#40by40 Check In #5

Honestly I have no idea how his happened after the week I had last week. I felt like I had a terrible, no good week.  My choices were not the best and we did a lot more eating out than I would have liked.

Somehow I managed to lose 2 lbs even though my eating was far from perfect, probably not even really considered good, haha.  I also only made time for my workout twice last week so I was really disappointed with that.  I keep blaming hubby being home after his back surgery and the fact that he hates eating at home, but ultimately I'm the one that chooses what I eat and whether or not I exercise.

With that said, even though my eating was not on par, I still tracked my daily eats.  I did great drinking my water most days.  One night though, the snack monster reared it's head.  Thankfully I was pretty mindful and didn't let myself go hog wild with the snacks.  I was truly expecting another gain on the scale this week, so was ecstatic when I saw the loss.  So was My Fitness Pal!

Over the weekend I was feeling really down and sorry for myself.  Honestly, I was surprised that I didn't let my emotions get the best of me and let myself go crazy with the snacks.  However, after seeing that I'm still making #progressnotperfection, I'm pretty pumped for my the rest of my journey.  Until hubby is back to work full time, I know it will take more effort on my part to be consistent in my tracking and workouts. As long as I maintain where I'm at, +/- 3 pounds, for the month of February, I'll be proud of myself.

Have a great week!

#40by40 Check In #4

Oh goodness.  I really need to get better about updating more than every couple weeks.  So, my update from my weigh in last week is that I lost 2.5 lbs for a total of 9 pounds lost. This week I gained 1/2 lb, making my total pounds lost 8.5.  

I kind of feel like I might be on the struggle bus just a little bit this month.  We've had a bit of stress as hubby ended up needing back surgery last week on Monday the 14th.  It's his 2nd one in 7 months.  He's going to be home with me through the end of February as he's on activity restriction and obviously after back surgery cannot just jump back into work.  Anybody else feel off schedule when their spouse is home with them rather than working?  It doesn't help that he's not a homebody and is going completely stir crazy while home. Also, he hates to eat lunch at home. He's definitely making this challenging for me, but I'm trying my hardest to make the best choices.

I've still been tracking my food, but I haven't been as strict and have been going over my calories quite a bit more than usual.  I've actually been doing really good getting in all the water I set as my goal (8-10 cups everyday).

I guess for this next week my goal will be to reign in the amount of times I let myself go over my daily calories, keep drinking my water, and a total of 4 workouts. Also, to update you next week. 😉

Have a great rest of your week!

#40by40 Check In #3

At my promise to be more transparent...I wanted to make sure to get this uploaded before the end of the day. ;) As you can see, I had a slight gain, but I am absolutely not worried about it.  I'm not exactly sure what happened or why I had a gain as I felt like I had a fairly good week last week.  I stayed within my calories 5 out of the 7 days and had 3 workouts.

I would love to hear how your week went if you've joined me on this journey. :)

#40by40 Check In #2

The week leading up to Christmas went as good as could be expected. I got myself back on track, {mostly} stayed within my calories, drank all the water I could muster, and got in three workouts.  The weekend before Christmas was a whole different story. No workouts, less water, and not 100% tracking.  And no tracking leading up to Christmas meant very little tracking almost the entire rest of the week.  The only good thing is that even though I was enjoying the Christmas goodies, I didn't let myself go hog wild and be out of control with the cookies.  I stayed in control, which is HUGE for me.

That being said, my first month of doing #40by40, I've lost a total of 7 lbs.  SEVEN FREAKING POUNDS! I haven't cut out any food categories, except telling myself and my hubby no thank you when I know I'm at or close to my daily limit.  During December, I made my goal to exercise 3 days a week, so for January I'm upping it to 4 days.  Have I had a perfect month?  Absolutely not.  I've gone over my calories several times.  There were days I didn't work out, even though I was perfectly capable and totally should have.  I've enjoyed sweets during my daughter's birthday and the holidays. 7 lbs is awesome and I know that over the next several weeks, there will be gains and losses.  But as long as I believe in myself and keep putting forth the effort, I am hoping to see another loss at the end of January.

Are you joining me on this journey?  C'mon let's go!

#40by40 Check In #1

After posting a couple weeks ago about my decision to jump on the healthier bandwagon, I thought I should post an update since I missed last week.  Okay, for real though, last week I was up a pound and was just embarrassed.  I didn't want to be a disappointment, even though I know that this journey is basically a roller coaster of ups and downs.  I'm here now to confess how the last couple weeks have really went.

The week of Nov 28th - Dec 2nd went well.  I got in three workouts and I stayed within my calories for the week.  I posted on the 7th that I had a three pound loss that week when I weighed in on the 4th. (-3 lbs)

The week of Dec 3rd - Dec 9th also went well I thought.  I felt great that I had gotten in four workouts and stayed within my calories for all but two days - Tuesday the 4th and Saturday the 8th.  I  was feeling pretty good, and then I weighed myself on the 11th and I was up one pound.  Instead of feeling bad about it, I chose to get in a good workout and drink all the water. (+1 lb)

My daughter's birthday was on the 10th so I knew there would be cake.  I even kept the rest of my day fairly light knowing I'd be having a big dinner and cake.  I didn't overdo it at dinner and I had a "normal" size piece of cake with a tiny scoop of ice cream so I really felt good about my choices.

Dec 10th - Dec 17th was a tad bit bumpy.  I stayed within my calories Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.  I was able to say no to several excess treats/junk food.  Then Friday I thought I could say yes to a leftover piece of birthday cake because I had been so "good" the rest of the week. How can one yes spiral the whole rest of the weekend out of whack?  I wasn't out of control, per se...I just wasn't super strict about counting calories.  I also didn't make the effort to workout over the weekend so I only worked out twice last week.  I hit the reset button this past Monday and did a workout. I stepped on the scale yesterday and was surprised to see a loss of three pounds, especially after my weekend out of whack.  (-3 lbs)

All in all I'm happy with my progress of (-5 lbs).  I know this month is crazy busy with all the excessive cookies/candies/goodies, but I'm really trying to stay on the right track and not go overboard.

My plan for this week going forward:

• get in 2-3 more workouts
• track everything on paper & in MFP
• drink my water/green tea - 8 cups per day
• bake Christmas cookies with my kids - and allow myself to have them as long as I track it.

So, we're all caught up with where I'm at and where I'm headed on this journey.

Thanks for following along!

Life Lately

Like I said in my last post, it's been quite some time since I've been here.  Surprisingly though, not much has changed in our lives.  Hubby is still working in construction for their family business.  We're still living in our tiny house.  The biggest change is the kids growing so much. Talyn is now 12 and in 6th grade at middle school.  Kinley is 9 already and in 4th grade, while Bode is 7 and in 1st grade.  And the wee little baby girl, Maisyn, isn't a baby anymore.  She's turning 4 soon and is in preschool two days a week.

My biggest life change is that I'm jumping back on the "healthy" living bandwagon.  Twelve years ago, when my oldest was born, I stopped making myself a priority.  I put everybody else's needs before my own, especially the baby's. The more kids we added, the further down the priority list I went. For a couple years I did make myself a priority, lost almost 50 lbs that year and kept it off until I got pregnant with baby #3.  I'm pretty sure I gained that all back when pregnant with little man, but the awesome thing is I lost all but 10 lbs of it after him.  Somewhere between losing all that weight again and getting pregnant a couple years later, I gained most of it back again.  Fast forward to now and my goal is to lose 40 pounds before my birthday in May 2019.

I feel like I'm probably crazy because it's December and all the holiday baking is about to begin. However, I just can't wait until January.  I need to start now.  My sister and I were talking after Thanksgiving one day and decided to jump into a healthier lifestyle journey together, even though we're thousands of miles apart.  I called her at the end of November after I came to the realization that I'm turning 40 next year!  I'm turning 40 and am not at all where I'd like to be health wise.  Her 39th birthday is the day before mine so we think it's the perfect amount of time for us to both lose some weight.

So, from now until my 40th birthday, I'm using #40by40 to remind myself of my goals. Obviously, it's the holiday season so I'm not going to be overly strict, but I am going to try my damndest! I'm not doing anything crazy or restrictive, other than cutting back on sugar.  I'm going back to counting calories using MyFitnessPal and exercising 3 times a week minimum. Maybe once the festivities are over I will increase my exercise to 4 or 5 times a week. For now though, I'm sticking to 3 minimum.  My first week in and I'm already down 3 pounds, which is super motivating to me.

Comment below if you're up for joining us!

March Goals

Before I get onto my goals for March, I want to recap my February goals. 

My number one goal for February is to make exercise a daily habit.  I did really good here, up until the pelvic pain became so unbearable I ended up making a trip to my chiropractor.  I’d say the first 18 days were a success.  Either I used my treadmill or walked with my Leslie video, and took four rest days here and there.  After the visit to my chiropractor, I took a few more rest days and then tried again on my treadmill, only to have to pain come back almost instantly.  Out of the 28 days in February, I worked out 14, so half. 

My number two goal for February is to continue drinking 8-10 cups of water (64-80 oz).  I wasn’t very faithful in logging my daily water intake.  However, I do know that most days I got my minimum of 8 cups.  This is still something I struggle with, so most days to get my water in, I have to flavor it with Crystal Light.

My number three goal for February is to not eat after 8 p.m.  February trucked right along for me and I was feeling so awesome for doing so good not eating after 8.  Mr. Chaotic was so disappointed that I wouldn’t snack with him.  Then I’m not sure what happened.  My emotions get the best of me, Aunt Flo visits, and it’s like I just can’t get enough.  I truly need to get better control of my emotions as that would help tremendously in the mindless snacking department.

Overall, I felt like February was a success for me.  I could have made some better choices after 8 (like saying no to the pretzels that Mr. Chaotic was eating), but it is what it is.  I do know that once I get this pelvic pain figured out & taken care of I might actually be able to put my mind to this once & for all!  I was very surprised to learn that at the end of the month, I had lost 6.5 pounds! 

Moving onto my March goals – basically, I’m going to keep them the same, except the walking everyday part.  With the pelvic pain I just am not able to make the commitment.  I will still try my damnedest to get my eating back on track and to drink my water daily.  I’m also going to be making frequent trips to the chiropractor to get this pain taken care of.  As for the weight, well, my goal for March is to at least maintain my loss so far!  Carry on!

February Goals

My number one goal for February is to make exercise a daily habit.  I’m not talking hardcore working out right now, as I’m still experiencing slight pelvic pain.  However, I am capable of walking a minimum 20 minutes on my treadmill or using my Leslie Sansone Walking DVD.  I am also trying to add in some strength training.

My number two goal for February is to continue drinking 8-10 cups of water (64-80 oz).  I’ve noticed that as long as I get my walk in, I am able to get my water in as well.  I’m also including coffee, tea, and milk in my water count as well. 

My number three goal for February is to not eat after 8 p.m.  This one is so simple, yet such a struggle for me.  Nighttime snacking is my biggest enemy…definitely my unhealthiest habit. 

Your turn:

Tell me your number one goal for February.

January Goals Revisited

At the beginning of January, I shared a few goals I was setting myself for the month.  This is how I did.

1) Drink at least 8-10 cups of water DAILY  -- Eh, I did okay here.  Most days I drank at least 8 cups, including my milk, coffee, and tea.  Some days only 6.

2) Start tracking my food again with SparkPeople  --  I did great here!  I tracked everyday from the 2nd through the 24th, missing just one day.  However, since then, I haven’t done so well. 

3) Get my butt back on the exercise train, once my doctor gives me the approval.  My appointment is in the middle of the month, so just a couple more weeks!  -- Eh, I didn’t start any exercise as I’ve still been having pelvic pain from the cyst.  I’m waiting until my period ends to even try walking for exercise.

Finding My Way

We were pummeled with 17” of snow over the weekend.  School was even called off on Monday and pretty much the whole town was shut down.  Pretty surreal considering we normally have this little bubble that protects us from all the major snowstorms. 

That wasn’t the only bubble that burst.  My healthy habits bubble burst as well.  I wish I could pop in here and say how peachy keen everything is going for me and that this new me is loving the changes healthy habits I’m trying to incorporate into my life.  But I can’t because I’m not.  This is hard.  For me, the hardest part is that my whole family isn’t on board with me.  It’s just me (less sugar) against them (lotsa sugar).

Maybe it’s not that I’m not enjoying the changes…I just haven’t fully adjusted.  I broke down allowed myself to have sweets last week.  One day it was 2 jellybeans, the next it was ice cream, then some gobstoppers, and it seems that now I can’t stop.  The first week when I cut back on sugar I did fine.  Then the second week has been a whole ‘nother story.  I’m trying my hardest to remember this is a journey, not an overnight “ta-da!”.  One day at a time. 

The other main habit I was trying to incorporate for April is to wake up by 7 a.m each morning.  I’m sure you are wondering how that’s going for me.  Yeah, not so well.  I have only been up before 7 three or so days this month, which is pretty frustrating.  I know that it would help if I could actually get my butt in bed before 11:30, but I’m going to be honest and say that I haven’t really been trying that hard.  Most nights my head hits the pillow at 11:30 and I’m out within a few minutes.

As for exercise, I’m still keeping up.  I even went so far as to restart the C25K.  I’m not starting over from the very beginning, I decided to start at week 6.  I did w6d1 yesterday and felt pretty good afterwards.  No foot pain!  I have been having some slight hip pain though, and I’m not sure if it’s from the walking at home video or what.  It’s not uber painful though, so for now I’m just pushing through, with the help of Advil.

Even though this week was less than perfect, I do have one good thing that happened.  Weigh-in was at 171!!! 

Thoughts from you?  Any suggestions on how to make myself get out of bed earlier each morning?

Focus

As I said in my last post, SparkPeople is running a #RiseandShine Challenge for the month of April.  Basically, they want you to take time for yourself by waking up and starting your day with a healthy breakfast and/or exercise first thing.  I already wake up and eat a healthy breakfast, but I still don’t have make time to exercise first thing.  Therefore, I kind of turned April into my own challenge.  I’m challenging myself to get my booty to bed by 11:30 and to wake up by 7 a.m. so I can eat my breakfast before having to deal with the hustle and bustle known as breakfast time with 3 kids. 

Most of you are probably thinking that this isn’t really any sort of challenge, but for me, it’s tough!  My whole life, I’ve been a night-owl, usually staying up until 1-2 a.m.  Since having kids, I really haven’t changed too much, I’m still usually up until at least midnight, sometimes even 1-1:30 a.m – only to be woken up bright and early by one or all of the kiddos.  Talk about a crabby mama!

I started my challenge on April 1st, and honestly haven’t been doing so well.  Out of the 9 days so far, I’ve only been awake at 7 a.m. three times.  Two of them being yesterday and today.  I am totally giving credit to my new little fitbit that I bought for myself and the little silent alarm that vibrates me out of bed!  lol.

I’ve also decided to start tracking my “healthy habits”.  I got the idea from a multi-behavior reward chart that is supposed to help children with their behavior.  This is my tracker:

The habits I’m tracking are

1. Wake up at 7 a.m.  Like I said earlier, I’m not doing so well here.  Ultimately my goal is to wake up and exercise right away, but for now, I’m just working on getting up at 7!
2. Exercise 30 minutes.  I’m giving myself two rest days a week, otherwise I feel like I’m going to burn myself out.  I finally received my 3 workout DVDs in the mail and so far I am loving them!  Plus, spring never seems like it’s going to get here is just around the corner so I foresee myself heading outside for my walks.
3. Drink my water.  My aim is 8 cups daily, but will take whatever I get.  I do notice I seem to eat less when I drink more water.
4. Less sugar.  Notice I didn’t say NO sugar?  For me, it’s all about balance.  Obviously I was taking in way too much sugar, even though I wasn’t drinking pop.  My sugar overload came in the form of candy, cookies, and ice cream on a very daily basis.  So, I’ve decided to cut it out of my daily intake.  You’ll notice on my tracker sheet that I still allowed myself to have a piece of birthday cake at a party that I went to over the weekend.
5. More fruits and veggies.  My daily goal is 3-5, but mostly I just aim to have a piece of fruit for my snacks and also a fruit or veggie with my lunch and supper. 
6. Track ALL of my food.  The number one thing I give credit to my pounds disappearing!  Okay, and my willpower to resist all the sugary goodness still lurking in my cupboards.  Honestly though, when I wasn’t tracking, I didn’t give a whoop what I put in my mouth.
7. Lights out by 11:30.  Not to repeat myself, but I’m a night owl.  This is tough.  Ultimately I would like to get myself to bed by 10:30.  I’m hoping this will help me be a much happier person.

Whew, this is getting to be quite the lengthy post.  If you stuck by me, thank you.  I truly appreciate it! I would like to close by telling you that I weighed in this morning and I saw a loss…again.  {I’m totally doing the happy dance right now}  I’m down another two pounds, bringing me to 172!!

How was your week?  Have you been adding in any healthy habits?

A New Month, A New ME!

Oh, boy.  I’m not even sure where to begin.  I’m sure you (the whole one person who reads this) noticed that I took a semi-hiatus from my blog.  Other than the fact that I plain and simple just gave up on myself, I have no good reason for ignoring this little ol’ blog of mine.

On that note, Hi!!  {Insert me waving hello!}  As I mentioned above, I pretty much gave up on myself.  I had quite the pity party for me as for why I can’t figure out this weight-loss thing.  I mean I’ve been working on losing those last 10 lbs. since last summer, only to have gained an extra 10 lbs. in the meantime.  Obviously my eating was out of control and I just didn’t seem to want to do anything about it.

I do feel as though I’ve been working my butt off, exercise wise.  I’ve been doing the c25k and have gotten all the way to week 8 day 1.  Yup, I’ve ran for 28 minutes straight!  Seriously!?  I didn’t ever think I would be able to run for longer than 30 seconds.  Heck, when I hit week 4 of the c25k and had to run for 5-minutes I thought it was over.  But, I persevered and just kept pushing my way through. 

Then, the foot pain started, right about the time I started running for 20+ minutes at a time.  I’ve tried a couple of different things to relieve it, both of which didn’t.  In the meantime, I’ve taken the past week and a half off from running, hoping to give my foot a little relief.  I also returned the new pair of shoes and orthotics that I thought might help, but didn’t make the pain any better.  While at the shoe store today, I had the lady measure my foot so I knew exactly what size I should be getting. 

Funny how you think you know what size shoes you wear because you’ve worn the same size since like 7th grade.  Even funnier - while pregnant with my kiddos I remember hearing that some women’s feet grow while they are pregnant.  I felt so lucky that didn’t happen to me throughout my three pregnancies.  Guess the joke is on me as my feet really did grow.  When the lady measured my foot, I measured past the 10.  Past it!  I’ve always only bought size 10.  Pretty sure this would be why I’ve been having foot pain for the past YEAR!

So, here’s what I have realized in the three weeks I’ve been away: 

1. Consuming sugar, and lots of it, will not help with weight loss
2. I’m not losing because I’m not tracking
3. The reason I’m having constant foot pain isn’t because I need orthotics or a foot doctor – rather, I need the right SIZE shoes!
4. Walking really does my body good!

I’m not sure what came over me this month but I’ve really, honestly been trying my damnedest to stay dedicated to myself and my health.  Since the calendar changed to April 1st, I’ve been more focused and able to resist the candy & cookies; I’ve been very dedicated to my food tracker at SparkPeople (and even staying in range!!); and best of all, I’m beginning to move more and I feel so good!! 

On Tuesday, March 26 I weighed in at 176.  I forgot to weigh myself this past Tuesday so I decided to do it on Wednesday.  174!  So two pounds down and I’ve only put in the effort for 4 days.  Totally motivating if you ask me.  Now, the old me would be “rewarding” myself with all of my kids’ Easter candy or the best chocolate chip cookies made by Aunt Sandy (6 dozen that she sent home with us).  The new me is totally rejuvenated and ready for spring!  We’ve had gorgeous weather (40s & 50s) which makes it super nice to be outside.

That’s my past three weeks in a nutshell.  SparkPeople is running a #RiseandShine Challenge for April.  I’ve decided to partake and will update what exactly this means for me with my next blog.  Along with the #RiseandShine Challenge, I’ve started tracking my healthy habits this month so that I can see and celebrate my triumphs, big and small.  I’ll also update you with those healthy habits that I’m trying to reestablish into my life.

Tuesday Weigh-In…late again

=(  Why am I either IN or OUT?  I need to find my happy medium so I can get this scale moving down!  I stayed the same this weigh-in, which I’m fine with.  I mean I obviously would have been happy to see the scale go down, but like I said before, I have to really start putting in more effort.  It’s like I try and try and try, only to sabotage myself later with cookies or ice cream.  I have to get this moderation thing under control because I’m outta control right now.  I was talking with a friend today and told her about my poor eating habits.  She said when she started running she was always wanting to eat too.  She recommended those little cheese wedges, but I completely forgot to check for them at Target tonight.  I am 100% proud of myself today as far as eating – Pretty good on portion sizes, NO cookies or ice cream and only ONE Frootie tootsie roll (normally it would be like 50!).  Progress baby! =)  As for exercise, I was on a roll last week and repeated week 6 of C25K.  I also had Jillian kick my booty with the 30 Day Shred.  Then I took a break and didn’t go back to my routine the next day. =(  I started up again yesterday with w6d3 of c25k and will be starting week 7 tomorrow.
Here are my stats for the week:
12/18/12 Weigh-In (WI): 173
01/08/13 WI: 171.5 (-1.5)
01/15/13 GW: 170 WI: 173 (+1.5)
01/22/13 GW: 168.5 WI: 174.5 (+1.5)
01/29/13 GW: 167 WI: 172.5 (-2!!)
02/05/13 GW: 171 WI:  174.5 (+2)
02/12/13 GW: 169.5  WI: 172.5 (-2)
02/19/13 GW: 168  WI:  176 (+3.5)
02/26/13 GW: 166.5  WI:  175 (-1)
03/05/13  GW:  174  WI:  176.5 (+1.5)
03/12/13  GW: 175 WI:  176.5 (no change)
03/19/13  GW: 175 WI: 
03/26/13  GW:  173.5  WI:
My goal this week is to keep up the momentum with minimal candy, and no ice cream treats or cookies!  Did you reach your goal for the week?  What are your goals for the upcoming week?

***edited to add - I just remembered why I made myself take a break last week from Friday - Monday.  My baby boy has a double ear infection and strep throat and had pretty much been glued to me the entire four days.  He's on the mend though after being on an antibiotic so am hoping he keeps getting better.***

Tuesday Weigh-In…A Day Late

Okay, well, here I stand…so utterly embarrassed.  I know I can’t hide forever though just because the scale isn’t going the way I want it to go.  The scale might move in the right direction if I actually put forth some effort.  I’m still trying to figure out why I just don’t seem to care.  The scale keeps going up, uP, UP and I don’t find myself doing a damn thing to change the old habits that crept back into my life.

Basically, the entire last week of February I just gave up the exercise and continued to give into any and every thing that has sugar in it.

Even though I didn’t report my weight last week, I did do a weigh-in.  I was just too embarrassed.  I don’t even know why, I thought for sure you’d be proud of me since I actually lost a pound.  However, as you can see from my chart, I went back up 1.5 pounds this week.  I am still way over my goal weight from the end of February.

12/18/12 Weigh-In (WI): 173
01/08/13 WI: 171.5 (-1.5)

01/15/13 GW: 170 WI: 173 (+1.5)
01/22/13 GW: 168.5 WI: 174.5 (+1.5)
01/29/13 GW: 167 WI: 172.5 (-2!!)
02/05/13 GW: 171 WI:  174.5 (+2)
02/12/13 GW: 169.5  WI: 172.5 (-2)
02/19/13 GW: 168  WI:  176 (+3.5)
02/26/13 GW: 166.5  WI:  175 (-1)
03/05/13  GW:  174  WI:  176.5 (+1.5)
03/12/13  GW: 175

I really need to find my inner strength to do this.  My “sugar baby” keeps on growing and growing and I’m really not comfortable anymore.  I’ve been doing great this week for exercise…Sunday and Tuesday I did the C25K.  Monday and Wednesday I found myself grueling my way through the 30 Day Shred.  I’m still working on getting my eating under control.  I really need to get my portions in check.  Obviously.  That and my late night snacking, which I completely blame on Mr. Chaotic. 

source

Tuesday Weigh-In

Did it again.  The scale moved up, up, up.  =(  I’m 100% positive that I gave up on myself last week after a very crabby night with Mr. Chaotic.  Healthy food?  Yeah right!  Exercise?  What’s that?  I was furious at him so rather than turn to the treadmill for a run, I just gave up altogether.  Stupid, huh!

Here are my stats:

12/18/12 Weigh-In (WI): 173
01/08/13 WI: 171.5 (-1.5)

01/15/13 GW: 170 WI: 173 (+1.5)
01/22/13 GW: 168.5 WI: 174.5 (+1.5)
01/29/13 GW: 167 WI: 172.5 (-2!!)
02/05/13 GW: 171 WI:  174.5 (+2)
02/12/13 GW: 169.5  WI: 172.5 (-2)
02/19/13 GW: 168  WI:  176 (3.5)
02/26/13 GW: 166.5

As you can see, my self-sabotage really affected my weight this week.  But, rather than beat myself up about it, I made the decision to just get over it and get on with my progress.  I did W5D3 of the C25K on Sunday.  I had to run for 20 minutes straight!  It says it was supposed to be 2 miles, but I’m pretty slow on my treadmill, so it was more like 1.5 miles.  But, the point is I ran for 20 minutes without stopping!!!!

Have you been where I am?  Any advice for how to deal with self-sabotage would be greatly appreciated.

Tuesday Weigh-In

I feel like I had a much better week, though I’m still a sucker for sugar.  My eating wasn’t out of control crazy, but I still need to relearn portions.  I hit my weekly cardio goal of four days last week, completing Week 4 of the C25K.  Dare I say I’m actually starting to enjoy running?  I’m sure I just jinxed myself and now I’m going to get an injury.  As for strength training last week I didn’t make goal as I only did it one day.

Here are my stats:

12/18/12 Weigh-In (WI): 173
01/08/13 WI: 171.5 (-1.5)

01/15/13 GW: 170 WI: 173 (+1.5)
01/22/13 GW: 168.5 WI: 174.5 (+1.5)
01/29/13 GW: 167 WI: 172.5 (-2!!)
02/05/13 GW: 171 WI:  174.5 (+2)
02/12/13 GW: 169.5  WI: 172.5 (-2)
02/19/13 GW: 168
02/26/13 GW: 166.5

The positive is that I lost this week!  As you can see though, I keep gaining and losing those same two dang pounds.  I’m hoping to change that.  I’ve increased my protein by adding protein powder to my smoothies.  I’ve been trying to have oatmeal for breakfast most days and eggs (1 egg, 2 whites) or salad (with chicken breast) for lunch.

I also came across an article on the benefits of an Omega 3-6-9 supplement.  The article said that the blend of fatty acids helps regulate blood sugar and hormones to reduce sugar cravings.  It also aids in weight loss, boosts the immune system, helps the digestive system, plus improves the appearance of your skin, hair, and nails.  The instant I saw that it reduces sugar cravings, I thought I have to give it a try.  I went to the health food store yesterday and found a supplement in soft gel form.

My goals for this week are to keep up with the C25K (week 5) and keep my portions in check and my sugar consumption low.  I’m also going to continue increasing my protein and taking my new Omega 3-6-9 supplement along with my other daily vitamins in hopes that it helps reduce my sugar cravings.

Are you making an effort towards your health?  Just start with 10 minutes a day and before you know it you’ll be up to 30.

**Disclaimer:  Obviously, I am not a professional so please consult with a physician before altering your diet, medications or starting an exercise program.

Tuesday Weigh-In

What goes up and down, up and down, up and down?  Roller coaster, you say?  Wrong!  It’s my weight and it’s making me really, really frustrated! =(

I did a much better job at making exercise a priority this week – including strength training.  However, my eating suffered, severely.  Like they say, “you can’t out-exercise a bad diet.”   I thought I had the week under control and then we ended up getting pizza in Thursday night (I’ll spare you the excuses), which meant leftovers, which meant I had to eat it for lunch on Friday.  Plus, we had a birthday party on Saturday at a pizza place with pizza and cake plus lots of candy in the goodie bags.  I didn’t go WAY overboard, but I know I had more than I should have.

Here are my stats:

12/18/12 Weigh-In (WI): 173
01/08/13 WI: 171.5 (-1.5)

01/15/13 GW: 170 WI: 173 (+1.5)
01/22/13 GW: 168.5 WI: 174.5 (+1.5)
01/29/13 GW: 167 WI: 172.5 (-2!!)
02/05/13 GW: 171 WI:  174.5 (+2)
02/12/13 GW: 169.5
02/19/13 GW: 168
02/26/13 GW: 166.5

See.  So frustrating!  You’d think I’d just work through this already, but I’m having a really tough time.  This week my goals are to continue my workout regimen that I set up last week, including Sunday as a rest day.  So, 4 days of cardio and 2 days of strength. 

I’m also going to be incorporating more protein into my daily intake.  I stopped at the nutrition store today and ended up leaving with three different flavored tubs of protein powder!  I read somewhere that a lot of times the sugar craving is because you’re missing out on protein so I am hoping this will curb the sugar addiction!  Also, as long as I exercise, I’m pretty good about getting in my eight cups of water each day.  I’ve also started drinking green tea w/honey daily.  Some days I even have 2 cups! 

Progress, not perfection.  Any advice on how to get out of this rut I’ve put myself in?

Tuesday Weigh-In

We meet again, Tuesday.  This time, with much better results!  The scale moved {in the right direction} this week!  Yay!  Go me!  I’m pumped and totally ready to do this!  That being said, I still didn’t reach my end of January goal weight due to the excess slacking I did the entire month! Grrrr…..:-/

12/18/12 Weigh-In (WI):  173
01/08/13 WI:  171.5 (-1.5)

01/15/13  GW:  170  WI:  173 (+1.5)
01/22/13  GW:  168.5  WI: 174.5 (+1.5)
01/29/13  GW:  167  WI:  172.5 (-2!!)

I know, I know, I’m a broken record, but I’m going to give it another try for the month of February next TWELVE weeks and I would like you to join me!  Over the weekend, I stumbled upon this incredible workout tracker from Design Finch.  Look at how fun it is!  Doesn’t it just make you want to work out?! Click the picture to go grab it from Design Finch!

I printed it out Saturday and did my first workout on Sunday.  Oops, I didn’t realize it started on a Monday. Oh well – bonus workout for me!  Side note --- I used to be really picky and only liked calendars that started on Sunday, but now that my oldest is in school, I think I might prefer the Monday start.  Does this make me weird? 

So this is what I’ve worked out for my weekly workouts:

Monday – cardio

Tuesday – strength

Wednesday – cardio

Thursday – cardio

Friday – strength

Saturday – cardio

Sunday – strength/rest?

I’m aiming for a minimum of 30 minutes of cardio at least three days per week and am hoping that since I wrote it down on four days, I’ll actually do it four days.  Right now that means I’m going to continue the Couch to 5K on my treadmill.  If I’m not doing the C25K that day, then I will use the iFit programming that came with my treadmill.  I love it.  It’s an interval walking workout by Jillian Michaels. 

As for strength days, I know that I need to start incorporating strength training into my workout regimen so I added in two strength days and possibly that third one on Sundays.  I also know that rest days are important so I’m just going to see how Sundays play out.  I will mostly be using the Spark People strength videos or any others I may find while perusing the internet. 

This past week I did great at getting in my water and being more mindful of my food intake.  I’m going to continue with that this week and aim for another loss next Tuesday.  I did have one not so great night {last night} when I gave in and had some Chex Mix with Mr. Chaotic.  I swear he wants me to fail because he always makes sure it’s right near me.  Ultimately though, it is my decision to eat it so it’s entirely my fault for doing so. =(

Okay, onto my February goal weigh-ins:

12/18/12 Weigh-In (WI): 173
01/08/13 WI: 171.5 (-1.5)

01/15/13 GW: 170 WI: 173 (+1.5)
01/22/13 GW: 168.5 WI: 174.5 (+1.5)
01/29/13 GW: 167 WI: 172.5 (-2!!)
02/05/13 GW: 171
02/12/13 GW: 169.5
02/19/13 GW: 168
02/26/13 GW: 166.5

Wish me luck!  Also, I would love for you to leave your blog link in the comments so I can come check out your progress and find some motivation!

Tuesday Weigh-In

Source

After my weigh-in last Tuesday, I was on fire!  I actually looked forward to my time on the treadmill and I did a great job of tracking my food for the week, if I do say so myself.  Then, the weekend hit, my girls suckered their dad into getting them each a bag of candy, and I thought I did pretty good, considering the sugar monster that lives within me.  I will admit that I did have a few chewy sweettarts and a couple gummy worms, though they made me feel sick to my stomach.  I would have thought after feeling like that and knowing that I didn’t need that extra sugar, it would have been enough to just have had that taste.  I’m not going to lie.  It wasn’t.  By the end of the weekend, I had basically eaten the whole bag of those dang chewy sweettarts.  I also found myself munching on late night Doritos or Chex Mix with hubby.  The worst part – I didn’t track any of it!

Ugh!!!  Why do I sabotage myself?  I was on the right trail  for a change and then I just belly-flop right off the wagon.  For what?  For the measly few seconds of satisfaction that the junk food provides.  Gross.  When am I going to learn?  I need to stop feeding the sugar/snack monster.  This week’s weigh-in definitely was affected by my sabotage.  Let’s check out the damage, shall we?

12/18/12 Weigh-In (WI):  173
01/08/13 WI:  171.5 (-1.5)

01/15/13  GW:  170  WI:  173 (+1.5)
01/22/13  GW:  168.5
01/29/13  GW:  167

The scale moved the wrong way!  So frustrating!  But I know why and I just need to figure out how I can stop sabotaging myself.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated! =)

How did you do this week?  Join me in keeping yourself accountable by leaving your stats in my comments.  I also link my weigh-in up to Tammy’s Tuesday Weigh-In over at Skinny Mom’s Kitchen so be sure to check out her page!

Tuesday Weigh-In

I need to start holding myself accountable for my actions again.  If I don’t, I’m afraid I might find myself right back where I started almost 3 years ago – very overweight and very unhappy with myself.  So here we go again…the weekly weigh-ins.  I follow a blog called Skinny Mom’s Kitchen and she also has been struggling to lose those unwanted pounds and has decided to have a Tuesday Weigh-In to keep her accountable.  She has also asked for her readers to join her…so I did just that.  Since I am posting it there, I might as well make it a point to post it here as well.

Source

Oy vey.  Looking through my Spark Summary Calendar, looks like the last time I weighed myself and recorded it was December 18, 2012.  I stepped on the scale last week Wednesday, but didn’t record it.  I stepped on the scale this morning and it said 171.5, so that’s a pound and a half gone! 

02/14/10 Starting Weight (SW):  199
05/26/13 Goal Weight (GW): 152

12/18/12 Weigh-In (WI):  173
01/08/13 WI:  171.5 (-1.5)

01/15/13  GW:  170  WI:
01/22/13  GW:  168.5
01/29/13  GW:  167

How did I choose that goal weight you ask?  Well, it’s the weight I was before I had my third baby.  When I get there, I’ll reevaluate, but for now my goal is just to get to pre-preggo weight.

What exactly is my plan of attack?  As Tammy says over at Skinny Mom’s Kitchen, “I need to return back to the basics.”  For me, that means:

1. Tracking my food intake…every.single.morsel.
2. Moving my body
3. Hydrating my body
4. Weekly weigh-ins
5. Everything in Moderation

Want to keep yourself accountable with me?  Leave a comment with your starting weight, goal weight, and current weight.