I had to cut what I originally wrote because I realized that I could only have 300 words in our entry.  So I am posting the original version.  This gives a little more background and will give you and idea what my husband and I are like.  As you can see we are way to long winded for this to be 300 words. I think the word count said that this was something like 975.  Anyway here we are.

     Well here I am, Sheila Strange.  Awful, right?  I guess let me start by giving you some background.  I am 34 years old and 190 pounds.  I have three children and I used to be thin.  I had gained a lot of weight after my first child, although lost all of that by the time he was two.  He was eight when I had his sister.  After giving birth to my second child I was able to wear my clothes within a few months.  Then I found out that I was pregnant again, the baby I had just had was about 6 months old.  After having the girls that close together my weight never recovered.  I come from a family of "healthy" women, going back for generations and continuing into the next generation.  I want the cycle to stop with me.  I have recently been diagnosed with some health problems some of which I believe stem from the fact that I am so over weight.  So it stops here!!!!

     The show "The Biggest Loser" has inspired me to change my lifestyle and become a more healthy person (and by healthy I don't mean fat).  The first time I watched the show was the beginning of season 4.  I know, I wished I had started watching in season 1.  My life consists of going to work at the office.  Sitting on my but for eight hours at the office.  Going home standing long enough to cook a very fatting supper (fried chicken, etc....).  Then I would sit on my butt in front of the television for a couple of hours and then hit the bed.  What a wonderful life, NOT.  Then one day I came across the show "The Biggest Loser" and decided to watch.  I think that was one of the best decisions I have ever made.  I was so inspired by the show when a friend asked me if I knew of anyone that wanted a stair-stepper, I told her that I wanted it.  That was about half-way through the season.  By the end of season 4 I was watching "The Biggest Loser" from the stair-stepper every week because I was exercising every morning and night.  Thanks to the healthy tips on the show I had cut almost all the sugar out of my diet (By the way I had said in the past I would die if a doctor ever told me I had to cut sugar out of my diet, it really was not so bad).  At the end of season 4 I had lost 20 pounds.  And then the season ended.  Oh No!  And then there was Christmas and all the wonderful sweets.  Of course having to visit everyone and their brother for Christmas I did not have time to do my daily exercising.  Yep, you guessed it I fell off the wagon and gained back 10 pounds of the 20 I had lost:-(

     Well, here comes season 5.  Not only am I going to watch a great season with what looks like some wonderful people and get some more great tips but I am being challenged to lose the weight along with the contestants.  Challenged?  Wow this is going to be an awesome season.  I asked my husband and my son if they were going to rise to the challenge with me.  They both said that they would.  Maybe we will all make a lifestyle change and become a healthy family, thank you "The Biggest Loser". 

     Ok now for my goal and plan.  Right now I weigh 190 pounds so I want to loose 60 pounds and be 130 pounds again.  I will start where I left off and cut most of the sugar out of my diet (as well as the fried chicken), eat healthier foods (you know that green stuff that I rarely eat), replace the soda with water, and exercising at least twice daily.  Does that sound like a good plan?  If I can stick to it.  Although with my husband, Tim, and my son, Cody, working on it with me I know this time I can reach my goal.

NOW FOR TIM

     Yes, now for Tim.  As you can see, I have not one, but two spare tires.  I'm bascally tired of it.  I don't know if anyone knows how fustrating it is to be a mechanic and not be able to fit under a vehicle.  Unless it's a 4x4 with a lift kit.  HaHa.  I'm 33 years old.  I'm 6' 3" and weigh 265 - 275 lbs.  Does not make me happy.  Considering 11 years ago, when I met my wife, I weighed about 215 - 225 lbs.  I guess you can call it good eating.  I would like to get  back to the general weight I was when I played football ( 185 - 200 lbs.).  So I'm going to use the same plan my coaches gave me.  Quit being lazy, get off my butt, and do something.  Also, I'll start eating more than 1 BIG meal a day, obviously that is not working for me.  I'm also in the process of getting a weight set, mainly because in my personal opinion, push-ups and crunches will only take me so far.  Besides that I'll be able to take my stress out on the weights when I quit smoking them 1 - 2 packs of cigarettes a day.  Well that's the skinny of it and me( no pun intended). :)  Hasta luigi, and have a nice day.