25/21: Come On, Sun!

Wow. Far too many of us are being plagued by the weather. While we never got a lick of snow last week, our temperatures have been cold and colder all week. This is seriously getting in the way of my plan!!!!!

And I can tell I'm not the only one! By the time everyone's numbers came in last week, we had lost a total of 24.3 lbs. Not too shabby. BUT then the Superbowl hit -- this week may be a bit frightful! We'll see when all the numbers finally roll in!


Name -- Lost this Week -- Total for the Challenge
Aimee D. -- Lost 2; Total Lost 5.6
Amber B. -- Holding Steady; Total Lost 1.4
Amy B. -- I think she was kidnapped by Aliens. Or Kindergarteners??
Amy S. -- Lost .5; Total Lost 4
Ann C. -- Total Lost 1 -- Must have been kidnapped by farmers.
Annette T. -- Total Lost 5
Cindi C. -- Total Lost 6
Cissa N. -- Buried in a Snow Drift??
Crystal V. -- Lost 2; Total Lost 5
Cyndi S. -- Total Lost 1.2
Cyndy G --
D'Lupe -- Total Lost 2.3
Jimmie Sue L. -- Total Lost 3
Jolanda W. -- Lost 2; Total Lost 7
Julie N. -- Total Lost .1 -- Have you been kidnapped by a snowman?
Kara V. -- Holding Steady; Total 3
Katie R. -- Total Lost 2 -- Are you out there?
Kay R. -- Holding Steady; Total Lost 2
Kayren B. -- Total Lost 4.5
Kelley B. -- What's up?
Kristine F. -- Lost 3.1; Total Lost 7.7 -- GREAT Success Story!
Laura Kay R. -- Total Lost 2
Laurie Y. -- Holding Steady; Total 1.5
Leanne J. -- Lost 5.4; Total Lost 7.6 -- That Virus was a $%^&!
Liz E. -- Total Lost 1 -- Have you been kidnapped by nerds?
Lori A. -- Total Lost 2.5 -- Are you busy building Snowmen?
Lori P -- Lost 1.5; Total Lost 4.5
Melanie H. -- Lost 1; Total Lost 2
Melissa H. -- Total Lost 2
Molly C. -- Total Lost 3
Nadine L. -- Total Lost 1.5
Rachel R. -- Total Lost 4.8
Rebecca B. -- Lost 1; Total Lost 4
Sally P. -- Holding Steady; Total Lost 1.5
Sarah A. -- Holding Steady; Total Lost 7
Sharon V. -- Total Lost 3
Sherrie W. -- Lost 1; Total Lost 8.5 -- WOWZERS!
Suzi B. -- Today is a new day!!!
Tammy H. -- Lost .9; Total 5.4
Taunda J. -- Lost 1; Total Lost 4
Vicki T. -- Total Lost 4.2

25/21: Bring on the Snow!

For those of you north of the Red River, I'm sure those of us down here in Houston are making for some great comic relief these days.

Sure, our temps have dropped into the 20's, and we're giddy with anticipation for the 1-2" of promised snow/ slush / ice / sleet/ rain combination that's supposed to arrive in the next 24 hours.

You're watching the coverage of the Superbowl festivities with a gleam of amusement as you take breaks from shoveling the 24" of snow in your driveway. You're thinking we should all "Man Up."

That is, if one of my four faithful readers lives north of the Red River -- I really have no idea.

BUT what I do know is that I can't WAIT. I can't wait to go sliding around the driveway. I can't wait to see if one of the boxes I've been saving will make a good sled for the ditch behind our house. I can't wait to put the girls in their ski gear, send them outside for an hour, and make sure they stay warm enough for our trip to Park City next month.

I'm ready. I've got Cream of Wheat and hot cocoa in the pantry, 15-bean soup in the Crock Pot and Secretariat on the schedule. My cute boots are on my feet, and I'm thinking Outside Fun will make for a GREAT exercise plan.

And I lost 1.3 pounds this week. That's right -- 1.3! Not at all what I expected!

Really.

This weigh-in week started off with such promise. Once I finally started listening to Leanne, and started writing down everything I was eating, things were going great. By Friday I'd lost 1.1 lbs. I rode 18 miles on my bike both Thursday and Friday. Worked with hand weights while watching Days of our Lives. (BTW.... How many times is Stephano going to get away with that whole people-switch thing???) Life was good.

And then we hit the weekend. Friday night, we went to Redfish Grill -- by far my favorite restaurant out here in the Boonies. I didn't go off the reservation. Skipped the appetizer and had a bit of Biggy's gumbo. Grilled Mahi-Mahi. Veggies. Not too bad, right???

Saturday night it was beef shish-kabobs, sweet potato, venison sausage and bread. (Argh! Bread!) Sunday evening small group brought incredible soups, more bread, cheesecake and cookies... UGH. Monday morning I was up 1.6 pounds.

Crazy things are going on around here. Biggs is in the middle of "remodeling" our kitchen, and I have no access to the stove. My microwave is in the middle of the bar (plugged in), my old oven is in the dining room, and my new double oven is in the middle of the kitchen floor. Praise God for my Crock Pot. It's the only thing keeping me away from Chick Fil A. That and the fact that it's 24 degrees outside.

So you can imagine, stepping on the Wii and finding out I'm down 1.8 since Monday morning is HUGE for me. I've not exercised, I'm drinking hot cocoa, and I have no idea how it happened. I can only assume it was the proverbial "water weight" plaguing me Monday morning.

So... That's where things stand with me. Only about half of our happy little troupe has reported in, so I'm not sure where things stand with all ya'll. Hellloooooo..... Is anyone out there???


Name -- Lost this Week -- Total for the Challenge
Aimee D. -- Holding Steady; Total Lost 3.6
Amber B. -- Holding Steady; Total Lost 1.4
Amy B. -- Have you been kidnapped by Aliens? Or Kindergarteners??
Amy S. -- Lost 1; Total Lost 3.5
Ann C. -- Total Lost 1 -- Have you been kidnapped by farmers??
Annette T. -- Lost 2; Total Lost 5
Cindi C. -- Total Lost 6
Cissa N. -- Buried in a Snow Drift??
Crystal V. -- Lost 1; Total Lost 3
Cyndi S. -- Total Lost 3.1
Cyndy G --
D'Lupe -- Lost 1.3; Total Lost 2.3
Jimmie Sue L. -- Lost .5; Total Lost 3
Julie N. -- Total Lost .1 -- Have you been kidnapped by a snowman?
Kara V. -- Lost 2; Total 3
Katie R. -- Total Lost 2 -- Are you out there?
Kay R. -- Total Lost 2 -- But that Gumbo was worth it!
Kayren B. -- Lost 2.5; Total Lost 4.5
Kelley B. -- What's up?
Kristine F. -- Lost 1.5; Total Lost 4.6
Laura Kay R. -- Total Lost 2
Laurie Y. -- Holding Steady; Total 1.5
Leanne J. -- Lost .2; Total Lost 2.2
Liz E. -- Total Lost 1 -- Have you been kidnapped by nerds?
Lori A. -- Total Lost 2.5 -- Are you busy building Snowmen?
Lori P --
Melanie H. -- Total Lost 1
Melissa H. -- Lost 3; Total Lost 4
Molly C. -- Total Lost 3
Nadine L. -- Total Lost 1.5
Rachel R. -- Total Lost 4.8
Rebecca B. -- Lost 1; Total Lost 3
Sally P. -- Lost 1; Total Lost 1.5
Sarah A. -- Total Lost 7
Sharon V. -- Total Lost 3
Sherrie W. -- Lost 1.5; Total Lost 7.5
Suzi B. -- Today is a new day!!!
Tammy H. -- Total 4.5
Taunda J. -- Total Lost 3
Vicki T. -- Lost 1.8; Total Lost 4.2

25/21: I'm a Slow Girl, But I Mean Well.....

Before I say anything else, I've got to tell ya'll thank you for the Phenomenal support you've given me after my post the other day. I think that sometimes people like me who go and do and share and help and all that jazz tend to have these grande expectations that other people will react the same when we need someone to stand in the gap for us. Or react at all. And when our friends or family don't live up to our "lofty expectations," it's anything but cool. At the same time, I hate to think of the bajillions of times I've let people down in much the same way because I have simply run out of steam.

I'm just thankful today for what God has given me, where it's been given. I'm blessed.

So.... Now that we've covered all that craziness, let me tell you I've come to a BIG realization. This week our little group lost 17.1 lbs. -- compared to 35.1 last week. I think part of that is probably because those "easy" pounds that drop right off as soon as you stop drinking your Daily Dr. Pepper have dropped off by now. I also think that the initial excitement and enthusiasm have maybe been replaced by the REALITY that this is a "Challenge" for a reason.

But never fear, D'Lupe is here!

For the last few weeks, I've absorbed your suggestions... I've listened to what's working for you and what isn't -- all while eating about 2 dozen cookies, continuing to drink my hot cocoa, and yes, there's the entire bag of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips....

BUT.... I have learned a few things. Or rather, I've reinforced several things I already knew.

For one, exercise alone won't cut it. You've got to have some kind of portion control/dessert control/willpower control element in there.

At the same time, diet alone won't cut it either. You've got to exercise to build in that calorie-burning, muscle-building component.

Finally, checking in with you every week just doesn't do it for me. I love you, but I need more. I need Daily Accountability. It is so easy for me to coast through the week, eat a salad on Tuesday night, and pout when my Wii Me tells me I'm fat on Wednesday morning.

I woke up Wednesday and realized it was time I stopped piddle-farting around. The rubber needed to meet the road. I needed to pull up my knee socks, stop whining and put my big girl panties on. That's right. I threw every Grannie Nelva-ism at myself that I could think of. And added a few D'Lupe-isms for good measure.

And guess what? Dear friends, this applies to you, too. (You know I know your numbers.)

So... I followed Leanne's advice that she's ONLY shared with me every week since we started, and started a log in my calendar. I'm writing down everything I eat. How much I exercise and how much weight I've lost that day. Every day. It's the only way I can do this thing. It's the exact same thing I did with Weight Watchers years ago (only then I used their online tool), and it worked for me then. This time, though, I'm going the free route and using my paper calendar. I'm not tallying points or calories or fat grams or any of that. I'm just writing down what I eat. And it's working.

Really, it is. Or I wouldn't share.

In a completely different aspect of this whole "plan," I played in the kitchen a bit on Wednesday. I've really been trying to work my way through the pantry and use up some of our groceries. I came up with this BRILLIANT idea of making a sweet potato soup. Sweet potatoes are GREAT for you -- lots of fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, etc.

I LOVE baked potato soup, so why wouldn't I love sweet potato soup??

So here's what I did. I took the two cans of Sugary Sam sweet potatoes left over from Christmas. Big cans. I drained them and rinsed them in hopes of getting some of the Sugary part of the Sugary Sam off of them. I cooked that with some chicken broth and smushed them up when they were hot. I tasted it. Not quite there.

So.... I added a large can of pumpkin left over from Thanksgiving. (Are you seeing a pattern here?) Once it was all heated and cooked, I added some cream (needed to get it out of the refrigerator.)

Tasted again. Still not quite there. In went about 1/4 cup of brown sugar and a healthy measure of cinnamon. A few chopped-up roasted pecans made for garnish.

Now... I know you're thinking Cream and Brown Sugar are hardly part of a weight-loss diet. BUT you're wrong. They are absolutely necessary for making this otherwise-healthy concoction palatable. If you can't stand to eat it, what good does it do you to have all those antioxidants sitting around???

Now.... Some of you have been around here long enough to discern that I'm a few crayons short of a full box. And that's okay. BUT what you don't realize is that I'm a Genius in Hiding (not evidenced by the fact that I just made a HUGE mess in my kitchen with an Advocare shake and my Cuisinart Smart Stick.)

But here's the deal. I got Abs and Kait to eat my "Pumpkin Potato Soup" concoction. Yep. I'm Da Bomb. Since they screw up their cute little noses and complain whenever I make soup, I told them it was a new sauce for their tortellinis. AND so they wouldn't balk at the idea of something new, I covered myself by heating up a jar of red sauce. AND do you know what??? When offered the same thing as leftovers last night, their FIRST PICK was the pumpkin sauce!!! Yee-Haw!!

I had it again last night as well. I have to confess, it wasn't much different last night than the night before. BUT the fact that it isn't the tastiest thing ever helped me keep my portion size down. AND it's incredibly filling as well -- really, you can't eat all that much of it. So.... I'm thinking it's a win-win.

And now you know the rest of the story.....

Disclaimer: I've never met Sugary Sam, and while my Momma would just have a COW if she knew I used canned sweet potatoes, she'd just have to deal with it. This Christmas was NOT a time to stand on ceremony. Short-cuts saved my life.

The Cutest Thing Ever.....

I Love it When People Come Together....

This is a tale of two stories. Each is painful in its own accord. But each story has a completely different outcome. One makes me smile. A lot.

Some of you know what has been going on around here the last few months, but most of you don't know the gory details. Yes, you know that Dresser is being bought by GE -- which will impact our lives. AND you know that The Mimi has been sick. But you don't know all the details of either event.

I can't share those details here. Of the four of you who read this blog, at least one or two is too close to one or both of the situations at hand. I can't tell you how these situtations are affecting me. You know the parties involved. And even I have limits as to what I'll share in this forum.

Recently I was given an opportunity to share with a group of friends from the past. Each of these women knew me well at one time -- as well as anyone did. We had shared some pretty cool experiences a few years back.

So I shared. I laid it all out there. No holds barred. Probably more openly than I have with anyone else.

No one in this group lives here, runs in my circles, "visits" at PTO functions. No one in this group knows the inner workings of my life now. It was the perfect group to share with. I thought.

I guess I was wrong.

Time and distance have stretched those relationships. Dude.

My heart has been breaking over what's going on -- and not one of those women replied. No concern. No empathy. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Zero. Not a single reply. Not an "I'll be praying for you." Not an "I'm sorry." Or "That Sucks." Nothing.

Are you Kidding Me???

On the other hand, Susan over at Toddler Planet posted about the Absolutely Crappy stuff she had to deal with on Friday. Stuff that no young mother should ever have to deal with. Just as she always does, Susan laid it all out there -- she doesn't mince words. She tells it like it is. Cancer isn't pretty. And the experiences it brings into your life are nothing you'd wish for ANYONE.

I'm guessing Susan has never even met half the people who read her blog. She's never met them for coffee or gelato or whatever. And while she's open and honest and very, very real -- she can't even begin to visualize the people who read what she writes -- often in tears.

But here's the cool part... Where I reached out to people I KNOW and it fell on deaf ears, Susan shared with complete strangers who have now become this Army of Warrior Princesses who have her back. Susan already had an Army of Support. It just has a name now. And how cool is that??

So here's the scoop. God has given me an incredible gift. Pruning is part of life. Healthy life. Right?

He's also given Susan an incredible gift. An Army of Warrior Princesses. Check out her blog to see how you can join in.

25/21: Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes....

Well. I feel like I'm hosting a party, and I forgot to attend. Have you ever had that feeling?? I mean, seriously. This 25/21 challenge is ROCKING. And I'm not exactly ROCKING. Sure, I'm back where I was two weeks ago. But the goal is to be back where I was July 2008 -- and that's going to take more than a little effort.

You know??

Really, it's not like I'm flying blind on this one. I'm just not doing what I know I need to do. I'm a bit envious of those people who can quit drinking sodas, or drop fast food, or whatever and lose 10 pounds right off the bat.

For me, it's a slightly different story. I don't drink sodas. I don't eat fast food. My list of "don'ts" is fairly long.

BUT... I do love sweets and lately I do have a problem with portion size.

So.... Much as my friend Sally said last week, I'm not letting this get me down. I am focusing on the fact that I HAVE lost 8 pounds since school started -- and I HAVE kept those off. I've got a plan, I'm pressing forward, and I have confidence it's gonna work.

At some point.

Now.... We're three weeks down, and you can tell from the numbers below that we have some Peeps in this challenge who are really Rockin' it out. Holy Cow. AND we have some people like me who are stuck in one spot and not making a lot of headway.

I'm making some changes this week -- if they work, I'll let you know next week. BUT I'm going to keep my cards a bit close to the vest until I know for sure.

Forever Yours,
D'Lupe

Name -- Lost this Week -- Total for the Challenge
Aimee D. -- Lost 1; Total 3.6
Amber B. -- Total Lost 1.4
Amy B.
Amy S. -- Total Lost 2.5
Ann C. -- Total Lost 1
Annette T. -- Total Lost 3
Cindi C. -- Holding Steady; Total Lost 6
Cissa N. -- Gonna Keep Truckin'!
Crystal V. -- Total Lost 2
Cyndi S. -- Lost 3.1; Total Lost 3.1
D'Lupe -- Lost .7; Total Lost 1
Jimmie Sue L. -- Holding Steady; Total Lost 2.5
Julie N. -- Total Lost .1
Kara V. -- Holding Steady; Total 1
Katie R. -- Total Lost 2
Kay R. -- Lost 1; Total 3
Kayren B. -- Lost 1.5; Total Lost 2
Kelley B.
Kristine F. -- Lost 2.9; Total Lost 3.1
Laura Kay R. -- Total Lost 2
Laurie Y. -- Lost .5; Total 1.5
Leanne J. -- Lost 1.2; Total 2
Liz E. -- Total Lost 1
Lori A. -- Lost 1; Total Lost 2.5
Melanie H. -- Total Lost 1
Melissa H. -- Total Lost 1
Melody H.
Molly C. -- Total Lost 3
Nadine L. -- Total Lost 2
Rachel R. -- Total Lost 4.8
Rebecca B. -- Lost 2; Total Lost 2
Sally P. -- Total Lost .5
Sarah A. -- Lost 3; Total Lost 7
Sharon V. -- Lost 3; Total Lost 3
Sherrie W. -- Holding Steady; Total Lost 6
Suzi B. -- Today is a new day!!!
Tammy H. -- Lost 2.4; Total 4.5
Taunda J. -- Holding Steady; Total Lost 5
Vicki T. -- Lost 2.4; Total Lost 3.5

25/21: You Are What You Wear...

How's it going???


Are ya'll ready to weigh in tomorrow morning??? I have to admit, I've done more than a couple of weigh-ins this week. Every time I get on the Wii, my Wii-Me has to tell me what she thinks. As of right now, I'm exactly where I was last week. No more, no less. BUT.... we have the annual Rice Baseball Dinner tonight. Be praying I can abstain from the goodies!!! Yikes!!!

Don't forget to weigh in tomorrow morning. I'm anxious to hear what kind of a week you've all had!!

In the meantime, I thought I'd share a couple of links with you. If you've ever walked the 3-Day with me, you know I'm all about tennis and running skirts. I just think they serve a very important purpose -- they make you feel pretty!!!

The first year I wore a tennis skirt on the 3-Day, there were maybe one or two others. Now, they're everywhere! I think that makes me a trendsetter, right??

One of my favorite places is to order them is SmashGal. This is a company based in The Woodlands. I have a couple of skirts from there -- my Zebra skirt with the built-in shorts is my all-time fave. I've gotten tons of compliments on it!!!

My other favorite is Team Sparkle. Their running skirts are a bit different. None of them have built-in shorts. These are the skirts we're going to be using on the 3-Day this year. We're wearing Turquoise, which has proven to be a GREAT signature color for Team Tiara. It's easy to spot our team members in the sea of pink. In fact, this year we had a team member who joined the team at the very last minute. After the walk, she sent an email saying she never found us. My first thought was "How'd she miss us???" (I had been wondering where she was all weekend -- never could find her.)

But really, Turquoise does stand out -- and makes us easy to spot whether on the trails, at a pit stop or at lunch. So sticking with Turquoise throughout the weekend will Rock.

Now..... I'm off to the gym. It's just a bit too windy and cold for me to be on my bike today. I have to tell you, I HATE the gym. It's so stagnant. You know? Yesterday, I uploaded a couple of movies to watch on my IPod. I thought that would make the time go by faster, right? Well... The first one I uploaded had a ton of great reviews. I didn't have time to read it all that closely, but I gathered it was a great comedy everyone liked. Until I got on the bike and started watching, I had no idea it was a movie about two lesbians. Who kissed in the opening scene. Not exactly my cup of tea. So.... that's $14.99 wasted, and now I'm down to one movie to watch.

Better get going, though. The really gung-ho work-out Peeps should be gone by now. It's my turn.

Disclaimer: I've never starred in a movie, although I was in a TV commercial for the 3-Day. I do not work for either SmashGal or Team Sparkle. Neither company has ever sent me a free running or tennis skirt, so I'd talk about them on my blog. I've personally paid for every tennis skirt in my closet -- including the ones that don't fit. BUT they will. Soon.

25/21: Results this Week!

Hey gang!
More of our Peeps reported in this week, which helped our totals! We lost a total of 35.1 pounds this week, as opposed to 32.8 last week. I say that "we" loosely, because as ya'll all know I didn't exactly contribute this week.

But that's all good.....

After spending time with Jillian Tuesday and Wednesday, and walking 7.5 miles on Tuesday and biking 15 miles on Wednesday, yesterday was a day of recovery.

Yep. Jillian kicked my butt.

I don't know what was so special about her workout, or if it was the combination of the workout and the additional walking/ biking..... But whatever it was, I was in pain. The kind of pain where it hurts to sit down -- and get up. It rocked. I haven't hurt like that since the first Boot Camp I did with Charlotte.

So... Yesterday I took a day to recover -- and stay warm.

This morning I spent some time with my Wii Me and am happy to report I'm back down .7 pounds. Where I was last week. So.... it's off to the races, my friends!

25/21: Argh.

Today is Weigh-in Wednesday.

I didn't say that with a single ounce of enthusiasm in my voice -- not today. It's not because my Wii Me just told me I gained .7 pound this week. I'm okay with that.

It's because I hurt ALL over -- and it's Jillian's fault. That's right. The Evil Jillian.

I was all ready for yesterday to get here. After more than a week of cold and wet weather, I'd had enough of sitting on the couch quilting. I'd had enough hot chocolate to sink a small battleship, and it was time to get moving again. (See? .7+ pound.)

So yesterday morning I woke up ALL fired up --and it was wet and cold outside. Still. Not at all the weather I was looking for.

M'Lys had given me Jillian's Fitness Ultimatum 2011 for birthday, and I popped it in. My thought was that I could play with it a bit and have something positive to share with you today.

Well. Holy Cow. I hurt. I'm not sure what Jillian did, but my hips, butt, thighs and shoulders all got the most impact. It's the good hurt. The hurt that lets you know you worked muscles that have been dormant since 1984.

Once I finished playing around with the Fitness Ultimatum, I walked 7.5 miles. So yes, yesterday was a turn-around. And I'm glad to get this party started!

Send me your numbers, and I'll get them in The Spreadsheet! dlynbiggs (at) yahoo (dot) com. Let me know what's working/ not working for you!


Name -- Lost this Week -- Total for the Challenge
Aimee D. -- Lost 1; Total 2.6
Amber B. -- Holding Steady; Total 2.4
Amy B.
Amy S. -- Lost 3; Total 3
Ann C. -- Lost 1; Total 1
Annette T. -- Lost 3; Total 3
Cindi C. -- Lost 2; Total 6
Cissa N. -- Tomorrow is a new day!
Crystal V. -- Lost 2; Total 2
Cyndi S. -- Just getting started....
D'Lupe -- Gained .7; Total Lost .3
Jimmie Sue L. -- Total Lost 2.5
Julie N. -- Lost .9; Total 2.9
Kara V. -- Holding Steady; Total 1
Katie R. -- Lost 3; Total 3
Kay R. -- Lost 1; Total 2
Kayren B. -- Total Lost .5
Kelley B.
Kristine F. --
Laura Kay R. -- Lost 2; Total 2
Laurie Y. -- Holding Steady; Total 1
Leanne J. -- Lost .6; Total .8
Liz E. -- Lost 2; Total 1
Lori A. -- Total Lost 1.5
Melanie H. -- Holding Steady; Total 1
Melissa H. -- Lost .5; Total 1
Melody H.
Molly C. -- Lost 3; Total 3
Nadine L. -- Lost 2.5; Total 2.5
Rachel R. -- Lost 3.4; Total 3.4
Rebecca B. -- Holding Steady
Sally P. -- Total Lost .5
Sarah A. -- Lost 4; Total 4
Sharon V. -- Holding Steady
Sherrie W. -- Lost 6; Total 6
Suzi B. -- Total 2
Tammy H. -- Holding Steady; Total 2.1
Taunda J. -- Lost 2.5; Total 5
Vicki T. -- Total Lost 1.1


What We Learned:

From Leanne J: The only thing I can attribute the loss to is starting to drink one green smoothie for breakfast everyday. I make them with strawberries, half an orange, half a banana, a handful of kale, a few ice cubes, and 1/3 c of 1% cottage cheese. It's packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins! And while it looks pretty awful, it tastes delicious and is definitely worth it. Next week I'm adding spinach to it as well.

From Kara V: Jillian's 30 Day Shred is also a huge butt kicker, by the way. I may need to pull mine out soon!

From Sally P: Lindsay Brine kicked my behind yesterday & I'm doing her cardio today (day 2). I hope I can survive her 60 day program. I keep thinking it's not as brutal as P90x so I should be good.

From Cindi C: Still just limiting my soda intake and watching my portion sizes. Seems to be working so far!

Disclaimer: I don't work for Jillian or Wii or Nintendo or any of those peeps. While I did get the game (?) for free, it was from M'Lys for my 40th birthday. I'm 100% sure Jillian and the gang have no idea I exist -- much less write a blog that's faithfully read by four marvelous readers.

Don't you love it how God.....

... Gives you just what you need -- just when you need it??

Ya'll know Tuesday wasn't the best day around here. To say my nerves were frayed would be an understatement. Yes, I had on my cute boots. But other than that, things were a bit haywire.

The trampoline has a HUGE hole in it where the black jumpy mat part isn't attached any more. Ugly Sink, which has been the bane of my existence for years, had developed three leaks. While the fact that it was going to have to be replaced was GREAT, the timing was a bit off. And then the toilet in our bathroom overflowed -- and not just a little. Praise God for tile.

So that's what started off my morning on Tuesday. And don't get me wrong -- there was some INCREDIBLE stuff going on as well. Tuesday morning Mitsubishi Forklift of Houston presented Team Tiara with an amazing check -- the result of the sale of "Pinkie." The sale will help fund walkers in the Breast Cancer 3-Day -- how cool is that????

But Tuesday morning... maybe it was the cold, or maybe it was the fact that when I ordered a Caramel Apple Cider at my Starbuck's they just gave me hot apple juice (which I didn't discover until way too late), but it was taking me a while to get up off the ground. I had make-up on, and my cute boots, but just wasn't my usual perky self.

I needed some therapy -- of the shopping kind. And since I also needed to purchase a couple of T-shirts from Rice, I headed that way.

And that's where I was when I got word that Jenne Fromme, 3-Day Spokeswoman Extraordinaire, had stepped down from her role -- and the Powers That Be are looking to hire a new representative -- from the ranks of the 3-Day.

My Dream Job.

I can't tell you how much I'd love this job. You get to represent the 3-Day in all 14 cities of the walk. To have that opportunity to share love and hope and happiness with all those walkers --I can't even imagine how incredible that would be. To host Camp Show each night would be a blast -- with the exception of the slight fact that I can't dance. But with the exception of the dancing part, this is my kind of job.

(With Jenne and Suzi in 2007)

There's just one rub. You get to represent the 3-Day at all 14 events. Events that begin in July and end in.... November. I'd miss my girls' entire soccer season. Their birthdays. I just can't do that.

Maybe in a few years when they're older and my life is a bit more flexible. Maybe then I'll be able to take on a role like Jenne's. But not now.

So knowing me, I'm sure you know that my Tuesday continued on in a not-soooooo-great manner.

I was in one of those places where I want to do more, but just can't see how. I get like that sometimes. Sometimes this whole breast cancer thing drags me down a bit as I wonder how long it will be before we find a cure. How many choices will I have to make before that happens? Will they still be needing a spokesperson when the girls are old enough for me to take on a role like that, or will we be DONE with this fight? How much longer can I continue to keep all these balls in the air? Do I really know what I'm doing??

Not having kids around, my mind had plenty of time to wander. Is this really where I need to concentrate my efforts? Do I need to work with children, be a missionary, live in a grass hut? Is there a better way for me to use my talents? Be creative?

And then... God gave me just what I needed. When I needed it.

In the form of a FB conversation with Amy Stoker. For those of you who follow my "no coincidences" belief, this one is going to blow your socks off.

Ya'll all know I met Amy in LA when we all went out there for the 3-Day commercial shoot. Amy and her sister-in-law Meg joined in the fun and blessed all of us with their spirit and love and energy and humor.... The list goes on and on. That weekend will forever hold as one of the most amazing weekends of my life.

Last fall, I had business cards printed with 50 different pictures from the 3-Day. My 50 favorites from five years -- a different picture on each card.

While Biggs was in Scotland (the same week I drove through the garage), I had to take the truck in to the Ford dealership for a few repairs. While I waited I tied ribbon after ribbon after ribbon making hair pretties for our team.

And I visited with the lady sitting next to me. She belongs to a bowling league that has a Bowl for the Cure event each year and donates the proceeds to Komen. Ever the 3-Day walker, I suggested they donate their funds to Komen THROUGH our 3-Day team, and help fund some of our walkers. She said she'd talk to the league about it, I handed her a random business card with a random picture on it, and went on my way.

End of story.

I thought.

On Tuesday, God decided I needed a little something extra, so He sent word through Amy that the business card had in fact landed with the bowling league and they were, in fact, considering donating their funds to Komen through our 3-Day Team. And how did Amy know?

Well, the woman I met at the Ford dealership took my card to her bowling league where she showed it to a friend who happened to be....

Are you ready for this??

Meg's Mom!!!!!!!

That would be the same Meg whose picture was on the card!!!

How cool is that??

But guess what? It gets even better. Wednesday morning, while I was still marvelling over the way God puts the pieces into place for This Team in ways we could never ask or imagine, He did something else for me.

When I got home from dropping the kiddos off at school, THIS was on my garage.

He gives me exactly what I need, exactly when I need it.

What a Week!!!

Hey Peeps!

We still have a few stragglers who haven't reported in this week, but our group total is up over 30 pounds lost! How cool is that? If you ARE one of the stragglers, just shoot me a msg or email and let me know where you're at....

I loved seeing what was working for everyone! Boy, giving up Sodas seemed to be a regular theme, didn't it??? And using some sort of online tool to track your day.

This announcement popped into my inbox this morning. Many of you know Charlotte Byrne is the best personal trainer in the universe, and I think she ROCKS! Charlotte works with our neighborhood gym which has these class offerings:

Just a heads up in case you haven't heard of the new classes being offered right here in the 'hood!
We have a new 'Circuit with the Trainers" fitness Class! This class is taught by all THREE trainers!!! One hour, 3, trainers, and 12 Weeks to a more sensational you!! kickbox, cardio, plyo's and Pilates. Nutritionist available as well. Tues/thurs. beginning NEXT Tues! morning and evening classes available
And the new "Shed and Shred" Another kind of boot camp to shed any weight and sculpt the body you have been wishing for! Begins next Tues.; Tues/Thurs mornings, Mon/Wed. Evenings.
and also "Gift of Fitness" is here again!! that's 10 personal training sessions for $275!! That's over $100 off the regular price! Or you can sit down with our Nutritionist and get some help on your journey to fantastic health!

Act now to get in on these amazing deals!! Hurry before it's too late to use these tools to get the best you ever!!! Call the Fairfield Athletic Center for more details, or Allison Weaver 713.922.4391.

Gotta run! Six kids in the house that I've got to get to school on time!!!