Week 6 / Weigh in at 3am

Really Really Really struggling with staying positive the last couple of days. I started a week ago on a 30 day challenge to post on Facebook a positive quote. It seems easy and I was out to stop some of the whiny posts I read about small stuff. Some people just NEVER seem to be happy. So in doing this, several things have went wrong for me. Almost as a challenge to keep posting "good happy quotes" when I am crying on the inside. 

Friday-Sunday our puppy, Jazzy had a anaphylactic reaction to her vaccinations and got very sick. We had a few hard, scary days with her. 
Monday, I woke up with a fever, did not feel well all day. 
Tuesday, my car did not start. Will be towed this morning to the dealer, hopefully fixed under warranty. 
Wednesday, yes today..I woke up at 3 in pain when I turned over in bed. I got up and could not put any weight on my foot. Feels like a sprain:( Ibuprofen and put my foot up. I have no clue what I did. However I got on the scale. To my surprise I was 210. I am officially 15lbs down!! 

So, I'm guessing God has given me something to be happy and positive about. Then I started thinking, we love our puppy that much more because we saw her so sick, when she shows unconditional love to us. Also, I was sick but I work from home and could lay around and go back to bed. Next, I thought..we have 2 cars, insurance and money in the bank. Our car only has 4000 miles left on the warranty and even though it is an inconvenience, it will beneficial to have it fixed now and actually a blessing in disguise. I don't have anything secretly positive about my foot, but if that is the worst..I got this! Here is a quote from one of my favorite people, Tony Dungy that fits this recap "Sometimes I think God wants there to be a circus so we can show there's another way to respond." I too believe you have a choice on how you handle life, for me..I hope to stay positive, I have plenty to be thankful for <3 

Sooooo the grass isn't getting any greener.....

I have been super busy with my days, and eating healthy has become more of a challenge than I would prefer:( Preparing to "live healthy" is a Full-time job! 
You can't prepare for one meal..but need to watch the way things will unfold and land into 2-3 meals. Mark and I have not been executing daily or weekly activities:( 

We have been eating better, being VERY conscientious about what we put in our mouths has helped a ton! We didn't get stupid.. I want you to know I have only had 2... french fries in 5 weeks!! One was from Carson's meal, and 1 was Jordan's meal. I could eat a small fry almost every other day before!! Sad but true, a Large diet & small fry was a "Go to" so I wouldn't pass out on my hours of running around! 

Okay as Mark said we are back on track.. I think we are. One KEY element.. YOU have to get groceries or you set yourself up for failure and your emotions, swim in the toilet you flush!! Sooooooo my goal this week WAS get groceries and get prepared!!  

We begrudgingly weighed in today. We are on week 5:( However Mark & I saw our LOWEST weights!! Thank God Mark weighed in at 271.8 = to 11 lbs down!! WOO HOO!! My weigh in was... 211.4 = 13 lbs down!!! I'm very happy we were both super successful in an amazing way:) We are ON TRACK and on our way!! 

Keep on keeping on! We are still here like you, we struggle and cheat but get right back on it! 

Thank you for following us:) WE are a toddler down, between us! 

Hello my name is...

So it's been a minute since the pixels of this page have been prompted to permutate. It doesn't seem like it's been over 10 days since we've last blogged, but as they say, the proof is in the pudding (which in this case would be sugar free). 

A lot of good things are happening at Club Bristol, but unfortunately eating right and increasing exercise aren't 2 of them for me. I did find out that I got a raise this week, in a job I've only been in about 4 months; Jordan made the A-Team, so I guess we need to search for a B.A. Baracus costume now. 

Wait, I've just been told it was the Franklin Grizzlies 5th grade basketball A-Team, sorry for the confusion. 

Anyway, our lives continue to be busy, and getting healthy continues to need to be a priority. I'm contemplating skipping my weigh in tomorrow as I've convinced myself it's not likely to be good. On one hand, maybe I need the reality check to jump start my motivation again. On the other hand, since I feel it will be unfavorable, maybe I don't "face the music", give it my own B.A. effort for the next week and see where we stand then. 

I'll hang up now so I can listen I your response. 

Finished a bag of chips...

Beware Triskaidekaphobics, this may not be your day! 

As I'm writing today, I'm finishing a bag of chips (as the title indicates). I'm sure the quantity is larger than the recommended serving, but I'm ok with that. To catch up, my week 2 weigh-in saw me find 2 of the pounds I'd lost the first week. That was disappointing after putting up such a good number from week 1. In that first week I was very diligent in tracking my food and exercise in the MyFitnessPal app, and it paid off! Week 2 came around, and I became a lazy tracker. I guess I figured that week 1 was so easy, I could go on autopilot from there. 

Not the case. 

So, week 3 I was faced with feeling sorry for myself or getting back on the horse. I knew I wanted to lose weight, but I also knew it wouldn't take much more for me to hang it up (again). The simple fact that Chelsie & I are doing this together made it easier to keep going, especially since she is having great results! So at 3 weeks and 1 day, I found myself being down 8 pounds since the start! A 4 pound loss for week 3! This coincided with me finally getting in to see a doctor for rechecks that have been due since June. As most of you probably know, I changed jobs in May, and therefore changing insurance and doctor became necessary. 

I really like my new doctor, and coincidentally he knew my previous doctor even though the practices are about 40 miles apart! Ok, it wasn't really "coincidentally", because God doesn't make mistakes. He led me there for a reason, probably just to make me more comfortable in dealing with the issues I face. 

The good news is that my blood sugar, blood pressure, and bad cholesterol were all improved from my previous check in March!! In fact, my A1C was only 0.1% above the baseline for being considered type II diabetic!! The only 2 areas of focus right now are my weight (which, if you haven't heard, I'm working on) and my "good" cholesterol is low - more exercise and weight loss should bring that up. 

So, back to that bag of chips that has by now been finished. Superficially, one may think that wiping out a bag of chips while writing about losing weight could be quite the paradox. Check out the picture below and see if your opinion changes ;)

3 Week Weigh in!! Success!!

We are so doing this!! 

Week 3 weigh in 213 lbs! Started at 224.4 lbs down 11.4!!!! Woohoo!! 

Seriously being more active, every day, eating less, drinking water.... seems like logic....Burn more calories than you take in. 3500 calories burned = a pound lost. Water will release toxins and help your energy levels. All simple and basic..and works!!! Also we make mistakes, but it doesn't blow it. Small portions of mistakes, let it be 1 meal and get right back at it. Planning, now that one is big. Away from home we still have problems finding good quality choices. However it is getting better! 

I found the wagon, got back up in it, now... "I want to drive it, like a BOSS!" Haha Have a Great hump day!! 

2 weeks & 4 days Later...

It's been a week since Mark or I have blogged. 

With most things in life due diligence creates positive changes. This is a sentence but more of a reminder to us. "Life gets in the way!" What a week we have had, and healthy lifestyle changes were very challenging. Here is a recap of our week. 

Monday~ at Moms for Labor Day (Very little healthy food but it was one meal)

Tuesday~ I was sick ALL day to my stomach/ Mark and I got our water in/ ate pretty good/ Boys + Mark had football...Late dinner

Wednesday~ Day before the garage sale and I worked around the clock/ pricing separating/ lots of activity/ ate very little/ My mother in law came in....Taco Bell was dinner:(

Thursday~ Garage Sale day 1/ McDonald's for soda (didn't pack water) Subway for lunch...feel myself slipping/ Boys + Mark Football ...Chicken & Rice dinner with peas and mac n cheese, my mother in law cooked. I didn't eat that much..but had a couple drinks:( 

Friday~ Full on McDonalds breakfast/ Taco Bell Lunch/ Turkey Burgers grilled out for dinner (not sure why...barely hanging onto the rope.. pulling the wagon) 

Saturday~ Day 3 of Garage Sale/ Day 3 of in laws in the house/ Football in the morning/ McDonalds for everyone at the sale about 10:30/ Mi Pueblo at 4:30/ all Diet Pepsi/ No water in 2 days/ Finally packed up 7:00 pm/ hot sweaty, nasty, tired...picked up Hot & Ready Pizza for the family..and officially LET GO of the rope:(

Sunday~ weighed myself...and realized how quick you can damage your progress.... I had lost an additional 5 lbs from last week and found a few back:( Official weight 215.2 at 5:00 pm (yes just a few mins ago). The good news is... I am  very close to 10 lbs down and seriously feel better over all! So I  have been trying all day to locate that dang wagon that kept going when I/we lost the rope. 

We have a plan for this week, hopefully without the diversions we can relocate success. Also the amazing COLT'S won and as much as I'd like my half price Papa Johns pizza tomorrow, I think we will pass! As you all have heard "Rome wasn't built in day." Maybe I should begin research on how long..it actually took??!! 

Road trip!

Chelsie and I are out in Crawfordsville today helping pack and move leftover items from my grandparents residence. This activity helps the family, but also counts as some physical activity to help us with our goals! That's not to say that we hope to incorporate "pack out service" into our frequent work out routine!

On the way out here around lunch time we were trying to decide what might be the lesser of evil drive thru choice for us. Wow, that's a long run on sentence. Anyway, we decided on a turkey Swiss wrap from Arby's. I like to try to make a good choice on the fly, rather than do all the research, then look it up afterwards to see how we did and learn from it the next time. In this case, we actually made a good choice and the wrap was "only" 490 calories. This was one of the best choices Arby's offered, and was actually quite tasty too! Minus onions of course. For fun Chelsie looked up what I likely would have ordered previously, and it would have been about 1100 calories!

It's rumored that pizza might be on the menu for dinner, so we'll have to face that challenge when it arrives. I think it's time to sign off for now. I thought Chelsie just said "there's the big brother van", but apparently she was looking for a big rubber band. 

Good Evening Friends & Family!! 

I'd like to say Mark and I have NOT thrown the towel in, we are just super busy with our family! 

We have stayed focused and on track:) I want to discuss something that I remembered from 1 of the like 6 times I joined weight watchers. It's called B.L.T's. It doesn't stand for one of my all-time favorite sandwiches, bacon, lettuce & tomato sandwiches. It stands for Bites, Licks, & Tastes while cooking, cleaning up kids plates, adding cooked food to storage containers..etc. ALL of those moments...you can consume..100's of extra calories. Today however, I made BACON...and for the 1st time ever...I did not have to eat a piece while I was cooking the remainder :) That is super good for me because I LOVE bacon! So beware of these moments, that you take in much more than you should. I have also been putting away food ASAP so it isn't sitting around, screaming at me to eat MORE:) Our kids LOVE Mark's pancakes and my bacon (we cook together, I know it's sexy:)) Anyway today, we made this for all four kids. I made for us, two pieces of whole wheat toast, 1 whole sliced fresh tomato, one piece of cheese half on each piece of bread, a half portion of mayo on the bread and 2 pieces of bacon laying across both open faced slices of bread with toppings (Mark had 3). We sat down at the table and ate this with a knife and fork. We felt satisfied and did much better on our carbs/calories than having what we made for the kids! 

We are also keeping the water going without fail. Each at least consuming 5-6 20 oz containers a day. 

I still haven't succumbed to using my fitness pal app, and I NEED to do this and stop guessing, I'm okay on calories. Also, every day progress has helped so very much in our home. I have never been so very close to being caught up on laundry!! YAY, we soooooo can do this!!! 

Have a great Sunday!  We will be out of town helping our grandparents pack up their apartment. I'm planning on taking some drinks and food so we don't fail on the road. Like someone brilliant once said "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." Nope not us!!! <3 <3 

168 hours later...

Well we made it through our first week with flying colors! Chelsie and I each lost over 6 pounds :)

We understand that isn't a realistic weekly goal, and we'll lose more in the beginning, but it is definitely a great feeling and a great result to use as motivation to keep on our journey!

This first weigh-in was almost exclusively diet influenced. That's not to say that we're overall sedentary day to day, because we (mostly Chelsie) have been doing a lot around the house. But only 1 "dedicated" work out for each of us in the first week, and we plan to increase that as well. 

Our first week also included no fast food and no delivery meals, for the adults at least. With our schedules, those easy meals were a norm on a weekly basis; now we (again, mostly Chelsie) just plan better for those time-crunched feedings. 

I'd have to say we're happier than 2 camels on hump day :)

Weigh In! / Week one!

Good Morning! 

Yesterday, our family was faced with some adverse situations. Emotional and tiring but together through even the toughest day, we stayed on track. Normally that may have sent me to Taco Bell, ordering the whole right side of the menu. I'm very happy Mark and I have the support of each other and food isn't the answer. 


Weigh In- I will let Mark tell you about his weight loss. I however and super happy with the results. Starting weight 224.6/ weight at 6:00 am 7 days later........ 218.4 loss of 6.2 lbs! I know people say...it's water weight..blah blah blah...I'm here to tell you, it's not coming back on me!! I have been busy every day! Yesterday even walked over 2 1/2 miles outside of my house cleaning cardio! 


We have been eating so many veggies! I went to a Farmers Market yesterday and bought some beautiful peppers/ corn/ tomatoes and my friend gave me some cucumbers from her garden. Our salad approach has been to put in a container that has a lid. I measure 2 tablespoons of dressing, add it and the shake it up with the lid on. It coats all the salad with minimal dressing. We "Share" the made salad so it is only 1/2 a serving of dressing:) Also a 1st I measured CHEESE yesterday 1/4 cup is a serving (again we share) but really..."We are in it to win it dawg!!" ~ Randy Jackson! 

It's Wednesday, before a holiday weekend! You are almost there :)   

I like to move it move it...

Since we started this journey last Wednesday, we decided to make that our official weigh-in day. So I guess that makes today "weigh-in-eve"! It's entirely possible that we've done a tiny bit of unofficial weighing to see if these changes have started to work (forever) in our favor. We'll have the week 1 "reveal" tomorrow morning!

Today was the first day we've both taken a conscious effort to add exercise to our routine. Chelsie took off for a walk with a friend, so I played soccer, did some boxing, some bowling, and played a game of beach volleyball. Thank you Xbox Kinect Sports!  

Day 6/ Hard work is paying off with energy!

Good Morning! Day 6 recap on day 7 morning. 
I have a feeling this may be how my blogging will work. 

I was so productive in our home yesterday. It's kind of bizarre how much you can do once you have goals in front of you. Our house had pretty much been ran over by my business. I had so much stock all over my house. Now we have rented a storage unit, and I have organized all of my inventory over there and reclaimed our home! In doing so, I have found so many ways to organize things and make them easier for all of us. I am on a cleaning, laundry, organizing frenzy. My motto has become "Progress everyday!" 

Eating, well, we have really just ate tons more fruits/veggies mostly veggies, and limited meats and carbs. We are eating more frequently, smaller portions. We have water bottles that you can move the count from 1-6 keeping track of how much we drink. I have noticed, the obvious if you keep drinking water all day you feel full most of the time. When you eat, you just naturally eat less. Also, I feel so much energy, from I assume the water and eating right. A month ago, I could not get moving, forcing myself to do the basics. Now I am accomplishing more in one day then a whole week before. Sadly that is the truth. Yesterday I also drank 6 waters, which has to be a record for me:) One squirt of Mio goes a long way. When you are busy working you need to drink more anyway. Logic..who knew..what those experts say is true! 

Set a goal, even a small one will help "Keep your eye on the prize!" 

Tomorrow is our 1 week weigh in!! I'm ready!! We got this, in the bag:) haha 

Go out there and have an Incredible day!! <3 

Day 5 on the Fly

Busy day! Mark and I had a very sensible breakfast, while the kids had doughnuts. We had planned a Sky Zone day for the twiblings, Wes & Jord for their belated birthday. I'm not sure how we did this, but we took 11 kids with us! The normal party food was available. Donotos Pizza, Cupcakes and Soda. Mark and I had a piece of pizza, with water and no cupcakes. I have to admit though after a day like that, we did also indulge in 2 pretty large glasses of wine before bed! Moderation = Key! 


I was so tired by 10 last night I was tucked in bed, so I am blogging now for yesterday. Happy to report though, a great night of sleep 8 hours, made Monday morning MUCH easier!!! 2 days to the weekly weigh in!!! 

The F in day Four stands for Football!!

Today was pretty scary when the alarm clock went off at 6:30 am. I had a horrible night sleep with this gunk I have. The lil guys had Football photos at 7:15 this morning. Then a game at 9:00 am. Then NFL Punt Pass & Kick competition at 2:00 this afternoon. Now the Colts game!! I'm so happy with our little Steelers, not even because (Jordan made his 1st TD of the season) but because we had a total TEAM effort and I love that so much! Second at the P. P & K competition ALL 4 of our kids competed! Yes, including our 13 year old daughter! Last night Olivia (and she has been playing backyard football with her bros for a couple years) gave the guys a run for their money with an awesome move and TD. So today I encouraged her to compete and she WON 1st place for her age!!! Also Jordan won 1st place in his age and overall only 1 child did better in all age groups!! So we have 2 kids moving on to regionals:):) 

Now about our weight loss challenge. I've learned I can eat a 1 piece sandwich to cut back on my carbs and calories. With saying that, I also have learned I don't need a cup of mayo (Hellmans I still <3 you) I can put a light covering and only on the one piece of bread = amazing! SO I put a piece of whole wheat/ high fiber bread on a plate, light coat of mayo, then half of a tomato( thanks to my buddy Irenea) sliced, then a piece of cheese and last about 3 oz of oven baked turkey. I I cut this sandwich with a knife & fork and felt very satisfied for 250 calories and filled with good nutrients. So know you can cut back calories and enjoy the same satisfaction! It takes a little ingenuity but it is worth a couple mins of thought and a couple pounds, you will lose! 

Now time to cookout and watch the Colts and relax. Ohhhh I bought an eggplant, can you give me any healthy recipes? My plan, grilled with mushrooms and a slice of cheese like a veggie burger, but not tonight:) Maybe tomorrow!! 

1st Weekend

So Chelsie and I avoided a previous pitfall today, which gives us nice motivation to carry on. Most Saturdays our schedules are pretty full with kid activities and today was no different. We started with football pictures followed by a game (which we won!). Then we had a few hours until we had to be back for the annual Punt Pass and Kick competition. Normally we would go for something quick and easy for lunch.  Today that would have been Taco Bell, and we would have each probably consumed 1000+ calories and thought nothing of it! So, we got Taco Bell for the kids, but we got a salad to share from Papa Murphy's - with low cal Italian dressing! It was actually very good - Chicken Bacon Artichoke. Tonight we will be grilling out, making more good choices, and feeling good at the same time :)

Day 3 / Operation Christmas Tree

Well Well Well, Welcome diversity! 
I woke up snotty, sneezing, sore throat, and ears! Thank you Mr. Bristol <3 Everyone keeps telling me it will get worse before it gets better:( I think in my own non-scientific mind that everyone that shares/passes germs will get the same infection. However I think... (this is usually where it gets stupid) because I am usually in good health (Minus a migraine here and there) that I will get the MOST mild case this lil bug has to offer:) We'll see, please don't double cross your fingers. 

Mark and I ate rather well, medicated our daily needs as well as our current, I can't breathe issues. He is still journaling on My Fitness Pal App. I have yet to engage in this necessary activity. I know even from my Weight Watchers days, journaling IS the KEY. So Tomorrow if I'm not dead, that will be my goal. 

Mark is feeling better, thank goodness because we both can't be suffering together. I knew I was getting sick when I had a diet soda, sunshine, Friday, and Guns & Roses (November Rain) on in my car and I could not clap, sing at the top of my lungs, play the drums on my steering wheel, and Almost cry, thanking God for my secular moment in time that reminded me, everything is gonna be okay that I was INDEED getting sick:(

Tomorrow Football right off the bat for the twibs, and more Sunday plans. God Bless <3  http://www.xmasclock.com/

Day 2 and my hubby is ewww....

Well friends, thank you for your support:) We are certainly blessed that we have a network of many amazing friends and family. 

As with most challenges and plans...things "come up." Mark yesterday went from congested, sneezing and looking like he was gonna cry (which never happens) when I was talking to him... To I can't breathe, constant snottiness and crying non stop..at least one eye. So weight loss came second, to sitting around looking like dying. ( He is still super handsome, but a man..a sick man..who could do nothing today!) 

I on the other hand will break my arm off, patting myself on the back. I non-stop cleaned and worked on organization. Laundry was in full force. I even cleaned the "kids" bathroom. Which I'm pretty sure, if I don't make it to Heaven will be my punishment in Hell! 

We have made excellent food choices. I have to start using my fitness pal app tomorrow. Mark however in his super sick stage, diligent in the techno arena, so I ask him how much was that meal..snack ect. was. Tonight, I bought our kids, hot & ready pizzas. Usually this is our opportunity to order "fancy pizza" Papa John's pizza with tons of garlic butter, (when the kids are almost in bed delivery). Tonight Oven roasted turkey sandwich & brussel sprouts :) Yay! We also started drinking water yesterday. Today continued and increased amounts. 

Lastly...some days this may be a sentence..or 15 paragraphs. My punctation is horrific, but keep in mind that is not what this is about. I will try to post a link on Facebook daily. Don't feel obligated to read everything, this is really for our accountability and dedication. I will look forward to hearing tips/tricks from ya'll pros out there on weight loss though. 

Goodnight friends <3 

Day 2

I didn't weigh in today; I'd probably be disappointed. I think Chels and I did a great job sticking to our plan throughout the day but obviously results aren't immediate in this arena. 

As the evening grew short and our schedule was still variable based on Carson returning from his football game, I was ready to succumb to a Totinos pizza for dinner. Luckily, my wife held us strong at that point at made cabbage, potatoes, and sausage for us! 

Today, another great food choice by Chelsie: she got us Healthy Choice Italian  Pasta Bake :) Calories, portion, carbs, fiber, protein were all friendly for us. Sodium is the typical black sheep in these prepared meals, but with greatly increasing our water intake, hopefully that's not an issue. I know when we're pressed for time that's usually when we make worse choices, so by having some Healthy Choice(s) only a few minutes away from ready at all times we should be able to avoid that pitfall. 

For our exercise today, we decided to move Jordan's tv downstairs. That may not sound like a big deal, but it's a 36" TUBE tv, and our house is old with narrow stairways. Maybe tomorrow we'll attempt a more traditional workout, like moving pallets around our yard :)

Chelsie's Christmas Challenge 25lbs by Dec 25!!

Mark and I are very excited to do this weight loss challenge! We are also super happy to share this with anyone wanting, needing or REQUIRING accountability <3 Like he mentioned our type II diabetes diagnosis stopped us in our tracks. We have made some improvements, but so much more is required for a healthier future for us and our family. 

My personal goal is  25 lbs down by 25 December, Christmas!!! If you know me,  I love Christmas and would love to have this awesome gift to myself. This is only my 1st goal. I didn't want to share my weight after Mark and I weighed in this morning, but I feel it is part of being honest with myself that it is a problem:( So sadly I weighed 224.6 this morning:( The ONLY good thing about this is that finally we have made a plan to change this silly #!! 

So, if you have tips to share or join us on our couples journey, or even go walking with me, swimming or..okay maybe more walking... I'm told my friend today, I'd like to ride a bike, and Luckily I have one, just not sure I want to look like an elephant on a tricycle yet! If you did not get an image in your head, something is wrong! Share any of your healthier recipes with me please:) We know how to eat right, but doing it is going to require some changes!! PLEASE NO ONION RECIPES, I'm a baby! 

Last, I would like to say, March 15, 2014 I will be...40..and that is my second goal, 40lbs down by 40th Birthday, hence the name of our blog. 

I would also like to give a personal "shout out" to Melanie Mullins and Susan Jones. Yesterday I spent some serious time reading their journeys with weight-loss. They both have been through a lot and have managed to get right back up on that horse! You ladies are my inspiration <3 ya girls!

Kick-off! Or, the line in the sand...

Happy Hump Day! Today I am making my weight loss goal public:

I plan to lose 40 pounds by my 40th birthday. (December 19th for those of you playing along at home)

Hence the blog name.  Chelsie and I have talked about making some lifestyle changes since we were both diagnosed with type 2 diabetes earlier this year, but we haven't really laid out a plan, so hopefully this will be just that.  I have also been diagnosed with and take daily medication for high blood pressure and high cholesterol, and I have sleep apnea.  Much of that is genetic, but all of it would benefit from me losing weight.  Today my starting weight is 282.8

Chelsie has also set a goal for herself as well, but I'll let her reveal that in her first post here.

So, this is our kick-off to making changes! We're not planning anything unique or exclusive, just being acutely aware of what we're eating and drinking, and adding some exercise to our lives.