WINNERS! {from previous challenge}

Finally time to meet our winners from the previous fitness challenge back in December.  THE HARDEST TIME EVER!!!  These two women worked so hard and I love their stories.

So first up, let's meet Rachel! {you're adorable, Rachel!!!}

After struggling with weight for almost my whole life, I decided while pregnant with my 4th baby last year that this was my time to make the changes I needed and to GET HEALTHY for good! 

I joined Weight Watchers just after my baby was born 6 months ago, and I never looked back! In that time I have lost 50 pounds UNDER my pre-pregnancy weight.(This weight loss challenge got me almost to the end, and I finished it out just shortly after!) As for workouts, I simply set a goal to be moving! I park farther from the doors at the grocery store, I do the Walk at Home videos from Leslie Sansone, and have pushed myself to start running--I am now training for my first 5k (coming from a non-runner this is a big deal!! :) I FEEL FANTASTIC!

It was SO important to I be able to eat the same things my family was eating--and that I not live on salad alone! I have realized on my weight loss journey that much of the first steps of change are PORTION CONTROL and to stop snacking mindlessly. When you track what you eat, you are much more mindful of what you're putting in your body! :) I feel like my whole family is healthier as a result--

One of my favorite meals to eat is a homemade stirfry--the recipe can be found here:

http://excellenteats.blogspot.com/2010/10/beef-and-broccoli-chicken-style.html

If you want my whole weight loss before and after pictures and little story, you are welcome to share my link to it. If not, that's fine too...whatever works! I am happy to share...

http://brholloway.blogspot.com/2011/01/big-5-0my-before-and-after-weight-loss.html

Next, let's Meet Melanie!  {also utterly adorable!!!}

My husband and I are the parents of 5 boys, yes all boys (ages 3-13).  We recently moved from Highland Utah to Chattanooga, Tennessee. Although we miss our family and friends out west, we love life in the South.  I love to cook, bake, travel, read, entertain, and create a home for my family. I also love blogging:)  I have two blogs, a recipe site I share with my sisters called The Sisters Cafe (www.sisterscafe.blogspot.com) and Melandboys (www.melandboys.blogspot.com)

I think the secret to my success was having such a great partner in this contest.  Rachel had already lost over 40 pounds and was on a roll!!  She was so committed that I really did not want to let her down. She is such an inspiration to me! She has been following the Weight Watchers program, so I joined online so we could be doing the same thing.  I will admit that dieting at Christmas time was hard, but I am so glad that I did.  With the weight Watchers program you can still have your treats, if you save the points by eating healthy the majority of the time. Now I am excited to keep it going and get off that last stubborn 15 pounds!

Here is a link to my favorite healthy and DELICIOUS meal!  Yum!

Thai Coconut Shrimp (

http://sisterscafe.blogspot.com/2010/05/thai-coconut-curry-shrimp.html

Thanks, Rachel & Melanie!  You both make me want to try harder - thanks for sharing!