Nutella

Where have you been all my life?
(yes I just read a bunch of forums that this stuff really isn't that good for you but I think some berries and Nutella make for a better desert than Ben and Jerry's)

The First Step

The trick is to eat better! huh...who knew?
A few days ago I mentioned to David that I wanted to go back on my yellow pills. He gave me the look of disapproval, and in the words of Holly Golightly "I don't take money from disapproving gentlemen!" He made a valid point in his argument though, I give him that. He told me that I rely so much on these shakes and pills and crazy diets and I don't really put forth any effort to eat healthier or exercise. Exercise is still troubling to me. I'm so tired from work I just don't have the energy to run on a treadmill. Not to mention that 8 hours a day 6 days a week I am on my feet because I work retail so by the end of the day my feet hurt so bad I feel like they are going to fall off.
So I took myself to the grocery store, and instead of the easy to make meals I buy for David when I won't be home in time to make dinner, I got healthy stuff. Raspberries, mangos, salad, healthy choice meals for lunch and so on. I took pride in myself for passing up all the crap and making good decisions. The result of better eating is a bigger bill though. My normal $60 bi-weekly grocery spending turned into $130.
I think if I add up in my head though how much I ate out and bought my lunch from AJ's or Pei Wei I would have spent about the same amount in one week.
So cheers to me for taking the first step to a healthier lifestyle!

probably being a little hard on myself, but its deserved

Ok so i was reading through some stuff trying to find the perfect workout plan that i can stick to this summer to FINALLY lose this weight. Then it hit me! All the research i have done over the years on fad diets, pills, workouts i know the secret to losing weight! STOP FUCKING WHINING AND MAKING EXCUSES AND JUST DO IT!!!
The formula is simple (simple not easy) eat right and workout. There is no magic pill that will make u hot. There are supplements that will help u lose weight, but temporary if at all. and lets be honest all yoyo dieting does is make u feel ok when u are at ur sknniest and worse when u arnt. not to mention the $$$$$ on clothes. Ugh! Over the years i have tried several diet plans and workouts that would of worked if i got my lazy ass up and did it. See i dont think its finding the right plan for you, i think its finding the right time for you. the time when u put the ben and jerrys down, kick your self in the cellulite and say to your self "get your fat lazy ass off the god damn couch and move!!!" and come on i think a lot of it has to be wanting it. and being willing to work for it!!
Now ok i know that everyone is different and that time is an issue. if you want this badly enough you will find the time to do it, try Jillian Micheal workouts, she has a dvd thats like 30min 3 times a week. and ok YES some of us have a body that is genitally programmed to hold more fat. I have one of them. I am of Nordic decent (apparently u can trace my ancestry to Eric the red and Viking arnt known to be tiny people) Ok fine my body does a GREAT job storing calories, so all i have to do is change that. find out what my caloric intake should be to de-fluffy and then DONT EAT MORE THAN THAT!!! and come on people, we know what is healthy and what isnt. Mcdonalds bad salad good. Not rocket science. and the list of recipes out there for good food is endless. and as far as the ancestry goes, vikings were not fat, they had a CRAP load of mussels, and they earned them the hard way. I dont build ships, kill dragons nor do i pillage and burn villages (not recently anyway) so i do need to workout. Hey some people were born skinny i am not one of them that just means i will appreciate it more when i get there. and i will get there. so i am going to use this more and i am going to get off my lazy ass and do what i need to do and i am going to stop bitching and whining about how i would be happier if i were skinny how i could get the man i want how i could go shopping where ever and i am going to do something about it. Seriously if u dont like something dont be a spoiled bitch and whine fucking fix it your self or get over it!

<3
Maye

I love vintage!

I was looking at some vintage ads adn I found these great ones for weight loss or for those of us who are "chubby"!!!

Workout will resume.....uhhh...sometime

I have PMDD. This causes me to have 1 week out of the month where I can't go out in public becuase I will either 1) murder them 2) eat them or 3) murder them and eat them.
So today I'm feeling a little like this


and sounding a little like this



**Christina**

The Workout Enigma

I don't know what it is about working out that gets me all pissed off. I hate...HATE working out! Everyday my husband will ask me, no... tell me, that we are going to the gym and I always throw a temper tantrum like a 5 year old spoiled brat that has been asked to give her favorite Barbie doll to charity. I get super grumpy and I snap at him and pick fights about it. I bitch to him the entire time I'm getting my gym clothes on and all the way to the gym. It will take me at least 20 minutes to even get ready for the gym when it should only take me 5. I make excuses for not wanting to go (I'm sick, I'm too tired, I cleaned the house and I'm counting that as my cardio for the day).
When I am at the gym I am still in my grumpy state. I hate that the televisions at a gym are always on a channel that's more for men or butch women than women like me. I want to watch some Saved By the Bell or maybe even a Lifetime movie. The other day I was at the gym and my television options were CNN, Nascar or Basketball, not very motivating material for me. I know that I have the option to watch something on my iPod or listen to some music but there's an issue for me there as well. On my iPod, all I have to watch is Step Up 2: The Streets, Breakfast at Tiffany's or one episode of Entourage (because it's my favorite episode and buying a whole season is expensive). I've listened to my music a million and one times and so I get sick of songs easily and I don't have Limewire anymore to download something new. If I could find a way to bring my mini (well not so mini) DVD player and find an elliptical close to a wall outlet I would be set. Unfortunately though, that is not an option. I've even looked to see if my camera had a headphone jack so that I could just record a half hour to an hour long program...but it doesn't.
So I'm stuck there for an hour or more watching boring TV and listening to songs I've heard over and over again and podcasts that I don't find all that entertaining when I'm in a bad mood.
The weird thing is, is that when it's all over and my husband says "lets go home" I feel better. I'm in a much better mood, I feel energized and clear headed. I love the end result of a good long workout. It's everything that leads to the end result that I hate. If only I could look ahead and realize that I do indeed need to do the work in order to get the high maybe I could break the mental block I have about working out. I don't know why I can't though. So here I go to the gym for the day, kicking and screaming as usual.
**Christina**

What To Ask Your Personal Trainer Before Sweating It Out?

From TheFrisky.com

You have roughly three and a half months before swimsuit season. And if you’re the type of person that needs someone on your behind to get motivated to exercise, then a personal trainer is probably for you. But before you hand over your hard-earned money, you have to make sure your trainer is qualified and that the two of you will get along. No one wants to dread their trainer even more than they dread crunches. So find out what to ask after the jump.

Are you a certified personal trainer?—The National Academy of Sports Medicine, the American Council of Exercise, and similar organizations have rigorous tests that trainers must pass in order to become certified.

Do you have references?—You can get an idea of their style and success rate by talking to other clients.

Do you have liability insurance?—Not only is liability insurance a good way of determining your trainer’s professionalism, but it will make sure you’re covered in the unlikely case you get hurt.

How do you motivate clients and what’s your training style?—A trainer’s philosophy is very important. Are they like a drill sergeant, who screams no pain, no gain? Or will they go at your pace, adapting the program to keep it interesting?

What kind of clients have you had before?—If you just want to tone up, shed a couple of pounds, or lose a few inches, then a trainer who’s worked with athletes most of his/her career isn’t right for you.

Do you give free consultations?—A consultation will be beneficial for you both. You will experience a sample workout and discuss your goals. And she/he will learn your needs and level of fitness.

LINKS!!!!

Hey peoples!!! here is a few links i thought would be helpful!

First of all... cute plus size clothes.. http://www.alight.com/index.html

ok and here is a website i found forever ago... it has grown alot has everything from reviews to recipies and blah blah blah... anything that Christina and I personally try will be posted on here, but its a cool source to check out.

http://www.3fatchicks.com/

Not impressed

Should we change the name to our blog now?
I'm not really a fan of the Healthe Trim. I tried. I really really tried.
I didn't get headaches like Maye but there were a few side effects that made the decision to stop taking them pretty easy.
1. the bathroom issue. I don't work right now so having to run to the bathroom every 20 minutes was more annoying than anything but I can't imagine having a job and having to hold it or whatever.
2. The waiting to eat. I wasn't starving or anything and I didn't care so much, but when you're unemployed and you don't wake up until 9am, waiting until lunch to have something just didn't feel right. I thought breakfast was the most important meal of the day?
3. appetite. It didn't really curve my appetite so much. I was still hungry, not "holy crap if I don't eat something now I'm going to Hulk out!" kind of hungry but just hungry. The week before my period I still had the craving to eat all day.

I'm with Maye on the idea of going back on our yellows once I get a job...and I'm hoping that's soon. June is creeping around the corner and David and I are still deciding if we want to get pregnant than or not. I think I'm going to just have to bite the bullet and go on a diet and exercise plan that the only pill it involves is a multivitamin. I don't know why the idea of working out is so hard for me...I will fight it until my dying day. I think I just need to get into my Jersey Shore mindset and take the summer as a GTL day everyday (that's Gym Tanning Laundry).

**Christina**

Sorry life caught a hold of me, BUT I AM BACK

Hey guys, sorry i haven't posted in a while, life happens still looking for work and dealing with alot of family BS. But hey that happens to everyone. and now its time to get back on the " lose my fat ass" wagon.

Ok so as for the greens "healthy trim" they give me this dull headache that i just cant take. i tired taking 2 and one pill, no increase in energy or weight just head ache. bleh! as soon as i am working i will probably go back on the yellows (phentermine). As far as working out does, i had a friend who was an athlete in high school (swimmer a few others too i think) and he is putting me on a work out routine, (i may kill him by the time this is over,,,, if i didn't want him so damn bad lol) Anyway, he wants me to run for an hour every morning. Yea that would kill me so i walk and jog for an hour.. i will build up to running (what he doesn't know he cant hurt me for) and everyday i am suppose to do 2 sets of 20 crunches and the 2 sets of 10 lunges and bicycle crunches, and then 3 invisible chairs until i fall. and then 3 times a week we are suppose to hit a weight room together. mostly to work on arms. I will let you know how it goes. For people without a hunky male friend that you like to drool at enough to actually go to the gym with, you too can get a good workout plan specially for you. You can go to the free trainers web site. Get a free profile and put in your info and get a workout plan. you can pay to upgrade, there are a few extra features if you do that, but i don't see the point. link is at the bottom of this post!

Ok and before i go Christina mentioned her body idol, and she does have a great one, but even if i de fluffy i wont look like that, i have curves, but my body isnt built like that (i have white girl hips and i am only a c cup) so i got to thinking who is my body idol. fuck if i know. So i started googleing curvy actresses to get some ideas.... ummmmm WTF they show Victoria secret models... i didn't google actresses and models with 2% body fat at 35% silicone!!!! lol but then i thought to think of women i have always thought were beautiful and had beautiful bodies... not ones where you could either count the ribs, or strip them down, turn them around and Poof! 12 yr old boy!! and i came up with 2 names. Lucy Lawless and Cathrin Zeta-Jones. Ok now think for a second i know they are both pretty damn skinny, but think of Lucy now, in Spartacus, not in Xena. Now we can see ALL of her in Spartacus and she is beautiful naked, soft curves not scary she muscles lol, both have beautiful flat but not hard tummy's, and soft round thighs and butts. Meh thats what i want. see examples! Cathrin measurements are 34C-25-36

Oh i should add, i dont hope to get to her measurements, I mean she is like 5'6 i am 5'11 sooo yea but i want those curves lucys measurements are 35 1/2C-25-36 1/2 no idea how tall though.

Well i am off to bed! TTFN

http://www.freetrainers.com/

The Best News Ever: Red Wine Makes Women Thin!

from TheFrisky.com

For a wino wine lover like me, I just received the best news I could possibly hear. A new, long-term study says that women who drink red wine in moderation stay thinner into middle age. Woo hoo! So I finally have a legit reason to pop the cork on a daily basis. Of the 20,000 women that participated in this study, the red wine drinkers consistently put on less weight than the women who drank white wine, beer, liquor, or no alcohol at all. Why? The theory is that the body processes calories from alcohol differently from calories from food. The livers of regular red wine drinkers develop a separate method of breaking down alcohol, where surplus energy is turned into heat rather than fat. So those calories from your glass of Pinot Noir will get burned off while the calories from your slice of pizza will go directly to your butt. If you weren’t already excited to go out and buy a bottle of liquid dinner, studies also show that red wine can prevent blood clots and heart disease and extend your life expectancy. Cheers to that!

Christina's side effects

So our Healthe Trim finally came in. Maye and I split a bottle so 1 pill a day for 30 days. We decided that a 30 day trial would be ideal before we both spend $60 each on something we might not like.
The point of this blog is to be honest about what we are going through while trying to lose the weight. Brutally honest is our policy. Before we started HT, we were on a weight loss doctor prescribed pill. We call them "The Yellow's". Probably later I will describe what they are but I can't find the bottle right now. So What I'm going to do is tell you my side effects of HT vs. Yellow.
Remember, I'm going to be brutally and sometimes disgustingly honest here...

Breakfast:
Yellow: you had to eat at least a 300 calorie breakfast BEFORE you could take the pill. This was something I had to learn the hard way. The doctor told us we needed to and there is always that one day where you either don't have time to eat or you think "well what's the worst that can happen?" Well, the worst that can happen is severe anxiety. That whole day I didn't eat something first, I had that feeling like my house was burning down or something terrible was happening to someone. I think I called my mom 10 times asking her to drive to my house and make sure it wasn't on fire or my dog wasn't being eaten by a coyote or something. I called my husband every hour making sure he was still alive. I was panic stricken all day and I was miserable. Ever since then, I made sure I ate plenty.
HT: You take your pill, wait 2 to 3 hours, and then eat something. I can't make it past 2 hours before my stomach starts screaming at me to eat something. The first day I took it, I took it late, like around 8am or something. By 10 I was so hungry I was getting grumpy. I can eat a smaller breakfast now. A bowl of cereal will last me a few more hours longer than it would have normally. I don't think my stomach is used to it though because I do feel a little queasy up until the point where I can eat. So now I have to wake up at 7am and take it so I can eat around 9 which is when I normally eat breakfast.

Prenatal vitamins:
Yellow: I could take my prenatal vitamin (which my doctor told me to start taking 1 year before I'm trying to get pregnant) at the same time I took my yellow. This made it easy for me to remember to take them. I felt fine all day.
HT: I most certainly CAN NOT take a prenatal at the same time as a HT. Because the HT already makes me just a little upset to my stomach, the prenatal is too intense. Also because I can't eat breakfast and you need to eat something before you take a vitamin, I was so sick to my stomach that I thought I might hurl all day. It was like having a horrible stomach flu. So I have to wait until lunch to take my vitamin which makes it a little harder to remember to take it.

Bathroom breaks:
Yellow: I couldn't poop. I was miserable. I felt like if I could just do a #2 I would lose so much more weight! I would cramp bad sometimes because I would go a whole 7 days without being able to go to the bathroom. When I could go, it was way less than 7 days worth and it actually hurt to go because it felt like I was crapping rocks. (I told you brutally and disgustingly honest.) No amount of fiber supplements would help me here. I would have to stop taking the yellows for a week and drink endless amounts of black coffee in order for me to feel relieved.
HT: I am in the bathroom 30 minutes after taking this pill and I'm in there for about 20 minutes. I am not able to take a pill and immediately take Murray (my corgi) for a walk because by the time we get around the block I have to run home and to the bathroom. This is where waking up early helps though. If I have to be somewhere in the morning, I know to wake up 2 hours early so that I can have crap time and not run late because of it.

Appetite
Yellow: I ate breakfast and that was all I needed all day to feel full. I would have to force myself to eat because the only way I could tell I should be hungry is that I would turn into a super bitch. I think once I snapped and started yelling at file folder. In order for me not to murder my husband or him to murder me, I needed to remember to at least eat something small so that I would go back to normal.
HT: I'm still hungry but not as much. I can still eat a Healthy Choice meal and be fine. My stomach will growl and let me know it's time to have lunch or dinner.

Sleep
Yellow: I couldn't.
HT: not a problem.

Christina's body type icon

Christina Hendricks is my big busted woman icon! I love how she's not your average skinny bitch. She's got curve and sex appeal...I mean...LOOK AT THOSE BOZANGAS!!! I want to keep some sultry curves going for me. I think I could pull of the Joan from Mad Men look if I really tried!

who's your body type icon?

An article from CNN.com

One Week to a Slimmer You: Focus on the Little Things

(Health.com) -- When it comes to losing weight, the little things add up -- trying just one new thing every day can quickly make a big difference. With that in mind, we've taken science's best weight-loss strategies and created a week's worth of slimming to-do's.

Burn more calories during your workout by turning your usual strength-training routine into a circuit.

Sunday: Shoot it, and shed pounds.
Studies show that recording meals may help you lose up to 5 percent of your weight, says Robert A. Carels, Ph.D., an associate professor in the psychology department at Bowling Green State University.

Start today: Snap before and after photos of each meal with your camera phone. Keeping a visual food diary is a more accurate way to see what and how much you're eating, United Kingdom researchers say. Afterward, download the pics so you'll have a record.

Monday: Pop a vitamin to kill hunger.

Taking a daily multivitamin may make you less hungry, two studies in the British Journal of Nutrition suggest; people who take one tend to weigh less and have lower BMIs.
Start today: Pop a multi with at least 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance for vitamins included in the studies: chromium, copper, folic acid, iodine, manganese, molybdenum, niacin, pantothenic acid, riboflavin, thiamin, vitamins B6 and B12, and zinc. Health.com: 20 little ways to drop the pounds and keep them off

Tuesday: Speed up to burn more calories.
Strength-training circuit-style torches more calories than the traditional way, says Jim Stoppani, Ph.D., author of "Encyclopedia of Muscle and Strength." Research shows that the shorter the rest period between sets, the more calories you blast off. "In addition," Stoppani says, "doing a whole-body workout employs more muscle, which in turn burns more fat."
Don't Miss
In Depth: Fit Nation

Start today:
Turn your usual strength-training routine into a circuit by doing one set of 15 reps for each exercise with no rest in between; wait 20 seconds and repeat the circuit twice.
Wednesday: Triple your C and burn more fat. Regularly consuming 500 milligrams or more of vitamin C may help you burn 30 percent more fat while working out, according to research in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition.

Start today: Eat at least three servings of vitamin C-rich whole foods like citrus fruits, broccoli, and cantaloupe. Try this to knock a couple servings off: "Pack a vitamin C-rich, easy-to-transport snack, such as a mix of baby carrots, sugar snap peas, and cherry tomatoes," suggests Debra Wein, R.D., the president of Wellness Workdays, in Hingham, Massachusetts. Health.com: How crash diets can harm your heart and health

Thursday: Have a gab session and drop pounds faster.
Not only can an exercise buddy help you show up for your workouts, but she can also help you melt fat faster, says Tim Lohman, Ph.D., a professor emeritus at the University of Arizona, in Tucson, and an expert on the connection between exercise and body composition.
Start today: Create your own weight-loss network. "The buddy system works best when you can turn to someone you're already friends with," Lohman says. Meet at least once a week (even if it's in cyberspace) to discuss obstacles and celebrate successes.

Friday: Color yourself slim.
An apple a day will do more than keep the doctor away -- it'll keep pounds off, too. Filling up with a range of fruits and vegetables is an easy way to cut your calorie load, a recent study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition suggests.

Start today: "Follow the rainbow," Wein suggests. "Do your best to eat from all of the color groups during the day." Add blueberries to your cereal, snack on apples, and load your lunchtime salad with carrots, tomatoes, and peppers. Health.com: How to eat out without getting fat
Health Library
MayoClinic.com: Health A-Z

Saturday: Inhale and conquer cravings.
When we're stressed we tend to look for quick-fix calories. "Yogic breathing offsets this. When you're relaxed, you don't have as much hunger pain," says Ralph LaForge, an exercise physiologist in the endocrine department of the Duke University Medical Center. "People make better food choices when they're relaxed."

Start today: When hunger strikes, try this exercise from Kristen Eykel, creator of the DVD series, "Yoga Emergency: The 12-Minute Workout." Rest your right thumb near your right nostril, ring finger and pinky by your left nostril. Close the left side and inhale through the right for four counts, then close your right nostril and hold for four counts. Open your left nostril and exhale through that side for four counts.

Repeat cycle again on other side; continue alternating for at least a minute. You'll relax in no time -- and may even forget about that cookie you longed for.

Treadmill high

I was at the gym with David and I was telling him that when I'm there for an hour, at some point my mind clears up. I can think straight and any great ideas I had swimming in there are finally brought into focus. When Maye and I used to go to the gym on our lunch hours at work, I would leave for the gym feeling groggy and weighed down but when we came back I could focus and I was in a better mood.
While explaining this feeling to David, it made me thing of the movie The First Wives Club. Goldie Hawns character is a booze fiend (like me) and she's explaining the same high to Bette Middler and Diane Keaton.

Maye's Story

My Reasons for losing weight. umm to look hot and feel good about myself.. DUH!

The point of this blog is to see how two different people, who wear the same size, but have very different bodies, and different goals go about changing their bodies. As anyone who has ever tried to lose weight can tell you, it isn't easy and what works for some wont work for others. I guess we are hoping to not only get support from each other, but also other people who are in the process of dropping lbs, and maybe a few who have already been successful.

Long term Goals--

Well I guess my ultimate goal here is to look HOT. And to have a higher self esteem and blah blah blah... ok look i am your typical 22 yr old girl I would like to say my reasonings are not superficial like Christina's, but yea mine are pretty superficial. I want to look hot in a bikini, i want to be able to get a little black dress, go clubbing and not feel like the "wing mans responsibility." Don't get me wrong, i fully intend on leading a healthier life and being healthier and reaping the benefits of that as well, but i see that as a perk. Right now i am thinking my goal size is an 8. We will see how i look there and decide where to move.

Short Term Goals--- ok I have a LONG way to go until i reach the for mentioned goal. It is going to be a long road, and i think that i should make short goals that build up to it so i dont get to discouraged and just give up like i have done so many time before. This is my war on my waist so i have got to divide it up into battles. I guess my first one is to fit into this top i bought at hot topic. It is a XL and i checked the sizing charts it says an XL is between a size 11-13 (in the lollipop guild maybe) Right now i wear a 16 i want to fit into that by the carnage festival this summer. (i think it is in August) if u want to check out the top here is the link http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/Apparel/Tops/Corsets/Tripp-Black-Motorcycle-Halter-Corset-251550.jsp

hmm thats kinda a ways of, maybe i need a shorter goal.... hmmm things to ponder.. how about setting my workout routine and STICKING to it for a month. 30 days... if i can make a workout routine and stick to it for 30 days that will be my 1st goal..

How i am measuring-- ok because i know so may people are numbers focused, i will post my weight on here weekly (starting next Monday) but this number is not how i am judging my goals. I am looking at size and inches., as i said right now my ultimate goal is to be a size 8. According to JC Penny that would put my waist at about 28 1/2 inches hips at 39 1/2 and bust at 36 1/2. I will post my starting weight BMI and measurements on Monday. We will be posting pictures, updates on how we are doing, what we are doing and different things we find useful. We will probably have reviews on whatever we try (pills, workout videos and even free websites and products). Feel free to leave notes and ideas or what have you. We have comment boxes for a reason!!

Christina's Story

This is the blog for Christina and Maye who have decided to give Healthe Trim a try for 30 days. We each have different goals as to why we want to lose the weight.

My reason for losing:

Long term goal-David, my husband, and I are going to start trying for a baby in the next couple of months. I know that weight is a factor in baby making so I want to make sure that I am healthy so that I can have a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. If I lose a few pounds before I get pregnant, I'm hoping that will make it easier for me to lose weight after I've had a baby. I'm not looking to be super thing or anything, I just want to be able to go out and be confidant in myself. I've always felt like the frumpy ugly friend. I worry constantly about how I look and I feel fat all day every day. I rarely have a day where I feel sexy in what I'm wearing.

Short term goal-In April I am taking my husband to Vegas for his birthday. My goal is to be able to wear something I feel good in during that weekend. We made a deal today that if I lose the weight and stick to my plan so I can be atleast 2 sizes smaller, he will buy me a dress from Anthroplogie. I love their clothes but I've never been able to fit in them.
I'm 200 pounds. I'm not looking at the scale. I want to just feel good with myself and be healthy. I want to be able to wear the pretty clothes and summer dresses.

How I'm judging- Like I said...I'm not looking at a scale. Numbers intimidate me so I don't want to stress over losing 5 pounds Tuesday but gaining 2 on Thursday. I want to be able to wear tank tops in the summer so I'm going until I feel comfortable enough to do so. I'm looking to lose at least 2 sizes. If I lose anymore than that, that would be fantastic but I have to think small for the time being. If I start off with too big a goal, I will get frustrated easily and give up.

I will be posting pictures, videos and anything else I find inspirational. I'll also be posting recipes, articles and much much more! I'm so excited to be starting this and moving forward with my weight loss plan!