25th Anniversary Siesta Key Pics

First of all, if you are uncomfortable seeing Jorge the Jabanero and me in swimsuits, look away. If you are going to criticize my choice to post swimsuit pics, just grumble to yourself, please. I've been working long and hard to get to the place where I could wear a two-piece in public, and I was celebrating the achievement when I was down there. Do not rain on my parade. Just know that I automatically know some will not approve. I'm not losing sleep over it.

All we did was lounge/play games on the beach, eat, sleep. That is it. If you're looking for sight-seeing pics, these will bore you. We basically took pics of the beach, each other, and some food.

It was the best vacation we ever had.

Do you see Sarasota there? That's where we were. No tar balls on the beach. They migrated north.



The flowers you'll see were waiting for me at the condo from Jorge. That was a NICE touch.

The sand was pure white, soft as baby powder.

Did I mention it was the best vacation we've ever had?

Sigh. Here ya go, if you're interested.

Meet My-Shell, My "Anchor," My Friend Who's Going to Help Me Lose Weight

An·chor (ngkr)
n.
1. Nautical A heavy object attached to a vessel by a cable or rope and cast overboard to keep the vessel in place either by its weight or by its flukes, which grip the bottom.
2. A rigid point of support, as for securing a rope.
3. A source of security or stability.

************************

Sometimes, I start an eating plan and I hold fast to it. Until someone mentions "Hey, how about lunch at Puerto Vallarta?" --Or "Panera" or "Q Doba" or "Subway" or "Anywhere."

And then I forget who I am, where I live, what I weigh or what I want to weigh. Heck, I even forget I'm married and often find myself proposing to the nachos in front of me.

Or sometimes, I eat off-plan for emotional reasons, like feeling happy, sad, or conscious.

I decided last week that what I need is an "anchor," some tangible object to securely attach me to my goal, so to speak.

And so, to symbolize the goal of having a beach body ready by late June, I've started toting around a shell, which I have dubbed "Myshell" because that is cutesy.

So Myshell sits on my desk at work, on the breakfast bar at home or on the computer desk at home because those are the usual settings for my bouts of flagrant hedonism. And I carry it in my purse, yes I do.

Having an anchor invites questions and doubts.

Jorge saw it and said, "You're not seriously going to cart that thing around with you wherever you go, are you?"

Well, if I wasn't, I would most definitely be after that wet-blanket, doubt-casting remark.

Even my boss stopped by my desk the other day and asked "how the shell is working out." I know he thinks I'm nuts most of the time. He has learned to just go with the flow better than Jorge has.

And so my purse has been a little heavier the last few days. And sometimes my keys get stuck in Myshell or pieces of gum or receipts fall into the crevices.

But it's working so far. When I remember to LOOK at her. It's amazing how soon we adjust to our surroundings and overlook things we think we wouldn't.

There's a lesson in that, but I don't feel like pontificating today, so you connect the dots.

Anyway, that's the story of Myshell and how I'll probably end up on Oprah when I lose so much weight that the world can't believe it was all due to plain little seashell.

If you were going to utilize the anchor theory in your life right now, what object would you choose and why?

Weight

For about a week, Jorge has been telling me that I appear to be losing weight.

You'd think that observation would be very encouraging, wouldn't you?

Except that he says it looks like I'm losing weight in my head.

Yes, I said in my head. Not face, but head.

I said, "Are you sure it's not just that my hair is flatter? Face is thinner?"

"Nope. It looks like your head is getting smaller."

Thus we posed for the above pic.

Gee, I was hoping we'd make it to next June when we'll be celebrating our 25th, but in light of this kick he's on, I'm considering knocking him into next year without me.

Weight, Part II

After my gym work out today, I ran to WOWmart to pick up a few things. In the produce section, I hear, "LINDA!"

I turn to see an old friend, who also happens to have been Jorge's high school sweetheart. I truly love her very much-not just words.

Anyway, beautiful then, beautiful now. Groan.

As an adult, she put on quite a bit of weight, but she lost it recently and was so thin I absolutely did not recognize her.

I couldn't stop looking at her face and body, although I knew I was being rude. I just couldn't help myself. She said many people do not even recognize her.

As I stood there gawking, I remembered that I just came from the gym and had fewer clothes on than I'm used to wearing.

Like, here's what I wore to church last week:


And then I remembered that since she has seen me last, I've probably gained 15-20 lbs.

Ouch.

All I could think of when I walked away was, "Don't see me from behind. Don't see me from behind."

But I don't know why I'm so worried. After all, her head is still bigger than mine.

Lucky Jorge. If life had not turned out like this, he might have married her, and there he'd be stuck with a woman with a not small head. I hope he knows how blessed he is.

Getting on the Ball

My weight loss project has not turned out the way I had hoped many weeks ago.

That is, I haven't lost any weight.

I. KNOW.

As Ed once told Mama and Eunice, "Why don't you just tattoo it across my forehead: F-A-Y-L-U-R."

And this last week of chaos at work wreaked havoc on my eating plans. I started the week with a bang and ended with a whimper. And with a couple of hot dogs, which I haven't enjoyed so much in a long time.

But then I had to face the music, otherwise known as the owner of the gym.

Who decided it was time to use the calipers on me to see why I'm not losing on the scale, in the hopes that I'm losing fat while gaining muscle which doesn't necessarily show up on the scale.

Turns out, not so much positive news.

And then he cocks his head and says in the most earnest, gentle way: "You've gotta get on the ball."

[Insert Law & Order gavel sound.]

So at 7:00 pm, I laced up my tennis shoes and took off in the neighborhood, aiming for 45 minutes of jogging.

Did I mention 7 pm, after a long day of work and chores and meals?

So I took off and began the masochism.

It hit 90* in Indiana today, so 20 minutes into the run, I was hearing the lyrics "Been through the desert on a horse with no name ..." because I was hallucinating about the Lab who ran across my path.

But then I had that Jillian mirage, where she always says, "If you're not fainting, vomiting or dying, keep going."

So I think the horse with no name is really named Jillian.

That's when a neighbor threw up a wave at me and yelled, "Hey, Linda. It's 90*!"

Thanks, Neighbor. I wasn't sure I was dying, but now I am.

So then I slogged all the way home and wrote this just to document to the gym owner: "I got on the ball. With no name. It felt good to be out of the rain. When you're slogging, you can't remember your name, until your neighbor calls it out and causes you pain."

If You're Not Happy About This, You Can Always Kvetch to Greg: Phase 4 of the 30 x 5

Option A: You won't like this phase of the 30 x 5.

Response: Please direct all negative comments to my buddy Greg at Greg's General Store because this was all his idea.

Option B: You'll be up for the challenge and think you might actually like it.

Response: Please direct all flattering comments to Lidna Crow, the genius behind this idea.

The Concept (w/apologies to Robert Frost):

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
A stroke of 30 x 5 brilliance.

Or:

I took the one less traveled by,
And to my muffin top said, "good riddance."

OK, so here are the clues: "The Old Switcheroo" and taking the road less traveled.

It's time to change it up, people.

For the next two weeks, you're going to change a little sumthin sumthin in your routine.

For instance, since I do quite a bit of my aerobic exercise on my elliptical, I am now going to do 5 minutes forward followed by 5 minutes backward, SWITCHING the routine from my normal forward-only motion.

2nd for instance: I've been eating Cheerios for breakfast for a week. I'm going to therefore incorporate different foods at breakfast: yogurt, fruit, eggs, veggie omelet, etc.

Do you get the picture?

Thus the clever inverted image you see in the button for Phase 4. I know. I kill myself, too.

I know what you're thinking: "Why, Lid, why."

Well, why are you so philosophical, asking "why" all the time? Haven't you ever heard the saying, "Ours is not to question why; ours is but to do or die?" Because I think that fits this situation perfectly. You don't want to die, do you?

I didn't think so.

There is a good reason for switching things up, so I will send you to an article called Change Your Workout Routine: Avoiding the Plateau by Jason Johnson, which spells it out clearly.

But in my lingo: Your muscles have gotten smart, and they're working the system. Now you have to counter their smugness with a sucker punch.

So let's review. Because if you've been keeping up with all of the 30 x 5 phases, here's what your life would look like now:




Phase 1: You pledged to move around, any way you pleased, for 30 minutes per day, for 5 days per week. Thirty all at once or in intervals. Any kind of movement counted. The point was to get started moving.




Phase 2: You subtracted, by approximation, 100 calories per day for two weeks, understanding that if you did so, you could lose one pound of fat per month just by doing this alone. So coupling Phase and 1 and 2, you began to get some discipline back into your physical life and make positive changes.



Phase 3: You pledged to drink more water. The goal for most is 8 6-8 oz glasses per day, with the understanding that a more accurate guideline is to halve your weight and drink that number in ounces.





So how has it been going for you? I'm happy to report that the water in this picture is indeed in my refrigerator, and I am slugging it down all day long, which is even more of a lifestyle change than moving around is for me.

And I have done an overhaul on my food consumption AND joined a gym.


I'm serious about this, people. Because June is knocking on our doors. No, not that June. You know what I mean: June. Pools. Swimsuits. Sleeveless tops. shudder

You can grab the code for the button in the right sidebar, if you please. Please leave a comment so that we can come visit you and see how you're doing and what you're thinking about all of this. I'm thinking of going through Phase 6 and then ending this endeavor on the blog (not in my life). What do you think? And do you have any suggestions for Phase 5?

H to the 0 (H20) 30 x 5

Excuse me while I crack open a tall, cold bottle of Sam's Purified drinking water. (Ahhh. Nothing but the good stuff for me.)

A quick twist, and pop goes the plastic ring which annoys me by staying on the bottle like a bracelet. Then I take that cap for a counter-clockwise do-si-do, lift it off and chug the H20, Baby. That's what I've been doing this last week, and I hope you've embraced this facet of the 30 x 5, as well.

Hey. Where did you go? Oh, to the bathroom.

Good. Maybe we can continue this conversation from inside the stalls because I'm right behind you. Apparently, according to the pic, we're going to the restroom for women with one arm.

Some enlightenments and developments have occurred as I began this water guzzling journey:

• I am the fastest go-er to the bathroom in town. I've been so often in the last week that I've streamlined the process to near art-form. I shall spare you the details. You're welcome.
• I know where many, many public restrooms are, including places you might not think of right away. Starbucks? That's for spoiled sissies. Try this on for size: Hotel lobbies. Bowling alleys. The cheap haircut place. (I know; I'm sharing way too much information.)
  
• I am more thirsty. Yes, you read that right. I was aiming for 8 x 8 (64 ozs), but because my water bottles hold 20 ozs each, I've been drinking 80 oz. And guess what. It's making me cotton-mouthed and thirsty.

Apparently, this is a pretty common phenomenon, according the Internet. There are several theories about this, but one theory is that I have awakened my thirst sensors which were dormant before.

Well. You don't say.

I've learned that when we eat a lot and don't drink water, we get used to getting hydration through food instead of liquid. So we actually feel hunger (real pangs!) when what we really need is water.

All of my life, I have never really enjoyed drinking, except for a great cup of coffee in the morning. Now that I truly enjoy. But I never enjoyed beverages with my meals or got all excited about new flavors of sodas, etc. And when I went out to eat with others, they would have their glasses refilled many times while I sat there with the initial glass of water barely touched.

And I rarely felt thirsty. You see where this is going.

I ate my water. With some extra calories thrown in just for kicks, and menopause loves extra calories like Paula Abdul loves Adam Lambert. Not good news for weight management.

So I fully expected this endeavor to be really difficult, but it turns out, SHAZAM! I like water! I crave it! And no, I'm sure I'm not diabetic. My hydration switch has been flipped, that's all.

Now, it is possible to drink too much water, but even at 100 ozs, I'm not near that limit yet, so no worries.

I just can't get over it. I think I've had more water in this one week than I've had in my entire life. Maybe that's why I'm so thirsty. Maybe my hydration level is only as current as 1975, so I've got a lot of catching up to do!

How about you this week; did you drink more? (Water, you cad. Or cad-ette.) How did you feel?

I do not follow nor advocate the Adkins Diet, but I did enjoy this Adkins article which delineates all of the benefits and interesting factoids about water.

One last tip: crushed strawberries in water. Wonderful.

OK--onto week two of 30 x 5 Phase 3--keep sipping that water! We finish May 26!

American Idol & Biggest Loser

Every Tuesday night, I have to make the biggest decision of my life.

Which one do I watch live, and which do I Tivo?

It's like trying to decide which of your children you're going to play with now and which one later. Or which piece of chocolate you're going to eat now and which one you're going to save for later. It's harrowing.

So I did the unthinkable: surfed between the two.

As far as American Idol goes, there's not much to say except: that's a boatload of natural gifting on one stage. Good grief.

My favorite is still Danny Gokey, who was my choice from the first time I saw him, but the other two are brimming with the talent, as well. I do not personally care for Adam's style, but I'm not blind to his ability.

With that said (as they say in "The Bachelor" ad nauseum) I don't believe the premise of the show fits Adam because he has been on big-time stage before, and this show is supposed to pluck unknown underdogs from Denny's and Borders and give them a chance to shine. Also, it's mainly for Pop or Top 40 music, not opera, bluegrass, Broadway or hard rock.

But details, details. In spite of my compulsion as a rule follower to protest, I believe that Adam will win. And you know what? If so, I say, "Ho-hum."

Real Excitement? Biggest Loser Finale!

I never thought I'd enjoy this show so much, but I have been sucked into the real-life dramas of the contestants' lives, loves and struggles. I have been rooting for them and even thinking about the show during the week. No other TV show has done that to me since LOST.

And obviously, I'm interested in weight management, hence the 30 x 5.

So the winner, or "loser" if you will, is Helen. I was rooting for Tara, but I guess it's fun to see a 48 year-old win. Go middle aged ladies!

I do worry that she looks a leetle too thin, though. Hope there's no mental craziness going on there.

So that's it for Biggest Loser. But I'm inspired to keep plugging away. After all, I'm merely 46!

Unveiling Phase 2

I hope you had a blessed Easter. We did, in spite of our doomed yearly tradition: The Easter Ham. Here we are, being our somber selves. I just wish we could loosen up a little bit once in a while. Especially the boy.

The Plan: Phase 2 of 30 x 5, Starts Tomorrow. TOMORROW.



Many of you have expressed interest in continuing our new quest toward regular, attainable movement. That is excellent. That is called "forward momentum," my friends. Un-cha, Un-cha, Un-cha. "Un-cha" is me dancing in my chair right now doing that thing where people put both clenched fists out parallel in front of them and sort of jerk them around in a circle like a lawn sprinkler. Kinda like this, only palms down:



Anyway.

We're going to continue moving our 30 minutes for 5 days per week for two weeks, but we're adding a component. We're saying "no" to something to say "yes" to something else.

We're saying "no" to any random 100 calories each day to say "yes" to: "Am I making better choices?" "Am I in control of little mindless compusions to eat?" "Do I want to look and feel sleeker and more energetic?"

We want to answer "yes" to those questions. And we will.

By the way, this 100 calorie denial is to be in your head and inaccurate.

Yes, you read that right. In your head, and inaccurate--or approximate. No writing down or consulting Google or Oprah. Just guessing. GUESSING.

Because getting it exactly right "to-the-calorie" is for legalists and perfectionists. I refuse. I refuse!

So, for instance, I will do my 30-45 minutes on the elliptical, and then at some point during the day, I'm going to forego some extra calories LIKE LEFTOVER EASTER CANDY, thereby skipping 100 calories (or so). I'm saying "no" to Sweetart Easter chicks and bunnies to say "yes" to no jiggling muffin top this summer.

Because rolls and floppiness are cute on Easter bunnies, but loppy muffin tops on us, NOT CUTE.

According to the University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension online newsletter called Food Reflections, "It takes an excess of about 3,500 calories to gain a pound. Break that into smaller bites and 100 extra calories a day can put on about 10 pounds a year. The GOOD NEWS is LOSING 10 pounds can be as easy as eating 100 calories LESS each day for a year."

Wow. It doesn't take much to come up with 100 calories. I bet if I can make just the tiniest changes, I could drop 100 cals per day. And so could you.

And just in case you literally have no idea about calories or if you simply like easy quizzes, there's an online quiz called, "What Does 100 Calories Look Like?" at Women's Health that can help you figure out what a 100-calorie serving might look like. For instance, 1/6 of a large order of McDonald's fries is 100. Ten Peanut M & M's is 100.

But basically, if you want to know a good estimate, try not eating something roughly the size of your thumb. That ought to do it.

So can we do this? Can we keep the 30 x 5 forward momentum going and drop 100 pesky calories the size of our thumbs for the next two weeks? Can we?

Yes we can!!!

Leave a comment if you're in for the next two weeks!








As always, grab the button!

<center><a href="http://2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235990291736284738" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5q5nyvZitWlnYAKuChBGmaeDjPETwKwBuEraAIFfUJTDBkgWKVWi-3hAlV_xnRbrnkRBeIkwOEyGyKNJK4RdBJ7H0vwmYV7U4oqAD6HV10PrHadT23MtsE8dxkk56FZiHx26IPQ/s200/Phase+2+button.jp" border="0" /></a></center>

Our Season Conclusion of: 30 Minutes of Moving for at Least 5 Days for 2 Weeks!

Yes, it was a Thursday, March 26, to be exact, when we started this endeavor, which right off the bat threw a bunch of you off because who starts anything healthy on a Thursday?

Uh, we do.

Because if you wait until the "right" day, there's going to be a reason to stall before you can say, "chocolate Easter bunny."

Once, when I worked for Weight Watchers, I made this giant calendar on a flip chart with all of the regular holidays highlighted. We tend to slack off of our eating/moving plans on holidays, don't we?

Then I marked all of the non major holidays, like St. Patrick's Day. Did you eat a little somethin'-somethin' on that day this year? I'll bet you did.

Then I added generic holidays, like, say, four birthdays per year per family, just as a guesstimate. Plus, there are anniversaries, graduations and baby showers, etc.

And who could forget the family vacation?

By the time I was finished, there were more "holidays" vulnerable to overeating than regular days of the year!

So if you apply that same principle to moving, there's always a reason to stall:

1. It's THURSDAY, for Pete's sake!
2. I'm a morning (noon, evening) person, so I'll start tomorrow at that time.
3. I have a cold.
4. I'm thinking about catching a cold.

And on and on. So we just jumped right in before our minds had time to sabotage us.

Clever little bloggers, aren't we.

So here are some observations pertinent to my experience. After that, please sign in with Mr. Linky and let us read what your experience has been like. Feel free to be honest and brief, if you like.

1. This was fun. I liked knowing you all were out there moving along with me.

2. I did pretty well. Yesterday I didn't get to move, which technically was my third day of non-movement, which is disappointing, but overall, I kept my commitment.

3. I did watch my food intake, which was not part of the deal, but I just wanted to. The first week and a half, I was really faithful to my plan. The last half of this week, not so much. I felt better physically the first week, and I think it's because I controlled myself a little more. That motivates me to return to goodness.

4. I do enjoy the elliptical machine, especially when Dr. Phil is on. Time flies when he's on a rant full of metaphors about hunting dogs and something else I didn't understand.

5. I'm ready for warmer weather so that I can get outside because I love to see the sky when I'm walking/jogging. It's a spiritual experience for me. Some people love the mountains or the ocean; I love the sky. I pray best when I'm walking outside.

6. You guys are rugged. Some of you tromped through snow to get your 30 in. Others juggled small kids and illnesses. That's amazing, and you should be commended. In fact, if you finished the 30 x 5, you deserve an award, which I hereby present to you by the powers vested in me by our 30 x 5 icon and supreme leader, Greer Childers of Body Flex Deep Breathing:





<center><a href="http://2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235990291736284738" border="0" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDxXH2uAJJCaqxQQurnG9gM7Jt5kXqLM7zg8on1UmR0M2mvrXMKchLbNxZl8WjwOxFovEqCdLmhmnqowa2ZpOqaXHetGl9wuudODsEqvIVf-Nq1-T2JJS4pFzkGpqc_rmS6G1xkQ/s200/I+finished.GIF"/></a></center>

And for those of you who didn't quite make it to completion and can relate to the cat in this video, I offer you:



<center><a href="http://2nd-cup-of-coffee.blogspot.com/"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5235990291736284738" border="0" style="CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3Agby9aaPI1X2p19m1b1CWznXYeVjAB5u4hK3HmWMdhScvUeYczBRyrhIM5lmdOq9mqh0UAwulZLgskIOdDE2N5eNZ4FfL9RNNFAH_K8aigDX7eB6gum2Oq1uigYkJyEmamVR0g/s320/treadmill2.JPG"/></a></center>

Anyway, I hope you had fun.

I want to take Good Friday through Easter off of blogging, but I'm coming back Monday with a new proposition that you do not want to miss. Why? Because we need to keep our mojo movin', that's why.

OK--now let's hear what you have to say about the 30 x 5 Challenge!

Yesterday, All My Troubles Seemed So ... In My Face

Monday.

Wake up to cacophony of Jorge the Jabanero ironing his clothes on the other side of the wall. "Must be beating pants on heated rocks" = first lucid thoughts.

Coffee.

Look outside.

Snowing.

Want to cry.

Get ready for work.

Straighten hair.

Same length since January.

Why can't I grow hair.

Get to work, much to do before 10:00 staff meeting.

Much to do after 10:00 staff meeting.

No time to eat lunch or snack.

Starving.

Arrive home to find ants taking over kitchen.

Freak out.

Considering eating ants 1) for revenge and spite 2) to mollify hunger

Clean up ants.

Zoe watches, mesmerized.

Heat bowl of oatmeal, put pork loin roast in oven.

Walk through house to bedroom, see pile of poop on family room rug.

Clean up poop.

Zoe watches, mesmerized.

Zoe goes in cage. "Grounded."

Leave for 15 minute drive to school.

Pick up Kristin.

Unexpected sidecar occupant. Take another child home.

Drop off Kristin at our house.

Go to Wowmart. Because I hate myself.

Wowmart = lines.

Lines.

Lines.

It is Monday afternoon, for crying out loud.

Lines.

Peruse magazines while in line. Hate Gladiator shoes. Hate the big floral print "maxi dresses" that are apparently in.

Hate lines.

Home again.

Put away groceries.

Finish dinner.

Begin cooking for a meal tomorrow night at Alpha meeting.

Check blog comments.

Miss people. Sad.

Fear that people will resent that I did not come by to check on them.

Will write apology post about not coming by to check on them.

They will forgive.

Get on elliptical at insanely late hour.

Write draft for Internet Cafe.

Write draft for newspaper article.

Check blog comments.

Miss people. Sad.

Will write apology post about not coming by to check on them.

Go to bed.


Special message to 30 x 5'ers:

How's it going? If the weekend (and Monday) threw you for a loop, don't despair, and don't give up! Tomorrow will be another day ... and so will the day after that ... And we just have to take it One Day at a Time.

BTW, have you seen Valerie Bertinelli in her bikini? What do you think? What do you think about the way she lost her weight?

Do you think we should all post pictures of ourselves in bikinis on Thursday when we do our posts?!

Week 1 Wrap-Up of the 30 x 5 Challenge; We're Half-Way There!

We're doing a week-one wrap up, sure we are, but first things first.


Speaking of wrap-ups. Some of you who are new here don't know that I used to do American Idol Wrap-Ups. I can't exactly say why, but when I started those, my readership really picked up.

So, logically, I have stopped doing them.

The truth is, I haven't been doing AI updates this year because ho-hum. But occasionally I still feel so strongly about some issue that I simply must break through regularly scheduled posts and share AI info with you.

Hence: Adam Lambert? Looks exactly like a young Kurt Russell.

Oh, no, wait--like a young Kurt Russell playing ELVIS--That's IT!

You're welcome.

Now on to the 30 x 5 Challenge gab fest.







Whoa! Time flies when you're kicking your own butt, doesn't it?!

Either it flies, or it crawls like a springtime worm enjoying the muddy view. (What imagery! Tres impressive!)

So--THE question: how has it been for ya?

I'd love for you to link up and talk about any observations you've made this week. For example, you could talk about any or none of the following:

1. What kind of moving around works/doesn't work for you
2. What motivates you: Tell us specifically what your thought process is that gets you up and moving instead of giving into the temptation not to.
3. What effect this has had on you mentally. Honestly. If it made you crabby, say it.
4. What effect it has had physically. You can share lbs lost or not. You can share changes in stamina or the way clothing is starting to feel different. When I first lost 35 lbs a few years ago, the first thing I noticed, for example, was that my jewelry fit differently. No lie.
5. What are your plans for the next 7 days? Are you still in?
6. If anyone dropped by your blog to encourage you, did you like that? Did you encourage anyone else?
7. Do YOU think Adam Lambert looks like Kurt/Elvis? (I ran out of questions temporarily.)
8. Do you have any other goals you're trying to attain?
9. Do you have any food tips to share? (Come back tomorrow for mine.)
10. Why are you glad (play along, Smarty) that you decided to take this challenge?

Or you could talk about how Adam Lambert also sort of resembles 80s singer Richard Marx, if you are old enough to remember Richard Marx.

So let's have it: HOW WAS WEEK ONE OF THE 30 x 5 CHALLENGE??

PLEASE go visit Mary Margaret, a young teenager who is doing this challenge. Ladies, she and her sister, Taylor from Taylor Speaks, are making videos about the 30 x 5! You must go to Tales from 7th Grade and look at the two videos within this post called "Challenge." I promise you it will be worth your time. These two girls live with their aunt, Kaye, who is also participating at Butler Family Diaries

OK, Ladies, brang it on--The official 30 x 5 feedback for week 1!

I'm Answering Reader Questions Today

Q. Is it too late for me to join in this effort?
A. No. 1:00 AM is too late for a midnight snack, but it is NOT too late to jump on the bandwagon here. Jump right on. Right now. There is no perfect time with perfect conditions, and this is not a Space Shuttle launch. You are merely launching your rear into gear. Just launch it.

Q. Does jumping on the bandwagon count as movement?
A. If jumping on the bandwagon makes your heart flutter, it counts. And I know that I sometimes do have that heart-fluttering effect on people, like I did on Clinton Kelly and Dave Barry, so it's entirely possible.

Here is my chance to show that you I met Dave Barry. It's a day he'll never forget. He still has the tic he's displaying in this photo from when I charged him over the autograph table for the photo op.

Q. Do I have to do all 30 minutes at once?
A. Nope.

Q. Can you see me when I tell you I'm going to exercise but then I don't?
A. Yes, I'm afraid so. I have connections with a certain man at the North Pole. It's called "networking," you naive thing.

Q. What are you doing for your part of our movement pledge?
A. First of all, we should probably stop referring to our effort as a "movement," lest we are suspected of belonging to a militia OR being a research focus group for constipation. However, I am walking/jogging/ellipticizing. And I plan to get a hula hoop. I forget who inspired me to do that, so please, Miss Hula Hooper, come forth and identify yourself in the comments below.

Q. Could you scare me into exercising like Jillian does the people on "Biggest Loser?"
A. Here is my best attempt:










Q. Is your family supportive of your 30 x 5 commitment?
A. Yes. They say things like, "I'm hiding this bowl of ice cream with chocolate syrup so that you won't want it."

Q. Are you actually watching Mr. T. on an infomercial right now as you're typing this?
A. Excuse me, it's not an infomercial. It's a cooking demonstration presentation. Featuring Mr. T. And the FlavorWave.

Q. Is it true that when you went to Susanne's blog, "Living to Tell the Story" to encourage her in the 30 x 5 Challenge that the word verification for your comment was indeed "rears?"
A. In the words of Sarah Palin, "You betcha."

Q. Are you seeing any positive results from The 30 x 5 Challenge yet?
A. Stay tuned!

ANY MORE QUESTIONS?

More on the 30 x 5 and Commentary on Biggest Loser

Guys [Translated: Y'all]-- There are about 40 + of us doing this, and I anticipate we'll add a couple more! Imagine yourself sitting in a full classroom right now. Everyone sitting at a desk would represent a person doing the 30 x 5! Woo to the hoo!

So, yeah, this starts tomorrow. Not Monday. Not April 1st. Nope, right smack dab in the middle of the week, this week. Because you know what? If we keep waiting until the right time, whenever that is, we might put it off until the economy bounces back or until we're all living weightless in space, which we know is not realistic. I mean, we're talking trillions.

Anyway.

Remember: All it is is 30 mins. of any kind of movement for at least 5 days per week for two weeks. Then we're going to link up and talk about it. Because that's what we bloggers do. We talk about it. I think we'll learn from each other and learn more about ourselves. But I don't want to plant seeds.

Here is a list of participants. You should go say, "Hi! I'm doing this, too!" *EDIT: I'm now adding people to the sidebar list.


Biggest Loser Notes











OK, so, Tara, in the green there, I thought was a bit cocky in the beginning. My respect has grown leaps and bounds. The woman is a powerhouse. A brick house. A wrecking ball. And last week and this week, she took some hard hits from teammates and kept on ticking ... like the bomb she is. Go, Tara. You may have a potty mouth at times, but you deserved that $10,000 that you were robbed of.


Which brings me to this one. Helen. Initially, because of her age, she was a sentimental favorite of mine. Favorite no longer. A teensy bit mean-spirited and over-confident. Annoying. Helen, just because you say something with a smile doesn't make it OK. And you were mean to Tara. Now she is going to eat you alive. And she will probably giggle like you when she does it.



Running a close 2nd for Most Annoying Contestant is Filipe, who makes strange noises and swings from over-ebullient to King of Meltdowns at times.






This is Kristin. She is the first woman to lose 100 lbs on the air on BL. She's a hoot to listen to and seems to be genuinely nice. She's my other fave.






This is Ron, the dad of Mike, an 18 year-old who has lost over 100lbs. However, the usually affable Ron did indeed jokingly call Mike an idiot tonight for choosing the wrong trainer for the rest of the season. Harsh, Dad! And what I still do not understand about the show is why Ron was chosen to participate because although he certainly is a compelling contestant, his weak knees and shoulders hinder every. single. challenge. This is not the show for him, in my opinion.

These are my yogurt lids that I'm mailing in to the Biggest Loser Pound for Pound Challenge. When I started saving them, I didn't even register the link with BL. I was just eating a ton of yogurt and felt guilty every time I'd lick the lid and pitch it. The guilt got to me, and I saved them up and sent them in. So I guess Yoplait donates $.10 per lid to hunger relief or something. I'm not sure. I just succumbed to guilt, that's all.

At any rate, I am totally into this show, pulling for all of the people, laughing at crazy Bob and scary Jillian, and wishing I could get away for a month or so and work on my bod. But that's not gonna happen. So tomorrow, it's the 30 x 5 for me!