SUNDAY, MAY 20

Back from Another Birding Adventure

Made a loop up to the East Coast -- and down to Florida. Cape May NJ during the week of the World Series of Birding was awesome. I got to scan through thousands of shorebirds to find the one "nugget" -- a female Curlew Sandpiper. We also helped the Wildlife and Fisheries folks band Red Knots (the sandpipers that feed on Horseshoe Crab eggs mid-migration route.) Then we went down to the Florida Keys to see some summer resident birds that hadn't arrived the last time I was there -- plus the late migrants going through Florida at the time. Over the past two weeks, Doug added several "life birds" and I picked up a few myself.

In Cape May, we had an apartment and cooked for most of our first week. The second week, we ate out every meal, similarly to what we would prepare ourselves -- it is amazing what some restaurants will do to please their customers! I'm going to pull an "Allen Carter trick" and not weigh in for a week while I get rid of the water retention caused by high sodium.

Being without internet for the second week forced a second week "failure" for the program, but I would consider our vacation eating a "huge success" all things considered. I didn't eat "perfectly", but I'm very satisfied with my self-control and choices for the most part.

Oh, and Doug's sugar levels were under 100 for most of the trip! Yay! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON MAY 20, 10:28PM    

FRIDAY, MAY 04

Who are you . . .

... and what have you done with my MOTHER?!!! That was my daughter's reaction yesterday after not seeing me for quite some time. That means it's gonna be really sweet at the end of this! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON MAY 04, 7:41AM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	DebC said... Awesome, I bet your daughter's compliment made your week. debbie
	pringle said... Way to go! Peggy
	mary2 said... I'm so happy this is all working out for you Elise. You are doing so well and people around you are noticing. All your hard work is paying off. I bet you have never felt better about yourself in a long time!~Mary
	DurtGurl said... Affirmation from others that you have made huge changes is always so rewarding. Recognition coming from Family is even better!!!

TUESDAY, MAY 01

If you want to drive Ric NUTS . . .

...think like a girl. After swaggering around with my "guy thinking cap on" doing squats today and wobbling up the stairs, I'd say I am only being marginally successful (OK, failing miserably) at this guy thinking thing.

For example, something as simple as answering the YES/NO fatburning question is a doozy for us women! We have to answer it all in PERSPECTIVE! Am I going through my monthly water retention cycle? Did I have a high sodium meal within the past four days? Did I drink enough water each day this week? Did I get in all my programmed cardio sessions? Did the scale move down even an ounce? Did the tape move fractionally? Does it feel like my clothes are fitting better? Was I dehydrated on my low day a couple of weeks ago, and now I'm just catching up with fat loss? Do I want to drop calories or add a cardio? Did I eat or drink anything before I weighed? Is Earth in alignment with Mars and Joopiter?

Ric, we must drive you absolutely nuts. OK, ladies, I dare you to THINK LIKE A GUY and JUST SAY NO without all the complications! I'm not so sure I can do it. Crystal, pass me the oxygen tank! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON MAY 01, 8:15PM    

	5 COMMENTS:
	rooney3 said... LOL!!! That blog made my day. At least you appreciate what you women put me through! But I wouldn't have it any other way.
	DebC said... Your blog is funny. I really do try to think like a guy would, but the scale became my life back in middle school when the weight was announced to the whole P.E. class. Embarrassment like that is hard to forget. I know, think like a guy, they wouldn't have given that weight to the class a 2nd thought. I guess I need more practice thinking like a guy. Thanks for an interesting blog. debbie
	Maxine said... But on the other hand....some female PFAer's hit that button TOO SOON and then we hear them whine later on about getting their calories back because they didn't listen to us old timers and only hit it after we do answer some of those serious questions!!!!~Maxine~
	erikwells said... I have better ways to drive Ric nuts.... just ask him to think like a girl and see what happens... (grin)... the last time I asked him to do that... you would have thought he started his own monthly cycle.
	JustPeachy said... Wait!!! You forgot to mention that we have to take off all earrings, necklaces, rings and NAILPOLISH before weighing in...that might ......just might.. add an ounce and we just CANNOT have that. HEHE...what a funny blog Elise and you hit the nail on the head..Ric ALWAYS says, "Quit thinking like a girl and think like a guy." Crystal

SUNDAY, APRIL 29

40 Already!

Today, I'm literally "over the hill" -- I'm celebrating my big FOUR-OH (pounds) and I want to thank all of you for your encouragement.

Now for the next phase of this project: Losing the next pound. Yes, I take them one pound at a time. In fact, if the truth be known, I'll be dancing over then next five ounces lost -- 'cause I'll be in the 170s! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON APR 29, 4:10PM    

	7 COMMENTS:
	DebC said... Congrats on the big 4-0!! And more to come. debbie
	29640red said... i can't think of a lady that deserves it more. what a trooper and worker you turned out to be . i am glad i was there to see stay strong and keep that focus going. ed
	Maxine said... What a milestone Elise!!! God has surely blessed us with your success ...a blessing not only for you but for all here who read your blogs and comments. You truly have a gift that multiplies as it is shared. Thanks for allowing us you have a piece of your joy today! I send a great big hug across the miles to you...wherever it is t that you really live!!!~Maxine~
	pringle said... Three cheers for you! I will be cheering for you just has hard when you become geriatric with your losses. ;) Peggy
	mary2 said... You have a lot to be proud of today, Elise. You have worked so hard and you deserve to celebrate. Just don't go out buy cake or something like that. Isn't it amazing how once a person puts there mind to something they can achieve great things. You have done that!~Mary
	DurtGurl said... Whoohooo! Goal setting is one thing but realizing those goals is a whole lot of work. We all understand and applaud your success.
	Delphinium said... Elise, you are doing great things with this program. I tell myself that if Elise can do it, so can I. I have watched your numbers go down, down, down and you always talk about the woosh of pounds coming off. Now I know what you mean!!! These past few weeks I found my sweet spot. The pounds and inches are just falling off. In fact, I bought a dress for my son's wedding for this July and now I am afraid that it is going to be too big!!! I guess that is a good problem to have. Keep up the good work!! I am right behind you!! Victoria

FRIDAY, APRIL 27

The new mantra . . .

LOL! And I thought I was going to get some advice on after-workout shakes (or something food/exercise related)!

Thanks all of you who replied -- every bit of your advice helped. I had an inkling, but wasn't sure -- sometimes what shows up as a "measured" muscle loss is not always so. The goal is to resist and master my fears and continue to change how I think about fitness!

On another note, I guess I am getting more and more obsessed about muscles! I went to my first "Muscle Mania" powerlifting competition today and watched one of our squadron members squat an "easy" 600#--and then bench press 425#. He weighed in at 241# and can/has done more on both in past competitions. He admitted he wasn't really pulling out all the stops -- and IMO, he had no need to in order to win overall powerlifter in this competition. I don't think any of the other lifters came close. His motions were fluid and although you could tell he was working, he was controlled and it looked effortless. Compared to the majority of lifters straining and popping their eyes out (and other various body parts), he was playing with those weights! In 2004, he was the "strongest man in the military". He may well still be! Not too many guys can get away with weighing 241 in the USAF and get away with it. He is massive and solid muscle.

Every now and then, I update him on my progress: "Hey Darrell, I can do a squat holding onto the Smith machine like a ballet bar!" I'll show him my (puny) 12" bicep and he just smiles and encourages me that one day I'll do a real pushup if I keep trying. So you see, I don't want to lose what little muscle I've gained! The new mantra:

Muscle gain; good
Muscle loss; bad

"Think like a guy, think like a guy, think like a guy". ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON APR 27, 9:31PM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	rooney3 said... That is the mantra I implore all you women to follow, Elise: "Think like a dude!" when it comes to this fitness process. And then my wife patiently smiles at me and says, "you might as well ask me to stop breathing"
	29640red said... HI ELISE HOW ARE YOU ? THOSE GUYS ARE HUGE AREN'T THEY . I HAVE A COUPLE OF BODY BUIDING BUDDIES BACK HOME . HAVE A GREAT DAY ED

FRIDAY, APRIL 27

For ever action (or inaction) there is ...

an equal or opposite reaction/consequence.

I taped myself this morning and the measurements say I’ve lost muscle since the last time I taped. Is it true, or am I just losing unevenly -- i.e. NOT from the hips? LOL. Any advice? ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON APR 27, 4:36AM    

	3 COMMENTS:
	Maxine said... Elise, your stats are fabulous! You are just doing the "been at this a long time" thing....you want to measure everything; you want to have it come off evenly; you are over-conscious of one body area/part etc. etc. STOP. Take a deep beath and look in the mirror! I bet what you see is even better than what we see - don't you remember how much they always say a camera adds in pounds!!!! You are doing great! Keep that in mind above all! ~Maxine~
	lorap said... Remember, lean mass includes organs and bones. On top of that you can't measure everything. I remember watching the area above my knee shrinking visibly, but the thighs weren't budging. Having said that, you have lost so much weight already, it would be difficult not to lose some muscle with that. Maintenance will give you a chance to rebuild muscle to keep the metabolism up. Lora
	pringle said... Elise, don't read too much into 1 week's measurements or unequal changes. The logic of women's bodies is illogical. For the past several weeks, my waist and hip measurements have not budged, but my lower belly measurements have. So the body fat calculator says the body fat is the same, therefore the conclusion would be that I'm losing lean mass, but my lower belly is clearly fat and if it is getting smaller then I would be losing fat. So don't sweat some of the illogical changes. Peggy

THURSDAY, APRIL 26

Continuing the Slide Downward

Last post, I told you about my "psych me out" picture -- gotta be at the TOP of the hill with an arrow pointing DOWN. It worked! Guess I just needed to see the picture before following the prompt! I'm whooshing down to new lows this week and lovin' it.

What changed? Well, after taking off a couple of weeks at the gym, I went back -- nothing spectacular there, but goes to show me that the little bit of HIIT Cardio-Coach CD I use does help. I'm back in the saddle with the menu planning (Doug had the spatula for a while) and we've had some of those dishes off my Elise-Recipes Blog instead of boring grilled chicken breasts and salmon. Wheeeee! I can taste success in every bite! See the new chart and picture in the gallery. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON APR 26, 5:29AM    

	7 COMMENTS:
	DebC said... You are moving. Great job! debbie
	29640red said... hey there you, great job you are looking great . i knew you could do-it.that wasn't the trick, the trick is all the people that you influenced . my hat goes off to you . ed
	lorap said... IT'S NOT FAIR!!! You already have collarbones. I've been waiting and waiting for mine to pop out :( Lora
	grarey said... Elise I am really glad to see a drop for you. You're shaking things up again and your body must love it. Keep going. Gwen
	mary2 said... Glad to hear things are working for you again Elise. Sometimes we all have to take a little break and before you know it get back into the saddle again. We all go through the ups and downs. Have a good day!~Mary
	DurtGurl said... Shaking things up always seems to do the trick. Glad to hear it's going well for you this week. I see that you are about to hit the 40-lb loss mark. That is an incredible feat - We're all so proud of you!!!
	Salara said... Keep going, Elise. You're a great inspiration!

TUESDAY, APRIL 17

Even in the Middle . . .

I've gotta start at the TOP and work my way DOWN!

Thanks to all who have offered suggestions and encouragement. I think Maxine hit it on the head with what's happening -- post-vacation blahs. That, plus the rollercoaster water retention of my regular cycle last week affected my instant gratification of seeing the fat loss.

So, yesterday, I decided that I would look at my goals anew. At work, I have posted two 12-week weightloss charts in my office to keep me accountable. It's time for a third chart! Each of the past two 12-week charts shows total success. All I see is how "successful" I am -- I've met my goals.

It's very satisfying -- but in the middle of the program, I don't need to be quite soooo satisfied. I need to be mentally focused on my END goal.

So, I got out a new spreadsheet, input my weight for yesterday as the first day and projected a 1.5# weight loss for the next 12 weeks. Now, I'm at the TOP of the chart with the goal to be at the BOTTOM.

I feel a whoosh coming on. Wheeee!!!! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON APR 17, 5:4AM    

	3 COMMENTS:
	DebC said... That is great you found another thing to challenge you. I still struggle with finding another challenge after the initial(I need to lose some weight) actually is working. You are doing so well and seem so happy to be here and that is so refreshing. Thanks for all the advice and keep on keeping on.LOL debbie
	29640red said... hi elise, it is hard not to get bored or lose desire. we are only human. you stayed tough and i must say with a great attitude ,a true person to look up to. you always found time to make everyone feel special and important. very commendable!!! you have had a great run ,and i do believe it is far from over , so press ahead and do it, you will make it , im sure . ed
	flacadriver said... Elise I was finally able to read your post. I went through a flat spot last summer. I started swimming more for cardio and just generally shook up the routine. It helped to get a few more pounds off. Then after 30 wks of FB I just had to stop. I imagine your body is responding like those who've had to wait several weeks for their first weight drop in FB. Frankly, I hope you stick to the new 12 week goal because you're a good example to follow. Hope you can stay put for a while to get everything back on track. Gwen

SATURDAY, APRIL 14

A Fresh Look at COMMITMENT

I went birding in Florida again and had a great time. I've been back a whole week -- and have been experiencing what I can only call "the doldrums". I've literally felt like throwing in the towel! After a couple of days of not snapping out of it, I finally got "Coach Ric" involved. He actually gave me some options to bust a week or go into maintenance if I felt like I needed a mental break! Wow. Thoses were really some options to chew on and pray about. I've decided it's just a bump in the road and I'm going to just hang tough.

Speaking of "hanging tough", I’ve been thinking a lot about one of our own these days: Ed Gregory. I dug up one his inspirational blog entries that I had saved from this past December. For those of you who do not know Ed, he's one an amazing man. Just click here to listen to his podcast with Ric. I've put his words he wrote on "COMMITMENT" up in my inspirational quote at the top of this page. It really humbles me to read it.

Yeah buddy, I'm going to hang tough! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON APR 14, 9:2PM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	29640red said... hey there you, you keep writing stuff like that and i will come back there and hug you!!!! you have done amazing at this program .you are the role model for all pfa people to follow.you have always been upbeat and strong, but now you have hit the wall. this will pass and you will be the victor!!! right now i can't be with you because of the work restraints but i think of you often 'and hope you and your hubby are well . stay tough and get this finished i will join you asap . i couldn't be happier for you or more proud of you for a job well done . take care ed
	Maxine said... Hi Elise, I'm just catching up on blogs. Thanks for keeping in touch - your photos are showing the fantastic progress you are making! The "blahs" you are experiencing seem to hit us all when we least expect it. I, like you, often find they hit post-vacation! I know it seems so selfish to be feeling down when we have just been blessed with the ability to travel and experience the glories of another part of God's world! I think we are just being too human and with forgiveness, I believe we seek the new daily [or longer] goals we need to focus on to lift the spirits and get on with enjoying all of the blessings we temporarily overlook. I'm glad to hear you bouncing back into a positive mode again. Blogging can seem to help one to just do that! Have a blessed day! ~Maxine~
	erikwells said... sometimes taking a break is what is needed... our bodies tell us when enough is enough and maybe its time for a week or two of maintenance... and then start new rotation..
	JustPeachy said... Hope your inspection went well. I know I don't miss those. It is nice to know that even the strongest have moments of weakness. It is great that you share those moments because it makes me feel better about having them myself when I know others do. Do whatever it takes to refresh and energize because you have earned a moment to step back, inhale and exhale.

SATURDAY, MARCH 31

An Update and More Travels

I've been way too quiet since my jaunt to Key West. It took me a few days to catch up and this week was a big "inspection" at work to contend with.

I've posted new numbers up at the top of the profile that show my current progress since starting. I've still got a ways to go on the fat loss, but am really loving the food, the exercise, the routine, the planning, and the "new" clothes. The folks at work are really taking notice.

I'll be out of touch next week, but am planning my menu and printing it off so I can follow it while traveling. I'll be staying in an apartment at my destination, so will be able to have plenty of control over what I eat. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON MAR 31, 10:52AM    

	5 COMMENTS:
	skeeter said... Amen to that! Dang lady you look awsome now seeing your pics gives me the drive to go on and get it done. Wow you must feel amazing knowing and thinking I did all of this with my own self control and discipline and dedication with of course encouragemant from others and of course #1 the LORD. Well I just wanted to give a comment back to you, good on ya mama! Have a great and blessed day-Melissa
	skeeter said... By the way very cute screen How did you do that?Very girly, I like girly
	grarey said... Elise you just look better everytime you post a photo. Your results are outstanding and your discipline noteworthy. It's obvious they go hand in hand. Good job. Gwen
	mary2 said... Elise you are sure looking good. Those measurement changes are definitely worth being proud of. Keep up the great work!~Mary
	DurtGurl said... Hi Elise! Your numbers are outstanding - 37 lbs since October and look at all those inches lost!! I'm guessing the true test of our commitment to the program is if we can keep it going when life gets busy and we're out of our norm... sounds like you've got it nailed. Have a good trip this week!! -Kathleen

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21

Back from Key West Adventure

I took a wild trip down to the Keys this weekend. Found out that Outback will serve everything "on the side" if you ask nice. So spaghetti with sauce "on the side" (uneaten), grilled chicken breast and steamed vegetables are a total possibility!

I was able to eat my normal way and I got "the bird" of the year: a vagrant Loggerhead Kingbird that normally resides in the carribean islands. I had waited all day Sunday for the "afternoon display" this bird had been making at Zachary Taylor State Park, hoping that the two hawks or Merlin in the area hadn't picked it off for a snack -- I photographed one hawk eating a frog, and another with a mourning dove kill. As we stood in the parking lot viewing the ridge of vegetation, I was explaining to a newly arrived birder that I'd been told the bird was very vocal. The call had been described to me as "a rattle like a kingfisher". As if it had been waiting for my cue, the Loggerhead Kingbird literally exploded from the foliage above the trail head sign where we were standing in the parking lot, and rattled loudly, announcing its presence. I lifted my binoculars for a 30' view at 8 power, followed by several 400mm shots through the camera. What a bird! The significance of this particular bird is that it is not on the "official" list as appearing in the US. All previous sighting records have been rejected as non-conclusive. With today's technology, I'm sure someone will video, tape record and photograph this bird down to its nose hairs and get it officially on the list!

For now, I've got some catching up to do on PFA entries for Monday and yesterday. Good thing we're eating the same menu as last week (so far). ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON MAR 21, 4:16AM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	pringle said... Elise, It seems you have a passion for birding. I'm glad you had a great weekend and scored some great pictures. Peggy
	grarey said... Elise what a great trip for you. While I enjoy all the birds in my wild part of the city, I do not share your knowledge of species. Your photo of the Kingbird is great and you have the proof you need of it's visit. Glad you had such a grand time. Gwen

SUNDAY, MARCH 11

Pancake Recipe Modifications?

Aha! I got a private email asking about recipe modifications. I don't have whole milk, so I used skim. I also used unsalted butter. Those were the changes that I'm aware of (see PFA ingredients listed below). Each serving in the recipe has 497mg sodium. With the rest of my day, I totalled 1239mg (out of 1300 mg allowed). I had a tiny bit of wiggle room. I suppose if you guys want to fit it into your days, you might have to tweak the sodium even more, but I didn't have to. I'm at 2612 calories today . . . I've listed the other things I'm having that have sodium in them below along.

Here are the PFA ingredients used. The milk is the only custom entry – and it does have some sodium in it.

1.5 c Flour, all purpose, white bleached, enriched
3.5 t Baking Powder, double acting, Calumet
1t Salt, table
1T Sugar, white, granulated, cup
1.25c Horizon Skim Milk (organic) 1.25 cup
1 Eggs, whole raw, large, each
3T Butter, unsalted (Land o Lakes)

Sodium breakdown for the rest of the day's food:

Good Old Fashioned Pancakes 1 Serving 497 mg
Egg Whites, ckd 4 Each 219 mg
Fish, salmon, pink, fillet,... 6 Ounce 146 mg
Northwoods Sugar Free Syrup 0.25 Cup 95 mg
Supplement, Precision IBM, ... 1 Each 75 mg
Elise's Great Value Skim M... 0.5 Cup 64 mg
Elise's I Can't Believe It... 55 Each 59 mg
Turkey, avg, light meat, w/... 3 Ounce 54 mg
Potatoes, yukon gold, ckd 220 Gram 13 mg
Pasta, spaghetti noodles, e... 100 Gram 7 mg
Beans, green, snap, raw, cu... 0.5 Cup 3 mg
Tomatoes, red, Nov-May, raw... 0.25 Each 3 mg
Coffee, brewed, prep w/dist... 1 Cup 2 mg
Salad, butter lettuce & lea... 0.1 Cup 1 mg
Cinnamon, ground 1 Teaspoon 1 mg

Total 1239 mg 95%

(Warning -- X-rated description of eating the pancakes follows!!!) We weighed them out, split the results into 8 stacks and I put 1/4 cup sugar free syrup and a whole teaspoon of unsalted butter (in addition to what was in the recipe) on top of my portion. I cut them up into bite size pieces and slathered each piece in syrup -- drenching it totally. Then I opened my mouth, and put one bite in, and ate it oh, so slowly as I savored each and every flavor! I did that over and over until the pancakes were gone. Then, I licked the rest of the syrup off the plate when no one was looking! Craving totally and completely satisfied!

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON MAR 11, 10:40AM    

	1 COMMENT:
	pringle said... I can usually do pancakes or french toast. It's the breakfast meats that don't fit in very well. Also if you every get around to tweaking waffles, let me know.

SATURDAY, MARCH 10

The Pancakes of My Dreams in a 103 A+ Day

Well Gwen, you were right. I can fit the pancakes in and make a good score -- in fact, I've got another 103 A+ day with a "regular" pancake recipe and sugar free syrup planned. Here they are, the link to the pancakes of my "dreams":

Good Old Fashioned Pancakes

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON MAR 10, 8:24PM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	grarey said... God is good! Elise you are showing everyone how easy it is to eat well and change your body for the better. Best to you on this wonderful Sunday. Gwen
	mary2 said... Elise, I know what you mean about wanting pancakes with real maple syrup. I had them last Sunday with an omelet. I buy this malted pancake mix that's to die for. I limited myself, you have to do that, but it was enjoyable. Enjoy!Mary

THURSDAY, MARCH 08

Dips and Pullups

The workout just got more interesting. It wasn't busy at the gym this morning, and I decided to try the "Gravitron" machine that does assisted dips and pull ups. A kind soul explained to me that the more weight I put on it, the easier the exercise. Aha! I understand! He took me through a pull up and dips and did the trainer thing "chin up, put your hands out a bit further on the bar". I'm glad he saw my puzzled look as he passed by. Two other ladies that workout with me were watching me get the lesson and benefited from it as well. That machine has intimidated me for four years -- I finally broke through my fear of it. When I tried it in 2003, I didn't realize you could set it up with weight! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON MAR 08, 7:12PM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	Jeanie said... Good for you! That is one of my favorite machines. Someday I will do an unassisted pullup. When I started, I had to offset almost all my weight. I still have to offset my weight by 70 pounds but without that machine, I'd never get the YAHOOO from doing a pullup. You tried something new - many stars for you!
	mary2 said... It always feels good to try something that's been intimidating at the gym. That was nice of that person to help you out. Good for you Elise!~Mary

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 07

Dreams are going to be reality ...

Yesterday morning -- just before waking, I dreamed of scarfing down two (or more?) large pancakes soaked with syrup. Guess I'll make some of those bodybuilder oatmeal-protein pancakes on Sunday and hit the sugar free syrup! The last time I had some of those was this past November (I think). They weren't bad...they weren't "light and fluffy"...but they weren't bad -- and if I'm craving pancakes enough to dream about them, then pancakes it will be! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON MAR 07, 4:47AM    

	5 COMMENTS:
	Maxine said... For Shrove Tuesday, I was going to work on a recipe for pancakes that might be healthy....I haven't had any for soooooo long! But time didn't work in my favor that day and I still haven't had any. Is your recipe posted or will you send it to me please Elise? or will someone else? ~Maxine~
	lorap said... At the health food store I found some sodium free baking powder, which gives it some "fluff" I grind my oats in the blender and add a tablespoon of flour to make them more pancake like. I like peanut butter on mine so it lowers the glycemic index on it. Lora
	Imdetermined said... I have a thing for pancakes also - try adding fresh fruit to them. I love strawberries, and then for some added oomph, pulverize a couple of mushy ones and voila! Strawberry sauce!! Also, if you slice some apple real thin and heat them in the microwave with a couple of drops of water and some cinnamon, you can add those in. YUM! I had some this morning! Bon Apetit!
	grarey said... I think it's good to satisify a craving too..especially if it's in your dreams! I won't be surprised to hear you still got an A for Sunday! Gwen
	mary2 said... When you get those intense cravings for something specific you need to satisfy it so you don't start feeling too deprived. I always would satisfy mine on Sunday, but never went overboard. I never made a healthy version but some of the other suggestions sound good.Good luck Elise!~Mary

SATURDAY, MARCH 03

Happy Birthday, Allen (AC)!

Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday to you!
Happy birthday, God bless youuuuuuuuuuu!
Happy birthday to you!

Hope you had a wonderful day. May God Bless you with many more happy and fit years.

~Doug and Elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON MAR 03, 7:6AM    

1 COMMENT:

AC said... Thanks so much for thinking of me for my 60th B-Day. I had a great day. I'm sorry to say I didn't reach my weight goal set for "the" day but I will continue onward until I do get there. My week vacation up at Lake Tahoe took its toll on my scale weight even though I burned a lot of calories. I am very close so I know it will happen soon. I am very glad that you two are doing so well on this program as well. You two are a geat source of inspiration and support for all of us on PT. Cheers, Allen.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28

Shazam!

In the words of Gomer Pyle, "Shuhhh-za-ummmm!". I've discovered how easy it is for me to tweek my day up to a 103.0! Ditch the fat free coffee creamer on **some** days, and add more fiber into the day. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 28, 9:32AM    

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 27

Surgery Went Fine / Recovering

Thank you all for your prayers for today. The surgery went fine and the recovery seems to be coming along nicely.

Not being able to eat didn't bug me as much as I thought it would (no real hunger pangs). The biggest side effects of not eating/clean out was the weight loss (I went from 192 night time weight to 185.4 this morning) and I almost passed out this morning from what I assume was a sugar low.

I expect to gain that sudden drop back as I'm now able to eat soft foods. My digestive track is working again judging from the gurgles. I'm going to wait until I feel a bit more confident before eating "normally" again. It's all over 'cept for the shoutin' when the pathology results come in mid-March. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 27, 4:13PM    

	3 COMMENTS:
	pringle said... I'm glad everything went well and am glad you're back. Go slow on reintroducing food and watch those blood sugars. Peggy
	grarey said... Elise I am glad you're feeling well and even though you think the weight will come back on I know it felt good to drop into another bracket. You may not gain any so be prepared to jump for joy. Now we will pray for a clean pathology report. Gwen
	JustPeachy said... Glad it went well. Will be thinking of you and the pending results.....God bless and rest up.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26

Back Comparison

BF reduction from 48.5% to 37.2% -- weight loss 31# in just over 4 months. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 26, 4:11AM    

	6 COMMENTS:
	illuminate said... Thank you, for sharing your wonderful progress with all of us. It is very inspiring to see your changes!
	Maxine said... Elise: Such excellent progress shown here and in your recent(clothed) picture below you are looking soooo shapely! Congratulations! Be well this week, I pray. ~Maxine~
	lorap said... You can see those fat rolls just disappearing away! Lora
	grarey said... Elise your pictures are fabulous! I know you're thrilled and I'll bet Doug is loving it too! Wow! Gwen
	mary2 said... You can definitely see progress. Keep on going Elise!~Mary
	JustPeachy said... That nice hourglass shape is starting to show. There are some great changes evident and it is fantastic that you take the periodic pictures. Shows all of us how critical it is. Thanks for sharing.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 25

Outpatient Surgery

In all my "pre-planning" for the next two days of food in prep for an outpatient surgery, I forgot to enter last night's supper! I can only have clear liquids for half of today and all of tomorrow. I'm going to "flunk" Monday for sure, (but I'm getting close to all my calories ) and I can hopefully start eating soft solid food shortly after the surgery.

Harrumph! I don't like it, but I guess I'll survive. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 25, 8:14AM    

	7 COMMENTS:
	pringle said... Good luck on your surgery, if you aren't able to get all of your calories/food in, your body will forgive and remember where you are at when you can eat again. Take care of yourself.
	Jeanie said... Don't sweat flunking a day or two or even one week. This is outside your control and you really are doing quite well. I pray your surgery goes smoothly and your recovery is swift.
	AC said... I'll be praying for you.
	Chantelle said... Prayers will be said for your surgery. Concentrate on healing and don't worry about a day or two off the calorie alllotment.
	mary2 said... Good luck on your surgery Elise. I will be thinking of you!~Mary
	calypso said... Good luck with the surgery... Hope all goes well. Keep up the good work, you are an inspiration!
	turn125 said... Elise, you are a true inspiration to all of us, you will come bouncing back like no other, remember somethings are not in our control.... I will pray for you and with all of our family here sending prayers you will do great!!

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 24

The "Checks" are Coming In!

This week, after almost four weeks of fluctuating (but still going downward), I experienced a new low every single morning. Boy, that was fun!

It was just time to WHOOSHHHHHHH. Every day I eat an A+ day and exercise, it’s like writing a check against my "fat deposit". But, those checks don't always get deducted from the account right away. In fact, some of them float out there for quite some time. Well, this week a bunch of those "floating checks" cleared the bank! They've been "lost in the mail" for over a month now. Regardless of why things happen, I love it when they do -- just in time before I have to "balance the checkbook" with a calorie drop. Needless to say, I’m answering YES again tomorrow. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 24, 9:48AM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	rooney3 said... Good job, Elise. At certain points during this process when your body is getting ready to move through a set point that's it seen for along time, it takes some time for your metabolism to reset itself to this new reality you're creating for it. When you stall or fluctuate for a bit like you just went through, its your body's way of asking for confirmation: "Are you sure? Are you really sure you want to keep dropping?" When you answer 'yes' with continued diet and exercise, and sometimes a little 'goose' (i.e. calorie drop or an increase in cardio), your body gets the message and continues on its fat burning mission.
	pringle said... Great News. It's like hearing from a friend that you haven't heard from in a while.
	grarey said... Elise..HUGE difference in your last full body pic! Don't buy too many clothes yet..I know you're on tack to drop a few more sizes. You look fabulous. Gwen
	JustPeachy said... That is so fantastic!!! You always amaze me.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 23

I Challenge You!

Ok guys, start get psyched up. Ric's going to get this fitness leagues happening! Even **I** will take photos for $100 supplement -- and it looks like I'm doing pretty good in the leagues. If I clamp down just a tad bit more, ya'll will have to run and catch me for your protein. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 23, 4:30AM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	JustPeachy said... AAHHAAHH...This is feeling a bit like a coin check!
	DurtGurl said... You go girl!! I doubt that I will be much competition now that I'm in maintenance, but I will be routing for your climb to the top of the PFA hill!

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Photo Update

I decided to take some photos in the same clothes as when I started and do the comparison to when I started. Those are posted up in the gallery.

I think it's totally amazing that I haven't cut any calories yet during FB! I can already "see" what another 50# gone will look like. It's just a matter of time and patience. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 20, 7:51PM    

	6 COMMENTS:
	ChefKimmer66 said... Elise, I missed this blog yesterday but your caption on the first comparison says it all ~ WOW! You are doing a fantastic job and your smile lights up your new pix. You share so much - recipes, encouragement and support! Kim
	illuminate said... Wow! You can really tell the difference in your start pics to now. Congrats to you!
	lorap said... You are looking good! It looks like you hiked everything up 4 inches! Your side view is particularly telling, though all of them show you are making progress. You definitely will not be able to wear those clothes in another four months.You will have to buy a similar outfit for comparison. Lora
	wendi said... You are doing so well and that last 49 lbs will be merely a memory before you know it! I love the side shots- what a difference!
	purejoy6 said... You are positively radiant. Your hard work has paid off, you have my admiration. Thanks for all the support you have given me. I can see why you believe in this so much. I guess it really is possible :) Well good job and God bless. Esther
	calypso said... The difference is great! You look a lot more serene and happy as well as looking like you are wearing your big sister's clothes! I just love your attitude and every time I read your blogs, it inspires me to do better. I have to confess I have been getting by lately -i.e. very low 90s scores- but you have inspired me to do better! I have printed out some of your recipes and they sound wonderful! -Marcela

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Letting My Hair Down

I've lost less than 10# since I last did my "photo shoot", so there's not much visible progress in the full body shots. So...you'll all have to be satisfied with my curls, instead of curves. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 19, 9:58AM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	Maxine said... Well I'll say...!!!! Let your hair down more often - it really does take even more years off your appearance than the slimness that has appeared all over your body already!!! And if you are ever feeling more adventurous.... dye it one day and you'll take even more years off (that's my secret - I'm sure that my color would be similar to yours if I ever let the natural come through all over like it does at the roots) however I really want to say it looks gorgeous just the way it is - I love the curls and length and the confidence you exude in the photo! Great stuff! ~Maxine~
	pringle said... You look great. I bet you never thought loosing weight and letting your hair down could be a fountain of youth. Peggy
	JustPeachy said... It is amazing to always see the transformation in every facet of you in your newest photos. I only hope I am as blessed as you to look so fantasic in the coming years. I think a lot of it is in realizing you live a happy, positive, and spiritual life each day. You look great Elise.
	DurtGurl said... You look like you're about 30 (or younger) in that picture - you are absolutely beautiful! I'd like to see you splurge for a new pair of glasses... something young and hip that say's "Me? A Grandmother?" hee hee... Thanks for sharing the pic.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 17

Sometimes You Feel Like a Nut!

Well, I did feel like a weenie after I hit send on my question. But I got over it -- figured you guys would give me some good advice -- the graph sure jolted me off my 5-month confidence kick (must be the combination of hormones and phase of the moon) .

Anyway, this morning, I feel like a nut! I was at a new low; so the downward trend continues. I'm going to stick this calorie level out--plus, I feel a "whoosh" is about due. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 17, 4:35AM    

	3 COMMENTS:
	RBinMS33 said... Good to hear, Elise. Sometimes our bodies think it's funny to hold out on us a little. Good for you in sticking it out and not hitting that button too soon!!
	mary2 said... Isn't it a great feeling to see a new low? Notice I said "see". I understand the doubt at times going through this. It's such hard work. It's human nature to want to see the progress on the scale. You're doing great Elise!~Mary
	DurtGurl said... Good Girl! A new day always puts refreshed perspective on self doubt... Plateaus will happen sooner or later. I see that Ric noticed you've had wonderful success without taking any calorie drops in FB. Wow!! So, you have a tool ready and waiting to battle that plateau whenever it comes... drop the cals a bit. I also think that you need to employ another tool this weekend - Pictures!! We haven't seen any lately (hint hint). I'm sure you will see huge differences since your last pictures, especially if you take another bathing suit back shot. The lean you is well on it's way to popping out and saying HI to the world! Let's have a peek...

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14

Which Line Should I Believe?

For some reason, I'm having doubts today -- and after I hit the enter button, I've got a feeling I'm going to feel like such a weenie for even asking! But here goes: Which line should I believe? The one that says I'm losing just fine, or the one that says I've flatlined?

In reality, I'm losing inches and my AVERAGE weight over a 7-day period has continued the downward trend.

Ric, am I fooling myself with this tactic (looking at averages rather than actual loss), or am I still taking the right approach to stick with "YES"? ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 14, 9:44PM    

	6 COMMENTS:
	rooney3 said... I checked and you've actually gone 11 weeks without a single drop, Elise. That's excellent. But if you don't hit your goal this week I'd probbly say its time to take your first drop. You've still got plenty of calories to work with.
	LizziTish said... Elise, I would often flat line but continue losing inches. The scale would eventually catch up. You are doing great! I'd give this calorie level another week and see what happens. Beth
	Maxine said... Patience, patience, patience elise! We want all of those numbers...then we fret over them! Look at the big picture - it tells me that maybe this is a bump in the road of your journey - a wee sidetrack,if you will....nothing to fuss over, You'll be on your way down again soon. I'll ask for peace for you this night in my prayers - and confidence and strength. You really are doing so well! But we all have our moments of doubt. Lift your spirits high to your Creator and enjoy the ride - you are stronger than the doubts!!!!~Maxine~
	pringle said... Elise, I agree with Sheryl, Maxine and Jeanie. It may be a short-blip. We all have them. Give it another week. Focus on the long-term progress you've made to help get you past this. Peggy
	Imdetermined said... I gotta say I'm with Jeanie here, Elise. If your measurements are going down also, you're making progress. That's NOT a flat line in any way, shape or form! Isn't it more important than the stupid number under your feet?!?!? (It took me soooooo long to be able to say that!) Give it another week. And remember, once you hit that button, your calories are gonna take a hit, too. GO SLOW!!! Sheryl
	Jeanie said... Your flat line is taken over a short period of time. The downward trend is over a long period of time. How can you tell if the short term is correct? There's only one way, wait another week and see what the data tells you. If you continue on a flat line for two weeks, that's something to think about. But you may find that by waiting, the downward trend may very well continue and the flat line was just a blip you can ignore.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 11

Bird Food!

When birding (or any outing IMO), it's necessary to plan your restaurant stops or bring your food along if you're going to stay within the program's guidelines. We brought a friend along to see the Northern Wheatear down below Foley AL yesterday. Doug and I had packed our food, but Mr C was not as prepared. And -- so you don't all think I'm being critical -- this is ME a year ago: He did grab a banana and orange coming out the door. At one of our pit stops, he bought a McDonald's sausage biscuit for breakfast and then snacked on Almond Joys for lunch.

On a non-eating note (although I suppose it could be somehow related as the birds were all eating...), the Northern Wheatear that normally resides in the Artic regions of Siberia and Alaska was still present yesterday, so our trip was a success in that respect. We also saw a frenzy of Northern Gannets diving into the water, feeding very close to shore -- these magnificant birds are normally farther out to sea. The Clay-colored Sparrow (another unusual sighting for this area) ate cracked corn with the Chipping Sparrows. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 11, 7:21AM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	29640red said... hi elise , men you just can't train them lol. nice pic of the bird . have a great day buddy ed
	Jeanie said... That is a particularly good shot! As for your hubby, well, we all learn and progress and not even two of us are at the same point in the journey. Keep setting the example!
	JustPeachy said... When you write and describe the birds you remind me of reading a good book by Thoreau.
	Belsicilia said... wow what a beautiful pic! Looks like you had a relaxing time! and by the way--- I love that message about chocolate being HIGHLY ALLERGIC food for me- i do break out in fat --all over lol ~Piera

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 06

Sports Bra Review--The Bounce Stops Here

I'm from the "old days", when an expensive bra was $15 -- so I'm still in sticker shock over my last regular bra purchase at Macey's (thanks Gwen for that post). I have a few sports bras that I've bought at Walmart -- which seem to offer absolutely NOTHING in the way of support.

I've been thinking of jogging a bit interspersed with my walking, and what I have isn't going to cut the mustard. Another forum mentioned several brands, and after looking at all of the ones mentioned, I decided to order an Enell sports bra from here. Wow! This "corset-style" contraption gives me a new perspective on "sports bras" and what they should (or shouldn't) do. It's hook and tuck all the way up the front and then "adjust" -- you can read the details of "how" on the website. They have the right motto: "The Bounce Stops Here!" I haven't been this "flat" since 5th grade! So far, it's comfy, but I'll reserve final judgement until after a couple of workouts. As snug as this is, it doesn't interfere with breathing. I can move easily, raising arms, twisting -- all movement feels normal. I'm positively impressed! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 06, 5:48PM    

	8 COMMENTS:
	LizziTish said... Ah, see now this is a problem I never had. And with my last rotation, its even LESS of a problem! lol! Tiny, tiny chest on this girl. Enjoy your new toy! Beth
	29640red said... i just wanted too say hey buddy , ed
	pringle said... Don't go overboard and order too many. Before you know it, it will be too big. In a few months there will be a lot less to jiggle. I can't believe the difference in from the last year. Peggy
	Jeanie said... For those of us that are a little busty, there's no better peice for workout clothing than a good sports bra. I can tell you that you don't have to be flattened uncomfortably though. Nordstrom's carries DK and Natori sports bras - they are awesome and with prices akin to Macy's but WAY more comfortable.
	grarey said... Funny you should mention sport's bras today. My sister was a guinea pig to test a sports bra that friend’s of hers were developing. She sent me their web site today ..it’s www.fabulousathleticbra.com It's pricey but my sister said it was wonderful. At least look at the web site to see the science explained in how a breast moves during exercise. It makes me realize all the abuse I’ve put on my breasts and why I should have just stayed in the water and continued swimming! Gwen
	AC said... LOL, I don't know about Ed but before I lost all my body fat over the last year I could have probably used one of those contraption for myself. My "man boobies" rivaled some of the fairer folks around. Unlike Ed, I'm not afraid to comment on such a delicate matter.LOL, Cheers girls! Allen
	tots205 said... So I had to comment on Ed's blog - he wanted to say hi but he didn't want to comment on the sports bra. HA HA. guess he has no idea on the issues us larger chested women have doing any cardio. There is a definite difference in sports bras. Glad you got a good one. Peggi
	DurtGurl said... Welcome to the wonderful world of GEAR!! I'm a gear nut. Some women own numerous nonsensible shoes for all their posh outfits. I own endless pairs shoes for athletic puroposes... Bras are the same - a good bra is an engineering work of art. Enjoy the gear but like someone said, don't buy too many because soon you will be needing the next size down.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 04

Bodyfat, Pine Savannahs and Birding

Last week weight-wise I whooshed downward. I was dancing and prancing around the house. Ric called to talk with Doug about the diabetes module and I was soooo proud to tell him I was down to 195. I know, I'm still overweight, but I've not been at 195 for years!!!!! This week my weight shot back up just as dramatically. So, using everyone's advice from the past, I decided to measure in the middle of the week to soothe my wrinkled brow. I started dancing again when I found that I was whooshing downward on the bodyfat.

This is such a puzzle. I'm a "logical thinker" (as in math), and in this case Condition X (weight gain) and condition Y (reduced body fat) just didn't equal Z.

Was it doing weights to my cardio coach download? I was really pumping those irons with a slow determined purpose this week. Was it dragging my Cajun Nike boots through pitcher plant laden, wet pine savannah's yesterday morning looking for Henslow Sparrows (see my photo at the right), Sedge Wrens, Bald Eagles nesting and our endangered non-migratory Mississippi Sandhill Crane? Was it just my body shrinking to catch up with the lost fat from the two weeks prior? Hmmm! Guess this means I just have to keep doing what I'm doing until it all melts away! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 04, 7:26AM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	Maxine said... [The woman's body] = [ever the mystery]!!!!! ~Maxine~
	pringle said... My thoughts - increased weight gain could be from the weights if it is a major increase from prior activity. Lost inches probably the body catching up. my experience is weight loss and inch loss don't occur at the same time. Don't over analyze it, go with it and enjoy the journey.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 03

I Never Thought I'd Ask This Question!!!

When I first started PFA, I had a very hard time lowering my sodium intake to be 2300 mgs -- much less 1300 mgs! Well, I'm gotten my food choices to where my sodium intake is, on average, 800 mg per day. That is not a typo -- eight-hundred mgs! Now I'm looking at my potassium:sodium ratio. Since there is a balanced function between the two minerals in the body, my question is: SHOULD I ADD SALT TO MY DIET? What should my ratio between the two be? ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 03, 6:15PM    

	6 COMMENTS:
	rooney3 said... I wouldn't right now if everything else is feeling fine. There is some disagreement between nutritional expets, with the Pot:Sod ratios ranging from 1:1 to 5:1.
	29640red said... hi elise , if you got it that low ,that is a major feat!!! if you feel alright keep it there . good going and stay tough . take care ed
	Maxine said... I think you will know by how you feel. I KNOW WHEN MINE IS TOO LOW: I get light-headed upon rising from a sqatting position for example. Just keep an eye on it. There is potential for problems with Na too low, but as many others would agree there is probably a whole lot more problem with it too high! I found that when I got the "right" level for me in FB, I just seemed to make more progress more quickly, and I worked on increasing it slightly overall once in maintenance, but that said.... I still cycle it up and down for a balance and to provide variety in my diet everyday....keeping it 75-100% usually, but sometimes much lower and sometimes much higher. It will be hard for new PFAer's to read our blogs and understand how we achieve low sodium numbers....but we just know that the change in what we like for flavors in our food is part of our transformation .... once we see how low sodium food contributes to fat loss as well as less fluid retention, then low sodium foods taste so good!!!!~Maxine~
	wendi said... I keep my sodium around there as well- I reset my parameters for 1000mgs since I'm so sensitive and I'm not having any issues, despite drinking 1.5-2 gallons/day. If you are having success, don't change a thing!
	RBinMS33 said... I've found that once you get used to sodium being low like that, the foods that you used to eat will taste really salty. Case in point...I bbq'd a pork shoulder for a buddy yesterday. I always taste my cooking before I give it to others so I tasted a piece. Now, this is just meat from the inside, no injecting, no extra salt or sauce added and it tasted really salty. Three months ago, I could have eaten a bowl of the stuff and not thought twice about it. Funny how our bodies get used to stuff. I never really paid attention to my Potassium/Sodium ratio but I just looked at it and I'm running about 4:1 (4800mg:1200mg) on high cal (3400) days and 5-6:1 on low cal days.
	Jeanie said... Elise, my ratio is 1:5 (sodium:potassium) with the sodium averaging about 1,000 mg a day. I haven't noticed any problems. Jeanie

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 03

The Rest Of The "Stess" Story

This was the conversation back in October 2006:

Elise: What's it going to take for you to lose weight? A heart attack?"
Doug: I don't know."
Elise: "Well, then may you have one!"

The conversation was meant to "shock" my best half into doing something. It apparently jolted him out of the fog into reality enough to take it seriously, (Thank God!), but when his doctor actually ordered this test, I couldn't help wondering if she had heard something through the stethoscope, or if I had spoken something into existence. So apparently God took my intentions correctly . Whew!

Actually, the test hasn't been on my conscious mind very much -- but when she said "the results of his echo . . ." it all surged up from my subconscious, and I found myself bracing for the words.

Crystal: No charge! Your bill was paid in full by someone else about 2007 years ago. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON FEB 03, 5:59AM    

	6 COMMENTS:
	29640red said... we all need proof sometimes to get our selves movin, thank god in this case it wasn't too late. have a great day buddy .ed
	Maxine said... Elise, you have the most amazing fitness profile page ever! That slide show is wonderful (but I see why my poor old dial-up internet connection just about fails everytime...I've just gotten smart and stop it when page is partly loaded and I get to see your message and some other stuff). Anyway... your journey is awesome and I say Amen! to your thought on Crystal's (and all of our's) "bill"" being paid so many years ago! May GOD bless you both this day and all of the days ahead! ~Maxine~
	RBinMS33 said... It sounds as if your prayers were answered. I'm so glad it worked out for the both of you.
	Jeanie said... I'm glad he got on board with you. Good thing the price was paid because none of us could pay the bill.
	JustPeachy said... Yes...and a double Amen to that Elise.
	Belsicilia said... Nice story...and we must count our blessings, as God does woek in wonderous ways. I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason. Glad to hear things are in the up and up! ~Piera

MONDAY, JANUARY 29

Blended Bulgarian Mango Splits with Ice!!!

How come you guys didn’t tell me about ICE? For someone who just discovered Bulgarian Split Squats--I’ve now discovered ICE and BLENDERS to make my PFA shake! I had a remote idea in the back of my brain that I should be doing that, but the “other brand” shake powder I tried that with was awfully thick -- undrinkable. I just hadn’t tried doing it pointless to try. I’ve been “shaking” away with water in my Physique Transformation shaker cup.

I was reminded about making shakes with ice in a blender after a visit to the gym where I observed a gentleman order a banana-strawberry protein shake – the lady behind the counter let me taste the “residuals” in a tiny cup. It wasn’t too thick, so I went home and tried it out in my own blender – sans fruit, of course. What a huge, delightful difference in the consistency and taste of the mango shake. It was like eating icecream! I’m going out to purchase a blender for the office!

Ric, I sure am glad I ordered all that Mango IBM! Ummm-ummm-good! Ummm-ummm-good. Mango IBM is ummm-ummm-good! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 29, 7:46PM    

	5 COMMENTS:
	sandyzona said... Sorry Elise. Didn't mean to keep the great ice secret to myself, lol. I'm with Gwen though, it is nice that this powder will even taste pretty decent w/o ice, when necessary. And just so you can't say I am keeping more info secret, here goes: I got a Magic Bullet blender for Christmas and it works great for the shakes. Sandy
	wendi said... I'm a shake snob- can't drink them unless they come from a blender, so I'm with you on the ice. For a real treat, try a couple of frozen strawberries instead of ice. Glad you found the split squats- those will take you a long way in reshaping your body!
	pringle said... From the title of your post, I couldn't tell if it was a new recipe or a new exercise routine. A combination of both. Wonderful discovery. Peggy
	grarey said... Elise I thought everyone used ice and was actually happy to know I could use the Pricision w/o it! Now I can pack it in a shaker cup and take to the gym for after. I read your heading and wondered what FB program you'd got into that let you eat a split.
	mary2 said... You're too funny Elise. I thought it was a new recipe too!~Mary

SUNDAY, JANUARY 28

Another Milestone! and Taking Control

Yesterday -- before I did the hour long cardio, I weighed in. I've lost 60# total (including pre-PFA dieting). No big change in weight this morning. Yippie!!

Doug made a comment while he was cooking up some elk for future meals. Logman: "I think I'll make some chili -- I'm in control over how I make it: elk, chili powder and onions sounds good. Actually, I've always been in control -- I just have to take control!"

I really liked that. So, if you have let go of the steering wheel and your eating is out of control, put both hands back on the wheel, pay attention to the stop and go lights and oncoming traffic to avoid those collisions. Point your eating in the right direction and press the fat loss accelerator (metabolism)! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 28, 8:4AM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	RBinMS33 said... "Actually, I've always been in control -- I just have to take control!" What a true statement!! By the way, it's a cold day down here today and some of that elk chili sure sounds good.
	grarey said... You've both hit the nail on the head. Gwen
	Chantelle said... With your determination there is no doubt you will make your goal. I envy your saviness with the computer. some day I will get up to speed and post pictures.
	mary2 said... Wow, Elise you're more than half way to your goal. You're totally immersed in this. Keep it up. Your posts are exciting to read and inspiring to us all. ~Mary

SATURDAY, JANUARY 27

What a satisfying .....

...workout! I'm new to Cardio Coach (see cardiocoach.com) -- just having done Volume 1 twice and Volume 4 once so far. I was determined that I could honor Jim MacLauren and what he stands for by doing the workout all the way through--even if I had to walk at a steady state for the last portion of it. So I went into it without trepidation--no fears, just determined to enjoy each and every moment of the workout. Each challenge rolled by, working me over perfectly. I looked at the time about 45 minutes into the workout! I had absolutely no need to "steady" anything at the end -- did each and every challenge to the levels. (The workout was about an hour long, plus a cooldown stretch.)

Corina Brouder's song Another Day was perfect! No tears, no overwhelming emotions, just that satisfied smile on my face that knows that "Coach" Sean O'Malley and Jim MacLauren cause can coax it out of me. I doubled up on the cool down stretch, went outside and took a photo to remember the day by.

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 27, 2:39PM    

	10 COMMENTS:
	lorap said... As you lose weight, you are losing years. By the time you are done you will be 20 !!! Lora
	RBinMS33 said... I do believe you have found your workout groove. Good for you!!
	pringle said... You are one for making all parts of the program fun. Keep it up! Peggy
	Jeanie said... You're hooked, I can tell! You'll find when you don't workout, you won't feel right/good. That's how you know you have really made a lifestyle change. Keep it up. Just wait til you see the results at the end of this year.
	grarey said... Congratulations Elise! You sound as happy as you look. I see you've dropped another pound...your body is loving the changes you're making! Gwen
	JustPeachy said... Lorap is so right. You just get younger with each photo. Please bottle it up and send some my way. You look great.
	DurtGurl said... I've always known about that exercise "high". What I never realized was how much diet played into the way one looks. You are discovering it(learning to move and learning to eat right) all at the same time... and you're looking GREAT!!! now go do a durtgurl or two for me ;)
	Logman said... You look radiant/great! I checked in on you a couple times during the challenge, you were immersed ! If you keep this up, I may have to become a fitness photographer... ~logman :)
	Delphinium said... Elise, you look MARVELOUS! Checked out the cardio coach website and I think I am going to have to try it out. Looks and sounds like a good challenge workout. Somehow you always manage to come up with really good and helpful info. Thanks!!!
	Belsicilia said... what a beautiful post- which matches the author :) You have a beautiful complexion and you appear to be so happy. Way to go! You will find that excercise will become a friend you will never want to abandon. Its always there for you :) All the best- On FORWARD ~Piera

THURSDAY, JANUARY 25

Go Ahead, Make My Day

It sure does feel odd to weigh in less than 200. I keep expecting the scale to stick it's tongue out at me and tell me it's been lying!

Then today, someone who sees me EVERY DAY was watching me walk in the building this morning. They were at the top of the stairwell on the balcony and later came by and offered me a donut out of politeness. They know I won't take one, but I appreciate the thought ~ sort of. I just said "no" and pointed to the "Round 2" chart on the door that I'm using to plot my weight loss for the next three months. She said . . .

Hey, I didn't recognize you coming in the building! It's really showing! I see you every day, and this morning, it just didn't click that I was seeing YOU!

She sure made my day! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 25, 5:33PM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	RBinMS33 said... Good for you, Elise! Compliments like that are what makes it all worth it.
	grarey said... Elise I know what you mean. I finally got over that for 10 years but then couldn't get away from 185. When I enter in 158 I sometimes think I'm just dyslexic! You’re on your way....Gwen
	JustPeachy said... Elise, it must feel great and I am excited for you. Just think..you reached that first goal!!! You need to celebrate. Do something nice for yourself like a nice spa day.
	turn8900 said... outstanding Elsie!!! You rock!! The other day a woman in my bldg had a birthday and they brought in chocolate cake with belgian pudding stuffed within it, and I didnt take the cake, I offered it to another woman whom at three peices... also today when we were eating lunch, (my hubby was able to join me, and with him being a first sgt, he doesnt get to join me much) anyway, there was a lean quisine in the microwave, Tony and I both said at the same time "SODIUM----YUCK!!!" LOL You keep it up and soon you will see yourself right where you want to be~!!!!! Kathleen p.s. thank you for the menu ideas.. .next time I am your way ( I am being put on an inspection team) I will look you up!!! We can eat our "clean dinner" together...

TUESDAY, JANUARY 23

I'm Keeping My Eye on ....

the goal. My previous short term goal was to eat right and exercise for health in order to lose fat and bring my body weight down below 200#. Today, I found myself somewhat lost! I stopped and asked, what am I aiming for this time?

So I have set another short term goal to eat according to the PFA and exercise in order to allow my body to shed another 20# of fat. Although I know the timing of the loss will be at the rate my body chooses. It’s all about staying motivated and having the goal set – and the results to keep my eyes out for!

1. My goal is my number one priority.
2. My goal is not out of reach.
3. My goal is mine . It was not inspired or chosen by someone else.
4. My goal is motivated by self respect and not self rejection.
5. My goal is something I want not something I "should" do or "must" do.
6. My goal is not driven by the fear of either success or failure.
7. My goal is in alignment with my true self.
8. All of me wants to achieve my goal. No part of me is holding back.
9. I have a plan so that I don’t become bogged down by all the actions I need to take to achieve my goal.
10. I feel enabled, not powerless, to achieve my goal.
~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 23, 4:33PM    

	7 COMMENTS:
	rooney3 said... Wonderful post Elise and beautifully stated goals.
	Maxine said... Elise you have the most inspiring words and inspiring profile page.However,with my slow dial-up internet service I am seldom able to visit it as It takes forever to load and move around in your page with all of the neat extra's in it. I look forward to my next high speed internet interlude to "catch-up". Keep up the dedication and may God bless all you do in his name -here and throughout your daily life! ~Maxine~
	RBinMS33 said... Inspiring words. I'll definately keep them in mind when working on my goals. I can really relate to #5.....you HAVE to WANT this!
	grarey said... Great post Elise. Did you know that everything you've written is just full on energy and committment? I know you won't be blind-sided by anything. Keep posting. Gwen
	JustPeachy said... My goal is to post your goals on my frig (okay when I get the frig back) but these are GREAT!
	purejoy6 said... Wow, I'm inspired. Its true I'm doing this because I want to... that's enough. Thanks for your thoughts I know that I have been taking sundays way too freely. I'm going to change that. Well have a great week. Esther (:
	Belsicilia said... Very very nice set of goals and motivation! Writing your goals out is always the first and most important step. It makes what you truly desire concrete, and thus you become accountable for it. So you are well on your way!! So what are your excercise goals?

SATURDAY, JANUARY 20

Cardio Coach Choose Living Press Play Challenge

After doing a couple of the workouts from cardiocoach.com, I thought I’d give an update: Volume 1 & 2 (revised) are excellent HIIT workouts that take you through the paces either through resistance or speed. I believe that even someone out of shape could work with them if they follow the instructions (even if it's taking it one or two tracks at a time -- staying in the levels listed). I love the format of these, and would recommend them to anybody who wants to get the most out of a cardio. I actually WANT to do a cardio and can barely wait until the next one is due!

Today, I took the plunge and decided to "Durtgurl it" (How about THAT for a reputation Kathleen?!) It's not exactly an outdoor adventure, but I imagine it's going to be a challenge! one that I think would even give Wendi wobble legs!

I'm going to participate in the Choose Living Press Play Challenge on 27 Jan. It's a charity fundraiser for the Choose Living Foundation, and I’m excited about it. I've downloaded the MP3 today from cardiocoach.com -- woohoo! This one looks pretty tough. I don’t fancy myself an athlete, but I can at least go for it! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 20, 4:19PM    

	5 COMMENTS:
	RBinMS33 said... Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right? I'm sure you'll do fine! I had heard something about cardio coach in one of my podcasts. I might have to go check that one out.
	grarey said... Elise it's plain to see that you are on a life changing mission! I know you feel ecstatic about being under 200#. You are well on your way to your goal. Hurrah! Gwen
	grarey said... Hi..I got your email but couldn't respond from the message area of your profile page. I have known that you are Elise..I think a few times I realized I'd written it wrong after I sent a message. If it happens you can be sure it's a typo but I'll try to be more careful. Thanks for the info about replying to blogs. I've sent quite a few! Gwen
	mary2 said... Defining your goals and writing them down is what successful people do to be successful.Elise, keep it up and redefine them at times and you will succeed!~Mary
	DurtGurl said... I am honored! Now go out there and do some Durtgurlin in the name of good health and continued success and happiness :) -Kathleen in AZ

FRIDAY, JANUARY 19

Major Milestones (Yes, Plural), MET!!!!!

I had an MM&M day yesterday -- better than chocolate. I broke the 200# barrier and started on the "DOWNHILL" stretch. The weight loss is still there this morning.

In 2003, I set out to lose 111# and I'm officially under the halfway mark, having lost 56.4#. That means I have 54.6# to go on a weight goal. I'm sure I will change the goal to a bodyfat % goal in the future as I get closer.

I do my part, God gives me strength to do it, and you encourage me! This is a three-fold cord that is not easily broken! THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR HELP AND SUPPORT!!! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 19, 3:26AM    

	8 COMMENTS:
	illuminate said... Congrats! What a great milestone!
	RBinMS33 said... Way to go, Elise! 200 is a huge milestone. I'm not saying it's going to get any easier from here but you certainly have the determination, willpower and support to make it happen. Keep at it...you're doing great!!
	CiaoBella said... Yay you!!!!!!!!!!
	pringle said... Wonderful news, more than halfway there. You will achieve your final goal. Peggy
	Jeanie said... Good for you! You have done very well!
	AC said... Awesome achievement, keep it up! Cheers, Allen
	DurtGurl said... Dropping below that 200lb mark has to be a major feel-good accomplishment. I'm proud of you for sticking with it and accomplishing so much!! Looking forward to watching more of you disappear as we move thru winter into spring... Cheers! -Kathleen from AZ
	Belsicilia said... Elise thats awesome! It takes effort and hard work, but in the end we are better, stronger, and more confident to meet whatever else life throws our way. Thats what I love about this. AND yes God is always there to hold our hand, we just need to hold on :) CONGRATS :) ~Piera

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17

2 - 4 - 6 - 8 - When do we ... CELEBRATE!

Our Lean, Mean, Fatburning Machine weight loss team at work WON the weight challenge. It was based on percent total team body weight lost and since October, our team lost about 5.3%. Individually, one member lost 2%, another lost 4%, a third, 6% and I lost 8%. (Not body fat, but body weight). I almost committed mutiny there when the rest of the team flatlined on me, but they all jumped back in the game and we finished stronger than I thought we would. The commander gave out recognition to another individual for the most weight lost -- so all in all, it was a GOOD competition. The prizes were four "reserved" parking spots for a month and each person got a bit of $$. It's just about enough for me to buy a Polar B1 Heart Rate Monitor with T31 Elastic Transmitter Strap. YAY! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 17, 6:41PM    

	8 COMMENTS:
	RBinMS33 said... Good for you!! And kudos to you for the best performance on the team, too! You're gonna love the heart rate monitor. Doing cardio in your THRZ just got easier for ya!!
	pringle said... What a great reward. It can be a challenge to come up with non-food rewards. Enjoy your new monitor. Peggy
	Jeanie said... Awesome - so did it convince your cohorts to try your plan? Those numbers say it all!
	grarey said... Fabulous job Elise. I'm sure you are a great motivator. You certainly light a fire under all of us! Gwen
	JustPeachy said... ooWah!!! A hearty salute to you. That is fantastic news Elise. The parking spot alone is almost like winning an Oscar in a military world. Weigh to go ;)
	Delphinium said... Congrats!!! You are terrific and you keep giving us hope that we too can obtain our goals. Slow as it may be, persistance is the key. Thanks for all your wonderful blogs! Victoria
	Belsicilia said... AWESOME!! you go girl! I love that heart rate monitor by the way. But for the time being mine is out of service as I'm in conditioning mode and barred from any CARDIO- but I can't wait to use it again. Non food rewards are really postive enforcement- the best kind :) all the best ~Piera
	turn125 said... WAY TO GO!!!! Good on you and your team, the bldg I am moving to on base is doing this too, however there is no reserved parking places, but there is a 300.00 purse.... wondering If I should join during fat burning...LOL what base do you work at??

MONDAY, JANUARY 15

HIIT Me Baby! Cardio Coach Workout

I treated myself to a "Cardio Coach" CD/MP3 (Volume 1 revised) workout and WOW! What a difference the coaching made in my workout. I know -- it's new, so I was paying attention, but that's what I needed. Normally I do a BFL minute by minute increase and lately, on the few cardio's I'm doing, I find my mind wandering and missing my timing--and I really don't think I have a proper evaluation of what the BFL intensity levels are. This gave me the perceived intensity levels along with suggested heart rate targets to reach. Now I finally know what an 8, 9 and 10 intensity effort is! The audio coaching kept me working, encouraging me to press on harder, telling me when to decel and stabilize, then push it up again. It has excellent cuing with non-invasive countdowns so I can increase the resistance/incline/speed in order to get the full time "in the zone". It even knows the exact moment to tell me "don't touch it yet!" How does he KNOW I'm maxed and ready to decel?! He even suggests good times to take a swig of water.

Anyway, it changed my cardio up enough to make things interesting again -- and break a good sweat. I rarely do that! It felt really good. I hope it will be a while before I get bored with this one! Vol 1 revised is apparently the least challenging of the set. Just the right length of time -- and I can make it as intense as I like. I had no problem doing the optional challenge at the end – and my heart rate was right at the top of the zone we were in. Perfect! The trance/enigma music is nondescript enough to not get my brain singing it all day. "Coach" Sean O'Malley's voice is pleasant to listen to. I'm a very musical person and it doesn't take but one little phrase of "Sweet Home Alabama" to have that surfacing when I least expect it.

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 15, 11:1AM    

	3 COMMENTS:
	CiaoBella said... Sounds like fun. I really noticed a huge difference in fat loss when I added HIIT into the mix. And even more movement when I started using a heart rate monitor. Wendy :)
	Imdetermined said... I think I could use someone whispering in my ear "Don't touch that button yet!" Sometimes it's all I can do to get through 1 minute at 10 intensity! BTW, your graph is really a wonderful tool. Keep that line going down! Sheryl
	Jeanie said... I like the HIIT. It works and keeps me from having to do that 55 minute cardio sessions like I used to do. I even have my 65-80 year olds doing intervals when I teach - three per 30 minutes of cardio. They are good for you!

SUNDAY, JANUARY 14

Progress Charts

Well, after six weeks of fatburning, I am still totally stoked on this program. The picture on the side of this entry shows my weight loss for the past 365 days -- it clearly shows when I started PFA! It also shows how other "diets" can work until you stall your metabolism. I was actually "dieting" during much of that flat line you see over last summer!

I’ve also posted a different graph in the gallery. I think the graphs of calories vs weight loss are so “revealing” – the most convincing evidence that this program really works. I also updated the measurements chart in my fitness goals area above. All show a steady progress downward at an average of about one pound per week.

The slower loss (for anyone wondering) might be due to the fact that it's my choice! Because of the pending Women's Module change, I haven't taken any drops in calories. I also have not gotten in all the cardio I've been assigned due to being under the weather.

Who cares! The lines are going DOWN!!! I'm pleased with my progress and am looking forward to the change in the women's program. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 14, 7:7AM    

	9 COMMENTS:
	illuminate said... Very inspiring! Congrats to you! I want to have a chart like that soon!
	Jeanie said... You're doing so well Elise. I wish you continued progress.
	AC said... Hey Elsie, Nice chart, looks similar to mine after October. BYW, I'm Allen not Ed. Keep up the good work. Cheers, Allen
	mary2 said... Elise you're doing so well. Keep up the great work, you are an inspiration to us all. I'm happy for you!~Mary
	DurtGurl said... You go Girl!!! I love seeing progress charted, and your charts show amazingly consistent progress. Very impressive!! Thanks for sharing.
	beme53 said... Very Inspiring!! Thankyou!
	DEVO said... You are my hero,I have nobody to blame but myself for the lack of results. It's so easy to take your eye off the goal when you start to see progress. I am back and totally dissatisfied with myself for not enduring thru the holiday, what a sad excuse for failure. Sure like what you've done with your page. David
	purejoy6 said... I am so happy for you! You are doing great! And your only getting better, that has to be exciting. GOd bless, Esther
	Belsicilia said... WOW you go GIRL! your an inspiration. I haven't weighd myself in 2 weeks, and not sure if I want to either just yet, I fear it might discourage me. I'm starting my second week in conditioning and its kinda tough eating soo much food, and not doing any CARDio. But I gotta give thismy best sot. People like you are true testimony that passion, determination and a sound solid program like this is the recipie to success.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 12

Have you Done Your Mountain Interval Today?

For the poet lovers among us . . . Robert Frost's Mountain Interval collection of poems caught my eye this morning and thought: "I need a 'mental cardio' day"! I think about this mountain interval journey a lot -- how it's not the usual way the majority in "Diet America" tackle fat loss. The counter intuitive process of increasing food is a huge mental mountain to climb. But once you are at least above the tree line, you can see a lot clearer how and why you are where you are. A line out of one of the poems in that collection weighed in with me on the scale this morning.

........and I took the road less traveled.... ..and that has made all the difference..............
Robert Frost (1874–1963). "The Road Not Taken" in Mountain Interval 1920.

I'm a pound and a half from breaking 200 -- and while I'm patiently eating and lifting my way to "lean", this sure has been a road less traveled! I certainly am glad for the "mental mountain interval" this morning. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 12, 4:16AM    

	6 COMMENTS:
	illuminate said... Breaking 200 is a BIG deal! Congrats to you, you will be past that any day now!
	29640red said... well elise, it all comes together. everytime i look at you you look younger !!!! why not lighter !!! you are rockin there lady!!! oh by the way the day you saw that driver on i 10 i was on that road that day . great job ed
	grarey said... Elise I am so happy for you. I fully understand your anticipation and joy. I ,too, am glad to be taking the road less traveled. Gwen
	mary2 said... Breaking the 200 barrier is exciting. I know the feeling when you break a barrier. It makes all the hard work worth it!!~Mary
	DurtGurl said... Yea Elise!! Breaking a barrier like 200 is a big deal and will be quite a boost for you. Here's to hitting that mark within the next week!!!
	purejoy6 said... Hey thanks for the chicken recipes, I'm feeling more hopefull already. I can't wait until I'm well versed enough in this whole thing to be able to help other people the way you and others are helping me. Thanks again, Esther

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10

Elise's Salmon and Cannellini Bean Italian Stew

Logman made a version of this tonight! We're going to freeze the extra and reheat -- hope that works OK. It's DELICIOUS!
Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 medium onion, chopped
1 teaspoon oregano
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium carrot, chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cups cooked cannellini beans, divided *(see note)
4 cups water
1/2 cup low sodium vegetable broth **(see note)
Cayenne pepper to taste
15 oz salmon, cut into small chunks
2 tablespoons dried basil
1/2 cup fresh tomato, diced
4 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, grated

INSTRUCTIONS:
Pre-prep - soak and cook and drain beans beforehand.
Mix the powdered vegetable broth with water according to instructions to obtain 1/2 cup.

In a skillet, heat oil in over medium heat; add the garlic, onion and oregano and sauté until the onion is translucent. Add the zucchini, carrot and Worcestershire sauce; stir and sauté for 3 to 4 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups beans to the mixture. Mash the other 1/2 cup beans -- the finer the mash, the better. Add the mashed beans to the mixture along with 4 cups water. Add the vegetable broth and cayenne pepper to taste. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the salmon, basil and diced tomato. Cook until salmon is throughouly done 5-8 minutes depending on the size of your chunks. Serve with 1 tablespoon of grated Parmesan cheese and serve.

~elise

NOTES:
*cannellini bean = white kidney bean = fazolia bean Equivalents: 1 cup dried beans yields 2 1/2 cups cooked beans Substitutes: fresh cannellini bean OR Great Northern bean OR navy bean

**I use a powdered instant vegetable broth from the health food store.

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 10, 8:27PM    

SUNDAY, JANUARY 07

The Top's Turn to Melt . . .

The upper half of me is doing a meltdown right now. I know the lower will follow shortly. They seem to take turns. It’s just the upper’s turn this week. LOL. I am liking the changes I'm seeing in the mirror a LOT. That friend in the mirror Ed talks about is real – and once s/he joins you, expect great things!

It was raining out today, but I had my DH take a photo today on the front porch -- he thought my neck was getting longer. My face and shoulders are definately coming along nicely. I’m sure I’ll be in a 12 top well before I get into a size 16 jeans.

I've broken into the 39% body fat percentage, and now I'm working on the next three pounds to get past the next milestone -- breaking into the 190s. I'll be glad when I can to drop my "I weigh 200 and none of your business pounds" line.

This is the final week of the “weight challenge” at work. My team was in first place before the holidays. Tuesday is the “day of reckoning”. I've done my part and we were in first place before the holidays. I've continued to shed fat/weight. No big temptations to indulge in stuff really helped. Doug's diabetes really helps keep those types of things out of the house.

More musings about life today -- or maybe I should say death. My nephew-in-law, a guy I REALLY liked a lot, passed away suddenly in his sleep on a hunting trip last week. He and our niece had only been married a couple of years -- and he was so good to her and the children. He was only 32. I hugged my parents extra long when we stopped for coffee on our visit back through.

To make our travel less stressful, we brought our own food along and cooked it in the microwave. It was a lot simpler than trying to figure out restaurant food on the road. Our supper meal was spaghetti and “flax meatballs”. We also brought shakes, egg whites, potatoes to nuke, cooked pasta, beans, rice, oatmeal and skim milk. I picked up a plain bagel at the breakfast bar, and when we got home, had a “bagel, cream cheese and raspberry jam (the Splenda kind)” snack.

This week is one of those busy weeks – I’ve got a test on Thursday afternoon for a course I’m taking along with a meeting in the evenings on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I think I’ll cancel out of two of those just to keep sane. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 07, 10:36PM    

	10 COMMENTS:
	29640red said... HI ELISE, WELL IF ANYONE DESERVE THE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR HONOR IT SURE IS YOU, YOU HAVE DONE A FANTASTIC JOB!!! ENJOY THE PERKS AND THX FOR ALL YOU DO AND THE KIND WORDS YOU SAY TO ME . HAVE A GREAT DAY . ED
	lorap said... I melt from the top down also. I am finally down to a size 10 and the bottom is still 4 inches bigger than the top. Having big babies has left me with a lot of jello in the middle. People say even that goop will go so I am patiently waiting. Lora
	wendi said... You look younger and younger each time you post! I have found that the most resistant fat is the area we wish it would leave the most. :-)
	Imdetermined said... Elise - beautiful pic. I can relate to the "top before the bottom" syndrome - that's me, all the way! I understand your musings about death. A friend (not even a close friend) of ours died after a struggle with cancer - she is the mother of a classmate of my daughter's - and I just can't get it out of my head that this poor 17 year old boy is left without his mom. Extra hugs are good. We have to remember to celebrate life while we're living it! Sheryl
	Jeanie said... I hear you on the "top is melting" first. If only the behind wasn't behind!
	grarey said... Elsie, I am so sorry about your nephew in law. I will pray for his wife and children. You look beautiful! You look younger everytime you post a new picture. I am built opposite of you. I have slim hips and legs and broad shoulders. I finally wear a 10 pant and a 14 jacket. I know how it feels to be heading out of 200#. I say the only 200 club you want to be in is bowling! In '95 I was 230#-240#. It was so traumatic I don't remember! By '97 I had lost 50# but couldn't get any farther. You hit the right program from the start. I wasn't so lucky! I will be interested to hear how Doug's diabetes responds to this program. I will pray that there is a day it's no longer a problem for him. Good Job!! Gwen
	mary2 said... Nice update Elise. It's nice to hear that your making progress. Isn't it great to be doing such wonderful things for your body? Stay on task and you will continue to be rewarded for all your hard work.~Mary
	DurtGurl said... What a beautiful picture!! I can really see your weight loss and health gains in your face and neck.
	purejoy6 said... Hey there, Thanks for the encouragement. I'm really enjoying this wait training. I've just forgetten what it feels like to sit without crying ;)hehe. Well God bless, Esther
	Belsicilia said... Hi Elise Great job! Yous look and sound so positive, thats the ticket! I am the same way, it takes alot longer to see the felt come off the lower half of me than the top. Even my abs are in pretty good condition. I find my weight sticks in the hips, butt, and thighs. oh well. Its just a matter of time and some patience ;) take care

FRIDAY, JANUARY 05

Overcoming Temptations

I overcome temptations by making a decision and then being true to myself. I cannot do it alone. I have God's strength to help me, and friends to encourage me.

I like the way being true to myself makes me feel. I choose to FEED AND NURTURE my spirit, mind and body -- IN THAT ORDER. Only I can answer the questions for myself:

1 - Will eating a XYZ damage my spirit? (Will I feel I've failed GOD?)

2 - Will eating a XYZ damage my mind? (Will I beat myself up because my inner self said this was not the right thing to do to meet my personal goals? Will I lose self-worth over this choice?)

3 - Will eating a XYZ damage my body? (Will eating cause me to gain fat ultimately causing health problems?)

Bill Phillips has a term for it -- "crossing the abyss" -- going from KNOWING what is right to do, to actually DOING it.

The other half of the equation is FALLING DOWN and GETTING UP -- when I try to leap across that abyss and go crashing down into the canyon, I MUST YELL FOR HELP! I must not just sit down there at the bottom and let everyone wonder what happened to me! People are here, ready to throw me a life line. Rescue teams will help me pick myself back up and press on towards my goal on the OTHER SIDE -- that gets me across the abyss -- a bit rougher a ride than I wanted, but it gets me ACROSS.

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 05, 9:22AM    

	1 COMMENT:
	^..^Qtee said... Elise, Love your comments. The mind and spirit must be in alignment for the body to follow. If you lead by body it just doesn't work.. I'm proof as well of that. also: love your "upgrade".. can you tell me how I can learn how to do that too? Thanks Christine

THURSDAY, JANUARY 04

Cowards do that, and that ain't you.

Someone posted this quote on another group from the latest Rocky film. Makes me want to not wait for it to come out on DVD. ~elise

"Let me tell you something you already know. The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done. Now, if you know what you're worth, then go out and get what you're worth. But you gotta be willing to take the hit, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you are because of him, or her, or anybody. Cowards do that and that ain't you. You're better than that!" ~Rocky Balboa

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 04, 4:45PM    

	1 COMMENT:
	pringle said... That's a really good quote. It sounds like something Ed would put into one of his blogs. Peggy

MONDAY, JANUARY 01

I Resolve . . . .

to continue to strive toward my goals:

to be full of faith as God authors it in me

to honor my father and mother

to give my husband my support and help to accomplish his goals

to give my children and grandchildren more fond memories

to be a blessing to other people

to continue to plan and eat "A" days

to improve my stamina, flexibility and strength through exercise

...all as the Lord enables!

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON JAN 01, 8:53PM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	Joyous said... Elise you truly are a blessing to others. You look wonderfull! Joy
	pringle said... Wonderful Resolutions. The new picture looks great. Peggy
	mary2 said... Elise you are coming along quite nicely. I wish you much success with your resolution throughout the new year. You know we are here to help.~Mary
	purejoy6 said... Your strength gives me strength. Thanks. I know you can do it! You're looking great. Stay focussed and just remember you're not alone. Esther

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 28

Pushups and Squats and the Whoosh

I'm working on pushups and squats the next three months in addition to the regular stuff. Started with 3 sets of 15 wall pushups today. Got them done without too much difficulty--good sign that all the machines have done something. I also did about 15 squats holding onto the Smith machine squat bar like a rail for balance and practiced what I think/hope is the correct form -- from what ExRx shows, I'm OK. I've always been able to get all the way down -- the getting up is going to take some umph.

The "whoosh" has started. Went to bed last night knowing I'd be at a NEW LOW in the AM and sure enough; Logman was sawing logs at 4AM, but woke up to my muffled squeals (oh well, he says they weren't muffled--LOL). ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 28, 9:44PM    

	1 COMMENT:
	pringle said... Give it a few weeks and you will be adding weights to those squats, but one of my new workout tapes doesn't use weights for the squats and I still feel like I'm getting a good workout. I'm singing for you, "Another one's gone." Peggy

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26

Overcoming the Couch Potato Lifestyle

Couch Potato: (kowch po-ta’-to) One who lives life going from bed to chair to car to desk to car to couch to bed.

My friend told me about her first trip back to the gym in years. She started on the treadmill, then progressed to the bike and then elliptical. She couldn’t walk the next day without muscle relaxers and pain killers. Needless to say, that she isn’t going back to the gym. She’s convinced that she just can’t “do exercise”. I didn’t laugh – I have been in the same boat.

Here is how I broke out of my couch potato routine. In fact, I still consider myself a “novice beginner” at all this exercise stuff, but hey, it’s not supposed to be a complicated process when you first get started. When things progress past the beginner/intermediate stages, then it does get more focused. But for now, I’m happy and my body is responding to the basics: expend calories, mix it up to get your body out of a rut, grow muscles, mix it up to get your muscles out of a rut, and expend calories!

Step 1: 6 weeks of YMCA Say Goodbye to Back Pain tape exercises. This ancient, boring tape was absolutely the key to me actually beginning an exercise program. My abdominal core was so wasted away, I needed to strengthen and stretch it for a period of time before starting any type of activity that placed demands on my back. I absolutely loved it, and felt like I was healing my body – I could not tell anything was happening. But I did the tape faithfully (almost) every day and at the end of 6 weeks, when I attempted to walk 200’ from the house to the stop sign and back, I was able to do so without landing in bed for a week!

Step 2: Arriving back at my front door after that first 200’ walk, I lay on the couch and slept for FOUR HOURS! I was so “out of shape”! But I went back out the next day and did it again. From that initial 200’, I increased each time out there a little until I got up to ¼ mile, ½ mile, and finally a mile. A mile was all I felt I needed to do (about 20 minutes). Now I’m walking a bit faster, and I can get in 1.3 miles, sometimes more if you count the warm-up before and after. Every now and then, I intersperse some jogging in with the walking until I’d get out of breath, then, I’d walk until I’d catch my breath, then jog a bit. Not the “run for my life” kind of sprint – just a steady trot. If I’m on the treadmill, I add incline and speed a fraction at a time until I’m huffing, then I drop it back down and start the cycle all over again. Fun stuff. Makes me pay attention.

DVDs/Tapes – not necessary, but I’ve got a few. I use Susan Powter Lean, Strong and Healthy stepping, Leslie Sansone in-home walking – modified to a lower intensity level. Easy to do when it’s raining or too cold outside, or when I discovered the neighborhood Pit Bull isn’t as friendly as I thought. I still pull these out when I don’t want to drive to the gym (30 miles away!) on a non-work day if PFA says “do cardio”.

Step 3 – Of course, this was MY step 3 – it could possibly have been step 1. Gym – Strength machines/free weights/other equipment. I wish I’d discovered the gym a LONG time ago. I didn’t. So --- don’t you wait until time passes to get yourself into one like I did. I got up enough courage to ask a friend three years ago to take me into the gym on base. I’ve never regretted it. I started out with one set of machines in one room. Very easy beginnings—do 2 sets of 12 reps on each one – the weight was set automatically/electronically for me based on a single trial rep. I eventually explored the Body Master’s / Strive equipment and free weights (just the dumbbells so far). I guess it just depends on what your gym has available. Get someone there to show you the ropes. It will be worth the time and effort.

Logman is going to go with me to my gym this week to show me a few more different things so I can mix up my routine even more.

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 26, 10:58PM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	wendi said... Elise- I love your story and I think so many people can relate to the "just do something" approach you took. You're doing great and I LOVE the pix you are using for motivation!!!!
	SELY120 said... Wow!!! Thank you so much for your comment and Blog entries. I am ready to lock arms with you!!! Happy Holidays, you look great!
	Jeanie said... Having had periods of total rest (disabled for 9 months. 3 months bed rest when pregnant, pneumonia recovery), you're taking the correct approach. One small step at a time. After being laid low, I usually start with a 10 minute walk and work my way up from there. Please tell your friend to take it slow and steady. Fitness can't be achieved overnight and I would know!
	grarey said... Even riding a bike isn't easy once you've had a set-back or long rest from it. I'm so happy to hear how much you're enjoying working your body now. It will contribute to a very healthy you. Gwen

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 23

Waiting for the WHOOSH . . .

Oh, I'm re-learning to make a game out of it -- the monthly ups and downs. In the past, when I'm losing weight fat, I've learned to turn water retention into one of those emotional THRILLS.  Sure, it's a boring climb to the top and sometimes I can't wait for the climb to finish. The pause at the top of the hill is a long pause, but what a thrill when it peaks and then the WHOOSH.   I'm screaming with glee and giggling and laughing and singing until I come to the the bottom and then begin the climb again. 

  The WHOOSH lasts for a couple of weeks and the roller coaster slows down.  Then the one week slow climb to the top; the pause -- the pause --- the pause ---- and then here we go again --- WHOOSH!  It's weird, but by making it a game to tolerate, understand and just realize it’s something that happens, it's one of those self-esteem things that can positively impact your HOPE for the loss.

  I've been retaining water all week long -- in fact, the four pounds I've lost in fatburning have predicatably shown back up on the scale.  Sure, it's irritating to not get the scale feedback for days on end, and being puffy means I'm not going to show any inches lost, but for that one week out of the month, I know that I know that I know it’s not fat.  It took a long time to learn, but I learned it and internalized it a few years ago. 

  Five days and still climbing to the top of the roller coaster, my rings suddenly got tight -- so tight, I had trouble getting them off (and actually had to leave them off).  That hasn't happened in a couple of years -- and I weigh LESS now than I did a couple of years ago.... This is definitely water retention.  Last night, I weighed myself before bed as usual.  How odd!  As puffy as my hands were, I was expecting a 3# gain or something ridiculous.  But I weighed pretty much what I had for the morning weight.  No gains at all.  Well, one thing I've learned is that NO GAINS DURING THE DAY MEANS I'VE LOST! See my logic? 

  Having to take my rings off combined with no gains means this is going to be one thrilling WHOOSH<!  For now it’s the pause . . . pause. . . . pause. . . .

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 23, 9:15AM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	wendi said... Watch your sodium (decrease by 500 mg for the next few days) and increase your fluids and it should be a thrilling whoosh!!!
	pringle said... It's easy to get discouraged, while waiting. Keep up the whooshful thinking and here's whooshing you a Merry Christmas. Peggy
	Chantelle said... I am experiencing the monthly climb. Love to see the whoosh in a week. Your blog pages are so creative. When life slows down a little I will have totry some of your recipes- they sound wonderful.Thanks for all of your positive energy.
	Logman said... Does this mean that, onomatopoeiacly speaking, you are a whooshful thinker ? ~logman/santa

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21

Blog Layouts

They are called "Myspace Layouts" (do a Google search). I basically cut and past the code for a layout I like into the "About Me" section.

The colors/background don't always work here.

If it doesn't work, or I want to change it, I just remove/replace the code out of the "About Me" area. Have fun! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 21, 1:25PM    

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 21

Elise’s Poached Orange Roughy with Creamy Cheese Sauce

Elise’s Poached Orange Roughy with Creamy Cheese Sauce

Serves 2

1/4 cup white grape juice
1/2 tsp vinegar
3 Tbsp water
1 slice lemon
1 sprig parsley
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
1/4 bay leaf
Red pepper to taste
12 oz Orange Roughy (can substitute salmon)

Cheese Sauce:
3-oz. Neufchatel cheese, softened
3 Tbsp fat free sour cream
2 1/2 tablespoons skim milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard (lowest sodium you can locate)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric

Measure out and put your cheese sauce ingredients into a saucepan in preparation for later.

In a medium skillet bring to a boil grape juice, vinegar, water, lemon slices, parsley, thyme, tarragon, bay leaf and pepper to taste; reduce heat, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes. Add fish to the skillet and simmer for 10 minutes, or until it flakes easily when tested with a fork; carefully remove from skillet.

While fish is poaching, prepare cream cheese sauce: In a saucepan over low heat, combine cream cheese, sour cream, milk, lemon juice, mustard and turmeric; stir constantly until sauce is smooth and heated through. Remove bay leaf. Serve sauce over fish.

Baked sweet potatoes and steamed broccoli would be good sides.

Substituting salmon would increase the fat in this dish, so check the numbers!
~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 21, 8:7AM    

	3 COMMENTS:
	wendi said... First of all, I want a pretty page!!!! Next, I envy your ability to lose while eating so many different foods. My first rotation I didn't have to eat very clean to get my results, now, one step out of bounds and it takes days to get back on track. My best advice is to do as much as you can with this one rotation while it's still new and exciting to your body. Happy Holidays!
	RBinMS33 said... I bet this would be awesome on a bed of rice! Thanks for the recipe.
	Jeanie said... Thanks for posting your recipes. They give me ideas! I have to change them up a little to keep the sodium way down and this one looks scrumptious!

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 20

Fatburning Christmas is Planned A+ 100.0

Wow! Christmas is a LOW day, so I was concerned that I would be left out of all the "good stuff". I can do it! My plan includes turkey, my daughter's special pork loin that has become a tradition, 2 veggies and a LARGE DINNER ROLL! My plate will be full of food and it all fits in! Woohoo! I'm totally shocked/amazed. I even put in a tablespoon of fat free half half and half in my coffee for breakfast! Everything is GREEN!!

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 20, 9:2AM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	RBinMS33 said... First off, cool blog page! You definately got the whole Christmas theme goin' on. Congrats on the Christmas score. If there's one thing I've figured out, anything can be worked in if it's planned. Good job!
	pringle said... Great job, Mrs. Claus, now do you have Santa's day all figured out after or will he be sleeping after being out all night on his appointed rounds ;) Peggy

MONDAY, DECEMBER 18

Elise's Basil-Tomato Baked Fish

Serves 2

1 teaspoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon lemon juice
2 fish fillets
1/3 teaspoon basil
Red pepper to taste
1 medium tomato, cut into 4 thick slices
2 teaspoons Romano cheese, grated

Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. In an 8"x8" baking dish, combine oil and lemon juice; add fish and turn to coat thoroughly. Sprinkle basil and pepper on fish. Add two slices of tomato on top of each fillet. Cover dish with aluminum foil taking care that the foil does not touch the tomatoes and bake for 10 to 15 minutes, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Top each fillet with a teaspoon of grated Romano cheese and serve.



POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 18, 9:23PM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	LizziTish said... Elise, I made this for dinner tonight and the hubby loved it! Thanks so much for sharing these (and your breakfast ideas!). Its nice to be able to cook ONE meal for us both that is not only healthy but tasty. Beth
	grarey said... Elise, I know you just have to feel so great about your progress. You're eating beautiful meals and that's the key for most of us. Aren't you glad to have been blessed with an open mind? You look great. Gwen

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 17

High Excitement Mode

I'm back into high excitement mode. Earlier this week, I gained two pounds (of water?), then promptly lost it and then lost another two pounds (of fat?), just like I'm supposed to do. The house is again filled in the AM singing a hoarse rendition of Queen's Another One (Pound) Bites The Dust! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 17, 9:4AM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	29640red said... hi elise, well look at youuuuuuu! man you are taking this group by storm.It is a rare occassion when someone joins the group and gets comfortable right away. you are one of these people i speak of, you not only share your triumps ,but you share recipes and support and you are getting to be a real blog monster. we are all glad that you have become a favorite here in pfa land, and if i didn't know better i would say you were a true veteran in every sense of the word. good goin buddy . have a great day ed
	pringle said... Elise, Great job. I enjoy viewing your blogs. You have something new each time. I like your new picture and the slide show is great. Peggy
	Jeanie said... That's great Elise!
	DurtGurl said... Way to go!! Slow and steady seems to be the way to do this thing. You are making great progress... I can really see it in your face and body!!!

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13

Whew! Things are Going Down Again

When I don't want to eat, I know something is WRONG! LOL! This was not the too stuffed after a meal feeling. After a few days of misery, I'm a whole lot better. I did cut back on my solids and am doing two scoops of IBM. I dropped some of my egg whites off and also cut out my zucchini and yellow squash snack -- talk about adding very little for so much volume with the squash! I did get to see a MD today for another reason, and got his opinion about the burping. I did get a bottle of Probiotics. So, I'm getting hungry between meals again, and waking up wanting to eat breakfast. Whew!

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 13, 7:18PM    

	1 COMMENT:
	pringle said... Glad you're feeling better. You can add the zuchinni and squash back in after a few calorie drops. Zuchinni is great when your low day is around 1200 - 1400. Peggy

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 12

Meds Possibly the Culprit

Looking back at what changes I've made other than going into fatburning, one of my arthritis meds was switched -- and according to the side effects, it's harder on the tummy. I remember I starting burping (again) right after I began them. Those may be contributing to the fullness misery I'm feeling. I'll check with my doc. I may also need some probiotics; candida--yeast can play havoc with your digestion. Yesterday was a low day and was almost just as bad as the high day.

Thanks for all your suggestions -- you guys are great! I do have supplements from the store here. I mix my own concoction with Mango and Vanilla and a dash of cinnamon. I'm going to put more of that in the day's plan instead of the solids and just keep my chin. I keep telling myself -- this too will pass -- be thankful it's not as bad as a kidney stone. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 12, 3:52AM    

	3 COMMENTS:
	wendi said... If this is a change from the way things were prior to this med, definitely check with your dr or a pharmacist. Not every medication is the right one for every person. Hang in there!
	grarey said... Elise, I use Probiotics everyday. I have since the late 90's. I always have Q-zyme(Garden of Life) digestive enzymes on hand as well. The both can help aid transit time for digestion as one of the many benefits. I know you like to eat wonderful meals so I hope you get some relief. Gwen
	mary2 said... Medications even though they are prescribed to help can cause all sorts of side effects. Hope this problem passes soon. ~Mary

MONDAY, DECEMBER 11

I Need Some Encouraging Words!

As an independent, self-reliant, I-can-do-anything-I-set my-mind-to kinda woman, I'm finally am breaking down with this. Today, I'm really hitting my knees asking God to help me digest all this food and you guys for some advice. This week, starting about Day 4 of FB, I was "full" all day long. I figured it was just the "high day" fulls, but it kept going downhill. Even Friday, my second low day, I was full. This morning, I'm still full from last night. Each meal is getting more and more unpleasant and everything is starting to pile up towards bedtime -- to where I'm still chewing something on the way to bed.

I know the solution is to space my meals out and eat whether I'm hungry or not. It is just hard to stuff more food into the stomach when it feels like the last meal is still sitting there sitting in my throat.

Stuffed to the gills I am. This didn't seem to be happening during conditioning except on the first day or two of each calorie increase very early on – the latter weeks, my body just seemed to expect the increases! I was ravenous at a constant 2800 calories, now I don't even reach that level! Is it the change in fats? Is it the daily change in quantity and my body will adjust to the new pattern as I progress with fatburning? I sure hope so as this could get very discouraging!

I'm not even close to quitting, but this could become self-torture. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 11, 4:10AM    

	8 COMMENTS:
	29640red said... hi elise , since it is very hard to eat all the food ,i just break it up sometimes 8 or 9 meals a day. if you can afford it try what these ladies here have mentioned ,great advice . ed
	pringle said... Elise, my prayers are with you. Elise, Your body will adjust. You are eating less overall calories than your last weeks of conditioning. Could it be that some of your food choices are making you feel fuller? Peggy
	Imdetermined said... Elise - you can always use supplements if you can't get it all down. Protein powder, carbohydrate powder, you name it, you can find it on this website. It helps!! Good luck. Sheryl
	Jeanie said... The best advice I can give is to try to get a gigantic breakfast in and to also supplement with precision carbs and precsion protein. Lastly, if the scale doesn't move this week, you can always reduce your calories by answering the question with a NO.
	grarey said... I remember that happening. In the beginning, it was so hard to get the foods I wanted because the fats were so low. I think that has a lot to do with it. I think you should see what happens with the scale this week and see how your body adjusts to the calories and new ratios. I loved conditioning so much until the last week, I could have stayed there for a long time. I had to drop to get everything to work. I had regretted one of the drops but at least learned not to do it again. I hope you'll be able to alter your foods enough to have the fun you've become used to. If the fat is still 10%, that's a low number and it's the hardest part to get used to. Listen to the Lord's prompting when you have to answer the question on Sunday. I hope you'll feel better this week. Gwen
	Chantelle said... Sounds like they have said it all. Just wanted to add hope you feel better soon. If regularity is a problem sometimes a natural fiber suplement like Citrucel will help-comes in no added sugar.
	mary2 said... Elise, are you supplementing with protein powder? If not I would definitely give it a try. I've been using it all along and have never seemed to experience what your experiencing right now.Hope that helps.~Mary
	DurtGurl said... You have blessed us all with so much positive energy and yummy recipes that I think you must be stricken with some sort of bug. This certainly doesn't sound like you! Like the other gals, I hope that you have Precision IBM in your pantry for those bloated full days. Cut back on the high fiber, low-cal foods and try to stick to calorie dense foods as much as possible. Pick up some Beano or Gas-X. Stuff it in little bits at a time, early in the day. But most importantly, realize that your body will adjust to this new phase so you must just stick it out. Keep the PFA faith!!

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10

Elise's Fatburning Hamburgers

Logman (Santa) made these for me on my very first day of fatburning.
Makes 4

3/4 pound 96% lean ground beef
2/3 cup rolled oats
2 tablespoons ground flaxseed
2 cloves pressed garlic
1 1/4 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/4 teaspoons cayenne pepper
4 Whole wheat buns

Garnish for four burgers:
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup sliced tomato
1/8 cup sliced red onion

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: Pre-heat oven broiler (or your George Forman Grill / outdoor barbecue.) In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients. Divide mixture into fourths. Roll each fourth into a ball. Flatten balls to form patties. Cook to desired level of doneness.

Serve on whole wheat burger buns garnished with shredded lettuce and sliced tomato and red onion.

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 10, 7:18AM    

	1 COMMENT:
	JustPeachy said... Such a Merry and Happy Holiday Blog background. It is so great that you two have fun with this and make us smile as well. I have a feeling you guys bring joy to all everyday. Crystal

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08

It's a Whole 'nother World Out There

I thought I was doing so good knowing what “Preacher Curls” and “Broomstick Twists” are. I found a workout online that had some pretty weird things listed–at least, they are totally foreign to me. I was/am still CLUELESS about most all of these terms. In the end, I decided to give in to my imagination and just have some fun. Enjoy . . .

T-Push Ups –do pushups with your arms away from your body – so that you look like a T? Yikes – I can go down on a “girl” regular pushup, but haven’t yet managed to push back up even with my hands directly under my shoulders!

Prone Jackknife – well, that’s easy to imagine – fold yourself in half while lying down?

AMRAP – exercising to American RAP music?

Bulgarian Split Squats – Do splits wearing a puffed sleeved shirt, knee-high sox and Alpine shorts?

Single Leg Deadlift – dogs to this to aim at fire hydrants?

Mixed Grip Chins – facial exercises to get rid of the double chin?

Partial co-contraction lunge – this one is rated X?

Step Up – what I tell my parrot to do when I want her to come out of her cage.

Pike Pushups – Doing pushups on Pikes Peak?

Reverse Crunch – the upchew while eating Rice Krispies?

Dips – a scoop of ice cream after the workout--with protein sprinkles of course!

I think I’ll wait a good long while before I even attempt to figure what these are. I’d rather listen to hellfire and brimstone sermons (Preacher Curls) and dance with a broom (Broomstick Twists)!

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 08, 10:7AM    

	1 COMMENT:
	sandyzona said... lolol...thanks for the laughs

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 08

Question . . . If I've lost 2# for the week

FB programmed me two cardios per week. I've lost my 2# for the week by Friday AM (yay!). Do I still do the second cardio just because it tells me to? Somewhere in the back of my brain I seem to recall the information telling me to skip it ... but want to verify. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 08, 3:47AM    

	5 COMMENTS:
	rooney3 said... Save the cardio Elise if you've already hit your weight loss goal for the week.
	LizziTish said... Nice work, Elise! Beth
	pringle said... Elise, You can skip it. Great job on 2# for the week. Peggy
	grarey said... Peggy's right. Good job Elise. Your body loves what you're doing! Gwen
	mary2 said... Great job Elise. I say attitude plays a HUGE part in this. It is impossible to lose weight when you are all stressed out. As far as the cardio you really could skip it. Save it for when you need it. Have a nice weekend.~Mary

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 06

Are you MIA?

Right after I started PFA, our boss decided to have a "weight challenge" -- strictly voluntary -- and it would be a team building thing.

I found three other folks that wanted to lose weight. The four of us all started out on 11 October, each with a 18-20# weight loss goal to reach by 9 January 2007. I plotted a chart in excel so we could watch our team and individual progress. We call ourselves the "Lean, Mean, Fatburning Machines". Each one of us holds one of those nicknames. "Twiggy" -- is Lean, the grouchy one is "Mean", the one male on the team is "Fatburning", and I'm the "Machine" out of the bunch.

I was terrified to put myself and PFA on the spot with this challenge! I was so unsure of myself and PFA, that I apologized to my teammates in advance. I told them my plan to increase my metabolism by increasing my calories.

Well, here we are at 2/3 of the way through our "challenge" -- only 4 1/2 weeks to go. Lean and I are the only two headed downward although I'm the only team member "under the goal line". After about the fourth week, the other two refuse to step on the scale.

Now, with that setup -- let me get to the MIA part. Ed Gregory once told me that this program required patience and action. Well, I am seeing that he is so right. Losing fat along with changing your eating lifestyle requires application. Your heart and head both have to be ready for the learning, planning, measuring, cutting/packing, eating, and exercising. In other words -- your heart and head have to be fixed for the long haul on no compromise and no excuses--just do it.

My two teammates that avoid the scale -- they aren't failures -- they haven't quit yet. Call me Pollyanna, but I still send them their daily dose of "motivational" quotes. They may garner something from their inner selves to pull into the lane again and show a downward trend and end strong. But they lack the missing ingredient right now -- ACTION.

How about you? Are you just giving it a lick and a promise--or are you living and breathing a focused effort to learn how this works, to do it right -- and are you backing up your knowledge with action? Or, is your action faction missing? Are you MIA? ~elise

For I know your eagerness to help . . . and your enthusiasm has stirred most of them to action. 2 Corinthians 9:2

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 06, 10:32PM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	Imdetermined said... I can relate to those 2 MIA teammates of yours. I remember a LONG, LONG time ago, I tried to diet with my mom and my sister. We were all in it together - doing Weight Watchers. I was the one with the graph paper and the pencil, and we were going to weigh in together every Friday. Guess how long THAT lasted? I think we actually got our initial weights down on paper, but by the next Friday, no one wanted to fess up and have their weight recorded for posterity. Not one foot was set down on that scale! The graph paper went unmarked! Now looking at my graph on my fitness page is one of my greatest satisfactions. My mom and sister, unfortunately, think this whole program is crazy and won't have any part of it....and I don't think they're trending downwards. Oh well. There are some people who just can't be converted to something that requires this much effort. Glad to see that you are doing so well! Keep sending that motivation. Sheryl
	mary2 said... Elise you just described reality for so many. I was once like that. I had read every diet book out there but when it came to applying what I had learned it never happened. When I found this I decided once and for all I was going to make a change and boy did I. Thanks for sharing!~Mary

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 05

Zippity-Do-Dah....

...zippity-day, my oh my what a wonderful day! Out the chute this AM with a loss on the scale. Woohoo! "Another One Bites the Dust" is my idea of starting off the day RIGHT! After reading everyone's posts about "men respond right away, but it might take women 4-6 weeks to respond", I was psyched to the hilt to have faith without seeing a loss on the scale for a very, very long time. It must have been all that fresh air yesterday at the track. ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 05, 4:22AM    

	5 COMMENTS:
	Maxine said... Absolutely great news! It is a joy and blessing to me and others here to share in your joy this day! Have a blessed one!~Maxine~
	pringle said... Great News! I can see you doing a happy dance. Peggy
	grarey said... Good new indeed, Elsie. Love to hear all the good news. Keep posting. Gwen
	mary2 said... Elise it is really a great feeling to wake up and see a drop on the scale. And so early in the game. Here's to many more mornings like this one!~Mary
	DEVO said... Well well well are'nt you the exception to the rule! It had to be somebody..Praise GOD it was you eh! By the way THANK YOU for answering my question about cardio during cond. I read the E-book and everything the program has been posting to me,but I never got the answer I needed to fully understand the why-you dont do cardio,so once again THANK YOU and I hope anybody else that may not understand see's my blog and reads your response! AND that's what make's this program work!

MONDAY, DECEMBER 04

First Day Fatburning -- Alright!

Today was one of those "Monday's" where things got out of sync. I left home without my lunchbox -- but couldn't turn around to go get it because of a doctor's appointment after my workout. I got to the base gate and discovered I had left my ID on my desk at work last week, so I couldn't get onto the base until someone else arrived at my office, answered their phone, looked for my ID and then they brought it out to the gate so I could get on base. By the time I got to the gym, all the treadmills, ellipticals, stairmasters and bikes were occupied -- the cold snap had most folks avoiding the track.

Bright side of things was I had the track to myself. I got to my doctor's appointment on time -- no skin cancers, all moles and skin tags unremarkable. I drove back home to get my lunch/snacks and got back to work just at the time I said I'd be back.

With my day pre-planned, thanks to Kathleen's math -- I got real close to the actual grams of everything planned. I wasn't hungry, although I understand why Kathleen asked me that. I had decided that the drop in carbs was too radical a change to not do something to compensate, so I planned in 10 egg whites, and ate one an hour to give my tummy something to think about. Worked out just fine with a small side of pasta, an IBM drink. I forgot my fork, so I still had my beans to eat when I got home -- ate those while waiting for supper to cook.

I've started loading up the days, and find that it's going to be easier on me and DH if we keep the menu the same on my low days -- instead of back to back like we were able to do in conditioning.

I feel a cold trying to catch me -- and I'm trying my hardest to resist allowing it to do so. ~elise

P.S. Kathleen: I'm fairly certain that anything crocked can be casseroled.

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 04, 6:10PM    

	1 COMMENT:
	LizziTish said... Congratulations on making the best of your day! Love the new headshot. Beth

MONDAY, DECEMBER 04

Elise's Middle Eastern Crocked Chicken Over CousCous

Serves 6

Do ahead -- soak and cook dry garbanzo beans -- or use two 16 oz cans of garbanzo beans, rinsed well and drained.

6 skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
32 oz cooked garbanzo beans
1 14.5-oz. can whole tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 2 cups)
1 small red bell pepper, seeded, de-ribbed and cut into 1-inch squares
1 cup chopped red onion
1/4 cup golden or brown raisins
2 tablespoons tomato paste
2 tablespoons water
3 cloves garlic, pressed
2 teaspoons powdered vegetable broth
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons natural peanut butter
Cinnamon
Hot cooked couscous or brown rice

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: Spray a 5-quart slow cooker with PAM. Place garbanzo beans, tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, raisins, tomato paste, water, garlic, chicken bouillon granules and cumin in cooker; blend well. Place chicken pieces on top of bean mixture. Cover and cook on low heat setting for 6 to 7 hours, or until chicken is tender. Stir in peanut butter. Serve over couscous or brown rice. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

A big spinach salad does well with this dish.



POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 04, 8:13AM    

	5 COMMENTS:
	pringle said... This one looks like a good one for when I restart condtioning in January
	mary2 said... I'm printing your recipes and putting them in a binder. I made the pork chop one and loved it. I bought some whole wheat couscous, I will try it with this.~Mary
	Karma Girl said... Keep up the good work...You are such an inspiration to me!!!! Thanks for posting all the recipies too.....Lisa
	DurtGurl said... That looks delicious!!! I've been considering getting a crock pot for dishes such as this but it just struck me that it would never work in my house. While I'm at work, my dogs would most certainly make a meal of the unguarded pot on the counter. Oh my, it would be such a mess!! Of course, maybe I could do my crock-pot cooking in the garage... So how is your first day of fat-burning going??? Hungry yet? -Kathleen in AZ
	purejoy6 said... Hey thanks so much for the advice! I'll definately check out your recipe :) Have a blessed night! Esther

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 03

Do Not Quit!

DO NOT QUIT- was my first goal during conditioning – and I met that. And I was rewarded … I gasped in total glee at my “after” photos! The dimples on my back are G-O-N-E (See the gallery). I never thought a losing a few pounds (-13) would make that radical a difference in the folds on me, but it sure does show up in the photos.

Other interesting things that have happened in the past 8 weeks: One of the rings I wear is rotating freely around my finger -- I've had to corral it in with my wedding band so it doesn't fall off unknowingly. My pinkie ring fits again. I've dropped a pants size.

Stats during conditioning are posted below – I would have never thought I could eat so much more. I’ve almost DOUBLED my calories and turned loose of many inches. The scale has stayed the exact same weight for the past four days in a row -- I don’t think it has ever done that – I either weigh MORE or LESS from day to day – but very seldom the same – and not for four days straight.

I found my “ultimate” goal -- something I can really visualize in several photos of how my body looks with a reasonable % body fat. It may take more than one rotation to reach that “look” but those photos are a great carrot to hang out there. I'm happier, less stressed, and feel like I've got more energy.

I’m ready. Let’s do it! Whhhhhheeeeeeeeeeeee!

~elise

	Begin Conditioning 5 Oct 2006	End Conditioning 3 December 2006	Changes
Calories	1435 avg cal	2812 cal	+1377*cal
Weight	221.5#	208.5#	- 13.0#
Body Fat	48.5%	41.3%	-7.2%
Lean Mass	114.1#	122.4#	+8.3#
Fat Mass	107.4#	86.1#	21.3#
	Begin Conditioning 5 Oct 2006	End Conditioning 3 December 2006	Changes
Hips	50"	47"	-3.0"
Waist	39.5"	35"	-4.5"
Wrist	7"	6.75"	-0.25"
Forearm	10.5"	10.25"	-0.25"
Chest	40.5"	37.5"	-3.0"
Thigh	28"	26.2"	-1.8"
Bicep	13"	12.5"	-0.5"
Shoulder	45.8"	44.2"	-1.6"
Calf	17.5"	16.7"	-0.8"

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON DEC 03, 6:26AM    

	11 COMMENTS:
	ChefKimmer66 said... Elise you are doing a fantastic job and by the wonderful recipes you've shared it is obvious you will be able to keep things yummy - even in FB. Great job! Kim
	Joyous said... Elise, Your my inspiration!! What great progress you have made during conditioning!!!! I still have three more weeks of conditioning. I'm right behind ya. :) Joy
	Maxine said... Elise, what a wonderful set of results so far and your journey has only just begun! I see huge changes ahead as you travel along. I, too, use the wedding ring as a daily indicator (even in maintenance). Keep marking your progress with photos - it will continue to amaze you! ~Maxine~
	wendi said... The rewards are endless, aren't they? Will you teach me how to do those charts? :-)
	pringle said... Elise, Phenomenal results for conditioning. Woo hoo! Keep do not quit as your goal for fat burning and you will make it. You will surprise yourself. Peggy
	Imdetermined said... Hurray for you!!!!!!!!! Isn't it great when there are little changes like absent dimples and loose rings! I love it! YOU GO, GIRL!!! Sheryl
	Jeanie said... Absolutely awesome!
	grarey said... Your headshot really expresses how well you've done and the back photo shows some great results. Good job...keep it coming. Gwen
	mary2 said... Elise your progress is amazing. All your measurements have gone down. Your attitude is really great. Nice that your DH has joined you. ~Mary
	DEVO said... Your my hero..you are doing great I just hope I can get results like yours! The determination you put into your program is so obvious,by the results of course. You are an encouragement to many silent observers out there,so keep up the good work.
	DEVO said... P.S. the new pic looks great, and thanks for the insight on the cardio! I want to get all I can from this program,and off the input of former trail blazers as yourself I can cut my own trail. Thanks again.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30

Elise's Portabella Salmon on Rice

Serves 6

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 14.5-oz. can diced tomatoes, no salt added. drained
12-oz. fresh portabella mushrooms, sliced
Juice of 2 lemons (about 4 tablespoons)
4 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill weed
Salt and pepper to taste
6 salmon fillets
3 cups cooked brown rice

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place salmon in a greased baking dish; bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, or until salmon flakes easily when tested with a fork. While the salmon is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add the onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes. Then add mushrooms and tomatoes to the skillet and sauté for another 5 minutes. To the vegetable mixture, add the lemon juice and dill. Remove skillet from heat and set aside. Salt and pepper the cooked salmon to taste. Make a bed of rice on each dinner plate and top each with a salmon fillet; spoon vegetable mixture evenly over each fillet; serve.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Garlic "stir-fried" spinach.

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 30, 5:34PM    

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 30

The Goal

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 30, 4:42PM    

	6 COMMENTS:
	sandyzona said... Wow, you even got Logman to blog a reply! Those are some serious bellbottoms. With your determination and positive attitude, I think you can do it. Sandy
	CiaoBella said... I have no doubt you will reach your goal!!!! :) Wendy
	pringle said... Elise, A worthy goal, but Ric didn't say anything about turning back time with the program. Peggy
	mary2 said... I want to see you back in those pants Elise!~Mary
	DurtGurl said... That girl is inside of you, busting to be let out!! Fat Burning is right around the corner for you and you must be so excited. I can't wait to watch your progress. Go Elise!!!!
	Logman said... I too think it a worthy goal, of course I have a vested interest in your continued success!!!

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

Elise's Marinated Carribean Chicken

Marinate overnight for next day.

(Serves 6)

1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lime juice
4 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons dried oregano
Red pepper to taste
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: Combine first six ingredients for marinade and pour over chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day-- Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place chicken in a roasting pan, reserving marinade. Roast chicken until done (about 20 minutes per pound). Bring reserved marinade to a boil. Allow roasted chicken to sit for 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with sauce.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve with steamed broccoli and crinkle-cut carrots.



POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 29, 8:53PM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	Maxine said... Elise: When you came on board, I was preparing for my holiday and didn't start posting as I was just too busy, so today I have caught up on all you have said and done and I am just so happy to have you here in this PFA "family"! Your recipes look fantastic and I have a recipe "book" copied today for trial ASAP! Thank you for being so thoughtful in providing them. I can see you are making real progress in your journey. You are definitely reaping the rewards of your positive efforts! Please keep posting and if (when) you get to the rough spots in this journey please let us help YOU out by letting us know what your concerns are. God has blessed you with a very positive attitude, but when you feel less than perfect; when you feel overwhelmed with it all and don't want to weigh down your DH (what a loving abbv.!) with your worries (esp. if he is on his own PFA journey) please let us offer you the support you need! May the dear LORD bless you this day and all of the days ahead. ~Maxine~
	Imdetermined said... Elise - it sounds yummy! I'm going to try it (so bored of the same old, same old baked chicken). By the way, (and pardon me if this is too up front), you are beautiful! Your little mug shot is really a beauty! Sheryl

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 29

Got it Planned!

Ric, Peggy and Kathleen, thanks for the info on Day 1 FB! Durtgurl, you're amazing. For some reason I misinterpreted the "protein stays the same" from someone else's post as the percent protein stays the same.

I've planned an A+ day for Day 1 FB as best I can and I can wait to plan Day 2 when it happens -- "Lord willing". ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 29, 4:45AM    

	1 COMMENT:
	pringle said... Elise, Your welcome. You will enjoy fat burning. Peggy

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27

Planning Fatburning

I’m building my first fat burning day trying to get prepared for the “big day” on 4 December. Of course, I cannot enter it into the computer until Monday morning . . . so I just want to be sure I understand what will happen in advance. Can someone confirm I’ve got my calories/ratios correct for my first day:

Last week of conditioning: Calories 2812 with a P/C/F ratio of 30/55/15%

First day of fat burning should be 2012 calories, P/C/F ratio of 30/60/10?

As long as I can get over the hump of the first day, I should have no major problems adjusting the foods. I have to be out the chute at 4:30AM with everything sliced, diced, and packed. I won't have computer access until the evening -- way too late in the day to be trying to make radical adjustments. I'm certain can get the rest of the week added in and adjustments made that Monday evening. Thanks in advance! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 27, 8:28PM    

	3 COMMENTS:
	rooney3 said... Dietary fat will be 10% but the protein and carb ratios will change daily. It will take you a couple of days to adjust to hitting a moving target now but by the end of the week you'll be doing fine!
	pringle said... Elise, On Day 1 for fat burning my ratios were 44/46/10. The grams of protein stay about the same from the end of conditioning. So your protein percentage will be probably higher than 30%. Also keep in mind sugars go to 10% of total calories instead of 20% of the total. Have fun planning. Peggy
	DurtGurl said... You almost have it right. On that first Monday your calories drop 800, your calories from protein do not change, fat goes to 10%, and carbs make up the difference. Since you gave your last day of cond stats, I can calculate your numbers for first day of FB: total cal=2012 P = 42% = 844 cal = 211 g C = 48% = 967 cal = 242 g F = 10% = 201 cal = 22 g And like others said, be prepared for your allowed sugars to go way down! I can't wait to see your success on FB, Elise. You are going to be awesome!!!

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26

Elise's Courtbouillion

Serves 2

2 salmon fillets (about 5 oz each)
Red pepper to taste
1 can (5 oz) low sodium tomato juice or V8
1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
1/4 cup bell pepper, sliced
1 clove garlic, pressed

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Soften bell peppers in some water in a small saucepan. Remove. Place salmon in a small baking dish, add red pepper. Pour V-8 over fish and place sliced onions bell pepper and garlic on top. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes.

Serve over brown rice.

For all you non-Cajuns, Courtbouillion is pronounced "koo-boo-yon" (Rhymes with honk without the k)

We also don't normally use salmon for this dish -- try it with red snapper, sacalait (crappie) or catfish fillets

~ elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 26, 9:0PM    

	1 COMMENT:
	LizziTish said... Personally, I like my salmon just plain grilled. But my husband is going to love this one! Thanks! Beth

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26

The Truth about Names / Trend Reversal

LOL! Someone just posted about their name change. (Nope, not gonna tell who it was, cause s/he deleted that post. Your secret is safe with me!). But I had the same concerns about privacy. Oh, my name "elise" is real, just not the one I use all the time. I'm enjoying thinking of myself as a "new person". It has given a psychological boost -- God changed some peoples' names to fit the person's new character -- and I certainly am changing in a lot of ways.

This next week is my last week of conditioning, and I'm up to 2800 calories. My weight loss trend has finally changed into a flat line and slightly upward (nope -- I'm not worried and I don't even care! WOW! Two months ago, I'd be a wreck to think I was working so hard and gaining. You've all got me convinced this is quite normal, and even expected -- besides, I don't want Ric to have to turn into "Coach Ric" and get stern with me just yet -- I'm saving that for later! As far as the monthly water retention/release cycle, this past week is also the week I should normally begin retaining water, followed by a water loss in the next two weeks. I'm kind of interested to see how my reduced sodium intake impacts that bloat up - turn it loose cycle. I didn't pit up like I normally do. I can see some retention when I poke my ankle, but nothing like I usually do! ~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 26, 7:1AM    

	2 COMMENTS:
	29640red said... hi elise, when you are done with this program you won't have top change your name or hide ,NOBODY IS GONNA RECOGNIZE YOU ANYWAY . KEEP PRESSIN .ED
	mary2 said... When I was in conditioning I definitely felt bloated at the end. I gained a couple pounds too. Elise I have water retention problems as well. It has dratically improved since I've been on this program. I never knew how much sodium must have been a problem until I started this. I never added extra salt to things before but as you well know it's in everything. When you start FB don't expect things to improve over night but believe me they will. When in FB do yourself a favor and never get caught up in the thought that you are being deprieved. This should be a life-style change and most foods that you were eating before don't fit into this life style. Much of the food that people choose to eat isn't fit for human consumption. That's why it does such horrible things to people like making them fat and sick. If more people would do what we're doing the doctors and hospitals would have to run sales for business. Keep up the great attitude and I know you will do well.~Mary

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 24

Tight Jeans Did the Trick

When I read Peggy's post about wearing tight jeans, I fished a smaller size out from storage under the bed. I was delighted that I could get them on without flopping on the bed like a fish trying to zip them up.

On Thanksgiving, they made me "feel the limits" all day. It was a great boundary -- I actually "felt fat" in them, but kept reminding myself they wouldn't be this tight for very long. I really think if I had worn my bigger size, I would have had the attitude: "hey, I'm doing so well, I can splurge". I ate reasonable portions of food and had my "bite" of cake for desert.

My DH put up with me begging to get my pictures taken and then put up with my frustration that all I saw was the "BIG SEAT". My head already sees myself 6 months from now and the body just isn't there yet. I had fun uploading photos into the gallery to tell the story.

After reading Gwen's comment about looking 10 years younger, I put several of the head shots I've uploaded since October onto a single jpeg. Seeing the stress leaving my face is remarkable. PT must be some sort of fountain of youth. ;-)

Now, one week left of conditioning. I've planned my first 102.0 DAY to start it off on Monday!!! Yippie! The recipe for that evening meal "Caribbean Chicken", and it sounds so delicious! I'm anxious to try it and post it if it comes out OK. (I'm sure it will, but I'd rather test things out first before posting them!).

~elise

P.s.
For Kathleen: It's "Dear Husband".
For Gwen: Yay -- I found your photo by scrolling down your blog. It's nice to "meet you".

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 24, 7:18PM    

	6 COMMENTS:
	wendi said... Your face shows the benefits of eating well and the rest of your body will follow. I know what you mean about your mind getting ahead of you, I'm the same way!
	pringle said... Elise, You are a hoot! Keep thinking/visualizing what you want to look like 6 months from now, your body will change to make the mental image a reality. Peggy
	Jeanie said... That's great that you can visualize what you will look like. I still can't do that! I used to be in a size 22/24 and it's still hard to get my head wrapped around the fact that I wear a 14 - I always think they won't fit!
	grarey said... Elise, I love to read your posts. I have a great image now of a fish wriggling to get pants on. I think we've all been there, glad you didn't have to do it Thursday. Thanks for the pics. Gwen
	Chantelle said... Your results are already visible and you are in conditioning. Great job! just think what fat burning will do.
	DurtGurl said... Elise - Your progress and attitude are wonderful! Love all the pics and what a difference from the "you" of a few years ago. Your DH* must be very proud. *thanks for letting me on the code translation!!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23

Thank God for **all** of you!

Gwen, Sandy and Jeannie: THANK YOU for being the first ones to welcome me to the PFA Blogs. Your extended hand made ALL the difference. Gwen, I wish you could figure out how to upload a photo of yourself! I'd love to put a face with you.

Beth and Mary: Thank you for your cheers along the way. You seem to know just the words to say to encourage me.

Peggy: Thanks! You were the first person I honed in on as a "role model" -- someone that I could really ID with. You look so much happier than "in the beginning", it made me happy in advance.

Kelly, thank you for your courage. I admire your "gonna do this" despite your very real discouragement and fears.

Renee: THANK YOU! We practically live "next door"to each other. Having someone else that can ID with the hurricane, the "south", and the food we eat here helps make things feel like there's "blood family" out there.

Ed: Thank you so much. I **know** I saw you doing situps and pumping iron under your truck last April! It had to be you. You're pulling me higher--the negativity that gets hurled my way just will NOT STICK to me.

Debbie, Kathleen, Wendy (Ciaobella). Thank you ladies! I look forward to your blogs. I've learned a lot from you and have more to learn.

Kristie, thank you for your youth. I remember when I was your age -- in fact, there's a young woman in us (older ladies) that never leaves. Stay young in your heart and head. You can come visit and post in my blog anytime.

David, thank YOU for your nice posts about my recipes. Even though you're just getting started, you're getting into this just fine. Stick with us!

Thank you AC for pressing toward your goals. Seeing you stop temporarily before reaching the final goal was an ideal example of not letting "the goal" get in the way of what was right to do. I'm looking forward to you restarting after your break.

Wendi, Peggi, Johnny, Kimberly, Lori, Tom, Suzy, Stacie, and Bec -- THANK YOU for posting. You've touched my life!

Thank you Logman (Doug). You're silent on the blogs for now, but you're #1 in my life. I wish you all the success with your quest. We can do this together.

There is always a danger when you start thanking individuals by name that someone will inadvertently be overlooked -- and I know you are out there. So, to all the folks that have blogged, podcast and uploaded photos; to all of you who are in the fitness leagues (yeah, even though you don't post I've checked your profile out!) -- THANK YOU!

Now -- this would not be complete with out a thanks to Ric and Crystal. (Yeah Crystal, I know the AF life all too well). Thank you, thank you, thank you! Ric, I want you to know that what you are doing IS IMPORTANT. You've given me a tool that I see as a way to help save a life, literally.

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 23, 5:23AM    

	12 COMMENTS:
	rooney3 said... What a wonderful, touching post. It's people like you Elise, that make this work so enjoyable and rewarding for me. Crystal and I thank you. Happy Thanksgivng to you and to all.
	29640red said... even though you are new to yhe program ,you have made a great effort to be a big part of the group . you have definately suceeded . thx elise ,have a great day . ed
	sandyzona said... Wow Elise! Your new pic looks great! I love your positive attitude. My hubby and I have all three kids here this weekend, so it was a great holiday for us. Hope your Thanksgiving was blessed too. Sandy
	wendi said... The can-do attitude you bring to your program is so refreshing, Elise! Thanks for taking the time to say thank you and please know that you are appreciated in return!!!
	pringle said... Elise, Thanks for the post. It brought tears to my eyes. It helped me focus away from ruminating on the horrible day I had a work yesterday. Happy Thanksgiving, Peggy
	Jeanie said... Happy Thanksgiving Elise!
	grarey said... Elise, I share Ed's sentiments. You have been fun to have in the program. I do have a picture in here on a previous post. I wasn't smart enough at the time to get it on the profile page. I'll try again..I promise. Happy Thanksgiving. Gwen
	grarey said... Elise..I just saw the new picture you've posted!!! You look 10 years younger!! WOW..Gwen
	mary2 said... HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING ELISE!~Mary
	Suzy said... Hey Elise - it's lovely to read your posts. It's like you've been doing this for ages and know just what to say to make us realise we're thinking and feeling the same stuff. I love that you post recipies as well - I'm going to do the same x
	DEVO said... Elise,my prayer for you this day is MALACHI 3:16. Although I am new to this program you and your blogs have made you stand out as one of the giants in this program to me.Thank you for thinking of me this day,and may God bless you today.
	DEVO said... Looks like you have been busy updating your profile page! I'll say one thing - once its there you got nowhere to go but down, if you know what I mean! When you get some time scroll down to my profile page...I finally figured out how to get in there to enter some info! David

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 23

Elise's Flavors of India Curried Chicken and Macaroni Salad

Serves 6

1 1/2 cups whole grain elbow macaroni, uncooked
1 (10-oz.) package frozen petite peas
3/4 cup fat free mayonnaise
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 cups cooked, cut-up chicken breasts (or leftover Turkey)
1/2 cup shredded low fat Cheddar cheese
4 medium green onions, sliced
1/4 cup sliced celery
Lettuce leaves—OPTIONAL

Prepare 1 hour before serving, if possible.

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS: Cook and drain macaroni as directed on package. Rinse with cold water; drain again. Rinse frozen peas with cold water to separate; drain. Combine mayonnaise and curry powder in a large bowl; stir in macaroni, peas and remaining ingredients, except lettuce. If possible, cover and refrigerate for 1 hour to blend flavors; serve on lettuce leaves, if desired.

SIDE DISHES: Sliced beefsteak tomatoes and some whole grain rolls.

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 23, 4:10AM    

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 21

Elise's Chicken and Pears

(Serves 6)

PAM
water
2 large pears, peeled, cored and sliced
1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar (or Brown Sugar Twin)
6 boneless skinless chicken breasts (or pork chops)
1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 teaspoons balsamic vinegar

Spritz a large skillet with PAM. Over medium heat, soften pear slices in enough water to keep them from scorching for about 5 minutes, or until tender. Gently remove from skillet and set aside. Reserve any water remaining (not necessary, but I don't like wasting good flavor).

Respritz skillet with PAM and add Chicken. Brown on both sides. Remove from pan and keep warm. Add chicken broth, any pear water, brown sugar (or Brown Sugar Twin) and balsamic vinegar to the skillet, whisking up all the browned up bits from the bottom of the pan. Return breasts to the skillet, bring to a boil, then reduce heat; cover and simmer till cooked through. Return pears to skillet; warm through, then serve.

Vegetarians in the house can use tempeh instead of chicken.

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 21, 4:41AM    

	4 COMMENTS:
	29640red said... we are gonna start calling you "elise crocker" if you are not careful. i think it will be very expensive to travel to everyones house to cook for them !!lol have a great day ed
	pringle said... Sounds yummy! Did you change your picture on the top of your page? I think you had a pink shirt before. The purply blue shirt is a good color for you. Peggy
	mary2 said... This sounds like another delicious one. I'm making the pork one tomorrow. the pork one would be good with chicken as well. Thanks, Elise.~Mary
	DEVO said... Thank you so very very much for sharing your thoughts and,of course your recipes! Having never ate healthy or knowing anybody that did, your blogs have become an oasis in the desert for me! Thank you again so much for taking the time to share. David

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 19

Passion and Fire ~ "Conditioning 101"

Passion and Fire ~ "Conditioning 101" ...10 Truths That Began to Set Me Free During Conditioning

I loved Ed's post "SO YOU". (Thanks Ed!) The PT process has caused me to take a lot of deep breaths during conditioning -- and I'm sure I will learn many, many more lessons along this path. Here are 10 things I am beginning to internalize thanks to all the blogs and posts on Yahoo Groups in order to progress toward my goal contained in #11 below. Am I there yet? Hardly -- but the path laid out is a good one.

1. This is a Journey Getting lean will NOT happen overnight. I cannot defy the laws of nature -- my body is a work-in-progress and I will see some wonderful changes taking place. Achieving a state of "healthy leanness" will take quite a while -- even a year or more.

2. Water is My Friend My body can retain water depending on what sodium levels I am eating or how much water I am drinking (or not drinking). Hormonal levels also play havoc with water retention. Ingesting diuretic substances (coffee/tea) can cause my body to fight to RETAIN water in rebellion of me artificially dehydrating it! I will continue to cut my sodium and drink water. Then I will drink more water--drink until I think I've consumed enough water to sink the Titanic and then drink some more.

3. Fatigue is Normal (in some cases). Fatigue can be a normal response when building muscle. I will make every effort to get at least 8-hours of sleep each night and sneak a "catch up" nap occasionally. Nothing takes the place of sleep.

4. Bad Habits Die Hard I may get tired of eating clean and it will be easy to lapse back into unhealthy eating habits. This is why I should allow myself a (moderately) "free" day every week. This is a lifetime commitment so take it slow.

5. Being Kind To My Body Pays Off Over-training will not help my muscles lean out, define or grow. I will train hard and then let my body recover. I will do the MINIMUM amount of aerobics needed to maintain my weight loss pace -- I will do NONE during (the remainder of) conditioning!

6. Mind Over Matter Doesn’t Always Work There will be days when the sheer thought of eating another boiled egg white will make me gag. I will change my scenery a little and try out new foods. If I just cannot bear another clean meal and give in to whatever it is I am craving -- I will get right back on the plan THE NEXT MINUTE! I will not wait until "tomorrow" or "next week" to eat the foods that will help me reach my physical goals.

7. I'm Going to Be Tempted to be Discouraged (Lord help me NOT be discouraged). There will be periods of time when it will be frustrating and discouraging that things are not going faster. And to top it all off, LIFE HAPPENS! I may look at myself and be tempted to throw in the towel altogether. At this point, I will remember to pray. I will also refocus and give myself a boost -- a treat -- a little indulgence not related to food: a haircut or manicure/pedicure, maybe a new body splash, new undies, or check out the sunset, take a slow walk on my favorite path, a soak in the tub with some bath salts and candles. I will watch Rocky for the 50th time.

8. Surround Myself With Positive Energy. I will really find out who my friends are during my transformation! I will protect my mind from those who try to sabotage me through negative messages and/or encouraging me to eat things NOT on my plan. Surround myself with positive people -- like the PFA bloggers and Yahoo group folks. I will read Ed's demand for passion and fire in his Blog "SO YOU"! I will read Ric's essay on "What it takes to be Great". I will drown out the noise with positive.

9. STOP the Mind-Rape Scale Game It does no good to make positive outer changes if I insist on engaging in a daily mind-rape with the scale. My self-esteem is worth far more than the scale. If I go into a "high-maintenance" panic every time the scale goes upward, I WILL GET RID OF IT and use other methods of feedback -- measuring, pictures, clothes fitting. (For those who can say "no" to the mind-games the scale plays with you, then by all means, use it for feedback.)

10. Pay if Forward I will offer encouragement or words of wisdom to others. If I mooch off of everyone else's positive energy and never give anything positive back in return or forward, I am going to have trouble with #11. 11. Change How I See Myself The end result of changing my body will be meaningless if I don't change how I see myself. The fact is that a year from now I may look fabulous, but if I don’t believe it, I’ll be no better off than when I started.

~elise

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 19, 9:1AM    

	6 COMMENTS:
	rooney3 said... Absolutely wonderful blog, Elise!
	LizziTish said... Wonderful job Elise! Even thou I've been doing this for a long time now, your post speaks to me...in volumes. Thank you. Beth
	29640red said... hi elise, well you are starting to fit in quite nicely!!! this blog thing helps each one of us to convey ideas and feelings to one another, and each person brings a different thing to the plate.can't wait to try some of your ideas . i really like the new pic in the top left corner,you look greattttt! the great thing about the group is that all the people here want to see you make progress even if that week they don't. you have seemed to pickup this blog thing really well and you are starting to be a great role model for others to follow . stay tough i will be watchin your progress. ed
	pringle said... Elise, You sound like a PFA pro, someone who has been through at least 1 rotation, but you are just starting. You have the right mental attitude to make it through the process. I think I will copy your post and save it. You go girl, you will make it! Peggy
	grarey said... Elise you sound like you've uncovered the most difficult part of this journey..the head game. Thanks for all your posts. Your recipes are sure to help many. Gwen
	DurtGurl said... This whole thing has been life-changing for me and I can see in your blogs that it has been for you too. Thanks for sharing your thoughts - they come from the heart and speak volumes. Keep up the good work. Maybe in your next blog you can let me in on what "DH" means. I see that you often refer to your significant other as "your DH". Domestic Husband? Darn Handsome? Delightful Hubby? Thanks :)

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18

Elise's Pork Chops Tuscan-Style

Serves 6

2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 lean pork chops, cut into strips
red pepper to taste
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup chopped carrot
2 cloves garlic, pressed
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1 14.5-oz. can diced (no salt added) tomatoes, undrained
10-oz. fresh spinach, stems removed
1 16oz. can cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup grated Romano cheese

In a skillet, heat half the oil over medium-high heat; cook pork till no longer pink; remove from skillet and keep warm. Add remaining oil to skillet and sauté onion and carrot till onion is translucent. Add garlic and spices. Add tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Add spinach, beans and cooked pork; heat through. Top with Romano cheese and serve.

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Serve over Angel Hair pasta with a big salad on the side.

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 18, 6:46PM    

	1 COMMENT:
	mary2 said... This pork chop recipe sounds delish. I have some chops in the freezer right now and I'm definitely going to make them this way. Thank you Elise. The problem with me is I'm not ambitious enough to put recipes together like this. I eat boring. You should put together a cookbook. Have a good day!~Mary

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 18

Elise's Dijon Chicken served over Wilted Spinach

Serves 4

4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup non-fat sour cream
2 Tblp flour
1/4 cup non-fat plain yogurt
2 Tblp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Parmesan Cheese, grated
4 green onions, finely chopped

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 inch casserole dish with PAM. Arrange chicken breasts in casserole. Combine lemon juice, sour cream, flour, yogurt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, basil and Parmesan cheese. Spoon mixture over chicken and top with green onions. Bake for about 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and golden brown.

While chicken is baking, trim stems from spinach leaves. Arrange spinach on dinner plates. Place chicken on top of spinach leaves and allow heat from chicken to wilt spinach before serving.

Serving suggestions: Brown rice and broiled tomatoes.

POSTED BY CHALLENGE1 ON NOV 18, 5:58PM    

	1 COMMENT:
	illuminate said... This sounds wonderful! I will be trying soon!

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 16