good morning monday

man i am a zombie today. the kids were late to school, i forgot book money for the book fair, and didnt have time to pack a lunch for nathan, who doesnt like to buy. to make it up to him i told him i would take everyone to get a shake after school.

and its raining. im happy. its all gray and drizzly.

Download 01_grey_in_l.A..mp3

listening to this today.
loudon wainwright III
grey in la
strange weirdos

ive decided im back in the weight loss game. no more regular soda. no more eating late at night. those are the two steps im taking beginning today. just felt like putting that out into the universe. you hear me universe? jeff is trying to motivate me to go to the gym with him. but i think thats pushing it just a tad.

i was totally totally inspired my my good friend christine, who came out from AZ this last week. she has lost 30 pounds since may and looks amazing. i always thought she looked amazing actually, even 30 pounds ago. but i am so proud of her and the willpower she has had. she likes coke like I LIKE COKE. she understands that need. and she stopped drinking it completely. i am so inspired by that. and she went down five sizes. and she just looks freakin HOT!

all of our crazy kids in my car on the way to christine's favorite CA pizza place

the pizza place

and me and chris with emily at H&M

Comments

[Rachel]

Dude cutting soda out completely is the best thing ever I did that awhile back and I lost 10-15lbs. So I am with you no more soda!

[beth]

I never drink regular soda, but I was hooked on any diet soda....until someone told me that the artificial sweetner in them might be causing my migraine headaches. Well that's all it took. I haven't had a diet soda in 4 weeks....and yes, the head is better !!! YOU CAN DO IT !!!

[Tina]

I'll be your weight-loss buddy. I've got a good 50 lbs to lose and I'd like to lose about twenty of it before CHA in February.

You game?

[jenny]

good luck on the weight loss game. i'm right there with ya girl!

[shabbyVTchic]

Dieting sucks, hands down. My husband and I recently participated in a 'lets see who can lose 10 pounds in 2 weeks' challenge. Neither of us made the 10 pounds... I managed to lose 8.5 pounds and he half of that. He couldn't get off that bandwagon fast enough when the 2 weeks were up, and though I tried, I eventually surrendered too (and have gained that weight back). I think it's so smart to start small. Though giving up your favorite beverage is never an easy task. I did manage to break away from Coke years ago- transitioning to diet Coke. I remember that feeling though. I would have rather stuck my head in a toilet than to give up that Coke. Good luck, Tara! I know you can do it.

[shannon]

I'm a zombie today too... I thought about going to the gym but sat at the computer instead. Good luck on dropping the coke. That's a huge step, one I'm weaning my way toward by mixing diet and regular together when I eat out. :p I'm cheering for you with my half-diet half-regular in my hand! :)

[Melissa Raphael]

Dieting here too...I still have a regualr soda every once and awhile, but not as often. The hard thing for me is giving up all my Starbucks drinks. SO BAD FOR ME. Lots of sugar and such. I'm shooting for 20 lbs. :)

[margie]

oh...Christine is very inspiring and so gorgeous. Love seeing photos of her and you and all the kiddos together.

You crack me up with that song. Sick of blue skies....so funny. So lucky. Loving those baby Yindi cheeks, too!

"but i think thats pushing it just a tad" That cracked me up, T!

Margie

[Noelle Buttry]

OK, youv'e inspired me. The soda I'm drinking right now will be my last for the day. Baby steps, right? Can I be soda-free by week's end? We'll see.....I'm favoring the weaning method like Shannon!

[zoe]

i LOVE coke. but if i could lose 30 lbs....i'd toss it all away. i'd be a bitch. but it would be worth it.

[AFerguson]

Go you, that is a great start! Me, I jumped on the exercise bandwagon last summer and lost 48 pounds so far. But I didn't have to go far, my dh has a 'gym' in the basement. I don't diet because, well- i like food! Exercise is{a good kind of} addictive and I can still eat the stuff I like. You might enjoy working out with your man, never thought I would but we have a lot of fun! Good luck, you can do it!

[Jennifer]

I'm bad at dieting , but I did do one major thing, I stopped drinking sodas, all I dring now is water thats it. You all sure do know how to have a fun day!

[Julie Hickey]

OMG, I think we need to start our own "Tara W. weightloss club". I too am a cola addict (as I sit here sipping Coke from a 2L BOTTLE!). I think I'm going to pour it down the drain now...

[bcre8uv]

So fun to see places I recognize in your local photos!

I switched from Coke to iced tea. I brew my own really strong, so I still get the caffiene kick without all the sugar & chemicals. It was hard at first, but now I don't really miss it. Honest!

[eleni]

I read a cool article about artificial sweetners and how they are 200-600 sweeter than real sugar so our brains tell our bodies that they are going to get a lot of calories and of course artificial sweetners are 0 clories So, the body feels starved because it got no calories and it goes into starvation mode and holds on to every ounce of fat. So try to say no to diet sodas and all sodas if you can.
Good luck with the diet you will feel so much better :-)

[Jen Higgins]

I stopped drinking regular Dr. Pepper several years ago and I lost ten pounds, just like that. No exercise or anything. I just read that a semi vigorous 20 minute walk 5 days a week can take you down 15 pounds over a year. Little things do make a difference.

[elisabet]

I know that drinking soda is bad, but why is it so dang yummy?? Sometimes you just NEED the carbonation. While seltzer water is better it's just not the same without the sweet, and lovely corn syrup.

You will totally need to tell us your tips on quiting Coke.

[Laura]

Coke is my one hold out to lose weight (ok...not my ONLY one...but a major one). I feel like a pathetic junkie. I can give up other things with a small amount of angst, but real coke, and a real coke from McDonald's...my demon. You go girl. Be my inspiration!!

[Sinead]

Have you tried Coke Zero or Cherry Coke Zero? I haven't had a regular Coke since these came out. Love them!

As for the rest, I'm right there with you. Dieting is so boring. I hate it. So I have to go to the gym instead because I love food.

Good luck!

[tara]

well its 1pm and normally by now i would have had two cokes.
i just started feeling seriously sick to my stomach and got a huge headache. i have to wean off-i cant afford to feel sick.

i just drank a half a can and i already feel better. putting it back in the fridge.

:(

[denise m.]

I saw a good quote on this recently...about starting for what you want TODAY:

"A year from now you may wish that you had started today." ~Karen Lamb

I'm trying to think that way about becoming a runner/jogger. In fact, I'm going to start today too. ;)

[Julia]

my dh was addicted to sodas, consuming many cans a day. he couldn't make it through the day without them. but then he decided to go to medical school, and one of the side-effects that was especially pronounced in him was the diuretic effect of caffeine. he had to use the lavatory every-freakin-hour i swear! and as the MCAT exam loomed before him (an all-day exam that has a huge impact on your attractiveness as a candidate), he realized that there was no way he could make it through the exam if he drank soda. and if he just gave it up for that day, he'd have major headaches and withdrawal symptoms, and not be at his best during the test. so he made the decision to quit. he did it cold turkey one friday, so he'd have the weekend to be grumpy and suffer through the worst of it. he succeeded in giving up sodas, ROCKED the MCAT, and got accepted at every school he applied to (it was fun to tell "Hah-vahd" no thanks!)

as hard as it was for him to admit, because he loves the stuff, he was addicted. just like any crack or smoker is addicted. now he can get through a phonecall with me without saying "i gotta run" (to use the bathroom) and he's not grumpy if he hasn't had any.

needless to say, he doesn't drink coffee or tea with caffeine either. just can't afford to go there again in this field ("excuse me nurse, could you hold this clamp for a few minute while I run to the john and scrub back in?")

btw, he's in amazing shape now too! remember simple steps can make a big difference. for me, the best step was controlling portion size intentionally. instead of just pouring a whole bowl of whatever, or scooping pile after pile of XX onto my plate, i consciously THINK as i'm serving myself about how much i should eat. if i put it there, i'll eat it. so i watch that, and it's made a big difference. that and watching "supersizeme" and "fastfoodnation"...haven't set foot in a greasy spoon since. Good luck!

[lisa leonard]

i cut out regular coke/cut back on sweets and lost 10 pounds. now i am addicted to FRESCA. it doesn't taste calorie free. i drink a few a day. it gets me through! try it :)

[Miz Booshay]

wean. that's good tara. I went cold turkey and was so sick.
My drug of choice...diet dr. pepper.

I was so happy to see you in the pictures.
You are beautiful and happy and I know your children will be delighted with every picture of mommy they have!

Thanks for sharing.

I started dieting....again....one week ago.

I haven't told anyone cause well....it's like the millionth time...

But I lost four pounds in the first week and that is sweet....
and you can do it too, if you want to!

[anita l.]

Looooooooove the action photos! And ehm ... is getting everyone shakes part of the weight loss plan :-) ?