I have to say that knowing all of you were starting off your week on the right foot motivated me all week long.  Let’s all keep up the great work!

Here is an updated after week two.

 Christina of Dinner at Christina’s. 

She started out her challenge by moving from Illinois to North Carolina.  In her words:

Last Wednesday and Thursday we loaded the 16′ moving truck with help
from just 1 friend. Lots and lots of running around and lifting. Then
drove all day/night Friday from IL to NC. We unloaded the truck in a
few hours into a storage unit with the help of my dad. Much more
walking and lifting- I have bruises everywhere!!! My motivation for
all of the above was to treat myself to a pedicure, which I got Monday
after sleeping pretty much all day Sunday.

I heard from work that I didnt have to start until Friday night, so I
took a 4 hour road trip to visit my god daughter. They have a
membership to lifetime fitness. We went originally to play in the pool
and lounge in the sun. But I saw they had set aside the inside pool
for age 12+ so it was virtually empty. I did 2 laps and my legs were
BURNING. but I thought to myself “I need to set a goal and stick to
it” so I chose 26 laps for my age. It took me a little over 30 minutes
and some laps I used the little kickboard float, but I DID IT! my arms
and legs felt like jelly after.

Jenn of Slim-Shoppin.  One of my sisters biggest temptations is all the food that is available at her office, from breakfast meetings to lunch meetings – she’s usually in charge of ordering the food too!  But this past week she avoided the big ass cookies at work, leftover pizza at work, two HUGE boxes of pastries; she didn’t eat after dinner (another problem she has) but once, and instead of chips she had a bowl of oatmeal with blueberries and she worked out every day this week!  Great job Jenn – you are back on! 😀

Blog reader Janie is a new momma and said:  “I had a pretty good week! My goal is to get some form of exercise 4 days a week, even if it’s just a walk.  I have a new baby (7 weeks on Saturday!) Stroller walks with him and the dog were all I was able to do this week, but I did walk for 30 minutes every evening!  I have a rather hilly neighborhood so I feel like I’m getting a slight workout.  I’m hoping to be able to get to the gym a couple times a week in addition to the walks, starting this weekend!  I also plan to cook at least one meal this weekend to pack for my lunches next week.  I have to plan ahead much more now that I’m caring for a baby:)”  Great job Janie!

Blog reader Christine left me a comment that made me decided to WI last week after Memorial Day weekend – thanks for the push Christine.  She said ”  Maybe you could go to your meeting but not weigh in? That way you still get the support and tips and can remain positive for next week. I didn’t want to get on the scale this morning after my free-for-all over Memorial Day (which I stretched into 4 days – ugh) even though I got back on track starting Tuesday. I *did* get on the scale and it wasn’t that bad. So maybe you’d be pleasantly surprised?”  Hope you had a great week this week Christine! 

Morgan from Back Off I’m Starving, she’s training for a half marathon in the fall, and her runs have been a struggle lately – if you have time, go on over and give Morgan some virtual hugs!

Jacky from Jax House  had an okay week.  “I ate lunch away from my desk everyday, which is a first.  Got in some exercise but not as much as I could.  Back to the shred, hope to keep that up for 30 days.  I am down 2.4 lbs, BUT I have 3 parties to survive between now and Monday. Wish me luck with that!”

Jody, who is our next participant!   “I will be thinking of my goals for the next couple days and letting you know….for one NO SODA!!!  We are soda hounds….even though I know it is a cardinal sin for weight loss!!!!! 

Any suggestions would be helpful – but just need to get my mojo back…..walking and eating right –sounds simple right?

I have already posted  a 60 day planner in the bathroom next to the scale  – that is a daily commitment – weigh myself.

Tomorrow (which was last Tuesday) a big walk planned since the past 4 days have been spent driving form CT to IN and back.”  Hope the rest of your weekend went well Jody!

And how could I forget my blog BFF Shelley?!   After my Motivation Monday email asking you guys to do just one more thing, I got this email from Shelley:  I read this before I went to the pool this morning, and added one more set of kickboard laps (4×25) for you, and one for me.  Thanks for the motivation – you are a great cheerleader!!!  She’s also been struggling with an ankle injury and not being able to run, but she’s kicking ass in the pool – even has some new swim fins!

Blog reader Aide says: “Well I still haven’t quiet made it to the gym, but I did start taking my daily walks at work again (really helps me w/ my anxiety) I’ve been ok in regards to not eating as many carbs, but I know I can do better. I weigh myself at home everyday (which I know I shouldn’t) but I’ll give you an official weight on Monday after I see my Dr (which btw, I’m looking forward to seeing because I just had lab work done and I’m really hoping my A1C has gone down!!). Good thing is that I’m drinking more water than I have in the last couple of weeks.”

Good luck at the dr. tomorrow!

Maggie from Say Yes to Salad.  She’s in Paris with her husband for a wedding and extra travel – lucky!  Hope you are having a great time!

Lori from Fit and Healthy Mama.  “I did lose 0.4 this week – so I lost something…still want a bigger loss!
I made not one, but two new recipes this week – yeah!  Gazing In’s Egg Muffins & Loser for Life’s Light Slaw with Cranberries & Honey.

I ran the first of my 2 summer 5k’s last Saturday.  There was a lot of self sabatoging talk throughout the race, but I made it through.  I haven’t scheduled my second one yet, though I can say this weekend would have been perfect weather wise for one!

Feeling REALLY down lately.  Every day has been a struggle to journal – even just one meal.  In turn I’m feeling really depressed because I can’t get it in control.  The good thing about it is I’m not giving up where in the past I would have.”  If you have time, stop by Lori’s blog and give her a boost for this week.  Lori, I am so proud that you aren’t giving up!

Tish from Incremental Improvements.  Tish lost 1.2 pounds this week, which fits perfectly for her goal to lost a pound a week – slow and steady wins the race in my book – great job Tish!

Blog reader Ashley C wants to lost 25 pounds and reduce her food waste.  I didn’t get an email from her (that I can see) so I’ll update her after I shoot her an email.  

Ally of Sweet and Savory.  She had a great week! “Good news on my front – I lost 3 lbs at my weigh in on Friday, which means I’m down 6 lbs since starting WW!  I’ve found it SO much easier since my whole department is doing it and we are keeping each other in track.  I’m still trying to find time to exercise, but I figure that will come…but for now the weight is coming off!”

Errign (pronounced Erin) of Errign’s Adventures.  She’s just moved to a new town and had a great second week:  “Here’s how I did on my goals:
1. This week the farthest I ran outside was 3.25 miles, but I’m still adjusting to the higher elevation in Asheville.  My longest distance since the challenge began is 4.5 miles.  Next week, I’m planning on going on a group 5 mile run here in Asheville.
2. This week I practiced doing headstands with the wall for about 20 minutes.  I attempted one headstand without the wall, just for fun, and I went right over.  Next week, I’m planning to just keeping practicing with the wall to get stronger.
3. I haven’t made many friends in Asheville yet because I haven’t started working yet, but I’m friendly with my roommate & I reconnected with a couple from my hometown who recently moved here too.”

Next up is Tyler of Life of Ty.  She’ll weigh in tomorrow, but she said “I weigh in on Mondays, so it’s easier to send my info to you at the beginning of the week. I think I’m going to hit the 10 pound mark this week! Holla!”  That’s awesome Ty! 😀 

Sam of Sam’s Weight Watchin’ Menu.  “During the first week I finished Week 1 of C25K and lost 2.4 lbs. This week I am finishing C25K Week 2 today and I need 5 more activity points to get to my 25, which I will also get today :)”  Great job Sam!

Blog reader Jill came out of the woodwork to participate – yeah!  I need to shoot Jill an email – her goals were to eat out less and get out to exercise more – hope she had a great week!

Sara from Cupcake Muffin.  “This has been a week of a lot of travel/running around for me, but I’m feeling pretty good about my goal of eating more fresh fruits and veggies and cooking more.  I had a marathon cooking day on Wednesday, which was a lot of fun.  I also made sure to pack a healthy dinner on Friday since I was going straight from school to a dessert buffet at church – at which I think I was pretty restrained! 🙂 Thursday night was my problem night – I was exhausted and in the mood for something junky, so I heated up frozen pizza.  However, I have some good cooking plans for the weekend to get back on track!”  Hope you got some cooking in this weekend Sara! 😀

Blog reader Joan is in for a challenge too!  I need to check up with her via email, hope she had a great week. :D

Nicole from Prevention RD.  “I have been better about journaling…not great, but better! And, I am down 1.2 lbs this week! Wooo!!” Congrats on the -1.2!  I hope to steal that from you next week to get my 10%. 😀

MaryBe from Accidentally Vegan.   MaryBe hit her goal of doing yoga every night for at least 30 minutes – great job! 😀

Tracy of Tracy’s Journey to Health.  “I know I have not updated my site but it is on my to do list for tomorrow morning.  Once I do I will definitley let you know, but since you wanted to update tomorrow I thought I would go ahead and send this.  I had a rough first week because we lost my Grandpa June 1st and he was ill several days prior to that.  Diet and exercise just seemed to take a back burner.  I did weigh and do measurements before everything started happening, and I made sure to weigh in this Friday (I think that will be my weekly weigh in day) to see how I did.  I started at 205 (ack!!!!!) and this Friday was 204.6.  So I met that goal at least.  Hopefully now that I am actively working on it that number will go down a bit more.  As far as my weekly exercise, I managed 45 minutes so I feel a bit short of that goal.  But this week I have already got my gym dates in my calendar and actually have my gym clothes on now. ”  If you have time, shoot Tracy a comment to cheer her on this week! 

Rachel of Losing It!  Rachel had a gain after Memorial Day, but kicked ass this week to lose five pounds!  She’s actually in Stockholm now. 😀

Mo’Betta aka Kim of This Little Life of Mine – “I did good in the exercise department!  4 hours worth of exercise classes (4 hrs & 45 minutes if you count the treadmill on Sunday!)  However, NO weight loss.  As a matter of fact, it was UP this morning 😛  A little discouraging…but I’m gonna stick with it!”  Yep Kim, know the feeling, but we can’t always expect the scale to show our results when we want them – keep on going! 😀

MB is another 101 Days of Summer Alum!  New milestone for Michelle, having already lost over 92 pounds. . . her BMI is normal!  Woot!  I also liked what she posted on her blog:  “I WILL NEVER GIVE UP! If I didn’t give up after years of struggling and gaining I’m certainly not going to give up now. I’m so close to my goal I can almost taste it. Quitting is just not an option.”  Love it!

New reader Autumn Rose is maintaining her weight loss.  I need to check up with her via email to see how her week went. 

Renee of My Kitchen Adventures – check out all her great WW recipes. 😀  Here is her update:  “I missed my WW meeting this week, I did have a legit excuse ( picking son up form school and dealing with a problem my daughter had with her hair salon ) , but this week I am going for sure. I traveled to NYC over the weekend last week, and although I ate more than I should, and tracking was a bitch because I didn’t know and couldn’t estimate point values for so many things I ate, I walked A LOT, so hopefully it all balanced out.

Had some issues with my lower back this week, that curtailed the amount of exercise I got…but I got it when I could, which is still better than nothing in my book! lol”

And then there is me!  I had a great week – got two long bike rides in, the last one was 10 miles on my lunch break. 😀  At my WW meeting on Saturday, the leader was focusing on how to get the most out of your 29 points – and I think I need to go back to the basics this week and try to menu plan around the healthy guidelines – I know I don’t have enough dairy (other than cheese!) and need to bulk up the veggies too.  I want my 10% next week – only .8 to get it.  It’s mine! 

And to reward you for getting down this far, I have to share my new favorite muffin.  It made 14 muffins for 6 PointsPlus each.  With a light string cheese and a sliced apple, this would be a filling 7 point breakfast.

Sweet Potato Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

  • 1 cup of sweet potatoes (from a can, just be sure to drain well)
  • 3 really ripe bananas
  • 1 cup splenda (can use sugar, just add 1 point to the muffin)
  • 1/3 cup olive oil
  • 2 eggs
  • 1/3 cup evaporated milk (or regular milk)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/3 cup 60% cocao chips (I used Ghirerdelli (sp?!)
  • 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

Mix the sweet potatoes, bananas, sugar, oil, eggs and milk.  Add the dry ingredients and then the chocolate chips.  I used a 1/3 measuring cup and got 14 muffins out of this recipe.  Sprinkle the walnuts over the top of the muffins.   Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes, or until they are golden brown.  I use a silicon muffin pan – for best results, I let them cool completely before removing them – they come out perfect each time.

 My MIL was the one who taught me to use almost rotten bananas in breads and muffins – they turn out extra sweet. 😀

I love how the walnuts get toasted on top while they bake.  These are a keeper!

Enjoy your Sunday!