First I want to say that I have finally had time to upload my beginning photos on the site.  About time I know.  I wasn't going to post my measurements on here but I figured just watching the scale isn't all it will take to be motivated, because sometimes the weight don't come off but you will still lose inches and that is what I am most wanting.  The number on the scale doesn't mean as much to me as the number or letter in some cases on the clothes that I am putting on.

I have been through alot in the past month and was really suprised when I joined the Holiday Challenge (thanks Gwynn) that I have lost 11 pounds since starting.  I fractured my tailbone while at work and had pneumonia.  But through all of that and with God's strength behind me I have managed to not only go down 15 pounds since joining EP and 11 from the challenge I have also lost some inches.

My starting measurements and pictures were taking about a month ago.

Chest - starting: 49"  now 48.25"   lost: .75"                                                          Waist - starting: 47"  now: 45.25"  lost: 1.75"                                                         Hips   - Starting: 50.25"  now: 49.25"  lost: .75"

I know that it isn't much but it is a good start.  Total inches lost 3.25"   I can't wait to see what the results are at the end of the month.  I am finally off for a day at work and this up coming week I will not be working as many doubles.  I will still be working my 40 hours however the hours that I am scheduled, I will have more free time in the evening or early afternoon to get back into my hip hop abs routine.  I can't wait.  I love that routine, I have a lot of fun doing it.  Mostly because I love to dance and lost alot of weight previously when me and a friend was going dancing (singing karoake) 4 days a week.  So I am ready for that.. I have been putting off buying a Christmas outfit til a few more weeks, hoping that I can go down at least one pants size.  Wish me luck.

Okay sorry I haven't blogged in awhile.  It's been a busy couple of weeks, my sister hit a deer last tuesday and totalled her van so I have been doing a lot of extra errands to help her out.  Had to take her two kids and myself to the hospital on sunday.  I had the start a pnuemonia and the kids had strep throat and ear infections. I started a new job on Tuesday and am moving back to Kentucky next month, so I have had A LOT going on.

I lost 4.5 lbs this week.  Yay, partially because of being sick and not able to eat alot.  But whoo hoo, I have been able to work out for the past few days.  So the next few weeks will be really rough.  I am moving on December 15th.  I am so excited, I am staying with my best friend that I am also in love with.  Plus it's back home, so need to really crunch alot of working out into a little bit of time.  Between new job, packing and helping my sister with her errands, I feel really stretched.  Don't know how living with him is going to be, and I need prayers.  He knows how I feel and I am not sure if he feels the same, so it's taking a big leap of faith and it will be my heart that's burned instead of calories. (LOL)  So I need all the prayers that I can get.  I think that he currently has a gf but I'm not sure.  But when I live up there, I am so much more active.  That's a major plus.  I hope that everyone is doing well on the challenge that is involved.  If not I hope that everyone is keeping their spirits and energy up as we head into the holiday season.  Best of luck to all and my Prayers are with you all.

This week's quote:

"Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow has not yet come. We have only today. Let us begin."

Hope that everyone has a great upcoming week.  I will try to blog as much as possible.  Thanks for the support everyone.

With the holidays coming up I found a great quote that I am posting to my fridge.  It came from the book called: Skinny B*tch. "Cakes, candies and cookies, may tast like Heaven, but will pitch a tent and stay on your a*s all year!"  This is a quote I don't want to forget when presented with all the yummy holiday deserts.  Funny thing is I bake. Wanted to open my own bakery, if you want to see any cakes that I have done let me know and I will email them to you.  I love to decorate them.  I am not a big cake, cookie eater, but I love the batter and the dough. 

Anyhow, I have bought the biggest loser cookbook and workout book and found a really good recipe in it, It's called:Boston Cream Peanut Butter Breakfast Banana Split. If you want the recipe let me know it is really yummy, great for those of us with an unrelenting sweet tooth. Another one that I really like is the: Parmesan Cauliflower Bake.

To those of you that are in the challenge in the 100lbs support group I will be posting a daily motivational quote or tip...

Love to all,

Amanda

I was still feeling sick yesterday, but I managed to make it all the way through my Hip Hop Abs workout video.  I felt so sick that I wasn't even sure that I was going to be able to workout at all.  I was determined that I would.  So I grabbed a glass of water, and decided to give it a go.  I popped in the DVD, drank my glass of water, and pushed play.  Half way thru the workout, I was still feeling okay, and knew I could push myself to the end.  I made it all the way through.  Yay me!!! Runny nose and coughing up a lung, but I still made it thru and even broke a sweat.  Which breaking a sweat actually helped with the cold, because sweating actually got my fever to break.  Whoo hoo, 2 for 1.  I was actually feeling better after my workout than before I began.

Well I gained a pound and a half this week.  No surprise there with this cold I figured I would gain, I have only worked out once this past week.  This cold is kicking my behind...  Think I might need to go to the doctors about this.  I think it might be bronchitis or pnuemonia.  Well I am off to try to work out.  This cold is tough, but I am going to show who's tougher.  I am strong enough to succeed and I will succeed no matter what.  It's also been bad because not only have I not exercised this week, but I also haven't been eating right.  Guess I'll get off my lazy rearend tomorrow to go to the grocery store.  Would go to day but I lent out my car.  My sister hit a deer in her van yesterday and tore up the whole front end.  Her and the kids were fine.  Just a little shook up and cold from waiting for a tow truck to get there.  My brother in law stopped and picked the kids up and took them to his house with my other sister and their kids.  But I went and sat in the cold with my sister so she wasn't by her self in the dark out here on country roads by herself... I don't think that helped my situation any though.

Well good luck to all.

Love,

Amanda

So I have this awful cold right now, that don't seem to want to go away.  I tried to work out the past few days but just standing up makes me dizzy.  All I want to do is sleep... I wouldn't be suprised if I gained weight on wednesday's weigh in.  I need to get up and get moving though.  I have an important date coming up on new years and I want to look as best as I can by then.  I am going to see the one I love that I haven't seen in over a year and since the last time I saw him, I have put on like 30 lbs.  That was my goal to lose 30 lbs by then cause I am planning something special for him. and I want to fit into my evening gown by then.  Wish me luck.  As alway's I am praying for everyone, please do the same for me.  Well I am off to bed.  I have been up all night coughing. So I am going to go try to get some sleep.  Thanks for all the support everyone has given me in my short time here on EP.  Love to all.

Amanda