When I Get There

I know that lately I've been talking a lot about not obsessing over weight Rather I would focus on being healthy, making good decisions, and being active.

However.......

I'm still pissed I'm not at goal.

I was just above goal before I left for Maine in June. Since then, I have been hovering between 138.6 and 137.6. Yes, 10 pounds less then I weighted this time last year.

BUT  STILL.....

I want to be there. I want to know what it feels like to get to goal. I've been close enough to taste it, just not close enough to have it.
All in all, August is a great time to concentrate on just that. Getting to goal, being healthy, making smart choices, eating correctly, all of that. I just wish I was there now.

I have never been going at being patient. I am an instant gratification girl. Blame my Generation Y status, if you must.

Hard work, dedication, sacrifice.... this is what it takes. I know this. But still, I wish I was there.

Why? I haven't a clue.
Will a few pounds really make a difference, will my butt look smaller, will my cellulite suddenly disappear or my make my belly bludge go away?

I highly doubt it.
This whole getting to goal thing is completely in my head.
But if that is what motivates me to do better, then that will have to do.

A Friday Morning Run

So, you know how I had that brilliant idea to run last night?

Didn't happen. It was too freaking hot outside and I'm a wuss.

So I worked out in the comfort of my air conditioned basement and had a lovely time.
Well, as lovely of a time as one can have when their sweating their butt off, huff and puffing and attempting to blow that TV stand down.

Anyway....

I DID get up and run this morning and I was HAPPY about it.

Last night I redid my workout play list, laid out my running clothes and spent some time thinking about what route I wanted to take around the neighborhood. My mental block was still there, but I knew I could over come it.

When my feet hit the pavement at 5:30am, I was happy, alert and ready to take on the run.
It felt as natural as breathing or clicking the TV remote. My body felt strong, my feet felt light and mind was clear. It was just me, the pavement and the music in my ears. It was a wonderful 35 minutes.

Sure, I felt the burn. My body was a little more sluggish then usual. I could still feel the effects of my earlier stomach virus, my endurance just wasn't there. But I made it and heck, I even ran up a few hills.

I'm back in action and it feels great.

And another thing:

Thanks to my stomach virus, I'm down 2.8 pounds this week.
My goal for next week is to keep it off.

Happy Friday Everyone!

Here We Go

Stomach Virus = Over

JBerg's Body = Flabby

Recommitting Hardcore = Right This Minute


It's been a great 24 hour of actually eating healthy, lean, nutrient rich food. It's a great change from the 1 yougurt cup and 1/2 cup of macaroni and cheese I consumed both Sunday and Monday.

I didn't workout yesterday. I probably could have started a work out, however, I doubt I could have finished one. My engery levels aren't what they were. So instead of over doing it and pushing myself too far, I focused on eating healthy, staying hydrated and giving myself a chance to rest and regulate.

Tonight, I'm doing a nice cardio workout. The weights come back out tomorrow :)

I'm ready to feel healthy and strong and lean again.
I'm ready to enjoy a morning run and take pride in the fact that I did everything I could to keep my body healthy.
I ready to get back in action.

Today's Game Plan:

Breakfast: Green Monster (6:15ish)
Snack: Carrotts and 2% Cheese Stick (10ish)
Lunch: Pork Tenderloin in a Flat Out Wrap with a laughing cow cheese and peach salsa. Salad with 1 point dressing (12:30ish)
Snack: Greek Yogurt (4ish)
Dinner: Chicken Stir Fry with Brown Rice and Veggies (6:30ish)
Workout: I am planning on doing a straight cardio video but I may end up doing something with weights. We'll see how I feel toward the end of the day.

I am happy to be back on the right track. I am ready to do this.
I have so many important things to look forward to. I need to be healthy and fit for them.

200 Posts Later

Well, hot damn! It's my 200th post ya'll.

I should probably have prepared an outline for a well written post complete with insights into my soul, witty comments and stary gazes at my hopes and dreams for the future.

Instead, you're going to hear about how much I hated the month of June, the events I'm looking forward to and why I'm not so worried about my weight anymore.

NO WAY!

First things first, June:

June Sucked!

From unexpected deaths, to the vacation from hell and overly busy schedules. Mr. Berg and I haven't had a much time for ourselves as we would have liked. We spent a majority of the month running around like chickens with our heads cut off.

Even our wedding anniversary kinda sucked. Mr. Berg was sick and I sick of hearing about how he was sick. So, everyone was sick with or of something.
Lovely!

I had never been so happy to see July 1st in my whole life.

Events I'm Looking Forward To:Two weeks from tomorrow Mr. Berg and I will head south for a good friend's wedding. Truth be told, we haven't bought a wedding gift yet.
Another truth be told: We aren't 100% sure this wedding is taking place.

So, I'm not obsessing about what I'm going to wear or how I should do my hair. Instead, as the event grows closer and it does in fact appear to be happening, I'll pull out a dress that will hopefully fit and I'll regift something for the "happy" couple.
August will provide two weekends at the Shore. One for Labor Day and one for Mr. President's Birthday.

Then comes September. My birthday. I'll be 10 pounds skinner this birthday!

And finally,  a weekend in Vegas with The Mama and Mr. President for my cousin's wedding.

I'm probably the most excited about this one and it's for totally vain reasons.
I won't go into details, you'll think less of me.
Why I'm Not So Worried About My Weight:

I've been hovering on or around the same weight for a while now. I've come to the decision that it might be where my body wants to be. If that's the case. I welcome it.
However, I need to work on being more fit. There's a little more flub on my body then I'd like to see. There a little less muscle definition then I'm comfortable with.

And so, I challenge myself to find a way to incorporate three types of effective workouts into my weekly routine.

Cardio Weight Training- Firm Work Outs Essentially
Straight Cardio- Running, Dancing, A Few Firm Work Outs
Yoga/Pilates- A Good Stretch Never Hurt Anyone.

With my increased focus on staying in shape versus losing weight I would like to say one thing. I haven't given up on WW. I haven't stopped tracking and I haven't stopping monitoring what goes in my mouth.
It is my hope that those things never stop for me. I am a hardcore believer in weight watchers. I am a FIRMBeliver. I hope the tools I have found through both of these life styles never leave me. I hope to incorporate these tools into my life for the rest of my life.

The destination to a healthy, active life hasn't changed. The journey to get there hasn't changes. It's just a different terrain. I'll always be trying, I'll always be challenging myself.

And I love that.

New Day, New Week

I found myself saying last night that I couldn't wait for this week to be over.
It occured to me this morning, that today is technically the start of a new week for me. Today is weigh in day.

Granted, I'm not stepping on the scale today.
Would you want to weigh in after spending a weekend at the beach and then three days in Jewish Funeral Land...... yeah, I didn't think so.

I don't see a point in setting myself up for the disapointment, after a week full of heartbreak.

Yesterday, I gave myself some space.
I tracked everything I ate. I stayed mostly within my points.... darn that second glass of wine.
I haven't worked out since last week. I didn't push myself to squeeze it in yesterday or Wednesday. It wouldn't have ended well.
That being said, today is a new day an a new week.

The weather here is beautiful. It's warm, the humidity to down and there isn't a cloud in the sky. I'm looking forward to an excellent run tonight followed up with 30 minutes of yoga. I need to get back on track. I hope doing my favorite excercises will help jump start me into getting there.

I have all my meals planned for until Wednesday at lunch time.
I have every workout planned for now until Wednesday.
I have every intention of weighing in on Wednesday morning.

Why Wednesday?
Mr. Berg and I are going out of town Wednesday evening for my best friend's wedding. We won't return until the following week.

So Wednesday is weigh in day.

And since a new month is here. I should be setting some new goals for myself.
Honestly, right now, goals seem a little over whelming. I don't think the stress of the past week is behind me.
So for now, my goals are this:

1. Get to goal weight
2. Cook beets. Since I still haven't gotten around to doing that.


Today I'm going to focus on today.
Tomorrow I'll focus on tomorrow.
Day by day.
Week by week.

Here we go.....

Two Weeks

Two weeks from today right about now, my plane to Boston will be taking off.
I'll be heading north for my best friend's garden wedding at her parent's inn in Maine.
Mr. Berg and I decided to make a mini vacation about it and spent a few days by the coast. We are in much need of a break. This vacation couldn't come at a better time.

For the past two years, we've honeymoon and then vacationed in a more tropical location. First Antigua and then Jamaica. I'm sure the rocky coast of Maine will be a little bit different from palm trees and a continuous open bar.

I have a feeling we'll get over it.

This weekend we'll be spending our Memorial Day weekend on the eastern shore. I'm excited for beers for the screened in patio, crab cakes, wine, pedicures and fresh oysters. YUM!

Mr. Berg can't wait to get there. He's been pretty stressed lately between illness, accreditation exams and the like. My hope is he'll sleep for as long as he can this weekend. He needs the rest.

As for me:
For whatever reason, I stood on the scale last night after work.
This would be after I drank 32oz of water and I felt like a bloated cow.
It wasn't pretty but I carried on.
I had a good long work out last night. It felt great.
This morning I woke up feeling like my usual, non bloated self.
I'm hoping for good results on the scale tomorrow.
I have a feeling, that if I do reach my goal weight of 135 tomorrow, I may decide to go lower.
132 would take me to my comfortable college weight.  I'm hoping to maybe hover between 133 and 135.
Only time will tell.

All in all life is good.


Oh and I'm totally thrilled that Olivia won Biggest Loser.
She is AWESOME.

Back Away From the Jelly Beans....

Seriously, why did I buy them?

I just eat them, at rapid pace, by the handful, all freaking day long!

I am typically really, really good at not eating sugar. If I don't keep it in the house, I don't eat it. I'm usually much more of a salty/savory snacker.

What's with the fricking jelly beans?

In other news....

this is a big deal.....

drum roll please.....

The scale did not lie!

One week after the lying scale accusations began, I weighed in this morning and I'm exactly the same weight as I was last week.

Which, might I add, is .8 away from my goal.

I'm pretty awesome.....

Until you put me next to the jelly beans, then I suck....

About That.....

It was an interesting weekend.
By Friday afternoon I was exhausted physically. Mentally, I was just fine. But my body, it felt like lead.
Try as I might, my workout blew. I got 3/4 of the way through it and threw in the towel. The energy just wasn't there.
After a good shower and change of clothes to get ready for our dinner plans it dawned on me: I had lunch at Noon and never had a snack that afternoon. Not to mention I had breakfast at 6:30 and never had a morning snack. No wonder my energy levels had tanked, I hadn't fueled the fires.

So I did a little research on the WW site. It is recommended you don't go more then 3-4 hours without eating.

Somehow, I'm pretty sure, for the past 28 years of my life, I missed the memo.

No friggin wonder I've been tanking lately with my energy levels.
I typically don't eat until I'm famished.
This explains a lot.

While cruising the WW site, I also noticed a lot of talk about the green monster movement.
Basically smoothies made with spinach, fruit, milk, evoo or flax seed.

This sounded interesting.... gross but interesting...
So Saturday morning I literally gave it a whirl.
1 Cup Frozen Berries, 1 Cup Milk, 1 Bananas, 2 Cups Spinach (fresh, baby variety), 1 tsp EVOO and tada! Green Monster.
It wasn't the best thing I ever drank but it wasn't the worst thing either. If anything, it was pretty good and provided me with 1 serving of milk, 5 servings of fruits and veggies and a healthy oil. It takes 3 minutes to make and 6 minutes to chug.

And it kept me full until 9:45- which happened to be the 3.25 hour mark, which means it was time to eat again anyway. And my energy levels were through the roof. Needless to say, this will be my breakfast ritual for a while.

You can't beat that much healthy in a cup.

I didn't workout all weekend. I gave myself the weekend off.
I slept like crap Friday night, my body while feed was still tired and I decided it was best to give it a rest and start up again Monday.
I think it was the best move for me. Sometimes, a long rest is just what the doctor ordered.

I feel really good today. I'm excited for my workouts tonight. I feel well rested, well feed and ready for a new challenge.

Sunday brought about a couple NSV as well.
I went shopping with the Momma. Who bought size 6 jeans and size 6 skirt? This girl.
I'm still an 8 in pants, but they fit so much better then they used to.

I was THRILLED!

It was just the push I needed to stick to my plan and keep on going.
Thursday I'll measure myself, this should be interesting :)

Happy Monday everyone!

The Thing I Never Thought I Could Do

It happened slowly, over the course of several years. It started with a bad, bad break up and my life crashing down around me.

When all the bad things came to a head, I weighed a very, very unhealthy 123 pounds. I'm a petite girl, but not that tiny. You could see my ribs, my hip bones and my face looked sunken in.
Combine a job that left me with little time to sleep or eat and a relationship that was crashing down around me, and you got one very unhealthy J-Berg.

All through my college years I weighed right around 130 pounds. It was a comfortable weight for me. I liked the way my clothes fit, I had muscle and curves and while I was constantly wishing for a trimer waist line, I was happy.

 I started graduate school- I was skin and bones and a depressed mess. I made a point to put some weight back on. By Christmas I was back to 130, I felt and looked healthier. My state of mind had improved and my life was on its way back to normal.

And it continued to get better and since then, it hasn't stopped. It just gets better.

Yes, I get busier, my plate gets fuller but the quality of my life, my relationship with myself, my relationship with my friends, with my husband, with my family, has only gotten better and more fulfilling.

But there's a downside to goodness. By my second semester in graduate school I started putting extra weight on. I was working 50+ hours a week and still going to school full time. My social calender was full between great friends and a wonderful boyfriend.
There was always beer to be drank, pizza to be eaten and ice cream to enjoy.
I got lazy. I made the excuse that I was too busy to work out, so I didn't.

Looking back on those years, I'm positive I could have made time if I wanted to. I just didn't.

When Mr. Berg and I got engaged I made an effort to workout more and watch what I was eating. By our wedidng back I was right around 137 pounds. I was happy with how I looked, but I knew I could do better.

We settled into married life. I made healthy meals, concentrated on healthy lean protien and veggies. But there was still sugar and dessert and not as much exercise as there should have been. I never pushed myself to keep moving. Instead, if I felt tired or lazy I just didn't do it. It never occured to me that if I exercised or ate healthier, it would make me feel better.

When we went on our 1 year anniversary trip, I weighed 142 pounds.
By September, I was 146.

And that's when I cracked. I was convienced I never going to lose weight. I was convenieced I would always be heavy. I had tricked myself into thinking I was doing everything right and still not seeing results.

I knew the only person that could help me, was me. I needed to take control. I needed to hold myself accountable and create structure so that I could succeed.

When I joined WW I knew it would be a long journey. I also knew that it was one that I was doing for myself. I just had to keep going.

And I did.

I've gained, I've lost, I've had great week and terrible weeks. I've survived too much wine, over do it at workouts, a kidney infection, food poisoning, a back injury, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I celebrated victories, beaten myself up over defeat. And through it all I kept at it. One step at a time, one day, one hour, one minute at a time.

And today, all of that paid off.

As of this morning, I have officially lost 10.4 pounds.
I hit the 10 pound mark!
I got a new 5 lb start on my weight chart!
There might have been some happy dancing going on in my office this morning.
I might have did a jig in the bathroom too!!

1.2 pounds to go until I hit goal. I am determined to get there next week. DETERMINED!!

So this morning, I did the thing that I thought I could never do.
I lost the weight.
I'm 10 pounds lighter and I feel AMAZING.

I will celebrate with a work out and a glass of wine.

I can't wait for next Thursday. Bring it on!!

Fit February

So far, I've started off on the right foot this 1st day of February.

Yesterday I stayed on point. I had a great 50 minute workout with TF Hardcore Fusion. I made an awesome chicken stroganoff in the crock pot that I served over whole wheat egg noodles with a side of green beans.

This morning I took my measurements.... I know, I said I was going to do that last month. I forgot.
I tracked my measurements on the WW website. I have no idea if I measured the exact right places. I figure, as long as I'm consistent, I should see the changes.

I have several goals for February:

Tracking
I've been lax on tracking lately. I do well on the week days. Then the weekends come and it's a food free for all around here.
I'd like make a point to track 6 days a week for the next four weeks.

Whole Foods
There has been entirely too much snacking going on in the house of Berg. By snacking I mean prepackaged, over processed foods. Frozen pizzas, cookies, candy, etc.
I've never been one to stress on whole, real foods. Over the years I've taken a very practical approach to what I will and won't buy. I don't stress out over buying pre-shredded cheese or using a boxed cake mix.
However, when it comes to snacks, I ate a lot of what I shouldn't.
So, this month, unless it's preplanned or a real emergency, this girl is eating whole, fresh, home prepared food.

Cheat Days
I'm not so great when it comes to cheat days. Cheat days go from one day to one and a half days to entire weekends.
That's got to stop.
Cheat days will be preplanned and carefully followed.

This month's preplanned cheat days are:
February 6th- Dinner Only (On Superbowl Sunday, Mama and I go out for dinner)
February 12th- Breakfast Only (Valentine's Day Brunch with the besties)
February 19th- Lunch and Dinner Only (we'll be down south, this will be a huge challenge)

That is three days out of 28. Not bad at all.

It is my hope that sticking to my plan faithfully that I'll see some great results this month.
Wish me luck

Back On The Bus

This afternoon I was reading one of my favorite WW related blogs. If you've never been, I highly suggest stopping by visiting MsBitchCakes.blogspot.com. She is freaking amazing.

"They" often say to surround yourself with positive people and you too shall become positive. Well, I surround myself with BitchCakes and I am forever thankful for her insight and her realness.

She is awesome.

Anyway.... BitchCakes wrote something that really caught my attention:

For every pound that's lost, so is an ounce of motivation.

(I'll let that sink in for a minute)

I remember back in October when I started WW. I was so motivated for success. Every food item tracked, every activity point earned, every step in the right direction made me literally giddy. Thursday morning's anticipation reviled Christmas. It was amazing.

Fast forward to the end of January. I am down 8 pounds. I have a better and more consistent workout schedule, I'm eating healthier, I'm more conscious of what I am doing and how it impacts my body. However, I also cheat a lot. I forgot to track snacks and "poor choices". I neglect to remember what I ate, I cut out workouts when I don't feel like doing them.
In short, I'm losing motivation and it's having a negative impact on my weight loss journey and my overall health.

What does a girl need to do to get back into shape? Well, first she needs some tough love. Second, she needs to get her ass in gear.

I have said it before and I'm saying it again. I want to hit my goal weight in February! I don't care if I hit it February 3 or February 28th. As long as I get there. I'm happy.

How am I going to get there?

Plan, Plan, Plan.
What made me so successful in the beginning was my ability to plan. I planned my meal, planned my workouts, planned my snacks, my water consumption. I was a planning fool.

Track, Track, Track.

When I first started back at WW, I tracked everything. If I ate it, I wrote it down. If I moved it, I wrote it down. If I drank it, I wrote it down. I lived for my points tracker, I need to get back into that habit.

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise.

Honestly, I haven't fallen off the band wagon here. If anything, I've done a pretty decent job here.
With the exception of injury and illness, I haven't stopped and I won't. I love my workouts and I'm glad I'm in the habit to do it.

Obsess, Obsess, Obsess

About all of the above.

So, hear I go. Wish me luck.
I will report back tomorrow with how it's been and where I'm going.

Wrapping It Up

The new year is almost here. Before we know it we'll be turning the calendar page and welcoming in 2011.

2010 was an amazing year for The Berg Household:

We welcomed in 2010 with our greatest friends while visiting the south.

Mr. Berg began a new job full of challenges, learning opportunities, amazing adventures and travel. This new job has allowed him to feel challenged in an ever changing work enviroment. He now works 50 hours a week rather then 80. Over the past year he's lost 20 pounds, his blood pressure and cholestrol have decreased. His ulcer is gone, he can sleep at night and he can actually enjoy his weekend.

We celebrated the weddings of three sets of our favorite people in May, August and December.

We traveled with our best friends to Jamaica to celebrate the 30th birthdays of our amazing husbands.

We traveled back to Jamaica to celebrate our 1st year of wedded bliss and had just about the most amazing vacation we've ever had.

We spent time with our families, celebrated birthdays, traveled to Boston, South Carolina, and Ohio.

We took in some baseball games. Saw some great movies, ate at amazing restaurants and loved every minute of it.

We faced sad times, had some nasty arguments, went to bed angry a few times and always found a way to make peace and find compromise.

I beat down the great funk of 2010. I lost the weight I hated gaining and have goals to lose some more.
We were able to enjoy our favorite pets for another year and were very thankful they didn't cost us a fortune.

I broke my car, I fixed my car, and will spend the better part of 2011 paying off that broken car.
I successfully mentored 13 students interested in the construction industry. I'm currently mentoring 15 more.

I've spoken at regional meetings about the importance of secodary education, no matter what the type.

I earned my PHR certification. I wrote a new policy manual. Made some really tough decisions both at work and in my personal life. I found some hard battles and will forever have the mental scars to prove it.

I brunt my wrist, sliced open my thumb (twice), learned to hate skin glue (and urgent care doctors for that matter). Suffered from one sinus infection, a double ear infection, three colds and one bummed back.

In the kitchen I cooked some fantastic meals. I made a few crappy ones as well.

I managed to keep all of our plants alive, I didn't kill the cats or my huband either pruposefully or accidentally.

All in all, I had an amazing year. The best yet thus far.

My only real and true goal for 2011 is to make it a great one.

In 2011 I hope to:

• Reach my goal weight and maintain it.
• Cook three new recipes each month
• Create a food bucket list and try some of the things I have yet to eat
• Read a book a month
• Get pregnant (ohmygod I just wrote that down)
• Paint our guest bath, upstairs hallway, master bedroom and master bathroom
• Redo the basement entertainment area
• Get out of debt (aside from the house payment, that will take for-frickin-ever)
• Smile more
• Continue to workout four times a week

I'm a very lucky girl. This is know is true. I have an amazing husband, a supportive and awesome family, friends that I'll love forever and a job that keeps me on my toes.

For 24 years I spent the better part of my life not really knowing what to do with it. The past four have been incredible. Finding myself, my passions, my life blood, all of that has done wonders for me.

I truly, truly believe life is just starting to get good. All of these amazing things, all of these amazing experiences and people and challenges.... it is all just the beinging of something even greater.

2011- I cannot wait to see what you have in store for me. Bring it on.

Brace Yourself Kids.... We're Going to Fat Camp

I should preface this email with the following statement:
I love my MeeMee (Meem's) and Pops. I really, really do. They are wonderful grandparents. However, when it comes to body image, food and healthy eating, MeeMee knows not what she does.details to follow.....
A month from next Wednesday Mr. Berg and I are going on our first family vacation with my brother and parents. We (as in everyone going) should be excited. But sadly, no one is.

We are traveling to Florida to visit my mom's parents. My Pops will soon be turning 90 and his health is failing. This may very well be our last visit to see him. He couldn't make our wedding a few years ago due to his health, and while he has met Mr. Berg, it's been probably five years since Mr. Berg has seen him.

We are long over due for this visit.

Unfortunately, that's where the tricky part comes in....

Meemee.

I love her. We all love her. But we also call her the Food Nazi. She's been on a diet for years and makes everyone else around her diet as well. She's so "into it" or "bad about it" that her friends stopped coming to her house for happy hour and nicknamed her the Naples Food Police Chief.

Pops has learned to eat things frozen because she'll freeze food so he can't eat it.

When my parents first got married my Dad came to bed one night when my grandparents were visiting and said to my mom "You know your Dad's in the kitchen eating frozen coffee cake?"
Mom was completely unfazed.

Meem's hides food from people. You can't send her anything "fattening" or "bad" because she'll throw it away. She's an evil dictator when it comes to food.

She also enjoys informing us of whether or not we're too fat. She loves to pick apart the food on our plates and "helps" us find something to order off of any menu. Any time she calls us she reports in on which cousin looks good and which cousin should invest in liposuction.

Any time we visit and stay with her, we have to sneak in food and eat in secret.
Most of the time we're successful however, there was that one time when my mom went to visit her and the ants found her chocolate bar stash.... then Meem's did.... and needless to say, MOM.WAS.SCREWED.


Now, I know I'm involved in the journey of weight loss for myself. I'm doing what I'm doing for me, for my life, my self image, my health etc.

However, if there was ever an extra incentive to drop an extra 5 pounds. This is it.

100 Posts Later

So, I've created 100 posts as of this one.

I've discussed my cats, my life, my lack of grace, food, weight loss, Mr. Berg, cat puke, reading, the great funk of 2010 and so much more.
I have one follower.... he looks kind of scary.



It's been a fun ride so far.
Anyone agree?


I would like to confess, that as of today, I have not worked out in 9 days. Nine! That's pretty bad.
With the exception of Saturday, I have been tracking everything I've eaten and stayed within my points. I was down when I weighed in last Thursday. According to my very unscientific "pants fit test" I should probably weigh in tomorrow around the same weight as last week.
My other very unscientific "how do I look naked in the mirror test" shows I could actually be down again this week. I doubt the validity of this one.

Tomorrow is a new WW week and a week that actually allows me time to workout more then once.
My plan is to workout Thursday through Saturday. Sunday is a day of rest.  Monday through Wednesday workout. Days of Rest Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I might work out the Sunday following Christmas but I'm not making any promises.

I am so incredibly excited for the new year.
"Santa" aka Mr. Berg is bringing me the new Firm Express Workouts this Christmas.
I plan on following the rotation starting January 3rd. I will also be adding some additional workouts in my week as I see fit.
I am going to start tracking some of my measurements in January as well. I think it will be nice to see those changes as well as what the scale says.
Starting in January I will also begin posting a recipe a week.
And hopefully, I'll actually get a life as well. And maybe we'll talk about something other then weight loss.

No promises people, no promises.

Whew.....

Happy Thursday Peeps!

I was so not looking foward to stepping on the scale this morning. I even stayed in bed for a few extra minutes talking myself into getting on the scale.

It was not pretty. The whole time I was in the bathroom I kept giving the scale the side eye. I few times I tried to stand on it and chickened out.

Finally, I pulled up my figurative big girl panties and stood on the scale.

I shut my eyes.... total chicken shit, that's me

I was fully prepared to see 140 on the scale.... who am I kidding, I was prepared for worse then that.

Imagine the shock and awe when I opened by eyes to see 138.2 looking up at me.

How does someone who ate copious amounts of crap for 5 days only gain .2?
I'm not questioning it, I'm rolling with it.
The little voice inside my head told me it will probably catch up with me next week.

He's an ass, seriously.

In other news, I would like to sing the praises of WW Points+ plan. Now that I'm figuring it out I've been very pleased with my menus. I realized yesterday that I would have points left over after I tracked all of my meals. Thus, I was able to add extra brown rice to my lunch and had extra lean meat with dinner. All wonderful things, if you ask me.

I'm also loving the free fruit. Prior to points+ I would have to limit my fruit so I didn't run out of points for things like skim meal and chicken.

Now I can have fruit and a small piece of cheese for both my morning and afternoon snacks and stay full until meal times. AWESOME-SAUCE.

The new plan focuses more on making smarter food choices. This was my whole goal when I began WW. I knew I could eat crap and work it if I wanted to. But I chose to making smart decisions, even if it cost more points.
 I think as a whole, those involved in WW will find that healthier options will give them greater results.

I'm excited to see what this week brings. Over the next three weeks I have a lot of important events, chirstmas parties, a wedding, social functions. I'm glad to know I have a plan that's eaiser to work with and a few extra points to spare.

Bring it on!

Why Mr. Berg Thinks I'm Nuts...

When Mr. Berg comes home from work, he typically finds me, his loving wife, in the kitchen making dinner or eating dinner.

Last night he came home to find his dinner in the microwave and his wife standing at the kitchen counter, surrounded by food, wearing her bathrobe with blackberry in hand.

He looked pretty confused.

I'm trying to learn the new points system. Everything I thought I knew, is now wrong. I spent an hour last night figuring out how many points are in things like cheese sticks, tortillas, tomato sauce, crackers, cereal, etc.
When I had 20 points a day I struggled to stay within them. I now have 29 points, by the end of the day I'd only eaten 27.

So far, with everything I had planned to eat tonight, I'm shy 3 points.

Everything I used to eat and still eat has increased in points (which a few exceptions) you'd think it would all even out?

Yeah, not so much. Now that fruit is free a few points have freed up.

I tried explaining this problem to Mr. Berg. His response: According to the news, it's awesome that fruit is free. Why can't you be happy that something is awesome?

Grrr....
I am happy. I'm also confused.


In other news, I'd like to reintroduce you to my new shoes:


These, ladies and gentlemen are my Reebok Runtone Action Sneakers.
Holy cow, I love them.

I would like to also say, I didn't think I would like them. In the past, Reebok shoes were the lowest shoes on my totem pole. I just didn't like them. Ever since my Reebok Pumps died when I was in 2nd grade, I've been over Reeboks.

Until last Wednesday. My whole world changed.

I bought a pair of Runtones while visiting my cousin, who happens to work for the above named, formerly hated my yours truely, shoe company.

I wore them off and on all week. They were comfortable. The soles of the shoes sort of gave a "walking on air" type feeling.

Last night I wore them while working out.

Holy crap! My legs are burning, in a good way, mind you. The shoes helped enhance my form for my squats, lunges and calf raises. Plus, who doesn't like working out in new shoes.

Overall, I give them two thumbs up.
I can't wait to see what happens with my new workout gear tonight.

Going Off the Grid

One of my favorite TV shows is Criminal Minds. Sometimes on the shows they reference characters who have "gone off the grid", basically meaning they were out of touch with reality and untraceable for whatever amount of time.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm going off the gird.

Today is my last day of work before my "Thanksgiving Break." This weekend Mr. Berg and I are going on a weekend getaway with my family, Monday I'll be rattling around the house and Tuesday morning we leave for Thanksgiving.

I might check in on Monday sometime, but I wouldn't count on it. So the next time you'll be hearing from me we'll probably be the Monday after Thanksgiving. Woohoo, new plan day at WW.

I did weigh in this morning. I was up 1 pound.
I'm not worried.  Last week I lost almost 3 pounds, that's a lot of weight to lose in one week.
I have a feeling my body is trying to find balance and that's fine.

The next week will be filled with lots of challenges when it comes to eating. I have decided to just take it in stride, make the best decisions I can with the options available to me and know that come Monday the 29th, I'll just have to hit the ground running.  Do you know how thankful I am that I have a few days at home prior to weighing in on Dec 3rd.

One nice thing did happened yesterday that reaffirmed how far I've come. I tried on the bridesmaid dress I'll be wearing for my cousin's wedding in a few weeks. It just arrived and it is HUGE.

I'm so thrilled, 8 pounds down and about a dress size. It's wonderful.
Now I just need to find a seamstress to fix it for me. Otherwise, the girls will be on display for the world to see. I doubt that's the kind of wedding my cousin is going for.

This next week is going to be difficult, there's no two ways about it. All I can do is give it my best. And, that is what I will do.


Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone.

Bad, Bad J-Berg

We all know Wednesdays are bad days for me. My anxiety over weight loss is in high gear, the little voice inside my head is raging and the fact that I won't be able to work out today is weighing heavy on my mind.

So, what did I do to help that?

I stood on the scale.

DUMB MOVE PEOPLE. I was up. Of course, I was up. Why did I do that?

Would somebody please slap my wrist and take away my scale privileges?

So, here I sit. Pissed at myself and nervous, oh so very nervous about tomorrow.


The rational side of my is looking at it this way:
- I was only up .8
- So what if I gained? it happens
- I haven't been drinking my water lately, no wonder I'm up
- I probably ate more then my fair share of broccoli chicken casserole last night AND I had chips with lunch. All accounted for and tracked, but still, very carb heavy and I know how my body handles carbs. It adds them to the collection of other unnecessary carbs, which just happens to be my ass.
- I didn't give 100% in my works outs of Tuesday. Monday's work out what shorter then I would have liked.
In reality, I can track my points, follow my daily healthy guidelines and still gain. Why? Because I can abuse the system. Put crap in, crap comes out. Put good stuff in, good stuff comes out.

So, going forward, eat more fruit and veggies, say no to those stupid baked lays.
And of course, stop stressing about a stupid number.

There are so many more benefits to losing weight then just a number on the scale.

One Month

Saturday offically marked my one month anniversary with WW.
I stood on the scale for the sake of being accurate and discovered I lost that pesky .2. Thus, I have offically lost 7.2 pounds in one month or 1.8 pounds a week.
That impresses me. I hope it impresses you.

I celebrated by drinking too much wine. That shouldn't surprise you, as it didn't surprise me.

Sunday was full of milestones- both happy and sad.

As I was getting ready to go Christmas shopping with My Mama I discovered a trajedy. Remember those jeans I was telling you about? No, not the skinny ones. The other ones, with the hole in the crotch? (Actually it was more like upper, inner thigh but not really the crotch.... anyway) Well, they died. The small hole I perviously mentioned? Well, it invited a friend over to hang out on the other leg. They both grew. And I discovered, most sadly, that my jeans had two huge holes in them.
Basically the ass of my jeans fell out.  Tragic.

Had a mentioned these were my favorite pair? Yeah, they were.

So I spent my day Christmas shopping in another pair of jeans that were too big. Granted, this made me feel very skinny, but it did little to make up for the fact my favorite pair of blue jeans DIED.

The mourning lasted several hours until I found comfort in a new favorite pair of blue jeans. Skinny Jeans (real skinny jeans, not my "skinny jeans" that are actually boot cut).... oh skinny jeans. I never thought I'd like skinny jeans. But .3 seconds after sliding into a pair at Ann Taylor Loft, I found my newest best friend. They are beautiful. They go so well with my Uggs. All four pairs.....

It's a match made in jean blue heaven.... I will love them completely, until the next great pair of blue jeans finds me.

So in conclusion (I need a conclusion, this post is going nowhere fast).
In one month I have:

• Lost 7.2 Pounds
• Buried my favorite pair of jeans in the trash can
• Found a new favorite pair of jeans at The Loft
• Have worked out 27 times (give or take a few)
• Noticed a remarkable change in my mid-section
• Taken a vitamin every day... EVERY DAY people!!
• Drank gallons of water
• Kicked the ass of the little voice in my head
• Celebrated Success
• Kicked my own ass at failures
• Embraced every minute of it

And I'm so excited to see what the next month brings....


Happy Monday Everyone.

Not Going to Sweat It

I stood on the scale this morning and was highly displeased at the number I saw. I'm up .2 pounds.

To be honest, I saw the number, tried to go to the bathroom again and then stood on the scale again. Surely, I thought, this is a mistake.

Nope, same number.

Augghghghgh.......

Not Happy, J-Berg is NOT happy.

So unhappy was I that I almost didn't track my weight this morning when I logged onto WW. I didn't earn my 5% lost star, I didn't earn happy remarks from the automated WW messaged. Instead, I got this familiar line "Are you surprised at what you found?"

NO..... obviously I ate too much this weekend, thank you very much, I already knew that. Dumb computer.....grumble, grumble, grumble.

After I got to work I became slightly more sensible about the whole ordeal.

Yes, I am up .2.
.2, REALLY?

.2 is like nothing. .2 is a glass of water, a couple of baby carrots..... .2 is a decent trip to bathroom if you know what I mean!?

So... .2, I'm not going to sweat you. Well, I will sweat you later tonight when I work out. But figuratively, no, I am not going to sweat you.

You suck, don't get me wrong. But honestly, all you are is .2.

My mini goal this week is to drop 1.2. I'm going to kick that pesky .2 to the curb and take another pound down with it.

I don't have a lot of challenges this week to over come.
I'm going out to lunch with my Mom today. However, it's too a Pan.era.Bre.ad. I can handle that. I already got on the website and worked out my meal plan for today. I'm well within my points. So, I just won't have that glass of wine tonight.

Tomorrow night Mr. Berg and I are taking my Mom out for dinner. I already checked out the restaurant menu. I picked out a point friendly, healthy with lots of veggies meal.

We are having friends over for dinner Saturday. I'm making a very point friendly dinner.

I have workouts schedule, I have a plan, I have healthy foods to eat and the reminder of the .2 on the scale to keep me going.

I will beat you .2. You better run......



However, I should also acknowledge how I feel without my armour on.....
I'm pretty darn upset I gained. I truly wasn't expecting it. Truth be told, I was worse the week before... this week, with the occasional min pumpkin candy aside, I did a lot better. Or, at least I thought I did.

So yes, I will be beating myself up over this for a good part of today. But I have to keep reminding myself, it's only .2. It is not the end of the world. Just as long as I don't keep moving up on the scale, just as long as I don't revert to bad habits, I will be fine.

.2 is .2. It's only as big of a deal as I make it.
And it all honesty, it could have been so much worse.