Meet our Group 2 Study Participant, Starr...

Hi, My name is Starr Hill. I have been married to my loving husband for 26 years now and we have 3 wonderful children and a granddaughter.

I have really put on the weight since I got married. We started a family right away and I was put on the back burner. With each pregnancy I just kept gaining. I was always so busy with the kids and work that I just didn't have time for myself.

Now that the kids are grown and moved out it is my time. I have tried almost every diet program and diet pill there is but always ended up failing. Of course I would lose a little weight but I would quit and then just gain more back.

I was working out and eating clean for about 6 months and had lost almost 50 pounds but then my job uprooted us. I know it's not an excuse for me to go back to my old ways but I did. I have gained most of it back and feel horrible.

I am so glad to have been chosen by Tabitha and Chelle to participate in this study. I am hoping for it to be a whole new life for me. I will give it everything I've got.

It will also be a challenge for Tabitha & Chelle I'm sure, because I am now traveling full time on the road for my job in an RV. It's going to be an experience for us all, to learn how to eat better and exercise while traveling.

Starting Date: November 21, 2011     Age: 44           Height: 5'3"           Weight: 226 lbs

Date:  February 12, 2012

Final Weight:  212.6 lbs (-2.2 lbs!)

This has been such an awesome experience. Even though I have had problems (my injuries) the girls still worked with me and showed me that you can keep going.   Also with my busy schedule they have taught me that you can always find time for yourself. You just have to want it. I plan to continue working on everything I have learned and I will get to my goal weight.  Losing weight has given me a confidence in myself that I never thought I would have. It's such a wonderful feeling.  Thanks so much to 2 special people for giving me the tools I needed to be able to do this. I could never repay you for what you have taught me.

Date:  February 5, 2012

Boy this job sure makes all this tough. But I am finally done with this one and am getting ready to move on to my next location for work. It won't be as many hours so I can spend a little more time on ME again. I can't wait.
I have been able to workout more so I am finally feeling good again. And my eating has improved also. You sure can tell the difference in energy levels. It's amazing.

Date:  January 24, 2012

Current Weight:  214.8 (-2 lbs!)

I thought this was supposed to get easier as we went, but things in life happen and it just makes it tougher.  I am in the middle of a job right now that keeps me so busy that it is hard to find time to workout and I forget to eat. 

I know. I know. Isn't that the oldest excuse in the book   "Can't find time to workout."  But when you work from sun up to sun down and then have another job to do afterwards it just gets really hard.

I can't wait till this job is over so I can start having some ME (workout) time again.  I feel that I am not doing Tab and Chelle justice right now because I am not being able to focus on this 100% but isn't that also part of this process?  Learning to work with what we have and do what we can?  I may not be able to do everything they want me to right now but I am squeezing in what I can.

Date:  January 15, 2012

I really do hate not being able to workout. I don't feel my body changing like it was when I was working out. I was excited feeling my muscles getting a little bigger and the feeling of your clothes getting a little looser was awesome as well. It's a great feeling.

I had trouble eating everything on my meal plan this last week. I am sooooo busy with work and customers right now that I can't even get time to take a bite. I don't like to eat in front of people.
Good news though!!! I get to do lower body workouts again. The girls gave me the go ahead since my ankle appears to be in no more pain so at least I finally get to do some activity.

Tabitha has gotten creative since we are nowhere near any kind of exercise equipment and made a routine for me that I hope will kick my butt. I have been on the sidelines for way too long now.
As for my upper body. My arm/elbow is still giving me some problems so we are going to wait on that a bit.
So here's to being able to workout again....... :)

Date:  January 8, 2012

Boy is it hard not being able to work out....
WOW! Where did that come from?
Did I ever think I would hear myself say that?
But I really do miss it. It is something that you begin to enjoy. I mean, yes, it's hard work but nothing can replace the feeling when you push yourself just a little harder and get one more rep in than you thought you could. Or can lift more than you did just the other day. Or the energy you have afterwards. It's awesome.
I am hoping to get a full go ahead soon to be able to get back in the swing of things. I can't wait.
The girls have been keep track of me with my nutrition which is what we are fully concentrating on right now and it has been going well.
I am staying strong and loving the inspiration they send us in emails. It really helps.
Here's to healing quickly and getting back to work.

Date:  December 31, 2011

Well, Christmas Day with my family was wonderful. I almost forgot how much fun it was to get up early in the morning with a little one. Our granddaughter made this Christmas so special. Christmas evening I had a little fall and injured myself. Trust me, I won't go into detail because it wasn't pretty. :)

Anyway, I injured my ankle and my arm. One of my first thoughts was that the girls were going to kick me to the curb. Nothing against them but what good could they do for me now. There was no way I was going to be able to work out for awhile. After talking to them they assured me that this was just a bump in the road and that it could happen to anyone. They explained to me that for now we will concentrate on just my nutrition until things get better.

Awesome, They weren't getting rid of me.....

I'm not ready to go. I still could use so much more help. Though they are teaching us lots of things that I didn't know. I have to admit I did go through a period of 2 days on and off of wondering how I could lose weight without the exercising. So I would just eat. It didn't matter what. I was depressed.

Then I heard Tabitha and Chelle both (they really get in your head) reminding me that this is where it gets serious. This is where you can really prove to yourself that you want it. You shift all your attention to your eating and prove to yourself that you want this. BAD. And I do. So I have cleaned up my eating and am going to prove to myself that this speed bump is not going to slow me down. It's just going to teach me a little bit of a different way to do this.

Hope everyone's holidays have been wonderful.
Starr

Date:  December 27, 2011

Current Weight:  217.6 lbs (-1.1 lb)

This past week has been really good. I enjoyed the workouts as they are getting harder and definitely more challenging.   Nutrition has been very hard this past week with the holidays and all. There are so many temptations out there. Now that you pay more attention to what food you should and shouldn't be eating you realize where all the extra weight came from. You can't just sit back anymore and ask yourself "How did this happen?" You look at all the holiday candies and cookies and then a light bulb goes on. you finally figure out how it got there.

Then you look again and ask if you really want it. You worked out so hard that day. Do you really want to blow it by eating all that processed stuff? That was what helped me most this holiday. And that's what I need to keep reminding myself. I work too hard every day to just throw it away with something that you will only taste for a few minutes.

Date:  December 19, 2011

This past week was very challenging because my family was doing Christmas Goodie Baking and was eating out quite a bit. I did have a bite or two here and there but nothing like I used to have.
And I stayed away from eating the fast food. While my family was having Carls Jr. I was eating a plate full of Steamed fish with rice and zucchini. I think I had the better meal. I did not miss the fatty food that my family was eating at all.
 

Exercising kicked my butt this past week. I pushed myself too hard and was really sore for 3 days. I could hardly get up from a sitting position. I will scale back a little this next week. I definitely learned my lesson.
Working out and eating clean is really hard for me because we travel so much and are on call with my job but I am working it out and sticking with it. It has really been one of the biggest challenges for me but I know I can do this. This is for me. I WILL beat this thing called obesity!!!!
 

Date:  December 14, 2011

What Goal Weight Means To Me
 

As for what reaching my goal weight would mean to me... Well... I am hoping as I lose weight I will be able to get off my high blood pressure medicine. And, also my ankles won't hurt as much since there wont be as much weight on them. I know that I will be more confident in public because I already notice that in myself. I used to be so disgusted with myself that I would hide at home and not go out unless I possibly had to. Now I'm actually going to a gym and working out in front of people. Its been a huge change and I like it. Hitting goal weight is a huge challenge for me and I can't wait to say that I have done it!
 

Date:  December 10, 2011

Current Weight:  218.7 lbs  (-3.6 lbs)
Work has kept me very busy this past week so it was really hard for me to keep up with everything. We are also spending December with our Granddaughter so she is keeping me busy also. First time to see her in 3 years. She just turned 5.

I have to be honest and say that I have strayed from my meal plan this past week but I think/hope that I have learned enough from Chelle to be still eating the right foods. It wasn't what she had listed for me but I did stick with eating healthy foods. No Junk.

I am finding that my body craves healthy food more and more. Every few hours I find myself wondering what kind of vegetable I want this time. It's really a good feeling. I don't crave junk food anymore and I am doing really good at being able to pass it up with a smile on my face.
I was able to start a gym membership this month and have really really enjoyed that. It's nice having everything you need right there on hand.

Things are really going great and I am enjoying my new lifestyle.
Don't get me wrong though. It is challenging and lots of hard work but it is so worth how it makes you feel.
 

Date:  December 4, 2011  

Current Weight:  222.3 (-3.7!!!)

Last week was pretty tough for me. We had lots of family in for Thanksgiving and it was hard to stay on track. I thank Chelle and Tabitha for allowing us the cheat meal. I was proud of myself though for keeping portions to a bare minimum and chose only what I really really wanted. I didn't have a full plate as usual and didn't go back for seconds. YAYYYY ME!
I also learned alot this week about the importance of getting in all your nutrients and working out as hard and as long as you can.   These two( the girls) are really good at pushing you and teaching you new things.
Can't wait to begin my next week and keep this process going.

Date:  November 27, 2011  

Well this was my first week and everything went pretty good. Chelle has some great recipes. We are really busy and I just don't have time to cook a big meal everyday. So the prep on Sunday made everything really easy. The workout program was challenging, but so worth it. I was really sore for the first few days, but I know that if I wasn't then I wasn't doing something right. I am working really hard to stick with this since I was so blessed to have been chosen to participate in this program. I know that this is a life change not just a 12 week process.