Featured Challenger: I'm Annie @ My 30 by 30 Plan

Week #2 Star of The Week went to I'm Annie, I asked her a few questions about the challenge so far and this is what she had to say.

Why are you in this challenge?
I love challenges, but especially challenges that I know I can handle! 15 lbs in 15 weeks will be a terrific loss for everyone involved! We will feel GREAT by the new year!

What are the top 5 things you did this week to help you lose weight?
This week I tracked my calorie intake and tried to stay between 1200-1400 calories.
I made sure I ate enough fruits, veggies, protein and grains each day.
I drank at least 64 ounces of water each day.
I tried to get a good night's sleep each night (which for me, means more than 5 hours)
Most importantly, I reminded myself that I AM WORTH THE HARD WORK!

What is the best piece of advice you can give to challengers?
I think we all need to remember that we are, indeed, worth it. We are worth putting in time for ourselves, we are worth getting healthier and by dang, we are worth losing weight and looking hot!

What keeps you motivated?
I am mostly motivated by the fact that I own NO clothes that fit me right now. I have tons and tons of clothes in all the smaller sizes, from size 28 down to 20 and I can't wait to fit into all of them again!

Favorite healthy meal/snack?
My favorite healthy meal that my husband and I eat at least once a week is my Turkey + Veggie Taco Soup. It tastes AMAZING and is low calorie/low fat/low points.
(http://my30by30plan.blogspot.com/2010/08/recipe-taco-soup-with-turkey-veggies.html)

My favorite snack would be SKinny Cow Ice Cream Sandwiches. Perfect size, perfect sweetness, perfect YUM.

What are your weaknesses/downfalls and how do you deal with them?
My downfalls would be my bad knees and bad back. My exercise is greatly reduced because some days I can hardly walk. So, right now I am focusing on losing as much weight as I can with little to no exercise, and then when I hit a weight-loss plateau, I plan to add in as much as possible.

My weakness is cookies. Tee hee! I love me some cookies! I used to eat so many cookies in one sitting, it was ridiculous. Now, when I get a craving for cookies (which are never ever in the house any more) I just eat something else that is sweet and it hits the spot.

Also, when I get a craving for any random sweet, I can usually have about 15 chocolate chips and that's perfect. I eat them one at a time and let them melt on my tongue. That way, they last longer. Then I follow it up with a small glass of skim milk and I'm all set!

Thanks Annie and keep up the great work.
P.S. Did I mention Annie is the one that designed the snazy challenge logo that we all use?  Thank you so much!