Update

I got some really exciting news this morning! In about 1 month I lowered my Body Fat Percentage by almost 3%. I'm now at 27.7% YAY!!! I'm almost at the fitness level. Super exciting and I've also lost another pound. I might not be losing a whole lot on the scale lately, but my body is changing in very big ways internally & externally. I won't be making my goal of 160 before the new year but it doesn't matter. I'm still working at it and thats all that matters.

I hope everyone has a Happy & Healthy New Year!
I'm super excited to see what 2012 will bring!

Update

Its been a while since I've posted. I'm working out still... as usual. My workouts are progressing and I'm constantly finding out just how much my body has changed. I can now do sit ups with weights in both hands (I couldn't do 1 sit up when I first started).
My trainer and I have started adding more & more weight lifting to my exercises. He really kicked my butt today. My workout today was a quick 5 minute warm-up, 30 minutes with my trainer (mostly weights) and 30 minutes on the elliptical trainer. I felt awesome after my workout, but I know I will be sore either 1 or 2 days from now from the muscle exhaustion.
I'm so happy to be so close to my beginning goal weight. I still plan on losing after I reach 160, it doesn't matter how long it takes but I would really like to get down to 149 pounds before I start school, which I am still waiting on my acceptance letter. 149 would be 100 pounds lost AKA a LOT of WEIGHT! But mostly I will be happy when I can find a comfortable & healthy weight to maintain.
I'm currently at 167 lbs... so hard to believe

Body Fat % & Waist Size

Ok so I'm going to complain here for a second before we get down to business, why? Because I'm sick AGAIN! Third time so far this fall/winter. I was only sick twice last year! Ridiculous really.

Anyways.... On to the good news! My personal trainer tested my Body Fat % again today. We were both very surprised and happy to see how much the number has changed in such a short amount of time. When we checked it for the very first time (which I wish I had my numbers from when I first started this journey, but I wasn't very good at keeping track of everything) I was at 199 pounds.. my body fat percentage was a staggering obese 36.3%...... YIKES! We tested it a second time at 184.4 pounds and my body fat was at 33.9%... still pretty freaking ugly. But... drum roll please.... hahaha.. at 173.0 pounds it is at 30.0%!! I am now in the "average" percentile!! YAY!  [at 24% I will be in the fitness range]
I also changed my waist measurement by quite a lot, when I measured for my wedding dress (I was still in the 200s) it was 46 inches and now my waist is 39.5 inches. Also my pant size, in the very beginning, was a very tight fitting 22/24 and now (depending on the brand) I fit into a size 10 or 12. My size 12 New York & Co. Jeans are soon retiring, they are getting too big. I actually had to steal my husbands belt to keep them at my waist.

All the news really made my day. Especially with being sick, I needed something to cheer me up. It really helped me get through my workout today.

Thanks for reading everybody!

Doubt

Normally I am very confident in my efforts and ability to lose any/all the weight I set out to lose. But lately I feel myself doubting everything. I've been putting in hour long workouts all week, doing more cardio & weights, and I've lost 1 more pound sense my last post in October. I just find myself wondering if my efforts are enough. I don't want to quit, that thought hasn't even crossed my mind, I just don't understand whats going on with my mental/emotional frame of mind lately when it comes down to my journey.

I'm stronger than I've ever been, I weigh less than I did in high school or most of middle school and I can shop off the rack now.... I can also keep up with my 2 year-old son with no problems. I enjoy being physically active. Maybe I'm just concerned that the rest of the weight isn't going to come off no matter what I do. And I've been pretty lonely lately. And I really wish I had a gym partner. Someone that could push me to get better, stronger, & faster.

Or Maybe I'm just concerned that I won't lose/maintain well enough when I will hopefully be starting school in the summer. UGGHH!! I don't know, I just haven't felt this way about my ability to proceed in this ever, not even when I first started. Just frustrated...

Unexpected

This week I successfully lost 2 pounds, putting me at 175 pounds. I really did not expect to lose 2 pounds this week, I was actually expecting a gain. We had Haden's birthday party last weekend and had company over. I did not watch my food as closely as normal and probably over did my calories, but at the same time I was still concious if I was actually hungry or just socially eating. I also Did not go to the gym for 6 days because of a cold, feeling lazy & having visitors from out of town. But I got my butt back in the gym yesterday with my trainer and I will be going to the gym shortly after this entry is finished. After going to the gym yesterday I felt much better and my mood was elevated.

It was so nice to see family this past weekend. It was a low-key visit, lots of chatting & not much going on. It was especially nice to spend some extra time with just my sister. We have always been close and the distance between us makes it hard sometimes. I only wish the visit could have been longer. But it is better than nothing. I won't get to see her again until December.

Thanks For Reading <3
74 Down & 15 More To Go!

No Gym Today

I didn't go to the gym this morning like normal. *Major frown face* My throat is sore & scratchy/burning. I'm hoping I won't get a bad cold. People at the gym have been passing colds around lately. So I decided staying home one day couldn't hurt and the rest might help me avoid a terrible cold.

My weight hasn't changed this week which is alright with me. I'm starting to get comfortable where I'm at.. now that doesn't mean I'm going to give up on my goal of 160 lbs... No way am I going to settle for the 170's. These final 17 pounds are going to take a while.

Right now I'm trying to find a suitable daycare for Haden, I'm signing up for school so I can start in January, and this weekend is Hadens birthday party, I have family that is going to be here for part of the weekend. Which I am super excited to see them but it does affect my schedule some. But hopefully I can convince my sister to take a walk with me. I thought she was pulling my leg when she told me shes flying in on Saturday and I get to see her until Monday evening! YAY!!

On a side note... I will no longer be able to afford my personal trainer after December because of paying for daycare. Which while it bums me out big time I know that I can maintain & continue to lose weight without him. School will be a challenge but I know I'll always have time to work out at some point during the day, even if I don't have time to get to the gym I can always jog around campus, use the student gym on campus or work out at home.

Well I think thats all the news for now and its almost time to take Haden for his Well Check-up, I can't believe hes 2 years-old!!!

For The First Time...

For the first time I have met a goal, even before it was due. Which is awesome! I've lost a total of 3 pounds so far this week. I am completely ecstatic with 3, that's a big week for me at this point. My weight loss has been very slow since I've gotten out of the 200's and you know what.. for the first time I can REALLY say that I'm OK with that. I don't expect changes on the scale all the time now. The only thing I can do is to work out as hard as I can for as long as I can, add muscle & stay confident. Its not just about the number, its about how I feel, look and most importantly my health. I am worth it and so are all of you! My hopes are as always that this blog helps inspire & motivate my readers. Americans are dieing of obesity complications every day, we can change that by coming together and supporting each other in this journey called life.

Keep Moving, You CAN Do Anything!


72 Pounds Down, 17 More To Go!

Training For a 5K!

I don't know what has possessed me, but I REALLY want to do a 5k. Even if I walk/jog it. I know I could walk it, its about 3.2 miles. I can walk that easy, but I really want to jog most of it. Which would be a huge accomplishment for me because when I was in Middle/High School I was never able to complete the "dreaded gym class mile" in under 11 minutes. I would walk the whole thing. I let my fear of having an asthma attack hold me back. And as a chubby/fat kid I felt like I couldn't do it & didn't want to embarrass myself if I failed.

But now I'm not letting my lungs or my fear hold me back. No one is watching me or judging me. This isn't something I'm being forced to do, this is something I want to do.

This morning we (My hubby, son & I) went to the local Rail Trail and I did some jogging. We walked/jogged about 3-4 miles today (more walking than jogging). I didn't jog too much today, I did about a half mile total I think (jogging a short time & then walking & then jogging again). I feel that I could have jogged more than that, but I didn't want to over do it on the first day. When I stopped jogging I wasn't completely out of breath like I would have been before and kept walking at a fast pace. I was mindful of my breathing & didn't try to go too fast. It actually felt really good, very liberating. Even though my husband said I run like Forest Gump, but who cares how I look while I'm jogging!?!?! I don't.

Could I, the 'fat kid in gym class' actually become a runner? If I stick to a training schedule & listen to my body I really think I can do it. This journey has taught me one very important lesson, You CAN do ANYTHING you put your mind to, you really can. Keep at it, whatever you want to be able to do, if its lose weight & be healthy or follow your dreams for a different career or open your own business, just keep at it, learn as much as you can and open your mind to the possibilities. Give it all you have and if you fail don't forget to try again!! 

Feelin' it!

So yesterday my trainer had me doing Kettle Bell Squats to Presses (you squat down while holding the kettle bell, tap it on the floor, stand & then press the kettle bell up above you). And he had me doing one handed Kettle Bell Swings. I'm really feeling it in my arms & legs today... oh plus all the ab work we did. I didn't really even want to move I was that stiff when I first woke up. But going to the gym this morning will help with the muscle stiffness a lot.

But I so deserved a good butt kicking yesterday... the day before I ate... not 1.. not 2... but 5 Chocolate Chip Cookies!!! And they weren't small ones either. Sometimes its too easy to over indulge on sweets.. especially when your husband asks you to make homemade cookies.. lol.
On the positive side I did manage to lose 1 pound this week. I'm happy with just a pound a week, means I'm still going in the right direction, improving my health and will be here longer than I would have when I was obese.

Thanks for reading all! <3
23 lbs to-go!

Beating Obesity One Pound At A Time

As many of you know I've been battling obesity for over a year and a half now. And by Body Mass Index (BMI) I have done just that. I started out at 249.5 pounds with a BMI of  40.27 which ment I was in the Morbid Obesity Catagory (BMI being 40+). And as of today I weigh 184 pounds with a BMI of 29.7 that puts me in the Overweight Catagory (BMI between 25-29.9). BMI is by no means completely accurate, but it is a useful tool especially to those who need to lose weight. Personally it helps me realise just how far I've come. I can finally say that I am proud of what I have done.
Tomorrow I will be having my trainer check my Body Fat Percentage and see if that is within the Overweight range as well.
I've lost a total of 65 pounds now & have 24 left to go. Thank you all for the support!

I didn't succeed at my August goal, but thats alright, I didn't think I was going to come as far as I did. My weight loss has slowed a lot, but I know & understand why. The less body fat I have the longer its going to take to lose it and I have been adding more lean muscle mass. Its all part of the process. If you watch "The Biggest Loser" once the women hit the 180's its like their bodies come to a screeching halt and their weight loss is slower from there. I have 27 more pounds till my goal weight of 160 and its probably going to take me until after the New Year to lose the weight. But you know what... Good things come to those who 'weight' (Pun intended... I know.. I'm cheesey). 

So now its time to set a new goal, if I make it I make it, if I don't... well.. I just don't. Life will go on & I will continue to lose weight at whatever rate my body will allow. Why have goals set then you say?!? Because a goal helps keep me in check and its a good motivational tool for me. Its like a race against my body & time. It helps me to push harder on those days when I just don't feel like doing the work.

The Goal: Lose 10 Pounds
The Goal Weight: 177 lbs
Current Weight: 187 lbs
Goal Due On: Oct. 31st - Halloween

The new plan is going well. Still no change on the scale, but I feel like my clothes are fitting looser. Losing inches is great, but I'm so tired of the numbers on my scale!

My workouts have been tough, I've given myself stomach cramps twice this week. They always hit right after a workout. I've been pushing really hard this week. Like today I did 40 minutes on the elliptical trainer & 20 minutes of weight training. And I'm also going to do a workout this evening at home.

I've been working with my "Biggest Loser Challenge" game for the Nintendo Wii at home this week as well. When I started this journey I got the game in hopes it would help get me motivated, but realized that I wasn't even in shape enough to use that. I was told to use the "Light" exercises mode and even those were hard for me then. So on Monday I re-took their fitness test & my results were great! I was told to start out with the "Hard" workouts. It was very exciting for me. I even did good on some of the "extreme" exercises. The first time I did that test I didn't even get half way through and now I can make it all the way until the end. That was a good way for me to judge how strong I've gotten. I've never been so determined about something in life before. Its still trying every day and I find new ways to challenge myself and I think the most exciting thing is to see what my body can do.

On a side note I've added a new picture to my blog on the right hand side to help visually track how much my appearance has changed.

I'm also going to have my personal trainer check my body fat percentage either this week or next week. The thought of it not changing much is really scary for me, but I have hopes that it has changed at least 2%.

Thanks for reading!

New Plan

So for a few weeks now my weight loss has slowed and now its stopped at the 60 pound mark. I'm far from done and I'm not giving up because of this little hiccup. Its not a set back, but it is a time for me to evaluate my workouts, nutrition & motivation. I think I need to exercise more & eat more calories. I know, that doesn't sound quite right, but I don't think I'm getting enough "fuel" in my system to keep my metabolism going. Its not enough to keep up with the amount of exercise I do each day.
I go to the gym 6 days a week, I spend roughly 20-30 minutes doing cardio each day, and 2-3 times a week I do strength & resistance training. I'm pretty sure that its time to up the amount of cardio, I know I can do more. Today I did 40 minutes on the Elliptical. I pushed really hard, so hard that at one point I thought for sure I was going to throw up. But it passed. I had thoughts of Jillian Michael's in my head screaming at me, a frequent saying of hers..."Unless you throw up or faint your not quitting!" I was so proud of myself when I fought through the discomfort. I planned to do 40 minutes today and I did it, I stuck with what I wanted to do. That is one thing that tells me that I will get to my goals no matter how long it takes.

My new plan is to get AT LEAST 40 minutes of cardio a day, still do 2 to 3 days of strength & Resistance Training and also add in a new workout during the evening (Even if its just doing steps on my Wii Fit while watching tv).
I also plan to eat 1,400 to 1,600 calories a day now (instead of 1,200) - I think this is going to be the hardest thing for me, not the extra exercise. I've pounded it into my brain to stick to 1,200 calories for so long if feels strange to eat more, but with the extra calories burned I'm going to need extra to keep my metabolism going to burn fat.

Motivation: I've really started to realise just now much I've changed. I just got a new workout shirt this past week while I was too sick to work out. Its a MEDIUM!! Its a fitted Under Armor Brand workout t-shirt. I love it. And I know the harder I work the better it will look on me. I'm still not comfortable wearing something fitted, but my hubby reassured me that it looks good and that I have nothing to be self conscious about. I'm so glad that hes been so supportive.

I'm planning on posting some new pictures soon :-)
29 lbs to go!!
Thanks for reading everyone!

10 Pounds At A Time

All I have to say is... FINALLY!! I have struggled with getting out of the 190's but I finally did it. I'm at 189 now and that means I've lost 60 pounds. It seems to help if I just try to tackle the weight I still need to lose 10 pounds at a time instead of the number as a whole. I'm almost to my August "Mini-goal" & no longer having a BMI that is Obese.

I've had a "mental block" lately with my workouts, I know I can do the workouts, but part of me is holding me back. Like I'm Doctor Jekyll & Mr. Hyde at the same time while at the gym. Part is telling me "Come on, you can do this easily.." and the other is saying "You are weak, your knee hurts lets quit". In my case Mr Hyde is stronger than Jekyll for the most part. But its difficult to push as hard when your doubting yourself. I just need to get out of this funk & I'm hoping being in the 180's will help with that. The last 10 pounds were tough!

Stuck

Can I just say that I'm SOOOO tired of seeing 191 on my scale when I weigh in! I've been stuck in the 190's for what feels like forever now, and I have been stuck in the past like when I was in the 230's, never thought I was going to get past that. But I did and that's what matters. And I do know that I will get out of the 190's soon.
I told my trainer that my weight loss has stopped today when I had my session & he recommended I eat 6 small meals today, strictly 6. So I'm doing just that. When I got home from my session I measured & cooked the rest of my food for the day, & divided them out into my meals. I used my food scale, which I already use it on a daily basis but I used it to equally divide my remaining meals for today into separate containers so that I'm not tempted to eat more in a sitting than I should.
He also recommended to drink more water than usual today and then do a really good 40 minute cardio workout tomorrow morning.

I'm still rooting to be out of the 190's by the end of the week. COME ON!!! I want to finish losing the 60 pounds already & move on!

Update

Its been slow going this past week. My knee is still bothering me quite a bit so I have been lifting a lot more weights compared to the normal amount of cardio I do. I was up 1 pound last week, so as of this morning I weighed in at 192 instead of 191. Which is ok, I'm pretty sure its a pound of muscle gained & not fat. building muscle will benefit me in the long run and helps burn more calories. So the goal of the week is STILL to get into the 180's.

I really kicked some ass today at the gym. I did 40 minutes on level 20 on the elliptical trainer. I was soaked from head to toe. But after that workout I had such an exercise high... I LOVE that feeling! I felt like I could take on the world, seriously!

I can actually flex the muscles in my thighs now & my leg feels firm/hard on the front side.... the back side still needs a lot of work. And my arms are getting more defined, at least I think so. I just wish I could have some of the extra droopy stuff from the backs of my arms removed, they would look freaking awesome without that, but it may tighten up some as I lose more weight.

Physical therapy is going pretty good. I was expecting it to be more of a workout & a little harder than it actually is. My shoulder & knee get sore afterwards sometimes. Especially the shoulder. But it is getting better.

My personal trainer (Silver Fox) thinks I'm doing great and physically I have changed a lot since I've started this journey. I'm looking forward to my session with him on Wednesday morning as usual. He always has something new to make me suffer & work that much harder, but I love it, really I do. Is that so wrong? Hehe..

Loss, Injury & Remaining Positive

Its been a while since I've had a post so there are a few things I need to catch everyone up on. I lost 2 pounds this week, I weighed in this morning at 192 pounds. Most of my clothes are pretty baggy at this point, but I don't feel the need to be buying new ones quite yet. The baggy clothes are annoying, but I don't want to buy more clothes that will soon be too big for me to wear, that would be a waste.

I went to OSS (Orthopedic & Spine Specialists) for an appointment this past week. I got a anti-inflammatory injection in my right shoulder because the muscle there is in a constant state of spasm. It seems a little better now, but I still have to go for physical therapy to strengthen that muscle. And my knee was not fluid filled like originally thought, the cartilage in my knee has softened & is inflamed. I will be needing physical therapy for that as well to strengthen the muscles around the knee to take the pressure off of it.
I never thought I would have this many injuries while getting healthy, but when you let yourself go it wreaks havoc on your body. I think I have dealt with the injuries quite well up until this point. After I got home from the last appointment I felt bad for myself. I don't know why. But I made the conscious decision that I was only going to give myself a pity party for 5 minutes. It kind of worked. I just have to look at it in a positive way. That I am working on fixing my body, changing it into what I want it to be by changing my life style, exercising more and making better food choices. I never thought I would get this far and I'm certainly not going to let these injuries keep me back. I would have when I first started but not now. I want this so bad and I'm not going to let something so simple stand in my way.

My goal for this week as far as weight loss goes is 189 pounds. I have a goal set off 184 pounds by August 31st, and if I can lose those 3 pounds this week then I should be ahead or on track for my August goal. I'm hoping to beat that goal into a bloody pulp this month.

That's all for now, Thanks for reading!

Like a butterfly

I feel like I have been going through a process, much like that of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly. Or a silk worm turning into a moth. Which one will I be? I don't feel as danty & colorful as a butterfly, but just maybe as mysterious as a moth. They aren't brightly colored, but they aren't so "plain" that they aren't pretty either. They can be just as elegant, but maybe not as jaw dropping beautiful as a butterfly.

 And as this all may sound so corky... I can hardly wait until the me that is inside this "cacoon" emergies. I've never felt like "Myself" in my body, but as I've gone through this weight loss journey I see bits & pieces of her stairing back at me in the mirror. I really do feel that the excess fat I've been carrying around all these years is like a cacoon. I just keep peeling it back one layer at a time, one pound at a time.

Speaking of pounds, I did reach my goal that I set at the beginning of the week. I am now at 194 pounds. 10 pounds away from my "mini goal". 10 more pounds and I will no longer be obese by my Body Mass Index. While being 184 is a huge accomplishment for me it is still heavy in my mind that while I will be no longer considered obese by BMI I still maybe be obese by my body-fat percentage. The last time it was measured, by my personal trainer, I was at 36% body fat (that was about a month ago). I have to be below 30% to no longer be obese in any way, thats 6%, thats still a huge amount of fat! Thinking of that number is a little upseting, but at the same time it is hugely motivating. What was my body fat percentage 55 pounds ago?!?! It had to have been in the 40%'s!

On a positive note, I did buy a new sports bra today! Is it sad that a sports bra is all it takes to get me excited? Ha ha..

I Quit, But I'm Not Defeated!

I know that title sounds strange. I'm not quitting my weight loss... oh no no no.. definitely not. I only quit the juice fast. After day 2 I felt simply awful! No energy, starving, headaches, & "bathroom problems". I decided to listen to what my body was telling me. It didn't want me to go on with the juicing. Its simply not worth it. My program that I made for myself is working and I'm going to stick with it. Why fix something if its not broken, right? I guess I just got a little over zellous & wanted faster results. But I am losing weight at a healthy pace... I'm just going to have to learn some patience.

I weighed in this morning at 196 pounds. So I'm back to what I was before my small vaca to Erie for a week. Feels good to be back on track. I fell right back into my routine & it feels so good. I think for me a routine is key. It keeps me level headed & sane. Is it a little monotonous some times? Heck yes, but it works.

Yesterday I took a friend of mine to the gym with me. We were workout partners last fall-winter. It was nice to have someone to talk to & have someone just be there with me. We did 15 minutes on the Elliptical Trainer and then we went our separate ways for weight lifting for a bit. She did legs while I did arms. (I had just done legs over the weekend). And then she did a few arm moves with me that the Silver Fox showed me. They were really great for our triceps. And then we went back to the ellipticals for a 5-minute push, really jacked the levels up on the machines and then a 10-minute cool down. So all-in-all we got a great workout in.

I'm hoping that by the end of the week I can be at 194 lbs, that would mean that I've lost 55 pounds so far. Which I am excited either way, I haven't been this fit in years.... ok maybe never. I was never athletic when I was a kid/teenager. I always let my asthma tell me what I couldn't do. But now I feel like I can tell my body what it can do. Its all very mind over matter for me. Some days my head is definitely not in the gym & I don't want to work out at all. But then I think back to that picture of me at 249 pounds and I don't want to be that person any more. That girl was afraid to leave the house, afraid to let anyone see her weaknesses, flaws, how insecure & unhappy she was. I was so afraid that someone would stop me & make fun of me. Or have a little kid say, "Mommy, Look at the fat girl!". And I'm still afraid of some of that but I don't let it control me any more. I'm not that girl any more, I wont let my feelings of failure control who I am. I feel more alive now that I've felt ever! I know I'm not athletic, yet, but I feel like I can get to that point. There are so many things I want to do that I need a healthy body to do it. I want to go rock wall climbing, hiking, camping, etc..
- - Most of all I just want to be fit & healthy for my son. See him grow up & not worry if I'm going to die young from heart disease.

Now its time to go before I get all sappy & sentamental.
As always, Thanks for reading.

Day #2: Coming To A Close

As day two comes to a close I'm thinking why in the world I wanted to do this program. Its crazy and hard. I do great in the mornings, stomach full of hot water and juice. Lunch time comes & goes without a hitch. But then dinner time comes & I'm suddenly ravenous. Not even dinner time really, at about 3:30pm today I was simply starving. So as I type this update I'm drinking my dinner juice. It has 2 green apples, 2 asian pears, 2 carrots, a thumb sized piece of ginger root, 1/2 of a lemon, a lime and 2 wedges of purple cabbage. Its pretty good actually. I can't even taste the cabbage or carrots.  The only down side is that as I get to the bottom of the glass I suck up some nasty lemon/lime pulp.

And now my husband is making him & the little one dinner... HAM!!!! I love ham! I may have to leave the room. LOL.

On another note, having nothing to do with food & hunger. I weighed in yesterday @199 pounds after having been on vacation for a week. And when I weighed in this morning I weighed 195.  Its got to be mostly water weight right??!?! I know you can lose a bit of weight while detoxing but thats just a little crazy & hard to believe that I'll actually keep that off. We shall see what the scale says tomorrow morning.

I have to keep reminding myself that I only have 5 days left. But when I think of 5 whole days part of me wants to scream. 5 more days of no solid food. Damn I must be crazy...

Day 1: Ups & Downs

Today was day 1 of my juice fast. Hit the ground running this morning (metaphorically). The juices for breakfast & lunch were amazing! Wasn't hungry all day. Felt pretty good even with the detoxing going on in my system. Drank my juice this morning, did a thirty minute workout on the elliptical trainer and then came home for my juice for lunch.
BUT when dinner time hit I was starving! I made vegetable pizza for Korry & Haden and I made a juice for myself. It was AWFUL!!! Tasted like really oniony celery, thats all I could taste. I actually felt like throwing up for a while after only drinking a few sips. Korry finally tried it & understood why. We both decided it was not edible. So I made a different juice, it wasn't too bad, but I would have rather had the pizza.

I think I was REALLY over zealous in thinking I could do 30 days of this program. I barely made it through the first day! I consider myself a strong person in a few ways & I'm driven to lose the weight, but this may defeat me. I've done fasts before for 4 days with just water, but I think it doesn't help that I now have to cook & look at food all day.

I'm planning on only doing 7 days now. For the following reasons:

1. The program is super expensive, I spent around $120 just in produce for the week (for just myself- have to buy food for 2 other people on top of that)
2. The juicer was expensive - $143 (it may go back after the 7 days are over.. tehehe)
3. The dinner juices are disgusting!!! -Never juice celery... YUCK! 
4. Detoxing in this way just does not seem worth the stomach cramps & trips to the bathroom.
5. And again I repeat... TOO F-ING EXPENSIVE!  

So as of right now I'm still hungry and I have a headache. But tomorrow is another day, all of this is to be expected. 6 more days to go.

You don't think I'm a quitter do you? I feel like one for not doing the 30 days...

Reboot

I am starting a new program. It all started with an Australian man who wanted to cure himself of an auto immune disease, live a healthy life & lose weight. He did just that. You can see more by watching his documentary called "Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead" (its available on instant netflix). The whole program is on Join The Reboot. It is a juice fast, for the next 30 days I will be drinking whole fruits/vegetables and plenty of water. No solid foods. There are programs though that have you eating fruits & veggies along with the juices.

My New Toy!

Had The Best Reviews

 I did a lot of grocery shopping today in preparation. Tomorrow is Day #1, I was originally going to start on Saturday, but I figured why not start tomorrow. I washed & dried the juicer, and of course I had to test it out. I juiced a granny smith apple. It was the most delicious apple juice I have ever tasted! Next to no waste in the pulp basket. And the juice was actually green like the apple... unlike the processed stuff you get at the store. Can hardly wait!

Tomorrow is probably going to be rough with detoxing. What this program does is boost your micro-nutrient intake. It has been known to lower blood pressure, cholesterol levels, & triglyceride levels.  They say the first two days are the worst. The only thing I'm not looking forward to is some of the vegetable juices.

Wish me luck! I'll be posting on how I'm doing & how the juice fast is affecting my body.

Apology

It was recently brought to my attention that in some past posts that I may have sounded like a "Know-it all" or that I'm in denial that I've always had a weight problem. I apologize to my readers if I have been this way at all. And I have always had a weight problem my entire life. I've done fad diets in the past, I've drank Slim Fast in the past.. all very unhealthy. I'm only human, and if I have a moment in my blog where I sound arrogant I really am sorry for that.

My mission here is simple:

• Lose Weight To Be A Happy & Healthy Mom
• Track My Progress/Mindset Changes Via My Blog
• Inspire Others

This journey is not for everyone. Nor is it easy. I know I may say its all about calories in calories out, but that is because it really is. Its just fact. Any trainer/health care professional will tell you that. It takes a lot of effort. Sometimes I miscalculate my calories & don't lose the expected weight, it happens. The human body doesn't always do what it should & has a temper of its own. But I have NEVER said that I'm an expert on this topic, but I do try to read as much as possible and share facts/opinions.

I have definitely had my ups & downs with my weight loss. And it is hard to stay optimistic, especially when I hear things from readers like I was told recently. It is upsetting to me that someone thought I was being that way. I only wish to inspire others to lose weight & live a healthy life style. I said to my husband that I may close my blog because of this. But he told me that I should do it, that I need to do it. To write this blog for myself. Hes always so supportive & I love him for it even more.

Again, this is an apology to my readers that I may have upset with past posts. I only mean to inspire & share information that I feel is accurate in helping with weight loss.

As always, Thank You for reading.

Calories in ---> Calories Out = A Happy Gal

So I missed my workout yesterday. But I must be doing something right. I've lost 3 pounds this week. Which is awesome. Some people shoot for 5 - 6 pounds, while I am happy with maintaining 3 lost almost every week. I am currently right on my "Goal Line" to be 160 pounds by the end of December. Will I maintain this rate of weight loss? Probably not, but I can try.

To me weight loss is definitely calories in & calories out. If I eat too many calories I don't burn the pounds away. Sometimes I really hate tracking my calories, even just a rough count, but if I don't I know I wont make my goals.

That is all for now readers, Haden is having a temper tantrum.... all in a days work for a mommy I guess. :-)

Current weight: 196 lbs

Looking Back...Looking forward

Today I was reading some of my old blog posts. Its always a good thing to look back and see how we've changed over time. I've changed a great deal over these last 12 months, especially over these last six months. I started a little over a year ago now on this journey and I think its time to pay attention to centering myself. Practice my meditation more and start doing yoga again. I wasn't able to do yoga for a long while because I wasn't strong enough, mentally or physically. I didn't have the right motivation.

Yoga is a lot more, at least to me, than just stretching and doing different poses. I always feel really good, really strong after a yoga session. Yes some of the poses are difficult, but don't all the difficulties in life teach us something more about ourselves? Teach us some sort of lesson about life? About who we are? And the more centered we are the more challenges we can handle. I just feel that as a whole we don't look deep inside ourselves enough. We are always too busy to focus on whats important. I hope that all my readers decide to follow my lead, look inside themselves and see what there is to see. Experience just 5 minutes of undisturbed breathing. See how your body feels as you exhale & inhale. And after those 5 minutes you can't tell me your internal batteries aren't charged just a little more than before. Just those 5 minutes can change how you feel mentally & physically.
....It really is time to get out the ol' yoga mat!

Dealing with a Injury

So for the past 6 months I've been dealing with a shoulder injury and today I finally went to the OSS Orthopedic Hospital in York to get it looked at. After much pain, grimacing & a few x-rays they determined that there is nothing wrong with the bones in my shoulders or neck.... DUH!! The muscles running along both shoulders and my neck are very agitated & inflamed. For one week I will be on a steroid step-down pack of pills & for a total of 4 weeks I am to take a muscle relaxer, take it easy during my workouts (like thats really going to happen, not!), do a few exercises they gave me to do, apply heat, and have the muscles in my shoulders massaged to relax them (ouch!).
If none of this works they are going to do a series of Cortisone shots directly into the muscles. I for one wish they'd just do the shots & get it over with. Even though they are painful - I had one before when I had a herniated disk in my lower back. They tried the steroids then & it didn't work for that injury either, but the shot did.

Other than the injury I'm doing great. My moods are stable for the most part and I'm starting to feel comfortable with my body for once in my life. Sometimes I still feel like the chubby chick in the gym, but that doesn't happen as often as it used to. I think I may even buy a new workout top soon, maybe when I reach 195 or 190 pounds. My gym t-shirts are getting way too big & just hang on me.

Hoping that I can wrestle up some more energy in the next hour or so and go to the gym for a workout today. I didn't do my normal morning workout because I was so sore from the doctor visit.

Thanks for Reading!

The Sweet Smell of Success

I am happy... no... thrilled to say that I have successfully lost 50 pounds.... FINALLY! Its taken me a little over a year to do, but its been so worth it. I'm feeling stronger all the time, a little more self confident, and I stand up for what I believe to be healthy living. My life style has gone from couch potato to moderately active to going to the gym every day and staying busy through out the entire day as much as I can possibly stand. Some days are better than others, we all have our days that we don't want to do anything, but I still at the very least go to the gym once a day, even if its for 20 minutes.

My weight loss has definitely been a journey. I've learned so much about myself and the human body during these last few months. It really is miraculous what the human body can do. I am not a star athlete by any means, but I know that I am much stronger and healthier than when I  first started losing weight. I've lowered my high cholesterol levels to healthy levels and I have lowered my blood pressure, which was already in normal healthy levels, but I did lower it further. My lung capacity is much greater now as well, which in turn means my heart rate while working out is getting lower. Because while I may only have 3/4 of my lungs that function that means that my heart rate goes up because my lungs cannot keep up with the demand for oxygen to my heart. I have lowered my heart rate during strenuous exercise by about 10 beats or so per minute.

My physical appearance has really noticeably changed these last 20 pounds or so. My collar bones are starting to become more apparent, my legs are much smaller in the thy area and I no longer look like I have the start of cankles. And I soon will have to buy more pants... again. My size 16 pants are starting to get lose fitting. 

To summaries what I have been doing to lose this weigh here is my simple plan:
Eat 3 meals a day & 3 snacks. I typically only consume whole foods, which means no processed foods and no excess sodium and fats. The only processed foods I eat regularly are Whole Grain or Whole Wheat Bread, Kashi Go Lean Cereal and Greek Yogurt. And the only "Fast Food" I ever eat is Chipoltle, which is made of mostly whole foods and you can tell them how much and how little of the menu items you want in your meal (I always get the burrito bowl). I consume between 1,200 -1,400 calories a day (the less active I am the less calories I eat, meaning on a less active day I only consume 1,200 calories.. but never less than that). And I only drink water, 1 cup of milk a day and sometimes fresh brewed green tea with wild flower honey (not sugar). Green tea has an antioxidant called ECGC in it, it helps control hunger. So if you feel like snacking but not really hungry drink a glass of green tea.
I exercise at least 20 minutes a day. Lately I've been shooting for 30 - 50 minutes of exercise in the morning and then staying busy the rest of the day around the house. After all, if you have time to sit on your butt & watch tv, you have time to work out!
This plan has helped me maintain an average weight loss of a quarter to a half a pound a day.

It really does feel awesome to be below 200 pounds again. I weighed in this morning at 199 lbs. And I'm going to keep working towards my goal of 160 pounds. But most of all I'm going to keep working to be a happy and healthy person, because thats what really counts not some number on a scale.

Thanks for reading!

Almost to 200

As of this morning my scale was reading 201.1.... SO CLOSE to being under 200 lbs. I just want to physically grab that number & rip it to shreds. I've been Obese for far too long... ugghh I hate that word. 


I'm really starting to enjoy my new body. I went to Target today & got some new pajamas. They are super cute and the top is actually a size Medium. How awesome is that?!?! The pants.. that wasn't so exciting.. they are a size XL but they are what they consider a "fitted" size... WTF does that mean? But I did hold them up to a regular fit Large pant & it was the same size. I swear, can't we just stick to a measurement for clothes? -Clothing makers must want to make you feel bad about yourself with their "fitted" sizes..

Any ways... I'm not going to let a pair of size XL pj pants get my mood down. I had a great workout today. Did cardio & weights. My abs were very sore after the gym. I have definitely lost a lot of inches around my tummy since starting my weight loss. Can hardly wait until I no longer have even a small roll there.. I know it will be a while, but its worth all the sweat, pain & sore muscles.

....a medium top... WOO HOO!

Quick Goal

This week I'm really kicking it up a notch. I want to be in the 190's by the end of the week. Vacation really stalled my metabolism, but its slowly getting back to the high speed it was at before. I did cardio this morning & I plan to either hike the police trail while pushing the baby stroller w/ Haden or if it rains we will head back to the gym for another workout. And tomorrow I have a personal trainer appointment with the "Silver Fox".

Today I was taking great pleasure in raiding my dresser drawers & tossing my "fat girl" clothes that no longer fit. I have a pretty good sized pile of stuff on the floor awaiting its fate. I'm going to bag them up & take them to the Salvation Army or The Community Out Reach Center, not going to toss them in the garbage when there are a lot of people that could really use them. While I was trying the clothes on I realized just how big I had gotten, and I plan to take a picture in one of the outfits I'm getting rid of... just a small reality check for me.

A Sad Sight That Ticks Me Off!

Yesterday afternoon when my hubby got home from work we all went strawberry picking. While walking up the small hilly driveway to the fields we see people walking down. The children that were walking down the hill were so obese that they were winded just walking. How could someone let that happen to their child? Seriously?!?! These children were so overweight.... no I can't use that term because it would be incorrect... they were so OBESE that their arms were all rolls, they had cankles for goodness sakes. I feel bad for the children because their parents don't seem to give a crap about their health to feed them the correct foods & make sure they aren't just sitting on the couch doing nothing all day. At least they were going to get some fresh fruit.... But I just wanted to scream at the woman, "STOP FEEDING YOUR KIDS #@*! MC DONALD'S!!!!!!".... but I didn't. I've seen so many children lately that are just so unhealthy and as a parent it pisses me off that people don't take care of their children better. And as someone who got picked on a lot when they were a kid for being overweight it makes me so sad for those little kids. To know what kind of bullying they are going to have to deal with as they grow up.

To those people who let their kids get like that, you can't just sit there with a Mc Donald's Big Mac in one hand & a sugar loaded "super sized" soda in the other and blame the food system for making you & your kids fat. Yeah big business food producers could & should make processed foods better for you and not so much for their bottom line, but you don't have to sit there and eat every gosh-darn high-fat high-calorie treat they make just because you can!! That is your choice to eat processed food that is slowly killing you & clogging your arteries but at the very least think of what it is doing to your children. A burger, fries & a soda are not a nutrition packed meal. How hard is it to grill up a turkey burger, put it on a whole wheat bun, slice up a few potatoes, brush them with a heart healthy olive oil & put them in the oven instead of deep frying them and steam up some vegetables????? Imagine what kind of vitamin deficiencies these children could have and what its doing to their maturing bodies.

I honestly feel that instead of paying for endless wars that don't get us anywhere or expense accounts for government officials that already make too much money, we should start a nationwide nutrition program that will teach people what healthy eating is and how easy it is. Americans just need to wake up & smell the coffee.

Thanks for reading my rant fellow readers.
Stay tuned :-)

A Long Hard Road

Changing your job, bank account or changing the color of your hair are all simple things really. Changing your lifestyle, your diet and habits... now those are major. I know when I started out I would "slip up"... you all know what I mean... You eat something your "not suppose to" while on a diet - OMG I hate that word- and then you feel guilty and you just let that guilt hold you back. Don't feel guilty for really enjoying that high fat, high calorie piece of dessert. Just realize that if you do eat it, that you need to work that much harder and burn that many more calories. If your counting calories or whatever it is your doing to lose weight, give yourself a little bit of a break sometimes. Lets face it, how long are you really going to stick to your "diet" if you don't get to eat anything your craving. Yeah, there really are some things that NO ONE should actually be eating EVER, but if you have a sweet tooth, go ahead and have that candy bar or whatever, but make sure its really worth it. And try to only give in on special occasions... nothing like being at a party and having to say "No thanks, I'm on a diet" when someone offers you food. Enjoy yourself - in moderation.

I guess the point I'm getting to is that while on vacation, I really enjoyed myself, more than I probably should have when it comes down to the food I ate, but I didn't gain any weight, thanks to walking all over New York City. But at the same time I didn't reach my birthday goal weight. I was short by 3 pounds.

And that brings me to my next point, try not to let it get you down if you aren't at the weight you want to be by a certain date. Don't let that stop you from continuing to do what you need to do to have a healthy & fit body. I'm certainly not going to let it stop me. I've already set up another goal and if I don't meet that one, that is perfectly fine because I know how hard I've worked & that I've put in an honest effort. Goals are just there to help you stay on track, who cares if you don't actually reach it when it comes to weight loss. Our bodies have a mind of their own and there are times where we don't lose any weight or the amount of muscle we are gaining adds a pound or two.


To all of my readers out there, the few of you that actually read this, I have a challenge for you. Pick one healthy habit and make it yours for 30 days. It can be as simple as eating eggs or oatmeal for breakfast (Lower Sugar if you get the flavored kind in packets) or getting up an extra 15 minutes early in the morning to stretch your muscles. Let me know how it goes, and if your still doing whatever it is you choose after the 30 days are over. 
Good Luck Readers! 

Totals & goals

Well as of today I weighed in at 203 pounds. I've lost 46 pounds so far. I'm only 4 pounds away from my birthday goal (b-day is June 6th). I know I might not make it, I could be 1 pound away, but I'm not going to let that get me down. I'll never put that weight back on, EVER! I refuse do be that miserable again.

At this point I know I still have a long way to go, but I've come half way to my final goal of 160 pounds. I have 43 pounds left to lose. Only 18 more pounds until I'm no longer considered "Obese" - thats such an ugly word! Being considered "Over-weight" isn't very nice either, but I'd so rather hear those words than "Obese" & the stereo types that go with it.

I'm working hard toward my goal weight, and yeah there will probably be ups & downs. Especially as I gain muscle, but in the end that muscle will help me continue to lose weight & maintain the body I'm building. I know I've gained quiet a bit of muscle over the past few months, and that has slowed my numbers down on the scale, but I know how much my body is changing. So in the end, all that matters is that I get to my goal.

Changes

Through this journey I've changed so much. And I'm not just talking about the physical changes. I no longer feel that the gym is a bother. I look forward to going to the gym & getting sweaty. I feel weird on my rest day when I don't go to the gym. Working out can be fun, yeah its hard work, but its so worth it. Weight loss can be slow as hell, but while you may not be losing weight you are changing your body & your health for the better. It doesn't take as long to build healthy habits as you may think, stick with it for a while & you'll see.

I did well with my first trainer session this last week and I'm looking forward to my session tomorrow. I knew that I needed some expert advice & guidance. Its a little expensive but well worth it in the end. I wont need a trainer forever. Who knows, once I go back to school for nutrition & I'm fit, maybe I'll become a personal trainer & dietitian. Who would have thought the fat girl in high school, middle school & elementary would even think about that as a career option. My sense of self is starting to change, I'm starting to not think of myself as that nerdy fat girl any more.

6 pounds to go before June 6th then it will a very happy 26th birthday, indeed!

I Survived!

Well today was the first training session with my new trainer. It went really well. There was one move that he wanted me to do that we had to modify because I wasn't able to do it on the balance pad, balanced leg lifts, but I was able to do it on a bench. We did about 40 or 50 of those. Trust me my abs were burning.

We also did a lot of work on the cable machine. Standing rows, 180 degree turns and some other things that I'm not sure what they are called.

All in all, he kicked my butt till I couldn't do any more, but I still felt great... gitty even. Can hardly wait till Monday when I have my next session with the "Silver Fox".

I've lost 44 pounds so far, and have 45 more to go. Just about half way there.
Go me!

"Silver Fox" - Before The Beating

Tomorrow at 11:00AM I go to my first training session with my personal trainer, Bill, whom I like to call the "Silver Fox" because of his long silver locks. Hes a handsome older man - But don't let that fool you into believing hes going to take it easy on me. He has that devilish look on his face that he could be one nasty S.O.B. in the training room. That & the remark he said about getting excited when he gets to train young healthy people & beat the snot out of them... hahaha... what have I gotten myself into.

But seriously, I'm very excited to be training with Bill. He seems like an awesome guy & I really think he can push me to my limits and I'm hopeful that I'll see great results. I'm almost half way there in this journey called weight loss. The journeys been long & my progress has been slow, but I'm not turning back. I have lost 43 pounds and I have 46 left to lose to reach my goal of 160 pounds. Bill seems very confident that my goal is attainable. And with his help I will get there sooner than I would on my own with no guidance.

Wish me luck!

Kickin' It Up!

I really kicked it up a notch today. I did a 10 minute warm-up on the elliptical trainer, 30 minutes of weights, and 30 minutes on the recumbent bike. I feel that I did really well today, and the weights are starting to feel lighter, so I'll probably have to increase them soon.

I lost 1 more pound, so now I'm at 207 lbs. Its taken me so long to get to where I'm at, but its so worth it. Adding years to my life, stamina & I'm happier. Its still hard to be happy at this weight, but I"m a lot happier than when I was 249 pounds. I can do things that I couldn't do before and it gives me a sense of accomplishment.

I really love this picture, because its all so true. Its hard to stay fat & hate yourself. And yeah weight loss is no walk in the park, but I would much rather be upset that I didn't lose a few pounds than be angry with myself for gaining several. I hated when I could no longer fit into clothes because I had gotten too fat. That was one of the worst feelings. I don't think I've found myself yet, and I have a long way to go, but no matter how hard this ride called weight loss tries to buck me off I'm not stopping, and if I fall then I'll get back on again & again.

Doing another great workout tomorrow & weighing in. Hope I see some great numbers on the scale this week.

6 Weeks

I have six weeks to go before my mini goal is due. That's six weeks to lose at least 10 more pounds. I've really been slacking lately. But starting Monday I'm putting my gym shoes back on & I am literally going to sweat my ass off. I'm going to make another doctors appointment to get more blood work ordered to figure out why I feel so tired, even if I eat right & sleep well. Maybe my iron is low?? I'm just fed up with being tired. I need to lose this weight. Yeah I've lost 40 pounds & I've been able to keep it off, but I'm no where near being finished. I'm not done yet & I'm not going down without a fight. My weight has held me back for too long.

When I was a kid I was SO shy, I rarely spoke to ANYONE. I've come out of my shell more & more over the years, but I'm tired of being the fat girl. The fat friend, the heavy one, or the chubby one. I want to be a beautiful woman, mother & wife who's not afraid to strike up a conversation & make new friends.

And once Haden starts school I want to go back to school for Nutrition, I want to inspire others to change their life styles.. To be healthy, and to be conscious what it is that they are putting into their bodies. What chemicals in the foods are doing to their body & their mind. That we don't have to "Live to Eat". That we can heal our selves of heart disease & diabetes and many more illnesses by changing our lifestyle & diet, not with "miracle" drugs with horrible side effects that for the most part just put a bandage on the problem.

I just need to wake up & smell the coffee is what I'm saying. Keep working towards my goals. And meanwhile if I can even inspire one other person to help them self, then its all worth it to me.

A little Off Track

Last week I didn't get to the gym because the little man was sick, now this week I haven't gotten to the gym because I can't seem to get my fat ass motivated. I don't know what my problem is. Tomorrow is booked with cleaning, grocery shopping & my parents are coming to town. Hopefully I'll get some time on Friday & my parents can spend some quality time with Haden while I go to the gym.
Just feel like I need a good swift kick to the *@#&! right now!!!!

40 Down

I've lost a total of 40 pounds so far, I now weigh 209 pounds. That's a pretty big amount of weight. Its taken me what seems like forever to do, but its so worth it. I fit into a size 16 pant now (was a tight size 22), depending on the brand... because for some reason women's pants go by size and not by measurement. I mean seriously... who are we kidding here... why not just go by measurement, which is much more accurate, rather than a "size", which you could try on two pairs of the same brand & same size of pant and both pairs will fit differently. Its ridiculous. So what if someone else knows how big around your waist is, who gives a crap. People need to stop lying to themselves about how fat they really are and do something about it.

I give a "crap" about is all of these people who go on one of these crazy diets, DON'T EXERCISE, and expect the weight to just fly off and stay off.  Yeah for a while you'll lose weight, especially if you're diet was that terrible before. But lets face it folks, the best way to lose weight, and keep it off is to (1) Exercise to Burn Calories, (2) Build Lean Muscle Mass, (3) Count Calories, & (4) Eat plenty of Whole Grains/Fiber, Water, GOOD Fats, Leafy Greens, Other Veggies, Fresh/Frozen Fruit, Low-fat Proteins, and Last But Not Least Carbs. As long as you eat a balanced diet, you can eat... for the most part... whatever you want. But what some fail to remember is that if you have that 300 calorie chocolate bar, your taking a way from your other calories for the rest of the day. Not to mention the sugar. So do yourself a favor, switch that milk chocolate bar for dark chocolate (70% Cocoa or higher is what I stick with) you'll save yourself calories & sugar, while still indulging that sweet tooth.

Am I a fitness/dietary professional? Heck no, I make mistakes just like anyone else. Am I passionate about this topic, Hell Yes I am. For those of you who have not read my previous blog posts, I used to be 249 pounds. I would eat junk all day, and sit on my butt almost all day while taking care of my son. I've been at this for almost a year now. Yeah I've only lost 40 pounds, but I'm changing my body at the same time. I'm building endurance, lean muscles and losing inches from most of my body. I am almost half way done with the weight loss I would be happy at, but would still be considered an over weight person. I think I would be happy at 160 pounds. But even after I reach that goal I will still keep working out, keeping up with my food intake and working towards losing more weight. My ideal weight is 146 pounds according to my Body Mass Index (BMI) and at that weight I would no longer be over weight. Does BMI factor in everything, no, its just a rough estimate for where your body would be its healthiest.

My current Mini-goal is still going great. I set out to be at least 199 pounds by my birthday (June 6) and at that weight will have lost a total of 50 pounds. That goal means A LOT to me. To be below 200 pounds for the first time in many years is huge for me. And I can't wait until I see that scale say 199.

For those of you out there reading this who are in the same boat, trying to lose weight, keep it up, don't lose faith in yourself & keep on moving. You'll get to where you want to be so don't give up.
Thanks for reading!

Trying to Stay Focused

My biggest problem lately is staying on track, I do really good for a while. And then I lose my way. I eat sugar, which makes me want more sugar and the cycle goes on. And this dreary weather has me down also. Yesterday we took Haden for his first wagon ride because it was so nice outside. He was so cute sitting in his big red wagon. I pulled him up & down the hills near our house. He giggled and had a fun time. It really helped me relax and stop beating myself up so much for slacking off. 

I have 96 days until our wedding ceremony. 96 opportunities to lose weight, 96 chances to get my butt in gear. I need to get in gear & stay there. And with spring coming it will be so much easier to-do so. No more seasonal depression. 

I need to follow everything I know that works for me, daily. Not just when I feel like it. I know what foods I can eat & still lose weight and I need to stick with it. I know what exercises don't aggravate my injuries as much. I have to do this for myself. I am going to do it, start again fresh today and not dwell on my mistakes, but concentrate on my accomplishments. 

I'm 25 years old, I turn 26 on June 6th, I refuse to be over 200 pounds on my birthday. That is my promise to myself and my present to myself that I will lose AT-LEAST the 13 pounds I need to lose to be at or under 199 lbs on my 26th Birthday! I've lost 37 pounds so far, and if I accomplish that short term goal I will have lost at least 50 pounds.

When Food Isn't Just Food Anymore...

You know when food isn't just food anymore when a standard package of ground turkey at the supermarket says "Contains: Turkey and Natural Flavors"..... My first thought was "WHAT THE *#&@ IS THAT!?!?!" And then I proceeded to put the package back in the case and search for a different "All Natural Brand" that said "Contains: Turkey". What is "Natural Flavors" any how? Doesn't the turkey have enough flavor all by its self. You can add all the spices you want while your cooking it at home.

Further more, do people not realise their food is being tampered with?  More & more additives, MSG, sugars & sodium are added to the foods Americans love to eat every day. And foods that say "Fat Free", sure they take out the fat, but they add loads of sugar to help with taste. There are so many things out there wrong with the food that people eat on a day to day basis. But most don't care any more, if it tastes good, smells good, & looks good... they eat it. It just goes in their mouths and they don't think twice about it. WAKE UP & SMELL THE COFFEE PEOPLE! Stop shoving that McDonald's in your face and really look at what your eating. That Double Cheese Burger with a Large Fry isn't just beef & potatoes. The burger has been designed in a lab so that you will be hungry sooner and want more & more of it. And the potatoes have "beef extract" added, which adds more fats than what your already getting from eating those deep fried potatoes. Not to mention the crazy amount of salt they put on them. Salt lick anyone?

My message to my readers is this: Just watch what your consuming. Some "Healthy Foods" really aren't healthy at all because of everything food manufacturers add to it. Try to minimize the amount of manufactured foods you eat. If its in a box or a bag... beware. A whole food diet is best. The more vegetables & fruit you eat the better and you'll feel better. And secondly, be aware of serving sizes.

Thank you for reading & come back soon for more posts. I know I'm not a health expert (far from it), I'm just sharing my opinion.

The Latest...

Its been a while since I've updated. I'm still doing good with everything. I'm still eating right & exercising. Which today was Day 1 of The Biggest Loser Challenge for the Nintendo Wii. I'm doing it for 12 weeks. I'm not going to lie, I struggled with some of the exercises, especially the lunges. But other things, like yoga poses & what they call a "wood chop" I did perfect.

At the gym last night I beat my time record & miles on the Elliptical Machine. I did 5.75 miles in 60 minutes. I could hardly believe it, that I did an HOUR!!! When I first started I could barely do 10 minutes. My previous record for time was 42 minutes and that was before I hurt my back (which is still better than it was, but not great).
I was so really to quit after 30 minutes, but I just felt like I had to prove it to myself that I could at least do 45 minutes. And once I reached that I felt so pumped up that I had to keep going. During my workout I saw someones shirt in the gym that said, "Pain is weakness leaving the body", that really helped me push through a cramp in my foot & leg. And what shirt was I wearing??? A Rocky Balboa shirt.. HAHA! I stole it out of my hubby's closet before heading to the gym. It too added extra inspiration when I needed it most.
Weigh in is Friday, I'm hoping I at least lost 1 pound, I've only maintained the same weight lately. But I'm hoping the biggest loser challenge game will help, especially on nights I can't get to the gym because I don't have a baby sitter.

For those of you who read my blog...
You can do whatever your gut tells you too. Your biggest dreams are there for you, all you have to do is try. The worst that can happen is that you fail. But pick yourself back up & try again. Push yourself past your comfort levels, great things happen when you push yourself harder than you ever have. Don't give up on your dreams.

Good night for now everyone. And for tomorrow... GO STEELERS!! [hehehe...]

Two More pounds Lost

So I got on the scale this morning, figuring to only see 1 lb lost, but got the surprise of losing 2 instead. Which is great. I'm not losing weight as fast as I wanted, but I'm still losing & that's what counts. And I have changed my lifestyle by leaps & bounds. I eat the foods I want, but they have changed. Like last night for instance, I was so hungry for pizza. So we had Portabella Pizzas. It was a whole portabella mushroom with sausage, pesto, marinara, and cheese on it instead of a high calorie crust. Which did you know that portabellas have twice the amount of potassium as a banana? The biggest loser book said that you could eat 2 of the pizzas & 1/2 cup of grapes. By the time I got done with one pizza & my grapes I was comfortably full. Where as a regular pizza from Domino's Pizza I would have eaten 2 or 3 slices, felt full and then hungry again in about 2 hours and very unhappy with myself. But I still allow myself a small bit of dark chocolate once in a while as a treat. Which I used to demolish a whole chocolate bar before. Don't deprive yourself of the things you love to eat is the point I'm getting at, because in the end we all know what happens, we binge on it when we finally allow ourselves to eat whatever it is. And then we feel worse which normally causes you to eat more & feel bad about ourselves. Just switch out your calories and make room for what your hungry for. The you can feel good that you got to eat what you really wanted to & that you didn't over do it on calories.

On another note, I can hardly wait for winter to be over. The snow can be pretty, but I hate it. I don't want to go anywhere and its slowing me down. I know, just another excuse. But tonight I'm going to exercise on the Wii Fit if I can't get to the gym. (Korry is on call so who knows when he will have to go to work)

Only 17 more pounds until I'm at 199! Under 200 pounds for the first time in a VERY long time.

Kicked Butt!!! [First blog rant included]

Last night at the gym I did a 9 minute mile on the elliptical machine. Might not sound so great to some, but when I first started on my weight loss journey I could barely do 10 minutes on the elliptical and it took me about 14 minutes to do a mile then. And after a while I worked my way down to an 11 minute mile. And now 1 mile in 9 minutes on the elliptical. Not too shabby considering all of my health problems.
So my work out last night was 17 minutes total on the elliptical & 20 minutes on the recumbent bike.

And today we went to the annual Farm Show in Harrisburg PA. It was a lot of walking. And now my back & tail bone hurt. Really hoping this injection I'm getting on Tuesday takes care of the disk in my back. But we took our own food to the farm show so that we wouldn't feel like we had to eat the calorie dense foods for sale there.
And can I just say I was seriously grossed out at the fact that they were selling "Deep Fried Oreos"!!!!! I mean come on now, Americans are fat enough people!!!! That's like deep fried Twinkies! Disgusting! How much bigger can we get people?!?!?! I've seen plenty of people out there that make me look thin, which really disturbs me. And when your drinking your days worth of calories just in pop/soda every day you can't feel good. And yes I too enjoy a small pop every once in a while, but to drink that much you've got to feel bloated.
My advice:
.... Drop the donut, eat some REAL FOOD & get your @#* on the treadmill!!!

Introductions & such

In the about me section I have my starting weight, age, etc.. etc.. but in case you missed it here is me in a nut shell. I'm 25, I stay at home with my baby boy... well hes no longer a baby, hes a 14 month-old toddler. Korry [my hubby] & Haden are the light of my life, I couldn't imagine my life without either of them. And anyone who says stay at home moms have it easy & just sit on the couch and eat bon-bons all day don't know any good mommy's or have been misinformed. It is hard work, especially mentally. And I consider myself very lucky because my son is so even tempered. Even thou he still knows how to push my buttons. But other than taking care of Haden I still have to try to keep up with the house, which recently hasn't been so easy because I have a herniated disk in my back. And have to have blood work done to find out why I'm SO tired all the time. If it sit for even a few minutes to feed Haden his lunch I'm struggling to keep my eyes open most days. I go to my family doctor on the 12th.
The herniated disk HOPEFULLY won't be an issue too much longer because I go in on the 11th to the spine specialist and they are going to put an epidural in my lower lumbar & inject some anti-inflammatory medication where the disk is bulging out & pressing on the nerves.

Moving on...
With the "Biggest Loser 30 day Jump Start", which I'm using as a guide to get me back on track because my weight loss has been at a stand still for over a month, I'm trying a lot of new recipes & eating according to their meal plans. I also bought some Designer Whey Protein Powder today for before & after my workouts.

I also tried a few food today. So I've had bean sprouts before, but never alfalfa sprouts... they are wonderful. I really liked them on my whole grain wrap for lunch today. And for dinner tonight I'm making "Doc's chili" [its out of the book]. It sounds really good, I've never cared for chili in the past but I'm happy to give it a try.

Wish me luck with the Chili!!!!

Dear New Year's Resolution Folks...

Dear New Year's Resolution Gym Go-er's,
I understand the want to be healthy & in shape. I'm not going to say "thin" because most of us are not going to be thin, for various reasons. Most of you will give up after a few months, slip back into old habits and have to keep paying on your 1 year gym subscription. And yes I too have been there. But in the mean while, please clean off the gym equipment after you are done using it. No one wants to sit or touch your sweat or your germs. I always wipe down the machines before & after I use them, but still, please be courteous to others and wipe down the machines! Its rude & unsanitary not to. (example: you can get a staph infection from using dirty gym equipment, etc)

On a happier note: While I was out in Lancaster PA yesterday I bought a new book, "The Biggest Loser's 30 Day Jump-Start". I have no problem with exercise, I can kick my butt into gear in the gym with no problems. I just need help with food. I tend to not eat enough calories for the day, and only eat 3 meals (no snacks). Most nutritionists, doctors, etc will recommend that you eat 2 snacks (healthy ones.. not a bag of chips). But this book gives you a months worth of daily meal plans (with recipes), which some days I will repeat because the meals make way more than needed & to help save on groceries. And of course freeze the rest for days that we are so busy we forget to plan ahead so we are still eating healthy.

On a not so happy note: I found out the other day that I have to get a shot in my lower lumbar for a herniated disk. What fun. Its either that or surgery... and there is no way I'm doing that. So I hope that this works. There is a 3 out of 4 chance that this will help. This injury has slowed my pace down for 2 months now, I really want to push myself in the gym. Can't wait until this gets better.

That is everything for now, I'll write more again soon.
Thanks for reading!