Well I know that I have not posted my progress in the weight loss area recently.  That is because there has not been progress.  I have actually had a summer of regression!  I hate to have to admit it but it is the truth.  I have GAINED 26 of my 36 lost pounds back.  I am back to feeling depressed, tired, and worst of all FAT!  So now is the time to do something!  I have been thinking about going back to weight watchers but have decided that I was doing well with my own program.  My own program also is free!   I have spent the past few weeks thinking of a way to keep my motivation up.  A way to assure that I stick to the journey of losing weight.  I know that there are a few things I need to do in order to be successful.

• Rember why I began this weight loss journey:  I think that it is important for me to look back at my earlier posts and see why I decided to lose weight in the first place.
• Evaluate my portions:  I think that examining how much I am eating will be a great first step in getting back into the weight loss groove.
• Get active:  This is one thing that I know helps a great deal.  Getting out and getting moving is a vital component to any weight loss diet.
• Stop drinking Soda:  I know that this sounds silly to those who know me.  I ONLY drink Diet Coke.  The trouble is the carbonation.  It expands your stomach which means you have to eat more to feel full.  The trouble is that I find it to be quite addicting.
• Get family on board:  When I began my weight loss journey I somehow was able to get our extended family on board.  It was nice that Sunday dinners were always healthy and that we were there to support one another.  Getting everyone involved again is an important step for MY success.  I need people to talk to and to remind me that I am doing well.  It is just the type of person I am!
• Make a Shopping List:  I know that I do better when I make a list of specific foods I need to buy at the grocery store.  This technique helps me to avoid things such as ice cream and other sweets as well.  I also need to remember not to go to the store hungry!  That always presents a problem.

In my head I know that there are the first steps to a healthier life.  I need to get my head into it before I will be a success.  I did go for a walk yesterday which was quite helpful!  I am thinking about a hike this weekend which should kick off eating healthier.  Who can exercise and then eat badly?

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My favorite one:  Barbie: A Christmas Carol

Abigail’s Favorite:  Mermaidia

Emma’s Favorite:  Barbie: Magic of the Rainbow

Analiese’s Favorite:  Barbie, Princess and the Pauper

Be sure and stay tuned to Ask Becca!  We are all super excited to let you know what we think about the new Barbie movie.  I am sure that “Barbie A Fashion Fairytale” will be a huge hit in our house!  It combines Barbie with our other favorite thing… FASHION.  How can we go wrong?

Becca

Back to school feels like a time of renewal.  It is a time to try new things and new schedules.  This year I decided to try a new technique for chores.  Of course there is a story behind this new chore technique!

A friend of mine has been unemployed for a few years now.  She began making herself lists of things she wanted to accomplish each day.  These lists were placed on a clipboard so that she could carry it with her, make adjustments as needed and easily cross items off.  She placed important papers that needed addressing on the back of the clipboard as a reminder of what she needed to deal with.  She kept telling me how fun it was to carry a clipboard.  So, in search of making stay at home life more fun, I tried it.  It really was more fun! So I go to thinking… why wouldn’t this be fun for the kids?  And daddy could try it too…  So, I ventured out to buy clipboards.  I designed a chore list for each of the girls.  I even went as far as adding a morning checklist and a bedtime checklist.  The deal is that when you wake up you get your clipboard.  When you complete all the tasks you hang it back up.   They are expected to do the same thing after school.  Once their chores are completed they have free time to go outside and play, watch TV, play their DSi or play a game.  at 7:30 they are to start on their bedtime list.  If they complete that by 8pm they have 30 minutes to watch tv or read in their room.

So far the kids are loving it!  They wake up each morning and grab their clipboard.  When they come home from school they know right where their clipboard is with their chores on it.  Bedtime is going super smooth as well.  There are many benefits to children doing chores.

• Feeling of accomplishment and pride:  When children accomplish a chore successfully they feel a sence of pride in what they have done.  This is wonderful for your child and will lead to improvements in self esteem and pride.
• Time management:  Many adults have trouble with this concept.  Management of time is important for your child’s success not only now, but also in the future. Chores help children learn how to effectively manage their time.
• Independence:  You child can accomplish cores with no parental guidance.  This gives them a sense of independence and should mean that you are nagging your child less.
• Self-Discipline:  Children learn self-discipline best when there are firm ground rules with attainable goals being set.

I was able to establish chore charts for all of the kids.  Each one has chores that are age appropriate and able to be completed within about 45 minutes total.  This means that there is still plenty of time for fun and games.

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I have been doing a lot searching this summer for things that the kids can do this fall. Between a child who has bipolar disorder and another who has cerebral palsy, I have been on a quest to find an activity that would benefit them both. I ran into a site that may just have the answers that I am looking for. NJ Brazilian Jiu Jitsu is a martial arts site that is certainly unique.

Brazilian jui-jitsu is a unique type of jui-jitsu that has various components of both martial arts
and wrestling. This combination is quite intriguing to me. While I think that it may be too
physical for my daughter with cerebral palsy, I am sure that my daughter with bipolar disorder
would love it.

The Savarese Brazilian jui-jutsu website, New Jersey Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, provided a wonderful chance
to learn more about jui-jitsu. I was able to watch instructional videos and read some about
the purpose of jui-jitsu. I even let Abigail watch the videos and we tried them out. She was
immediately hooked! It is a wonderful site to see demonstrations and learn more about jui-
jitsu. With the discipline of martial arts and the physical exertion of wrestling I think it will be a
perfect fit for Abigail.

It is true… I checked it out with the Associated Press and everything.  A solar tsunami is heading for earth as we speak.  Scary… well… not really!  Here is my understanding of what is going on.

1. This tsunami in space will hit our atmosphere causing various concerns.
2. While many think that this will be the end of the earth as we know it… this is not the case
3. Cell phone satellites as well as other satellites may be effected causing breaks in communications.
4. Most of North America should be able to see aurorae lights… it is of course supposed to rain here in NY
5. The radiation should not hit the ground… we will not suffer from any health threats
6. People flying in air planes may be exposed to a small amount of radiation (the same amount in an x-ray)
7. Although the chances are rare, NASA scientists warned recently that high-energy electric pulses from the sun could cripple our electrical grid for years, causing billions in damages

While this collision sounds scary it seems to me that we will all live through this invasion of the earths crust.  Some are saying that the world is coming to an end…  It is important to knows that this happened about every 11 years so there is nothing to worry about!  Here is a funny video from someone who thinks it is all over for us!

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As I have discussed, I have been exploring the internet a lot these days.  The kids are now out of school and so far they have been entertaining themselves.  I have been in search of some self calming techniques for myself and Abigail.  Living with a bipolar child can certainly add a lot of stress to one’s life.   I can only imagine the amount of stress she deals with day in and day out.

On my journey, I found a site with some wonderful articles on the site body mind awakening.  I came across many articles that I found to be helpful.  The first article I was interested in is titled: Choosing to Be Different – Resisting the Powerful Pull of Negativity.  I know that I often fall into negative thoughts and am sucked in by negative energy.  The main suggestion in this article is to make a conscious choice to think differently.  This means that when negative thoughts begin to enter your mind you should change those thoughts into positive thoughts.  I believe that after doing this for a few months it will be a habit to think more positively.  I think that this could be worth a try.  Abigail and I made a pact to try it together.  We will be changing our “the glass is half empty” mentality to the glass being “half full”.

Another article on this site that I found to quite interesting is about meditation.  I strongly suggest that you check out the article: Is Meditation just a Waste of Time?  I found this article to be quite interesting.  I have been told by many people that meditation would help me a great deal.  I always think of it as a big waste of time.  With three kids who has the time to meditate?  Apparently meditation will bring clarity and who could not use more clarity in their life?   This article stressed that the only thing we can control in life is our thoughts.  For me this one statement brought clarity.  We tend to create our own drama from time to time.  I know that sometimes I am enveloped by it!  Meditation could be my key to a calmer, saner life.

I would have to say that I think you should check this site out.  We all have stresses.  We all have drama.  We all have things in our bodies and minds that could use some awakening.  It is vital to take care of you first in order to assure that you have the ability to deal with all life throws at you in a positive constructive way.

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Rating your congressman is not all that this site has to offer!  There are also current news headlines.  On one sight I was quickly able to catch up on the latest political news.   I was also able to join in on discussions about such headlines as the Gulf oil spill and Al and Tipper Gore’s separation.

It is important to note that this site does not just cover American politics.  There are many other major politicians on the site.  These politicians include Abdullah Gül, Vladimir Putin, Kim Jong-il and many others.  I love this about the site.  Goodness knows that I have trouble keeping the array of American Politician straight.  Now when a political name is mentioned I know the site to go and look up what nation the individual is from and a little bit about them.

That’s right… on top of everything else each politician has a bio posted.  I learned that Hillary Rodham Clinton’s middle name is Diane and that David Alexander Paterson is the second legally blind governor in the United States.  This site is such a wealth of information.  I know that I will be visiting this site more frequently just to catch up on news headlines.  I also want to make sure that my voice is heard.  This site offers me the opportunity to let the President, congressman and local politicians how I feel about how they are doing.  We are a nation founded for the people by the people.  This site helps to assure that we are being heard!

Here is my action plan for the day:

1. Eat breakfast.  I know it seems simple but I am not a morning person and I have tons or trouble getting up and eating.  I have already accopmplished this goal so I am happy to say that I can check this one off.
2. Make a list of things to do today so that I will not be tempted to eat badly.
3. Plan out meals for the remainder of this week.  I just know that if I can go into the rest of the week with a plan I will be more successful.
4. Eat a healthy lunch.  I keep telling myself that this does mean not licking the peanut butter knife!  That is a really hard thing for me.
5. Take the kids to the park and walk while they play.  This does not always go as planned but I will give it a shot.
6. Look back at why I started this journey in the first place.  I am hoping that this will help me remember why I want it as well as show me just how far I have come.
7. Think of one good thing about myself.  I will admit that I have been in a funk.  Perhaps some Pollyanna thinking will help to pull me out of it!
8. Eat ice cream.  I kow this sounds rather odd!  I of course mean my Skinny Cow ice cream.  Ending a good day with a reward seems to keep me focused.
9. Weight myself.  It has been about a week and I am sure that after this weekend I have gained about 10 pounds.  Sure some of it is water but you can only use that excuse for so long!
10. Try… This is a big one.  I am going to remember that is at first I do not suscees… try try again!

I am off to what I am hoping will be a good day.  Let’s hope that the wagon slows down a bit so that jumping back on is a little easier.

First we had beanie babies, then there were Webkinz and now there are Bandz!  These new  “bracelets” are the newest craze on the streets.  Silly Bandz, ZanyBandz and Crazy Bandz could not keep them on shelves a few weeks ago and this week I noticed that there are even New York Yankee Bandz.

We first discovered Silly Bandz over Easter break while on vacation.  They were super cute so my father picked up a pack for the girls as a reward for helping.  They loved them.  I never would have thought that so much joy could come out of a cheap rubbery bracelet.  The kids came back to New York and shared them with their friends.  My children are so generous that they gave all of theirs away to their friends who were not fortunate enough to have Silly Bandz of their own.  Because they were so generous I hit the stores trying to find more.  No such Luck.  I had spies out all over the county in search and then some turned up at the dollar store.  We purchased 6 packages so that we could use them as a bribery tool.  We then found Rock Bank Bandz that the kids HAD to have.  Now my kids have over 100 Bandz a piece and I heart that their friends have many more!

In a meeting at the school I began to see the down side of Bandz.  The principal said that she was thinking about banning Silly Bandz all together.  I had a look of horror on my face… I did not understand.  They were cute.  They were a way for me to get my kids to clean their rooms and do dishes.  The were the path to my happiness.  How could she say that there would be no more Silly Bandz?  Upon further discussion  I learned that the kids were trading them, wanting theirs back by the end of the day, flinging them at one another, and focuing more time on Silly Bandz then on school itself.   Today they were banned…  What is a mom to do?

Becca

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I have been working on this weight loss journey for over 5 months now.  I have lost a total of 36 pounds!   With every pound I lose I feel a little bit more confident that I will continue to be successful.  Many people entering into a weight loss journey wonder how they can be successful.  I have just a few tips for those of you who wondering what the keys to success are.

1. BELIEVE: I know it sounds simple but if you believe you can do it… you will.  I also think that you have to believe that you are worth it!  This is a tough step for many people who are trying to lose weight.  I wake up every morning and remind myself that I can do it.  I believe in myself.
2. COUNT: This can mean a great number of things but for success it is important to discuss calorie counting.  Calorie counting is important.  It is vital in order lose weight that you burn more calories than you take in.  There are a few great sights with activity calculators that help to make this task easier.  Fitness Partner has a great activity calculator.  It is extremely easy to use.  All you need to do is enter your weight and the duration you plan to exercise into the calculator and a printable list of calories burned per activity will appear.  CaloriesPerHour.com also has an easy and wonderful calculator.
3. MOVE: I know it stinks when you first start your weight loss journey but exercise is a vital part of success.  The more you move the more you lose.  In the beginning you may be able to lose without moving but the longer you are invested in losing weight the more necessary exercise becomes.  So get out there and walk if nothing else.  Do it alone, with friends or with the dog.  Just get out there and move.
4. NEW: On this weight loss journey to a new you it is important to remember that you need to focus on new.  No I am not talking about clothing, although that is needed also.  The thing that needs to be new is your food.  It is important to switch it up some.  Studies have shown that people who eat the same breakfast every day become unmotivated.
5. SUPPORT: It is important that you find some support.  This can be a family member, a friend, or even a stranger.  Yes I know that a stranger sounds unlikely but in situations such as Weight Watchers meetings many people find that there are people they relate to.  It is also nice to have someone removed from your life helping you with your journey.

I am still hoping to reach my first big goal… Lose  pounds by the time the kids are out of school.  I figure if the people on the biggest loser could lose 100 pounds in 17 weeks I can certainly lose another 14 pounds is 7 weeks.  It is an average of 2 pounds a week so I will have to work really hard.  I just have to believe, move, remember new, count my calories and most of all remember all of the wonderful support I have!

Becca

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