Happy Monday everyone! This week's prize comes to us from Janeen at Our Story who is giving away a $30 giftcard to her very favorite online workout site, http://www.titlenine.com/, which is really cool actually. I went out there and they have everything from workout clothes to cool bags and swimwear. The winner will also get a tee-shirt from One More Mile. (Comments close at 8pm et).
But that's not all. Because... there will be not one, but TWO winners. (Boy we have lots of prizes to give away!) All you have to do is write up a post and link to here choosing one of these topics:
-I'd have no problem losing weight (or keeping it off) if it weren't for ___________. (Fill in the blank--and it can be serious or not so serious, you decide!).
Or:
-If I were a superhero, I'd be _____________.
Be sure to sign the linky so I can see your story and I'll draw a winner at random from those of you who post a story. (Non-bloggers can e-mail me the story and I'll post it here too so everyone can read). The prize is: a tee-shirt from Dirty Red. Their stuff is hot.
Good luck this week! I can't believe we're almost to d-day! Make every workout your "last chance" workout!
Monday
This Week's Prize(s)
Sunday
Whose Fat Ticker Moved the Farthest??
Wow! It was a tie!
Catie and Janeen were tied with a five pound loss in the Summer Slimdown Extravaganzzza! (Now I wish there were two spa gift cards!) But since there aren't, I am letting Mr. Random Number Generator decide.
And the winner is.... (drumroll please)
Janeen! Hope you can steal away for a little afternoon of mani/pedi or massage!
You guys both did great with your losses. I had so much fun!
I'll still be doing a FTF (fat ticker friday) if anyone wants to join me on Fridays. And if anyone's up for another round of slimdown, maybe we can do a four-weeker. Let me know if you're up for it! And if you have any prizes you want to donate for another go-round, we can make it interesting! Congrats to everyone on their weightloss and pants-size-dropping! Keep it up!!
Thursday
WooHoo! It's the End. The Big Finale. The Finish Line.
So it's all come down to this. June 6th. The end of the line. 8 weeks or so of calorie counting, exercise, motivation, slumps, nearly throwing up (oh. that was just me?), banging head against the wall, more motivation, ups, and downs.
The Final Fat Ticker Friday!!!
WELL?????? How did you do? Did you do $50 gift card to a spa-good????? Go ahead! LEAVE ME A COMMENT! Post your final results!!
My weightloss this week: one pound.
As promised, here is my fat picture from hell. The one that started all of this. The picture of "the fat chick holding the baby" and I thought hmm. hate to be her! Then I took a second look and yep! You guessed it! It was me!
And then I thought, kill me now.
And then I cried. Yes, I cried.
So a promise is a promise. And believe you me, it is taking a lot out of me to put this picture out there on the internet (especially because one day when I am rich and famous, you'll see it on the front of the Enquirer while you're in the checkout line at the grocery store. Look paparazzi! I am literally just giving it to the public right now!)
OK. Here goes. (holding breath).
Whew. There. I did it.
Well, you can imagine my chagrin. Then I got off my ass. Oh, there is nothing like an epiphany like this one to get you motivated. So now, I look like this.
It's not the best picture in the world but it's the only one I have for now (I put the camera timer on and ran in front of it.) Oh yes, and I cut my hair! I forgot to mention that months ago. I am growing it back out though, I miss it. It grows quick. Anyhoo.
In sum, I am a grand total of 17 pounds lighter (5 from before the slimdown) I can run 2 1/2 miles straight -- hopefully a full three on Saturday -- (albeit, slow). I dropped one pants size. I am not to my goal weight (at all) yet. But I'd say this has been a pretty darned productive two months and I'm really proud of it. In fact, Saturday's race isn't about weightloss to me. It's about finding the athlete in me again and being who I want to be and who I know I can be. I'm getting there. After more than two years (and two babies) there is finally some resemblance to me again. I cannot tell you how much today means to me. I have worked really hard. I mean REALLY. HARD.
Thank you one million billion for being a part of this slimdown. I couldn't have done it without everyone's support and encouragement. I almost fell off the horse a couple a times but you didn't let me.
And now that the end is actually in sight, I'll keep going, well past this slimdown. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! I can't say it enough, really. And if you want to continue slimming down this summer, I will still be weighing in on Fridays if you want to join me.
Tonight I'm gonna have my ceremonial pre-race pasta dinner with my family and then Saturday the race is bright and early at 8am. Wish me luck! I hope to come in under an hour. Haha.
So leave me a comment with your final results! Don't be shy! Get in on this prize! Thanks again!!!! And congratulations to you! If you lost one pound or a million pounds, it's progress!!!
Fat Ticker Friday!!!!!
Monday
The Final Countdown/Grand Prize
OK guys, it's on! (Can you hear the Final Countdown music playing yet? Turn up your volume.)
There are less than three weeks left until our final weigh-in and we've all had some good weeks and some bad weeks and some "nothing to report" weeks. Let's pull it together troops!
I'm gonna turn drill sergeant for a second here.
Private Momma, DO you want to fit into those pants! DO you want to stop beating yourself up over having weeks of no loss! DO you want to meet your goal or not! DO you want to weigh in on June 6th and be proud of yourself of the job you have done! DO you want to be a healthier mom to your kids and a better example for your family! DO you want to purge your closet of "size huge"! DO you want to try on clothes and not cry and crumple into a heap on the floor of the dressing room!
If you've answered "Yes!" in your head to any of these questions, this is it. The last couple weeks. The final stretch. Over the hump. If it's not now, then when? So here it is. The grand prize.
A $50 SpaFinder Gift Card. Which means it's to any spa in your area that will take it. Take a timeout to pamper yourself for all the hard work you've done.
Here are the rules (they are simple):
-Winner will have lost the most weight from the beginning of the challenge until final weigh-in.*
-Latecomers can still join -- there will be "extra credit" opportunities over the next couple weeks.
If you don't win the prize and you've lost some weight, well then hey, you still win.
*Yes, this whole weightloss thing has been and continues to be on the honor system -- but I know everyone here is honest and has been honest, so let's continue to play fair!
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I honestly don't know what I would have done without everyone whose been a part of this. Since beginning this, I've lost 9 pounds, and before that I had lost 5. So, total for me is 14 pounds -- only six away from my goal. I have worked my ass off six days a week, have made a LOT of dietary sacrifices and have somehow found time to "do the work". And it is work. It's crazy work. I've overheated, almost thrown up (twice) and put my body through the mill. I've had many "I can't do this anymore" moments. I've had moments when I thought that all the hard work I was doing was for nothing. (Oh yes, you've heard me rant and rave about it. Re: those pants that I obsess over in my closet). Then boom. All of a sudden, stuff started happening. I actually fit those pants I was obsessing over in my closet. So it does work after all. It's just effing hard. (Scuse the french.)
I challenge you this week to think about the changes you've made in your life so far. Figure out what's worked and what hasn't. And Friday, when you post your weightloss, list some of the things you're most proud of that you've changed since the slimdown began. Sure it's about the weight, (who are we kidding), but it's just as much about being healthy and making changes toward becoming more healthy.
Have a good week! Good luck!
Saturday
Scavenger Hunt Winners
The good thing about only a few people entering the scavenger hunt contest is that everybody wins!
Congrats to Mannequin at Fractured Toy who wins a $25 Barnes & Noble gift card and to Catie at Tater Tots N Fries who wins my favorite movie of all time, Tommy Boy! Head on over to see what they came up with! Congrats! (I'll be e-mailing you both soon!)
Friday
Fat Ticker Friday + Scavenger Hunt Prize
**UPDATE** I'M DOWN THREE POUNDS! WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!**
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Not to brag, of course, but did I happen to mention I dropped a size? I did? Oh yeah! I did! Here!
Sorry.
All the rules are in the link above. Let's play! (It's open to everyone).
Monday
Motivation Monday -- Vow Renewal, a Grand Re-Opening, and a Scavenger Hunt + prizes! (Open to all!)
Wow. Did you know we're about at the halfway mark here until final weigh-in at the Summer Slimdown Extravagannnnzaaaaah?
shudder.
How far have you gotten toward your goal? Me -- well, you know I was a little upset about my ticker headed in the other direction on Friday, and after a new pink Coach purse nice weekend breather -- (Serenity now!) I am renewing my vows here to get fitter and unfatter.
Also, guess what, May is Fitness Month! So this week, instead of a prize on Friday at the weigh-in -- we're gonna have a little fun with a scavenger hunt -- and this one's open to anyone who wants to do it, bloggers and non-bloggers alike. It's fun for the whole family!
Here are the rules:
- Take pictures of the following 5 items/scenarios.
1. The healthiest food item in your house (you can like it or hate it)
2. The mostest unhealthiest food item in your house (yum! I can think of a few I wish were in my house. Wah wahhh.)
3. Your favorite workout must-have item (clothes, equipment, partner, music device, whatever!)
4. A picture of a part of you exercising (a limb, a finger, a face -- keep it clean!)
5. A picture of you and your family (and/or a friend or loved one or dog or whomever) doing something healthy (yes, I have a dirty mind too, and we know there are many activities that burn calories --but we don't really want to see that; my mom and mother-in-law read this). But it could be going out to a healthy dinner -- getting outside for a walk, playing in the yard, going to tee-ball, exercising as a group with your headbands on in your living room, whatever you want! The more creative the better! Get everyone involved!)
- When you're done, write a post about it linking here to the contest and leave me a comment so I can come by and see!
- You have plenty of time -- this contest closes Friday, May 16th at 8pm est. I will post all the players so everyone can see what everyone came up with. I will randomly pick the winner and announce them on Saturday, the 17th.
- However, there will be a second prize: a prize for "Most Creative."
- Non-bloggers can enter too -- just e-mail your "answers". Again, nothing dirty please or I will put a hex on you.
- Anyone involved in the Summer Slimdown -- we will still have our weekly weigh-in on Fridays. Sign the linky so we can visit each other (safety in numbers)! I encourage anyone who wants to weigh-in with us (no "weight" just "weightloss") to come by and do the same -- we do this every Friday. You can read about it here.
Have fun!
Oh! and the best part: Prizes!
1 Random winner will receive a $25 gift card to Barnes and Noble. Who doesn't love books?
And...the winner of "most creative" will win (1) one DVD of Tommy Boy. My favorite movie of all time. I would like to share Chris Farley with the world.
Saturday
Wiener!
We have a winner! Random number generator has chosen SJ at My Big Fat Irish Blog as this week's winner of this:
Congrats!
Since today is my "day off" (though I entirely don't deserve it after last week's Peeps-Rolos fiasco - bad, Christie!) my mom and I are going to one of our favorite tea rooms ever Ever! It's a British tea room in Sarasota and it has the most wonderful homemade food EVER! I'll put an exclamation mark here! And here! And here! It is just so good! If you are ever in Sarasota, please, do yourself a favor and indulge in Tastefully British. The decor is a little more cut and dry than your typical dainty, frilly girly tea room but it's the delicious tea sandwiches, and delectible cakes (and tea) that you're going for anyway.
They also happen to have one of my favorite teas in the whole world there and I think it might be the object of a giveaway this weekend. I'm just saying.
After tea, we're going to enjoy an afternoon of shopping at the outlets. I pray to the Shopping Gods that I don't fall under the spell of the Coach store today. Ohhhh it will be very nice to get out without a deadline. Since hubby has been taking classes toward his MBA after work and having to study up for finals and write papers, it has been a couple long weeks for me too (if you know what I mean.) Not that I don't love my children to death -- but I'm getting cabin fever here! So Happy Saturday!
Friday
Happy Fat Ticker Friday!
Well it's official. I hadn't a single weight-loss this week. In fact, I gained a 0.5 depending on which time of day you ask the scale.
Scale scale on the floor -- do I weigh less or do I weigh more?
So the ticker is going to go the wrong way today. But you know what? I'm ok with that. I exercised 13 days straight (my normal "day off" was the 5 mile March for Babies and yes, I'm counting that!) and my clothes are noticeably looser. I am not yet into the size below my current pants size yet -- but my current pants look ridiculously big, I have saggy bottom and they fall down. Why that doesn't allow me to get into the next size down yet I don't know. I must fall right in between the two. I don't ask questions anymore. But those pants I try on every day? Almost in, baby. Also, I can feel myself able to run further and faster and longer already. Progress is being made, even if it isn't translating on the dumb scale.
My one cheat this week: Wednesday during a Peep photo shoot (can't you just picture the professional set-up, the big lights, the giant camera -- the Peeps sitting there posing while I say "I love it! I love it! (clicking away) Now make me hate it!")
Sorry, got off on a tangent there for a second... Anyway during the "shoot"-- "weightlifting Peeps" -- I ate a pack of Rolos that I was using (they look like weights when you put one on each end of a skewer! who knew! My mom's idea of course.) They stared me down and honestly, if I wasn't going to eat them, my husband was. He was giving them the stink-eye all week.
So how did you do this week? Please feel free to visit the others on the linky to give them a high-five!
ps. Wanna join us or already working on your own to drop a few? Weigh in with us on Fridays to enter the weekly giveaways!!
Monday
Week Four Slimdown Giveaway
Anyway, remember to come back Friday and sign the linky with your weightloss -- Good luck this week!
