I knew I wanted these Jillian workouts for a reason!! They're killin me!! It's so true tho, that I have always spent the time complaining that I want a certain type of body, but I've never been willing to do the work to get it. Well I'm totally workin it now! And it hurts!!  But I can tell it's going to be so worth it.  I'm learning a lot with this working out.  Discipline and perseverance are becoming two of the qualities I want to tone here.  And I'm toning my body while I'm doin it. lol  Any encouragement I can get is welcome though, cuz although I can see that this is going to get me the results I want, it's hard to stay motivated when it hurts so bad. lol Jillian says it's going to get easier and I shouldn't be too hard on myself at the beginning. I'm gonna take her word for it!! I'll be a pro by the end of this. If they can work this hard on the biggest loser, then I sure can too!  Kaitlyn and I are gonna be hotties in our swimsuits this summer for sure!

I think Lara and I have a lot to be proud of.  We have stuck with this for nearly a month and we are starting to see a lot of good things coming from it!  I think getting past the first two weeks was tough, and I'm sure there will still be tough days and weeks, but it's reassuring to know that it can be done.  We both are doing the Jillian videos now, and they are excellent.  I notice my body getting very toned even if the numbers on the scale aren't dropping as much.  But we are getting stronger and in shape and healthier and that is the most important thing!
Yay for us!!!!!!!!!!! 

Jump roping is so great!  I did it today in the garage for awhile, and it really got my heartrate up there, plus it reminded me of the good ol' days in elementary school when I would do Jump Rope for Heart or double dutch with my friends (although now I am not quite as coordinated). ... I am liking the variety of workouts because I'm not getting bored and I actually feel weird if I don't exercise.  My main obstacle is food- it's a mental thing like Lara was saying with working out.  Sometimes I want to eat something that is not so healthy, but then I tell myself that it will just go to my butt or negate the hard workout I just did.  I am not depriving myself of food I like, but I am definitely controlling it by eating either smaller portions or only letting myself have it about once a week.  So we'll see how that goes.  I'm starting to see some results in my fitness, so hopefully that will keep me motivated- although I always lose the inches in places I don't want to like my chest, and my butt is the last thing to see much results and that's where I want to lose the most.  haha.  I guess that's how it goes. 

I've done well working out this week for the most part, but the struggle to be motivated has been harder. I've been sooo exhausted!! And I don't even know why. I keep telling myself to work through it and picture myself this summer in a bathing suit lol but it's definitely been a mental battle.  I wish this whole life style change thing wasn't so up and down haha. I have no intention on going easy on myself because I am trying to implement this type of discipline into all areas of my life...but man, I sure had a hard time WANTING to do it this week.  I guess I'll pay myself on the back for actually working out in spite of that though.  Jillian said something on tuesday's episode that I really liked..." Things are never going to change unless you're uncomfortable." So that's been my chant this week. I've spent my whole life resting, or in my comfort zone...now it's time to step it up a notch. Wish me luck! I'm hoping this week is easier, at least a bit, in the mental department!:)

Things are going well.  I am loving working out and I decided to have a goal within my goal.  My ultimate goal is to lose 20 lbs.  Well, I have a birthday coming up in a few weeks and I would like to be halfway to my goal by then and I feel that is realistic.  So, by my birthday, I would like to have lost 10 lbs.  I figure at the rate I am losing, this is very possible if I keep up with what I've been doing.  So, when I turn 25, I would like to be 150!  :)  I weighed in today and I was at 156 lbs, so that is only 6 more lbs.  I feel that Lara and I are doing a great job of keeping each other motivated and on track and it's really something I enjoy and I am having fun with.  Very exciting times!  Also, I am loving this season of the Biggest Loser Couples! 
You only ever grow as a human being if you're outside your comfort zone."

After four years of not being able to run because of my back, I made a huge step and went jogging tonight with the hubby. And I didn't stop once!! HECK YES! I am a sweaty freak right now, but I am so proud of myself. I alternated walking and jogging like I planned, just to ensure that I didn't hurt myself. At the end, Isaac and I decided to push it and jog the entire way back to our house. And I stuck with it. Lungs burning, sweat trickling down my face, jogging into the wind, nothin was gonna stop me. And I even took a victory jog around the driveway singing the rocky theme. That's right. I feel I started the week on a high note for sure.

As much as I'd like for these pounds to just melt off, I know that I need to be patient and keep doing what I'm doing.  It's hard not to become frustrated when you aren't seeing the numbers you would like to see, but I keep telling myself it will happen.  I do feel healthier overall and happier with my food choices.  I'm especially feeling good about workouts- they really do help you have a better attitude to start your day and it really wakes you up in the morning.  All of the endorphins are great.  I have been varying workouts and doing some Jillian videos, which have really made me sweat and made me sore, which is great!  The sorer, the better, because then I know that is a muscle group I need to be working on more.  I wish it would get warm, because I feel much more inclined to work out when the weather is nice than in this rainy, windy, cold weather.  Oh welll.... we'll survive.   We'll keep pluggin along, and in a few weeks, if we stick with it, we will really start to see results we can be excited about! 
~Kaitlyn~

So I've been frustrated this week because it's either been snowing or raining and I haven't been able to go outside to do my jogging part of the workout schedule. Today I decided to modify one of my work out dvd's and I jogged for 2 minutes and then continued with the workout after the 2 minutes was up. It felt really good. I think I'm going to continue doing that on the days when I can't go outside to jog. Kaitlyn also told me that she got her Jillian workout dvd's and they're really great. I'm excited to start doing those as well. 
This week was a bit of a struggle with the food part of my plan.  This surprised me as I thought that my biggest struggle would be maintaining consistent and rigorous exercise. I found myself this week craving all the food that I haven't eaten in forever. Pizza, mashed potatoes, french fries. MMMmmm they sounded so good. I think that it's because I am more aware now that I'm serious about wanting this to be a lifestyle change, and now I notice whenever anyone gets to eat that stuff.  It's frustrating though because I've never really eaten that junk food often anyway, and now to be craving it is a new obstacle. It's one I'll overcome for sure, but it was a bit of a surprise.
I've noticed overall that I am feeling a bit better.  Not only am I feeling physically better about myself, but I just feel better all around when I'm working out and eating great. It's definitely worth the hard work with the benefits that you get. One week down....let's see what the next one holds!

I have been very excited about all this and I email Lara nonstop with all of my ideas and random stuff I'm reading or doing.  So I'm hoping the excitement and commitment pay off.  Today it was a little bit more difficult than it has been to fit in a workout, but I managed a short one before work.  I got back to teaching after Christmas break and working all day exhausts me so I need to make sure I work out in the morning, but I will try to work out in the afternoon if I have to.  But I figured out my basic schedule and it shouldn't be too hard to make it to the gym 3 mornings and then the other 3 mornings do something from home like run outside or do a video.  I also have been looking into doing a half marathon as part of my goal because I trained for one several years back but then got really sick the weekend of the event, so I didn't end up doing it, so I would like to do one later this spring.  That's about all I have going on right now. 
Kaitlyn

Ok so I figure writing out my plan will help me in staying accountable. Today I did my work out dvd at home, and it kicked my butt. I loved it!!!:) It felt great to work myself hard. 30 minutes of non-stop cardio is awesome. I decided that I wanted to set myself on a schedule for each day, to not only vary work outs, but also so that I can get myself used to doing this on a daily basis.  I decided that Monday, Wednesday, and Friday I will do my work out dvd at home, and Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday I will continue walking, only varying it by running for a minute for each five minutes of walking. I've been a little nervous about running because of my back injury, but I think it will be ok.  Kaitlyn also is getting a copy of Jillian's workout dvd's that she and I will be adding to our workouts as well. Bring on the butt kicking!!!
As far as the food part of things are going, I've noticed that I'm always tempted to eat later at night.  That is one of my weaknesses. I made a personal goal to not eat anything past 8 at night from now on. It's going to be hard because my husband gets off work later and we always try to eat dinner together, but I'm going to have to just sit with him while he eats, and eat my own meal earlier. Drinking water has never been a problem of mine, as I always have a waterbottle with me wherever I go. I drink about 64 ounces a day, so I'm going to maintain that, and try to drink more if need be. 
Overall, I am fully committed to this. I want to not only lose the weight, but show myself that I have the discipline to stick with this on a daily basis.  It's not only a question of physical strength for me, but also of mental strength.  And I want to live up to my expectations for myself.

Lara

Things so far for me are encouraging. I had two people tell me today that I look like I've lost weight. What a motivation to keep up the good work! I have been very aware of the types of food I've been eating, as well as attempting to maintain a 1500 calorie a day diet. So far so good.  Now I want to make sure that I incorporate more rigorous work outs into my days. Kaitlyn and I are going to be doing work out dvd's, and I have been taking my dog on power walks for about 45 minutes a day.  I am wanting to get a gym membership here soon if finances will allow it. I even went so far as to apply for a weekend job at one so maybe I can work out for free! HAHA!

Lara

So far things have been going well for me.  I have exercised each day since New Years, alternating workouts.  One day I ran outside for a few miles and the other days I went to the gym and did the elliptical and weights.  The hardest thing is not having soda.  I have been drinking tons of water and it's great, but I have kind of been craving the soda, but I know that will pass after a few more days without it. 
Last night Lara and I ate dinner together at a restaurant and we both got salads with chicken.

Kaitlyn