BIG NEWS in the Harris House!

Well, Well, Well…

I’ve been a lil MIA from blogging lately, and for that, I apologize. The Harris family has had quite a bit going on from our Vegas trip to the Holidays and now to a late lil’ Christmas present. It turns out that Mr. and Harris and I are expecting our first child! It stills feels surreal to say that… our… first…. baby!

I’ve known since Thanksgiving, but we had out first ultrasound on Monday and sure enough, there is a little baby wiggling around in me.

I have soooo many thoughts and feelings to share and unlike my weight loss challenge that lasted a few months, this journey has another 7 to go. I have started a new blog through this same blogging website. The link is:

http://babyharrisniblet.blogspot.com/

I hope you’ll continue to follow me there as I’m sure I will have some interesting takes on child bearing.

BTW, I’m due July 30^th. If you know me, you know I HATE THE HEAT. I despise Summer and if I had my way, I’d hibernate from June-September. God has a funny way of playing tricks on me. (Like the nauseating thought of being 9 months pregnant in July.) But we could not be more thrilled!

I can’t wait to share this exciting and blessed journey with you all!

<3 Jenn

And then... it was over

So I am relieved to announce that the Biggest Loser weight-loss challenge has officially ended. I’m not so proud to announce that I am a big fat loser. And not in a good way.

So yeah, I didn’t win. I don’t say this to be rude, but it’s hard to compete with bitter divorcees who don’t eat. And while I’m happy for the person who won, I didn’t want to win this by starving myself to some unattainable weight. I knew from the beginning that I would do this in a healthy way. And for the most part, I did. I managed to lose 13 pounds, which is 2 pounds short of my original goal. I think I’ve said before that I am harder on myself than anyone else could possibly be, and so yeah, I won’t lie and say that I’m overly thrilled with my results. They could have been much better. But it could have been much worse, too. I managed to lose a dress size and keep it off through Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Even though it’s technically “over,” this battle with my weight is not. I’m still weighing myself once a week and keeping track of my progress. I’m not sure if this makes sense, but I actually feel better NOT having the accountability of weighing in at work. I was stressing myself every weekend and especially on Monday nights leading up to the Tuesday weigh-in. Lets just say I’m sleeping better at night.

I’ve enjoyed writing this blog, so I’ll continue with it. I’m still working on those “30 questions” things, so I’ll pick up with that. And also, I just got back from Vegas, so I’ll let yall know how that went too!

~Jenn

Oooo, this is getting deep....

“Something you have to forgive someone else for.”

Several people come to mind. Some who have wronged me, either maliciously or just by being so self absorbed that they’ll never know why I’m mad at them. Either way, I suppose there is someone that sticks out above all others that I have to fully forgive.

Forgiveness has never been my strong point. When I’m mad at someone, I tend to just silently move on and don’t even confront the situation. It works for me, but it has its downsides too.

It’s hard not to name names in this because we had so many friends in common, but for privacy sake, let’s just call him “Ryan Secrest.”  “Ryan” and I go way back. I knew Ryan before his voice changed, or before he even knew himself. When we were of an appropriate age, though I was a few years older, “Ryan” and I started dating. I wont go into long details of the relationship, but it was a great story. We met at church. We had similar tastes in a lot of things – music, humor, travel and come to find out later… MEN.

Yes friends, true story.

After being together for just over 3.5 years, the relationship had run its course. The age difference started to bother me. He was still young, immature and incredibly selfish. And I knew that even though we had essentially grown up together, we had grown apart to an irreconcilable distance. Secretly, I was bitter that I had wasted so many years on that relationship and passed up several opportunities of “what could have been.”

He blamed the break up on school work, long distance, etc. I blamed it on being an older woman, but deep down I knew something wasn’t … right.  Shortly after the breakup, he moved to the gay mecca of the South and fell in love with a boy just as pretty as myself. Sad thing is, to this day, he’s never told me. I found out through the marvels of modern day technology and a good ole gossip chain.

Even though years have passed and we’ve both moved on, obviously, I can’t help but be a little upset that he had deceived me all those year. But even worse, it was an utter embarrassment to me. To this day people still ask me about it.

It’s not about being gay, it’s about being with someone for so long KNOWING this isn’t your path in life and wasting prime years of young adult hood. I KNOW he knew he was gay. Looking back, there’s not a question in my mind. I just wish he was man enough to tell me to my face.

So, after this sad tale, I guess that’s one person I need to forgive. I know things happen for a reason, and for that, I am eternally grateful. Who knows how my life would have ended up if I wasn’t with “Ryan” for so long? But still, I guess there’s always going to be a small disappointed part of my heart that wishes there was more, hmmmm, I don’t know, HONESTY in those very long 3.5 years.

Terrible, Terrible Tuesday

So Thanksgiving was no good to the body. Yeah, for the first time, I had the pay my $2 because I gained weight. It was embarrassing for me because I’ve been the solid one through this ordeal. Then I weighed in this Tuesday and lost, but in a negligible amount. Like, hardly worth mentioning.

So to recap, there is one more weigh-in left in this Biggest Loser Weigh Loss challenge. I couldn’t be happier to see the damn thing end. I think I do better in my weight loss if I don’t have money and people’s hopes and dreams looming over my head. I know that makes no sense, but I’ve been stressing myself to the max every Monday night and Tuesday morning in preparation for the weigh in.  

My weight loss has curbed significantly in the last few weeks. I’ve heard there are some women who have actually done really well in the last few weeks. Some are bigger than me, some are smaller than me. All in all, realistically, I don’t think I’ll end up winning this challenge. Some of these same women, sadly, have been going through divorces and its done nasty things to their ego’s and bodies. I’ve been so happy that I ate those feelings. They’ve been so down that they cant eat. Both ways, its sad.

All in all, I’ve managed to loose about 12 pounds and keep it off. If I don’t take that lightly because… its 12 pounds! It’s a dress size. It’s a mental victory. It’s something! I will let yall know how it all went down come next Tuesday. I’m not giving up in this last week. I still plan to monitor my diet and work out. I’m hoping for one last good number. An even 15 pound loss would be awesome. But we’ll see. Stay tuned…

~Jenn

Something I hope I never have to do...

All things considered, longevity runs in the blood for my family. I was raised with both sets of Grandparents and even Great Grandparents, and that wasn’t odd to me. Case in point, my husband’s parents were a little older when they got married and had children. Neal didn’t grow up knowing both sets of Grandparents and I’m not even sure he had Great Grandparents living, even at birth. But for me, I was just shy of 28 and had two great grandmothers still living. That’s mostly unheard of these days. (Well, I guess it’s a little more prevalent in the South since a lot of couples got married young and had children right away.)

I’ve watched people very close to me, and some not so close, say their final good-bye’s to loved ones. Some of these are siblings, parents, grandparents and even some are their children. Since High School, I have sung for funerals for my own family members and for other families in the churches I’ve been a member of. Even if I didn’t know the person who died, I’ve watched the grief and sadness they bore during the funeral mass.

Probably the hardest funerals I’ve ever sang for are those mothers who are burying their children. I’ve watched mothers in their 20’s all the way up to their 90’s bury their children. Despite someone burying an infant or burying a 60 year old child, the sadness is always the same. I will never, ever forget the way my Great Grandmother (or Lil’ Granny as we called her) looked when she buried her oldest daughter, my Grandmother (or Grandmama to us cousins.) To this day, her image is in my mind, even when my Grandmama left behind 5 children. It’s intense and something I could never imagine. I guess until I have children, its something I’ll never fully understand.

The closest thing I could imagine is losing my husband, Neal, or my mother – two of the closest people to me in the world. I know death is inevitable, but it doesn’t mean that I cant wish it wont ever happen to those around me. So it’s ambitious and probably naive, but that is one thing I hope I never have to do.

Gobble, Gobble THIS!

So I’ve been MIA the last week because of the long Thanksgiving break. You know, its times like this where I question WHY the f my office decided to have its Biggest Loser Weight-Loss challenge during the Holidays?! It’s really hard to enjoy the Holidays (food) when you’re dieting. And Id be lying my fat ass off if I said I’ve been perfect when it comes to my nutrition. I’ve never met a potato that I didn’t like, and Thanksgiving is perfect for that. I indulged in both the potato and the sweet potato. Multiple times. And never looked back.

To top it all off, we traveled to Atlanta this weekend to celebrate my cousin Emily’s wedding AND our own first wedding anniversary. Now you know there’s some food to be had between the two. My favorite of the weekend? A big, fat, greasy cheeseburger from The Vortex ( www.thevortexbarandgrill.com ) in Midtown Atlanta. Oh yeah, and sweet potato fries. (Did I mention I LOVE sweet potatoes?!)

Tomorrow will be the true test of how naughty I’ve been. It, once again, is weigh-in day. I’ve tried to talk the challenge administrator into a “buy week.” No suck luck. So who knows? I’ll be in a Spin class tonight with my college roommate, Lindsey, and I may visit the sauna, too. But either way, I’m dreading tomorrow. *sigh*  So here goes…

"Something you hope to do in your life"

Some girls, when they are young, dream of being a mother. From a very young age, they are encouraged to play with dolls - coddle them like they were there very own, “feed” them, dress them, name them.  I think some women are born with a natural, maternal instinct.

When I was a child, I had my fair share of dolls, but I did best at making sure they were clean and put away in an organized fashion. They were used as a tool for me to sharpen my OCD skills that would later serve me very well in life. I would sing to these dolls, all in an effort to hone in on my musical abilities. I even had dolls that had anatomically correct private parts. True story. They were newborn twins, a boy and girl. The little boy had little boy parts and the girl had little girl parts. Again, a tool to sharpen my intelligence. While they were funny to show my more sheltered friends, I never really cared to “mother” them.

I had friends in High Schools whose life goals were to become mothers. I dreamt of a career and a husband, but not necessarily “off-spring.” Now, some 20 years later, I come upon my first anniversary or wedded bliss. While having children was never a priority for me, that all changed when I met a man that I couldn’t imagine NOT having a family with.

Neal was born to be a father. When I see how he responds to babies and children, THAT is when I start to get this maternal instinct. It may have come much later in life for me than others, but I look forward to having lil’ Catholic babies with Neal. (Hopefully with his big blue eyes and chubby cheeks.) Making me his wife was the proudest moment I’ve ever had, and one day, when the time is right, I hope to make him a proud father.

And that is what I hope to do in life…

~Jenn

I love me!

List of 30 things, item #2: Something you love about yourself

I know myself…

From birth, I’ve been a head-strong kind of girl. And while one might think that could be a bad thing, I actually embrace it. I’ve always had a strong sense of self and confidence. Most of the time, it has served me well in life. I owe that to several influences, mostly my mom followed closely by a few other family members, the army, Girl Scouts, my faith and a few close friends.

I’ve always known what I want out of life and fought to get it. For example, part of why I think Neal and I have had a successful year and hopefully a lifelong, blissful marriage, is because of this spoken (and unspoken) confidence.

It was important for me to set goals for myself and most importantly, achieve them. I wanted an education, and I got it. I wanted to live on my own, so I packed up everything I owned and moved to downtown Atlanta where I didn’t know a soul within a 40 mile radius. I wanted to be a ruthless business woman, so I networked and found the ideal job in Hospitality. When I decided I had had enough of Atlanta and its shenanigans, I moved back to Nashville where I again, found another great job with Nissan’s corporate headquarters. I lived on my own and depended on no one to support me. In the time where I was ramen noodles, I knew that I provided that meal and that I didn’t need mom and dad to shell out for their adult child.

I knew what I wanted, and I made it happen.

When I decided that single life had become as fulfilling as possible, I decided to pray to find a cute Catholic boy to join me in this great thing called life. I didn’t want to settle for just any man. I wanted a man that could love me for all my quirks. I wanted to marry a man for a lifetime. I didn’t just want a fun party of a wedding. I wanted a lifelong partner to love and support me… the fun party of a wedding was just an added bonus. J

I’m not saying everything was easy along the way, but I am eternally grateful for the many blessings God has given me. I asked and He gave when I needed them most. I love where I am in my life and I couldn’t have asked for a better path.

~Jenn

Tuesday, Tuesday....

The body is a strange thing, I tell you. Last week was disastrous diet wise. I seriously ate cake for breakfast one day. Like, that bad. But like my mom says, sometimes you have to shock a dieting body. And I guess that worked because I weighed in again this morning and… *shocker!*… I was down another 1.4 pounds. That was the grace of lil’ baby Jesus, I say. Not sure how I pulled it out, but I guess I’m doing something right.

To catch you up to where I am, today marked the 6^th weigh-in. I’m right at 12 pounds lost, which is a healthy average of 2 pounds a week. I have 4 more weeks of weigh-in torture left and I’m aiming for 2 more pounds a week to put me at my 20 pound goal. It’s doable, but as we all know, a brined turkey and sweet potatoes are calling my name. My goal is to work my ass off (literally) this week and pull a big number to make up for next week’s luming Holiday. We’ll see how that works out. All I know is that Im thrilled with my weight loss. Hott ass here I come!

~Jenn

Ta-da Tuesday!

Well, another weigh-in day has come and gone. I lost 1.6 pounds this week, which put me at a loss of 10.6 pounds lost since we started this Biggest Loser Challenge a month ago.

I checked with he administrator of the challenge and she said I’m above and beyond anyone else in the challenge, so that was good news to my ears for sure! I know I could do even better if I stayed 100% committed. I tend to lapse every now and then food wise, BUT I have not slacked off in the gym, which I think it helping.

I’m going to be working extra hard the next few weeks because Thanksgiving is just around the corner and we celebrate it twice with my family and Neal’s. My brother, the bearded yhetti, is coming in next week from New Mexico along with his girlfriend, Julia. We’re making plans to go to the Titans game next week AND the Tennessee/ Vandy game, so you know there’s some serious calories to be consumed between tailgating and stadium food. Not to mention, Neal and I will take them around to some restaurants in our area they haven’t tried yet.

But to recap, we have 5 weeks left in the challenge and I still have a 20 pound weight-loss goal. I really have to step it up to meet that goal, so I’m keeping my eye on the prize. A skinner Jenn and one heck of a money pot!!

~Jenn

Facebook needs a "Dislike" button

Okay, so I’m starting the list of 30 things about myself. I’m sure in some demented way it’s connected with weight issues. It always is.

So here goes… Day 1: Something you dislike about yourself.

(Editor’s Note: I deleted “hate” and substituted “dislike.” Call me cliché, I’ll take it.)

I think it goes without saying that I’m writing this blog because my body and I don’t see eye to eye. Am I pretty? Yes. Do I have a smokin’ hott body? Um, yeah, not so much. But the blueprint is there. I’m just chipping away at some of these extra fat cells so I can truly say that I have a smokin’ hott body. Once I get that taken care of, then here are a few physical things that I dislike about myself… my thin hair that never seems to do right. Having extra large feet (size 10), which makes it hard to find cute clearance shoes. I’m knocked-kneed.

Now the not so physical things. And let me pre-face this by saying that these are terrible things about myself, but like all things, it’s all about moderation. I tend to be a little on the bitchy side. It takes a while to forgive things, but I never forget them. I’m judgmental. Most of the time, I think I know what’s best. I’m funny about money.

Writings things you dislike about yourself it hard. Because you never want to own up to some things. But I said that I would do this 30-day challenge and you have to fill in the blanks somewhere.

~Jenn

Abby's Road

I have a friend named Abby, whom I met years back while in college at MTSU. We weren’t necessarily BFF’s, but she was always around and in touch. Since college, I’ve gotten to know her better through adult activities, such as a wedding we were both a part of a year ago. The older we get, the more I like her. The woman is brilliant. She’s a great friend, a devoted wife, and a phenomenal mother. We have similar personalities, which could be disastrous, but we’re mature enough to realize how awesome we are, so, it works. She, too, writes a blog, which I follow. (http://www.pureramblingsfrompegram.blogspot.com/ )She writes about life, motherhood, marriage and thoughts as a young woman. She started her blogging journey by answering a list of 30 things about yourself.

While I intended to write a weight-loss themed blog, sometimes the blogs are hard to come up with AND keep with the theme. Then I got to thinking. The whole idea behind transforming my body, is to have the perfect fit with this ideal life I’m living. I’ve said it before, I’m perfectly content with my life. Sometimes I sit and think about how I couldn’t have prayed to be in a better place. I know there is always growing and learning to do, but I’m thankful that I don’t have…. “baggage.” I don’t live with a dark cloud over my head. I don’t have any damaging secrets in my past. I’m the princess in a storybook love story. All of these amazing things, BUT, I’m just a little chubby.

So, I may be stealing a few ideas from my friend, Abby - starting with this list of 30 things. I’ll blog regularly, answering each of these questions along the way. Because a healthy body starts with a happy heart, and I’m reminded of where I come from and how I got here. And maybe you can know, too…

~Jenn

Tuesday Mornings – Part 4

I had my fourth weigh-in for my weight loss challenge. And… I was down 1.2 lbs! I’ll take it. A loss is a loss. So far, I’ve lost every week (some numbers better than others) which means I haven’t had to pay and that total number just keeps inching up! I’m only tenths away from 10 pounds. Yes!

I’ve stepped up my gym routine by trying the gym at 5:45AM! I went this morning and it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be to roll my chubby ass out of bed. (The thought of 5:30 is way scarier than actually getting up.) To my surprise, the gym was just as crowded at that time of morning as it is at 6:30pm during the week. Except for one difference, the people at the gym at 5:45 seem ultra committed. I deliberately got on an elliptical next to a woman whom reminded me of Jillian from the Biggest Loser. I tried very hard to keep my pace around hers, so not to be embarrassed, and it really seemed to push me.

By 6:45 when I was leaving, all the toned, beautiful Hendersonvillians had moved out and the wrinkley white hairs had moved it. Seriously, I’m guessing the median age at 7am at the YMCA to be about 69. (Hehe.) Most of them just mosey around, drinking coffee while watching the news on the TV’s. It seems like it’s more of a social scene for them as opposed to a work out. Except for the pool area. That’s the best gathering area for the old folks. But, at least they’re there!

So another weigh-in has come and gone. I’m really hoping to get into double digits with my weigh-in next week and really hoping for the day that I can actually see and feel the difference that I’m trying to make. Size 8, here I come! J

~Jenn

Good little girls

Every year it’s a surprise to me that Christmas is around the corner. I swear it was just yesterday that I looked at my calendar in June and thought “Oh wow, Christmas is just 6 months away!” And now look. Halloween is this weekend and it’s just a free fall of Holidays for the next 6 weeks.

Does this ever happen to you?

Throughout the year you come across items that you’d think you’d like to have, but YOU don’t want to pay for it? So you remind yourself to tell mom/dad/husband/wife/etc that it would be a nice thought as a Christmas gift? And then that fleeting thought disappears and November rolls around and you can’t think of one thing that you’d like? Yes, that’s me too every year. But this year, I have a grown-up toy that I’d like. 

bodybugg in zebra print

Its the bodybugg® and is featured on The Biggest Loser. It’s a pricey lil’ widget coming in at $175 or so. (Eeeeek!) Buts its the best of the best when it comes to determining the science of calorie burning by person. I find it hard to trust what these elliptical machines say, so this is a sure fire way of understanding the amount of work I do at the gym and how that will play into my weight loss journey.

Now $175 is a lot of money for a Christmas present, so I may have to lump it into a Christmas/Birthday (ahem… February 6^th!) gift. But the cheesy (fat-free cheese) part of me thinks that my health is… wait for it… priceless. So whats $175 when you have a smoking hott body!?

I’m glad you agree.

~Jenn

Read more about the bodybugg®  http://www.24hourfitness.com/training/bodybugg/

Halloween scares me!

I have two true loves… my husband Neal and a quiet, though fiery, love affair with chocolate.

With Halloween approaching, I am having that second love shoved in my face on a daily basis. Every vendor at work seeking more business brings in baskets of candy, each one trying to out do the other. At first, some would bring in hard candies. You know… mints, caramels, etc. I have no problem passing that up. But the vendors who really care about our business bring out the big guns… for instance, Hershey’s, Snickers, Butterfingers and my two favorites – Reece’s Cups and Dove chocolates (preferably in dark chocolate.)  

There is candy everywhere I look. In the Kitchen, where I refill my 32 oz. water bottle often. In the Tech room, conveniently next to fax machine. At the front desk where I drop by often to chat with Judy, the New Orleans native, "mom" of the office who asks me every Monday if I went to mass, like every good Catholic mother should. And Sally, the red headed “tell-it-like-it-is” Grandmother and receptionist from Detroit.

I’m just waiting for them to put a lil’ bowl by the bathroom sink as an incentive to wash your hands.

It makes me a nervous wreck, but so far, so good. I haven’t had one piece of candy since I started my weight loss journey almost 3 weeks ago. But the real task is making it through Halloween next weekend.

Our Halloween ritual for the past 3 years has been to meet at my in-laws house who live in an established family-neighborhood in Hendersonville. “Ballentrae” is known for having the best candy in the city. This year is no different.

(Sidenote: If you’re like me who grew up in the ghettos of Clarksville, you NEVER Trick-or-Treated in your own neighborhood. Hells no. We loaded up and drove out to Sango to beat on the doors of the rich folks. Everyone knows they give the best candy.)

Ballentrae does a wonderful job at making it a festival of sorts for the night. Most people bundle up and sit outside with a fire pit in front of them to watch all the babies go door to door. There is someone who pulls a hay ride up and down the streets. It’s an event.

My in-laws, like every abiding homeowner in that community, buy the good shit. (If not, egging ensues.) There’s no telling how much money they spend on candy for Halloween. And like a respectful daughter-in-law, I do not come empty handed. But I do come prepared. My attack plan this year is to buy candy I KNOW I won’t eat, not even when I’m desperate. (Sweet tarts, anything with caramel or malt, suckers, or anything strawberry/raspberry/lemon/orange flavored.

I’m realistic, though. I know it’s not practical to make it through that night with a lil’ sumthin sumthin. So maybe instead of 6 Reece’s cups, I’ll make it 2. (Small ones, mind you.) And later that night, if I’m really good, I’ll just treat myself to a lil’ cup of Neal instead.

Oooo yeah…. ;)

Halloween 2009. I was a leopard. He was a...??

You bite it? You write it.

One of the biggest things I learned at Weight Watchers (WW) was to write down everything you eat. Sometimes putting that proof on paper can be a real eye opener as to what you’re really consuming on a daily basis. Often times, I think people don’t even realize how much their eating.

A lot of restaurants are making calorie and fat counts really easy, by putting it on their menus. When I didn’t care what I was eating, it used to infuriate me that they did this. And I know why. Because when you don’t see the nutritional info of what you’re eating, subconsciously, it’s like it doesn’t count. But when you consider your order of a cheeseburger and fries and then see that the yummy meal will be a whopping 900+ calories, then you’re more likely to rethink your choice.

Case in point….

The husband and I had Panera for lunch over the weekend and Panera has calorie counts on EVERYTHING now! I went through a ½ soup ½ sandwich or salad phase when I worked in downtown Nashville. After some quick math I figured out that I was consuming almost 1,000 calories with creamy soups, cheesy sandwiches and the half a damn baguette they give you. With the calorie counts now, it makes it much easier to make better choices.

Yesterday I had the same deal of a  ½ soup and ½ salad meal, but this time I went with a broth based soup and a salad with light dressing and I came it at 400 calories. And I was satisfied.

My husband, whom I love and adore and am sorry for picking on, chose a full sandwich and subbed a bagel and cream cheese for his side. His whopping meal came in at 1,250 calories. OUCH!

So I’m choosing restaurants that encourage me to make better choices. Eating out and dieting can still be done and we’re given every tool to make better decisions about what we’re putting into our bodies.

So next time before you bite it, think about it.

~ Jenn

A pretty face

If there’s one thing a fat chick doesn’t want to hear its, “she has a pretty face.” We all know what that means. It’s the exact opposite of “Butter Face.” For those of you unfamiliar with this term, then go look it up on urbandictionary.com. For those of you who refuse to, due to laziness, then fine, I’ll just tell you.

Butter Face (n.) A homonym that sounds like "but her face." I.E. - To call a woman a "butter face" is to say her body is very sexy, but her face is fugly.

Sidenote: “Fugly” – That’s a good one to look up, too.

By the way, if you’re a parent of teenager, then you may want to bookmark Urban Dictionary because it’ll come in handy at some point. You’ll stay on it all night typing in phrases uttered from the mouth of your hormonal teenager, and maybe one day you’ll be called a MILF, maybe even a GILF, and all will be right with the world.

Anyways, getting back on track. When someone tells you that you have a pretty face, then its time to get on a diet. Because that’s someone’s passive aggressive way of telling you that, yes, while you do have a pretty face, your body needs some work.

And this is my goal.

I don’t want to just be that chubby girl with a pretty face. (And a nice rack, might I add.) I want the whole package. And that’s what I’m working towards. And whether or not I reach my ultimate goal, I always have this to hold on to…

‘Tis better to be the fat girl with a pretty face than to be a Butter Face any day. ‘Cuz you can’t change ugly. Well, without a hefty price tag.   

~ Jenn

Tuesday Mornings

As I’ve mentioned, the work weigh-in for the Biggest Loser Challenge is every Tuesday morning. It’s an exciting time, yet a dreaded event in the same sense. I would love to check my blood pressure as I inch closer to the scale, because I can literally feel the blood pumping through my veins. I get very nervous because I know the work I’ve done throughout the last week. I know my calorie counts and I know the effort I’ve put in at the gym. Its just a matter of my body agreeing.

With a weigh-in last week of 7.2, I was even more nervous this week. I know 7.2 is excessive. The pessimist side of me was saying “its just water weight. Next week will really show.” The shyer, more optimistic side of me says, “Way to go fat girl! That’s a pound a day!”

Today weigh-in was a measly .2 pounds less. But a loss is a loss and I’ll take it. For a 2 weeks period, I’ve lost nearly 7 ½ pounds which is still a great number.

I still have some changes to make on my diet and this week I’m entering in strength training into my gym routine. Hopefully my body has adjusted to this sudden change in diet and exercise and it will really pay off next week.

I don’t want to shoot myself in the foot, but I’m hoping to make it an even 10 pound loss by next Tuesday. We’ll see. Stay tuned.

~ Jenn

FALLin’ for exercise…

For those of you living in middle Tennesse, you know that this Summer was brutal, and now Fall has been a big tease! One day we have highs in the low 70’s and then last few days we’re back in the mid-80’s. It’s ridiculous. I’m ready for Summer to see its way out, because I don’t like sweating. Well, “glistening,” because Southern women don’t sweat.  

While I’ve been complaining of the recent heat wave, some days have been really nice. By sun set, it’s even more comfortable, and that’s made outside activities a little more enjoyable.

In the recent weeks, my husband has been working a few more day shifts and so we’ve had our evenings together. If you dont know him, Neal is a very active guy. He’s also very creative. These two attributes have given us outlets to try new sports and activities, and most of them are FREE, which is even better.

In the last few weeks, we’ve tried our hand at disc golf. Hendersonville has Saundersville Park with 18 holes of disc golf, so we stopped by our local disc golf shop and bought used discs ($3 each) and headed down to the park. It’s a beautiful park surrounded on one side by Old Hickory Lake and tons of mature trees everywhere. We played about 15 holes of disc golf until we got to one where you had to throw the disc across a portion of the lake. Needless to say, one amateur, who shall remain nameless, lost us $3 and one beautiful purple disc.

We’ve also picked up tennis. (Some better than others.) And my recent favorite, plain ole’ Frisbee throwing. It doesn’t sound like much exercise, so we make it into that. We do drills, long runs, jumps, etc. It’s a great workout!

Over the weekend, I tried my first corn maze. It was awesome! We went at 7pm, so we bundled up and brought flashlights. Shuckle’s Corn Maze (http://www.shucklescornmaze.com/) is a 6 acre maze in Hendersonville. They’ve added on to the activities over the years with games, hay rides, concessions, etc. We went with an intention to not only have fun, but to MOVE too! We walked the maze for over and hour, until we got to the end. I really wish I had worn my pedometer, because there’s no telling how many miles we walked.

Jenn & Neal at Shuckle's Corn Maze... just being corny!

If you’ve never been to a corn maze, then you should definitely try it out! Its great family fun and you work out without even noticing it. So grab a partner and head out to your local corn maze for a lil' Fall fun and maybe even a little exercise, too!

~Jenn

I can cook a mean bowl of cereal!

Probably my biggest downfall of being a wife is that I cant/don’t cook. I mean, I keep our married life “spicy,” if you know what I mean, it just ain’t in the kitchen. (And that’s probably why my husband doesn’t complain much.) TMI? Mmm, perhaps.

When we registered for our wedding, the thought of kitchen utensils and appliances overwhelmed me. Half of the stuff we registered for was forced upon me by my mother because she insisted that I can and will cook.  Mr. Harris and I will celebrate our one year wedding anniversary on November 28^th, and almost a year later, half of those shiny Kitchen items are packed neatly in the Kitchen. Some are still in their boxes with a shiny hope of one day living the life of a true Kitchen basic.  I’m not worrying much about it until those chubby-cheeked Catholic babies come along.

I say that, but I do have a silent longing to be at least a decent cook. My mom is one of the best cooks I’ve ever known. She knows recipes by heart and they taste just as good years later. She can take 4 ingredients, and under pressure, create a masterpiece.

My Grandmal (that’s how I spell it) is a true, Southern, cook. Gravy, salt and all. And I love it. She has concocted my most favorite meal of all time…

- Baked Steak with home-made brown gravy (with lil’ pieces of remaining beef.)

- Homemade mashed potatoes. (Not runny, not too lumpy.)

- Something green I put on my plate for good measure.

- Sister Schubert rolls (because none compare)

- Real sweet tea, extra sweet.

- And for dessert, cranberry-apple pie with home-made crusts served with freshly made ice cream.

O….M….G. DELISH! I’m almost salivating as I write this.

And me? Well, I can cook up one mean bowl of cereal. Milk and all, baby! Sometimes I like to mix it up by adding… *gasp * frozen blueberries!

But this is a goal of mine. To be come a better cook. It’s not easy with a husband that works evenings, and me working till 5:30 every day. But I’m working on it. Starting with this crock pot. I’ve been given lots of “easy” recipes to try with minimal amounts of touching raw meats. (The thought of raw chicken makes me vomit in my mouth a lil.) I’ve tried a few of said recipes and so far, so good. But now comes the worry of cooking great meals that are good for you, too.  And that’s easier said then done.

You’re probably wondering how this ties in with my weight-loss journey. Well, simple enough, a sista’s gots to eat! That’s how!

~Jenn

Shake! Shake Shake! Shake yo booty!

Who doesn’t like to shake their booty every now and then? Even if you refuse to do it in public, you can’t fool me, I know you do it at home.

Did you know that 96.4%* of Americans dance naked in front of their mirror? I believe it. I’ve been doing it since I knew what naked was. (Or nekked as we say in the South.) I used to dance naked around my house, until my neighbors started sending the HOA letters and they made me go back inside. But I digress.

For people who aren’t afraid to shake their booty’s, then there’s a work out just for you! It’s called ZUMBA! By now, most of you have tried it, or at the very least have heard of it. But every now and then I’m surprised that when I mention it, people ask what it is.

I guess by definition, Zumba is a Latin infused dance fitness class. There’s a lil rumba, salsa, cha-cha, reggae, and more. I’ve tried it all over the mid-state and I’ve had several different teachers, and no teacher’s style is the same. Some are strictly Latin songs, some combine it with hip-hop. (Pitbull is a recent favorite of some!) Zumba has become widely popular these days and has a booming retail business. (FYI – if you ever want to order any Zumba ensemble, order bigger than you normally wear. My fat ass learned the hard way.)

The great thing about the growing popularity of Zumba is that everyone can do it now. Personally, my favorite class is the Wednesday night class at the Hendersonville Y, taught by Jamie. We’ve been appropriately named the “Wednesday Nasties” because we get nas-tay, hey hey! There are teens, middle aged women, seniors, and yes, even men. They always stand in the back because they “don’t want to be seen.” I think we know what this means. They get the best view from the back. The men who aren’t brave enough to attend just gawk through the windows. I’m not sure which is worse.

It goes without saying that this ain’t yo Grandma’s fitness class!

We get down! We bump. We grind. We get nasty. All the Y. Who would have imagined?! It’s a cardio-packed hour and when you leave, you feel like you’ve really worked out. I kind of forget that I’m even exercising when I Zumba, because I like to booty dance at home for fun.

So check your local Y, gym, and even churches! It takes a class or two to get the hang of it, so bring a friend if it makes you feel better. But the most important part is that you MOVE! And if dancing makes that time go by faster, then this is the perfect fit for you!

~Jenn

*Did you know that 47.9% of statistics are made up?

But how, Jenn?!

Okay, several of yall have asked how I’m trying to win this battle of the bulge. Well, I’m starting small and within reason.

A few weeks ago, I started visiting my friendly gym more often than I was. I had been going to my regular Wednesday Zumba class, but I started spreading out my scope of gym activities. I’ve tried a spin class, which is a literal pain in my ass. I’ve also tried a Sports Conditioning class which involves a lot of running, squats, push-ups and the like.

I like classes because I’m less likely to leave in the middle of one if I’m tired. It keeps me accountable to stay the full hour. It also helps that I have a gym buddy, Lindsey. I know if she’s going, then I’m more likely to go because I don’t want her to judge me. J

Last week, I picked up the elliptical machine. That machine helped me to lose my college weight several years back. It’s hard to stay on it for the 45 minutes to an hour, so I strategically plan when I go. I try to go when one of my favorite 1-hour shows are on. Like most gyms these days, ours has private TVs at every cardio machine. I plug in my lil’ head set and watch. During commercials, I change to a selective work-out playlist on my iPod and really step up my intensity. Then when the show returns, I continue watching.

The diet part, honestly, has been the hardest part. Like I mentioned before, my adoring husband loves to eat. And one of these days when I meet lil’ baby Jesus, I’m going to ask him why he forgot to give me a metabolism like Neal’s, or any of those skinny biotches I’ve known along the way. (No offense, if you’re a naturally skinny biotch reading this. Much Love!)

But last week, I dramatically changed my eating habits. I still eat out with Neal, but I’ve swapped my chicken McNuggets to chicken salads. My tuna subs to turkey subs. Full flavored dressings to lite. I’ve completely taken out fried foods, even though the smell of fries is music to my thighs! I’m trying to eat more fresh foods such as veggies and fruits. My favorite fast-food place is Wendy’s because I adore their apple chicken pecan salad. Pair that with a tater, and it’s a fine meal!

All these small changes, I feel, will bring great results, with time. And that’s probably the hardest, in reality. Knowing that I won’t wake up and miraculously put on size 6 next week. I’ve seen several friends starve themselves, try these low-carb diets, and some inject themselves with God knows what. (Horse urine and human growth hormones, for one. Yes, you heard me right. Horse piss!) But what I know works is exercise, eating right and most of all patience.

I leave you with this.

One of my favorite parts of the gym is when I leave it. Honestly. I don’t like sweating. I’d rather be on the couch catching up with my DVR. But when I leave the Y, I know that I’ve done something to help myself.

The YMCA, where I attend, has this basket of “Vitamins for the Soul.” It’s a basket of tiny slips with paper with printed bible verses or appropriate quotes. I grab one every time, and I swear, in that little piece of colored paper, God speaks to me.

“Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.” Romans 12:12

I think that says it all.

~Jenn

The verdict is in...

Well, I had my first official weigh-in this morning and after one week, I lost… (drumroll please)….. 7.2 pounds!!!!

Holy sweet Mother of God! I am praising the lil’ baby Jesus!

Let me tell you, the thought of weighing in has plagued my mind for days. I dreamt about it several times and every time I put food to my mouth, the thought of that scale was staring me in my chubby face. I just prayed that I would at least loose something, so I could keep myself motivated to take this challenge seriously. So needless to say, I am thrilled with this start!

Like I mentioned before, I am a fan of NBC’s Biggest Loser show. If you watch it, then you know that contestants always lose an exorbitant amount of weight after the first week. Realistically, I know 7.2 will not be a reoccurring number, but that puts me half-way to my goal of 15 pounds in 10 weeks. I think it’s safe to bump that number up a bit. So I am now aiming for a goal of 20 pounds by the end of this challenge. They say the healthy weight loss per week is 2 pounds. With 9 weeks remaining and already 7.2 pounds down, it’s completely doable. (That’s what he said.)

Before we part ways, I just want to say THANK YOU to those that have sent me nice words of encouragement and have commented on my blog and Facebook statuses. Your support is very much appreciated. For anyone who has ever struggled with weight, it’s never an easy road. But through outlets such as Facebook, texts, emails, etc, it makes the journey that much better knowing you have friends and family on your side. So for that, I think yall!

~Jenn

The Biggest Loser

So you may wonder what I’m doing differently to win this weight loss journey.

Well, last Tuesday, my office decided to start a version of its own “Biggest Loser.” Being a fan of the show, I thought this could be the accountability to lose weight that I was looking for. So I joined.

Here are the rules…

- Its $10 up front to join the 10-week challenge.

- You weigh in every Tuesday morning.

- If you maintain or lose, great! If you gain .2 (increments of the work scale) or more, you pay $2. If you decide not to weigh in, you pay $2.

- All these funds are kept in a pot. The weights are monitored by one person only who has been sworn to secrecy or a beating shall ensue. At the end of the challenge, the person with the greatest percent of weight loss wins the entire pot.

Last year, the pot was over $300. We’re hoping to have a similar amount this year.

My short-term goal for the duration of the challenge is to lose 15 pounds. Anything more is a bonus. My long-term goal is to lose 50 pounds. That seems like a lot when I actually put it in writing, but considering my voluptuous (and quite busty, might I add) build, its completely reasonable.

I’m using this work challenge as my “Weight Watchers” type of program. I’ve had great success with WW in the past. After I graduated from college in 2004, I joined WW in Atlanta and lost 30 pounds. It felt like it just fell off. Now, I’m finding it’s a lot harder to lose. Being close to 30 might have something to do with it, but I think having a husband with the metabolism of a high school track runner and who loves to eat, is what really makes it hard. Love has done some funny things to my body.

In Atlanta, it was just me. I worked a lot and came home to myself. And this cat. Who wasn’t very supportive. (A high-five every now and then would’ve been nice. It’s the least she could have done since I fed her fat ass every day.) I worked in a luxury hotel in Buckhead and I walked my ass off (literally) every day. I wore a pedometer and on one of my busiest days, I walked the equivalent of a marathon. After a long day, I would come home, head back to the gym and then back to my cozy apartment where my cat would seemingly mock me as I microwaved a Lean Cuisine. I didn’t have a lot of friends and my boyfriend at the time was two states away. I had no one to answer to except for the inner skinny girl calling to me.

Now 6 years later, I’m in the best place of my life. I have a truly supportive husband who makes me fall more in love with him every day. I have a job that came out of no where, that is a perfect fit for me. I live in a beautiful city that I adore. We have THE life – a loving family, a house with two spare rooms that one day we want to fill with beautiful, Irish, chubby cheeked babies and a Goldendoodle. To start.

So here’s to weight loss. Because you have to start somewhere.

~Jenn

Come one, come all...

Back when Myspace was cool, I blogged like it was going out of style. Years later, I don’t have the Myspace account anymore, but I did save my blogs. Looking back, most were just ramblings of a passive aggressive 20-something finding her way in love and life. It’s really interesting to watch my growth over the years of writing. I went from a recent college grad, living alone in Atlanta, to a slave of the corporate world back in middle Tennessee. My love life had its ups and downs, but through it all, I found blogging to be a cathartic way of working through some of that angst in a creative, witty and yes, sometimes, bitchy way.

So here I am. Years later. Facebook is now my vice. The love life is perfect in every way. No more angst, but still passive-aggressive with an occasional bitchy side. (I think we all have our days.) I’ve gone from worrying about career choices to bigger decisions as a married unit. But one thing remains – a desire to be a healthier, fit Jenn.

Hence the start of this blog.

Years back, I attended a Catholic women’s conference with my mom. The speaker that year said something that I have saved in the back of my day planner and refer to every now and then.

         “God’s Dream for me is to become a better version of myself.”

It struck me, because while I have grown intensely content with my life, I know there is always something that could use a little more... shine. So now I’m focusing on my journey of weight-loss with an overall desire to become more fit and healthy.

So here's to brushing off my dusty blogging skills, to document this journey that will hopefully lead me to a brighter better version of myself….