10/3/2008
This week was a good week. Didn`t lose much weight, but then again I never do. I did however lose another percent of body fat.. That makes it 16 percent total since we started in May. I`ve also lost inches around my waist, hips and bicep. The pounds aren`t melting off but the fat is! When you lose weight don`t pay attention to the scale! Pay attention to how you feel, how your clothes fit, and your measurements!

9/25/2008
Week five and still no weight loss. I didn`t make it to the gym in the mornings like I had planned to, but I did still make it to the gym, and that`s the most important part. I am so excited for the workout this week. It`s not much different than what we`ve been doing, but for some reason I really like the lifts and feel like I get a lot out of it. I am also getting my back adjusted today from Dr. Aaron Moos, owner of Gold`s Gym. He is a chiropractor and they are offering that service out of the gym. I am a firm believer in chiropractic care. Your body needs regular maintenance, just like your car does. You`d take your car in if it needed fixing, so why wouldn’t you do the same to your body? I can really tell my back has been suffering lately. I feel once I get my back in line it will help with my flexibility and my overall ability to do lifts. I haven`t been able to run thanks to my knee and hip pain, and getting adjusted should help alleviate that. It`s hard to work out when you hurt!

9/18/2008
It`s been a frustrating four weeks. After starting at 149 pounds, I have been doing all the things that are asked of me, and somehow I`ve ended up at 155 pounds. I`m fine with that weight, but when you are trying to maintain, or possibly lose weight it doesn`t sound to hot. I`ve decided to change up when I work out. Usually, I am so wiped out after work I go home, take a nap, and then go work out. Now I`m going to work out after work and then go home. When I work out later in the day I tend to only run with the dog. If I work out earlier I will end up doing more because I have to walk the dog in the afternoon, otherwise she drives me nuts! We`ll see how this works!

9/10/2008
Wow! What a bad week. I ran everyday this week, watched what I ate, and did the workouts and I gained weight. How frustrating?! I guess it just means longer runs, and more fruits and veggies. I got new running shoes and that`s helped out a little bit with my knee and hip pain. We`ll see how it goes over the next few weeks. It`s not easy losing weight, and this week just proves it. But it will also show the viewers how hard I can work to make up the few pounds I gained.

9/3/2008
Ok, I have to defend myself.. I DID NOT gain weight this week. I know it sounds like excuses, but when I originally got weighed, it was in work out clothes. When I weighed in yesterday on air I was wearing jeans, as well as a couple of battery packs for all my TV gear. When I weighed in during our training session, I maintained my weight. Still 149 pounds, and that`s fine by me! I am just trying to maintain my weight during this session so as long as I don`t gain, life is good. I was actually shocked that it looked like I gained weight. I worked out all week and ran A LOT! So the subtle weight gain had to have been from the extra stuff I was carrying. Sorry, if it seems like I am venting, but I had to get that off of my chest. Anyway, looking forward to week two and continuing to maintain for lose weight!

8/29/2008
Lose Weight in `08 is here again, and boy, am I sad I took a month off, because I can already notice a difference. I didn`t work out the last month for a number of reasons. (All of them good.) First, towards the end of the last session I was really having pain in my left hip and my right knee. I knew we would be doing this again, so I wanted to take a couple weeks to make sure they could heal. I tried running about two weeks after the first session ended and it was obvious they didn`t feel any better. If you`ve ever had a sore hip the first thing anyone will tell you is they take forever to get better. After having our first workout with Anna, I am happy to say it feels great. The knee, however, still is a little sore, but I attribute that to years of playing softball and it will probably never feel better. The second reason I didn`t workout, was that I`ve I moved! I had a planned move for the beginning of September, so over the course of August, I progressively moved my things everyday. I guess I got a little exercise from that! I am excited to do Lose Weight in 08 again, but I`m not excited about food journals. I know they help you lose weight, but really, my eating habits haven`t changed from the last time around, just my activity did. So if I stick with the same nutrition, I`m sure I will be fine! As long as I stay active and be smart about what I eat!

7/16/2008
I can`t believe we are almost towards the end of our Lose Weight in 08 campaign. The 12 weeks have gone super fast, and it`s been just as hard as I thought it would be. The hardest part hasn`t been the workouts, it`s been the food. I love food...all of it.. well, as long as it isn`t spicy. I have never watched what I`ve eaten ever in my life. So to keep a weekly journal, limit my calorie intake and pretty much cut out all junk food it was a hard adjustment. There have been so many times where I have wanted to eat something that was bad for me, but I held out. And now it`s just a part of my life. And you know what else? Buying stuff that`s fat free, or low fat really doesn`t taste that much different from the normal stuff, and it`s not as bad for you. That`s probably been the biggest surprise that I`ve had. Fat free sour cream tastes just like sour cream. I`ve slowly let a few temptations drift back into my life, but the thing I`ve learned is moderation. Yes, I can have potato salad, just don`t more than the serving size. My biggest problem before this challenge was I was probably eating 2 or 3 times more than the serving size. I`ve enjoyed this challenge more than I thought I would, and I look forward to keeping it a part of my normal life.

7/9/2008
After three weeks of steadily gaining a pound I figured the 4th of July would be my downfall. To my surprise, not only did I eat what I want, (in moderation of course) but I actually dropped those three pounds I had gained. For me, continuing to lose weight isn`t really that important. I want to continue to shed body fat, while gaining muscle mass. My parents were visiting from West Des Moines this past weekend, and after a bit of poking they said they could see my results. I am hoping they didn`t notice too much of a change since they do catch our webcasts so they have been able to follow my progress. Since my parents were visiting it meant a lot of eating out, and of course my grandmother`s cookies. Those cookies are like gold in my family and we fight over them. They are so good. We freeze them so they last longer, just meaning a longer time to have them to tempt me. I am so proud of all the people involved in lose weight in 08, and I can`t wait to compare all the results in our final show, coming up in two weeks!

6/25/2008
Week seven was tough. Ribfest and the river. I made sure to pack a good lunch and snacks while on the river, to try and offset the bad (but sinfully) good food from Ribfest. I did gain a pound this week, but in the overall outlook of things I`m not worried. I have gained a lot of muscle, and I am way more toned than when we began, so now, for me it`s all about maintaining. Staying toned and staying in shape. The results are showing, and I am even getting compliments on how I look. Turns out that a friend of mine called Kayla after seeing me at Ribfest and asked her to put together a routine for her. I thought that was extremely flattering, but it also feels really rewarding in the fact that people are starting to take notice. With four weeks left Kayla has asked us to put together three milestones we have reached, and three goals to finish out the challenge. Here`s what I have come up with. Milestones: 1. Flexibility- Holy Cow has it improved.. can almost touch my palms to the floor! 2. Given up Pop- Haven`t had one in weeks, although I do have the occasional latte 3. JEANS! I bought a pair of capri`s at the start of the challenge that I knew wouldn`t fit then.. but they do now! Goals: 1. Lose more body fat.. to do that keep pushing myself on cardio 2. Maintain a healthy weight. I like where I am now, but if I lost five more pounds I wouldn`t be too upset. 3. Continue working on my mid section! Six pack abs for summer!

6/19/2008
Is it week seven already? The past few weeks have really gone fast, and I can`t believe how far we all have come. I can`t believe I have lost close to ten pounds. I feel like a totally different person. I think I look like a different person as well and that`s what feels the best. I may have gained a pound this week, but in the grand scheme of things that`s not a big deal. It was hard to get to the gym on Friday and Saturday, thanks in part to my 16 hour work day on Friday. Sometimes that just happens in this business. I`ve really lost almost all the weight I want to, now it`s just a matter of mantaining it. I could lose five or so more pounds, but if I don`t I`m happy where I`m at and that`s really all that matters.

6/11/2008
If there was a word to describe my weigh in this week, I believe the best one to use would be surprise. If you watch the clip from the live weigh in from Gold`s Gym you`ll hear me say that I was pretty sure that I wasn`t going to lose any weight this week. To my surprise, I stepped on the scale to discover I had lost two pounds!I think you can actually hear it in my voice. Not bad, seeing how I haven`t lost any weight for about two weeks now. But now for the bigger surprise. My official weigh-ins have actually been in the afternoon, when I do my training sessions with Kayla. So to keep it consistent, I weighed in again. Total weight loss for the week: 4 pounds! (Jaw to the floor, followed by a brief, but meaningful happy dance around the desk at Gold`s Gym.) I am so excited to have lost four pounds, for a total weight loss of nine pounds. I feel great, and I think I am starting to look great, and people are starting to take notice! I am currently down to 146 pounds. That was about my playing weight in college. My goal is to lose another six to ten pounds. If I don`t, it`s not a big deal. I can tell I`m stronger, I feel great and I think I look great too! It`s definitely given me a new self-confidence that I have never felt before!

6/5/2008
If I could channel my excitement from last night into this blog, you would really understand how incredible relief I finally feel. We`ve been doing this challenge for almost five weeks, and I`ve lost five pounds, which really doesn`t seem that impressive. As a matter of fact, compared to the rest of the contestents, I`ve lost the least amount of weight. But the important thing I want to stress to our viewers is that I am not trying to lose a lot of weight, I`m trying to tone up. That being said, most people just look at your overall pound loss as a sign of success. But this week the real results of my hard work is starting to show. For week five we took body fat measurements, and after starting the challenge with 38 percent body fat, (give or take a three percent margin of error), my body fat total is now... (trumpets sound please...) 29 percent! (Now insert a squeel of excitement!) I can see a difference in my face, feel a difference in my stomach and legs and tell a difference when I jump on the treadmill to do my cardio. I don`t become winded as easily, and I can go for a lot longer at a lot greater intensity. I`ve also noticed a difference in my flexability. I come from a long line of unflexable people, and I am now breaking the trend. Doing deep stretching everyday has really paid off, and that makes me feel healthier overall. I even have given up Dt. Mt. Dew.. couldn`t tell you the last time I`ve had one! Five weeks in and Lose Weight is going great. It makes me want to work that much harder in order to keep seeing these great results.

5/28/2008
Yea! I did it! I got over my two pound nemisis! Total weight loss for this past week, 3 pounds. Total weight loss to date: 5 pounds. That, for some reason I am not as impressed with. I have always been a competitor, so the more numbers I lose the more like I feel like I win. I do, however, feel more tone. The muffin top is almost gone! (For those of you who don`t know what a muffin top is, think about a the part of the muffin that`s the best part. It hangs slightly over the top of the wrapper. Now apply that to the top of my jeans, I think you get the picture.) Hopefully I will be fitting in my "skinny" jeans soon. I have found a new favorite exercise, spinning. Spinning is a really fast paced bike class. I hated it at first, but now I love it! My butt was so sore after the first class, and it wasn`t because I got worked hard. The seat was so uncomfortable. The next class I went to two days later I barely noticed. I will go to my third spinning class this afternoon and I can`t wait. It`s a great workout, you sweat, and the music keeps you moving. My goals for this week are incorporating more stablization exersises everyday, try to go to a class one day a week and keep eating more eggs everyday!

5/21/2008
2 pounds seems to be my nemesis. Last week I gained it, this week I lost it. I know it`s good that I lost weight, but I want to lose more! I really stepped up the workouts this past week, and felt like I might have lost more than that. It`s hard to remember sometimes though, that I really want to tone up more than shed numbers. I do feel more tone, my arms and stomach especially. The real numbers that will count are the ones at the end, most importantly the body fat percentage. I started at 38 percent, (I think) so if I can drop that down by 10 percent or so.. that would be great. It is tough though, seeing everyone drop numbers like broken glass, and here I am back to my original weight. That`s just the competitor in me I guess. This weekend was really tough when it came to my diet. I went to a grill out on Saturday, and a graduation party on Sunday. It felt like my diet went out the window. Probably had a few more drinks than I should have, as well as chips. (ok and hot dogs too!) But thanks to a few strength classes this week, I am hoping I can redeem myself. And just so you know, strength classes are hard. I swear a muscle in my butt was going to break... but it`s a good hurt, right? The good news is I only I one Diet Mt. Dew in a week, so I hope to keep that trend up!

5/13/2008
Yep, I`ll admit it I`m the only Lose Weight in 08 contestant this week to actually gain weight. 2 pounds. Can`t lie I was really disappointed. I felt like I really pushed myself this week, especially with cardio. Kayla had encouraging words though. She said it`s probably muscle, and everyone knows muscle weighs more than fat. I am going to try and not stress about it too much, in the long run as long as my body fat goes down then I will be happy. I am not looking to lose weight so much, it`s more tone up my body, and with that I think the weight loss will come. Food Journals... I hate them. But they are so necessary. I eat way too many bad carbs, and not enough good ones. I really need to eat more protein. No more bagels every morning, it`s oatmeal and egg whites for me. I really am the type of person who thinks quick food is the way to go. I would rather eat a bowl of cereal than make fish and vegetables. That has to change. I really am going to try to eat more protein this week, and even though that was one of my goals for last week, obviously I need to step it up. Thanks to the food journal I am able to see that. Another goal I have is more cardio. The workouts Kayla gives us are bare minimums. My boyfriend is also trying to lose weight right now, so it`s only going to help both of us if I go on a run with him when he gets off work. My last goal for the week is drink less Dt. Mt. Dew and more water. Hopefully the energy I will be getting from working out and food will replace the need for caffeine! Hope everyone is having a good week, and I hope this helps in your weight loss journey. Don`t be afraid to email us either. There is a link at the top of the page, we`d love to hear how things are going for you or any questions you might have!

5/7/2008
Day one is done, and it wasn`t as bad as I thought it would be. That being said, it still wasn`t easy. We worked on balance excerises that help improve your strength by mostly using your body wieght. The reason it wasn`t so bad is, I have done almost all of the balance excersises before, while I was a softball player at South Dakota State University. But if you have never done them before, getting the hang of it can be pretty challenging. Since I have done them before it was a good way to show me just how out of shape I really am. These are the same excersises I used to do twice as many of, and now I struggled to do what once could have been a breeze. Even more motivation to work hard. I am sore today, Mostly in my abs and my shoulders. One thing that`s going to help us along our weight loss journey is our food journal, and weekly goals. The journal, so far is fun. It`s good to see just exactly what you eat through out the day in order to really help your diet. You can see what you eat too much and not enough of and then balance it out. My biggest problem I think will be remembering to fill it out! My goals for this week are: Work on not collapsing my hips during certain excersises. Otherwise, I will feel the pain in my lower back! Incorporate my protein in my diet GET MORE SLEEP! Instead of going to the dog park one day this week, take Daisy for a run instead.