I'm Not Okay... but That's Okay. (Part 1) - Weight Loss Update

Before/during weight loss progress

As I sat down to write this post I was really depressed. There's so much on my mind and quite frankly I'm tired of putting up a good front and pretending that I'm alright. If you follow my Nik Gets Fit Facebook page then you already know bits and pieces but it's time I sit down and let it all out with this little "I'm Not Okay... but That's Okay" blog series.

I want to talk about my weight loss first. It has been such a slow process but I can't do anything but be happy when I look at old pictures. I'm doing it! It's not happening as quickly as I thought it would but the weight is coming off during the most stressful time in my life and that's absolutely amazing to me. The old Nikki would run to the fridge and raid the pantries to better cope with all that has gone on this past year. Don't get me wrong, at times I have done that but I picked myself up, dusted myself off and refocused.

When I started Nik Gets Fit (late 2011) I weighed around 250 pounds. I was just posting on my Facebook page about how I was looking at my drivers license laughing because I told them I weighed 250 when at the time I was between 265-270lbs and I now weigh much less. I need to get a new drivers license! Ha. Anyway, my current weight as of this morning is 203.8 pounds. I'm so close to being out of the 200's! Super excited about that. 

I'm currently weighing a size 14 jeans, I believe the biggest size I bought was a size 22 but at some point I just started wearing big tshirts and sweatpants. 

Posted this pic on my Facebook page. The high waists and crop top created quite the illusion! Disclaimer: I did not go outside of my house like this. haha

If you've been reading the blog then you know about my Obstacles & Ultimate Goal post. Although I am still not fully comfortable with showing my leg from the accident I have been taking major steps towards being comfortable in my own skin.

I wore a dress for the first time in November 2012. Almost exactly 1 year after I created this blog. I came across and clearance section and they had this cute dress for dirt cheap. I told myself I would just buy it and even if I didn't wear it I wouldn't feel guilty because it was so cheap. Well, I ended up wearing it! It actually didn't show much of my leg but it was still a huge step for me.

My daughter was really shocked to see her mama wearing a dress! Words can't even describe how that made me feel so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

I haven't worn a dress since that day but I wore a skirt with tights underneath a couple of times which is still a really huge deal for me.

I felt great but I haven't worn a skirt since then. When I saw a picture of the back of my leg it made me pretty self conscious because of the size difference.

I know I shouldn't let it bother me but it does. I'll continue working on it but I'm happy with the progress I've made. The old Nikki would completely skip over dresses and skirts being on the racks. Now I actually look at dresses in stores and online. It's a really great feeling. I don't think I would have ever pushed myself to do it had it not been for all of your support on this blog and my Facebook page.

I'm definitely going to start blogging more about my weight loss. I want to get more serious and make major changes so stay tuned for that!

So this was part 1 of this small blog series. My next posts will discuss my children, where they are with their autism and epilepsy, a little more about my life and current situations. Hope to see you there!

Xoxo, Nik

New Weight Loss Challenge Details

Hey everyone! I wanted to put together a quick post about our new weight loss challenge. We've had a few of these in the past and they have all been successful. We will each put in some money via Paypal and the person with the highest percentage of weight lost will be sent all the money.

Rules:

• You must pay $10 via Paypal to beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com - Please make sure you mark payment as "gift" so no paypal fees are taken out.
• Start date is December 1st and the challenge will run through March 1st.
• You must post a full body picture on the 1st of each month on my Facebook page holding a sign with your name and the date. Pictures are due on December 1st, January 1st, February 1st and March 1st.
• You must weigh-in weekly. Post the picture on my Facebook page. Weigh-in's will be every Monday. Our first one for this challenge will be Saturday, December 1st and the next weigh-in will be Monday, December 10th. You must take a picture of your scale with your weight. A sign with your name and the current date must be visible in each photo. Weigh-in's cannot be more than 2 days late.
• A few people on Facebook asked if they could email photos. I'm sorry but the first challenge there was too much confusion because photos were being posted on Facebook, emailed or sent in a message and people would later say they emailed their picture when I didn't have anything in my email.  I know getting over the fear of posting your weight and pictures is tough. I've been there. You just have to go for it. No one is judging you. You're doing this to become a better person. A healthier person. A fitter person. Maybe this will give you a boost of self confidence as it has done for me. You can make a separate Facebook page and post from there so it does not show up in your personal timeline. I have no problem with that.
• I am giving everyone until December 5th to get their payment in. No payments will be accepted after December 5th.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

Weight Loss Updates + Becoming a Working Single Mother + Dealing with Epilepsy & Autism

Where do I begin? It's been so long. Between weight loss, becoming a working single mother and dealing with my children's health issues, it's been rough! I know I have neglected the blog (as well as my main Beads, Braids & Beyond blog) however; I've been posting small updates on my Nik Gets Fit Facebook page but I think it's time to take a deep breath and let it all out.

Let's rewind...                                                                
I finally revealed the reason for my absence back on this post. It was very brief and straight to the point. If you don't recall the post, in short; I was cheated on. I decided I could not get over such betrayal so I ended it. He was very sorry but he just continued to drag out his lies which hurt me even more. I eventually contacted the other woman, she told me everything, she even sent me a couple of pictures of the two of them out on a date. Yes, it went that far. I don't think I can explain how hurt I was/am but after a while I felt numb from the pain. I decided to visit my family in Texas for a while to get my mind off of things. We had a great time visiting family and the kiddos loved all the swimming we got to do at beaches and pools but enough of that...

So, what else is going on?                                      

Picture I took after being hired on the spot :)

I obviously couldn't continue staying at home with the kids. Bills still needed to be paid and although I know he was willing to help as much as he could, I wanted to show him that I could do it with or without him. And I did (am) doing just that. I got a job at a doctors office in marketing. It's a great opportunity for me and I am thankful to have gotten the job being that I have no real experience other than blogging (which includes marketing to an extent). 

The Down Side                                                           

This was back in May at my daughters recognition program.

I work 40 hours a week. I leave between 7 and 7:30am and don't get home until 5pm. It's tough and I miss my kids so much. I feel like I'm missing out on so much. I only have a few hours before bed when I get home and at that point it's dinner, baths and getting ready for the next day. 

My son and I.

My daughter and I.

I dressed up for Halloween for once!

Since taking this position I had to cancel my son's therapy for the time being. He was taking speech and occupational therapy for his autism and it was helping him quite a bit so I feel like a terrible mother. As soon as my boss gets back from her trip I am going to ask to have at least 1 day off each week for appointments.

Instagram love! :)

Epilepsy & Autism                                                     

My daughter, Miss A, has been having major issues since being diagnosed with epilepsy earlier this year. I feel completely helpless and pray every day about her new condition.

Over the Summer she was having issues saying her brain was bothering her. She would get sudden pains where her lymph nodes were and just cry. I took her to the hospital so many times and they never had answers. They would just increase or decrease her seizure medication which at the time was trileptal. She has a couple of at home 48 hour EEG's and they of course showed continued seizure activity. She began having night terrors which were almost as scary as her seizures. She would wake up so scared and just cry, claiming to see people in the room when I was the only one there. It's hard to type this without tearing up. The last straw was when she told me a voice in her head was telling her to cut her finger but she didn't want to but the voice kept telling her to. After that she had another EEG as well as a video sleep study and that's when they changed her seizure medication to kepra.

All had been well on the kepra up until about a month ago. We've been noticing her staring a lot, which the doctor believes are "mini seizures"/staring spells. She has not been focused at all in school which probably has a lot to do with these mini seizures. She started having night terrors again, not nearly as much though. She also started hearing voices again but nothing like before. I got her in to see neurology right away. They changed her dose of kepra and also put her on another medication. We will report back in a few weeks with the doctor to see how she is doing.

Miss A has gained quite a bit of weight since being put on medication. She is now dealing with bullying at school and comes home weekly crying about people teasing her. I have talked to the teacher time and time again but it's still an ongoing problem. I feel terrible for not being able to be there as much now that I'm working. I wish I could protect my baby from all of this name calling and teasing. She says they call her fat, make remarks such as look at her belly, etc. She has been so self conscious and depressed about this lately. I think I will try to get her into therapy for all of these changes.

She turned 7 years old on October 16th and had a grammal seizure the day after her birthday while I was at work. My heart sank when I received the call. Once again, the blame set in. I should have been there with her. I rushed to the hospital and stayed with her the entire time she was there; a total of 4 days.

During my daughters hospital stay.

As for my son Lil Man and his autism, he's making strides. Again, he hasn't been to therapy since I started this new job but he still goes to half day preschool and is doing awesome. He has been knowing all of his letters, sounds and numbers since he was 2 so he's been the head of the class for some time now. His biggest obstacle is his tantrums. They seem to be getting worse as he gets older. I try my best to keep my patience with him. I know it's not his fault and he doesn't completely understand. I really need to find something that will calm him. He absolutely loves books. All books. He can't ready but will place his fingers under the words and pretend like he's reading. He "reads" children's books, the bible, magazines, etc. He reads the letters on signs while we're out. He's the smartest little guy I know. Oh-- he got a hair cut, too! See above.

Weight Loss                                                                  

On Halloween

Halloween

Gym time!

I guess that's what we're all really here for, right? :) Well, I'm not going to lie, it has been at a standstill, which has been depressing. But considering all of these changes, I think I've handled it pretty well. The old me would have gained 50 pounds by now. So far I have maintained my weight loss. I seem to stay between 210 pounds and 215 pounds. Hopefully I can break these 200's by the end of this year. *fingers crossed* I joined a great gym that kind of has a private feel to it. I was going almost every morning before work around 4am until more issues with my daughter came up. I've been drained lately, which I know is an excuse but I just can't seem to get out of bed that early any more. I need to force myself to make the time.

I guess that's all for now. I'll try to update more often. Please check my Nik Gets Fit Weight Loss page on Facebook for more updates and pictures. Thanks for your continued support! xoxo, Nik

The truth is...

I was cheated on.

I've been typing this and deleting it since it happened. This was certainly not expected and I wasn't sure if I wanted to share this part of my life with you all but I have been avoiding my Facebook page lately. I tried to stay committed to the new lifestyle but I ended up turning to food. I feel pretty terrible and I'm not sure how much I weigh right now. I guess I will weigh-in on Monday.

I'm not sure if I will even keep this post up but I just wanted to give a little update. I'm feeling rather down right now and don't know what else to say.

Thanks for your support

-Nikki

Belly Progress Pictures - From 250 Pounds to 218 Pounds

This is beyond hard. NO ONE gets to see my belly but after weighing in at 218 pounds today I thought it was time for some progress pictures. Of course I don't have a flat stomach, and I may never have one, but I see a huge difference and I'm proud of myself. It's taking longer than expected, but I haven't stopped!

Nik

Introducing Guest Poster KQ Smith!

Hey Ya’ll I am so happy to be joining you on your journey with NikGetsFit. But before we jump into anything I just want to give a heartfelt THANK YOU to Nikki for giving me this opportunity to be here and share with you all!! She’ll never know how much this means to me.

Soooooooo I guess I should just jump right on in and tell ya about myself and why I’m joining ya’ll. . .For starters my real name is Kenisha, although somehow I gained a nickname a few years ago and since then everyone’s been calling me KQ, but no worries I’ll happily answer to both. I am a 35yr old mother of 1 (hopefully a 2nd one sometime in the near future), I’m a techie, a lover of food who enjoys finding ways to make things healthy, I’ve been a collegiate/post-collegiate track athlete, I love fitness and I too have been through a MAJOR weight loss journey. How much weight did I lose on my journey you ask. . .well truthfully the journey is never ending but all in all I’ve lost 100+lbs.

Now the next question is how did I do it but before I answer that I need to give a quick insight on how I got there in the first place. Prior to having my daughter I was a collegiate/post collegiate track athlete and for the most part I was in shape back then. After college I began enjoying life a bit too much and when it was all said and done I found out I was 195lbs on my 1st prenatal appointment. Now as most of you know there’s nowhere that can go but up and UP it went!! Once I had Kyndal Zoe I weighed in at 245lbs . After sitting with the majority of that weight on me for 6months I finally decided that ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH and the party started there! It was February 2005 when I began and because I was too embarrassed to let anyone see me I trained in my house for the first few months. Then ventured out to the gym once I thought I could deal with others seeing me in this depressing state, but I’d only go at night. During this time I flooded myself with information I’d had from the past when I was running, I read everything I could then I finally decided to get my Personal Training Certification. I also joined a GREAT group of ladies known as Buffmothers and received a lot of support, motivation, inspiration, and anything else you could think of from them. Within 18-20months I’d lost 70-80lbs and was feeling & looking fabulous. Now I’m gonna be honest here and tell you that those were NOT easy months as I was going through a tough divorce, financial issues and just over all STRESS but I used my desire to get the Real Kenisha back as a motivation to keep pushing.

 After that loosing that initial 70-80lbs I was pretty satisfied but I’d always had a dream of being a Figure competitor so I began working towards that and man oh man was that a journey. My 1st year I competed in Fitness Modeling @ 150-155lbs so at that point I was down 95lbs since Day 1. I didn’t win or place in the top 10 but having come from where I began at 245lbs walking out on that stage and looking like I belonged was winning enough. But the competition journey didn’t end there. Last year I decided I had more work to do and Figure was calling me so I prepped looooong and hard and I crossed the stage and an unimaginable 140lbs at my 1st show then 2wks later I did it again but this time @135lbs. So now we’re talking about 110lbs weight loss. Needless to say I KILLED those shows and represented for the momma’s out there and placed 5th & 3rd all while my #1 fan, Kyndal Zoe was watching from the front row. During my 2 competition seasons I relocated to Connecticut to live with my Fiancé (wedding in August ya’ll . . .YEAHHHH) and finally decided to stop sitting on my certifications and start training. WOW when that happened I knew I was finally home. Now I had trained others before I moved but it was mostly all athletes like me and lemmi tell ya it’s a different vibe training an athlete and the everyday man or woman. I enjoy both but something about training the client I like to call “Mrs. Jones” and seeing her reach goals and benchmarks she never thought she’d reach is so rewarding. Then I began sharing my journey with others and I knew that I was finally doing what God had called me to do.

 So that’s where I find myself today. . .training, motivating, sharing my journey & my truths (ups, downs, and everything in between) with any and everyone because I want us all to find their Healthy Happy selves and I know that by joining ya’ll we will all be richly rewarded both in Faith, Fitness & Friendship I look forward to connecting with you all as when forge our way though our journey’s on NikGetsFit!

So until next week, when I start bringing ya’ll workout, nutrition & motivation tips, you can find me at the links I will include below. And in closing I wish you a Happy, Healthy Blessed remainder of you week!! BTW if you didn’t notice from my kuntry typing, I’m from #DownSouth, so you may hafta bear with some of my sayings LOLOL ;)

You can find Kenisha (KQ) Smith here-
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kqfitness  ("like" her page and tell her Nik sent you!)
Blog: www.kqfitness.blogspot.com

More pics of KQ Smith:

Big thanks to KQ Smith! Looking forward to more posts! :-)

Weight Loss Challenge Weigh-in!

Our first weigh-in for the weight loss challenge was on Monday! Here are the results! :-)

Sarah
Start weight: 243.6
Current weight: 237.6
2.46% weight loss
Sarah writes: Week 1 I am down to 237 from 243. I have been eating 4 small meals of 300 calories and 2 100 calories snacks a day. I have been doing the 30 day shred and stationary bike. Drinking lots of water and trying not to eat very much carbs and sugar.

Kim M.

Start weight: 184.4

Current weight: 184.6

0.11% weight gain

Kim writes: I gained about 0.2 ounces so I am not happy but not upset either. I did not do much in terms of eating nor exercising last week so I guess that explains why my weight is still the same. Lol. This week I am committed to drinking more water and exercising at least 3 times this week.

Angela

Start weight: 232.2

Current weight: 230.4

0.74% weight loss

Winter

Start weight: 235.4

Current weight: 238.8

1.44% weight gain

Winter writes: Don't know how I gained 3 lbs in 1 week. My bro said that sometimes your body works against you. Ate pretty well, could have had more water intake. Not gonna beat myself up because I know I'm still a work in progress...

Brandi

Start weight: 213.8

Current weight: 210.4

1.59% weight loss

Brandi writes: I have been doing a 1200 calories a day diet, and I only went to the gym yesterday but I been exercising(sit ups, jumping jacks, etc.) around the house.

Shay

Start weight: 191

Current weight: 189.8

0.63% weight loss

Shay writes: This week I didn't do anything special except for eat less and workout more. I know this number could have been better but I didn't prioritize on some days so I wasn't able to get in all of my 2nd workouts. I'm focusing on a lot of cardio and weight lifting. This weeks goal is to go 10x harder than I even thought about goin last week.

Meg

Start weight: 306

Current weight: 300.6

1.76% weight loss

Meg writes: I have been trying to eat fruits and veggies and load up each meal with this, not skipping breakfast, my daughter and I are going on walks, she got us up to do yoga one morning. Trying to plan so I have good options available. My goal for next week is to focus on sleeping and not eating after 7:30 (maybe brushing my teeth at that time). Also I technically was 308 when I started May 1st, but I didn't retake and resend pictures. But I just wanted to share because even though they wont count for the competition, those 2 pounds were still work and I am proud that this competition came along to help support us all.

Monica

Start weight: 179.9

Current weight: 179.2

0.39% weight loss

Monica writes: This week I worked out 4x. I was on a good roll until Saturday and Sunday. Sunday is bbq day at the house so hence my .7lb weight loss. :/ At least I know where I went wrong this week!

Hope/Theblessedmomof3

Start weight: 191.4

Current weight: 187.8

1.88% weight loss

Hope writes: I worked my booty off this week and I had my cycle! Cardio and strength training have been my focus. I'm so sore (lower body) but I know that it's a "good" sore :) I feel stronger each day! I'm still tracking my food intake with MFP and that has been a lifesaver. This week I will focus on eliminating the unhealthy things I had this week. 3.6 lb loss this week and it was well earned! Let's Get It!!!

Nicole

Start weight: 275

Current weight: 270.8

1.53% weight loss

Nicole writes: Down 4.2 lbs!! I used the Noom weight loss app to track my calories (helped a lot) I walked a 3.1miles trail 3 days this week and used my calorie counter/ watch to track how much I burned. Pretty much calorie counting has helped me tremendously this week :-)))

Tonya

Start weight: 241.6

Current weight: 239.8

0.75% weight loss

Keisha J.

Start weight: 195.2

Current weight: 194

0.61% weight loss

Keisha J. writes: I don't know how I did it but I'll take it because I did not get a regular workout this past week at all. I have started eating better and drinking more water. So I hope to get in at least two or three regular work outs this week. I'm trying not allow everyday life affect my results. I'mma Bring It with P90X and Zumba. Watch out ya'll!!! LOL

Stacy

Start weight: 228.8

Current weight: 229

0.09% weight gain

Stacy writes: Last wk was a bad wk only worked out once n went for a few walks, I think what really did it was the 2 drinks I had when I went out fire girls nite on saturday.. But watch out got my p90x out the closet (bought it last yr n never opened it)....also took the time ti prepare meals fit the week so no fast food after practice thus week

Robyn

Start weight: 259.5

Current weight: 256

1.35% weight loss

C.Speaks

Start weight: 168.4

Current weight: 165.4

1.78% weight loss

Sara Y.

Start weight: 167.7

Current weight: 164.6

1.85% weight loss

Erica C.F

Start weight: 217.2

Current weight: 215.4

0.83% weight loss

Erica writes: So I gave it a strong effort this week! However celebrating Cinco de Mayo thru me completley off. So this is as good as it gets. But I will do much better this week! :)

Carol

Start weight: 179.6

Current weight: 180.6

0.56% weight gain

Carol writes: Bad week :( we mainly walked and did cardio this week eating was healthy so not burning enough calories

Leandra

Start weight: 324.8

Current weight: 319

1.79% weight loss

Anna

Start weight: 313.4

Current weight: 300.2

4.21% weight loss

Anna writes: whew! 13 pounds! I was not expecting to see that this morning. So happy! 

Last week I worked out every day at least an hour a day sometimes more. I have a stationary bike I use & I have been using my Wii for Zumba and Biggest looser workouts. Going for walks with my kids and just doing a little extra moving around at home. And I breastfeed so that's about an extra 500 cal. or so a day!
I eat every 2-3 hours. I cut out sugary foods & no soda! I eat lots of fruits and veggies and protein! Trying to stay away from carbs lol. I also have protein shakes and have been drinking a TON of water!
I have not been counting my calorie intake so I am going to make that a goal for myself this week and I am going to not have anything to eat anytime after 8pm.

Bees weight loss

Start weight: 181

Current weight: 176

3.3% weight loss

Franchesca

Start weight: 233.2

Current weight: 231.2

0.86% weight loss

Franchesca writes: I'm feeling a little "eh" about my weight loss this week but the weekend got me. Darn that boxing and Cinco de Mayo! I ate well but didn't workout the whole weekend :(. Plan on stepping it up this week

Acacia

Start weight: 231.4

Current weight: 226.8

1.99% weight loss

Acacia writes:  This week I did mostly walking, jogging and hiking. I have not been counting calories but watching my portion sizes closely and tried to stay away from processed foods. Down 4.6 lbs! Yay!!

Nicholle

Start weight: 231.4

Current weight: 228.6

1.21% weight loss

Nicholle writes:  Last week, I was off to a GREAT start. I didn't skip any meals, I stayed on plan, and I didn't eat any sugar or carbs that weren't veggies, fruits, or whole grains. I drank lots of water, and I made sure to get plenty of sleep & take my vitamins.

Where I messed up at was the weekend. If I wasn't skipping meals, I was eating off plan. I didn't take my diabetes medication, and I did not exercise. I guess it's true when they say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I didn't have salad, chicken, cut veggies, fish or anything ready on the weekend, so it was a little out of control, but not too much! I do write on my FB page what I eat everyday, so you can see for yourselves. It wasn't horrible, and I didn't get discouraged if I ate something 'bad' and give up like I've done in the past.

I know where I need to improve this week. I'm going to be doing a combination of Jillian Michaels DVDS, Hip Hop Abs, Brazilian butt lift, and walking. I'm also going to start taking Janumet again, b/c even though I lost lbs, it's going to be harder to lose if my sugar is as high as it's been. I'm going to continue to go low carb, taking a multi-vitamin, drinking 90 oz of water a day, and will add in exercise.  and I am not at all mad at a loss of 2.8. I know I can step it up though!

Stacey D.

Start weight: 195.6

Current weight: 193.2

1.23% weight loss

Niki G.

Start weight: 193.8

Current weight: 189.6

2.17% weight loss

Niki writes:  4 lbs. lost since last week :) Great start! I focused mostly on sticking to my meal plan last week: several small meals throughout the day with lots of fresh fruits and veggies and tons of water. The only workout I did was my couch to 5K program which is basically walking/jogging every other day for 30 mins. This week I will stick to my meal plan and begin strength training. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK EVERYONE!! ♥

Tomekia

Start weight: 235

Current weight: 228.2

2.89% weight loss

Tomekia writes:  Started to watch what I'm eating.In the morning I eat oatmeal with peppermint tea,mid morning gratefruit with water and so on.I started working out 2X a day.1hr of dance in the afternoon and 30-35 mintue at night on the treadmill....

Crystal

Start weight: 329.4

Current weight: 325.6

1.15% weight loss

Dana

Start weight: Please let me know your previous weight Dana.

Current weight: 273.4

Arlene

Start weight: 251.8

Current weight: 248.2

1.43% weight loss

Nikina

Start weight: 174.9

Current weight: 171.3

2.06% weight loss

Nikina writes:  I did great throughout the week but terrible once the weekend got here. Goal this week go strong well into the weekend. I would love to get out of the 170's. I plan to eat right and join a bootcamp. Let's see how it goes...good luck everyone!!

Shakira

Start weight: 292

Current weight: 289.2

0.96% weight loss

Shakira writes: Week 1 down 3lbs could be more but the weekends are killing me but hopefully its more next week . I have been doing zumba the gym and started walking my son to school and eating lots of veggies and water

Alyssa

Start weight: 204

Current weight: 200.6

1.67% weight loss

Alyssa writes: I'm very happy with this weight loss but I don't think it is 'real' weight loss. I've had a really bad cold this week so haven't eaten much and thats not a realistic situation. Obviously I haven't done any exercise this week. My goal for next week is to maintain this weight loss and for exercise I will go to do British Military Fitness tomorrow evening and get at least 1 x trail run done (aiming for 3km (1.86 miles)

Tia/Letillia

Start weight: 223.4

Current weight: 216.4

3.13% weight loss

Tia writes: Very Pleased with my results. This past week I went in hard with Zumba twice a day plus I saw my PT 3times. I Love the Treadmill so after Zumba I would hit that up for about 20-30mins depending on how I felt! This week I will work on muscle training and trying to Double up on the Cardio!

Tanasia

Start weight: 188.5

Current weight: 197

0.8% weight loss

Tanasia writes: Well I didnt do everything I wanted to or everything I should have with the stress of finals week, but no excuses... Im ready for this!

Erin K.

Start weight: 269.7

Current weight: 268.2

0.56% weight loss

Erin writes:  Somehow I lost...crazy since I didnt even really try, I was in the middle of finals, so just gave up. This week I want to drink more water, and exercise at least 3 times.

Regina

Start weight: 196.6

Current weight: 192.6

2.03% weight loss

Regina writes: Healthy 1200 calorie diet. Workout 1-2 hr a day. Walk for an hr.

Keisha

Start weight: 286

Current weight: 283.6

0.84% weight loss

Ashley

Start weight: 225.6

Current weight: 221.8

1.68% weight loss

Ashley writes: I'm on a 1200 calorie diet and for work outs last week, I was moving a lot of heavy things, walking, and dancing :) (Don't get to go to the gym a lot but I make do :) )

Judy

Start weight: 185?

Current weight: 183? Judy please confirm numbers when you post, thank you. :-)

Nzinga

Start weight: 220.2

Current weight: 222.6

1.09% weight gain

Nzinga writes: Week 1 down 3lbs could be more but the weekends are killing me but hopefully its more next week . I have been doing zumba the gym and started walking my son to school and eating lots of veggies and water

Maria

Start weight: 234.4

Current weight: 227.6

2.9% weight loss

Quierston

Start weight: 251.2

Current weight: 250.4

0.32% weight loss

Quierston writes: Last week was tough for me. I have a back injury that comes and goes. This past week was rough but I tried to push through and get in as many work outs as possible, I do beach body Turbo Jam. I need to be better with my eating. I was feeling kinda bad for myself because of my back pain. Got a new plan in effect for next week. Hoping to return to my usual 2lb plus lose next week.

Jackie

Start weight: 247

Current weight: 239

3.24% weight loss

Jackie writes: Not a huge loss but it's a start, I didn't get to work out as much as I had hoped. But I tried to stay away from the yummy bad foods! :P Also I think I'm dying without my soda! lol But its worth it

Loulitha

Start weight: 249.5

Current weight: 249

0.2% weight loss

Amanda

Start weight: 212.2

Current weight: 211.6

0.28% weight loss

Amanda writes: For WL Challenge. Not a great loss... but something is better than nada. Just lets me know I gotta put in more work this week.

Kim C.

Start weight: 172

Current weight: 171.8

0.12% weight loss

Kim writes: ugh!! only lost 2 oz. it might have something to do with all those dinner rolls i ate friday night :O

Marissa M.

Start weight: 173

Current weight: 169.5

2.02% weight loss

Marissa writes: simple changes really made a difference! I cut out artificial drinks and soda this week. I had mio water enhancer when I needed my juice fix! Im using microwaved meals for now to get used to portion control. I am not all the way there with meal options but Im taking baby steps...I work out twice a day, I walk 2-3 miles in the afternoon and I do some zumba (or free soca dancing) at night.

Becca

Start weight: 216.2

Current weight: 215.4

0.37% weight loss

I AM NOT DONE ADDING PICTURES! I still have to add the ones from the nikgetsfit@yahoo.com email.

From now on, PLEASE make sure you all write your NAMES on the pieces of paper along with the date! It was very confusing trying to figure out who was who. Also, when you post your pictures on Facebook or email it to me, please tell me your STARTING WEIGHT (weight at beginning of challenge) along with your CURRENT WEIGHT! Pictures are NOT to be more than 3 days late! Thank you!