Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today: While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up. Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

I have walked 17 miles --  68% of my goal of 25 miles!

Miles walked today: 1
Miles walked this week: 10

Miles walked this year: 113

Miles walked in the May Walking Challenge: 17

 

Pounds lost toward my goal of losing 8 pounds by Memorial Day: 6!!!!

Water drank today so far: 64 ounces...Need to try to get the rest in today.  I'm not doing well on the water this month for some reason.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today: While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up. Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Miles walked this year: 96

Miles walked in the April Walking Challenge: 52

I have walked 52 miles -- 100% of my goal of 50 miles!!

Pounds lost toward my goal of losing 8 pounds by Memorial Day: 5!!!!

Water drank today so far: 64 ounces...didn't do too well on the water today.  :-(

I have had 66% of my goal of 96 ounces water today!!

I will be walking in the final of our family's five March of Dimes WalkAmerica 2006 walks on July 23. This is a fundraiser to help save the lives of premature babies, and our family is walking in memory of my granddaughter Ellora. Please consider sponsoring our team by making a donation to the March of Dimes by clicking here. Help us save the lives of babies who were born too soon, too small...  Remember, the next baby who needs help from the March of Dimes could easily be the child of someone you know and love!

To read more about the WalkAmerica fundraiser, click here.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today: While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up. Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I mentioned in a previous post that I had set the TiVo to record this new program, "Honey, We're Killing the Kids," which is a new TLC series.  I was pleasantly surprised to see how well this program was handled.  Hopefully this show will help many parents realize that they are, indeed, killing their kids.

The family featured last night was totally out of control in many more ways than just eating!  The 8 year old son had never once slept in his own bed---straight from his crib into his parents' bed with mom---it didn't really say where dad slept...  Both parents were chain smokers.  The boys both played video games non-stop, and the family had no concept of going out and doing things together.  There were no chores or family responsibilities for the boys at all, and they were not required to do anything to earn privileges.  The youngest son was developing behavior problems that were directly linked to caffeine and high sugar intake. 

The doctor on the program, a nutritionist, feels it is her life goal to make parents realize that allowing their children to be out of control in their eating and other areas of life that contribute to obesity is really killing their children.  She wants to make them understand that they are in control, and they are responsible for their children already being in a situation that threatens their health. 

To accomplish this, she uses state-of-the-art computer imaging to show the parents what their child will look like each year until the age of 40, if they do not change their current behaviors.  This is done after she analyzes the family via hidden cameras in the home for a week so that she can get accurate information about their lifestyle.  In this program, the boys, 8 and 12, were non-stop eating machines, and the oldest was 3 times the weight of a normal 12 year old boy.  The 8 year old was also severely overweight, and was pre-diabetic and asthmatic (yet the parents continued to smoke while he had to be on a nebulizer!)

Even I was shocked to see the appearance of these boys as they aged via the computer imaging, as were the parents.  They were told that by not taking control of their sons' eating, they were in effect, taking 15 years off their lives, as if they continued their present lifestyle, they would most likely die by the age of  60. 

The rest of the program showed a week by week program of improving their family's lifestyle, which lasted 3 weeks, and then the boys were re-evaluated.  Some of the rules the doctor gave were get rid of all junk food---completely pitch every bit of it, the parents were to stop smoking, youngest son sleep in his own bed, start exercising by enrolling in a boxing class, parent alone time, earn privileges by having a chore chart, eating healthy meals that they were given recipes for, and so much more. 

It was fun to watch as the boys changed their attitudes through the three weeks from "this is like prison" to being excited about their new lifestyle.  The oldest son lost 15 pounds during the 3 weeks! 

On re-evaluating the boys, basing the new computer imaging on the assumption that the boys would continue their new lifestyle, it was exciting to see the handsome men they would become---and with a normal life expectancy!  

Moms, if you have children who are obese, especially if this is a generational thing for your family, and you yourself are not able to control either your own eating and/or your child's eating, I encourage you to watch this program.  You just might learn something that could add years to your child's life! 

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today: While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up. Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today: While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up. Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

Well, the Blubber Blogger-ing has been going fairly well, other than the fact that my treadmill is out of commission.  Today I had to finally take the plunge and walk outside.  I hated to do this, because I am in really bad shape, and didn’t want the entire country block to know just how bad.  Oh, my, by the time I got home, I was huffing and puffing but good!  

I was able to walk 3 miles in 1 hour, but it was so different from walking on the treadmill.  That country road wasn’t nearly as cushy on the feet as the treadmill was, so my feet took a beating.  The rest of me took a beating as well…I was feeling half dead and was 1-½ miles from home!  I was moving so slowly that I was afraid that the turkey vultures would think I was supper.  They seemed too eager to circle overhead…

I must admit that besides being embarrassed for people to see me moving so slowly, I was half afraid to walk outside the house.   What if I dropped over by the side of the road and one of the neighbors drove by and found me lying there???   What if I got to the end of the road and couldn’t get back again?  What if someone drove by with their windows down and heard me huffing and puffing?  If I have to drop over in my tracks, I would rather do it in the privacy of my own home than on a public country road!   How humiliating that would be!  

I did reach my goal of losing 17 pounds by Easter, but must admit that I gained back 4.  L   My new goal is to lose 8 pounds by Memorial Day weekend.  That would make a total weight loss of 21 pounds since the first of the year, which wouldn’t be half bad. 

Being in the Blubber Bloggers has been a real source of help, information, and encouragement.  The ladies who have joined are wonderful, and are at all levels in their weight loss/fitness programs, so I don’t have to feel like I am the only one who has more than just a few pounds to lose.  We are learning a lot from each other, and the support and accountability is great.  If you are struggling in this area, I really encourage you to try joining the rest of us Blubber Bloggers!  

I have walked today: While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up. Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Miles walked this year: 66

Miles walked in the April Walking Challenge: 22

I have walked 22 miles -- 44% of my goal of 50 miles!!

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today: While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up. Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today: While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up. Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today: While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up. Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today:     While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up.  Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I've decided to try again this month with the walking, as it helped me so very much last month.  I appreciate all that Kim does to make these Walking Challenges so much fun, and so motivational, too.  Thanks, Kim! 

If you would like to join me, the rest of the Blubber Bloggers, Kim, and all the other ladies who are participating in this adventure, please click on the banner above, or go to Kim's Walking Challenge page. 

You can find a banner to display on your own blog, a ticker to track your progress towards your goal, and at the end, a certificate to show that you reached your goal!  Also, you will be able to help support the others who are participating, and they will help you. 

If you are struggling with weight loss, maintenance after weight loss, or proper nutrition, or fitness issues, please consider joining the  Blubber Bloggers.  You can read more at the Blubber Blogger Blog, or you can join the email support loop by using either of the logos below. 

Click to join BlubberBloggers

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today:     While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up.  Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I am now able to walk at 3 m.p.h with the treadmill INCLINED!!!  And I even RAN for .5 mile.  My son laughed, because he doesn't remember ever seeing me run.   Now that just shows how BAD his memory is!!!

I did revise my goal to 50 miles, which was to make up for the days the treadmill was broken.  I still have a ways to go to reach my goal by the end of the month. I want the little logo Kim has for completing my goal SO BAD!!!!

I feel bad that I let the bad "Junk" in life this week affect my walking and my eating.  I didn't walk nearly enough to suit me, and skipped Thursday through Monday.  Instead I sat around moping, which didn't help Dad or me, either. :-( 

I have walked 35 miles -- 70 % of my goal of 50 miles in March!!

I am STILL stuck on the 15 pounds that I have already reported as being lost.  I am lucky to not have gained any back, because I am an emotional eater.  So even though I did better than I normally would have done (I have those of you who keep track of me and keep me on track to thank for that!) I did eat way too much junk food this weekend to help me "feel better" about the bad things in life.   Not very good of me, huh? 

Well, back to walking. 

Best of luck to the rest of the Blubber Bloggers, and to the March Walking Challenge participants.  May you all reach your goals!!!

[March Walking Challenge] [weight loss] [Blubber Bloggers]

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today:     While I walked, I was thinking about the awesome new Blubber Blogger support group for all of us who are trying to shape up.  Check it out here on my own site and on the official Blubber Blogger site.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

Oh, the fun we will have, the weight we will lose, the friends we will make, and the health we will enjoy!  Blubber Bloggers is now an official email support loop with its own official blog here at HSB, and we are ready for YOU to join!  Whether you have 5 pounds or 100 pounds to lose, are trying to maintain a weight loss, or if you are just fine weight wise, but need to get more physically fit, you are most welcome to join in the fun!  You will find support, motivation, fun, games, contests, and friends, all in a supportive Christian environment. 

JenIg is our honorary first group member, as she graciously has granted us permission to use the name Blubber Bloggers, which she created.  Thanks so much, Jen!!!  Gena has also wished us well (click here to read her comment), and has given us the go ahead to get started, so ladies---Let's get started!!! 

So many things are going to be happening.  A high-profile member of the HSB community will be leading a Bible Study that relates to weight loss and fitness, called Faithfully Fit.  Other HSB writers that you will know by name will be jumping in now and then to offer us advice and motivation. 

And there will be contests and prizes!   The first contest will be to develop a logo for the Blubber Bloggers' group, one that members can place on their blogs to promote the group.  All of you who are talented and gifted in this area are invited to participate.  The contest deadline is April 15th.  Members will choose the winning entry, and the winner will be able to have their work of art seen all over the blogosphere!  How cool is THAT???  And for those who are not as artsy, but recognize good graphics, we have another contest to find the coolest weight loss and/or fitness blinkie.  These are also due by April 15th.  All submissions are to be emailed to me at mkin@udata.com.  For more information on the contests, see the Official Blubber Blogger Blog! 

The first motivational competition will be a Walk Across America starting in just a couple weeks.  Members will be divided into teams, and will walk, run, jog, bicycle, swim, and climb their way across the USA.  The first team to make it from coast to coast will be the victors!  And of course, there will be PRIZES!!!  How motivating is that? 

The best part of all, though, will be the chance to talk back and forth with other homeschool moms who are struggling with weight and fitness issues.  The group will be closely moderated, so you can feel free to share more openly than on your blog.  Do be aware, though, that no matter how carefully we screen members, there could still be an "undesireable" member lurking, so do be choosey about what you decide to share.  For your ease in sharing, we have limited the group to just women.  No one will have access to the Yahoo homepage that is not a member---it is a closed group both in membership and in access to our page.

Who can join?  Any homeschool mom, or "graduate" homeschool mom, with a current blog.  Memberships must be submitted and approved, to grant all of us a bit more peace of mind.  In order to show our appreciation of HSB's support, we ask that all members provide a link to their blog in their sig line each time they post a message to the loop.  We do not want to in any way replace HSB, so please keep the posts on the loop limited as much as possible to weight loss and fitness issues, and continue to post other things about your life right here at HSB, or in your own blogging community. We'll have our support group out in the suburbs, but our home will remain right here at HSB. We are happy to welcome other homeschool mom bloggers from other blogging communities to join us as we blog about our blubber, or blubber about our blogging...well, maybe both :-)

Other helpful features will be file uploads that members will have access to.  You can upload pictures, charts, graphics, recipes, etc.  Anything that you feel will help the group.  You can even generate a poll to see what other members are thinking.  One that is currently open is how holidays affect your weight loss and fitness program. 

The Official Blubber Bloggers Blog is also a place for news and updates about the group, along with the email support loop.  The site has not been fully developed yet, because yours truly is not very bright about templates.  Two wonderful Blubber Bloggers have volunteered to create a beautiful new template for us with all sorts of beautiful graphics as soon as our logo competition is over next weekend.  As you can see, it will take the talents of all of us to make this group a success.  I know it will be a blessing to many people. 

This is YOUR group.  I am merely the moderator.  Feel free to offer suggestions that you think will benefit our members.  You can post comments under my Blubber Bloggers posts here on my blog or on the Official Blubber Blogger Blog.  Or if you prefer, you can email me.  I look forward to all the help I can get.  Several others have been so very helpful in the planning stages of getting this group off the ground, especially Sheryl, and I know more of you will want to be a part of the planning and running of the group.  Let us know how you think you can help. 

What can you do now?  Sign up for the group below.  Blog about our new Blubber Blogger group on your own blog, and please provide a link-back to this post on my blog in your own post.  And if you would like to help us get members signed up, either give them the address http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/BlubberBloggers/ where they can sign up, or let me know, and I will send you the code for the graphics generated by YahooGroups that you see below.  These will be used until we have our contest winning logo ready to replace these rather generic looking graphics.  LOGO CONTEST PARTICIPANTS----please know that we need YOU!!!  Besides having your work seen, you will win a copy of a First Place Bible study of your choice, published by Gospel Light. 

PLEASE, IF YOU ARE HAVING WEIGHT OR FITNESS ISSUES, JOIN BLUBBER BLOGGERS AND JOIN IN THE FUN!!!  You can do so right down below.  And yet another contest...the 36th  and 67th members to join our group will also receive a First Place Bible study of their choice!  Read this post to find out why I picked these numbers. 

Click to join BlubberBloggers

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today:     And while I was walking, I was thinking about the really, really neat support group that several of us Blubber Bloggers have been talking about creating!  Sheryl and Patricia W. Hunter are in on the thinking stages of this, too.  I'll be telling you more after we throw some more ideas around together.

Miles walked today: 2.5  I didn't feel much like walking after finding out about Dad, but I was proud that I made myself do it anyway.

Miles walked this week: 10.5  Can you believe little ol' me walked this far this week?  AND I might remind you that I have two more days to go yet!!!

Miles walked in the March Challenge: 32.5 More than half of my goal!!!

Pounds lost this year: 15
Water drank today so far:  32 ounces, I was bad about my water today, but my tummy hurt, and got real crampy when I drank more than a few sips.

I will be walking in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica 2006 on April 30. This is a fundraiser to help save the lives of premature babies, and our family is walking in memory of my granddaughter Ellora.  Please consider sponsoring our team by making a donation to the March of Dimes by clicking here.  Help us save the lives of babies who were born too soon, too small... 

To read more about the WalkAmerica fundraiser, click here.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

I have walked today:   

Miles walked today: 4

Miles walked this week: 8

Miles walked in the March Challenge: 30 Half of my goal!!!

Pounds lost this year: 15
Water drank today so far:  96 ounces

I will be walking in the March of Dimes WalkAmerica 2006 on April 30. This is a fundraiser to help save the lives of premature babies, and our family is walking in memory of my granddaughter Ellora.  Please consider sponsoring our team by making a donation to the March of Dimes by clicking here.  Help us save the lives of babies who were born too soon, too small... 

To read more about the WalkAmerica fundraiser, click here.

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

It's not too late to join the March Walking Challenge.  Just click on the banner above!  Join with the rest of us and try to get in shape and/or lose some weight.

I am now able to walk at 3 m.p.h!!!  Yeah, me :-)  And I was able to walk for 4 whole miles yesterday for the first time.  Now remember, I started out at less than 1 m.p.h., and could only walk for about 20 minutes at a time (just enough to walk off one Girl Scout Samoa cookie :-)  This Walking Challenge has really helped me with a reason to walk, and the support from all the others who are a part of this.  Thanks to all of you, I am going to be a much healthier person!!!

I have now walked 9 miles since my last update, which brings me to 26 miles.  After today I will be half-way to my goal.  That doesn't match up real well with the date of the month, but I started out slow, and knew all the time that I would be doing much less at the beginning of the month than at the end.  Hopefully I will reach my goal by the 31st.  If not, well, I tried, and I will have walked much further than if I had had no goal.  And, hey, I can always blame it on either the treadmill being broken for several days, or on my daughter for the extra time at work this month, since I couldn't walk those days. 

I have walked 26 miles -- 43.33 % of my goal of 60 miles in March!!

I am still stuck on the 15 pounds that I have already reported as being lost.  I'm eating very good, with the exception of 1 Girl Scout cookie a day---and I faithfully walk 20 minutes before allowing myself to savor every bit.  That I can blame on my beloved granddaughter Nova Lynn who “forced” me to buy these delicious cookies that I simply can't let go to waste.  I must say it adds a whole new dimension to eating cookies---it just makes it so much harder to eat half a box of Samoas when you know how long you need to walk to “make up” for eating just one!

I also must confess that there was a huge peach pie marked down to only $1.79 at the Meijer store the other night.  I swear it wasn't me who put it into the shopping cart.  It was my evil twin sister, the one who still wants to stuff her face with yummy sweet stuff, at the same time that she wants desperately to lose weight... 

Well, back to walking. 

Best of luck to the rest of the Blubber Bloggers, and to the March Walking Challenge participants.  May you all reach your goals!!!

[March Walking Challenge] [weight loss] [Blubber Bloggers]

Posted in Blubber Bloggers

It's not too late to join the March Walking Challenge.  Just click on the banner above!  Join with the rest of us and try to get in shape and/or lose some weight.

For those who have been following my progress in the March Walking Challenge, I have to tell you that to my surprise and amazement, I walked 2 ½ miles at 2.5 m.p.h. tonight for the very first time!!!  I couldn’t believe I could do it without collapsing afterwards!  So far I have walked 7 ½ miles since my last update.  This wasn’t as much as I would have liked, because the treadmill that my dad let me bring to my house broke and I couldn’t use it for several days.  I was so happy that my husband was able to fix it. 

I have walked 17 miles -- 28.33 % of my goal of 60 miles in March!!

I also have lost a total of 15 pounds!  This is with the nasty Girl Scout cookies in the house that my beloved granddaughter “forced” me to buy.  I allow myself one Samoa or one Thin Mint a day, and only after I have walked the number of calories in the cookie.  Adds a whole new dimension to eating cookies---it just makes it so much harder to eat half a box of Samoas when you know how long you need to walk to “make up” for eating just one!

Best of luck to the rest of the Blubber Bloggers, and to the March Walking Challenge participants.  May you all reach your goals!!!

[March Walking Challenge] [weight loss] [Blubber Bloggers]