August Goals

WOW!!!  It is time to get back down to business.  It is amazing how a change in your normal daily routine can cause such derail.  Now that summer is almost over (school starts in one week) and I will get back into a routine, I figured it was time to start making some goals again.  Here are my goals for the month of August:

1. Track calories consumed! I now have a smart phone with the MyFitnessPal app which is already loaded and ready to be used.

2. Drink 64 ounces of water per day!  I have been drinking WAY TOO MUCH soda and NOT enough water.  I am ready to bust out my cup and start downing the H2O. 

3. Get my control journal finished (FlyLady.net) and get organized in my day to day life making everything else a little bit easier to deal with.  I have had a control journal before and LOVED it but it has been collecting dust lately and needs to be updated a little.  I have LOTS of organization projects in my head that will be taking place this month so that I can feel a little less scatter-brained.

4. Weigh-in weekly.  I know that I have gained back some (thankfully not all) of my weight.  I am ready to face the numbers and know where I stand so I can start watching the numbers go down.

5. Start blogging again!!! :)  I know that you have all missed me SSSOOOO much so I will focus and at least blogging once a week but hopefully more.  Once a week is the plan for now so that I can still get everything else done that I need to. 

Well, there you have it.  I am getting back on track.  I love that the first of August falls on a Monday.  Start of a new week, start of a new month, and start of being back in control!!!

C25K Week Two

Week two looked like this:
5 minute warm-up
90 second jog/2 minute walk intervals x 6 times
5 minute cool-down

DAY ONE
This day felt great!  The runs went really well and I was ready to run when I was done with the walks.  I felt strong.

DAY TWO
This is for some reason my hardest day both weeks.  I was tired and sore and had to push myself the WHOLE TIME.  It was definitely mental game.

DAY THREE
I decided to do the workout in the morning and it was harder than when I do it at night.  I was just not awake enough and although the runs were not hard, the workout itself felt LONG.

I feel really good that I have been able to push myself and get my workouts down. 
I also went back to my Wednesday weigh-in and was down 3 pounds since the first of the month last Wednesday.  I did not count calories this weekend (no excuse...just gave myself a break) and am hoping to not have a gain on the scale this Wednesday.  Here is to hoping for the best but not giving up no matter what the number is!

C25K Progress Report

WEEK ONE DAY ONE
Week one workouts consist of 5 minute warm-up followed by 20 minutes 60/90 walking/jogging intervals ending with 5 minute cool-down then stretching.  Day one went really good.  I completed all the jogs and was able to push even faster on the final jog.  It felt good!!!

WEEK ONE DAY TWO
My calves were SSSOOOO sore.  I was not sure I was gonna be able to get the whole workout done.  I seriously counted down each of the jogs.  I pushed and was able to finish it despite being so sore.  I just kept looking forward to stetching when it was all done.  The stetching was by far my FAVORITE part.

WEEK ONE DAY THREE
My calves were back to normal and the jogs were fine.  I felt like I could keep going at the end of each 60 second jog.    Hubby was home when I was on the treadmill so he took some pics of me finishing my final jog of week one...

I was so happy to finish week one strong and was able to workout Monday-Saturday (6 stars so far this month).  I was proud that I chose to workout instead of just read a book or watch tv.  On Satuday, I even read my book while walking on the treadmill so that I could get my workout in and still read the book that I was COMPLETELY sucked into. 

Now on to week two...the workouts this week are 5 minute warm-up followed by 90/120 jog/walk intervals ending with 5 minute cool-down and stetching.  I have already completed day one...which I will include in my progess report once this week is over.

April Review & May Goals

Alright...let's just get right to it...April was an okay month for me.  Not good, not bad.  Let's break it down by goal.
1. Track and stay within my calorie range everyday.  Well I did track EVERY calorie EVERYDAY but I did have a couple days where I went over my goal.  Overall, I still feel good about this because life happens and none of the days that I went over, were that out of control.
2. Lose 6 pounds.  NOPE...I did lose 3.5 pounds.  I am not really sure why except that working out has got to become more consistent.
3. Earn at least 20 workout stars (one star = 30 minutes exercise).  Well I did get 15 which I think is pretty good considering that the first two week, I got only 4 of those.  Like I said before, working out needs to be consistent.  I need a plan to stitch to and I need to move more.

I am actually fine with this month.  I feel like I am on the right track.  I just need to stick with it now and up my movement.  Now, for my goals for this month...
1. Start C25K on Tuesday May 3rd and continue throughout the month.
2. Lose some weight...I don't have a specific number because I want to just be happy with any success whether big or little.
3. Continue to track using myfitnesspal.com ...which is awesome for those you want a website to count calories with.

I signed up to do the C25K with other bloggers so I will post along the way about my progress.  I have been trying to add jogging (not running, yet) into my treadmill workouts and I am excited to work my way through the C25K program.  For those wondering what C25K is...check out details here.  It is basically a training program that helps you to be able to run a 5K in 9 weeks.  I am excited to see how much I have progressed at the end of 9 weeks.

NSV

It is amazing how different I already feel after losing 10 pounds.  I feel like I am regaining my confidence.  I feel proud of who I am.  I feel strong in knowing I am sticking with my goals.  And it feels GREAT!!!

I just finished stuffing the easter eggs for our little hunt tomorrow.  Normally I would eat several of the candies in the process but I only ate ONE skittle.  Not one package, one individual little skittle.  It tasted good but I had no desire to eat more.

Also we are at my parent's house this weekend and with it comes the temptation to eat the candies out in the candy dish.  But I have not have ANY...not even one little M&M or whopper...NOTHING!!!  I am more aware of my mindless eating and think before it goes in my mouth.   Before, I would grab a handful of the almond m&ms and eat them before even realizing what I was doing.  It was just automatic...see, eat.

Now, I am not saying that everything that goes into my mouth is 100% good for me or that I never eat without thinking it through.  Especially considering I just ate a movie theater popcorn at the movie with my hubby tonight (FYI...Source Code is worth seeing).  But I planned my dinner knowing I would want popcorn, so I left myself enough calories so I could enjoy some.

I am hoping that the next two days are as successful as today was.  I weighed in this morning with a 1.4 pound weight loss for the week.  I have 2.9 pounds to lose to hit April's goal.  I will try my hardest to workout hard and eat right but I will be happy with my progress no matter what the scale says at the end of the month.  I am now gonna wait until May 1st to weigh in and see how it goes.  Here's to making everyday count and making healthy choices along the way!!!

HAPPY EASTER EVERYONE!!!

10 pound REWARD

10 pounds gone FOREVER!!!

It feels great!

What feels even better is getting comments from people.  One friend told me the other day at the park that my pants were too big for me.  She knows I am trying to lose weight though so although I took the compliment, I still kinda wonder if she was saying it just to be nice.
Then a couple days ago, I was told that I look like I have lost alot of weight and that I look really good.  It was really nice to hear ESPECIALLY because she is unaware that I am working on losing weight.  I was so happy!

Now as for the reward...I have decided to reward myself every 10 pounds I lose.  Since I don't want a food reward (obviously) and I don't want it to be clothes because that seems like a waste of money.  So I decided to accessorize!!!

I first had to come up with a place to store my jewelry so I made this....

Here is it with the accessories.  Only 4 items are new...and those were on clearance.

Next up...a way to organize my earrings.

Well, on a slightly different note, I did another 5K tonight and was able to shorten my time.  I did it in 48:42...I followed it with some ab work and stretching.  I can honestly say that I can see myself really enjoying running once I am in better shape.  I can already see myself getting some endurance in my workouts.  YEA!!!

Completed

I hit the treadmill this morning. 

It felt great! 

I even improved my time from last month's 5k.

Today was much better than yesterday.  I made better food choices and got my body moving.  I am surprised that I was not more drained after working out but I heave been pretty energized all day.  Not sure what workout I am gonna do tomorrow...I just know I need to get it done in the morning since I have a commitment tomorrow evening. 

I am actually excited to weigh on Friday to see where I am.  I am feeling a difference in the way my clothes fit and starting to see it in my face.  It is such a good feeling!

Blah

Step cardio workout!  AWESOME!!!  I was able to actually keep up with the dvd for almost all of the workout.  It felt good and although my knee did start to bother me about 20 minutes in, I felt good having finished it.

Today on the other hand...BLAH!  I woke up in the middle of the night (thanks to my peanut) and had a horrible migraine.  It took me a long time to get back to sleep because I was so sick to my stomach and my head hurt to even lay it on the pillow.  It took a long time to get going this morning and as a result my day got thrown off.  I did not eat breakfast until later.  Lunch time came and nothing sounded good which resulted in eating stuff I shouldn't have.  Dinner was okay except that I ate too big of portions.  No workout today either.  Today was just one of those days.  Despite how I was feeling and the not so great eating, it could have been alot worse.

I have a plan going into tomorrow though.  My baby normally takes an afternoon nap but due to another commitment, she will take a morning nap while my peanut is at preschool.  Which means I will have time to get in a good workout and still have time to get ready.  I am gonna do a 5K on the treadmill and then a short weights workout.  Today is over, tomorrow is a new day and I am gonna make it count!!!

Hello 180s!!!

Good news all...I hit the 180s on Friday!!!  189.2 which means a 1.7 pound loss for the week.  I was happy!!!

This week I really want to kick up the exercise though.  Obviously the watching calories is helping me to lose but I wanted to get fit as well.  I am trying to decide whether to hit the treadmill tonight or attempt a dvd...I'll let you know.

Hoping for a 2 - 3 pound loss this week.  I am gonna weigh in twice...wednesday (which is my normal weigh in) and Friday (since that is one week from when I hit 180s).

Wish me luck!!!

Awareness

Truth: My husband is currently in his 3rd year of dental school.

Truth: We have been married over 7 years and he has been a full-time student the whole time.

Truth: He (we) applied to dental school 4 times before being accepted.

Truth: The process of applying and being rejected is very stressful and expensive.

Truth: Stress makes me want to eat and eat and eat (especially oreos with milk).

Truth: We are coming up on another application cycle to get into a residency program.

Truth: I will not allow stress to allow me to eat!!!

I am hoping that being AWARE that food will not help the stress to go away will allow be to make better choices.  I am trusting myself to make good choices and find other ways (such as exercise) to relive the stress of applying.

Wish me luck!!!

March Review and April Goals

This month has been really good.  I am excited with my results and am very encouraged to keep going.  March's goal review:

1. Drink 48 ounces of water each day.  

Completed all but 3 days.  Most days I actually drank more...I am really starting to thrive on water.

2.  Run a mile without walking or stopping.

I would love to say that I can do this but running was hurting my knees.  I need to lose some weight so it is not as hard on my joints.  I did find that I LOVE walking at an incline and it is a challenge yet does not make my knee ache.

3. Get my weight into the 180s.
SO SO SO close...190.9 
I am giving myself a little slack since I had two weekends full of family and food.  Despite the bridal shower and wedding, I feel like I made the best food choices available to me and really watch my portions.  



4.  Look into (and hopefully join) the local gym.
I posted about this earlier this month and decided for now, I am NOT going to join the gym.  The only one within my budget did not offer what I was looking for.



5.  Look at different food/exercise journals and find one that will work for me.
I have started using SparkPeople and LOVE it.  It works perfectly for me right now.  I have tracked everyday and it has been great to feel accountable and also be able to make decisions based on how many calories I have to use.

I am really excited to see what I am able to accomplish during April.  
My goals for April are:

1. Track and stay within my calorie range EVERYDAY.

2. Lose 6 pounds.  I figure this is easily attainable since I lost 7.1 pounds during March.

3. Earn at least 20 workout stars.  (I get a star on my calendar for every 30 minutes of exercise I do)

Advantage?!

Losing weight can be tricking.  It is definently something that takes a lot of physical work.  But it also can be a lot of mental work too.  Alot of people who have lost weight, have a hard time "seeing" their new self.  They still have their large body image in their head and forget that they can fit into smaller clothes and can physically do things they couldn't in their larger body.  They have to do alot of mental work to accept their new body and their abilities.

I have a different problem.  I don't "see" my fat body.  I still see my 135-pound self.  It is always a hard reality check when I see pictures of myself or when I have to go clothes shopping and nothing is flattering or fits right.  Once I have lost weight, I will finally have the body that I see in my head. 

This could be an advantage but it could also be a disadvantage.  The problem that I forsee is that without an accurate picture of what I currently am, will I realize how far I have come to become fit and thin again?  I decided to help this not be as big a problem that I need to have a very visual reminder of where I started.  This way, once I am my smaller body, I will remember that I did have a LARGER body that I CANNOT forget about. 

Here are my visual reminders of my starting point in my healthiness journey!  ENJOY!!! :)

 

Staying Strong

Weekends are definently where I struggle.  I do really well during the week because I have the same schedule everyday.  On the weekends, events take place and we tend to eat out more.  This weekend will be especially hard because I will be at my parent's house all weekend and will be spending most of Saturday with family at my brother-in-laws wedding. 

I plan to have several small snacks in my purse.  Since it is a family wedding, I do know what food will be served so I am planning out my calories accordingly.  We will get back Sunday night and I will be hitting the exercise VERY hard monday-thursday for my 1st of the month weigh-in.

I am still focused on my 2.5 pound loss that I need in order to reach my goal.  I plan to try and get a workout in tomorrow morning and will be doing a workout this morning once my daughter is in preschool.

I need to cut a few more calories too.  My range is 1250-1550 but lately I have been really close to 1550 most days which is resulting in less weight loss.  The week that I was close to 1250, I lost 3.5 pounds with only one day of exercise.  Time to make smarter choices, and eat smaller portions.

Hope your weekend goes well and that you are able to stay on track.  I'll be back Monday with pics from the weekend and a report of how well I did with my goals.

Another Loss

I am happy to report that I lost another 1.6 pounds this week!!! 
I am excited but in order to meet my weight loss goal for the month, I still need to lose AT LEAST 2.5 pounds.
Which means, I need to kick it up a notch this week.
Especially considering that I will be out of town this weekend at a family wedding.
So I had to come up with a plan.

My Plan:
*Eat within caloric range EVERYDAY. 
*Workout FIVE times before next weigh-in. 
*Eat breakfast everyday within ONE hour of waking up.

I am hoping this results in a bigger loss on the scale next week.

FULL

I was gonna get on and talk about the non scale victories that I have had lately

BUT

I feel full and uncomfortable and decided to talk about why.

I have eaten really well the last week and a half with very little junk food.  Today we (my daughter and I) made a cake for St. Patty's Day.  I didn't go over my daily calories but I do feel like I had too much sweet stuff.  I snacked a little on the frosting and then also had a small piece of cake.  I am not sure if I had it too close to dinner and that is why I feel gross or if it is just the sugar that is making me feel that way.

Overall, I am not feeling guilty about it because I was aware of how many calories I had left for the day and how many calories the cake was and knew that it was ok.  I just don't like the uncomfortable feeling I have been left with.  My stomach is not happy.  Good thing I took half the cake over to a friend's house so I didn't have the temptation (not sure how much of a temptation it will be now) left in the house.

Today is day 11 of counting calories and EVERYDAY I have stayed with in my caloric range!!!

Half Way

I have been counting my calories (and staying within the range) since last Monday.  I have been surprised by how well I have done.  It really does make a difference because the snacks I normally have without thinking about, were not worth wasting the calories on.

This past weekend, I spend our at my parent's house.  For some reason, I always allow myself to eat HORRIBLY when I am there.  I drink way too much Dr. Pepper and snack NON-STOP!  I was totally committed to sticking to my calories and paying attention to what I ate while I was there.  I did great!

Well, this morning was my weekly weighin and I lost 3.5 pounds!!!  Which means that I have lost 4 pounds since the beggining of the month and am half way to reaching my weight loss goal for the month.  It is totally within reach and I am determined to get there.

CAKE

I LOVE cake...so much so that I watch Cake Boss REGULARLY!!!  I especially like cake when I don't have to make it.
Well, I have been craving cake lately but don't want to make a whole cake only to eat a little (or possibly alot) and then throw the rest away. 
Last night, I had a church meeting and there was CAKE!!!
I had about 400 calories left for the day but decided that I would rather use those calories for either a fruit smoothie or something more nutritious once I got home.
I was SSSSOOOOO proud that I was able to sit and talk with my friends while they all ate their cake and I was completely satisfied to just enjoy their company.

(pic from littlest 1st birthday party)

Good Read

Such an inspirational book.
Made me think of the weight loss process in a whole new light.
She talks about her spiritual growth through her process of losing almost half of her body weight.
She talks about seeing herself the way God intented her to be.
By treating her body the way God wants her to, she was able to continue doing the things to make it healthy and strong.
There were so many things in this book that made me realize what I needed to change. 
I am excited and ready to move forward with these changes FOR LIFE!!!
I am hitting the treadmill for an hour tonight during the Biggest Loser.
I have tracked my calorie intake the last two days and will continue too.
I will continue to make good decisions ~ like choosing gum over the cinnamon roll that my hubby had last night!
I will move more and eat less!  That is the trick right?!

GYM DECISION

Those new to reading this blog might not how much I dislike gyms!
Well, I went to the local gym yesterday to check it out and look into possibly getting a personal trainer one day a week to help me out.
Well, I left kinda frustrated.  This gym is okay and it is definently reasonably priced (except for PT) but the classes are few and far between.  I went mainly because I am REALLY interested in doing Zumba at least once a week and have access to weights.
Personal training is out the question...not in a student's budget!  And because none of the zumba classes work into my schedule...I have decided to NOT join (for now). 
I am going to focus on journaling my food intake and really work on eating better.  Plus I am going to work on building my cardio endurance.  Once I feel like I have a good hold on those, I will then decide what I need to do to add in strength training.  I am headed to look at food journals tonight and will let you know which one I choose.

SERIOUSLY?!?

I hit the treadmill last night due to anger, frustration and confusion.  The workout itself felt good.  I pushed myself ALOT harder than I normally do. 

I ran!!!

I rocked out to music!!!

IT FELT GREAT!!!

As you may know, I am addicted to the Biggest Loser.  I think the show is very motivational.  This season has a couple contestants that I am in awe of.  One that my heart breaks for every episode is Arthur.  I CANNOT imagine what it would feel like to just have to try and walk, let alone run with all that weight.  He has definently struggled while on the ranch but I know he NEEDS the ranch and the support of the trainers and his teammates. 

Unfortunately, his teammates changed last night.  My heart BROKE!!!  I knew then that he was in trouble.  The red team sticks together no matter what!  I was so hopeful when he got on the scale and could possibly win immunity.  But he was 3 pounds short.  16 pound weight loss is incredible...but my heart was breaking.  I really thought that Bob's "speech" would make the red team see that sometimes health is more important than alliances.

I was saddened when people made the choice to "play the game" instead of help a person in need out.  I was angry and therefore, I ran out my feelings instead of eating them!  (non-scale victory)

When I finished working out, I talked to my husband about it and he had a very different perspective.  He thinks that the red team was just fighting for themselves as individuals.  I just think that despite the fact that everyone there needs to be there, some need it more.  Especially at this point in the season.  Overall, I hope someone/anyone from the black team wins this season!  I think that have more heart and compassion!!!

I really hope that he is able to stay motivated at home and can't wait to see how he has done at the finale!

March Goals

I have been doing alot of thinking about what I can do in order to stick with this process LONGTERM.  It is a lifestyle change and not a diet.  I have had an all-or-nothing type of attitude and it has not worked...so...it is time for an attitude change.

It is time to set mini-goals that are easier to achieve.  Don't get me wrong, I still have long-term goals but they are NOT going to be my focus.  If I choose certain goals get month, eventually the long-term goals will simply be achieved because I have accomplished all my smaller goals. 

So on the first of each month, I will post a review of how the previous month's goals went and set the current month's goals.  Obviously there is nothing to review for February but here are my goals for March:

1.  Drink 48 ounces of water each day.

2.  Be able to run a mile without walking or stopping.

3.  Get my weight into the 180s...which means at a minimum I must lose 8.1 pounds.

4.  Look into (and hopefully join) the local gym.

5.  Look at different food/exercise journals and find one that will work for me.

Over the next couple days, I will outline some of these in more detail.  If anyone has a food journal system that has worked for them, please share.  

ABCs of ME

I saw this on another blog and decided to do it just for fun.  So here goes...

(A) Age: 28
(B) Bed Size: King
(C) Chore You Hate: BATHROOMS!!!
(D) Dogs? Nope but we are considering getting a hamster :)
(E) Essential Start Your Day Item: I don't really have one but if I have to pick...The Today Show
(F) Favorite Color: Red and Black
(G) Gold or Silver? Silver or WHITE gold
(H) Height: 5'5"
(I) Instruments You Play: Flute and Piano
(J) Job Title: Mom and Wife
(K) Kids: Two girls ages 4 1/2 and 18 months
(L) Live: I have lived in Utah, Mexico, Texas, Idaho but Arizona is my home!
(M) Mom's Name: LaRae
(N) Nicknames: Angie ...my name is actually Angela
(O) Overnight Hospital Stays? 2...birth of my girls
(P) Pet Peeve:  Can't think of one right now but I know I have lots.
(Q) Quote from a Movie: I don't really quote movies so I don't know.
(R) Right or Left Handed? Right.
(S) Siblings: 1 sister and 2 brothers...plus 4 brother-in-laws and 4 sister-in-laws
(T) Time You Wake Up? When my little one wakes me up...usually around 7:00-7:30ish
(U) Underwear: Really?!  Who cares!?
(V) Vegetable You Dislike: most...which needs to change
(W) What Makes You Run Late: Getting me and two girls dressed, hair done and out the door
(X) X-Rays You've Had Done: foot
(Y) Yummy Food You Make: Enchiladas, cookies, cakes, pizza
(Z) Zoo, Favorite Animal: Elephant

Example

I read this blog post over a month ago and it has REALLY stuck with me. 

I have been feeling really bad about the example that I am setting for my children.  If they never see me exercise, where are they going to learn the importance of being active?  If I don't eat right, where will they learn to?  I have got to be a better example and teach them the things that will help them forever, like eating fruits/vegetables and working out. 

I do not want them to think that being overweight is acceptable just because that is what they saw in me.  It has been really weighing on me lately and I realize that this is not just about me anymore but about what I am teaching my children. 

Things have got to change!!!  Fruits and veggies will be a part of more meals and exercise will be happening in our house!

I'm Back!!!

I have been posting on a private blog for me lately and then decided tonight to post here instead.  There are certain things that I have wanted to post that are personal so I created another blog to do so and have completely ignored this blog in the process.  So...here you go for anyone that wants to read it.

Well, I worked out tonight after a two week hiatus. I really need to get into a routine so that my workouts do me so good.

I did Biggest Loser Cardio Max Level One....well I attempted it!

I got through the warm-up, and 10 of the 20 minutes of the workout and then skipped to the cool down. The cool down is all yoga positions which I really enjoy. I really think that I would enjoy yoga! I might have to buy me the BL yoga DVD or Jillian Michaels yoga workout. Maybe it can be my rewards once I reach my next goal.

I have not measured or weighed in two weeks. I am gonna push myself really hard this week and hope for a good number next Wednesday.

I think it is time to journal my food again. Breakfast is seriously an issue and I find that I munch more if I don't eat a good breakfast. So...I am gonna focus really hard this week so that the scale will move DOWN!!!