Saturday, May 29, 2010

Day 55 - Life Expectancy and Life Changes

Diet tip of the day: Take inspiration from the good and the bad things around you. Let the success of others push you forward, and take it seriously when someone else suffers from a health situation.

This past weekend, I called my mom to check in and see how everyone was doing. She informed me that one of her friends from our old church passed away, possibly from diabetes related complications. It is tough to deal with a friend dying, but it's even worse when you share some of the same health struggles as they did. Several of my family members either have or are at risk of having diabetes, and my mom is no exception. It makes me worry. I don't know how close in age my mom and her friend were, but it doesn't really matter. She passed away years before she needed to, and it made my mom and I have a serious talk about getting in shape. I told her she had the choice to live 10 more years, 20 more years, or 30 more years. It's up to her, but I want her around. And before I go any further, this was not a reprimand. She is not ignorant to the fact that she needs to get healthy. We share the ability to make excuses though. I can list 10 reasons why I can't lose weight, but I'm not going to accept them anymore.

My mom and I essentially made a pact to kick each other's butts into shape when I move back. I need encouragement and so does she, so I think me moving back will be very beneficial for both of us.

Speaking of moving home, I might be doing that sooner rather than later. I've been losing hours at work, and there is an immediate need at a store in my hometown, so it might be best for me to transfer to that store mid-June rather than mid-August. It will be hard for my boyfriend and I, mainly because we haven't been apart for even a week since we started dating, but then he'll be moving into an apartment there for the next two years of school. This also isn't the summer I was expecting, but I will do what I have to in order to make enough money for tuition next year.

I'm going to try to get better at updating this blog. Instead of being too busy to write, I've really been doing nothing worth writing about. Hopefully that will all start to change soon with the new old living arrangement, new job, and new school. Hopefully, I'll be able to add new healthy body to that list. (Check out the new pictures I'm posting on the left side of the blog. Hopefully you'll start seeing a noticeable change in the next few months.)

Thanks so much for the grilling suggestions. What about healthy dessert for a hot summer night? S'mores are great, but not too great for you. Maybe some fruit popsicles or smoothie recipes.

For exercise, try being a little adventurous. Try something new or go somewhere you've never been and do some exploring.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Day 49 - Week One of the Summer Program

Diet tip of the day: If a diet isn't working for you, change it up. Just because you had success with it once, doesn't mean you will again. And just because something didn't work for you before doesn't mean it won't this time with your current situation.

Well, it's been a very long week since I posted. I wanted to clear my head and get away from the work of the diet for a while before getting back to the blog and getting down to business. That is not to say I've been taking the week off. I've been getting used to my new schedule, with a lot of free time, and trying to work in a lot of fun exercise. I went to a state park with my boyfriend last Thursday, and we burned over 600 calories hiking for an hour. We had a great time, saw a waterfall and some amazing rock formations, and got a great work out. I worked Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so I consider that a little bit of a work out, though I'm not going to for the rest of the summer. I'm going to try to get in a work out before work, because I always feel more energized when I do. Yesterday, we were looking for an apartment for him for the Fall, and before we drove back, we stopped at the zoo and walked around for over 2 hours. That was a great work out because we were enjoying ourselves and sweating quite a bit from the weather. I've lived in Wisconsin my whole life, and I'm still not used to the change over from mid-40's to mid-90's in 3 weeks.

I suggested to my boyfriend that we try doing the Special K challenge again for another two weeks. It worked really well for us the first time, and we've had a long enough break from it. It's time to push our weight loss over the edge. I haven't been weighing myself, because I think I gained a little weight back during exam week. However, I'm not worried about gaining any more, because we are completely cutting out going out to eat and we will be exercising every day. We can't afford to eat out if we want to afford our individual living expenses and tuition costs for next year. I am really excited to lose this weight. I lost almost 20 pounds in 3 weeks last time. My goal is to lose 30 pounds this summer. I think it is very attainable. I need some support, though. I need some encouragement and I need some ideas for cooking out. Grilling can be one of the healthiest ways to cook. The fat drips right off of any meat, and steamed veggies need no added butter.

As far as e-mailing recipes, someone mentioned that it might be better if you could send the recipes anonymously. Can I just say, I understand why that would make sense, but I don't see how I can do that. I already know some of the people who read this, so they have no reason to keep their identities a secret. As for the others who read this, if I don't know who you are, I won't know who you are when you e-mail me. If it makes you feel better, you can always just leave a comment with the recipe. Just know, I'm only after your recipes. Nothing else. :)

As for exercise, plan a fun event that requires walking for your weekend. Go to the zoo, the lake, the park, and make sure your legs get a work out. Enjoy yourself, don't punish yourself!

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Day 41 - Burning Off the Badger Body

Diet tip of the day: When you can't sit down for a full meal, make sure you're filling up on healthy snacks and not convenient, fatty, salty, sugary things that leave you hungry an hour later anyway.

I am DONE with my semester. It feels so amazing. When I submitted my last exam (it was my only class that had its exams online) I actually hopped out of my seat and did a little dance. I cannot express how happy I am that it is summer. It is very slowly setting in that I don't have any studying to do, no exams, no assignments, no papers, and not even so much as a class to go to. I can focus completely on working so I can earn money for school and really enjoying and building on my relationship with my boyfriend.

Last summer could have been very difficult for us, but I think it shaped us into the people we are right now (literally and figuratively). After he tore his ACL and meniscus, it could have put a big strain on our relationship. But it didn't. It brought us really close together. It gave me an opportunity to show him how much I cared about him, how much I was willing to do for him (all while sporting a smile). It also gave him the opportunity to deal with situations that he needed my help for. It put us into an unfamiliar dynamic, and we became really close as a result.

However, this summer, I am really excited to just enjoy each other, with no constraints on where we can go and what we can do. On Tuesday or Thursday, we're going to go to a park that has a waterfall, which I'm really excited about. I've never been to a waterfall before, so I think it will be a lot of fun. We're trying to plan day trips and outings that will include lots of casual walking, so we get in a lot of activity without really feeling it. That's our goal for the summer. We're going to try to get in shape by alternating our work-outs between hard work and lots of fun. We'll get to go swimming, unlike last summer (pools and doctors both hate when partially open wounds go into chlorine). We'll be able to run and play soccer. Can you tell how excited I am to get active and have fun?

I'm really excited to lose all the weight I've gained since coming to college. I'm calling it my Badger Body, because our school mascot is a badger. At my annual check-up before starting my freshman year, I weighed 217 pounds. That means I gained 65 pounds in about 20 months. That is terrible. Absolutely terrible. I'm actually angry at pre-April of 2010 me. I'm not mad at myself, because I know I'm changing and doing what's right and good for me. I am really mad at the old me who let it all happen, and I think that is okay. I think that I need to be upset with that part of me so that I don't let it happen again. I refuse to let the lazy me change my body like that again.

I am happy when I see 263 pounds registering on the scale, something I never expected. I remember when I moved into the 260's. I was really upset, because I had seen my doctor not long before, and she had given me a big lecture about gaining 34 pounds in my freshman year. I don't respond well to lectures. It's not that I tried to rebel against her, I just feel defeated when I get told I'm doing a bad job. So, it's really weird now, having been 282 pounds, 263 pounds looks good on the way back down the scale. But I'm looking forward to the day where I can't believe I was ever 282 pounds, 263 pounds, or even 200 pounds. I know I can do this, because I'm determined like never before.

I still haven't gotten any healthy recipes from anyone. Now that it's summer, I am going to be cooking a lot more. So, I need your help and your recipes. Send your best healthy grilling or not-grilling recipes to theshapeshifterblog@yahoo.com so I can try them out!

And for exercise, what's your best belly/gut or thigh exercise?

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Day 36 - Cravings and Olfactory Hallucinations

Diet tip of the day: Know when your cravings are justified. If you have a persistent craving, try to figure out why. Your body might be telling you it's missing something important.

I've been feeling slightly anemic lately for several reasons, the least of which are exam stress and the fact that I haven't really eaten much red meat since the beginning of my diet. I've been taking a multivitamin every day, but realized that it does not have iron in it. So, no wonder I was craving burgers. My body wasn't getting enough iron. My senior year I took a class in Child Development, and we learned that most of the cravings pregnant women get have to do with the fact that they are not getting all the nutrients they need. It's not just pregnant women, though. I'm not going to say I'm in-tune with my body and its needs, I'm just saying that sometimes my cravings make sense. And I'm 100% not pregnant, so don't take that away from this post. :)

Last year in my Intro to Psychology class, we learned about the different kinds of hallucinations that people can experience. Yes, we were talking about mental disorders, but "normal" people can experience them too. I experienced two "Olfactory Hallucinations" today, which are scents you perceive that aren't there. I was reading a book, which prompted one of them. I suddenly smelled the scent of Crayola paint that we used in grade school, the kind that came in a 2 gallon jug. It was strange, because I can't even remember the last time I used that kind of paint, but it has a distinct chalky smell to it. I found it really strange that I could remember something like that, but scents are actually our strongest links to memories. So it's no surprise that the next scent hallucination cheered me up quite a bit. Again, I don't know why, but I suddenly smelled the scent of my mixer at home, that metallic, electric, smell paired with vanilla, flour, and sugar in a mixing bowl. I can't even tell you how badly I want to make cookies, now. I just found it funny that I would experience such strong scent-triggered memories so close in succession.

I'm sorry it's been so long since my last post. Exam week is a terrible, terrible time at my school. It's 1pm on a Tuesday and I had trouble finding a seat in the biggest library on campus. However, I finally finished writing my two 4-page history essays. I had a bit of a melt-down during my second one, but my boyfriend pulled me out of it. It's hard when so much of your grade depends on one piece of writing. I am a pro at writing English papers. I am not a fast writer, because I obsess a little on every sentence before I can move on. If my sentence isn't making the best statement it could, I am stuck, frozen, until I can fix it. I also really enjoy adding bits of alliteration into my papers, and I've found that English TA's usually enjoy them, too. So little things can get me really stuck. Imagine how stuck I was when I couldn't come up with one cut and dry answer to why the U.S. got involved in every war it's fought since the Civil War. That's a really broad question. One of two essays I had to cram into 4 pages each. Oh well! I'm done with it. It's in the hands of the TA and the professor.

I hope to keep up with my posting from here on out, or at least not take a 3-day break again. Keep up the feedback. I'm still waiting for healthy recipes! theshapeshifterblog@yahoo.com

Exercise tip of the day: Do something relaxing. If you're stressed at work or school, it's not always best to hit a punching bag. Do something that calms you, like doing stretching to soothing music.

Saturday, May 8, 2010

Day 33 - To Burger or Not To Burger?

Diet tip of the day: Pick a diet buddy who will tell you "NO" when you need to hear it. You'll hate them for the moment when they tell you know, but you'll thank them later when you still fit in your jeans.

I'm still in the middle of my exam week, writing two 4-page essays for my History exam. One is about the Cold war and social reform, and the other is about why the U.S. has fought so many wars. Needless to say, they are difficult questions to answer in 4 pages. I worked on my first essay from 10 am to 6 pm with minimal breaks. After that, I felt kind of brain dead, so my boyfriend and I went out to dinner. I spent quite a long time on the drive to the restaurant, while we were waiting to be seated, and while we were waiting to order debating whether or not I should get the burger I was craving. In the past 33 days I have only had beef 4 times. I am a HUGE fan of red meat, so it has been a huge adjustment to mainly eat only fish, chicken, and sliced turkey.

As I sat there, mulling over my options, I asked my boyfriend for permission to break my diet due to the severity of my craving for red meat. He said it would be okay, but each item I asked him about (ribs, sirloin, burger, bacon burger, BBQ burger) he said no. I got frustrated with him and finally ordered a Southwest grilled chicken salad. It took about a second to get over it and go back to being a happy couple, and at the end of the meal, I was happy and satisfied. I am glad I listened to him, because we're going to make some burgers tomorrow for lunch. We have some raw patties in the freezer at his apartment still from the last time we made mozzarella/basil filled burgers, so it will be even easier this time.

I was looking at my Facebook profile picture today. It's a picture of my boyfriend and I when we went to Kentucky last January. It's the first time I've really looked at it since we started dieting, and I can see how much weight he's lost just in his face. I never noticed as he put on the weight with me, but it's so much easier to see on the way back down the scales. I know we'll never look like that again. Just one month of dieting and we've lost a considerable amount of weight. I can't wait to see where we are at the end of summer. I notice my belly getting smaller and my pants fitting better, but I haven't noticed it in my face as much, maybe just because I haven't been too concerned with my face/make-up lately because of all the studying I've been doing. I'm sure I'll start to notice it when I get back into my normal routine.

I was doing some research today during one of my writing breaks, looking up some information for the doctor's appointment I'm going to schedule for the week after school ends. I'm trying to figure out what medications I should ask about for my PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome for anyone who hasn't read my older posts), and I read a statistic I hadn't seen before. I was reading about stress and depression as a symptom of PCOS, and the article said that it was unknown whether the depression is caused by biological factors or as a psychological/emotional reaction to other factors. Some of the side effects of PCOS are obesity, acne, and sometimes infertility. But this was the scary part. The article then said that a lot of PCOS patients suffer from depression because of miscarriages they have experienced, and that the miscarriage rate is 45% higher in women with PCOS. I'm not worrying right now, because I'm at least 5 years away from having children. However, it is a scary statistic. But instead of getting upset about it, I'm going to use it as motivation.

My boyfriend and I both love kids and if it is God's will, we will try to have kids about 3 years after getting married, as soon as it is financially possible. If I want to increase my potential to have children, I need to lose weight. One thing my doctor has told me time after time is that losing weight often helps all the symptoms of PCOS, especially fertility. It's not a fix-all, but it will help considerably. So beyond just helping me live a happier, healthier life, losing this weight will give me much better odds of having the family I hope to someday have.

Sorry about all the personal/medical stuff. This was more just something I needed to get off my chest. Plus, it never hurts to be informed, especially considering it's estimated that 1 in 10 women in the U.S. have PCOS.

For exercise, here's one that targets a lot of muscles. Lay on the ground and lift your legs off the ground,keeping them parallel to the ground, but a few inches off it. Lift one knee, keeping the other leg elevated above the ground, then pull your other knee up while simultaneously returning your other leg to hovering position. It will be something like a bicycle, but less circular and without propping your back side up. Repeat 10-20 times, then rest for a minute, and repeat. Try to do it three times. Good luck! Send me your recipes!

Friday, May 7, 2010

Day 32 - One Down, Three to Go

Diet tip of the day: Tell people you are dieting. If you keep it to yourself, you miss out on all the tips and advice, the support and motivation that those people could offer you. Welcome the advice of others. Share your dieting stories with others and they will share with you.

I printed out links to my blog so that I could have it ready when I run into somebody I think I should share it with. One of the people who trained me at another store stopped by my store today, and she mentioned that she had been working out at home before she starting shopping. I thought about whether I should tell her about my blog or not, but as soon as I thought about it, I remembered that I have nothing to lose! We got to talking, and she invited me exercise with her or to do a race with her if I ever wanted to. After that, I gave the link to my boss and to another co-worker. I think the more people I talk to about my dieting, the more confident I become that I can lose this weight.

Speaking of weight, my official weigh-in was today. I've only lost .2 pounds. Yes. A fraction of a pound. However, as long as I'm not gaining, I will be happy for the next week. I am in the middle of Finals, and it is really important for me to focus on my classes, which means I sacrifice healthy eating a bit for time's sake.

I had my first final this morning. It was Philosophy. I really enjoyed that class but hated it at the same time. A lot of the issues frustrated me, like the week we spent on abortion. My professor told us at the beginning of the semester that she was going to convince all of us, no matter which side of the argument we were on, that we really had no idea what we really thought about abortion, and that if we didn't change our mind, we were just stubborn. After several weeks of debate, I feel that both of the arguments we looked at made very good points, but I am no more inclined to agree with the other side than I was at the beginning of the semester. I think the hardest part of the class was hearing some of the ignorance of human kind. I'm not saying people are stupid, but people, as a whole, are really ignorant to other societies and to our own shortcomings as a society. Saying "well everybody thinks it" is not a valid argument for the morality of something. But we all too often gauge our actions based on what society allows us to get away with.

I promise there's a point to this. I think a lot of my over-eating problems came from my own little society. My family, my friends, my boyfriends, they were all overweight, and more so than me, so I didn't REALLY work as hard as I should to lose the weight. I am in no way blaming anyone around me. We are all responsible for ourselves. I am only saying that I didn't put the same pressure on myself that I think I would have under different circumstances. I think now I've finally realized that it doesn't matter what everyone else weighs, what everyone else looks like. I need to judge myself based on what is healthy and what will make me happy. I'm taking responsibility and taking my weight problem seriously.

I don't feel like my over-eating is an addiction. I do, however, realize that I have used eating in a weird way since I was young. I would sneak food when my parents weren't home, even when I was in high school. I didn't even know why. I don't know why I developed that habit, or compulsion. I still have compulsions to eat when I'm not hungry. But now, I am aware of them and whether I am truly hungry or only compelled to eat by some strange inner demon who wants to add inches to my hips. (Don't worry, I'm not THAT delusional.) I feel like I'm much more empowered by this diet to take control of my weight, my health, and my happiness.

The woman who invited me to work out with her today was discussing "Runner's high" with me today. I mentioned I have felt happier on days that I've gone outside and run, even if it is only a few minutes. She said that she HATES running, but that she loves that high after exercising. I now know the feeling of that high, mainly because I'm not being forced to run in gym class. I'm pushing myself to improve my life. It's so much different when you have the control over your body. It makes me want to work a lot harder. Once it stops raining, I plan on getting right back out there and lifting my spirits.

I'm glad I'm getting more followers. Keep on inviting people and giving me your advice! And make sure you send me your recipes at theshapeshifterblog@yahoo.com.

And for exercise: Do push-ups at a 70 degree angle against the wall. If you feel like more of an expert, do them at a 45 degree angle on the edge of a couch.

Thursday, May 6, 2010

Day 31 - Extremely Abbreviated Post

Diet tip of the day: Eat healthy.

I have to keep this really short. I'm really pressed for time because of studying. I've been really busy and not cooking because I'm busy, so I haven't lost anything this week. However, I haven't gained anything. I'm content with that for an exam week. I need these grades. 20 minutes making dinner could put me down 1% on an exam grade, and for some of my classes, I'm right on line between A and AB or AB and B, so it really matters.

Send me recipes! Nobody has sent any! I don't know why!
theshapeshifterblog@yahoo.com

Workout tip: Exercise.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Day 29 - The Week Before the Week Before Summer

Diet tip of the day: If you go over your calories for the day, DO sweat it. Don't worry about it, but work it off with a positive attitude. If you think of it as punishment, you won't push yourself. You'll feel defeated. Consider those extra calories your reward for the workout you're doing later. (And actually do the workout!)

I'll keep this short. I know I missed yesterday, but I'm extremely busy. I don't have enough time to get in much exercise, much less a lengthy blog. This is my last week of classes before my exam week. At least during exam week you are free to study and space out all of your work to do. The week before exams, you still have classes to attend, information to absorb, and maybe even papers and early exams to take. I'm currently working on an English paper that is due on Thursday, which means I'm neglecting studying for my Philosophy exam (which is on Friday), which means I can't start my History exam until Friday night or Saturday morning, which means I can't start studying for English until Tuesday, which means I can't start studying for my Saturday Religious Studies exam until Friday. It's not THAT dramatic, but it is quite a matrix of things to do in a short period of time.

My diet hasn't taken the back seat, but it's at least riding shotgun for now. I need to keep working at it, and yesterday was the first day I've gone over my calories since I started the diet. I felt bad about it, but I still felt great that I've been so good on this diet. Once summer comes, I will have a lot more free time, and I'll be able to kick my exercise into overdrive. I'm going to be one of those "more than one workout a day" kind of people, hopefully.

I've got to get to class (my last Religious Studies discussion section ever!) so I'm going to get going.

SEND ME RECIPES: theshapeshifterblog@yahoo.com

For exercise, if you're too busy to schedule a workout, work your muscles while you take care of your priorities. My favorite (the easiest!) is flexing my butt and thigh muscles while I'm sitting writing a paper. I don't know that it necessarily burns calories, but it definitely helps tone your muscles. Good luck!

Sunday, May 2, 2010

Day 27 - Chili's Chicken and Sushi

Diet tip for the day: If you have a choice between two portion sizes at a restaurant, either go for the smaller portion or get the bigger size and decide to only eat half. Make a dividing line ahead of time, or even ask for a box ahead of time and put the food your saving out of sight and out of mind.

I'm heading into my last full week of class before exam week at school. I'm working on papers and trying to study, trying to put the finishing touches on my last semester at this school. I'll be transferring to a school in my hometown, so my GPA is really crucial to financial aid at this point. Every second counts in exam week, which is why I'm a little confused as to why our exams start on Mother's Day. One of my exams consists of the professor giving us two broad questions at the end of our last lecture on Thursday and requiring that we write two 4-page essays by class time on Tuesday. This wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have another exam on Friday morning and a shift at work that day as well. Needless to say, celebrating Mother's Day that Sunday is out of the question. So today, my parents came to visit us and have lunch with my boyfriend and I. They have started dieting, too, so we went to Chili's, because of their Guiltless Grill options. My parents both got the Caribbean Chicken Salad (which looked amazing), my boyfriend got the Chicken and Green Chili Soup with a side salad, and I got the Margarita Grilled Chicken (which I looked up ahead of time).

We talked about our dieting tips and experiences for most of lunch, and this time, it was so much different than ever before. My mom mentioned how hard it is to say something when you see a loved one gaining weight, and I agreed, that if she had said anything, I would have said, "I knooowah!" in that terrible teenage voice that I had only months ago. And it's true. Partly because of the PCOS (but mainly because I was a teenager) I was never in the mood to hear advice or criticism from anyone close to me. I was a mess. Always moody, always sensitive, always quick to shut out and slow to shut up. Every conversation about weight consisted of me getting upset, crying, yelling, and turning off completely.

This time, it was different. I'm having success. I have someone dieting with me, and not half-heartedly. I'm pushing myself every day, and I'm enjoying dieting! Last year, my boyfriend told me, "I don't like when you're dieting." I used to let dieting get me upset. I'd obsess over how I looked and how my jean fit. This time, I don't have to obsess. I look in the mirror, and I immediately see that I look much thinner than I did weeks ago. It feels good to have a conversation about dieting where everyone is excited and smiling.

For dinner, my boyfriend and I bought some sushi, which ended up being about 200 calories per serving. I love sushi, especially veggie and crab sushi. The good thing about sushi is that it is usually filled with lots of vegetables, and even the kinds with rice are not too bad for you. Just be careful not to use too much dipping sauce. That's where your extra calories will come from.

I haven't received any recipes, yet. Remember, it's theshapeshifterblog@yahoo.com, and I'd love to get some ideas from you all.

For an exercise tip, try putting on some music while you're cleaning and keep yourself dancing while you're getting work done. You'll have more fun and maybe even put the wiggle back in your walk.

Saturday, May 1, 2010

Day 26 - Double Checking and Acknowledgments

Diet tip of the day: If you're looking up nutritional information for something, always check multiple sources. A dish at one restaurant is not necessarily the same as another. Non-restaurant items can differ a lot, so try to find an average calorie count.

Last night, my boyfriend and I decided what we were going to get before going out to eat. We figured out how many calories it would be for each of us, and figured out that it would fit just fine into the rest of our calories for the day. We got there, and the first thing we did was scrap the whole plan. He got traditional wings and I got boneless wings. At the end of the meal, I looked up what they would be at Chili's. It said they were over 1,000 calories, which I couldn't believe. After a little more research, I figured out they were a lot less than that, but I played some extra Wii Tennis and Boxing just to cover my bases.

To make sure I wasn't making these mistakes with other things, I downloaded another application on my iPod to check all my food choices. It gives me that extra bit of certainty that I'm staying on track. Plus, the new application I added has a lot more exercises and foods on it (even the store brand foods I buy where I work). The only problem is, it requires the internet, unlike the Lose It! app I do most of my food journaling on. So I'm going to keep Lose It! as my primary application, still.

Today, I stopped at the place I work to do a little shopping, and when I walked in, I looked to my left and saw the Starbucks. My favorite Starbucks drink is a Green Tea Frappuccino with whipped cream. I know, you can just feel the fat being injected into your thighs (which seems to be the place most of you gain your weight, according to the poll). Since I started dieting, I have walked past the Starbucks every day going in and coming out of work, and I've managed to avoid buying my dreamy, creamy death in a Venti cup. So today, instead of spending $4 on a big cup of unhealthiness, I bought my boss her favorite drink, a large iced black tea with no sweetener (can you tell she's much healthier than me?). It felt good to do something nice for someone who has supported me in my weight loss while standing up to my cravings at the same time.

I also tried the Couch to 5K workout again. That is the fourth time, and I am so so so close to being able to complete it. I only power-walked through ONE minute of running! I think my issue was that I didn't take a day off in between the workouts like the application suggests. I'm going to make sure I take a day off before I try again, so Monday should be the day that I finally complete Week 1 Day 1. After that, they should get a lot easier the more weight I lose and the more in-shape I get.

Make sure you invite your friends and family to check out the blog. I'd love to get some more feedback and advice! Also, send in your healthy recipes to theshapeshifterblog@yahoo.com along with any feedback or personal stories you'd like to share.

And for exercise, get outside and have fun! Play soccer. Play volleyball. Play basketball. Play foursquare. Play catch. Get outside and have fun! High or low intensity, it doesn't matter. Get your bootie outside and enjoy yourself!