Day 14 & 15...

Things are still going really well. I haven't been able to walk again b/c the shoes I bought are hurting the tops of my feet. Bummer. I have to go back to the shoe store tomorrow and they are going to try to find a more comfy fit.

I'm doing really good on my rules, most of the time it isn't even a challenge. I cleared all the junk that would have been a temptation out of the house and I just eat the healthy stuff around. There are times, like last night at a RS dinner that they serve dessert and I allow myself to enjoy that. I told myself that I wasn't going to have dessert today b/c I had some yesterday, but I still ended up having a little bit of ice cream. The good news is my portions are a lot smaller and now that I've had some, I'm good to go for another week. =)

Day 12 & 13...

Sorry about not posting last night. I fell asleep. Things are going well. I am really proud of myself, I am sticking to my diet plan!! Yeah! Tonight, Matt and I were watching a movie and I had the munchies, so I had some animal crackers and milk. They are animal crackers I bought for Tanner at Whole Food, so they actually meet the food guidelines. I allowed myself the extra calories throughout the day, so I didn't go way over. This is such a huge thigns for me. I have always struggled with self control when it comes to food. I feel like the longer I do good, the more I want to be good.

I also went and bought a new pair of shoes yesterday, so I was able to go walking this morning. It felt really good, after not being able to go for so long. As I was walking today I came to the realization that there really wasn't time for me to go walking everyday, do weight training 3 days a week and then stamina training on the other days. I have to be realistic and realize that with two small children, it just isn't going to happen. Maybe at sometime I'll be able to make those commitments, but for now, I feel like if I am walking and doing my mummy tummy exercises, that is good enough for now. I still feel incredible!

Day 11...

Everyday it is truly getting easier to stick to my goals. And it is making a big difference too in the way that I feel. I'm sleeping better at night, my headaches aren't as frequent, I feel more energized and not as lathargic, I'm loosing weight (4 pounds so far!), and it's only been 11 days. Wah-hoo! I can definitely see the benefits of this plan.

I went to the doctor today and all is well with my feet. I can't walk tomorrow though because I wasn't able to find shoes. But I'm going to go look tomorrow. The doctor reitterated how important it was to stretch EVERYDAY!! Especilly before and afer you exercise. So, I'll do it. If it helps my feet, its worth it.

Mummy Tummy is working. My transverse muscles in my tummy are sore, so something is working. I hope there is significant improvement by the end of this plan, my tummy needs it. I was thinking of posting before and after pictures, but my tummy is really ugly. No one wants to see it I'm sure. You can just take my word for it as far as my progress.

I had the BEST lunch today. I made a Pita Veggie Pizza that was so delicious, and only about 320 calories. Here's a picture...


I took a whole wheat pita, spread a couple of TBS of tomato sauce on the pita, sprinkled a few tsp of cheese, layered Spinach, tomatoes, green peppers and onions. I just cooked mine in th microwave, but I'm sure it would have been even better if I had baked it in th oven. Yum!! I had a handful of grapes and water and had a delicious, filling lunch for just 350 calories. I could eat that several days a week, easy.

Day 10...

I stuck to my plan today! There were several times during the day that I wanted some kind of treat and I withstood the temptation. I would ask myself if I was really hungry and if I was, then I would substitute a healthy treat. if I wasn't hungry I forced myself to do someting different. That is really good for me, especially since there is still 1 1/2 Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory caramel apples in the fridge from this weekend, that I think about everyday. But I haven't touched them. =)

I get to go get my feet checked out tomorrow. Hopefully they'll be all better so I can get my walking going again.

Day 9...

Today was a good day. I stuck to my eating plan and I feel great. I really tried to pay attention to when I was hungry and full and I realized that I don't need to eat a whole lot at meal times. If I eat every couple of hours, my meals tend to be a lot smaller than I normally would eat. Good information to be learning. I even was able to withstand the temptaion of a good bowl of ice cream tonight. Matt sat down next to me on the couch with a big bowl of mint chocolate chip ice cream, and my second thought was to at least go grab something in the kitchen that I could eat with him (my first thought of course was to forget the plan and go grab some ice cream), but I did neither. I asked myself if I was hungry, I wasn't, and so I just told myself no. Yeah!! I'm quite proud of myslef.

I started my mummy tummy exercises today too. If you've never heard of Julie Tupler's technique, and you have a protruding post pregnancy "mummy tummy," you should really look into it. So, for the next week, I am doing some contracting exercises to bring my transverse muscles back together. Then next week she has a 30 minute workout, including stretches and cool down, that I will start. She reccomends not jumping right into the 30 minute program without the contracting exercises.

***Question*** On Julie Tupler's website, there is a thing that she does where she'll travel to offsite locations (her home base is NYC) and teaches a seminar showing the benfits of these exercises and how to do them properly. She just requests that a minimum of 15 people sign up and pay (I think it was $100). Would anyone be interested in attending something like that? I know it's a lot, but it's definitely cheaper than a tummy tuck (LOL). If not, would anyone want to go to NY with me sometime to one of her seminars? I would love to have hands on help. Just throwing it out there.

Menu for the week...

Here is my menu for the rest of this week. I'm kind of boring, I need to spice things up a bit. But these are all foods I love. My biggest struggle is lunch, how do you find time to make lunch exciting and different from the same ole sandwich or wrap. I don't mind them, but it would be nice to have some variety. Any suggestions?

Monday
Breakfast—PB Toast with sliced bananas, milk (350 calories)
Snack—Yogurt (140 calories)
Lunch—Wrap with l/o chicken and salad (400 calories)
Snack—Whole wheat crackers and milk (250 calories)
Dinner—Pasta with chicken, tomatoes and tomato sauce, salad (500 calories)

Tuesday
Breakfast—Protein Shake (400 calories)
Snack—handful of almonds (160 calories)
Lunch—Whole Wheat tortilla with salad, dressing, and cheese, fruit (350 calories)
Snack—Spinach Smoothie (250 Calories)
Dinner—Turkey Philly Sandwiches, fruit Salad (600 Calories)

Wednesday
Breakfast—Cereal, fruit, OJ (400 calories)
Snack—Pineapple and cottage cheese (200 calories)
Lunch—Pita Pizza with fresh veggies, tomato sauce and cheese (500 calories)
Snack—Yogurt (140 calories)
Dinner— Asian Salmon with Brown rice pilaf, salad (550 calories)

Thursday
Breakfast—2 eggs over easy, toast, OJ (350 calories)
Snack—Spinach Smoothie (250 calories)
Lunch— Wrap with turkey, cheese, salad, apple (400 calories)
Snack—String Cheese and PB toast (250 calories)
Dinner—Squash Medley and Black Beans (500 calories)

Friday
Breakfast—PB Toast with sliced bananas, milk (350 calories)
Snack—Spinach smoothie (250 calories)
Lunch—L/O dinner or open-faced cheese and veggie sandwich, fruit (350 calories)
Snack— Handful of almonds (160 calories)
Dinner—Grab-it

Saturday
Breakfast—Fruit and protein shake (400 Calories)
Snack—almond trail mix (250 calories)
Lunch—PB and banana sandwich, milk (450 caloreis)
Snack—yogurt and granola (200 calories)
Dinner—Fish Tacos (500 calories)

Sunday
Breakfast—Waffles and fruit
Snack—Yogurt and almonds (210)
Lunch—Open Sandwich with avocado, cheese, tomato (350 calories)
Snack—none
Dinner—Salmon, Potatoes, Salad, Green Beans, Ice Cream

Day 7 & 8...

Saturday and Sunday went really well. I stuck to my plan eben when it was really hard. I'll tell you, I was so, so, so tempted Saturday night to go and get a treat. I had to run to Target for a last minute purchase before Sunday and I was so tempted to get some chocolate. I was even walking up and down the candy isle tempting myself with all the goodies (Not very smart) but I was able to resist. And the thing that helped...GUM! I bought a pack of minty gum and popped a piece in my mouth. Although it didn't curb my craving for chocolate, it did satisfy my sweet tooth. I guess I'm keeping gum around from now on.

Sunday is my "day off" so to speak. I allow myself to eat goodies and I don't watch labels so meticulously. I still try to stick to my rules as much as possible, but I'm a little more leanient. As I'm writing this tonight I feel so "stuffed," and not in a good way. I ate some carmel apples and ice cream and I feel the sugar dragging me down. Yuck! I know I would feel so much better if I cut sugar out completely. But the thought of that sounds really unlikely, but we'll see, maybe I'll get to the point where I don't want any.

I am working on my menu and hope to post it later tonight or sometime tomorrow. I'm also going to start Mummy Tummy tomorrow. Let me know if any of you have any success with that.

Day 6...

Today was a good day! I wasn't able to go walking, but I did my stretching. I haven't been able to watch my Mummy Tummy DVD yet, hopefully I'll get to watch it tonight and start that tomorow. If not, I know I'll have time to watch it tomorrow since Matt is home and I'll start on Monday. I'm excited for that, I'm excited that next week I'll get to start exercising again too, I'm actually missing it. My feet are feeling better, so that's good.

I'm excited to say I stuck to my menu too! The only change is that Matt brought dinner home after work so I wouldn't have to be on my feet cooking. He brought me my favorite, Thai Lettuce Wraps from Cheesecake Factory. YUM!! It is a really healthy dish, so I'm sure it fit into the plan. The only thing I question is the sauce. It's a peanut sauce, so I'm sure it has sugar in it, but I used it so sparingly, like a few drops on each wrap just for the taste, that I think it's okay.

The only thing is it is about 8:30, and I am craving something sweet, really bad. I think I'll go eat a banana or something. I'll let you know how I do tomorrow.

Menu for the rest of the week...

...and I'm getting a head start for next week which I'll post Sunday night.

Friday
Breakfast—2 eggs over easy, toast, OJ (340 calories)
Snack—Spinach smoothie (250 calories)
Lunch—Wrap with turkey, cheese, salad, apple (460 calories)
Snack—String Cheese and triscuts (200 calories)
Dinner—California Chicken, salad, fruit (550 calories)

Saturday
Breakfast—Fruit and protein shake (400 calories)
Snack—almond trail mix (250 calories)
Lunch—PB and banana sandwich, milk (450 caloreis)
Snack—yogurt and granola (200 calories)
Dinner—Grab-it

Sunday
Breakfast—Waffles and fruit (400 calories)
Snack—Yogurt and almonds (210 calories)
Lunch—1/2 sandwich w/ avocado, cheese, tomato, & smoothie (500 calories)
Snack—none
Dinner—Salmon, Potatoes, Salad, Green Beans, Ice Cream (690 calories)

Bummer Deal...

We have had such a whirl-wind of a week that when my feet really started hurting, I tried to ignore it so I could continue to get things done. Once I realized the pain wasn't going away, i figured I should go and get it checked out. This is most definitely the last thing I expected to have happen, but none-the-less, here I am being told by the doctors "to keep my feet up" for a week while the strained ligaments in my arches heal. How in the world am I supposed to be a mom, unpack, get the laundry done, grocery shop, clean up the house, and keep my feet up for a week? I think I'm going to go crazy! The other "stuff" I can over look or have Matt help with, which he has already offered several times, but how in the world do you keep up with a toddler and a baby while "keeping your feet up, and for a week at that?" Any suggestions??

So how did this happen one might ask? I guess stretching before any exercise program and not using 2 1/2 year old shoes really makes a difference in preventing injuries. I strained the ligaments in my feet b/c my shoes weren't supporting my feet anymore and I wasn't warming the muscles up before I started walking/exercising. I guess you can say I've learned my lesson, that's for sure.

So, it looks like my walking will be put on hold. The doctor has given me a list of stretches to do to help relieve some of the tightness, so I'll be able to continue with my daily stretches. No stamina training for a week either. I am still going to try to start my muscle training tomorrow with my Mummy Tummy exercises and Pilates, as long as it doesn't hurt my feet. I don't think it should.

For the last few days I have been a little bummed about having to be here in AZ, and my first reaction is to find a little comfort in eating. I wish I could report that I was able to withstand the desire to eat whatever was in sight and that I stuck to the plan, but I cannot. Especially since when I got back to our apartment here, all that there was to eat was cold cereal, Doritos, Oreos, a couple of cans of stuff, cheese, and tortillas. It took me a couple of days to get to the store, so I think I ate more than half of those Oreos. Dang it! It is so easy to throw the towel in and say "Forget it, I've already messed up, what's the point," but I KNOW I can do this, so as soon as I finish this post, I am going to make a menu and a shopping list and send Matt out to get some real food. I'm not going to let a few days stop me from eating healthy. I feel the effects of the junk I've been eating too, I feel so yucky. I have a headache and I feel like I could just stay in bed all day. (Too bad I have to or I'd force myslef to get up). I did go through the pantry and throw all the junk food away, so here's to a better tomorrow. I'll post my menu as soon as I finish.

Update...

Hey all! I moved this weekend into our new home! (YEAH!!) So I'll start again with Day 6 when we get settled. We are flying out to AZ tonight, and I will probably need a day to get organized, go shopping, etc. So, on Wednesday I'll get back on the ball! Thanks for all your encouragement and support. It helps me so much. See you in a few days.

Day 5...

Started off really good today. I walked my 4 miles and really pushed myself, so i really feel like I got a good workout. I started off eating really well too, but then at dinner time I let my gaurd down. I was planning on going to our RS retreat, so I was saving up my calories so I could enjoy the dinner that they prepared, but I couldn't go because Kate was acting like she had an ear infection and Tanner is having a hard time being left, so I ended up not going. My brother in law ordered pizza, and I had 1 1/2 peices of that (which I'm sure is like 600 calories and probably is loaded with some of those 5 no-no ingredients). And then, I had a couple peices of that pumpkin chocolate bread that i fought off so hard yesterday (dang-it!). I should have stopped there, but then I ate a couple handfuls of chocolate chips too. There went 2 of my 3 treats. At least I hadn't had any this week.

I have to say, I feel so yuck. Probably mostly b/c I know I could have done better, but I actually feel a difference in the way I feel after eating those foods. After my first peice of pizza, I almost had a tummy ache. I should have taken that as a sign to stop and find something else to eat, but when it's convenient and right there, it is hard not to. I felt the same after eating all that sugar. Is it really worth it? I'll have to see how I feel as I get further into this program.

Day 4...

I have to start off by saying I exercised an extreme amount of self-control today. My mother-in-law went to go pick up some bread at Great Harvest and picked up a loaf of their Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Bread. I LOVE that bread, it is so good. But I know I'm going to have a lot of opportunies for treats this weekend so I resisted. I don't know if I've EVER resisted that yummy bread, but I am so proud of myself that I did! Woo-hoo!!

So, I went walking this morning, and I was able to do my stretching. I went with some friends, so it was really fun. I got a Tetnus shot yesterday b/c of a rusty nail, so I didn't feel very good today, so I didn't really push myself hard today, but I think that's okay. You can only do so much. Tomorrow is my 4 mile day, so I'll push myself plenty tomorrow. =)

My menu today was quite boring, we really need to go grocery shopping around here, so I jsut kind of ate whatever I could find, but I followed the rules, I didn't eat pumpkin bread, and I stayed within my calories!!

Breakfast--Cereal (I found fruit juice sweetened cereal at Good Earth, it's not bad) with milk and fruit, OJ (400 calories)
Lunch--PB and banana sandwiches on whole wheat bread (my favorite, yum!), glass of milk (500 calories)
Snack--Chips and Salsa (300 calories)
Dinner--Pineapple and cottage cheese, poatoes cut thin with ketchup, watermelon (450 calories)
Snack--Nut bar from Good Earth (200 calories)

Total--1850 Calories

Loose that "Mummy Tummy"

I've had a lot of questions in regard to my Mummy Tummy exercises. They are exercises used to help heal a diastasese (the seperation of you muscles in your abdomen seperated during pregnancy). The exercises come from this book (or DVD) by Julie Tupler. I haven't really tried the exercises, so I can't promote it whole-heartedly, but I am going to try it, and can't wait to see if it brings results. You can read more about Julie Tupler and her book if you google "mummy tummy, " there are a million results. You can buy her book on Amazon too. I have a really bad diastasese, so i hope I can fix it.

Day 3...

3 Days down, 87 to go.

First off I have to say thank you to all of you out there for your support. I can already see the difference it is making to keep me motivated. I've heard that if you tell someone a goal that you have, it makes you feel more accountable for what you are doing. That is exactly how I feel. So, thank you. You all will help me reach my goal!

For example, today I really didn't want to exercise. It was my stamina day as well, and I just didn't want to get out the door. But, I just grabbed my shoes and thought, you've got to do it Mary, you've just got to. Don't give up, just get it done. And the whole time I was walking, I had to keep telling myself that. When I was on the final stretch, I felt so much pride in my ability to "overcome" my lack of desire. I know it takes a while to create a habit, but I want more than anything for this to become a habit. I want exercise to just be a part of my everyday. I know this program is going to help me get there.

So today, I did my 30 minutes of walking, my 20 minute of stamina training and my 5 minutes of stretching. I do this every Mon, Wed, and Friday. Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday, I will do my wieght training. I will start that when I get to AZ next week. I've got to ease into that one.

Here's what I ate today:
Breakfast--2 scrambled eggs with a small handful of cheese over a whole wheat peice of toast, half-a-cup of OJ (450 calories)
Snack--a banana (100 calories)
Lunch--Open faced cheese sandwich with tomatoe slices and spinach smoothie (525 calories)
Dinner--Black Bean Chipotle Garden Burger with Guacamole and salsa, potatoes cut thin and ketchup (500 calories)
Snack--Luna Bar (Nutz over Chocolate), glass of milk (280 calories)

Total--1855 Calories

Day 2...

Today was a harder day, not because I struggled with my "plan" goals, but becuase last night both Kate and Tanner kept me up all night. I feel like I didn't sleep at all. So when I woke up this morning, all I wanted to do was go back to bed. I was grumpy and just didn't want to put forth the effort to reach my goals. Especially walking and exercise. I just did not want to do it. But, I bit the bullet and just made myself did it. And I am so glad I did. I follwed my diet plan (I'll list my menu at the end), and I was able to do my walking and stretching. B/C I was fighting going, I missed the window to walk outside before Kate went down for her nap, so I did my walking on the tredmill. But I did it. Before the "accountability" I have with all of you I don't think I would have made the effort to do it. I still need to do my muscle training, I am going to start that next week when I'm back in AZ with my Mummy Tummy program. I'll update you on that too.

I still had a desire to munch in the evening, so I've been drinking a lot of water. The water seems to help with the cravings. I also changed my meal plan a little bit. I wasn't hungry in between breakfast and lunch for my mid-morning snack, so I decided I would save those calories for a later snack. I liked that much better. I was planning on going to a cooking club tonight and was leaving a few calories to taste things there, but I wasn't able to go due to the kids, so this number is much lower than what I would typically want. I'll hit my number tomorrow. Here's what I ate today:

Breakfast--Whole Wheat Waffle with 1 tsp Pb and sliced Bananas (400 calories)
Lunch--Whole Wheat wrap with Harvati cheese and salad, grapes, and a bite of Tanner's sandwich (500 calories)
Snack--Cascade Fresh yogurt (it's fruit juice sweetened), 10 almonds (210 calories)
Dinner--Pasta and Marinara Sauce with cheese, a big salad w/o salad dressing (400 calories)
Snack--Handful of whole grain cereal, milk and half a banana (200)

Total--1710

Day 1...

Today was the first day of my 90 day plan! I have to say I'm really excited about it. A friend told me that she's been paying more attention to Dr. Oz's suggestions and that she is really happy with the results. I'm excited, I know it's going to be good for me.

A qoute that I found from Dr. Oz is, "If you focus on your health first, your wieght will follow."

This is what I am most excited about. Sure, I want to wear all the clothes in my closet again, and I'll get there, but I want to be healthy, and I want my family to be healthy. That's why I'm doing this.

Today went really well. I was able to stick to my plan. I went on a mile walk this morning and really pushed myself hard for a good part of it. It took me about an hour, so I thought I would do this walk every other day and use it as a combined walking/stamina training. After the walk I felt great!! I think I burned more calories than I thought I would though b/c I was sooo hungry all day long. I was good though, instead of grabing some of Tanner's animal crackers or anything sweet, I grabbed a handful of almonds or some fruit. I have to say it feels good having the self-control to be able to do that. Let's hope I can keep it up.

The hardest part of the day was after the kids went to bed. I am so used to having a "treat" or some snack that I really shouldn't eat that it was really hard not to give in and grab something. But I didn't. I just found something else to do to take my mind off it. I can tell that will be the hardest part of it all. If I was truly hungry, I would get something healthy to tide me over, but it is pure habit, so I can break it.

So day 1 was a success. Only 89 more to go...

Week 1 Menu...

Monday:
Breakfast--2 Whole wheat toast with PB, banana, 8 oz glass of milk (450 calories)
Snack--Spinach Smoothie (250 Calories)
Lunch--Whole Wheat Wrap with 1/2 piece of cheese, cup of lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers, salsa, and apple slices (350 calories)
Snack--Fruit and Nut Bar from Good Earth, juice (300)
Dinner--Salad with L/O Salmon from last night and potatoes cut thin with ketchup (450 calories)

Total -- 1800 calories

K, I'm realizing that a menu this week is going to be impossible. I'm still at Matt's parents while our house is getting completed and I just don't want to go shopping and buy a bunch of food that I won't be using after this week (since we are going back to AZ this weekend). So instead, I will report what I ate for the day and then after I get settled back into a routine in AZ, I'll post menus.

Activities to better health and weight loss success...

1. Walk 30 minutes a day, no matter what!!
2. Stamina training (biking, swimming) -- 3 times a week, at a rate at which you are sweating for 20 minutes or are out of breath by the end of your session.
3. Resistance training -- 3 times a week, 10-15 minutes a day.
4. Stretching or yoga -- at least 5 minutes a day after walking
5. Deep breathing -- Take 10 deep breaths every morning and every night
6. Sleep! Plan for at least 7-8 hours of sleep a night.

He also says to:
1. Go out an play
2. Watch your waistline (Abdominal fat is a higher risk factor for heart disease)
3. Have sex 2 times a week
4. Avoid stressful situations as much as possible

Food Rules...

Dr. Oz says to avoid ANY foods that have these 5 ingredients in the first 5 ingredients listed on the labels:

1. Enriched flours
2. Sugar
3. High Fructose Corn Syrup
4. Anything that adds saturated (or animal) fats.
5. Anything with Partially Hydrogenated Oils or Trans Fats.

Do...

1. Eat when you're hungery (and try to eat every 3 hours so you don't get overly hungry)
2. Eat these everyday...nine servings of fruits and vegetables, at least 1 ounce of raw nuts (about a handful), high-fiber, whole-grain breads of cereals, especially in the morning.
3. Eat fish 2-3 times a week
4. Eat 10 Tbsp of processed tomato products (ketchup or tomato sauce) a week for a healthy dose of the antioxidant lycopen.
5. Add garlic, olive oil, and spinach to your diet

Why am I doing this?

I recently saw a program on Oprah with Dr. Oz. He is a doctor that is on her show pretty regularly that is a strong advocate of healthly eating and exercise. I have seen him on Oprah a couple of times and have been really impressed with his suggestions for health and ways to feel younger and more vibrant. I'm all for that. =)

On this last show I watched with him on it, he actually put a woman on a 90 day plan that he created to help her turn her health around. This lady was 42 years old but her "real age" was 56. She was aging herself by "letting herself go." By eating poorly and not exercising, her body was 14 years older than her calendar age. (If you are interested to find out what your "real age" is go to this link). After just 90 days, she was transformed. I was amazed. She was literally glowing. She looked so healthy, her skin, her appearance, everything. She had lost 42 pounds (I think), and just looked amazing. It really motivated me. After I saw that show, I wanted to put myself on a 90 day plan.

There are a few things that I want to change about my diet and lifestyle:
1. I have to get over my addiction to treats and sugar, I just have to!!
2. I want to maintain a healthy diet.
3. I want to make exercise a REGULAR part of my day.
4. I want to have more energy.
5. I want to finish loosing my pregnacy weight--14 more pounds!
6. I want to tone my body, especially my "mummy tummy." =)

Here are my goals to get there:
1. I am going to limit myself to NO MORE than 3 treats a week.
2. Follow Dr. Oz's rules for healthier eating.
3. Follow Dr. Oz's exercise goals.
4. By following this plan, I'm hoping my energy will increase.
5. My goal is to keep my calorie level at about 1800 calories a day (I am still nursing Kate, and that is my first priority, so I will adjust this as I see necessary). I'm hoping that by doing this, I will be able to loose the rest of my wieght by December 1.
6. There are "mummy tummy" exercises I will be doing as soon as I get back to AZ next week. I don't have the DVD here, but I would like to incorperate this into my strength training.

So, my idea is to "blog" this so I feel more sense of accountability to finish it. I'll write daily journals to talk about my progress, how I feel, and what adjustments I am making for my personal preferences and what I feel my body needs. I'll also post my weekly menus so anyone who is interested can adapt a plan for themsleves.

I'll definitely need your support. Any ideas, recipes, websites you know of, comments, and encouragement would be so helpful. I'm hoping by the end of this I will create habits that will help keep me healthy and "young," and will help me maintain my weight for years to come. As Dr Oz says, "Focus on health first, and your weight will follow."