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How I lost 100 lbs on TLC – a little update :)

Thursday, August 5, 2010 Posted in Successes, The Journey

Hey everyone….well, anyone who reads our ramblings ;)

Just a quick update about the airing of the show we were filmed for along with some info about all the other little things we were filmed for or interviewed for :)

As we mentioned in the last post, last week we were filmed for a quick segment to be aired on Inside Edition.  Unfortunately we didn’t get more than about 3o minutes heads up that it was going to air so we tried to let everyone that was asking know that it was on but we know lot’s of friends and family missed it.  Because of the size of the file I cannot upload it here but we did upload it to our Facebook pages if you are interested in seeing it.

We were also interviewed for a little write up in the Ventura County Star.  It looks like it will hit the news stands on Friday, but just in case you miss it or you aren’t local, you can check out the online article HERE.

Then, this evening we received an email from Dan’s boss, and then a phone call from a good friend that we were also on Access Hollywood tonight!  We were able to rewind back one of the DVR’s in the house (you have to love technology) to catch the little spot on Access Hollywood.  It looks/sounded like they may be running a little something about the show on tomorrow’s episode of Access Hollywood but we aren’t totally sure.  They did show some clips from the TLC show that made everything a little more real that the show is really going to air tomorrow!!!

Lastly, just a reminder that the show is called ‘How I lost 100 lbs’ and is airing on TLC on Friday, Aug 6.  It’s best to check your local listing for the actual air time.  We have heard from TLC and the production company that it will air at 10pm, but when we set our DVR here at home it looks like it will air at 7pm and 9pm.  So if you want to be sure you don’t miss it I would say it’s a good idea to check your local listing.

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by Charise

4 comments

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August 6, 2010 - 8:19 am Becky - This is awesome -- congratulations for all your hard work, you guys look fantastic.

June 11, 2011 - 9:00 am kathy abenberg - Dan and Charise - How can I get a DVD copy of your Discovery Channel video, "How I lost 100 Pounds"? I saw it and recorded it on our cable system but somebody deleted it. Thought it was GREAT! How can I buy a copy? Or is it online somewhere to see? Thanks. Kathy

June 12, 2011 - 10:43 am kristin - How did you loose 100 pounds

August 12, 2011 - 7:00 am Dan - Hello Kristin, The actual total weight loss is about 210lbs over the course of many years for myself. Charise and I started back on the Weight Watchers program after 8 years in December of 08. We were able to lose a good majority of our weight since than. I lost about 140lbs and Charise lost close to 100lbs. We have since been able to keep the weight off for the past 2 years through the program and fitness. Thanks for checking out the blog :)

TLC – How I lost 100 lbs

Monday, August 2, 2010 Posted in Successes, The Journey

Back in January a friend of mine and I were out dress shopping, trying on dresses, chatting about the changes that Dan and I had made over the previous year and how crazy it was to be in the place we were at with our weight loss journey.  The very nice, super fabulous Susie from Pebbles Bridal in Woodland Hills who was helping us with the dresses overheard our conversation about Dan and I’s weight loss…..and long story short…she has a friend that is a producer who ironically was looking for people that have lost over 100lbs to be featured on a documentary for TLC.  Before we knew it Kaos Entertainment was at our home filming us for the TLC documentary ‘How I Lost 100 lbs’.  It was a crazy whirlwind experience and we feel very lucky to have been given the opportunity to share our story and hopefully motivate and inspire other people by sharing our story.

We haven’t actually seen the final cut of the show yet so we are anxiously awaiting the airing of the show.  We are completely unsure of what to expect but we hope more than anything that the show shares our journey and our story as best as possible.  When we agreed to do the show, Dan and I talked about what we were hoping to come out of the show.  More than anything, we both just wanted to be able to share our story and our journey in hopes to motivate and inspire other people that may be in the same position we were in.  To communicate to people that may feel like there is no hope for them to loose weight that it IS possible!  You can do anything you set your mind to and it is absolutely 100%  possible for you to loose the weight…10 lbs, 100 lbs, 200 lbs….trust us ANYTHING is possible!!

Since the show filmed we were also filmed for a small segment for Inside Edition, which I JUST found out is airing today!  Im not sure if it will run again but it is airing right now as I type.  We were also interviewed this morning for a small article for the Ventura County Star (which we think will be in the paper on Thursday), and of course the BIG debut of the show is scheduled for Friday, August 6 on TLC at 10:00pm (though our DVR show’s a 7:00 air time as well).

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by Charise

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August 2, 2010 - 5:34 pm Valerie - Hi Charise! I just saw your clip on Inside Edition and thought I would look you guys up to see if you have a blog and guess what...you do! You have such an amazing story. I can't wait to sift back through some posts to read more. Congratulations on the success! My husband and I are in a similar situation and I find you both very, very inspiring. Val

Crossing the virtual finish line

Monday, July 12, 2010 Posted in Struggles, Successes, The Journey

I stood on my driveway, stretching, getting ready to head out for a run.  Thoughts going through my head of how far I wanted to run and what route I wanted to run.  Before I made the decision of how far I was going to run I took off, choose my route and just went for it, figured I would decide as I was running how far I would run.  As I hit the 1.5 mile mark I had the option to head in the direction of home which would put my run at just about 3 miles, OR keep going only giving me the option for 4 or 5 miles.  I was feeling great, so without hesitation, I went forward for the longer run.  Before I knew it the choice of 4 miles or 5 miles was right there in front of me.  This time I opted for 4 miles….we spent 4 hours walking the LA zoo earlier in the day so I figured going for 4 was an okay decision.  As I rounded the corner I started to feel the fatigue set in, but, I talked myself out of the thoughts of walking instead of running and continued on.  Right around mile 3 I started to feel it again, fatigue, defeated, just plain tired…as I considered slowing down to walk for a few minutes I looked down at my feet which stopped my thoughts of defeat immediately…and….I smiled, said no way am I stopping, keep going!  It wasn’t the vision of my feet that kept me going it was the meaning behind the vision of my feet running beneath me.  The simple fact that when I looked down, all I could see was my feet, my knees, my legs….running.  A year and a half ago, whether I was running or walking, when I looked down, I didn’t see my feet, or my knees, or my legs….just my stomach.  That is all I saw for years, many years.  So, as the conflict of giving into the fatigue or pushing myself through the fatigue was still swarming around in the back of my head the vision of my feet made the decision for me…push through.  Push through just like I have done for the past year and a half.  At that time I remembered how far I have come, I remembered that 4 miles is no sweat for me, I have done it before, I do it often, there is no way I was going to let ‘the old me’ take the easy road.  So I smiled, I took a deep breath, brought my chin up, posture up, focused on my own ‘virtual finish line’ and continued to run.  It’s amazing how quickly the feeling of fatigue escaped me at that point, which only goes to prove how so much of that feeling of fatigue is sometimes so much more mental than it is physical.  Feeling good, feeling confident, and believing in yourself….those feelings are MUCH stronger than the mental feeling of fatigue. I finished my run, feeling strong and great…in fact, as I approached our street I was feeling so good that I decided to turn down another street to extend my run just a little bit further.  I ended up wrapping up at about 4.5 miles, running the whole way and feeling revitalized and refocused as I finished.

As we go through the weight loss journey I think it is very important to remember where we started and how we got to where we are today.  Whether you have lost 100lbs or 10lbs, whether you have hit your goal or not, every little bit counts, every little bit helps define the person that lies within you.  On the day’s that you struggle to make the right choice’s, struggle with your place in this journey, or struggle to push yourself to complete a run/walk/hike…dig deep, hold your head up high, remember how far you have come….we all have it in us to cross our virtual finish line, whatever and wherever your finish line may be.

by Charise

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July 12, 2010 - 3:43 pm Amelie - Thank you for sharing! You are truly an inspiration!

July 13, 2010 - 8:58 am Kim - What an amazing story you have. I am a WW Simi Valley, Saturday morning attender and this is the first time I have visited your blog. Your story is so encouraging, your photos are awesome. You have opened up so much more of life to your little girl. I'm sure you know that. I am struggling with the last pounds to get to lifetime and your words have inspired me. Thank you so much for sharing your story.

July 14, 2010 - 7:38 am Mary Anne - I just started reading your stories over the week end, you both are such an inspiration! Thanks for taking the time to share you success with us.

August 3, 2010 - 2:44 pm Caryn - Oh geez. You have me crying over your FEET! Are you kidding me, Charise, you have a gift. Of love, of inspiration, of encouragement. Thanks for lifting me up today with your story. About your feet. Your vision of your feet. Your vision of accomplishment. xoxo Caryn

Busy, busy, busy…but staying on track.

Thursday, July 8, 2010 Posted in The Journey

My oh my, its been a long time!!!   Dan and I have been super busy with work life, our vow renewal, our kiddo, trying to enjoy the summer and just everyday life.   But we are going to attempt to get back in action here on the blog :) .  Before we jump right in, here’s a quick update of things that have been going on with us over the past few months.

In April Dan ran his first 1/2 Marathon (The Great Race of Agoura).  Unfortunately, I was not able to run with him as I was out of town to photograph a wedding up North….next time though!  He did lots of training with our friend Matt to get ready for the race and although he had already ran 14 miles prior to the actual race, the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment as he crossed the finish line was an awesome experience for him.  I can still remember talking to him on the phone just after the race and him telling me what an amazing and overwhelming feeling it was to cross that finish line.  It is so strange to think back just over a year and a half ago there was no way he would even entertain the thought of walking a 1/2 marathon, and now here he is running a half marathon!!

In May, Dan and I celebrated our 10 year wedding anniversary and renewed our wedding vows.  It was an awesome day that we are so very thankful for!  We were surrounded by our friends, family and loved ones, we wrote our own vows and truly celebrated the new lives that we have created for ourselves.  One of the many awesome things about our big day??  New photos!!!  New photos that we love and can’t wait to hang on our walls (unlike the photos from our first wedding which are hiding in a box on the top shelf of the closet) ;) .

We attempted a little family ‘staycation’ in June.  Sadly, we had big plans that were cut short by a sick kiddo :(   However, we did manage to get out one day to the lake to take our little one out on her very first fishing trip.  As we finished up our time on the lake we couldn’t help but think about how far we have come.  In all honesty there is no way that we would have done this at our heaviest point and actually enjoyed it.  The joy of a family trip to the lake seems so simple…but really, the way we are able to enjoy it now doesn’t compare to how it would have been before.  It is these simple things in life that make us more and more thankful for the changes we have made.

Dan and our friend Matt are also amidst training to hike Mt Whitney in September.  Every few weeks they get together with the Team of guys that will be doing the hike, they head out to Ojai and do some serious hiking in preparation for the big hike.  It will be a full day of strenuous hiking that will end with amazing feelings of accomplishment.

As some of you may know, I am a wedding photographer…so my weekends are usually spent photographing lot’s of people in love :) .  So my stories of activity and ‘fun’ aren’t really as entertaining as Dans :) .  Although even though I don’t always have the availability to get out and run a 1/2 marathon with Dan or hike Mt Whitney, I still do my best to stay active.  It’s been a little tougher during ‘wedding season; but we have been able to do a few 10K/5K run’s locally which have been great!  My good friend Jen and I spend every Monday morning doing a local run/hike.  During the week, I squeeze in some running, sometimes some swimming at the gym and even a bike ride now and then.  And of course on the weekends Im running around with a great couple photographing their wedding :) .

Sometimes people ask how we stay on track when we are always on the go, always running around, always somewhere to be.  The very best answer we can give to this question is that we plan!  We are always prepared for what we have going on.  We pack snacks, we bring a small ice chest with lunch, we eat before we go somewhere if we know that our choices at the event are not ideal for us, we keep our points under control for the days leading up to a big event.  Most of all we still live our lives and enjoy our lives all while keeping our minds where the need to be.  Needless to say, while we have been crazy busy,  we have also continued to find the balance in our daily routine to keep our weight in check, our activity levels high, and our love for life growing with every day that passes.  Of course we face small struggles along the way, but we continue to do our best to see them for what they are, grab hold of them, fix them or get control of them and move forward in a positive and upward manner.  So this summer, while you are running around, celebrating, vacationing, BBQ’ing or whatever your daily life may bring your way, be sure to remember where you started and how far you have come.  Think positive and believe in yourself, because every success is a step in the right direction and the struggles are just small speed bumps along the way.

by Charise

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July 9, 2010 - 10:13 am Michael Cahn - Thanks for sharing, Charise! I am very blessed that I have gotten to know you and Dan. You continue to inspire me with these blog posts and your great photographs!

July 9, 2010 - 11:07 pm adrienne everakes - Your blog is truly wonderful!!

What a difference 15 months can make!

Sunday, March 21, 2010 Posted in Successes, The Journey

I always believed that I was destined to be ‘the fat girl’, that I would forever just be ‘fat’.  I truly believed that that is just who I was and who I was going to be and there was no hope in changing that.  I had every excuse in the book; I will start on Monday, low fat/low calorie diets don’t work for me, the only ‘diet’ that works for me is the protein diet and that causes me all kinds of digestive issues, I don’t have the time to cook all the time, I’m too busy for the gym, I’m too busy in general, I can’t afford a weight loss program, I have PCOS which causes weight gain and difficulty in loosing weight, blah, blah, blah….the list goes on and on and on.  Let’s be honest…these are all just excuses, lame excuses at that!  The ONLY reason that I was going to continue to be ‘the fat girl’ is because I wasn’t willing and/or ready to take control of my own life and my own choices.  But, that changed in December of 2008.  After being inspired by my Dad, Mom and Brother who had been following the Weight Watchers plan and been very successful with it for several months, Dan and I decided it was time to make some changes in our lives.  For our daughter, for our future, for each other and most of all for ourselves!

For me personally, I was a convenience eater.  Anyone that knows me knows I am on the go all the time, I am busy, busy, busy.  So, meals were all about convenience for me, I would drop my daughter off at school, make a quick run through the drive-thru for a burger (or 2) large fries and a diet coke (as if the diet coke really made a difference at that point).  Sometimes, I would mix it up and opt for a chicken salad…covered in ranch, with an Oreo shake (because the picture of the shake was always screaming my name).  For dinner, it was always a back and forth battle between Dan and I about what to have for dinner.  Neither of us wanted to cook or ‘had time’ to cook so it was just a question of where to go for dinner.  In retrospect, the amount of time we spent talking about which drive-thru we were going to go to and then trying to decide who would actually take the time to go get the food, and then of course going to get it and getting it ready to eat…it takes the same amount of time to actually COOK a healthy meal right here at home!  Never-mind, its WAY cheaper!!  I’m not going to lie, the first few weeks on Weight Watchers were tough, in fact I think it took me a few months to get the thoughts and habits that I was so used to for so many years out of my head.  It was like I was programmed to drop my daughter off in the morning and then go pick up some food, I can literally remember driving up Madera thinking ‘Carls Jr, Jack in Box, McDonald’s?’ I would catch myself mid thought and shake my head realizing what I had been doing to myself for so long without even thinking about it.  I am happy to report that the thought of a drive-thru hasn’t crossed my mind in many, many months!  Not that you can’t make good choices at a few select fast food places, but that just wasn’t the way we were doing Weight Watchers this time around.  It was and is all about the better choice and the smarter choice for us.

We had done Weight Watchers in the past, but this time it was different.  In the past, we did the plan with a means to an end almost.  We would set a small goal to loose X amount of weight and then we would plan to just go back to the ‘normal’ lifestyle we were used to living.  This time, our goal was to learn how to live a healthy life, how to take care of ourselves, to loose all the weight we needed to loose and of course to maintain the weight loss and continue a healthy lifestyle.  I think there was a combination of factors that contributed to our success this time around.  We attended, and continue to attend Weight Watchers meetings every week, we have surrounded ourselves with positive strong people, we believe in ourselves and our ability to be successful with this, we had an amazing support system (both inside and outside of Weight Watchers), we followed the plan fully and completely, we supported one another and we continued on week after week….even when we had a tough week. Weight Watchers has been an amazing plan for us!  It’s simple, it’s easy, it makes sense, it works, it’s convenient and it still allows you to live a ‘normal’ life.

15 months after we started Weight Watchers I sit here 90 lbs lighter….NINETY POUNDS!!!!  And after Tuesday night’s meeting I am SO excited to report that I am now a ‘Lifetime’ Weight Watchers Member!!  WOOOTTTT!!!!   For those that don’t know what this means, once you reach your goal weight (set by you and your Weight Watchers leader) you must maintain that weight (within 2lbs) for 6 weeks.  Once you do that you are considered a ‘Lifetime’ Member (aka, your meetings are now free for as long as  you maintain your weight).  I still cannot believe that I have come this far!

Although I don’t show it, this is really an emotional thing for me.  To think back about how far I have come, how far WE have come in just 15 months…its astounding.  I spent so many years of my life hiding behind the smiles, the laughter and the baggy clothes.  I don’t think anyone, including Dan, ever really knew how miserable and sad I was.  I always put on a happy face and acted as though my weight didn’t bother me, that it didn’t matter, but it did.  I broke me down, it drown my confidence and it took away the ability to believe in myself.  I feel like loosing those 90 lbs wasn’t just a physical loss of weight but a loss of emotional baggage as well.  While the weight loss hasn’t completely changed or taken away all the ‘emotional baggage’ (yet ;) ) it has made a huge impact in my life.  I cannot fully explain how awesome it feels and how happy it makes me to be at this place in my life.

Even though I have hit my Weight Watchers goal and achieved my Lifetime Membership, I am not quite done with my journey.  I am still working hard everyday to continue to loose weight until I reach my personal goal.  Once I hit my personal goal I will begin a new journey, a journey of continuing this new healthy lifestyle.  There was a quote in the Weight Watchers ‘weekly’ a few weeks ago that said ‘If you kind of do it, it will kind of work.  If you really do it, it will really work.’  This statement couldn’t be more true!!

Some mushy stuff……

To what we like to call our ‘Weight Watchers Family’, from the staff to the other member, you have all played such an integral part in this journey for us.  The staff at Weight Watchers in Simi is awesome!!!  We adore you ladies and cannot thank you enough for all of your hard work and support.  The other members that are there week in and week out on Tuesday nights…you guys rock!  You motivate us, you share with us and you help support us more than you know!  You are all a large part of why we look forward to our Tuesday night meetings!!  We feel so lucky to meet some really great people that we like to call our friends (and neighbors ;) ) and we look forward to watching all of you achieve your goals.

To our amazing friends and family, I’m not sure if you all really know how much we adore and appreciate all of your love and support.  This has been such a crazy journey for us thus far and so many of you have stood by us, held our hands and cheered us on the entire way.  You loved us 300lbs ago and continue to love us now.  Your support has shown us even more what amazing people you all are and how lucky we are to have you all in our lives.

Adrienne, I’m not sure that we would have been this successful without you.  While I realize that the success of our weight loss was in the choices and decisions that we made and continue to make for ourselves, I also realize that having a strong, motivating, funny, and straight to the point rock behind it all is equally as important.  YOU are our rock!  You greet us every week with a smile, with support, with concern, with motivation and with love.  I’m not sure if you realize the extent of what you do each week for so many people.  Any weight watchers leader can give you the tools for success and send you on your way to find your own success.  However, it takes a special person to actually motivate, encourage, teach, support and LEAD someone to success…you are one of those special people.  You remind us all to find the positive in things, to remember that there will always be a holiday or a party, to plan, that tomorrow is a new day, and most of all to believe in ourselves and remember that we are worth it!  We love you for helping us and leading us to get our lives back.  We can’t wait to continue the next part of our journey with you.

Mom and Dad, you have stood by us since the beginning.  You never doubted that we could do this, and you supported us every single step of the way.  Thank you for inspiring us to start Weight Watchers  in the first place, for encouraging us, for standing by us, but most of all thank you for your unconditional love and support.  We are SO ready to start this new chapter in our lives as happier and healthier people.  There is no way we could have been as successful as we have been without all of your love and support.  You are the best role models and ‘post-it notes’ anyone could ever ask for.

Dan, my amazing (skinny and hot) husband.  Babe, I am SO ridiculously proud of you!!!  You have overcome some amazing odds.  I mean, honestly…your running a 1/2 marathon in just over a week…that is amazing!!  I can’t tell you how much I wish I could be there with you when you cross that finish line.   You know, so many people ask us how we lost the weight and we always say ‘there is no big secret, weight watchers and exercise’.  But in all fairness, sometimes I feel like maybe I do have a ‘big secret’ on my side…YOU!  Your support, your love and your belief in me has helped me more than I think you know.  You are so strong, so motivated and so driven, I’m honored to be your partner in life and on this journey.  You believed in me when I didn’t believe in myself and you encouraged me every step of the way and I cannot thank you enough for that!  I love you more than you know and I’m so very proud to be by your side as we start this next chapter in our lives.  Babe, I loved you the day I said ‘yes’, I loved you more the day I said ‘I do’ and I am so happy to say that I love you even more today!  I can’t wait to say ‘I do again’ to you in May!!

And here my friends is a before and current (I won’t call it ‘after’ just yet because I’m not quite done ;) ).  I had a VERY hard time finding a ‘before’ photo that you could see the actual ‘before’, as a professional photographer I was really good at either avoiding being in front of the camera all together, positioning myself to be fairly hidden behind other people or things, or just all together deleting the photos that (at the time) I thought looked nothing like I really did ;) .  In fact this ‘before’ photo was one of the select few that I didn’t delete because this one (believe it or not) was one of the more flattering/weight hidden photos.  I’m actually really bummed that I deleted so many of the others that probably really showed a valid ‘before’ image.

So here’s to the next stage of our journey…because we have only just begun!

by Charise

24 comments

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March 22, 2010 - 6:18 am Cheyenne - Friend. I love you. You are such an amazing inspiration to me. I never once considered you fat, and in fact, I know you were laughing at me in your "before" picture, so I was there, but I did NOT see you like that. I am actually a bit dumb founded, because I SEE that picture, but that is NOT how I saw you! I always saw the beautiful skinny girl that you are now, AND NOW you actually ARE that girl. You amaze me. You make me want to be a better more healthy person. Anything you have ever set your mind too, you have achieved, and I know you will continue to reach your dreams. LURVE YOU!!!!

March 22, 2010 - 9:21 am Ila - So exciting to see your success! Congratulations!

March 22, 2010 - 9:55 am Gail Sharki - OMG I have tears in my eyes, a smile on my face, joy in my heart for you and Dan and hope for my journey of weight loss. The two of you are a "real ife" success story. You both along with the ever incredible Adrienne inspire me to do better. When I have doubts and think how am I ever going to achieve a weight loss of of 80+ pounds, I am encouraged by you and Dan. After all you both are regular people like me and deep down I want to believe in myself that I can make this happen. When I popped in last Tues. (not my regular meeting time) I got goosebumps when you put #9 on the lifetime members board for this year! I know how hard you worked for that honor, huge congrats to you!!! Not only do you look amazing, YOU ARE AMAZING!

March 22, 2010 - 10:49 am lyndsay hyatt-almeida - You both look AMAZING!!! Way to go-what an inspiration you are...:)

March 22, 2010 - 11:00 am Amanda - Charise- WOW! You look amazing!!! I am so happy for both you and Dan!!

March 22, 2010 - 11:12 am Amanda Rae - You both are such an inspiration. What you have accomplished in such a short amount of time is simply amazing. I feel like you are about to take over the world now!

March 22, 2010 - 11:15 am Rhonda - Wow Ive heard the stories about WW so many time but to see someone I know get those results is truly inspiring. You have worked soooo hard and come so far. Congratulations to you and Dan both for being awesome role models and an awesome success story.

March 22, 2010 - 11:17 am Jamie - O.M.G. You look AMAZING! Kudos to you girl, the first step to really changing your life is making the choice to really change your life. I am doing this very thing right now by becoming Vegan. The more I read and realize there is no other way for me to truly center my balance other than realizing WHAT i am putting into my body. Only 1 month in to this journey and I've lost 8 pounds :) Im so happy for you and your family! Congratulations!

March 22, 2010 - 11:26 am Anna Kim Photography - Congratulations Charise! I think that is so wonderful. You look amazing! Am so glad I was able to meet you at WPPI.

March 22, 2010 - 11:32 am Lori - You two are amazing Charise! And your story is almost exactly mine! I'm down 50lbs (just got the nerve to post my before/after on FB) and have 35 more to go. I'm not doing WW but am counting every calorie, watching portions & exercising. I too have PCOS plus a broken back and used that excuse for so long. No more excuses! I'm down from a size 22 to a size 12 so far! Keep it up girl, you are truly an inspiration to me!!

March 22, 2010 - 11:44 am Nicky - You are such an inspiration! I know how hard the WW journey is, but just how rewarding it as well, having done it myself a few years back. You are really amazing and I am so glad that I finally had the opportunity to meet you :). Congratulations to both of you hotties!! ~Nicky

March 22, 2010 - 12:33 pm Melissa McClure - Wow what a great account of your journey! I am so proud of you and you (and Dan) are such an inspiration to me!! Love you!

March 22, 2010 - 12:51 pm Dawn Cox - You two look amazing... I can only imagine how you are of each other. You should do this kind of thing for a living. Start your own weight loss program or even a boot camp. Keep up the good work you two... WAY TO GO!!! Love ya Both XOXO

March 22, 2010 - 1:28 pm Melissa Witbeck - WOW Charise! You and your husband are amazing. I am so happy for you. You are an inspiration to many. Thank you for sharing this incredible journey with us.

March 22, 2010 - 2:11 pm brenda swann - Congratulations!! Keep up the good work and commitment.

March 22, 2010 - 11:33 pm Caryn Suehowicz - Congratulations to the new, exciting, beautiful, stunning, funny and captivating YOU! What an amazing journey you've journaled here for all of us to see. Thanks for being so candid. Transparent. We all are touched by having you in our lives. Best wishes, Charise! Caryn Suehowicz

March 23, 2010 - 1:45 pm Jenny McMasters - I meant the post that comment below here.... although I suppose it fits anywhere on this blog! You are inspiring! Thank you Charise!

March 23, 2010 - 2:03 pm Lauren Pressey - AMAZING story, Charise! So happy to have found you through Facebook and can't wait to meet soon. Congratulations! :)

March 24, 2010 - 5:25 pm Kristine Hellinger - Hi Charise, My husband Wayne and I have seen you and Dan at our Tuesday night meetings. I just read your blog and was crying because you and Dan are such an amazing inspiration to us all. I know what you mean about having a loving partner that believes in you. I can't imagine going through my journey without such an amazing partner. You two are very blessed to have each other. See you on Tuesday. Kristine, Wayne and Baby Cash:)

March 24, 2010 - 11:08 pm Cathy Carlson - Charise - You and Dan are such an inspiration to so many of us, but not just because of your weight loss, but because you are both such amazing people. Thank you for making Tuesday nights so much fun (Eskimo Bob!). Love, Cathy (your 'other' neighbor!)

March 25, 2010 - 3:01 pm Marianne - You both are so rockin. Way to stick it out and achieve your awesome goals :)

April 1, 2010 - 8:30 pm Jennifer - It's really great to see real people achieve dream goals like the two of you have. It's very motivational and inspiring!

July 12, 2010 - 12:49 pm Julie C. Marschlowitz - Sitting here thinking about how I feel the same way as you said.....always will feel like I'm going to be the Fat Girl. Not a good feeling. So far I have lost 31 pounds (the furthest I have ever gotten on WW). I DO NOT WANT TO GIVE UP! And your blog came to me at just the right time! Thank you for helping me realize I can do this even though inside I want to give up. In the end this journey (even though it's slooooww) is so worth it! With Sincere Thanks, Julie

July 16, 2010 - 1:11 pm kristin - hey cheris I cant wait till i look like that i am so ready to be skinny cause i have never been skinny in my whole life even when i was little growing up i was always that fat kid in school and everybody talked behind my back and stared at me when i was in school or when i go some were i always see little kids looking at me and talking saying did you see that fat girl or some thing like they try to wisper so i cant hear them but i can hear what they are saying write me anytime or add me to facebook if you have one my facebook address is the same as my e-mail address. i would like to talk to you more if you dont mind it is kristin_como@yahoo.com is what my facebook is so look me up

Positive Thinking – How bad do you want this?

Monday, March 15, 2010 Posted in The Journey

From Dan:

When I started the journey of weight loss I never thought that Positive Thinking would be the driving force to my success.  I was always the type of person that saw everything as half empty rather than half full.   I was always looking for the worst in every situation and making excuses to not succeed or dive into any challenge that was in front of me. It was almost as if there was this heavy weight (hmm, pun intended I suppose) that just sat on top of me day in and day out that would never allow me to feel good, to feel positive, to feel like I could do it (no matter what it was).  Little did I know that that weight was me…I was the only one holding myself down and keeping things half empty rather than half full.

I can still remember our 1st week with weight watchers, I remember thinking to myself; this isn’t going to work, this points program was too much work, it was going to be way to hard to figure out points and they wanted me to write down everything that I ate??!!??.  Those first few weeks almost felt like I was going through Detox.  In retrospect I probably was, my body and my mind were so used to eating huge portions of unhealthy food everyday, all day.  As tempted as I was to just give up (again) I knew this time it had to be different. I knew that I really needed to stick to this and make a change for myself and for my family.   As each week passed and anytime I felt like I was starting to struggle or even considering making bad choices, or quitting all together I would stop and ask myself “How bad do I want this?”.  Every-time I asked myself that question, I knew how badly I wanted this, I knew how important it was!  No matter how hard it felt like it was to retrain my body and my mind to make the right choices for myself and my health, I could feel the change taking over my body and could already start to feel how worth it it would all be.  Every single week since December of 2008 I attend my local Weight Watchers Meeting…..yes, EVERY week for more than a year…I have not missed a single meeting!   I cannot tell you what an important part the meetings have played in my success.  Not only attending meetings but attending the ‘right’ meetings.  The meetings where you are surrounded by positivity, support and motivation.  Adrienne, our WW Leader has been an integral part in our success.  She always talks about staying positive and maintaining a positive attitude no matter what the situation.  She truly drives this concept week after week always reminding us that you have to remain positive if you want to see and feel positive results.  The reality is that your problems and/or life stresses will always be there, so you need to figure out how to deal with them head on rather and not resort to food as a coping mechanism.  We all know that emotional eating only leads to more struggles.  So each week I listen and take to heart all the positive leadership and apply it to my own journey and my own life.  Its truly amazing how your life can take on a new path if you just try and stay positive, believe in yourself and know that you are worth it!

As some of you may know, Charise and I ran our first 10K in February.  A year ago, there is no way I could have ever imagined I would be able to accomplish something like that.  Yet here we are, our first 10K down and already training to run my first 1/2 marathon in just a few weeks.  It’s crazy to think that just 14 months ago I was more than 300lbs and couldn’t even think about running to the end of my street never mind more than 13 miles.  While I know that it probably won’t be a breeze to run the entire route through the mountains of Agoura, I am keeping my positive thinking and I know that I CAN do it and I WILL do it.

So I challenge you to make a change in your thinking…try and see the positive, try and see the glass as half full, realize that even if you feel like there is a ton of bricks on you right now, with the right attitude and the right effort, it will get better and you can do anything you set your mind to.  We are the only ones that truly have control of our lives and our futures…so make the right choices for yourself…you deserve it!!

by Dan

3 comments

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March 17, 2010 - 8:10 am Mark Taylor - greta info Dan...you help to make the glass full

March 17, 2010 - 10:22 pm Jenny T - Dan such an amazing story! I love that you are sharing your story with us along the way and that with all the hard work and dedication you can do anything you want to do. I am looking to make my glass half full as well! Keep up the good work!

March 23, 2010 - 1:43 pm Jenny McMasters - OMG! I need to be inspired by you! I soooo wish this to be my story! I have got to get on board and take control of my life!

Side dish yumminess!

Tuesday, February 16, 2010 Posted in From the Kitchen

I should really preface this post with the information that I am not a fan of onions.  To the extent that I have them removed from everything I order in any restaurant and if I can omit them from a recipe I am cooking at home I will happily do so.  HOWEVER, my mom introduced us to an AAAAAMAZING onion that I actually really like and its super easy to make which is even better.

Here’s what ya need….

2 large sweet onions

Olive oil

Italian seasoning mix (we use sodium free Mrs. Dash although Im sure you could use whatever you have handy even if its just salt and pepper).

Balsamic Vinegar

Here’s what ya do….

Preheat your oven to 350.  Line a pan with foil (you don’t have to use the foil but it makes cleanup WAY easier because the balsamic makes a mess).

Cut the top and bottom parts off of the onion, then cut the onion in half and place them side by side in the foil lined pan with the top/bottom down and the larger part face up.

Brush the onion with olive oil.  Generally I just pour 4 tbsp of olive oil into a small dish and use that so that I know I don’t over do it on the oil.

Sprinkle each onion with seasoning mix.

Place the onions in the oven at 350 degrees for 3.5 hours (you really can’t over cook them so if you have them in a little longer its no biggie).

Remove the onions and brush with Balsamic Vinegar.  You should brush about the same amount of vinegar on the onions as you did oil.  I tend to use more Vinegar though because I love vinegar and although it does have some sugar in it it doesn’t carry the same amount of fat and calories as olive oil so Im a little more generous with it.  This is totally up to you.

Place the onions back in the oven at 350 degrees for another 30 minutes.

Remove from onion and enjoy the yumminess!

This will make 4 servings.  Depending on how much oil you use (or have taken in during the day) the onions can be counted as 0 points or 1 point.  I have been told that once you use more than the 2tbsp of oil recommended in your daily intake that you need to start counting the oil in your points.   If you haven’t used up all your oil for the day then you can count these babies as 0 points (onion, seasoning, oil and vinegar).  You can eat them as a side dish to your dinner, or you could add them to the top of a turkey burger for some added yummy flavor.

by Charise

2 comments

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February 17, 2010 - 10:05 pm Michael Cahn - That looks really good! From your fellow Weight watcher, Michael

February 18, 2010 - 2:20 pm Angela Turley - Hey Charisse, The recipe looks good I will definitely try it. One question though does it really take 3.5 hours to cook? that seems like a long time in the oven. Thx Angela

10K – the experience

Wednesday, February 10, 2010 Posted in Keeping Active, Successes, The Journey

This past weekend Dan, myself, our soon to be sister-in-law and two of our very good friends took a trip to San Diego to run in our very first 10K!  We have been planning for, training and preparing for this 10K for about 6 weeks now and although we knew we were physically ready for the run I’m not sure any of us really knew what to expect for our very first run of this size.

From Dan:

When we got off the freeway at Sea World Drive and started to head towards the event I was blown away with all the participants that were there.  There were hundreds of people in in the park, chatting, stretching, jogging, getting ready for the run/walk.  It truly felt motivating to see all the people young and old who were there to run/walk.  This was our very first experience with participating in a 10k so I didn’t know really what to expect, all I knew is that I was excited!  I remember seeing all walk of life young and old at this event and told Charise look over there, that is what I want. I want to be able to be at that age and participate in these as I pointed to a gentleman who was well in his 70′s.  When the race began it was very uplifting for me.  As I was weaving through the mass of people I thought to myself, I am truly not alone in this and everyone is here for one common goal, to finish.  This felt good and it put me at ease.  As I got through the 1st mile the herd started to thin and most of the runners found their pace.  I felt great mile after mile and at mile 4 the experience hit me, at that point I took it all in, looking up in front on me and just enjoying what life has given me, a chance and a new start in my life.  I felt so good and at this moment it gave me the strength and energy to pick up my pace and stay strong.  I finished the race in an hour and although my goal was to be under an hour I couldn’t help but be overjoyed with the overwhelming feeling of accomplishment knowing that I had just completed my very first 10K!

We were also lucky enough to have the crew of Kaos Entertainment there with us to document our run (Kaos is the production company that is filming and producing the documentary that Charise and I will be in airing on TLC this summer). We are so happy that they were there with us to document this run because now this will be something Charise and I can look back on and remember our 1st of many runs that we plan to do.

From Charise:

I can remember when our good friend Matt suggested we do this 10K together…I remember saying to him, ’6 miles? I don’t think I can RUN 6 miles.’.  Then, I remember both Matt and Dan with complete belief saying, ‘you can totally do it!’.  Looking back, I know they believed in me than I did and I couldn’t be more thankful for that because it was their faith in me that pushed me to start training to run the 10K, it was their faith in me that pushed me further each week, and it was their faith in me that helped me find the faith I needed in myself to believe in myself and my ability to do this.  Each week we would all try and get together and run together to get prepared for the run.  Each week knowing that the run was getting closer and closer and we were getting stronger and stronger.

It seems like the Date of the run came so fast…it felt like just yesterday we were just considering doing the run.  Yet, here it was, Feb 6th…time to ‘run’.  It was gloomy outside, super chilly with a 70% chance of rain when we woke up the morning of the run.  This being our very first 10K we weren’t sure what to expect, weren’t sure how many people would be there to run (especially with the yucky weather) but what we did know is that we were all going to run from start to finish…rain or shine.  As we drove down the street to the starting point for the run I remember feeling a bit overwhelmed by the hundreds and hundreds of people preparing for the run.  Baby’s in strollers, young children, teens, college students, adults and elderly folks…you name it they were there!  As you looked around at the vast variety of people it was impossible to not feel motivated and excited.

There was a 5K run and a 10K run, the 5K runners were set to start their run first…I remember watching them all take off and starting to feel a little nervous knowing that our run was just a few minutes away.  I’m still not sure what I was nervous about, I mean it wasnt like we hadn’t already ran an completed a 6 mile run on our own.  But for some reason, this 6 mile run just had different meaning, this 6 miles puts another milestone in this amazing new lifestyle we have chosen for ourselves.  We grouped up in the sea of people waiting for the director to give us the go ahead for our run and before we knew it we were off…running our very first 10K.  The first mile although a little congested with people seemed to pass by so fast!  I can remember looking over at Megan and Jen saying ’1 mile down already?!!’.  Before we knew it we were passing the mile 2 marker, and then the mile 3 marker.  As we passed the mile 3 marker the volunteer looked at her watch and gave us our time…31 minutes.   I remember thinking to myself….31 minutes?  Really?  31 minutes?  If I can just keep this pace I will finish in just over an hour…..that would be great time for me.  Once we got to mile 4 the wind started to pick up, we were now running against the wind and uphill!  YIKES!!  As I pushed on through mile 4 I could feel myself starting to get tired and starting to feel a little discouraged at how tired I was feeling, but I took a minute and looked up ahead to realized that the small group of Marines that were running just a few feet ahead of me were still just a few feet ahead of me.  In this moment I took a minute to regroup and thought to myself….’you have kept up with these Marines this long, you will NOT stop now’.  So, I dug a little deeper and pushed a little harder and before I knew it we were over the hill and the wind had passed, and we were running the 5ht mile.  Just as I started to wonder…’where is the finish line?’ I saw the volunteer holding the 10K marker…there it was, just a few yards ahead.  As I crossed the finish line I can still remember the amazing feeling of happiness and  accomplishment that had taken over, I can remember hearing Dan and Matt who finished ahead of us cheering us on, I remember looking up at the clock and seeing it read 1:04, I remember feeling GOOD. These are all feelings that I never want to forget!

One year and 86lb’s ago I couldn’t run to the end of my street…and now, here I am, just finished running my first 10K and already getting ready to start training to run our first 1/2 marathon later this year.  I look at my amazing husband, who has lost more than 210lbs since the day we said ‘I do’ and I cannot believe how far we have come.  Never in my wildest dreams did I think that our lives would be on this path.  I am so incredibly thankful that we have one another and that together, with the support of our family and friends we have discovered the people we were truly meant to be.  It is crazy and I am loving every minute of our new lives together!!!

Remember, that sometimes, when you may not believe in yourself as much as you should or as much as you deserve, that someone else does….and that someone else believes in you for good reason.  So find it within yourself to dig down deep and find the courage and strength to believe in yourself and have faith in yourself because you deserve it and you can do anything you set your mind to.

To Matt, Jen, Megan and Mark:

We can’t thank you guys enough for being there with us through all of this.  And we don’t just mean for the run….but for everything, the preparing and training for our first 10K, for cheering us on, for motivating us more than you guys know…if it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t have even considered attempting to run this 10K, never-mind actually run it, complete it and love every minute of it!  But most of all, thank you all for believing in us, supporting us, continuing to motivate and inspire us.   And for running along side us during our weight loss journey…your love, support and friendship mean the world to us.

Here we are before the run: Dan, Charise, Megan, Jen, Matt

Big thanks to Matt for grabbing this shot of Jen and I as we approached the finish line

After the run:  Matt, Jen, Dan, Charise, Megan, Mark

by Charise

5 comments

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February 10, 2010 - 10:51 am Yvonne - It makes me soooo happy to see such accomplishment and motivation. Your story is incredible. You guys do have what it takes....just look at you!!! I am so proud of all of YOU!

February 10, 2010 - 12:03 pm Molly - I am now looking for kleenex here at work cuz I'm overflowing with pride & joy for you guys. You look awesome & I'm going to brag to everyone I know about you 2 !!!! Loveyas & HUGE GIANT pat of the back for all your effort & hard work. -Molly

February 10, 2010 - 6:22 pm Jennifer - I love you both so much! We truly had a wonderful weekend that I will never forget. Thank you for inspiring me through all of this...it's not easy running 6.2 miles! Charise I was thinking the same exact thing about the Marines ahead of us! So funny.

February 10, 2010 - 8:01 pm Megan Sterkel - I am so proud of you guys! You are so amazing and such an inspiration!! XOXO!

February 12, 2010 - 5:11 pm Melissa Witbeck - Charise, You look amazing! I hope to complete my first 10k this year. :-) I loved reading this blog you gave me the drive I need to start training. I cannot wait to blog about my experience. Thanks for sharing yours.

From the Kitchen : Slow cooker soup

Sunday, January 31, 2010 Posted in From the Kitchen

There are SO many benefits to attending the Weight Watchers meetings every week.  Not only are you benefiting from some awesome support, motivation, accountability, new idea’s shared by other members and hopefully a kick butt leader (like we are lucky enough to have in Adrienne) but you also get these Weekly Newsletters that include some great info, coupons and some great recipes.  With my monthly membership to Weight Watchers I have access to the e-tools which includes access to tons of great recipes….trouble is, there are TONS, and sometimes you can easily miss some hidden gems.  This my friends is where the Weekly Newsletter recipes come in handy!  A few weeks ago the Weekly Newsletter included a recipe for a ZERO (yes zero) point Slow Cooker Vegetable Soup.  I am not a huge fan of soup, but Dan is so we decided to give it a shot.  We modified the recipe just a bit and added some 1 point Turkey Meatballs from Trader Joes for some added protein and voila…..YUMMY SOUP!!  It’s loaded with some of my favorite vegetables and with the addition of the Turkey Meatballs it’s even better!

So here is our version of the recipe.

4 cups of Low Sodium Vegetable Broth (we got ours from Trader Joe’s, although I’m sure you could pick it up at any grocery store)

10 oz spinach leaves

3 medium carrots, chopped

3 medium celery stalks, chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

2 15oz cans of diced tomatoes (we used one that was pre-seasoned with oregano, garlic and basil)

1 tbsp dried basil

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

1 or 2 bags of Turkey Meatballs from Trader Joes (1pt per meatball).   The amount of Turkey Meatballs is totally up to you and how many meatballs you would like to have in each serving.

Place all ingredients in a slow cooker; cover and cook on high power for 6 hours or on low for 8 hours.

The soup per the WW recipe is 0 points per serving and 1 serving is about 1 cup.  We serve ourselves 1 cup of the soup and a few Turkey Meatballs (depending on the amount of points we have allotted ourselves for dinner).

This soup got a huge thumbs up from the Proctor house, you should absolutely give it a try!  And, even better, you can prep the veggie’s for the soup the night before, then in the morning before you leave for work, just dump the Vegetable Broth, Turkey Meatballs (optional) and all the vegetables you prepared the night before into the crock pot, turn it on and dinner will be ready for you when you get home!  You gotta love quick, easy and delicious!!!

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by Charise

2 comments

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February 1, 2010 - 7:49 am Wendy - Great idea! I, too, love the weekly newsletter. We also liked the healthy chicken pot pie recipe a few weeks back.

February 1, 2010 - 10:12 am Malena - Thanx for the recipe. It is so true that finding good recipes can be overwhemling. I am heading out to the grocery store now. Soup for dinner tomorrow!

So What’s Next? Life after Goal

Thursday, January 28, 2010 Posted in Keeping Active, The Journey

I am 60 weeks in to my Weight Loss Journey and 16 weeks into Life Time “Maintenance” and have came to realize that the real journey has just begun. While loosing the weight was definitely a challenge, it has also been quite the challenge to find the balance of maintaining my weight.  Trying to work towards finding the comfortable, happy and safe balance is much more difficult that you may think.  But, after 16 weeks, I think I have finally found the balance that I need to maintain my weight.

When you are on the first part of your journey to loose weight you have a challenge every week…to loose weight.  Once you reach your weight loss goal your new challenge is to find the balance of food and exercise that will be just right to maintain your weight loss without continuing to loose, or gain.  Once the challenge of losing weight week after week is no longer there, and you have found the balance you need to maintain your weight you are left with the question of…what do I do now?  While I realize the biggest challenge going forward will be to continue to maintain my new healthy and happy lifestyle, the question is, is there a way to keep myself focused, motivated and challenged on a daily basis?  I personally feel like the best way for me to continue to be successful in my journey I need to make sure that I keep health and fitness an integral part of my life.  I know to keep my self from becoming complacent I need to find activities to keep me going and focused on the over all goal of living a long and healthy life.  So, as I continue to push myself and challenge myself week after week through exercise I seem to have developed a liking for running.  Running?! Yea, running :)   Well, I grabbed that liking for running, and am running with it (pun intended) and found my new ‘challenge’.   Charise, myself and some very close friends of ours will be running our first 10k as a group in February.  And as a continued part of the new challenge we already have our sights set on doing a 1/2 marathon by the summer 2010 and plan to run a full marathon in 2011.

Wether you are at the very begining of your journey, or in the middle, dont forget to challenge yourself and set goals for yourself…both large and small ones.  In my opinion they are a large part in keeping you focused and on track.

So, what’s next for you? How do you keep yourself challenged and on track?

by Dan

2 comments

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January 29, 2010 - 12:40 pm Melissa - I ask myself that daily, I hit goal in May 09, lifetime June 09 and I kept total control until end of November, and I noticed that stress is what killed me, then the negative attitude hit, I reverted to my old ways...I never weighed in above goal, but was beating myself up pretty badly for anything I ate off program! I don't do New Year's resolutions....but I decided this year I was going to challenge myself, because when the challenge's are gone you have nothing to reach for, and seem to lose sight of yourself. January was challenging but I am ending this month feeling outstanding! Still under goal..and ending it with 6 days straight of a 1 hour jog daily. I look foward to reading you and your wife's blogs and comments ON FACEBOOK. Along with Adrienne every Saturday morning, it all keeps me going... I am the last man (woman) standing out of the group I started out with :) thanks

January 30, 2010 - 12:10 pm Dan - Thanks Melissa. Were all in this together. And to be the only one left out of your group that has reached the goal of LT is something be very proud of.