Back to the gym I go!

It was a long, fun, unstructured, lazy at times, summer. While Shanna's been rocking her weight loss, I've been slowly creeping up on the scale...BOO! I can't be too upset about it; when I don't put in the effort, I can't expect magical results! As a result I was up a total of 10 pounds, YIKES! 3 weeks ago I started focusing on what I was eating again, then two weeks ago I added back in my gym time. I can't believe how much better I feel already. Plus, I'm down 5 of those pesky pounds! 

My muscles keep having to remind my brain that I my body knows what it's doing, & to stop questioning whether or not I can do the work! I really missed working out though, even if I have been super sore!

So, who's with me? Anyone else ready to recommit?  My body is sore, but I'm still going to drag my shrinking butt to the gym!

100 gone!

Fifteen years ago I gave birth to twins who were so early, that I had no idea what would become of them, and what my life would be. Would they be healthy? Would they live? Could I handle whatever challenges we might face? I turned to M&M's. Literally. I went through bags of them the first year of my cute little babies life.My family can tell you that M&M's were always around. When they came home from the hospital 3 months later, my sister would come over every day to watch them so I could workout. I worked out, and gained almost 100 lbs. Who knew you couldn't eat bags full of chocolate, and not gain weight just because you were working out?!

During the next 8 or 9 years, between the normal stresses of life, and having another baby, my weight stayed about the same. I would lose 20 pounds, but fall back into old habbits. The one thing I did do right, was that I always worked out pretty consistently.

When I was about 30, I fell on a slippery tile floor and broke my back. I ended up having surgery, and gained another 50 pounds on top of the 100! Yikes! I still tried to walk as much as I could, but it is really hard when you get big.

Well now I can say that I am getting my health back! Within a couple years after back surgery, I lost some weight, but kind of stalled out, which brings us to last summer. I gave up my treats, started working harder in my workouts and since last summer, I have lost 57 pounds, BUT....from my highest weight after back surgery, I have now lost 100 pounds!!! Life is good, and I have a wonderful husband and 3 healthy kids too(One towers over me!). We are all on this journey of life together, and I am thankful for their support. We all need it!

This week I have started calorie counting again. I hate it, but it works. If you want to join me, come find me at My Fitness Pal. I am shanse. I love friends!

1 Year Out...Now what??!

As of today, I have not had any chocolate/treats/desserts for one year! I made a goal and I stuck to it!

These are 3 of the many things I have learned.

1) My body doesn't always do things the way I want. I had to go with it anyway. I thought that I would be down roughly 100 pounds or so. I am about half way to that goal. The thing is, is that I am ok with it. Yes, I wish I was smaller, but I am on my way!

2) Sugar makes me feel like junk. I ate a lot of sugar, and I payed for it. Sugar makes me tired, and cranky. I think my family likes me better without sugar. I like myself better.

3) Giving up sugar was definitely not as hard as  I told myself it would be.  I am happy to say that once I made up my mind, it really wasn't a big deal. I thought it would be hard around Halloween, Christmas, etc., but the holidays were still just as fun and wonderful. Family parties were still memorable like always, and I realized that I didn't need chocolate to have a good time!

I am not exactly sure when I will eat a treat again. That is a very scary thing for me. I am really afreaid that once I eat something, all of the cravings will come back. So for now, I am going to be treat free a while longer. Today, I decided that I will give up chips/fried food until my birthday in September. I want to feel really good this summer and give myself the gift of better health for my birthday!

So yay for me, I DID IT!!!

What is something that would be hard for YOU to give up?

I love your support!

Hi everyone! We are still around slowly but surely losing. I feel like I have so much to say, but I don't know where to start! Maybe I should have been better at updating our blog! Life got so busy with the end of the school year. My weight is very slowly going down still, but I have decided to pick up the pace. Erin and I are doing a weight loss challenge, but here is the kick...We are competing on different teams! Erin is going down!!! Anyway, the thing I have been thinking about lately is support. Supporting each other. I feel like their are so many people supporting me on this journey.Without getting to cheesy, their are some things I need to say. First, I am so glad to have a friend that will go with me to the gym everyday! I think it is so important to have someone you can count on and who is counting on you. It makes us get there! Ok, yes...sometimes we skip and go to Target instead, or halfway through, we decide we are leaving and going to Carl's Jr., but for the most part. we work hard and push each other to do better, so thanks Erin! Next, I am thankful for the support of friends and neighbors. It does so much for me when people say how great I am looking or say what an inspiration we are. It makes me want to try that much harder! I am also thankful for family! My sisters constantly tell me that it is OK and even great that my weight is coming off soooo sllooow this year. They reassure me that I dont need to lose it super fast! The rest of my family has been very nice as well. And, my own little family. My kids tell me how awesome I am, and Jess is constantly listening to my triumphs and my insecurities and he has been a huge inspiration and help to me! And I also definitely have Divine help. I have said many, many prayers and I made a promise to my Heavenly Father this year, and He has made things possible for me that I didn't think would be. Prayer has been key for me! I a so thankful to be on this journey. As of now, I am down 52 pounds, and I am so excited to be down another 52!

 We keep finding out about people following us, and we want to hear from you, so tell us what helps you, or how you feel supported, or just say Hi. :)

That stupid yoyo!

I have been stagnant for the last couple of months and it's really frustrating. I know what I need to change... mostly my eating, and I change for a while, then let life take over and end up slipping back into bad habits.  Luckily, I've not yo-yo-ed too much weight, but it's still really annoying.  I came across this article today and it's really interesting.  Give it a read

Change!

Wow, putting our before and current during pictures has been super eye opening!  I can't believe how much we've both changed in only 7 months.  I'm so grateful to have such a great friend be my partner in this journey.  We both plateaued the last 2 months and we are finally moving forward again.  We challenged each other to no sweets...which Shanna has been doing for the last 8 months, no fried food...including chips, and no eating after 7. I have now lost a total of 39 pounds! 

 Miss Shanna is rocking her new gym clothes!  She looks so good!  She's now lost a total of 44 pounds!

I hope we are helping some of you meet your fitness goals as we are meeting ours. We really love and need to hear from you...it helps us keep moving forward!  Take a picture of yourself today and make goals of what you'd like your fitness to be like in 6 months.  Then continue taking pictures.  If you do we'd love to see them!

Hey everyone! We are still here!

Wow. It is March first today. This year is flying by! Since Christmas, I am down 2 pounds. Two little, tiny pounds. And I had to work for those pounds. Ok this week I had to work for those pounds! You see, Erin and I have been going. We have been missing from this blog, but we have been keeping up our workouts and trying to lose. Nothing. We switched up our workouts, and inches were coming off but pounds? NOTHING! Then we got an idea. Maybe food matters! Haha, just kidding, we know it does. Working out comes naturally for me. I love it. I love the way I feel, and I love going to the gym with Erin most of the time. Counting calories. I Hate it. I would rather do anything than count calories, but it works darn it! Anyways, this week, we decided to clean up our eating a lot. No chips/fried foods for 2 weeks. No late night snacking, get our water in, and no treats(I have already been doing that for 8 months!). After two weeks, we are buying each other a prize!!! Erin is buying me some new workout shoes, and I am buying her whatever she ends up choosing. It will be fun, and I still get to avoid calorie counting for a few more weeks! I have to mix things up constantly so I don't get bored. :) So I guess today, I am just feeling thankful that we are 8 months in to this weight loss, and although it hasn't been easy, we have NEVER GIVEN UP, and we are going to so this!  We want to hear form YOU! How have your weight loss goals been going this new year?

p.s. Our March pictures will be up in the next week! We like doing the every two months pics better!

p.p.s. How did everyone do on the KSL 10 pound challenge??? Cami and Courtney were the only ones who entered Our Giveaway, so you both win!!! Send me a message with your address, and your prize will be on its way!

Thanks everyone for your motivation and support! We love it when you stop and tell us you love what we are doing, or when friends of friends tell us you read our blog! We are having so much fun doing this together!