Shrink Into Summer, Biggest Shrinker | The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans LLC

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Tammi, aka ValleyGirl, is the Biggest Shrinker for the Shrink Into Summer Challenge! She was kind enough to answer some questions for us, so grab a tall glass of water and get to know Tammi!

Height: 5’5″

Challenge Start Weight:  177.0 lbs. (but I added another 4.2 in the first two weeks of the challenge before I started losing!)

Challenge End Weight: 167.0

Pounds & Percentage Lost: Well, from the beginning of the challenge to the end, I lost exactly 10 lbs, but since I added that extra 4.2 after the challenge started, I’ve actually had to lose a total of 14.2 over the last 6 weeks to register that 10-pound loss!  So if we figure 10 lbs of 176, it’s a 5.7% loss, and if we figure 14.2 of 181.2, it’s a 7.8% loss ~ take your pick!! Goal Weight: My goal is a mid-morning, buck nekkid weight of no more than 145 lbs.  That way, it doesn’t matter what I eat or wear on any given day ~ I should never register above 150! Between 135-140 is where I hovered most of my pre-marriage adult life (when I was “skinny” but always thought I could stand to lose another 5 pounds or so.  HA!), but that was 12 years and 2 pregnancies ago, so I think 145 will be awesome.  Several years ago, while on Weight Watchers, I got down to 158 and felt downright sexy, so I can only imagine how great 145 will feel!!!  Especially since I’ll be keeping it off this time, instead of reaching the goal and then promptly reversing most of the progress!
Tell us a little about yourself!! Feel free to give as much info as you want. I’m almost 37 yrs old, I’ve been the wife of a wonderful, rough-around-the-edges kinda guy for the last 12-1/2 years, and I’m the mother of two beautiful girls, ages 7-1/2 and almost 5.  I live out in the middle of nowhere on an acreage in a wide, shallow valley in western Manitoba, which, if not for the infinite and excruciating winters, I’d consider to be the very perfect place to live! I’ve always felt I was a little on the heavy side, even back in the days when I was only 130#, but I’ve peaked twice up at 195 and have done the whole yo-yo-ing thing ever since the initial rapid ascent the year we got married.  (What IS it about marriage that makes us do that?!) However, THIS, I’ve decided… THIS IS THE LAST TIME!
What has been the biggest change you’ve made in order to lose weight? The biggest change has been, well, my whole approach!  Every time in the past, I’ve focused on ME ~ which sounds reasonable, right, since it’s MY weight, MY problem… Only this time, I’ve been working through Dee Brestin‘s Bible study called A Woman of Moderation: Breaking the Chains of Poor Eating Habits (hence the name of my weight loss blog) and I realize that I’ve been viewing it selfishly. It’s NOT about me.  It’s about trying to glorify God.  Did you know gluttony doesn’t do that?!  So not only have I started to see over-indulgence (in ANY physical appetite ~ not just for food) as the sin it is, but I’ve also started to see how my eating habits are a testimony.  I can’t very well claim to be living the victorious Christian life if it’s clear this particular area of my life is completely outta control!  It’s a pretty tough problem to hide!! Have you given anything up completely (foodwise)? NOPE!  Not a thing!! The only thing I’ve given up is over-eating.  Oh yes, it’s a struggle, but it’s far easier than permanently giving up a particular food or food-type.  God meant for us to enjoy all foods, just not over-indulge in them. When I first bought the book and realized that in their recommended eating plan there were THREE days a week where you were supposed to refrain from eating solid foods, I thought I’d never be able to stick to it.  But Alicia, my wonderful “in real life” best friend and accountability partner in this study, and I have both decided it’s actually the easiest plan we’ve ever tried to stick with.  There’s no counting, no figuring, no planning…. just self-restraint.  And turning to God instead of food when I KNOW I’m not hungry. AND, you always get to eat supper, so there’s always a wonderful meal to look forward to (without gorging on, of course!) at the end of a tummy-rumbling day! What keeps you motivated? Knowing that I have a friend whose tummy is grumbling the same days and times mine is ~ and for the same reasons ~ definitely makes it easier!  And also my desire to make it obvious that God is making a difference in my life helps keep me in check when I feel like giving in to edible temptations. Is there any one person you lean on when you’re having a hard time with dieting? Alicia and I get together for coffee every Wednesday afternoon, see each other in church most Sunday mornings, and exchange emails throughout the week.  It’s to her I generally admit my shortcomings and she’s a wonderful encouragement.  And, of course, there’s the ol’ blawg.  There’s nothin’ quite like confessing to the whole world that you just ate a bag of chips, two slices of toast with Nutella, a bag of microwave popcorn, and three pieces of cake… just two hours after a full supper! But you know, mostly I talk to God about it. That might sound trite to a lot of you, whether you consider yourself born-again Christians or not, but I’ve been a Christian since I was a young child and yet it has only been in the last several months that I’ve really learned how spending quality time with God can help.  It really is heart- and life-changing.  I find, as I chat with Him, that most often, the longer I talk to Him about something, the more my focus shifts and my attitude changes.  I think I’m finally getting what it means to “give it to God” and it’s been an absolutely incredible discovery!! Why did you decide to join the Sisterhood? I’m not sure, really!  I don’t remember how I found the site, but I was a member of the “Tales from the Scales” site and quite sad when it ended, so when I discovered the Sisterhood and that it had some of the same founding members as “Tales,” I signed up again.  I guess I like the accountability, although this is the first time ever, in the history of both sites, that I’ve been able to report a loss of more than a pound or two!! What did you like most about the Shrink Into Summer Challenge? Haha, losing the weight, of course!!  I really like the additional mini-challenges that have come up in the meantime, like the fruits/veggie and dairy servings ones, and I’ve been watching these shredding challenges like a hawk!  I’ve been SO impressed with what I’ve heard and the before/after pictures I’ve seen, that I’ve ALMOST broken down and bought the DVD myself, but so far, I’m still hesitant.  I know how many times I’ve used work-out DVDs in the past, and I don’t want it to be a waste of money.  Or for it to sit on the shelf MOCKING ME.  But I’m so impressed with all the ladies who stuck it out the entire 30 days the first time and are goin’ at it AGAIN ~ and always keepin’ on despite the pain and agony!  That is just awesome, ladies!!!  Someday I might join you! Most of all, though, I love that this challenge has given me this wonderful opportunity to share my little testimony of how God has begun an “extreme make-over” in me! What diet/exercise plan did you follow during this Challenge? As previously mentioned, I started the 8-week Dee Brestin Bible study, “A Woman of Moderation: Breaking the Chains of Poor Eating Habits” on April 13, two weeks into the challenge.  (After I’d GAINED 4.2 lbs!!) For exercise, I walk on the mile-road that runs by our house as many days a week as I can.  (hubby’s a trucker, so he’s often not home during the week and my girls are too young to be left at home alone)  I usually manage at least 3 days a week and always walk at least 2 miles, sometimes 3 or 4.  Once we get more into summer and these crazy spring winds die down a little, I’ll do more biking with the girls and then it won’t matter if hubby’s around or not.

In your opinion, is there anything we can do/change to make the Sisterhood better? Other than figuring out a way to get Mr. Linky to work, no, I think it’s wonderful just the way it is!!
And now Tammi gets to sport this fabulous badge on her sidebar! Congrats again, girl!!

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Thirty-nine year-old wife and mom to BJ (11) and Mia (7). I’m the editor at the Sisterhood, and I really love to run (really), read, cook amazing things, and photography is my fledging passion. My motivation is motivating other people to realize they can do this whole weight-loss and exercise thing. I’m living proof!