Even though we are in week 4, this is only our 3rd update, as our beginning entry post does not count as an update.  Another somewhat frustrating week for Patti and I.  Patti lost another 2 pounds and I lost another 1 pound.  We are both at 9 pounds total lost so far.  It is coming off sooooooooo slowwwwwly!  As we said in last weeks post, it at least is coming off.  We both think it is because we have a really hard time getting in all of our water.  So, we both have committed to working harder at drinking the required amount this week.

Crazy stuff with Biggest Loser last night.  My money is on Jillian and the NEW Black Team.  I think Jillian will motivate, push and educate them into really awesome losers.  We can hardly wait for next weeks show to see what happens next.

I visited Scott and LeRoy's site earlier and I loved their story about using safety pins by Biggest Loser challengers as a way to motivate yourself and to identify with other Biggest Losers.  I don't want to take away from their site and story, so you should visit it (click on their names for a hyperlink) and read the blog yourself or go to the originator's site of the Safety Pin Secret Symbol, Joe & Melonie(http://nomoreexcuses4us.spaces.live.com).  What I would like to do is help further their great idea by posting about it here and trying to get as many people on board as possible. If you like the idea, please pass it on, but don't forget to give credit to the originators, Joe & Melonie.  One more thought!  If you are going to wear a pin why not post a photo of a safety pin on your site as a symbol of your participation?  

 I almost always use Amy's Organic Soups as my base.  Amy's soups are either fat free or incredibly low fat.  You generally find them in the Health or Natural Food sections of grocery stores.  They are very low in sodium as well.  You can check out their web site at Amy's Kitchen.  They have all sorts of organic food.  If you are doing Weight Watchers, Amy's is one of the brands you can have.  I shop at Woodman's here in North Central Illinois and they have a very large selection of Amy's products.

     Back to the soup recipe.  Buy 2-3 cans of your favorite soup.  Mine is either Black Bean or Split Pea.  Brown 1lb of lean, ground turkey in 1Tblsp of olive oil in a large soup pot.  You can use any kind of meat you want or no meat at all.  Once your meat is brown add your soup, about 1 cup of low sodium, 99% fat free chicken broth (or vegetable broth), one whole bag of your favorite frozen vegetables and season with a no-salt seasoning like Mrs. Dash.  Heat to a low boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes and serve.  Using 2 cans of soup this recipe makes 6-8 servings of around 1.5 cups each.  Using 3 cans keeps the soup slightly less thick and retains more of the original flavor of the soup base, which is really a good thing with the Southwestern Roasted Vegetables Soup (which I don't add extra vegetables to, just the meat).  Have a small side salad and maybe 4 or 5 whole wheat crackers and you have a very nice, easy meal that is healthy, low fat and filling.

     Here is a quick recipe for one of my favorite deserts.  Buy a small container of Splenda sweetened, frozen strawberries and a small container of fat free Cool Whip.  Thaw your strawberries but keep them as cold as you can, gently blend about 1/2 cup of the strawberries with 1.5 - 2 cups of the Cool Whip, spoon into desert cups and chill for 15 to 20 minutes.  You will get 4-5, 1/2 cup servings of a great Strawberry Mouse.  Light and refreshing and quilt free.  You could garnish the tops with some fresh strawberries & a sprig of mint if you wanted to dress them up a bit.  Don't blend your strawberries & Cool Whip too soon, as the juices from the strawberries will settle and make your mouse watery.  So don't make more then you are going to eat within 30 minutes.

     A really neat thing happened to me today.  I have a part-time job as a rural letter carrier for the US Post Office.  Today I stopped to answer some questions a male customer had regarding his mail.  When I had finished answering his questions he says "Thanks, you have been very friendly and helpful and VERY NICE TO LOOK AT as well".  I am 57 years old and overweight.  I can't remember the last time any man has paid me such a nice compliment.  Needless to say, he made my day.  I also noticed that I had to keep pulling my jeans up today as they are getting loose enough that they are settling lower on my waist then I am used to.  Maybe next week I can drop down a size.  WooooooHooooo!

THANKS MSN AND BIGGEST LOSER FOR MOTIVATING US TO REALLY KICK OUR WEIGHT LOSE INTO HIGH GEAR THIS YEAR. 

Last week was a crazy week for Patti and I.  But first, the good news!  Patti lost 3

pounds last week for a total weight loss of 7 pounds since 1/04/08.  Susan (that

 would be me) only lost one pound last week.  My total weight loss since begin-

ning on 1/01/08 has been 8 pounds.  We are happy with ANY NUMBER lower then

our last weigh-in, no matter how small.  We are going down and that is all that

matters.  Patti and I continue to keep daily food journals.  Doing this really helps

because we see everything that we have eaten and all of the calories it equals,

not to mention the sodium and carbohydrates.  It is much easier to make adjust-

ments to our daily intake when we can see where we have been.   The exercising

is getting more difficult as we increase the number of repetitions or length of our

workouts.  Then there are the daily phone calls to each other comparing our work-

outs and what we ate, trying to out do each other and laughing about it.  We talk

about winning the contest and how much it would mean to us.  We talk about how

much better we know we are going to feel and look once we hit our goal weights.

And we compare how much better we are already beginning to feel.  Both of us

notice a distinct loosening of our cloths, especially our jeans at the waist.  It is a

great feeling!

Our crazy week just had to do with things that happened at work with bosses and

the weather.  Nothing we can do about either one except tolerate it until it gets better.

And honestly, the weather will improve before the bosses do!  

A quick update!  I weighed-in on Sunday and Patti weighed-in on Monday.  We both lost 2 pounds during the last 7 days.  We are both satisfied with this and only hope that we can continue to lose at least 2 pounds every week.  What has worked for me so far is to reduce the amount of food I am consuming, basically cutting everything in half and then just making better choices of what I do eat.  Still gotta have my chocolate though (dark is the best).  Instead of eating half a bag or box now I eat just one or two pieces, taking small nibbles and holding the chocolate in my mouth until it melts to savor the flavor.  This makes those one or two pieces last much longer and I feel satisfied without the guilt.  Patti is counting calories and basically does the same thing with her small treats as I do with my chocolate.  We have increased the type and the amount of exercise we are getting.  I am using my exercise bike, taking daily walks (weather permitting), and doing various cardio exercises.  When I lay on the floor to do tummy crunches or leg lifts my three little dogs think I am playing with them and they jump all over me and try licking my face.  Patti does an exercise bike and her treadmill.  We both keep daily food journals.  We want to kick it up a notch every week by adding more exercises or duration and fine tuning our food consumption by reviewing our food journals and seeing where we can make improvements.  I still think my biggest challenge at this point is remaining creative with the whole blogging aspect of this competition.  I see other Live Spaces that are way cool and so much more technically advanced then mine.  It is easy to be very humble with what I have so far been able to produce.  I have spent a lot of time looking for fresh ideas and experimenting with various soft-ware to see what works for me and what doesn't.  I hope the judges will take into consideration a persons ability to be creative within their limitations (ie., knowledge, budget, and time).

Meet the Mo-Do Team

   I'm Susan                        and                                 I'm Patti

We are from Rockford, Illinois.  We are very excited to be part of the Million Pound Match-Up.

Our combined weight loss goal for the next 12 months is 160 pounds.  My personal goal is

100 pounds and Patti's personal goal is 60 pounds.  We have already started our weight loss

journey and are looking forward to our end results.

Why, How and Win

Why does anyone want to lose weight?  To look and feel better.  To improve the quality of

your life.  To be happy and healthy for yourself and for your family and friends.  Patti and I

are huge fans of the "Biggest Loser" show and we have thoroughly enjoyed watching the

transformation of the contestants.  It never ceases to amaze us how weight loss has

drastically improved everyone's physical health as well as their mental health.  We are

sincerely motivated by the extraordinary accomplishments of all of the contestants and we

dream of similar results for ourselves.

Our strategy to lose our goal weight is a simple one.  Eat smart, keep a daily food log,

exercise daily, set small, weekly goals so we are not overwhelmed by our huge total

goals, and support one another in what ever way is required to be successful.  Oh Yeah,

and have FUN!

We deserve to win the Million Pound Match-Up!  I want to give this gift to my sister.  Patti

works seven days a week.  Some of her days are 15+ hours long. She is a very giving person

who always puts herself last.  She is the type who always goes well beyond what is expected

of her in her job and in her relationships and she has done a tremendous amount for me.

More then anything I would love to share winning with her to give back a little of what she has

given to me.  Losing the weight and winning this contest would be a dream come true for us.

It would be a time just for us.  Something we rarely have.  But best of all, we get to do it

together.