Day 3 -- Bittersweet

Good thing I've been keeping Mom under close scrutiny the last two days because this morning she was put to the test.

Sickness decided to camp out in my respiratory system this morning and I had to skip work. That left Mom's breakfast unsupervised. My hard work paid off though -- Mom stuck with her diet and even went for a long walk while I was sleeping!

After some medication and extra sleep, I was back on my feet in time to oversee our lunches right before we headed out the door. Which reminds me...

No More Cast!

We took a trip to the clinic today and Mom's cast was removed from her left wrist! Waiting on her for an hour tested my patience and I seriously considered finding a pair of scissors and doing it myself next time. Nonetheless, we were elated that Mom was set free. This incident led to a humorous remark from the Doctor as he was giving Mom instructions for therapy:

"Don't be doing anything strenuous with your wrist right away. No pushups or anything."

How did he know???

We won't have any trouble adjusting Mom's cardio/strength training so she can tackle it single-handedly. Literally.

Day 3 Progress Update

Weight Progress: -1lb
Total weight-loss: -2lbs

Lesson Learned today: even if your trainer is sick, you can still decide to exercise and eat right on your own.

Go Mom!

My Mother is The Biggest Loser

For those of you who thought this is my actual opinion of my mother, shame on you. I love my mother dearly and she is about as far from being a loser as you possibly could be; until now. You see, my mother is starting our version of "The Biggest Loser" challenge.

The Coach

As her coach, mentor, dietician, and #1 fan, let me introduce myself; my name is Rebekah Rodgers. Since I was big enough to walk, I have led a fairly active/healthy lifestyle; developed a pattern of habits that cultivate healthy eating choices, active hobbies, and determination to stay fit. At 21 years old, I still maintain those habits.

But my Mother has spent the last 20+ years taking care of five kids, a house, and husband. Somewhere along the line, she neglected to take care of her own health and wellbeing. That's where we find ourselves today. She has decided to make a change right now to save her health and live better.

The Biggest Loser Challenge

For the next 6 weeks (or however long it takes) Mom will be following the diet plan and exercise routines outlined in "The Biggest Loser" by Cheryl Forberg (and others). In order to motivate her to stick with the program, I have decided to diet and exercise with her through all 6 weeks.

We have four charts on the fridge: water intake, diet check, exercise check, and weight progress. I also had Mom put up a picture of her goal -- herself nearly 20 years ago -- as well as a list of excuses she's made since then that got her so far away from her optimal weight.

- For water intake, we aim for 128oz of water a day in four 32oz increments.

- Our diet plan follows the 1,200-1,500 calorie balanced meals listed in the book. (Note: 5 small meals a day makes a huge difference in hunger and cravings.)

- Exercises vary each week in type and intensity but in addition to the workouts, we walk 30-45 minutes outdoors. Mom's favorite warm-up is hula hooping while listening to Country music.

We are currently on Day 2. Weight progress = -1lb

Quote of the day:

Mom: "What?? I can't run!"
Me: *rolls eyes* "If one of your children got hit by a car, would you walk to their aid or run?"
Mom: "... I guess I can run."

Lesson learned: You CAN exercise beyond what you think you can. You'll never know your limits until you push them.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here's where I need your help. Mom needs all the motivation, support, encouragement, (and prayers) you can give her. Comment below and let her know you're cheering for her!

Gaining Weight While Away from Home

How did the holidays go for you all? I was thrilled to discover that I only gained two pounds over the holidays. I never weighed and I was expecting a lot worse.  Sadly, I rejoiced a little too soon.

We headed off to Seattle for three weeks where I promptly broke my wrist.

Guess what happens when you sit in a recliner for three weeks and do nothing but eat and sleep and take pain pills?  Add to that...that you can't politely choose your own food..as someone else is cooking that whole time.  Then add several dinners out.    It was a recipe for disaster.

I gained four pounds and feel bloated. Drat!

So do I give up? Of course not.  This is a journey. I just need to buckle down and keep going.  It's time to get back to healthy eating choices...like Jaime has suggested..and to get moving again.  Walking..hooping...and just good ole' housework should get me back on track.

I'm going to start logging my food again on Lose It. Accountability works wonders!

How are you all doing?  Let me know! And let's welcome a new member..   Debra of Florentine Lily to our group. What better time to get posting again than a new year!

Love you all!


Donna @ Comin' Home

The difference a month makes

Thirty days isn't that long as a time but that doesn't mean that big things can't happen. A month ago today I was at the allergist staring at this massive list of things I can't eat. I simply asked the Dr. what I was supposed to eat..he had no idea. Thanks. And so started the venture to eliminated all allergens from my diet. I didn't think I'd changed that much until just now as I looked at how effortlessly I had just gone through my morning. So what changed?

Breakfast then: tea with loads of chemical filled  "non-dairy" (dairy and soy filled) creamer and a bowl of store brand sugar coated cereal with banana and almond milk. Seemed okay at the time and I validated the sugar splurge with telling myself I ate health every other meal.

Breakfast now: tea with almond milk and either oatmeal with fresh fruit and honey or an organic egg on homemade whole-wheat toast (no egg or butter in the recipe, just a little oil) and maybe a few pieces of natural bacon with a tiny bit of brown sugar added for flavor and a few strawberries.


Lunch then: PB&J on store bread full of chemicals, jelly full of sugar and peanut butter with chemicals and more sugar with a small bag of butter filled (chemical) popcorn. I may even have some fast food if we're in town complete with chemical and sugar filled soda!


Lunch now: Organic pasta with fresh homemade spinach pesto and turkey kielbasa (chemical free) and some homemade lemonade. Fast food is no longer allowed!


Dinner then: Homemade spicy potato soup with fat filled cream, store bought salt and chemical soaked ham bits and chemical sprayed potatoes. This went great with chemical ridden dough goop from a can that baked itself into biscuits.

Dinner now: Baked chicken breast coated with Planko or homemade bread crumbs on organic pasta with organic or homemade spaghetti sauce. No garlic bread needed.

Somehow I managed to lose 85 lbs in about two years by eat my "old ways" but honestly I have no idea how looking back on it. All I did was eat chemicals and fake things!! Even when I did my best to eat healthy, it turns out it was still slowly killing me. No wonder I had to work so hard in my workouts to see a result! So now I'm getting ready to get back into working out and can't help but wonder what the results will be.