for the record, again.

I would like to state for the record, again, that I have not gained any weight during my exercise absence OR and thats a big OR, during the Christmas season.

Did I shun myself from the delicious treats that encompass this season?

No.

I ate lots and lots of it.

but I did it smartly, and balanced.

So now here I am, weighing the exact same today, as I did on Halloween.

actually I lied, I lost 1 lbs.

:-)

157!

finally!

I have often tried to type my story out and do a play by play for all to see and read.

It usually does not work.

But I found this http://www.kevinandamanda.com/whatsnew/category/my-weight-loss-story.

Oh my goodness.

This post says everything I have been trying to tell people and just can't really drive it home to them.

Any time someone asks how I lost weight, and I say eating healthy and exercise, they always look at me with disappointment. Like I was about to tell them some secret that no one else can know. Like eating healthy and exercising won't work.

Jerks.

It works.

and its the only thing that works.

Even people who have surgery, AFTER they have it, they have to eat healthy, and exercise.

There is no way around it.

I repeat, no way around it.

please read her blog, her story and learn.

:-)

finished reading.

:-)

I am on chapter 15...

3 more chapters....and they are WAY easy chapters.

so close.

so

so

so

so

close.

update.

I am on chapter 13, out of 18.

Almost there!

BTW I would just it to be put on the record that I have not gained a single pound during my exercise absence.

so for everyone out there that thinks when you lose a bunch of weight and then stop working out, you gain it all back, I laugh in your face!

hmmmm

My personal work out goals have been put on hold.

for good reason.

I am studying to become a certified Personal Trainer!

so with that said, I have absolutely zero time to work out.

I need to study.

I have read 4 out of 18 long chapters, and I have read them 3 times.

I seriously have already learned so much, and so much stuff I already knew, makes much more sense now.

like why you want your heart rate up.

and so much more.

I shall try and keep you updated.

update.

I noticed since losing almost 40 lbs that I am weaker than I used to be.

I feel like I am not getting enough nutrients to support my active lifestyle.

so after consulting my physician, I decided to start taking vitamins.

not a weight loss pill.

vitamins, to support weight loss, ie getting the nutrients I need to give me energy.

I decided on One a day weight smart vitamins.

I will let you know how it goes, so far so good.

lots more engergy!

On a side note, today I had a Wendy's chocolate frosty equipped with fries for dinner.

and I don't feel guilty.

It was so good.

help

HELP!!!

ugh.

I have been sick since saturday, and I have not had any sort of appetite.

its horrid.

really.

the other day I got a small arbys sandwich and could not finish it for the life of me, I felt so full.

I dont think I am too sick any more so why cant I eat?!

I need to eat!!!!

Wanna see?

People ask me what I am eating to help me lose weight.

Let me tell you the answer.

Healthy stuff, and unhealthy stuff in mode

ration.

:-)

Calories in a day no more then 1300. (its tricky, but not hard.)

Let me SHOW you what I eat in a day.

Yoplait yogurt is something I have for snacks, after work or when I am craving food.

This is something I might have for breakfast. 2 blueberry Eggo waffles, and a carnation instant breakfast pouch in a glass of soy milk.

Squash! I LOVE squash. But this is where unhealthy in moderation comes in, because I put butter and salt on my squash.

PIZZA!!! also unhealthy in moderation. Also a glass of Soy milk. only of a few portions of pizza are unhealthy, most cheeses and the pepperonis. the grease from pizza comes from the pepperoni and cheese. I make the crust with 2 Rhodes roll doughs(from sams club), pizza sauce, cheese and pepperoni. this pizza that I make this way, is 465 calories. If I have been good all day long, this is my dinner as a treat. :-) to make it more healthy, substitute pepperonis for mushrooms, olives or other healthier things that go on pizza.

Apples and peanut butter. Its actually a high calorie snack, the apple is maybe 40 cals, but the peanut butter is 180 cals for 2 tbsp. I usually have this after my workout because of the protein in the peanut butter.

This is what is in my pantry!!! In the bottom left is a huge box of top ramen, which I eat for lunch some days- 190 cals.

Lunch is probably the meal I skip most often, or dont eat much for because I work from 10-1 so I am never home.

I make sure to have a yummy, biggish dinner because at night is when I get bored and start to munch on stuff.

Figure out what time of day you munch or binge the most, and then start to make sure the meal you eat right before that, is a good yummy full meal. it will help the munching. :-)

p.s. The soy milk is not necessarily more healthy then regular milk, I just like the fact that it has Soy Protein in it because it helps me so much in losing weight. Soy milk does have less calories, but obviously doesn't much like milk. You decide whats best for you!

new activity

Today my husband and I started playing Racquetball together.

:-)

Jason doesn't have any interest in going to the gym with me, so playing racquetball and tennis is good enough for now.

I have to say I never realized how active this two sports were. there is a ton of short burst running around, which sorta like circuit cardio.

Of course Jason, having been a tennis player in high school, beat me. But it was still lots of fun!

we bought the rackets off craigslist for 7$ each so its a rather cheap activity for us since our apartment supplies the court. :-)

I highly recommend this activity for couples who have it available to them, its a fun sport, with lots of laughs!

Here are some interesting fitness facts of racquetball.

The average number of calories burned during racquetball play ranges from moderate at 640/hour [Prevention, 1995] to 794/hour [Men's Health, 1995] -- to a high level at 13.7 per minute (or 822/hour) [Sports Training Institute].

An average game will take 20 minutes, during which a player will run a distance of approximately 3,650 feet -- or over two miles in one hour of play. [U.S. Olympic Training Center]

Racquetball players work at a constant rate of 75 to 85% of their maximum heart rate for the duration of a typical racquetball game.
[USRA Elite Training Camp, 1992]

Racquetball offers both aerobic and anaerobic benefits (I did not add that in, proof of aerobic and anaerobic!) , with both sustained high level heart rate activity and quick bursts of energy required during play.

Racquetball works nearly every muscle group, including sustained, repetitive use of large muscles that increase calorie burn and reduce fat percentage.

now go play!!

Give me a minute and let me talk to you about calorie counting.

as annoying as it is to count calories, it really is one of the best ways to monitor what you are eating, and burning.

I know its obnoxious, and sometimes I have no idea how many calories are in something, like Squash or other things without a label.

There is a great website to help you.

www.thedailyplate.com

Set up a FREE profile, your height age weight yada yada. It has a calorie tracker, you type in any food you want, and you can be specific, it finds it, has a little button that says" I ate this" you click that button, and it adds it to your tracker for the day, it adds the calories, fat, protein, everything! another cool thing, well here is an example. I had some of a coke today, but not the whole thing, I typed in coca cola, and you can put in how much of it you had, so I entered .25 of a serving size. I also had albertsons brand cookies, 4, so I put in 4.0 servings. it does the calories based on how many servings you had. its so awesome.

also, it has a calories burned tracker, type in what exercises you did that day, again you can be very specific, it finds it, according to your weight and height it knows how many calories you burned, it adds that to your tracker with how many calories you burned, and evens out your caloric intake for the day. (it even has sex as an activity lol. 79 calories burned in a hour!)

give it a try, its totally free and way easy. very user friendly!

why aren't you losing weight?

Let me try and explain something.

for you.

and your understanding.

I have always told my readers and everyone else that asks, that the key to weight loss is cardio, but slow cardio. keeping your heart rate no higher then 145 which usually means a really fast walk, or a very slow jog.

It has come to my attention that some may not believe me, or may think that running faster will burn the fat faster.

PLEASE believe me.

this is NOT true.

there are two types of cardio. Aerobic and Anaerobic. look it up if you want.

Aerobic is the lighter of the two, walking, jogging etc. Aerobic is " in the presence of oxygen." when you do Aerobics your body recognizes the activity and begins to burn fat because it CAN because it is getting enough oxygen.

Anaerobic is "in the absence of air." running fast, tennis, things that get your heart rate going really fast are considered anaerobic. When this happens, your body is working so hard, breathing becomes scarce, rapid and short. When that happens, your body CAN'T focus on burning fat because it is so focused on the physical activity and needs of what your body is currently doing.

some might ask why then are track stars and runners so thin and lean.

good question.

Anaerobic cardio is NOT pointless. Quite the opposite, its great. You just have to realize what the outcome of it will be. Aerobic cardio burns fat, Anaerobic cardio builds muscle. Muscle is needed to burn fat, the more muscle you have, the more fat you burn. So they actually compliment each other.

To get a good balance of both, intervals are recommended. see HERE.

Your cardio needs to be balanced. You shouldn't do all of one type and none of the other. You won't see results and you will become discouraged.

Those who decide to run for 45 mins everyday, and who don't lose weight get frustrated and want to know why they aren't seeing results. The truth is that results are happening you just cant see them. Your muscles are being toned, leaned and worked on UNDERNEATH THE FAT. Realize that fat is always on top of muscle, and since fat is not being burned, you won't ever see them.

Those who decide to just do walking for 30 mins every day will burn fat, get smaller and lose weight. But sometimes they still aren't happy with how they look, because they want to be tone and lean. Since their cardio was just fat burning, they didn't work on their muscles and so yes, they did get smaller, but just a smaller version of their flabby self.

Make sense?

This is something I learned a long time ago, but while studying for my fitness trainer exam I learned how to explain it. :-)

recently

I have been doing well!

I am down to 161 lbs for a total weight loss of 36 lbs.

so far.

for biggest loser folks that is 19% weight loss.

Can't complain. :-)

I went camping for the last week with Jason's family so that made it a lot easier to lose more weight which was great cause I needed another jump start.

losing this much weight has been so great! my favorite store is now american eagle and I love the fact that I fit into all the stores at the mall. Its seriously been so great for my happiness and self esteem, but I am also terrified. I am so scared to gain it back, especially after I have kids. Its sad because there is a tiny part of me that cant enjoy the weight loss because it doesnt think it will last. oh well, I know how to lose it, and I know how to keep it off so I shouldn't worry so much about it.

now a question for you folks.

Silk SoyMilk.

opinions?

I have heard really good things about it, and it has 7 grams of soy protien which I know has worked really well for me in the past, so I am considering switching to this milk.

Its double the price of regular milk so I want to make sure its worth it.

What do you think?

Okay. It is time for some updated pictures.

This morning in my chunky self feeling I decided taking some updated pictures might be a good way to bring myself out of my funk.

It helped. a little lol.

Ignore the hair, I just woke up.
Also, the shirt is the tightest I have, and it still isnt as tight as after pictures need, so the picture of my bum, doesnt really show my figure that well.

Here is me in my ''before" pants. I feel like this picture always looks the same...

Here is my bum. lol actually I took this picture so I could get an idea of what the back of my legs look like. When I put my feet together, I have a space in between my legs!!! yay!!

Side view of course.

Let me explain this picture. It may not look like a ton of difference in how those pants fit, BUT those pants are pants I bought after losing 25 lbs, they are a size 12, and fit like that.

Well there ya have it, there is my update, with pictures for your viewing pleasure.

yep, tomorrow.

Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow, you're only a day away.

Tomorrow.

That is such a procrastinators word, but for tonight it will have to do. Tomorrow I will be more serious about my weight loss.

Tomorrow.

I promise. Cardio and pilates every day.

Starting tomorrow.

P.S. after writing tomorrow that many time it no longer looks like a normal word.

I must blog

K so I am working on a project for my bestest friend who is trying to lose pregnancy weight, and since I want that to be my main focus when I get certified, I am testing it now. I have done tons of research and I can tell you one thing for sure, the absolute best most effective and fastest way to lose weight, is cardio.

now, let me tell you you somethings I have learned about doing cardio and being most effective. I know it sounds dumb, and I know you may not believe me, but stop using machines!!! I understand in the winter obviously there almost isnt a choice unles you wanna go run around inside the church gym(which is totally an option) but when it is summer and nice outside, I promise you will see more results if you do the work on your own, as apposed to using a machine.

Let me tell you the history behind machines. they started with the strength training machines, and the reason why they made them in the first place, was to make sure people were doing the exercises correctly, in good form. Which is great, cardio machines however, are not. I don't care what machine you use, I promise it does half the work for you. Elipticals, you already know my feelings on those, treadmills, your foot hits the belt and the belt pulls you through — it’s mainly a quad exercise. the only way a treadmill will be as good as regular running, is if you turn it off and push the belt yourself. Basically with a treadmill you are lifting your legs up and down, but now pushing your body forward because the belt moves on its own. make sense? Now please don't get me wrong, I am not saying that using a cardio machine is totally useless, I am telling that its not the most EFFECTIVE way to use your time. let me put it this way, 45 mins on the treadmill can be done in 25 mins outside.

A variance I am having with doing this for my friend, is she hates running/walking. Which, a lot of people do, which is why they don't do it. That is fine, there are so many other forms of carido out there, swimming, kickboxing and others. My other thing with her is she has a baby, so yes, she could go somewhere and work out, either leaving her baby with a sitter or what else, but lets face it, when you are trying to motivate yourself to simply workout, thats hard enough, but when you have to make arrangements for a baby and then load her up, makes motivation that much harder. So I have found some cardio activities she can actually do right from her living room, or even in her back yard. I am not sure if she will like them, its an interval training regement, and its intense. The key is, the more intense your work out, the faster you lose weight. Intervals are hard, and sometimes painful, but so wonderful after. If you would like to do these, here is a short video to show you HOW to do all the exercises, not for how long but so you can get a visual.

Start with a three to five minute warm-up then go right into your first interval: 30 seconds of brisk walking (or jogging). At the end of 30 seconds, you should be winded and ready to slow down. This will be your active recovery period, slowing your walking down for the next 2 minutes. Then repeat by increasing the intensity of your speed for 30 seconds.

3-5 minute warm up
30-60 sec. “high”
30-90 sec “low”
Repeat this pattern for 4 to 8 complete Intervals (a total of 10 to 15 minutes) and finish with a cool down.

So I would suggest picking 3 or 4 different exercises in the video and switching off in your intervals which one you do. I would suggest doing jumping jacks or regular jump rope for your "low" intensity portion of your intervals. So remember, 30-60 sec. “high” and then 30-90 sec “low” is ONE INTERVAL, or a SET if you will. If you do 60 sec and 90, 8 times, you will have done cardio for 27 mins including 5 mins warm up and 2 min cool down.

today

back to it!

I admit, I have slacked off. To the point that I just haven't been doing anything at all.

I started drinking soda again :-(

Starting over. right now.

I didn't gain any weight, which is good. I can tell the difference in my body's health though when I eat well and exercise compared to when I don't.

Weight loss takes a long time if you are doing it the right, healthy way. Your bound to mess up, or give up a couple times. The good thing is, when you give up and go back to your old ways, its not too long before you realize why you wanted to lose weight and be healthy in the first place.

So today I have done well, had my Kashi cereal, lots of water, a nice banana. Doing well. Exercising seems to be the hard part. The weather is nice and there is no reason I shouldn't be doing my cardio. So my goal is to do cardio 4 times a week and strength training 3 times a week.

I am so close to my goal I can taste it!

weekly workout

Inner thighs ladies. Inner things are an area that in exercise that seems to get overlooked, the reason is that men do not have issues with their inner thighs so its not as common of an exercise. The fact is that almost every woman wants to work on her inner thighs.

There are tons of thigh workouts out there, but be careful to not be fooled on what it for your inner thighs and what is for your OUTER thighs. Here are two exercises you can do at home.

This picture I used for the bottom exercise. It is absolutely my favorite exercise for inner thighs. When I lift my bottom leg, I lift it 3 times, so I go up, then a little higher, then a little higher. I do it 20 times.

This one is great. With the ball it is recommened that you go up and down along with the wall, but if you don't have a ball at home, just do it against the wall and hold the position as long as you can.

I hope this helps ya'll. Good Luck with swimsuit season everyone!!!

IT happened.

:-(

IT happened.

I knew IT would come.

I don't like IT, not one little tiny bit.

I want IT to stop and just go away.

Ladies, I am talking about, my boobs. YES. my boobs.

When women lose weight, USUALLY the first place they lose it, is in their boobs. This can explain why at the beggining of weight loss, you may lose a little bit of weight, but your pants are still as tight as ever! Because it is most common for it to come from your boobs first.

For me however, I have been extremely fortunate. I am on Yasmin birth control, which for most women, takes them up a cup size. For me, since I was starting to lose weight, it kept my boobs right where they were, a full plump C. I lost 33 lbs and not a single one came from my beloved chest.

Until now.

I noticed last night, they just weren't the same. They have lost some of their plumpness. Also, my bra is a bit bigger on me than it used to be. Now, I am on my period also, so I don't know it that has anything to do with IT, but I don't like IT. luckily I only have 19 more lbs to go and I hope it comes from my legs, not my chest.

Cross your fingers, pretty please?

When this happens, there isn't really a whole lot you can do. Fat is fat, and your boobs are made of fat tissue. When you do cardio, which is the only way to burn fat, IT just starts burning fat, you can't control where the fat comes from. You can do chest strength training, which might help a smidge, but not a lot.

So for now, I am on to a smaller me, which includes a smaller rack. Oh well.

tip of the week

I know most of you have told me that your greatest downfall is the snacking. You know that time when you are home and slightly bored so you try to fil the void with a snack, or when you are so super busy that you don't have time to make a good snack so you grab a snickers or what have you. This is not just you, it is truly everyone. Maybe you are just craving sugar, something sweet. Want to know what is a GREAT cure for this?!
OTTERPOPS!!!

Seriously, I know what you are thinking, I am crazy to tell you that a Popsicle is good for you to snack on, let me tell you why. You know as well as I do that when you have that intense sugar craving, only sugar will satisfy it. Well guess what otterpops are made out of? SUGAR! The great thing is they only have 4 grams of sugar, and only 15 calories per otterpop. It is just frozen water and sugar, but its only an ounce, and since it takes longer to eat it, your body thinks your totally snacking on sugar but in reality, its just an ounce of frozen water with a little bit of sugar.

It is like you are tricking your body into thinking that your succumbing to the snack urge, its all about tricks lol. Kidding, sorta.

Go to your local sams club, buy a box of 300 for 5$, freeze em, and any time you feel the urge to snack, grab an otterpop! Sometimes I even have 2!!

Want some help?

I am on a temporary boycott from my own blog.

So here is some more attention to this blog. :-)

I have lost 33 lbs. I am still going strong and loving it.

I was researching some different exercises I could do for my triceps( flabby back arm) and I realized that not every woman knows about the simplest ones she can do to rectify the flabbly relief society arm. So for your needs, here are 2 simple exercises that can be done at your home to help tone that flabby arm. I do both all the time, and love them.



ENJOY!!


Make any requests you'd like.

UPDATE

oh the joys and struggles of weight loss. I have realized that weight loss is not a destination you reach, it is a way of living, a life change. Its a constant decision you make each day to do the right thing. Its not like once you reach your goal, you're all done and don't have to worry about it anymore, that is when people fail and gain it all back. It truely is a lifestyle change. It seems to have been a long journey so far, 6 months, 31 lbs and 3 dress sizes. I am over half way to my goal of 145 lbs. I have lost 31 and have 21 more to lose. There isn't is a single store where I am bigger then a size 12, and in some I am a size 10. my goal is an 8. almost there I keep telling myself! I am a Medium in all tops and can even fit into juniors tops. This is my progress so far, I am hoping to be at my goal in 2 months, August 10th I want to be a size 8.

My advice for now- Stop telling yourself you CAN'T have certain foods. You know with children, when you tell them they can't have a popsicle, even if they didn't really want it before, all of a sudden they do now. When you keep saying to yourself,' Oh I can't have this and I can't have that" It will make you want it that much more. And be honest, you CAN have if you want, you choose for yourself, but realize how it will make you feel after, and hopefully that will make you realize that you don't really want it. It was a hard thing for me to learn that food was a completely temporary fix to feeling badly about myself, and a harmful one at that.

GOOD LUCK EVERYONE!! HAPPY SUMMER!

come so far....

Just another picture I found to document my fatness lol. This picture was taken almost a year ago. I think this was probably when I started gaining weight and not really caring. I look back on all these pictures and it makes me sad that I actually thought that was ok. It is not okay to be overweight, its unhealthy. I wish someone would have told me then how horrible I looked. I look forward to a healthier happier future for myself and my husband. I will never let myself get that way and I am already studying and learning how to stay in shape during pregnancy so I won't have any excuses. I am hopefully going to go to school to become a personal trainer and I want to put an emphasis on helping post-pregnancy women get back in shape. I will take some more after pictures later but for now, here is what I look like!
I have lost almost 30 lbs and now its time to start working on toning and definition. I have a ton of different circuit workouts I am going to do and on different levels of difficulty. We moved apartments and the new apartment actually has a BETTER gym then the last one, although the last one was good. Also Westminster college is 2 blocks away and they should have a nice gym that is only 20$ for Jason and I since he went to school there. ALSO across the street from our complex is Bikrams Yoga. Don't know what that is? It is awesome. It is a yoga studio just like any other, BUT the room is kept at 115 degrees! It helps warm your muscles for better stretching and flexibility. it helps you lose immediate weight, but obviously thats just water weight. It is still way awesome though! Anyway, my weight loss is still going, still being successful. I have entered a different chapter in the weight loss and I am excited.

I am going to the gym today, for the first time since the shooting at our apartment. its been almost a month, I have lost 6 lbs in that month just by eating right though. actually also eating less. I went down to 5 meals a day instead of 6 and its working out pretty well. I am a medium at american eagle! WEIRD!!! its gonna be pretty busy this next week since we are moving but hopefully I will be able to still work out and tone myself. I am officially smaller then I was in high school though! I am pretty proud of myself though, after women get married they usually gain weight and I lost 28 lbs! yay me!

169!!!

1 more lbs down! 171 lbs right now. I seriously can't wait till I get past the 170's. It is driving me insane, I have been at this point for like 2 months. Its all paying off though!!

UPDATE!

now its 170.6! woot woot!

I LOVE THIS PROGRAM!! I have never done a program as good as this one. I have lost a lbs each day I have done it, which is 2 days. I love it I love it I love it. there are not enough words to explain how much I love it. I love it so much because I don't have to spend hours working out or at the gym. I only do cardio once a week. Believe me, at first I thought that was really weird. Cardio once a week? how is that possible right? I have no idea, but it works! I have to do more cardio that day, but I would rather do cardio for 90 mins once a week, then 30 mins 5 times a week. I love it and its totally worth every penny!

love it!

I am loving it! Jillian Michaels program is awesome!!! I was so worried at first because I have never worried about calorie intake, but its so awesome!!! Seriously when I went through my day and plan and spaced out my calorie intake over 5 meals, it wasnt hard! I am no longer worried about counting calories, thats the easiest part. The hard part is her workouts. seriosuly they are intense. She gives you a circut training workout, a different one every day. It is comprised of 5 circuts, with 3 exercises in each, that you repeat 3 times. so you go exercise 1, then 2, then 3, then 1 then 2 then 3 then 1 then 2 then 3 then you move on to the next circut with different excises and you do that 5 times. It takes about 45 mins but it was so great! my legs were so soar after my workout yesterday morning, I have to admit it was a love hate kinda thing. lol. I don't want to weigh myself yet because it has only been 2 days, I just wanted to let you know that I love it! and I highly suggest it! www.jillianmichaels.com

New one!

New program!

so I lost my first 26 lbs all on my own. my own eating, my own exercising and everything. I did really well and lost 26 lbs. I have been telling you for a while that I have hit my funk at most people do and I am trying a few different things. First was curves, it was great for the first time but then it wasn't so great. works for some, not for me. my next try is Jillian Michaels training program. I am calling it a training program because according to Jillian, when I put in all my info, I don't need to lose weight. Keep in mind that when people are my height and weigh 400 lbs. So anyway, today is the first day and I am a little nervous. This is the first time I have ever worried about counting calories. I did my work out, as best I could at least, this morning and it was great! I bought all the stuff I need to do the work outs at home and I really do love it. I do it in the morning after Jason goes to work and that way when he gets home we can play! Jillian gives me a different workout every day according to my strength level. she also customizes a food plan for a week for me but I don't know if I will atcually do that, its just a suggestion, its the calorie that I have to follow. Yes, it did cost money, 4$ a week to be exact. so far its worth it, but give me a week and I will give you a review from my week!

before and sorta after

K so here are some before and after pics. they were both professionally taken so they are a good level of comparison.
this is one of our engagements, its not a good one of our faces, but shows the overweightness of myself. It was pretty much to the point that my stomach stuck out further that my boobs!

This is from our recent pictures! my stomach is no where near sticking out, and my butt has totally shrunk! Before it was so voluptuous that ny husband couldnt even pinch it cause it was so full of bum! now he can pinch it all he wants cause its SO much smaller!

my arms have shrunk quite a bit, but they are probably also the most toned part of my body. I have so much definition in my arms it amazes me. Even my forearm is tight!!

Anyway those are some of our pictures. We will be getting some more done by the same photographer on my 30th, Jason's family is doing pictures! I love pictures. I just love em.

PICTURES!!! this is a sneak peek of our pictures. I am picking the rest up tomorrow! I am so excited! I don't think this picture is the MOST flattering of my weight loss, but I love it none the less! I will for sure post the rest when I get them!

This week I started Curves! I had really no idea what curves was or what it was about and I have to admit, I am a fan. now, I haven't done ANY cardio whilst I have done Curves, but I plan to. here is how it works. They have something like 13 strength training machines all in a circle, and in between each one, is a cardio station. So you get on a machine anywhere you want, do it for 30 secs, then rotate to a cardio station, do it for 30 secs, then rotate. rinse repeat the circle 3 times. after 2.5 times around the circle you have done it for 30 mins. It is a pretty good circut training workout. I intend to do 30 mins of cardio still, I just haven't. wanna know the best part about trying curves? ITS FREE!! the one in midvale is at least. It is 30$ for 30 days, you have to go at least 3 times a week, and at the end of the 30 days, you get your money back! YAY!!

Lurker time!! I wanna know who is a Lurker of this blog, meaning you read this blog even if you don't know me. I wanna know everyone who reads it and what they think! let me know!!

YAY!

Pictures were today!! We had our pictures taken this morning at Gardner Village and I hope they look amazing!!! sneak peek within a few days I hope!


My husband is gonna help me keep my workout schedule, I havent worked out all week! aH! I don't know what my deal is. I still haven't gained any weight though! 172 lbs!

TA-DA!!!

24.7!!! is what my BMI currently is!! Ladies and LAdies, I made it to a HEALTHY BMI NUMBER!!! and an average one at that. I am no longer considered overweight and unhealthy! I am an average and healthy 5'10 female! TA-DA!!!!!! and I am only 19 lbs away from being the average weight of a 5 ft 10 female. woot woot!

I finally saw my scale show a smaller number!! I have lost 2 lbs since my stagnant phase of not losing any weight. FINALLY!!! I am now 172.4, its just 2 lbs but I am that much closer! Pictures are next saturday so I wanna lose as much as I can so I can look fabulous in our easter pictures!

I have been a slacker. I haven't done my pilates in over 2 weeks probably more like 3 and my cardio hasnt been much better, more like 2 times a week instead of 5. Today is the start of getting back on my little track! everyone has their ups and downs with weight loss, you just can't get down for very long and today I go back up! luckily because I eat healthy I didnt gain any weight, I just didnt lose any either. I am literally HALF way to my goal. today is a brand new day! wish me luck!

It happened! I finally fit into my husbands pants!!! My husband and I wear the same size!! YAY!!

Oh it felt SSOOOOO good. so good it was too good for words. I am talking about running. When I am walking to the gym to do my cardio, I dread it, I don't want to do it, but when I get there are get started it feels so good!! I don't know exactly what or what makes me feel that way but its like I can instantly feel my better just boosting with energy and its so refreshing! I am contimplating doing my cardio in the morning, but I think doing my pilates in the morning is better. With my promotion at work my scheduled changed from 8-4 to 8:30-5 so I have an extra 30 mins in the morning I dont know what to do with. I have to wake up at the same time regardless to say good bye to Jason and have our morning prayer so I might as well work out right? I seriously cant get over how good my cardio was yesterday. It was so good I was thinking about doing more but I had plans. I hadnt done cardio since saturday I think, I forgot how much I love it even though getting there is a different story. I love it!! AH!!!

I am frustrated and MAD! I haven't lost any weight in the last 2 weeks and its making me so mad. My eating habits haven't changed and I don't know how to push through this. Its frustrating because I was doing so well and I feel like all my progress just came to a screaching stop. I haven't worked out as well I will admit, I havent done pilates lately, I have done my cardio but it doesnt seem to be doing anything! My period is coming up again and I feel like if i dont get my act together before then, I will take 5 steps backwards during that week. :-( AHHH HELP!!!

One size away

I am officially 1 size away from not being in the double digit size!! YAY! We went to the mall yesterday and I was a solid 12. no bulges, no tightness I was without a doubt a 12. Now that may not seem so great to you, but I was a 16 before. bahaha! I really don't know how I ever let myself get that big. garsh. never again. not even after a baby. not that I am having a baby anytime soon but you catch my drift. I went to express and LOVE the clothes there! too bad one pair of slacks is 80 bucks. who does that?

Motivation!!!

I am so excited!!! this fabulous photographer has a great deal called mini sessions where for 30 bucks you get 25 mins with her and she takes yours pictures downtown! I am way excited cause Jason said we could do them! This means that I am all the more motivated to lose more weight so that I can look fabulous in the pictures!! If I don't lose anymore weight in that time I will still be 23 pounds lighter then in our wedding pics!! Oh I so excited! and it means I get a new outfit lol. 

I weighed myself on friday just for kicks and giggles, even though I am on my time of the month, and guess what?! I was down a pound!!! I lost one pound while on my period, so now my weight is 176. woot woot!

Things I have learned.

I just got done working out and I learned some things, some I figured out myself and some I researched about. The first thing I learned is about strength training. I once had a personal trainer, like over a year ago. Any way, I know that personal trainers mean the best and they have a LOT of good information but they arent always right, I dont care how much training they have. wanna know why they arent always right? because there isnt just ONE way to lose weight. there are many many ways a person can lose weight you just have to find what works for you. My personal trainers name was Gina and she used to have me sit at a weight bench and do curls and things with my arms to tone my arms. good right? not anymore. I learned today that to maximize your workout, you need to work your upper body WITH your lower body. when you sit at a bench and do curls, you may be toning your arm, but your not burning calories. if you just simply add a lunge to the curl you will be losing weight while toning. cool huh?

I learned that you should NEVER ever get "used" to your workout. I was doing one of my lighter pilates videos today and I realized I am totally used to it and its not as hard as it was when I first started. Of course that was the goal to be able to do the work outs really well but the second you realize your work outs are easier, thats when you need to make them harder. your workouts should always always always be hard for you, thats how you know your transforming your body. I have comcast on demand which has about 100 work out videos for free and I mean the really good stuff, not the lame 2$ at wal mart ones, So i am able to switch things up quite a bit so I am never doing the same thing. I realize if you dont have comcast then you cant just go buy a new workout every week so f you find that your pilates or yoga are easier a really simple thing to do to make them harder is to add weights. I added 3 lbs weights to a lot of my work outs because it alters what muscles you are using and it keeps your heart rate up. I am adding weights to my cardio which i hope will help. I will let ya know!!!

Random stupid question

Ok so I have a random stupid question that I am not sure how to phrase it so help me out here. When you are on your period and you get bloated and chubby, is that actual weight that you have gained, or is it like your body is swollen and it goes completely away after your period is over? The reason I ask I am wondering if it is pointless to work out while to you are on your period or if when my period is over I will have lost like 10 lbs! I have been working out while on my period but I am seeing absolutely no results so I am wondering if its because I am on my period. thoughts? comments? concerns?

IT

IT is coming. its enevitable. its unfortunate. it is going to ruin everything I have worked for. It is going to make me very moody. IT sucks. I Dont want it to come. can I give it to you? will you take it from me? It is not my friend, and I dont want it. IT is my period. it will be here on wednesday and I am not looking forward to it. But still I will do what I always do and pretend it doesnt exist. I will workout as normal and eat as normal. I wont weigh myself cause its obvious women gain weight during their period. anywho, wish me luck during this dreadful time. :-( corky picture included just for your entertainment.

Legs STILL hurt. FYI.

What I learned last night

So last night I did a new workout from the Jillian person who trains people on the biggest loser. we have comcast on demand and her videos on included so it was fun. Anyway her work-outs are SO SO SO hard. my whole body was shaking like half way through and its painful today which is good. BUT, the most important thing I learned was how important warm-ups are before your work-out. I never fully understood why and then I did some research on it. With my pilates I jump right into the video thinking they have got it all worked out for me ya know? wrong. they have the workout but they dont have the warm up. now here is why it is important. compare your body to a rubber band, when a rubber band is cold and you try to stretch it,snaps it in half. well your body is much the same way, if you dont warm up your body first and you try to stretch it and work out, your muscle will in a sense snap and they anything you do after that is pointless. I learned this because the other day, I didnt warm up and I did an exercise where you sit on the floor with your legs straight in front of you and reach for your toes, It hurt and I thought that was normal but for days after that, my muscles felt strained and like I pulled something. SO, before every work out you should do a 5 min warm up, not only to not injure yourself but it makes your entire strength training work-out twice as efficient. YAY!
But for reals, her workouts are rough and good. she combines cardio and strength training and puts in into an interval training program. its about 30 mins and SO SO SO Good. almost better then pilates. lol they are even.

I felt fat tonight

So I didn't go to the gym tonight so I was feeling a little lazy which in turn makes me feel fat. So I decided to take some pictures so maybe I could SEE my progress. It kinda worked.
for some reason the top one makes my shoulders look like a football player! AH! lol thats not how they are lol. sorry for the inmodesty, I just got done "working out" lol. for like 5 mins.

My first post here!!!

Alright, I have been doing this weight loss thing for about 2 - 3 months so this isnt the begining, but its never too late to start I guess. When I decided to lose weight I weighed the most I ever have. my immediate change was to eat 6 smaller meals a day. now, when I say that some people think I have like a piece of bread as a meal and thats not the case. I eat good meals, muffins, fruit, yogurt, granola bars, salads, eggs, steak anything you would normally eat, I just dont eat as much. So far it has worked wonderfully. I have lost over 20 lbs and 2 dress sizes. I want to lose 2 more sizes and 20 more lbs. So I am half way there!!! My work out routine is pilates for 20 mins a day, and cardio with my heartrate at 135 for 30 mins a day. BUT I have hit a slump where I am not losing weight anymore so I need to push through it so I am now doing 40 mins of pilates and 40 mins of cardio. hopefully it will push me through the slump and then I can go back to my normal routine. the hardest part for me has probably been drinking my 64 oz of water a day. its just so much water!!! but it does help to speed your metabolism so whatever. anyway!! for now I am positive and in good spirits, hopefully it will stay that way!!