The next time you are feeling frustrated and that you "can't do it", remember this story. It is such an inspiration.
Full Disclosure: You may need tissues. Consider yourself warned.
Thanks to Roni for sharing this!
Archive for the ‘Success’ Category
Biting The Bullet
April 12th, 2012 
savingmo 
I've been toying with the idea of training for a longer distance for awhile. After I finished my first 10K in November (Dag gone it, I still have to write that post!) - I thought the next natural step would be to train for a Half Marathon.
Instead I didn't run for about 5 weeks. Smart decision, huh?
I recently tried dabbling in speed rather than distance and found that it frustrated me more than motivating me. So - I'm going back to what I know.
Today, I am officially starting my Half Marathon Training!
You can follow along with my plan and progress on my Half Marathon Training Page - I'll probably update it with pretty colors once a workout is completed. I took a training plan I found on Shape and modified it a bit based on my style and also other races that I have coming up. There's a lot of running in this plan, but I think I can stick to it! I also added in Yoga once a week because I have heard that it is good for your muscles when you are running longer distances. Plus, I kinda like it!
I don't have a race picked out yet, mainly because I am not sure what state we'll be located in at the end of this training plan. I'm sure I'll be able to find something though!
In other exciting news - my breakfast rocked this morning. I tried Yoplait Greek yogurt again and I'm glad I did. It was pretty good. And eating it with an Orange Leaf spoon makes it even better because I can dream of froyo while I dine.....yes, I may have an obsession with the place. If you've not tried it - go do - and then you'll understand ;-)
It feels so good to be eating healthier foods again and tracking what's going into my yapper. I highly recommend it!
Speaking of which - it's time to make lunch! I'm having a massive salad because I found a HUGE tub of Mixed Baby Greens marked down to $0.75 at Kroger last night. Gotta fuel for my run later!
Facing The Steel Square + Gift Card Giveaway
March 28th, 2012 savingmo 
We've all had those weeks. You know the ones. You had too much fast food, too much ice cream, your monthly friend is visiting, or you walked 13 miles over the weekend and your body is retaining so much water in your muscles that it is affecting the scale true story!.
It would be really easy to just skip a weigh in. You know - give yourself another week to get the weight off.
Why It's Important To Still Weigh In:
1. If you gained - you gained. So what. The scale does not control who you are as a person. It's a measure of feedback. Take the number, suck it up and learn from it.
2. If you gained - okay. Deal with it. Figure out what went wrong. If you're eating too much extra things (fast food, ice cream, chips, chickens, Philadelphia Indulgence Creme) make a plan to nip it. Is nighttime eating a problem for you? Make a plan so that you are more busy in the evening with less time of idle hands to snack. Or just plan for a hearty snack in the evening.
3. If you gained - why? Gaining on the scale is a sure fire way to take a look at the week you just had and figure out what went wrong so that you can avoid doing that again. Is there a food you might be eating that you aren't truly giving the full point value to?
Full disclosure: I never ever ever measure my coffee creamer. Ever. And I usually drink about 6 cups of coffee a day all with creamer in them. I am trying to break myself of creamer and just use milk. I hate drinking milk on it's own, but dairy is important for weight loss and a GHG, so I need to break free!!
Gaining can help you get back on track so you know exactly what you're putting in your pie hole points wise.
I ended up with a gain this week (I'm changing my weigh in schedule, but more on that later!) but it was somewhat expected. I ended up 1.8 and gained back a point to eat this week. I can't break free from that one extra point that keeps creeping back in! Yeah, I know - complaining about having another point to eat - you're crying for me, right? ;-)
I want to blame it all on the fact that I walked 13 miles this weekend and that's something I don't typically do.....but in reality, I have a feeling that I've become a little lax this week on my BLT's (Bites, Licks, and Tastes!). The plan is to start fresh this week and track like a mad man! Starting with my very boring breakfast......
Doesn't it just look so sad? I like some pop and excitement in my breakfast, so I think this is not gonna happen again......
By the way, you can still get entries into the Skinny Rewards Gift Card Giveaway! You get points each week for weight loss, healthy eating, exercise, and following me on social media. It's really simple and a great way to increase your health and get a chance at some moolah!
You can read about the different points for Skinny Rewards. Just for participating each week you'll be entered to win one of (2) $50 gift cards to the location of the winners choice!
Want in? Just follow these steps....
1. Participate in this Weekly Wednesday Weigh In. Let me know what weight you lost this week (you do not have to weigh in on Wednesday - if you weigh on Sunday, just tell me your Sunday loss). If you have a blog, write a post and hit the linky below - if you don't have a blog leave a comment. If you don't feel comfortable leaving your weight loss in a comment, please send me an email (amber @ skinnypoints.com, a message on Facebook, or a direct message through Twitter).
2. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. Leave me a comment for each social media venue that you are following me on. This way I know to give you points. Even if you are already following me there, leave me a comment again, as you can continue to get points each week you follow!
3. Share it! Yes, you can tweet, share, and pin more than once:
Tweet this message: "Want to lose weight and win some money? Get started with #skinnyrewards today - http://wp.me/pJrLS-3x9"
Share this weekly post from my Facebook page with your friends there
Pin This Image:
4. You get points just for making healthier choices as well!
Get points each day you get at least 5 Fruits and/or Vegetables. Leave me a comment with how many days you've gotten them in!
Get points each day you get at least 30 minutes of exercise. It doesn't have to be structured, just get moving! Again, Leave me a comment with how many days you've gotten them in.
5. Subscribe to Email updates or RSS Feed. Again, leave me a comment and let me know if you've signed up initially or you are still following - you get points for both!
Disclaimer: I am neither a doctor, dietician, or nurse. I don't recommend you losing weight or trying to lose unless your doctor has approved you seeking that venture. If you are interested in starting and maintaining a weight loss, diet modification, or exercise routine, please see your doctor first. I am not a participant in this contest, just sponsoring it! See my Disclaimer Policy for additional information.
Skinny Rewards Giveaway – Down 0.6 This Week!
March 21st, 2012 savingmo 
0.06 Pounds
That was my weight loss this week and I'm totally okay with it.
Why, You ask?
I lost 4.8 last week which is atypical - so a smaller loss is fine in my books. I also started running again this week and my muscles might be retaining a little water because they are so beat up from being completely useless a bit rusty from not running in so long.
Overall I did really well this week. I tracked everything and faced a lot of temptations that I resisted - So it's all gooood.
How did you all do this week? Last week I introduced Skinny Rewards (take a look at this post for all the details on how/what/points you'll accumulate, etc). If you're trying to lose weight or increase your health, you might be interested. Just for participating each week you'll be entered to win one of (2) $50 gift cards to the location of the winners choice! It's a six week challenge and we're only one week in!
Want in? Just follow these steps....
1. Participate in this Weekly Wednesday Weigh In. Let me know what weight you lost this week (you do not have to weigh in on Wednesday - if you weigh on Sunday, just tell me your Sunday loss). If you have a blog, write a post and hit the linky below - if you don't have a blog leave a comment. If you don't feel comfortable leaving your weight loss in a comment, please send me an email (amber @ skinnypoints.com, a message on Facebook, or a direct message through Twitter).
2. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. Leave me a comment for each social media venue that you are following me on. This way I know to give you points. Even if you are already following me there, leave me a comment again, as you can continue to get points each week you follow!
3. Share it! Yes, you can tweet, share, and pin more than once:
Tweet this message: "Want to lose weight and win some money? Get started with #skinnyrewards today - http://bit.ly/wNkrIN"
Share the weekly post from my Facebook page with your friends there
Pin This Image:
4. You get points just for making healthier choices as well!
Get points each day you get at least 5 Fruits and/or Vegetables. Leave me a comment with how many days you've gotten them in!
Get points each day you get at least 30 minutes of exercise. It doesn't have to be structured, just get moving! Again, Leave me a comment with how many days you've gotten them in.
5. Subscribe to Email updates or RSS Feed. Again, leave me a comment and let me know if you've signed up initially or you are still following - you get points for both!
Disclaimer: I am neither a doctor, dietician, or nurse. I don't recommend you losing weight or trying to lose unless your doctor has approved you seeking that venture. If you are interested in starting and maintaining a weight loss, diet modification, or exercise routine, please see your doctor first. I am not a participant in this contest, just sponsoring it! See my Disclaimer Policy for additional information.
Wednesday Weigh In – Down 4.8!
March 14th, 2012 savingmo 
I must have eaten a sexy beast this morning because that's totally how I felt after getting off the scale! I was so excited to see that the scale had gone down this week - and at a decent clip! I lost 4.8 pounds this week which is a little abnormal, but considering that last week wasn't a good week, it all balances itself out. I didn't do a lot of activity this week, so I am hoping to increase that this week now that I've got the hang of tracking everything again.
Speaking of tracking, I ditched my three month tracker (using pen and paper) to track on my phone using the Weight Watchers app. I will certainly continue doing this method because it works a lot better for me. I always have my phone with me, so there is no excuse NOT to track something when I eat it.
How did you all do this week? Last night I introduced Skinny Rewards (take a look at this post for all the details on how/what/points you'll accumulate, etc). If you're trying to lose weight or increase your health, you might be interested. Just for participating each week you'll be entered to win one of (2) $50 gift cards to the location of the winners choice! It's a six week challenge and it begins right now!
Want in? Just follow these steps....
1. Participate in this Weekly Wednesday Weigh In. Let me know what weight you lost this week (you do not have to weigh in on Wednesday - if you weigh on Sunday, just tell me your Sunday loss). If you have a blog, write a post and hit the linky below - if you don't have a blog leave a comment. If you don't feel comfortable leaving your weight loss in a comment, please send me an email (amber @ skinnypoints.com, a message on Facebook, or a direct message through Twitter).
2. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. Leave me a comment for each social media venue that you are following me on. This way I know to give you points. Even if you are already following me there, leave me a comment again, as you can continue to get points each week you follow!
3. Share it! Yes, you can tweet, share, and pin more than once:
Tweet this message: "Want to lose weight and win some money? Get started with #skinnyrewards today - http://bit.ly/wNkrIN"
Share the weekly post from my Facebook page with your friends there
Pin This Image:
4. You get points just for making healthier choices as well!
Get points each day you get at least 5 Fruits and/or Vegetables. Leave me a comment with how many days you've gotten them in!
Get points each day you get at least 30 minutes of exercise. It doesn't have to be structured, just get moving! Again, Leave me a comment with how many days you've gotten them in.
5. Subscribe to Email updates or RSS Feed. Again, leave me a comment and let me know if you've signed up initially or you are still following - you get points for both!
Disclaimer: I am neither a doctor, dietician, or nurse. I don't recommend you losing weight or trying to lose unless your doctor has approved you seeking that venture. If you are interested in starting and maintaining a weight loss, diet modification, or exercise routine, please see your doctor first. I am not a participant in this contest, just sponsoring it! See my Disclaimer Policy for additional information.
Skinny Rewards: Lose Weight and Win Money
March 13th, 2012 savingmo 
Since I started this site, I've been thinking about ways to make it more useful for my readers. Obviously, things like recipes, tips, and snack ideas are always helpful, as well as sharing my ups and downs on the scale.
As I was thinking through all of this, I wanted to develop a way to help keep myself accountable as well as help others stay accountable as well. I know money is a big motivator for me, and I thought just maybe it would help someone else too.
Introducing Skinny Points Rewards
Yep, I'm gonna reward you for losing weight and getting healthy!
This is all new to me, but here is what I am thinking.
1. Each "Round" will last 6 weeks - you will "earn" various points for participating in various ways (listed below)
2. At the end of the 6 weeks, I'll take the top 10 people with the most points and randomly pick two top winners. This will be done completely random, because I have a program that does it for me ;-)
3. I'll contact those 2 winners and they each will get a $50 Gift Card of their choice.
4. Since the points accumulate throughout the weeks, even if you hop in on week 3, you can still participate and possibly win!
I don't know about you, but it sounds like a pretty sweet deal to me!
Here's how you can accumulate your points:
1. Get 5 points each week you participate in the Weekly Wednesday Weigh In. You don't have to necessarily weigh yourself each Wednesday, that's just when the post (which you'll need to come back and post on) will be up here - usually in the evenings (I weigh in at 5:30 at Weight Watchers). If you have a blog, write a post and link back here (the linky will be below the post). If you don't have a blog - you can leave me a comment letting me know your weight loss for the week. If you don't feel comfortable with posting your weight loss on a comment, send me an email (amber @ skinnypoints.com, a message on Facebook, or a direct message through Twitter).
2. Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Pinterest. Leave me a comment for each social media venue that you are following me on. This way I know to give you points. You'll get 10 points for each initial following. Even if you are already following me there, leave me a comment again, and you'll still continue to get 2 points for each week that you're still following me.
3. Share it! 2 Points per Tweet, Share, or Pin that you do and yes, you can tweet, share, and pin more than once:
Tweet this message: "Want to lose weight and win some money? Get started with #skinnyrewards today - http://bit.ly/wNkrIN"
Share the weekly post from my Facebook page with your friends there
Pin This Image:
4. Since I want to reward healthy options and increased healthy living - you don't have to necessarily lose weight each week to participate in this. I know that weight loss and the scale can sometimes not be nice, and I think making positive changes in your life counts just as well.
So....
Get 2 points each day you get at least 5 Fruits and/or Vegetables. Leave me a comment with how many days you've gotten them in!
Get 2 points each day you get at least 30 minutes of exercise. It doesn't have to be structured, just get moving! Again, Leave me a comment with how many days you've gotten them in.
5. Subscribe to Email updates or RSS Feed. 10 Points for initial sign up and then 2 points per week afterwards. If you do both, you get both points. Again, leave me a comment and let me know!
I'm doing this pretty much on the honor system. I'm not gonna come to your home and watch you as you weigh in or call your doctor to verify your last weight check at their office. I just wanna give a little bit of fun and reward you for getting healthier!
Are you ready to get started? I am! Come on back tomorrow evening to start earning your #skinnyrewards!
Disclaimer: I am neither a doctor, dietician, or nurse. I don't recommend you losing weight or trying to lose unless your doctor has approved you seeking that venture. If you are interested in starting and maintaining a weight loss, diet modification, or exercise routine, please see your doctor first. I am not a participant in this contest, just sponsoring it! See my Disclaimer Policy for additional information.
2012 Goals – Run, Run, Rudolph!
January 14th, 2012 savingmo 
Yes, I do realize that we are about half through January and I am just now writing out my 2012 goals. Better late than never, right? ;-)
I feel really good about all I accomplished in 2011 - losing 40'ish pounds, running a few 5Ks, and running a 10K (I did NOT see that one coming!).
I want to continue running in 2012. I have been batting around with what races I want to do and what training plan I want to use, and I *think* I have decided on a few things.....after all, I've had a few weeks to think about it!
I am going to start training for a half-marathon. It's just the next logical step in my running. I actually tried to start this back in December after the 10K, but I fell off the wagon pretty hard.
I have not yet decided if I am going to sign up for a half yet......that is a big step for me. We'll just have to see where the cookie falls with that one!
So, I've got increasing my mileage in running, and .... oh yeah. I'm gonna get back to losing weight.
Seriously, not much of a budge on that scale since about July last summer. EEK!No fault of Weight Watchers. It's amazing. When you eat fast food and ice cream and whatever else your yapper tends to fall upon, the program doesn't work as well for you.....especially when you aren't tracking what. so. ever.
So yeah - tracking and eating healthy again is back for me this year. I lost 7 pounds last week (yeah, a tribute to how much crap was in my system, no doubt!) so that's a good start.
I'm curious to know what everyone else tends to think about eating plans/running plans and the like. Do you you have a structured program you use or just fly though with whatever feels right? Inquiring minds want to know!
Posted in Success, Working Out 
Tags: 2012 Weight Loss Goals, Weight Loss Resolution, Weight Watchers 2012 
2 Comments »Weight Watchers Cookbook Giveaway
October 26th, 2011 savingmo 
One of my passions that I have discovered since starting my weight loss journey is that I love to cook! I'm a pretty basic girl and don't like to use a lot of fussy ingredients that no one has ever heard of (although I do like to try new things!).
When I signed up with Weight Watchers, one of the items in the new member kit was a cookbook. Now, I have quite a few Weight Watchers books, but this one has all of the recipes converted into Points Plus values.
The meals are also easy peasy and is broken down by meal - so if you're only wanting ideas for breakfast or lunch, it's easy to find something!
I've decided what could be a better way to introduce someone to eating more healthy than to give them an awesome cookbook! I'm giving one of these away, and here's how you can get a chance to win:
- Head over and "like" Skinny Points on Facebook. It's a little more intimate setting to get to know one another! Leave me a comment and let me know!
- Go ahead and follow me on Twitter too. Leave me a comment and let me know!
- Leave me a comment and let me know what your favorite meal to eat is - and if you have any tips to "Skinny" it up!
- Get bonus entries for sharing Skinny Points with your friends on Facebook. Just hit the "Share" button and leave me a comment that you've done so!
Entries will be accepted until 11/15/2011 at 11 pm EST. Please leave a valid email so that if you win I can reach you. The winner will be chosen at random based on entries received.
WW Points Report: I Tracked All My Food
October 20th, 2011 savingmo 
I tracked all of my food today! YAY! I haven't done that (honestly, at least) in probably two months. Every little bite, lick, and taste is accounted for today.
After last night, I was hoping that I'd have a 100% on plan day, but I ended up not getting a dairy and either of my oils in today. I'm aiming for progress though and not perfection, so I'll take it! A little more planning (and a stocked fridge!) will help me get it all in.
I was able to run a bit tonight too after taking it easy this week due to some lower calf issues. I've got a 5K walk this weekend and a 5k run next weekend so I want to make sure I don't cause any more damage!
By the way - I strongly suggest 100 Calorie Wholly Guacamole packs - absolutely fabulous on top of a burger!
Thursday, October 20, 2011
| Morning | |||||||
| 4 cup(s) black coffee | 0 |
||||||
| 1/4 cup(s) Cereal Granola - summer berry | 3 |
||||||
| 1 serving(s) Yoplait Strawberry 1 cup | 6 |
||||||
| Subtotal | 9 | ||||||
| Midday | |||||||
| pork chop 6 oz w Apple glaze - Quick-added food | 6 |
||||||
| whole grain rice, peas, corn mix - Quick-added food | 4 |
||||||
| vitamin - Quick-added food | 0 |
||||||
| Water 24 oz - Quick-added food | 0 |
||||||
| Subtotal | 10 | ||||||
| Evening | |||||||
| 8 oz raw lean ground beef | 10 |
||||||
| 1 serving(s) Wholly Guacamole 100 Calorie Pack | 3 |
||||||
| 1 serving(s) Ore Ida Crinkle Cut Sweet Potato Fries - 13 Pieces | 4 |
||||||
| 1 cup(s) cooked spinach | 0 |
||||||
| 20 oz diet root beer | 0 |
||||||
| Subtotal | 17 | ||||||
| Anytime | |||||||
| 1 bar(s) Strawberry smoothie, low fat, frozen yogurt bar | 2 |
||||||
| 3 cup(s) water | 0 |
||||||
| Subtotal | 2 | ||||||
| Food PointsPlus values total used | 38 | ||||||
| Food PointsPlus values remaining | 0 | ||||||
| Activity | |||||||
| Run/Walk Combo - Activity I created | 3 |
||||||
| Activity PointsPlus values earned | 3 | ||||||
| Check off these important items daily: | |||||||
|
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Starting Over – Again
October 20th, 2011 savingmo 
Last week I skipped my weigh in. This week I went to the meeting but was not planning on weighing in. Why???? Well, that is because in the last two weeks I have eaten nearly any and everything around me that moves! I seriously had good intentions the day after I skipped the first meeting, but that went out the window by Friday morning. It. Has. Been. Horrible.
So, last night I arrived at the meeting site and I wanted to get the little weekly book that they give you because it has great tips and recipes in it. I was honestly planning on just saying "I don't want to weigh in tonight - just give me my stuff!"....but for some crazy reason (we'll call it my conscience) I weighed in anyway.
Yeah.....so 2 weeks of not tracking and eating whatever I want (McDonald's, Taco Bell, Burger King, Ice Cream - ya know - the really good kind, donuts, strawberry milk....and several select others), I weighed in 6 pounds higher. SIX!! Now, I know that a lot of that is probably fluid retention, plus I was wearing heavy sweats and a sweat shirt, but still. That's just crazy and wicked unhealthy!
I was thinking while I was in the meeting about my Dad. He has high blood pressure and was hospitalized because of it a few weeks ago. I've been on him to watch his diet because he has a medical issue and his diet can affect how long he lives.
It hit me in the meeting. I too have a medical issue that my diet will affect. It's called being obese and if I don't get it under control it will eventually kill me.
Wow.
I think that is the first time I have ever made the connection between my weight and my death. It's completely true though. I came out of the meeting with a determination that I have not had in a very long time.
I'm proud to say that today I tracked everything and made a more conscious effort to stay on track. I am in serious need of grocery shopping to restock the fridge, but I made due with what I had today. I'm ready to tackle this head on this time!
Posted in Daily Tracking, Success, Support, Weight Loss Tips Tags: Lose Weight, Weigh In, Weight Loss Motivation, weight watchers 1 Comment »
