Recipe for Whole Wheat Honey Rolls

A recipe for these days of no sugar/no white flour

Whole Wheat Honey Rolls (makes 12 good-sized dinner rolls)
1 package active dry yeast
1 cup warm buttermilk (or 1 cup warm water, add 1/3 cup milk powder later)
1/4 cup oil
3 tablespoons honey
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 to 1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in milk. Add the oil, honey, whole wheat flour, salt, and baking soda. Beat until smooth. Stir in enough all-purpose flour to form a soft dough. Knead until smooth. Let rise until double, about 1 hour.
Shape into 12 rolls, let rise on baking sheet about 30 minutes.
Bake at 400F for 12 minutes. Brush with margarine or butter while still warm.

I made a batch of these today and enjoyed one with scrambled eggs for dinner. I know it has a bit of white flour but since I have to make all of my own bread (we can only buy plain white bread at the store. In fact our whole wheat flour has to be imported from Papua New Guinea, across the border!) this is about as close as I can get to eating whole wheat bread.

Sarah D Introductory Post

Hello Ladies! I am finally sitting down to write my intro post for this challenge :-)

I am a missionary wife and mom. My husband and I serve with Mission Aviation Fellowship in Wamena, Papua, Indonesia (yes, we live out in the boonies!) I have two daughters - ages 6 and 4, and they keep me on my toes! But, it takes a little more than just chasing them around to keep me fit!

I started my fitness journey about a year ago when Dani Joy invited me to join the Spring into Shape II last year. I was carrying quite a few extra pounds and was eager to do *something* to get that extra weight off! Since then I have participated in every challenge Dani Joy has done except for this latest New Years one. The challenges have been SO good for me. It is so good to have some accountability and just to know that I can post those points if I keep up with the exercise, water drinking, etc!

I have lost 30 pounds in the last year and that is a HUGE accomplishment for me! My body just likes to stay at whatever weight it is at and really needs a kick in the booty in order to start losing weight, so that is why these challenges are so good! In the last year I have really changed my eating habits - I eat SO much less sugar than I used to, and really think more about what I am eating and if it is healthy for me.

Here is a picture taken in November 2010 - a month after returning from our first furlough, and about 3 months before my first challenge.


And here is a picture taken just about a month ago, at the Singapore Zoo, on our way back to the States for a short visit (we are back in Wamena now.)


Here are my current weight and measurements (I am 5'10" tall)
Weight - 180 lbs
Bust - 35
Chest - 30
Waist - 29
Hips - 42
R & L Thighs - 24
R & L Arms - 12

I would like to lose a few more pounds, my goal weight is probably 165 or so but I would be happy with 170!

Sarah D Final post

Final post of this challenge! I definitely struggled with willpower and discipline on this challenge. When I first started the challenges back in February I was really dedicated to trying to cut out sugar and desserts from my diet. It wasn't easy but I really stuck with it. In the last few months and especially the last couple of weeks I have found it harder and harder to keep from sneaking a candy or cookie throughout the day :-) I am sure that has hindered my weight loss efforts and I look forward to getting back on track after Christmas :-) At least this challenge definitely has helped me to keep up with the exercise and keep up with the healthy eating for the most part even if I have cheated a bit! It sure helps to have the challenges like "Nix the Fix" because then I am accountable to not eat those little bits throughout the day!

I am glad that I was able to keep up with exercise, exercising generally 40 minutes a day, 5 days a week even when my days were busy. I was even able to overcome my fears and get through the 30 day Shred DVD, working through all 3 levels! I only did Level 3 a couple of times so that will be my challenge in the next few weeks :-)

So, overall here are my results:
4 pounds lost
10 inches lost (bust - 2, chest - 1, waist - 2, hips - 1, r & l thigh - 1.5 each, r & l arm - .5 each)
32 hours of exercise

Overall I am happy that I made some progress. Not spectacular but still it's something, right! At least I wasn't gaining weight over the holidays!!!

We head off to the States January 12 so if there is another challenge in the spring I am sure I am going to need it! I really want to be able to enjoy the food in the States but all in moderation, right? I don't want to go overboard and gain back weight that I have worked so hard to loose!

Thanks for the encouragement and accountability during this challenge, ladies! God bless you and I hope you have a wonderful Christmas!

Sarah D almost-the-end!

Woo hoo! It's the next-to-last day of the challenge! But not the next-t0-last day of living healthily! I know that *I* will probably allow myself a little leeway on the days right around Christmas but after that is back to the ol' grind! Can't let all this hard work go to waste!

I have been faithfully exercising, even got in an hour yesterday! It has been a while since that has happened!

Okay, Dani Joy, I have no idea what you are smoking, because I did the 30 Day Shred Level 3 this morning and there is NO WAY that is easier than the Level 2!!! I will keep with it but boy I struggled this morning! I just have to keep at it and build the upper arm strength because that is where I am lacking!

hope you all are doing well! Blessings!

Sarah D Journal

Hello ladies! Is anyone else finding it hard to stick with the healthy eating this week??? It's not just me?!

I weighed in on Wednesday and had not lost anything, but had not gained either. This is the lowest I've been since I had my 2nd baby 3 years ago! Actually almost 4! That's pretty sad!

I did not exercise on Monday because all weekend was busy with our church Christmas program and by Monday morning I was exhausted! I did make myself get back into it on Tuesday, though... it is amazing how fast and easy it is to lose that exercise mojo! I have exercised 40 minutes every day this week except for Monday (it's Thursday night here now) and although it hasn't been super long, I have tried to up the intensity - running a bit faster than normal, pushing my limits on the Shred, etc :-)

I've kept up with drinking water and I think that definitely helps with all the temptation for hot chocolate, coffee with eggnog in it, etc...!

I'm going to try to keep up the discipline, especially since after Christmas we leave for 6 weeks in the US and I really don't want to gain this weight back! I don't know how I will keep exercising but will try to figure something out!

Let's keep up the good work, ladies! Not just this last week but one day at a time for the rest of our lives!

Sarah D. Journal

Oh boy I have not been good about getting on here lately, I'm sorry ladies!

I did not get ANY of the extra points for the 7th inning stretch. I missed a whole week of exercise because I was sick, and then when I got back into it, I only did 40 minutes on those couple of days. No pounds or inches lost either :-(

BUT, I weighed in this morning and was down another pound! That makes 4 so far this challenge, and only 2 1/2 pounds away from a total 30 pound weight loss! It is encouraging to get closer and closer to the 30 lb loss mark!

I have not been very good the last week with snacking. Also I am starting to bake more Christmas cookies and treats, and although I have not really been eating any of them after they're done, I am sneaking licks here and there while I bake which I know adds up, too!

I have done the 30 Day Shred Level 2 for about 6 or 7 times now, so maybe just a couple more times and I will move on to Level 3! Woot!

Keep up the good work, ladies!

Sarah D journal

Just a quick journal update. My cold would just not go away last week. I was feeling run-down all week, so I did not exercise at all. I kept up with the Nix the Fix through the end of that week 6, but have not gotten any of the bonus points yet for week 7. It has been a LONG time since I have gone a whole week without exercising! But today is a new week, a new day, and I am going to ease back into it so I don't get too worn down. It is amazing how long it can take your body to get over a simple cold! I know from experience that if I try and exercise while I am still feeling run-down, it will take me even longer to get well. So I think I have waited long enough and will try to do some walk/running today instead of jumping back into the 30 day shred :-)

I was down another pound when I weighed on Wednesday which takes me to 3 pounds so far this challenge. It seems like a pretty small number but I am glad that I have seen the scale move at least a little bit in the right direction!

I definitely indulged on Saturday when we celebrated our Thanksgiving dinner with friends. But, I don't feel like I over-indulged, which is good! After dinner I had a small piece of pecan pie, and after a week of no sugar on Nix the Fix I felt like I had a sugar rush! Woo! I have tried to pass off my leftover pie on friends and neighbors so it is not a temptation for me in the fridge, but I did have a piece of apple pie for breakfast on Sunday :-) Back to the ol' grind today!

Let's keep up the good work, ladies! You can do it!

Sarah D Journal

Well, it has been a bit since I have been on here and our internet has been terrible so it is nice to actually be able to be on and not have to wait 15 minutes for a page to load! I did do Level 2 of the 30 day shred on Friday and it was nice to be a little more familiar with it the 2nd time around. it is hard but it is so nice to feel like I am actually DOING something! Feeling those muscles that don't get used very often!

I have been doing well with the Nix the Fix. Definitely tests that willpower, though!!! I had my "free" day on Saturday and at the end of the day I felt like I had really indulged, but then later I realized, that is how I used to eat just about every day before I started these challenges! I have not been getting all 12 points but I guess I just don't eat enough for that! That's okay, though :-) I have not gotten any minus points at all! I am so happy that I have been able to be disciplined and stick to the challenge this week! One day I made an iced coffee for me and my husband, and I used some liquid malitol that I had found here... not sure I will do that again as it made my stomach a bit upset. The next day I was going to give in and have coffee with real sugar but I ended up having some chai with a bit of honey instead. I have been putting palm sugar on my oatmeal which is something that is very readily available here but I guess people pay premium prices for it in the States! It is not something I would put in coffee or tea, though, as it has quite a strong flavor - great in oatmeal!

Oh, and we got a care package from my grandparents yesterday... in it were 2 bags of candy corn! Candy corn is one of my biggest weaknesses! I did not have any at all!!! Today is tuesday so if I can just hold out today then I will allow myself a few pieces tomorrow when the Nix the Fix is over :-)

Also I have not exercised since Friday. We had a breakfast guest on Saturday so I couldn't exercise that morning, and then I started feeling sick, and am still feeling too sick to exercise :-( I don't particularly enjoy the exercise but I do miss it when I can't do it! It is just a cold, but I feel run-down and achy, so not a good idea to exercise! Hopefully I will get my energy back soon...

Keep up the good work, ladies!

I did it! Shred Level 2!

Ha! I conquered my fears and tackled Level 2 of the 30 day Shred! Actually that was 2 days ago and now I am going to do it again this morning but I thought I better post just in case my internet conks out :-)

It went pretty well - was hard but not as bad as I though it would be. I did modify some of the moves so I think I will try to do this level at least a few times until I am familiar with the routine. It is always hard the first time because you are trying to figure out what they are doing and it is easy to get behind. With the v-raise and squat, I didn't even hold any weights in my hands and my arms were still burning by the end! Yikes! And then by the 3rd circuit I was so tired of the plank position that i just did butt kicks for that part of the cardio, and did bicycle crunches instead of whatever insane move they were doing for the abs! Ha ha!

But boy, I was sore yesterday! Just exercising a new set of muscles really reminds you of how many muscles God put in our body! I think it's great to mix it up a little every once in a while because it would be pretty much impossible to exercise all the muscles all the time!

Anyway, I conquered my fears! Now I just have to get back to it this morning!

Sarah D Journal

Okay, ladies, are any of you discouraged like me? I stepped on the scale this morning and was up a pound and a half from the last time I weighed! I don't know what's going on. It seems like my weight is just fluctuating in between about 184.5 and 186. Not going above that, but not going down either. I am trying to step up the exercise, pushing it harder, etc, but still not seeing the results. I just wish I could get past this "hurdle"!!!

I have eaten pretty well this week. I had my "free" day on Saturday -there was an open house at the local co-op craft store (they bring handicrafts out from the interior villages and sell them to the expats. Although the villagers have been getting so many handouts from the government - a real problem here - that they are not motivated to make very many handicrafts!) and we had donuts! I am a bit ashamed to say I ate two, but they were sure delicious! And then on Monday was my daughter's birthday and I indulged in a bit of homemade ice cream and a cupcake... so not one of my finer weeks but I still don't feel guilty :-)

Am just thinking more about really enjoying the treats we allow ourselves. On Saturday evening I was thinking, "I am really craving something sweet!" but I wasn't sure what to let myself have (it was already a "free" day so I thought I could let myself have a treat!) I looked for ice cream in the fridge but nothing looked good. I found an American candy bar in the cupboard leftover from our family conference this summer and ate a couple of bites but it really just didn't taste that good, or satisfy my craving so I didn't finish it (yes, I actually threw it away! I am not going to tell you what kind it was in case it was your personal favorite! Ha!) Anyway, I have some bars of dark chocolate that I can get here and ate a couple squares of one of those. I have realized it really doesn't take much to satisfy the craving, and I don't want to be scarfing down whatever is in sight, even if I don't really like it, just because I am "craving" something! So that is my thought for this week :-)

Hope you all are doing well. I am trying to work up the courage to do the Shred level 2 this morning... I might chicken out but we will see :-)

Sarah D Journal

Another week is done! Last week with the extra exercise points I even exercised on Saturday! (although it helped that my husband had to fly that morning, so it seemed like "just another weekday" instead of him being home and us wanting to sleep in and make a big breakfast and just be lazy :-))

So, after weighing in, I am down one more pound (two total this challenge... doesn't seem like much but I am under the 185 mark now! I hope to get under 180 by the end of the challenge!) and 2 1/2 more inches! So, it helps to see some progress :-)

I am trying to kick things up a notch by doing the 30 day Shred instead of my strength training videos. This is the 2nd week I've done it (3x per week) and maybe next week I will get the courage to move up to Level 2. I've tried Level 2 a couple times in the past and it just seems SO hard that it is discouraging to even want to try it. It seems like some of the exercises can't really be modified, so I end up not doing them at all, where on Level 1 there are ways to modify the exercises so you can still muddle through even if doing the full-on exercise is too hard. Does that make sense? :-)

Anyway, our internet has been terrible lately so I have had trouble even checking e-mail much less getting on the blog, so I hope you all are doing well and keeping up the "crunch"! Blessings!

Positive Thinking Sheds Pounds

This is from the book "This is Why You're Fat" by Jackie Warner:

"Thinking positively will definitely help you shed weight, according to a Harvard study. Scientists found that simply believing that you're doing enough exercise can shed pounds. They made this discovery by monitoring a group of 84 female hotel housekeepers who complained that they were not getting any exercise, despite their strenuous jobs. Half of the test subjects were told not to worry and that their work provided them with enough eercise to lose weight and maintain a healthy lifestyle. They were even told how many calories they were burning doing specifidc tasks such as vacuuming, changing linens, and sweeping floors. The other half were told nothing about the health benefits of their daily chores. All the subjects cleaned abou fifteen rooms a day, taking twenty to thrity minutes each.
After four weeks, the informed group had lost an average of two pounds, lowered their blood pressure by almost 10 percent, and recuded their body fat. The other group had no noticeable changes in health or physique. This study shows that if you can put your mind in a healthy, positive place, believing that you are burning calories or losing weight, you can achieve amazing physiological benefits."
(Warner, Jackie. This is Why You're Fat. Grand Central Life & Style, 2010, p. 199.)

Of course, this won't work if you really AREN'T doing any exercise all day :-) But, don't discount the exercise that you ARE doing, and the housecleaning, etc. It all adds up! Keep a positive attitude, ladies!

Sarah D Week 3 journal

So, weighed myself this morning... and even after a week of no sugar I am UP a pound! So, I am back to my starting weight :-( That is no fun! BUT, I measured and I am down 4.5 inches, so that is good!

I find that it takes my body a while to show results, so hopefully the results from this "no sugar" week will show in a week or two!

I tried to "step it up" a bit with the exercise this week... I went back to the 30 day Shred after not doing it for a while. Oh my word, I was sore! But, I ran/walked the next day, and then did the Shred again today. I am going to try to mix it up with some different videos and hopefully my body will start showing some results :-)

Keep up the good work, ladies!

Sarah D Journal

Well, I have not yet seen the results that Dani Joy has on this no-sugar week! I have not seen much change in my weight yet since the beginning of this challenge :-( But, I am still hanging in there! It has been a challenge for sure - there are definitely things I would have eaten had this not been a no-sugar week.

We had a "Fall Festival" at the school on Friday (my kids are not school-age yet but they were invited to attend) and afterwards everyone had pie. I even made a pie and didn't have any! I was thinking about if it was worth it to subtract points, but honestly nothing tempted me, so I didn't have any! I think that is one of the good things about doing a complete sugar deprivation like this every once in a while - it really forces you to think about WHY you are eating certain things. I am sure that if I had not been on no-sugar week, I would have had a piece of pie. But, did I really want any of those pies? Not really!

Also yesterday my husband asked me to make Jello popcorn balls for Halloween. I made them, but I didn't eat any! If it would have been a "normal" day I am sure I would have had at least one. But honestly, I didn't really even have the desire to eat one!

so I think that even after this week is over, I just need to keep that mindset and really evaluate WHY I am eating something. Is it just because it is available? Or is it because I really want it and will enjoy it? Just something to keep in mind!

I found liquid malitol here (under the brand name "Tropicana Slim"!) so I used a spoonful of that in my coffee yesterday and if I make an iced coffee today I will use that as well. I also used honey on my oatmeal, so hopefully those count as non-sugar sweeteners.

As far as the exercise goes, I have found that even though earlier this summer I was exercising 60 minutes a day, now 40 minutes is about my limit. I am homeschooling my daughter kindergarten (the small International school here only starts at 1st grade) so with that going on as well, I can't really devote the extra time to exercise. But I am trying hard to make that 40 minutes count!

Keep up the good work, ladies!

Shared link: Cut 500 calories today...

This was JUST posted over at The Better Mom (if you don't already read that website, you should! There are lots of good thought-provoking posts there!)

Here's the article called "Cut 500 Calories today & Lose 5 pounds this month"

It lists several practical, small changes that we can make every day to cut calories and make a big difference in our lives!

I thought it was good, and just thought I would share it with you all!

Small Diet Changes

It can be overwhelming trying to lose weight. We look at the "big picture" and think, "There's no way I can do that for the rest of my life!" But, I think it is the small changes that make the difference. Here are a few small things that can add up and make a big change in our lifestyle:

1. Instead of having another cup of coffee or tea (especially if it's cream and/or sugar-laden!) drink a glass of water.

2. Try adding ice and lemon, lime, or cucumber to your water.

3. Craving something sweet? Eat a small square of dark chocolate. Or just have ONE bite of whatever it is you're craving instead of a whole piece.

4. Don't take seconds. Let your food settle until you figure out if you're REALLY still hungry or not.

5. Have a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast. My go-to breakfast is: 1/3 cup oatmeal with half a chopped apple, LOTS of cinnamon sprinkled on top, then add 2/3 cup water and nuke in the micro for 2 minutes. Add a bit of brown sugar and you are good to go! This breakfast keeps me full for most of the morning!

6. Have a smoothie for lunch or dinner. I cut up almost-overripe bananas and freeze them, and then when i want a smoothie, all I do is blend up some of those frozen bananas in some milk, and voila! A healthy and delicious smoothie! Add some frozen strawberries, pineapple or mango to change up the flavor combination a bit.

7. Don't eat anything after a certain time. For most people, 8 pm is a good time. Since I eat dinner earlier and go to bed earlier, 7 pm is my benchmark. Anything I eat after that time is generally unhealthy because I'm just munchy and craving sweets. If I tell myself I'm not going to eat anything at all after that time, I just don't give in to the munchies at all, healthy or unhealthy.

Well, I have a few more but this is enough for now, I think. Maybe I will have to do a Part 2 some other time :-)

Sarah D Update Mid-week 2

Ladies, how are you all doing? I hope that you are keeping up the momentum, now that we are in our 2nd week!

I have been doing pretty well. Trying to keep the added sugar out of my diet. I have found, though, that there is a certain brand of Chinese orange gummies that I will NOT be buying "for the kids" any longer... as most of them will end up in my tummy! I just don't have the willpower to not eat those things! So, they will not be coming into my house any more!

I have been feeling a bit icky all week, like I'm coming down with a cold but just never *quite* getting there. So I did not exercise on Tuesday but have been able to exercise 40 minutes all the other days this week. I did not do any "formal" exercise this morning, but just got back from playing frisbee out on the field with my hubby and daughters. I am quite sweaty, so I will count that for 20 minutes today!

I did not measure this week but I did weigh and I was down a pound. That is encouraging, but I think I have in my mind certain "threshholds" that I would like to overcome. Right now I am 185.5. A couple of years ago I was exercising pretty well, and got my weight down to about what it is now. Then for some reason the scale just started creeping back up over a matter of weeks. Honestly, NOTHING changed with my eating habits or my exercise. But unexplicably, my weight climbed back up, about 10 pounds... it was very discouraging. So, I would like to get past this hurdle that I have (in my mind, anyway!) I will be excited once I get down past 180. I think in my mind, that will confirm that all this exercise is REALLY working!

Blessings to all of you! Keep up the good work!

CCCIII - Sarah D Introductory post

My first challenge was the Spring into Shape II which was this past spring. I had never participated in one of Dani Joy's challenges before and when I got her e-mail inviting me to join, I was at my breaking point!

After 2 children and a furlough, I weighed way more than what I should have, and was very discouraged that the weight was not coming off. I gained a lot of weight with both of my pregnancies (50 lbs each time!) and I was not one of those fortunate people who loses weight while breastfeeding! I also had gained about 10 pounds on furlough, and although it had been about 5 months since we had returned from furlough, I had not lost any of that weight. I was pretty discouraged, since I felt I was eating much more healthy than when we were on furlough, and was also walking briskly just about every morning with a friend.

So I got Dani Joy's e-mail and joined the challenge. At first I did not plan to make any changes to my diet, but after about a week I decided "something's gotta give!" and I cut out desserts completely (except for that one wonderful "treat" day every week!) I stepped up the exercise, and by the end of that first challenge had lost 11 pounds! I kept up the work through the summer challenge and so far have lost almost 25 pounds! I would still like to lose at least 10 and maybe 20 more pounds (20 would get me down to what I was pre-pregnancy with my first child), so we'll see what happens!

Anyway, here's a bit more about me... My husband Dan and I are missionaries with Mission Aviation Fellowship in Wamena, Papua, Indonesia. We have two girls ages 5 and 3, and they definitely keep me on my toes all day long!

Here is a picture of our family taken back in May:

And a few photos of my progress so far...

Here is a picture I took at the beginning of my journey (210 pounds!)

Here is what I look like now:

I think I am even starting to get some muscle definition! That pesky tricep area is still flabby but I'll work on it!!!

And, here you can see how I carry my weight... definitely all in my lower half... I'm a girl with junk in my trunk, no matter how skinny I am! (This is for Vicki K. who wondered how we can have almost the same measurements but I still weigh more than she does... it's all the junk in my trunk! :-))

Oh, and before I forget, here are my starting measurements:
5 feet, 10 inches tall (I don't think that is going to change! Ha!)
186.5 pounds (I actually got down to 185 but the last couple weeks have not been good for me in the discipline area, so I'm up a bit...)
(my measurements are also a bit higher than the end of the last challenge, although I am down in weight. Not sure how that works, but oh well!)
Bust - 36
Chest - 30
Waist - 31
Hips - 43
R & L Thighs - 25
R & L Arms - 12.5

So, there you have it! Sorry my post got so long and rambling :-) I am looking forward to meeting all of the rest of you and "crunching" together with you!

Sarah D SOFII final post

Well, here we are, ladies! I know that it has been a busy summer for a lot of us, and many probably didn't get the opportunity to exercise as much as they would've liked. Well, ANY exercise is better than none, right? And any time we resist temptation and eat healthily is good, even if we give in at other times!

I was glad for this challenge - it kept me exercising even when my exercising buddy was gone (and still is!), and kept me on my toes, thinking about what I should eat and shouldn't. I have probably let things slide a bit more than I should have by the end of this challenge, but am still glad for the work I did put in!

So here are the final results for me (weight in pounds, and the rest in inches):
Starting Ending Loss
Weight 199 191 8
Bust 36.5 35 1.5
Chest 31 30 1
Waist 31 29.5 1.5
Hips 44 42 2
R. Thigh 25 24 1
L Thigh 25.5 24 1.5
R & L Arms 13 12 1

Total pounds lost: 8
Total inches lost: 10.5

Total hours exercised: 53 I am pretty happy about all the hours I put in exercising. The last challenge I started off exercising 4-5 days a week, 20-40 minutes a day. By the end of this challenge I have been exercising 6 days a week, 40-60 minutes a day (usually 60). So that is an accomplishment for me! I know I can't always do the 60 minutes with little kids running around and needing attention, but when I can, it is great!

And, some pictures. I thought I would post the starting one from last challenge as well.
So here is the beginning of the last challenge (mid-February)

And the second, which was at the end of the last challenge (end of April):

And finally, taken just yesterday at the end of this challenge:

I am still not where I would like to be (maybe another 20 pounds or so... hopefully off my butt and thighs!!!) but I have lost 19 pounds since starting these challenges with Dani Joy and you better believe I am happy about it!!!

Dani Joy - I think you should continue with points for water in every subsequent challenge :-) I think it is SO good to have that goal each day, and a lot of times, if I want a coke or something, I will think "Well, if I drink a coke, I won't be able to finish my water!" so I won't drink it. OR if i feel hungry, I will just drink some water, and many times I was just thirsty and not really hungry. So I think it would be good to continue this!!!

Sarah D update and Excel info

Hello all! I can't believe we only have 1 week left! NO way am I going to lose 20 pounds in 1 week! Well, there's always the next challenge, right?! :-)

I haven't updated my results lately... there haven't been too many dramatic changes on my part here... I have lost one pound since I last weighed and measured, which is something I can be happy about! We spent a week at conference, and I did not exercise the entire time we were there. I did do more walking than normal, though, just walking between cabins and meeting place, etc! I drank WAY more than I "needed" to for my water. I have no idea why, I just was very thirsty all the time, even without the added exercise! I am just happy I didn't gain any weight while I was there... the meals were good, but nothing extravagant (i.e. no excessive splurging or anything like that!) but the church team that comes from the States for our conference did bring a LOT of American candy! I enjoyed about 3-4 bite-size candy bars a day, which was tasty, and did not make me feel like I had over-indulged. I also enjoyed the dessert at a couple of the meals - only the ones I really thought looked tasty, instead of eating dessert at EVERY meal! So, come home and not gain any weight is good, but having to get back into the exercise routine is not easy! I've done 40 minutes each day since we've been back but need to work back up to my "usual" 60...

And a note for those of you using the Excel spreadsheet. Somehow when I set it up for this challenge I didn't format it to include the data from all the weeks. So if your spreadsheet isn't adding up correctly (and you don't know how to fix it), follow these steps:
1. Open up your "SOFII" spreadsheet and go to the "Points" tab.
2. Go to the very bottom of the "pounds" column - the cell where it is supposed to show the "12 week total". Double click on that cell. You should see it change from showing your information to showing the formula that it contains. You should also see a colored box (probably blue) around most of the cells in that "pounds" column.
3. hold your cursor over the bottom right-hand corner of that cell, until your cursor changes into a double-sided arrow that looks like this \ but with arrows at both ends. When your cursor looks like that, click on the blue box corner, and drag it down until it encloses all of the cells in the "pounds" column, except for the "totals" one at the bottom. Then press "enter" on your keyboard. That should update your "Pounds" column.
4. To update all of your columns, you can either follow the steps above for each column, OR you can do the following: Click (once) on the "totals" cell for the "pounds" column. Then go to the lower right-hand corner of that cell, until your cursor looks like a bold "plus" sign - like this +. Then click on that corner of the cell and drag (horizontally) across all of the "totals" boxes, except for the last one (the final "totals" box). This should update all of the columns.
Hopefully this makes sense for everyone! I didn't realize until I was inputting my points for last week that the totals weren't updating correctly in the spreadsheet. Sorry about that!