233.2 (+.4)

It's a bye week.

Today I'm working out most of the day at a Habitat for Humanity house. :)

232.8 (-2.7) in FIVE days!!!!!

I literally have not worked out once in those five days. Thank you smoothie challenge!!

Today I added half of a cucumber to one of my smoothies. It was so yummy and refreshing!

235.5 (+2.5) Yeesh...

Well, hubby was set on a having a turkey and the works for Thanksgiving yesterday. But I was eating bad earlier in the week too. :(

Update on smoothie diet: I'm only going to do smoothies for breakfast and lunch, and then eat a sensible dinner (sounds vaguely like some other kind of diet...?). We have dinner plans with others on at least two different occasions during this smoothie fast of mine and I'd rather eat with them than not.Plus, hubby was worried about me only consuming smoothies, so this makes him feel better too. 
Have a great weekend!

I recently watched a movie called Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead. It's a documentary about a man who tours around America for 60 days and follows a strict raw juice diet. He lost a ton of weight, got off all of his medications, and looked a whole lot better afterward. I'm not proposing a 2-month juice diet (heck, I don't even own a juicer), but I am going to do a week-long smoothie diet starting tomorrow. Of course these smoothies won't be like the ice cream/milk/loaded calorie smoothies, but they'll be packed with fruits and vegetables and some low-fat yogurt (something like this).
I'm excited. The only meal that will not be a smoothie will be Sunday dinner when we have "Thanksgiving" with my sister and her family. I'm going to do portion control and limit the things I eat during that meal.
Here's to some yummy smoothies!

233.0 (-1.4)


Woo!!

I don't know about you, but whenever I'm on a walk alone, I'm usually thinking about how I would fend off an attack from behind, and an attack from the side, and how I'll attack them back, and keeping tabs on how far people who I've passed might be from me. That way I'm pretty aware of what's going on in case something were to go down.

I woke up to go to my class this morning, but I was so tired. So I made myself promise that I would go on a long walk if I could go back to sleep. I kept my promise and just got back from an hour-long walk. The weather was beautiful and I'm glad that I did it. Maybe I'll go back tomorrow.

I've been avoiding simple carbs for the past three days. It's been kind of rough and I never realized how much of my diet has consisted of carbs! But the fresh fruit and veggies have been great. It was on my bucket list to go for three days without simple carbs, and now that I've done it, I'm not going to cut them out all together, but I'm definitely going to be more aware of how much carb-loaded foods I put in to my body.

This is a bye week. I kind of wish it wasn't because I've been doing really well for the past couple of days. Hopefully I can continue that and my number next week will be stellar!

Today in my aerobics class, I rolled my ankle. It doesn't hurt too bad unless I twist it a certain way. But hey, I was at my aerobics class giving it all I could when that happened!

234.4 (-.4)

I think I'm the only person in the world who can gain weight on a hiking trip. Sigh.

234.8 (-.4)

Ugh. I haven't posted my weight in a while. I'm ashamed because it's been creeping back up. Today it was 235.2 (+.8).

I've been going to my aerobics class, but the food has been killing me. Autumn is great for many reasons, but I've just wanted to bake and bake and bake. Not good. Well, the baking is fine, but then I end up eating most, if not all, of what I bake. :(
Anybody have some spare self-control to send my way?

I went to aerobics this morning and used 3lb weights instead of the 1lb Zumba sticks everyone else used. Got a great workout in!

This week is a bye week...since I've been documenting my weight for the last few weeks anyway... : /

Man, oh man, do I love my aerobics class! It gives me such a boost for the rest of the day. And it's a great workout. I hope everyone's having a good Monday!

I went to my dance class tonight, but I wasn't feeling it. I think most people get more energy when they work out, but that doesn't happen for me: if I go into a work out tired, I come out even more tired, and I'm tired all throughout the work out. It sucks. And that's how it was tonight. At least I was moving the whole time. Better than sitting at home on the couch, but not my best work out. Sigh.

Monday Motivational Quote:
It's never too late to become what you might have been. -George Elliot

234.4 (-.4)

Monday Motivational Quote:
Clear your mind of can’t. -Samuel Johnson

234.8 (+1.8)

Still coming down from my vacation. It's all good.

Wow. It's been three weeks. Welp, I went on vacation for a week and a half and ate pretty terribly during that time. Surprisingly I only gained 3lb.

Tonight I went to my first Carido Dance Party class. It was way crowded and super hot. But it was a good workout and it was high-energy. This class is Monday and Wednesday nights. I've also started the Aerobics class again, MWF mornings. Whoo! It's going to be a good autumn!

Monday Motivational Quote:
Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. -Oprah Winfrey

Monday Motivational Quote:
It's not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not. -Anonymous

Monday Motivational Quote:
The secret of getting ahead is getting started. -Mark Twain

233.0 (+.2)

Monday Motivational Quote:
In seeking happiness for others, you find it for yourself. -Anonymous

I found this on a random website and I really liked it:
70% of the hard work is done in the kitchen
15% of the effort is to get a good night's rest (8 HRS)
15% of the effort is in the gym

232.8 (+1.3)

It was my anniversary. Not an excuse, just letting you know that I know why I gained. I've got two weeks before my family reunion, so this has got to go.

Ugh. Why do I allow myself to slack when I go out of town?!? It was my anniversary, and the only half active things I did all weekend were horseback riding (just walking, nothing strenuous) and dancing at the Katy Perry concert. ;) And I ate too much delicious food. Tomorrow's weigh-in is not going to be good. :(

Yesterday in class we did progress testing and I have progressed in ALL fields. I am so proud of myself! The test is interval training and you count how many times you do the given activity in a minute. The activities included jumping jacks, crunches, biceps, triceps, and squats among other things.

Today, I went to the gym and did interval training on the treadmill. It feels like it's been so long since I've done that. It was a good workout.

Monday Motivational Quote:
Just do it.™ -Nike

Last night we went swimming (and diving and flipping) at a friend's house.

This morning, in class, we did step aerobics (I was the only one in the class who opted for the high step and it was brutal) and then we did weight training. Side note: since the beginning of the year, I've moved up from 5lb weights to 8lb as of today!! I'm getting stronger!

I missed my aerobics class this morning. It's also going to be a "bye week" for me. Hope everyone has a great hump day.

Monday Motivational Quote:
The difference between a goal and a dream is a deadline. -Steve Smith

I went to my aerobics class this morning. We danced and did some resistance band exercises. Afterward, a woman came up to me and asked if I was in the Cardio Dance Party class in the evenings. When I told her that I wasn't, she told me that she had been watching me and thinks I should be in that class. I took that as a compliment. Maybe I'll look in to that class, too...

Have a great week, everyone!

231.5 (-3.5)

That's more like it!

Monday Motivational Quote:
The finish line is just the beginning of a whole new race. -Unknown

235.0 (+4.0)

Yeah, you read right: I gained 4 pounds this week. I have no idea how that happened. I worked out great this week, I watched my calories, I mean, I even participated in a 5K!!

I am so frustrated with my body. Some weeks I don't do awesome on paper, but then I lose a pound and a half. Other weeks, like this one, I really work hard and gain not one pound, not two, but FOUR?!?!

My body refuses to go below 230 and it almost makes me want to give up. I'm really struggling to keep up with things because I don't feel like my efforts are paying off. :( It really makes me sad and discouraged. This morning, I had two brownies for breakfast after I weighed in because in that moment I didn't give a crap. I had momentarily given up. Sigh.           Then I went to my aerobics class...

I met an incredible man tonight. He has been a HUGE inspiration to me and to actually meet him in real life was a giant blessing. He is awesome. He is funny and cheerful and his positive energy and attitude are contagious. I'm talking about Ben. You can learn everything you need to know about Ben by clicking here and here. Do yourself a favor and at least click on the first link. It may change your life. Or at least move you in some way or another.

Not only did I get to meet Ben and talk to him, I got to participate in my first 5K tonight because of him and it felt great. It was hot and miserable during, but afterwards it was so rewarding! I had a fantastic night tonight and I owe it all to Ben. He's amazing.

Also, I made this blog public as of tonight because of him. I feel like maybe I can help more people that way. It's scary, but life is scary. Here's to continuing on my weight-loss journey!!

Monday Motivational Quote:
Fear is what stops you... courage is what keeps you going. -Unknown

231.0 (+.4)

I didn't weigh in this morning because I forgot and had breakfast before I realized. Oops. Tomorrow...

This weekend, we floated the river. I consider that a half workout. I was moving my legs and my arms at different times, and the float was over 4 hours, so... half workout.

Sunday night, we had a BBQ at some friends' house. Although I had steak and a hot dog, I filled up on watermelon.

Last night, hubby and I went on a walk. This was after being in the car for 5 hours and eating potato salad, shish-ka-bobs, candy, creamy mashed potatoes, and some brisket smothered in BBQ sauce.

This afternoon, I walked 4 miles in an hour on the treadmill.

I'm interested to see how my weight will look tomorrow...

Monday Motivational Quote:
I've missed more than 9,000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed. -Michael Jordan

Monthly Body Measurements:
Neck - 13.6 (-0)
Rt Arm - 16.25 (-.5)
Lf Arm - 16.1 (-.65)
Waist [bellybutton] - 50.25 (-.35)
Hips - 47.5 (-0)
Rt Thigh - 26.5 (-.5)
Lf Thigh - 26.5 (-.1)
Rt Calf - 16.5 (-0)
Lf Calf - 16.25 (-0)

Total inches lost: 2.1!

I didn't weigh in yesterday. It was a "bye week".
I also haven't exercised since Monday's aerobics class. :( But I will be at my aerobics class in the morning!

Monday Motivational Quote:
Motivation is what gets you started. Habit is what keeps you going. -Jim Ryan

It took me 5 months to lose my first 20 pounds (June-November) and it's taken me 7 1/2 months (November to present) to lose this second 20 pounds. Hopefully this trend doesn't keep up; I'd like to lose the next 20 by the end of the year. Good vibes sent my way this year are greatly appreciated. ;)

230.6!!!! (-1.5) 

I've lost a total of 40.4 pounds!!!

I've been doing my classes on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday mornings (just haven't been blogging about them), in case you were wondering...

Tonight I went to the gym and did intervals on the treadmill. Not my 1 minute switches, but 3 min walk @ 4.0MPH/1 min jog @ 6.0MPH. I was tired. It was late. It was all I could do. But I did 6.0 instead of the 5.3/5.4 I had been doing. I need to get back on the treadmill more often. Maybe that will help me get past this 230lb wall I just haven't been able to get over.

Monday Motivational Quote:
"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it." -Lou Holtz

This morning in my aerobics class, I broke a resistance band. Made me feel strong. And a little embarrassed.

I am struggling. I lost 35 pounds fairy quickly, but in the last few months, I've just been hovering around 232-235lb. I cannot get below 230! I don't feel as though I'm plateauing in my food/exercise, but I guess I am, according to the scale. Even this morning, I weighed myself and I had gained a pound since Wednesday. I'm just yo-yoing and I don't like it.

232.1 (+/-0)

Next week's going to be a good one!

Monday Motivational Quote:
"Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results." -Albert Einstein

I'm not weighing in this week because it's a "bye week". Too bad because I wanted to see how I did this weekend. I did pretty well as far as eating while I was on my trip. :)

Tonight I went to the gym with the hubs. It was too late for me to do intervals (I was too tired), so I just walked at 4.0MPH at an incline for 30 minutes. Then I walked home too.

Monday Motivational Quote:
"No act of kindness, however small, is ever wasted." -Aesop

232.1 (-1.6!)

Yay! I'm shaking that funk right off!!

Man, it is so hard for me to have the motivation to work out in this death heat!

But I did it.

I did 30 minutes of interval training. Coming out into the muggy heat was sucky, but at least I worked out today. And that's all that matters.

Monday Motivational Quote:
"Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

 I missed last month, but it looks like that doesn't matter too much since I haven't really changed...

Monthly Body Measurements:

Neck - 13.6 (-0)
Rt Arm - 16.75 (-.5)
Lf Arm - 16.75 (-.25)
Waist [bellybutton] - 50.6 (-0)
Hips - 47.5 (-0)
Rt Thigh - 27.0 (-0)
Lf Thigh - 26.6 (-0)
Rt Calf - 16.5 (-.3)
Lf Calf - 16.25 (-.25)

This morning I went to the gym and did intervals for an hour! It helps that The Price is Right was on to distract me. For the first 30 minutes, I did every other minute 4.0MPH and then random 5.3/5.4/5.5/6.0MPH. For the second 30 minutes, I did two minutes of walking and 1 minute at 6.0MPH. Kicked my trash. I was jello walking out of there. Bring on the weekend!

I am so excited about the fitness challenge I'm starting on Monday! It's not too late to email me about the details if you are interested. Let me know!

Just a head's up: remember that fitness challenge I did earlier this year? Well, I'm doing it again, starting on Monday. Let me know if you're interested and I'll send you the info. Sometimes it helps to report to someone on the things you do, to be accountable to someone else. I know it helps me.

Today I went to the gym and did intervals.
My calories were great today.
It was a good day. :)

233.7 (-.2)

Not the best, but I'll take it.

I've been in a sort of funk regarding my eating and my exercise recently. I'm trying to shake it. I signed up for the summer aerobics class at the rec center, but it doesn't start for another two weeks. I tried to fast on Sunday, but I have to take medication at lunchtime so it makes fasting difficult. I just need to be more self-disciplined. I know I can be, I just need to suck it up and do it.

Happy Wednesday, all!

I went to the gym tonight to do the treadmill while I watched the Biggest Loser season finale. Halfway through the show, there was a tornado warning and sirens went off and the whole nine yards. So I missed the second half of the show, and I had to go home (or else sit in the hallway with other sweaty gym patrons). I only got 50 minutes in. I pretty much just walked a 4.0MPH the whole time because I thought I would be there for two hours and I didn't want to burn myself out.

Monday Motivational Quote:
"I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than a success at something I hate." -George Burns

233.9 (+.4)

That's alright. I know what areas I need to work on (ie. not making a four-layer chocolate pie for hubby's birthday and eating half of it in two days...).

Today I walked around the Dallas Zoo for four hours.

I wasn't feeling it when I went to the gym with hubby tonight, so I just walked at 4.0MPH for an hour while he did intervals. But at least I went.

Monday Motivational Quote:
"Energy and persistence conquer all things." -Benjamin Franklin

Today was my last day of aerobics. I hope I can start the summer class in June, but that will all depend on my job situation at that point. I've really loved the class.

After class, I did interval training on the treadmill for only 10 minutes because I have a busy day ahead of me and that's all the time I could afford. It was good and I ran faster than normal because I knew it would be a shorter workout.

Happy Friday everyone!!

233.5 (-1.5)

Getting closer to the 20's!! So close, I can taste it! (And it tastes like vegetables)

I found a new website that shows upcoming fitness events!
http://www.active.com/
You can search upcoming races and other fitness activities in your area! How cool is that?

Monday Motivational Quote:
"Motivation will almost always beat mere talent." -Norman R. Augustine

I went to my aerobics class this morning and we did dancing and then weights. I'm sad that the class is coming to an end. There's a 3-week break before the next one starts. I may have a full-time job by the time the next one starts, so I'm waiting to sign up until I know a little more about where I'll be.

I came home and cooled down for a bit and then went back to the gym and did intervals on the treadmill. I upped my running speed by a tenth (to 5.4). I only did 5.3 once or twice, and I did 6.0 on the first and last run. It was a good workout. 35 min/2.6 miles

Hubby and I went camping last night and were going to go hiking this morning, but we ended up coming home so hubby could work on his car all day. While he was doing that, I looked on netflix to see if there were any workout videos. I found a cardio one and turned it on. It was pretty slow and lame, but I added my own moves and made the best of it.

Happy Saturday!

Ugh. I did not make the most of my aerobics class this morning - I was like the walking dead in there. I have been going full speed all week and I would have given anything to sleep in. But I knew that I needed to go to class. And even though it wasn't as high-energy as I should have done, I was still there and moving my body.

We're going camping/hiking tonight - I'm so excited!

I went to class this morning, but I won't be doing my second workout because I have a dentist appointment. But class was good today and I'm ok with it. :)


235.0 (+/-0)

I assume this is because I barely worked out at all last week and was still eating as if I were working out. :/
I have been a little off since I got back from California. I need to shake this rut and get my butt back in gear!

Tonight I went to the gym with hubby and could only do 10 minutes on the treadmill again. I felt like I could just lay down on the belt and fall asleep. This is why I avoid going to the gym at 8:30 at night - I just don't have the energy!
After I got off the treadmill, I did the bike for another 20 minutes.

Well I haven't really posted since I didn't really get a chance to work out last week. I was working all week and wasn't able to go to my aerobics class. And then I was too tired at the end of the day to motivate myself to go.
But today I was back at class and it was great! I missed it so much!
Then, tonight I went back to the gym and did 10 minutes of treadmill intervals and then 20 minutes on the bike. I was so tired and the intervals were just so hard. The bike gave me a good burn, though, so it all worked out. :)

Monday Motivational Quote:
"Strength does not come from physical capacity. It comes from an indomitable will." -Mahatma Gandhi

235.0 (-2.0)

Not my best two weeks' worth of weight loss, but I'll take it.

Yesterday I didn't do anything productive, at least not in the physical department. I didn't go to my aerobics class because I'm watching my friend's baby this week. But today, I did two workouts to make up for it. I did a section of the 30-Day Shred and then some free weights this morning. Then tonight I went to the gym and did interval training on the treadmill for 45 minutes!

It was a good day.

Monday Motivational Quote:
"You live longer once you realize that any time spent being unhappy is wasted." -Ruth E. Renkl

Well, I couldn't weigh in this morning because it's that week, but I did go to aerobics. And then I went back to the gym for treadmill intervals, but I had to cut it short - I got really bad shin splints. I was super bummed.

Aerobics class this morning was great! We did salsa dancing and weight training.

Then I went back to the gym to do interval training on the treadmill.

It's 1:00 and I've burned almost 800 calories today!!

Monday Motivational Quote:
"If you don’t make mistakes, you aren’t really trying." -Unknown

Yesterday, our church put on a "get healthy" activity and hubby and I went. They had tons of activities to choose from, each lasted 30 minutes, and then you could go choose something else. The activity turned out really well and hubby and I had a great time!
We started out with interval training, which was especially difficult for me because I was a bit sore from my class the day before. Then hubby and I split up - he went to do weight training with the manly men and I went to my first zumba class with the womenfolk. Zumba is awesome. SO high energy!
When we met back up, hubby and I decided to walk/jog the track for a bit (the activity was held at a local high school), so we did 4 laps, walking the curves and jogging the straights. Then, we grabbed our healthy lunch that was provided and headed out. In that hour and a half, I burned almost 800 calories! Not a bad way to start my weekend. :)

This morning I went to my aerobics class and we did pilates. While that's great for strength and all, I also need to burn more calories in order to keep losing (especially after basically taking a week off). So after class, I came home for a couple hours and then went back and did the treadmill.

Hubby did the C25K Challenge, finished it, and then started running a 5K every time we went to the gym. He was steadily losing weight and then decided to switch things up and he tried interval training. Instead of running for 30 minutes straight, he started running and walking for about a minute each (repeat, repeat, repeat...) and extended his workouts to 60 minutes. He dropped weight so fast after he switched that that's what he's stuck to, and he's doing great!

So, I decided to join the bandwagon and I did interval training today. I started out running (5.3MPH) for 3 min, then I walked (4.0MPH) for 2 min, then ran for 2 min, then walked for 2 min, then I alternated for 1 minute each. Even though I was only running for a minute at a time, it was not easy! But now I'm two workouts down for the day and it's not even 1:00. :)

I think I'm going to start doing two-a-days on MWF and not working out at all on T/Th. I work on T/Th and I'm just so tired at night that I don't really push myself for a good burn on those days. Plus, on MWF, I'm already at the gym, in my workout clothes, and feeling energized when I'm done with class, so I might as well take advantage of that and get some cardio in.

I didn't weigh in last Wednesday because I had an early morning flight to California, where I've been soaking up the sun, and I didn't weigh in yesterday because I didn't get home until late.

I did weigh in this morning. Let me start by saying that I intentionally worked out three times while I was gone and I tried to make healthy choices when I could (ie frozen banana vs ice cream, wheat tortilla/bread vs white, gelato vs cupcake, etc). I still gained weight, but I'm not surprised by that - I was on vacation! Anyway, I'm back to my real life and I'm buckling down again. :)

Oh, I weighed in at 237.0 (+3.1).

PS - I don't regret pigging out at In-N-Out and Cafe Rio. It was so yummy! ;)

Monday Motivational Quote:
"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take." -Wayne Gretzky

Monday Motivational Quote:
"You want me to do something... tell me I can't do it." -Maya Angelou

I got second place in our family's Biggest Loser Challenge!! Since the beginning of the year, I've lost 17.2lb!! 2011 is continuing to be a great year! :)

Hubby won first place - he lost 22lb! I'm so proud of him!!

Monthly Body Measurements:

Neck - 13.6 (-0)
Rt Arm - 17.25 (-.35)
Lf Arm - 17.0 (-0)
Waist [bellybutton] - 50.6 (-0)
Hips - 47.5 (-0)
Rt Thigh - 27.0 (-0)
Lf Thigh - 26.6 (-0)
Rt Calf - 16.8 (-0)
Lf Calf - 16.5 (-0)

234.2 (-1.7)
YAY!!

Monday Motivational Quote:
"Strive for progress, not perfection." -Unknown

This morning we did pilates in class. I know I'll be sore tomorrow, but I didn't enjoy it as much as the go, go, go aerobics. Oh well. Happy Friday!

Ugh, sometimes I hate Mother Nature. Because of her and her monthly bill, I "gained 2 pounds this week". I know it has to be her (and her alone) because I went on a good, long hike on Saturday, I worked out really hard two times on Monday (yes, I went back to the gym after my aerobics workout!), and I've been doing good on my calories.

Do your worst Mother Nature, because I'll be kicking you to the curb in a few days and you'll be taking your weight gain with you!

In other news, I went to my second aerobics class this morning. It's such a great class - I love it!

I only have 9 work out days left before the end of my Biggest Loser Challenge with my family! If I can just make it through these last 9 days! ;)

It's going to be strange not having a competition or challenge hanging over me. I like having those goals and knowing that I'm competing - it makes it more of a game than a chore to work out. I may have to start my own Fitness Challenge next month... Would anyone be interested in joining if I do?

I started my aerobics class at the rec center this morning. Apparently the same people keep signing up season after season because the vast majority already knew each other and knew that I was a new-comer. There were about 3-4 other new ladies and we all kind of hovered in the back. Everyone was super friendly and the teacher is really high-energy and fun. I got a great burn in and I'm excited to keep going!

Hubby and I went on a great hike this morning! We found a hiking trail about a half hour away by a lake. It's nothing like hiking in the mountains of Utah, but it was a good, medium-level hike.

I hope everyone's having a great weekend!

235.9 (-2.6) 

I am halfway to my goal!!

(I know I weighed in on Thursday, but it didn't really count)

This morning I signed up for an aerobics class at our town rec. center. I'm really excited. It's an hour every MWF morning for two months.
Tonight hubby and I also signed up for a year-long membership at said rec. center. When we were in Provo, we went to Gold's Gym and paid almost $30 each per month. We have a small gym at our complex, but it's very small and it's always at least 80* in there, literally. That was bearable during the winter, but it's really hard to work out when you're melting and getting heat stroke at the same time. And with summer coming soon, forget it. So we decided to enroll in the rec center and it doesn't hurt that we have good friends who are also members and we can work out together. It only cost us $100 - less than two months' worth of dues at Gold's!
We worked out tonight and it was pleasantly different. It was cool in the cardio room and the treadmills are newer and have TVs on them (I watched Heavy on A&E - fitting, right?). I tried to do week 4 of the C25K, but I just couldn't do it since I only did one treadmill workout last week and it wasn't even a C25K because I was sick.
Honestly I don't know the times that I walked/jogged, but I did three 3-min jogs and a 4-min jog at least... And my cool-down was a 4.0MPH walk at a 10% incline.
Time: 35 min
Distance: 2.32

Today is the end of an era. It's Pi Day, so I'm throwing in the diet towel and eating not one, but TWO pies by myself today!

Sike!

Today is the end of something big though. It's the end of the Fitness Challenge that I've been participating in since the beginning of the year. 10 weeks, 70 days, of exercising, reading scriptures, weekly challenges, abstaining from soda, stopping eating after 7:30, and only eating one dessert per week. I am SO proud of myself. A challenge is just what I needed to kick it in to gear and be more strict with myself. I've started good habits and I've pushed myself, sometimes well beyond what I thought I could do. It has been such a great experience! And I've lost 13lb since I started it!

Maybe I'll start my own fitness challenge...

Monthly Body Measurements:

Neck - 13.6 (-.15)
Rt Arm - 17.6 (-.6)
Lf Arm - 17.0 (-.5)
Waist [bellybutton] - 50.6 (-.6)
Hips - 47.5 (-1.0)
Rt Thigh - 27.0 (same)
Lf Thigh - 26.6 (-.9)
Rt Calf - 16.8 (-.2)
Lf Calf - 16.5 (same)

Total inches lost = 3.95

237.2 (-1.3)

So I just lost that weight again overnight? How bizarre, how bizarre. I'm happy.

238.5 (+.4)

Not cool. I really have no idea how I gained 1.5lb in two days, especially since I've been sick and eating less. :/

That just means that next week will be fantastic, right?

I've been horrible at blogging lately... Oops.

My parents were in town this weekend, but I made great choices and even lost a pound over the weekend! (I weighed myself yesterday morning and that was the verdict.)

-On Friday, at the Mexican restaurant, I had a grilled chicken sandwich on a wheat bun with a side of vegetables. No butter on the bun or the vegetables and the only condiment I used was mustard.
-That night, my nephew had a party at an inflatables gym and you'd better believe I was racing and climbing and running throughout that place for over an hour! It was such a blast. Rewind 6 months and there's no way I would have had the confidence/stamina/guts to run/bounce/shimmy in front of all of the parents of my nephew's 8-year-old friends. But I seriously had the best time and I would love to do it again!

-On Saturday, I walked/jogged around my sister's neighborhood with hubby.

-On Sunday, I fasted most of the day and then had two BBQ chicken sliders and raw vegetables for dinner.

-Tonight I went to the gym and did the treadmill. I upped my walking MPH to 4.0 and did an incline of 1.0 for the first 13 minutes. I didn't do a set time of jogging/walking, but it ended up being 2.32 miles in 32 minutes.

Weigh-in in the morning! I'm excited!

Just got back from a great C25K workout! I feel amazing!
5-min warm-up walk
1.5 min jog
1.5 min walk
3 min jog
3 min walk
1.5 min jog
1.5 min walk
3 min jog
3 min walk
2 min jog
2 min walk
2 min jog
3 min walk @ 4.0MPH
**All walking @ 3.7MPH & all jogging @ 5.3MPH**

Distance: 2.33 miles
Time: 32 min

238.1 (-1.3)!!

Woo! I'll take it!

Went on a walk with the hubs tonight. It was chilly outside, which kind of froze my lungs, but strangely gave me more motivation to move. Overall success. :)

Yesterday hubby and I went on a walk in a park. It was very nice and we walked about 3 miles.

Tonight, we went to the gym and I got back in to the Couch to 5K Challenge again. I started at W1D1 today:
5-min warm-up @ 3.7MPH
1.5-min jog
1.5-min walk
3-min jog
3-min walk
**Repeat**
Then I walked @ 4.0MPH for another 9 minutes while hubby finished his workout.
*Walk @ 3.7MPH and jog @ 5.3MPH

Distance: 2.25
Time: 32 minutes

Oh my goodness, oh my goodness!
I grew up in a ranch dressing kind of family. When I started eating healthy I knew that ranch - even light ranch (and I'm not even going to mention fat-free) - wasn't going to be a contender for salad dressing in our home. I started eating my salads with straight balsamic vinegar because I knew store-bought dressings are loaded with sugar and unhealthiness. The problem with the balsamic vinegar was that it wasn't all that tasty by itself, so I ended up adding feta to all of my salads - kinda defeated the point of the healthy dressing. Then I dabbled in making my own vinegar/oil concoctions, but nothing stood out as amazing to me. I stopped eating salads at home.
Then, last Monday, we went to dinner at some friends' house and they had this:

It is SO good and only 45 calories per 2T! Let me tell ya - 2T doesn't sound like a lot, but it is! This stuff stretches pretty far. Anyway, I had it on Monday and literally made an extra trip to the store on Tuesday to pick up my own bottle. ...and it's about halfway gone today. Part of that is because I was challenged this week to eat at least 5 vegetables/day so I've been eating a lot more veggies, and part of it is because I love this stuff! Seriously, you have to try it!
And now I will step down from my soapbox...

Treadmill today:
5-min warm-up walk
5-min jog
4-min walk
3-min jog
2.5-min walk
1.5-min jog
1-min walk
1-min jog
2-min walk @ 4.0MPH
*I slowed down my efforts today -- all walking at 3.5MPH and all jogging at 5.2MPH
Then hubby told me he'd be another couple minutes, so I walked @ 4.0MPH for another 6 minutes

Distance: 2.15mi
Time: 31 minutes

Green smoothie for dinner. Gotta get those fruits and veggies in for my fitness challenge.

And hubby and I are going jogging tonight, too.

239.4 (-1.8)

I'm in the 30's!!!!

Tonight I did a treadmill workout:
5 min warm-up
5 min jog (longest I've ever done!)
4 min walk
3 min jog
2 min walk
2 min jog
2 min walk
1 min jog
1 min walk @ 4.0MPH
*All walking at 3.7MPH and all jogging at 5.3MPH

Distance: 1.83 mi
Time: 25 min

241.2 (+.7)

Not as bad as I expected, to be honest.
Next week I will be out of the 40's.

I just finished doing week 1 AND week 2 of the 30-Day Shred DVD. Whew! :)

Oh bother. We had house guests this weekend and you know what that means. Well, at least for me it means I didn't make the best choices. We took them to some of our favorite food joints and I didn't make as healthy of choices as I should have (I still got a turkey burger instead of beef, but I ate fried food on the side. I got frozen yogurt instead of ice cream, but I had Reese's mixed in. You know what I mean?)

I did go on a powerwalk with hubby tonight and I didn't eat a lot of calories today. That's the plan for tomorrow, too. I hope I can break even with my weight this week. I don't expect to lose, but I'm hoping that happens. Maybe I'll just eat laxatives all day tomorrow. Just kidding!!

240.5 (-1.3)

Almost out of the 40's!! Next week, next week...

Tonight we walked around the mall for four miles. I love our mall walks!

I did the 30-Day Shred DVD this morning. :)

Monthly Body Measurements:
Chin/Head - 23.5 (same)
Neck - 13.75 (new)
Rt Arm - 18.2 (-.3)
Lf Arm - 17.5 (-.5)
Waist [bellybutton] - 51.2 (-2.3)
Hips - 48.5 (same)
Rt Thigh - 27.0 (-1.0)
Lf Thigh - 27.5 (-.5)
Rt Calf - 17.0 (new)
Lf Calf - 16.5 (new)

Total inches lost = 4.6 Yay!

This afternoon I did level 2 on the Shred DVD. It felt great!
Then this evening I went to the gym with hubby and did the treadmill:
5 min warm-up walk
4 min jog
3 min walk
3 min jog
2 min walk
2 min jog
1 min walk
1 min jog
*repeat 1 minute walk/jog*
2 min walk @ 4.0MPH for a total of 25 minutes.
*All walking @ 3.7MPH and all jogging @ 5.3MPH

25 minutes
1.83 miles (my longest distance!)

241.8 (+/-0)

I'm actually pleased with this number because I was expecting a gain the way the last week went. This just means that next week will be a good number. :)

I wasn't able to weigh myself this morning because we had rolling blackouts this morning and just when I was about to weigh in, the blackout rolled over my house. I knew it would be at least 20-30 minutes and I was hungry, so I ate breakfast instead of waiting to weigh in.

Tonight I worked out during the commercial breaks of The Biggest Loser - we'll call it interval training. ;)
I rotated each break between cardio, strength, and core exercises. Whew!

I'm nervous about my weigh-in tomorrow. I didn't have a great weekend with food or exercise. Not to mention it's that week. So three strikes I'm out? I hope not. At this point I'm just hoping to come out even. : /

In addition to the DVD this morning, I went to the gym this evening and did the treadmill:
5-min warm-up @ 3.7MPH
4-min jog @ 5.3MPH
3-min walk @ 3.7MPH
2-min jog @ 5.4MPH
2-min walk @ 3.8MPH
*repeat 2-min jog/walk*
1-min jog @ 5.4MPH
1-min walk @ 3.8MPH
*repeat 1-min jog/walk*
1-min walk @ 4.0MPH

And I am SO PROUD of hubby - he ran for 20 minutes straight today!! For the most part he has kept up with the Couch to 5K Challenge and hasn't been doing weight training, just running every day. He's very close to being able to run a full 5K!

What a great way to end the month!

I did the 30-Day Shred DVD, level 2 today. It took me a while to get around to it because I had wicked cramps this morning. I wish I had access to a lap pool so I could swim on cramp days. Oh well. I got the job done and that's all that matters. :)

Friday was really bad - I was in that slump from my doughnut. How did one pastry ruin my whole day?!? I didn't exercise at all and the only motivation I had was to eat sugary food. Blah.
Yesterday I did some weight lifting and a little bit of cardio.
Since I need to exercise 6x/week for my Fitness Challenge and I missed Friday, I had to go for a walk tonight. There is a distance tracker on sparkpeople.com that I used to find a 2-mile loop and hubby and I walked that tonight. It was a good, brisk walk. :)

PS - I have gotten all possible points on our fitness challenge since it began! YAY! I really hope I win!! I'm very proud of myself what I have done so far!

I'm having a problem. Yesterday, I was with the mom whom I nanny for and she was buying doughnuts for her daughter and herself. She asked me what kind I would like and I told her that I didn't want one, but thanked her for the offer. She insisted because she "couldn't eat a doughnut in front of me." Whatever that means... So she bought me a chocolate doughnut.
I didn't want to be rude (she's British - manors are everything), so I took a bite. That bite led to another and another until it was gone, in like 2 seconds. I hadn't had sugary sweet treats in a long time - at least a month - and it was so sweet on my tongue!
Then we went to Starbucks and she bought me my favorite drink - caramel apple spice - but she forgot to ask for no whip cream, so that added another 65 calories, just for the whipped cream alone! I had just consumed over 500 calories and all I consumed was a sugary doughnut and a small drink! Grrr!
The worst part was that that set the mood for the day and I ate junk all day long! I went WAY over my calorie allotment and I'm craving sweet things today.
It's crazy how one slip-up can have such a huge impact on my cravings. I didn't crave sweets at all before yesterday. I hope it doesn't take long to get over this hump and lose the cravings again.

241.8 (-2.9)!!!

Yes!!

Tonight I did some working out during the commercials while I watched The Biggest Loser - crunches, arm weight exercises, jumping jacks, jump rope, boxing, and push-ups.

Today we found an awesome nature trail where we saw raccoons, armadillos, and other creatures. We walked for about an hour and 20 minutes. I have no idea what the distance was, but it was great to get out into the fresh air and do some hiking.

Today Jed and I went to the mall (the one that's a 1-mile circle) and power-walked it five times! FIVE MILES! And we got to people watch. Win-win!

I did the 30-Day Shred DVD weeks 1 AND 2 today! I feel amazing! What a great way to start the weekend!

Random tidbit: Did you know that granulated sugar has more calories and carbs than powdered sugar, teaspoon for teaspoon? I just learned that.

Discouraged. Frustrated. Annoyed.
This is how I currently free about my weight loss.
I started out just cutting calories and I saw some good success.
Then I started the Couch to 5K Challenge and my success rate when down.
I was told by a trainer friend to incorporate strength training, and I all but completely switched over to the 30-Day Shred DVD. I didn't see a whole lot of difference when I hopped on the scale.

I get enough sleep ~ I drink on average 11-14 cups of water every day ~ I stay within my calorie range every day, if not going a little below ~ I've been exercising 6 days each week ~ I don't drink soda ~ I don't eat late at night ~ I only eat out maybe once or twice per week, and even then I make healthy choices ~ I keep a food diary

I don't understand why my efforts aren't getting the returns I expect!! I mean I weighed much less in high school and one year all I did was stop eating after 8:00pm and I lost 20 pounds that school year! Why is it that I'm doing so much more now and seeing so little results?!?

244.7 (+.2)

Next week will be better.

I haven't been intentionally ignoring this blog... my birthday was on Friday and it's been pretty crazy around here lately. I got a new job as a nanny working two mornings each week and I'm still trying to get back to "normal", or at least figure out what "normal" will be this year. Anyway...

I went to the gym today and did the treadmill:
5 min warm-up @ 3.7MPH
2 min jog @ 5.3MPH
3 min walk @ 3.7MPH  ...repeat cycle 3x for a total of 20 minutes.

And I may go back to the gym with hubby tonight, or I may do a DVD.

[Update: I did the 30-Day Shred DVD tonight, too.]

244.5 (-1.8)!

Back to my pre-Christmas weight! :)

I did the treadmill today.
5 min warm-up @ 3.7MPH
4 min jog @ 5.2MPH
3 min walk @ 3.5MPH
1 min jog @ 5.2MPH
3 min walk @ 3.7MPH
2 min jog @ 5.2MPH
3 min walk @ 3.7MPH
1 min jog @ 5.7MPH
3 min power walk from 3.8-4.5MPH

Man, being away from the treadmill for a couple of weeks really shows! I had a tough time today!

I just did week 2 of the 30-Day Shred DVD.
KILLER! So much harder than the first one!

Sidenote: I've decided to have oatmeal for breakfast every day this week. We'll see how that goes. :)

www.sparkpeople.com

This is the best [free] website that I've found to track calories in and calories out. You also get your own profile; there are [free] message boards and blogs, recipes, articles, such a HUGE support system! The weight started coming off when I truly started using this [free] site and all of its helpful tools to their full extent. Did I mention that it's all FREE?!?

If you decide to join, add me as a friend: allsweetali

I did the 30-Day Shred DVD again today - 6th day of working out in a row! Whew!

Jed has promised me that he will take me on another cruise when I get back below 200lb! Yay!

Another 30-Day Shred DVD today! As the week goes on, it gets harder and harder to find the motivation to work out. BUT I have worked out EVERY DAY this week! That is a good feeling!

Tonight Jed and I found a nature trail and walked/jogged around that loop a couple times. The weather was beautiful and it was good to get some fresh air.

246.3 (-4.8 from Sunday!)

Also, I did the 30-Day Shred DVD yesterday and today. :)

I'm going to start taking my body measurements. I don't know if I'm doing it in exactly the right place, but I'm going to do it in the same spot each time. Maybe this will be more motivation when I see inches in addition to poundage being lost.
Chin/Head - 23.5
Rt Arm - 18.5
Lf Arm - 18.0
Waist - 53.5
Hips -48.5
Rt Thigh - 28.0
Lf Thigh - 28.0

I also did the 30-Day Shred DVD today. Welcome, 2011! :D

In addition to the Biggest Loser Challenge with my family, I decided to join another challenge group. It's on a point system and it's not just a fitness challenge, but a wellness challenge as well. The categories that you can earn points are no soda, reading scriptures, exercising (obviously), and no eating after 7:30pm, among others.

This challenge starts tomorrow and I am way excited! Wish me luck on this one too! ;)

I'm back in the 50's, but not by much: 251.1. That means that I gained SEVEN pounds over the break. Sometimes I wish my mom was a horrible cook. And that I had more willpower. I did try this trick where I made a list of all of the goodies I knew I would want before we went to my mom's house, but I let my portions go out the window. It's super hard to resist when I'm not in control (not in my house/comfort zone) and when everyone else is doing it (peer pressure was never a strong suit of mine). But now that I'm back home and in control, I am back on the wagon!

In other news, I will be participating in another Biggest Loser Challenge starting today (I won the last one, by the way). This time there are 7 participants instead of just 2. Hubby will be playing the game, so we can motivate each other. The competition goes through April 2nd (three months) and each of us have $25 on the line. Wish me luck!!