Weight loss challenge

My whole life I have never had any discipline with what I ate. After having both babies, I got down to pre-pregnancy weight, and then gained 3 lbs within a few months... Recently though, my eating habits backfired and I started putting on weight... like almost 10 lbs. So I texted my amazing friend Char-Lane and told her I was a fatty and that I needed help. She's a personal trainer, and I attend her boot camps every summer. She has the BEST outdoor boot camps. Each class is a different location throughout the city and each class is a different workout. So after I text her she tells me she is doing a points challenge so I join in for 3 weeks (before Christmas) and I did horribly. I had some discipline but no eating after 7pm just was not working for me... We took a Christmas break and in the new year we started a new 8 week points challenge! I will tell about the challenge criteria later, but the first 3 weeks I gained 3 lbs! Whaat the...? Then I realized I couldn't just follow the rules, I had to change my diet. So I did and over the remaining 5 weeks I lost 8lbs! Then we took a week break (where I put on a few more pounds... note to self... don't eat everything I have been missing out on when this next challenge is over) and now we are 2 weeks into the second round and I'm about 5 lbs down. It's a little too much in such a short period of time, but I promise I'm just following the rules, working out lots, and eating healthy. I've realized this type of challenge is perfect for me. It's almost like a game and I love games, so it motivates me.

For the challenge everyone has put $20 in a pool which is divided in "prizes" for each week and a grand total prize.

The person with the most points wins, obviously.
1pt for contact with someone doing the challenge
3pts for 64oz of water
3pts for not eating past 8pm
3pts for 2 fruit servings
5pts for 3 vegetable servings
5pts for no sweets/sugary treats (only 6 days a week)
5pts for keeping a food journal
5pts for 30 mins exercise or 7pts for 45 mins exercise (only 5 days a week)

Each day you total your points, and you get 10 points per pound lost (calculated once a week with your total amount) and 5pts for maintaining your lowest weight.

So we weigh ourselves every Monday morning.

I'm hoping to lose about 7 more lbs (to get down to 125... though I might not want to go that small) and then I will be very happy at my weight. I don't want to be really skinny, I want to have muscle still.

I have really enjoyed cutting sugar out of my diet.. I do enjoy sweets, but this gives me a reason to say no.. I need to work on not just being motivated for this challenge, but having my own discipline. I also have loved working out 5 days a week for the past 3 1/2 months! I love to work out and I totally find I am able to do it if I just commit to make the time for it.

Monday and Thursdays I go to our ward playgroup where the kids play in the gym and us Moms turn on a workout DVD, usually Jillian Michaels.
Tuesdays I go to Booty Barre (my fav) at the college with Reagan and Amy B. It's such a good workout and its fun to go with friends.
Wednesdays I will be running about 5k in the evenings (as soon as the group gets back up and running) and the last day I will sometimes go to Char-Lanes house and do a workout, or I'll do a workout at home.

I really would love to do this challenge year long! I cannot rave enough about how much I love doing it. Somedays I get discouraged and somedays are hard, but when I started, I had a hard time getting all the points everyday, and now I am getting all my points every week.

I just wanted to document this so 5 years and 15 lbs down the road I can start back on this. :) haha

best friends

These kids are at such fun ages. They love to do everything together. We often go to Stay and Play at Sunnyside School (a free drop in program), our ward playgroup twice a week (we bring the kids bikes and they all run wild while us moms do a workout DVD), lots and lots of puzzles at home, playdates with friends, taking Ty to Joy School twice a week, and taking Ty to soccer. Thank goodness soccer is over. I don't think Ty learned a thing. He was not interested. He preferred to hit his coach on the butt, hang onto his coaches leg, lay down in goal, and sit on the sidelines. Even with all sorts of bribes we couldn't get him to participate. There were a few times he kicked the ball back and forth to his coach, or saved a few goals, or ran up and down the field.. It wasn't all bad. There's something awesome about putting your firstborn in sports at a too-young age and hoping they will love it. In the end, I think we learned maybe sports are best for a 4 year old. We will try again next year and for now we will stick to swimming lessons.

 Diapers over jammies over diapers. Noah's idea, Dad's doing. 

 I know I've said it a million times but this boy loves puzzles. He has 2-100 piece puzzles that he can do over and over on his own. One day he completed the same puzzle 5 times. How cute is this.. sleeping with his puzzle, ha!

They are the best of friends. It's really the most wonderful to watch your kids love each other so much. One day Ty wanted to tuck Noah into bed, he turned off the light and as he was closing the door he went back in and then came out and closed the door. I asked him what he was doing and he said he was "petting Noah's cheek". 

Noah started saying his own name "Mo-ah" haha. Too cute. My Dr mailed me a 24 month questionnaire to do for Noah and he is fine with most things but I realize he is behind with his speech. He has a lot of words he says but I find I am learning his language rather than him learning ours. He can't put two works together yet, but I know he is learning new words every week. With Ty I might have been concerned, but I know Noah is just behind. He will catch up. :)

I'm starting another 8 week challenge. I am frustrated I didn't lose more weight last round though I learned lots and I really enjoyed it. Hopefully I can use my mistakes from last time to maximize my results! 

Michaels hair is growing longer and longer everyday and whenever I suggest cutting it, he says it makes him want to keep it long for longer.... haha is he 14? kidding. It's beautiful hair so maybe if we grow it out a little longer he will agree to cut it all off and we can donate it. That will be an event worthy of it's own blog post.