To all my Sparks Friends who read this, please feel free to join in... just copy and paste to your own blog and personalize it to your own story. Check in weekly to let us know how you are doing!

(Jeannine walks to scale)

Hostess: Jeannine....
*Welcome to the Hottest Loser challenge... you have been trying to lose weight since you were a teenager and have consistently gained/ lost/ gained. What are your expectations for this challenge?

Jeannine:
*I am optimistic. I have been much more consistent with my exercise since Nov 2010, to include working out for over 100 days straight from Nov 2010- March 2011. Not sure what through me off track, but at least I can say, I didn't quit... I had weeks where I didn't exercise at all, or maybe just one day, but I didn't quit. Quitting and starting over have been my patterns for the past 30 or so years. I have a new focus since finding Spark People and now I can honestly say that no matter how long it takes me, I will reach my ultimate goal of weight loss.

Hostess: Well, let's see how much you weigh now- hop on that scale...
*Jeannine, Your weight this week is....

(Hottest music plays, scale number fluctuates to beeping noises, music crescendos, loud poundings sound)

...272.6 (moans and groans heard from group)

Hostess: Jeannine, what are your thoughts on this?

Jeannine: I don't know. I think I would say frustrated. I have been working out more recently, but I guess it really takes a committment to not only exercise, but to track my food intake and to make right food choices.

Hostess: Well, I wish you success this week as you start this challenge...

Jeannine: Thanks I'm going to need it...

Hostess: Good luck...

Jeannine (outside of house to camera): I know what I have to do. I have to read my committment pledge daily; track my food intake daily; exercise daily; take in positive and motivational support from others going through these same struggles; and to pray daily to make my health needs a higher priority in my life. I have little to no problem staying on track when I am at work, it is when I am home that I don't take the time to make the right food choices and fight with myself to work out. I want this more than ever though, so I need to refocus myself to realizing that I don't have a choice... I must take care of myself... because I don't want someone else to have to take care of me at this weight if something were to happen to me because of my excess weight.

Jeannine: (flip cam for personal reflection in the bedroom): I need to rely on myself to make this happen. I have support from others in this situation... especially my Spark Friends.... thank goodness for them.
My family is supportive, but only to the extent that I am motivated... they will not push me because they don't want to offend me. My husband loves to cook and does 99% of the cooking... he is a country boy at heart, so he is a meat and potatoes kind of guy. Vegies and Fruits are on the last of his thoughts. If he remembers, he will through a vegie in the microwave for me, but he doesn't like "healthy vegies". My dear daughters are much the same... vegies are not exciting to them, so they will pick at them, but rarely eat a full serving. Fruits are the same... Daughters love the chips and dips and sweets... husband loves the fats and carbs.
This is a big part of my problem... I know I should just start cooking what I need, or tell my dear hubby what I need, but like everything else, planning out my meals is not always a high priority for me and before I know it, I am sitting down to what has been fixed and just eat it so as not to offend my hubby.

As far as exercise goes, I thank goodness for Curves. If it wasn't for my wonderful Curves owner, I probably wouldn't be working out there either. She has brought Zumba to the center 2 days a week, so I make my best effort to get there and now that I am doing this challenge, I need to just walk in there everyday like I did in the beginning of the year. On days when I can't get to Curves, I need to make myself do a home DVD workout... I know how good I feel after working out... I just can't figure out why I struggle everyday with making the decision to do it...

(End credit music starts playing)