Easter Update & More!

Mornin'!

Weekend Update:
What a week it has been! As I mentioned in last week's post, last weekend we had our 2nd Annual Community Easter Egg Hunt and seriously, God did a miracle in that it was forecasted to thunderstorm all day and had been raining all week long and that day the hunt went off with sunny skies and a dry field. Simply Amazing. Anyways, I decided to post a pic of me from last year's hunt (see left) and one from this year (see right)- there are definitely better pics that are full body from last year but I just don't have access to them right now so that one will do. Happily, I see a difference :)

It was a great time and it was really cool to look back and see where I was a year ago. One fun change, last year I was wearing a TIGHT size XL t-shirt and this year,a comfortable size L! I've never been a size L in t-shirts. I also recently bought a size MEDIUM shirt from H&M :)

This weekend I also attended a super fun 30th Birthday prom that my good friend put on for his wife- it was a blast! AND- who says you never can reuse a bridesmaid dress??? Cuz I most definitely did! :)

Looking Forward:

I went into the past week (and today's weigh in), knowing that it was going to not be the most glamorous week for weight loss- because of the hunt I would hardly have any time to exercise and I also knew temptations would be abounding. Overall, I did pretty dang well in the nutrition department but the lack of exercise kind of put me in a funk.

Many parts of this journey (healthy eating, food prep, etc.) have almost become second-nature to me; which I am definitely THANKFUL for but I've also noticed that "new feeling" of making drastic life changes and the confidence that gives has worn off. It has been a long time since I've really focused on a goal or a picture of what I'm working for and I can feel that I need that back. I'm gonna take this weekend and really think about what it is that I want and what I'm working for. I guess I'm just trying to say I feel like I've lost a bit of my "vision" & thank goodness my healthy habits have kept me going through this little spurt.

Weigh In:

Last Week's Weigh In: 260lbs

This Week's Weight In: 260lbs

Result: 0 +/-

I guess I really can't be too upset due to the major lack of exercise caused by the hunt. This week though, I have every intention (starting today) of being HARDCORE & giving my VERY best and hope to come back to you next Thursday reporting I'm officially in the 250's and within a few pounds reach of joingin the 100lb lost club!

Eats:

Being that I'm trying to use up most of the food I currently have before buying more, (read: I'm a bit poor right now!) I've been coming up with some new concauctions! Omelets have been a dinner staple lately and this one was made with: liquid egg whites, mushrooms, low fat part skimm mozzarella, and red onion w/ a size of turkey bacod. DELISH! However, it has been turning into more of a scramble than an omelet- dang pans keep burning my omelets! lol

Well, that's all folks! This weekend I am looking forward to trying some new recipes that will be a little lower in carbs and adding some more fruits and veggies in my diet.

Looking forward to giving my BEST- who's with me???



Newness: Pants, Phone, Exercises, Eats & More!

Good Mornin'!

Well, it appears as though I have settled into Thursdays not only being the day that I weigh in but also the day for my weekly blog post- yay for consistency! It's been a BUSY 7 days and I'm excited to share some of the coolness with you (in organized bullet points of course!):

• First up, today's weigh in: 260lbs (-1lb from last week). I was hoping to lose 2lbs, but I'll take 1lb- I know I did everything right this past week so it's only a matter of time before I lose every single pound that I want to. I'm gonna keep on keepin' on baby! I'm officially 8lbs away from losing 100lbs so hopefully no more than another month to go!
• I got an iphone 4! For the last 8 years I swear I've either had an LG Chocolate or Envy and it was high time I finally join the smart phone revolution. When I was at the store getting ready to make the purchase I was a bit apprehensive because I seriously didn't know if I would be able to figure out how to work it! Luckily for me, it is extremely steamlined and user friendly and I REALLY like it. Bonus? Better blog pics because of the sweet camera!
• I also wanted to share a meal that I probably eat for dinner at least 3 or 4 times a week: Chicken gyoza potstickers that I get from Trader Joe's (7 for 210 calories) & asparagus. I tried asparagus for the first time in my whole life about 3 months ago and although I've never been a huge veggie fan I LURVE asparagus. Add just a little low sodium soy sauce and you've got a dinner ranging about a 250 calories!

• I briefly mentioned in my last post that I finally got the courage up to try spinning. I have always been pretty intimidated by spin classes because I've heard how difficult they are. Well, I've gone 3 times now and although it felt like I had gotten kicked in the crotch after my first class, after I bought a gel seat at Target, everything was smooth sailing! I can't even describe how much I enjoy spinning. Our spin room is very small (there are maybe 8 bikes) and it's just a time to turn out the lights, blast good music, and get a kick bum workout that is pretty mindless for you (thx to the instructor) but is legitimately fun & burns an average of 800 calories per class! I seriously think I had a smile on my face the entire class yesterday lol- partly because out of everyone in the class yesterday I was probably the one who kept up with the instructor the most and that I no longer am bound by fear or intimidation but can actually DO something I never thought I'd be fit enough to do! Man, there's only a few things that can beat that feeling. This is a pic of me after last Saturdays 7AM (yes, I am nuts) spin class!

• ( P.S. Don't ask me why I can't get the pictures to rotate when I actually upload them- I'll figure it out later! :)
• Due to the fact that I've been having co-workers TELL me it's time to get new pants (hahaha) I figured it was probably time to get new pants! lol Well, I probably spent about 3 hours in Lane Bryant on Saturday trying to find a pair of dress pants that fit- seriously- 3 hours! Needless to say, at the beginning of the shopping trip I had picked up a bunch of pants in a size 22, which is what I thought was my size. Well, by the end I was actually more between a slack size 18/20!!!!! I seriously couldn't even believe it. I truthfully think it has been 7+ years since I've been in an 18/20! However, in jeans (which I think is a more realistic size gage) I'm still a solid 22 (which coming from a size 28 still makes me happy!) Check me out cheezin!

• My lunch creation for the week is based off of what may just be my favorite meal of all time (like I seriously eat it probably 5-6 times a month), which is a Chicken Burrito Bowl from Chipotle. I could eat it probably every day- no joke. Anyways, I decided to get a little creative and try to recreate my very own version of this meal at home, so I combined: brown rice, blended black beans, corn, chicken, guacamole, and HOMEMADE salsa! Yep, I actually made salsa! It's obviously not hard, but I'm a big salsa fan & critic and I can't even believe how delicious it is- I've probably poured it on just about everything this week haha. Here's a pic of my lunch all put together:

So there you have it folks, my week!

This weekend we have our HUGE Easter Egg Hunt that I've been coordinating and planning for for months. Last year was our very first one and we had over 600 people from the community come out and this year we are expecting even more! All of the busyness will mean that I won't be working out again until Tuesday but I'm going to watch my nutrition and just do what I can! I can't wait to share pics with you all from this weekend- especially to compare them with pics of me at last year's hunt.

I hope everyone has a blessed Easter & remembers to take time out for who this Holiday is really all about :)

How I'm Losing Weight: Now Edition!

Morning world!

Ya know, maybe it's just me (and it's probably not), but one thing that I wished more bloggers (particularly those uber 100+lb loss bloggers) would post more about what exactly they are doing/did to lose the weight. I've noticed that the typical pattern is that bloggers talk about their plans at the beginning and then just fail to mention it again; however, there are new readers joining every day AND if you are anything like me, your weight loss "plan" changes as you go along your journey (in fact, it almost has to!)

Recently I made some pretty significant changes to my weight loss routine, while others I just solidified and today, I'd like to share what I'm doing to lose weight. I BY NO MEANS am a weight loss expert or can say that what I'm doing is the most effective way for everyone (or even for me!) but it's what I've discovered so far at this point in my journey and I'm excited to share it with you all today! BUT FIRST... it's weekly weigh in time!

Previous Weigh In: 264lbs

Today's Weigh In: 261lbs (-3lbs)

Total Loss: 91 pounds!!!

For the last two months I have been consistantly losing weight, 8lbs in just the last 2 weeks actually, and I believe that the new changes I've made to my plan have not only helped me break past the plateu I was on, but have also been significant in the changes that I've been seeing in my body. So let's cut to the chase- here's what I am *currently* (as in the past 2 months) been doing to lose weight:

Nutrition:

• I adopt the general principles of weight watchers, however I count calories rather than points (I just find it easier and I'm more thorough with it). By "general principles" I mean that no food is completely off-limits. For example, I almost never eat fried chicken (although I love it) because it is not healthy for me, but it's not necessarily off-limits. As soon as I decide that I can no longer have something, I will automatically start to crave it and my rebellious side will lead me into eating it even if I don't even really want it. With WW, no food is off limits, it's about choices & balance- so if you eat something higher in fat/calories for breakfast, have a lighter lunch. This journey is one that I will be on for the rest of my life and I cannot realistically sustain a lifestyle that I don't like- and telling myself that I can never again have a cookie, a slice of pizza, or even fried chicken isn't realistic. HOWEVER (see next bullet point!)
• I eat between 1200-1500 calories a day- there is no way around this. I write down everything I eat in a food journal, which is where I keep my calorie count. I do not necessarily restrict or count any other nutritional value (fat, sodium, etc.) although I'm sure as I continue to get smaller and it becomes harder for me to lose weight, that I'll need to pay more attention to those things. HOWEVER (again, see next bullet point! ;)
• A month or so ago I had to have a heart to heart w/myself- my weight loss wasn't happening very quickly and while I was tempted to blame it on a plateu, when I looked back over my food journal, I realized I really wasn't giving my BEST in regards to what I was eating. Now, this might tick some people off (and please keep in mind my first bullet point), but the truth is- I (nor anyone else) will not consistantly lose weight by eating pizza, drinking fatty coffee drinks, indulging in fried food appetizers, or having 3 cookies for dessert. It's just a cold hard fact. Sometimes just because I no longer sit down for McDonald's or Taco Bell lunches I can trick myself into thinking that these little "extras" that I indulge in don't count- WRONG.
• I am beginning to pay more attention to carbs but am not entirely sure where this will go (I know it won't go to an Atkins lifestyle!) but I'll keep you posted :)
• In short: No food is completely off limits, count my calories, stay between 1200-1500, write it down, re-evaluate often. If you notice, these guidelines are really checks and balances of eachother (ahhh balance!)

Fitness: This has been the most signifcant area of change that has take place in the last 2 months. Previously, I my fitness routine looked like this: I went to the gym 3-4 times a week and did the elliptical for 45 minutes each time, I would also try to do a circuit on the machines once a week and toward the end, I started going to Zumba. And, if it it were not for my great friend turned trainer JZ, I would probably still be doing the same thing, dreading every second of it, and not progressing in weight loss or in my phyiscal strength and ability. Now my fitness routine looks something like this:

• I now workout 5 times a week. The truth: anything less shows that this is not a top priority of mine. Sure, there are weeks that it may be less, but it will be less because of a weekend trip, funeral, or I'm literally on my death bed- NOT because I'm super tired, a friend asked to go to dinner, or I need to go to the store. Savy?
• I now focus ALL of my workouts around HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training). This is where I may really rustle some feathers (and believe me, JZ ruffled mine big time when he was trying to get me to understand this), but our bodies adapt SO quickly to what we do that me doing 45 minutes of straight cardio repeatedly was not doing me very much good concerning weight loss (while it is always good for my heart!). From doing research, I now understand that the fastest and most effective way to lose fat is through high intensity interval training. This has been a DRASTIC change in my mindset and workouts. I'll have to get into all that this means in another post, but essentially, I now do HARD short periods of strenght training AND cardio, followed by short periods of rest instead of long periods of cardio at a maintainable pace. Truth is: while you may burn more calories in a 45 minute cardio session than in a 20 minute HIIT session, you will continue to burn calories for up to 72 hours after you end your HIIT session because of the muscles you have torn down and consequently end up burning more calories in the end. I know there may be some skeptics, but check out this article.
• Variety is key for me- I refuse to hate exercising which is why I need to not feel like I'm doing the same thing every day so this is what a week of exercise looks like for me: Monday: Rest, Tuesday: 30 minutes of jogging intervals (Jog 1 minute, Rest 2 minutes) which as the weeks go on change (for example: next week I will begin Jogging 1:30 seconds, resting 2 minutes) followed by 15 minutes of HIIT strength training, Wednesday: 1hr Spin Class followed by 15 minutes HIIT strength training, Thursday: 45 minute cardio class followed by 15 minutes HIIT strength training, Friday: 1hr spin or 30 minutes elliptical followed by 15 minutes HIIT, Saturday: Rest, Sunday: 30 minutes HIIT strenght training.
• Update: Yesterday I went to my first spin class!!! Thoughts: It was definitely a good workout, challenging, doable, and my crotch is killing me today (aka- I'll be purcahsing a gel seat asap!)
• In short: I exercise 5 days a week, place equal value on cardio & strenth training, I do everything in intervals, make sure I don't get bored or complacent by doing switching things us, and NEVER think that I'll be keeping this fitness routine forever because it has to change and get harder as I become more and more fit!

Alright folks, so that's what I'm doing. I will say that everything I've shared is important but I wouldn't be able to do ANY of it if I wasn't mentally strong and have the right set of beliefs about myself, my abilities, what I want out of life.

SOOOooOOO let me encourage you bloggers to begin sharing what YOU are doing to lose weight on your blogs so that other bloggers (like myself) can learn from you!

Peace out girl (and boy) scouts!





New Progress Pics!

Mornin' Ya'll!

Well, it's Thursday which means it's time for a weigh in:

Last Week's Weight: 269lbs

This Week's Weight: 264lbs (-5lbs)

Total Loss: 88lbs!

Clearly, I am excited to be no longer messing with the same 3-5 pounds anymore and I'm hoping that the plateu I was stuck on has finally broke. More good news about this weigh in- I've officially lost another 20lbs which means it's time for another set of progress pictures!



284lbs                                                                          264lbs



Well, there you have it- not sure how much progress I see from the last 20lb picture, but the change from the start is pretty undeniable (I'm only showing set 1, 3, and 4 for space reasons). That I'm only 2lbs away from losing 90lbs is gonna push me hard this week and I can't wait.

Tonight I'm going to be trying a new group fitness class- either Spin or Rock Bottom... I'm nervous but excited!

That's all folks!

Monthly Evaluations, New Goals, & Bob Harper in my Living Room!

Hey yo's!!!

Can you believe it, 2 posts from me in one week!?!? I know- apparently miracles do still happen!

Well, it's the 1st day of April which means it's time for me to evaluate how I did on my March goals as well as set my new ones for April. Side note: Setting small goals has helped me enormously on this loooonnnng journey- it allows for me to see my progress and motivates me to keep going while I'm still waiting to reach my overall goal.

My March Goals Were:

- #1: Do New Fitness Routine As Planned:

* Interval Strength Training: 3x's Per Week
* Strictly Cardio Training: 2x's Per Week
* 2 Days of Rest
Result: This goal kind of changed mid-month. I've been meaning to post about the major changes that have been taking place with my fitness but just haven't had the time. While I'll save all the updates for another post, I will say that I've been working out at least 4-5x's every week which is much improved from the 3x's I was formerly doing it.
#2: Try a Spin Class!
Result: This didn't happen- not because of fear or anything but simply just because March was a very hectic month for me and the night that I would typically be doing spin, I've been going to Zumba.

#3: Weigh No More Than 260lbs on March 31st! (Total loss of 92lbs).
Result: Well, this clearly did not happen as I currently weigh 269lbs. What am I going to do about it? Stay tuned to my next post where I will be going over what changes I'm making to both my nutrition and fitness (go ahead, call me a tease!)

Overall, not super stoked about March. I made a lot of mental breakthroughs which I know will matter more in the long run than any breakthroughs on the scale.  Needless to say, I have much higher hopes for the month of April...

My April Goals Are:

#1: Be in the 250's by 4/30/11 (so lose at least 10 pounds): I can't believe how close I am getting to losing 100lbs...probably because I feel like I've been playing with the same 2-4 lbs for forever now. Oh well, play as I may, I will get there!
#2: Try either a spin class or rock bottom class: I need variety and to be challenged- hence, trying new classes!
#3: Run for 3:00 minutes straight: Wowzer will this be a big deal for me! Since I began this journey running even for 30 seconds has been a challenge for me. So far the longest I have ever run solidly is 1:30 so definitely going to be pushing myself past the limits I have in my mind!
So there we have it! April, watch out!

On a final note, I recently picked up this baby last weekend:

Except I picked up the 25lb kellebell...it's probably a bit too heavy for me right now but instead of buying a 15lb'er now and then needing to buy a 25lb one in just a month or so. As you can see in the pic, the package includes: a kettlebell & a 30 minute workout DVD w/ the master Bob Harper himself! (FYI: I majorly heart Bob!). Anyways, so before trying out the DVD I decided to read some online reviews and was kind of disappointed to read on That'sFit.com that apparently the workout was far to simple and only for beginners. Well, I decided that I could go for a light strength training workout yesterday after doing the elliptical for 45 mins and um...screw you That'sfit.com because there is NO WAY it is only for beginners! Sure, it's understandable that I could barely get through the workout (read: didn't get through it!) but even the girl on the dvd who looked like a muscular beast was struggling.

Needless to say, if you are looking for a GREAT combo strength training/cardio workout, you should DEF pickup a kettlebell and Bob's DVD.

So, I ask: Has anyone else ever worked out w/ this DVD?

Have a GREAT weekend everyone- I don't know about you- but I'm planning on being tough as nails with my choices this weekend- let's do this!