Monday, November 1, 2010

Hello AGAIN

Alright I know I have been out of the loop of weight loss for awhile.  No particular reason, other than life.  I was just not focused on blogging.  I have still been watching what I eat, but not super religiously.  I have not loss or gained any weight. 

BUT the reason I am writing this now, is because...

I just got off the treadmill from a light walk/jog and it felt GREAT!!!  I found some great music that motivates me and I have every other song be a jogging song.  It is upbeat and makes me want to push as hard as I can.  Then I step back and walk so that I don't kill myself off.  (more about the music in a later post)

Thanks to my walking competition buddy!!!  You are the reason I got on the treadmill tonight.  I needed that star!!! :)

Monday, August 9, 2010

6.6 so far

I have lost 6.6 pounds since July 12th.  Last Monday when I weighed in there was a 0.6 loss.  I was fine with it because it was a loss and I reviewed what I had done that week and decided what I needed to change/work on.  Today I had a 2.2 loss.  The things I changed worked. 
This week I am really gonna focus on eating breakfast.  It is so hard for me.  I just tend to not really be hungry and lately, I have mentally wanted to save calories/points for later in the day and not "waste" it on breakfast.  I know this mentality is TOTALLY WRONG.  I HAVE to eat breakfast to jumpstart my metabolism and wake it up.  I need to find some simple, calorie/point friendly ideas.  I think part of my problem last week is that I was sick of Multi-grain Cheerios every morning.  Any ideas would be helpful!!!

Sunday, August 1, 2010

Anticipation

I am excited and nervous to weigh in tomorrow morning.  I stuck to my points and made good food choices but you just never know.  I could have had too much salt and retained water...just so many things could effect the number that shows up on the scale.  I am just hoping for a loss although even without one, I will be sticking to this LONG TERM. 
I have a picture hanging on my motivation board that looks at me everyday willing me to become the person I was in that photo.  It is one of my engagement pictures and I can't wait to get back to that ~ or at least close.  I can tell in the way my clothes are fitting that I am losing weight and it makes me excited and motivated to keep going.  This is a marathon, NOT A SPRINT. 
This week I am gonna experiment on workout routines that would work longterm into my schedule.  I was lucky enough to get a treadmill for cheap and I need to put it to good use.  Even just walking on it for 30-60 minutes would make a HUGE difference.  It is just finding a time that my girls won't try to climb on with me ~ espcially my baby!  I will let you know how it goes this week and tomorrow when I weigh in....wish me luck!!! :)

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Back At It!!!

I'M BACK!!!!

AND

I'VE LOST 3.8 POUNDS IN THE PAST TWO WEEKS!!!!!

I started a food journal and it has been helping TONS!!!  I am following the Weight Watchers point system and it works.  I knew that because I have done it before but got sick of counting points.  I might switch to counting calories eventually but if it ain't broke, don't fix it!!!  I am so aware of how much munching was happening between meals and how many wasted calories were being drunk instead of eaten.  I have not given up soda completely but I have cut back to only special occasions.  It feels so good!
I weigh in every Monday morning and then put the scale up for the rest of the week.  It has helped to just weigh in the once instead of watching the little fluctuations throughout the week.  I am hoping to start incorporating working out in the near future but for now, eating right is a success!!!

Sunday, June 13, 2010

MIA

Getting back into routine...
Vacations always really derail me and it takes a solid week or more to get back into routine and in control.  Now that my house is put back together, laundry is caught up, kids are back into a nap/sleep schedule, grocery shopping is done and fridge is stocked...I can get back into routine with working out.  I have lots of fresh fruit and will be heading to get more in a couple days.  Fresh fruit and veggies are great this time of year.  Who doesn't love strawberries, bananas, WATERMELON, pineapple...bring it on.
As for working out...it is HOT so indoor exercise is mandatory.  I have it planned for the week and will let you know how it works out.  The time of day for everyday is written out on my whiteboard in my room. 

Now, LOSING IT with Jillian....AWESOME show...I LOVE IT...if you have not seen it, watch it.  It was incredibly motivating to see that the lady this week was able to loss 30 pounds in SIX weeks BY HERSELF...no Jillian, no Bob, no BL ranch...it shows if you really want something, YOU can achieve it.  Hence, my renewed motivation in getting what I want.

??? Have you seen Losing It?  If so, what do you think???

Saturday, May 29, 2010

Pass

As much as I know I shouldn't, I have given myself a pass.  A pass from watching what I eat, from working out, from daily weighing. 

This time of year is hard for me!!!  My hubby is home, it is BBQ season and HOT outside which means I don't want to work up a sweat. 

This past week was definitely NOT the best when it comes to anything healthy.  I drank WAY TOO MUCH pop, snacked more than I should and did not work out a SINGLE DAY.  The lack of working out was partly due to poor planning.  I did not bring workout shoes because I planned on swimming laps but the pool was too cold for me.  I have said in previous posts that I tend to really munch and drink pop when I am at my parent's house...well, I have been at their house all week.

I have decided that although I will be at their house this coming week too and my hubby will still be home with me...that I am gonna be good!!!  I got my workout shoes from my house today and I am gonna workout this week.  I will make better eating choices and drink less pop.  I cannot continue to let myself make excuses to be bad.

I am just glad that for some reason, I was lucky enough to not gain weight during this last week.  Let me explain...I probably did because I had probably lost some when I had the flu.  But from my last weigh in to this week's (which was today)...I was able to keep the same number.  Here is to hoping that I can lose some this week.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Self Sabotage

I confess (to those who don't already know) I am ADDICTED to the Biggest Loser.  I want every week and record it when I will not be home.  I get twitter updates from both Bob Harper and Jillian Michaels.  I follow Ali Vincent on Facebook too.  YES ADDICTED!!!

I love watching the contestants realize what is/has been the reason they have gotten so overweight.  Each season is so motivational in its own way.  I absolutely LOVED the season with Eric Chopin and was amazed/in awe of how much weight he was able to lose.  He looked absolutely incredible and it was so sad to find out that he had gained it all back.  It just shows how much of a life change losing weight is.  It is a life long battle.

I also LOVED the season with Ali!!  She looked incredible at the finale and she continues to make it a life change and I love how she has gone on to inspire so many other people.  I loved her so much that I bought and read her book and it was amazingly inspiring.

Okay now back to the title of the post.  This last week's episode was great.  It was awesome to see Daris complete the marathon in just barely over 4 hours.  I was kinda sad that he finished just over his goal but it was incredible to see how great he had done...especially considering where he was only a couple months before that.  I broke my heart to see him stand up on the scale and see a +2 weight gain in 30 days.  When he pleaded with America to vote him into the final three, it was so sad to hear that he had self sabotage while he was home.  It is an interesting thing...he did great during the day...training for a marathon and eating right.  But at night he would EAT! 

WHY?!?!?!

I have also been known to self sabotage and I cannot figure out why.  I will be doing great with weight loss and I will start eating snacks more, drinking pop, having multiple desserts (after lunch AND dinner and sometimes in between)...I will basically fall off the wagon.  I will be doing GREAT with working out consistently only to start making excuses everyday as to why I can't workout that day.  I have got to get to the  bottom of why I continue to do this or else I will never be able to lose the weight, let alone keep it off once I do. 

??? Any ideas/suggestions on ways to overcome self sabotaging behavior???

Thursday, May 20, 2010

GYM ~ UPDATED

I used to absolutely LOVE going to the gym.  That was back in 2002, which was the last time I had a gym membership (besides Curves).  Back in the day, I was a good-looking, in shape chic that got her membership for next to nothing because I flirted it up with the enrollment guy.  (NOT NECESSARILY SOMETHING I AM PROUD OF BUT IT IS THE TRUTH)  I went religiously and would always spend an hour or more there.  I swam laps, did classes, lifted weights and worked out HARD.

Now, I am SSSOOOO NOT in shape and think I might die if I tried to go to the gym and do half the workout I used to.  But that is not the real reason in which I don't want to go to the gym.  What I am about to say is not something that I should care about but I do so here goes: I don't want to be the out-of-shape, fat chic trying to workout.  I know that I will most likely be one of the only ones thinking that but there it is.  I am ashamed of how out of shape I have become and keep telling myself that I will go back to the gym "once I am in shape".  This boils down to image issues.

Now to dive deeper into the reason I have such an image issue.  I used to be the one at the gym judging others while I worked out.  I was not judging in the way you might be imagining.  I never laughed at people that were heavy but I used to feel bad for them.  I used to think it would never happen to me and I felt sorry that they had let themselves get that way.  Now, you might all be thinking, "who are you to judge?"  Trust me, it is not judging in a bad way more as a sympathetic, I wish I could help them kinda way.  Which makes me stop to think, "WHY AM I NOT HELPING MYSELF????"

I wanted to add a little to the post because I feel like I did not explain everything I was thinking.  I do not want to go to the gym because of who I used to be.  I am COMPLETELY AND TOTALLY inspired now when I see people working out and bettering themselves.  Watching the Biggest Loser everyweek, makes me jealous to see how much they are able to do and I am envious that I am not able to workout has hard as they are.  I am humbled now that I have had the chances to walk in "the fat person's shoes" and realize that they need to be admired for working out and NOT felt bad for.  They are doing the right thing for themselves and more often than not need an encouraging word or pat on the back to keep them going.  I do still look at overweight people (myself included) and wonder what got them there...not in a judging type of way but more in a "I hope they can figure it out" kinda way.  I have walked a mile in their shoes and I am can relate now.  I hope this all makes sense.

??? Be honest...When you look at overweight people (working out or not), what thoughts go through your head??  You can leave the comment anonymously if you want.

FLU

I am sorry for the recent lack of posts.  I have had the flu the past couple days and before that, I just hadn't gotten around to it.  I am happy to report from my last post that although I did not get in a second workout, I DID walk to and from the park to playgroup and I drank MORE than the 84 ounces of water.  I have been more mindful of what I eat lately and hope to just continue to make good choices. 

Well while I can't say having the flu was fun, there is definitely an up side.  MY STOMACH IS TOTALLY SHRUNK.  I cannot eat as much as I was before because I did not eat for two days.  I am going to eat smaller portions now so that it stays shrunken.  I also, did not weigh in yesterday morning due to being in bed sick and I decided to wait until tomorrow so the number is a little more accurate.

I will be back later today with a post about my feelings about gyms. (I have had several friends offer to get me a gym pass and I want to come clean about why I have not taken them up on the offer)

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Finding Balance

I have had a post on this before but I REALLY struggle with finding balance in my life.  I cannot seem to accomplish everything that I want to each day.  I have been brainstorming alot lately on how to find time to get it all done so that I can feel good when I go to bed at night.  It seems like lately I get in bed exhausted only to lay there thinking of all the things I didn't get done and areas of my life that need improving.

SO...

I have come up with ONE solution.  Unless I feel good about myself and take care of myself, I have nothing left to offer to my husband, daughters or friends.  This means that I will be stepping back from so much social.  I seems like lately I have things in the morning and evening all the time which means there is no time for working out.  I will have to make choices AROUND getting my personal things accomplished.  So if there is playgroup in the morning and nothing in the evening, I will attend and workout at night.  If I have something in the evening, workouts will have to be done in the morning.  I will schedule my workouts FIRST and see where there is extra time for socializing.  I know for me socializing is an important part of who I am so it will still have to be incorporated. 

Plan for today:
*I have two social events planned for today (I have something tonight and playgroup this morning).  I have decided that since playgroup is within walking distance (I usually drive) that I will load the girls up in the stroller and head out.  I am aware that sometimes, I will be not get in the "traditional" workout but my goal is to be more active so this would qualify.
*Depending on how my girls are doing when we get home from playgroup, I will be doing a workout DVD as my "last chance workout" before weigh-in tomorrow morning.
*I plan to drink AT LEAST 84 ounces of water today!!! (16 down, 68 to go)
*Pay attention to what I eat and make healthy choices!

When reading other blogs, I really enjoy posts that include a question to the reader.  I know that I don't have TONS of people that follow my blog (yet) but I am still gonna post a question to you all at the end of my posts.

??? How do you find balance so that you have time to workout?

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Wednesday Weigh-in

I weighed in this morning to see a 1/2 pound loss.  I have to say that I am pretty happy about this.  REALLY?!  YES!  Let me explain.  This past Wednesday, I got sick and spent the rest of the week and part of the weekend trying to get better. 
Sick = no workouts completed
I was determined to get back to working out on Monday only to have my littlest up lots during the night and wanting to be held constantly during the day.  Not sure if she is sick or just teething but I am enjoying the extra cuddles. 
Cuddly/needy baby = no workout time
SSOOO...I am excited that I was able to see any loss at all.  I am gonna workout today and really push this week and hopefully see a good loss of the scale next Wednesday.

Speaking of the scale, I AM ADDICTED!!!  I weigh myself almost every morning.  I am trying to decide whether to put up my scale and only bring it out on Wednesday or just leave it out.  I am not really effected by the number every morning (as in it does not make me depressed if it goes up or stays the same) but I think I would really like to just see it once instead of the constant up/same/down.  I think I will go put it up now and see how this week goes without it and then make a decision next week.  I think I am constantly weighing myself because I got to the weight I am without ever stepping on a scale to watch it go up.  I feel in more control knowing what the number is all the time.  I hope to think that if I could have seen the number going up all the time, that I would have stopped and done something about it sooner.  Anyone else weigh themselves often??   

Monday, May 3, 2010

Trigger Food

Lindsay posted about trigger foods today and I started thinking about what would be mine.  Sad to say but I cannot pinpoint one specific thing.  I could say that Pepsi and Dr. Pepper are a trigger.  But so is Peanut M&Ms and peanut butter M&Ms.  So are skittles and twix; chips and salsa or pizza.  I could go on but it is just making me hungry.  For me it is safe to say that I just really like to munch and once I start, it is hard to stop.  If it is out, I mindless grab it and eat.  I also like things that are easily accessible...like M&Ms because there is not a wrapper in the way.  The trick for me so not keep things out on the counter, in a candy dish or in sight.  I have a candy bowl on the top of the fridge but never really remember about it because it is out of sight. 
Anyone have anything that triggers them to eat and not stop???

Thursday, April 29, 2010

ONEderland

I VOW,

SWEAR,

COMMIT,

PROMISE

to myself and you that I will NEVER,

EVER leave the land of one hundreds again (not even during pregnancy).

After my last post where I revealed my weight (kinda), I thought about deleting it several times and was so hesitant before clicking the button "PUBLISH POST".  I was not sure that I was ready to publicly admit how high I have let my weight get.  I decided that it was good to have that admitted and realize that I am ready to accept where I m right now and love myself despite it.  I am going to make myself a priority in my life and work towards being the person on the outside that I am on the inside.

My goal as of TODAY, is to lose 6 more pounds so that I am in the 180s again.  That is my first step and then I will work on from there.  I currently have 17 pounds pregnancy weight left to lose.  I had myself convinced that this pregnancy weight would come off like after my first pregnancy.  After my first pregnancy, I went to my 6 week post-partum appointment weighing less than I had pre-pregnancy.  NOT THIS TIME!!!  Oh well, I will just have to work at it.  And work at it, I WILL!!!

Since starting this blog, I have lost 9 pounds.  I started this blog at my highest weight EVER (non-pregnancy).  I have not been good at recording my weigh-ins but will be doing so starting NOW. 

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

I found this questionnaire on a fellow weight loss blogger's blog.  I thought that it would be a good time to reflect and share my reasons with all of you. 

Why do you want to get in shape?
It is proven that abdominal fat is totally unhealthy and that is where I carry the majority of my weight.  It scares me!  I am a walking time bomb.  I have seen what being overweight can do to your body over time and want to lose weight and get in shape so that my body is strong.  I want to be an active mom and play with my kids at the park instead of sit on the bench and watch them.
 
Do you have an ultimate goal?
I want to be in the "normal" range of weight for my height.  That means that I need to weigh somewhere between 118-155 pounds.  Since I have been overweight before getting pregnancy with my first child, I have no idea what weight I will feel best at.  I am simply trying to fall somewhere in that range and feel really good.  I also want to be physically fit and have a consistent workout routine.

Do you have short term goals?
Well, I am gonna set goals along the way.  My first goal is to get out of the 190's (I cannot believe I actually just put my weight out there)...I will be celebrating with rewards for every 10 pounds I lose.  I am also gonna work on making certain things become habits along the way.

Do you have a mentor, or someone that inspires you?
I cannot say that there is one person in particular.  I am inspired every Tuesday night when I watch the Biggest Loser.  The contestants overcome so much and drastically change their lives.  I have also found lots of inspiration from others you are/have documented their struggles and successes (see my motivation blogs on the right side).

Who would you like to inspire to make their own transformation?
Honestly it never really occurred to me that I would be inspiration for others.  I am just trying to make it day to day in my own journey.  I felt overwhelmed with joy when a friend told me that her mom, her and her sister had started their own weight loss blog because they had been inspired by me.  It makes me feel humbled and more dedicated to continue working towards my goals.  I hope that I can continue to inspire people to not just lose weight but to get into shape and eat healthy.

What has stopped you in the past from making the right choices?
ME...my lack of ability to stick it.  I try to change everything at once and then get overwhelmed and quit.  I also am an emotional eater (mainly when I am bored).  I need to get over my addiction to food and learn to "eat to live" NOT "live to eat".

Why are you going to make it this time?
I am embracing this as a lifestyle change instead of a diet.  I want to learn to eat healthy on a daily basis and to be more active.  I am also hoping that by putting myself out there in the blog, that it will keep me accountable and therefore, I will make better choices.

Monday, April 26, 2010

All or Nothin'

I tend to have a all or nothing attention sometimes. This attitude leads me to start off strong...wanting to totally change the way I eat overnight and exercise everyday. Well, it goes okay for awhile but minor setbacks make me throw in the towel. Hence, I am no longer setting weekly goals. I will now be taking a slower pace when it comes to changing the rest of my life. I want to incorporate exercise into my daily life FOREVER (not just until I lose the weight) and I want to make better eating a lifestyle change NOT a diet.

So I will be focusing on exercise for the next 28 days...therefore, forming a habit. Once again my all or nothing attitude gets in the way. I know that I am NOT going be running everyday or working out for 1-2 hours daily. My goal is to do exercise everyday...walking a mile, doing a workout video....something AT LEAST 3 times a week. I am not going to be overkill and say 5 or 6 says a week because that is setting myself up to fail. By saying 3 times a week, I know I can achieve this and anything more than 3 days is great!

Today's exercise...1 mile walked! (more on this later) One down, two to go for the week!

Sunday, April 25, 2010

Motivation

Let me be completely honest for a minute....

I LACK MOTIVATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

As much as I wish that this was not true, it is! I get really excited about making a change and do really good for a little bit and then just slowly lose the motivation to keep on going. Hence, the lack of blog posts lately...not for lack of time but because I did not want to admit that I was no longer working toward my weight loss/getting fit goals. Well, I am gonna start this process AGAIN and am trying to find ways to stay motivated.

While reading my sisters blog, I realized that I am jealous of the community and friends that she has that are fellow runners. This got me thinking that there must be a community of fellow people trying to gain control of their weight and get fit. So I did a google search for "weight loss blogs" and found some that really excited me. I am looking forward to reading them and getting ideas and advice for what they have found works for them. I hope that reading and following some of these blogs will help me stay on track for a longer period of time.

One thing that I noticed about these blogs (most of them at least), is that they have blog entries almost everyday. I know that I don't have many followers (which is fine with me) but like I said in the beginning this blog is for ME. So I am gonna start blogging my successes, failures, frustrations, and such that I go through several times per week. (sorry if it is boring to you but you don't have to read them all)

I realized that my April goals of fitting into my wedding ring and capris did not happen. Although I really was trying to avoid buying any clothes while I am trying to lose weight, I decided that tomorrow I am headed to find a cute fitting pair of capris or shorts that I can feel good in. Feeling fat and ugly is not the motivation that I need.

I have also been thinking about the weekly goals that I have been setting. Well they are now a think of the past. Instead of having three or more goals that I am working on at one time...I am gonna start of by forming habits instead. I will be getting into what habit(s) I will be focusing on in later posts this week. Stay tuned!

Monday, April 12, 2010

A new month

My vacation was GREAT!!!

My weight loss...not so much!!!

Instead of losing 2 pounds, unfortunately I gained 2 pounds. I am okay with it. I am back home and am ready to get back to work and into my routine. I am actually excited to back home and be able to workout and eat home cooking instead of eating out. I have my meals planned for the week and am headed to the grocery store later today. I have my workouts for the week planned as well. I am hoping to be back to the weight I was before leaving on vacation when I weigh in on Wednesday. I don't really think it is necessary to review the goals since I didn't stick to them. But I will go ahead and outline my goals for this week.

Goal #1 ~ 3 meals, 2 snacks, 1 treat per day
Goal #2 ~ Workout 5 times this week
Goal #3 ~ HYDRATE...drink at least 72 ounces of water/day

I am still trying to get back into my wedding ring. I am really hoping that I can get it on by the end of the month. I also an really close to fitting into my capris. With it getting hotter here, I really need to get into them. I currently have ONE pair of pants that fit but I refuse to buy any more clothes this size. I really hope to be into the capris by the end of the month as well. So, my April goals are into fit in my wedding ring and capris.

Monday, March 29, 2010

Celebrate each accomplishment...

...like 3 pounds lost this week!!!! WOOHOO!!!!

I am so happy that I achieved the weight loss amount that I had set for myself at the beginning of the week. I was NOT perfect this week but I did forgive myself for any mistakes and moved forward. This week I am gonna try my hardest to attain a 2 pound loss but with going out of town and being out of my routine, it might be hard but is possible. Now to review my week...

Goal #1 ~ Stick to menu plan...well, I did stick within my calorie range but did not stick exactly to the plan. I have decided that I want to eat what I am in the mood for then not what it says on the piece of paper. I am okay with that as long as I pay attention to the amount of calories that go into my mouth. I did TONS better when it come to eating breakfast which is one of the hardest things for me. I also did NOT munch. I found that I am stronger than I thought!!! I can give Sariah a snack without eating some myself.

Goal #2 ~ Workout 5 times...once again the weekend is my downfall. I did great until Friday and Saturday. But obviously adding the exercise into my daily schedule has still helped with the weight loss. I will figure out a way to get the weekends done, it might have to be something different like bike rides with the family or a walk to the park on Saturday. I might eventually have to just workout M-F instead of having Wednesday off. It is a work in progress.

Goal #3 ~ HYDRATE...I did great with this. I love water!!! I cannot believe how wonderful it is to not be drinking pop anymore. I drink water with all my meals expect on occasion I will drink a V8 Fusion or something else but NEVER pop. It feels great to be hydrated!

This week I am sticking with calorie counting, working out and hydration. These will be especially hard this week since I will be heading out of town. I already know Friday will have an Olive Garden lunch involved and Easter dinner on Sunday. Working out will be a challenge since I won't be home and in my routine. I am planning ahead though and will be working out on Wednesday instead of Thursday since Thursday I will be in the car all day. My post will be later next week since I won't be home until late Monday night. Look for the weekly review next Tuesday.

Happy Easter to you all!!!!

Monday, March 22, 2010

Off to a good start...

Today has been great. I woke up, ate my breakfast, worked out and continue to follow my food plan the rest of the day. I stayed within my calorie range and was able to add in a smoothie for dessert. I am feeling great!!! My working out no longer makes me tired all day. It is a great workout but now it gives me energy to get through the rest of the day. I am so excited!!!

Sunday, March 21, 2010

Weekends...NOT GOOD!!!

I have decided that weekends are a problem for me. I get out of my normal routine and it makes it harder to stay on track. This weekend was especially hard for me. Sariah went to St. George with my dad last minute on Friday and so Jake and I decided to go out to eat that night. RED LOBSTER...not so calorie friendly!!! Then Saturday, I got to hold and play with Kenzli and get some uninterrupted scrapbooking done. So working out...not so much. Other than the weekend, I did have a good week.

Goal #1...eat 4-5 times a day. I did really good with this. I did not munch and ate breakfast. I am keeping this goal again this week and have gone a step farther. I have menu planned the whole week including breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner. I am going to follow it COMPLETELY!!!

Goal #2...workout 5 times this week. Well, I did workout Monday, Tuesday and then had a rest day Wednesday. Then on Thursday, I was not able to workout in the morning but I DID push myself and worked out that night. I tried out a new workout video which is AWESOME!!! Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred is incredible. Only a 20-minute workout but it is really hard and makes you sweat. Unfortunately, I did not workout Friday or Saturday. I am gonna push myself this week to make up for it.

Goal #3...I did drink 72 ounces of water EVERYDAY!!! I have to say that I feel so much better. It is amazing what being hydrated can do for your body. I am gonna continue to drink as much water as I can each day this week.

As a side note, I have a bet with my dad to not drink any soda or eat after 10 pm. So far, so good. If you do either one, you have to pay $1 to the other person. I had two different times this week where I thought about giving him a $1. Each time, I was strong and decided that it was simply not worth it. I need to step it up though...instead of replacing soda with a sugary drink (fruit punch, lemonade) I need to simply drink water when out to eat. I don't want to drink my calories, I want to eat them.

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Accomplishments

This week has been GREAT!!! It is amazing how energizing it is to feel accomplished. I accomplished so much this week. I set goals and stuck to them.

Goal #1 ~ Eat 4-5 times per day: This went really well. I found that I wasn't munching as much in between meals and snacks. I only had one day when I missed dinner but it wasn't in my control. I was told that something I was going to was a dinner, but it turned out to just be only dessert. I know to plan ahead now and have nutritious snacks with me always.

Goal #2 ~ Exercise Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat: Well I would love to say that I did this but unfortunately I missed Saturday. No good excuse...just tired because Kenzli had a rough night (she is teething). I did find that if I don't just workout in the morning, that it does not get done. I was too tired on saturday morning, so I decided to shower and get ready and workout that night...did not happen. Live and learn.

Goal #3 ~ No fast food: I had NO fast food all week. Sounds like a small thing but I eat fast food for lunch more than I would like to admit. I like the convenience of not having to prepare anything.

Now to set this weeks goals!!! It has been said that it takes 28 days to make a habit. So, I am gonna keep the goal to eat 4-5 times per day. I am also gonna keep the goal to workout 5 times this week. I am switching the no fast food to focus on hydration. I tend to be hit or miss with drinking water. Some days I drink TONS and other days it seems like at the end of the day I have only had like 1-2 glasses. With that in mind, I bought the coolest water bottle to keep with me ALWAYS. It has a tracker on the side of the lid that you can rotate each time you fill it so you know how much you are drinking. I have been doing it this week and usually drink between 3-4 bottles full (24 oz. bottle). So my goal this week, is to drink at least 3 (so 72 ounces) of these everyday.

Here's to a GREAT week!!!

P.S. Feel free to check up on me when you see me and make sure I have the water bottle with me! :)

Friday, March 12, 2010

Inspired

I just finished reading an incredibly inspiring books! Believe It, Be It by Ali Vincent was just what I needed. Through reading it, I gained insight into what some of my own reasons for gaining weight have been (a whole different blog post). I felt on fire and ready to conquer what I have said is too hard...to lose this weight once and for all.

I have been having such a great week. I feel so much better physically and mentally. I feel in control of my eating (a never ending battle) and have pushed my body physically really hard this week. Don't get me wrong, my body KILLS but it feels so good. I have stuck to my weekly goals and can't wait to set next weeks. I am SO proud of myself and it just fuels my desire so much more.

I am LOVING ME!!!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Feeling GREAT

I am feeling WONDERFUL, GREAT, FANTASTIC lately. I stopped drinking soda on Feb. 25th which has helped in so many ways. I feel more hydrated drinking water and can enjoy the taste of my food more fully now. Not to mention the calories that have been cut from my diet.

I am changing my weigh-in day to Wednesday mornings so that I can do circuit workouts Tuesday night while watching Biggest Loser. I will consider it my "last chance workout". I am also going to start calorie counting BIG TIME so I can keep track of calories in, calories out. I am sssoooo pumped!!!

My goals for March are:
*to fit into my wedding ring again!!!
*to workout Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday with Wednesday and Sundays as rest days
*pay attention to portion sizes and mindless munching

I will also set weekly goals that help with these monthly ones. So for this week I am going to really watch my munching. I want to eat 4-5 times a day: breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner, and possible an additional snack. I want to workout out 4 times this week since I missed Monday and want to stick with my schedule above (tuesdays workout already completed). And last but not least, I don't want to eat ANY fast food this week!!!

Friday, February 26, 2010

FAREWELL


Farewell
my sweet beverages...

I WILL MISS
YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

Friday, February 19, 2010

Balance

Lately I have been really struggling with finding a balance in my day to day life. It seems like if I spend quality time with my girls, the housework suffers. If my house looks nice and put together, my kids suffer. I am struggling to get the personal things I want to get done, done. Hence, the lack of blogging. It has not been on the top of my priority list. I am trying really hard to put my personal goals and myself back on my priority list and in so doing, I will feel more in control and balanced.
I still have been focusing on the small things I can do to lose weight. I have been consuming less soda, eating more fruits, drinking TONS of water and being conscious of my mindless munching. Slow and steady wins the race but I am gonna kick it into second gear NOW!
Now off to tackle more of my LONG to-do list.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Munch

I really like to munch, graze, snack, pretty much eat for no reason. I am not too bad at home (mostly because I don't keep much around that I want to munch on) but when I am at my parent's house, it is another story. They have LOTS of snack food and I usually sample my fair share. While over there today, I made an effort to not munch AT ALL!!! I didn't!!!!!!! I ate lunch and had a cookie afterwards but that is it. I DIDN'T SNACK!!! It is not a huge thing but I was an big thing for me. Small steps will make all the difference in the end.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Weigh-In

Just wanted to post quickly to say that I did weigh in today. I LOST 1/2 pound. Not much but it is a loss so I am happy!!!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Weekly Check-in

*Do an inital weigh-in on Tuesday ~ DONE
*Enjoy a walk outside with my girls at least 3 days this week ~ OOPS, TRY AGAIN
*Eat two servings of fruit each day ~ DONE and so YUMMY

Two out of three is not so bad. I am gonna be excited that I was able to eat fruit since it is not necessarily always my favorite. Celebrate the accomplishments instead of wallow in the failures...I don't really consider if a failure so much as a mistake. I have thought about ways to include working out into my life and for now I am simply going to move more. That means WALK to the mailbox, park further away from the store entrance, chase/play with Sariah at the park, and anything else I can think of.

So goals this week:
*Move more
*Continue to eat two servings of fruit daily

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Mantra

"The purpose of articulating one thing about yourself you love is so that you can simply and swiftly shift your focus from negative to positive each and every time a self-critical or self-doubting thought slips into your mind. Your one thing that you love should be your mantra for helping you stay focused on your goals and continuing to love yourself." ~ Bob Harper

I have been reading Bob Harper's (Biggest Loser trainer) book "Are You Ready" and he talks a lot about loving yourself. I found it fitting that I read the above quote in his book on Tuesday. Why, you might ask. Well, Tuesdays are particularly hard for me. I tend to be hard on myself and compare myself ALOT!!! Well, Tuesday is playgroup day. It is not always bad but this past Tuesday in particular, I found myself looking around comparing my many faults and shortcomings to the women around me.

"I wish I liked to workout as much as she does."

"She looks incredible and she just had a baby."

"She always eats so heathly and is so skinny because of it."

"I love her hair. I wish I could pull off that hairdo."

"I wonder if they are looking at me thinking I am HUGE."

I could keep going with all the negative thoughts I had that day but I'll stop with just those. It can be so hard to be around other people when you get caught up in comparing yourself to them. I came home depressed and instead of eating ice cream or chocolate, I decided to read. When I read that quote, I REALLY needed it. I knew immediately what my mantra would be.

MY EYES!!!!

I love the color, the shape, the size...EVERYTHING about them. I have ALWAYS loved them! Two stories about my eyes....I had a doctor in high school, that called me Belle because my eyes reminded him of Belle from Beauty and the Beast. He talked about how much he liked my eyes at every appointment I had with him. Also, on my wedding day a guy making a wedding video of us followed us around while we were taking pictures. He had me do a shot for the video where I was looking down and quickly looked up at the camera. I was skeptical how it would turn out but it was INCREDBLE. It is one of my favorite parts of our video. (Hard to explain it but you are welcome to see it next time your at my house). My eyes have always been a good feature of mine and I want them to continue to be. I am now devoted to taking care of them. That means taking makeup off before bed each night and always accenting them with makeup to make me feel even more confident during the day.

Now my question to you, what would be your mantra??? I am hoping that mine will be ever changing as I begin to love ALL OF ME!!!

Monday, February 1, 2010

A Good Day!

I am super proud of myself today. I am not a huge breakfast eater which is a problem when it come to weight loss. Getting up and eating a healthy breakfast jump starts metabolism which is something I really need to happen. I started my day off right and had a delicious fruit smoothie. I went to lunch with some friends and instead of getting french fries, I got the fruit cup instead. With those two decisions, I had more than my two fruit servings for my day. Then I decided to walk across to some stores instead of drive over which is something I normally would not do. It was really nice to feel good about decisions I made. I am proud of my day today and am excited for more good decisions tomorrow!!!

Sunday, January 31, 2010

Reflection

Every Sunday I plan to reflect on my goals from the week and see how I did, as well as, set new goals for the upcoming week.
Last week my goals were to take a starting point picture (which I did...see right-hand column) and to make the blog open (which is obviously done as well since you are reading it). Since I was just getting this whole thing going, the goals were pretty easy which made it easy to accomplish. I am not going to be crazy and set TONS of goals or set super hard goals in the beginning. I am wanting a life change not a quick fix.
So, with that said, I am going to try and get out this week and take some walks with my girls to enjoy the weather and get in some exercise. I also want to eat more fruit!!! I had the BEST fruit salad the other day and it has me totally craving fresh pineapple...off to the store tomorrow to get some! Since I am a HUGE Biggest Loser fan, I am going to have my weigh-in day be Tuesday morning. So this Tuesday will be my initial weigh-in. I will NOT be including my weight for all of you (i'll spare you that detail) but I will share each Tuesday what my weight loss amount was. Anyone wanting to join in is welcome to...I will post reminders every Tuesday and you are welcome to leave a comment with your amount lost.
Feel free to set some of your own goals and share with the rest of us. I would love to have this be motivational for everyone and I will gain motivation with your successes as well. Have a GREAT week!!!

Friday, January 29, 2010

Clothes


Since high school, my weight has continually inched higher and higher. I have held onto my clothes in hopes of being able to lose the weight and fit back into them. Well, tomorrow is the DAY that I stop holding onto the past and move forward. I'll keep some of the clothes but I am sure most are so out of style that even once the weight is lost (and it WILL BE LOST), I won't want to wear them.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Confessions

CONFESSION #1
This is how I see myself...

It is pictures like this...

that make me realize that I need to do something NOW about my weight. It is time to make the outside reflect what I see and feel like on the inside. I was committed to making this my year to make a change before I decided to start this blog but kept putting it off til MONDAY (who hasn't used that excuse). Well, everyday is now my MONDAY!!!


CONFESSION #2
I tend to get REALLY excited about new projects or ideas for a couple days and really commit to them and then get burnt out and quit. When it comes to weight loss/dieting/exercising, as soon as I make a mistake or have a BAD day, I QUIT!!! Well, my new motto is ...
IT'S A NEW DAY!!!


CONFESSION #3
Let's get real for a minute here...my weight problem is NOT because I just had a baby!!! You want proof?? Here you go...(me pre-pregnancy)



CONFESSION #4
I am TOTALLY AND COMPLETELY ADDICTED to these WONDERFUL beverages...









I am gonna be realistic and instead of saying that I will never drink them, I will simply drink less of them. (specific amount TBD)



Okay I think that is certainly enough confessions for now. I know that this is going to be a journey but that is why I am gonna be realistic and real on this blog. I am giving myself a year to get to where I want to be. I want this blog to be a place where I can share my struggles AND accomplishments along the way. I am writing this blog FOR ME but thought that I would leave it open to anyone that wants to read along throughout my journey.

ENJOY THE RIDE and MAKE IT COUNT!!!!