Batsheva's Blog

Maintaining is awesome!

b7frankel — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 03:52:29 +0000

I’m sorry for those who have been checking in with me for not keeping up with this. I have been on maintence for almost a month, and it is wonderful! I have lost a few more lbs, but am residing comfortably at my current weigth. Anyone who has followed this blog knows how much I’ve been waiting to Challah, and let me just tell you, that first Shabbat, when I went to say motsi (the prayer over bread), I literally had tears in my eyes! My kavannah (intention) was so intense! And it tasted amazing! I realized, too, that one piece was fine and that I didn’t need to eat 3 or 4 pieces. I even eat dessert on Shabbos! During the week, I am a little more strict and healthy, but I’m certainly not starving. And I’m happy to report that I’m exersizing almost every day and feeling great.

If anyone is on the fence about get healthy, please make yourself happy and do it! If I can do it, so can you!

The Weight it over!

b7frankel — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 17:39:50 +0000

I’m so filled with joy to report that this will be my last week of the weight-loss-a-thon. I have lost 4 pounds this week! With gratitude to Hashem, Debi the Diet Coach, and all my supportors and sponsors, I have lost a total of 49 1/2 lbs! I have raised over over $800 (assuming everyone who sponsored me pays up – so please send in those checks!) for the Jewish Women’s Reprotory Company – an amazing organization that brings together women from all over the Jewish community to perform a wonderful musical for women.

This year we are doing “Annie Get Your Gun” and it is terrific! The women are so talented, you will be blown away – if you are a woman in the Los Angeles area that is. If you go to the web site you can check out the videos of past performances including seeing me (really heavy) as Nicely Nicely Johnson in “Guys and Dolls.”

And now, don’t forget to check out my last photos and the video montage inspired by Azriela Jankovic’s idea. When I first started this “project”, I was wistfully thinking, as I was powerwalking for the first time, how cool it would be to have life be like a musical montage sequence where as I’m walking around the track it turns into jogging and then we see the pounds melt off me – all during a 3 1/2 minute inspirational song. Azriela suggested that when I finished I should put together my own montage – and that’s just what I did! So check it out! Here is the link to it: http://www.jewww.org/b7/b7wlpage.thml (it won’t be available until noon (Calif. time) on 11/12

Goodbye jogging, Hello Disco Abs!

b7frankel — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 18:59:40 +0000

I have a confession to make. I haven’t gone jogging in a couple weeks. It isn’t that I stopped exersizing, it’s just that I discovered that I have a new love – Exersize TV. See, I noticed that I was losing weight, but I still didn’t look like I wanted. If I’m going to go through all this trouble, I wanted to look toned, too. So, between my husband’s suggestion that doing toning might help me feel better, and my friend Meira (who is also losing weight with Debi, the Diet Coach) who suggested some pilates classes, I realized it was time to get serious. Just one problem – no money and no time for shlepping to a class.

Then I remembered that our On Demand cable has a section called Exersize TV, and their are tons of different work outs to choose from that I could do right in my living room, on my own time! There is a whole Pilates section and I have tried many of them (they range in time and emphasis), but enjoy the Total Body Pilates Workout with Nicolette someone or other (20 minutes). But I still needed to get some cardio exersize, so I discovered “Disco Abs” with Cheryl Burke. The moves aren’t too hard (I tried a hip-hop work out and couldn’t do it, I’m just not a hip-hop gal, I fear), and Cheryl isn’t too annoying (although some of the background dancers are, especially if you do the workout daily – then they get SO annoying). We’ll see if it helps!

Part of me feels bad about abandoning jogging, and maybe I’ll go back to incorporating it back into my workouts (especially, when the weather gets nicer – although if you live outside of LA and are experiencing real winter, you probably want to slap me about now). But for now, I’m going to spend some quality time with Exersize TV.

If you have On Demand and you want to know how to find Exersize TV, let me know and I’ll help you.

After 4 months

b7frankel — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:13:20 +0000

Well, it’s been four months since I started this journey. I’m so thrilled with the results, even though I’m still ticked about not losing my tummy yet – but I’m working on it. I have lost 1 1/2 more pounds for a total of 45.5 lbs. and have raised about $775.00 so far.

The pictures are up, too.

I am only going to do this for two more weeks before I begin maintenence so wish me well to meet my goal of 50 lbs by two weeks from now (or at least 49!).

Special Thanks

b7frankel — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 00:50:24 +0000

I really want to thank everyone who helped me get through this Shabbos (it’s getting harder, not easier as I get closer to my goal) by helping me keep my “eyes on the prize” with their compliments and support. It was as delicious to me as Pretzel Challah! Thank you everyone!

Goal is in reach!

b7frankel — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 17:01:33 +0000

This was another good week. I got to jog many times, and I started doing some toning work-out (thank you On Demand Exersize TV for the help). I have lost 3 more lbs. for a total of 44 lbs. lost and am one pound away from my 1st goal of losing 45 lbs (but that was before I got on the scale the first time with Debi). I am six lbs. away from my real goal of 50 lbs. and probably more like 10 lbs. away if I’m ever going to lose this stomach. Sigh. Right now I’ll go for continued toning and losing six more lbs. I’m hoping to reach my goal in the next two or three weeks, because I am ready for maintanence! My total raised so far is $748.

I posted the new pictures juxteposed to the first pictures because it gives me a real sense of accomplishment. When I look at those early pictures, I keep thinking, “How did I let that happen??”

The Going Gets Tough!

b7frankel — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 02:44:28 +0000

On one hand, I feel so close to my goal, I can just reach out my hand. I only have 7 -9 more pounds to go. On the other hand, I can see what my clothes reveal and it gets me a little down. I’m also wanting to have a little more variety in my diet (because I don’t eat meat or chicken, there definately is less variety in what I can eat). I really had a hard time this Shabbos (and any one who reads this even semi-regularly know that is my toughest time), and am counting down the days until I can have Challah again and maybe a 1/2 of one of the yummy, cheesy enchiladas I made. Hanging on at this point is tough. But I did it and will do it.

I gave blood today in a blood drive and Yossie informed me that even a pint of blood could mean weight lost. He jokingly told me that I should have waited till Wed. to give blood since Debi the Diet Coach comes on Thursdays to weight me! Hmmm, is it too late??? : )

A fine week

b7frankel — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:26:03 +0000

This has been a really tough week. The tempations were really dragging me down! And I didn’t really feel like I lost anything, even though I got to exersize a lot, and I stuck to the program. I was really blue this morning. . .until my diet coach weighed me. . .I lost 2 1/2 lbs, which at this point in the game makes me very happy! So, I have now lost a total of 41 lbs (I checked the math a few times, so I don’t mess it up again) and have raised $717.50 so far for the Jewish Women’s Repertory Company. And speaking of the recipients of my weight-loss-a-thon, we are having a great time in rehearsals for the show “Annie Get Your Gun,” and the show is looking really good! We open the first week of Dec. More details to follow.

The pictures are up to, btw.

Keeping me honest

b7frankel — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 04:28:57 +0000

I have to admit that over the last couple of weeks, there were some serious temptations for me to eat something not even close to being on my eating plan. There was a cookie that just looked at me and winked. There was the babaganoush from Got Kosher in the fridge that tried to convince me that a little bit on my Ryvita cracker would be so delicious. There was the left over Wacky Mac from Tuvia’s dinner that called to me from the bottom of the pan, “Don’t waste me, eat me!” In each of these (and a couple more) instances, I seriously considered giving in to temptation, thinking, “How bad could it be to cheat a little. No one’s looking.” But then I rembered that people are looking. You are looking. When I post my pictures, you all are looking and when I walk in to any room where people know me, and know what I am doing, they are looking (or at least I feel like they are). So, then I realize that I can’t cheat. And so I don’t.

So, I thank each person who has taken a moment or two to read this blog, look at my pictures, maybe make a comment because it is you all who keep me honest. Thanks!!

Moving forward, but feeling like it’s backwards

b7frankel — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 20:18:54 +0000

So, last week when calculating my total I wrote that I lost a total of 38 1/2 lbs. But it turns out that, and this will come as no surprise to those who know me, I blew the math. I had really lost 37 1/2 lbs. So, this week, when I lost 1 lb (trying not to be dissapointed), I really lost a total of 38 1/2 lbs, which now seems like a bummer, because it seems like I’m going backward, even though I’m really not (oh, cursed math skills!). Anyway, I am very happy overall with how things are going, but I didn’t get to exersize the way I wanted this week (not one day of running!), and I feel the lack. Hopefully, next week will be better!

Even though there isn’t much change, the new pictures are up. And yes, David, I am a little teapot. . .