... I went shopping with Nora today. It was a great girl's day out while Alex was at school and the men were working. We even got to drive together to the Grapevine Mills mall because Lacey could sit in Alex's carseat. Sweet! And, I bought a size 6 dress. YES!!!!! My very first size 6 anything and I'm thrilled. What a great feeling!
Oh, and I weighed myself at Nora's house and her scale said that I weighed 161 pounds so I'm kinda thinkin I'll stick with that number! :)
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
A Little Triumph
The last week has been filled with very hard work and not as much movement on the scale as I would like to see. 165. Ug. I'm beginning to wonder if there is something hindering my success. I realize of course that I have had a great deal of success so that seems ridiculous, but think about it-- 40 pounds in a year. That's healthy and respectable, I realize, but for as hard as I work, I shouldn't have been stuck for the last several months. I wonder about thyroid issues, or if maybe my infected gallbladder is slowing things down, or if my vitamin deficiency is to blame. Who knows? Perhaps I'll go get some blood work done to see if any of that is possible. I am being much more dedicated recently to taking the supplements for my gallbladder and my vitamins so we'll see if that helps.
Despite all of that, I did have an encouraging day today. I went shopping. Heheee. I bought a few cute outfits from Ann Taylor Loft and required size 8 pants and small tops. Seriously!?!? I mean, I've bought a size 8 before, but I kind of thought it was a fluke. Now, everything that fit was size 8. WAHOO! More exciting was that the size SIX (had to spell it out so I could capitalize it for effect) dress that I tried on totally fit. SIZE SIX!!!! Unfortunately, their dresses aren't quite long enough so I didn't purchase it, but it did fit. Let me just tell you that never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would fit into a size 6 anything. Quite frankly, I thought that hoping for size 8 was kind of pushing it and that size 10 would be my happy place. Nope! It's very exciting to be here. I love trying things on and having them fit and look great. My mother can tell you that shopping with me used to be rather on the depressing side because of my mood but, unfortunately for Mike, that is no longer the case. So with that triumph, and the fact that I did lose half an inch around my waist in the last week or so, I will continue moving forward and not giving in to discouragement.
As for what this week entails, so far it's fairly similar to last week. I couldn't make it to the weight lifting class yesterday so I did my own full-body weight routine and I ran four miles. Today, I did a major leg workout with about 25 minutes of cardio... didn't add any more in because Mike was home with Lacey and I needed to relieve him. Tomorrow, I'll run 6 miles, more if I have it in me, and do a good ab workout. Thursday: arms, abs, run 5 miles. Friday: Back, chest, shoulders, 45-minutes of cardio, and Saturday I'll run another 6 or 7 miles and work the abs. Oh, and because I didn't report from last week, I did exceed my goal of running 20 miles. I ran 24. We'll see how many I end up doing this week.
Food: Monday: Boston Market roasted chicken, green beans, and new potatoes. Tuesday: tacos. Wednesday: Chicken tortilla soup. Thursday: The pork that I never made last week. Leftovers for the weekend.
There you have it. Let's kick butt this week!
Despite all of that, I did have an encouraging day today. I went shopping. Heheee. I bought a few cute outfits from Ann Taylor Loft and required size 8 pants and small tops. Seriously!?!? I mean, I've bought a size 8 before, but I kind of thought it was a fluke. Now, everything that fit was size 8. WAHOO! More exciting was that the size SIX (had to spell it out so I could capitalize it for effect) dress that I tried on totally fit. SIZE SIX!!!! Unfortunately, their dresses aren't quite long enough so I didn't purchase it, but it did fit. Let me just tell you that never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would fit into a size 6 anything. Quite frankly, I thought that hoping for size 8 was kind of pushing it and that size 10 would be my happy place. Nope! It's very exciting to be here. I love trying things on and having them fit and look great. My mother can tell you that shopping with me used to be rather on the depressing side because of my mood but, unfortunately for Mike, that is no longer the case. So with that triumph, and the fact that I did lose half an inch around my waist in the last week or so, I will continue moving forward and not giving in to discouragement.
As for what this week entails, so far it's fairly similar to last week. I couldn't make it to the weight lifting class yesterday so I did my own full-body weight routine and I ran four miles. Today, I did a major leg workout with about 25 minutes of cardio... didn't add any more in because Mike was home with Lacey and I needed to relieve him. Tomorrow, I'll run 6 miles, more if I have it in me, and do a good ab workout. Thursday: arms, abs, run 5 miles. Friday: Back, chest, shoulders, 45-minutes of cardio, and Saturday I'll run another 6 or 7 miles and work the abs. Oh, and because I didn't report from last week, I did exceed my goal of running 20 miles. I ran 24. We'll see how many I end up doing this week.
Food: Monday: Boston Market roasted chicken, green beans, and new potatoes. Tuesday: tacos. Wednesday: Chicken tortilla soup. Thursday: The pork that I never made last week. Leftovers for the weekend.
There you have it. Let's kick butt this week!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Checking in
Well I'm thrilled that people have joined me here to track my journey. The accountability thing is definitely helping!
Here's what this week looks like:
Workouts--
Monday: 5 mile run, 1-hr total body weight training class. Abs. Done! That class was a bit brutal but it all felt great!
Tuesday: 45ish minutes weights- leg day. Ouchie! Lots of squats, which were fairly painful after the squats we did in the class yesterday. This is my biggest trouble spot though so it was necessary. Oh, and 45 minutes of cardio. Tip: when I'm weight-training, I warm up with a five-minute run to get my heart rate up. Between sets, I jump rope or run for two minutes to keep my heart rate going. I also superset part of the workout which serves the same purpose. Elevated heart rate = more burned calories! I end with half an hour on a cardio machine.
Wednesday: Run 5 miles. Um... I may add a mile or two or throw a class in there due to the jelly bean incident that I had this evening. Note to self: first of all, get rid of all candy... too temping. (We don't buy candy but there were some Easter goodies left. Bad news.) Secondly, don't get too hungry. It leads to bad things.
Thursday: Arm day. I love training arms! I'll do the same thing with keeping my heart rate elevated as I did on leg day today. Abs. If I'm up for it, I'll do half an hour- 45 minutes of cardio but if my legs are weary, I'll give 'em a rest to prepare for two more big runs at the end of the week.
Friday: Run 5 miles. Chest, back and shoulder workout. Love this workout too! I love the way a sculpted back and shoulders looks so it's fun to work on.
Saturday: Run 6 miles. Abs.
I realize that this is a pretty heavy workout schedule and most people don't have the time or desire to do it. I happen to have both. I actually really do love working out so this isn't so taxing on me. Plus, I do realize that this is temporary. Some weeks I go really hard, others I lighten up... just depends on my goal for the week. I'll probably stick with this until June so I can do as much as I can to reach my goal of 155.
As for what we're eating this week, here's an idea:
Monday: I made a chicken and wild rice dish that I saw in a magazine. Not worth sharing. It wasn't great. It was healthy though so it does receive points for that.
Tuesday: Shrimp and bean packets. Sounds weird, but it was really pretty good. Basically, it's 1 1/4 lb. shrimp, 1 can of cannellini beans, and sliced tomato seasoned with Old Bay, green onions, pepper, and lemon zest with an (1 tsp) olive oil, (1/4 c) chicken broth, and (1 tbsp.) lemon juice mixture drizzled over it. You put all of that onto four strips of aluminum foil, seal the packets up, and bake them on 350 for 20 minutes. Serve with a slice of toasted sourdough bread. I made some wild rice in case it wasn't filling enough but it actually wasn't necessary. It was a fun, simple, and tasty little meal. And yes, Mom, it could work on a campout.
Wednesday: Missionaries are coming over so I am finally allowing Mike to have some lasagna. The poor guy has had to smell two lasagnas in the last week and a half that I made for other families. We don't eat it very often because, let's face it, it's not the healthiest meal. But I do make it with the leanest of everything so it's not so so bad. Small portion and send the leftovers with the missionaries.
Thursday: Pork tenderloin, sweet potatoes, asparagus. Nothing fancy but it's all in the fridge so it works.
Friday: Sushi night!
Saturday: I don't even know where we'll be so there's no telling. It will be healthy though, whatever it is.
Sunday: Apparently it's Cafe Rio pork salad with the Whelan clan. Mmmmm! Looking forward to that!
As for breakfast, I typically drink an Isagenix shake. It's easy and I don't have to think about it. Works for me. Lunch-- leftovers if available. If not, I'll throw some chicken tenderloins on the George Foreman and make a grilled chicken salad. Or tuna fish pita sandwiches. Stuff like that.
To answer Suzy's question, I agree with eating the bulk of carbs early in the day if you're going to eat them. Obviously, I do throw some carbs in our dinners but I don't eat much of them, if any... they're usually there for Mike who is starving by the time he gets home after a long day. I tend to be fairly low carb. It's actually best to eat your carbs before and after a cardio session. I'll often have a banana some time before a run and then I'll eat pineapple and cottage cheese afterward to get a good carb and protein for muscle growth. When working out, especially if you do it a lot, it's imperative to get proper nutrition and adequate rest. We're not working to ware our bodies down but to strengthen them and make them healthier.
As of this morning, I was down to 155.5. That's a pound down so far! Stay tuned for more!
Here's what this week looks like:
Workouts--
Monday: 5 mile run, 1-hr total body weight training class. Abs. Done! That class was a bit brutal but it all felt great!
Tuesday: 45ish minutes weights- leg day. Ouchie! Lots of squats, which were fairly painful after the squats we did in the class yesterday. This is my biggest trouble spot though so it was necessary. Oh, and 45 minutes of cardio. Tip: when I'm weight-training, I warm up with a five-minute run to get my heart rate up. Between sets, I jump rope or run for two minutes to keep my heart rate going. I also superset part of the workout which serves the same purpose. Elevated heart rate = more burned calories! I end with half an hour on a cardio machine.
Wednesday: Run 5 miles. Um... I may add a mile or two or throw a class in there due to the jelly bean incident that I had this evening. Note to self: first of all, get rid of all candy... too temping. (We don't buy candy but there were some Easter goodies left. Bad news.) Secondly, don't get too hungry. It leads to bad things.
Thursday: Arm day. I love training arms! I'll do the same thing with keeping my heart rate elevated as I did on leg day today. Abs. If I'm up for it, I'll do half an hour- 45 minutes of cardio but if my legs are weary, I'll give 'em a rest to prepare for two more big runs at the end of the week.
Friday: Run 5 miles. Chest, back and shoulder workout. Love this workout too! I love the way a sculpted back and shoulders looks so it's fun to work on.
Saturday: Run 6 miles. Abs.
I realize that this is a pretty heavy workout schedule and most people don't have the time or desire to do it. I happen to have both. I actually really do love working out so this isn't so taxing on me. Plus, I do realize that this is temporary. Some weeks I go really hard, others I lighten up... just depends on my goal for the week. I'll probably stick with this until June so I can do as much as I can to reach my goal of 155.
As for what we're eating this week, here's an idea:
Monday: I made a chicken and wild rice dish that I saw in a magazine. Not worth sharing. It wasn't great. It was healthy though so it does receive points for that.
Tuesday: Shrimp and bean packets. Sounds weird, but it was really pretty good. Basically, it's 1 1/4 lb. shrimp, 1 can of cannellini beans, and sliced tomato seasoned with Old Bay, green onions, pepper, and lemon zest with an (1 tsp) olive oil, (1/4 c) chicken broth, and (1 tbsp.) lemon juice mixture drizzled over it. You put all of that onto four strips of aluminum foil, seal the packets up, and bake them on 350 for 20 minutes. Serve with a slice of toasted sourdough bread. I made some wild rice in case it wasn't filling enough but it actually wasn't necessary. It was a fun, simple, and tasty little meal. And yes, Mom, it could work on a campout.
Wednesday: Missionaries are coming over so I am finally allowing Mike to have some lasagna. The poor guy has had to smell two lasagnas in the last week and a half that I made for other families. We don't eat it very often because, let's face it, it's not the healthiest meal. But I do make it with the leanest of everything so it's not so so bad. Small portion and send the leftovers with the missionaries.
Thursday: Pork tenderloin, sweet potatoes, asparagus. Nothing fancy but it's all in the fridge so it works.
Friday: Sushi night!
Saturday: I don't even know where we'll be so there's no telling. It will be healthy though, whatever it is.
Sunday: Apparently it's Cafe Rio pork salad with the Whelan clan. Mmmmm! Looking forward to that!
As for breakfast, I typically drink an Isagenix shake. It's easy and I don't have to think about it. Works for me. Lunch-- leftovers if available. If not, I'll throw some chicken tenderloins on the George Foreman and make a grilled chicken salad. Or tuna fish pita sandwiches. Stuff like that.
To answer Suzy's question, I agree with eating the bulk of carbs early in the day if you're going to eat them. Obviously, I do throw some carbs in our dinners but I don't eat much of them, if any... they're usually there for Mike who is starving by the time he gets home after a long day. I tend to be fairly low carb. It's actually best to eat your carbs before and after a cardio session. I'll often have a banana some time before a run and then I'll eat pineapple and cottage cheese afterward to get a good carb and protein for muscle growth. When working out, especially if you do it a lot, it's imperative to get proper nutrition and adequate rest. We're not working to ware our bodies down but to strengthen them and make them healthier.
As of this morning, I was down to 155.5. That's a pound down so far! Stay tuned for more!
Sunday, April 5, 2009
A Fresh Start
In the previous year since my beautiful daughter was born, I have shed 40 pounds. I have been asked over and over again how I've done it. It is with that in mind that I am starting this new blog. I wish to share my journey so that perhaps I can inspire others, and largely so I can keep myself inspired. You see, it is an endless battle. Somehow, I have lost a little of that motivation lately. I hope to hold myself accountable here while I try to share some inspiration to others with goals. I will be brutally honest here with myself and others. I will share my excitement over triumphs, my frustrations with my foibles, and whatever else I feel inclined to share. If you find any of it to be indulgent, vain, obnoxious, or whatever, you are invited to click away as this isn't for you. If, however, you are inspired by successes of others, or you can share in the inevitable frustrations, or even if you want to offer support, as that is still very important, then please stay and be a part of this continuing journey with me.
Me as a senior in college. Probably 195ish pounds.
My personal war with weight has been long-fought with many battles lost. I could go into the emotional experiences associated with the war, but we've all experienced that for one reason or another and we all deserve to accomplish our goals, whatever they may be. What I will say is that I lost those battles because of how poorly I fought them. I armed myself with very little food and entirely too much physical exertion. I worked out long and hard and always burned out within a short period of time. I wanted quick fixes, which inevitably ended in more frustration and eventual weight gain. Not what I was going for!
In seriousness, it really is that simple. I finally discovered that there is no magic diet for me. I didn't want to count calories, points, fat grams, carbohydrates, etc. We all know what it means to eat healthy: lean protein, fruits, veggies, whole grains, limited sweets. There are hundreds of cookbooks with healthy and easy recipes. For some, this may require a pantry and refrigerator overhaul. Fortunately for me, Mike and I had been practicing fairly good habits for some time so the transition was fairly easy. What we were working towards was a healthy lifestyle, not a temporary diet. In the past, I wanted to see rapid weight loss and the thought of only losing one pound a week or less discouraged me to failure. Looking at it as a lifestyle change, with the side benefit of losing weight, made it seem far more doable. Those weeks, or even months, when I haven't lost any weight over the last year have not completely thrown me off because it's not just about losing weight. I just realize that I need to work a little harder or do something different so I do and then keep moving forward.
As for working out... well... that's essential to any healthy lifestyle for far more reasons than just having a great figure. Some people are pained by the very thought of going to the gym. Again, I am fortunate to actually love working out. It's definitely difficult, and I often don't want to, but I ALWAYS feel better, all be it a bit sore, when I do. Always. It's a habit to create and the first few weeks you have to force. Eventually, though, you'll feel infinitely better and you'll begin looking better too. As for my workouts, I am a runner and I do lift weights four or five days a week. That's probably a lot for many people, especially starting out, but that's how Mike and I spend his lunch break and we enjoy it.
<--- Me now. 166 pounds
With that small taste of what it's taken to get to where I am, I will use this blog for the purpose of keeping track of what I'm doing from now on. I'll include details of meal plans, work out plans, goal, what I'm changing and the success, or lack thereof, that I'm having. Again, this is largely for my own purposes so I can hold myself accountable and keep track of everything... and if it helps anyone else, GREAT!
So, I began this journey at 207 pounds just after Lacey was born. I am now sitting right at 166.5 pounds, where I have been for a few months. Admittedly, I have had my frustrations with that. I have to remind myself, or have Mike remind me, that this is, as I said, a lifestyle. To be completely honest about it though, I did not do so hot over the last couple of months. After running the half marathon, I kind of gave myself a break that lasted a little too long and included a few too many Mini Cadbury Eggs. With summer just around the corner though, I have a new resolve and reinforced commitment. Getting discouraged over bad days, or weeks, only leads to giving up which is what I WILL NOT do. We all have our bad days and we make mistakes. The trick is not saying "Well, I guess I'll start again on Monday" but instead to allow yourself the one indulgence and make your next meal or your next work out a better one.
Currently, my goal is to get to 155 by June. That will require extra effort, but I'm up to the task. I'll fill you in later on how that's going. For now, I'm off.....
Me as a senior in college. Probably 195ish pounds.
My personal war with weight has been long-fought with many battles lost. I could go into the emotional experiences associated with the war, but we've all experienced that for one reason or another and we all deserve to accomplish our goals, whatever they may be. What I will say is that I lost those battles because of how poorly I fought them. I armed myself with very little food and entirely too much physical exertion. I worked out long and hard and always burned out within a short period of time. I wanted quick fixes, which inevitably ended in more frustration and eventual weight gain. Not what I was going for!
A little older and a lot wiser, along with the loving support of my wonderful husband, I seem to have figured a few things out. So what am I doing? Brace yourselves... this is valuable information that people spend all kinds of money to discover. I eat healthy. And I work out. There you have it. That will be $4000.
In seriousness, it really is that simple. I finally discovered that there is no magic diet for me. I didn't want to count calories, points, fat grams, carbohydrates, etc. We all know what it means to eat healthy: lean protein, fruits, veggies, whole grains, limited sweets. There are hundreds of cookbooks with healthy and easy recipes. For some, this may require a pantry and refrigerator overhaul. Fortunately for me, Mike and I had been practicing fairly good habits for some time so the transition was fairly easy. What we were working towards was a healthy lifestyle, not a temporary diet. In the past, I wanted to see rapid weight loss and the thought of only losing one pound a week or less discouraged me to failure. Looking at it as a lifestyle change, with the side benefit of losing weight, made it seem far more doable. Those weeks, or even months, when I haven't lost any weight over the last year have not completely thrown me off because it's not just about losing weight. I just realize that I need to work a little harder or do something different so I do and then keep moving forward.
As for working out... well... that's essential to any healthy lifestyle for far more reasons than just having a great figure. Some people are pained by the very thought of going to the gym. Again, I am fortunate to actually love working out. It's definitely difficult, and I often don't want to, but I ALWAYS feel better, all be it a bit sore, when I do. Always. It's a habit to create and the first few weeks you have to force. Eventually, though, you'll feel infinitely better and you'll begin looking better too. As for my workouts, I am a runner and I do lift weights four or five days a week. That's probably a lot for many people, especially starting out, but that's how Mike and I spend his lunch break and we enjoy it.
<--- Me now. 166 pounds
With that small taste of what it's taken to get to where I am, I will use this blog for the purpose of keeping track of what I'm doing from now on. I'll include details of meal plans, work out plans, goal, what I'm changing and the success, or lack thereof, that I'm having. Again, this is largely for my own purposes so I can hold myself accountable and keep track of everything... and if it helps anyone else, GREAT!
So, I began this journey at 207 pounds just after Lacey was born. I am now sitting right at 166.5 pounds, where I have been for a few months. Admittedly, I have had my frustrations with that. I have to remind myself, or have Mike remind me, that this is, as I said, a lifestyle. To be completely honest about it though, I did not do so hot over the last couple of months. After running the half marathon, I kind of gave myself a break that lasted a little too long and included a few too many Mini Cadbury Eggs. With summer just around the corner though, I have a new resolve and reinforced commitment. Getting discouraged over bad days, or weeks, only leads to giving up which is what I WILL NOT do. We all have our bad days and we make mistakes. The trick is not saying "Well, I guess I'll start again on Monday" but instead to allow yourself the one indulgence and make your next meal or your next work out a better one.
Currently, my goal is to get to 155 by June. That will require extra effort, but I'm up to the task. I'll fill you in later on how that's going. For now, I'm off.....
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