Well, the first week was grueling and I had a few thoughts like "I'm not prepared to do this!" However, I did it & it's over! Sunday, Tuesday, & Thursday I ran 3 miles. Saturday I ran 4 and tonight again (Sunday) I ran 3. Tuesday & Thursday I was out the door by 5am because my husband leaves for work by 6am. In case you were wondering, it is still dark at 5am! Because I couldn't see, I stubbed my toe, smelled skunk more than once, saw a raccoon cross the road and a momma & baby deer. All this while running around my neighborhood before most humans are awake! The bright side is that I get to run in the street since there are no cars and it is much cooler than when I ran in the evenings. Did I convince anyone to join me? LOL It is very rewarding to reach your goals. Each week I have an opportunity to challenge myself in a new way and watch how far I've come.
Week 2 comes with its own challenges but is thankfully enough like week 1 that I'm not too freaked out about it. The only difference is that I'll run 5 miles on Saturday instead of 4. I'll also be running my first 5K (in over 7 years) on Sunday (June 30th). I am looking forward to seeing my time and getting a feel again for the adrenaline that comes with the racing atmosphere. I won't be too concerned about my time only because I'll have had my long run the day before.
Some things I learned this past week are that I need to sleep more! I read somewhere that for every mile you run, you should go to bed 10 minutes earlier. So if I run 3 miles, I should go to bed 30 minutes earlier than I might usually go to bed. I think this will be a good habit to practice.
I also need to eat better. I don't need to say much about this...I need to keep up the protein, incorporate iron, stop eating junk known as fast food (same song and dance most of us struggle with)...maybe I need to go back to MyFitnessPal because this is one area of accountability that I've been slipping.
The other item I need to go back to incorporating into my weekly routine is weight lifting. I miss it so much! I am going to try to do 30 minutes once a week through the summer and then increase once the kids go back to school in September.
The main regret I had this week was drinking more alcohol than I usually might. The reason being is that we picked strawberries last week and so all this week we've been indulging in strawberry daiquiris! So yummy and the only time of year we do this! I can't keep up with the demand of running at that rate!
I'm so excited my Mom will be staying with us the next 2 weeks so I have no excuses for not meeting my goals!
Showing posts with label Christy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Christy. Show all posts
Sunday, June 23, 2013
Saturday, June 15, 2013
Christy: Week 1-Training
My apologies for missing a few weeks. No real reason why other than lots of "life" things and schedule changes now that the kids are out of school for summer. A little bit about where I am at right now:
I've essentially met my goals in terms of weight loss- since January 2013 when I started blogging. I fluctuate in the upper 140's and I'm completely comfortable with that! I feel great, I've got good energy, I am comfortable in my own skin, and so on! While I would like to work on getting more "definition" or tone for certain areas of my body (arms, stomach, etc)... I also know that I can't get back into lifting weights until the kids go back to school in September. Seems far away but in reality it isn't and I can wait because I've got other goals on my plate.
This week I postponed using MFP to keep track of calories. We are on vacation and I knew I wouldn't have time (or desire) to keep up with it! I am contemplating no longer using this tool for the rest of summer, again, mostly because I am on the go so much but also because I have a very good idea of what to eat so as to maintain my weight. In addition, in the summer months, we eat so many fruits & veggies...it is hard to go wrong this time of year! As long as I don't drink too many beers!
Since I have met my weight loss goals I was feeling a little out of sorts as to whether I should continue as a blogger on this site. As I was thinking about this, I was also planning my next personal goal. If you've been following my journey then you know that I have used running as my main choice of cardio in my exercise routine. After all these months I can say that in some ways running has gotten easier and in some ways it is still so challenging. This combination is proof to me that running is the right fit for me. I recently joined a local running group called "Moms Run This Town" the Cleveland East chapter. Such an amazing group of women who have all turned to running as an outlet, source of strength, avenue to achieve personal goals, and so on! Being part of this group- though I'm still so new- has motivated me to keep running as a lifestyle.
This week I will start a 16 week training plan that will result in my ability to run 13.1 miles (a half marathon). Am I going to run a half marathon race? No...at least that is not in my plans for the moment. I do plan, however, to run a 10K in October. I am approaching this training plan with a grain of salt (if you know what I mean)...it is likely that I won't be able to keep up with it (due to vacations, illness, injury, the unknown) and it is likely that on a day I'm suppose to run 6 miles, I can only manage 4. You just never know and I'm not going to beat myself up about it. We'll see!
My guess is that through this new journey I will continue to lose a few more pounds, that I'll continue to eat in ways that support my body's need for energy & strength, and that I'll learn what I am capable of in ways I can't imagine at this moment. A very different approach to weight loss...but part of my journey none the less.
Goals this week: run 3- 3mile routes and 1- 4mile route.
Regret from last week: Eating a Rosatti's turtle. I was thinking it was a tin roof- got the two mixed up and didn't realize it would have caramel & pecans...neither of which I'm a huge fan of but I ate it anyways because I ordered it! If I was going to ingest all those calories at least it should be for something I really love!
If anyone is interested in running with me I'd love the company! Early mornings or late evenings :) It's good to be back!
I've essentially met my goals in terms of weight loss- since January 2013 when I started blogging. I fluctuate in the upper 140's and I'm completely comfortable with that! I feel great, I've got good energy, I am comfortable in my own skin, and so on! While I would like to work on getting more "definition" or tone for certain areas of my body (arms, stomach, etc)... I also know that I can't get back into lifting weights until the kids go back to school in September. Seems far away but in reality it isn't and I can wait because I've got other goals on my plate.
This week I postponed using MFP to keep track of calories. We are on vacation and I knew I wouldn't have time (or desire) to keep up with it! I am contemplating no longer using this tool for the rest of summer, again, mostly because I am on the go so much but also because I have a very good idea of what to eat so as to maintain my weight. In addition, in the summer months, we eat so many fruits & veggies...it is hard to go wrong this time of year! As long as I don't drink too many beers!
Since I have met my weight loss goals I was feeling a little out of sorts as to whether I should continue as a blogger on this site. As I was thinking about this, I was also planning my next personal goal. If you've been following my journey then you know that I have used running as my main choice of cardio in my exercise routine. After all these months I can say that in some ways running has gotten easier and in some ways it is still so challenging. This combination is proof to me that running is the right fit for me. I recently joined a local running group called "Moms Run This Town" the Cleveland East chapter. Such an amazing group of women who have all turned to running as an outlet, source of strength, avenue to achieve personal goals, and so on! Being part of this group- though I'm still so new- has motivated me to keep running as a lifestyle.
This week I will start a 16 week training plan that will result in my ability to run 13.1 miles (a half marathon). Am I going to run a half marathon race? No...at least that is not in my plans for the moment. I do plan, however, to run a 10K in October. I am approaching this training plan with a grain of salt (if you know what I mean)...it is likely that I won't be able to keep up with it (due to vacations, illness, injury, the unknown) and it is likely that on a day I'm suppose to run 6 miles, I can only manage 4. You just never know and I'm not going to beat myself up about it. We'll see!
My guess is that through this new journey I will continue to lose a few more pounds, that I'll continue to eat in ways that support my body's need for energy & strength, and that I'll learn what I am capable of in ways I can't imagine at this moment. A very different approach to weight loss...but part of my journey none the less.
Goals this week: run 3- 3mile routes and 1- 4mile route.
Regret from last week: Eating a Rosatti's turtle. I was thinking it was a tin roof- got the two mixed up and didn't realize it would have caramel & pecans...neither of which I'm a huge fan of but I ate it anyways because I ordered it! If I was going to ingest all those calories at least it should be for something I really love!
If anyone is interested in running with me I'd love the company! Early mornings or late evenings :) It's good to be back!
Sunday, May 19, 2013
Christy: Week 18
Hello everyone! So much has happened in the 2 weeks since my last post. Lately it seems like I've been writing the same old stuff, stuck with no weight gained or lost, and I finally followed through with some advice that another blogger shared to help break through the plateau I had been experienced. It was so simple....she said "drink more water." I did...and I lost weight! Ok, so I still don't have a good system to record or track my water/liquid intake. However, every time my glass was empty, I filled it back up. Every time I left the house, I had a bottle of water with me.
Something else happened that was a wake up call and possibly another (unknown) factor behind both my recent plateau with weight loss AND possibly also had something to do with the heart arrhythmia's I was experiencing (which have ceased with the removal of caffeine). I had a doctors appointment last week which included a blood test. While the results came back great for the reason behind the tests...the physician reported I was "severely anemic." This is the first diagnosis of this kind I've ever had.
Honestly, I replied back to the doctor "Really? are you sure? what are the signs because I feel great!" I was thinking to myself "I've never felt better, never eaten better in my whole life! how can I be anemic?" Seriously, I eat fish, spinach, bananas, raisins, and a host of other foods that have iron in them! And I've included that multi vitamin into my diet. So I don't eat those foods every day and I forget to take the vitamin once in a while....but during the week I consume these for sure! I exhibit absolutely NO signs of severe anemia. BUT this isn't something to play around with so I started on an iron supplement. Crazy thing is it can take up to 6 months for my levels to get back to normal!
The other thing that happened to me over the last couple weeks was being invited to participate in a local "Moms" area running group. This is another area that will hold me accountable to follow through with not only running but challenge myself too as I strive to increase my distance. I am secretly very excited to be part of this group and can't wait to start meeting up with these women and hearing about their running-life stories! Good luck by the way to all the Marathon/ Half runners I know who are racing this weekend! You are very inspiring!
My current weight is 148- my short term goal is 145.
My focus lately and in the future is on my diet & water consumption
I plan to run more and more outside now that the weather is consistently nice (early evenings if anyone out there wants to buddy up!)
I regret not sleeping more lately. In other areas I've been good! No crazy splurges or cravings. Been meeting my work out goals. I regret not recording 2 days on MFP--they were two days when I did not work out & thus I just knew I wasn't going to make my calorie goals, so I didn't record the numbers because I didn't want to face the facts! I need to face the facts to stay on track!
I NEED to figure out my work out schedule soon with school letting out...may be a combo of running very early or late in the day.. squeezing 30min of weights on other mornings.. and at least 1 day/wk of putting the kids in the tot room (they can handle that right?) for my longer runs? Ugh...mixed feelings about the changes ahead! I'm not worried about staying active enough to maintain or lose weight. I am nervous about losing the stamina I've developed through running.
Something else happened that was a wake up call and possibly another (unknown) factor behind both my recent plateau with weight loss AND possibly also had something to do with the heart arrhythmia's I was experiencing (which have ceased with the removal of caffeine). I had a doctors appointment last week which included a blood test. While the results came back great for the reason behind the tests...the physician reported I was "severely anemic." This is the first diagnosis of this kind I've ever had.
Honestly, I replied back to the doctor "Really? are you sure? what are the signs because I feel great!" I was thinking to myself "I've never felt better, never eaten better in my whole life! how can I be anemic?" Seriously, I eat fish, spinach, bananas, raisins, and a host of other foods that have iron in them! And I've included that multi vitamin into my diet. So I don't eat those foods every day and I forget to take the vitamin once in a while....but during the week I consume these for sure! I exhibit absolutely NO signs of severe anemia. BUT this isn't something to play around with so I started on an iron supplement. Crazy thing is it can take up to 6 months for my levels to get back to normal!
The other thing that happened to me over the last couple weeks was being invited to participate in a local "Moms" area running group. This is another area that will hold me accountable to follow through with not only running but challenge myself too as I strive to increase my distance. I am secretly very excited to be part of this group and can't wait to start meeting up with these women and hearing about their running-life stories! Good luck by the way to all the Marathon/ Half runners I know who are racing this weekend! You are very inspiring!
My current weight is 148- my short term goal is 145.
My focus lately and in the future is on my diet & water consumption
I plan to run more and more outside now that the weather is consistently nice (early evenings if anyone out there wants to buddy up!)
I regret not sleeping more lately. In other areas I've been good! No crazy splurges or cravings. Been meeting my work out goals. I regret not recording 2 days on MFP--they were two days when I did not work out & thus I just knew I wasn't going to make my calorie goals, so I didn't record the numbers because I didn't want to face the facts! I need to face the facts to stay on track!
I NEED to figure out my work out schedule soon with school letting out...may be a combo of running very early or late in the day.. squeezing 30min of weights on other mornings.. and at least 1 day/wk of putting the kids in the tot room (they can handle that right?) for my longer runs? Ugh...mixed feelings about the changes ahead! I'm not worried about staying active enough to maintain or lose weight. I am nervous about losing the stamina I've developed through running.
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Christy: Week 16
Well, the most reassuring thing I read lately was that "plateaus" with weight loss are common...very common and will likely occur at various stages of the journey for various predictable reasons. One of the main reasons people plateau is because in the beginning, you are mostly losing water. So when you lose a "pound" you may think it's a pound of fat when it's really more likely a fluctuation in water. Don't get me wrong, eventually on your journey, you build muscle which in term helps you to burn off the fat and lose more "weight." This makes weight loss feel even harder than it already is!
I've also been talking with a friend of mine who is an avid runner. I've been asking her advice/tips on maintaining a running regimen. While I am interested in losing at least 5 more lbs and breaking through this plateau that has lasted over a month now, I am also interested in establishing a lifestyle of staying physically fit. She suggested that instead of taking the whole weekend "off" I should take 2 days off but spread them out (i.e. Saturdays and Wednesdays) to allow my body to recover. Staying injury free is the first way to support my desire to stay active. Today was the first day I included a Sunday run and this Wednesday I plan to re-incorporate weight lifting Wednesdays.
There are a couple more changes that I plan to make based on what I've researched. Another common reason people plateau is because of those darn extra calories! Like the calories from condiments, eating a few chips left from the kids plates, that third cookie after having 2, that second/third alcoholic beverage. I'm not going to give up everything- that is just not realistic for me, BUT I DO NEED to reduce the quantities and re-examine what little things in my diet need to be ditched. I feel like a broken record which means this is obviously an on-going issue I've yet to conquer! After losing 20lbs, I am the first to say I've let a few things slip back into my diet. I need to take advantage of the fact that there isn't a candy laden holiday lingering around the corner-aka a big excuse to eat junk- and continue to clean up my act!
The other concept I've been embracing is the importance of building muscle. If I really want to burn the fat off for good, I need to build more muscle. To build more muscle I need to increase my weights, eat more protein, & weight lift more often. I tried going to the gym twice a day but that is not going to work with my family's schedule & needs- so it's not longer a realistic option.
I'm feeling a little stress about the upcoming changes that will occur in my daily routine once school is out. I will likely no longer be working out at the recreation center since I'll have both kids with me and I still can't do early mornings because of husband's work schedule. I'll have to run outside or much later in the evenings which is opposite of what I'm doing now. I'll figure it out!
This entire week I had broke the 150 mark...until today. Man, it just doesn't take much! Like I mentioned above, I ran this morning. I ate a great breakfast. And then it was doughnut Sunday at church. Ugh! They are so delicious! I had 2 of them. I didn't feel bad at the time but because I ate them "in between" what was breakfast & lunch...it threw my hunger for lunch "off"...so I reached for some easy chips to tide me over til dinner which didn't really work cuz by 3pm I was hungry again, and so on...you are getting the idea. One bad choice can easily snow ball :( I was so certain that this was the week...I mean....THIS WAS the week I broke my plateau...only to start this new week right back where I left off last Sunday
My regret was eating 2 doughnuts!!
My successes included the running I did this week...ran outside and on another occasion did a 3.20 (5K) without stopping.
This week, I'm going to continue to bust my bottom AND work on the tweaking I mentioned above. Understanding what's going on with me has bee immensely helpful in this journey. I would have given up by now. Knowledge is power and muscles burn fat!
I've also been talking with a friend of mine who is an avid runner. I've been asking her advice/tips on maintaining a running regimen. While I am interested in losing at least 5 more lbs and breaking through this plateau that has lasted over a month now, I am also interested in establishing a lifestyle of staying physically fit. She suggested that instead of taking the whole weekend "off" I should take 2 days off but spread them out (i.e. Saturdays and Wednesdays) to allow my body to recover. Staying injury free is the first way to support my desire to stay active. Today was the first day I included a Sunday run and this Wednesday I plan to re-incorporate weight lifting Wednesdays.
There are a couple more changes that I plan to make based on what I've researched. Another common reason people plateau is because of those darn extra calories! Like the calories from condiments, eating a few chips left from the kids plates, that third cookie after having 2, that second/third alcoholic beverage. I'm not going to give up everything- that is just not realistic for me, BUT I DO NEED to reduce the quantities and re-examine what little things in my diet need to be ditched. I feel like a broken record which means this is obviously an on-going issue I've yet to conquer! After losing 20lbs, I am the first to say I've let a few things slip back into my diet. I need to take advantage of the fact that there isn't a candy laden holiday lingering around the corner-aka a big excuse to eat junk- and continue to clean up my act!
The other concept I've been embracing is the importance of building muscle. If I really want to burn the fat off for good, I need to build more muscle. To build more muscle I need to increase my weights, eat more protein, & weight lift more often. I tried going to the gym twice a day but that is not going to work with my family's schedule & needs- so it's not longer a realistic option.
I'm feeling a little stress about the upcoming changes that will occur in my daily routine once school is out. I will likely no longer be working out at the recreation center since I'll have both kids with me and I still can't do early mornings because of husband's work schedule. I'll have to run outside or much later in the evenings which is opposite of what I'm doing now. I'll figure it out!
This entire week I had broke the 150 mark...until today. Man, it just doesn't take much! Like I mentioned above, I ran this morning. I ate a great breakfast. And then it was doughnut Sunday at church. Ugh! They are so delicious! I had 2 of them. I didn't feel bad at the time but because I ate them "in between" what was breakfast & lunch...it threw my hunger for lunch "off"...so I reached for some easy chips to tide me over til dinner which didn't really work cuz by 3pm I was hungry again, and so on...you are getting the idea. One bad choice can easily snow ball :( I was so certain that this was the week...I mean....THIS WAS the week I broke my plateau...only to start this new week right back where I left off last Sunday
My regret was eating 2 doughnuts!!
My successes included the running I did this week...ran outside and on another occasion did a 3.20 (5K) without stopping.
This week, I'm going to continue to bust my bottom AND work on the tweaking I mentioned above. Understanding what's going on with me has bee immensely helpful in this journey. I would have given up by now. Knowledge is power and muscles burn fat!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
Christy: Week 15
Here we are at week 15. 105 days into this journey. I have had a good streak of losing weight however the last month has been up n down such that I'm basically stuck at 150lbs.
I have been wrestling with being content with where I'm at and whether I want to make the sacrifices that it will take for me to lose more weight. I like where I am at- I'm happy, I feel good, etc. But the irony is that because I have changed my attitude about how a good diet & exercise routine can change a person, I want to do more of that changing! Some people may be thinking "you look great, do you really need to lose more?" Trust me, I have more to lose! I like where I am at. I don't love it though. And my body would use more tweaking and I'm a little curious of how I can continue to push myself!
My focus isn't so much so on the actual weight loss as it is seeing how my body has begun to reshape, resculpt, and over come challenges. It is super exciting to see the flab dwindle, to see muscle tone in my arms, to say goodbye to that double chin, and feel the sweat drip when I'm exercising. Running has been my choice of cardio during this entire journey. I think running is very intimidating for people- at least it was for me. You see, I used to run "for fun" so to speak in junior high/high school on both the cross country team & track. But it had been 20+ years since I ran for a reason. I chose running because I knew I could start slow & work my way at my pace. I can't recommend it enough! There is something freeing about being able to propel your body forward by your own devices. A crazy thing happens too once you've been running for a while...it gets easier the further you go! I am being serious! After struggling to run just one mile it was beyond my comprehension how in the world people could run marathons! Now that it has been a few months and I can run 3 miles (on a treadmill) without stopping, I am starting to "get it." Our bodies are so dynamic...but mine has been unable to demonstrate it's power because of the extra weight. Not so much the case as time goes on and I stick with my exercise program.
This week I'm going to look into other ways I can tweak my diet that may help get my under the 150 hump. If anyone has ideas, please share! I'm not looking to do anything crazy such as remove carbs or meat or whatever...but if there is balance involved, I'm all for trying something new out!
My only regret this week was having two beers at a night out. It was yet another situation where I was already hesitant about even attending and said to myself "only one drink and then go." That didn't happen...I had 2 drinks AND some food to boot! Not part of the plan. Second time this has happened. Summer is coming up which means even more temptations to engage in eating & drinking that can sabotage my progress. I NEED to learn from these experiences and make other choices!
Here's to a week of positive choices and happy running!
I have been wrestling with being content with where I'm at and whether I want to make the sacrifices that it will take for me to lose more weight. I like where I am at- I'm happy, I feel good, etc. But the irony is that because I have changed my attitude about how a good diet & exercise routine can change a person, I want to do more of that changing! Some people may be thinking "you look great, do you really need to lose more?" Trust me, I have more to lose! I like where I am at. I don't love it though. And my body would use more tweaking and I'm a little curious of how I can continue to push myself!
My focus isn't so much so on the actual weight loss as it is seeing how my body has begun to reshape, resculpt, and over come challenges. It is super exciting to see the flab dwindle, to see muscle tone in my arms, to say goodbye to that double chin, and feel the sweat drip when I'm exercising. Running has been my choice of cardio during this entire journey. I think running is very intimidating for people- at least it was for me. You see, I used to run "for fun" so to speak in junior high/high school on both the cross country team & track. But it had been 20+ years since I ran for a reason. I chose running because I knew I could start slow & work my way at my pace. I can't recommend it enough! There is something freeing about being able to propel your body forward by your own devices. A crazy thing happens too once you've been running for a while...it gets easier the further you go! I am being serious! After struggling to run just one mile it was beyond my comprehension how in the world people could run marathons! Now that it has been a few months and I can run 3 miles (on a treadmill) without stopping, I am starting to "get it." Our bodies are so dynamic...but mine has been unable to demonstrate it's power because of the extra weight. Not so much the case as time goes on and I stick with my exercise program.
This week I'm going to look into other ways I can tweak my diet that may help get my under the 150 hump. If anyone has ideas, please share! I'm not looking to do anything crazy such as remove carbs or meat or whatever...but if there is balance involved, I'm all for trying something new out!
My only regret this week was having two beers at a night out. It was yet another situation where I was already hesitant about even attending and said to myself "only one drink and then go." That didn't happen...I had 2 drinks AND some food to boot! Not part of the plan. Second time this has happened. Summer is coming up which means even more temptations to engage in eating & drinking that can sabotage my progress. I NEED to learn from these experiences and make other choices!
Here's to a week of positive choices and happy running!
Sunday, April 21, 2013
Christy: Week 14
Even though the weather did not act very "spring like" this weekend, I still decided to wear capris to church today. Not just any capris either. Three years ago this June, I bought these cute-peach-color-lands end-capris to wear at a family reunion. At that time I was still breast feeding my son and I was one of those 'lucky' ones who lost all the baby weight from nursing (the unfortunate part was that I gained it all back when I kept eating as though I was still nursing! ugh!). Needless to say, I wore these pants all of 2-3 times before they became too small. On and off I'd try them on again and each time I could barely get them up my thighs much less come near to zippering closed. But today...today...they not only fit GREAT...but were loose!
Today it did not matter what the number on the scale read. It felt so good to be able to get into these pants and put them to use! THIS is what the journey for me has been about. It feels so satisfying to wear clothes that fit well! It sounds weird but I realized that because I spent less time fidgeting with my clothes: wondering if my shirt was covering my butt each time I stood up, or sucking in my tummy to reduce the rolls spilling over my lap...because I finally fit into my clothes I was able to spend more time focusing on the messages during the church service.
In fact, I've been able to spend much more time focusing on the things that matter...because I'm no longer focused on how "off" I have felt when I weighed heavier than I am now. I didn't like how I felt on a regular basis and this was communicated (without words) in the ways I interacted with my husband, my kids, and others. I may be spending time now exercising or counting calories. But this is time that can be quantified...unlike the constant feeling of depression due to poor self esteem. The latter sucked up much more of my time & energy than any time & energy spent currently on my weight loss journey. The outcomes of a happier Mom, Wife, Woman are unmeasurable!
I don't live by the number on the scale but I don't mind it either since my brain sometimes needs to see that number to keep things in perspective. Even if that number doesn't reflect how you physically feel or what you wanted to see, there is always the pants! The pants don't lie :)
This week I worked hard. Out of honor and respect for the Boston Marathon runners, I ran my own 5K on the treadmill on Tuesday. On Thursday I met another goal of mine which was to exercise twice in one day. Ran 2.75 miles in the morning and another 2 in the evening. My legs were so tired! Worked out 5 days and went to bed before 10pm at least twice-though I NEEDED more sleep!
I kept my eating very consistent too. A typical day last week went like this:
Breakfast: 1/3 Cup granola cereal with a 1/3 cup vanilla soy and 1/3 Kellogg's vanilla protein shake.
Lunch: Two peanut butter mini bagels, 5-7 baby carrots with hummus.
Snack: 2 Toll house cookies, half piece of fruit
Dinner: 4-6oz of turkey sausage, steamed veggie, piece of fruit
Beverages all day: water and/or tea
I don't have any particular regrets from this past week nor do I have any goals for the week ahead.
Hmmm, that might make for an interesting week! lol... I hope that everyone strives to feel good because it will make a positive difference in your life!
Today it did not matter what the number on the scale read. It felt so good to be able to get into these pants and put them to use! THIS is what the journey for me has been about. It feels so satisfying to wear clothes that fit well! It sounds weird but I realized that because I spent less time fidgeting with my clothes: wondering if my shirt was covering my butt each time I stood up, or sucking in my tummy to reduce the rolls spilling over my lap...because I finally fit into my clothes I was able to spend more time focusing on the messages during the church service.
In fact, I've been able to spend much more time focusing on the things that matter...because I'm no longer focused on how "off" I have felt when I weighed heavier than I am now. I didn't like how I felt on a regular basis and this was communicated (without words) in the ways I interacted with my husband, my kids, and others. I may be spending time now exercising or counting calories. But this is time that can be quantified...unlike the constant feeling of depression due to poor self esteem. The latter sucked up much more of my time & energy than any time & energy spent currently on my weight loss journey. The outcomes of a happier Mom, Wife, Woman are unmeasurable!
I don't live by the number on the scale but I don't mind it either since my brain sometimes needs to see that number to keep things in perspective. Even if that number doesn't reflect how you physically feel or what you wanted to see, there is always the pants! The pants don't lie :)
This week I worked hard. Out of honor and respect for the Boston Marathon runners, I ran my own 5K on the treadmill on Tuesday. On Thursday I met another goal of mine which was to exercise twice in one day. Ran 2.75 miles in the morning and another 2 in the evening. My legs were so tired! Worked out 5 days and went to bed before 10pm at least twice-though I NEEDED more sleep!
I kept my eating very consistent too. A typical day last week went like this:
Breakfast: 1/3 Cup granola cereal with a 1/3 cup vanilla soy and 1/3 Kellogg's vanilla protein shake.
Lunch: Two peanut butter mini bagels, 5-7 baby carrots with hummus.
Snack: 2 Toll house cookies, half piece of fruit
Dinner: 4-6oz of turkey sausage, steamed veggie, piece of fruit
Beverages all day: water and/or tea
I don't have any particular regrets from this past week nor do I have any goals for the week ahead.
Hmmm, that might make for an interesting week! lol... I hope that everyone strives to feel good because it will make a positive difference in your life!
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Christy: Week 13
Why oh why oh why? Why is it so much easier to gain weight than to lose it? I mean, I KNOW the answer to that but can't help but wonder why!?!?!? It is a cruel truth.
So, I gained back a few pounds...yes, a few. Not one, not two, a few. And pretty much with every bite of cake, every beer, every piece of pizza over the course of 3 days, I was completely conscious that it would likely all lead to an overall gain. I could blame it on my husband's birthday & a neighbor's party. But I've weathered these events before and resisted temptations. Or I could blame the fact that I blog on Sundays...which feels like a set up for failure in terms of timing because I do not work out on Saturday & Sundays...and those are the same days I am most likely out of my eating routine due to family events & crazy schedules. But my weight gain has nothing to do with when I post my blog.
This particular week has been unusually "off" for me. It has mostly to do with the items I was sent last Monday from my deceased Father's estate. I received 2 very large boxes of glassware & china and two extremely large boxes that held art work. Sounds cool huh? Its not. It is it's own mini nightmare. The glassware was filthy & needed to be cleaned. Also, as I unwrapped each piece I uncovered that half of the pieces have chipped rims. I've spent so much time this week trying to figure out what the heck to do with this glassware which is useless to me, yet sentimental, yet possibly of some value. The art work is a whole other issue. One of the pieces arrived with broken glass that I have yet to unwrapped because broken glass & kids just don't mix and dealing with the glassware has been handful enough. The other piece of art work...well...I don't want it & I'm pretty sure no one else does...so what do I do with it? And lastly the china dishes. The couple I've unwrapped are also filthy but seem in good shape. I need to clean them all to prepare to sell. But at the same time, my husband & I actually like the pattern! Ha! But we already have 2 other sets of china (don't ask!). On the surface, this may not look like a situation that would impact my weight loss journey. However, this "stuff" has been on my mind all week and I'm at the point where I just want my house & life back.
The boxes, the packing materials, the broken glass, the time spent on dealing with these items, the disorganization, the emotions behind it all, the indirect impact on my own family...that's the stuff that has had me a little "nuts" this week... leading me to just let it all go by eating/drinking whatever I wanted when the opportunities presented themselves.
And so, I've identified the problem(s). For now.
I can't wait for tomorrow...I find comfort in my workouts and the alone time I have when I exercise. I still have to deal with this stuff but spent some time today getting more of a grip on it by organizing to accommodate these items in my home. It is a fresh week to clear my head and get on track. Next weekend will bring it's challenges again. I've had my indulgences. I don't feel good...I feel bloated. I'll make better choices because I do not want to feel this way anymore.
Today I weigh 154.
I regret allowing myself to slide...even when I knew I was sliding, I still said "yes" to choices where I should have said "no." I need to realize that I can exert control by making positive health choices instead of allowing the bad choices to control me.
This week I'll work out 5 days/week for one hour. I will incorporate evening walking or running too. I also plan to eat more fish this week and go to bed by 10pm. I need to go back to drinking more water and just in general, take more ownership of the behaviors that will lead me to continue my weight loss AND maintain it.
It was WAY too easy to slip up. I spent 4 days busting my butt (as usual) and another day doing weights...only to blow every drop of hard earned sweat in 3 days of really easy bad food choices. It didn't even out...my weight was blown out! I wish it weren't true...but it is the truth.
So, I gained back a few pounds...yes, a few. Not one, not two, a few. And pretty much with every bite of cake, every beer, every piece of pizza over the course of 3 days, I was completely conscious that it would likely all lead to an overall gain. I could blame it on my husband's birthday & a neighbor's party. But I've weathered these events before and resisted temptations. Or I could blame the fact that I blog on Sundays...which feels like a set up for failure in terms of timing because I do not work out on Saturday & Sundays...and those are the same days I am most likely out of my eating routine due to family events & crazy schedules. But my weight gain has nothing to do with when I post my blog.
This particular week has been unusually "off" for me. It has mostly to do with the items I was sent last Monday from my deceased Father's estate. I received 2 very large boxes of glassware & china and two extremely large boxes that held art work. Sounds cool huh? Its not. It is it's own mini nightmare. The glassware was filthy & needed to be cleaned. Also, as I unwrapped each piece I uncovered that half of the pieces have chipped rims. I've spent so much time this week trying to figure out what the heck to do with this glassware which is useless to me, yet sentimental, yet possibly of some value. The art work is a whole other issue. One of the pieces arrived with broken glass that I have yet to unwrapped because broken glass & kids just don't mix and dealing with the glassware has been handful enough. The other piece of art work...well...I don't want it & I'm pretty sure no one else does...so what do I do with it? And lastly the china dishes. The couple I've unwrapped are also filthy but seem in good shape. I need to clean them all to prepare to sell. But at the same time, my husband & I actually like the pattern! Ha! But we already have 2 other sets of china (don't ask!). On the surface, this may not look like a situation that would impact my weight loss journey. However, this "stuff" has been on my mind all week and I'm at the point where I just want my house & life back.
The boxes, the packing materials, the broken glass, the time spent on dealing with these items, the disorganization, the emotions behind it all, the indirect impact on my own family...that's the stuff that has had me a little "nuts" this week... leading me to just let it all go by eating/drinking whatever I wanted when the opportunities presented themselves.
And so, I've identified the problem(s). For now.
I can't wait for tomorrow...I find comfort in my workouts and the alone time I have when I exercise. I still have to deal with this stuff but spent some time today getting more of a grip on it by organizing to accommodate these items in my home. It is a fresh week to clear my head and get on track. Next weekend will bring it's challenges again. I've had my indulgences. I don't feel good...I feel bloated. I'll make better choices because I do not want to feel this way anymore.
Today I weigh 154.
I regret allowing myself to slide...even when I knew I was sliding, I still said "yes" to choices where I should have said "no." I need to realize that I can exert control by making positive health choices instead of allowing the bad choices to control me.
This week I'll work out 5 days/week for one hour. I will incorporate evening walking or running too. I also plan to eat more fish this week and go to bed by 10pm. I need to go back to drinking more water and just in general, take more ownership of the behaviors that will lead me to continue my weight loss AND maintain it.
It was WAY too easy to slip up. I spent 4 days busting my butt (as usual) and another day doing weights...only to blow every drop of hard earned sweat in 3 days of really easy bad food choices. It didn't even out...my weight was blown out! I wish it weren't true...but it is the truth.
Sunday, April 7, 2013
Christy: Week 12
This past week I followed in Allyson's and other's footsteps as it was SPRING BREAK! Actually, I saw it as a test for living day to day without majorly focusing on working out or counting calories.
While I ate plenty of things that I normally wouldn't since starting my weight loss regime (i.e. Easter candy, multiple brownies in one day) and I broke many of the rules I've created for myself (i.e. eating late at night, drinking lots of alcohol to name a few), I still ended up fairing pretty well. I only gained back 1 pound!
On the flip side, I was no couch potato! I took the kids swimming twice, went to the gym once, ran outside (for the first time in 7 years) twice! Walked the Cleveland zoo and spent a lot of time outdoors getting a start on yard work.
I won't lie...I missed the weights. I missed the sweating. I missed my exercise routine of cardio, then crunches, then squats/lunges, and so on. I am looking forward to tomorrow...and so is my son who has been asking to go to the tot room!
It was a nice break...a needed break! In the back of my mind I needed to know "how far I've come" in terms of changing my bad eating habits into good ones. I needed to know how I would respond when tempted. I needed to know where my supports were (I have to give a shout out to my neighbor Julie & my Mother In Law whose conscientious efforts helped prevent me for being tempted while I was a guest in their homes! I thank you for it!).
I encourage everyone to go on a "break" especially if they've found themselves in a rut or looking for a different kind of challenge. You don't need kids in your life to deserve a break, a change of pace.
I have only one regret from this week and it involved consuming a whole chocolate rabbit. My apologies to the rabbit! Lol.
I am exactly 150lbs. I like where I'm at. This week I plan to get back into my old routine but include at least one run outside weather permitting. If I run outside then I can focus on weights when I'm at the gym. Something I'm going to work towards increasing.
I got an ipod shuffle this week(belated birthday gift) and plan to load it up with motivating music. If anyone wants to comment with their favorite artists, I'd appreciate it!
Welcome back to the journey!
While I ate plenty of things that I normally wouldn't since starting my weight loss regime (i.e. Easter candy, multiple brownies in one day) and I broke many of the rules I've created for myself (i.e. eating late at night, drinking lots of alcohol to name a few), I still ended up fairing pretty well. I only gained back 1 pound!
On the flip side, I was no couch potato! I took the kids swimming twice, went to the gym once, ran outside (for the first time in 7 years) twice! Walked the Cleveland zoo and spent a lot of time outdoors getting a start on yard work.
I won't lie...I missed the weights. I missed the sweating. I missed my exercise routine of cardio, then crunches, then squats/lunges, and so on. I am looking forward to tomorrow...and so is my son who has been asking to go to the tot room!
It was a nice break...a needed break! In the back of my mind I needed to know "how far I've come" in terms of changing my bad eating habits into good ones. I needed to know how I would respond when tempted. I needed to know where my supports were (I have to give a shout out to my neighbor Julie & my Mother In Law whose conscientious efforts helped prevent me for being tempted while I was a guest in their homes! I thank you for it!).
I encourage everyone to go on a "break" especially if they've found themselves in a rut or looking for a different kind of challenge. You don't need kids in your life to deserve a break, a change of pace.
I have only one regret from this week and it involved consuming a whole chocolate rabbit. My apologies to the rabbit! Lol.
I am exactly 150lbs. I like where I'm at. This week I plan to get back into my old routine but include at least one run outside weather permitting. If I run outside then I can focus on weights when I'm at the gym. Something I'm going to work towards increasing.
I got an ipod shuffle this week(belated birthday gift) and plan to load it up with motivating music. If anyone wants to comment with their favorite artists, I'd appreciate it!
Welcome back to the journey!
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Christy: Week 11
This past week got me thinking about the dedication & commitment it takes to embark on and follow through on this journey to lose weight. I'm not suggesting I have all the answers because truly, every one's journey is radically different from others as evidence of Case of the Wednesday bloggers.
However, it is possible that someone reading this tonight might be inspired to take the steps that will ultimately become their weight loss journey.
There was a time when I felt "lucky" if I could make it to the gym for 1 day/week. It just felt like an impossible & daunting endeavor to go work out. And what was I going to accomplish in one day? It didn't seem worth it so I didn't do it. I kept putting it off and finding a ton of excuses that supported this decision.
The day finally came though, when I was more-tired-of-feeling-"blah" about myself, than I was tired about the thought of dragging myself to the gym. And so, I made a plan. (and I realized that the "blah" feeling about myself wasn't going to go away unless I did something about it).
Anyone who is interested in losing weight can begin this journey long before they introduce exercise into their daily life. My plan began with counting my daily calories. I did not change what I was eating, I just took the time to learn the calorie count of what I was putting in my body. This learning process in turn began to shape my food choices. Then I set little goals. One goal was to not eat after 8pm. Once I mastered that (about a month) then I decided I would not eat after dinner. Your goals do not have to be the same. Perhaps it is reducing soda intake or measuring your cereal/milk in the morning into 1 Cup, then later 1/2 Cups. ANYONE can do these things and it does not cost any money and does not take away time from your other responsibilities. There are no excuses not to be more responsible in terms of your food/beverage intake. You have to WANT to do it though.
Once you've tinkered around with your calorie intake and learned a few things to avoid and perhaps some things you can splurge more on than you previously thought, you will want to incorporate some sort of exercise into your daily life. Ahhh....but where and when, much less how?
What I'm about to say next may feel uncomfortable at first...but if you are serious about making a commitment to losing weight...tell everyone! Include the people in your life, your significant other, your folks, your friends, your kids. You might be thinking "who cares about me losing weight?" or maybe you don't want to come off as pretending to be something you aren't (or haven't been yet or once were??)...however, you have no idea how much support you have waiting for you on your journey! There are tons of people who are intimidated about going on this journey, afraid to fail, afraid to succeed...and there are tons more who are actually on the weight loss journey right now-who would love to support you!...but you have to WANT it!
When you are ready, really ready...have a talk with your spouse/partner about what this means. Is he/she on board? How can that person support you? Spell out the details if necessary about what you need from them on this journey. For instance, I asked my husband if for 1 week, I could work out each night after he got home. This meant he had to attend to the kids for up to 1 hour in the evening (get them their snack, play with them, set up a TV show for them, get them in jammies). He was willing to commit for one week and agreed to reassess after that week. Earlier in my journey I talked with him about having less "dessert" foods in the house because I was trying to reduce my temptations. He agreed too and we've since been bringing those foods back because I'm conquered being tempted at this point!
If getting to the gym seems too difficult to juggle...maybe ask a neighbor to watch your kid(s) for an hour, or go in before everyone wakes up -which means you may need to go to bed by 9pm, which means some things around the house won't get done (but that's ok because you are working on you now!). Most gyms have child care. Perhaps your child doesn't like it there. Will they tolerate 15 minutes? Go every day for 15 minutes and try to increase it by 5 minutes when possible. Do not give up! If these aren't your issues, write me and I'll help brainstorm ways to support your efforts!
The gym isn't your thing? There is always the outdoors. The weather IS getting warmer and if it's all you got, bundle up and get going! The same suggestions apply above...wake up earlier, wait til spouse gets home, have a neighbor/grandparent watch your kid(s)...we are talking 30minutes! Tell me you don't have a DVD player of some sort? The library has workout videos. Find one that interests you and commit to 1 week, doing the video every day. Then reassess. I know none of this sounds glamourous. This is just one reason why losing weight is hard. You have to WANT it.
Now, get real with yourself and determine how many days you will dedicate time to exercise and for how long (30 minutes, an hour?). Then, approach your work out with the attitude of "you're here, make the most of it!" You haven't committed this precious time to just walk. This is the time to dig deep and work up a sweat. The best way to do this is to run. Yes, you read correctly, run. When I started I could hardly run a 1/2 mile without stopping. For me, it was a goal to run a whole mile without stopping and in time that distance increased. For the first week...run, walk, run, walk, run, walk...but RUN! ok, it can be a jog. But do more jogging than walking! and do this for at least 30 minutes. Then spend the other 30 minutes focusing on exercises that target whatever areas of your body you are most concerned about. If it's your tummy, do sit ups. If it's your butt, do squats & lunges. If it's your arms, do arms. And do this same routine every day of the week...for a month(or whatever your goal is)! You will see over time that you can mix things up, increase the distance, increase the number of sit ups, and so on. But you have to WANT it.
Once you incorporate exercise into your daily life you can log in your calories burned along side your calories consumed...and the pieces to the weight loss journey will be on their way to falling into place. I am a FIRM believer that if you burn more calories than you take in, then you will lose weight. It is possible that this will be impacted if you have a medical condition. However, this truth does not lie.
While some diets have their health benefits, I don't follow any. I eat doughnuts, I eat chic-fil-a, I drink an occasional soda, I eat breads, I drink alcohol. It has been important to me to still be able to eat whatever I want. However, I have learned to say "no" and to be mindful of whether or not I have the extra calories to eat some of the above mentioned foods. I drink mostly water or tea so as to save my calories for food. I plan ahead to burn additional calories in my exercise routine to compensate for having had indulged. I use the free on-line site www.myfitnesspal.com to log calories and get support. You will need to make changes but you have to WANT it.
This week, I worked out on Sunday(a first but I knew I wouldn't be working out Easter weekend), I ended up doing my "2 a days" for 3 of the 4 days I had intended for a total of 8 workout sessions this week. I was also extra diligent with calorie counting and making sure I was always under my calorie goal (aka burning more calories than consumed). I was in bed by 10pm each night too, took my multi-vitam, and ate a ton of veggies! Oh, and no alcohol was consumed this week.
I feel great! I am now 149 which is 4 lbs from my ultimate goal. I am now at the point where I'm focusing on pushing myself for sake of knowing that I can do it...verses for the sake of trying to lose more weight. I have "wanted it" for so long, pushing myself so hard, for so long that my mind frame has actually changed. I am on the edge of wanting more. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled with where I am at. However, I have this momentum built up and I am curious how much more I can do without compromising other aspects of my life.
This next week will be a challenge in that my routine will be compromised having the kids home for spring break. It may be a nice break for my body to be active in other ways!
However, it is possible that someone reading this tonight might be inspired to take the steps that will ultimately become their weight loss journey.
There was a time when I felt "lucky" if I could make it to the gym for 1 day/week. It just felt like an impossible & daunting endeavor to go work out. And what was I going to accomplish in one day? It didn't seem worth it so I didn't do it. I kept putting it off and finding a ton of excuses that supported this decision.
The day finally came though, when I was more-tired-of-feeling-"blah" about myself, than I was tired about the thought of dragging myself to the gym. And so, I made a plan. (and I realized that the "blah" feeling about myself wasn't going to go away unless I did something about it).
Anyone who is interested in losing weight can begin this journey long before they introduce exercise into their daily life. My plan began with counting my daily calories. I did not change what I was eating, I just took the time to learn the calorie count of what I was putting in my body. This learning process in turn began to shape my food choices. Then I set little goals. One goal was to not eat after 8pm. Once I mastered that (about a month) then I decided I would not eat after dinner. Your goals do not have to be the same. Perhaps it is reducing soda intake or measuring your cereal/milk in the morning into 1 Cup, then later 1/2 Cups. ANYONE can do these things and it does not cost any money and does not take away time from your other responsibilities. There are no excuses not to be more responsible in terms of your food/beverage intake. You have to WANT to do it though.
Once you've tinkered around with your calorie intake and learned a few things to avoid and perhaps some things you can splurge more on than you previously thought, you will want to incorporate some sort of exercise into your daily life. Ahhh....but where and when, much less how?
What I'm about to say next may feel uncomfortable at first...but if you are serious about making a commitment to losing weight...tell everyone! Include the people in your life, your significant other, your folks, your friends, your kids. You might be thinking "who cares about me losing weight?" or maybe you don't want to come off as pretending to be something you aren't (or haven't been yet or once were??)...however, you have no idea how much support you have waiting for you on your journey! There are tons of people who are intimidated about going on this journey, afraid to fail, afraid to succeed...and there are tons more who are actually on the weight loss journey right now-who would love to support you!...but you have to WANT it!
When you are ready, really ready...have a talk with your spouse/partner about what this means. Is he/she on board? How can that person support you? Spell out the details if necessary about what you need from them on this journey. For instance, I asked my husband if for 1 week, I could work out each night after he got home. This meant he had to attend to the kids for up to 1 hour in the evening (get them their snack, play with them, set up a TV show for them, get them in jammies). He was willing to commit for one week and agreed to reassess after that week. Earlier in my journey I talked with him about having less "dessert" foods in the house because I was trying to reduce my temptations. He agreed too and we've since been bringing those foods back because I'm conquered being tempted at this point!
If getting to the gym seems too difficult to juggle...maybe ask a neighbor to watch your kid(s) for an hour, or go in before everyone wakes up -which means you may need to go to bed by 9pm, which means some things around the house won't get done (but that's ok because you are working on you now!). Most gyms have child care. Perhaps your child doesn't like it there. Will they tolerate 15 minutes? Go every day for 15 minutes and try to increase it by 5 minutes when possible. Do not give up! If these aren't your issues, write me and I'll help brainstorm ways to support your efforts!
The gym isn't your thing? There is always the outdoors. The weather IS getting warmer and if it's all you got, bundle up and get going! The same suggestions apply above...wake up earlier, wait til spouse gets home, have a neighbor/grandparent watch your kid(s)...we are talking 30minutes! Tell me you don't have a DVD player of some sort? The library has workout videos. Find one that interests you and commit to 1 week, doing the video every day. Then reassess. I know none of this sounds glamourous. This is just one reason why losing weight is hard. You have to WANT it.
Now, get real with yourself and determine how many days you will dedicate time to exercise and for how long (30 minutes, an hour?). Then, approach your work out with the attitude of "you're here, make the most of it!" You haven't committed this precious time to just walk. This is the time to dig deep and work up a sweat. The best way to do this is to run. Yes, you read correctly, run. When I started I could hardly run a 1/2 mile without stopping. For me, it was a goal to run a whole mile without stopping and in time that distance increased. For the first week...run, walk, run, walk, run, walk...but RUN! ok, it can be a jog. But do more jogging than walking! and do this for at least 30 minutes. Then spend the other 30 minutes focusing on exercises that target whatever areas of your body you are most concerned about. If it's your tummy, do sit ups. If it's your butt, do squats & lunges. If it's your arms, do arms. And do this same routine every day of the week...for a month(or whatever your goal is)! You will see over time that you can mix things up, increase the distance, increase the number of sit ups, and so on. But you have to WANT it.
Once you incorporate exercise into your daily life you can log in your calories burned along side your calories consumed...and the pieces to the weight loss journey will be on their way to falling into place. I am a FIRM believer that if you burn more calories than you take in, then you will lose weight. It is possible that this will be impacted if you have a medical condition. However, this truth does not lie.
While some diets have their health benefits, I don't follow any. I eat doughnuts, I eat chic-fil-a, I drink an occasional soda, I eat breads, I drink alcohol. It has been important to me to still be able to eat whatever I want. However, I have learned to say "no" and to be mindful of whether or not I have the extra calories to eat some of the above mentioned foods. I drink mostly water or tea so as to save my calories for food. I plan ahead to burn additional calories in my exercise routine to compensate for having had indulged. I use the free on-line site www.myfitnesspal.com to log calories and get support. You will need to make changes but you have to WANT it.
This week, I worked out on Sunday(a first but I knew I wouldn't be working out Easter weekend), I ended up doing my "2 a days" for 3 of the 4 days I had intended for a total of 8 workout sessions this week. I was also extra diligent with calorie counting and making sure I was always under my calorie goal (aka burning more calories than consumed). I was in bed by 10pm each night too, took my multi-vitam, and ate a ton of veggies! Oh, and no alcohol was consumed this week.
I feel great! I am now 149 which is 4 lbs from my ultimate goal. I am now at the point where I'm focusing on pushing myself for sake of knowing that I can do it...verses for the sake of trying to lose more weight. I have "wanted it" for so long, pushing myself so hard, for so long that my mind frame has actually changed. I am on the edge of wanting more. Don't get me wrong, I am thrilled with where I am at. However, I have this momentum built up and I am curious how much more I can do without compromising other aspects of my life.
This next week will be a challenge in that my routine will be compromised having the kids home for spring break. It may be a nice break for my body to be active in other ways!
Sunday, March 24, 2013
Christy: Week 10
Last week can only be summed up through a list of pros & cons...here it goes:
Pro: When I exercised, I pushed myself hard...a couple sore days!
Con: Only worked out 4 days instead of the usual 5.
Pro: Ran 2.5 miles straight through without stopping (a goal of mine to accomplish at least once a week).
Con: Over indulged in eating one night when I hosted a crafting night.
Pro: Only had two beers this week. Actually, that's really a "con" but it could have been worse!
Con: Didn't log my calories on myfitnesspal for 4 days!
Pro: Had the opportunity to skip a workout and chose the workout instead.
Con: Went to bed at 11pm or later almost every night this week...that's way too late for my health goals.
Pro: Took the kids swimming for 2 hrs one day after school & had tons of active fun.
Con: Concerned about a heart arrhythmia that has been acting up.
Pro: Successfully broke in my new running shoes.
Con: I'm so sick of the gray cold weather that it is impacting my motivation to keep the momentum going.
Pro: I didn't gain any weight.
Con: I didn't lose any either.
I WILL be buckling down this week! There is nothing on my calendar to get in my way and I cleared it with my husband that I AM going to workout 2 times a day each day this week (except Friday due to weekend plans). I have already planned out this weeks menu (veggies burgers, fish, chicken in the crock pot) and have taken care of some things around the house so that my duties there aren't neglected. With the second work out, I know I'll be eating afterwards which is later at night than normal. Already planning to keep it healthy! I may even exercise sometime today (Sunday)!
Pro: When I exercised, I pushed myself hard...a couple sore days!
Con: Only worked out 4 days instead of the usual 5.
Pro: Ran 2.5 miles straight through without stopping (a goal of mine to accomplish at least once a week).
Con: Over indulged in eating one night when I hosted a crafting night.
Pro: Only had two beers this week. Actually, that's really a "con" but it could have been worse!
Con: Didn't log my calories on myfitnesspal for 4 days!
Pro: Had the opportunity to skip a workout and chose the workout instead.
Con: Went to bed at 11pm or later almost every night this week...that's way too late for my health goals.
Pro: Took the kids swimming for 2 hrs one day after school & had tons of active fun.
Con: Concerned about a heart arrhythmia that has been acting up.
Pro: Successfully broke in my new running shoes.
Con: I'm so sick of the gray cold weather that it is impacting my motivation to keep the momentum going.
Pro: I didn't gain any weight.
Con: I didn't lose any either.
I WILL be buckling down this week! There is nothing on my calendar to get in my way and I cleared it with my husband that I AM going to workout 2 times a day each day this week (except Friday due to weekend plans). I have already planned out this weeks menu (veggies burgers, fish, chicken in the crock pot) and have taken care of some things around the house so that my duties there aren't neglected. With the second work out, I know I'll be eating afterwards which is later at night than normal. Already planning to keep it healthy! I may even exercise sometime today (Sunday)!
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Christy: Week 9
Ahhh, Sunday...The end to a very busy weekend that held many opportunities to stray from my weight loss goals. The first temptation occurred when my daugter & I went out to eat after seeing the Cuyahoga Valley Youth Ballet. So many choices...do I choose a burger? do I have a soda? We decided to split a Hummus veggie wrap (minus the onions) and I had water while she had her first Shirley Temple. Later that same night I attended a girls night out where each of us brought an appetizer. Turned out almost of the attendees brought dessert! Mint this, fudge that, cream this...yikes! I knew if I had one I'd be going down the slippery slope. So, I had none! I did however have a few extra chips n cheese dip that I brought but didn't over do it! I also chose to bring flavored ice tea that was 35 calories as opposed to an alcoholic beverage. So glad I did because nothing I ate or drank made an impact on how much I enjoyed the night and I felt good the next morning! And here I am at today...St. Patrick's day! I ate light the whole day because I knew I had delicious corned beef & cabbage in the crock pot for dinner and the beer was a flowing early on! I stopped by a friend's jewelery party and while I sampled everything, I didn't pig out! See a theme developing? That guacamole was soooo goood tooo...but alas, here I a, didn't over do it and I feel great! I feel like I've been able to "live my usual life" and yet be responsible for my eating behaviors. Ok, I am staying realistic and I know that I may not pass every temptation that comes my way...but I know it is possible. And the more I "pass" these tests, the more my confidence builds and my weight loss stays on track!
Last week I toyed with the idea of bringing my son to the gym with me 3 days instead of the usual 2. I mentioned last week too that the new tot room care taker is terrific! Turns out that my son asked me every day last week if he could go to the tot room. He absolutely loves playing with the care taker and she adores him right back! Its one of the most quality hours of his day (yeah, she's really that great). As a result, I feel so much freer to concentrate on a thorough workout and I'm going to keep on taking him as long as he wants to go also! This feeling on his part may not last forever so I'm taking advantage of it to further my journey while I can!
Last week I also saw some great numbers on the scale...one of them was my goal weight! However, when I weighed in this morning had a loss of 1.5 lbs putting me at 151.5. I wouldn't be surprised if tonight's beers did a little damage but.... I continue to feel confident in maintaining the areas I've changed. I am focused on being able to do what I want to do-within balance & reason-in terms of eating/drinking. The actual weight I'm losing is coming off a little slower these last few weeks. I am suspecting it is a variety of reasons which include: being bored at times with working out, feeling a little cocky at times which causes me to splurge more than I have a craving to, and feeling that since I'm so close to my goal weight I should concentrate on maintaining & not losing.
Perhaps there are other factors and influences and I have yet to uncover such as stress. Stress usually ebbs & flow so while it may account for a fluke week, I don't agree it's a main culprit in the month of March. I'm probably over thinking this stage of my journey! I am hoping to move past these last few pounds, meet my goal, and figure out where I go from there!
Week 9 is more of the same...exercise 5 days a week, incorporating a strengthening routine of arms, back, butt, legs, abs, keeping my weight lighting Wednesdays but running 1 mile prior to lifting, increasing my cardio such that I'm burning 400 calories instead of 300.
While I do not have any regrets this week, if I had to name one it would be the regret of permitting stress to take over in the form of being irritated about things I have no control over. I can already tell that this week is going to have it's share of irritating instances. Just take a deep breath and push through! My goals are important and I want to reach them!
Last week I toyed with the idea of bringing my son to the gym with me 3 days instead of the usual 2. I mentioned last week too that the new tot room care taker is terrific! Turns out that my son asked me every day last week if he could go to the tot room. He absolutely loves playing with the care taker and she adores him right back! Its one of the most quality hours of his day (yeah, she's really that great). As a result, I feel so much freer to concentrate on a thorough workout and I'm going to keep on taking him as long as he wants to go also! This feeling on his part may not last forever so I'm taking advantage of it to further my journey while I can!
Last week I also saw some great numbers on the scale...one of them was my goal weight! However, when I weighed in this morning had a loss of 1.5 lbs putting me at 151.5. I wouldn't be surprised if tonight's beers did a little damage but.... I continue to feel confident in maintaining the areas I've changed. I am focused on being able to do what I want to do-within balance & reason-in terms of eating/drinking. The actual weight I'm losing is coming off a little slower these last few weeks. I am suspecting it is a variety of reasons which include: being bored at times with working out, feeling a little cocky at times which causes me to splurge more than I have a craving to, and feeling that since I'm so close to my goal weight I should concentrate on maintaining & not losing.
Perhaps there are other factors and influences and I have yet to uncover such as stress. Stress usually ebbs & flow so while it may account for a fluke week, I don't agree it's a main culprit in the month of March. I'm probably over thinking this stage of my journey! I am hoping to move past these last few pounds, meet my goal, and figure out where I go from there!
Week 9 is more of the same...exercise 5 days a week, incorporating a strengthening routine of arms, back, butt, legs, abs, keeping my weight lighting Wednesdays but running 1 mile prior to lifting, increasing my cardio such that I'm burning 400 calories instead of 300.
While I do not have any regrets this week, if I had to name one it would be the regret of permitting stress to take over in the form of being irritated about things I have no control over. I can already tell that this week is going to have it's share of irritating instances. Just take a deep breath and push through! My goals are important and I want to reach them!
Sunday, March 10, 2013
Christy: Week 8
I have finally hit a plateau...at least for this week. I don't have anything to explain why but I did not lose any weight this week. I held to my weekly workout goals of getting to the gym 5 days this week and one of those days I met my running goal of going 2.5 miles without stopping. On another occasion I upped my running pace to see how challenging it would be. I brougth back lunges and maintained the weightlifting Wednesdays. There was no slacking in the exercise department!
As for my diet, other than scaling back portion sizes and eliminating major calorie consuming foods such as fast foods, certain desserts, and caloric beverages...I have not drastically made any changes. I am wondering if it is time to rethink the diet strategy? I am going to give my usual routine/plan one more week and allow myself some time to figure out my next steps if my weight remains stagnant. Things I am thinking about include reducing my carbs & increasing my veggies. I do good in the fruit & protein department but may need to tweak the latter.
This coming week I plan to incorporate more sleep...used to go to be at 9pm but it's been creeping back up to 11pm with a couple late nights out with the girls! I gotta get serious...it's crunch time! I am also continuing to take my multi vitamin which I must say, has had a positive impact on my finger nails. They have not been as strong & grow so quickly in years as they have these past 3-4 weeks!
Since I can no longer work out in the mornings, I may just have to take my son into the gym 3 days this coming week. He does enjoy being there but it feels selfish to me to put him there so often. Just this week wont hurt & maybe I'll treat the kids to swimming after school as an added way to burn off a few calories!
While I am bummed that I did not see the scale move this week, I am trying to keep this journey in perspective. Technically, I've lost a total of 20 lbs! This amazes me on many levels. While I know my body has changed (by evidence of how my clothes feel and what my body is able to now do-like run 2.5 miles at one time) there are times when I look at myself and see no difference at all! Now that can be discouraging! Maybe this is why I am focused on the "numbers" at least at this point my journey. The numbers do not lie even when my mind plays tricks on me! The work is paying off and some weeks will be better than others. I am going to view this week as one where my body was just pausing to get used to being where it's at. Sometimes it's good to just pause and be thankful for where we are at in the moment.
I have no regrets this week. Of course I could have changed doing this or that however, I lived this past week somewhat responsible in terms of not going crazy with food and sticking to my exercise goals. I had my share of fun without going over board. I do wonder how much stress may have played a role this week as I've definitely had more of that this week than usual! Interested to see what changes or ah-ha moments next week will bring!
As for my diet, other than scaling back portion sizes and eliminating major calorie consuming foods such as fast foods, certain desserts, and caloric beverages...I have not drastically made any changes. I am wondering if it is time to rethink the diet strategy? I am going to give my usual routine/plan one more week and allow myself some time to figure out my next steps if my weight remains stagnant. Things I am thinking about include reducing my carbs & increasing my veggies. I do good in the fruit & protein department but may need to tweak the latter.
This coming week I plan to incorporate more sleep...used to go to be at 9pm but it's been creeping back up to 11pm with a couple late nights out with the girls! I gotta get serious...it's crunch time! I am also continuing to take my multi vitamin which I must say, has had a positive impact on my finger nails. They have not been as strong & grow so quickly in years as they have these past 3-4 weeks!
Since I can no longer work out in the mornings, I may just have to take my son into the gym 3 days this coming week. He does enjoy being there but it feels selfish to me to put him there so often. Just this week wont hurt & maybe I'll treat the kids to swimming after school as an added way to burn off a few calories!
While I am bummed that I did not see the scale move this week, I am trying to keep this journey in perspective. Technically, I've lost a total of 20 lbs! This amazes me on many levels. While I know my body has changed (by evidence of how my clothes feel and what my body is able to now do-like run 2.5 miles at one time) there are times when I look at myself and see no difference at all! Now that can be discouraging! Maybe this is why I am focused on the "numbers" at least at this point my journey. The numbers do not lie even when my mind plays tricks on me! The work is paying off and some weeks will be better than others. I am going to view this week as one where my body was just pausing to get used to being where it's at. Sometimes it's good to just pause and be thankful for where we are at in the moment.
I have no regrets this week. Of course I could have changed doing this or that however, I lived this past week somewhat responsible in terms of not going crazy with food and sticking to my exercise goals. I had my share of fun without going over board. I do wonder how much stress may have played a role this week as I've definitely had more of that this week than usual! Interested to see what changes or ah-ha moments next week will bring!
Sunday, March 3, 2013
Christy: Week 7
My weeks always seem to start off with a bang but by the time the weekend hits, I find myself slacking just enough to gently curb any significant weight loss I've acrued. I'm not saying by any means I'm disappointed in my progress. However, when you've seen the scale at 151.5 on Tuesday but it's at 153 on Saturday it becomes obvious that I am taking the "losses" for granted. This week was more of a regular week for me. The kind of week I see myself having on a more daily basis once my goal weight is reached. I worked out 4 days (Usually I've been doing 5) for an hour each. The grunting & sweating continue to be alive and well as I push myself at every work out. My husband actually called me "addicted" this week! Ha ha ha ha! I think he has this current view of me because he is my main source of unloading in terms of talking about my weight loss journey in great detail! I've confessed to him how exhilarating it is to work out really hard, giving my all. I actually like how the sweat feels when it is dripping from my arms, down the front & back of my shirt. I love how my work out clothes are getting larger on me! I used to wear them (when I wasn't exercising) because they were comfortable and they made me look slimmer (at least so I thought). It is really amazing how far I've come. Hardly being able to run a half mile without stopping in those first weeks back in September. Then hitting the mile mark. I thought that would always be my bar. Until that too became easy to do after a few weeks and with pushing myself- and thus breaking through mental barriers- I am now regularly running 2 miles without stopping every day I work out (avg. 8-12 miles/week). I'm looking forward to buying new running shoes soon!
Back to my husband saying I'm addicted. I use my fitness pal to log my calorie intake and output. I know for a fact that I'm not addicted... because I don't use mfp every day (hence why I end up slacking on the weekends). BUT I'm also not addicted because...I'm enthusiastic! I am excited to learn about what I'm putting into my body in a way in which I've never previously thought about. For instance, I like white rice but I "hear" that brown rice is better for you. So, we eat brown rice which is not my favorite but it's not horrible either. However, when I saw that a cup of brown rice was 200+ calories I was shocked AND compelled to blurt out my surprise at the high calorie count! Lately this is a normal scenario in our house...me sharing what I'm learning with my family. Which is why they are starting to think I'm a little nut-so with this my fitness pal!
The good news is that I have seen the positive impact I'm having on my kids. My kids tend to be very active and healthy eaters to begin with. However, there have been times when they want to "play-exercise" like Mommy exercises. They click on the workout app on my phone and mimic the exercises like jumping jacks, sit ups, etc. The kids also ask me "Is this healthy to eat?" and we have conversations about the importance of balance in their choices and portion sizes. They know why Mommy is trying to "get skinny" so to speak which is so that I can be active along side them and live healthy to live longer!
I am going to strive to take advantage of this week, working out 5 days for an hour each. I am going to try to run at least one day for 2 and a half miles straight. Its time I try to push the envelope. I'm also going to increase my squats and bring back lunges (I took a 2wk break from lunges because they are hard on my right knee). I need to stop drinking alcohol! This past week I had 3 beers & 3 glasses of wine. I've been very good about not drinking my calories but the social events creeped in and took over the best of me! Back to water & tea only! I need to grocery shop with a plan. I usually do however, I've been putting off shopping until the first of the month which led to eating out (which is very unusual for us).
My one regret this week is that I should have gone grocery shopping earlier. Having food in the house would have permitted me to be prepared for a couple outings the kids & I shared without stopping to eat. It would have also made me more prepared for Friday without meat during lent. Friday sure snuck up on me!
I lost 1 lb this week. I was really hoping to lose 2 as I had seen the numbers on the scale earlier in the week but today's weight reflected more the reality of the whole week. I am still in complete shock that I am 153! I was thrilled 2 wks ago when I hit 155...just in awe. I am on cloud 9 about being at this point. I'm not ready to settle yet, though, I do feel so good. Not ready to say this journey is over since I'm interested to see if I can reach my dream goal!
Let's see some good numbers this week! Lucky #7 right?
Back to my husband saying I'm addicted. I use my fitness pal to log my calorie intake and output. I know for a fact that I'm not addicted... because I don't use mfp every day (hence why I end up slacking on the weekends). BUT I'm also not addicted because...I'm enthusiastic! I am excited to learn about what I'm putting into my body in a way in which I've never previously thought about. For instance, I like white rice but I "hear" that brown rice is better for you. So, we eat brown rice which is not my favorite but it's not horrible either. However, when I saw that a cup of brown rice was 200+ calories I was shocked AND compelled to blurt out my surprise at the high calorie count! Lately this is a normal scenario in our house...me sharing what I'm learning with my family. Which is why they are starting to think I'm a little nut-so with this my fitness pal!
The good news is that I have seen the positive impact I'm having on my kids. My kids tend to be very active and healthy eaters to begin with. However, there have been times when they want to "play-exercise" like Mommy exercises. They click on the workout app on my phone and mimic the exercises like jumping jacks, sit ups, etc. The kids also ask me "Is this healthy to eat?" and we have conversations about the importance of balance in their choices and portion sizes. They know why Mommy is trying to "get skinny" so to speak which is so that I can be active along side them and live healthy to live longer!
I am going to strive to take advantage of this week, working out 5 days for an hour each. I am going to try to run at least one day for 2 and a half miles straight. Its time I try to push the envelope. I'm also going to increase my squats and bring back lunges (I took a 2wk break from lunges because they are hard on my right knee). I need to stop drinking alcohol! This past week I had 3 beers & 3 glasses of wine. I've been very good about not drinking my calories but the social events creeped in and took over the best of me! Back to water & tea only! I need to grocery shop with a plan. I usually do however, I've been putting off shopping until the first of the month which led to eating out (which is very unusual for us).
My one regret this week is that I should have gone grocery shopping earlier. Having food in the house would have permitted me to be prepared for a couple outings the kids & I shared without stopping to eat. It would have also made me more prepared for Friday without meat during lent. Friday sure snuck up on me!
I lost 1 lb this week. I was really hoping to lose 2 as I had seen the numbers on the scale earlier in the week but today's weight reflected more the reality of the whole week. I am still in complete shock that I am 153! I was thrilled 2 wks ago when I hit 155...just in awe. I am on cloud 9 about being at this point. I'm not ready to settle yet, though, I do feel so good. Not ready to say this journey is over since I'm interested to see if I can reach my dream goal!
Let's see some good numbers this week! Lucky #7 right?
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Christy: Week 6
Week 6...WOW! This one word sums up what I was feeling this morning as I got dressed for church. For years, I dreaded Sunday mornings when I had to find something "dressy" to wear. (Aside: Its been nearly 6 years since I worked outside the home where I wore suits, blouses, skirts, etc.) My clothes now are mostly casual & comfortable. I would walk into the closet, look around and just stand there. Its not that I don't have any nice clothes, its not that I can't put an outfit together. Its that nothing fit, nothing made me feel good. In fact, everytime I put dressy clothes on my belly rolled over and I thought my seams would bust. For years I felt this way. I even broke down and bought clothes that "did fit" but by then it was too late...I knew I was out of shape, I lost enthusiasm for dressing up & looking pretty, and I knew I just wasn't able to wear a good portion of my wardrobe without feeling physically fat! Today, however, I was filled with JOY as I got dressed for church. Today I CAN wear my clothes...most of them... except for the ones that are too BIG! It was pure joy to put on whatever I wanted and know that I felt good, looked good! I felt so good that I didn't even put on makeup! LOL...and I took my coat off at church (sometimes I'd keep it on to help cover my belly bulge).
So last week, I went a little overboard with eating valentines candy. I rallied back and having increased the poundage of my free weights and the frequency of incorporating them into my workouts, I continued to lose weight and am now 9 lbs away from my goal! I continue to be very diligent about my diet routine....which...if you didn't know involves the following: portion control, no eating after dinner, no drinking my calories, counting calories in & out, and making sure it's nutritionally balanced. I also managed to eat at Chic-fil-a this past week and enjoy a girls night out with appetizers without impacting my progres. On those days I was especially diligent about the intake of my calories. At this point I don't have cravings, I'm not bloated, I feel full when I eat smaller portions.
I feel like a broken record but I'm just going to keep doing more of the same! I did download a free app to my phone for workout ideas to mix things up a bit and some new music to run to such as Catch My Breath by Kelly Clarkson and Try by Pink. If anyone was interested in losing weight or plain getting in shape, I would love a buddy. If you are interested in allowing me to coach you, we could sit down to talk in depth about where to start, goals, & create a plan. I am no expert but I am experiencing success. I know you can too!
I lost 3lbs this week putting me at 154. I haven't seen this number in 6 years! WOW!
So last week, I went a little overboard with eating valentines candy. I rallied back and having increased the poundage of my free weights and the frequency of incorporating them into my workouts, I continued to lose weight and am now 9 lbs away from my goal! I continue to be very diligent about my diet routine....which...if you didn't know involves the following: portion control, no eating after dinner, no drinking my calories, counting calories in & out, and making sure it's nutritionally balanced. I also managed to eat at Chic-fil-a this past week and enjoy a girls night out with appetizers without impacting my progres. On those days I was especially diligent about the intake of my calories. At this point I don't have cravings, I'm not bloated, I feel full when I eat smaller portions.
I feel like a broken record but I'm just going to keep doing more of the same! I did download a free app to my phone for workout ideas to mix things up a bit and some new music to run to such as Catch My Breath by Kelly Clarkson and Try by Pink. If anyone was interested in losing weight or plain getting in shape, I would love a buddy. If you are interested in allowing me to coach you, we could sit down to talk in depth about where to start, goals, & create a plan. I am no expert but I am experiencing success. I know you can too!
I lost 3lbs this week putting me at 154. I haven't seen this number in 6 years! WOW!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Christy: Week 5
Big lesson learned this week...and I'm still learning. Last week when I wrote I reported having a fairly decent week. It wasn't without its challenges but over all it was a successful week. I was doing so good and feeling so good, that I let my guard down. I feel like I have been "good" for so long...I navigated through Super Bowl without completely blowing it. I navigated through my kids baking a cake for random reasons. I navigated through my own birthday celebrations. I navigated through the emotions of my Dad's death, sinus infections, & my own kids being sick. However, I did not have the same will power navigating through Valentine's day. This holiday fell on a week when I was feeling weak. I had some false-confidence having made it through so much that I allowed myself to indulge and ended up on a very slippery slope. I ate 3/4 box of Malley's mints and 1/2 a box of chocolate covered pretzels over the course of 2 days. Yep, it was ugly.
The main lesson I learned is this: In the fight to lose weight, I can never let up. I also have to be even more firm & clear with how my family & friends can support me.
There will be times when I want to stray from what I know to be the healthy path to losing weight. I need my family & friends to know that especially in this early stage, I have to say "no" to certain things...the cupcake, the one more beer, the eating out, the routine of dessert after dinner. I feel like I can't put myself in certain situations that I used to because I know food will be involved and I'll be temped without the support to help me make the right choice. Someone once said (and I used to say this too but won't again) that "you gotta still live your life even though you are trying to lose weight." I understand the meaning behind it in that a small indulgence once in a while can't hurt and the idea that "living life" means enjoying food too. But it is really all wrong! A small indulgence can hurt me if I've not yet learned how to balance being able to stop at one small indulgence. I'll be "living life" when I am healthy (including a healthy weight). And that a good life does not have to revolve around food! When I think about it, it's a crazy thought that is not supportive. Eating these chocolate pretzels IS NOT living life. Living life is going skiing in the Alps! LOL
Thankfully, I continued to do great with my workouts. When I couldn't work out on my normal days & times, I ended up working out on a Saturday and one other occasion I did Billy Blanks boot camp video. I also continued to run 2 miles consecutive without stopping which has become my new "bar" and I did this 4 times over the past week. I plan to continue to step up the poundage used when I incorporate weights.
My regrets this week revolved around giving into eating lots of chocolate and overdoing it in terms of quantity consumed. I am fortunate that I only gained 1 pound, leaving me at 157lb to date.
I feel good today. I believe I look good & can see improvements to my body since this year began. I know what I need to do and I WANT to do it. I want to look & be fit (This, I can almost taste). This week's lesson was a necessary eye opener. Bring on a new week!
The main lesson I learned is this: In the fight to lose weight, I can never let up. I also have to be even more firm & clear with how my family & friends can support me.
There will be times when I want to stray from what I know to be the healthy path to losing weight. I need my family & friends to know that especially in this early stage, I have to say "no" to certain things...the cupcake, the one more beer, the eating out, the routine of dessert after dinner. I feel like I can't put myself in certain situations that I used to because I know food will be involved and I'll be temped without the support to help me make the right choice. Someone once said (and I used to say this too but won't again) that "you gotta still live your life even though you are trying to lose weight." I understand the meaning behind it in that a small indulgence once in a while can't hurt and the idea that "living life" means enjoying food too. But it is really all wrong! A small indulgence can hurt me if I've not yet learned how to balance being able to stop at one small indulgence. I'll be "living life" when I am healthy (including a healthy weight). And that a good life does not have to revolve around food! When I think about it, it's a crazy thought that is not supportive. Eating these chocolate pretzels IS NOT living life. Living life is going skiing in the Alps! LOL
Thankfully, I continued to do great with my workouts. When I couldn't work out on my normal days & times, I ended up working out on a Saturday and one other occasion I did Billy Blanks boot camp video. I also continued to run 2 miles consecutive without stopping which has become my new "bar" and I did this 4 times over the past week. I plan to continue to step up the poundage used when I incorporate weights.
My regrets this week revolved around giving into eating lots of chocolate and overdoing it in terms of quantity consumed. I am fortunate that I only gained 1 pound, leaving me at 157lb to date.
I feel good today. I believe I look good & can see improvements to my body since this year began. I know what I need to do and I WANT to do it. I want to look & be fit (This, I can almost taste). This week's lesson was a necessary eye opener. Bring on a new week!
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Christy: Week 4
Happy Birthday to me! Yup, 41 today! And I feel so good! Two years ago I had really wanted to be at a healthier weight when I turned 40... it didn't happen. I am testament that just because you don't succeed the first time, try, try, again! The best present was that I had a great week in terms of my physical workouts. I met my goal of working out 5 days and exceeded it by finally getting over the hump of being able to run 2 miles without stopping once! It was a mental break through for me and a much needed one since the week was laden with emotions.
On Monday I found out that my estranged Dad suffered a heart attack and has been in ICU all week. Talk about a lifetime of emotions surfacing all over again! If ever there was a time for me to indulge in eating it would have been this week. However, I didn't! I tried to turn the situation around and remember that I value my life and I am proud to make healthy choices in terms of eating balanced and in terms of maintaining a positive attitude.
My workout goals this week are to continue working out 5 days a week, with one of them being weight lift Wednesday. I've been incorporating lunges on my cardio days and want to continue to do this until it's less painful! I plan to increase the poundage of my free weight arm exercises and I've been considering meeting with a trainer just to familiarize me with the weight equipment because there are a few machines I'm a little awkward to try out!
As for eating, I use myfitnesspal.com to record my calorie intake & output. My goal is to consume 1200 calories or less/day and to "bank" those calories I burn in my workout. I could probably afford to vary my diet a bit, however, since I've been using mfp for a few months, I know what foods I can make easily that also won't blow my daily intake. I also started taking Centrum multi vitamin for women under 50. Its a horse pill but it also packs pretty much every vitamin known to man! I did not have time to research, however, it was on sale and it's a brand name that been around for a while so I'm trusting that it will help me accomplish fulfilling some of my body's needs. I have got to get on the drinking water band wagon! Its been two weeks in a row where I find myself barely drinking anything at all (maybe 4 glasses of water/day). I need to get back into that habit!
My main regret is that I was unable to stick to my sleep routine. I went to bed more than once at or after 11pm instead of 9pm and one night I was up with my son from midnight-4am assisting him while he had the stomach flu.
I lost 2 pounds this week putting me at 156lbs. Another mental feat in that I can actually say to myself "you are in the 150's"...and getting to 155 is doable which means getting to 145 is also doable! Neither will be possible without stepping up my game. Motivation enough for me! Now if I can only get my iPhone to shuffle music on it's own like it used to!
I thought I would post a couple "before"(August 2012) and "now"(January 2013) photos. My focus areas have been my stomach, booty, and thighs.
On Monday I found out that my estranged Dad suffered a heart attack and has been in ICU all week. Talk about a lifetime of emotions surfacing all over again! If ever there was a time for me to indulge in eating it would have been this week. However, I didn't! I tried to turn the situation around and remember that I value my life and I am proud to make healthy choices in terms of eating balanced and in terms of maintaining a positive attitude.
My workout goals this week are to continue working out 5 days a week, with one of them being weight lift Wednesday. I've been incorporating lunges on my cardio days and want to continue to do this until it's less painful! I plan to increase the poundage of my free weight arm exercises and I've been considering meeting with a trainer just to familiarize me with the weight equipment because there are a few machines I'm a little awkward to try out!
As for eating, I use myfitnesspal.com to record my calorie intake & output. My goal is to consume 1200 calories or less/day and to "bank" those calories I burn in my workout. I could probably afford to vary my diet a bit, however, since I've been using mfp for a few months, I know what foods I can make easily that also won't blow my daily intake. I also started taking Centrum multi vitamin for women under 50. Its a horse pill but it also packs pretty much every vitamin known to man! I did not have time to research, however, it was on sale and it's a brand name that been around for a while so I'm trusting that it will help me accomplish fulfilling some of my body's needs. I have got to get on the drinking water band wagon! Its been two weeks in a row where I find myself barely drinking anything at all (maybe 4 glasses of water/day). I need to get back into that habit!
My main regret is that I was unable to stick to my sleep routine. I went to bed more than once at or after 11pm instead of 9pm and one night I was up with my son from midnight-4am assisting him while he had the stomach flu.
I lost 2 pounds this week putting me at 156lbs. Another mental feat in that I can actually say to myself "you are in the 150's"...and getting to 155 is doable which means getting to 145 is also doable! Neither will be possible without stepping up my game. Motivation enough for me! Now if I can only get my iPhone to shuffle music on it's own like it used to!
I thought I would post a couple "before"(August 2012) and "now"(January 2013) photos. My focus areas have been my stomach, booty, and thighs.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
Christy: Week 3
Remember in my first blog...I referred to something along the lines of "barriers" or "challenges" that people might face on their journey to losing weight? As if my sinus infection from last week wasn't challenge enough...this week...the barriers won :( I ended up having an allergic reaction to the antibiotic I was on for the sinus infection! All over body rash coupled with a general feeling of "not well" for two days. And that was just one barrier...the other was on Friday when both kids were home from school due to a snow day & I was unable to get a work out in that day. Thus, my goal of working out 4-5 days did not pan out. I did work out 3 days so the week was not a complete waste! And I suppose you can say that because I continued to be ill (less sinus related and more allergy related) my appetite had been compromised which evened things out...fewer calories burned and fewer calories consumed! I stayed the same weight.
Barriers are a reality to anything you want to accomplish! You have to make a decision, sometimes on a day to day basis, as to what you are willing to deal with, to what degree you are willing to push yourself, decide what is an excuse and what is a legitimate challenge, and so on. I hope to conquer most of them and have spent time trying to think about possible barriers such that should they arise I'll be prepared to deal with them. However, when something unexpected comes along I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I won't lie, I am irritated that there is a bump in my momentum. It is so much easier to keep the momentum than to start up all over again. I had been looking forward to feeling good again and pushing myself. Now I feel like I'm going into week 4 at the same place I was in week 1. Nonetheless, I'll be getting back in the race and that is what is important!
This week I did cardio 2 days and 1 day of weight lifting. I did a bunch of squats on one of those days that resulted in booty being quite sore for at least 2 days afterwards. Definitely going to do more of those next week! Plan to get back into the gym 4-5 days in week 4.
I did not drink as much water this week and I felt it in terms of being slightly more sluggish on the days before my allergic reaction. All of my portions were smaller than usual because my appetite was off and I was cautious not to overdo it in case the reaction I was experiencing took a turn for the worse. I need to remember to incorporate more protein into my diet and am considering a multivitamin. Taking suggestions and I'll research this to report back next week!
My one regret this week was that I let the weather scare me off from going to work out. Thursday I was suppose to work out at 5:30am. There had been weather reports of rain freezing over night with temps dropping significantly. The wind was also howling so much so that I was sure the roads would have been iced over. I didn't want to attempt going out. Turned out it was just a light dusting of snow on the ground and I could have made it no problem the 1 mile to the recreation center. Unbeknown to me that was my last opportunity of the week to work out before the allergy kicked in & kids had a snow day. Seize the day is the lesson learned here!
I need a good solid healthy week...hoping this is the one!
Barriers are a reality to anything you want to accomplish! You have to make a decision, sometimes on a day to day basis, as to what you are willing to deal with, to what degree you are willing to push yourself, decide what is an excuse and what is a legitimate challenge, and so on. I hope to conquer most of them and have spent time trying to think about possible barriers such that should they arise I'll be prepared to deal with them. However, when something unexpected comes along I'm not going to beat myself up over it. I won't lie, I am irritated that there is a bump in my momentum. It is so much easier to keep the momentum than to start up all over again. I had been looking forward to feeling good again and pushing myself. Now I feel like I'm going into week 4 at the same place I was in week 1. Nonetheless, I'll be getting back in the race and that is what is important!
This week I did cardio 2 days and 1 day of weight lifting. I did a bunch of squats on one of those days that resulted in booty being quite sore for at least 2 days afterwards. Definitely going to do more of those next week! Plan to get back into the gym 4-5 days in week 4.
I did not drink as much water this week and I felt it in terms of being slightly more sluggish on the days before my allergic reaction. All of my portions were smaller than usual because my appetite was off and I was cautious not to overdo it in case the reaction I was experiencing took a turn for the worse. I need to remember to incorporate more protein into my diet and am considering a multivitamin. Taking suggestions and I'll research this to report back next week!
My one regret this week was that I let the weather scare me off from going to work out. Thursday I was suppose to work out at 5:30am. There had been weather reports of rain freezing over night with temps dropping significantly. The wind was also howling so much so that I was sure the roads would have been iced over. I didn't want to attempt going out. Turned out it was just a light dusting of snow on the ground and I could have made it no problem the 1 mile to the recreation center. Unbeknown to me that was my last opportunity of the week to work out before the allergy kicked in & kids had a snow day. Seize the day is the lesson learned here!
I need a good solid healthy week...hoping this is the one!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Christy: Week 2
Whew, so glad that first week is over. Felt a little like the first week of college when I was nervous about making a good impression, always having my ID with me to access stuff on campus, and prove to myself I can handle this "new lifestyle." I was nervous about fulfilling my goals, needing to stay on par with my calorie counting, and embrace working out in some shape or form despite having a sinus infection.
I started last week off with a dry throat that quickly turned into a sore throat and a diagnosis on Wednesday of a sinus infection. Despite having breathing issues and dealing with the coldest weather we've had this winter, I managed to meet my goals on going to the gym and I actually ended up learning a lot about myself and what I'm capable of over coming.
Because I didn't feel well, I decided that I would have one day of ONLY lifting weights and lay off the cardio. This gave me time to actually focus on some muscle groups I've neglected in my "normal" routine of 30 minutes cardio and 30 minutes strength training (squats, sit ups, and occasional hand weights). And I sure needed to work those muscles as evidence of being sore in the days that followed. I am going to include now, one workout/week dedicated only to weightlifting.
The other thing I learned (and got me thinking in general) occurred during my cardio routine. I usually run (really its more like a jog) for 2 miles at 5.2 with a 1.0 incline. Again because I was sick I wanted to "go easy" on myself so I kept the same pace but ratcheted the incline down to .5. I could not believe the difference this made with the level of "comfort" in running. I ended up running an extra half mile AND burned more calories than I normally do! In addition, while the first 15 minutes were harder than usual (due to dry scratchy throat & runny nose), after that time it was like my sinuses cleared up and I actually felt good! It was completely opposite of what I was expecting to happen...and it happened all 4 times I did cardio this week! I am SO glad I didn't let this current bout of illness slow me down and it has given me more confidence of what I can push myself to do once I'm feeling 100%.
On another note, I would be remorse if I didn't say that the single one behavioral change that I engaged in this week that I believe played a significant part in me being able to handle working out & being sick is the fact that I went to bed EVERY night this week (except Saturday) at 9pm. Yup you read it right! 9pm. The first night I went to bed that early, I woke up at 4:30am. My body was like "you had 7 + hours of sleep, you're good!"...but after that my body accepted what was happening. It needed the rest! Do not underestimate the power of sleep!
This first week I worked out 5 days for an hour each burning on average 400 calories. I want to do the same in week 2. Last week I incorporated a new exercise where I would be in a 90 degree squat position and jump up, landing back into squat position. I did 3 reps of 8 of these...and oh boy, they are tough to get through! I'll be doing more of those but also plan to incorporate lunges. By the way, most of my exercises focus ONLY on my problem areas (i.e. stomach, thighs, & butt).
I am going to maintain the goal of not drinking my calories. This week I had a glass of wine & a beer. Those were my only drinkable calories (other than my Special K protein drink). My diet in general is about portion control, not eating sweets, and not eating after dinner. I want to maintain that for now.
The one regret I had this week felt a little out of my control. My kids spontaneously decided that Wednesday was "kids day" and they wanted to bake a cake. I just couldn't resist giving into them and so we baked.and.frosted.a.cake (I'll spare you the delicious details). I had three pieces & finally gave a chunk of it to some friends because I just couldn't have it in the house anymore! My birthday is next month and the same scenario will occur unless I tell them otherwise. Ugh, so hard to stop myself since good cake only comes around a few times a year!
But despite it being an unusual week...I am happy to report that I lost 2 lbs! I now weigh 158. I would like this week to be similar to last week before I do any major tweaking. It is working for me in this moment. Losing weight feels very purposeful and fulfilling in a whole new way.
I started last week off with a dry throat that quickly turned into a sore throat and a diagnosis on Wednesday of a sinus infection. Despite having breathing issues and dealing with the coldest weather we've had this winter, I managed to meet my goals on going to the gym and I actually ended up learning a lot about myself and what I'm capable of over coming.
Because I didn't feel well, I decided that I would have one day of ONLY lifting weights and lay off the cardio. This gave me time to actually focus on some muscle groups I've neglected in my "normal" routine of 30 minutes cardio and 30 minutes strength training (squats, sit ups, and occasional hand weights). And I sure needed to work those muscles as evidence of being sore in the days that followed. I am going to include now, one workout/week dedicated only to weightlifting.
The other thing I learned (and got me thinking in general) occurred during my cardio routine. I usually run (really its more like a jog) for 2 miles at 5.2 with a 1.0 incline. Again because I was sick I wanted to "go easy" on myself so I kept the same pace but ratcheted the incline down to .5. I could not believe the difference this made with the level of "comfort" in running. I ended up running an extra half mile AND burned more calories than I normally do! In addition, while the first 15 minutes were harder than usual (due to dry scratchy throat & runny nose), after that time it was like my sinuses cleared up and I actually felt good! It was completely opposite of what I was expecting to happen...and it happened all 4 times I did cardio this week! I am SO glad I didn't let this current bout of illness slow me down and it has given me more confidence of what I can push myself to do once I'm feeling 100%.
On another note, I would be remorse if I didn't say that the single one behavioral change that I engaged in this week that I believe played a significant part in me being able to handle working out & being sick is the fact that I went to bed EVERY night this week (except Saturday) at 9pm. Yup you read it right! 9pm. The first night I went to bed that early, I woke up at 4:30am. My body was like "you had 7 + hours of sleep, you're good!"...but after that my body accepted what was happening. It needed the rest! Do not underestimate the power of sleep!
This first week I worked out 5 days for an hour each burning on average 400 calories. I want to do the same in week 2. Last week I incorporated a new exercise where I would be in a 90 degree squat position and jump up, landing back into squat position. I did 3 reps of 8 of these...and oh boy, they are tough to get through! I'll be doing more of those but also plan to incorporate lunges. By the way, most of my exercises focus ONLY on my problem areas (i.e. stomach, thighs, & butt).
I am going to maintain the goal of not drinking my calories. This week I had a glass of wine & a beer. Those were my only drinkable calories (other than my Special K protein drink). My diet in general is about portion control, not eating sweets, and not eating after dinner. I want to maintain that for now.
The one regret I had this week felt a little out of my control. My kids spontaneously decided that Wednesday was "kids day" and they wanted to bake a cake. I just couldn't resist giving into them and so we baked.and.frosted.a.cake (I'll spare you the delicious details). I had three pieces & finally gave a chunk of it to some friends because I just couldn't have it in the house anymore! My birthday is next month and the same scenario will occur unless I tell them otherwise. Ugh, so hard to stop myself since good cake only comes around a few times a year!
But despite it being an unusual week...I am happy to report that I lost 2 lbs! I now weigh 158. I would like this week to be similar to last week before I do any major tweaking. It is working for me in this moment. Losing weight feels very purposeful and fulfilling in a whole new way.
Sunday, January 20, 2013
Christy: Week 1
Ready, set, go! Thank you in advance for coming on this weight loss journey with me. Truth be told, I am somewhat new on my journey to losing weight not because I haven't needed to shed a few pounds over the course of the last 5 years but because it wasn't until recently when it became clear that I was on a slippery slope to being an unhealthy weight for my stature.
Hi, I'm Christy. I'm a wife, Mother of 2, stay at home parent, former Student Affairs professional, practicing Catholic, with a Masters in Anthropology. I love crafting, hiking, sharing fun times with friends & family, and as of lately, I really do enjoy working out. As of today I am 40yrs old, 5' 6" at 160 lbs even.
For the first 35 years of my life I never struggled with my weight. I have always eaten healthy, usually balanced, and enjoy being physically active. Along with this I've given little thought to my body image and I've always been the "right size" porportionally. Well, this rosy life came to a screaming halt when at 35 I had my first child and at age 37 I had my second. With each pregnancy I gained 10 pounds for a total of 20 from where I had been the majority of my adult life. Coupled with being almost 40 yrs old, my body's metabolism & hormonal balances have changed. But I live a healthy lifestyle, so why wasn't this weight coming off? This wondering later led to being frustrated & discouraged as I would occasionally start a work out program or alter my eating and never saw results.
Then we moved from Michigan to Ohio and while I am happy now, the transition wasn't easy as we knew no one & had no family here. Combine a sense of loneliness to my new found poor body image and well, I gained another 5-10 pounds that continued to fluctuate for 2 years. At my worst I was 30lbs over my "normal" weight and 40lbs from my "ideal" weight.
Fast forward to September of 2012. I weighed 175lbs on a bad day, 172lbs on a good day. My oldest is full time in kindergarten and the youngest has a couple mornings per week in preschool. This stay at home Mommy finally has a consistent chunk of time to herself. Upon discussion with my husband it was agreed that in fact this would be "my time" to focus on whatever I needed to do for myself. I also decided that it would be acceptable for me to put my son in the "tot room" at the gym at least 2 days/week. Which means I can workout 4 days/wk with an occasional Saturday morning if the family had no plans. This time is PRECIOUS and I am determined to make the most of it. Every work out I do, I push myself further. After 5 weeks of busting my butt & calorie tracking (I'll blog more on that later) I actually lost 3 pounds! I broke the first barrier...it happend...I lost weight!
I felt like I had found the key to weight loss. It was so FREEING and motivating! So far, I've lost a total of 12 pounds. In a perfect world it could have been more-though I'm not discouraged- however, there was a host of barriers in my way since late October and I haven't been as consistent with my goals. I'll blog more about the barriers too as they are important to identify and cope with to be successful.
My exercise goals for this week are to work out 4 times for an hour, burning approx 400 calories each time. I plan to identify a new exercise to incorporate into my routine that targets the thighs. I also plan to include 5 lb. weights with my squats and spend one day on my arms/back.
My eating goals for the week include not drinking my calories (focus on water & tea) and staying at or under the 1200 calories established by myfitnesspal.com based on my weight loss goals and not to eat after dinner.
Oh yea, my weight loss goal. I plan to lose 15 lbs from today's weight. I do not have a goal "date" in mind mostly because I am completely afraid of disappointing myself! I am seeing results little by little thus far. Weight loss is a learning process and I'm definitely learning about my body, my will power, my need to let go of feeling guilty about this n that, and so on.
I am a turtle in this race. I will keep going. I will make my goal. I"ll be taking it a week at a time and reviewing my "regrets" along the way to make room for improvements. And I appreciate you cheering me on!
Hi, I'm Christy. I'm a wife, Mother of 2, stay at home parent, former Student Affairs professional, practicing Catholic, with a Masters in Anthropology. I love crafting, hiking, sharing fun times with friends & family, and as of lately, I really do enjoy working out. As of today I am 40yrs old, 5' 6" at 160 lbs even.
For the first 35 years of my life I never struggled with my weight. I have always eaten healthy, usually balanced, and enjoy being physically active. Along with this I've given little thought to my body image and I've always been the "right size" porportionally. Well, this rosy life came to a screaming halt when at 35 I had my first child and at age 37 I had my second. With each pregnancy I gained 10 pounds for a total of 20 from where I had been the majority of my adult life. Coupled with being almost 40 yrs old, my body's metabolism & hormonal balances have changed. But I live a healthy lifestyle, so why wasn't this weight coming off? This wondering later led to being frustrated & discouraged as I would occasionally start a work out program or alter my eating and never saw results.
Then we moved from Michigan to Ohio and while I am happy now, the transition wasn't easy as we knew no one & had no family here. Combine a sense of loneliness to my new found poor body image and well, I gained another 5-10 pounds that continued to fluctuate for 2 years. At my worst I was 30lbs over my "normal" weight and 40lbs from my "ideal" weight.
Fast forward to September of 2012. I weighed 175lbs on a bad day, 172lbs on a good day. My oldest is full time in kindergarten and the youngest has a couple mornings per week in preschool. This stay at home Mommy finally has a consistent chunk of time to herself. Upon discussion with my husband it was agreed that in fact this would be "my time" to focus on whatever I needed to do for myself. I also decided that it would be acceptable for me to put my son in the "tot room" at the gym at least 2 days/week. Which means I can workout 4 days/wk with an occasional Saturday morning if the family had no plans. This time is PRECIOUS and I am determined to make the most of it. Every work out I do, I push myself further. After 5 weeks of busting my butt & calorie tracking (I'll blog more on that later) I actually lost 3 pounds! I broke the first barrier...it happend...I lost weight!
I felt like I had found the key to weight loss. It was so FREEING and motivating! So far, I've lost a total of 12 pounds. In a perfect world it could have been more-though I'm not discouraged- however, there was a host of barriers in my way since late October and I haven't been as consistent with my goals. I'll blog more about the barriers too as they are important to identify and cope with to be successful.
My exercise goals for this week are to work out 4 times for an hour, burning approx 400 calories each time. I plan to identify a new exercise to incorporate into my routine that targets the thighs. I also plan to include 5 lb. weights with my squats and spend one day on my arms/back.
My eating goals for the week include not drinking my calories (focus on water & tea) and staying at or under the 1200 calories established by myfitnesspal.com based on my weight loss goals and not to eat after dinner.
Oh yea, my weight loss goal. I plan to lose 15 lbs from today's weight. I do not have a goal "date" in mind mostly because I am completely afraid of disappointing myself! I am seeing results little by little thus far. Weight loss is a learning process and I'm definitely learning about my body, my will power, my need to let go of feeling guilty about this n that, and so on.
I am a turtle in this race. I will keep going. I will make my goal. I"ll be taking it a week at a time and reviewing my "regrets" along the way to make room for improvements. And I appreciate you cheering me on!
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