May 31

Breakfast:
15 almonds- 104 cals
Fruit bar- 150 cals
And later...
English muffin w/ pb- 150 cals
Lunch:
Turkey dog- 45 cals
Bun- 120 cals
Ketchup-15 cals
Some of those darn animal crackers of Lacey's (got hungry at church)- 120 cals
Snacked on a handful of cheez it's this with lunch- 75 cals
Dinner:
If I have to cook on Sundays, it's breakfast...
Pancakes w/ a bit of light syrup- 420 cals
Scrambled eggs (mostly egg whites)- 90
Protein shake- 120 cals

Total: 1539... a tad over where I should have been and not much focus on healthy stuff today but Sundays tend to a bit more relaxed... no harm done. Oh, and I hereby take back what I said about the diet dr pepper business. It's not that I'm addicted, because I'm really not-- I'm happy if I have one every couple of days or so. It's just that it's something that I enjoy and when I'm cutting back on other things for now, it makes me feel like I've had something good. Maybe when I've reached my goal and I can increase my calorie intake, I will be able to give it up but for now, when I'm working so hard to get the rest of the way, diet dr. pepper will remain my friend. What can I say? I'm weak! :)
That's all for tonight.

May 30

It's late and I've had a long day and I don't feel like counting it all up today. Is that lame? I was good though-- english muffin for breakfast, pb&j sandwich for lunch, some crackers and almonds on the go, salmon, salad, and mixed veggies from Outback for dinner, 720 calorie burn at the gym. I did snag a couple chicken nuggets and a few of Mike's fries from Wendy's as I was starving at one point but I hadn't eaten much during the day so that certainly didn't kill anything. And as today was my official weigh in (yesterday was just a moment of curiosity), I am thrilled to announce that the scale read 158.6 today!!! Wa-freaking-hoo! I'm quite thrilled with that and can't wait to see the numbers continue to go down as my waist line goes with it. All of that lead to a victory treat from Braums-- a brownie fudge sundae. It was quite tasty, well-deserved, and after a few bites, I was reminded why I don't eat that stuff frequently anymore... just makes me feel ill after a bit. Still enjoyable and it will tide me over for a while.
And now, I'm going to wind down... I'm exhausted! Toodles!

May 29

Breakfast:
English muffin w/ pb- 150
Mid-morning snack:
Watermelon- 60
Almonds- 140
Lunch:
Salmon salad... wasn't very hungry at that point so I didn't eat much-- maybe 200 cals
Protein shake- 120 cals
One of Lacey's chicken fingers and a few baked lays- 160
Dinner:
Pizza night with the niece and nephew. My wonderful husband also stopped at Subway for me and retrieved a 6" ham sandwich- 290 cals
Buuuuuuuut... the pizza was SCREAMING my name! And, I hadn't eaten much throughout the day so I indulged...
Small piece of pepperoni- 220 cals
1 piece of cheese- 210
(Incidentally, I dicsovered that one piece of pizza actually has fewer calories than the sandwich. Next time, maybe one piece of pizza and some salad would be more satisfying and less calorie loaded.)

1550 calories at the end of the day. Hey, not bad for indulging in pizza! And I burned 1000 calories during my workout today. Yeah, no wonder I was so hungry by dinner! I worked my shoulders, back and chest today. My weight workout alone burned 600 calories because I kept my heart rate going the whole time. I started with a five-minute run to warm up and then I jumped rope between many sets and supersetted the rest. A much more efficient way to workout. Yesterday during my arm workout, I just did the weights with no cardio in between and little supersetting and only burned 180 calories (but then I ran to burn some more)-- so my point is to keep the heart rate going for a much better calorie burn. I then came home and ran for half an hour.
Oh, and the good news: I stepped on the scale today and it said 159.5.... which means that I FINALLY broke the 160 barrier! (Barely, I realize, but it counts!) I am now only 4 1/2 pounds from my original goal. WAHOO!!! Won't be long... and then we'll see where I want to go from there. I just can't believe that when I started, I wanted to lose 50 pounds... I never thought I would get to the point when I only had 5 left. Such a great feeling! Totally worth everything it has taken to get here. Now I just have to get the rest of the way. Stay tuned!
Btw- I really want a diet dp right now........... Sonic is so close....... hmmmmmmmmm

May 28

Breakfast:
English muffin w/ pb- 140 cals
1/2 banana (split with Lacey)- 60 cals
Midmorning snack:
Watermelon- 80 cals
Lunch:
Ham sandwich- 150 cals
Protein shake- 120 cals
Misc. bites of Lacey's crackers and such (bad Mom habit!)- maybe 150 cals??
Dinner:
Spring Creek Fiesta Salad- no calorie count on the menu but based on what was in it, I'm going to say 450 cals to be on the safe side (though it was probably a little less)

Hmmm... that only takes me to 1150 cals. Guess I get a little snack tonight! :) Burned 620 calories at the gym today. No diet dp today! And yes, I have managed to get through the entire week so far without cooking once! How pathetic is that?! It was just one of those weeks when our nights were crazy--Monday was Memorial Day, Tuesday we had a late workshop at the office and didn't get home until 8, Wednesday we went to the Temple as soon as Mike got home from work, and tonight, well, we had a coupon and Mike wanted Spring Creek. Next week, I resolve to COOK! All is well, though. Boredom sent me to the mall today where I ended up purchasing 2 skirts in size 6!!! That's such a fun size to buy and I certainly never thought I would. Fun, fun, fun.... and dangerous. Shopping shouldn't be so fun! I won't get carried away, though, cuz I do have a few more pounds to lose. Really enjoying these victories along the way! :)

May 27

Breakfast:
English muffin w/ natural peanut butter- 150 cals
Lunch:
Ham sandwich w/ lettuce, tomato, and avocado- 190 cals
Snacks:
Almonds- 150 cals
Fruit bar- 130 cals
Handful of Lacey's animal crackers- 80 cals
Dinner:
Chick-Fil-A chargrilled chicken sandwich w/ honey roasted bbq sauce- 320 cals
Late snack- bowl of raisin bran w/ skim milk- 230 cals (we went to the Temple and got home late... needed something to keep my stomach from nagging all night!)

Total: 1250 cals... busy day, need to eat a bit more tomorrow
Burned: 450 cals... cut today's workout a little short due to time. 1/2 hour of grueling cardio and some abs today

And I caved. It was one of those days that required a diet dp. I did say I would allow myself one a week so I'll still shoot for that...... wish me luck!

May 26

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Lunch:
Hot dog with 1/2 hamburger bun (because I haven't been to the store yet and there was nothing else to eat!)- 135 cals
Protein shake- 200 cals
Snacks:
almonds- 140 cals
Fiber One bar- 150 cals
8 oz. Jamba Juice- 140 cals
Dinner (we ate out AGAIN! Seriously, we do that way too much... Mike held a workshop at the office, though, so we didn't even get home until almost 8. Better work on that for the rest of the week though):
Boston Market 1/4 white chicken (minus skin and wing)- 170 cals
Green beans- 60 cals
New potatoes- 140 cals
And I couldn't resist the cornbread, though I should have- 180 cals... I'll just tell them to not even give it to me next time!
I was out a lot today, and I haven't gone shopping for the week yet, so I didn't eat enough fruits and veggies. Better work on that tomorrow!

Total: 1555
Burned: 780 (leg workout and 1/2 hour of cardio)
Wanted a diet dp today but I didn't give in. How ridiculous that this is such a challenge for me! Can we say addiction?!

May 25 Happy Memorial Day!

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Lunch:
Turkey dog- 45 cals
Bun- 120 cals
Snack:
A couple pieces of celery w/ natural peanut butter- 120 cals
Dinner:
1 small chicken salad croissant
Watermelon
Cucumber and tomato salad
A couple of bites of bbq pork
Sugar snapped peas
Split a cupcake with Lacey
Snacked on a few chips as well but not enough to feel guilty
--- Again, not sure of the calorie count for dinner as we had dinner with the Whelan fam' to celebrate Kierstin and RJ's bdays. Clearly, I need not worry about going over calories because I didn't eat much during the day (just cuz I was busy and didn't think about it) and dinner wasn't particularly unhealthy anyway. Kudos to Heather for giving healthy options this evening!
Workout: ran for 50 minutes and did 20 minutes of abs- burned 780 calories. Not a bad Memorial Day. Did NOT have a diet dp today, although I was wanting one by the end of the day. 10 points there!

May 24

Is it just me or is even the slightest deviation from healthy eating simply painful? I ate healthy most of the day, but this evening, Mike and I went to his parents house to celebrate his dad's birthday. The meal wasn't all that unhealthy-- cubed steak, a small amount of mashed potatoes, lots of broccoli, salad, and a roll. I'm not sure about the calorie count on any of that and that's ok. I did indulge in some cherrie pie and low fat, no sugar added ice cream (thanks to my father-in-law who was being health conscious when he retrieved said ice cream) and I think that may be the culprit of my now upset tummy. I think my gallbladder makes things that would otherwise be enjoyable slightly more on the painful side. That, or I am more intolerant of milk products than I would like to admit. Either way, ug. It's always tasty going down but next time, I've got to remember what happens as a result. It's my own fault, really, and certainly nothing that my sweet mother-in-law needs feel responsible or guilty for. The truth is that it probably won't keep me from enjoying the occasional dessert... but perhaps I should try forgoing the ice cream. Haha... yeah, like that'll happen! :)

Anyway, moving right along... no calorie count today. I'm sure I went over a bit and I'm not going to stress it. I think one day of not counting is fine, even necessary perhaps. Being that it is Sunday, I didn't work out so we'll just call it a day of rest all around. Gotta love those! :) As for the week ahead, I have a couple of things to improve upon. #1. Vitamins and supplements. I was great at taking them for a bit but not so great this past week. Gotta get back on that. #2... and I hesitate even to say this, but it's time... to give up.... give me a moment.............. Diet Dr. Pepper! (Nora, did I just hear you scoff over there??) This is my one true vice that I have allowed myself to hold onto, for sanity's sake. I've maintained my one-a-day rule for a bit now but I am going to attempt to eliminate such consumption altogether. Ok, maybe I'll have one a week. :) I realize that the caffiene isn't healthy and the artificial sweeteners are terrible, among other things. So this is my goal for the coming week. Wish me luck! As for everything else, I'll just keep to what I've been doing-- counting calories, great workouts, and a positive attitude...and maybe wave bye-bye to another pound or two!
Oh, and BRING ON THE POOL!!!

May 23... Go figure

Breakfast:
Scrambled egg whites with ketchup- 60 cals
1 pc. turkey bacon- 35 cals
Toasted english muffin with Smart Balance spread- 130 cals
Berries- 25 cals
Lunch:
Grilled turkey dog: 45 cals
Wheat bun: 120 cals
BBQ Baked Lays: 240 cals (muched a little too much on the chips, but they were good! :)
TREAT DAY:
Frozen yogurt with various toppings-- cals? Don't know, don't care. It was our treat for the week. It was Lacey's first trip for ice cream and she loved it!
Dinner:
The day ran away from us and the headache returned so it was back to a favorite stop: Taco Bell! 3 crunchy fresco tacos: 450 cals
The cinammon twists that I got for Lacey but ate myself when she didn't want them (oopsie!): 170 cals

Total for the day (not including treat): 1275... wait...really?! I thought for sure that I ate more than that but there ya go. I did lift weights today but forgot my watch so I'm not certain on the calorie loss there. Based on other weight workouts, I'll say it was at least 350 which means that even with the treat, I probably still didn't eat the total number of calories for the day.

Today marks the end of week 1 (since getting the tests done) and I have to say that I am quite thrilled already with how it's going. After feeling like I was working my rear end off without actually working it off for some time, it's so great to know exactly what I'm doing and why I'm doing it. I love having the heart rate monitor so I can make sure that I'm working out efficiently the entire time. The calorie counter on the monitor is fantastic and gives me the immediate satisfaction of knowing what I've accomplished. I spent several frustrating months not sure if I was doing enough, or doing too much, and now I can keep track of that through every work out to ensure that I'm right where I need to be. As it turns out, I was working out too hard. I felt that the faster I ran, the more weight I would lose. Not true. Once you go beyond a certain threshold, your body is burning only carbs and no fat. Plus, it has all kinds of other effects that aren't particularly ideal for weight loss. So now I can scale back a bit and get a much more efficient, though still grueling workout. And as much as I tried to avoid it, counting calories has actually been another great help. I wasn't eating poorly before, but again, it's just great knowing exactly how I'm doing. Blogging all of this is also helpful because I will be able to look back and see where I need to improve or what I need to just keep doing. So, all-in-all, I'm thrilled that I did the tests. I'm in a much more positive place than I was before and I'm already seeing results. Last week, my fluctuating weight had crept back up to 165 and today, I was 162. Maybe next week I'll break the 160 barrier! That would be so stinking fantastic!! Of course, even if it doesn't happen next week, it will the following and that will be no less fantastic.
Oh, and Mike also lost 2 pounds this week so apparently my greater focus has helped him as well... or he just feels the need to get in better shape to keep up with his hot wife! :) Hehe... just kidding!

May 22

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Midmorning snack:
Protein shake- 120 cals
Lunch:
PB & J sandwich- 135 cals
Fruit bar- 130 cals
Almonds- 170 cals
Afternoon snack:
3 Auntie Anne's pretzel sticks: 170 cals
Dinner:
Sushi night! Tempura Roll, Shrimp roll, and 1/2 spring roll-- ???? I tried looking up nutrition info on sushi, but it varies a lot from one place to another so there's no telling. It probably wasn't the lowest calorie meal out there, but it certainly wasn't the highest and we really enjoyed it. It was still less than the 860 calories that I burned at the gym so I think I'm ok. We love our sushi round here!

May 21

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
Midmorning snack:
Fruit bar- 130 cals
Almonds- 150
Lunch:
Chicken sandwich with spinach, avocado, and miracle whip- 240 cals
Afternoon snack:
Protein shake- 120 cals
Dinner:
On the Border Chicken Salsa Fresca- I may have eaten 460 cals of that meal... it wasn't good but I was hungry
Ate some animal crackers when I got home from dinner cuz I was still hungry! 200 cals

Total: 1540
Burned 590 at the gym with a great run. Still falling short of the number of calories I'm told to get, but I don't feel like I'm starving myself by any means so I'm not going to stress about it. If it seems weird that I drink shakes during the day, it's really only because of the simplicity of them. I like getting the protein for breakfast but I'm just not an egg in the morning person. It's also quite easy to mix a shake up really quick, I know how many calories they are, and I like them.
As for the vitamins I take, I'm currently taking the GNC prenatal vitamin pack, which includes a fish oil pill and a calcium pill. Obviously I'm not pregnant, but I will be by the end of the year and it's always good for women to get those extra vitamins anyway. I also take a liver and kidney detox pill because of my gallbladder problems and some natural supplements for the same reason. I've kind of been slacking on taking everything lately so I need to get back to it... shame on me. There are a lot of great vitamins out there with all sorts of good stuff, but they can be very pricey. We'll probably start looking for a better vitamin for me soon so I'll let you know what we find, but the ones I'm taking aren't bad. As for the protein powder that we drink, incase you're interested, it's the Beverly International which is one of the best. Very low in carbs and calories but tastes great, even in water. I recommend protein shakes for people who do a lot of weight lifting like we do.
Ok, girls night out went way past my bed time so I'm off... more tomorrow!

May 20... eh

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals
1 slice of bread w/ smidge of pb- 60 cals
Lunch:
Out to lunch with Mike today! I got a turkey sandwich from Corner Bakery and a small bowl of soup-- approximately 500 cals
Snack:
apple- 55 cals
Skippy natural pb- 180 cals
Dinner:
Quiznos small Tuscan Turkey sandwich- 410 cals
BBQ Baked Lays- 120 cals

Total: 1565 Calories
Ok so we ate out for lunch and dinner today. Lunch was just a fun, middle-of-the-week treat with Mike. By dinner, the headache that had been bothering me throughout the day got worse and I just didn't feel like cooking. Mike insisted on running out to grab something and Quiznos was his choice. The Tuscan Turkey sandwich is actually a fairly low calorie choice. Next time I'd do it without the cheese and a lot less of the sauce... but Mike was getting dinner and I didn't want to bug him with special orders. I also didn't work out today... I only feel slightly guilty about that. I wish that I had run this morning, but I've been struggling to get enough calories in already this week so it certainly won't kill me. Tomorrow will be a good workout so I'll make up for it.

Why didn't I do this sooner??

As we all know, healthy eating can be somewhat expensive. Mike and I willingly take on that expense because the benefits far outweigh the costs, but I'm always happy to save a little money where I can. Today, I believe I've come accross a solution that will save me a little money and probably some time as well. I went to Costco and stocked up on meat. We're a small family, so buying food at Costco just always seemed a little much for us. Well, today I bought a big pack of pork chops, a large fillet of salmon, a bunch of chicken, 4 pounds of ground turkey breast meat, some frozen mahi mahi, fresh scallops, and a rotisserie chicken. Tonight, I took the time to portion it all out and stick in the freezer what we won't use immediately. We'll get 5 meals out of the pork chops, 4 out of the salmon, 4 out of the turkey, 5 out of the chicken, 4 out of the mahi mahi, 2 out of the scallops, and the rotisserie chicken will serve as a lunch options to go on a salad, sandwich, or whatever else seems tasty. That's a month worth of meat in my freezer for somewhere around $150. I spent less per pound on everything I bought at Costco than I would at Kroger and it's all fresh (well, except for the frozen mahi mahi) and very healthy. This will likely make meal planning easier and it will save me from those random trips to the grocery store when I have nothing around to cook. Plus, it's all portioned out so I'll only cook what Mike and I will eat in one meal which means that I won't be throwing food away when it doesn't get eaten later. (Hmm... maybe I'll even go a step further and sit down one day and come up with a bunch of meal plans for all of this meat so I don't have to think about that either... maybe.) Is this brilliant or have you all been doing this all along and I'm an idiot for not doing it sooner? I can't take any credit for the idea-- this came from my sister, Kristen, who is also a very healthy eater. I'm thinking that I'll continue doing this from now on and I'll try to start going to the Famer's Market for produce. I hear it's less expensive and better there so we'll see. Plus it's just fun! Just thought I'd share what seems like a great plan for our family incase it might work for any of you as well. Goodnight!

May 19... still figuring things out!

Breakfast:
Isagenix shake- 240 cals.
Post workout snack:
Protein shake- 120 cals.
Lunch:
Leftover chicken- 289 cals
Salad- 50 cals
Dressing- 35 cals
Rice- 50 cals
Snack:
1 medium apple- 55 cals
2 tbs. almond butter- 190 cals
Pretzels- app. 100 cals
Dinner:
5 scallops cooked in olive oil, lemon juice, with lemon pepper- app. 120 cals.
Salad- 70 cals
1/2 baked potato with 1 tsp. light butter- 100 cals
1/2 cup green beans- 20 cals
Other random bites here and there (small handful of grapes, a few croutons, a goldfish or two)-- maybe 100 cals
Total for the day: 1416!!
All of this and I am nowhere near where I need to be. I actually burned 810 calories at the gym today so technically, I should be consuming somewhere near the 2200 calories mark. Ice cream anyone?!? Ok, I need to plan better. Obviously, I'm quite used to eating very few calories so it's going to be hard to readjust. I'm not going to allow myself several hundred calories of junk by any means, but I just need to be getting more good stuff in me. Maybe instead of the shakes for breakfast, I need to start eating eggs and veggies, maybe some yogurt, or something a little more hearty. And Meridith, I'm completely with you on the healthy fats. That's why I eat the natural peanut butter and almonds and I always cook my meat with some olive oil. Plus, the salad dressing that I eat is an olive oil mixture so I get it there too. I really don't feel like I'm starving myself, but I guess I need to fuel my body more for the intense workouts that I get. I'll do better tomorrow. For now, maybe I'll go have some pineapple and cottage cheese or something. :)

May 18, 2009 at a glance

Breakfast: Isagenix shake- 240 calories
Snack: Medium apple- 55 calories
2 tbs. skippy natural peanut butter- 180 calories
Lunch: 1 can tuna fish- 150 calories
1 tbsp. miracle whip- 35 calories
1 slice reduced-cal. wheat bread- 40 calories
Protein shake- 120 calories
Dinner: Cilantro Lime Chicken (YUM! Recipe on Heather's blog).- 289 calories
Salad with lots of tasty veggies- 70 calories
Greek vinegrette dressing- 35 calories
Mexican Rice- 100 calories
Black bean salsa- 40 calories
Total Consumed: 1354 Calories

Workout: 40-minutes interval run. 419 calories burned. Technically, according to the plan the trainer put me on, I still need to take in 531 calories. I'll eat a light snack but I don't suspect I'll get quite that many by the end of the day. Guess I can throw in more calories tomorrow.

Um... yeah

Ok, so this is going to kick my rear end. I met with the trainer again today to go over the work out portion in greater detail. Here's the deal--
So, as you may or may not know, there are certain heart rate zones that achieve different purposes. Everyone's zones vary and they can change over time and depending on level of fitness. I learned that my "Base" in in Zone 2. Base is the heart rate at which your body burns the most calories while still using fat for fuel. Once you get out of the base level, you are burning more carbohydrate calories and fewer fat calories. The ideal is to burn more fat calories. So, my base is 173-178 bpm. My "Threshold" is 183 bpm, which is the last stop for burning fat. Beyond that, I would be burning nothing but carbs and over exerting myself. Because of all of the running I've done, these are pretty high, which is great, but it means that I have to work pretty hard to reach the highest level of efficiency. As I proceed with zone training, my threshold heart rate will increase and I will also see and increase in the percentage of fat that I burn while working in Zone 3. The ideal is to burn mostly fat calories while working in zone 3. Still with me? Some of you may not care about this, but I thought it was interesting and potentially helpful to others.
What does this mean for my workouts? Well, I'll do zone training, working in each zone for certain periods of time in order to burn more fat and increase my body's efficiency. On days that I do just cardio, I'll warm up at zone 1 (163-173) for 5 minutes then move to zone 2 (173-178) for two minutes, then move to zone 3 (178-183) for 3 minutes. I'll alternate with intervals of zone 2 and 3 to reach a 45 minute workout and then cool down in zone 1 for five minutes. Each week, I'll add another interval until I get to 60 minutes and then the trainer will change my workout again.
I did this today and yowsa! I didn't even get to zone 1 until I was running at a 6.7 mph pace, then it took running at 7.4 to get to zone 2, and on up to 8.5 to get to zone 3. That's pretty speedy! I did it, but it was tough. Fortunately, once I got my heart rate going, I didn't have to run quite that fast to keep it up, but it was definitely an intense workout. I can certainly see how working out like this will make a difference. I guess it was about time.
As for the days I do strength training, my cardio will consist of a 5-minute warm up, 30 minutes in zone 2 and 5 minute cool down in zone 1.
Day 1 and I am so glad I did this!! It's really nice to know what I'm doing instead of guessing and hoping. I realize that this may not be available to all, but if you can do it, I highly recommend it, especially if you've plateaud like I have. Obviously, working out at the same intensity as I was a year ago just wasn't cutting it anymore. When you reach higher levels of fitness, you have to step up your game. I also highly recommend getting a heart rate monitor and watch. I love mine! It's just so great knowing that I'm working out effectively. So now I just keep plugging away at this and see what happens. Thanks for all of the support I'm getting. Hopefully this information is helpful to more than just me. :)

The Results

So I went in for the metabolic tests on Saturday. It was extremely difficult to get up at 5:30 after a very late night, particularly given that it was pouring rain outside and I just wanted to sleeeeep... but, I made it for my 6 am appointment. First up: calorie assessment. I sat comfortably in a chair with a mask that covered my nose and mouth and breathed into a machine that monitored my carbon monoxide output vs. carbon dioxide intake for about 20 minutes. From that, the computer program determined my resting metabolic rate to tell me exactly how many calories I should be consuming. It wasn't all that difficult, except that I was becoming extremely claustrophobic with the mask on and I wonder if that affected my breathing or the results??? And why is it that it's so much harder to actually relax just because someone tells you to relax? I was thinking about being completely relaxed to the point that I was not so relaxed at all at points. Stupid mind games. Oh well. The test ended and I was told that I should be taking in no less than 1466 calories a day. If I maintain that rate, I can expect to lose 3/4- 1 pound a week (which at this point sounds great... it's possible that I'll lose more, but the trainer didn't want me to expect too much in case it doesn't happen some weeks). Of course, if I work out and burn 600 calories in a day, then I need to add 600 calories to my diet. The trainer explained that because I have likely been consuming fewer calories than I've needed recently, my body has adjusted to maintaining at that number of calories and stores fat despite the fact that I'm working hard to burn it. Theoretically, if I give my body what it really needs, it will respond in kind and do what I want it to. We shall see. I have avoided counting calories to this point but it appears that in order to get to the next level, I need to get a little more serious. And while 1466 calories seems somewhat low, I was told that the number will actually increase as I reach new levels of fitness. Weight lifting is apparently key here and while I have been doing that four days a week for more than two years (I worked out when I was prego), I haven't changed things enough to stimulate muscle growth and strength for added calorie burn. My body got very accustomed to what I was doing so it's a good thing I've recently changed gyms and my entire program.
The next test was the cardio test. I was hooked up to the same mask and got on a treadmill while the trainer monitored my heart rate and breathing to determine my cardio fitness and optimal fat burning heart rate zones. This was actually fairly painful. I was only on the treadmill for 12 minutes or so but the mask was killing me! I was so claustrophobic on this test that I just wanted to tear it off. She had me gradually increase the speed and incline to reach my maximum rate so I was in some pain by the last couple of minutes. I made it through and although we have not yet had the chance to discuss the results, I did learn a few things. First of all, when it comes to cardio fitness, I'm in the top 96th percent of my demographic. I was pretty happy about that... looks like all of that running has paid off and left me with a happy heart! I learned that my optimal fat burning heart rate zone is 173-178 bpm. (That's actually higher than most people's would be so don't go by that for your own target.) I'll have my heart rate monitor and watch, which will programmed with 12 weeks of workouts so that I can work out much more efficiently. I'm meeting with the trainer again tomorrow to talk more about the work out part and to get on a program (we ran out of time on Saturday) so we'll see what more she says. It has all been very interesting to learn about and I'm looking forward to seeing how this affects my progress. I am committed to sticking with the 12-week- program to really put this to the test. And now that I'll be counting calories fairly religously, I'll likely start keeping track of all of that here, as well as menu plans and recipes. It's going to be great to have all of this to look back to after I've had more babies and need to do it all over again. Isn't being a woman grand?? :)

A bit more frustration, but new hope...

So after my frustration last week, I decided to try to let go a bit and stop driving myself crazy. We enjoyed a lovely Mother's Day weekend with a couple of minor indulgences that made me feel a bit better. I think after a while of too much strictness, it's good to enjoy food again... which makes me realize that I was probably being too strict and working out a little too hard. Getting in shape shouldn't be a depressing project, which it was becoming at that point. So, I relaxed just a bit over the weekend and thought that I was ready with a new outlook for this week. Well, then today, I did the most dreaded thing-- I tried on swimsuits. I wasn't going to until I reached my 155 goal, but when I realized that I might need to loosen up on that a bit, I thought I should go ahead and get a swimsuit because I am READY for the pool. It wasn't as enjoyable as I hoped it would be (except that Nora was with me, which makes anything more fun!). I realize that I've come a long way and I certainly look better than I did last summer, but it continues to be extremely frustrating to me that I work as hard as I do and that I haven't seen much progress in several months. After my shopping trip, I watched the Biggest Loser finale recorded from last night and while I thought it would motivate me, it only frustrated me more. I saw these people who did it-- they went all the way. Of course, I have no intention or desire to do what they have to do in order to accomplish their goals. I realize that in the real world, you can't lose weight that quickly and I am perfectly ok with that. The only thing that bothered me about it was just to see that it is possible to get the final result that a person desires while I feel like I'm working hard without the results. The swimsuit and show combination left me truly frustrated to the point of crying... which was ridiculous, but cathartic (although Mike might just leave it at "ridiculous"). I just feel like I'm so close to where I want to be and I can't quite get there. I've wanted this for 15 years and here I am.... just a little farther than I can reach, it has seemed. Well, after my minor emotional break down, I went to the gym for a good run and I talked to one of the trainers there. At the Lifetime, they have these fitness tests that they can do that will tell a person exactly how many calories they are burning during each workout and what they need to do individually to see progress. I have been working out much the same over the last year and it seems that my body is just used to it. On one hand, I guess it's a good thing that my heart is so well-conditioned to running 6 or more miles. On the other hand, I need to make it work a little harder in order to burn the fat. So I'll have the test done on Saturday and the trainer will put me on a 12-week program. I'll buy a heart rate monitor which will tell me what my heart rate is and exactly how many calories I'm burning during each workout. I'm also going to do another test that will tell me just how many calories I should be consuming in order for my body to work efficiently. The trainer suspects that I'm not getting enough, which is also a hinderment to weight loss efforts, it appears. These are some pretty high-tech things we'll be doing so I'm confident that they are accurate and that this will help me get to the next level. It may seem ridiculous to some to spend money on this but listen, I work incredibly too hard to not be where I want to be and quite frankly, I deserve to be there. 15 years people! And besides, it's not much money anyway... if it'll get me the rest of the way, it will be worth every penny. The prospect of doing this already makes me feel much better. I'll let you all know how it goes.

Now just to be sure, I am very excited for what I have accomplished so far. I have learned a lot and continue to do so. Mike and I were even discussing tonight the possibility of me becoming certified as a personal trainer at some point. If I were to do it, it would be very part time. I just feel like it's something that I could do well after the years of struggling and learning that I've done. It would be great to help other people accomplish their goals because I know how it feels to be on both sides and I know that it's possible. It's probably not something that we'll jump on right away for various reasons, but it's a current thought process and it would be really cool. We'll see.

Not the best day

It's Thursday and for some reason, Thursdays aren't always my best days. It's the end of the week for us so perhaps it's just the pent up frustrations that gather throughout the week and seem to manifest themselves all in one day. I realize that Mike's schedule may seem luxurious to some, but not if you really know what that schedule entails. We get up at 5 so we can do our morning routine in time for him to get to work by 7:00. Yes, he has his long lunch breaks, which we spend at the gym and then it's a hurried lunch and back to work. He doesn't get home until 7:00 pm at the earliest, sometimes not until close to 8. By that time, I'm fairly batty and ready for some relief. He works very hard for those four days and then there are Friday morning meetings and weekend screenings, often more than one. There are always phone calls, emergency patients, decisions to make for the office, errands to run for the office, etc. etc. etc.
Ok, I'm complaining... and I don't mean to, because 90% of the time I love everything about the practice, his role, my role, and the time we do have to share together. On Thursdays, though, I'm a little spent and ready for the weekend. Tonight was no exception. I cleaned and worked around the house all day, ran some errands, and completely ran out of steam by the time dinner needed to be cooked. UG! Mike came to the rescue... with Taco Bell. I didn't even care by that point. I didn't care so much that I not only ate my tacos (fresco style, if that counts for anything), but I munched on Lacey's crackers and just now, at 11:30, a bowl of cereal. Grrrrrrrrrrrrrr. I realize that one bad night isn't the worst thing in the world by any means, but I'm frustrated that I didn't prepare myself better. I will certainly run a few extra miles this weekend and I'll be more careful to make up for it, but there is a lesson to be learned. On Thursdays, dinner needs to prepared much earlier than normal. I either need to make enough food on Wednesday nights that it will give us dinner again on Thursday, or I need to use the crockpot in the morning, or maybe even prepare something while Lacey naps. So I'm writing this entry to remind myself of that committment so this doesn't happen again. Avoiding pitfals, I'm discovering, is all about recognizing when they happen and being prepared... so my challenge to any of you who are also trying to be more healthy is to sit down and think about the things that usually get you and then think of ways you can defend yourself against them.

By the way, my complaints this evening are really just the ramblings of a woman who needs to be in bed. I really do love Mike's profession and I recognize that we have so many opportunities and blessings that many people don't have and that I certainly don't have it rough. I don't mean to whine or to appear ungrateful... just trying to illustrate the frame of mind that led to tonight's demise. Tomorrow is a new day and we have a lovely Mother's Day weekend to celebrate and lots of time to spend as a family. And I'm getting a massage on Saturday so I will be quite the new woman! :)

Cleansing Effect

Today, I decided to rid myself of all of the old, baggy clothes that represent what I once was. What started as just an organizational project became a fairly empowering moment for me. These piles of clothes range in sizes from 12 to 16 (although I had already gotten rid of most of my 16s last year). I'm hanging on to the 10s for now, mostly because my wardrobe is fairly bare now and I need something to wear as I build it back up. As I sorted through all of these clothes, I distincly remembered how I felt in some of the pieces. The most exciting was a dress that once served as my motivation piece-- the thing that I couldn't wait to fit into. I even put it on today just to see how it fit now, and it was huge on me. That was fun! Most of the clothes are actually pretty cute and they served me well, but I am happy to be parting with them.

I really wish I had started this blog last year when I began this journey so everyone could see that it's not a constant celebration as it has been for me just recently. There were difficult moments along the way and I have struggled as many of you do at times. This, for me, is the other side of all of that. I am still working hard and striving to reach my goal, but I am happy to feel like a completely new person. My point is that yes, it is difficult, but SO COMPLETELY WORTH IT!!!!

End of the week

Ah, Saturday night... the end of another busy week. It's been incredibly rainy, which is perfect for a night in. Mike is feeding Lacey her night time bottle and I assume that she fell asleep in his arms. They've been in there quietly for some time. It's not often that she falls asleep as we rock her so Mike seems to be enjoying every minute of it. So sweet!

Anyway, it was a great week on "the journey". (My weight loss efforts seem to have turned into the title of a television show... or perhaps that will be the title of the book I'll write some day... though I'm sure it's been used before and it's not entirely original or creative. Scratch the book idea! :) Each week, I add a new focus to my routine. Last week, my focus was getting every work in and making each one really count. This week, I continued with that and I gave extra focus to what I'm eating. I did pretty well in that department last week, but it needed a little tweaking. I want to make sure that I get plenty of protein to help replenish and build those muscles I'm working on, the right amounts of carbohydrates to fuel my running, and the right kinds of fats. Oh, I also focused on taking my supplements every night. A+ all around and I have never felt better! The vitamins and supplements have made a huge difference. I've always been pretty lax about taking vitamins, which Mike has always been bothered by... possibly because all of the bruises I get from the lack of vitamins make it appear as though he beats me. :) Just kidding... he's actually quite concerned with my general health and well-being. Guess he wants me to live for a while or something. Anyway, my point is that they make a difference so if you're not taking them, do it. And the very act of taking them seems to make me even more conscious of my health which feeds into other things that I do. Next week, I'll focus on all of the aforementioned things as well as taking sups twice a day. I'm also going to change things up a bit with my workouts as I have learned some helpful information. Here it is: most women tend to think that when weight-training, higher-reps equals greater results and they often do the same thing every week without changing the amount of weight or the number of reps. Mistake. It is actually better to vary things constantly. Doing lower reps (3-8) at a higher weight will help to build muscle strength. Doing moderate reps (8-15) helps to build muscle mass and high reps (15-25+) helps to build muscle endurance. Each of these things is important to us women so each type of workout should be employed. The calorie burning effect is actually not significantly different from one workout to the next as is commonly thought. The recommendation is to mix it up. For example:
Week 1: Low
Week 2: Medium
Week 3: High
Week 4: Medium
Week 5: Low
Week 6: High
Etc.
It doesn't have to go in exact order from low to high and then repeat... in fact, it's better if it doesn't as it will trick your muscles to constantly mix it up. When you do the exercise, do enough weight that you just can't do any more beyond the planned number of reps. If you could keep going for several more, then you need to increase your weight. Really focus on the contraction of the proper muscle on each exercise. No swinging your arms or swaying your back to get it up... if you're having to do that, you may need to decrease your weight to really utilize the intended muscle. Why work out if you're not going to do it right?
If working out seems too painful or you just don't want to do it, get over it! Seriously. The benefits of exercise far outweight the temporary pain you might experience. And though it may take a while, you actually may grow to enjoy it, especially when you start seeing the transformation in your body. Who wants to just be thin? We're going for healthier bodies here, not just fitting into a certain size.

I watched an episode of Oprah this week where she discussed "falling off the wagon". Kirstie Alley was on it and would you believe that she has gained back every pound that she just lost? I was so sad for her, and for the man who went from 1100 pounds to 193 and ALL THE WAY back to 1100. I realize that this is so common and very easy to do. The problem I see is that people are dieting to lose weight. We all know that there is a beginning and an end to a diet, and that's why weight is regained. Once a certain number or a certain size is reached, people often feel like they've won the battle. The problem is that so many people do things temporarily with no intention of continuing on the same path. That is why Mike and I always emphasize that we are working on a lifestyle. If in your own weight loss efforts you do something that you can't see yourself doing for the rest of your life, then there really isn't much point in doing it... you'll likely just gain the weight back. If, however, you make changes that you can incorporate into your lifestyle, then you will be able to continue on that path for the rest of your life and be healthy, not just thin. I am aware that I won't have to work quite as hard as I'm working now once I've reached my goal weight, but I fully intend on continuing to work out every day and I will eat much the same way that I am now. I'm sure I'll fluctuate here and there and I can't say for certain that I'll never struggle again, especially because I'll continue to have babies, but I am learning as I go here and the goal is to always live what I've learned. The weight has come off slowly at times but that hasn't stopped me because this is our lives, not a diet. Mike and I will enjoy a family dinner or PF Changs every once in a while without the typical and depressing guilt-ridden feeling of crashing a diet (which, you know, often completely kills a diet altogher. Yet another pitfall!). I don't know if any of this is helpful to anyone, but these are things that have made monumental differences in my efforts. Believe me, I have been through it all and felt every painful feeling associated with losing weight. I have refused to feel that way this time and that, I feel, is why I have been successful. So there you go. Take that for what it's worth.

And on an ending note (I may have just written that book in this one entry!), I will part with my end-of-the-week results. I am officially weighing myself at the gym as their scale is supposed to be quite accurate. 162 today!!! That's 5 pounds since I started writing and I am thrilled! Oh, I also got my body fat tested yesterday: 25%. I'm on the low end of the average range and once I reach my goal of 155, I should be right about 20%. Not too shabby! 7 pounds to go!