We think we are pretty hilarious...

So our trainer got a new shirt that he now gets to wear at work.

Lucky Philip.

So of course Sarai and I both wanted to show our support for the color orange.

Luckily he seemed to find it entertaining so we were not in trouble.

I kept my promise…

Well we weighed in today and I promised to let you guys know how it went…

Sarai lost .2lbs
I lost 4.4 lbs
My dad lost 6.8 lbs

We had two weeks this time to lose weight but unfortunately we didn't really take advantage of it. We didn't really start applying ourselves until Sunday of last week. That's what happens when there is a bi-week. You lose accountability and think you will have plenty of time to catch up. It bites you in the butt every time.

I am not too bummed though because it still is anyone's game. I know for a fact that we all still have a chance.

Here's what is happening…

We have one week exactly as of today to lose as much weight as we can before March 27^th. Of the 53 contestants that are yet to be eliminated only the top ten for this next week are going to move on to the final weigh in on April 3^rd. Once you are in the top ten your weightless will be an accumulative percentage since the beginning of the competition that started on January 2^nd.

I hope you all understood that. It makes sense in my head.

So just know that we are going to give it our all this week. This competition has been a lot of fun, but it's had many ups and downs. It's really been nice weighing in from week to week because it helps hold you accountable but at the same time it is very stressful. I can honestly say we have shared tears of sadness and even tears of laughter through these past 3 months. I am excited for it to end but also sad to be done.

Even though our competition is not over I still promise to keep going until I reach my goal weight. I will still be training with my trainer Philip forever. Well maybe not forever (even though it makes me sad to think about not working out with him one day) but at least until I can hold my own.

Here is a treat for you guys... a photo! I think the "before" photo is from the second week of the competition and the "after" photo is from today.

Well one more week to go! Maybe two if by chance one of us makes it to the top ten. Who knows?!

Kristina

We suck at blogging.

So I have come to the conclusion that Sarai and I are horrible at blogging.

Let me catch you up to speed...

Training is going great for both of us. I know for sure that I get beat up all the time. It's a good pain, I think. My trainer does a good job at keeping me in check. Not only do I keep track of everything I eat, but now he has me writing down all of my workouts. It's kinda cool to look at it when the day is over. I feel I am doing a pretty good job... well until I allow myself cheat days.

Here is some advice: Just don't cheat it's not worth it. It just makes you go backwards a couple of days and you have to lose that weight again. It sucks. Really I know from experience.

I am going to try a spin class for the first time this Saturday and yes Sarai said she would go with me so I wouldn't have to do it alone. She rocks. Sarai has been such a major encouragement to me through this whole experience. I am so grateful for her.

Our current wieghtloss for the competition so far is:
Sarai: 12.8
Myself: 48.4
My dad: 40.1

No too shabby.

We have exactly 11 days until they annouce the final top ten. It's almost over. Yay!

Luckily I will still be training when this is all over so I won't stop just because the competition is over.

I WILL post on Saturday to let you know how everything goes. I promise!

Thanks for reading guys.
Kristina

Today's Weigh In...

Well another Saturday and another weigh in done...

Sarai lost .4
I lost 7.4
My dad lost 2.8

Argh... I didn't make my goal mark. I was .4 away from it. Missed it by so little! So that was a bummer, but I am not going to let that get to me. Whenever I do I end up having a bad week. I know I am doing all I can and that is good enough for me.

So my Saturday morning workout usually consists of arriving at the gym at 7:00 doing a bunch of cardio and wrapping it up with a ball class from 9-10. Then going to weigh in at 11:00.

Well this morning I slept until 7:00 got to the gym by 7:30 and 15 minutes into my workout and the power shut off. It was kinda funny everyone just kept working out for the next 15 minutes or so like nothing had happened. It was pretty dark and all you could hear was the guys pumping away at the weights as they kept clanging into each other. Luckily my machine didn't need power to keep going. So we were finally kicked out. So I left and came home and was irritated so I decided to go for a jog around the block. About a mile. I learned that I hate working out outside of the gym especially as it started raining on me. Oh well...

So my Saturday was all messed up.

Well here we go again... We are officially in our last month of the competition. It has gone by pretty fast. I will kinda be sad when it's over. It really helps push you that extra mile.

See ya guys!
Kristina

As we head into the final month...

Hello, world!

Ohai!

It's been a suuuper long time since either of us has blogged! I know things for both of us have been crazy both in our personal lives as well as our "gym" lives. We have really tried to step things up a bit (me=going to 2 training sessions a week, Tina=trying to keep me motivated! as well as her regular training sessions PLUS evening workouts with me).

I am hoping that my training (with an AMAZZZZING trainer, by the way) will help me bust out a well-earned loss this weekend. After a rough week and some rough routines with my eating, things have leveled out and I am back on track.

Wish us luck as our next weigh-in is just 2 days away!

<3 Saraipie

Woohoo!

Well this past Saturday was very successful. Sarai, my dad, and I all lost some of those unwanted pounds.

We have about 12 days till the next weigh in and we all have pretty high goals for this one.

Kristina

Still going...

It's been awhile sorry about that.

These past weeks or however long it has been have been very challenging.

They sent out a list of the top ten for the month of January. It sucked because we were not on it... that doesn't really mean to much though. I still have faith. We are only one month into it.

Sarai is really kicking her butt into high gear. She is doing amazing guys! Trust me. :) She even signed with my trainer. So that would make him her trainer too. Sweet.

If you guys need a trainer ask for Philip. I highly recommend him.
(I think he reads this so I had to say it. :) No really sign up for training. It makes all the difference.)

My workouts have been pretty steady I think. There isn't really much more I can do. I do enough. My weight loss has been pretty steady as well. My trainer switches is up ever so often and that helps keep my attention span in check.

Thanks everyone for all the encouragement along the way. It helps. Especially on the days when you want to quit.

Well we have a weigh-in this Saturday and then we take a week off from weighing-in. Wish us luck!

Let you know how it goes when we find out.

Kristina

Weigh in #3

Okay... just kidding. Here is the real one.

Not gonna lie!

Weeks 2 and 3 have been rough! You kind of get this mental block because it's hard to think of weight-loss long term. Especially when it's a huge lifestyle change such as exercising daily and eating right DAILY.

I think I've still lost a few pounds from last weigh in. If so, this will be a momentous weigh-in for me. It will be the first time in a long time I've been under...a certain weight. Most people know how much I weigh, but I'm still a little embarrassed about the ugliness of the numbers.

So. When it's all said and done and I'm a skinny minny, then I will disclose all the numbers. For now, just watch my fat melt away!

<3 Sarai Pie

No sleep plus lack of balance equals disaster...

My trainer seems to be obsessed with working on my balance lately. I have no coordination whatsoever!

So only having about 2 hours of sleep last night and then trying to balance myself on a Bosu ball while it is upside down this morning at 5:30 am was not the brightest of ideas.

She makes is look easy... which I guess it might be for coordinated people.

I don't think I will ever conquer the balance thing let alone the Bosu ball.

Jesus please help me improve my balance so I will no longer have to look like an idiot at the gym... just kidding. I am sure my trainer can find other ways to make me look stupid.

Kristina

Epic Fail

As many of you know part of losing weight is learning to cook healthy meals.

Well I found a recipe in a magazine that was around 230 calories. I figured I would try it out. It looked really easy. So I call some family friends and invite them to come over for dinner at my parents house.

Then I went to the store and got everything I needed and headed home to cook it. Putting it together was very simple...

This is what we ended up with:

It's some kind of ginger seed thing. I don't know. One of the ingredients is a little bit of peanut butter.

Needless to say it tasted horrible!

I felt so bad because we had friends coming over for dinner and they were surly not going to want to eat that.

So in the car we jumped and we ran to get this:

Dinner was saved in a very non-healthy way.

I think I will leave the cooking to my mom from now on.

Kristina

Everyone needs a Trainer and some Candy…

I have come to the conclusion that everyone needs a personal trainer and some candy.

Reasons for needing a trainer:

They hold you accountable.
They teach you correct ways of working out.
They tell you to keep going when you think your body is done, but really it's not.
They make your workouts interesting and when you're not in pain you realize that working out with your trainer can actually be fun.
You think twice before you eat something because in your head you are wondering "What will my trainer think if I eat this?"

These are just the few reasons that come to mind right now. I am sure there are a ton more. My trainer rocks and I don't think I would have made it this far without him.

Getting on a scale in front of anyone is just embarrassing, but even though I was intimidated by my trainer when I first met him I knew he was there to help me change my life.

This morning my trainer said he was going to change my workouts a little next week to see if that would help out since I have gained a few pounds and seem to be staying the same.

He knows better than I do so I trust him.

So thanks Philip.

And yes everyone needs some candy.

Not just any kind of candy, but an actually person in their life named Kandi.

Kandi use to work at the front desk of my gym. She has been moved to another location, but that's okay because I visit her at the other gym after my morning workouts on Tuesdays.

She is so encouraging and extremely motivating.

This week has been very discouraging. It seems like no matter what I do my body is refusing to cooperate. So this morning I ran over to her gym and told her I needed some motivating because I was about to give up. Sure enough she has plenty to say and plenty of tips for me to try. She is like my own personal cheerleader.

So if you ever need encouragement just go visit Kandi. I am sure she wouldn't mind be loaned out for a few minutes.

Losing weight is rather hard.

I have lost about 70lbs since starting the gym back in September of 09'. I still have a long way to go.

So when and if you decide that you are ready to make a change in your life make sure you surround yourself with people that support you 100%.

Make sure you set yourself up for success and not failure.

My family and friends have been an amazing support. I know without a doubt that they are praying for me.

I really don't think God intended for my body to be this way.

My dad said this morning that losing weight is a lot like your walk with God.

"Sometimes you see it, sometimes you don't. Sometimes you feel it, sometimes you don't."

No matter what you keep on pressing because the end results are worth it!
Kristina

Week 2 Sucks!

I'm just gonna say it.

Week 2 sucks.

I actually gained a few pounds. I have no idea why either. It doesn't make sense.

Apparently I need to try harder.

I got my friend Brodie to sign up tonight at the gym. I am way excited because he is going to come with me in the mornings. Which will make things more fun.

Sarai is doing amazing this week. I am jealous! :)

Well hopefully this week starts getting better...

Kristina

A great resource and my weekend

I've told a few of you about this site, but in light of Bakersfield Loser, I've recently begun using this great resource on a daily basis. If you decide to sign up, make sure to put me as your reference. My username is saraipie and I will get Spark Points for referring you!

Sparkpeople.com

Some reasons I love Spark People:

(1) It's freeeeeee (a la Bedtime Stories)

(2) Pre-created meal plans based on your weight and desired weight goals = grocery lists, recipes, and daily tracking of the foods after you eat them. Another great thing about the meal tracking is that if you eat something not in your plan, you can still add it.

(3) Goal tracking = weight, measurements, plus other goals such as daily water intake, servings of fruit or even hours of sleep!

(4) Networking/Motivation = Everyone on the site has the SAME GOAL--to eat healthier and to exercise. There are forums to discuss your concerns, ask questions, vent your frustrations, etc.

(5) They have an iPhone app! The annotated version of the site (with everything you need to track meals, water...even fitness minutes!) is awesome and is a constant reminder to me that "someone" is holding me accountable.

Tonight was back into the groove of the gym. It was rough! Some of those cardio machines will kick your behind in very little time. I'll admit I did take Sunday off. Sunday tends to be a busy day between church, family lunch/activities, and other personal things I like to take care of on a lazy Sunday ("Wake up in the late afternoon"...anyone??)

I've been using Spark People since Friday to track the following: weight loss, meals, water, fruits, and cardio minutes. I can definitely tell a difference in my energy level since cutting back to a 1,200-1,550 calorie diet. All I want to do is hibernate! A friend recommended taking supplemental vitamins since my diet has changed so dramatically in such a short amount of time! I think I'll try that.

Week 4 weigh ins will be on Saturday the 23. My weight loss goal for that week includes TWO weeks of weight loss: 15-20lbs. Kristina reminded me that even if I lost only 5lbs for the next 12ish weeks, I'd be EXACTLY my "healthy" weight (I'm aiming lower...something about the high 100's doesn't sound good to me!)! Wish us the best :)

<3 Sarai

Week 2 Weigh-in!!

Last Chance Workout

So last night Body Xchange offered a "Last Chance Workout" at one of their gyms. I wanted to check it out so I dragged my dad with me.

It was kinda lame.

They took you through three circuits.

The first one was upper body.

The second one was lower body.

The third one was core.

It was pretty easy the first time through and then the second time it was a bit more tiring. I must say after seeing the other participants struggle through both circuits I was pretty impressed by my dad and I. We have been training with our trainers for about 4 months now. So I think that gives up an upper hand.

Anyway, our second weigh in is today at 11.

Wish us luck.

We will post after so you guys can know the results.

Day 5

W
O
W

So, as Tina mentioned, I signed up for a free training session this afternoon. I decided to go right when I got home from work and do lots of cardio beforehand. Result: I. Am. Hurting! I challenged myself to do intervals for about 40 mins (usually we get through about 15-20 mins before calling it quits). Then the personal trainer I met with kicked my behind in about 10 mins!

I really wish I could afford a personal trainer. They definitely motivate you and make you hurt...the good kind!

Anyway, I think I might have finally lost my first pound. Not off to such an astounding start as Tina, but it's better than nothing??

<3 Sarai

Only four days into it...

It's day 4 of the competition.

10lbs down.

A lot more to go.

My mom rocks.

She has been taking care of the meals. It really makes it easier and helps with my busy schedule.

Not to mention it takes away the stress of trying to figure it out myself.

Working out at 4:30 in the morning is so much easier than working out at night. Although I do go in the evening as well. The people are happier and its less crowded.

You should try it some time.

Sarai and I went to the gym last night together and she got hooked up with a free training session. She goes to it Wednesday afternoon so hopefully she tells us all about it. I would be going with her, but apparently that would be cheating on my trainer.

Well 88 days to go!

Kristina

Here's a video for you!

Curious George is EVIL.

My nephew Ryan just celebrated his 4th birthday yesterday.

Ryan is going through a Curious George phase.

So of course that cute adorable little monkey was everywhere.

He was on top of the cupcakes guarding them to make sure my dad and I didn't try to steal one.

Of course what kind of a best friend would Katie be if she didn't eat my cupcake for me?

Thanks Katie!

Talk to you later guys!

I am working on a video slide show of our first weigh in.

It is super short, but it's fun to look at!

Kristina

Body Xchange's 1st Annual Bakersfield Loser!

What in the world does FFFL mean?

Fat Friends For Life

But who wants to be that? We don't. Not anymore!

Well here goes!

We are officially participants in Body Xchange's 1st annual Bakersfield Loser competition. Three months of grueling, exhausting, but good for your health butt kicking! With monthly prizes for the top participants and a grand prize of $15,ooo to the one who finishes in first!

This is an amazing start to a new year!

Hopefully you all follow us for these next three months. It is going to be crazy, but will eventually make us SFFL's!

(Skinny Friends For Life)