adios, fatty.

50 Pounds- Before and After

2010-10-24T09:37:00.003-05:00

I reached my 50 pound goal in September, 2010. And I feel AMAZING. I know this sounds so cliche, but if I can do this, anyone can do this.

Still chugging along

2010-09-08T16:37:00.002-05:00

Have no fear, I haven't given up and packed on 30 pounds. I am 3 pounds lighter than I was at my last post (not much..I know), and I'm now 3 pounds away from hitting my 50lb goal. I haven't done CRAP since my 5k a couple of weeks ago. Part of it is because school started, and I now have FOUR kids going to school. And getting myself and five kids ready each morning is exhausting! But I'm falling into a routine now and am finding myself wanting to workout again.

I finished my 5k in 38 minutes and 26 seconds (I think that was the seconds...) not as fast as I wanted to run it, but still awesome to have a 5k under my belt. My goal was 35 minutes. It was an unfamiliar route though, and I had no clue how far I had ran. Ah well. I gave it my all and that's all I can ask of myself. I had a running buddy, and we kept the same pace the entire race, so that was really nice.

Hopefully by this time next week I'll have reached my goal. It's time to buckle down and pass this 50lb mark already.

Slacker

2010-08-20T09:04:00.002-05:00

Yep, that's me! I've been such a slacker. I haven't done P90X in like 3 weeks. Freaking vacations and people coming to visit kind of screwed up my routine. But I have been running (some) and have been watching what I eat (for the most part).

My weight is still going down though, so I'm not complaining as far as that goes. My last weigh in I was at 171.2 I think. This morning I was 169.4.

Just a few more ounces and I'll weigh the least I have since high school! I'm actually smaller than I was last time I was at this weight because I have more muscle this time than I did last year at this same weight.

Well, that's all I have for now! My 5K is next week! Eek!!!

Weigh In (x 2)

2010-08-04T12:41:00.003-05:00

I forgot to update last week when I weighed in. I always post my weigh ins on face book, so sometimes I forget to post them on here.

Last week I lost 1.5 pounds, and was at 173.2.

This week I lost 2 pounds, and am at 171.2.

I'm still doing P90X every day, and still running every day or every other day. I did take the weekend off from exercising and ate whatever I wanted. It was a much needed break. I've been back on track since Monday though, and still wound up losing 2 pounds for the week.

Lastnight I jumped on the treadmill at 10 pm (I was super stressed) and ran 1 1/2 miles without slowing down. The farthest distance I've ran (aside from last year when I ran that 5k) without slowing down has been 1/2 miles. So I was pretty proud of myself. My REAL 5k is in 24 days. I hope I can run the entire 3.1 miles by that point.

I'm going to my moms in Wisconsin tomorrow, and won't be back until Sunday, so no workouts while I'm gone unfortunately. I may try to run a couple of times while I'm there though. We'll see.

Menu Ideas

2010-07-28T22:02:00.002-05:00

Exercise is important, but so are food choices. You can exercise until you pass out, but if you're not eating the right things or the right amount of calories, the weight just won't come off. Here are the basic guidelines I follow:

* 1300 calories/day (this is pretty basic for women trying to lose weight. Men should eat a few hundred more)

* Only eat whole grains, and don't go overboard. I'll eat 1 slice of toast for breakfast. Or if I eat spaghetti, I really watch my serving size. White bread and pasta is a NO NO! It's bleached. It's not good for you. And it's loaded with bad carbs.

* Avoid processed foods. I try to follow the rule in Jillian Michael's book, if it doesn't come from the ground, or if it doesn't have a mother, don't eat it.

* Eat veggies as a side instead of fries or potatoes.

* Eat lots of veggies and fruits

Here are some examples of what I eat during the day. My diet is actually pretty boring, but it works for me so I stick with it. I eat more now for fuel rather than for enjoyment, so it doesn't bother me at all anymore.

Breakfast:

1 slice Healthy Life Whole Grain 35 calorie bread with 1 Tbsp. peanut butter

or

1 banana w/ 1 Tbsp. peanut butter

or

2 egg whites, 1 whole egg. You can scramble them, or make them into an omelette with veggies and a little cheese if you want. 1 slice Healthy Life bread, toasted w/ 1 tsp. butter

(I also always have coffee with breakfast, something I haven't given up. I use 1 Tbsp. of creamer in it, which is about 60 calories. If you don't use sugar or creamer in the mornings, you can eat another slice of bread or an extra egg)

Snacks:

Almonds. I get the unsalted, whole natural almonds. I actually like them better than the salted roasted ones anyway. I eat about 14 (serving size is 28) when I'm snacky. (once or twice a day) They're filling and so good for you.

Yogurt. I eat Activia because it doesn't have any HCFS in it. And it's delicious. If I've got some calories to spare, I'll add some granola. (I get the Bear Naked brand)

String cheese. Good for you, and very filling.

Gum! If you're just snacky and not really hungry, eat some gum. It helps curb your appetite.

I'll try to post lunch and dinner tomorrow if I get a chance. ;o)

Catching Up

2010-07-26T09:17:00.002-05:00

I was gone last week and forgot to post my weigh in, sorry bout that!

I lost 3 pounds, and was down to 174.6.

So my first month of P90X I wound up losing 10.5 pounds.

Week 1- Lost 4 pounds
Week 2- Gained 1/2 pound
Week 3- Lost 4 pounds
Week 4- Lost 3 pounds

I can't stress enough how important good nutrition is when it comes to weight loss. I would not be losing weight like this if I wasn't eating the right things along with the workouts. Remember, no processed foods, only whole grains (and sparingly), lots of veggies (I'd say lots of fruits too but I haven't been eating much fruit. It is important though) No soda or any crap like that. No, not even diet. No HCFS. No stopping at McDonald's. Just common sense here people. I don't eat this stuff because it's just not worth it to me. Would I rather have those fries, or drop another pound this week? A soda, or lose a 1/2 pound today? It's a no brainer for me. It's not even about will power anymore. After a while you just stop craving this crap. Your body will start craving the good stuff, and you'll start dropping the pounds.

I'm weighing in tomorrow, but I'm thinking it won't be a big number. I didn't do P90X this week, and instead focused on training for my 5K at the end of August. And I know I haven't been eating enough calories this week. My stomach hasn't been feeling the greatest this week, so I haven't felt like eating a whole lot. And when you don't eat enough calories, you won't lose the weight. Weird huh? I'm trying to get back on track today and am going to make sure I get in my 1300 calories.

Weigh In Day

2010-07-13T08:17:00.000-05:00

Down another 4 pounds this week!!! 177.6!!!

Fantastic Week

2010-07-12T08:43:00.002-05:00

I had such a great week last week! Can't wait to weigh in tomorrow. On Saturday I started my workout on the treadmill (our Kempo dvd doesn't work since a certain little 3-year-old girl decided to doodle on it with a permanent marker), and after my usual mile and a half, I just kept going. Then 2 miles down, I decided to just go ahead and do a 5k, just so I could prove to myself that I could still finish one, and to give myself an idea of how long it takes me to run/walk one.

And I did it, I finished a 5k! Only my second one in my life. The first time was last April (unknowingly pregnant with Ben at the time), and I ran it in 33 minutes. I was in much better shape then. Lol! Saturday I ran it in 46 minutes. So now I know that I have to shave off at least 11 minutes by the end of August, which is when my REAL 5k is! Yikes!

I'm contemplating returning my Body Bugg. I love how I can keep track of calories in/calories out, but I'm not sure that I need it. :/ Take for example yesterday- I met my "calorie burn" for the day without even working out. (well I did do the p90x stretch dvd, but it's just an hour's worth of stretches). My calorie burn is 2300 calories, I burnt more like 2900 without even doing a workout for the day. :/ From what I've seen online, returning a Body Bugg can be a pain in the butt. So we'll see what they say.

Can't wait to weigh in tomorrow! Hoping for another 4lb week!

Hellooooo 170's!

2010-07-09T09:00:00.002-05:00

Woke up yesterday morning to this...

I was in a good mood all day. :)

10 pounds to go to be back at my lowest weight EVER. And this time I can't get knocked up! The sky is the limit this time folks. ;o)

Oh Yoga, How I Love You.

2010-07-09T08:50:00.002-05:00

The first week we did Yoga I didn't really "get" it. The first half was so hard I barely made it through, and the second half was slow and boring. Last week we skipped Yoga for some reason. So this week I reluctantly started Yoga in the living room with all of the kiddos running around like crazy little madmen.

Once again, the first half kicked my butt. But not as much as it did the first week. It's crazy the improvements I'm making already and I'm only 3 weeks into this. The first half of the Yoga dvd is pretty crazy and intense. But the second half they really slow things down, and it's mainly just stretching. And it feels soooo good. All of those muscles I've been working out the past few weeks were in heaven.

If you're working out, I highly recommend a day set aside just for Yoga. Your body and your mind will thank you for it.

Tuesday and Wednesday Workouts

2010-07-07T15:20:00.003-05:00

Well, it's back to these crazy workouts again after being lazy all weekend.

Yesterday I did Plyo, and wore my Body Bugg. Burnt 600 calories in an hour. It's crazy intense I'm tellin ya! Then it took like 2 hours for my body to cool down and quit sweating, so I burnt like 5 calories/minute for 2 hours without really doing anything. Kinda nice.

Today I did p90x Chest and Arms, X ab ripper, and 1 1/2 miles on the treadmill. I burnt the most calories/minute on the treadmill, reaching 9 calories/minute while I was on it. While doing the chest and arms workout I was between 6-8 cal/min. I burnt a total of 604 calories in about an hour and 45 minutes I think.

Tomorrow is Yoga-I'm relieved it's not resistance training. I'm also going out to eat lunch with a friend tomorrow but I intend on eating healthy! Salad w/dressing on the side please! And no fried foods! It's ok to cheat every once in a while, but I just had a "cheat weekend", I think that's enough. ;o)

Tuesday Weigh In

2010-07-06T12:50:00.002-05:00

Well I decided to weigh in today anyway. I was at 181, so I'm not too upset. Up a half a pound from last week. Honestly I'm stoked it's not more.

I haven't worked out since Friday- eeks. Davey has been gone, I was gone part of the weekend, and I just don't have the time or energy when it's just me at home watching the kids. Davey doesn't feel like working out today, but I'm going to go ahead and do it.

Still haven't decided what to do with the Body Bugg. Part of me wants to keep it, but the other part is like yeah but that's $250.

Hope you all have a good week!

Body Bugg and a Crappy Food Choice Weekend

2010-07-05T09:43:00.002-05:00

First I'll start with the Body Bugg. As much as I love this thing, I can't decide if I want to keep it or not. I think I got discouraged when I burnt like 1800 more calories than I ate- and instead of losing I actually gained a few ounces. What the crap? I know it wasn't something faulty with the Body Bugg, it's just my stupid body not cooperating like it's supposed to. I don't know, I'll give it a few more days and see if my body starts cooperating.

I went out of town this weekend, which usually means BAD food choices. In which this case it was no different. Bad. Bad. Bad. I will say it was nice not to count calories all day long though. Lol. But by the next day I felt like C.R.A.P. Now I remember why I don't eat like that anymore. Steak sandwich and fries, fried mushrooms, and cookies later that night. And cookies for breakfast the next morning. I was dragging ass all day yesterday. Ugh. For dinner lastnight after I got home I ate a whole wheat english muffin and a yogurt- I felt so much better. My body was like "thank you, thank you, thank you!" It was starved for something that was actually nutritious. Poor body.

I'm not even going to weigh in tomorrow, I'm afraid what the scale will say. I'm positive I didn't lose any weight this week. Which sucks because I worked out 5 days and counted calories 5 days. I'm not sure why the scales didn't budge (even before my crappy food choices on Saturday) but they didn't. But I'm not going to let it get me down, today I can start anew.

And hopefully my bad food choices will let those of you who are trying to lose weight know that I'm not perfect. I eat crappy sometimes too. I skip workout days. I don't want you thinking that you can't lose weight like me because you can't follow the diet and exercise as strictly as I do. I'm human too. ;o)

Tuesday Weigh-in

2010-06-29T09:27:00.002-05:00

I'm down 4 pounds this week! Was hoping for more, but I'm pretty happy with that. So I'm like a half a pound away from the 170's, that's exciting! My lowest weight was 169- I was at that weight for like a day lol. I was 172 at my first check-up when I was pregnant with Ben.

P90X is still going well. I never did get to do Kempo on Saturday, kids woke up from their nap and I didn't get a chance to get it done. I did do a mile and a half on the treadmill that day though. The only day I didn't work out this week is Sunday, which is supposed to be just a stretching day anyway.

I ate one bad meal this week. Me and the kids and my sister and her husband went out to eat at Steak N' Shake. I shudder to think of the calories I consumed. And I didn't even have a shake. Oh well, cheating is necessary sometimes.

Today is Plyometrics again, it's the most intense of the workouts, so I'm trying to pump myself up for it!

My Body Hates Me

2010-06-26T14:09:00.002-05:00

I've put my poor body through the ringer this week. Today is my 5th straight day of working out, and I've also completely revamped my eating habits. I think it's in a state of shock right now. Lol.

It will thank me for it later.

So yesterday was legs and back. And it was sucky. And by sucky I mean it kicked my butt. The legs part wasn't so bad, but the back part SUCKED. I did like 70 pull ups. I can't do one on my own, so I had to use a chair to help myself up. (put one leg on a chair and use it to help push yourself up while you pull up with your arms)

So far today I've done my running, saving the Kempo until the kids take their nap. (which should be any minute now) I'm trying to get into running shape as well, so I'm trying to work my way back up to a decent 5K time. Right now I'm in horrible running shape. I did shave a minute off of my mile today compared to my run on Thursday, so I was excited about that. I ran it in 14min 23sec. Then finished it out another half mile by walking mostly. When I can run a decent mile, like 10 minutes, then I'll start working on 2 miles, and eventually 3 miles.

I haven't done Kempo yet, but Davey said it's kind of like Tae-Bo, a lot of punching and kicking, so that should be fun.

If you remember from last year, I'm an obsessive compulsive weigher- meaning I have to weigh myself every morning or I'll go crazy. The last 3 mornings I've weighed the same, which is really discouraging me because I'm working so hard. But I'm down 3 pounds in 4 days, so I'm not sure why I'm complaining. I wish I could hold off on weighing myself like twice a week. Then I wouldn't feel so discouraged just because the scales didn't move from the day before.

Ok, Kempo time.

Body Bugg

2010-06-25T09:15:00.002-05:00

I bought this bad boy lastnight. If you've ever watched The Biggest Loser, you've seen the contestants with these around their arms. You can read all about how it works here. And you can buy the armband right now, it's on sale! $75 off the armband, and $35 off the digital display. (I purchased both) You can purchase them right here! I wish I were getting a discount or something by advertising for Body Bugg, but sadly, I am not. I searched the internet for 2 hours lastnight trying to find the best deal on Heart Rate Monitors, and I was so excited when I found this deal.

Today we're working out our Back and Shoulders? I can't remember. I know Back for sure. I'm sooo sore from Yoga yesterday. Plyo and Arms didn't make me sore, but Yoga kicked my butt.

Day 3

2010-06-24T17:28:00.002-05:00

Today was Yoga. Yoga is supposed to be nice and relaxing.

This was not.

I was sweating like a PIG! It was a good workout. Then I had to pause my workout for the day to run Ben in to get his 6-month vaccinations (well just one..dTap..but that's another blog post), but when I got back I jumped on the treadmill to see how out of shape I was.

I am really out of shape.

I jogged 1/4 of a mile, and then walked 1/8 of a mile, then jogged 1/8 of a mile etc. until I reached 1 1/2 miles. Holy crap how did I ever jog an entire 5K? I'm very thankful that this 5K I'm running isn't until the end of August. I'm definitely going to need that time to get back into running shape.

I Can Move!

2010-06-23T10:27:00.002-05:00

I was extremely worried that when I got up this morning that I wouldn't be able to move. Yesterday's workout was brutal, to say the least. But I can move! Actually, I'm barely sore! The only thing that's bothering me is my neck/back, and I'm not entirely sure if that's related to the workout. Sometimes my back just does this. Today we're working out shoulders and back, so that should be interesting.

We're setting up an exercise room in the basement, FINALLY after begging Davey to do it for the past few months. We've got a t.v. for doing our P90X and other workouts on DVD (just an old one, I wanted to get a new one but it's not in the budget right now), an exercise bike, a treadmill, a pull up bar and whole lot of weights. It will be so nice to have a room for all of that stuff. Since going to the gym is impossible for us, we set up a mini-gym in the basement. I want to paint the room, but can't decide which color would look best. What color do you paint an exercise room? It's one big room with a kitchen, and the exercise room used to be a living room. I can't decide what color to paint it. Sigh.

Can't wait to weigh-in on Tuesday, and it's only Wednesday LOL.

Here We Go!

2010-06-22T18:55:00.002-05:00

Started P90X today- it's brutal! It's a 7 day a week program, so it's pretty intense. I'm excited to see the results after the 90 days. My goal is to lose 30 pounds by the end of the 30 days.

My new weigh-in day will be Tuesdays. I was 184.8 this morning. Not sure where those 2 pounds came from, maybe I'm just bloated? I don't know. We'll see how this program does for weight loss this week. I need to lose 2.5 pounds a week to meet my goal.

P90X

2010-06-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

I'm starting the P90X program tomorrow with my hubby.

I'm scared.

Pray for me.

Weighing In

2010-06-17T16:32:00.000-05:00

I'm down 3 pounds for the week! Which makes a total of 5 pounds in 2 weeks. I'm stoked!!

Meals

2010-06-14T14:13:00.002-05:00

Just wanted to list some of the foods I've been eating, for those who like ideas/examples.

Today:

Breakfast: Yogurt w/granola

Mid-morning snack: Whole grain bread (1 slice) toasted w/1 tbsp pb

Lunch: 1 piece string cheese, steamed broccoli w/parmasean cheese sprinkled on it, cantalopue and blackberries

Feeling Pretty Awesome

2010-06-12T08:27:00.002-05:00

So despite my pigging out at Buffalo Wild Wings lastnight, my weight this morning was 183.8- which means I'm down 2 pounds since Wednesday! And I'm down 4 pounds from the previous Wednesday!! I am psyched!!!

Day 3

2010-06-11T08:52:00.002-05:00

I'm still on track! Yay!

Wednesday I did my Jillian DVD, and boy was I sore yesterday. Ouch. So I didn't get a workout in, but I feel much better today! So I'll be working out again today.

I've done GREAT with my diet over the past 2 days. Tonight Davey is taking me out to dinner, so I plan on sticking to my healthy foods all day, and then splurging and eating some not-so-healthy foods tonight.

Wednesday and Thursday dinners:

Cheeseburger (no bun, all we had was white bread), with a side of whole grain rice and veggies

Whole grain spaghetti with spaghetti sauce

For breakfast I've been sticking with the whole grain toast with 1 tbsp of peanut butter on it. I also still have my coffee each morning with sugar and creamer in it. It's the only thing I drink all day besides water, so I allow myself to have it.

For lunch yesterday I did turkey and a piece of cheddar cheese again, and also some Activia yogurt.

Hope you have a great weekend!

Well at least I'm not up. that's encouraging.

2010-06-09T13:43:00.003-05:00

My last post (in February?! Where does time go??) I was about 15 pounds heavier than my pre-pregnancy weight. The bad news is I haven't done a whole lot since then. The good news is, at least I'm not any heavier. 2 pounds lighter in fact. If you would have asked me the same thing last week though, I couldn't have said the same. I started eating healthy again at the end of last week, and have lost 2 pounds already.

At my lowest weight since Ben was born, I was 8 pounds away from my weight at my 6-week pregnancy check-up. (172 lbs) In February I was at 187. March I got down to 180. And this morning I was 185.

I needed to reach that "point" where I felt I HAD to do something. I feel that I'm there now. I'm not happy with my body, or my lack of energy. I feel the same way that I did when I first started this journey in January 2009. I'm just glad I'm at 185, and not at 213 where I started. Yuck.

So today I pulled out the old Jillian DVD's and went to work. I finished the 3-2-1 workout just about 10 minutes ago and I feel awesome. Hoping tomorrow I'm not too sore. If I get time I'd like to ride the bike too, but Ben's just now waking up from his nap so we'll see.

I can't wait to weigh-in next week and see how much weight I've lost. I'm hoping after this first week, I'll see the numbers on the scales and be motivated to kick butt the next week too. That's how I did this the first time around. Losing 2, 3, 4, or 5 pounds in a week is SUPER motivating to me.

Wednesday Meals and Snacks (haven't eaten dinner yet)

Breakfast- 1 slice 12-grain bread with 1 tbsp peanut butter

Lunch- 6 slices turkey lunchmeat, 2 1/2" chunks of cheese
1 Activia yogurt (Activia contains no high-fructose corn syrup)

20oz of water by lunch

Ready...Set...Go.

2010-02-08T10:27:00.001-06:00

7 weeks post c-section, I've decided it's time to get back to a healthy lifestyle. I'm about 15 pounds heavier than I was at my first check-up at the doctors office when I first got pregnant. Not too shabby, but not where I want to be either. So this morning I started a brand new food journal, and I plan on riding on my exercise bike today. (if I get time!)

Juggling 5 kids will sure make it a challenge to squeeze in time for exercising 5 days a week, and it also makes it tough to not eat junk because we all know junk is easier and faster to fix than the healthy stuff. (in most cases)

I'm also doing things a bit differently this time around in that I'm going to be cooking healthy for EVERYONE in my family. We're trying to get rid of as much processed food as we can, and stick to whole foods.

A lot of mornings the kids eat instant oatmeal. These are the ingredients straight off the back of the box for instant oatmeal:

Strawberries and Cream instant oatmeal
Whole grain rolled oats
Sugar
Flavored fruit pieces
Artificial Strawberry flavor
Citric Acid
Red 40
Creaming Agent
Corn Syrup solids
Partially hydrogenated Vegetable oil
whey
sodium caseinate
artificial color
dipotassium phosphate
tocopherols
calcium carbonate
salt
guar gum
artificial flavor
ferric phosphate
niacinamide
pyridoxine hydrochloride
riboflavin
vitamin A palmitate
thiamin mononitrate
folic acid

Wow. That's....disgusting.

Now here's what I made instead this morning:

Homemade Strawberry and Banana oatmeal

Whole Grain rolled oats
Water
pinch of salt
pure vanilla extract
homemade strawberry preserves
1 whole banana

The kids LOVED it. And I felt pretty darn good giving them something healthy vs. something with 20 ingredients in it I can't even pronounce.

I'm getting a lot of my recipes out of the Biggest Loser cookbook. Lastnight we had something SUPER yummy, and healthy!

You take ground turkey and fry it in a skillet with just a little bit of cooking spray. Then when it's no longer pink, you add in some salsa. When it's all done cooking, scoop the meat/salsa mix into Tostitos Scoops chips. Sprinkle with cheddar cheese if you want.

Serving size is 10 chips with the meat/salsa mix in it, and it only has like 210 calories. It was AMAZING. I should start taking pictures of the foods I am trying and post them for you to see. :)

Ok, well I'd better get to cleaning so I can get some exercise in today. Leave me a comment to let me know if you're still reading!

I didn't quit!

2009-09-11T13:03:00.003-05:00

I realized today that I had totally abandoned this blog after I got pregnant. And the last thing I want is for someone to stumble across it and think, "Well, there's another one who was on the right track, then just gave up." How uninspiring!

So nope, I didn't give up. Just got knocked up! Ha!

I'm doing my best to eat healthy during this pregnancy, but am also enjoying being able to eat things that I couldn't while I was dieting. I keep telling myself, "You'll never be able to eat like this again! Ever! Enjoy it!" But I am not munching on junk food all day long. I still only allow myself to have a couple of cookies a day (by a couple I mean 2, not 8!), and still watch my portions. I'm 21-weeks into my pregnancy and have gained roughly 14 pounds. I think the weight came on a little faster because I just came off of that diet/exercise program, and you tend to gain weight quickly when you stop abruptly like that.

My goal is to only gain 25 pounds with this pregnancy, and then get right back on track about 2 months after the baby is born. I plan on starting the same eating program I was on immediately after he's born, but won't be able to begin exercising for at least 6 weeks as I'll be recovering from a c-section.

So I'll see you back here about February!

In Case You're Keeping Track...

2009-05-07T13:03:00.004-05:00

I haven't weighed in in a while (was kind of stuck in a rut there for a couple of weeks, which tends to happen with weight-loss) so I thought I'd share that I'm down 43 pounds now. I'm at 170.8, just 8 tenths of a pound from entering into the 160's.

And let me tell ya, that feels pretty amazing.

OH, and did I tell you that I went shopping the other day and bought a MEDIUM shirt and size 10 shorts? That was my goal when I started this weight-loss journey. I'm going to have to readjust my goals I think. ;o)

(I kept the tags on so you could see that I wasn't lying about the size 10 shorts, LOL.)

Guess what I did Today? Hint...5K...

2009-05-06T21:43:00.005-05:00

Today after watching my DVR'd episode of The Biggest Loser, I was totally inspired. The 4 remaining contestants ran an entire marathon. That is amazing! A marathon is 26.2 miles. Can you even imagine? My favorite part (other than when they crossed the finish line) was when they told Jillian that they had to run a marathon. Jillian said, "I've never even ran a marathon!!" Seriously? And these people are going to try to run one? Insane!

Then later on in the show, Helen (whom I don't really like by the way) said something that really inspired me. She said, "Who would have thought that I would ever run a marathon? Maybe this whole time I've been training for one and I didn't even realize it?"

So that got me thinking about my post the other day where I said, "Maybe someday I'll be able to run a 5k?" Maybe I had been training for a 5k and didn't even realize it?

So I got up off the couch, laced up my shoes, and headed out the door. I had no idea how long it was going to take me. Or if I could even finish it. But I was determined. (I might add that I had to Google '5k' to see how far that is. It's 3.1 miles. Ya know, in case you were wondering.)

About 30 minutes into the race, I called Davey and made him get in the car and come meet me to see how far I had run already. (I didn't plan this run out very well did I? lol) As he was approaching, I kept saying to myself, "Please be a mile and a half already...please be a mile and a half..." If I wasn't at least halfway done, I was going to scream.

He pulled up next to me and announced that I had already run 2.5 miles! I was ecstatic!!

He drove next to me for the rest of the run (made me feel like a true runner, haha).

And I did it. I finished a 5k.

3.1 miles in 39 minutes.

I felt AMAZING.

Though it wasn't official, and I wasn't racing anyone, none of that really mattered. What mattered is that I finished a 3.1 mile run.

Go me. :)

Me after finishing my run

I was feeling on top of the world. And super strong. :)

And I learned something very important today. You've got to push yourself. Because if you don't, you'll really never know what you've got in you. There's something amazing inside of all of us, we just may not know it yet.

Whoops.

2009-05-01T12:13:00.003-05:00

2 mile fast walk/run: 200 calories burnt

5 mile on exercise bike: 270 calories burnt

1 French Vanilla Moolatte* from Dairy Queen: Really shouldn't have done that...

*For future reference, any food item with the word "Moo" in it is probably off limits...

Owned.

2009-04-30T09:47:00.006-05:00

Yesterday my motivation came back, just as I knew it would. It was icky and rainy out, and I couldn't find the remote so ~~having Jillian scream at me for a half an hour~~ working out with Jillian was out, so I decided to go jump on the treadmill.

Typically I run a lap, then walk (fast paced) a lap. But after my first lap, I still felt really good. So I kept going.

And after my second lap, I still felt really good.

Third lap, amazingly, I still felt great....

When I was rounding out my 4th lap, I was ecstatic. I was actually going to run a mile without slowing down. And I did. Not only that, I sprinted the last 1/4 mile.

Never in my entire life have I ran an entire mile without having to stop and walk, if only for 30 seconds. Never. Not even when I was in track in junior high.

I owned that mile. And while I didn't run it in record time (just over 12 minutes) I accomplished something huge. And I couldn't be more proud of myself.

Today I'm aiming for a mile and a quarter. Maybe someday I'll work my way up to 3 miles. Or 5 miles. How amazing would it to be to run in a 5k?? I never dreamed that distance running would be in my future. Not too awfully long ago it was hard for me to make it up a flight of stairs without huffing and puffing it. Now I'm running miles at a time. Health benefits aside, that type of accomplishment just makes you feel good about yourself.

Now go lace up your shoes and start running. If I can do this, you can do this too.

Metabolism Up

2009-04-28T20:44:00.003-05:00

One awesome thing about losing a lot of fat and gaining muscle is that your metabolism goes up. And let me tell ya, that's a wonderful thing. This past week I didn't exercise (shoulda-woulda-coulda) and though for the most part I ate right, I managed to sneak in a few "bad" foods during the week. I weighed in this morning, and didn't even gain an ounce.

At first I thought a miracle had occurred, then realized it was because my metabolism was working for once in my life. Before when I'd stop exercising (yes, even for a week) I would have easily gained 2 pounds during the week. That was so frustrating. And though I can't just quit exercising all together and start eating all the junk I want to (only a few cheats here and there actually), I can go a week without stressing about my weight coming back on like it used to.

Now that I'm roughly 20 pounds away from my goal, I'm finding it harder to be motivated. Like I'm so close to the finish line, I think it's intimidating me. When I used to hear or read about people on diets who "just needed to shed that last 15-20 pounds", I thought, psh. If only I had just 20 pounds to lose. Well now I do. And it's just a weird place to be!

I know I should just get back to exercising and eating 100% healthy and just finish this thing already, but right now I'm kind of stuck in limbo. But I know me, and I know that motivation will hit me again, and I'll get rid of the rest of this weight and meet my goal.

No worries, the numbers on the scale will not be going up. They may stay at 172 for a few more days, or a week, but they won't go up. Come to think of it, the 160's sound awfully nice. Perhaps that will motivate me to exercise this week. :)

Taking it Easy

2009-04-24T10:03:00.002-05:00

I have found that I tend to go in cycles when it comes to exercise. One week I give 110%, the next few days I take a break. But that works for me. As long as I watch what I eat during the week I take off, I don't gain any weight. And when I feel re-energized to give 110% again, I go as hard as I can (both diet and exercise) for the entire week. As much as I wish I could, I can't keep that speed up all the time.

Maybe this isn't the way to do it, I don't know. Should I be giving it 50% all of the time? Or is going hard for a week, then taking a few days off ok? Or does it really matter either way? Because I am losing weight (obviously) and I am getting more in shape (hello...3 miles on the treadmill, weight lifting AND 10 miles on the bike all in one day...something is working for me)

I can switch to "diet mode" and "exercise mode" when I feel ready. It's like I wake up one morning and say, ok, let's do this. And I just do.

But I will stress that on your "off" days, you must watch what you eat still. This is a lifetime commitment folks. If you go back to eating the way that you previously were, the weight is just going to come back. And even when you meet your goal weight, you can't just give up on exercise either. Exercise is not only important in keeping the weight off, but it's just plain good for your body.

Side note: I've been reading Jillian Michaels Master Your Metabolism, and it's a really good read. All about eliminating toxins and bad food from our diets so that our metabolism can function the way it's supposed to function. I'll be sharing some things from her book that I find interesting or important.

One thing that I read in there that I really liked was this. I've changed it around a bit to make it more of a mantra:

"This isn't about being thin to be healthy, this is about being healthy to be thin."

I really like this. As I've said before on this blog, being healthy is ultimately what's important. Fad diets are out the window. Eat fruits, veggies and whole grains, and exercise. There's a lot more in Jillian's book that I found very informative when it comes to a healthy diet. I'll share tips as I come across them! ;o)

Did I? Or Didn't I?

2009-04-21T12:07:00.004-05:00

Hmmmmmmmmmm...........

5 pounds in one week?

Was it possible?

Or just too much to ask for?

The question remains...

Did I?

Or didn't I?

_________________________________________

I SO did!

Actually, I blew that 5 pounds out of the water and ended up losing 5 1/2 pounds this week! In ONE WEEK!!! This truly is Biggest Loser material right here. LOL.

I did take a video this morning, which was quite humorous ("I lost 5 1/2 pounds in a week? No way!! (re-weighs self) Oh my gosh!! I lost 5 1/2 pounds in one week!!") But after reviewing it, I look awful! I literally had just gotten out of bed, still had my sleepy voice and looked like I had just gotten out of bed. So I don't think I'm going to share. But it's so fun to have it on video!

Now, for the newest pictures. We actually had to take them twice, because my computer ate them the first time and deleted them from my memory card. Sigh. So we had to do them all over again. Then come to find out, my computer didn't eat the original pics we took, just didn't upload them to my Kodak gallery. But not until after we took the second set of pics. Thankfully my husband was a good sport about it. ;o)

So here's the newest pics! See a difference?

Look, my tattoo even shrunk. Weird!

Me today!

Can't believe I'm on my way to 50 pounds now...I told Davey he has to buy me something BIG when I hit 50 pounds. Like...some new clothes perhaps? ;o)

Changes

2009-04-20T18:24:00.003-05:00

I'm sure you noticed (if you visited my blog this evening) that you no longer have to sign-in to read my weight-loss blog. (MMM members no worries, I deleted the posts with your pics and stats. If anyone is interested in starting up a separate blog for MMM, email me!)

I set my blog to be open to the whole wide world. Why?

Because I'm not embarrassed anymore about my weight. And I'm not embarrassed by my body anymore either. I'm a work in progress, but I'm proud of myself. And I'm ready to share my accomplishments with whomever is interested.

I love visiting other weight-loss blogs that I run across online, it's so inspiring to see that people can do this in their homes, no gyms, no trainers, no nutritionists. Just by changing your diet and exercising, you CAN lose weight. Sometimes all it takes is a little inspiration. And my hope is that by opening this up, I can inspire someone who may feel stuck at their current weight.

I've still got about 25 pounds left to lose. So you are more then welcome to continute to follow me on this journey. And when I do reach my goal, this journey certainly won't be over.

All I ask is that you be kind! It is a bit intimidating sharing something as personal as this with the entire world, my hope is that I don't receive any mean comments. But I also realize that also comes with the territory of having a public blog... I need to learn to just delete, and move on. So please, if you comment, don't be rude or unkind. It would be much appreciate it!

Tomorrow...

Tomorrow is my big weigh-in! I plan on recording my weigh-in (something I've never done before) and plan on sharing it with all of you! I'm shooting for my big goal of 40 pounds! I need to have lost 5 pounds this week in order to do so. So we'll see!

My workout today was my LAST CHANCE WORKOUT (running with the whole Biggest Loser thing, LOL) and I really kicked some butt.

o 1 mile on treadmill- alternating from 3.4mph-7mph
o Weight lifting. 6 different exercises, 10-20 reps, 3 sets
o 20 push-ups
o 2 miles on treadmill- alternating from 3.4mph-6.5mph
o 10 miles on exercise bike

Hoping all of this exercise this week paid off. Fingers AND toes crossed. :)

2 Days to Weigh-in

2009-04-19T12:39:00.002-05:00

I've got today and tomorrow to workout, and then the big weigh-in is on Tuesday morning. Getting a bit nervous! I know I've lost some weight, just not sure how much. Sigh. I want to go jump on the scales so badly right now. But I won't.

Instead I'll list my workout routine for the last couple of days.

Friday
I honestly can't remember what I did on Friday! Like I lost an entire day! But I think I just worked outside in the yard that day, push mowed, and played with the kids. I can't remember if I officially worked out! So we'll just say I didn't.

Saturday

2 miles on treadmill. (whenever I get on the treadmill or go running outside, this is my routine. Walked at pace of 3.3mph, ran from 5mph-7mph. I alternate walking/running every 1/8 mile typically. I never walk more than 1/4 mile without running again for at least 1/8 mile, sometimes 1/4 mile.

5 miles on exercise bike

50 sit-ups

20 push-ups

Still sticking to the low-carb diet. I am still eating fruit though, so we'll see how that plays into the low-carb diet. No carb-filled snacks or pastas or bread or anything this week. I eat 1-2 pieces of whole-wheat bread a day, and the fruit, other than that it's been strictly protein and veggies. It's kind of fun to switch things up, and to not have to count calories this week. I have absolutely no clue how many calories I've been consuming, though I know it's not many. I'm not overeating by any means.

I hope I meet my 40-pound goal this week. I want to be able to say that I have, and post a new pic of me! But that means I'll have had to have lost 6 pounds this week. That's a lot. But 3 pounds of that was because I was bloated, so we'll see. Maybe it will happen? Fingers crossed.

What I've been doing, and a Thank You

2009-04-16T22:10:00.002-05:00

First, I wanted to say thank you to those of you who are still leaving me comments. Sounds silly, but it really does help keep me going. I have no idea how many people are even still checking in on this blog (I opted not to have a counter on this one), but I do know that a few people comment regularly. (Mindy, AmFriend, cristin, and shelby!) So THANK YOU guys. It really means a lot.

Ok, now on to my week so far.

So I decided yesterday to change things up a bit. Remember how I have PCOS? And how I'm supposed to be on a low-carb diet? Otherwise it can really mess me up and even cause liver damage? (which I already have...) Well, I'm giving that another go. At least for a bit. It's not too difficult of a switch for me since I already eat only whole wheat bread (and not very much of it) and whole wheat pasta for the most part. But this means cutting out the Special K bars (booo!) and the cereal (booo!) and the 100 calorie snacks. Sigh. I'm going to be strict about it at least for this week, and really cut out the carbs. Then I'll slowly start adding them back in. But I know because of my PCOS, I really need to watch those sugar carbs. They can seriously do bad things to my body.

I've also REALLY been working out the past 2 days. (and I hope to keep up this momentum until my weigh-in on Tuesday!) I'm going to chart what I've been doing, and we'll see if the diet/exercise combo makes a difference on the scales this week. If not, I'm throwing in the towel. (I kid..I kid)

-Wednesday-

o Walk/run 2 miles
o Bike 10 miles

-Thursday-

o Walk/run 1 and a half miles
o Bike 10 miles
o Lift weights (7 exercises, 12 reps, 3 sets)
o 10 push-ups

So will all of this hard work pay off this week? Remember I was at 178 on Monday, the last time I weighed in. I'm so curious to see what the low-carb/intense exercise will cause the scales to do...will I lose 2 pounds? More? Gain weight? The suspense is killing me.

And the not weighing in thing? SO HARD. You know how some people are addicted to smoking...some like their alcohol...some bite their nails...

Me? I weigh myself! I kid you not, I woke up this morning right as the sun was beginning to rise (still very dark outside) and I COULD NOT go back to sleep because all I could think about was the SCALES!! I wanted to weigh myself sooo badly that I literally could not go back to sleep.

But I did not cave.

Pinky swear.

I Want a Biggest Loser Moment...

2009-04-15T20:29:00.002-05:00

I love the Biggest Loser. I really do. Do you watch? Tara is my favorite. I like to think that me and her are a lot alike. If I were on that show, I'd be kicking butt winning all of the challenges too. Because like Tara, I love to win. Losing sucks. I'm super competitive.

I see the contestants get on that scale every week and they see those big numbers...4 pounds, 7 pounds, 12 pounds...(in a WEEK!) and I think, do they only weigh in once a week? Are they genuinely excited to see that number?

Well. I want a Biggest Loser moment each week too. So this week, I'm not going to weigh myself. I'm a compulsive 3-4 times a day weigher, but this week, I'm not going to weigh in at all. Not until Tuesday, at my weigh-in. Because quite frankly, I'm tired of the ups and downs. The "ooh I lost a half a pound!" on Wednesday to the, "yay I lost a whole pound!" on Thursday, to the "crap..I gained a half a pound" on Friday. It's up and down like a friggin yo-yo with my emotions.

So will you join me on Tuesday for my Biggest Loser moment? I may even video tape myself weighing in. I'll share it if I lost any weight. ;o)

Brownies and Ice Cream

2009-04-14T20:52:00.005-05:00

Confession.

I had brownies and ice cream for supper tonight.

This has been a tough week. I was down to 175, and had exercised my butt off. Got on the scale on Sunday and had gained 2 pounds. 2 pounds. I almost had a coronary. I had been very strict with the 1300 cal diet, and had ran/biked the last few days. And a 2 pound gain?? IN 3 DAYS!

Well, later that night I found out why. My best female friend made her appearance. (which was totally unexpected. I ran out of birth control this past month, so I didn't take any. Because of my pcos, I don't have periods on my own without birth control. So my body worked all by itself!) But I was still mad. Then this morning, I was up another pound. I'm at 178 now. U.G.H.

Scales should magicially disappear during period time. An Aunt Flo fairy should appear and take your scales until all is normal again and you're not bloated like a frickin' whale. Seriously.

On top of that I was sick yesterday and today with some virus. My head felt like it was going to explode. I was exhausted. I slept for 13 hours, then took a 3 hour nap 2 hours after I woke up.

So I did what any girl would do after a 3 pound weight gain, after a surprise visit from Aunt Flo and a super fun virus that found it's way to me.

I had brownies and ice cream for supper.

And it was good. :)

What? How?

2009-04-10T14:31:00.002-05:00

I think this break from exercise actually has done my body some good. I've heard that if your body gets stuck in a rut, whether it be food wise or exercise, it won't budge anymore. And that's what had started to happen to me.

Somehow, by the grace of God I believe, I haven't exercised in almost 3 weeks, yet I continue to lose weight. Not a lot, but the fact that I'm losing any at all is amazing to me. If you'll remember before when I was on the 1300 calorie diet and didn't exercise, I didn't lose ANY weight. The diet just wasn't cutting it for me.

Well now after my little mini 2-week break, the diet alone IS working.

So I think it's time to kick it into gear again. I'm going to get in a kick-arse workout today. I'll probably put my poor body into shock, but that's what it needs. Now maybe I'll start losing 2-4 pounds a week again? That would be awesome.

I'm down to 175 now by the way. :) 2 more pounds to go until I reach 40-pounds. That still sounds absolutely insane to me. I keep wondering...are my scales broken? (they're not, I had Kadence get on them to check) Am I sick or something? It's just so surreal to get to this point. 40 pounds. I'm the type of person that's always hard on myself. "20 pounds isn't that much. 30 pounds...ah, that's not that big of a deal."

But 40 pounds? I can't deny that. That's a huge deal to me!

(P.S. 10 pounds, 20 pounds, 30 pounds, is ALL a big deal. I'm just super hard on myself sometimes.)

It's Been Awhile

2009-04-05T17:33:00.002-05:00

I've totally been M.I.A for a couple of weeks. Here's why:

The first week I didn't receive all of the MMM weigh-ins, so I kept putting it off hoping everyone would turn them in. Then last week my computer crashed, and I was without it for the week. It was horrid! I need my computer!!

But now I'm back. I know, yay right? :)

I have also taken the past couple of weeks off as far as exercising. And also haven't been as strict about counting my calories.

I. Needed. A. Break.

So I took one.

I'm finally starting to feel motivated and energetic again. I rode 5 miles on the bike today- and though that's not a very good workout, it's a start. I'm thinking Jillian is going to totally kick my arse all over again when I start doing her workout DVD's. My hope is that since I took a couple of weeks off, the diet and exercise will start shredding the pounds off more quickly like it did when I first began. I think my body was stuck in a rut of 1300 calorie days and 6 days a week of hard core exercise. I'm hoping this gave my body what it needed to get out of that rut.

I did lose 2 pounds over the past 2 weeks though. So I'm 3 pounds away from reaching my 40 pound goal. 40 freaking pounds! So insane.

So how are you guys? I don't think anyone weighed in this Monday. Hope you guys don't think I abandoned you.

Here's to a good week. :)

Bad Fast Food Choices (and what you should order instead)

2009-03-24T12:50:00.002-05:00

I'm going to start posting articles that I find interesting or that I think may be helpful to you guys when I run across them. Feel free to pass along an article if you find one too! I'll post it on the blog for everyone.

This is a great article on how many calories and fat and sodium are in common fast food meals. Yuck.

Weekly Weigh-in

2009-03-24T10:23:00.003-05:00

I lost one pound this week, which brings my total to 35 pounds. :)

I'm a little bummed because I worked out 5 days this week, and only went over my calorie limit one day. But I've noticed a pattern- if I lose a big amount one week (last week I lost 4 pounds) the following week I usually only lose a pound or so.

But, a loss is a loss, and I should be happy. And I am! I've reached another goal- 35 pounds!

Remember my goal to lose 40 pounds by the end of March? I'm very doubtful that I'll reach that goal, but I know I'll get close. I don't feel defeated, I don't feel depressed, I actually feel happy with myself. I have a week left. Even if I only lose 2 pounds this week, that will put me at 37 pounds. That's pretty dang close. :)

I'm Not Perfect.

2009-03-21T21:51:00.005-05:00

I've been thinking about those of you out there who are trying to lose weight, and how I'm trying to be a good role model of sorts for you guys. And there's some things that I feel are very important for you guys to know.

I'm not perfect.

* I don't exercise every day.

* I don't have a ton of energy every day. Most days I'm exhausted.

* The majority of days I have to force myself to work-out.

* Though I stay within my 1300 calories, I eat way more snacks during the day than I should be. I should be eating fresh fruit or veggies. Instead, I grab for the sweet stuff.

* I go out to eat about once a week and really
pig out. Then I eat dessert. ----> (me tonight after pizza, a pepsi, and cinnamon sticks)

* While my husband is thrilled I'm losing weight, he's not the world's best cheerleader. He's not trying to be mean, he's just not very enthusiastic. When I reach a goal, like say 25 pounds, he says, "Good job!" And that's it. Goes back to reading his magazine and munching on his sandwich. Drives me nuts. I want a hug, a high five, a "you've been working SO hard! I'm sooo proud of you!" Nope. Nada. (I love you honey but you really are a sucky cheerleader)

* I don't have hours of free time on my hands just because I'm a stay-at-home mom. (yes some people think this. Please stop by my house anytime and I'll prove otherwise) The only break I have during the entire day is when the babies lay down for a nap. And I spend that wonderful, peaceful hour... exercising. And? 4 out of the past 5 days the babies have not taken a nap. So I've had to work out at 9 in the evening, when I'm exhausted and just want to watch tv and go to bed.

No, I am far from perfect.

I'm telling you all of this because I don't want you to think that I've got some superhuman powers or something when it comes to diet and exercising. I don't want you to think that this type of weight-loss is unattainable for you because you don't have my energy. Or my time. Or my support system. Or my whatever.

This isn't easy for me folks.

I want you to know that while it's not easy, it can be done. I started out at 213 pounds people! I would have never in my wildest dreams thought that I could lose 35 pounds. But I did. And so can you. You've got to dig deep for that energy and that drive. You've got to MAKE time, even though you're exhausted. You've got to stick to that calorie limit, even though you REALLY don't want to.

Bottom line, I can't want this for you. You've got to want it for yourself. To do this and to really make it work, you've got to do some soul searching. Find out why you want to lose weight. Why you want to eat right and exercise. Why it's important for you to get healthy.

Then find that drive and go for it.

It's in you. But you've got to want it first.

Biking- My New Passion

2009-03-21T11:53:00.006-05:00

Ok, so maybe passion is too strong of a word. But I do really, really enjoy it. Plus since I've been running outside and running on the treadmill almost every day for the past month, this is a fun change.

I've been doing most of my biking at night after the babies go to bed. I love watching one of my t.v. shows that I've DVR'd and just bike away.

The thing I love most about this new bike (as compared to the recumbant (sp?) bike) is that you can go really fast if you want to, and you can change the resistance. You could change the resistance on the other bike too, but on the upright bike you can stand up like you're pedaling up a big hill. Talk about sweat. Geesh.

I've ridden on it every day since I got it. From Tuesday-Friday I went 45 miles on it! Man how things have changed from when I first started out on this weight loss journey. 5 miles on the bike used to be a big deal to me. It was hard work. Now I can go 10 miles in 35 minutes. And when I'm finished, I think, "now what should I do? That wasn't a good enough work out.... " Me? Who would have ever thought that I would get to this place?

I know going down a pant size is exciting. But the energy I have, the way I feel, is just awesome.

Off to work-out now. :)

Stress Eating

2009-03-19T20:28:00.003-05:00

I don't believe I've ever met a woman who didn't, from time to time, stress-eat. Oh, I'm sure men do it too. But women without a doubt eat more (or something really sugary and sweet) when they are stressed.

Today I stress ate. Though I didn't go over my calories for the day, I made horrible food choices. Right off the bat this morning, before I even got out of bed, my husband got home from work (3rd shifter) and he was in a grouchy mood. Long story short, he was stressing about his job. Caterpillar had 100 more orders cancelled, so everyone's job is a bit iffy right now. Including Daveys.

So, I got up and made the kids pancakes. Not unusual. But this morning, I ate a pancake. I was in a very pissy mood (at this point I had no idea why Davey was upset, he wasn't speaking to me) so I thought, what the heck, I'm going to eat a freaking pancake.

And later in the day, I ate not one, but TWO 100 calorie chocolate-covered pretzel snacks. I never do that!

So I ate a healthy dinner, and just cycled 10 miles and burnt over 500 calories.

Listen, bad days are bound to happen. We're going to stress eat. We're going to make bad choices. But that doesn't have to ruin our entire week. Or entire day even.

Forgive yourself, move on, and jump back on the horse.

Or bike if you've got one. ;o)

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Side note: My bike that I bought at the beginning of January broke! So I had to get a new one. This time I went with a Spin Bike, and I LOVE it! It hurt my butt the first day I used it, but now I can sit on it for 10 miles straight without my butt hurting. (well, normal butt-soreness for riding a bike anyway.)

Weekly Weigh-in

2009-03-17T09:26:00.005-05:00

Today is amazing because...

I lost 4 pounds this week. I'm on week 10 of this exercise/diet program, and I can still lose 4 pounds in one week. That's just amazing to me! I did have to work REALLY hard to do that though. As always, the 1300 calorie diet was easy for me. Not sure why, it just is. I think I've just gotten used to it. But I worked out 6 days this week. And I worked out hard. Yesterday alone I bicycled 12 miles. And I must have walked/ran 10 miles on top of that during the week. And I weight lifted 3 days this week, and did my Jillian Michaels work-out DVD's twice. So if I want to lose 4 pounds in a week, that's how I have to do it. It would be so amazing to have that much energy every week, and to keep losing it that quickly. But then I snap back into reality and remember I have 4 kids. ;o) But I'm going to try to keep that intensity up this week, so we'll see how it goes.

And secondly, today is awesome because...

I made it into the 170's. I haven't been in the 170's since I was 19 years old. 8 years it's taken me to get back to this place.

And man does it feel good. :)

Mindy's Top 10 Reasons Why...

2009-03-16T18:29:00.001-05:00

Here are my top ten reasons why my weigh in today DOES NOT COUNT.

10. Did not weigh myself at home before I came to work.
9. The scale at work hates me and is out to get me.
8. Weekends SUCK.
7. Hypoglycemia causes rash food decisions to be made.
6. Any food that you eat on your DAY OFF should not count.
5. I am SUPER bloated.
4. I should NOT be bloated because I do not get PMS.
3. I have phantom PMS (if you need to know what this, email me).
2. I was VERY active all weekend, working outside. My arms and legs hurt really bad from all the physical activity. See #9.

And...the #1 reason why my weigh in does not count today:

1. The stupid scale shows I gained some weight. My rings are so tight I feel that blood circulation is being compromised. My hands and feet are swollen (WTH is going on with me)???

So there are my reasons for NOT weighing in today. I will however weigh in tomorrow, at home on my scale, if my swelling is down. I am not using this as an excuse. I really am not. I just don't want to weigh in when I am swelled up like a blowfish!

Enjoy your day ladies and I hope you don't have to have a Top Ten list!!

Min

*check out the post below for the MMM updates!*

A Walk to Remember

2009-03-12T18:34:00.004-05:00

The other day before I headed out on my cross country walk, I grabbed my camera. I wanted to share with all of you this beautiful 2 mile walk that I go on 3-4 days a week.

I know it's totally unfair that this is in my backyard. I'm sorry. But I am so grateful that I have it! I actually LOVE exercising on the days I take this walk. The treadmill is work. This is work too, but it's so enjoyable. Some days I take my iPod, some I just walk and enjoy the silence. It's so peaceful.

I walk some of it, and run some of it.

I love it.

Here are the pictures I took just for you. Enjoy. :)

This is at the end of my driveway. From here I can see the beginning of the farm road that I walk on.

This is standing at the top of the river bottom hill at the end of our driveway. (our house is built on the top of a river bottom hill) This is the main road, and you'll see the little dirt farm road that I walk on to the left.

Me at the beginning of the trail. And yes I'm really that happy to be exercising. :)

Here is a view of the path that I take.(I highlighted it in black) You'll see the hill I walk to in the far distance.

Just a pretty picture.

It's pretty smooth walking for it being a dirt/grass road. You do have to be a little careful so you don't wind up with a sprained ankle or something. But it's a good cross country trail.

Here's looking up at that hill you saw in the distance.

If you enlarge this photo, you can see my house waaaay in the distance.

Why am I so exhausted?

Because I'm walking back up the river bottom hill. It's brutal!

You Guys Have Lost...

2009-03-11T11:01:00.002-05:00

I've added a new gadget over there -------> under my stats for Motivate Me Monday participants (and those who would like to see how well they're doing!) titled "You Guys Have Lost..." and every week I'll update how much weight combined you guys have lost. This does not include my weight loss, this is ALL YOU GUYS!

So far, you've lost an AMAZING 17 pounds! That's incredible! Keep it up girls!

MMM Weigh-In for Amber

2009-03-11T10:57:00.002-05:00

Amber lost 4 pounds this week! That's amazing Amber! You go girl!!!

Weekly Weigh-in

2009-03-10T10:58:00.003-05:00

I only lost 1/2 a pound this week, but I figured that. Kinda sucks because in the last 3 days I ran 6 miles cross country. :p I stuck to my calories this week, but only worked out 3 days. So I know why the scales didn't budge! I'm not discouraged though, and since Saturday I've been full of energy, so I think this week will be a really good week. I was 182.4 this morning, I'm shooting to be in the 170's by next Monday. ;o)

If you have a bad week, DON'T get discouraged! It's not that big of a deal. You didn't "ruin your diet", which is a common misconception. This isn't just a diet- this is your life now. Every week can't be spectacular. There will be some weeks where you are too exhausted to exercise. Or where you're stressed and overeat a few days. Or where you work your butt off, and the scales don't budge. Always remember- there's always next week! It will just motivate you to work that much harder.

MMM weigh-ins are below, so make sure you check them out and COMMENT on them! We are all supposed to be motivating each other! Don't worry about commenting on my weigh-in today, take a minute and comment on these amazing ladies who are trying so hard! They need your kind words!

Can I Borrow Some of your Energy?

2009-03-07T09:10:00.003-06:00

This week I've been exhausted.

Like, I really wanted to work out, but physically couldn't. I normally exercise when I lay the babies down for their nap- instead I've been laying down.

But I have been eating well, so maybe it won't cause me to gain any weight. On the other hand, I'm going to be super bloated soon, if you know what I mean. Oh well, there will be good weeks and there will be bad weeks. As long as I'm still having more good weeks than bad, I'm not going to feel too guilty about it. I'm feeling more energized today, so I'm going to try to get in a really good workout. Can you send some energy vibes this way please? ;o)

Weekly Weigh-in

2009-03-03T12:21:00.003-06:00

I lost 3 pounds again this week! I entered into the 182's by the skin of my teeth. :)

I added strength training to my exercise routine yesterday and BOY am I feeling it today. I haven't been this sore since I first began in January. The back of my legs are KILLING me, and so is my lower back. Guess that means it worked huh? ;o) I'm going to strength train 3 days a week now. It's something that I should have been doing all along- strength training is a very important part in burning calories and burning fat. You're actually supposed to do 50% cardio and 50% strength training for optimal fat burning. I'm hoping this change in my routine will jump start my metabolism again and I'll continue losing this 3 pounds a week. I hate it when I hit a plateau, it drives me insane! So hopefully this will keep me from plateauing for a few months. *fingers crossed*

New Jeans Finally!

2009-02-28T21:04:00.004-06:00

Back when I was at about the 24 pound mark I think it was, I told Davey that when I hit the 30lb mark, that I was going to go buy a new pair of jeans. I have one pair that fits me really good now (found it in my closet with my "skinny" clothes) and my other jeans...well it's just sad. Not only do they not show off my new skinny legs and butt AT ALL, but I'm constantly pulling them up all day long.

I had originally had my heart set on a pair of Silver jeans. I've never been able to fit in Silver jeans until just this past month. (well I think they make them in plus size now actually, but I mean the regular sizes) I am happy to say that I can now very comfortably fit into a 34/31 pair of Silver jeans. :)

However, since I am still in the process of losing weight, I thought it would be wiser to spend my money on something else. Silver jeans, after all, cost $70. And by the end of March if things go as planned, they'd be getting big on me by then already!

So I instead bought a new pair of jeans, a cute shirt, and some earrings all for $64. My husband was so proud of me. :)

I LOVE shopping. I always have. But let me tell ya, shopping is SO much more fun now! There are just so many more choices available to people who are mediums and larges than xl's. Trust me...I've been there! And why is it that the xl's are ALWAYS gone???

So anywho, a really long story to let you know that I got a new outfit. :) OH! And the jeans? Size 11/12. Woo-hoo!! But the girl told me this style fits a little big, so to go down a size. ;o) But still! an 11/12!!

So proud that my backside is getting smaller. :)

Ok, I was trying to jump for joy in this photo. First of all...who knew I could get that much air?? Who the heck am I? Michael Jordan?? Secondly, it totally looks like I'm levitating! I think I scared poor Joe Joe man! (ok, not really. he thought it was totally funny, especially considering it took me like 10 tries to get this shot, LOL. And I didn't jump off of anything! Just straight up! I'm just totally floored that I can jump that high, hahahaha!)

What's Next?

2009-02-27T23:26:00.004-06:00

One of my readers (thanks AmFriend!) asked what my next goal was, and what time frame I had for it.

That is an excellent question!!

My next goal I want to reach is 40 pounds. I would love to keep the same rate of weight loss up as I have, but we'll see. I'm not going to slack any on the eating or the exercise, but we'll see if my body keeps up the 2 pounds a week weight loss. I think I may need to kick it into gear a bit harder in order to continue to see the pounds shed like they have been. (Still going to eat the same amount of calories, just work out harder) This is where I wish I had a personal trainer to tell me what I needed to do. ;o)

What's my BIG goal? Well, I'm not really sure. When I first started out on this journey, it was a number that I was striving for. (my initial goal was to lose 63 pounds) Now, I'm thinking it might be a size rather than a number that I'm striving for.

When I get to a size that I feel healthy and beautiful, I will stay there. My goal is not to be rail thin. I don't want that at all. If I could wear a size 10 jeans and look and be athletic, I would be ecstatic.

I'm guesstimating that to get to a size 10, I'm going to have to lose at least 20 more pounds. Or maybe I hit the nail on the head when I started out- maybe losing another 34 pounds will get me into those size 10 jeans? Time will tell.

I am going to continue to strive for 2 pounds a week until I reach my goal. For now, I'm setting my sights on 40 pounds. I would be over the moon happy if I could reach my 40 pound goal by the end of next month. That would give 5 weeks (including this current week I've been working on) to lose 10 pounds. If it takes me a little bit longer, I'm ok with that too. But I still have just as much determination as I did when I first started out on this journey. And if I know myself, I will reach my goal by the end of March. I'm competitive like that. Yes...even with myself. ;o) I totally would have kicked ass on The Biggest Loser. LOL.

Thanks for the great question, I don't think I had ever told you guys what direction I was headed with my weight loss goals. Hopefully this cleared some things up for you!

P.S. I've been keeping my weight from you because...well because it's always made me uncomfortable. People always tell me I weigh much more than I look, which is why I feel more comfortable sharing my size rather than my weight. But in all honesty, it's exhausting keeping it from you. ;o) I currently weigh 183 pounds. You can do the math on how much I weighed when I started. ;o) Just don't tell your husbands, ok? ;o)

Pics- Down 30 pounds!

2009-02-27T11:07:00.002-06:00

Day 1 vs. 30 lbs

Day 1 vs. 30 lbs

Day 1, down 20lbs, down 30lbs

Down 20 pounds (January 09) Down 30 pounds (February 09)

With 1 Day to Spare Even!

2009-02-27T08:28:00.002-06:00

I have now lost 30 pounds!!!

I am soo relieved too! I wasn't as emotional as I was when I lost the first 20, I think because I was stuck at like a pound or a half a pound away for like 2 weeks, LOL. But I still smiled really big when I got on the scale this morning. And well, as you can see, I'm obviously ecstatic about it. I should be buttering the triplets toast right now that has already popped up in the toaster, but instead I'm blogging to let you guys know. ;o)

Pics to come later today!!

Close, But No Cigar.

2009-02-26T10:47:00.002-06:00

(Does anyone else immediately think of Bill Clinton every time they hear the word cigar? Ah! Make it stop!)

So as you probably guessed from the title that I didn't reach my goal today. Though I was very close. I swear I got on and off that scale 20 times to see if it would budge just a little. It didn't work. Haha. :D

2 days left. If I don't have a gain tonight (which I shouldn't!) then maybe tomorrow will be the big day.

2 days left. Will I do it?

Freaking Out.

2009-02-25T19:17:00.002-06:00

I always do this right as I'm about to hit a major goal. Ok, so I've only ever met a major goal once, LOL. But I freaked out just like this.

I woke up bright and early this morning, and literally the FIRST thought I had was...I hope I lost weight...I knew I wouldn't hit my goal this morning, but I needed to have lost a few ounce in order to meet my goal sometime this week. And I did. Thankfully.

Today I went jogging cross country, I think about a mile and a half? Maybe 2 miles? Then I did my weights (I only use 3lb weights) and my sit-ups. Then I took the kids outside and played for at least 2 hours. So I burnt some good calories today.

Will tomorrow be the big day? God I hope so. When I get to this point it has nothing to do with the weight loss anymore, but everything to do with me FREAKING OUT. I just want to reach my goal so I can RELAX.

So say a little prayer for me. "May February, 26 2009, be the day that Kristi McDowell loses 30 pounds. Or may God have mercy on her soul."

LOL.

So I Just Realized...

2009-02-24T20:12:00.002-06:00

February only has 28 days in it.

I only have 4 days left to meet my goal.

I Thought I had like 6 days left.

Shit.

This is going to sound weird...but here it goes...

2009-02-23T14:23:00.004-06:00

I totally sabotaged my weight loss this week.

At least, that's what I think happened.

I was doing so well. By mid-week last week, I was within a pound of reaching the all important 30 POUND GOAL.

And I freaked.

Here as follows are the thoughts that ran through my mind all last week:

Who am I to lose 30 pounds?

Is this actually happening? Are my scales broken?

OMG, I have to post side by side comparison shots like SOON. What if you can't tell a difference from 20 pounds to 30 pounds? What if people take a look at the pictures and say...you look exactly the same?

So what did I do? Friday night, I ate cake. And Saturday, I ate cake. Twice. And I didn't work out Saturday or Sunday. And I ate lasagna for dinner Saturday night.

After I realized today what I was doing to myself, I worked out. And I've only eaten 510 calories today. And I'm going to eat a healthy dinner. And no cake. ;o)

My goal was to lose 30 pounds by the end of this month. And I can do this. I WILL do this. I'm not freaking out anymore, and I'm back on track again. Watch out 30 pounds...HERE I COME! :)

Vitamins

2009-02-22T13:03:00.002-06:00

Someone once asked me on here if I currently or ever have taken weight loss supplement pills. And the answer is no, I do not. To be honest, they kind of freak me out! Some of those weight-loss pills (I know trim-spa is like this) actually swell up in your stomach, which is what makes you feel "full". There is a warning label on it that basically says that if it gets caught in your throat, it will swell there too, and you won't be able to breathe. SCARY!!

And the pills like Alli...well for one I don't trust it because the FDA approved it, hahaha. But also it gives you lovely diarrhea. Who wouldn't love daily diarrhea to accompany them on their weight loss journey? :p

I do take vitamins though. I take Fish Oil (in the gel cap form) and vitamin B. Just google "fish oil" and you will find thousands of pages on the benefits of fish oil. I feel better when I take the fish oil, and feel more sluggish when I forget to take it. I'm actually going to have the kids start taking it, too. We aren't fish eaters in this house, and those Omega 3's help out in so many different areas, including concentration, lowering blood pressure, lowering risk of heart disease, and many, many other benefits. And Vitamin B is supposed to be good for raising your metabolism. I should be taking a multi-vitamin too, but keep forgetting to pick up a bottle at the store.

Confession

2009-02-22T09:50:00.002-06:00

It's been a crappy week, so I am not anticipating the numbers on the scales to go down this week. I was hoping to reach my next big goal, but that isn't going to happen. But that's ok, there's always next week!

Hope you are all doing well this week! Motivate-Me-Mondays weigh-in is tomorrow!

Daily Food Intake Example

2009-02-18T10:15:00.003-06:00

Karen wanted an example of what some of us eat in an entire day. Here's mine from yesterday. I shoot for 1300 calories a day. The only time I ever eat more than 1300 calories is maybe one day a week if I go out to eat with Davey or something.

Breakfast:

1 egg 70 cal
1 piece whole wheat toast w/butter 70 cal
creamer in coffee 2tbsp 40 cal

180 cal total

Lunch:

1 piece whole wheat bread 35 cal
Little over 1tbsp peanut butter 100 cal

135 cal

Dinner:
Whole wheat spaghetti w 1/2 cup sauce 400 cal
1 slice whole wheat toast w/butter 70 cal

470 cal

Snacks:
Slimfast 180 cal (I drank this shortly after I ate lunch)
Special K bar 90 cal
Banana 100 cal
Skinny Cow ice cream 150 cal

Total for the day: 1305 calories

Weekly Weigh-in

2009-02-17T09:43:00.003-06:00

The hard work paid off this week, I lost 3 pounds!

That brings my total to 28 pounds! Now I'm feeling even more confident that I can hit my 30-pound goal by the end of the month. I'm also excited to take my side-by-side comparison pictures again so I (and you!) can see the difference that 30 pounds makes.

No Takers?

2009-02-15T11:18:00.002-06:00

Ah come on guys! You don't want to join in on Motivational Monday's? One of my friends said she's too nervous that she won't lose weight and look like a big dork. You won't!!! There are some weeks where I don't lose any weight, do you think I'm a failure? No! Besides, we're here to cheer you on and motivate you. You NEED us! Or...actually at this point just me, LOL. Since no one else wants to join in at this point!

Be brave. I need someone to do this with me! I'm getting really bored exercising and dieting all by my lonesome.

Why do I run...

2009-02-14T20:19:00.006-06:00

Because instead of feeling self-conscious and unattractive,

I feel confident and beautiful

on date night with my husband.

July 2008 (left) Valentine's Day 2009 (right)

Let's Motivate Each Other!

2009-02-12T20:36:00.005-06:00

For those who would like to participate, I am going to start posting everyone's stats on my blog every Monday. So here's what I need YOU to do if you want to play along.

* Email me a photo of yourself that you took recently, or one that you took at the beginning of your diet/workout plan. It can be in workout clothes, in your sports bra and shorts, whatever you'd like. We just need a reference point to go off of so we can all see how much your body is changing and congratulate you on it!! I will post this photo only once, then as you meet your goals, I'll post your beginning photo next to your "goal" picture. Example: You lose 10 pounds (yay!), and you'll send me your updated pic, I'll post it next to your "beginning" pic.

* Email me a picture of just your face. That way when we do stats each week, we'll be able to recognize each other!

* Email me your beginning stats. If you're just starting, email my those. If you've been at it a while, email me your stats when you first began.

* I need: your weight if you want me to list it, if not your weight, then I at least need your pant size. If you want to take your measurements that's cool too! Measure your waist, chest, arms, thighs...whatever you want.

* I will need your beginning photos, your face photo, and your stats by Sunday night so I can post them on Monday.

* So for the most part I will just be posting the picture of your face, then your weight loss for the week next to that pic. When you've reached a goal (i.e. 5 pounds, 10 pounds, 15 pounds etc) I will post your stats along with your new full body-length picture.

Any questions please feel free to email me or leave a comment! I hope you guys all play along! And please nobody feel self-conscious about your pictures or your stats, we're here to motivate each other!

Hmm...what should we call this...it needs a good name...how about...

"Motivational Mondays!"

Overtime

2009-02-11T12:19:00.003-06:00

In order to meet my goal by the end of this month, I realized I really need to kick things into gear. I want to have lost 30 pounds by the last weekend in February, which now gives me a little over 2 weeks to do that.

So today I did 2 workout DVD's (Biggest Loser bootcamp and Biggest Loser CardioMax) and rode 5 miles on the bike. I have no idea how many calories I burned, but I know I got in a good workout.

Someone mentioned a while back about putting your guys' stats on my blog. Would anyone else be interested in that? We could do weekly weigh-ins, you could shoot me an email or leave me a comment and then I could post everyone's achievements. We could also do pictures. (no you don't have to wear a sports bra and shorts if you don't feel comfortable, LOL.) Like I could post your picture next to your stats. Kind of a fun way to encourage eachother and keep ourselves accountable. Let me know what you think, I'm all for making this blog more interactive.

I have to go hit the showers now, I hear the babies waking up.

Weekly Weigh-in

2009-02-10T19:22:00.003-06:00

I lost another 2 pounds this week, which brings my total to 25 pounds. (which you already knew, haha) My favorite friend in the whole world, Aunt Flo came to visit me this morning, and I'm bloated like nobody's business. So Lord only knows what the scales will say the next few days. That's ok though...the joys of being a woman.

I totally didn't work out today. And I totally made excuses on why I didn't. BUT, I did go for a walk with Kadence and the babies, and then gave the triplets a bath this evening. I wonder how many calories you burn giving 3 two-year-olds a bath?

Feelin' Sassy.

2009-02-09T19:13:00.005-06:00

So I'm down 25 pounds. I'm feeling sassy.

What's a girl to do?

Get a sassy-fun haircut of course!!

BEFORE

AFTER

The Back

What do you think? I love it! I feel much more sexy. ;o)

Newest pic

2009-02-08T21:51:00.002-06:00

So as promised here is a photo of me on the big day! 25 pounds baby! I will do side by side comparison shots (in the lovely sports bra and shorts) when I reach 30 pounds. I'm setting my 30 pound goal for the end of this month. So I've got about 19 days to lose 5 pounds. I so can do that.

Also realized today that I have lost 25 pounds, which is exactly what the babies weigh right now. I picked Elijah up right after I had this epiphany and thought...geez...I was carrying that much extra weight around ALL THE TIME? Crazy!!!

Next Goal? Check.

2009-02-08T10:16:00.004-06:00

Well it's official, I've lost 25 pounds!!!!!!!

I'll try to get a picture posted soon! Though I'm not sure how big of a difference there will be between 20 pounds and 25 pounds, LOL. But it's a goal dangit! The most I've ever lost in my LIFE!!! So I have to share a pic. ;o)

When I lose 30 pounds, I fully expect a parade, presents stacked to the ceiling, and a spot on Good Morning America. Sounds reasonable, right?

There you guys are!!!

2009-02-05T22:05:00.000-06:00

I found all of your comments!!!!!! I am soooooo happy! I had 43 comments that I had never seen! And here all this time I'm thinking...gee...why doesn't anyone love me?

And you do!

I think I got the comment thing figured out, so keep showing me the love! YOU have given ME extra motivation now!!

By the way, I feel TERRIBLE that a lot of you had questions that I never answered. But I never got to read them until today!

So ask me anything. I promise I'll answer!!!

Hellooooooo 1(better)0's

2009-02-05T12:01:00.002-06:00

Woke up this morning, hopped on the scales, and have officially entered into the next weight bracket. Woo-hoo!!!!

I have only been at this weight one other time in the past 6 years, and it only lasted for a few weeks because then I got pregnant with the triplets. ;o)

I plan on keeping it off this time. Oh, and no pregnancies please. ;o)

No time?

2009-02-04T21:11:00.003-06:00

I know how hard it is to fit in a workout when you lead a busy life. Trust me. I know.

Tonight during American Idol, I jumped on my exercise bike. I hadn't worked out yet today, so I thought I'd burn a few calories while I was enjoying Hollywood Week- Day 2.

By the end of the show, just 45 minutes later, (I DVR'd it so I fast-forwarded through the commercials) I had ridden 9 miles. 9 miles! And had burnt 448 calories.

So the next time you sit down to watch one of your shows, ride your bike! Don't have one? Get one! Mine was like $105 at Wal-mart. Totally worth the investment.

You can make time for this guys. You just have to want to do it. No excuses.

And remember...it's always difficult when you have to, but always easier when you want to.

....anybody there?

2009-02-04T16:42:00.002-06:00

Feeling lonely here guys, I think I've recieved one comment since I started this blog. Big sad face!

Not really looking for a pat on the back or a "way to go Kristi!", more like, "I'm trying to lose weight too!", or "Here's my weight-loss blog!", "Let's encourage each other!"

So is anyone reading? Anyone losing any weight yet? I'd love to hear something from you guys!

P.S. I was 0.4 pounds away from entering into the 1(something)'s this morning! Maybe tomorrow I'll leave the 1(more)'s behind. ;o)

A Good Week

2009-02-03T09:57:00.004-06:00

So after having a totally crappy week, I'm ashamed to admit was up a couple of pounds. :(

So I got back on track, worked my butt off exercising this week, and am happy to report I'm down another pound (actually lost 3 pounds this week, but 2 don't count since I had already lost them once, LOL).

So that brings my total to 23 pounds now. :)

Hope this week goes just as good. I'm one pound away from leaving the 1(something)0's behind. Still not comfortable with sharing my weight, not sure why. But it's exciting to leave the 1(something)0's in the dust and enter into the 1(better)0's.

Getting Back on Track

2009-01-29T10:32:00.002-06:00

So for the last few days I haven't been feeling well, therefore I haven't been exercising, and haven't been eating the greatest.

BUT, I haven't gained any weight! Woo-hoo!!

And I lost a pound last week (I never reported in on my weekly weigh-in) so that brings my total to 22 pounds. I think I'm going to exercise today for an hour. I really need to go grocery shopping...I'm out of "healthy" options.

Under all that Fat...There's a Hot Mama there Somewhere!

2009-01-23T22:04:00.004-06:00

So when I read other weight loss blogs, I love when people post pictures of themselves every now and then so I can see how the diet and/or exercise is working for them. I have been working super hard since I last shared a pic, so I thought it was time to update again.

Also wanted to remind everyone that if you have a bad week and don't see the numbers come off on the scales, it doesn't necessarily mean that you're not losing fat and inches. I've been doing the Biggest Loser DVD's and they work my muscles (especially my legs, which are HUGE muscles in your body) like crazy. So by gaining all of that muscle, the scales may not show it all, but trust me, you're shedding fat and inches.

So here I am, week 2 1/2 into the "new" diet and exercise program that I started. I've lost almost 8 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks! How freaking awesome is that?? And not just "oh everyone loses that when they first start a diet...it's water weight.." type of 8 pounds. I've lost several, several inches. Couldn't be happier about it!

New Pants.

2009-01-21T21:00:00.003-06:00

The only downside (if you can call it that) to losing weight, is when your clothes start to get way too big on you. And you don't want to go out and buy new clothes yet...because you're not sure what size you're going to get down to. So you deal with the over-sized clothes. But the problem with that is you can't really see that amazing body you've been working on! It's hidden underneath all of those frumpy clothes!

So I think I need a new pair of jeans. And maybe one cute shirt. For now. ;o)

Cheat Day

2009-01-20T23:11:00.003-06:00

Everyone needs a cheat day. I had my cheat day today. I went 2 whole weeks without cheating even once, a HUGE accomplishment for me!

So today I had a waffle for breakfast, a few cookies throughout the day, and a yummy dinner of turkey and mashed potatoes, where I totally stuffed myself. :)

I can honestly say that I'll be glad to get back to the diet tomorrow. Although the food was good, it was a good reminder that the food isn't as important to me as losing weight. I get much more pleasure out of seeing that I've lost a pound than eating a half a pan of brownies.

So have a cheat day every once in awhile, allow yourself to have some of those off-limits food, and get totally stuffed at dinner. Then get back on track the next day, and try to lose a couple more pounds this week. :)

P.S.

Has anyone started a diet/exercise program yet? How are you doing? You guys can post comments! Don't be shy!

Weekly Weigh-in

2009-01-20T15:40:00.003-06:00

I lost 2 pounds this week. Yay! That's what I was shooting for, so I was thrilled. If I lose 2 pounds/week for the next 2 weeks, I'll have lost 10 pounds this month. Which is awesome. I know it seems like you put in a lot of work and lose it soooo slowly, but it takes a lot of work to lose weight. You put it on slowly, and it will probably come off slowly.

It helps if you look at the big picture rather than focusing on the small weight loss weeks. Losing 2 pounds in one week may not seem like much, but losing 8-10 pounds in a month makes you feel pretty good. :)

My Waist is HOW Many Inches???

2009-01-18T14:59:00.003-06:00

I measured my waist today...just for reassurance that my body was changing at least a little bit. I was getting into sort of a slump and not feeling motivated at all.

So I got out the measuring tape....and my waist was...

35 inches!!!

I remeasured it like 5 times because I couldn't believe it. 35 inches!! That means in a little over a month, I have lost 2 inches off my waist. YAY!!!

It was a combination (I'm sure) of losing fat, and pulling my muscle wall in by doing sit-ups. It was pretty weak after the c-section with the triplets, so I'm sure all of those sit-ups have helped tremendously.

You can do this guys!! Do it for one month and I bet you will see HUGE results.

Inspirational Quotes

2009-01-18T13:40:00.002-06:00

I ran across some quotes today that were really inspiring- obviously these can all be applied in our lives just in general, but I thought they were very fitting for someone's weight loss journey. Here are some of my favorites.

Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.
–Winston Churchill

To succeed, we must first believe that we can.
–Michael Korda

Attitudes are contagious. Are yours worth catching?
-Dennis and Wendy Mannering

It's so hard when I have to, and so easy when I want to.
-Annie Gottlier

Turn your face to the sun and the shadows fall behind you.
-Maori Proverb

Don't say, "If I could, I would." Say, "If I can, I will."

It's kind of fun to do the impossible.
-Walt Disney

You can be pleased with nothing if you are not pleased with yourself.

If we don't change, we don't grow. If we don't grow, we are not really living.

Be what it is that you are seeking.
-Wayne Dyer

Feeling Blah.

2009-01-17T19:51:00.002-06:00

I knew today wouldn't be a good day from the moment I got out of bed. I didn't even weigh myself this morning (yes..I'm still weighing myself every morning...I need medication or therapy or something). I was having a fat day. You know em. You hate em just as much as I do.

So to top it all off, my dryer quit, and Davey and I got into it (being the helpful husband that he is, rather than offer to buy me a new dryer or fix the broken one, he hung ropes up in the (heated) garage for me to hang the clothes up. Nice.

Normally I would have been a total emotional eater on days like today. When I was super stressed, or Davey and I got into it, I'd eat crap all day long. It just made me feel better. I'm proud to say that it's 8:00 and I'm only at 1200 calories for the day.

But I still feel fat.

Tips

2009-01-16T19:54:00.004-06:00

Got a sweet tooth? Make a trip to the store and stock up on those 100 calorie snacks. My favs- Nabisco 100 calorie Oreo packs, Quaker 90 calorie mini-rice cakes with chocolate drizzle. Mmmmm.

For 140 calories, Skinny Cow makes some delicious ice cream sandwiches. I rarely have enough calories left to treat myself to one of these, but I do tonight!

Tip

2009-01-16T19:47:00.002-06:00

Jot down all of your calories you've consumed and burned on a sheet of paper during the day. I keep mine at my computer, that way when I eat something and I'm not sure how many calories were in it, I can look it up quick and jot it down. It's also a great reference because you can flip back through the past few days if you ate something similar you can just copy the calories from that instead of having to look it all up. Also write down how many calories you burnt during your workout.

It's a great way to keep on track of those calories to make sure you don't go over. And at the end of the day you can total it up and see what your calorie defecit was. For example, today I ate 1100 calories (it was a weird day..I didn't meet my minimum..whoops) and burnt 505 calories. My defecit today was 1100+505= 1605.

Workout Tip

2009-01-16T12:07:00.003-06:00

About 10-20 minutes before your workout, grab a snack. Something like a banana is great, because it will give you a boost in carbs and calories- which in turn will help you really kick some butt during your workout, and you'll wind up burning more calories.

Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred

2009-01-15T19:20:00.004-06:00

If you don't own this workout DVD, you must.

It's fast paced, but that's what I love about it. No messing around, no resting, just wam-bam-thank-you-maam kind of work out. (don't you hate it when you type out a word and it doesn't look right? Is maam right? My brain is mush right now. It's 7:30 and I just laid down 3/4 of my kids. It's been a long day)

Anyway, I have done Level 1 twice. The first time was the toughest, and I was a little sore the next day. But then I did it again, and it wasn't as bad. And I wasn't sore at all the next day. So today I decided to try Level 2, and it was just as fun as Level 1. A little bit tougher, but still really fast paced and fun. Well, I think it's fun. ;o)

Go buy it- it's a great workout. I want to buy the other Biggest Loser workout DVD's too.

Oh, and in case anyone's wondering, this particular DVD burns somewhere between 200-250 calories in about 25 minutes. 5 minutes is spent warming up and cooling down, the other 20 is pretty intense.

My Weight-Loss Plan

2009-01-15T00:37:00.000-06:00

I have recieved an overwhelming amount of emails from my other blog from girlies out there who are wanting to know how I'm losing all of this weight. And I would love to help someone out! That was my intention of writing this blog in the beginning.

I thought maybe I could use this post as a reference point for what weight loss plan I am using.

It is important to remember that this plan may not work for everyone. Also, I am not under the advisement of any doctors or personal trainers. I have done my own research online and have decided to try this weight loss plan. I may adjust it as needed, and probably will at some point in the future.

Ok chicas, what I'm doing here is not rocket science. (I say this because I really have no big secret. It's something that I've always read in magazines, but was always looking for that "miracle" diet)

All I'm doing is cutting calories and exercising. Easy.

I am eating 1300 calories a day, and exercising 5 days a week. I shoot for 250-500 calories to burn whenever I exercise.

I have replaced all of my bread and pasta with whole wheat, and I am eating lots of vegetables and fruits. Basically, I'm just eating an extremely healthy diet.

I go here to see how many calories I have burnt while exercising. You simply plug in your height and your weight, and what exercise you have just completed and for how long, and it will tell you how many calories you have burnt. (I currently am rotating between using an exercise bike, to speed walking/jogging, to working out to Jillian Michael's 30-day shred DVD).

If I'm not sure how many calories are in something I've eaten (or am thinking about eating) I go here to check.

It is very important to eat a minimum of 1300 calories (again...from what I've found online) If you find yourself in a rut after a few weeks on the diet, go down in calories for a couple of days, or go up in calories for a couple of days. Sometimes your metabolism just needs a temporary change in order to get going again.

I have only been on this particular plan for 9 days now. Prior to this I had done the South Beach Diet, which also worked well for me because I have PCOS. However, I found that diet too restrictive and there was no way I was going to be able to stick with it. With this new plan I am able to eat fruits and vegetables and whole grains, as long as I stay within my calorie limit of 1300/day.

If you ever have any questions, I'll do my best to try to answer them! I do not claim to have all of the answers. I'm trying to figure this all out as I go along! If in doubt, make an appointment with your M.D. and see what he thinks is the best plan for you. I'm quite sure that "my" plan would not be dangerous to attempt however. A healthy balanced diet with plenty of exercise- sounds like a brilliant weight loss plan doesn't it? Why hasn't someone thought of this before? I should so write a book when I'm done with all of this. ;o)

Oh, my goal is to lose another 43 pounds. So I'll be here awhile- hope you follow along!

Fat and Less Fat!

2009-01-14T16:57:00.000-06:00

As promised, my before and after pictures. The before pictures were taken in June, the after were taken today! Please don't show your husbands. I'm still not comfortable with my body. Well, you can show them the first pic if you want, but not the sports bra ones! Thanks guys! (the only people allowed to read this blog are: Mindy, Stephanie, Ashley, Mis and Mom. It's blocked from anyone else viewing it)

On a date with Davey in July. (ew) And on the right, lookin' pretty hot! (hahaha)

June vs. January. Look how fat my face was. OMG.

1 pound, 20 pounds!

My head is shrinking!

My ass is shrinking too! Awesome!

I DID IT!!!!

2009-01-14T09:34:00.000-06:00

I LOST 20 POUNDS!!!!!!!!!

I started mentally preparing myself for getting on the scales lastnight before I went to bed. "Ok...this has to be it. When I wake up, I'll have met my goal."

So I crawl out of bed (after 6 hours of sleep...but that's another story...) and go feed the boys breakfast. I'm too nervous to get on the scales. Then I finally tell myself that I have to.

I say a little prayer before stepping on the scales (ok, not really LOL, but I did say something like, "oh please oh please oh please..." before stepping on) and veeeeeery slowly, while peeking with one eye, step on.

The numbers register, and BAM!!! I LOST 20 POUNDS!!!!!

I actually got teary eyed. Is that weird?

I've been working my ass off for this first goal, and it felt soooo good to finally meet it.

I've only ever done this one other time in my entire life- right before I got pregnant with the triplets, I dropped 20 pounds after the doc put me on a low-carb diet to get my PCOS under control. But I only stayed at that 20 pound mark for like a day, then gained 10 of it back as soon as I started on my Follistim injections.

I am so proud of myself!!! I can't believe I actually did it!!

*doing the happy dance*

I plan on posting before and after pics later on today. Huge difference between now and June.

Weekly Weigh-in

2009-01-13T09:54:00.000-06:00

This week I lost..........

4 pounds!

I'm super excited about it, but it's sort of being overshadowed by the fact that I still didn't reach my 20 pound mark. I was within 3 tenths of a pound this morning. UGH! Maybe tomorrow will be the day for that though.

Today I'm going to try to be upbeat and positive and be happy with my 4 pound loss. Wouldn't it be fantastic to keep that rate of weight loss up? Unfortunately that probably won't be the case. I'll most likely only lose around 2 pounds a week from here on out. That's ok though, that would put me at losing 10 pounds for the month- which isn't too shabby. By that point I should be approaching the 30 pound mark- which will be pretty awesome. :)

After a good workout. I can tell my face is getting thinner.

Stuck.

2009-01-12T14:11:00.000-06:00

I still can't get to that 20 pound mark. And it is driving me insane. Like my body is hanging onto that last pound saying, "nope...sorry, you can't have it." Then it sticks it's tongue out at me (wait..wouldn't that be my tongue?) and says na-na-na-na-boo-boo.

I actually cried this morning when I weighed myself. COME ON! One more freaking pound and I'll have it! I've been working my butt off this week, and nope...it's just not going to let me have it.

Seriously. 1 more pound and I'll feel like I've accomplished something huge. Give it up body.

Workout Day 5

2009-01-11T13:00:00.000-06:00

I burnt a copy of Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred (thanks Shelb!) and tried it today. It was an excellent workout. It combines strength training with cardio and abs. It's about 25 minutes long, and you are bookin' it through the whole video! I really liked it though. I need to get some weights as most of the exercises you are supposed to use hand weights with. I highly recommend this video. I want to get some of the other Biggest Loser workout DVD's- I read some reviews and they're supposed to really kick your butt. Which is what I need. ;o)

I also did 30 minutes on the exercise bike after the DVD.

The video burned approx. 250 calories

Biking for 30 minutes (5.6 miles total distance) 311 calories

Total: 561 calories burnt

I'm hungry again already, apparently I burned off my breakfast. Time for a snack.

New Formula

2009-01-11T10:18:00.000-06:00

Ok, so after doing some more research, I think I need to eat more calories in order to lose weight more effectively.

I found this formula, which is pretty much what they lose on the biggest loser. (I do not intend to drop pounds like they do on the biggest loser...did you know they work out 5 to 6 hours a day? Whoa.)

1. Find your BMR (google BMR Calculator) Mine is 1677.

2. Take your weight x 7, and subtract that from your BMR. So for example if you weighed 150 pounds, take 150 x 7 = 1050. And your BMR was 1480. You take 1480- 1050 and get 430. This is your caloric daily deficit you should aim for. So if your BMR waw 1480, you should eat 430 fewer calories a day than your BMR.

According to my calculations, I should be eating 1365 calories a day. My deficit is 312 calories/day. You also add up all of your deficits during the week exercising, and when your total adds up to 3500, you should lose 1 pound of fat.

In order for me to lose 2 pounds/week (recommended) I would lose 2184 calories/wk on my 312/day caloric deficit. Add in 700 calories burnt a day exercising (4900 calories/wk) and I get 7084.

7084 divided by 3500 is 2. So I should lose 2 pounds a week if I follow this formula.

So on The Biggest Loser, they eat their minimum amount of calories. If they don't, they don't lose those big amounts of weight, and their trainers get very upset with them. I think their minimum for the girls is 1500 calories. But like I said, they are also working out 6 hours a day, which is why they lose 50-100 pounds in 6 weeks.

Bottom line is, if you don't eat your minimum amount of calories, your body is going to hang on to the calories you do eat and not let you burn it.

Meal example day 5

I wanted to up my calories today, so I added in some things.

Breakfast

2 eggs
1 piece whole wheat toast
1 cup (measured out) of milk

345 Calories

Tempting...

2009-01-10T15:33:00.000-06:00

Today was my first day away from my safety zone of healthy food. And I have to say, I am proud of myself.

Although we did go to McDonalds, I only had 240 calories.

How? I ordered the Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich w/no mayonaisse. And only ate the bottom bun. Did you know that the bun ALONE in that sandwich has 240 calories?? JUST THE BUN. Yeah. CRAZY.

If I weren't dieting, what I would have ordered:

Classic Grilled Chicken Sandwich w/mayonaisse (420 cal)
Large Fry (500 cal)
Large Sweet Tea (230 cal)

Which would have come out to a whopping 1150 calories. O.M.G. That is so insane!!!!! That's more than I should be eating in an entire DAY on this diet.

Listen to me when I say this people...stay away from fast food if you are on a diet! I know that should be a no brainer...but I had never stopped to see exactly how many calories were in a meal. Or if I did, I just didn't care.

The big weigh-in is in 3 days. Any guesses on how much weight I will lose in the first week? Remember...I'm shooting for 2-3 pounds.

Working my butt off...literally.

2009-01-09T13:20:00.000-06:00

So I have realized that I am a compulsive weigher-in person. I can't keep myself off those dang scales. I weigh myself before I go to bed, and when I get up in the morning. Why?? It's some sort of an OCD thing I think. I don't have OCD...except when it comes to scales apparently.

Today I went walking/jogging cross country and burnt like 500 calories.(see, told ya. Working my butt off..) It's 1:30 and I've burnt more calories today than I've eaten. Is that bad?

I've had an egg, a piece of whole wheat toast, some creamer in my coffee, and orange and a kiwi today. Which comes out to 300 calories. So I'm -200 for the day so far.

And yesterday I only ate 900 calories, and burnt 311. I'm still eating lunch, breakfast and dinner, I'm just eating healthy things like veggies and fruits, and they really don't have that many calories in them. I'm not letting myself go hungry by any means.

Oh well, we'll see how the weight loss goes this week and if I need to adjust anything next week.