Had a great workout day. Met with my trainer this morning and had a good hour of strength training. It's been a weird warm couple of days here in Ohio and that for some reason makes the gym HOT. I was already starting to sweat before I even got off the treadmill from warming up. By the end of the hour I was a gross mess! But it felt awesome. It's sometimes still hard for me to not get bothered that I can't do more...I feel like I shouldn't get out of breath so easily or have to rest so much. I hate when Aaron says 'just catch your breath for a second, it's ok'. But then I try to remember where I was when I started and how I could never have done any of the things I am doing now back then. I always feel like I should apologize if I have to rest, or if I have a hard time with something...I try not to but I just don't want him to think that I'm weak or something. He has another client and whenever she says something negative he makes her do burpees. He reminds me of that sometimes and asks if I want to do burpees...that usually shuts me right up. ;)
After training today I decided to kill another hour or so on the treadmill while Luke was still at the gym's childcare center. It was awesome! Felt so good. I haven't tried to run a whole lot since my hip had been hurting but it's been feeling a lot better so the other day I decided just to give it a shot. Jami and I had walked for about 5 or so miles so when we were done I decided to just try it for a quarter mile. The hip has been feeling so much better, and I really have no explanation as to why. I tried a different pair of shoes for a couple of weeks and that seemed to help, but I was getting blisters so horribly that I went back to my old ones. So I tried that quarter mile and it went awesome! Look, I know that's basically nothing, but with how bad my hip had been aching it was a lot, and the C25K I was doing only had me at 1 min at a time. I was proud of myself! So today, I decided it was half mile time. I walked a mile and a half and then turned it up and just told myself to get to 2 miles. And I did! I actually probably could have gone a little longer...and that is AFTER an hour of training! I am really feeling excited about my progress. I can't wait to hop on the treadmill and see how far I can go when I'm not already worn out. And guess what......no hip pain! I can't believe it feels so much better. I guess all I had to do was make an appointment with the doctor haha:) If this keeps up I'm just going to cancel it. Yay!
So excited for the future! I love this feeling of strength:) I can do this!!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Success!
This week has felt like the longest week ever! Last weekend I was so sick with an awful stomach virus, and now this weekend Jeff has a bug. On top of that Luke and I both are sick (maybe a sinus infection for me) and it is freezing cold outside. I can't wait for Spring!!
Lots of successes to share today! My weight this morning was 218.4! I am SO excited! That is down 1.8 from last week and 42.6 total. This number for me is awesome for a number of reasons:
* I made my Valentines Day goal! And 2+ weeks early! I wanted to be under 220 by Valentines Day and here we are! I'd love to get under 215 by then since I have a couple weeks but we'll see how it goes. I did super great this week and lost 1.8 so I think it's finally slowing down/evening out. Which is fine! 1-2 pounds a week is perfect.
* I'm out of the 220's! I can't even remember the last time that happened. It is SO nice to see the teens on the scale. And even closer to a 211 which will be 50 pounds which will feel amazing:)
* My BMI is finally under 40!!! So exciting! Still ridiculous and I have a long way to go but I was really looking forward to finally being out of the 40's so that is awesome.
A couple of other NSV's (non-scale victories:) this week too!
* I realized that I can button my winter coat all the way down instead of just the top two buttons. It is a Liz Claiborne size 16, which I totally don't understand because I'm not even close to wearing size 16 jeans yet but I'll take it!
* I was able to put on and button my TIGHT jeans with no problem! I bought them after Luke was born thinking they would fit in a week or two and I have never been able to wear them. They are super low rise and I haven't even been able to button them. On a whim I tried them on yesterday morning and lo and behold! I still want to wait a couple more weeks to wear them out because I still have a heck of a muffin top but I'm on my way! :)
* I am wearing my old gym shirts again! I bought them when I was at my lowest weight with Mandy and stopped when I got pregnant. I haven't been able to wear them since, they were just too tight and uncomfortable after Luke was born. I put one on the other day just to give it a shot and they fit better then ever!
* Lastly, I was going through my closet trying to find something to wear and decided to put on a 14/16 shirt that I haven't worn in forever. I tried it a few months ago and it was so tight it was ridiculous. It's been hiding in my closet ever since (where it's been for a couple years). I tried it on and here it is.....
Wooo Hoooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Lots of successes to share today! My weight this morning was 218.4! I am SO excited! That is down 1.8 from last week and 42.6 total. This number for me is awesome for a number of reasons:
* I made my Valentines Day goal! And 2+ weeks early! I wanted to be under 220 by Valentines Day and here we are! I'd love to get under 215 by then since I have a couple weeks but we'll see how it goes. I did super great this week and lost 1.8 so I think it's finally slowing down/evening out. Which is fine! 1-2 pounds a week is perfect.
* I'm out of the 220's! I can't even remember the last time that happened. It is SO nice to see the teens on the scale. And even closer to a 211 which will be 50 pounds which will feel amazing:)
* My BMI is finally under 40!!! So exciting! Still ridiculous and I have a long way to go but I was really looking forward to finally being out of the 40's so that is awesome.
A couple of other NSV's (non-scale victories:) this week too!
* I realized that I can button my winter coat all the way down instead of just the top two buttons. It is a Liz Claiborne size 16, which I totally don't understand because I'm not even close to wearing size 16 jeans yet but I'll take it!
* I was able to put on and button my TIGHT jeans with no problem! I bought them after Luke was born thinking they would fit in a week or two and I have never been able to wear them. They are super low rise and I haven't even been able to button them. On a whim I tried them on yesterday morning and lo and behold! I still want to wait a couple more weeks to wear them out because I still have a heck of a muffin top but I'm on my way! :)
* I am wearing my old gym shirts again! I bought them when I was at my lowest weight with Mandy and stopped when I got pregnant. I haven't been able to wear them since, they were just too tight and uncomfortable after Luke was born. I put one on the other day just to give it a shot and they fit better then ever!
* Lastly, I was going through my closet trying to find something to wear and decided to put on a 14/16 shirt that I haven't worn in forever. I tried it a few months ago and it was so tight it was ridiculous. It's been hiding in my closet ever since (where it's been for a couple years). I tried it on and here it is.....
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Pumped!
This week has been pretty good so far...other than being ridiculously sick all day Sunday (my son's 24 hr bug got me good!) I've got a couple pretty good workouts in and my eating has been perfect. Definitely craving some chips and/or chocolate tonight but I made myself walk away from the cabinets. I decided I'd treat myself and have my yogurt with some 'lite' cool whip tonight...unfortunately when I got it out I realized I bought it at Christmas (don't judge me!) so I had to throw it out. So I froze the yogurt instead and am having 'ice cream'. Luckily the cravings have passed.
I'm feeling really good about this process. Usually when I have tried to focus more on my eating and cut out a lot of the foods I know are hindering me I get really frustrated and I can never seem to make it more than a week or two. It has been almost a month and I really feel like this is my life...not a diet, not a temporary thing, not something I'm doing until I hit a certain weight. I definitely think that starting to eat meat again has helped me immensely...I get so excited to have a salad with chicken it's almost funny. It doesn't seem like a diet. Which I guess is the goal!
One thing that helps me so much is to read other people's success stories and see their pictures. There is an abundance of pages on facebook and blogs out there with the stories of people who have lost tons of weight along with the pictures to prove it. I eat that stuff up. Especially when it is someone with a similar story or who started at the same weight I did. I saw a picture earlier this month...it was a side by side of a girl at last New Years and this New Years. She was a totally different person! THAT is going to be me. I picture myself in my own side by side picture...thinner, stronger, healthier...changed. THAT is what I think about when I want to raid the fridge, when I want to cancel on my trainer, or drive through McDonald's. I have made the decision that this year is the year I put an end to the struggle. This is my year and I will not look back.
I'm feeling really good about this process. Usually when I have tried to focus more on my eating and cut out a lot of the foods I know are hindering me I get really frustrated and I can never seem to make it more than a week or two. It has been almost a month and I really feel like this is my life...not a diet, not a temporary thing, not something I'm doing until I hit a certain weight. I definitely think that starting to eat meat again has helped me immensely...I get so excited to have a salad with chicken it's almost funny. It doesn't seem like a diet. Which I guess is the goal!
One thing that helps me so much is to read other people's success stories and see their pictures. There is an abundance of pages on facebook and blogs out there with the stories of people who have lost tons of weight along with the pictures to prove it. I eat that stuff up. Especially when it is someone with a similar story or who started at the same weight I did. I saw a picture earlier this month...it was a side by side of a girl at last New Years and this New Years. She was a totally different person! THAT is going to be me. I picture myself in my own side by side picture...thinner, stronger, healthier...changed. THAT is what I think about when I want to raid the fridge, when I want to cancel on my trainer, or drive through McDonald's. I have made the decision that this year is the year I put an end to the struggle. This is my year and I will not look back.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Change your mind...
Things are going well! After my self-inflicted scale frustration earlier this week I thought maybe I'd focus the rest of the week on my water intake...that is something that I have not been doing well with until now. I love my diet soda!! But I know it's not good for me. So since I've gotten pretty good with eating healthy lately I thought I would try to up the water intake too.
It must have really helped me out because this morning I weighed in at 220.2!! That is 3.2 pounds down this week. I am so excited and proud of myself. I've decided on Saturday (officially, I swear!) as my weigh-in day and I will NOT weigh through the week. I have to have faith in myself that as long as I am on track and doing what I know will get me healthy the results will show one way or another. I am down 11.8 pounds since the first of the year and 40.8 pounds total from my heaviest weight. And even more exciting is that my first goal was to be under 220 by Valentines Day...only .3 pounds to hit that goal and I still have 3 1/2 weeks to go. Yay! This really gives me faith that my goals are attainable.
Jeff was joking with me that I better slow down or I'm not going to rock the 90-day challenge the way I want to. And I have to admit, it does make me wish the challenge had started a couple of weeks ago! When the day comes (the kick-off is the weekend of February 9th) I plan to keep up what I'm doing but really hone in on the exercise. I am still only working out steadily 3x a week, along with a mini-weight lift session at home here and there. I have BIG goals for this challenge, and I want to do everything I can to win it. So I am going to keep up the focus on the clean eating (including tightening up on my 'loose' day) and add in lots more exercise and of course the dreaded water:) Participating in this challenge is just extra motivation...it ends in May and my Chicago goal is in June so it's perfect timing.
I've heard this before but I saw it again on FB the other day...it's so true that if you change your mind, you change your body. My mind is changed and my body is on it's way;)
It must have really helped me out because this morning I weighed in at 220.2!! That is 3.2 pounds down this week. I am so excited and proud of myself. I've decided on Saturday (officially, I swear!) as my weigh-in day and I will NOT weigh through the week. I have to have faith in myself that as long as I am on track and doing what I know will get me healthy the results will show one way or another. I am down 11.8 pounds since the first of the year and 40.8 pounds total from my heaviest weight. And even more exciting is that my first goal was to be under 220 by Valentines Day...only .3 pounds to hit that goal and I still have 3 1/2 weeks to go. Yay! This really gives me faith that my goals are attainable.
Jeff was joking with me that I better slow down or I'm not going to rock the 90-day challenge the way I want to. And I have to admit, it does make me wish the challenge had started a couple of weeks ago! When the day comes (the kick-off is the weekend of February 9th) I plan to keep up what I'm doing but really hone in on the exercise. I am still only working out steadily 3x a week, along with a mini-weight lift session at home here and there. I have BIG goals for this challenge, and I want to do everything I can to win it. So I am going to keep up the focus on the clean eating (including tightening up on my 'loose' day) and add in lots more exercise and of course the dreaded water:) Participating in this challenge is just extra motivation...it ends in May and my Chicago goal is in June so it's perfect timing.
I've heard this before but I saw it again on FB the other day...it's so true that if you change your mind, you change your body. My mind is changed and my body is on it's way;)
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Weight Wars
If there was ever a day that made me want to binge eat today would be it!! My poor little boy is sick, and we spent all night cleaning up, doing laundry, cuddling him, and it still went on into the morning. Now he has a fever and an awful headache. My poor guy! On top of that, the baby doesn't make it easy to focus on Ian since he wants held all day long. I wish I had another set of hands!
So I am really having a battle with the scale. Not the scale really but with the urge to weigh-in. A couple years ago I was so obsessed with it...I would weigh in every single day, sometimes multiple times a day. I drove myself insane! Not to mention that if I happened to go up a pound or something my whole day was ruined and I usually got off track with the frustration. So I really taught myself to stop doing that...stop monitoring it so closely and focus more on the effort and changes in my body than numbers on the scale. A couple weeks ago when I decided to really get down to business I vowed I would only weigh once a week. I did great the first week or two but this week I just had this big urge to check it yesterday. Well lo and behold I was up 2 pounds!! I didn't panic, I didn't get upset, I buckled down (although I already was doing perfectly fine so I'm not sure where it came from..probably water weight) and kept at it. So today I got up and thought, I bet it's back to normal now, so I weighed in again!! And it was the same as yesterday. So frustrating! I'm not even that mad at the weight, I'm mad at myself for checking it! Logically I know the reasons for the change...it could be hormonal, I could have to go to the bathroom (sorry, it's the truth ;), it could be water weight, it could be a lot of things! And I still have 4 more days before I weigh in officially. So I promise, I will NOT weigh in more than once a week. I will not weigh again until Sunday. And I also promise that even if Sunday's results aren't what I want I will NOT get frustrated and I will keep going. This is my life and I am learning how to lead it as a healthy strong woman. Not a quitter. No matter the ups and downs, I'm in this for the long haul!
So I am really having a battle with the scale. Not the scale really but with the urge to weigh-in. A couple years ago I was so obsessed with it...I would weigh in every single day, sometimes multiple times a day. I drove myself insane! Not to mention that if I happened to go up a pound or something my whole day was ruined and I usually got off track with the frustration. So I really taught myself to stop doing that...stop monitoring it so closely and focus more on the effort and changes in my body than numbers on the scale. A couple weeks ago when I decided to really get down to business I vowed I would only weigh once a week. I did great the first week or two but this week I just had this big urge to check it yesterday. Well lo and behold I was up 2 pounds!! I didn't panic, I didn't get upset, I buckled down (although I already was doing perfectly fine so I'm not sure where it came from..probably water weight) and kept at it. So today I got up and thought, I bet it's back to normal now, so I weighed in again!! And it was the same as yesterday. So frustrating! I'm not even that mad at the weight, I'm mad at myself for checking it! Logically I know the reasons for the change...it could be hormonal, I could have to go to the bathroom (sorry, it's the truth ;), it could be water weight, it could be a lot of things! And I still have 4 more days before I weigh in officially. So I promise, I will NOT weigh in more than once a week. I will not weigh again until Sunday. And I also promise that even if Sunday's results aren't what I want I will NOT get frustrated and I will keep going. This is my life and I am learning how to lead it as a healthy strong woman. Not a quitter. No matter the ups and downs, I'm in this for the long haul!
Tuesday, January 15, 2013
Blahhh
Had an okay day today. Eating wise I did perfect, and I even got some weight lifting in at home after the kids were in bed (which unfortunately was interrupted by my poor little Ian waking up sick. :( Got him cleaned up and back in bed...hopefully that's the worst of it). It was a busy day as I was FINALLY putting all the Christmas decorations away, doing laundry, trying to straighten the house...all that fun stuff. I've been a little stressed the last day or so but I still did awesome with my eating despite wanting to shove my face full of everything in my pantry! I am learning to really like salad... I never thought I would be saying that! I decided on Thanksgiving to end my almost 10 years as a vegetarian. I didn't have the passion for it that I once did, and I was desperately trying to make any changes that could improve my health and my eating habits. You can TOTALLY be healthy as a vegetarian but unfortunately I was never that great at finding non-meat sources of protein...I was more a carbotarian;) So I bit the bullet and went back to eating meat, and I'm not going to lie, it has really helped. Being able to eat chicken, turkey, even beef, really helps me eat healthier meals. It's also the reason I think I am starting to love salad...I had totally forgotten how good grilled chicken tastes!
I think I am just so-so today because I am a little down in the dumps about my hip. In fact, I am super blah today because for some reason my knee is throbbing, and on Sunday I somehow screwed up my rotator cuff in my shoulder. I am a mess!! But my hip is the ongoing issue...I was trying some new shoes and I really thought that was fixing the problem. In fact, after wearing them a couple of times I was sure that my old shoes were the issue and I was stoked! I was so confident I decided to try a jog. The pain came back with a vengeance. In fact, it's been 5 days since I ran and it is still sore. We have tried absolutely everything to correct this problem and it's just not working. So today I finally contacted an orthopaedic surgeon to make an appointment to have it looked at. It has made me so frustrated because I feel like I could be doing so much more if I didn't have this pain. And if I want to win the 90-day competition I definitely will want to do much more. So hopefully this doc will get me back on the right track!
I think I am just so-so today because I am a little down in the dumps about my hip. In fact, I am super blah today because for some reason my knee is throbbing, and on Sunday I somehow screwed up my rotator cuff in my shoulder. I am a mess!! But my hip is the ongoing issue...I was trying some new shoes and I really thought that was fixing the problem. In fact, after wearing them a couple of times I was sure that my old shoes were the issue and I was stoked! I was so confident I decided to try a jog. The pain came back with a vengeance. In fact, it's been 5 days since I ran and it is still sore. We have tried absolutely everything to correct this problem and it's just not working. So today I finally contacted an orthopaedic surgeon to make an appointment to have it looked at. It has made me so frustrated because I feel like I could be doing so much more if I didn't have this pain. And if I want to win the 90-day competition I definitely will want to do much more. So hopefully this doc will get me back on the right track!
Monday, January 14, 2013
The Pressure's On..
Another 2.6 pounds this week- I'm at 223.4! I'm very excited about this one for a couple of reasons....first I weighed in a day early because I knew I was going out for a big dinner that night and I wanted to use that as my loose day. Second, since I lost so much last week I wasn't expecting much this week (anyone see The Biggest Loser the second week? LOL:). Lastly, the morning I weighed in my scale was being so funky...I really think my weight might have been lower from what it was reading but I didn't want to cheat it so I took this one. I only have 3.5 pounds left before I hit my first goal....being under 220 by Valentine's Day!! And I have a month to go. It feels good to be on such a good track. And I try not to look at the BIG picture too often...but tonight it's a little exciting for me to think that only 62.4 pounds and I'll have hit 100 pounds lost!
My trainer brought something up to me the other day that has been on my mind ever since. There is another 90-day challenge starting in early February. This challenge and I have a love/hate relationship. The first time I entered it I hadn't started with Mandy yet...I did wonderfully for a month or so and then went straight downhill and didn't even go to the final weigh-in. The second time I had just started working with her and all the magic was happening....I did amazing. I lost almost 30 pounds and I won the club competition. It was SUCH an amazing experience and I was so excited and happy and proud of myself!! A few months later I got pregnant with Luke and he was born in June. In August they started another 90-day competition and I entered, sure that I'd be able to do wonderfully since I was coming back from being pregnant. It was much too ambitious so soon after having Luke and for the second time, I didn't go back to the final weigh-in because I knew I hadn't made much progress.
So here we are, with another 90-day challenge looming and I have to decide whether I'm in or out. Initially I told him no way, not again! But the more I've thought about it the more I think it might be a good decision for me right now. I am super motivated and I have specific goals I am trying to reach...this can really help me stay focused and can provide just the right about of pressure to keep my mind where it needs to be. I have Jami and Aaron (my trainers) who are so amazing and supportive (as well as Mandy who, although not here is always cheering me on) and who would love nothing more than to help me win. In fact, the last challenge Jami's client came in 2nd and Aaron's came in 3rd...together I'd have to get 1st, right?
So I signed up. :)
My trainer brought something up to me the other day that has been on my mind ever since. There is another 90-day challenge starting in early February. This challenge and I have a love/hate relationship. The first time I entered it I hadn't started with Mandy yet...I did wonderfully for a month or so and then went straight downhill and didn't even go to the final weigh-in. The second time I had just started working with her and all the magic was happening....I did amazing. I lost almost 30 pounds and I won the club competition. It was SUCH an amazing experience and I was so excited and happy and proud of myself!! A few months later I got pregnant with Luke and he was born in June. In August they started another 90-day competition and I entered, sure that I'd be able to do wonderfully since I was coming back from being pregnant. It was much too ambitious so soon after having Luke and for the second time, I didn't go back to the final weigh-in because I knew I hadn't made much progress.
So here we are, with another 90-day challenge looming and I have to decide whether I'm in or out. Initially I told him no way, not again! But the more I've thought about it the more I think it might be a good decision for me right now. I am super motivated and I have specific goals I am trying to reach...this can really help me stay focused and can provide just the right about of pressure to keep my mind where it needs to be. I have Jami and Aaron (my trainers) who are so amazing and supportive (as well as Mandy who, although not here is always cheering me on) and who would love nothing more than to help me win. In fact, the last challenge Jami's client came in 2nd and Aaron's came in 3rd...together I'd have to get 1st, right?
So I signed up. :)
Friday, January 11, 2013
I Promise...
A little over two weeks have passed since I really started trying to focus a LOT more on this journey. Since Christmas my eating habits have taken a 180 and I am pretty proud of myself! Since Luke was born I've been working so hard on trying to fit in exercise and keep my PT appointments, etc. but I have been so loose in my eating habits until now. I am so proud of the 30-some pounds I have lost over the past two years, but I really want to step up my progress. At this time next year I will be a different person...I am promising myself that. And to anyone reading...this will not be just a resolution that a month from now I will have forgotten. It will be one of the hardest things I have ever done, but I will do it. I know there will be struggles and bumps in the road...over the past two weeks I have already had challenges and hard days where all I want to do is stuff my face...but I didn't fall off track. I have allowed myself treats (currently I use my weigh-in day as a day to have a little more leniency...I'll have dessert and a meal that I wouldn't normally have. But I don't go crazy!) and I have had things that I like...I haven't felt deprived. When I feel like I am getting into an 'all or nothing' mindset I remind myself that if I can't do this forever, it's not going to work. I want to change my lifestyle for good and I want to raise my kids to be healthy and happy. I want to be a healthy and strong mother and wife for my family...and hell, myself! I am worth this hard work and this effort.
It is an everyday, almost every minute, conscientious decision to make choices that better this journey. I follow numerous pages on facebook that revolve around fitness, health and weight loss, and that is really helpful to keep my motivation up and keep me going. Writing in this blog helps keep me going...sharing my progress, successes and struggles with friends, on facebook, this all helps keep me going. I will spend every single day for a long time into the future concentrating on this journey. But it will be worth it. I was reading a story about someone who had completely changed their life and lost a significant amount of weight. They had a picture of themselves at New Years the year before, and then one next to it of themselves the next year, and it looked like a new person. That will be me, I promise you. I can't wait to see MY picture.
It is an everyday, almost every minute, conscientious decision to make choices that better this journey. I follow numerous pages on facebook that revolve around fitness, health and weight loss, and that is really helpful to keep my motivation up and keep me going. Writing in this blog helps keep me going...sharing my progress, successes and struggles with friends, on facebook, this all helps keep me going. I will spend every single day for a long time into the future concentrating on this journey. But it will be worth it. I was reading a story about someone who had completely changed their life and lost a significant amount of weight. They had a picture of themselves at New Years the year before, and then one next to it of themselves the next year, and it looked like a new person. That will be me, I promise you. I can't wait to see MY picture.
Wednesday, January 9, 2013
Gym Rat
Today was a great day. I spent nearly all day visiting with friends, and finished up the night with my 'Lifegroup' (small Bible study group from church:). I am exhausted but happy and feeling really thankful for all the awesome people I have in my life. I had a great eating day...lots of fruits and veggies and protein and I did a good job avoiding temptation...we still have some leftover candy from Christmas around and it was calling to me today like crazy! (I know, I know, throw it out! but 1) my son does get some here and there as a treat and 2) candy is ok once in awhile! I will never be about making a food 100% off limits). I stopped eating when I was full, I chose wheat/grains instead of white carbs, picked healthy snacks...all in all it was a successful day.
Even on days like this though, there is still always something on my mind. Exercise. Before I delivered Luke I was at the gym almost 6 days a week most weeks. I had personal training and/or pilates 3x a week and a weight loss cardio group 3x a week. When I got pregnant I kept going, just with modifications. Then I gave birth to our second baby and life went pretty crazy for quite awhile. Little by little I managed to get back to the gym but I'm still not back in that groove. I have PT once a week, private pilates once a week and a PT cardio once a week. I also have tried to add a short weight lifting sessions at home once or twice a week but that's only about 20-30 minutes. It's really hard to not be there every day like I used to be...but I just feel right now like it is so challenging to even get out of the house with 2 kids...thinking of doing it daily is so overwhelming. It's even harder with Luke because the gym daycare won't change diapers and they require a reservation for infants so it's a little limiting. But on the other hand I am so craving that activity. For a month or two after Luke was born I didn't even care about the gym too much, but now I am really starting to miss that old routine.
The other issue is my hip. Since the baby my hip has been really annoying, sometimes downright painful. My trainers and I have been working on it a ton...doing special stretches, special movements, different things in pilates and even working on the way I walk to try and correct it. I just switched to some new shoes and it seems to be helping so I am crossing my fingers and am hopeful! But it's gotten me a little down in the dumps lately...I really want to run! I started the C25K program again a few weeks ago but had to put it on hold because my hip was throbbing so badly when I would run that I couldn't take it. I have a lot of friends right now that have gotten into running and I would love to get back at it too! I miss it and I really think it could help me (physically and mentally) with my weight loss/body transformation! I used to run about 3 miles 3 or 4 times a week so I know I can do it, it's just a matter of my body agreeing with me again.
I don't know where I'm going here, I guess I'm just venting frustration. I wish I had more time, I wish it were easier to tote 2 kids around, and I wish my hip didn't hurt. I just have to take things day by day I guess. I am going to keep working on my hip issue, trying out these new shoes and stretching. I am going to try to look at my days and really see when/if I can fit in some extra sessions here and there. And I WILL get back to running. I really really want to do some 5K's this year at least. And I'm going to try to not be so hard on myself. :) I'm doing the best I can right now. And hey, at least it gives me something to work towards! This year is going to be MY year.
Even on days like this though, there is still always something on my mind. Exercise. Before I delivered Luke I was at the gym almost 6 days a week most weeks. I had personal training and/or pilates 3x a week and a weight loss cardio group 3x a week. When I got pregnant I kept going, just with modifications. Then I gave birth to our second baby and life went pretty crazy for quite awhile. Little by little I managed to get back to the gym but I'm still not back in that groove. I have PT once a week, private pilates once a week and a PT cardio once a week. I also have tried to add a short weight lifting sessions at home once or twice a week but that's only about 20-30 minutes. It's really hard to not be there every day like I used to be...but I just feel right now like it is so challenging to even get out of the house with 2 kids...thinking of doing it daily is so overwhelming. It's even harder with Luke because the gym daycare won't change diapers and they require a reservation for infants so it's a little limiting. But on the other hand I am so craving that activity. For a month or two after Luke was born I didn't even care about the gym too much, but now I am really starting to miss that old routine.
The other issue is my hip. Since the baby my hip has been really annoying, sometimes downright painful. My trainers and I have been working on it a ton...doing special stretches, special movements, different things in pilates and even working on the way I walk to try and correct it. I just switched to some new shoes and it seems to be helping so I am crossing my fingers and am hopeful! But it's gotten me a little down in the dumps lately...I really want to run! I started the C25K program again a few weeks ago but had to put it on hold because my hip was throbbing so badly when I would run that I couldn't take it. I have a lot of friends right now that have gotten into running and I would love to get back at it too! I miss it and I really think it could help me (physically and mentally) with my weight loss/body transformation! I used to run about 3 miles 3 or 4 times a week so I know I can do it, it's just a matter of my body agreeing with me again.
I don't know where I'm going here, I guess I'm just venting frustration. I wish I had more time, I wish it were easier to tote 2 kids around, and I wish my hip didn't hurt. I just have to take things day by day I guess. I am going to keep working on my hip issue, trying out these new shoes and stretching. I am going to try to look at my days and really see when/if I can fit in some extra sessions here and there. And I WILL get back to running. I really really want to do some 5K's this year at least. And I'm going to try to not be so hard on myself. :) I'm doing the best I can right now. And hey, at least it gives me something to work towards! This year is going to be MY year.
Monday, January 7, 2013
My Friend Noom!
If you know me at all, even just a little bit, you know I have always struggled with eating a balanced and healthy diet. Even when I was 'dieting' I wasn't exactly healthy...it was always all or nothing. I was either eating NO sweets, NO carbs, and all fruits and veggies or I was screwing it up and would throw in the towel and binge eat like crazy. I would get obsessed over counting calories, or measuring portions exactly and it would drive me nuts. When you have a disordered eating pattern/history those things can really get into your head. I am TOTALLY not saying that counting calories is bad, or that measuring isn't a good idea, I'm just saying that it messes with MY head. It always ends up being counterproductive to what I am trying to accomplish.
So I have been ecstatic to discover a new app on my phone called Noom Weight Loss Coach. (I am not getting a kickback or anything LOL I just really really like it!). It has several areas including a workout log (tracks calories, distance, etc), a weigh-in log (gives you a chart and everything) and it turns your phone into a pedometer so you can track your steps per day (it even gives you a daily target to hit!). Every day it gives you a couple cool articles to read about your health (either about food choices, exercise habits, vitamins, etc.) and it also gives you several goals to achieve daily and as you reach them you get points. The more points you get the higher level you reach in the "Noom Weight Loss Coach" program. Great motivation for me! But the BEST part for me personally is their food tracker. You log your meals every day but it's a totally different system then what I'm used to....it's LOOSELY by calorie and measurement but mostly by color! All foods fall into either a red, yellow or green food category and your goal is to eat 50% green, 35% yellow and 15% red. When you log a food it asks you how much you eat based on the size compared to, say, a ping pong ball, golf ball, tennis ball or softball. So I don't get hung up on the EXACT measurement. It also loosely tracks the calories depending on the color. Obviously veggies and fruit are green, as well as FF yogurt, brown rice, beans, etc.. Lean meats, most breads and nuts, white rice etc. are yellow and high fat items are red, like beef, bacon, fried foods, full fat dressings, etc.. It is the easiest food tracker I have ever come across and it is so motivating. It even shows your day broken down by color in a pie graph....it pumps me up to get the most green that I can! I feel so silly getting so excited about it but I have never done this well tracking food before...not to mention since I have done this strictly for a week I have had a lot more energy than I have in a long time. And it's nice to know I can have some red foods too...last night I had a piece of boston creme pie for dessert. :) And I'm going to be honest...I've even had bacon a few times!! I think anyone that struggles with an all or nothing thinking when it comes to food could definitely use this app....it has totally changed my way of viewing what I'm eating. So awesome!!!
And here's the BEST part friends....I weighed in Sunday morning. I was so excited to see that the scale read 226!!!!! Six pounds in one week! Totally not expecting that weekly (obviously...not healthy anyway) but using this app I drastically changed my eating habits (and let's face it...my eating habits over the holiday were horrible! So this has been my first focused week in a while;) and really started eating much much healthier. And this was the result. I think my body was in shock from all the fruits, veggies, chicken, yogurt, etc. this week haha! Especially exciting that I accomplished this without feeling deprived or hungry. Only 7 more pounds to hit my Valentines goal! So excited!
So I have been ecstatic to discover a new app on my phone called Noom Weight Loss Coach. (I am not getting a kickback or anything LOL I just really really like it!). It has several areas including a workout log (tracks calories, distance, etc), a weigh-in log (gives you a chart and everything) and it turns your phone into a pedometer so you can track your steps per day (it even gives you a daily target to hit!). Every day it gives you a couple cool articles to read about your health (either about food choices, exercise habits, vitamins, etc.) and it also gives you several goals to achieve daily and as you reach them you get points. The more points you get the higher level you reach in the "Noom Weight Loss Coach" program. Great motivation for me! But the BEST part for me personally is their food tracker. You log your meals every day but it's a totally different system then what I'm used to....it's LOOSELY by calorie and measurement but mostly by color! All foods fall into either a red, yellow or green food category and your goal is to eat 50% green, 35% yellow and 15% red. When you log a food it asks you how much you eat based on the size compared to, say, a ping pong ball, golf ball, tennis ball or softball. So I don't get hung up on the EXACT measurement. It also loosely tracks the calories depending on the color. Obviously veggies and fruit are green, as well as FF yogurt, brown rice, beans, etc.. Lean meats, most breads and nuts, white rice etc. are yellow and high fat items are red, like beef, bacon, fried foods, full fat dressings, etc.. It is the easiest food tracker I have ever come across and it is so motivating. It even shows your day broken down by color in a pie graph....it pumps me up to get the most green that I can! I feel so silly getting so excited about it but I have never done this well tracking food before...not to mention since I have done this strictly for a week I have had a lot more energy than I have in a long time. And it's nice to know I can have some red foods too...last night I had a piece of boston creme pie for dessert. :) And I'm going to be honest...I've even had bacon a few times!! I think anyone that struggles with an all or nothing thinking when it comes to food could definitely use this app....it has totally changed my way of viewing what I'm eating. So awesome!!!
And here's the BEST part friends....I weighed in Sunday morning. I was so excited to see that the scale read 226!!!!! Six pounds in one week! Totally not expecting that weekly (obviously...not healthy anyway) but using this app I drastically changed my eating habits (and let's face it...my eating habits over the holiday were horrible! So this has been my first focused week in a while;) and really started eating much much healthier. And this was the result. I think my body was in shock from all the fruits, veggies, chicken, yogurt, etc. this week haha! Especially exciting that I accomplished this without feeling deprived or hungry. Only 7 more pounds to hit my Valentines goal! So excited!
Friday, January 4, 2013
The Year of Me
So I have a friend that gives each year a theme. Last year her theme was "The Year of Us" and she focused that year on her relationship with her husband. She planned special things throughout the year for the two of them, and just spent a lot of time concentrating on growing their relationship.
So in thinking about this idea, I decided to name this year "The Year of Me". I thought it was apropos considering my plan to focus on my health and personal growth in 2013. As I mentioned, I made a list of my goals for the year....
In 2013 I will....
~ Inundate myself with fitness/health information and motivation
*websites, articles, facebook pages, etc.
~ Focus on the green foods. Make friends with veggies. Lots of them.
~ Step up the exercise. Talk with Jami and Aaron about off day plans.
~ Use NOOM to track food and exercise daily. Follow their daily goals and use their information. (More on Noom later;)
~ Take accountability pictures often. At least once a week.
~ Weigh in once a week.
~ Grow nails out and paint them more often.
~ Do hair and makeup more often.
~ Read these goals everyday.
~ Be under 220 lbs. by Valentines Day. That is about 10 lbs. in less than 7 weeks. Equates to about 1.5 lbs. a week.
*if goal is reached: buy a new outfit for Valentines Day!
~ Be under 200 lbs. by Chicago trip the end of June. That is about 30 lbs. in a little less than 7 months. Equates to about 1 lb. a week.
*if goal is reached:
~buy new clothes for the trip!
~mani/pedi/eyebrows/massage before the trip!
~ Be under 161 by my 33rd birthday in September. That is about 70 lbs. in 8.5 months. Equates to a little less than 2 lbs. a week. This is a BIG goal for me....because when I reach 161 it will be exactly 100 pounds lost. I am so excited for this! It's a big goal but a totally reasonable one being that it is almost 9 months away.
*if (WHEN!) goal is reached: BIG PARTY!!!!
BONUS GOAL:
~ Be at or under 150 by our vacation in December. That is a little over 1.5 lbs. a week. Totally possible!!!
So there you have it! I am excited, hopeful, motivated and committed.
"There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either in or out. There is no such thing as life in-between." - Pat Riley
So in thinking about this idea, I decided to name this year "The Year of Me". I thought it was apropos considering my plan to focus on my health and personal growth in 2013. As I mentioned, I made a list of my goals for the year....
In 2013 I will....
~ Inundate myself with fitness/health information and motivation
*websites, articles, facebook pages, etc.
~ Focus on the green foods. Make friends with veggies. Lots of them.
~ Step up the exercise. Talk with Jami and Aaron about off day plans.
~ Use NOOM to track food and exercise daily. Follow their daily goals and use their information. (More on Noom later;)
~ Take accountability pictures often. At least once a week.
~ Weigh in once a week.
~ Grow nails out and paint them more often.
~ Do hair and makeup more often.
~ Read these goals everyday.
~ Be under 220 lbs. by Valentines Day. That is about 10 lbs. in less than 7 weeks. Equates to about 1.5 lbs. a week.
*if goal is reached: buy a new outfit for Valentines Day!
~ Be under 200 lbs. by Chicago trip the end of June. That is about 30 lbs. in a little less than 7 months. Equates to about 1 lb. a week.
*if goal is reached:
~buy new clothes for the trip!
~mani/pedi/eyebrows/massage before the trip!
~ Be under 161 by my 33rd birthday in September. That is about 70 lbs. in 8.5 months. Equates to a little less than 2 lbs. a week. This is a BIG goal for me....because when I reach 161 it will be exactly 100 pounds lost. I am so excited for this! It's a big goal but a totally reasonable one being that it is almost 9 months away.
*if (WHEN!) goal is reached: BIG PARTY!!!!
BONUS GOAL:
~ Be at or under 150 by our vacation in December. That is a little over 1.5 lbs. a week. Totally possible!!!
So there you have it! I am excited, hopeful, motivated and committed.
"There are only two options regarding commitment. You're either in or out. There is no such thing as life in-between." - Pat Riley
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Ready
Ahhh a new year...can't believe how fast 2012 flew by. Luke turned 7 months old yesterday! How did that happen!?
The last couple weeks of December found me a few pounds up, but still pretty much around the same spot I was in when Luke was born. Still down a total of almost 30 pounds. While I was a little disappointed in myself for letting those few pounds creep back on, (I had lost the baby weight and was holding at where I was when I got pregnant for awhile) I still was happy it wasn't worse and still confident I am headed on the right track!
The last week or so I was really spending some time meditating on my goals for this year. I am in an ongoing journey to grow my relationship with my husband, my kids and especially with God. This will be lifelong and I am constantly trying to make progress in those areas. I want to be a better wife, a better mom and I want to grow closer and more obedient to God. He wants the best for me and has a plan for me and I am trying to listen and follow His direction.
When I started with Mandy in 2011 I felt hopeless and completely empty of any confidence. I felt like it was a last ditch effort and walking into that gym took all the strength that I had. In working with her I gained so much....going into that gym everyday started to change me. I started to get some confidence back. I started to believe that I could finally lose this weight and be the person I am supposed to be. After 4-5 months I was able to stop taking my anti-anxiety/depression medication which I had been on for over 8 years. I grew into a happier, more positive and confident person. Those voices that screamed such awful things at me for so long finally were quieted. I stopped making fun of myself. I stopped insulting myself. I learned to love myself again.
Two years have passed and I am still down (as of Dec 30th) 29 pounds. Sure, I was at about 40 at one point but I am cutting myself some slack being that I had a baby and all. ;) (That fact not bothering me is clearly a sign of positive change!!) I am so proud of where I am. I am still off my medication. I had a baby and had almost NO postpartum issues after his birth, which is something I struggled SO much with after Ian. I very very rarely get down in the dumps about my weight and I barely remember the insults I used to run through over and over again in my head about myself. I think back to where I started and it is finally clear to me. God put me there that day. He put Mandy there and He steered me on this path. He changed my mind and my heart to see my value and worth.
I have a long way to go on this journey. On Dec. 30th I weighed in at 232. In looking at what I want to accomplish this year I know that this is meant to be my focus. I made a list of my specific goals (I'll post them soon) but ultimately 2013 is my year to continue this journey and build myself into the person I am meant to be. I am not writing this with the belief that I will do this easily, that I will not struggle or that I will be perfect. It will not be easy, I will definitely have struggles and I can never be perfect but I am going to be committed. For almighty God, for my amazing husband, for my beautiful beautiful boys, and for me. Because I am worth it.
The last couple weeks of December found me a few pounds up, but still pretty much around the same spot I was in when Luke was born. Still down a total of almost 30 pounds. While I was a little disappointed in myself for letting those few pounds creep back on, (I had lost the baby weight and was holding at where I was when I got pregnant for awhile) I still was happy it wasn't worse and still confident I am headed on the right track!
The last week or so I was really spending some time meditating on my goals for this year. I am in an ongoing journey to grow my relationship with my husband, my kids and especially with God. This will be lifelong and I am constantly trying to make progress in those areas. I want to be a better wife, a better mom and I want to grow closer and more obedient to God. He wants the best for me and has a plan for me and I am trying to listen and follow His direction.
When I started with Mandy in 2011 I felt hopeless and completely empty of any confidence. I felt like it was a last ditch effort and walking into that gym took all the strength that I had. In working with her I gained so much....going into that gym everyday started to change me. I started to get some confidence back. I started to believe that I could finally lose this weight and be the person I am supposed to be. After 4-5 months I was able to stop taking my anti-anxiety/depression medication which I had been on for over 8 years. I grew into a happier, more positive and confident person. Those voices that screamed such awful things at me for so long finally were quieted. I stopped making fun of myself. I stopped insulting myself. I learned to love myself again.
Two years have passed and I am still down (as of Dec 30th) 29 pounds. Sure, I was at about 40 at one point but I am cutting myself some slack being that I had a baby and all. ;) (That fact not bothering me is clearly a sign of positive change!!) I am so proud of where I am. I am still off my medication. I had a baby and had almost NO postpartum issues after his birth, which is something I struggled SO much with after Ian. I very very rarely get down in the dumps about my weight and I barely remember the insults I used to run through over and over again in my head about myself. I think back to where I started and it is finally clear to me. God put me there that day. He put Mandy there and He steered me on this path. He changed my mind and my heart to see my value and worth.
I have a long way to go on this journey. On Dec. 30th I weighed in at 232. In looking at what I want to accomplish this year I know that this is meant to be my focus. I made a list of my specific goals (I'll post them soon) but ultimately 2013 is my year to continue this journey and build myself into the person I am meant to be. I am not writing this with the belief that I will do this easily, that I will not struggle or that I will be perfect. It will not be easy, I will definitely have struggles and I can never be perfect but I am going to be committed. For almighty God, for my amazing husband, for my beautiful beautiful boys, and for me. Because I am worth it.
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