Week 8: Done!

And so it ends!  The "Skinny for Kitties" challenge has come to a close.  That means it's time for me to put the diet aside (only for the moment) and focus on collecting donations!

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Here are the final totals:

The Weekly Update:
Current $/lbs = $55
Current Weight = 137.2
Total Weight Lost = 15.8 lbs.

Total Money Raised = $869!

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See?  Puck is using his kittypnosis-eyes to convince you to donate.  "Yes, yes," you find yourself saying.  "I must... donate... soon... and I... must deliver... catnip.......to the handsome... Puck......"

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For this final blog post, I'll talk a little about my final week, then I'll give instruction on how to donate to the "Skinny for Kitties" cause.

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       So, for this last week (for better or worse) I got the flu.  Not the stomach flu, mind you... but the true-blue respiratory influenza.  Exactly a week after getting the flu shot, too.  (Note: Dr reports that you can't get the flu from the flu shot.  So, don't let my tale of woe stop you from getting one.  I just happened to get very, very unlucky.)  To the right, you can see my sick-person cave.  I've camped out on the couch, as my husband is in the middle of a show and CANNOT get sick.
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It's actually a lot more comfy than it looks!  And besides, I have everything I need to relax and get better:  My xBox, my Kindle, my medications, and... of course... a foot-warmer.  Can you see it there, in the picture above?  No?  How about a closer look, under the covers.

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That's Rags, my personal foot-warmer and blanket explorer.  I think he likes that I have a fever.  I'm nice and toasty.

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Well, on to business!  

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This blog was started with the intention of raising money for the HELP Humane Society.  Today, that becomes a reality!  According to pledge-amounts (both documented and word-of-mouth), we've raised around $900 for the shelter.  So how do you donate?  It's simple!

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1.)  First, figure out how much you're donating!  Whatever your pledge amount ($1, $2, etc.), multiply this number by 15.8 (The amount of weight I lost during the pledge period).  If you want to round up to an even dollar amount... or the closest $20 increment, I certainly won't stop you.  ;-)

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2.)  Second, send off the donation!  There are two options for payment:
          a.)  Instant online payment through PayPal.
          b.)  Mail checks directly to HELP Humane.

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If you choose the Paypal option, please write in the "PURPOSE" section (at the top of the webpage) that you are donating on behalf of the "Skinny for Kitties" pledge drive.  Also, you'll want to fill in the donation amount and click "Update" before filling in your info below.  Click HERE to be taken directly to the HELP Humane Society's PayPal donation page.  You do NOT have to make an account if you don't want to.  You can simply fill in your credit card and billing info.  (Note:  PayPal is extremely safe for online transactions, if you've never used it.)

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If you choose to snail-mail your donation, I ask that you get these into the mail by Monday or Tuesday of this coming week.  It's imperative that these checks get to the shelter soon, so they can be processed, deposited, and matched (a second shelter is matching all donations this month, including ours!).

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Checks should be made out to:  "HELP Humane Society"
Checks should be mailed to:  HELP Humane Society, 511 Main Street, Belton MO, 64012

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If you have any questions, comments or digital high-fives.... don't hesitate to contact me via my blog email:  skinnyforkitties@gmail.com.  And... don't worry.  I'll be posting "Before & After" pictures as soon as I'm healthy enough to stand and pose in front of the camera.  

One last, huge thanks to all my readers and pledgers for your generosity and support!  

This would have been impossible without you.

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Love,

Whitney

Week 7: Food, Fair, and Fest!

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If you're new to the site, please check out my first post "The Plan," which explains the blog. 

And consider pledging a donation!  The more, the merrier!

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  The Weekly Update:

Current $/lbs = $55

Current Weight = 139.2

Total Weight Lost = 13.8 lbs.
Money Raised = 759!

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        Huzzah!  I managed to lose weight this week despite going to BOTH the MN State Fair and the Renaissance Festival.  Those that know the seriously delicious food culture surrounding these events will be very proud of me.  The picture to the right is Dan and I in one of the Farmer's Buildings, posing as turkeys.

If you've never been to a State Fair, it's all about fried food, food on sticks, fried food on sticks, etc.  We made a commitment to ourselves that we would only eat what we really wanted (1 savory & 1 sweet each), but we'd limit the portions and split things as we could.  That strategy, combined with 4 solid hours of non-stop walking, helped greatly to neutralize the fatty-impact of our consumption.
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Above / to the left is Dan, holding one of his all-time Fair food favorites: the corn dog.  He loves 'em.  Just look at that enthusiastic thumbs up!  As you can see, however, this is no ordinary corn dog.  It's a MEGA corn dog.  I'd say 1.5 feet long, easy.  The funny part?  Dan picked the smallest one they had for sale.
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Here's one of our favorite MN Fair traditions: the butter carving.  Yep, BUTTER.  There's a pageant of sorts that crowns a bunch of teenage girls "Little Miss Dairy," or something similar.  One of their prizes is to be carved in butter by a butter sculptor.  The slightly-blurry photo is of one of the finished butter-busts, with the artist in the background.  They carve in an elevated, refrigerated room that rotates, while their pretty little pageant winners smile and shiver.  Crown, poofy hair, winter coat.  It's quite a sight.
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Below, I'm posing with a new-found treat.  This thing, called a "Fudge Puppy," is a sliver of Belgian waffle (on a stick, of course) dipped in chocolate, and served with whipped cream and sprinkles.  The waffle was still warm.  Yum!  It wasn't a deep fried candy bar, but I really enjoyed it.
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 The Fair has many other tasty treats that are not pictured here.  Some notable highlights include: the "Mouth Trap's" fried cheese curds, the Australian battered potatoes (best served with a nacho cheese sauce), "Cheese on a Stick" (it's like a corn dog, only with jalapeno-cheese inside), roasted sweet corn, cinnamon-sugar elephant ears, funnel cakes, "Swedish Egg Coffee" (we don't know what it is, either), Lingonberry iced cream, fried SPAM curds (...yikes...), deep-fried candy bars, deep-fried fruit, and just about anything else you can think of... deep-fried and on a stick.

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Don't worry, though!  There are plenty of ways to get exercise at the Fair.  There's walking... which you do lots of.  But there's also rides to scream out your calories, concerts to dance away the pounds, and games to raise your heart rate!  The arcade games are our particular favorite.  Here's Dan,  looking fierce, as we battle for Skee-Ball superiority.   

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Author's Note:  He kicked my ass at Skee-Ball, but I dominated at Big Buck Hunter.  DOMINATED.

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       So, that's how we spent last Sunday!  It was a lovely, breezy, greasy-food-filled, and tiring day... but it's an annual tradition that we love.  The following day, we experienced another annual tradition: the MN Ren Fest!  This event too has lots of fried food and food on sticks, but we try to focus on the important things: turkey legs, mead, and trying very hard not to stare at all the exposed cleavage.  We didn't take too many pictures, so you'll have to settle for this one.  Dan and I, in a quick self-shot picture in front of one of the Ren Fest shops.  You can just see the rose in the center, which I bought for Dan.  You know, just to shake up the rose-seller's preconceived notions of romance.

That's it for this week!  

And next week... is the last week.  

Dun Dun DUN!

See you then!

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Thanks again, readers!  Pass the blog along!  

Interested parties can email their donation pledges to skinnyforkitties@gmail.com.

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Week 6: Home again!

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If you're new to the site, please check out my first post "The Plan," which explains the blog. 

And consider pledging a donation!  The more, the merrier!

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  The Weekly Update:

Current $/lbs = $55

Current Weight = 141.0

Total Weight Lost = 12 lbs.
Money Raised = 660!

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Not much of a loss this week, sadly.  But, given the challenges of travel, I'll take it!

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Here's a photo of Dan at the Pearl Bakery in downtown Portland.  We've been wanting to go there for years.  Gotta love that fresh made, real-deal, artisan stuff.  You can see some of the bread on display in the background.  Delish!

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       So, as the title tells you... we're back home in the Twin Cities.  And, despite the last random bit of late summer heat and humidity, we're happy to be here.  It's nice to be surrounded by loving (if sometimes too loving) pets, sleeping in the comfort your own bed, with your trusty food scale close at hand, and a well-stocked pantry populated by the usual semi-healthy, go-to foods you already know and love.  Or... tolerate, at least.

       While in Portland, I'd say we did a relatively good job of eating meals in and watching our portion size, save for one delicious dining-out special occasion (Screen Door, how I adore you....). So, though I didn't lose much weight, I enjoyed my vacation.  And that's worth something.

       The relatively unflattering picture above is of me enjoying a spicy Chai Tea Latte (made with skim milk, of course) at the Powell's Coffee shop.  If you've never been, Powell's City of Books is the GREATEST FLIPPING PLACE ON EARTH.  It's a book store, four and five stories at places, that takes up an entire city block.  You literally need a map to get around, which they provide at any of the entrances.  It's amazing, especially for a bookworm like me.  If you like to read, it's worth the trip.  I promise.

       But I digress.  This blog is about getting skinny for kitties, right?  It's about my endeavor to starve myself on behalf of homeless animals, yes?  Yes!  On the left you see Puck, ever the strict disciplinarian, who has reminded me with his cold kitty gaze that I must stay on task.

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So!  Here are the goals I'm setting for this week: 

1.)  Get back into the full swing of the diet!  Calorie counting, engage!

2.)  Begin an exercise regimen!  Something light, but sustainable.

3.)  Finish reading "A Clash of Kings (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 2)" by George R. R. Martin, and start reading the next book.  It's not diet related, but it's just so darn good! 

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And, last but not least, I offer this video (which is not of my own creation) as... well, motivation.  It's a spoof e-dating video that's been "songified," as in... adjusted with an auto-tuner to make it a song.  And it's pretty darn catchy, if I say so myself!  Enjoy!

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Thanks again, readers!  Pass the blog along!  

Interested parties can email their donation pledges to skinnyforkitties@gmail.com.

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