how it was easy for us

We started out with a vengence. We were going to lose weight and we were going to lose it NOW!!! Actually, I don't think the two of us thought we'd lose all that much all that quickly, but at our first weigh in after the first week of our working out (we'd weigh in Monday mornings prior to going hiking...or eating anything) Kev had lost 4 lbs and I had already lost 3lbs. Granted it was mostly water weight, but that was all it took for us to get our grove on.

A basic week of exercise looked like this for me:
Sun- Yoga
Mon- hike with Kev and Josie (usually around 5 miles every week)
Tues- weights (a great routine found in Glamour magazine...more about it and serendipity later)
Wed- Billy Blanks and Tai Bo (I love to hate this man)
Thurs- weights
Fri- cardio (from on demand cable)
Sat- night off

A normal meal for a day would be

Breakfast: half a wheat bagel with a small amount of peanut butter and a small bowl of Smart Start cereal OR a banana.

Lunch: Ham sandwich with no mayo, baked chips

Snack: granola bar or fruit

Dinner: Fish or chicken grilled, potatoes, zuchinni grilled

Dessert: if I had something it was usually about 5 m & m's

Dinner was different each day, but roughly the same idea. I would work out when I got home (still am, but now it's more walking the dog) and then I would eat afterwards.

I've slacked off a small amount of the work outs (had started reining back during the comp really) but will start going to Shannon's "gym" to lift some weights two nights a week.

I don't eat after 9:00 at night and I don't snack anymore (other than the granola bar or fruit during work).

I have gone down two sizes and honestly, am close to a third size lower (which BLOWS MY MIND!). All in all we are happy with where we are at and our bodies seem to be staying where we are now, although I still have a few more pounds that I'd like to shed. However, I am happy with who I am now. I feel better about myself, we both do actually.

The one thing we did is made sure we didn't deprive ourselves of things. If we wanted to eat something less than healthy we would, but we wouldn't (and won't) eat the large amount we used to. When we go out to eat we will sub a salad for fries many times and not finish our meal (mmmmm, lunch the next day).It's all about making the right choices for us.

And about moderation. Life, it's about moderation.