A little recap

So, it is Saturday. The official end of week one of my new beginning. I did pretty good this week. I know what I could've done better & am making those changes for the week to come.
First thing~I was having my period this week & had not one but TWO heavy flow days. Those wipe me out all on their own but add to that the fact that I ran around creation like crazy all week & that equals
Second thing~No boot camp on Friday. I just couldn't get out of bed. When I did I was exhausted all day long. Not my finest day.
Third thing~Halloween is approaching & I've already got candy in my house. I waited until Thursday to buy some & how long do you think it took before I started "sneaking" some? If you guessed mere hours (like 2 to be exact) you guessed right. I'd like to blame my period & the stress that I've been under this week but I also know my lack of self control is due to inner, not outer circumstances.
So, there it is. I won't be on my period next week so my energy will be up. I WILL have perfect attendance at boot camp next week and I am working on my issues with self control.
How was your week?

And so it begins...(again)

As you all know I have been more or less completely over working on my fitness goals for the last few months (which makes PERFECT sense considering the last 2 months have coincided with my jeans wager with my sister, Rachel). Well, as I stated in my last post, I'm beginning again.

One day last week I got the BEST e-mail from Jeff, the genius behind Robinson Fitness (see my sidebar for a link to his website, seriously he's a GENIUS!). He was offering an AMAZING discount on 8 weeks of boot camp, just enough to get through until the holiday break. Since my second main reason for discontinuing boot camp was the financial aspect (#1 was the heat, there were times over the summer that working out INSIDE almost killed me, outdoors was a total no-go) the discount came at the PERFECT time! We have a little extra cash, I have a TON of extra pounds & it seemed like a match made in heaven. So, after a little discussion with the hubs I signed up. I also got to go shopping since I let my daughter play with my old mat all summer (and she trashed it GOOD) so I was already happy before the first workout!

Well, this morning was the day 1 of the next 8 weeks. It was SO awesome to see Robin (the FABULOUS instructor, LOVE HER!) and some of the ladies I know & love from last fall/winter/spring. I was also MAJORLY intimidated to see how many new "veterans" there are & SO HAPPY to see all the many, many "newbies" that signed up. I love working out in the group atmosphere, it gives me motivation & inspiration when I start to feel like giving up.

And the workout was AWESOME. It was what Robin called "taking it easy" and what I was thinking of as "punishment for taking time off". Jeff plans the workouts to be pretty basic the beginning of each new 4 week boot camp & I could tell I've not kept up as much strength as I thought I had. I made it all the way through the whole hour though & I still feel so great! I can't wait to go tomorrow!

So, I took weight/measurements yesterday morning as a baseline for the next 8 weeks and I'm confident I will be reaching the goals I've set myself in the time I've determined. It feels so wonderful to be back on track, feeling positive & knowing I'm doing something so good for myself.

YAY FOR BOOT CAMP!

Starting Anew

As if you couldn't tell, I've been a little off track with my fitness regimen. I have been working out semi-faithfully & occasionally watching what I eat but it is nowhere NEAR what I would like it to be. I am getting more and more aware of the fact that I am turning 30 in less than 2 months. With all this (and some other stuff) in mind, I am starting again. This morning I started my day with some Carb Smart yogurt with half a serving of All Bran cereal. It was filling and tasted pretty good and it got me through my workout. I did upper body weight training and some ab work. I only did a little warm up for cardio & I'm counting on getting in a good cardio workout tomorrow.
I've also set myself some new goals. My number one goal is to be in the "healthy" BMI range by my birthday or the end of the year. This will mean serious dedication on my part. It also means letting go of 30 pounds in the next 2 months. I know I'm capable of it, I just get to stick with it and keep being positive. I'm working on getting myself back in the healthy, positive mind-set I was in last fall when I first started this journey. That's one thing I've noticed a lot lately, how negatively I've been regarding myself. I know it isn't doing me any favors & I am changing it NOW!

I'm really happy that I am finding the strength and the determination to make these healthy, positive changes in my life. I look forward to being an example of good habits for my children as they get older. I love being healthy, fit and strong!

A Quick Update

I WISH I had a picture of this but you'll just get to take my word for it. Saturday was 4 weeks since I began working out regularly with my friend Erin & that first day I measured my body fat percentage on one of those little hand held thing-ies they use at my gym. They look like this:

On that day I was not overly surprised to see my body fat percentage was 33.9%. I wasn't terribly PROUD of that but I KNEW it had been 44% at one point. So that WAS progress. Well, more progress was made in the last 4 weeks & this time, I AM proud. The reading on the screen was...

...

...

...

29.2%!

You could say I'm happy about that...

Weighing In--How I Spent My Summer Vacation

Have you ever watched that Tiny Toons movie? It is seriously so hilarious! I wonder if I could find it on DVD somewhere? HMMMM...
Anyway, today gets to be weigh-in day since on Wednesday I was still on vacation, in MT with my beautiful, thin sister who (apparently) doesn't believe in scales. The following is actually from yesterday morning but I spent most of yesterday keeping my children from destroying our furniture, house & each other. That didn't leave any down time for blogging. So, here it is...

That's right! I hit my goal (and passed it by THREE pounds!) a full 3 days before my date! I'm so excited! I get to get a pedicure! That and I KNOW I'll be under 170 by next week (the amoebic dysentery that I have to thank for the astounding, nearly 10 pound weight loss is less than a week is still lingering and I am DYING to get back to the gym!) and for the first time in too long I am feeling energized & excited & CAPABLE of accomplishing the goals I set for myself. Who wants to get a pedi on Saturday?
That said, I want to give a BIG shout-out to my friend Erin. She is SO AWESOME! She joined the same gym as me about a month ago & we started working out together right away. We just got into a pretty good routine when I went ahead & went on vacation, leaving her here to carry on alone. And she TOTALLY did it! I am so proud, impressed & inspired by her! She went every. single. day! So much of my new-found motivation & encouragement is coming from her being there & going through this with me. She rock MAJOR and I just wanted to let you all know that.
The "official" start day for my wager is getting closer. My lovely sister is seeing her doc soon & we'll begin in earnest then. She has been cheating by breastfeeding her newborn daughter but I suppose my "super-cleanse" could be considered cheating as well! We're still in negotiations about how much of her statistics I will be allowed to share on here. I felt like a starting weight (as a baseline) and then updates for her every 4 weeks would keep things interesting & let you have a chance to tell me when to step it up, post tips & ideas for how to progress faster or more efficiently & maybe to begin rooting for her (if you want to lose a friend, that's your business, haha). Anyway, I'll post another weigh-in next Wednesday & I'll update after the first time I get back in the gym. I have a feeling that will be an interesting experience!

Wednesday Weigh-In (holding) the camera adds how much?!?

When I got up this morning I hopped right on the scale, realized I hadn't peed yet & hopped right back off. After using the bathroom (and washing my hands, I'm very hygienic) I had "forgotten" about weighing myself & started my day. I went to the gym, arriving 10 minutes late for the 30 minute class I've been taking and afterward I decided to get in those 10 minutes on the elliptical. When I got the girls and headed for home I was mentally making myself a "to-do" list to get us ready to leave town. I started right on that after getting lunch for the girls and here it is, 4 hours later, and I have just weighed myself. I was in the bathroom, decided I'd take my trash out but first, I gotta step on that scale. And what do you think it said? 178.4! WooHoo! I was psyched! So I take the trash can, dump it out, re-line it, grab my camera & head BACK to the scale to document my number. And this is what I saw:

 

I'm not sure what exactly happened in the less than 2 minutes it took for me to retrieve my camera but there it is...I even got off, let my scale completely clear & then got back on. Oh well. I'm happy with this I'm feeling more & more confident that I'll be getting my pedi on the 7th! I'm also feeling confident that I'll SMOKE Rachel in our jeans wager. Our official start date is still coming but, since I have permission, I am not above getting a healthy head start! I'll be out of town until late next Wednesday night so I'll weigh in when I get home. I'm bringing workout clothes (I'm planning on wearing them on the plane so I can go for a run as soon as we get settled!) and my sister & I are going to work out together so I'm excited to see where I'm at when I get home. Have a great week everyone!

Maintaining Weight

I've been thinking about this some as I've been working on my overall fitness but I got thinking about it more yesterday. How do I maintain my weight once I reach my goal?
Well, I know that it is suggested to continue working out 45-60 minutes a day to maintain a steady weight. But how do I stay motivated to continue working out 45-60 minutes a day. Right now I can easily see the merit in regularly hitting the gym & staying for an hour or more. But once I'm a super skinny hot mama what's going to keep me going back?
The thought I had was that I get to find a physically demanding activity, that I enjoy, that I will be required to participate in regularly; say once or twice a week. If I have a team sport, that would be even better because I would know that my teammates were counting on me to stay in shape so that I could play to the best of my ability. I've been contemplating what sports appeal to me, and let me tell you, there are few. I played basketball a tiny bit when I was in 5th grade. I was pretty decent at volleyball too, once upon a time. I sort of like the idea of being an ice hockey player but...I live in Arizona! Baseball & softball are okay but not what I'm looking for. The one thing that has come back to me time & time again is how much I would LOVE to join a Roller Derby team. Can you imagine that? I've seen bits of matches and, from what I've seen, a person couldn't play if they aren't in at least decent shape. And besides...ROLLER SKATES!

I'm pretty sure that I am going to look into it. I know I get to find something & this feels like it might work. 

Enough with all that though, have you seen their slogan?

Wednesday Weigh-In (For my Momma)

I'm so much happier to weigh-in today than I have been in a couple weeks. I had a great talk with my mom yesterday & she encouraged me to look at things differently. She encouraged me to remember my success & to continue changing things up & do new things. She even suggested doing things I've done before & dismissed as "not working"! I know I've been given the advice from LOTS of people to keep changing it up but for some reason I heard it best when my momma told me. I love all my friends and family who are supporting me & I posted a little bit ago about my motivation being my beautiful children but my mom is & always has been so special to me. So I am dedicating this weigh-in to her. Love you Mom! Thanks for everything you've done and everything you've been for me throughout my life. You rock!

 

P.S. I think I rock a little bit too! Only 6 pounds away from my next pedicure!

Pure Torture-the scale is my enemy...

I haven't been wanting to update because I'm disgusted with myself. Last Wednesday on my weigh in day I was UP over 4 pounds. So I "cheated" and didn't take a picture of the scale OR post on here (or anywhere else for that matter). On Thursday I was gratified to see that I was back down to:

 

I was down again this morning to 183.0 so I AM progressing in the direction I want to at least. I'm just getting annoyed with myself. I have such wonderful intentions for a day or two & then something happens to throw me off (after the sore neck episode I got a cold that lasted almost a whole week) and I just go with it. I even use it as an excuse to eat like crap & not work out. I keep telling myself it won't happen again & then it does. Did I mention that my sister Rachel (from the famous "wager") had her baby last week? I should be feeling more motivated than ever. Just a few short weeks and she'll be back working out & doing everything she can to win those jeans! And she's already assured me that she isn't going to hold back or take it easy on me AT ALL.

I guess what it boils down to is that I want it to be easier than it has been & I want to reach my goals without making the changes that I KNOW will assist me in doing so. I did do something today...I went to a boot camp style class at my gym! It wasn't quite the same as Jeff's boot camp (how could it be? No Jeff or Robin!) and it is only 30 minutes but they do 2 30 minute classes back to back that you can do both if you want. I'm going to give that a shot tomorrow. We'll see how it works out!

Anyway, that is my whine for the day. I'm feeling more positive now that I put that out there & I'm confident that good changes are happening! I'll be back to weigh in on Wednesday.

Lame end to my week

As I mentioned in my last update I was experiencing some pain in my neck/shoulder/back area last week and, don't you worry, I milked it for all it was worth! I didn't do anything on Wednesday (I showered when I had SWORN I was going to swim) and a whole lot of the same on Thursday & Friday. My friend joined my gym on Friday night so I scrounged some motivation & we worked out together Saturday morning. It was a good workout. I felt really great after & the rest of the day went pretty good too. Then Sunday morning...UGH! I woke up a little after 7 a.m. with my throat burning and every bit of me aching. I had a cough (that is still lingering) but that was too bad. So I slept and slept and slept, finally getting out of bed at 2 p.m. There's nothing like being sick to make me want to just eat crap all day, so that's what I did. Since we really don't have that bad of food in the house it wasn't as bad as it could've been, I comfort myself with that. My the time I went to bed I felt quite a bit better & this morning I'm feeling almost like myself. I still have a little cough (SOOO ANNOYING!) but I'm in my workout clothes, getting psyched to head to the gym. They have a boot camp style class that I want to check out (if I do it today I'll update about that tomorrow) and I *think* today is the day I'm going to start training for the 10K I plan to run on Thanksgiving day. It's an 8 week training schedule so I can get through it twice before Thanksgiving if I start today. I just looked at the training schedule & I have a 2.5 mile run ahead of me. Better get to it!
P.S. On Saturday, I used one of the body fat calculators they have at my gym. (You know, that thing you put a bunch of stats in & then hold it out at arms length in front of you? Yeah, that thing.) It's not pretty, but when I consider that I was 44% body fat when I last had it checked (when Lizzie was 1 & I joined the gym), I'm not TOO upset that it is 32.9% now. Still, YIKES! My goal for that is 20% so I've got some work to do.

Weigh In

It's not terribly clear & I apologize for that but here it is; my weekly weigh in. In case it is too hard to read, it says; 182.2. I'm pretty happy with that. I weighed 188.8 lbs last Wednesday when I recommitted so 6.6 lbs is a good amount to me.
Now for some not-so-happy news. I don't know what happened (probably just slept wrong or something) but I woke up some time in the night & my neck hurt. As it got on towards morning I noticed the pain is also in my right shoulder & even down my arm & back just a bit. Super-annoying! This pain is enough that I am actually afraid that I would be unsafe if I drove anywhere so I'm not going to get to the gym today (unless it gets 100% better at some point today, then I WILL go this evening). I do think I could probably go in the pool & do a bit of swimming once the girls are napping (in an hour or so) so I'll get in some kind of work out. I'm taking Tylenol for the pain (it feels kind of like a pulled muscle, the Tylenol is working a little bit) and I can function but it is making me kind of sick to my stomach. So far today I've eaten a small bowl of cereal & a handful of microwave popcorn. I'm drinking lots of water though (weird things happen to me when I'm dehydrated so I'm avoiding THAT at all costs!) so I'm pretty confident I'll feel better tomorrow at the latest.
Anyway, I'm happy with the number on the scale & I know that next week I will be too. I'm 8 lbs away from being able to get my next pedicure (notice the totally cute pink on them currently? LOVE IT!) and I know I'll get there!

Motivation

Today, I am tired! I feel like I shouldn't be because I was in bed before 9 last night. I will admit to sitting up & reading for a bit but I KNOW I turned the light off before 10 p.m. and that is plenty early to get enough sleep. I didn't fall asleep very easily though & that is the issue. My mind raced & I could hear my baby playing (instead of sleeping the little monkey!) and I just couldn't fall asleep. Now I don't want to get myself together & off to the gym, even though I've been seeing some good results just since last Wednesday and I want to keep that up. So I'm thinking about motivation. For some reason, this morning, the jeans wager I have with my sister (see here) isn't getting me revved up like it did yesterday when I was feeling less than jazzed to hit the gym. Even seeing the AWESOME on the scale this morning isn't quite enough. (and it IS awesome, tomorrow is my "official" weigh-in and I'll take a picture to post so check back!) I haven't eaten breakfast yet though & I know that will assist in getting my more awake (read: alive) and ready for action. I am committed to getting to the gym today & I'll even put my gym clothes on as soon as I get finished eating breakfast. That will be just the committed action necessary to get me there because Lizzie (my lovely little daughter) will NOT let me rest until she knows "when we're going to the gym" (which she'll ask me 100 + times once she sees me in my gym clothes until we actually head out the door!). Maybe she's all the motivation I need?!?

 My REAL Motivation

As for yesterday, I will admit to taking it semi-easy at the gym. I didn't end up going until 2 in the afternoon (HOT) and so I wasn't really feeling it. I did about 20 minutes of cardio & upper body strength training. I had intended to do ab work too and decided not to since I still had a trip to the grocery store to complete before heading home. I worked HARD though and my arms are feeling it again this morning, nothing like last week (I was seriously concerned about having to carry/pick up the baby!) but a good ache in my muscles. I got pretty much right into the pool with the girls as soon as I got home so I had a little swim too. We have some friends coming over to swim this afternoon so my plan is to do some cardio & lower body strength training today & possibly some abs, if time permits. I'll update again tomorrow, there will be scale pictures--you don't want to miss that! (where's a sarcasm font when I really want one?!?)

Sunday, Sunday

I was a little bit afraid of today since it is a holiday but now that it is almost over & I haven't indulged in ANY naughty food I feel pretty victorious! It helps that instead of bbq-ing I went to lunch with my momma (who is AWESOME and eats healthy even in the face of MUCH temptation) and then dinner with my beautiful, THIN sisters (love you Erika & Marian!) who inspire me to keep working hard & making good choices. I DID go over my calories but not by much & only because I didn't workout today. But I never work out on Sundays so that's no thing.
Anyway, today was better than I thought it would be & I am SOOO excited to go to the gym tomorrow & work out. From talking with my sister Marian I am even MORE psyched to dive into this bet with my sister Rachel! She made some AWESOME points that are going to assist me in my strategy in this wager and I was able to make jokes about how I was going to send Rachel a "chocolate of the month" club membership by way of sabotage! I'm hilarious...
So, Happy Independence Day! I hope you all had a happy, healthy, SAFE holiday!

A day off

Or a half day off I guess would be more appropriate. Last night I took Lizzie (my 4 year old) to see Toy Story 3. It is such a rare occasion that I take her anywhere, just the 2 of us, that isn't just a quick errand or something that I decided we would "splurge". I was able to keep from getting a popcorn but I couldn't resist a big, soft pretzel with nacho cheese. I also feel pretty ridiculous ordering a diet soda when I know I'm going to eat junk so I got a cherry coke instead. Lizzie got a kid's pack that had a drink, popcorn & for a $1 more a candy (that of course I had to share with her!). The movie was cute, we both had a great time and as we left the theater Lizzie asked if we could eat dinner before going home. Of course, since it was 9 o'clock at night, I decided the best place to get dinner was Burger King. I know I could've gotten a salad or something but I got a BK Double Stacker meal. It was more food than I was even hungry for but I dutifully ate every single bite. I ended up staying up until 1 a.m. so I didn't feel ill when I went to bed but I DEFINITELY had a food hangover this morning & I thank my lucky stars that the scale was only part of a pound up from yesterday.
I feel like I have already partially redeemed myself today because I just came in from a 20 minute swim in our pool. Nothing strenuous but a little workout all the same. Plus I'm feeling like a run would be the best thing to stretch out my legs from the workouts I've done already this week. So a trip to the gym is on the agenda for this afternoon. I'm having some grilled chicken for lunch (probably with some cucumber slices & raspberry vinaigrette, yummy!) and while I don't have dinner plan just yet I have faith that I will make good choices for the rest of today.
I am feeling so much better already after all the off & on I've been doing so far this summer. Is it just me or does it seem like summer is the one time of year that a person REALLY wants to get thin & feel great but it is ALSO the one time a year where there's a bazillion reasons to eat like crap. play too much & exercise to little?!? I get to figure out how to keep up with my good habits instead of getting sidetracked or derailed every time something comes up. Anyone have a full proof, sure-fire method that works for them that you'd like to share?

Betting on weight loss

My sister, Rachel, has been a really awesome resource for support & motivation as I've been on this journey to physical fitness. She is one of the healthiest, happiest people I know. So when I was whining talking to her about my plateau and being stalled in my progress she had ideas & suggestions to get me moving again. One of them was an article she read in Good Housekeeping magazine (linked here) about wagering/betting on weight loss and how it can assist in success. While I haven't read the whole article yet I have read enough to tell me that I WANT IN!!! I feel like I have been "competing" against myself so far & it has gotten me this far. Now I get to call on my competitive side (however underdeveloped it may be) and use THAT to get me the rest of the way.

So here's what I'm doing. I'm having mini-wagers against myself. Every 6 weeks I will mark on the calendar a goal weight (example; on Aug 7th I wrote 174 in bold, RED numbers). If that (or something lower!) is the number on the scale that morning I will get to go to my favorite nail salon and get a pedicure.

It is something that I already budget for but feel a little bit guilty about getting. I get to have an hour, to myself; away from my kids--it is SO lovely! But it is not necessary and therein lies the guilt. So now I am taking the guilt away by turning it into a reward for my hard work & sacrifice in getting fit.

I'm also going to see if Mark wants to get on board & do some wagers with him. He works really hard at what he does professionally but it is not a physical job (AT ALL) and I fear for his overall health. So I want to motivate him to get more fit & I think this will be a fun, easy way to go about it.

I've also talked with Rachel (the above mentioned, AWESOME sister) about a BIG wager between the two of us. Like I said, I feel like she is almost effortlessly healthy & thin. She LIKES to chop up TONS of veggies & make big salads every couple of days. I like EATING tons of chopped up veggies in big salads, obviously not enough to make one myself! She has been a runner for as long as I can remember. I first ran 1 mile non stop (in my LIFE) in December '09. She has a husband who works out regularly & is possibly more into healthy eating than she is. My husband has my same "love" of junk food & immobility. With all these differences it is almost no wonder that she has spent her entire life at a healthy weight (she would argue that she is well ABOVE a healthy weight right now but she is pregnant, TOTALLY excused!) and I have not. She is having her baby soon and is expecting to be cleared for working out by mid August. At that time we will compare weights & measurements (probably pictures too, it really is the BEST way to see progress in my opinion!). Then our wager will begin. We will probably be starting at a similar weight and our goal is to see who can reach Rachel's pre-pregnancy weight (135 pounds) first. This has LONG been my goal weight & I've always been a bit incredulous that I'll ever actually reach it. But I've also never had so much at stake before. I thought of (and Rachel agreed) that a good prize for the winner is a new pair of jeans, ANY jeans--EXPENSIVE jeans. I am going to go on record and say that I have NEVER owned designer jeans, I've always been too fat. It will be SO nice to be able to go shopping in a regular store and buy a pair of designer jeans that RACHEL has paid for! 

That's the deal, whoever reaches 135 pounds first gets the jeans & the 'loser" foots the bill! 

That's my new plan for success. Would it work for you?

Evening Breakdown

I just got done tracking all of yesterday's food (okay, not ALL all, I forgot the marshmallows...ooops!) and I was doing SOOO good...until after dinner. I stayed up, folding laundry & watching a movie and you'd THINK that would keep me occupied enough that I WOULDN'T feel the need to stuff my dace but you'd be wrong. It started out innocently enough, just a couple mini laffy taffys (banana even-FRUIT!) and a tiny box of nerds (I <3 nerds in a MAJOR way-when I was pregnant with Kate I ate them ALL THE TIME, Mark complained about finding them in bed). Then I saw that a serving size of the laffy taffys was 5 and I'd only had 2, so why not 2 more?!? And then the chocolate ice cream I had bought last week when I was watching all the children in the universe began calling my name (the marshmallows too, CURSE YOU MARSHMALLOWS!!!). Well, one serving of THAT is 1/2 cup and it is 140 calories. Not TOO bad, considering. I knew I was WELL under my calories for the day because I put in a KILLER workout in the morning (my arms & upper back are reminding me how killer it was as I type) so I felt okay in that regard. The problem is the CARBS. WHY must I eat sooo many useless carbs late at night? (not really THAT late I guess, I was done eating around 9-ish, but still-too late I know) I don't want to beat myself up over this, it is just hard not to. It seems to be my biggest stumbling block. The one thing I continue slamming into over & over & over. I really want to figure out a way to get past this. I want to come up with & stick to a plan that will satisfy my evening cravings but not undo my whole day.
Any ideas, tips, tricks? What works for you? Anyone else in the same boat? How do YOU move forward after a late night eating frenzy?
I'm off to the gym now, here's to a no carb-craze night!
P.S. Stay tuned for the goals to be set. I'm working on them now!

Back in the Saddle?

I don't love shame. I appreciate it. I don't love putting pictures of myself, looking like THIS, out on the internet for all to see. But I do it. I don't love knowing that I was on a path that would take me directly to the healthy, fit, HOT body I've never had IN MY LIFE and that I decided to go off that path. But I admit when I've made a choice that doesn't work. I want to be accountable. I want to be healthy. I want to eat right, exercise daily and reach the goals I've set for myself.

So what's my major malfunction?!?

I looked at my "progress" pictures from April & while I'd like to believe it is the difference in the camera angle or the swimsuit I was wearing I can tell that my body is NOT going towards physical fitness and health & being thinner than I've ever been before. I have SEVERELY backtracked. In April I weighed around 175 (some days more, some less) and today I weighed 188.8. In April I was beginning to look to the day when I would be buying size 10 jeans (for, LITERALLY, the first time in my life). In April I felt good, I looked good and I KNEW what I was capable of. Today I look & feel GROSS. I am wearing size 14 shorts because my size 12 shorts feel uncomfortably tight. I regret getting rid of some of my fat clothes because I know that THEY would camouflage this chubby belly I've got going on from eating too many carbs.

I realized this morning that in about 4 weeks I will be seeing my sister, Olivia(who I love and adore SOOO much!) for the first time since last Thanksgiving. This is the same sister whose wedding pictures I felt I ruined by being so fat last summer. This is the same sister who I always wanted to be like when I grew up (and I still look to her as an example of beauty, grace & determination). I was ashamed to realize that I wouldn't be proud for her to see me like I look today. I was ashamed when I know all that she has overcome & accomplished in her life (most of it as a single mom) and I can't even overcome my poor eating & exercise habits when I have a husband who supports me (emotionally & financially), friends who encourage me & the knowledge to assist me in becoming someone I WOULD be proud for my sister to see.

After realizing this I got my poop in a group, got my girls dressed & we headed to the gym. I feel so good about the work out I put in that I am already ready to go again tomorrow! I am thinking of goals to set for myself so that I can achieve them. I am thinking of what food I'll eat & what clothes I'll wear. I'm back in the saddle!

I have some people to talk to first but I want to post my goals here so you all can ask me about them as time passes to assist me in keeping accountable. Watch for those in the next day or two. I plan to weigh myself weekly & this time I really AM going to take pictures of the scale & post those pictures here. I plan to be able to see my sister and be proud of the body I've created, the mind frame that will get me there & everything that goes along with that.

Pictures & Report

Not a lot to say. Here are some pictures from yesterday & today. 

Here is the scale first thing yesterday morning. It hasn't read this in over 3 months. Awesome...

 

Here is a front view from today. Notice the really nice look on my face? Apparently Mark can't wait for me to be ready before he takes the picture. Oh well, I'm more concerned with how *hot* my belly looks!

 

Alright, just a side view from today. Not too bad, I think my belly has been flatter but NOT as gross as I was afraid it would be after this last week's experiment.

 

Back view from today. Not getting any smaller just yet but I am happy to report that I HAVE gone down over 10 inches on my hips since September. I think that is pretty good progress.

 

And the grand finale! This is what the scale read this morning! After just ONE day of eating better and exercising! I am so happy!

Final results of my experiment: I didn't get any smaller and only ONE of my measurements went up and it only went up by a 1/4". Not too bad considering. The scale DID go up almost 10 full pounds but after one day BACK on track it is back down almost SEVEN full pounds! I haven't braved any of my shorts or pants just yet, I'm "saving" that for Monday!

One last note; I frequent a blog where the author takes pictures of her scale and I think I'm going to as well. Seeing those numbers out there like this is making it so real. Knowing that any person who stumbles upon my blog can see what I weigh is sobering and is going to drive me and keep me accountable. So these 2 pictures are the first of many. I will post new pictures weekly when I weigh in. Keep coming back to see how this progresses.

Oh, wait! I guess I probably have a "lesson learned" in here somewhere too. UMMMM, basically I HATE living unhealthy. After all this time of eating right, exercising regularly, getting enough sleep; etc. I just don't find the appeal of that old lifestyle. As I said a few posts back, it was getting painful living so "dirty". Being back on the clean, healthy lifestyle I've gotten used to tells me that I will not only be successful in reaching my goal weight of 135 pounds, I will be successful in MAINTAINING that weight for the rest of my life!

Friday UPDATE

I just got back from the gym & after just ONE full day of eating better and exercising I feel SO AWESOME! No headache, not tired AT ALL and I just put in a hard core workout! I am so glad I am back on track, I'm not even afraid to take pictures tomorrow!
YAY!

Thursday/Friday

Day 7 and Day 8, final days of the experiment.
I couldn't take it anymore. I couldn't take the bloaty, gassy feelings. I couldn't take the headaches and the heartburn. I couldn't take the way my clothes are (not) fitting. The experiment is OVER.
I weighed myself this morning. I'm not sure WHAT I was expecting but it CERTAINLY wasn't what I saw; 190.0!
Okay, an almost 10 pound weight gain in just a WEEK is madness! I "comfort" myself with the knowledge that I only went to boot camp twice in that time and the only other "exercise" I got was random errand running and chasing after my girls (what little of that there was). 
I think back on all the NASTY things I put in my body this week and I want to barf, then cry then barf again (just to get it all OUT!!!). I went from drinking water to drinking diet soda to drinking regular soda. I went from eating a small bowl of raisin bran (primarily for the fiber) to eating BIG bowls (yes MULTIPLE) of Fruit Loops. I went from barely eating any bread, pasta or potatoes to eating waffles, bagels, sandwiches on 2 slices of bread, pasta or pizza for dinner and french fries like they're being discontinued. I went from having a sweet treat every now & again to (I swear) one day I'm pretty sure I ate very little OTHER than treats and candy. *GAG*
So, now I'm SO OVER IT!!! I'm ready to recommit. I'm ready to master physical myself & release all the pounds and fat that I have allowed to drag me down and hold me back. As promised, there will be pictures of myself and my scale tomorrow. I will post regular (weekly?) pictures of the scale as I make me way down to my goal weight. I will be scrupulous in my food tracking and I will be accountable in my intake.
I AM a beautiful, honest, joyful woman of light.

Wendesday

Day 6 of the big experiment. I didn't work out today. I am finding that my allergies are doing a fantastic job of stealing away my sleep so that I feel like I've been hit by a truck when my alarm goes off. Add into that the fact that my period just started (YAY for womanhood!) and the ridiculous headaches I've been getting almost daily and I couldn't drag myself out of bed to get dressed and go work out. I'm *thinking* I'll see about going to the gym this evening while Mark and Jay are at scouts, we'll see. It'll be nearly bedtime for the girls so I'll wait to decide for sure based off how this afternoon's naps go.
I still haven't gotten on the scale either. I'm actually pretty proud of the restraint I'm showing by NOT weighing myself. I am pretty obsessed with what it says so the fact that I'm staying off is pretty good for me. At least I know I have self control in at least ONE thing!
I've only eaten a little today too. I had Cheerios for breakfast with 1% milk (we ran out of skim and my sister was kind enough to give us the milk they don't use at her house, THANKS RACHEL!!!). I ate a Popsicle that was delicious and I also had some jujubes. Healthy? Nah, but it isn't even lunch yet. I'm planning on ham and cheese with mustard for lunch. And dinner is going to be marinated salmon and some kind of veggie. The interesting thing I'm finding is that even though I'm not "trying" to eat healthy I just sort of plan my main meals that way no matter what. Now to get the snacking under control and I may have a solution!
Another thing to factor in is that Jay is leaving tomorrow morning. He will be visiting his dad and grandparents for the summer. He will be gone until right before school starts again in the fall. He goes every summer and it never gets easier (at least so far it hasn't). I avoid doing ANYTHING to get him ready any earlier than I absolutely HAVE to. I avoid thinking about it as much as possible. As much as I want to believe that he is just as loved and watched over while he's away I just don't. It is probably just the fact that I don't want anyone to be doing MY job (raising my son) but sometimes I wonder what he'll be like in the future because this has been the arrangement for so much of his life.
Anyway, I'm moody, emotional, tired and sick from my allergies. Who else is having a great day?!?

My weekend recap

Since yesterday was Memorial Day I figure today is the REAL start to the week so I am going to recap my weekend.
Let me start by saying, I feel like CRAP. I ate like crap, I slept like crap and I worked out. I was actually pretty good, I went to boot camp yesterday morning & made it through the entire hour. This morning I only made it through 45 minutes but I kept getting a weird, crampy, barfy feeling. I finally went to the restroom to see if I could just barf & be done with it but it just gave me that super fun, stuck in the back of my throat feeling that is one of the main reasons why I avoided throwing up at all costs. So I left early, came home and got right back into bed. I slept until I HAD to get up with the kids and I'm crossing my fingers that I will get to shower soon & then get my errands for the day taken care of before I collapse from exhaustion.
So here is a rundown of the last few days;
FRIDAY---First day of summer vacation. With no reason to get the kids up & off somewhere I skipped boot camp & slept until forced out of bed by Lizzie playing in the backyard by the (for some ODD reason) OPEN pool gate. FREAKED me OUT! Seriously, THAT had my heart rate up as high as a set of mountain climbers, EASY! Thursday night was a late one and we had a pretty lazy day on Friday. I honestly can't remember anything of note that we did!
SATURDAY---Friday was my sister's birthday so I knew I was going out for appetizers & dessert with her, our mom & our other sister on Saturday night. You'd think that would've motivated me to make healthy food choices throughout the day to "make up" for it, wouldn't you? Well, it didn't. I ate waffles for breakfast, something gross for lunch, NO dinner and then I had chicken potstickers for an appetizer & shared THREE different kinds of dessert with my mom & sisters. After dessert my birthday sister & I went out to karaoke and I drank water & diet coke. Then we split an order of sliders with my BFF and her hubby around 1 in the morning. At least I danced a fair amount & I KNOW dancing is an excellent form of exercise!
SUNDAY---I'm going to pretend Sunday didn't happen until around 4 p.m. when we headed out to my BFF's house for a Memorial Day party & BBQ. Seriously, NOT a morning/early afternoon that I will think of fondly in future years. Ate the BEST BBQ chicken EVER along with potato salad, deviled eggs, pasta salad, sliced apples, tortilla chips & bean dip, potato chips & ranch dip and some sliced cucumbers (so I can feel like I ate SOMETHING good) and some super yummy chocolate peanut butter squares that were SOOO delish and slightly addicting. Top it off with a Pepsi and some fruit punch and then a "firecracker" Popsicle and then falling asleep in the car on the ride home. AWESOME.
MONDAY---I've already mentioned that I worked out yesterday morning and then I had a small bowl of raisin bran post-workout. Around 10 I got a call from my sister that our family would be swimming and BBQ-ing at her house from around 11:30 on so I got my girls together and we headed over there around noon. I shared a hamburger with my pregnant sister, for myself I had a hot dog and plenty of chips. I drank WAY too much soda, not enough water and barely made it into the water before my baby needed to be out and playing inside. For dinner I had a leftover hamburger. I almost forgot, I also ate 2 slices of chocolate cake, half a slice of coconut cream pie and one Popsicle. I stopped eating right before I went to bed, around 8 p.m.
Today is somewhat better. I have no party or family get together scheduled. I have no chocolate cake or pie in my house. I'm planning on having grilled chicken and steamed broccoli for dinner. I DID have waffles for breakfast and I'm majorly regretting them now. I still feel pretty nasty from this weekend. I'm thinking of doing a cleanse. Anyone have any suggestions of a good one?!?
So far the results of my experiment are as follows; I am bloated, oh yes, I am bloated. My belly is so flabby and gross. After eating yesterday I could've SWORN it was a pregnant belly I had, so round and HUGE! I am still avoiding the scale but my size 14 shorts are fitting a little more snug then they were last week. I'm tired 24/7 and I feel like I'm almost FORCING myself to make poor food choices over the healthy ones. At least I know my healthy eating is an ingrained habit at this point!
I may give up on my experiment a little early. This is getting almost painful. We'll see...

I'm a scientist/DON'T JUDGE ME!!!

No really, I am! Aren't you a scientist if you make up & do random experiments? So, I'm a scientist.


I have been having a HARD time the last couple months. I have been at a plateau and getting discouraged. I know that at this point my weight loss is SUPPOSED to SLOW down, I WAS NOT prepared for it to STOP altogether!
Okay, not STOP, I have been losing 2-3 lbs here and there. And then gaining it back (I must've MISSED it, you see) only to lose it again a week or so later.


So here is the experiment. I am not going to do ANYTHING to assist my weight loss other than attend boot camp. I am not going to track my food (OHHHH), I'm not adding in any extra cardio (ooohhhh) and I'm not going to step on the scale (YIKES!). I am not going completely off the deep end. I still want to feel good and eating all the junk & "bad" food that got me where I was in the first place leaves me feeling like BARF.
I will live this way for the next 2 weeks.
On June 12th I will weigh, measure and refocus. I will PURGE every nasty, carb loaded, calorie packed food item in my house (at least the ones that are REALLY tempting, some of the stuff Mark & the kids like just doesn't turn my head anymore). I will take pictures of myself AND the scale to post here. I will be 100% up front with the results of this experiment.
For those who "want" to know, I've been hovering right around 180 lbs for about 2 months now. This morning I weighed 180.4 I am currently wearing a size 12 in jeans/pants/skirts. I have 2 pairs of size 14 shorts that are comfortably loose and one pair of size 12 shorts that fit SOOO perfectly.
That is where I am starting out. We'll see where I stand in 16 days!

I know you're all wondering...

Just how I got where I am today. Well if you've been reading I have mentioned boot camp & my trainer & sometimes I just say Jeff. So here's his website. It is truly the BEST workout EVER! I am so happy I found this website. It was a real answer to my prayers. I have never been this fit OR this excited about working out. Jeff designs the most amazing & challenging workouts. Even when I'm cursing him under my breath I'm SO glad I'm there, working out & getting healthy. So if you're in the Phoenix area & you're looking for a workout that will create the best YOU possible, check them out!

www.robinsonfitness.com

Five Hundred

So I haven't been feeling very "blog-worthy" lately. I'm still stuck in the SAME plateau I've been in for a couple months, I've been off & on with my healthy eating and with our recent move I've been missing workouts left & right. 

But today I feel AWESOME! Today I feel like I am the strongest woman in the world! Today I feel "blog-worthy"!

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Today, we did 500's. Yes you read that right, FIVE hundreds. It was CRAZY, it was INTENSE, it was CHALLENGING and it was PERFECT!!! I feel like I can conquer any obstacle, achieve any goal. I feel healthy & fit and stronger than ever before!

So, yeah...I can do 500 squats, push-ups & sit-ups. 

How 'bout you?

Okay...THIS is a brag post!

I went to the gym tonight because I didn't get to bed very early last night & so I was tired this morning & I couldn't make myself get out of bed and go to boot camp. BOO for me! Anyway, I wasn't initially intending to go, I was really in the "tomorrow's another day" mind frame but some women on a discussion board I'm a part of started a couple threads today that I REALLY wanted to post something good on! So I decided that when Mark got home from work I'd be in my workout clothes ready to go to the gym & run at least 2 miles. It worked perfectly! And on top of being proud of myself just for GOING, I did run 2 miles! If THAT weren't enough, I also ran it in just under 23 minutes! I'm pretty sure the last fastest 2 mile time for me was 25 and some change! YAY ME!!! Anyway, I'm really glad that this is the note I'm ending my day on and I'm excited to go to boot camp tomorrow!

NOT a brag post!

I have been having a rough couple of weeks. I've been wallowing in my "poop" and letting myself be bogged down with stress. I've been eating like CRAP and not caring (too much). I've been exercising at boot camp & running a few times a week. Is it bad that I've been running so I can eat more crap & not go over my calorie allowance for the day?!? Anyway, I did my weight & measurements this weekend and I was SHOCKED to see that I actually went DOWN! I was thinking I would probably just stay the same but I DID get smaller! Somehow, all the junk & stress didn't stop my body from doing what I have been programming it to do, burn fat & build muscle. I am SO grateful for the work I've been putting in up until now! If we were going through all this stuff (house buying, moving, kid stuff) 6 or 8 months ago I wouldn't be happy AT ALL with the results I'd be seeing on the scale OR the measuring tape! I also took pictures and I am SO in LOVE with my back! I know that sounds weird but I look at my pictures & I can see how strong & muscular my back is getting. It reassures me that I will have the strength of body & mind to continue to be a good mom & wife. I'm so grateful to be blessed with health & strength & the ability to change my body in positive ways. I'm grateful that (even though I LOVE me some sleeping in!) I can get up in the morning & do something SO good for myself before most of the world is even awake! I'm happy & grateful that I can look at myself & SEE the perfect creation that I AM. Like I said in the title, this is NOT a brag post! I just wanted to put out there the idea that the work is ALWAYS worth it! I am so glad I've learned this lesson. Now to learn the lesson that chocolate & fast food AREN'T necessities to life...

I DID IT!!!

In February I set myself a goal.Click here to see the details. At the time it seemed like a BIG goal. As the date of my goal has gotten closer & closer it has started to seem like a HUGE goal, almost insurmountable. But I've done it! ... ... ... I ran THREE WHOLE MILES without stopping!!! I did it in just over 40 minutes. I was a little shaky when I got done but I am so proud of myself! I forgot to bring my camera to record this momentous occasion but I promise you, it happened! It gives me lots of encouragement that I will be able to do so much better this year when I do the Mesa Turkey Trot. Oh, I am so excited! YAY for ME!!!

A small victory

There are few things I enjoy more than when I see someone I know but haven't seen for a while & I can see that they are unsure who I am. This happened again last night & it is a bittersweet feeling that I am REALLY digging lately! I look at it like this; on the one hand it is sad how far gone I was that now when people who knew me then see me NOW and don't recognize me. On the other is it a real testament to what eating right & exercise can do for a person.

The first picture is me on August 22, 2009 (and approx. 240 lbs.) and the second is me on March 17, 2010 (and approx 180 lbs). Is that really even the same girl?!?
P.S. In case you can't tell I'm wearing the same dress in both pictures too.

Pictures

The natural enemy of any person who is unhappy with their body is a camera. At least that is true for me. I have REALLY disliked having my picture taken for years now. Mostly because I know that the result will not be pretty. I will analyze every fat roll, every fold of skin & I will note how my thighs touch even when my legs are spread a bit.
Well, no more! A friend of mine posted a couple of pictures on facebook yesterday & I looked at them today. And I didn't hate them! I looked at myself and was actually pretty happy with them! Other than the fact that I have a goofy look on my face in one (I was learning a line dance and I am not a natural dancer!) I didn't see fat or rolls or folds. I couldn't even find fault with the thighs!
What an amazing milestone. And it's only going to get better! Woo Hoo!

Update

Yesterday I went to the gym to get some cardio in. I didn't get my regular workout in at boot camp because our instructor, Robin, was sick & she asked me if I'd be willing to lead. I had expressed to her my interest in being a boot camp instructor at some point in the future & since I didn't want boot camp to be canceled I agreed. Anyway, leading is hard in a MUCH different way than actually doing the workout!
Since I felt like I had plenty of energy to use I decided to see how far I could get in my goal of running 3 miles non stop. I had to use of the treadmills that I don't like very much because all the "good" ones were taken. I thought this might make things harder for me but I persisted. I started out a little harder than I intended and pretty soon felt like I wouldn't be able to go much longer (I hadn't even gone a half mile yet) so I slowed my pace and continued on. One of the tv's nearby caught my attention and I watched the show that was on. The next time I looked at the display on the treadmill I was surprised to see that I had gone just over a mile in just under 14 minutes. I felt REALLY good about that! Pretty soon I was feeling like I could maybe, just maybe reach my 3 mile goal THAT DAY! I was thinking how good and strong my body felt. I turned my attention back to the tv, thinking the distraction would assist in some way. It wasn't long before I realized that I was getting REALLY hot. I was still wearing what I'd worn to boot camp & let me tell you. There is a HUGE difference in the temperature of a parking lot at 5:30 in the morning and an indoor gym at 10 in the morning! I looked at the display on the treadmill and saw that I had gone 1.77 miles. I was still really hot but I knew I could at least get to 2 miles if I could cool off a little bit. Since I had a cami on under my t-shirt I decided to take my t-shirt off. I am usually WAY too self-conscious to do that but I was HOT! I immediately felt better and was able to reach 2 miles. I was only a couple minutes from reaching the 30 minute mark so I continued until I did. At that point I had reached exhaustion and I decided that was good for the day. I slowed to a walk and cooled off for a couple minutes. When I stepped off the treadmill I was proud of myself and my legs DIDN'T feel like jell-o! I was impressed with how far I had come in just a few months. I now know that I will be able to reach and probably surpass my goal of running 3 miles non stop VERY soon! Seriously, so proud of myself!

Sample Menu

While it is true that a large portion of any fitness regimen is exercise and being active one part that can't be overlooked is what we use to fuel our bodies. I posted a while back about changes I made in my & my families diet when I began working out regularly and today I am going to post a sample of what I typically eat in a day. Keep in mind that I stay at home & that I have little demands on my time other than my girls. That said you can figure out a menu that works for you & your specific situation.

5:00 a.m. 1/2 a Luna Bar/90 calories

7:30-8:00 a.m. 1 1/2 c Special K with 1/4 c skim milk/220 calories

10:00-10:30 a.m. Protein Drink/210 calories

12:30-1:00 p.m. Turkey Burger with 1/2 TBSP ketchup & 1/2 TBSP yellow mustard/210 calories

3:30-4:00 p.m. One Gala apple/ 75 calories

6:00-6:30 p.m. Homemade Curry Beef/ approx 400 calories

That is a total of approx 1200 calories. I will usually make dinner something that is as healthy as possible but still family friendly. To that end I make lots of casseroles & rice with "gravy" dishes. Since I use only the leanest meat I can find & then I trim all visible fat off (if I'm using ground beef I drain any fat off once it's cooked) I'm keeping the calorie count down right there. I'll also use low-fat or fat free ingredients whenever possible. I put the meat, veggies & starch all in one dish. Also, for the average woman looking to lose weight a good rule of thumb in regards to calorie count; take your goal weight & add a zero at the end. Example: if your goal is to weigh 130 pounds aim for 1300 calories a day. By making my meal plan a little low for my goal (140 lbs) I give myself a little wiggle room. If I feel like a cookie or a treat that day, I'll have one. Regardless of whether I eat a treat or not I have the best results when I am faithfully tracking EVERYTHING I eat in a day. It makes it lots easier to just not eat something fatty or calorie packed if I know I'm going to be putting it down on paper.
So, I aim to eat a variation of the above menu every day. Like I said, some days I deviate a little, some days a lot. In the end, if I'm tracking my food & planning it before I am hungry I have an easier time being successful at the end of the day.

Running towards my goals

I was in the car last night, driving to the store. Running towards me on the sidewalk was man. He was older, probably 50's-60's and he seemed to be in pretty good shape. There wasn't anything particularly significant in how he looked or what he was wearing. Quite frankly there was nothing of note in WHAT he was doing. It was me. As I watched him running I felt myself overcome with jealousy. I haven't been faithful with my running (as I've previously posted) and I still haven't "gotten on track" or to where I'd like to be. I realized that I have been missing how I feel when I run, especially when I have a day without boot camp, my primary workout. I've set goals for where I want my weight/clothes size. I've set calorie goals & carb vs. protein intake goals. I've even set a goal about growing out my hair. I have yet to set a goal that I feel 100% committed to in regards to my running. Doing the Turkey Trot 10K was more a matter of pride than a goal attaining exercise. I had told enough people in my family & circle of friends (boot camp people too!) that I would've been ashamed of myself to admit that I had chickened out or just decided not to do it. But with my daily (or whatever!) running I haven't set a goal like; "I'm going to run 3 miles non stop by" whatever deadline. I can honestly say that I can now run a mile and a half non stop where 2 months ago I couldn't. Two months ago I had just run ONE mile non stop for the first time and that was an EXTREMELY proud day for me.
So here I am. I am making a goal! I am making a goal & putting it out there for all to see. Hold me to it. Ask me about my progress. Keep asking until I have a new answer.

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I will run 3 miles non stop 

on or before April 15th, 2010

Follow me PLEASE!!!

So this is a plea to any of you who are reading & hopefully enjoying this little blog of mine. Please become followers & leave any & all comments you may have. I really want to know who is reading this (for my own curiosity & also for the ego boost) and so I know if anyone even IS reading this!
Thanks for looking in, keep it up!

"That girl is motivated"

That is what I overheard another boot camper say about me the other morning. I wouldn't be surprised if someone was at least THINKING it this morning. Not because I am such a machine that I inspire awe and jealousy in those I work out with but because I really WAS motivated this morning!
I had a really hard time falling asleep last night. The combination of too much to do & too much caffeine & my mind was full of to do lists & random, unrelated thoughts. I felt like I would never fall asleep. But sleep I did...until Mark's phone rang this morning. When he is on call for work I usually only wake up a little when his phone rings and then fall right back to sleep, usually before he's left our room to go to his computer. This time I had to pee so I got up and went to the bathroom. As I climbed back in bed I wondered what time it was. I almost didn't check my phone but then I did, 4:36 a.m. I knew my alarm would be going off in 9 minutes so I turned over, closed my eyes and told myself that I was getting up NO MATTER WHAT!
My alarm went off (louder than expected, had the ringer still turned up from being out yesterday, oops!) and I pretty much jumped out of bed after turning it off. After brushing my teeth, throwing my hair in a ponytail & putting on my workout clothes I was out the door about 5 minutes later. I got to the park a little more than 10 minutes early & decided to set up my stuff & then run the park until time to begin boot camp.
When we got started Robin (our instructor) described out workout. Three sets of 4 different exercises. 25 reps of the first exercise, 50 of the second, 75 of the third & 100 of the fourth and then repeat...two more times. While I'd been running the park I had my iPod on & I kept it on as I began my first set. I felt so strong & capable. I pumped out 25 REAL push ups (no "lady" push ups are allowed after your first 4 weeks!) in no time it seemed and I was on to the 50 squats. This one almost got me! I have a hip that "pops" out of place occasionally & yesterday was one of those occasions. It hadn't gotten fully back in place & the squats were more difficult than I expected. I got through them though & moved on to the next exercise; 75 sit ups. Ever since discovering that if I hold my weights in my hands I can do a full sit up I have LOVED doing sit ups. I feel so fit & strong when I finish a full 75 sit ups! I move on to the final exercise; 100 jumping jacks. Straight arms, hands touching at the top. Just like in PE class.
By the time I was most of the way through my third set my earbuds were constantly falling out & I decided to finish without my music. We were a little more than halfway through our hour long workout & I felt confident in finishing whatever the rest of the morning held. I was suddenly "trudging" my way through exercises that had been relatively easy not long before. When I got to the fourth exercise of the second grouping of exercises I decided to put my iPod back on. I got it set to a song I like (the radio edit version of "Sexyback" by Justin Timberlake-SOOO FUN!) and I hurried through 100 step ups. Imagine stepping up with both feet onto a park bench & then back down to the sidewalk. That's one. Now imagine doing 100 of those. Okay. I went back to my mat & started on my second set of exercises. As Robin called out the time (less than 10 minutes left at this point) I realized I wouldn't make it through 3 whole sets but that if I moved quickly I could finish my second set before time was up. I kept my earbuds in & moved along. I finished out my second set by doing 100 mountain climbers rather than step ups and time was up! I had finished my second set & I was SO proud of myself. I knew that I had accomplished something that I would've never attempted just a few months ago & I felt powerful. I felt strong. I felt FIT!
I love music. I love how no matter what the situation there is a song that fits. That no matter what I am feeling there is music to accompany my mood. I love that having music with me I am able to do & accomplish things I wouldn't otherwise think possible. I love music, it's a GREAT motivator!

That time of the month

If you are wondering how "that time of the month" is fitness related you obviously haven't had it while being on a regular workout & eating schedule. I have only recently (since Oct/Nov) realized how much the two are connected. It is this time of the month that I am truly tested on how strong my willpower is & how much I rely on all the things I've learned at boot camp & by researching healthy eating habits. It is also the time when the things that I thought were becoming deeply ingrained habits are just as easy to skip (exercising) or stop all together (eating healthy) at least for a few days as they ever were/
When I am newly pregnant one of my first "symptoms" is a bone deep exhaustion that no amount of sleep or caffeine can alleviate. I have confirmed that this is also one of my "new" PMS symptoms. In my "old" life I would go carb crazy about every other day & eat bread & starch like it was my last day on earth. This is also one my my new symptoms. The worst part of all this is that (for some reason) I forget from month to month how miserable the week leading up to my period is and I get myself in this mode of "I'm so awesome, I workout so hard, I can sleep when I'm dead" and then the exhaustion hits and I am about knocked flat on my back for a few days. Add in the carb craze & I am bloated like a dead fish. Combine all that with even a minor household catastrophe (in December our dryer broke and last month my washer did & we don't get a new one until next week!) and I am constanly on the verge of a nervous breakdown for 7-10 days. Cool, yeah?
So why am I immortalizing all this insanity? Because I am currently looking into ways around this. I am not talking about shortcuts or cheats. I mean real, significant methods to allay my symptoms & to continue in the good, life changing habits I spend the other 3 weeks of the month cultivating. So far I haven't found anything but I am confident in my ability to discover the answer to a problem that is plaguing me (and I hope I'm not the only one who could benefit from knowledge like this!).
On a different note, this has been the first week of a new month of boot camp. Every four weeks new people can sign up for a free 4 week trial (and subsequently become addicted to an early morning hour long self torture session) and this is my 5th month doing this. I have found each month that this week is the hardest week of every month. I am getting to a size where I look reasonably fit & healthy (in my opinion) and I have decided that I don't want to be looked at by the "newbies" as a fat old lady (we keep having young, somewhat skinny girls sign up, WEIRD!!!). I want to wear a sign that says "MOTHER OF 3, YOUNGEST BORN VIA C-SECTION ON MAY 2, 2009" to explain my lack of abdominal strength or why I can curl 8-16 pounds (sometimes we do one arm at a time & I double up my 8 lbs weights) but barely shoulder press 5 pounds for 1 minute before feeling like my arms are going to come out of their sockets. More importantly I feel like I get to push myself to my absolute limits every exercise to show how I've progressed. While some of these things are semi-detrimental the last is absolutely to my benefit. I want to grow & get stronger & I know that will happen as I push myself.
So I'll continue to look for ways around my latest challenges (or maybe ways through them) and it is no coincidence that the first week of a new boot camp is happening the same week as my PMS. There are no accidents. 

Tabata Training

If you've ever heard of interval training (and let's be real, EVERYONE has heard of interval training!) you may be surprised to hear about Tabata Training or the Tabata Method. Named after a Japanese researcher named Izumi Tabata it was developed in 1996 at the National Institute of Fitness and Sports in Tokyo, Japan. In plain English, it's a majorly INTENSE interval workout.
You begin by going crazy and deciding to give the method a shot. Then you find someone equally crazy or a Tabata Timer (they sell them online, I'm not kidding). You set said timer or charge your partner with timing you while you do a certain exercise (the consensus of the internet is doing large muscle group exercises is best, for example squats & "burpees" also known as squat thrusts) for 20 seconds at the highest intensity possible, then rest for ten seconds then repeat...SEVEN times. You will have accomplished 4 minutes & YEARS of exhaustion. If you are a member of the Robinson Fitness Boot Camp (and Insane Asylum) you will then proceed onto the next exercise...for 56 more minutes. Or something like that.
Last Tuesday morning (after three days of sickness & one day of hanging out because it was a holiday) I went to boot camp, excited to get a great workout in. Since the first of the year Jeff (our awesome trainer & the owner of Robinson Fitness, see my link in the side bar) has been changing up our workout EVERY SINGLE DAY. I had gotten used to expecting one of a few different routines up until now & so every day since January 4th has been a surprise & a challenge. I knew last Tuesday would be no different. I severely underestimated Jeff's ability to surprise.
I honestly couldn't tell you with 100% certainty ANY of the exercises we did that day other than to say it was hard & we ran twice for 4 minutes each.   I wasn't entirely sure I'd be able to walk the rest of the day. My body was still incredibly sore on FRIDAY morning when I decided to go to the gym.  I wanted to cry, puke and give up; sometimes just one thing at a time, more often all three simultaneously. I wanted to sing an entire "Hallelujah" chorus when Robin finally called time...

 ...

...

...

I wanted to do it again!

I AM A RUNNER!*

*see rule 10
I know, I know. TWO posts in one day? Who do I think I am, super-blogger? Well, no, not really. I just found this great article on runnersworld.com. It is called Rules to Run By & the author is Mark Remy. Feel free to look up the entire article (it is worth it!) but here is an excerpt to tide you over or pique your interest. Enjoy!

Running Rules of Thumb

1. If you see a porta potty with no line, use it. Even if you don't need to.
2. If you have to ask yourself, Does this driver see me? The answer is no.
3. If you have to ask yourself, Are these shorts too short? The answer is yes.
4. 1 glazed doughnut = 2 miles
5. You rarely regret the runs you do; you almost always regret the runs you skip.
6. Not everyone who looks fast really is, and not everyone who looks slow really is.
7. Nobody has ever watched Chariots of Fire from beginning to end. Not even the people who made it.
8. You can never have too many safety pins on your gym bag.
9. Running any given route in the rain makes you feel 50 percent more hard-core than covering the same route on a sunny day.
10. If you care even a little about being called a jogger versus a runner, you're a runner.

Food Issues

One of the biggest "obstacles" I encountered when I decided to really buckle down & get my weight under control was dinner. I was (and AM) able to eat quite well during the day. I am home alone with the girls & with Katy being so little & Lizzie eating almost anything put in front of her I can make myself something healthy, low-fat & low calorie for breakfast, lunch & snack. Then dinner time rolls around & I am cooking for the whole family. At first I thought I only had two choices; eat something different from the family every night (basically cooking two dinners) or eat healthy all day only to "fall down" at dinner time. After a certain amount of time, maybe only a couple weeks, I realized I had a third option: I could make a healthy, low-fat, low calorie for the WHOLE family!
To this end I started looking online for recipes & articles with "food swap" ideas. I know the food my husband & son will eat. I know what my daughter will eat. I know what I SHOULD eat. Now the question was how to make only ONE meal? I found articles with titles like "Lose 15 (or 10 or 20 it was pretty interchangeable) making these small changes" and I was immediately intrigued. I would click on the article full of hope & ready to make "these small changes" to my & my family's diet. And then I saw the tips; "Eat at home more often", "Swap whole grain bread for white bread", "Skip the Starbucks each morning". UMMMM, can you say "DUH?!?" More often than not I was seeing "tips" that seemed more like common sense & things I was already doing ("cut down on mixed alcoholic drinks", gotcha been there done that like FOREVER ago!) When that seemed like dead end I turned to MY cookbooks at home. (By the way, I LOVE recipezaar.com but I had SOOOO much trouble when I searched "low-fat" recipes. Now I find a recipe I like and make the appropriate adjustments myself.) I found a few recipes that I felt fit all my criteria but not enough to keep picky eaters happy & satisfy my desire for variety. I've heard of (and even DONE) some diets where you eat pretty much the same thing day in & day out. I've come to realize that type of dieting just isn't for me. I CRAVE the variety of REAL food! But I digress. Now that I have had time & the desire to really change things for myself (and by extension my family) I have a few tips that may make this easier for those not ready, willing or able to do the things I found restrictive when I began.

1. Skim milk. I LOVE skim milk. And it saves TONS of calories each day. I remember when Jay was a  baby and WIC, the pediatrician & all the parenting magazines said from 12-24 months he NEEDED whole milk. I was too poor to buy my own milk so I either skipped it entirely (not good) or drank whole milk (why have I been overweight so long? oh yeah!) Now "they" say that babies do just as good (if not BETTER) having as little as 1% milk from 12-24 months. I found that switching from whole to 2% & then down to 1% and finally to skim was a process that took a couple months but now every one in our house doesn't know the difference and it substitutes into any recipe perfectly!
2. Brown rice. I LOVE me some steamed rice! I love rice pilaf & spanish rice DEFINITELY has its place in my heart. When I crave chinese food it usually has something to do with the rice that comes with it & that I just can't duplicate at home. HOWEVER, I made the change from white to brown almost a year ago & I haven't looked back! Even Jay, my notorious picky eater, loves it & never asks why we changed. It does take longer to cook in our rice cooker than white rice but if that is a concern I know that most grocery stores sell "Boil in the Bag" or instant brown rice. Also a good substitute for white rice is either jasmine or basmati rice. Both are white in color but healthier in all their stats and OH SO YUMMY!
3. Whole grain or whole wheat bread. For a couple years, whenever I would go grocery shopping I would buy half & half, some white bread (for the kids) and some wheat. When the white bread would run out (and it always did faster than the wheat) if I couldn't get to the store I would make the kids sandwiches on the wheat. I always expected comments or an argument but I NEVER got one. Not even when they got the crust piece! After a few months (or more) of this I decided that the whole family was making the change. I now ONLY buy whole wheat or whole grain bread & the only "complaint" I've gotten was from Mark & when I explained my reasoning even he seemed okay with the change! Another quick note: I eat bread VERY sparingly. I go days, maybe even weeks without eating it. P.S. This goes for pasta as well.
   
4. Lean ground beef. I was APPALLED the first time I went to buy lean ground beef and saw that it was over $2 a pound. I just couldn't bring myself to buy it. I gradually worked my way up to it when I saw the calorie & fat difference in numbers. I found that I could justify that extra $$ expense if it added up to a healthier and more fit me (and family too, i did it for them too!). Now I buy 2.25 pounds of 93% lean ground beef every two weeks and it LASTS. I found that if I keep my freezer stocked with various types of meat (fish included!) I'm more likely to make healthy choices without feeling like I make the same meal every...single...night!
5. Cream soups. This may seem counterproductive but I am a HUGE believer in gravies & sauces to get my kids to eat. I have found that if I buy & use the 98% fat free version that most grocery stores offer (Fry's & Wal-Mart both do here in AZ) I save not just on calories but on fat as well. I only make something like this once a week but it makes things easier on me in so many ways. Along the same lines as this & the skim milk I also buy fat-free sour cream & low-fat cottage cheese. On these I'd say experiment with the different brands available. I have found that Wal-Mart's fat-free cottage cheese is NOT worth it. But Fry's Kroger brand fat-free cottage cheese is actually pretty good.
6. Sweeteners. Until recently (about 2 weeks ago in fact!) I hadn't purchased white sugar in MONTHS. I finally broke down because Mark would like it on hand for baking. I, on the other hand, have been using Splenda as a substitute for sugar in most, if not all my cooking in that time. When it is only a tablespoon or two I find that I am not losing any taste & I am cutting down on calories which is my goal. I also look for times that I can use honey as a sweetener. Since it is so sweet you usually don't need as much honey as you would sugar, in my experience.

I don't know if you'll "Lose 15 pounds making these small changes" but I DO know that I have been feeling so much better & it has made reaching my mini-goals easier to achieve. I'm sure I have more "tricks" that I've employed to save me the hassles I first encountered but those are the ones that come to mind right now. When I have more I'll post them but this should give you a great start if you have been looking for an easy, quick guide!