*You may have heard about the tragic case of Sherry Arnold over the last few weeks. A much-loved school teacher, mother, and wife from Sidney, Montana, Sherry went missing one morning after heading out for an early-morning jog. Two men are in custody and Sherry is presumed dead, although her body has yet to be found. Her story has rocked communities all over the nation, and hits especially close to home for me. A virtual run/walk is planned for Saturday, February 11th in honor of Sherry. Please consider joining in!

*While we are on the subject, I want to know… what measures do you take to protect yourself while out running or walking? Sherry’s story has really caused me to step back and look at ways that I can protect myself. I have since ordered the PepperBlaster II from Kimber, along with a holster to carry it with me.

*RunKeeper has released 9 new apps to track your fitness and health data! You can check these fun apps out here. I love my RunKeeper!

*Looking for ways to make your Superbowl party healthy and fun? You might want to try these party tips brought to you buy Jack Sh*t, Gettin’ Fit.

*Once again, Colleen never fails to amaze me. Last weekend, she completed her first Ultra Marathon. YES, ULTRA. That is just over 31 MILES. Read Colleen’s recap here.

TUESDAY: Enchilada Casser-Ole!

WEDNESDAY: Chicken Breasts with Tomatoes and Olives.

THURSDAY: Shrimp Sandwich Wrap with Curry Yogurt and Spinach.

FRIDAY: Homemade pizza night! I don’t have our recipe (yet!), but here is a yummy, health(ier) version to try out!

SATURDAY:  leftovers!

SUNDAY: Crockpot Easy Beef Stew.

SNACKS: POM-Banana-Strawberry Smoothies! Skinny Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Scones.

DESSERTS: Jdogg’s Birthday is coming up, so will try the Makeover Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake!

Follow our menu plan, or link to yours down below! Have a great week!

Sorry this post is up so late today, friends! Looks like somebody forgot to check the calendar this week!

The Weigh-In

Alrighty, get on the scale if you haven’t already! Fill in your numbers down below in the form, blog about your week, go offer your Shrinking Friends some support and encouragement, I’m sure they will do the same for you! Brand spankin’ new around these parts and want to join in the fun? All the details on this challenge can be found here!

The Assignment

Dear Me. We asked the future you of 2013 to write your present self a letter about all the wonderful things you did this year, as if you had already done them. We want you to talk to yourself about your accomplishments and what you learned, what you overcame, and so on. Have you written your letter yet? If not, DO IT! You won’t be sorry. Also, next January, when you pull out that letter and see all that you did do- it will be awesome. You can go here to link up your letter post and to read every one else’s Dear Me letters.

The Fitness Challenge

Our fitness challenge is the same each and every week. We’re asking you to do either 20 minutes of vigorous exercise three times weekly OR 30 minutes of moderate exercise five times weekly. Our rockstar Heather outlined the difference between vigorous exercise and moderate exercise over here. Are you getting your weekly quota of exercise in?

Other Business

• How many of you have joined us for the 52 Small Changes challenge? Week 3 consists of GETTING OFF THE COUCH. Please join our group at the Hood for support, motivation and discussion.
• Monday nights at 8 p.m. Central we gather at the ‘hood and have Sister Chat about all things healthy (and not-so-healthy)! It’s totally fun and funny. I promise you won’t be sorry if you come, but you will be sorry if you miss it!Every Tuesday, we have a Tworkout (Twitter + Workout = Tworkout) at 8 p.m. Central time. You won’t find a more fun workout anywhere, trust me!

The Check-In Form

Yeah, I know 2011 is so yesterday’s news, but here at The Sisterhood we have lots of awesome posts and we want to make sure you didn’t miss anything good! We care about you THAT much! Check out our list of the most-viewed posts written in 2011:

10.  Emotional Eating – Part I. Are you an emotional eater? This series will help you overcome! Here’s Part II.

9. Saturday Review: Jillian Michaels Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. Looking for a new workout? This might be right for you!

8. Chewy PB2 Cookies. Peanut butter cookies for only 50 calories each? Yes, please!

7. The Race Day Tutu. Tulle. Lots and lots of tulle. Give it a twirl, ladies.

6.  Taste of Home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook Review. Comfort food and DIET? Really? YES!

5.  Couch to 5K Success Story:: Erin. Erin is a total rockstar and you can be, too!

4. Run the ‘Hood 2011. Our 5K & 10K race that was opened to all ages and abilities! It was a great time! Missed out? Never fear! Another race will be coming your way soon!

3.  Shrinking Bootcamp! This quick-but-intense workout can be done at home, anytime. Check out the whole 6-week bootcamp series here.

2.  Our Summer Running Playlist! If you don’t have these songs downloaded to your iPod, what are you waiting for?

And the top post of 2011:

Our Clean Eating:: The Feingold Diet. Last year, Christy decided she needed to make some tough decisions regarding her son’s behavior. They turned to the Feingold Diet, and she is sharing their success story with you.

If you haven’t read these 2011 faves, you should definitely start clicking around!

A few all-time favorites that you might enjoy, too:

• Couch-to-5K
• 30 Day Shred
• Food Friday: Different Ways to Cook Chicken Sausage
• Review: New Polar Heart Rate Monitors- FT4 & FT7
• Crock Pot Chicken Stroganoff
• Weight Watchers new PointPlus™ Program Review
• Saturday Review: Green Salad w/Apple, Feta, Pecans, and Balsamic Dressing

We have almost made it through the first week of 2012! For us shrinkers, that means that we are probably following some sort of eating plan or have been thinking about changing our eating habits. I’m digging into our archives and linking to some of our older posts outlining specific eating plans. Do your research and do what you think is right for your lifestyle. If you have any questions, make sure you consult with your doctor!

Weight Watchers – Weight Watchers Made Simple and The Points Plus Program Review by Mary.

South Beach – The Basics and Elaine’s Success Story!

Calorie Counting – The Basics and Portion Control or Lunacy?

Jenny Craig – Renee’s Success Story!

Are you following a certain eating plan? Is it working for you? How do you feel?

Confession: I have a slight obsession with skin care products. I am constantly trying to find something that will erase my wrinkles, get rid of my adult acne, tame my sensitive skin, and make me look 10 years younger. I have come across some products I love and many more that I did not. Next on my list of products to try, BeautyMint.

WHAT IS BEAUTYMINT?

BeautyMint is a customized skin care line personalized for your own skin. Celebrity skin care expert, Neridia Joy, has teamed up with superstar Jessica Simpson to create a luxurious line of products that is affordable to women.

The BeautyMint experience begins with an easy, online consultation. Answer a few questions about your skin, and VOILA! Neridia recommends a customized BeautyMint system that will deliver the best results for your own skin! The systems are configured using Nerida’s professional methodology to address signs of aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines, diminished firmness, uneven skin tone, or a combination of concerns – all depending on the member’s individual needs. Each system is configured using Nerida’s professional methodology to address the signs of aging, such as wrinkles, fine lines, diminished firmness, uneven skin tone, or, if you are like me, a combination of some or all the above concerns – all depending on the member’s individual needs.

BeautyMint products contain nature’s most-nourishing ingredients, such as:

• Marine collagen
• Elastin
• Peptides
• Aloe vera
• Chamomile
• Cucumber extract
• Acai fruit
• Mulberry extract
• Green tea
• Shea butter

Start your BeautyMint consultation now to figure out what skin care system is best-suited for your skin type!

Happy New Year, friends! Are you so excited to start this year with a bang? Are you overflowing with ideas, plans, and resolutions? Yes? SO ARE WE!

The Challenge

We have a brand-spankin’ new challenge for 2012! I will get into the details down below!

• This challenge is open to both Shrinkers and Non-Shrinkers! Anyone can join, anytime!
• Shrink Yo’Self will run approximately 8 weeks:  Sunday, January 1st through Wednesday, February 29th!
• We will be announcing a physical fitness challenge tomorrow! It’s up to you whether you participate in the weight loss portion of this challenge, the fitness portion, or both!
• We are keeping this challenge simple. No teams, no prizes, no leaderboards… just YOU. During the next 8 weeks, we will challenge you to think about what exactly it is that you want from yourself, and help you dig deep to make it happen! We will announce the Top Shrinkers at the end of the challenge!
• Grab a button and slap it on your sidebar if you are participating!

The Beginning

Let’s get this party started! If you are a shrinker, go hop on your scale and remember that number. Kiss it goodbye. I suggest you also break out a tape measure and camera and take some “before” measurements and photos. You will thank me at the end of this challenge, promise.

Fill out the form at the bottom of this post to let us know you are ready for the challenge! If you blog about it today, be sure to link up below, too!

Want more info on our Fitness Challenge? Find out the heart-pumping details here!

The Assignment

What’s a challenge {and a new year!} without goals? We want you to think long and hard about this one. What do you hope to accomplish during the next 8 weeks? What do you hope to accomplish during 2012? List your goals out. Think of ways that you will make these goals reality. Don’t just say you hope to lose 20 pounds or that you want to run a marathon. HOW will you lose those 20 pounds? WHAT steps will you take? Will you follow a specific eating plan? Will you attend meetings? Details, people, DETAILS. If you missed Mel’s post on resolutions and goals, this is the time to read it! This assignment is due on Wednesday, January 4th! Be prepared to link up that morning with all the bits and pieces!

Socialize

It’s a brand-new challenge with both new faces and old, and we want to know who’s participating! Introduce yourself below in the comments and leave a link to your blog, as well as your twitter handle {if you have them}. Visit your fellow Sisters and Brothers and make some new friends! A good support system will make all the difference, trust me!

Are you on the ‘hood? You might want to check out our weekly small-changes project! More info and a giveaway can be found in this post!

Make sure you are following us on Twitter and Facebook, too!

Mark your calendar! Monday nights at 8 p.m. Central we gather at the ‘hood and chat about all things healthy (and not-so-healthy)!

Every Tuesday, we have a Tworkout (Twitter + Workout = Tworkout) at 8 p.m. Central time, and there’s always a Sister there to give you a pep talk or a high five!

Happy New Year, everyone! Let’s make this our best year yet!

The Form

Good morning! How was your Thanksgiving? Are you feeling stuffed and ready to settle back into your routine? Yes? These recipes will help you get rid of that post-Thanksgiving bloat {and get rid of some of those leftovers taking up space in your fridge}!

MONDAY: Turkey soup! Instead of the half-and-half, try a lighter cream!

TUESDAY: Chicken Breasts with Mushroom Cream Sauce.

WEDNESDAY: Crispy turkey tostadas.

THURSDAY: Garlic Lover’s Roast Beef.

FRIDAY: Kung Pao Shrimp.

SNACKS: Apple Chips and SunButter Bites

DESSERT: Need to get rid of some pumpkin pie leftovers? Try a pumpkin parfait! So easy!

I hope you try some of the recipes above! Be sure and share your own menu plan with us! Link up below!

Here we are on the Friday side of Thanksgiving.  I know for most of us that we’re still kind of at the beginning of a long weekend, but the Thanksgiving holiDAY is actually over and done.  It’s time to dust ourselves off, wake up from the food coma , and get ourselves back on track!

As I’m sure some of you may remember from my recent Struggling Edition of True Confessions, I’ve been off track for a while.  I finally decided this week that enough is enough!  I headed back to a Weight Watchers meeting on Wednesday night and faced the ugly music on the scale.

Since I have been on such a weight loss slump, I told my leader that I just wanted a fresh start.  I didn’t want to be riddled with guilt over the regained pounds staring back at me when I logged into eTools or looked at my weight record booklet.  She completely understood and hooked me right up!  She reset my weight in the WW computer system and gave me a new crisp and pristine weight record booklet.  It’s like I’m at Day 1 of Weight Watchers all over again which is exactly what I needed mentally right now!  I even read through my getting started materials again.   I’m ready to get back on the proverbial wagon and start working a plan again.

So, who’s with me?  Did you let the Thanksgiving holiday derail your healthy habits?  There’s no time like today to make a fresh start!  Perhaps you don’t need a complete fresh start, but just let yourself indulge a bit over Thanksgiving yesterday.  Well, don’t let the day turn into the long weekend!  Get yourself back on track right now.  If you need some exercise motivation, be sure to check out our 10k-a-Day challenge that just started.  There’s still plenty of time to sign up and join us.  It’s a great way to help make sure to fit in plenty of activity over the next five weeks of the holiday insanity season.

Hit us up in the comments section below and let us know how your Thanksgiving went yesterday.  If you participated in a Turkey Trot, be sure to give yourself some comment love for that, too!  If you posted a race report on your blog, leave us a link so we can all go by and take a peek.

Fitness Challenge

You guessed it, MINUTES! Gasp! Run, bike, jump, ski, you name it. Get that body sweating and your heart pumping. Pump, pump, pump it up! Count all of your fitness minutes and report them next week!

Mini-Challenge

How did you do last week with the water? Did you get in your daily dose? This week, I have a very, very hard challenge for you. I hate to even say it. Seriously. It pains me. Ouch.

I want you to STEP AWAY FROM THE CANDY. No.Candy. Okay, wait. I take that back. You can have 2 fun-size pieces. Total. All week. So you better pick the best two pieces from your kids’ buckets and then BACK OFF. No excuses. A little on the lips = a lifetime on the hips. ;)

We Don’t Want to Beg, But….

Go vote for us! I’m sure you’ve all heard by now that the Sisterhood of the Shrinking Jeans was nominated for the Shape Magazine’s Best Blogger Award! We need your votes (oh, do we ever)!! Go right here and vote! It’s because of all of YOU that we were nominated in the first place, so THANK YOU!!

Run the ‘Hood

I can’t believe it’s over! Results will be posted at noon today! Stay tuned!

Prizes!

Now onto some more good stuff — remember that each week, we’ll be giving away an awesome gift pack to one random challenger! BODYGLIDE is providing some great products for our SHRINKVIVORS!

In order to qualify, you must check-in by our cut-off time of 9 p.m. CENTRAL time. Winner will be chosen via random.org and announced on this post tomorrow. Prize packs include:

For Women:
1 Bodyglide For Her .8oz
1 Liquified Powder Tube 1.6oz
1 WarmFx .45oz
1 Sun & Sport .45oz
1 Bodyglide Cap

For Men:
1 Original Anti Chafe 1.3oz
1 Liquified Powder Tube 1.6oz
1 WarmFx .45oz
1 Sun & Sport .45oz
1 Bodyglide Cap

Thanks to our awesome sponsors, we have some very sweet prizes for our Ultimate Shrinkvivor and Exiled Shrinkvivor.

Grand Prize Sponsors

More details coming soon!

Tribal council will be posted Thursday night, hosted by the one and only Thea Probst. Remember, if you don’t check in by 9 p.m. Central you will be OUT of the challenge. Get movin’ and fill out the check-in form!

Check-In

Go! Weigh! Report! Blog! Link! Or something like that. You know the drill by now, right? Make sure you link to your blog post below, and then go visit your fellow Sisters! Everyone needs a little love now and then! Make someone smile by leaving them a nice comment!

Linky!

Happy Shrinking!