Wow!

Okay... I just now realized that there were comments dating back to MAY 28th that I still hadn't moderated... Poor neglected little blog!

In other news, I'm on the "Choose Healthy Living" bandwagon along with many other awesome people. It's a blog, but it's gone private now. We're challenging each other to live healthier. Boil it all down, there's a points system as a reward for achieving the challenges. Right now, I still haven't missed any days. This week's challenge has been incredibly hard for me. We've been challenged to cut out junk food. I am a self-proclaimed sugar addict. I mean it... I'm literally going through withdrawal right now. Headaches, nausea, shakiness, dizziness, mood swings... good gracious. I seriously think there needs to be a detox center for people like me! And I don't want to hear ANYONE telling me that you can't be addicted to sugar. Yes. You. Can! It's insane. I mean, not to implicate anyone in particular, but I know people who are recovering from various substance abuse issues, and while their symptoms are much harsher, I can kinda relate now. There is a ziploc bag of cookies here on the desk in front of me (Thomas forgot to put them back in his backpack...) and they're quite literally calling to me. "Eaaaat meeeee.... EEEEAAAAT MEEEEE!!!" it's sickening! At any rate... I've managed to go three whole days without processed sugar. Woo-hoo! I'm still a grouch-bucket, but I'm getting better.

So... what about you? Anything you need to give up?

Sigh...

So, I haven't posted in a while. I've got some serious motivation issues and I've gained.

Anyone have any suggestions?

-Aubri-

Ideal Body

That is my (Rachel) ideal body. She isn't too thin, but she is still muscular. On DWTS she is getting a little on the skinny side, but she still looks bangin. I'm on my way!

Work out best friend...

Rachel, as always, is a genius. She brought up a topic I love to yammer on about. My work out best friend. She mentioned her Biggest Loser DVD and water bottle... and BTW, I'm jealous of that water bottle... hard core jealous.

At any rate, I have a work out best buddy too.

Meet my iPod:

This baby is my work out hero. Always has been, always will be.

I'm rocking a 2nd Gen iPod Nano, in silver. It was one of the freebies that Key Bank was giving away if you signed up to bank with them a few years back. We love it. This one was initially Thomas' iPod, but he never really used it, so I stole it. And good thing I did too, because my little 1st Gen iPod Nano gave up the ghost recently. At any rate, I always run with this little bugger strapped to my bicep.

Now, meet my iPod on crack:

This, my friends is the Nike+ system. This gets me through my hour+ runs. Nike+ is not merely a Godsend (though it is that) it is a lifesaver. Any of you who knew me as a child/teenager know that I am Whiney McComplainey-pants. You will also remember me sitting out of gym class, and any sports-related mutual activities. I had freakishly bad knees as a kid, true, but I was also intensely lazy. Not any more! I now have a personal trainer courtesy of the lovely people at Nike and Apple.

Nike+ is pretty much amazing. There is a sensor and a receiver. The sensor fits into a slot in the insole of the shoe. Then, you affix the receiver to the port at the bottom of your iPod Nano (or, alternatively, your iPod Touch [and maybe iPhone...]). The sensor records your pace, distance, etc and sends it wirelessly to the receiver. The display on your iPod registers this, as well as such nifty info as calories burned. As if that wasn't enough, you also get to have a little voice come over the music you're listening to that tells you where you are in your goal. For example, let's say you're goal is to run an hour. Every five minutes, a little voice announces your time. Then, at thirty minutes, it announces, "Half-way point. Thirty minutes remaining." in a slightly more excited voice. Also, this doesn't sound like a computer. It sounds like a person. It's very encouraging. At the end of your work-out, it will announce your stats. How far you ran, what your pace was, how long it took you, and the calories you burned. And, as if all this wasn't enough, if you get slow and laggy, you can push and hold the center button on the click-wheel, and it will play your "power song" for you. A power song is a song you preselect to play when you need a boost. It's ingenious! I literally can't run without it. Another neat feature of the Nike+ system are access to nikeplus.com (feel free to poke around there, and learn more if you like!) It's great! Your runs are transmitted to your personal account on nikeplus.com and you can track your progress. You can also compete in challenges, and make friends with other online runners worldwide, if you like.

As you can see, I'm kinda obsessed with this. It was one of my anniversary presents this year. Also, I should mention, I'm kind of a Nike whore. I just really like their shoes. They're one of the few brands I can run in that don't make my knees feel like murder when I'm done. Thomas rolls his eyes at me when I say that... He thinks all shoes are created equal, I vehemently disagree.

If you are interested in this, I say go for it. The only downfall is the initial cost. The system itself is cheap, it's about $20-25 for the Nike+ hardware. The only bummer is that if you don't own an iPod, you'll need to buy one. Those run anywhere form $129-249. Then, if you don't currently own Nike+ shoes, you'll have to buy those. I highly recommend Foot Locker, and do NOT purchase at Lady Foot Locker. Lady Foot Locker jacks the prices up at least $20 per shoe. They sell women's shoes at the regular Foot Locker, and they're cheaper, and they have better (and more frequent) sales. If you can score a deal online, do that... but I have weirdly sized feet, and have to try on all my shoes before I buy them. I'm anywhere from a nine to a ten in Nikes... I fluctuate within the same brand, it just depends on the shoe. You're looking at spending anywhere from $60-100 on the shoes.

Let's recap: On the low end, to start up from scratch on the Nike+ system, you're looking at spending $209. On the high end, it's up to about $374. I got lucky, I already had a lot of what I needed... so it didn't cost me that much. Not to mention, I was able to cash in on some after the holidays type sales. All in all though, once you're set up with the system, it's only about $12 a year to buy new sensors when the batteries conk out. Not too shabby, and cheaper than a gym membership or human personal trainer.

At any rate, I didn't mean for this to turn into a review... :-) It's just my favorite thing to work out with.

Dear Stainless Steel water bottle and Biggest Loser workout DVD,

You are my best friends and I LOVE YOU! <3

Sincerely,

Rach

Introduction... Aubri

Aubri
Age: 23
Weight: 143 (in picture, at left, 153)
Measurements:
Bust: 39 in
Waist: 30 in
Hips: 38 in
Thighs: 22 in
Arms: 11 in
Optimal Weight: 120-132 lbs
Goal Weight: 120-125 lbs

I hate this picture... but it illustrates the problem. See how pregnant I look? Well... I'm not. Never have been, actually.

(As you can probably tell, I totally swiped this layout from Rachel... she's amazing. Since this is a team blog, I wanted to keep the flow similar... I hope she doesn't mind!)

This Christmas was a turning point for me. I stepped onto the scale after months of avoidance, and I cried. I saw a number that was bigger than any other scale number I'd ever seen. I have always, always been "the little one" in my groups of friends. I'm about 5'4" (okay, 5'4 3/4" but according to the DMV, three-quarters of an inch is not an inch... and therefore, I am 5'4" on my license and all official paperwork.) and all through high school was a size 4, and about 115 lbs. I had a freakishly fast metabolism, and often "forgot" to eat. I was a busy kid... I kept a granola bar and fruit snacks in my purse, and would eat those instead of a meal. I never worried about what I ate, and I ran around enough to burn off any extra calories.

Fast forward a few years. I'm married, I'm 23, and I'm basically the biggest I've ever been. I topped off at about 155 lbs, about 23 lbs overweight. I don't fit into any of my clothes, and when I went to the store to buy new sizes, I had jumped up at least two sizes (if not three!) in most items. It was awful. I vowed, right then and there in the dressing room, to fix this. I started out on my own... I worked out like a madwoman and ate better... In four months, I lost fifteen pounds... gained back ten, and lost five more. Not really the best system.

Thankfully, I had found my good buddy Rachel online. She found my blog, and we'd been keeping up with each other. We soon realized we were struggling with the same problem. We desperately wanted (and needed, due to health issues) to lose weight... but we lacked enthusiasm. Rachel and I know each other pretty well. We grew up together in North Dakota, and... well... that bonds you. We decided that if anyone could help us get through this successfully, we could! So, here we are. We've set up this team blog to uplift and encourage each other to meet our goals. We plan on discussing everything from weight loss, excersize, and diets to recipes, our feelings on the journey, and whinings. Basically, this blog is our outlet. We hope that if you've found us, you'll stick around. We can use all the positive comments and feedback you can chuck at us. :-) Not to mention, we'd love to help you along on your journey too!

My big, huge, whoppin' goal is to get down to 120 lbs by my sister-in-law's wedding in August. I want to be a size 4 again, with a flat tummy. That's my goal. I know it's doable, but it's going to take a heckuva lotta work. I just hope it's not too crazy of a goal. Thankfully, I live right across from BYU-Idaho, and have access to their gym. It only costs me five bucks a year. Plus, I'm also really into running. This will surprise anyone who knew me as a kid... I was super lazy.

At any rate, that's my goal, that's my bio... now you know more about me. I'm looking forward to this experiment. Thanks for checking us out! :-)

Introduction

Rachel
Age: 22
Weight: 186
Measurements:
Waist: 33 in
Hips: 43 in
Left Thigh: 25.5 in
Right Thigh: 25.5 in
Right and Left Arms: 12 in
Optimal Weight: 155-165 lbs.

I never really had a hard time with my weight until I got married in 2006. I was 19 so I really didn't even think about having to eat correctly and exercise. I quit my job right before the wedding and shortly after I started looking for a job... sort of. I really enjoyed being the stay at home wife who slept in late everyday sat around all day after cleaning the 1 bedroom apartment and cooked her husband yummy dinners every night. Not only that but I really enjoyed being able to go out to dinner with my husband all the time. I didn't even give a second thought to what I was putting into my body. I have always loved sugary treats and have a hard time with many veggies. I just don't like them that much and if I can stand them I inevidably add too much salt or cook them so all the nutrients are out of them. I love to cook but I mostly LOVE to bake. Anything with sugar in it. I am terrible. In January of this year I went to the doctor to have my regular(ish) physical. I had blood work done and found out that I not only have hypothyroidism (underproductive thyroid fixed by medicating) but I also have polycystic ovarian syndrome. This blew me away! Not only can this syndrome (if left to its own devices) make it so I can never have children, but it can lead to heart disease, diabetes and many other not so happy diseases! The best cure for PCOS is a balanced diet and exercise. That is my resolve. To fix it so one day I may have healthy children!

Goals:

I want to lose 20 lbs OR 3 pant/dress sizes by July. I plan to do this by cutting out most pop, toning down the sugar, exercising everyday and eating an overall healthier diet. My focus is eating more fruits and veggies along with only 1,200 calories a day. This will be hard for me because I work all day and also go to school at night so I have very little time to cook fresh healthy meals. I will drink unnatural amounts of water in the process.

I have been at my diet for a week and while I have not lost any weight, I feel amazing! Wish me luck in the coming weeks! I will post my new measurements once a month. I just hope I can keep my motivation! To try here is my -10 lbs reward:




I'm excited for this! I hope I can remember this feeling of self accomplishment and that it gets stronger!