THings have been a little hectic right now. We are repainting some of the rooms in our house. So chaos is my middle name. When I have time I'll post Recap and Week Eleven goals a little later.

I am still counting steps and trying to eat less.

Some Challenge followers have observed that this challenge is not nearly so interesting as the last one. So here are some 2011 Challenge photos...

Say it with white chocolate!

It's been a while since we last had a Maddie photo. So here is The Best Cat in the entire Multiverse helping me unpack the dishwasher.

Kevin has been preparing many new dishes as part of HIS challenge. Many of them contain chilli. Here he displays his Chilli Protection Equipment.

Still managed to maintain the seven pound weight loss since beginning of challenge. Kevin assures me I am getting my waist back.

Eat Less:

Continue with what works! Photo food diary, Starbucks Savings Plan, and Buy. No. Cheese. Try to have at least three servings of fruit this week. Ugh.

Move More:

Since I didn't meet challenge for this last week, repeat challenge. Try to average 6,500 steps per day, and try to have at least 5,500 steps 4 out of 7 days this next week. Resume the 90 second wall sit and plank.

Another week has simply flown by. Personally I can't wait for spring. I am not a cold weather person (go figure that!) and spring and autumn are my favorite seasons. So how did Week Nine go?

I am feeling super good. I don't mean that in a smug kind of way. But I really feel better overall. The weight is coming off slowly, and I don't feel as though I am starving myself. I still have no will power - but I play some power games, that make me think I have will power. For example, the Cheese Intervention Plan - by simply removing the object of desire - in this case, cheese - I can pretend that I have the actual will power not to have cheese, if it were there to tempt me.

I tested myself out yesterday with a visit to Longmont's Cheese Importers. Kevin had given me a gift certificate to this Cheese Heaven. This is a fabulous store with cheeses from around the world, and some gorgeous gifty type stuff. I was marginally bad - I took advantage of the cheese snacks left out in the cheese room, and bought myself a white chocolate Toblerone, and a slab of pate. I also got 2 kinds of parmegano reggiano - one from Italy and one from Argentina. Hard cheese is not the kind of cheese I am prone to snack on - and it is great grated over pasta, or veggies. Sigh! But I still have no cheese to tempt me into snacking. For obvious reasons, the Toblerone will feature predominantly on the photo food diary for this week, and next. But I am trying to see how long I can make it last.

I am eating more salad and rabbit food. Still not getting enough fruit.

Now let's get to the move more part of this challenge. I have stopped the 90 second wall sit and the plank. Don't know why, but just didn't do it at all this week. I really should. It is weird but it really works. Hard to know why - I mean it is only 90 seconds, and ahem! if you are like me, I can't even get to 90 seconds. 90 seconds is a REALLY long time.

I have become quite addicted to my step counter, and trying to reach the goal of 10,000 steps per day. Kevin has even bought me a more super duper step counter.

For the week beginning 2/27/2011 I walked a total of 42,475 steps which average 6,067 steps per day. My goal for this week was to average 6,500 steps per day. So I didn't manage to meet that goal. I know why - I had a busy week with a number of meetings, that didn't really help the steps, although I did have one day where I managed 10,888 steps all largely due to a number of meetings around campus which I walked to. I was also supposed to walk at least 5,500 steps 4 out of the 7 days which I managed.

I've lost another 2 pounds. That's 7 pounds since the beginning of Challenge. Yeah!

Eat Less Goals:

Continue Photo Food Diary. Continue Starbucks Savings Plan. Buy. No. Cheese. Since I just don't get the whole fruit thing; try to have at least three servings of fruit this week.

Move More:

Average 6,500 steps per day. 5,500 steps 4 out of 7 days. Continue with the 90 second the Plank, and the Wall Sit.

Another week has flown by. I have managed to succeed marginally with the Great Cheese Intervention Plan by simply not having any cheese to snack on. That worked. Starbucks Savings Plan continues.

Still not eating enough fruit.

On the move more front; my goal was to average 6,000 steps per day, and have 5,000 steps 4 out of 7 days. For the week beginning 2/20 I walked a total 45,053 steps and averaged 6,436 per day. I made the 4 out of 7 day challenge too. I definitely feel much better overall with moving more. Highest day was 2/22 where I walked 10,059 steps. Lowest day 2/20 with only 2,115.

Drumroll please. I have lost the poundage I gained last week for over indulging, and not moving. Yeah! I still have a body shape of a huge giant pear. I guess that's a reminder to eat more fruit.

Eat Less Goal:

Continue with the Photo Food Diary, and continue with the Starbucks Savings Plan. No cheese this week. Do. Not. Buy. Cheese. At. All. I am still not eating nearly enough fruit. I am better with the veggies and the salad. I just haven't warmed up to this fruit eating thing. So I will try to eat fruit at least 3 times this week. For any snacking substitute popcorn/ veggies (and not veggie straws)/ fruit instead of chips and high calorie snacks. Rats. This is going to be difficult, because I do not have any will power - if I see it, I eat it. Groan.

Move More goals:

I am really enjoying this step challenge. So will continue. For this week average 6,000 steps per day. Attempt 4 out of 7 days to reach 5,000 steps. Continue the torture of the 90 second plank, and wall sit.

I still have a problem with the Great Cheese Monster. So I have resorted to having no cheese at all in the fridge. I crave it, and I have no will power at all when it comes to avoiding it. In fact the minute a state the goal of not eating cheese for 7 days, then all I can think of is cheese, and where it lives in the fridge.

Luckily all the post Superbowl snacks are finished and I've finished the M & M's Kevin gave me for Valentine's Day. (Like I said, if its there, I will eat it, sooner or later.) Grrrhh!

The gorgeous weather has meant I have been able to move more. No excuses for hiding away and not getting out. For the week beginning 2/13 I totaled 50,625 steps, averaging 7232 steps per day. So my goal of averaging 5,500 steps per day has been met. My goal of walking 4 out of the 7 days of at least 4,500 steps has been met too. Highest number of steps was 2/17 when I walked 10,384 steps.

I still can't do a 90 second plank or wall sit. Very annoying. I can't seem to break through the 45 second mark. I don't have an inner core, I have an inner jelly fish. Rats.

The dreaded weigh in. ARGGGHHH!

I've put on weight. How AWFUL!!!

I am not even going to report on waist measurement. I am depressed!!

Eat Less:

Something is obviously wrong since I have gained weight, instead of the other way around. But in all honesty I have been snacking more (BAD!) and eating more cheese (BAD!) as well as not moving more. This is not a good combination.

So - continue with photo food diary, and Starbucks Savings Plan. No cheese at all for the next 7 days. ARGGGHH! Calling the Snack and Cheese Police. Only snacks allowed are - eating as much veggies and fresh fruit as I want. No other snacks allowed. This is going to be the week from hell - I can feel it.

Move More:

Average 5,500 steps per day. Aim for 4 out of 7 days of walking at least 4,500 steps. Since I continue to be pathetic with the 90 second plank, and the 90 second wall sit, I am to continue with this torture, for the next week. Also keep a photo diary of stop watch time for each activity.

What a week!

Eat Less: I have battled with the eat less goal. The Cheese Monster has reared its head again. Cheese is creeping back in. Still trying to get more veggies, fruits and salads. Kevin is doing a great job with some amazing veggie dishes. Yum. Starbucks Savings Plan continues. I have found it difficult not to finish off those left over Superbowl snacks. Grrrr. I am still snacking too much. Bad!

Move more: For the week beginning 2/6 I walked a total of 41,894 steps, averaging 5,984 steps per day. So I met my goal for this week. I had to try to walk at least 4,000 steps 4 out of the 7 days. I managed that walking 5 out of the 7 days in excess of 4,000 steps. Greatest step count occurred 2/12 when I had 9,077 steps. I ended up power walking around Flatirons Crossing Mall while Kevin checked out latest gadgets at the Apple Store.  Lowest day was Sunday 2/6 when I had a mere 2,000 steps.

I tried to continue with the 90 second Plank, and 90 second Wall Sit. I still cannot make the 90 seconds for either of these exercises. Maximum I have managed is 50 seconds for the wall sit, and 30 seconds for the plank. Arggghhh!

In fact I am yearning for greasy foods, burgers, french fries, all the bad stuff. On Saturday Kevin and I saw this sign outside of a Good Times. It summed it up for me.

Oh yeah baby!