Head on over to Beth’s to ogle the new baby smell, and be sure to leave some love here on this post for Brian. We all know he’s going to be busy over the next few weeks, and he can use some of the love and support the Sisterhood is famous for.

Congratulations, Brian. We couldn’t be more thrilled for you and Beth!!

These charts are great because they clearly show the difference in your activity level between days. You can see that Saturday and Sunday, I did very little; whereas on Wednesday and Thursday I blew the doors off (thanks to the Shrinking Jeans Olympics!).

The Green Goal is calculated with information provided by you, such as your weight and with information from the assessment week. The first week you wear your Gruve is called the assessment week and you are not given any Green Goals. The device simply monitors your activity in order to learn about your normal activity habits. After the first week, the Gruve will analyze the data and generate a Green Goal that will enable you lose 1lb per week. While this might not seem like a lot, the idea is that these changes are sustainable, since it is such a small modification in your daily activities.

Another really great feature of the Gruve is that it calculates your “Energy Conservation Point” (ECP). Your ECP is the point that your body’s metabolism starts to slow down because of inactivity. If you can avoid reaching your ECP during the day you will burn the most calories possible. When you are approaching your ECP, the Gruve will vibrate as a warning. At that point you should stand up and walk around. If you continue to sit, the Gruve will vibrate again in a few minutes to let you know you have reached your ECP. I really like this feature as I sit in front of a computer all day at work and the Gruve does a great job of making me get up and walk around. Only problem is that sometimes I get up and walk around to the vending machine :)

Overall, I really like this device and the concepts that it uses in order to help you lose weight. The only draw back is that there is no eating component to the program, only a caloric intake recommendation. Since the system is designed to allow you to lose a pound a week, you need to be pretty conscious of what you are eating because you can eat that pound pretty easily.

One last point of frustration (especially for Christy and Melissa!) is that the Gruve only works with PCs at this point. Mac support should be coming soon.

I highly recommend this device for anyone looking to make little changes in their daily activities while making a big impact on their overall health.

Full disclosure:  The Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans received Gruve devices to review. The opinions expressed are our own.

I have to say that when I first found the Sisterhood, I was surprised to see a guy blogging with a bunch of girls, but you know…he’s the best damn guy us bunch of blogging girls could ask for!!  Our brainstorming emails can sometimes get a little crazy-like, and Brian joins right in!  I love it!  He’s truly is the best brother this sister could ask for!!

Everyone, please join me in wishing Brian a Happy Birthday!!

Brian, I hope you have the greatest of days!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

So, I’m not going to write a whole lot today.

But, I needed to tell ya’ll something.

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving (but your reading this ON Thanksgivng. Sorry to be so confusing!). And what am I most thankful for this year (besides my family and all the usual stuff)?

The Sisterhood.

Why? Because ya’ll have given me something back that I have been sorely missing since I lost my job last February. Maybe even before that.

I have ME back. I am taking care of myself. I am eating right. I am writing. I feel more fulfilled.

Case in point – this morning, I got up at 6 a.m. (thank you different time zone!).  Instead of walking across the street for pastries and coffee, I left my son in the care of his grandparents (my husband was still blissfully asleep) and went for a run.

A run whilst on vacation. This, people, is huge. I DON’T EXERCISE WHILE I’M ON VACATION (okay, I used to really not exercise, um, at all. Details).

I felt kind of awful at first, but I pushed through it. Running on a trail next to the beach, with the waves crashing and chickens running across my path (if you’ve never been to Kauai, they kind of have a wild chicken problem, no joke) – well, it was kind of a religious experience.

The motivation to get out for a run, even though I didn’t feel like it – I totally owe this new found strength to the Sisterhood.

Thank you, all of you.

From the bottom of my heart, have a wonderful and warm Thanksgiving.

Last week, Heather described my trek to the scale so perfectly in her weigh-in post that I laughed out loud as I took every step in the perfect way in which she described. Something about heading to the scale, looking at the numbers with our “scrunched up eyes”, naked and after having already peed (because we all know that adds about 5 more pounds…oh wait, I think I added the pee part. But still.)

That’s me. I’m a first-thing-in-the-morning weigher. Every Wednesday morning. Just like today.

So hop to it, sisters! Take the trek to the scale, or if you want to, skip to the lou (or loo) and whistle on over to the scale, look down at the number, go post about it, and leave the link right here in the comments below. Or if you don’t have a blog, weigh in right here in the comments.

Then don’t forget to visit everyone and leave a little comment love because if there is any weekend that we’re all going to need the extra support and motivation, it’s this one!

And don’t forget to add how many miles you logged this past week and/or how you’ve done on the More Workouts challenge and what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving eve. OK you don’t have to add the “thankful” part, but why not? We’re among sisters, here and you’ve all become my “virtual” family.

And this year, I’m thankful for the Sisterhood. I’m thankful for this freakin amazing year. God, I’m so darned thankful for being able to run around with my babies. Finally!! I’m thankful that I found inspiration and motivation to change my life through all of you. You are all SO AMAZING with your 5ks and half-marathons and never-ending motivation and support!!! I just love you.

So let the love-fest continue in the comments below. Go on, do tell…how did you do this week?

Beth and I took the kids to the fair the other day ..and I was happy that I mostly stayed away from fried (except those damn fried cheese cube things) and I didn’t even go for the “bubba size”  pulled pork sandwich.  I did get a large ice cream cone though.

My last name definitely isn’t Control.  I say “f*ck it” way too often.

Thanks to everyone for all of your words of encouragement – I just wish I would have looked at them when I was down in KY.  But now i’m feeling all motivated thanks to you ladies.  Tomorrow I’ll give the EA Wii thing a shot.   I didnt bother to weigh myself on Monday..but I did hop on today and to find that I  gained the 4lbs back.  I must Focus-Power, you know, like Daniel-Son.  I really want to break that ice !!  (update i just got some water instead of lemonade.. its the little things, right ?)