Thursday, July 29, 2010

MIA

Hey everyone! I know I've been MIA for the last few months. I have been so busy! Jeremy has been finishing up school....he will be graduating with his RN next week!! YAY! I have been busy chasing around my now crawling twins...EEK! Also, my little guy turned 5 years old... can't believe it. I feel like I have had a stressful but fun summer, so far. There are still so many things I want to get before fall....fishing, State Fair, biking among other things. One thing I have been really working on lately is getting my life, house, finances, and health in order. I discovered flylady.com at the beginning of July and have been using those tools to get things in order. I have been working on de-cluttering my house. It's been fun seeing things leave my house and seeing areas get all cleaned up. Today I worked in the pantry. Junk had taken over the entire counter. I got it all cleared off and then went through the cupboards. It's amazing how much stuff I had accumulated in there! I threw away stuff that had expired in '07! haha I have a long "to do" list but one thing that flylady is a big believer in and really promotes is "baby steps." If you take your time and work a little at a time, slowly developing good habits, those habits will become part of your everyday life.
I think this organization of my life was something that I needed to get done before I could make any true progress on loosing weight. If I didn't feel like I had enough time to go to the gym because I needed to do laundry or make supper, I would most likely not go. Part of my organization process is making a grocery list. If I can have all the groceries I need and a menu planned, I will be more likely to make better choices. All of this comes with being organized. So, slowly but surely I am getting there.
AND to top it all off... I haven't gained any weight! :) To tell you the truth, I have no idea what I weight right now...but I know it's right around where I've been all summer. I would be lying if I told you I'm not dissapointed. I am a little dissapointed that the last few months haven't brought me to a lower weight. I am proud that I'm getting my life in order...everything else will fall into place! :)

Monday, June 7, 2010

H2O

Why do I title my post "H2O"? ....because that is one thing I need to get more of! I usually drink water when I'm at work but when I'm at home, for some reason, I don't really get any water. Tonight we filled up our water pitcher to keep in the fridge. So far, it has gotten all of us to drink a lot of water tonight! We just have to remember to keep it filled. Brayden has always been an awesome water drinker. The kid is always drinking something.

So, goal for this week: Drink more water. To be more specific... drink at least 64 oz of water. That is nothing...if I'm at work! I sometimes drink three 32 oz. glasses of water during my shift. However, when I'm at home... I might only drink one 16 oz. glass. When I'm at home, I seem to consume more pop. That's not good, I know. That's why I'm making my "drink more water" goal. The pop issue will have to be addressed at another time. That will be a hard one.

So, wanna hear the good news? ....... I am down another 2 lbs! I'm pretty excited! :) So, that brings me to 332 lbs. ...I realized that I need to start putting the current weight in my post because I change my weight along the side. 332 lbs is pretty exciting to me because the lowest I've been since I started losing weight in January is 327 lbs (and that was on an off scale...my actual weight at that time was 334 ...I'm pretty sure.) Yes, I gained a little weight back...but I'm getting myself back on track. I'm going to say that my May weight gain was due to stress... just thinking about May gave me a little hot flash! ...truly! HA

Tomorrow, I have the day off, so I need to get a little exercise in. The rest of the week is going to be pretty busy, so I need to get it in when I can.

I hope to have good news again next week. I'm getting closer and closer to my short term goals. I like to think that I'm only 7 lbs away from one of my short term goals. I guess it all comes down to who I am. I am a immediate satisfaction kind of girl. Having short little goals gives me something to celebrate more often. Most importantly, it works for me.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

I'm a Loser

Really! I am! LOL! I'm down 4 lbs. from last week. :)

To be honest, I don't feel like I really did much to lose the weight. I ate a little better this week compared to the couple weeks before. That's about it.

I bought a new DVD to try out. It's a Biggest Loser Workout. I have yet to try it out. I want to try that one out this week and I want to use Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred DVD I have. I have done that one before and love it! It's only like a 20 minute workout but you definately feel it! Those are a couple workouts I'd like to try this week.

I also bought Jillian's Hot Bod in a Box. It's a collection of excersice cards. A friend of mine uses them a lot and I thought I'd check them out, too. I should get it in the mail pretty soon.

I need to get out for walks and bike ride, too! All the kids love to go on walks. Tomorrow I'll try to leave early before taking them to daycare and go for a walk.

Goal check: I'm only 9 lbs away from getting some new clothes! I only want a couple things, to start with! New clothes are a pretty good incentive. I think it would be a good incentive for almost any woman! I don't have many clothes and love getting new things. Sometimes I don't like shopping because the way the clothes look on me. I think, I'll just wait to get that. I'll wait till I've lost some weight before I get that. That's probably why my closet looks the way it does. It's full of clothes that are either ugly or too small.... and by full, I don't really mean full. My closet is pretty sad, for a girl... or a boy! It doesn't help that there are only a couple places that have clothes that fit me. It would be nice to at least fit in the size 14-18 range. You can usually find a few things in those sizes.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Wake Up Call

I've been pretty lazy with my blog lately. Let's be honest...I've been pretty lazy lately period! Even though, it's been so nice out I have failed to get myself out there to workout. We as a family have gone on walks now and then but it's at a slow pace and we usually stop somewhere so the actual time walking doesn't amount to much. I do LOVE that we've started going on walks as a family though. It feels good to get everyone out of the house and exercise.

The wake up call came about 10 minutes ago. I stepped on the scale for the first time in 2 weeks. I have gained weight! I've gained 7 lbs in the last few weeks! GRR! It makes me so upset at myself. I've let myself down. Why? All I know is those few minutes at the scale I spent stepping on and off in disbelief has made me realize that I need to actually work at it if I want to reach my goals.

Speaking of goals... I have gone through my goals a little bit. I changed them and added some. I realize I need to make my goals a little more achievable. Baby steps is key. I do need a few new things like bras, shorts, and jeans. I think I'd like to give myself a little incentive to reach a small goal. How about: Once I've lost 13 lbs (325 lbs) I will get myself a couple new things.

One of my previous goal dates was Sammie's wedding. That was yesterday and I had a blast! I saw so many people that I haven't seen since High School and some that I have seen since then but still love to party with. One new exercise strategy: Bust A Move!! We danced our hearts out last night! I think most of us we dancing the entire time! It would be so easy and fun to just turn up the radio and bust a move! That's one thing Brayden would love! He loves to dance!

This week I am working 3-11's so I think it will be pretty easy to get a workout in. If I really want, it should be no problem for me to workout every day this week. This coming weekend is my cousin's graduation party. It would be nice if I could go to the party feeling good about myself and more confident about my body.

Monday, April 26, 2010

Truly Surprised

I got to work today and went back to MRI and weighed myself. I am so surprised and happy that over the last several weeks that I haven't payed much attention to losing weight, I didn't gain all my hard work back. I weighed in at 331 lbs.

Which leads me to my goals. I have been thinking about the goal I set for myself. I think I'm going to make it a little more achievable. I'm going to work for 17.5% That means losing 58 lbs and ending up at 273 lbs. I chose this goal specifically because 274 lbs is what I weighed at my first Dr's appointment when I was pregnant with Brayden. So, if I can achieve my goal... I will have officially lost all the "baby weight."

I have tomorrow off, so I'm going to have to get a really good workout in. Maybe I'll get some ideas from the magazines I brought with me to work, Muscle & Fitness and Runner's World. There's a good article about ab excercises in M&F that I could try out. I'll have to have Jeremy blow up the balance ball I have stashed away.

Measuements

To start out the competition I had Jeremy measure me. Mandey wanted measurements on upper arms, chest, waist, hips, thighs, and calves.

Upper Arms: 18 1/4 (R) & 17 1/2 (L)
Chest: 63
Waist: 60
Hips: 51 1/2
Thighs: 31 (R) & 30 3/4 (L)
Calves: 20 (R) & 19 3/4 (L)

I know those are pretty scary measurements but that's what I'm working with and what I'm trying to shrink. So, we'll see what the next week will bring.

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Run a mile in MY shoes...I DID!

Today, as I said I would, I went to the track and to my surprise...I RAN A MILE!! I can not believe I ran the whole time! I went a little ways and thought I'd stop to walk after a little bit. Then I got one time around the track...I thought I'd stop and walk then ...but I didn't...I got around a second time then a third! I only had 1 lap left...so, what did I do? I picked up my pace!! On the last lap I had the wind behind me for a bit of it...pushing me along. Then the last 100 meters came...they were the hardest. The wind was in my face, pushing me back...almost like it wanted me to fail. I went faster and pushed harder, keeping the finish line in my mind. Then I crossed! HUGE smile on my face! I don't think I could even run a mile when I was in track in High School... haha! I didn't run it fast by any means...I finished in 14:45. I took Zoey with me to run around (she loved it) and there was once that I had to stop to get her to come through a break in the fence. It only took me like 10-15 seconds though. It also took me a tiny bit of fumbling to get my iPod/stopwatch out of my pocket to stop it after I crossed the line. I'm not to tied up on the 15 or so seconds that might have been added to my time. I'm mostly proud of myself for A: actually going out and doing it and B: for surprising even myself and running the whole time!

Today was the London Marathon. Wouldn't that be awesome to go to!! The winner ran in a little over 2 hours! I can not imagine how fast you'd have to go to run 26 miles in 2 hours! That's like a 4.5 min mile! WOWZERS! Good Job!

$$$ = Motivation!

How about a little cash to motivate me! A group of about 8 or 9 people are entering a little cross-country weight loss competition!

It starts TODAY! Although, I'm going to weigh in tomorrow because I plan on using the scale in MRI at work. I think that scale is the most reliable and I'm always there so I can use it every week. We are going to keep track of our percentage weight lost and also inches lost over our body. We are going to measure our upper arms, chest, waist, hips, thighs, and calves. For every percentage lost you get 10 points and for every overall inch lost you get 10 points. We are putting $30 in a "pot" to start out with and every week, the person with the lowest percentage lost has to put $5 in. Anyone that loses 0 pounds has to put $5 in. It's going to last 12 weeks! The last day will be July 18th. On that day, the person with the most points, WINS!

So, lets talk Goals: I haven't weighed in yet but.... let's say I'm 330lbs now. I think I can lose 20% body weight in 12 weeks... that's 66 lbs! That would mean 5.5 lbs a week to lose and at the end of 12 weeks a weight of 264! That's a weight I haven't seen since well before I got pregnant with Brayden. Actually, it's more like what I was after gaining the Freshman 20. HA!

I have no idea what to expect of myself for inches lost goal. I think that as long as I can fit into some of my old jeans...I'll be happy! Actually...I want to "fit" into my old jeans but I definitely want to get new jeans! That would be a perfect gift to myself. :)

Mandey (our competition coordinator) also suggests taking pictures along the way. I'll have to do that, too!

Today, what I want to do is go to the track in Mapleton and run a mile. I'd like to see how long it takes me to run a mile and after the competition, do it again, and see how much I improve. I like the idea of seeing how far I've come.

Friday, April 16, 2010

UP's and DOWN's

I have been struggling to follow any sort of plan. I think to myself, "You need to change, you want to change, so, why don't you change?!"

Who knows how much of the weight I had previously lost have I gained back. It's really disappointing. During all of the snow and ice I talked about how much I couldn't wait for it to be nice out so I can get out more and exercise more. It's nice out now and while I have gone on a few walks, I don't feel like they took a lot of effort and I don't feel like I burned a lot of calories. I do love my new stroller, it has helped me get out the door several times in the last couple weeks! I think what I need is a good sweaty workout at the gym! I love my gym workouts. I can hop on the elliptical and the treadmill and just go. I love being able to see the calorie burn right in front of me. I love the feeling I have when I leave the gym. I just don't get the same satisfaction going for a walk. Another thing I like about going to the gym is the alone time. I like being able to turn on the iPod and get "lost." The time to myself at the gym is really nice.

A few people I know have gotten nifty calorie counting watches. They have a belt around their midsection and have a watch. You can look at the watch and it tells you your calorie burn. It has several other functions like a stopwatch, a real time watch, among other things. I want one! :)

One thing that would help out more than anything is planning meals. If I didn't have to worry about what fried, fatty, cheese covered concoction to get from the cafeteria at work and if I didn't have to think about what I'm going to make at home 10 minutes before I need to make it....I would be making a lot better choices. All it would take is a little planning on my part.

Sometime last week I picked up a copy of Runner's World Magazine. I have been reading every page and I've about read the entire thing! I have gotten many tidbits from the magazine that I really like. Many things have been very inspiring.

Like,
Q: Can I still call myself a "runner" if I walk so much?
A: If you're running, no matter how fast or slow, you're a runner.

and

Running It Off
Kristi Lane, 34 Wescosville, Pennsylvania

Eight years ago, Lane stepped on the scale and saw a number that astonished her: 313 pounds, which hung on her 5'4" frame. "I knew I had to do something," she says. Her son was an active toddler, and Lane couldn't keep up with him. She began walking on a treadmill at her company gym, and after a few months, she lost 20 pounds. Then she got pregnant again. "I fell off the wagon," she says, "but not for long." She started walking on the path behind her office. "At some point I realized I was walking as fast as I could. So I'd pick a tree up ahead and jog to that." Soon she was walk/running three to four days a week. Just under a year later, she'd lost 80 pounds. "Once I started running, the pounds just melted off," says Lane, who wants to lose another 50. "Now I sleep better and have tons of energy. I just keep going. I crave running. If I don't do it, I get cranky. I'm a real runner now."

I really liked the story that Kristi told. It was very inspiring to me. I think to myself, I can do that! I have a route that is a little over 3 miles long. I can walk it and do just as she did, pick out a goal place and run to that. I want to be a runner! Thank you Kristi for your story, I see myself and see that you were once in my shoes. I now want to be in your shoes!

I think that I should try to have a 3-4 day a week plan. I want to do my walking route those days and when I get comfortable walking it, start picking out little running areas and over time increase those areas until I am eventually running the entire route!!

I am so thankful for this blog. If I didn't have the idea of "becoming half my size," and the life of this blog in the back of my mind, I would have stopped trying to lose weight long ago. I have a feeling my life is going to change! :)

Next year, at this time, I will be glad I started TODAY!!!

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Spring Thaw!

I did it!!! I completed my first 5K!! I mostly walked but jogged a little now and then. I finished the race in 46:00! I did the race with a few friends; Jodi, Melissa, and Sara. There were a lot more people there that I knew, too. Jodi finished in, I think, 27:33 and Melissa was after her. Sara and I walked and jogged together. Sara really kept me going! I was worried that I held her back but I'm glad I had her because she kept me going. She had me jogging when I didn't really want to and had me walking faster than I would have if I would have been alone. At the last little bit of the race she went off ahead of me and I went on alone. It didn't bother me at all. Then just around the corner from the finish line was Jodi and Melissa cheering along the sidelines. Jodi ran the last little bit with me. She said, "Let's go! The finish line is just around the corner!" Then when the time clock was in sight she said, "Let's get to the finish line before 46:00!" We had about 30 seconds to go and that was all that was on my mind. I didn't even notice all the people on the sidelines watching me run. I crossed the finish line and Jodi gave me a high five. I was so proud of myself! The girls and I got a banana and hung out for a little bit. They all left and I decided that I wanted to hang around a little bit. I watched some of the 10 mile runners cross the finish line and watched a girl I know cross the line. I hung out and walked around for about an hour and all I could think about is, "I want to be apart of this crowd. I want to be a runner!" I listened to the experienced runners talk about their "PR's" and their "Pace's." I wanted to talk about my PR and Pace times. I'll tell you all... since this was my first race, I have a new PR (runner talk for Personal Record.) My PR is 46:00! The pace time they had for me on the sheet that was hung up with everyones' times said my pace time was 14:59! Pace time is how fast I did each mile. I think most runners have a pace time of anywhere from 6-9 min. I decided that I'm going to do the Royal Run 5K walk/run in June. I'm going to try and get a new PR. :) If I work at it, I think I can get my pace down to 14:00 by then. Yes, I am HOOKED!

Here are the four of us after the race. Me, Jodi, Sara, and Melissa. We had so much fun! I can't wait to do another! After the race, I came home to a wonderful sight! My new stroller!! I was so excited, I ripped the box open and started putting it together right away. Jeremy had to help fix the brakes and make sure they were all set up right. I'm not sure what people that don't have a "Jeremy" to do those things do. :) I then loaded up the girls in the stroller, Brayden on his bike and Zoey, our rat terrior, on the leash and off we went. I wasn't sure how everything would go, because Zoey isn't really used to a leash, but I had her walking pretty well right next to the stroller. It worked out great! We used it again on Sunday out at my mom's. We were outside most of the afternoon and having the stroller for the girls to sit in worked out great!
I mapped out my walking route around town on www.runningmap.com. I made the route I take around Danbury fit into 3.1 miles or 5K. That way I can take that route and work on the time it takes me to finish it. For some reason, I'm still not too comfortable with the idea of running in town where people can see me. I don't know why because I ran at the race on Saturday where there were tons of people watching. I guess I knew they didn't know me and probably didn't think about it much past the time of seeing me. If I run in town, I know when I see people later they'll probably say, "I saw you running. ...blah, blah, blah." or at coffee, they'll tell all the other coffee drinkers, "I saw Megan running around town." LOL! I guess it's not that big of a deal but I don't like to be the topic of conversation and I don't want to be a "show" for anyone.

One thing I want to try, if I can, is rollerblading with the stroller. The stroller has a hand brake so I think that I would be OK if I tried it. I might have to wait a little bit to get the courage to try that but I think it would be fun. The biggest thing would be getting down the driveway to the street! The little incline of my driveway would send me shooting with the stroller into the street and I'd probably end up on the ground in our neighbors yard! HAHA!

I have got to get back to eating better! I'm about half way involved in eating good. I eat junk but then I'll have a salad. Yesterday I made myself a little malt but made some good chicken with black beans and rice for supper. Actually, I'm only about half way involved in exercising, too. I haven't been to the gym in quite awhile. I think that I'll go out because it's pretty nice out but then I don't get to it. I've gained a little weight back, too. If I want to reach my goals, I'm going to have to step it up!

The Dr. Phil show is having a "FAT debate" today. I think I'm going to watch.

Goal for today: Get some exercise in; video, walk/jog, or gym. JUST DO IT! :)

Saturday, March 27, 2010

I Wish Losing It Was As Easy As Gaining It

Although I say that I wish losing weight was as easy as gaining weight...I'm glad it's not. When I do loose weight, I have so much satisfaction and am so proud of myself. The last two weeks have been very hard! The girls were sick, I didn't get any workouts in...except for a short walk once or twice. I made and took lunch to work with me most days, but that didn't stop me from going down and getting a cookie or other sweet. One day I got a greasy breakfast of hashbrowns and sausage...one that I used to get a lot... and I actually felt sick afterwards, I think it was from all the grease. In a weird way, I was kinda happy about it. That makes me know that my body is changing.

I went to Lane Bryant the other day. I walked out empty handed. I don't like shopping for myself. If the clothes actually fit I think they look terrible. One thing that was really dissapointing was there weren't a lot of stuff in my size. I thought to myself, You know it's bad when clothes are too small for you in a big girl store. I might do a little online shopping. Another thing is that I didn't want to really buy clothes in the size that I am now because I don't want to be at this size for too much longer. I should treat myself to a little shopping when I hit my next weight goal.

I don't even want to weigh myself. I know I've gained weight the last two weeks.

Guess what I did yesterday! I bought a brand new double jogging stroller!!! :) I am so excited to get out and about with it. It really got me motivated. I found it on Walmarts' website but it was cheaper with free shipping at Amazon.com. I hope it ships fast!



Next I want to get a bike trailer to put the girls in on bike rides. I also plan on getting Brayden rollerblades for his birthday so we can go rollerblading. The stroller has a hand brake, so I might be able to rollerblade and push them in the stroller. I was thinking, one thing I could try to do is start riding my bike in the morning. I am going on my 3-11 shift now, so it will be much easier to workout. I still want to do the first day of RAGBRAI at the end of July so I need to improve my bike riding skills

Monday, March 15, 2010

Spice it up!

Well, as I predicted, I didn't get a workout in this weekend. I didn't even do a workout video. I was thinking that I didn't eat very well...but thinking back... I didn't do too bad. I had fish both nights for supper and made myself a good breakfast, lunch both days I made a sandwich.

Dr. Oz said today to put spices in your foods to raise your metabolism. I imagine it will also put a lot of flavor into sometimes bland foods. My coach, Brittni, made chicken using three herbs....rosmary, thyme, and sage. It looked really good!

My breakfast looked so good this morning I decided to take a picture of it. Scrambled eggs (2 w/ yolks and 2 w/o yolks) with medium salsa on top and fresh strawberries. It tasted so good, too!

I still would like to get that workout video in...hopefully today since I won't be able to make it to the gym.

The weeks I work 8-4 is so hard to get a workout in. I have tried to go in the morning but I have to go SO early in order for me to be able to make it to work. I think it's hard to do it after work because I get home, make supper, get everyone to bed and then I'm ready for bed. I'm going to have to figure out some way to sqeeze it in though. Hopefully since we had daylight savings time the other night it will be light out later and I can go for a walk or...anything!


Friday, March 12, 2010

Scale Issues

I went to the gym today and weighed myself on the scale that was used for my initial weigh-in. It is the scale that the rec center used for the largest loser contest that I was apart of. I was dissapointed to find out that my weight on that scale is 334. I thought about it while I was working out and on my drive home. I can either be upset that I haven't lost as much weight as I thought or I can be proud that no matter what...I have lost weight. I decided that I am going to go off of the scale that I usually do because the other scale won't always be there. I am not going to stress myself about what my weight is on different scales. I also decided that no matter what...I am becoming more healthy, happy and energized. I had a GREAT workout! I did my 15 min. on the eliptical...my goal was to get in at least a mile and 200 cal. before the 15 min was up...and... I burned 230 cal. and went 1.05 mi.!! Then I went to the treadmill for 15 min. I did my 1 min. @ 3.0 / 1 min. @ 5.0 intervals until the last 2 min. I did 5.5 and 3.5 because I wanted to get in the 1 mile before the 15 min. was up. I don't remember the calorie burn on that but the way I was sweating makes me think that I definately put my body to work!

No meat today as it's Friday, so, fish it is! I think I'm going to make myself a little fish fillet for lunch and the tuna rolls I planned on earlier this week.

This weekend is going to be hard to get a good workout in because Jeremy works the entire weekend. Sounds like a perfect time to get my workout video in.

OH, I asked Matt at the Rec Center what my body fat % was at the beginning of the largest loser contest....48.6%! That's almost 1/2 fat! ...I just calculated my BMI on the internet (I calculated it using 327lbs as my weight.) My BMI is 45.6. Those are numbers that I will be excited to see go down!

Dr. Oz's 10 Weight-Loss Commandments

1. Thou Shalt Not Wear Pants that Stretch : Your clothing is your early-warning system for weight gain. When it's getting hard to snap your jeans, you know it's time to be vigilant. Wearing stretchy clothes allows you to live in ignorance of how your body is growing, making it easier to pack on pounds without knowing it.

2. Thou Shalt Not Keep Bad Clothes in Your Closet : When you keep the clothes you wore at an unhealthy weight, it gives you a back-up plan if the pounds don't come off. Instead, force yourself to stay on track by 86ing your "fat pants."

3. Thou Shalt Not Eat Meat That Walks on Four Legs More Than Once a Week : Meat that comes from an animal with 4 legs is higher in saturated fat (the unhealthy kind) than that which comes from a 2-legged animal such as chickens, or animals with no legs, like fish. Plus: women who eat large amounts of red meat more than once a week have a 50% higher chance of dying from heart disease and have higher cancer rates.

4. Thou Shalt Not Graze : Plan your meal before you open the refrigerator, get what you need, and close the door. Opening it throughout the day leads to impulsive choices and overeating.

5. Thou Shalt Not Eat After 7:30pm : When you eat late at night you are more likely to be eating in front of the TV (when you won't pay attention to how much you're putting in your mouth) and you're more likely to pick high-calorie snacks.

6. Thou Shalt Not Pile Food More than 1 Inch High or Within 2 Inches of the Plate Edge : Larger portions equal more calories. 'Nuff said.

7. Thou Shalt Not Chew Food Less than 20 Times Per Bite : Chewing allows your body to realize that you are eating food, prompting it to create a sensation of fullness at the appropriate time. When you don't chew enough, you get ahead of that process, eating well past when you are actually satisfied.

8. Thou Shalt Not Covet Thy Neighbor's Plate : Spend your day nibbling bites on someone else's sandwich or afternoon snack, and you will add on 1,000 calories easy.

9. Thou Shalt Not Carry Small Bills : Nothing loves a small bill better than a vending machine. When you have them at the ready, you are one step closer to an impulsive, calorie-loaded afternoon slip up.

10. Thou Shalt Not Eat While Standing Up : Eating sitting down enables you to be aware of what you're eating and eat it slowly so that your body can tell you you're full before it's too late.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Inspirational Sayings

Today is a good day for some inspirational words of wisdom. (Espically after the cheeseburger I made myself at lunchtime!)

I got a picture of myself ...terrible picture. On the back I filled it with inspirational sayings. That way I can keep it with me and look at it when I'm feeling discouraged or anytime I might need a little push to do the right thing.

*Don't sacrifice your future for a momentary pleasure.

*Never trade what you want most for what you want at the moment.

*If you always do what you always did, you'll always get what you always got. (Good one.)

*A year from now, you may wish you had started today. (I also think...A year from now you'll be happy you started today.)

*Never, never, never quit.

*Victory belongs to the most persevering.

*Nothing tastes better than being thin feels.

*Your body is the baggage you must carry through life. The more excess the baggage, the shorter the trip.

*Rule your mind or it will rule you.

*Instead of giving myself reasons why I can't, I give myself reasons why I can.

*Your past does not equal nor does it dictate your future.

*One definition of insanity is: Doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result.

I am so proud of myself for what I have accomplished in the last 8 1/2 weeks! 28 pounds is definately something to be proud of. To tell the truth, it really hasn't been that hard. I do not feel like I have deprived myself at all. I feel good and have more energy. I can't imagine how I'll feel after 28 more pounds....or what it will feel like at my goal weight. This is going to be a good year. :)

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Sweet Struggles

I have had a great day! I went to the rec center and worked out...15 min on the eliptical (235cal. and 1.06 mi. in 15 min) and I did 15 min. on the treadmill (1min at 3.0/1min at 5.0) I feel like I'm doing pretty well at both of those...if I can get in a few more workouts per week I might bump up one or both of those. I also want to get weight lifting back into my workout schedule. Once it gets nice out I'm going to dig my bike out of the rafters and get to work on it. I'm going to start swimming soon, too. I really need a new swimsuit and I don't want to buy one yet. I want to wait until I get down to a size 22-24 before I spend the money on a new swimsuit. Right now I'm sitting at a 26...in jeans anyway.

I had Subway for lunch...chicken breast on 9 grain wheat, veggies and lite mayo. I ate the whole 12 in. ...I was hungry. Supper I had a taco salad and grapes...I know... carbs. I had black beans on my salad, too. I guess I figured they were at least "healthy" carbs. BUT .... OK.... I did soo good but I guess I just couldn't back down to my temptations anymore. There was a birthday at work and the entire counter was filled with junk. I crumbled to a brownie with frosting and crunched up oreos on top! I am upset with myself for eating it but I am proud that that is all I had. There have been times (more than once) that food was brought and I had a stomach ache from eating so many sweets and junk. One brownie. ...and it was good! I promise myself that I will do the stairs tonight as "punishment." ...from 4th floor to the top, 9th floor, and back down. I have to think of something that will get me by the sweet temptations. Maybe I should put a picture of myself in my pocket that I can quick take out to look at when I am going to make a bad choice. I have a few pictures up my sleeve that might do the trick. Maybe on the back of the picture I can write some inspirational messages.

OH! I nearly forgot! I weighed myself at the gym today....327! :)

Family Changes Plus

I am so happy and proud. Since I have been trying to change my habits I have noticed my family has been making better choices! It has been proven several times just this morning! ...the bad choices I have made have also shown today, too. I talked to Jeremy a little yesterday about my concern about his health. He got defensive but I know what he felt...I wasn't trying to attack him...just trying to help. Now I look back and realize all the times my mom would say stuff about my weight... she also was just trying to help and was concerned. I knew that at the time but still always felt attacked and worthless. I was so happy this morning when Jeremy asked me to pack him a lunch for him today! That means...no fast food for him and Brayden on their little trip they are taking today! :) When I was packing it I was putting in some carrots and grapes and (this is where the bad choices proof came in) Brayden saw me and said, "I don't like that gross stuff!" The poor boy doesn't like any fruit except bananas and sometimes apples.... his first day of school was a disaster because he wouldn't try his pears...I mean REFUSED! Hopefully I haven't destroyed his eating habits for life. Jeremy also said that last night he ate well. I think he said he had a salad, carrots, some almonds, he loves the 100 cal snack packs (except he usually eats like 2...better than a big mug of ice cream) and I have him hooked on the waters I like ...SoBe Life Water is my favorite and he also likes the low cal Vitamin Water. I am hoping with my change in eating habits I can change my entire family's life!

I also have to say....the no carbs after midafternoon is going to be very challenging! I was thinking about the things I usually have for supper and pretty much everything has carbs! Chili, baked potato, sandwhich, spagetti... I am going to have to get a few more salad ideas. I already thought about Friday...no meat, so, I think I might make some tuna salad (tuna, a little light miracle whip, and maybe a pickle) and put it in lettuce leafs, rolled up. ....what to go with it? ...more importantly...what's for supper tonight? I know it's going to be harder when I'm home in the evening...at work I am pretty limited because I don't have it in front of me if I don't bring it. I'm also not going to like making something different for my family than what I eat...if theirs have carbs. ....I know, I know...I am being so negative. I'm just going to try it..at least be more conscious about what carbs I'm eating in the evening.

Work out videos: I am addicted to them...buying them that is! I always buy a workout video with good intentions of doing it...the comercials are so tempting! I have a pretty big collection of workout videos that I never use! My favorite to use is the Pilates Circle workout. ...plus it's only like 20 minutes. There are other very good ones and some I haven't even taken out of the plastic wrapper! A goal I should add is to actually use those workout videos. One thing I can say is... I don't like using them when anyone is home. I don't know why but, I don't like anyone watching me when I do them...it just feels weird. I don't know why I can go to the gym and run on a treadmill, sucking air, and not do a simple workout (or not so simple workout) in my livingroom when my husband is home and may see me. I guess I know the people at the gym are also working out. Goal...Do a workout video this week!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Carbs, Coach, and Other Tips

I have always thought that the low/no carb diets were crazy. Who could go without carbs! Well, I am going to try and do a modified version of that diet. I am going to try and not eat carbs past my afternoon snack. That way the carbs will have time to burn off before I go to bed at night and I won't have to worry about them storring in my body. It will definately be a challenge for me as the ultimate carboholic...but it will be worth it!

I should also introduce my "coach." I have a very good friend that is helping me out a lot on my weight loss adventure. She is a huge reason that I am still in the game. I don't think I have ever lasted this long on trying to loose weight. She pushes me and keeps me thinking about what is important. She also gives me great pointers on excercises and diet. She was the one that told me about what she does with carbs. She said it's better to eat carbs at breakfast and a little at lunch but after that try not to. The other day I sent my food log for the day to her and she went through the whole thing and critiqued it. I was very grateful for that because she can pick out things that I might not have noticed.

A good pointer she gave me that I am going to try and use is...during my long commute....be prepared! Make sure I have a bottle of water and a bag of carrotts to munch on. That way I won't be tempted to stop at a quick stop for pop and chips or a cookie or something. For me...when I eat and drive it's all mindless eating anyway. I could eat an entire bag of cookies and get home and not remember it.

Tomorrow I am going to try and go to the gym! I really need a good workout. Today, I was so exhausted I took the kids to school and daycare and went back home and slept until it was time to leave for work! I didn't have time to prepare my lunch so I did a quick stop at Colberts and got a lean cuisine, grapes, grapefruit, apples, and carrotts. I didn't have any fruit at home so I thought I'd get a little for the next couple days.

I really am feeling good about myself. My scrubs are getting baggy which is pretty cool and I think the pair of jeans that is fitting right now are getting a little looser! Considering in January they wouldn't even come close to buttoning...I'm pretty proud! :)

Monday, March 8, 2010

Spring is almost here!

So, I decided to start blogging about my weight loss adventure. I have been struggling with my weight for as long as I can remember. Now, after all my babies have been born I had gotten to the highest weight I had EVER seen! On January 10, 2010 I started working to lose weight and better myself healthwise. I hear good advice here and there and thought this would be a great place to put those little bits of advice.

Since January I have lost 25 lbs.! I have changed my eating habits quite a bit...although I have a lot of room for improvement. Mostly, I have excercised more. I am so glad spring is coming because I can't wait to get outside more! I went for a walk outside on my route today, and mapped it out on runningmap.com... 3.44miles! I thought it was only 3 miles so that was a nice suprise. I am doing a 5K the first week of April...it's a go at your own pace sort of thing so I will be able to walk. So, I decided that my route would be perfect for training. I started my walk with the intentions of running parts here and there but after the first block of running I had a terrible bra malfunction which took me the next 3-4 blocks to descretly fix and decided no more running for today. I will remember a sports bra next time and try it again. I hope to one day be able to run the entire route! I took my Ipod and put it on shuffle...the songs that came up were all perfect. I like the songs to be upbeat enough because I usually walk to the beat. Plus, it keeps me in a good mood and makes me forget about the time. I usually get lost in my thoughts when I go for walks. It has always proven to be a good stress reliever.

Today, I was invited to go with a group from work to do the first day of RAGBRAI. I thought...that would be a great challenge and I have been thinking that I'm going to bike a lot more ...although I am visualizing myself on the side of the road crying at about mile 5. Hopefully, I'll be at a fitness level that I can do it!

So, as the title states...I am out to become half my size!