Wednesday, November 28, 2012

My Rules To Live By: Workouts



I think a lot of us want to start losing weight and think -

“I HAVE to go to the gym”
“I HAVE to workout 3 hours a day”
“I HAVE to lift heavy, or start running” 


It’s simply not true, at all.

Everyone asks me what I do, what workouts I like. Honestly, I like them all, but for me it comes down to three things.

1) Did I burn calories?

Yes? Ok then I like it.


2) Did I sweat/Am I sore?


Yes? Ok then I LOVE it.


3) Am I able to do it in a short amount of time?


Yes? It’s the perfect workout.


That’s it. I’m really not super picky otherwise. I will try anything.

That being said, I do have my favorites but let’s talk about how I started out.

When I started working out, I was almost 300lbs and had never stepped foot in a gym before in my life. I had a 5 month old baby at home, so I needed to be able to workout at home during nap times but had no idea where to start. I had a workout buddy, and she agreed to send me some of her favorite workouts to try but while I was waiting I had to do something. My family had given my husband and I a Wii Fit for the previous Christmas. We had used it but I was pregnant most of the time we owned it so I hadn’t bothered with it in a real fitness way. That first night though, I was determined to do something, so I pulled out my wii fit and got to it. Just 20 minutes of Wii Fit and I was sweating, and it felt amazing. It was nothing too hardcore, just getting up off the couch and getting me to move around. 20 minutes of a game, that was it to get me started and everything grew from there.

Later that week I received dvd’s in the mail from my friend, and couldn’t wait to try them out. She had sent me so much! Stuff I had heard of, stuff I hadn’t, stuff that scared me, easy stuff, hard stuff, you name it! It was a weight loss goldmine. I put the first one in and tried it right away with no hesitation. It was Zumba and it was instant love. I found out through this that I have a love for dance workouts, they are the perfect cardio.

The next day I tried one of the workouts that scared me. Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred. I tried it, and I never looked back. It is still my #1 favorite workout, and I feel it still gives me better results than any other workout I have ever tried. I started doing it with no hand weights whatsoever and gradually moved up to holding mostly empty soda bottles, then 2lb hand weights. I remember buying that first set of hand weights, my best friend made fun of me, saying I definitely needed heavier weights, then she came over and tried the Shred herself and she no longer made fun. That workout is no joke, and only 20 minutes! To this day, 3 years later, I still alternate 3lb and 5lb hand weights on this workout.

After really getting into working out, I asked for EA Sports Active for the Wii and I loved it! It was a little frustrating with all the leg bands and movement tracking, but it was amazing how much of a workout that video game could give me. Plus it had a dance section for cardio, which turned into my favorite move. This is also the first time I attempted running. It was indoor running, and running in place, but it was still hard and I was winded.

Everybody has to start somewhere.

Many Dvd’s and games followed, I have posted about a lot of them on here. I also started feeling more fit and gaining more confidence. I finally decided to try out the gym.

That’s right, probably 6 months into my journey before I stepped foot in a gym.

It was a nice change of pace, and thanks to the Couch to 5k program I was soon running on the treadmill, getting stronger every day. I also started setting myself a walking goal weekly, and breaking it down into smaller daily goals. My normal goal was 12-15 miles a week, starting out small on Sunday and always ending with a 5 mile walk on Thursday night, before my weigh in. There were evenings that I walked into the night, walked in the pouring rain and cold, and those weeks were my best weight loss weeks. Even if I dropped everything else, and only walked, those were the best weeks. Never underestimate the power of simple walking.

Eventually we moved, and I lost access to my gym. It was a sad day because I had gotten so used to being able to visit the gym or pool as soon as my husband got home from work, but I kept moving on and found more videos and games to help me lose weight without getting bored.  2 Months after the move, our twin surprise pregnancy came along. Refusing to let pregnancy stop me, I worked out for half my pregnancy (until the doctors would no longer let me), and the end result was being only 15lbs over my normal weight when I got home from the delivery.

Moral of all of this? No matter how many ups and downs I’ve had, I have never let anything stop me. I never used excuses -

“I’m 300lbs, I can’t do that!” – Yes, you can.

“I’m pregnant, I don’t need to workout” – Yes, you do.


“I can’t afford the gym”
 - Tons of workouts on youtube, google them.

“I don’t have any equipment” – Do you have water bottles, or an empty milk jug? Then fill them with water and you have all the equipment you need!

 
 I wanted this, and I made it happen. Just me, and my body, my dvd player, and my dinky little 2lb hand weights, my wii, my yoga mat, and running in place. Making just 30 minutes a day count, because you don’t have to spend hours in the gym to make miracles happen. Working out at 1am because that’s when the baby was asleep, altering workouts due to injury, pregnancy, walking in the rain and cold. Everything was me, because I wanted it. You just have to want it.



To this day these are my favorite at home workouts and programs -

Jillian Michaels – 30 Day Shred (Level 3 is my favorite), Banish Fat Boost Metabolism (I have not tried any of her newer workouts)
Bob Harper – Pure Burn, Super Strength, Yoga for the warrior, Kettlebell workout
Zumba
Turbofire
Insanity
EA Sports Active Wii
Wii Fit Plus (especially free run and advanced or free step)
Just Dance
Couch to 5k
100 Pushup Challenge
200 Squat Challenge
200 Sit up Challenge





Tuesday, November 13, 2012

My Rules To Live By: Motivation & Mindset

I love Pinterest. Period.

When it first came about and someone invited me, i had no desire to visit the site. It was confusing to me, and honestly i'm a pretty busy lady, i don't need yet another online addiction to spend way too much time on. Time went on, i had some insomniac nights, and i started getting in to it. Lately it has served as a good weight loss resource for me. I get in a slump, or get bored with my workout routine and new ideas are right there at my fingertips. Tired of the same old recipes? Easy, look on pinterest. New workout gear? Pinterest. Motivation? Pinterest. Easy as that.

Today i repinned something from a friend and it got me to thinking about how many people ask me for help and ideas. I constantly have people asking how i have lost the weight, and honestly i never know how to answer them. Hard work and dedication? Sweating my butt off at the gym? Drink water? All those things are true, but in reality it's way more than that and so hard to explain at the drop of a hat. I actually started this blog in the first place so that when someone asked me those questions i could direct them here, and have yet to really make a post on it. Unfortunately (for all of you) if i put it all in one place, it would be way too much reading, so i will break it up in parts to make it easier.




Here is part one - Motivation and Mindset                  *You can find part 2 here*


In order to lose weight, you have to want it. You can't lose weight and get lasting results just because your friend wants to lose weight and wants you to go to the gym with her. You won't lose weight because your Mom/Brother/Doctor/Friend tells you to. You have to do it for you, you have to really want it, and most importantly you have to believe that you can do it. I tried losing weight a thousand times before, but i gave up a week into it. Why? Because i didn't want to work for it, i didn't want to change my habits, and honestly i was pretty ok with myself. This time was different, it was like a light bulb went on over my head and i just knew it was going to happen. I remember the exact moment, where i was, and what i was doing when i finally realized that i COULD do this and started believing in myself.

In order to have success, you also have to figure out why you want to lose weight in the first place. Like me, have you been obese your entire life? Are you generally unhealthy and worried about medical issues? Do you just want to look hot in a bikini? All are valid, you just have to find your motivation, get your head in the right place, set your mind to something, and do it.

My reasons for starting - 

1) I wanted to teach Loralei (and now D & J) how to be healthy. I didn't want her to be the kid getting teased about her weight, or missing out on activities because her parents were too out of shape and unhealthy to play with her.

2) I wanted to be healthy for myself. I didn't want to have to worry about diabetes and heart problems at a young age, like so many of my family members have.

3) I wanted to be able to go shopping with my friends without having to ask them to stop in the plus size store for me. My friends could spend all day shopping from store to store, and i always came in at the end, having only one store to choose items from. I hated it. I just wanted to be average. At the time i couldn't even wear boots (my calves were too large), or normal size bracelets. Do you know how humiliating it is to have to shop for a plus size bracelet?

4) I hated my wedding photos. You have all heard this before. I don't hate the photos, i hate ME in the photos. The one day i was supposed to be at my most beautiful and i was at rock bottom. Looking at those photos is still pure motivation daily.

5) I wanted to look HOT. I did not want to look good for being a mom. I did not want to look normal. I did not want to be skinny. I want to be hot, toned, healthy, and fabulous. Period.

I had a huge mental battle to get to where i am. I had to figure out every single reason for why i wanted to lose weight and recite them to myself daily to keep me going. I'm always asked if i can bottle my motivation, well here it is. Those 5 things are my motivation. I might lose my way from time to time, but then i see those reasons for starting, and i get back on track. Motivation is the hardest part, if you have that, you can have everything.

                                                       Motivation


Mels <3

Monday, November 12, 2012

Recipe: Roasted Red Potatoes and Root Vegetables

In my previous recipe blog i mentioned Tilapia and Roasted Red Potatoes. While i'm still working on my Thanksgiving recipes to get up here, i wanted to share the potato recipe. It's very simple and adds a little something different to dinner, i can imagine this served up with some spicy sliced sausage tossed in for a whole "one-pot" meal.

Roasted Red Potatoes and Root Vegetables

Ingredients list:

2lbs Small Red Potatoes 

8 Small Baby Turnips
1 Cup Baby Carrots
1tsp Minced Garlic
2tbls Olive Oil
2-3tbls Dry Onion Soup Mix
Salt & Pepper to taste
Fresh Parsley as Garnish


Wash and cube potatoes and turnips, pat dry.
Toss potatoes, turnips, and carrots in the olive oil and garlic.
Sprinkle onion soup mix, salt, and pepper over the top.

Place all in shallow baking sheet and bake in 425 degree oven for 30-45 minutes until fork tender and slightly brown. Remove from oven and add parsley or other fresh herbs right before serving.



As a substitute you can also do one medium onion and 8oz baby bella mushrooms instead of the turnips and carrots. Just as yummy!

Enjoy!

Friday, November 9, 2012

Recipe: Tilapia in Lemon & White Wine Sauce

When i was pregnant with the twins, i was in the hospital.

A lot.

The downside for many people in the hospital is the food. I was very fortunate that my hospital had some pretty amazing food and i got to choose from a menu for every single meal. I can't even tell you the amount of times i had to eat there, but i know that after i got familiar with the menu i had one thing every single night for dinner.

Tilapia in a butter/dill sauce, with these little roasted red potatoes. YUM.

When i finally delivered the twins and got to go home, i was a little bit sad because i enjoyed the food so much. I decided to try to come up with my own version and was pretty successful. Here is my take on the hospital tilapia.


Ingredients needed:

4-6 Small Tilapia Filets
2 TBLS Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 TBLS Butter or Margarine (i use "I Can't believe it's not butter" spray instead, around 6-10 sprays or as much as you need)

1/4 TSP Minced Garlic
Zest of one Lemon
Juice of Two Lemons (or lime if you prefer)
1/3 Cup of your favorite white wine
Chopped dill and parsley to garnish
Salt and Pepper to taste


Place olive oil in a pan over medium high heat.
Season tilapia with salt and pepper, place in pan.
Spray butter spray over the tilapia (or melt butter in pan with the oil, your choice)
Add minced garlic to the pan.
Sear tilapia until lightly brown on both sides.
When fish is almost done, add the white wine and lemon zest/juice.
Let everything cook together for about 2 minutes to cook the alcohol off, then add your fresh herbs and serve.

Super simple. Maybe 5 -7 minutes of cook time and less than 5 minutes of prep time. Serve with roasted red potatoes and root vegetables (Recipe Here! ) for a complete meal.

Enjoy!

Thanksgiving Musings

I'm currently in the middle of "No-Weigh November" and quite honestly it scares me a bit. I heavily rely on my scale to tell me where i am and how i am doing on the weight loss front. My scale is my best friend and worst enemy at times. Currently it's a little bit of both. I see my weight stall for weeks on end sometimes and it winds up frustrating me, only sending me running straight to the ice cream aisle at the grocery store. I'm at the point in my weight loss where i am having to be really strict with myself and teach my body how to be healthy, without that number on the scale to guide me or frustrate me.

That being said, my next weigh in will be the day before Thanksgiving so hopefully there will be a nice change by then. I know what i am hoping for but i will keep the number to myself right now.

Onto Thanksgiving prep. I'm trying to find ways to keep the holiday and healthy and still as delicious as possible. So far i don't have any specific recipes but i do have some ideas that i plan to try and follow.

Wild Rice Stuffing instead of typical stuffing
Whole Grain Stuffing

Parsnips along with Mashed Potatoes
Creamy herb cheeses in Mashed Potatoes instead of all the salt/butter/sour cream

Spraying the turkey with a low fat olive oil spray instead of all the butter

Quinoa as a side dish instead of typical pasta dishes

Making my own whole grain rolls and bread

This list will get bigger, those are just a few small ideas. I'm trying to gather things and try them out next week. As usual i will be following my rule of using leaner meats, whole grains and brown pastas, and lowfat dairy on that day. The small things have made all the difference in my lifestyle change over the years.

As for No-Weigh November. I'm working out every single day this month. I will make that scale move. This plateau will not get the best of me. I haven't stopped before, why would i stop now?

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

Another Page for the Scrapbook

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love having photos done. I feel the same way about our yearly family photos that most women feel about their wedding day.

That is, in the weight loss sense.

You know that sense of urgency women feel to look their best and be their thinnest on their wedding day? They just *have* to fit into that wedding gown perfectly. I never felt that. I happily walked down the aisle in my size 24/26 dress, as a matter of fact i GAINED weight before my wedding, and not just 5lbs. That is part of what motivated me to lose weight in the first place, seeing my 250lb self in that big, fluffy, white dress. Those photos are plastered all over my home, and i'm not proud of them. I pretty much hate myself in them, i hate that at the time, i saw nothing wrong with the way i looked, i thought i was perfectly healthy.

Now, every time our family photos come up, i feel like i'm getting kind of a redo on my wedding day. I see it as my biggest push of the year to do the best i can, give all i can give, and ultimately go into being happy with the knowledge that i have done my absolute best for my health lately.

This year was no different. I worked my butt off last month, cut out all my crap eating, worked out at least once a day, drank all the water i should be drinking and then some, took my vitamins, took fantastic care of my skin, and got the sleep i so desperately needed. I treated my body like a temple, like it deserves to be treated. It was a tough month no doubt but the end result was a loss of 7lbs in October and being able to go down a size in dresses and shirts. One step closer to goal!

Our photos were Sunday (With the amazing Brianne http://briannebradburyphotography.com/) and i can't wait to see the end result. We started getting our photos done with Brianne after i had lost my first 10lbs so her photos tell a story every year and i treasure them.

I can't wait until one day, i reach goal, have my wedding dress altered and step back out to have a "Trash the dress" shoot. To finally give me peace about the size 24 dress i walked down the aisle in. For now, i will be happy with my yearly photos, something to add to my weight loss timeline. 20 more pounds to go...


After our photos on Sunday
                                                     

Monday, October 29, 2012

The Great Cereal Debate

Years ago (ok like, 3) when I first started trying to lose weight I had a huge turning point one night. Otherwise known as a meltdown of epic proportions that would put my 2 toddlers and preschooler to shame. I think I was maybe 1 week in to my weight loss journey, it was about 10pm, dinner was long over, and I was still hungry. All I could think about was cereal, a big bowl full of corn flakes and milk.

Yum.

I remember wanting it so badly that I was grumpy and depressed, trying to justify to my Husband why I should eat it. I talked the subject to death for over an hour, then came the meltdown. I was literally in the floor, crying like my 3 year old, because I wanted something to eat and knew I shouldn't have it.

"It's just a bowl of cereal"

"Milk is good for me"

"I don't go to bed until 2am anyways"

"I will workout longer tonight"

Those are all valid points that I remember making to myself. What I wasn't saying though was more important.

"Am I really hungry?"

"Why do I want to eat?"

"Am I thirsty?"

"Why do I want cereal?"

"Am I just bored?"

I wasn't thinking about those things, I was just thinking about how I really wanted something else to eat, even though I had already eaten a more than adequate dinner. I was however, in tears, because I knew that if I could say no to that, I could say no to anything and maybe I would be able to succeed in weight loss this time. It was only a bowl of cereal, but it was a lot more to me, it was a symbol of all my hopes and dreams for my future body.

I chose an apple, and a bottle of water, and I worked out. Then i went to bed, happy, that I had said no and would survive to see another day of weight loss.

I still have those days. Unfortunately I let them win out sometimes lately, because I have gotten comfortable where I am. I'm trying to say no more often, because I am so close to winning this race. Today i'm trying to say no over some yummy leftovers from dinner last night. I had completely forgotten about them, until I opened up the fridge to make my munchkins some lunch, and there they were, just staring me in the face, begging me to eat them for lunch. I have lunch planned already, yet now those leftovers are haunting me, and i'm having another inner battle, just like that night with the cereal. I even went so far as to lay my leftovers out on the counter, getting ready for me to eat.

I was strong enough to say no that night, with the cereal. I'm strong enough to say no today.

What can you say no to today?

Friday, October 19, 2012

It's Fall Already?

We moved near the end of August. Moving is tough. It's been hard on the kids, adjusting to the new place, it's been tough on the husband, farther commute to work, and it's been tough on me, mostly on my waistline. My weight has been yo-yoing all summer within a 10lb range, nothing too drastic in the gain department but nothing fantastic in the loss department either. When we moved, i think i just kind of gave up for a while, i was beginning to wonder if i would ever get my motivation back.

It seems to have finally found me again. 2 full months later. Better late than never right? I've been working out with Turbo Fire videos this week and wow have they been kicking my butt. I've also kicked all sweet food and soda out of our house and started having much healthier lunches. My results are down over 3.5lbs this week. I'm pretty happy about that! My goal is to lose 7 more over the next 3 weeks. I definitely have my work cut out for me. Here's to hoping that next week, the yo-yoing cycle doesn't continue, and instead the scales moves in my favor again.

Friday, April 6, 2012

Wearing My Mommy War Wounds Proudly

Holy cow am i behind on here! Thankfully that is only in the blogging world because in the weight loss world i am still rocking and rolling. Only a little over 3 weeks to go until my big vacation, can you feel the excitement?!

Let's start with the boring stats. At my last weigh in i was down 3lbs, Yep 3!!! I was shooting for 2 so i was ecstatic with those results. That brought me down to 172lbs, only 2lbs away from 110lbs total lost, that's my next goal, and hopefully will see that one within the week!

I also hit an amazing milestone...

I went bikini shopping... *Insert dramatic music here*

For the first time in my entire life, i went in the fitting room with an arm full of two-piece suits. The next hour was filled with jumping up and down, wiggling, a lot of sucking it in, and a little bit of wishing and praying, and it all paid off because i walked out with 5 suits!

Now I'm nowhere near having washboard abs, but when you go from a size 24/26 to a 10, you can get away with a bikini any day and feel confident. As women we are way too harsh on ourselves, picking at every little flaw. We only live once!!! I for one, am proud of how far i have come and i am ready to feel sexy and girly for the first time in my life. No more hiding behind a fat suit for me. My poor sun virgin belly is going to be soooo burnt...

This is a before/after photo i posted for a weight loss challenge i just completed. There is no touching up or staging at all, just a cell phone camera and a mirror. 


Five weeks, that's it! Can you believe what is possible in five weeks? Crazy proof that you can do anything you set your mind to.  I can't wait to see what it's like when i leave for vacation, hopefully a good 5lbs lighter and a heck of a lot more toned.

Operation: beach body 2012 is in full swing! 








Thursday, March 22, 2012

Workout of the Week: Abs & Arms

This is another one of the workouts i have been doing lately. It's pretty killer on the abs. Just once doing it and i was feeling the burn for days. This is definitely going to be on the top of my list as a workout to do to get beach ready. This workout doesn't include a lot of cardio so i suggest doing in along with some added cardio of your choice, i do it with aerobic step or Just Dance 3, and the whole workout can take me around 45-60 minutes or if i only do the Abs & Arms, 20 minutes. Youtube any moves you don't know and give it a try!

Weigh in - 3/19/12

What a week! I have been so busy that i have pretty much passed out by the time 10pm rolls around, and that is my prime internet time since all my kids are in bed. It's been nice to catch up on a little sleep but i have been severely neglecting my internet duties.

Let's start with this weeks weigh in...175! Yep, i am officially down to the lowest weight i have ever been. And when i say that, i don't mean that i was skinny as a teenager and then put on weight. Nope, i probably haven't been this weight since puberty or before. I am smaller now than i was at 13 years old and much much healthier. For that i can say that i am so proud of myself!

This also brings me to 20lbs lost with Weight Watchers, and 105lbs lost total. I am a whole new person and i love it.

I have 5 (ish) weeks left before my tropical vacation. I'm hoping to really push and lose 2lbs a week between now and then. To do so i have done a complete overhaul of my routine. I have been eating much cleaner. Cutting back on processed foods, trying to eat fruits and veggies as my snack and lunch, cutting out sugar, not bringing diet soda or juices into my home (although i will still have a soda out occasionally), avoiding cheese (this use to be an every day snack for me, now cutting back to a couple times a week), aaaand revamping my workouts! That's the exciting one!

So as part of a challenge i am doing with friends, i have posted a new workout every week for all of us to do. I posted one here and that was the "Sexy Legs" workout, and i have others that i will be posting. This is the last week of our current challenge and we are all working really hard to put up the best number possible for the week and end of the challenge. This weeks workout is called "The Savage" and it's pretty awesome, it's an exhaustion workout instead of reps, which means you can make it as difficult as you want. So this week my workouts have been "The Savage" in the mornings, Walking in the afternoons, and another workout in the evenings, either with my Wii or one of my dvd's. I'm hoping that this will really help boost my weight loss and build some of the muscle back that i lost when i was pregnant with my twins.

Another part of my new routine is something i already touched on, i'm getting more sleep! Which is incredibly important to weight loss. My friends and i have discovered that you can "gain" 2-3lbs just by getting a crappy night of sleep. That's motivation to get a really good nights sleep, especially right before weigh in day!

Hopefully this changing up of the routine helps. I'm happy with 1lb a week but i want to make sure i am doing everything possible to look and feel fantastic for my vacation. No Regrets!


Monday, March 12, 2012

Workout of the Week: Legs

Recently, along with everyone else, I have discovered Pinterest. I really really REALLY didn't want to fall into it, and for the most part I have stayed away. Because let's be honest, the last thing we need is yet another thing on the internet to get addicted to, and time is precious as it is! However a friend of mine posted a workout she found on Pinterest and it was a pretty slammin' workout so I decided to go check it out a little better and to my surprise I started finding some awesome inspiration for workouts. The only problem was that I was getting sick and tired of "stealing" everyone elses workouts or modifying them for myself. The simple solution? Come up with my own of course!


So I've been working on them slowly and every week I plan a new one and a group of my best friends do them right along with me. To date, my favorite has to be my lower body workout. I was unable to walk for a good two days after doing it, and I did it 5x in that first week! It killed! But it also blasted through some of that lower body flab that all of us hate and I've been losing some pretty good inches off of that part of my body finally.

Here's my lower body workout. Let me know if you try it and what you think!

PS. Youtube the moves that you don't know.

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Supermom VS. Skinny Diva

It's no secret that i'm a mom. A big part of where i got my motivation was after Loralei was born, i wanted to be healthy for her, to show her a good example, and things just took off from there. Well right about now i am pulling my hair out, trying to find a healthy middle ground between Supermom and Skinny Diva.

It's hard.

Like this week. It's pretty much a complete wash on the Skinny Diva front. My kids - all 3 of them - have decided that this seems like a good week to give up sleeping. Because really, who needs it anyways?

Apparently not mommy!

I just spent 4.5 long hours attempting to get Jasper to sleep, 2.5 of those with him screaming and Loralei crying that she is scared of everything from ghosts to her fuzzy pink blanket. It's now 1am, and my kids JUST fell asleep. Unfortunately that leaves no time for my normal evening workout, and a lot of stress that makes me want to eat my feelings away. This is not a rare occurrence, unfortunately this is almost the nightly "norm" around here. I've come to accept it... my kids don't sleep.

But despite it all, all the stress, all the lack of sleep, all the lack of workouts. I refuse to give up. Sure a supersized Mcdonald's value meal sounds REALLY good right about now, because who doesn't feel better after throwing back 1350 artery clogging calories??? But, i said no. I refuse to stress eat my weight back. Because one day, my babies will sleep through the night (eventually...right?!) and i would prefer to already be skinny, so that i don't have to work 2x as hard when that time comes.

Through it all, i do have an amazing piece of news for myself this week. I'm officially back at my lowest reached weight ever, 176lbs, and ecstatic about it! Now i can move on and see some new numbers that  i've never seen on the scale before. Just have to keep soldiering on.

Nobody said it was easy...

Wednesday, March 7, 2012

It's not always about the number on the scale

When  you are trying to lose weight, the most important day of the week is Weigh in day. You plan your whole week around it, you countdown to it, you get excited/scared/nervous the night before. It's a really big deal. Those numbers you are going to wake up to can make you extremely happy or bum you out to the point that you are ready to give up.

So many of my dear friends - and myself included - are always super hard on themselves when they are putting so much effort into losing weight, only to be disappointed on weigh in day. We often forget that the scale isn't a tell-all for how we look and feel, it doesn't know everything. It's just a scale.

Do you take measurements? You should. Period.

(Thank you Jackie!)

If you've been in this game a while, you know all about the fact that a single pound of fat takes up more space on your body than a pound of muscle, but the scale doesn't know that. Your measuring tape does! And more importantly your clothing knows! Do not get down on yourself over a number, do not give up. Be proud that you can say you lived the absolute healthiest you could that week, and trust me, your body already knows it!

My weight loss has slowed down and i expected it would so i'm ok with it. I'm still trying to be in the best shape i possibly can be for my honeymoon. Last night i decided to try on some of my summer dresses to see what i could take with me since my honeymoon is only about 7 weeks away. Nothing fit. Nothing. Not a single darn thing! At first, i was really disappointed...My favorite dress - unwearable...but after a couple of minutes it dawned on me that i was able to wear these dresses at my lowest weight before, yet now, they hang on me. I never knew a stretchy fabric could hang on you, because well, when you are as big a girl as i was, you buy the stretchy fabric and just hope it can stretch far enough. So look at that, my point came full circle...my weight is the same as two years ago, but my waistline and dress size isn't.

Scales can be evil...do not let them steal a moment of victory from you.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Weigh-in 3/5/12

It's that time again...weigh in day.

Dun Dun Dun...

A couple of weeks ago i decided to give it a go with changing up my weigh in days. SUPER BAD IDEA! I have still shown losses every week, but nothing like what i want to see. Tonight i was back on track 100% with my Monday weigh ins and Weight Watchers meetings and it felt good. I'm a weekend eater, and i know that. Monday is the best weigh in day for me, it breaks that awful weekend habit because who in their right mind is going to stuff their face with french fries on Saturday knowing full well they have to face the scale on Monday?

Someone who is NOT going to lose weight. That's who. As of today, i am down to 177lbs. One little pound from my lowest weight ever in November 2010. The baby weight hasn't come off quick, but i'm pretty happy with it all. My little twins aren't yet 9 months and i'm 1lb from my lowest weight every. Hopefully by the time they hit that 9 month milestone, i will have breezed into new weight loss territory that i have never seen. As of Tuesday, i am exactly 8 weeks out from my belated honeymoon. My original goal was to be at 169 by the time i leave, i'm going to push it a little further and aim for another 15lbs lost by then. If i don't hit my goal, it's ok, but i would rather aim high and enjoy the amazing rewards if i reach that goal rather than get lazy because my goal is too low. I am 22lbs over my ultimate goal...22lbs! HOLY CRAP! I never thought i would see that day. When you have over 100lbs to lose, everything looks pretty impossible. Yet here i am...living proof that nothing is impossible.

Stay healthy! Look from some of my own little workout challenges to be posted soon.

Monday, February 20, 2012

100lb Success

I've been so unbelievably busy that i haven't been around to update my last couple of weigh ins. Tons of good news to share!

I'm still loving my journey with Weight Watchers. Finally i have found something that works and doesn't make me feel deprived. I don't even feel like i NEED cheat days where as before i would live for the weekend. The biggest plus i see to the program is that even if i don't have time to workout for hours every day, i still lose weight. I've barely been able to workout for the last two weeks due to visiting family and various appointments. I've gotten in walks and the random workout from time to time but nothing consistent like i like to do. Surprise surprise, i'm still losing weight!

As of Saturday i was down 15lbs since starting WW just a few weeks ago. I'm below pre-pregnancy weight, back in my pre-pregnancy clothing/sizes, and back at my 100lbs lost! FINALLY! Now i am only 4lbs from my lowest weight ever and i can move on to brand spanking new territory.

This week i am working on a 2x a day workout routine, just to jumpstart things again and hopefully reach my lowest weight ever within the next two weeks. My mornings start with a workout a friend shared with me that she found on Pinterest called "The 100 Workout". I honestly thought it wouldn't be too good of a workout and was fully prepared to do something in addition to it but it took at least 30 minutes and kicked my butt! Definitely a good way to start the day. My evenings will be a mix of all my new Bob Harper Dvd's that i haven't tried yet.

I also have my honeymoon booked for May 1st of this year and i need to be beach body ready! I set a goal for myself of 169lbs by then, that is still my goal but i also want to tone up a tone. I have a lot of goals set out, and plan on reaching every one of them.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Weight watchers weigh-in: Week 2

Anyone else hate the dreaded week 2? Its usually a killer. Week 2 usually sees a lot of disappointed people, people giving up. Everyone is coming off of the really exciting week 1, expecting a follow up, being let down. Every week can't be week 1...and it shouldn't be! In my opinion, surviving week 2 weeds out the giver uppers from the lifers. This isn't for two weeks, your not going to reach goal in two weeks, and you shouldn't. This is for the long haul, this is for life. If you can live in the healthy weight loss world for 2 weeks, you can do anything!

Well, I made it through my 2 weeks, and my results prove it! On a whole, I'm down 11lbs since beginning weight watchers. My jeans are falling off (hellooooo shopping spree!) And my shirts are fitting better. What's better? I'm at my lowest weight since my twinsies were born and only 3lbs above pre-twin weight. Its a happy day!

I have a huge goal set for myself, I will share soon!

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Shaking things up a bit

Super exciting news in the world of me...I joined Weight Watchers! I have had a few friends suggest it for a while now, and after an awful start to the year as far as weight loss is concerned i finally decided to give it a go. The verdict?

Surprise surprise, it works! I'm loving it already. I am on week 2 and have now gone through my first official weigh in. During week 1 i lost 7lbs. Results aren't typical, and definitely won't continue like that but i feel like i have finally found something that dumbs it down and makes it easy for me and i'm ecstatic! It's really hard to be a mom of three little ones and count calories all day long. Even then i'm never really sure if i should be counting calories, fat, fiber, carbs, sodium...? You can't really count them all and make the absolute right choices all the time. Weight watchers has made it so much easier for me. There really is no gray area, it's all black and white, and that's what i need. Best of all, it's not a fad...this weight will get off and stay off.

In other exciting news, i order a ton of new Bob Harper (you all know how i love him!) dvd's for working out and i can't wait to start reviewing those and feeling the burn. I did my first workout with one of them tonight and i was sweating buckets. Who doesn't love that?!?! Wanna sweat, get with Bob. FOR SURE! I will post which workouts i do and what i think of them along the way in case anyone else wants to jump on the wagon with me.

That is all from my corner of the world. My weigh ins are on Mondays now so be on the lookout for super exciting Monday posts!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Routine Routine Routine

I survived the holidays once again, and without a gain! Talk about happy! Now it's back to the grind and back to reality. I'm working on making a consistent routine for my family. Not only does it help my little babies but it sets aside a block of time for me every day to workout. I'm trying to figure out which block of time works best for me will hopefully get in a good groove soon. This morning i tried my workout right when i woke up. It was great and is giving me motivation for the rest of the day, and i got the added weight of my 35lb toddler on my back the whole time! Yeah...early mornings might not work...

I have started my 30 day challenge on the EA Sports Active for wii. I have done it before with great success. I am doing that in addition to the 200 squats/200 crunches/100 pushups challenges i have done before. I love these challenges. They are short, you can do them in blocks if you don't have time to workout for hours at a time, and they are very effective. I also purchased a few new workout toys to go along with my wii fit to increase the difficulty, i can't wait to give those a go. I will do a review on them when i have given them a good workout. Weigh in on Saturday...look for it!