboxing and dancing. They are very cardio centric and you punch, kick, and in my case white-girl fumble your way to a good calorie burn. The choreography was difficult for me at first but for most of these classes there is a "new to class" option on the DVD where Chalene Johnson will walk you through the routines. There is also an option to "fire up" or not "fire up" the music. Firing up the music drowns out the verbal cues so you can get lost in the moment. I, however, still need the cues, so I do not "fire up" my workouts.

In addition to the routines, some of the Fire classes have what are called fire drills. An alarm will sound and for one minute, Chalene has you go balls to the wall, with a plyometric jaunt.

Fire classes range from 30 to 55 minutes and the length of the workout is included in the class title. For example, Fire 45 is 45 minutes long. This titling logic is used for all of the classes.

2) HIIT Classes -These classes are shorter than the Fire classes and range from 15 to 25 minutes. They are like the fire drills you see in the Fire classes and focus on short intervals. The purpose is to maximize the heart rate - triggering what they call the "after-burn" effect. Beachbody claims that you continue to burn calories at a higher rate for up to 24 hours after your workout. I honestly don't know if I believe this or not.

3) Strength Classes -There are three classes that I classify as strength. They focus on toning and sculpting the body by utilizing a resistance tube and sculpting band. Examples of exercises include bicep curls and bicycle crunches using the resistance tube. The classes range from 20 to 30 minutes in length and the class schedule pairs these with one of the shorter Fire classes.

4) Stretch Classes- The program includes two stretch classes. There is a quick 10 minute one that is a compliment to many of the workouts as a cool down. There is also a 40 minute stretch class that is a principle class. I tried the 10 minute class once and I was bored out of my gourd, so I haven't done it again. I heard the 40 minute class is just as boring so I haven't tried it. Instead, I've do hot vinyasa flow yoga on those days. I love yoga and I feel practicing it for an hour has to be more advantageous.

Who: The workouts are led by the spunky, upbeat, and gorgeous Chalene Johnson. It is so fun to watch her shimmy and shake, the girls got moves like Jagger. I also have an affinity for her because she is a fellow Michigan gal.

Cost: I paid $79.90 for the program plus tax and another $6.59 for shipping.

Equipment: Sculpting band (included and resembles a giant rubber band), resistance tube (not included), and mat (not included). I googled what weight resistance tube was used in the program and everything I read said 30 pounds. So I purchased this one for $24.99. Turns out it was too heavy for me and I was not getting a good range of motion so I also purchased a 20 pound resistance tube for $17.99. The lighter tube seems just about right. I use my yoga mat for the floor exercises, which is minimal.

Other helpful information:

The music is fabulous. The best I've come across on any fitness DVDs. Chalene includes high-energy mixes of songs you actually know such as: Boom I got your Boyfriend and Tina Turner's, Rolling on a River.
I highly recommend doing this workout on a floor that is conducive to a good foot pivot. I think carpet would provide too much friction, especially with sneakers on. I have a wood laminate flooring in my basement which works well.
As mentioned above, pivoting is a large component to this program. It is so important to move your feet in the direction of the punches, otherwise you torque your knees. I learned this lesson the hard way.
It took me about five weeks until I was like gosh-by-golly I am actually getting the moves. Until then I flopped around like a fish out of water trying to do what I could and making sure Tower (my boyfriend) wasn't watching. I am below average when it comes to coordination, so I would expect that most people would get the knack of it much sooner.

I've been chronicling my progress and calorie burns by logging my workouts in my Hello Kitty planner and placing a sticker on my TurboFire class schedule each day. I'm juvenile, what can I say. There is just something about visualizing my progress with a dang sticker that motivates me. I just loved Lisa Frank stickers growing up!!
The classes are conducted in a group setting. Typically Chalene is on a stage with two other people, one of them is a chick named Alee who modifies the movements to a low impact version. Honestly, though there wasn't much I needed to modify which is good because they really don't show her that much. From the stage Chalene leads a group of high energy good looking people.
The class schedule has you working out six days a week, with one rest day. The longest day is 60 minutes. I do not take my rest day as scheduled. I use it whenever I have a super hectic day and working out just seems impossible. But, I never take more than one rest day per week. The flexibility of the rest day just seems more realistic to me.
As much as I think this is a good and engaging program, I am officially sick of it. I feel like I picked the perfect time to do it - during the winter. If it were the summer there is no way I'd make it through. I always prefer neighborhood jogs, softball, and cruises on the bike over any indoor activity.
There's this super motivating girl named Erica P. (from Fit Camp) that hosts a TurboFire Facebook group that I am part of. It's been instrumental in keeping me on track and for addressing any questions I have.

That about concludes this post. I'll be back though. First with some details about the calorie burns I've experienced from some of the classes, a comparison of Jillian Michaels v. Chalene, and then after I graduate I will detail my progress or lack there of. Additionally, leave any specific questions you may have in the comments and I will address them in one of my future posts.

TurboFire is a Beachbody product. I am not a Beachbody coach nor do I want to be. I actually hate selling things. I purchased this product after hearing about it in Fit Camp because I've always enjoyed kickboxing. I also recently finished my basement and cancelled my $100 a month gym membership. I figured this program would be a great kick start to getting fit at home. Oh and if you are interested in purchasing it, email me (MLfitcamp@gmail.com) and I can put you in touch with a coach. I purchased mine through a coach because I felt that if I was going to purchase it, I might as well support someone's business.

S-t-r-u-g-g-l-e. // Brenna C.

2013-03-07T07:30:00.000-05:00

When I told the wonderful women behind “Fitness Unscripted” that I wanted to do another guest post for this blog, I was lying.

Kind of.

Only a little bit.

I did want to do another post. That was the truth. What I did not tell them was the purpose of this post was going to be completely self-serving. This post isn’t just for you – it’s for me. I might as well be upfront about that.

Now…you are probably wondering what the h-e-double-hockey-sticks I am talking about, aren’t you? Well, here it is:

I need help.

I am struggling, and I don’t know why. And I need help.

To be more specific: It’s not that I’m gaining weight or getting lazy. Month to month, I’m still losing, albeit more slowly. I’ve only had the odd week where I’ve gained anything. And that’s to be expected. But I AM struggling with my eating. We’re talking sugar cravings that just don’t stop. And even worse? I’m struggling with my mindset. It’s rough, I tell you.

Some days, I just don’t want to do “this” anymore (so much for my “lifestyle change” blitherings!). Other days, I really want to keep going (my ultimate goal is to be in the range of 148-153, and right now I’m sitting at 155 or so. Frankly, I’d be happy to see that 148 just ONCE, even if I don’t stay there – because then I can say that I lost 50 pounds. Ha.) Then dome days, I want to dive head first into a box of pizza and a bag of donuts (but I don’t). Other days, I just feel SO READY for maintenance – to be able to eat those few extra hundred calories a day, and worry less about whether or not every bite I take is going to muck up my next weigh-in. And yes, of course I still have days where I feel like a rockstar and think it’s absolutely awesome to eat oatmeal and kale and spinach all the time. But, those days are getting fewer and farther between. As I said…struggling.

The biggest concern for me is how I obsess about food. I can’t say that strongly enough. I OBSESS about it. Some days, it’s all I can think about. To the point where if I DO indulge on a little extra something delicious, I can’t even enjoy it. Instead, I beat myself up (figuratively speaking, | promise). And I do it whether I eat 500 extra calories or only 50. It’s ridiculous.

(Of course, it doesn’t help that I have an anxiety disorder. I tend to obsess about things far less important things on a daily basis. I swear, sometimes my brain is torturing me. Thank goodness for medication!)

The point is, it’s all making me miserable. Will I ever get to the point where food won’t be at the front and centre of my mind ALL.THE.TIME.????

So how can you help? Tell me if you’ve experienced this. Support helps. Have you found something that helped you to distract yourself, or stop obsessing? Should I be making monthly goals, or taking it one week at a time? Is daily planning making it worse? Leave a comment (either here or on my own personal blog:Baby Steps ) and let me know if you’ve got answers. If you’ve got anything to say, at all, to help a girl out – let me know!!!!

For those of you who didn’t know me before this post….My name is Brenna. I’ve birthed two babies. I wanted to set a good example for them. I started this journey at 198 and now weigh 155. I’ve gone from being lazy, to being a cardio junkie, to hitting a good balance of strength, cardio, and rest. From eating fast food several times a week to only a couple of times per month. I should be delighted with my progress, and of the positive changes that I’ve made. I shouldn’t feel like a failure just because I ate a few too many chips one night or because I can’t fit into a size 6...right?

And yet, I struggle…

Perserverance & Plateaus. // Amy H.

2013-02-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

Hi, my name is Amy, and I <3 MLFC. That, plus My Fitness Pal and working out 5x a week has helped me to drop 26 lbs. since August 2012. Yay me!

I was doing great from September through November. I did the 30-Day Shred and Ripped in 30. I was walking 4 days a week, too. I felt great and was about ready to start Couch to 5K and mix things up with Chalean Extreme, a strength training program.   My calories were good, my water intake was solid, and I was losing about a pound a week.

On December 1, I started Chalean Extreme. This is advertised as a 12-week circuit training program, but the core of the program is strength training. In fact, it is lifting slow and heavy. And heavy doesn’t mean busting out your 8’s instead of your 5’s. Oh no. It was time to use the SelectTech’s I bought the first time I tried (and didn’t finish) CEx – the ones that go up to 52 lbs. Each.

So I broke out the heavy weights and got started. And that’s when a perfect storm of weather, change in routine, an injury flare-up, and those darn Holidays conspired to begin a plateau.   I lifted 3 days a week. The other 3-4 days, I generally walked (about 3 miles) or did another low impact video. The first few weeks I took more rest days than I normally would because the lifting was kicking my butt, but I was still working out at least 5 times a week.   It got cold, but I bundled up and kept taking my walks. My ankle, injured many years ago, started to bother me, but I kept going. At first I chose not to do the circuit workouts included in CEx because I found myself totally exhausted from my lifting. I thought the walking would be enough.

After two weeks of not losing any weight, I thought it was because my muscles were adjusting and I was retaining water. Did my diet loosen up in December? Yes. I moved from 1250 to 1440 calories, and did more calorie cycling than I had been. I went over a few days, but was on top of my diet 80-90% of the time. In other words, I enjoyed the Holidays.   And yes, I was eating back my exercise calories, too. I was sweating like crazy during the workouts, so I knew I was “working”, and eating back my calories had been effective up to this point.

When it got cold and icy, my ankle started to throb and swell. This was a chronic injury, but it had been doing OK, so I was surprised and disappointed that it was flaring up so badly. I slowed my walks a bit, but kept lifting. I iced it, I heated it, I did some basic PT. When I woke up on New Year’s Day and realized I could barely hobble to the bathroom, I understood that this was not going to go away.   I called the doctor a few days later and made an appointment with a specialist– FOR MARCH.
And I kept lifting. I accepted that with my painful ankle I had to find something even lower impact if I wanted to maintain my cardio, so I used my Christmas money to buy a Spinning bike. I am not a Spin addict, but I thought if I had something that I could use on my own terms (and without worrying about the ice building up outside), it would help.

The “temporary” plateau stretched into a month, then two months. I got frustrated. I thought about giving up and taking a break. I thought about stopping CEx and going back to 30 Day Shred. I thought about drowning my feelings in Ben & Jerry’s. And then I kept going. I realized that even though the scale wasn’t changing, I was changing. I didn’t want to quit. I didn’t want to stop feeling good about myself. I didn’t want to let this little plateau+injury derail me completely.

Because you see, now I have visible muscles. I can see my quads and my biceps. I can lunge and squat 50 lbs. without breaking a sweat. I tried on an old bathing suit and didn’t want to cry or vomit. The work pants that were comfortable a few months before are now loose. And I realized that this plateau is just another part of the journey to better health and fitness. It is no longer about the numbers on that whore of a scale. It’s about liking myself. It’s about finishing what I started. It’s about earning that sticker in my workout calendar. It’s about working through a little discomfort, and taking action to make it better. And it’s about continuing to get healthy.

I have one day left in Chalean Extreme, and I am so excited that can already hear the Hallelujah chorus warming up. I still ride my Spin bike 4-5 days a week. I’m still eating 1440 calories a day and drink 60+ oz. of water, but am not eating back my exercise calories any longer. I just got the referral for a surgical repair on my ankle.   Part of me wants to press the panic button when I think about being out of commission for 3+ weeks. But the other part of me looks ahead, to the warm summer months, in hopes of finally being able to train for and complete a 5K without pain, and wear a bikini in Florida this Fall. And yes, I still want to drop the last 10 lbs., by August. But if I don’t, it’s OK. Because I won’t stop.

That Time I Learned How to Roundhouse Kick Fools in the Liver // Jen S.

2013-02-13T10:06:00.001-05:00

So, this whole fitness/be healthy/lose weight thing can be hard. Like really hard. It’s something that I’ve learned over my nearly 28 years of life that requires hard work, but most importantly dedication. It’s not something you can focus on during the work week and forget about during the weekend. It’s not something you can do during the cool months (or warm months depending on if you live in a freezer in the winter type of climate or oven in the summer type of climate). It’s not something you can do during the slow months. Or when your kids are in school. BUT, it IS something you can do when you only want to have fun.

Yes, you read that correctly. Fitness/being healthy/weight lose CAN be something to do when you only want to have fun. In fact, I encourage that you only do it when you want to have fun. “Now how the eff does that work, crazy?”, you ask… It's simple, really. DO SOMETHING THAT YOU ENJOY!

Hate running? You’re not alone. DO NOT RUN.

Hate swimming? You’re not alone. DO NOT SWIM.

Hate going to the gym and sitting on the elliptical? You’re not alone. DO NOT DO THAT.

Find something you LOVE. Something that challenges you. Something that inspires you. Something that you feel good doing.

Want to know how I started losing weight? I was 220lbs (5’8”). 23 years old. And I started boxing.

Boxing.

Yes, the kind were you punch the punching bag kind of boxing. And you know what? I freaking LOVED it. It was hard as hell. And it hurt. But it didn’t matter, because I felt so empowered. So inspired. And I had so much fun doing it.

From there, after I lost a little bit of weight, I started training for a half marathon, and that’s where the running came in for me. But something I’ve learned about myself, I HATE RUNNING unless I’m training for a race. I could not go out and just run for a mile or 3 unless I had a goal to work towards. And “losing weight” wasn’t a big enough goal for me. I need a tangible, measurable goal that has a timeline. Hence…training for races.

I digress…

So, I had to quit boxing because it was interfering with my training. I proceeded to do 4 half marathons in a year, so I could not keep up with running 20+ miles a week and boxing 3 days a week. I just didn’t have the time. Ever since I quit it, I longed to have it back.

Wanting to try something a little new to me, I picked up a Groupon last week for 20 Kickboxing classes. And OH EM GEE, it was one of the best things I’ve done recently. It gives me such a rush. So much confidence. And as the title states…I learned how to roundhouse kick fools in the liver. Don’t mess.

The point is, FIND SOMETHING YOU LOVE! Yoga, dancing, boxing, running, swimming, cycling, weight lifting, pilates, zumba… We are lucky to live in a society where it’s common, normal, and encouraged for women to go out there and take back themselves! It wasn’t like that for our mom and her mom. And maybe it wasn’t like that when you were growing up. But it’s like that now. Today. I encourage you to find your fitness passion! Find your groove. However silly or ridiculous you might think it is, find it. If you love it, DO IT!

What’s your fitness passion? What challenges you? What empowers you?

Accountability. // Felecia C.

2013-02-07T14:37:00.002-05:00

DISCLAIMER: I am not an English professor, I write just exactly like I talk, which sometimes is in circles. Apologies in advance for all the grammatical and punctuation errors, I love commas, what can I say? Hope you all enjoy.

ac·count·abil·i·ty
noun
: the quality or state of being accountable; especially : an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions

Noun? Really? Because in my world, it’s a verb, an action word. It does something. It makes me move, it makes me make better food decisions, it drives me.

I can put my finger on it, I know exactly when it happened, that magical “click”. It happened when I started being held accountable.

Let’s rewind for a minute-some of you, like me, have been around MLFC since jump. I love you women, I’m addicted to you women, I love keeping up with what’s going on in your lives. Sure I’m nosey, but mostly I just care. I’ve found a place where I can be honest about my life, and what’s going on it, FR or NFR. I don’t ever stop and think about what I’m posting (pretty obvious-huh?) or how it will be reacted to because we are all on this journey together. But let’s be honest-how many of us were/are just logging on and looking for something to give us a swift kick in the ass? I know for a while I was, and some days I still do. But it wasn’t until the Team Challenge that I really started being held accountable for my choices. I didn’t do so hot during the challenge, I’ll be honest, my life was crazy busy, and my weight fluctuated A LOT in between the same damn 5 pounds. But I will be forever grateful that I joined….why? Because my team leader has turned into my biggest cheerleader and the person who will give me that swift kick that I often need. It was the end of the challenge and she sent an email out saying that some of the teams were talking about staying in touch, and did we want to? I kind of grimaced and sent back “sure”. In my mind, I didn’t want to be held accountable, I had lost about 25 pounds since joining MLFC, I had pretty much plateaued for a couple of months and well why do more, it wasn’t working anyways? Well, none of the other ladies in our group responded, so it was just me and her.

A few weeks into emailing back and forth a little, it happened. I started feeling like I couldn’t let her down. And once we started talking about all kinds of stuff, not just our fitness journey, but what was going on in our lives, or how we were feeling, we started getting to be closer, and the pounds started coming off again! That “click” we always talk about IT HAPPENED!

Now, I have a great husband, awesome “real life” friends and people that know about my journey all over in my life, but this girl? She’s made all the difference in the world! She runs when the temperature is below freezing, and her sidewalks are full of snow and ice-then what do I do? Well, I run that’s what I do, I can’t let my measly little rain or 40 degree weather stop me, what kind of excuse would that be? She tells me she’s working out, and asks about my workouts, and I can’t let her down! Gosh no. She tells me she’s trying to stay away from the Mt. Dews so I ask her about it. I know that I will hear from her every day, and every day she will ask me what my plans are for that day. We hold each other accountable-and it’s the best thing that’s happened to me on this journey. She gets me. She’s on the same path, she has similar goals, and we have a lot in common.

Being accountable to myself is important, and being accountable to you ladies is important, but let’s face it, if I hide in the pantry and eat half a box (ok a whole box) of Thin Mints, I’m not logging that shit, so you ladies will never know. Then come weigh in I’m all alone standing on the scale cussing myself for not being honest with myself, or all of you but- I will be accountable to her, I owe it to her, because she’s accountable to me. One person seeing where I fail is what I needed. Is it what you need?

It’s amazing to me how many women we have in this group of ours, and how so many of us are facing the same uphill battle. I’m thankful for each and every one of you. At the same time, I encourage you to find someone that will hold you accountable. Email her, text her, call her, whatever you need to do.

Nicole- Thanks for being my accountability partner and my friend! I truly am SO VERY thankful to and for you! You have pushed me and inspired me so many times, and because of you I am further along in this than I ever really saw possible. Love ya girl!

// Felecia C.

Not Just Another Shrimp on the Barbie. // Marcy I.

2013-02-04T19:22:00.001-05:00

Please give a warm welcome to my real-life gal pal Marcy I. Marcy and I were college roommates for three years and she has no affiliation with Fit Camp nor is she part of any blogging community. What she does have is a fun love story. So I asked her if she would share it with you all - after all it is the month of love! Since she is fresh blogger blood, if you like her story, I encourage you to leave her some comment love, so she can see what all the blogger fuss is about. And now for Marcy's story....

It was 2008 and I was working in television as a freelance Associate Producer and worked weekends at a tourist trap in Times Square, namely Bubba Gump Shrimp Company. I had been living in New York City for most of my 20's and had the usual dating experiences; the guy that takes too long to call, the guy that calls too soon and the guy that NEVER calls.

One Saturday night I was slingin' shrimp and happened to deliver food to a table with a handsome young man and a woman, who I later found out was his mother. I told my my co-worker who was serving them that I thought he was cute and to find out his story, which I didn't think he'd actually do (by the way, this happens at every restaurant in every city. Like it or not, your server is talking about you and not always in a good way). A few minutes later my co-worker came over to me and told me that his name was Adam, he was Australian, he was single and wanted to meet me. I went to the table kicking and screaming but I went. We had awkward small talk, I gave him my number and expected to never hear from him. But I did. He texted me later that night and told me that he liked my forward approach and that he'd like to take me out sometime.

He was in an acting work-study program and I was working two jobs so our schedules were both pretty packed. The next time I saw him after our awkward meeting was at an after work affair for my 30th birthday which was even more awkward. He brought a friend and we chatted briefly before he left. We were finally able to nail down a date to have drinks, just the two of us, so we could finally have a conversation.

On our first date I learned that Adam was leaving his acting program and his visa would expire and he'd have to leave the country in four weeks. "There goes that", I thought. I decided to just have fun with the time that we had left and when he was gone we could be Facebook friends and that would be that.

When Adam left he told me that he didn't want to date anyone else except me. I thought it was a little nuts and was hesitant at first but decided to take a chance. I mean, domestic long distance is one thing but U.S. to Australia is another. There was just something about him; he was the best guy I'd ever met and I couldn't let 11,000 miles stand in the way!

The minute he landed in Oz he called me. I didn't recognize the number and was shocked when I heard it was him. I mean, I couldn't get a guy from Brooklyn to call me and he calls from the Melbourne Airport baggage claim?!?! That moment erased any hesitation I had about our situation.

A few weeks later, he booked a ticket to come back and stay with me for seven weeks and by the end of the first week, I knew I loved him. We flew to Michigan to meet my family and at the end of his stay I flew to Australia to meet his.

For three years we flew back and forth to see each other as much as possible. Then, on New Year's Day 2012 while in Australia, Adam took me to the beach and asked me to marry him. I said yes and we will tie the knot in front of our closest friends and family in May 2013 in NYC. He is immigrating to America where we will start our married life together. It hasn't always been easy but it has definitely been worth it. If I can give any advice to lovelorn people everywhere it is: take a chance.

If you have a fun love story you'd like to share, please email it to MLfitcamp@gmail.com. I've already shared mine: here. So now it's your turn!

Tick Tock Goes the Biological Clock. // Lora.

2013-02-01T07:30:00.000-05:00

True life: my ovaries are old.

Let's just cut right to the chase with that.

Hi.

I'm Lora and I blog over at Raising Steppe Sisters.

You may be wondering if I have my own blog, why the crap am I here??

Well, my ovaries' age are a blog topic...one that I am okay with sharing since I recently found out that more people than you would think have trouble getting knocked up.

BUT I have people that read my blog that I work with and it's just kind of awkward to pass them in the hall and feel like they are staring at my old ovaries and having a pity party for us.

So I wanted to talk about it....but not so much on my blog.

And what's a blogger to do when they want to blog but want it to be semi-private?

They take it to IG, of course!

(follow me on IG @MrsLoYoung)

~~I'm slightly addicted to good ole IG.~~

That's where Jen J told me that she would share her "home" with me....so here I am.

First off, I'm 30.

That's not even that old, is it?

I remember when I thougth that was old...but I don't feel old.

I still feel like a misbehaving teenager sleeping with my husband every night. I forget that I'm the Mom now, I make the rules, I pay the bills, I'm in charge. ~~And sometimes I let my husband pretend to be in charge. Sometimes.~~

So, basically, I didn't even realize I was old....but I went to the doctor and she gave me a talk.

A talk about how "once you reach 30, some people's ovaries age faster than other people's do...."

She lost me at the words "age faster".

Really?!

So I quickly text all my friends that are 30 so they could suffer with me. True story.

Of course I didn't have the tests run, I would rather not have her tell me that I'm 30 and I have the ovaries of a 90 year old.

But they tested my blood.

And we found out that I'm not ovulating.

Why wasn't that happening when I was 20 and not trying to get knocked up?!

I love my kids dearly...but you should know that I accidentally got a positive sign on a pee stick when I was 20...and that plus sign turned into twins.

So, I wasn't trying for 1 baby and I got 2.

Now, I'm doing headstands, sleeping on pillows, and falling asleep after sex immediately so I don't walk around and all the good stuff fall out! And still no baby.

~~Sorry, TMI, but now you know why I needed to post this on someone else's blog!~~

Now, I have no real reason to complain...we have only been trying for about 4 to 5 months. I know there are many people out there that try for at least a year and still don't have a bun in their oven....but it doesn't make it hurt less.

It sucks each month when I see red.

~~As if we don't hate that time of the month anyways.~~

But now, each time, it's almost like another month wasted.

What did I do wrong?

Why is this not working?!

I think we are doing this sex thing right.....

~~it looks the same as it does on the videos that we watch.~~

~~Forget I said that part.~~

My doctor prescribed Clomid.

I think that's what it's called.

I will start it in a few days.

Apparently you take it for like 5 days and it will ~~hopefully~~ make me ovulate. It can cause multiples though....

and I already have multiples.

That's scary y'all.

I know how expensive buying 2 of everything is....but I'm okay with it.

I'd rather buy 2 of everything than not have a baby at all.

Looks like I can expect hot flashes.

{Hello old lady...}

And be moody.....my poor husband.

But all in all, I'm excited about it.

I am a control freak...and making babies is one thing that no matter how hard you work for it, or how bad you want it, your chances don't necessarily get better.

~~Although I will gladly stay home from work to "try" all day long.~~

I think a lot more people go through this than we think.

So I want to hear from you!

Did you go through this? Any advice for me?

~~Except for telling me to try to stop thinking about it, I've heard all that before and I know, but it's not that easy.~~

Thanks for letting me share my story on this here blog.....I know we all can appreciate finding women who are in similar situations. Which is why the blogosphere is the best place to be!

Come visit me on my blog sometime and say Hi.

Fat Girl Files Part II. Boys, Boys, Boys. // Kelly K.

2013-01-30T07:30:00.000-05:00

Recently my parents celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary. They were married when my mom was 21 and my dad was 23 and I came along 3 years after that. Naturally I thought my path would lead me in the same direction; married with 3.2 kids with a white picket fence and a golden retriever by the time I was 30. Fast-forward almost 32 years and that is Not.Even.Close.To.My.Life.

If you read my last post, then you recall I grew up the “fat girl”. The 1998 photo was from when I was 17, the summer going into my senior year of high school, and the 2012 photo was this past October at 31.

One of the consequences of growing up overweight is how it affected the way I relate to men and the types of relationships I have had with them. As most fat girls can attest to, there is not a lot of positive male attention being thrown our way, especially in the high school years. Because of that, my male interaction “education” was stunted. I also became a ‘people pleaser’ as a consequence of and to overcompensate for being fat...I have a really hard time saying ‘no’. Can you relate?

When I was in college and began to lose the weight I became friends with a male coworker who was about 10 years older than me. I will never, ever, ever, ever, until the day I die, forget the time he asked me: “are you prepared for all of the male attention you are about to get now that you are thinner?” The answer was ‘NO WAY’ and to this day it is still ‘NO WAY’. I was excited for the attention, it made me feel good and attractive, however I was was not equipped to mentally handle it nor experienced in how to be strong in making choices when it came to men. I didn’t have any experience in deciphering what a guy’s intentions were (and let’s be honest, the attention felt great and was addicting). EARTH TO KELLY…IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO FIGURE OUT!! Because of that, I have made a TON of mistakes in the guy department, as I am sure most of us have (regardless of our weight). A lot of those mistakes led to broken hearts (which in return led to some weight loss), and a lot of them led to life long regrets. I was too scared to say ‘no’ to losers (remember, this fat girl was a ‘people pleaser’) and I was too scared to say ‘yes’ to the good guys (feeling I didn’t deserve them)…I have let a lot of amazing men slip through my fingers in exchange for the thrill that a guy with an edge could give me.

The most serious and meaningful romantic relationship of my life ended last year disastrously, resulting in a heartbreak that was indescribably, physically painful (and included a 13lb weight loss in the span of two weeks). During the breakup I asked him “what wasn’t enough”. His response was “it was enough, it just wasn’t right”. 100% without a doubt, I know that it was my internal fat girl that asked that question because at the time, I honestly believed I wasn’t enough. Did I not give enough? Was I not pretty or skinny enough? Was I not smart enough?

After that breakup I took a year off from men and from dating. BEST DECISION EVER. I found out who I am again and what I want from a man and from a relationship. I discovered who I am as a ‘thinner girl’. I am not going to lie, now that I am skinnier, I get a lot of male attention and it is really fun and flattering. I went on a date last weekend and the guy asked if I had dated much since moving to Austin in August. My response “yes, but nothing substantial. Unless someone is going to be a compliment to my life, I don’t have time for the distractions.” Taking that year off from men let me explore myself and get my confidence back. It also allowed me to have the confidence to say ‘no’ to the losers and to have the confidence to know that I need to please myself first before I can please anyone else. It allowed me to have the confidence to say “I am enough. Period”.

This photo of my ex and I was taken in the Philippines in 2011, and looking back on it, I think it is so appropriate that you can’t see our faces. As I approach my 32nd birthday, single and definitely not on the path I had thought my life was going to take, especially when I was with him, I couldn’t be happier and more proud of where I am and where I have come. I am excited to find “the one” to bring a photo like this into focus.

For any of you struggling with the issues I did in having a hard time saying ‘no’ to the losers, I highly recommend reading the book Why Men Marry Bitches. It is definitely a life changer when it comes to dealing with men and from the moment I finished the book I have been the bitch!! It is not a bad thing!

Feel free to come follow me on my adventures at Life in the Klass Lane.

Gender Roles. // Jen J.

2013-01-28T21:38:00.004-05:00

I don't know if this is a good idea or not but I am going to run with it.

I have a question and I want to open the comment section for a debate.

Some of you may have noticed that some of the lady bloggers in our community have been receiving a lot of flak for the amount of time they are spending in the gym versus the amount of time they spend with their children. I am going to be honest, sometimes I have thought to myself who in the hell has time to spend two+ hours at the gym on a regular basis. I do not even have rug rats and I do not have time for that. Between my full-time job, the commute, keeping the house clean, fitness, quality time with my favorite people and my social media addiction, I am lucky if I get six hours of sleep a night.

But, who am I to say what is what and how long is too long. There is no way I can fully grasp the dynamic of their lives from the snippets they share on their blogs. Maybe they have a 15 minute commute to work versus my sometimes hour commute. Maybe they are rich and can afford a maid. I also don't know what role their husbands play in their family.

My thoughts wander to gender roles. I feel as though my perspective on the topic is somewhat unique. 1) My profession is pretty male dominated so I personally don't feel confined to typical gender roles. I work with all men and only one of their wives work, the rest stay at home (and a huge kudos to them; I know it's hard). Sometimes we travel a lot which takes us away from our loved ones. In fact one of my male co-workers and I took a 6 month overseas assignment together and at no time did I hear him receive any criticism for being away from his three kids for that amount of time. 2) I was lucky to be raised in a household where I never had outside care. There was always a parent home with us. My dad taught during the day and my mom worked nights at the hospital. So typically it was my dad feeding me dinner, brushing my hair after a bath, and tucking me and my sisters into bed. Therefore, I am a big believe that the a father can be just as nurturing as a mother.

I am not trying to be Debby Defender here. I am just trying to be objective and non-judgmental. But my thoughts do bring me to a question.

Do you think these bloggers broads would receive such criticism if they were men?

The Truth Behind Instagram & I'm Trying Turbofire. // Jen J.

2013-01-27T17:50:00.000-05:00

I've gotten a lot of Instagram love (@fitnessunscripted) recently about how good I've been looking. I truly appreciate it and I am proud of the 23ish pounds I have dropped since starting this journey. However, I will caveat that statement by saying I feel like a giant phoney baloney sandwich. Objects in real life are not as they appear on the Instagram. It is easy to hide behind the miniscule lens of an iPhone and the filters of Instagram.

This is my truth. Taken with a real camera. No photo shop or nifty filters. Post workout and dirty hair. Why the hell didn't I at least run a brush through my hair?!!? Gross. Oh and if you zoom in close enough, you can see the rash but save yourself and don't.

5' 8" // 177 pounds

My BF, who from here on out I am going to refer to as Tower (he's six foot six) took them. Can you say humbling??! Of course he knows what I look like - every nook and cranny. But there is just something humiliating about posing in a sports bra for a few snaps. God Bless him for being a good sport. And how about my lady balls for posting this shit on the intertubes. huh, huh? Give it up for your girl.

Clearly, my trouble zone is my belly. Always has been. Never in my life have I rocked a bikini. Sometimes I wonder......let's face it - IF I would have been thin (and less geeky) in my teen years and early 20s, I would have been a slut. So maybe the gut is a blessing in disguise. But now that I am older, mature, and in a committed relationship, I want a flat tummy - DAMN IT. Now is my time! Especially, before any babies.

I digress.

This is not my first before picture, but fingers crossed hopefully it is my last. I have some important things coming up. My boudoir photo shoot is scheduled for the end of February and at the beginning of March I am headed to Jamaica for a girls trip. It's shit or get off the pot time. Which means it is time for a new challenge. I've had my fun with Jillian; it's been a good ride! Yours truly is a 30 Day Shred and Ripped in 30 graduate. Holla! But frankly, it is time for a new lesbian crush. Insert Chalene Johnson and Turbofire.

Honestly, I had not heard of her or Turbofire before Fit Camp but after seeing them both discussed in the group, I looked into it. And surprise, surprise - I let you ladies influence me into another purchase. I ordered it through a friend of mine who is a Beachbody coach. It cost $79.90 and another $6.59 in shipping. For those of you unfamiliar with Turbofire it is 90-day cardio conditioning program - part kickboxing, part dance - and includes 12 workouts on 5 DVDs.

Today was day five and I will be documenting my 90 day journey here. It's time I stop pussyfooting around and make some progress. I've been hovering at the 177 lb mark for too long and I hope this challenge will get me moving downward again. To be honest though, to make some progress, I really need to get my head out of the feed bag. Honest to God! For example, I may have scarfed down some of this chocolate caramel popcorn today while watching an episode of Nashville. That dang Tower brought it home after I gave him strict orders not too. Them boys, they never listen.

I digress again.

Once a I get a full week in, I'll let you broads know what I think of Chalene and Turbofire. In the meantime, if any of my two readers have any experience with Chalene or Turbofire, I'd love to hear your thoughts.

PSA. Don't ask Stupid Questions. // Jen J.

2013-01-20T20:19:00.003-05:00

I don't claim to be a moral authority or anything but since I have the keys to the FU blog kingdom I am going to take the opportunity to provide you all with a Public Service Announcement.

The saying, "there is no such thing as a stupid question" is complete dung. Bullshit, I say.

I have concluded that there are three stupid questions you should never ask a woman. This conclusion is based upon my own experiences and those of the ladies in Fit Camp.

1. When are you going to get married? I have gotten this one a ka-zillion times; as my BF and I have been dating for four years and living together for two. Recently, I was at a family party and my Aunt said in front of everyone that I may have to think twice about my BF because I ain't getting any younger. This question followed the discussion of my younger cousins wedding registry. Do I wish that my BF and I were married? Why, yes I do. Like yesterday. This is no secret. Am I aware my biological clock is ticking? Duh, at age 32, I sure do. Did I need it to be pointed out publicly - albeit in front of my family? Nope. Gee, thanks, Aunt! In fact, my eyes welled up a bit. Just like everything else, there is more to the story.

My BF gave up everything to move across the country for me and to me his move is was a bigger commitment than putting a ring on my finger. His life had to be molded to mine. And let me just say, going from long distance relationship where everything is fun, fun, fun, to co-existing is not easy. One minute I was jet setting off to see him and the next reality sets in and laundry must be done and toilets scrubbed. Thank goodness, I can say we have finally got into the groove of things but the "growing pains" definitely delayed the "I dos". Did I want to share the ins and outs of all this with my family. Hell to the no.

2. When are you going to start a family?
First, I will say that I think it is completely acceptable if a couple decides not to procreate. I do not that it is for everyone and I bet it takes a lot of thought and struggle for a couple to deviate from a "social norm".

Personally, I want kids and hope that someday I am blessed with them. But that is exactly what they are, a blessing. It is not always easy to get knocked up. Infertility is pretty common, if you have not struggled with it yourself, then I am sure you at least know someone who has. This is why I hate this question.

Since I have never tried to get pregnant, I cannot speak from experience, but I can only imagine that struggling with infertility is emotionally, physically, and financially draining. And depending on the infertility issue, I am sure it can be embarrassing. Couples do not need any extra pressure so just avoid going there.

3. When is your baby due or are you pregnant?
I would like to think that men are the biggest culprits of this one - but I have heard women ask it too. Bottom line - even if you suspect someone is expecting, DO NOT ask. If they wanted you to know, they would tell you. Do you really want to risk insulting someone and and their watermelon belly to satisfy your curiosity? I used to work for an amazing apple shaped woman and witnessed her being asked this multiple times. To see the devastation and humiliation in her face when she had to respond, "I am not pregnant, I am just fat" broke my heart. Anyone that is overweight, knows they are overweight and the last thing they need is someone reenforcing that in an awkward manner.

Tell me people, are there any other stupid questions?

Not So Glamorous Fitness Jargon. // Jen J.

2013-01-13T19:18:00.003-05:00

More often than not, fitness is raw and sloppy. Especially for us husky girls who are typically grunting our way through workouts while leaving a trail of sweat marks around our lady bits. I find it helps to laugh through the uncomfortableness and I hope you do too. While running on Friday, I thought of some what I think are funny terms related to our wellness journey and I figured I might-as-well try to make a post out of it. Without further adieu here's a glimpse into how my mind works and my effort to make light of this journey.

Double Down. - Get your mind out of the fat girl gutter! No, I am not referring to Kentucky Fried Chicken's sandwich of bacon and melted cheesed pinched between two pieces of fried chicken. Double down in the fitness world is when a well endowed broad has to secure her knockers down with either duct tape or two sports bras in order to avoid a black eye.

Chub Rub. - Have your thighs every rubbed together so much that you have sworn your control-top pantyhose were going to catch on fire? Or better yet, have you experienced the embarrassing swoosh of corduroy? Pudgy gals also experience this when they work out and their upper-inner thighs rub together so much that they get chaffed and develop a rash. I realize that most of you have probably heard of this term before as it not original to me, but it is the lead in to my next term so deal.

chub rub / thrash rash

Thrash Rash. - This is the not-so-scientific proper name for the rash that develops from chub rub. It's not good my friends. It hurts and is unsightly. At all costs, you do not want your man to see it while engaging in sexy time.

Titbit. - This is what I've coined my Fitbit because I keep it secured on the bridge of my bra between my bosom. Anytime I can add a little sex appeal to anything, I do, and that is exactly what I've done here.

Superficial Weight Loss. - This is a temporary weight loss that occurs after such activities as sweating your vajazz off in a hot yoga class or after dropping a big deuce.

Yogart. - Speaking of yoga, a yogart is an anal salute to your fellow yogis while twisting and bending like a pretzel. Typically it sneaks out with no warning at all. Trust me, it is a fact, if you practice it long enough you, YES EVEN YOU, are bound to eventually pass gas from your ass during yoga class.

That is the extent of what I could come up with - five lousy terms. But I'd love to add to this collection of fitness jargon. So if you have a term, please provide it in the comments below with it's definition and your first name and last initial. If it makes me chuckle, I will add it to this blog post (or if I get enough, I'll do a sequel) and give you a nod of credit.

The Rash that Never Was. // Jen J.

2013-01-09T07:30:00.000-05:00

Jiminy Cricket.

I am so annoyed.

The rash that two doctors and two nurses diagnosed as an allergic reaction to the antibiotic Amoxicillin, which I was prescribed for Strep throat, was not an allergic reaction after all.

After suffering through a round of Prednisone I was not seeing any improvement. In fact, my skin became more and more irritated. It's painful to wear jeans and twisting to Jillian's mother effing workouts hurts. That biotch is kicking me while I'm down.

On Monday night I could not sleep - because yes - it also hurts to sleep so I got up and perused through various medical websites convinced that I was suffering from something more than an allergic reaction.

A little tap-tap-tap of the iPad and I found this thing called Guttate Psoriasis which is actually triggered by Strep. The pictures and symptoms matched up. Psoriasis is an autoimmune disease. I already have Ulcerative Colitis, which is also an autoimmune thing and unfortunately if you have one autoimmune issue you typically have two, or three.

After my self diagnosis, I was on the phone first thing in the morning with my dermatologist's office trying to get an appointment. Thankfully they were able to get me in yesterday and my doctor took one look at the sores that took up residence on my body and confirmed my diagnosis.

I got some ointment and will be starting light therapy on Friday. I'll have to do the light therapy thing 3 X a week until I go into remission. FML, who has time for that??? Supposedly it can take several weeks to clear up. This leaves me clenching my fists with anger. Triple FML. I have things on the docket that require good skin.

The laser hair removal is postponed indefinitely. My first treatment was scheduled for last week.
I have a boudoir photo shoot scheduled for February 24th and the show must go on. This is a Groupon deal and the photog has set dates which are all booked.
My girls trip to Jamaica is approximately six weeks away and I was planing on living in my swimsuit.
My four year anniversary with the BF is today and I'd like some sexy time, but it's hard to find the sexpot looking like a leper. I guess it will be lights out. Ooooorrr maybe, I'll get him to slather me with the ointment as foreplay. Romantic. Meow.

Sad panda. And just for a little sympathy, here's what I'm dealing with. This is my leg. It also covers my hooters, belly, and bum. But my face is clear, so yay! for that.

I allowed myself to be a complete grump yesterday. But I've got to get over it. It's not a terminal illness. I still have my limbs and a good ticker so life is good and I'm functional. Oh and thank you Jesus that I have health insurance....but I still got to pay an office co-pay of $35 per light therapy session. Do the math. Grrrr.

Thanks for letting me rant and I promise this will be my last fully dedicated post regarding the "rash".

Project YOU! // Amy W.

2013-01-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

I made a resolution in January 2012 to lose 50 lbs during the year. I had great intentions. By the third week of January, I had gained 4 lbs. I made this goal for myself but I had no idea how I was going to achieve it. I was always busy with work, my kids, the dog, the husband, the house, cooking dinner, etc. I was feeling stressed and unappreciated.

I went to the doctor for a check up and he asked me "what do you do fun?" To my own surprise, I couldn't even think of one thing that I had done lately for fun. I had spent the last three years depressed and grieving for the loss of my mom. I was a homebody. I was content with sitting on the couch and staring at the wall. I knew that I had to make some changes so that I could be around for my own children. I knew that I needed to start exercising, but finding time was difficult. My friend told me one day that you have to treat exercise like personal hygiene. She said, "You take time to shower during the day, you should also take time to exercise. Exercise has to be non-negotiable." Her words struck a chord inside me I knew that I was going to have to find time for me. I was tired of putting myself last and letting everyone and everything come before me. I decided that 2012 was going to be about me. I was going to call it "Project Amy". I only told my friend. Anyone else would have thought that I crazy and selfish. Project Amy was more than just exercising and eating better. I was determined to have fun and find hobbies! I began walking and eating better. I started spending money on myself and allowed myself to buy cute clothes and shoes. It's always easier to buy clothes for your kids and not yourself when you are overweight. But I was starting to look better and I had more confidence. I actually wanted to shop for myself. I bought myself a bicycle. I signed up for a 5k. I spent most Saturday and Sundays going for long walks, bike rides and eventually runs. Sometimes the family would come with me and sometimes not. I had a lot of Mom guilt for leaving for a few hours to exercise, but I didn't let that stop me. Exercise began to be something I craved and needed. I started planning my workouts in advance. If I knew that we had a busy evening then I would get up in the morning and get it done before work. I would use my breaks and lunchtime at work to walk outside. Before long, I was getting 60-90 minutes a day of exercise a day. I was reclaiming myself. I wasn't just a mom and wife anymore. I had my own identity. I began to love myself again. I found the old, old Amy that enjoyed life. My family managed without me for one night a week while I took photography classes. I asked for help around the house. When I didn't get enough help, the dishes and laundry got moved down the list. I lost 30 pounds and developed a love for running and exercise last year. I am continuing "Project Amy" until I get to my goal weight. I challenge you to make yourself a priority in 2013. To learn to say no to others and yes to yourself. You are worth it. You deserve time for yourself!

Amy W.

For more of Amy's journey, wander over to her personal blog, Write This Down.

I Suck at Blogging. // Jen J.

2013-01-06T15:56:00.000-05:00

......NOT!

I'm out of my league with this whole blogging thing. I don't know what I am doing and quite frankly, I suck at it. Let me tell you why I suck.

1. I don't really like writing, I'm not good at it and it doesn't come naturally to me. When it comes to the English language and grammar, I am completely baffled. I am sure my posts are littered with typos and grammatical errors. I still struggle with how to arrange the (i)s and (e)s in weird, receive, and science. Commas and semi colons are foreign to me and start sentences with the word and. Also, I can't write on command. I have to wait until something comes to me - which typically occurs while I'm out on a run or sleeping. This makes it very difficult to produce regular much less interesting posts.

2. All the pictures I post are taken with my iphone. Taking snaps with my electronic tether is just so much easier than an actual camera. I know this doesn't result in the best quality images but whatever. The truth is the BF has one of those fancy schmancy DSLR cameras - the Cannon 7D - but I have absolutely no desire to learn how to use that thing. I'm lazy. Plus, then don't you have to upload the snaps to your computer and run them through Adobe Photoshop....or some shit.

3. I'm not technical. I paid someone to design FU for me. Blogger buttons and things like rafflecopter baffle me. I just don't get it and again, nor do I really care to learn it. Thank God for my boyfriend who does web development for a living. He's helped me with a few technical upgrades such as adding pinning capability to the blog and the #mlfitcamp Instagram feed on the FU Facebook page (click on the Instagram icon).

4. Who has time to blog? I work full time, typically workout for an hour each day, and have a household to maintain. On top of that I like to shop, watch The Real Housewives, and play with my BF and friends. I really have no business dedicating the time that I do to these social media shenanigans. Frown, my household has become what I consider a pig sty - albeit, I'm pretty anal. You blogger ladies with kids, I don't know how you do it. Kudos. Lack of time also is a factor as to why I have no desire to pursue items two and three.

5. I am not that interesting of a person. Work. Eat. Sleep. Repeat. That's pretty much sums me up. I also haven't even been doing that great in the weight loss department lately. So much for leading by example. Ho - hum. I guess that just makes me human.

All this leads me to a point that I've wanted to make for sometime. I'm pretty objective and real when it comes to myself and I realize that I wouldn't have nearly the number of followers I do if it wasn't for my affiliation to Fit Camp. Sometimes, I honestly feel that I am riding on the coattails of Mama Laughlin. When I started Fit Camp, I had absolutely no idea that it would balloon up the way it did. And what initially kind of started as a pseudo Mama Laughlin fan club has truly grown to so much more. Granted it was inspired by her, but now I hope you all now see that the primary focal point of the group is each and everyone of you - not one person. When I read the posts and see what you all are accomplishing, I am in awe. As one who struggles with food, I can honestly say that losing weight is the hardest thing I've ever done. Seriously. And the fact that you guys are sweating your tits off, putting down the fork, and seeing results is truly inspiring! It reminds me that I can do it too.

That said - I may not be the best blogger - but the reason I am here is to be held accountable and part of this community of amazing women. Thank you to those of you who stop by FU and give it a read and especially to those who leave the occasional comment. You keep me going and make me feel like I am not alone of this journey.

But more importantly, the main reason I spend time on this is because I want to give back. I truly have a great life and if I/this group can help one person achieve their greatness and be healthier, my neglected dusty baseboards will not be in vain.

P.S. My initial intent for this blog was to be a community effort. The door is always open for guest posts. MLfitcamp@gmail.com. I bet you suck less than I do.

Goals of 2013. // Jen J.

2013-01-04T21:18:00.001-05:00

I still don't feel normal and my rash is still in full effect, but the BF and I are spending a quiet Friday night in, eating sushi and watching the Cotton Bowl, so I figured it was a good time to document my goals for the year.

1. My ass needs to stop tinkering with my iphone while driving. I am officially out of control and am full on addicted to my electronic anchor. I think I've developed ADHD because I need to be entertained all the time now and am constantly checking social media. Almost instinctively anytime I hit a red light I reach for the phone, which is typically placed in my cup holder, to take a peak at what's going on with you guys. This is not good. I am a ticking time bomb. Safety first, and I vow to break this habit.

2. Get to my goal weight of 160 L-Bs. That's about twenty pounds away from where I stand now which is totally doable. I am already down 20 pounds from where I was last year so I know I can do this but I am really having a hard time bouncing back from the holidays. You'd think I'd have major motivation considering my impending boudoir shoot but I don't. I have also promised myself a pair of diamond studs once I reach goal. I don't know how I will pay for them just yet, but I will make them mine by the end of the year.

3. The bedroom needs a minor makeover. This is my bedroom as is.

I am fine with the paint color and the major bones of the room. However, I threw out my curtains a few months ago because they were ugly and annoying me and I've yet to replace them. Their replacement is contingent on me first finding a new duvet and bedding set and then matching everything.

Thank goodness I just have the woods in my backyard so I don't have to worry about anyone catching me naked.

I also am in the market for a new chair to go between the red dresser and leaning book shelf. I had a brown velvet one there but I recently gave it to my sister for her first apartment. I was sick of it and it wasn't all that comfortable. Lastly, this leaning book shelf needs to go. I hate it. I never really liked it that much but it was on clearance. I want to replace it with staggered shelves that are actually hung on the wall. P.S. I am not a fan of the HUGE television on the dresser, that was the BFs idea - but also see goal #5.

4. Use my passport. Traveling is my thing. Each year I take a big trip and the last couple years the trips have been domestic (Boston, Alaska, and Hawaii). It's time earn another stamp. Accomplishing this goal really came to fruition a lot sooner than anticipated. Just today, my girlfriend Allison and I booked a long weekend trip to Jamaica! It's an all inclusive deal to Runaway Bay for early March. This time of year when the days are short and the weather cold, I just need a little something to get me through to spring so hopefully this will do the trick. And yes, we are leaving the boys home. Girls trip!

5. To be a better GF to the BF. You better believe that I can be a control freak and perhaps a nag from time to time. Admittedly, I think I am right ~~most~~ all of the time and that I do things the right way. I'll ask the BF to do something but then end up offering suggestions on how it can be done better or just redo it myself. Well plain and simple, I don't like it when someone does that to me so I need to chill the eff out and learn to chose my battles.

So that's my top five. Wish me luck.

I Have a Rash & it Sucks. // Jen J.

2013-01-02T11:35:00.003-05:00

Welp. I am tardy to the happy New Year post party. I've had a rough go of it lately and honestly I haven't felt like typing. I am not feeling normal.
I bitched a few weeks ago that I had contracted the Strep throat; which long story short resulted in me having an allergic reaction to an antibiotic. A major rash ensued. To help cure the rash that covers my belly, knockers, and legs, I was prescribed the steroid Prednisone.

Surprise, surprise - putting the holiday feed bag on and a rash is NOT a good combination. My bulging waistline rubbing up against red itchy blotches is majorly uncomfortable and has left me pretty much living in yoga pants. I am sure if you are reading this you understand the love/hate relationship us husky gals have with elastic waistbands. It's a vicious cycle. They give you a false sense of security, leaving us eating more. Which of course is exactly what I've been doing.

In addition to being uncomfortable, there's the vanity factor. My BF just returned from his Christmas trip home and I am seriously ready for some loving. But literally not feeling comfortable in my own skin and looking like a leper is a reverse boner. Who wants to have sexy time when they look like they were raped by a mound fire ants?

Then there's the Prednsione. It effing sucks. Thank God I finished the prescription yesterday. For the past week I've felt like I've been hopped up on speed, suffered from insomnia, and have had the appetite of a hippo. All that and the effing rash is still here!

The good news is that I am having an infusion today for my Ulcerative Colitis and I will be able to run my little skin irritation problem by my nurse. Gosh, there's always something! You'd think I was elderly considering how much I gripe about my health.

All this commotion has my weight up this week and I am officially out of the Last Loser Standing competition. This morning I tipped the scales at 179.8 up from 178 last week. womp, womp.

I also was going to start the Bermuda triangle laser hair removal process tomorrow but had to cancel for obvious reasons. I rescheduled for next week so hopefully I am cleared up by then. For those of you interested, here's what I learned at the consultation. It typically takes four to six treatments to completely remove the hair from an area. The cost is $730 for a package of four treatments and I can purchase additional treatments if I need to go up to six. Each treatment lasts approximately 15 minutes and allegedly feels like a rubber band snapping against the skin. In order to be effective, the hair has to be dark (it won't work on blonde or gray) and after the treatment you need to stay out of the sun/tanner for at least a week.

I truly hope that you guys are off to a better start than I am. I look forward to documenting my goals for 2013 in a subsequent post after I become normal again.

Be well. Happy 2013!

My Gift to YOU! // Jennifer O.

2012-12-29T11:47:00.002-05:00

Let me start out by introducing myself. My name is Jennifer and I am a MLFC junkie! I am on the page A LOT! I read a TON of posts, I like a LOT of them (btw, I think blog posts need a like button for convenience….I’m just sayin’), and I comment on as many as I can. You ladies are AWESOME. You are supportive, you are inspiring. You have helped me continue on my journey of becoming a happy and healthy and HOT lady. I have lost 70 pounds since August of 2011 (you can follow my journey at 2012 Losing It). Before finding Mama’s blog and then MLFC, I struggled with the roller coaster of emotions that come with a weight loss journey. I would have my good days and my bad days, actually I still do, but before they were much more extreme. Before finding this amazing support system, I found it much more challenging to stay motivated and on track. I am thrilled to say that now that I have found you ladies I feel so much more focused. I know that if I am struggling or having a down day, that someone else has been there done that and is right along with me and understands. I know that if I need new ideas, all I have to do is read some posts and I will be energized again. I know that if I am having a cloud 9 day, I can share that and you will all be supportive and encouraging and cheer me on. Basically, you all just rock my socks off! So thank you all for that.

I am sure many of you have thought long and hard about your goals for 2013 and have made plans to start the year off with a BANG! I know I sure have! Being the prize motivated individual that I am, I thought what better way for me to “pay it forward” to the ladies that I love than to host a challenge to ring in the New Year! I hope you are as excited as I am!!!

I decided to combine a few of the things I love….inspiring stories of personal strength and success, TV, a good friendly competition, and PRIZES! Are you intrigued yet???

I become a big fan of The Biggest Loser this fall after meeting season 12 contestants, Ken and Austin Andrews. I had seen previous episodes, but I found it much harder to get “into it” when watching it from the comfort of my couch with a double quarter pounder, large fries, large Dr. Pepper and a Cold Stone shake being crammed into my pie hole (imagine that!). So after meeting them I started watching their season on Hulu Plus while working out on my treadmill (much more motivating). I quickly became addicted to the show and looked forward to my daily dates with Jillian and Bob. In fact I think I went through withdrawls when I finished the season. I have been keeping up with my fave season 12 contestants on FB, following the BL page, and am getting SUPER STOKED for the new season to start on Jan 6^th. So I decided the Biggest Loser would be a great theme for the challenge I planned to host for you all!

Challenge summary -

·         The challenge will run the course of Biggest Loser season 14 - Jan 6^th through mid May (I haven’t seen the finale date yet). Yes, this will be a long one (twss).
·         The official challenge will be only 2 weigh ins – one at the beginning and one at the end. The person with the highest % of weight lost will be the winner.
·         We will also have prizes for 2^nd and 3^rd place winners!
·         For those of you that want the extra accountability of weekly weigh ins there will be optional weekly contests/prizes also (tshirts, water bottles, bags, and more!).
·         There will be no limit to the number of participants. The only requirement is that you must submit the first and final weigh ins.

I am super stoked about the potential weight loss we have here ladies! How cool would it be to get the attention of the Biggest Loser show (and maybe even Jillian herself, just in time for the MLFC retreat??) when we knock their socks off with our total weight loss!! Let’s do this!

Finally the details…

·         Join the MLFC Biggest Loser event for all the latest info & reminders
·         First weigh in will be Wednesday, Jan 9th. There will be a weigh in phrase that will be posted on the evening of Monday, Dec 31st. You will need to email a photo of your feet on the scale with your weight and the phrase to mlfcbiggestloser@gmail.com. Please put your name and weight as the subject line.
·         Final weigh in date will be announced at a later date and will coincide with the BL14 finale. There will also be a weigh in phrase and scale email required.
·         Weekly weigh ins will be on Wednesdays with a phrase and scale pic (I will use the same word as the last loser standing contest so you ladies only have to take one scale pic – once that contest is over I will have a BL Challenge word of the week).
·         The Biggest Loser of the week will win the prize of the week (to be eligible you must have submitted a weight the week prior for comparison. If you miss a week, just submit your weight the next week and you will be eligible again the next week). The best way to be eligible is to send in your weight every week!
·         I will compile a spreadsheet of stats from the weekly weigh in numbers (no weights, just % lost) so you can see where you compare. Use it for motivation to keep fighting for that top spot! There is plenty of time in this contest to make a run from behind to make it into a top spot.

A word from our sponsors

This contest wouldn’t be possible without the amazing kindness of the following sponsors for donating prizes. Be sure to send them some page love and tell them THANKS!

Body Media (the monitoring armbands worn on the Biggest Loser) – shirts and other swag (I am also still trying to talk them into an armband for the winner)

RetroFit Ministries (Ken and Austin Andrews) – signed show worn Biggest Loser t-shirt

Truvia – swag, product samples, and coupons

Ruffles with Love – 3 of those workout tanks we all love!

Divine Pinspiration – 3 non-slip headbands

Mama Laughlin – a personal message of encouragement/support for the challenge winner, Brandy’s signed before/after photo

Lilybelle Designs – hand stamped jewelry, customized Sterling Silver “mommy necklace”

Thirty-One bags/Tiffany Lyford - $10 gift certificate

Creative Life Designs – 1 personalized grocery and meal planning set

It Works/Fawn Yoho – 4 wraps

LifeVantage/Crystal Tait – Protandim anti-aging supplement

I have some of the prizes that I will ship out directly, and some the winners will contact the sponsors to redeem, so I can’t do a pic of the complete prize packs, but here is a rundown….

1^st place –

·         Signed Biggest Loser shirt
·         Mama Laughlin encouragement,
·         Lilybelle Designs sterling silver necklace
·         Ruffles with love tank
·         Divine Pinspiration non-slip headband
·         $10 Thirty-One gift certificate
·         Custom meal planning set
·         It Works wrap
·         Body Media duffel bag, t-shirt, water bottle
·         Truvia travel coffee mug & shirt

2^nd place –

·         Body Media duffel bag, t-shirt, water bottle
·         Truvia travel coffee mug & shirt
·         Ruffles with love tank
·         Divine Pinspiration non-slip headband
·         It Works wrap
·         Protandim anti-aging supplement

3^rd place –

·         Body Media duffel bag, t-shirt, water bottle
·         Truvia travel coffee mug
·         It Works wrap
·         Ruffles with love tank
·         Divine Pinspiration non-slip headband

I do reserve the right to keep adding to the prize pile! Any remaining prizes at the end will be randomly awarded to those that completed the challenge (one chance to win per weigh in submitted).

Questions? Let me know. I tried to cover all the bases, but I am sure I missed something.

Good luck to everyone!!!

Why I Should Buy a Fitbit? // Brandi B.

2012-12-28T07:00:00.000-05:00

I’ve made no secret of my love of my fitbit. I’ve written about it a couple times here on my blog, and I've talked about it relentlessly on the Fit Camp board. I'm the one who often gets tagged when questions come up. :) I love it so much, and have talked so many people into buying one, that I joined their affiliate program a few months ago. For every fitbit that is purchased using my link, or by clicking the banner in the sidebar on my blog, I get a small commission. You may think I’m rolling in it now, but the fitbit is available at Target, Best Buy, Brookstone, and Amazon (among others), so I don’t get a dime if people buy through those sites. I’ve made a little spending money thanks to those who have bought through me, but not a whole lot. I’m telling you this in full disclosure because I don’t want you to think I’m schilling it to get paid. Yes, the commission’s nice, but it's ok if you buy it elsewhere. I just want everyone to have one! It’s that good a product!

The One

Now let me tell you why you should buy a fitbit if you haven’t already. 1. It's small & just clips to your bra, so it's not intrusive at all. Nobody's going to be asking you "what's that?" & it's not going to get in the way of your sexy date night outfit. 2. It syncs to a variety of apps, including mfp, runkeeper, endomondo, and both the Withings scale & fitbit's Aria scale. There are others as well. Here’s the full list.3. On the screen, you can see your steps, distance, calories burned, and steps climbed (ultra & one) quickly. 4. The website is FREE! There is a premium membership you can purchase for an annual fee, but you don't have to if you don't want to. The free version has all the info you need, and you can use all the app features as well. 5. If you have an iPhone 4S or 5, iPad 3rd generation or higher, or the newest ipod, the One & the Zip will sync wirelessly. You just hold your phone up near your boob (or where ever you're wearing the fitbit) to manually sync it. It'll also sync on its own periodically. This is the #1 reason I decided to upgrade to a One. We got an iPad 3 for the family for Christmas, so I had to have the One. It was so fantastic while traveling to be able to sync whenever I had wifi on the ipad! No more digging out the laptop, connecting to wifi, and syncing it there. And I just upgraded to an iphone 5 today, so I’m thrilled to already have the One to be able to sync. 6. You have friends on the site & app & can easily see how you fare against them based on the past 7 days. This is incredibly motivating & gets the competitive juices flowing. And it's fun to talk trash. This is probably my favorite thing about the fitbit. 7. If you have an Ultra or a One, you can track your sleep. You just press & hold the button on the fitbit when you go to bed, and press it again the morning. It tells you how long you slept, and how many times you woke up. It comes with a cloth wristband that you put the fitbit into to wear while sleeping. 8. The Ultra & the One are rechargeable. You just place it on the USB charger thingy & you're good. I don't know about the one, but I've been known to not charge my ultra for a month, and I've never had it die on me. The Zip has a replaceable battery that's supposed to last about 6 months. The Ultra has now been discontinued on the fitbit site, but you can find it for about $70-80 in stores. At least until they sell out. The One and the Zip are the newest models, and they both sync wirelessly to the newest Apple products. The biggest difference between the two is that the Zip doesn’t track stairs climbed or sleep. I used to have the original fitbit that didn’t track stairs, so I didn’t think it was a big deal to track stairs. Since having my Ultra for several months, however, I couldn’t do without the stairs now! It’s not a dealbreaker, but I would definitely miss it going back to not having it. The sleep I could do without since I NEVER track that anyway. It was fun the first couple weeks, and then I quickly forgot about it. The Zip sells for $59, and the One is $99. The Zip comes in 5 fun colors, and the One comes in 2.

The Zip

I’ve now had the One (which I bought with my own money and was not a freebie, btw) for a week or two, and I love it! There isn’t any difference on the display, though it looks much crisper and clearer than the Ultra did, and really not a huge difference overall. Like I said, the biggest selling point was the ability to wirelessly sync with Apple products. It’s a huge convenience to be able to sync it any time vs. whenever I happen to be near my laptop. I love it! Have I convinced you yet? I hope so! Now get out there and buy yourself a fitbit. :) Please use my link, or you can click the banner below, to buy it, but I totally understand if you don't!

//Brandi B.

Oh Snap! // Jen J.

2012-12-26T07:30:00.000-05:00

I grew up feeling awkward and uncomfortable in my own skin. Any bad traits to be inherited from my parents I have.

By the third grade I was already into glasses. I started with plastic pink frames and moved on to Sally Jesse Raphael red glasses. I also had a lazy eye and in pictures my right eye would always be squinted.

That's me on the right.

Hair styling was not one of my mother's strong suits so I always had awkward hair too. I remember getting frustrated with her because she couldn't master the french braid like all the other moms. My eldest sister, K, and I are modeling our bad hair in this picture. Note my Sally glasses.

I was also a husky child. I grew up being teased that I had swallowed a seed and had a watermelon growing in my belly.

As I became an adolescent it seemed that my awkwardness blossomed. I had serve acne and under went two rounds of Accutane, a very strong prescription drug that left my skin extremely dry and flaky and my lips swollen. I also got braces in highschool complete with the rubberbands.

By the time I got to college, my face cleared up and my braces were gone, but I went from husky to fat. I was inactive, ate too much fast food, and drank too much. I also didn't have extra money to put towards nice clothes or getting my hair done (I started going gray at 18).

I've officially been in the adult world for ten years now and during this time I've been striving to finally be comfortable in my own skin. I've lost some weight and am pursuing a healthy lifestyle. Now that I'm working and have moved up the ranks I can finally afford nice clothes and to get my grays professionally covered every four weeks. Am I 100 percent happy with myself? The answer is NO! But, I am on a mission. A mission to love thy self.

As part of this mission, I just did something crazy. Recently, I came across a Groupon for a boudoir photo shoot. For $140 bucks you get a 1 hour photo shoot, with three outfit changes, and hair and make-up. I consulted with my sister via text message and she encouraged me to do it and I purchased it. I figured it was a great deal - seeing as I could barely get my hair and make up done for $140 let alone a photo shoot.

Seeing as I am not 100% with myself, I am going into this extremely nervous. Will I ever be completely happy with myself? - I doubt it. What I do know is that I am not getting any younger and I've come a long way. Although I am sure my boyfriend will enjoy these snaps, I am doing this completely for me. I deserve to feel beautiful and I want to memorialize my semi-youthful self and my progress to date. It's time to buck up and embrace me, faults and all. Hell, no one is perfect.

I am officially booked for February 24, 2013, which gives me two months to improve myself and hopefully drop a few more pounds and tone up a bit. I've given myself a few days to enjoy the Christmas festivities and it's back to being serious now. #Operationboudoir is in full effect. I'll be keeping you all abreast of my progress and of course when the big day comes I'll give you all the details. Until then, I'm on a mission to find three good outfit choices that minimize my trouble zone (tummy) and maximize my assets (arms, shoulders, and boobs).

If any of your readers have gone before me and braved the boudoir session, I'd love to hear any tips and suggestions you have in the comments section.

Merry Christmas. // Jen J.

2012-12-25T15:58:00.000-05:00

Merry Christmas from Michigan! I sincerely hope you are all having a better Christmas than I! Last night I started getting sick again! I had Strep throat last week and was given an prescription for an antibiotic but a couple of days after I started taking it I developed a rash, probably because I was allergic, and had to stop taking it. Now I am wondering if it is starting to come back since I didn't finish the dose. My dad is also sick so we had to call Grandma and cancel tonight's Christmas dinner.

I am also sad because my boyfriend is in Texas with his family. I miss him. My younger sister already returned to Pittsburgh because she had to work yesterday and my other sister and my little nephews are down in North Carolina. It is so hard when family is in a million different places.

Womp, womp, womp.

On a positive note, I did have a few good days of health and was able to complete the reindeer games trifecta - three 5ks in three days. Running in 28 degree temps probably wasn't the best idea considering I was still recovering from Strep, but I've been eating horrible (Christmas cookies, apple crisp, fudge) so I needed it.

Day 2. Reindeer Games.

Note the awesome new high visibility vest I got from Santa. It's by Brooks and I absolutely love it. It's bright, light weight, and has great storage capability. I highly recommend it.

I also received the January book club book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling so I will looking for a way to divide that up for discussion.

See how influential you broads are! You have gotten me to run when I otherwise wouldn't and influencing what I put on my Christmas list. I am thankful for each of you though, the positive peer pressure is taking me places.

Merry Christmas! And be well.

Snippets. // Jen J.

2012-12-20T06:30:00.000-05:00

I dropped the BF off at the airport yesterday. He's gone home to Texas for the next 11 days. As much as I love being able to pee with the door open, skip the flush [yellow let it mellow, brown flush it down], and sleep diagonally - I'm going to miss him. It is also always easier to watch my caloric intake when he's not around but this week I've got some things. Happy hour with friends tonight, work Christmas lunch tomorrow, and then family Christmas party on Saturday. Tis the season!
--
I called an made a consultation for laser hair removal. Yes, to permanently landscape the bush. I've been pondering it for a while and I've decided the sooner I get it, the better return on investment (ROI). So I'll go see what they have to say. I'd love to hear from anyone that's had it done.
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Yesterday I weighed in for the Last Loser Standing challenge at 178.2. I weighed in at 182 for the first weigh-in last week so I am still in, like flynn. However, I'd like to be completely honest and say that I did not lose four pounds over the past week. You see, last week I was traveling and I had to use my clients scale which was just randomly placed in their bathroom. I wasn't about to strip down to my birthday suit while on the clock so I was a little heavy and obviously I have no baseline with that scale.

I really like this challenge in theory, but in practice, it's tricky for a lady on the go as much as I am. Next week I'll be at my parents for Christmas and weighing in on a third scale; which happens to be a needle scale. Hopefully, I can squeak by but it's going to be difficult considering the inconsistency of the scales and the impending holidays.
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I am good with numbers. Need to understand an amortization schedule, I'm your girl. When it comes to English and grammar - the whole kit and kaboodle - I am terrible. I still struggle with how to arrange the (i)s and (e)s in weird, receive, and science. Commas and semi colons are foreign to me. I start sentences with the word and.

I always get pissed when I see people dedicating their Facebook status updates to dissing someone's grammatical errors. Maybe it's the genius company I keep, but I see it quite a bit. It seems like sometimes people forget we all have our strengths and weaknesses. I come for a long line of bad spellers; my dad and sisters are also horrible. Yet, I'm the only one out of the four of us without a Master's degree and my dad is brilliant when it comes to mechanics. Anyways, the point of this rant is that I do want to become better. So if you see me misplacing a coma or spelling something wrong, leave me a comment and maybe even a little explanation. Learn me. I want to make you proud.
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I decided to quit the YMCA today. My membership was $100 bucks a month for me and the BF. Since drinking the Jillian kool-aid, I've been working out more and more in my new basement. It's a lot of money for the little I am using it. I'm interested as to how this will go. I will say though, I've found a new place to spend that extra cash I just put back in my pocket. I just tried the shellac manicure. AMAZING! It cost $32 compared to the standard manicure at $15 but I just love it! I've had it over a week now and no chips or dings. I'll keep you posted.

Making the Time. // Jill C.

2012-12-19T07:31:00.001-05:00

It’s 8:15pm. I just put all 3 babies to bed for the night. If this was my perfect world, I would be in my snuggly, warm jammies, curling up on the couch with my hubby to catch up on some of our shows. There would be popcorn, maybe hot chocolate, and probably Doritos because they are my absolute FAV! I wouldn’t have to give any thought to working out because I’m already at my goal weight, so obviously I can slack a little…. Boy, I think I may have thought this through a little too well! The reality of the situation is: It’s 8:15, kids are in bed, and I’m in my workout clothes, with my shoes already tied, ready to hit the treadmill. Sometimes, I look forward to it, sometimes I can’t wait to jump on, but most of the time, by this time of day, I’m done. I’m over it. I don’t care if I’m fat. But then, I hear that little voice inside me that says, “Jill, get your ass up, or you’ll regret it when you step on that scale!” I know she’s right, so I listen.

Since I first shared my story here, a few weeks ago, the question I get asked the most, other than how I did it, is how I find the time to workout. The answer is simple. I make the time. It wasn’t always like that. I have used every excuse in the book. “I’m too tired” “I worked all day” “I have too much to do”.

Somewhere along the way, my attitude changed (a little) and I just get it in where I can fit it (that’s what he said). For me, that’s usually after 8pm, when the kids are asleep, and working out is the last thing on earth I want to be doing. Others find it easier to get up at 4am and do it. I have learned this is not for me… Mama needs her sleep! Anyway, the moral of the story is, a workout is good, no matter when, where, how, or why you do it. Just do it!

// Jill C.