CARA AND MECCA MAKIN LIFE CHANGES

Hey Everyone!

Mon, 18 Feb 2008 06:47:56 GMT

What a hectic time in our lives! I have been havin a hard time keepin up with everything as I have been sick for over a month...first with bronchitis and now with who knows what. I have been going through midterms and excessive amounts of school work. Mecca is doing good, just been workin a lot and tryin to keep up as well. We have been tryin to do our best to exercise. Last Saturday we went up to the Outlet Mall in Marysville, WA to get away and take a break from the everyday routine. It was nice, because we parked further away and walked for awhile before shopping. It's an outdoor mall, but has big tent covers to keep people out of the elements. It was nice and refreshing and we had a great time. We also went out to dinner for Valentine's Day to a Mexican restaurant, which can be a major calorie challenge. I went with the chicken taco salad, which I felt was on the healthier side of the menu. After we were done we all walked to the bookstore and read for a little while, walked a ways to the pet store, so Amayah could see all the little animals and then walked quite a ways to toys r us where we browsed and headed back to the car after a bit. It was nice and refreshing to walk off some calories, get some refreshing air and have fun at the same time. As far as our weight, we kind of hit a plateau where we have been stayin consistently the same. I think it's been harder, because I'm not able to eat as frequently due to lack of time and just havin so much to read and study. Mecca has become the driver for 3 stores now and is piled up from the time she arrives until after the time she is supposed to be off, which doesn't allow her much time to eat either. So when we lack in our small meals throughout the day, I think it prevents us from losing what we potentially could. We have been really into the 100 calorie packs, which help us get through rough times such as wantin to eat the piece of cake or those fresh bakery cookies (sorry everyone ). I have been tryin to catch them on sale, because they generally run about 3.50 to 4.00 per box when they aren't. So we headed to super Walmart this weekend and found them for 2.00 a box. So we definately stocked up and were very excited! I know there isn't much time left until this season of The Biggest Loser is over, we are still faithfully watching every episode, which really helps to keep us encouraged. I was sad this week when it came down to eliminations, but Trent was a good man for stepping up and takin the fall for everyone else. He has a good heart and was really there for the right reasons. I hope everyone is doing great on their journey!

Cara

weigh in results

Cara - 330

Mecca - 368

Checkin In...

Thu, 07 Feb 2008 16:42:16 GMT

It's been a lil while since I've been around. I haven't been feelin very well for a long time now and ended up getting really sick I think last week. I thought it was just a terrible cold, but after I couldn't do much of anything and started running a fever I made it into the doctor and am feeling a lot better. So needless to say I didn't get on to blog or update anything. I had a hard time keeping my eating or excerising habits, because I didn't have the energy. I was able to keep the weight up and got down to 330. We went grocery shopping on Saturday to keep up with the healthy eating (our cupboards were looking bare!). After we got back we followed our ritual of turning on the music and jammin while we put the groceries away. So once we were done, Mecca, Amayah and I all danced for about 20-30 minutes. We love doing that! I've realized it's a great form of exercise without even realizing it. After that I was pretty much pooped out for the day, but it was nice to get up and get some fresh air and feel active again!

Cara

UPDATE...Mecca Style!!!

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 21:20:44 GMT

hey everyone.....hope you all are doin well!! ive been letting Cara do the updates for so long that i figure ya'll might forget this was a duo at all...lol...so, she let ( thats the same as forced, right..??) me do the update....so we just weighed ourselves this morning with nothin but good results!!!

CARA---330.0

MECCA---368.0

YAY US!!!!!!!!!! so right now we are feeling pretty good and she's celebrating with yogurt and granola and imma celebrate by eating ice...lol. there was a time when we would have went out to have a good fatty meal and dessert....but we're really tryin to keep doin the right thing for our lives...and Amayah's life...so, once again....good luck to everyone....AND GO PATRIOTS!!!

Tryin To Get A Lil Creative

Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:46:18 GMT

We had a pretty busy and eventful day yesterday and were able to fit some workouts in throughout the day. We decided that sometimes it's not always easy to get to the gym and why not exercise doing things that we love to do and that can include my daughter Amayah. We both really try to set good examples for her as far as eating and excercising go. Both her father and I are big people and like I said in the first blog I posted, I never want her to have to go through the same thing I have gone through my whole life. So yesterday, even though it was freezing Mecca, Amayah and I bundled up and got our walkin shoes on to go to the beach. During the summer we probably go to the beach at least 3 days a week, because it's our peaceful place. We love to walk, look for pretty rocks and beautiful shells. We haven't been in awhile due to the weather, but we figured what the heck, might as well. So we spent about 15 minutes walking one way and then another 15 returning. All along the way Amayah was finding shiny white rocks and little shells that she was putting in her pocket. Once we returned to our starting point we took the time to skip rocks for a few minutes before we decided we couldn't feel our hands anymore. We snaps some photos, which once of us will be putting up soon so keep an eye out for those. It was a great time and it didn't even feel like we were working out, because it was something we enjoyed. After we left the beach we decided to go to the mall to browse where we again took advantage of the space. Although it was Saturday and some areas of the mall was busy, we decided to walk the entire mall (which is decent size), which took about 20 minutes before stopping to do any browsing. By this time Amayah was complaining of her feet hurting so once we finished we decided to take a break by letting her spend time in the Disney Store and Build A Bear. It was a great time and we all felt refreshed in the end. We haven't weighed ourselves again, but we will keep you updated the next time there is change. Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Cara

Hey Everyone, It's Cara...AGAIN :)

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:37:37 GMT

Just wanted to come through and check in with everyone, Mecca and I updated our weight last night on our trackers, so be sure to check it out! I went to Trader Joes yesterday in search of some good healthy foods and possibly something to snack on, because I have a hard time at night when it comes to snacking. They have a great wall of dried fruits, in which we used to buy when we were on the LA Weight Loss program. They are good snacks and easy to bring along with. Just be sure if you try them you get the kind with no sugar added. Also, I got some frozen raspberries with no sugar added, because they make a good after dinner snack. I put a couple in a cup and eat them frozen, they are sweet and cold enough that I don't have to revert to the ice cream or something else that's packed on the pounds all these years. I hope everyone is coming along with their weight loss, make sure you just keep looking around on other team's pages for motivation as there are so many motivators out here. We have added some new friends and look forward to getting to know everyone a little better. Have a great day!

Cara

As of 1/24/08

Cara 333.2 (-12.8 since 1/13/08)

Mecca 370.8 (-16 since 1/13/08)

Chocolate Warning!

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:27:09 GMT

DO YOU EAT CHOCOLATE?

We were raised on chocolate as kids and even into adulthood. I will never eat it again. I hope from now on you will throw yours away whenever you are given any. It seems as though nothing is safe to eat anymore.
This is what happens when you eat chocolate! This is a warning, send
this to everyone you care about. It could happen to you .... or them.

Cause chocolate can cause small feet!

Warn Everyone!!!!!

She Made Me Do It!

Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:39:34 GMT

LOL a little off the subject of weight loss. My favorite color is pink...so I redid our page in pink LOL and she saw it! She made me change it to reflect the both of us. So if you frequent our page, you've probably seen 50 billion different themes. I am so picky and like only certain things to where Mecca just doesn't like anything girlie, especially pink.

Back to talking about weight loss. I feel like I am having a hard time figuring out what to eat. I go by what I've learned and what I know but I just feel like there is no variety. It's like chicken chicken chicken! I also have an issue that I have been dealing with for months now with my stomach. I don't know if I have food allergies or what. The doctors have done many tests, but nothing has come back. so in a sense I feel like my issues limit me a little more, because when I eat many things it makes me really sick, but I don't know what exactly it is that I eat that triggers the sickness. So, I try to use the tips from the show (The Biggest Loser) and then use the LA Weight Loss Cookbook I have and also the Dieter's Cookbook I have that goes by calories. I'm all about good healthy recipes that are quick and don't require too many ingredients. I hate how you can look in a cookbook and every recipe has like 10 ingredients that you wouldn't use for any other recipe...it makes it hard when it comes to grocery shopping.

Well, hope everyone has had a great day, I am looking forward to getting advice and ideas from our newly added friends. Keep your head up....everyone can do this!

Cara

Inspriation For The Week

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 08:17:45 GMT

Promise Yourself
By Christian D. Larson

Promise yourself….

To be so strong that nothing
can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness, and prosperity
to every person you meet.

To make all your friends feel
that there is something in them
To look at the sunny side of everything
and make your optimism come true.

To think only the best, to work only for the best,
and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others
as you are about your own.

To forget the mistakes of the past
and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times
and give every living creature you meet a smile.

To give so much time to the improvement of yourself
that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear,
and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

To think well of yourself and to proclaim this fact to the world,
not in loud words but great deeds.
To live in faith that the whole world is on your side
so long as you are true to the best that is in you.

We bought a scale!

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 07:48:47 GMT

Well, we finally broke down and bought a scale, because I felt weird going into places like Jenny Craig to ask them if I could use their scale. We were even goin into Linens n Things and Bed Bath and Beyond to use their scales LOL....call us crazy. My only thing about having the scale at home and in the bathroom is becoming scale crazy. I've heard of and known so many people that freak out because at 9am they only weighed 200 but at noon they weighed 205. It's like hello of course if you weigh yourself throughout the day it's goin to change! So I think I'm going to update our weights every couple days now instead of once a week. Just wanted to share our excitement with all of you! Have a great day.

Cara

Mecca 373.4 (.6 loss)

Cara 334.4 (4.6 loss)

Not a stranger anymore :)

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:31:44 GMT

Welcome everyone to our page! This is my first time blogging on our space. I really have been letting Mecca take care of the technical aspects of this life change. I pretty much handle all the grocery shopping and cookin. Mecca would never tell you, but she doesn't cook! LOL...shhhh. I am just checking in to update everyone and let you get to know me a lil better. Like Mecca said in the beginning, I am 24 and have been overweight my whole life. I have tried this and that just like everyone else. About three years ago I finally had found a program that worked for me. I signed up and participated in the LA Weight Loss program a.k.a Family Weight Loss, a.k.a Pure Weight Loss, etc. When I first started it I had lost 40 pounds and was so proud of myself! However, overtime I gained all the weight back plus more...bummer huh. I had helped Mecca sign up for the program and we were working on the struggle together. More recently LA Weight Loss went out of business nationwide not letting any of it's customers know...pretty shiesty! They took our money and ran, so here we are....We have been using some of the theories and techniques that we learned through LA Weight Loss and also have began to use tips learned through Biggest Loser. We received a dieters cookbook for Christmas and I have tried a couple great recipes out of there that are easy, low calorie and taste great!

My goal for my life change is to improve my body and health. I feel like I put a lot of happiness into the way I look and I just want to be at a healthy comfortable weight. I have a 4 1/2, almost 5 year old beautiful and amazing daughter that I want to be able to be healthy and active for, because I feel as tho it's very important to set a good example for her as far as eating and exercise. As many of you have experienced, as have I, I don't ever want her to feel the hurt and pain of being overweight. With more Americans reaching the obese level than ever, we have to start somewhere instilling a healthy life path and I believe that with our children. The only way I feel I can do that is to set the standard and lead the way.

I know this has been a long blog...thank you for takin the time to read it...the whole reason I am posting is to update everyone one our weight....lol...all the other stuff was just an added bonus :)....have a great day...take care and don't give up...keep ya head up. Remember it's really not worth not being able to fit in the booth or the chair in the movie theater....!

Updated weights:

Cara 339 (7 pound loss from start)

Mecca 374 (8.6 pound loss from last update)

weigh in

Sat, 19 Jan 2008 05:27:50 GMT

hey everyone....time to blog again!!!!

well i (Mecca) got weighed weds at the doctors office....and the results are in..lol...382.4!!! i feel so great about it though. eatin right is workin out great. i say eatin right because im not working out the way i want to...lol...so it has to be the eating right!

we are goin to get Cara weighed tomorrow and get some new pics up too....hope all of you are doin well on your journey...talk to you later!!!

weighed in...Finally

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 02:05:27 GMT

hope everyone is well... we finally got weighed in for the first time yesterday...lol...i know we are working in a slow fashion all around.

Mecca 386.8

Cara 346

we will be posting up pictures tonight!!!!

we have both been doin pretty good with eating right...its so much easier when you have a partner. Tonight we will also hit the gym...so, until next time...have a good one!!!

MILLION POUND MATCHUP

Fri, 11 Jan 2008 07:10:43 GMT

Hey everyone!!!

Thanks for stopping by. My name is Damecca, im 30, and my roommates name is Cara, she is 24. We know that we are starting kinda late in the game but feel that we can make it happen anyway...lol!!!

We are both Biggest Loser fans and watch faithfully every Tuesday. If they can do it, we can too. Our plan is to completely change our eating habits and hit the gym or (for me) do Tae-bo every evening. Since we live together and eat together we will be able to encourage each other to eat right on a constant basis. We've lost weigh together before and we're confindant we can do it again...see you all at the finale!!!

Photo Album: Pre-Biggest Loser Challenge Photos

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 08:05:22 GMT

Pre-Biggest Loser Challenge Photos

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More Photos...

Photo Album: Some new and random photos

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:55:14 GMT

Some new and random photos

New baby cousin

LOL had to sport my daughter's Hannah Montana wig

A lil wanna be :)

New pics with the new cut

Photo Album: Unstoppable Duo

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:50:20 GMT

Unstoppable Duo

cara

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mecca

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Photo Album: Cold Day At The Beach

Mon, 25 Feb 2008 07:45:25 GMT

Cold Day At The Beach

Mecca takin pics of herself

Amayah all bundled up

Along with myself...

Lookin for pretty rocks

Look what I found!

Under the dock lookin for treasure

Oh NO put that down you'll get dirty!

I don't like to smile

Aren't we cute!?

Posin for the camera

More Photos...

Photo Album: Our Motivation

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 09:02:19 GMT

Our Motivation

Vacation To Oregon August '07

Poutin and Still Cute

How quickly she can change her attitude

Teddy Bear Breakfast

Chillin at the beach - Summer '07

Beauiful

Water + Sunset = Peace

One of our favorite things to do

Photo Album: ~The Theme~

Mon, 21 Jan 2008 08:53:46 GMT

~*The Theme*~

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Custom List: Healthy Appetizer Receipes

Mon, 28 Jan 2008 05:32:48 GMT

Healthy Appetizer Receipes

Get Your Party Started!
I received an email of healthy appetizer recipes and wanted to share it with our page's viewers. If you try any before us, let us know. Or, if you have other great tasting ideas, we would love to hear them!

Custom List: Fun Lil Quiz

Fri, 25 Jan 2008 21:17:01 GMT

Fun Lil Quiz

Fun Lil Quiz
Craving some fast food? Here's what to grab. Test your nutritional knowledge by clicking on the website and taking a nutritional quiz. Have fun with it!

Custom List: 10 Slim Down Strategies You Can Count On

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:25:09 GMT

10 Slim Down Strategies You Can Count On

Weigh yourself 1 time per day
Watch no more than 2 hours of TV a day
Contact a friend 3 times per week
Eat 4 g of fiber in every meal or snack
Take 5 (thousand) extra steps a day
Log it 6 times per week
Sleep 7 hours a night
Drink 8 glasses of water per day
After a 9-hour day (lunch included!), go home
Shave 10 points off your glycemic load
For More Detailed Info Visit The Site!

Custom List: How to Outsmart Your Cravings

Wed, 23 Jan 2008 16:58:02 GMT

How to Outsmart Your Cravings

Portion Out A Serving
You probably don't have the energy to fight it, so try this trick: Before you dig in, dole out a small amount of the food you want (on a plate) and put the rest away.
Stimulate Happiness
"Women especially have a profound emotional reaction to music," notes Bulik. She asks her clients to create upbeat playlists to listen to whenever a food craving strikes. The songs provide a distraction and an emotional release.
Wait It Out!
"People give in to cravings because they think they'll build in intensity until they become overwhelming, but that's not true," says Bulik. Food cravings behave like waves: They build, crest, and then disappear. If you can "surf the urge," you have a bette
Choose The Best Distraction
"What you're really craving is to feel better," says Linda Spangle, RN, a weight loss coach in Broomfield, CO, and author of 100 Days of Weight Loss. You've heard the trick about phoning a friend or exercising instead of eating. But "taking a solo walk won
Picture Yourself Healthy
Try Maurer's "stop technique": Every time the food you crave pops into your head, think, Stop! Then, picture a healthy image (say, you lean and fit). After a while, your brain will dismiss the food image and the craving will subside. "One of my clients did

CARA AND MECCA MAKIN LIFE CHANGES

Hey Everyone!

Checkin In...

UPDATE...Mecca Style!!!

Tryin To Get A Lil Creative

Hey Everyone, It's Cara...AGAIN :)

Chocolate Warning!

She Made Me Do It!

Inspriation For The Week

We bought a scale!

Not a stranger anymore :)

weigh in

hey everyone....time to blog again!!!!

well i (Mecca) got weighed weds at the doctors office....and the results are in..lol...382.4!!! i feel so great about it though. eatin right is workin out great. i say eatin right because im not working out the way i want to...lol...so it has to be the eating right!

we are goin to get Cara weighed tomorrow and get some new pics up too....hope all of you are doin well on your journey...talk to you later!!!

weighed in...Finally

MILLION POUND MATCHUP

Hey everyone!!!

Thanks for stopping by. My name is Damecca, im 30, and my roommates name is Cara, she is 24. We know that we are starting kinda late in the game but feel that we can make it happen anyway...lol!!!

Photo Album: Pre-Biggest Loser Challenge Photos

Photo Album: Some new and random photos

Photo Album: Unstoppable Duo

Photo Album: Cold Day At The Beach

Photo Album: Our Motivation

Photo Album: ~*The Theme*~

Custom List: Healthy Appetizer Receipes

Custom List: Fun Lil Quiz

Custom List: 10 Slim Down Strategies You Can Count On

Custom List: How to Outsmart Your Cravings

Photo Album: ~The Theme~