MY WEIGHT LOSS JOURNEY

Two week update.

2011-08-06T21:51:00.000-06:00

Wow! Where did those two weeks of my life go???? I have been busy... one daughter moved out, and me being the worry wart of a mother that I am. Could not let her move out without things. Funny she called me one day asking if she could take a skillet. I told her to take whatever she needed. I got home and she took all my good pots and pans. Needless to say I got a set of anodized cookware I have wanted for the past year!
The past two weeks I have been doing a new workout called Plyometrics, I did a little bit of it in a class once but this was a full 2 hour class, and it KICKED my ASS! and arms and legs, and gut and hands! 30 min of the class was leg work and 30 min of the class was arms and abs. If you are familiar with PX90 it is alot like that. It's a butt kicker and a good calorie burner. I have burned over 1000 calories for the 2 hours that I work out Saturdays and Tuesdays, and come home very sweaty!

I just love a good sweat!

Last weeks weigh in at WW I was up 1 pound. Not surprising as I was craving carbs for a week. I guess after my daughter told me she was moving out along with the worrying came emotional eating. Every day at lunch, I bought a rice crispy treat from the Cafe at work and shared it with Jose. So only being up one pound was ok. It could have been so much worse. I could have eaten the whole rice crispy treat or worse made a whole pan at home and eaten the whole pan. So even though there was some emotional carb overloading going on I didn't eat the whole thing!
Along with emotional eating for me also comes emotional shopping. LOL Last Saturday I went shopping alone! I took pictures of shirts I tried on and sent them to Jose to help me decide..... choices were;

NO! (however this was Jose's choice)

I loved this neckline.. but it was too big under the arms. :(

This is the one I bought!

I told myself after last Thursdays weigh in that I was going to really watch my emotional eating and put a stop to it. I can proudly say No Rice Crispy treats were devoured during the week! And at WW Thursday I was down 1.6. I now have 2.8 pounds to go to get to the goal I sat for myself by my birthday.
So this week I really need to focus on working out, and eating right. Today I burned 1006 calories at the gym. And have stayed within my points. (well ok I have used 10 flex) but by this time 2 weeks ago I had already used 30.
So here's to making Healthy choices!

Inspiring Day.

2011-07-23T21:22:00.000-06:00

I forgot my camera with me today so have no pictures.
Today... I missed the gym. But I did get a workout in! My Mother n law called last night and wanted to know if I knew anyone that did weeding. I volunteered me and Jose to come do it she didn't need to pay anyone. So we were up at 7am to get in some major yard work. Jose felt bad that I was missing my Saturday at the gym. I told him I'm ok I have on my Heart monitor and I can see how many calories I burn doing it. We stopped at McDonald's on our way I had a fruit and yogurt parfait , an egg mcmuffin no cheese, and a large Iced Tea to drink during my ~~exercise~~ weed pulling.
We pulled weeds for 2 1/2 hours I burned 746 calories, good thing lift class the past 2 classes have focused on squats they came in handy today!
While I was pulling weeds I got a text message from an old friend who I have not seen since last September, wanting to know if I wanted to go to lunch today. Funny thing last night while riding I thought about riding to her house to show her my bike. Luck would have it that other then pulling weeds I had no plans for today. I told her I was hers for the day. Let me fill you in on this friend, (Shes the one that I joined WW with got jealous of her rapid weight loss.) When I got in her car, She says to me. "Oh my gosh you look AMAZING" You are so Cute look at you! (big boost to my self esteem!)
We ran a few errands she needed to do. Went to a furniture store and looked at furniture, then went to lunch at my favorite Cafe Rio. I get my normal grilled chicken tostada and we find a quiet place to sit.
She says, How much more weight have you lost, your arms are so skinny. Twice while we were eating she grabbed my bicep and squeezed it. She says I cannot believe how toned your arms are! I told her Thanks it's from my 100 push ups a week. Then she says to me you look so healthy what all have you been doing? I told her about cutting out diet soda, artificial sweetener, chemicals from my shampoo and body wash, no caffeine, and started taking Estradiol.
When we finished eating we sat and talked for about an hour in the cafe. She started crying and told me that she had gained back some of her weight. It has been bugging her and she was at her wits end. Last night she prayed for God to give her a sign if she should go back to WW and help with dealing with her food issues.
She said last night she dreamed of me and our friend Nicole. This morning she woke up and thought I am asking Julie to go to lunch she can help me.
We had a nice talk about her issues of being an all or nothing type of gal. She told me to get to her goal at WW she never ate more then 20 points and NEVER ate her flex points. She said she got to her goal starving the whole way. I told her about the new plan and told her you know life is never perfect and you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. Everyday is going to be a challenge when you have issues with food, you have to learn to forgive yourself if you have gone off plan.. forgive and forget. Move on to the next meal or the next day.
She told me you are such an inspiration to me. No matter how slow you have lost you keep going. I told her about my quitting WW last August and rejoining with a 13 pound gain, that is when I realized I can't do it on my own I am going to have to go to WW my entire life if I want to take off and keep off weight. That's just the way it is. WW is my AA meeting. I reminded her of a conversation we had the night I joined back in 2009.. Remember we told each other we would NEVER GIVE UP! So that is what I have continued to tell myself every day for the past 2 years.. I WILL NEVER GIVE UP. No matter how long it takes me I will always try to make the best out of every day, I will always try to do something healthy for my body, giving up is not an option. So are you going to come to WW with me Thursday??? and she said YES!
Funny how things turn out, She inspired me to join in 2009. I inspire her today.

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

2011-07-21T21:04:00.000-06:00

I am trying to get caught up on my week of eating a rainbow...
So starting with Tuesday,
My breakfast always starts out with a glass of iced Teeccino, 1/2 a cup of coconut milk and 1/2 c dark chocolate silk, poured over ice and add a packet of Truvia....a wonderful way to start the morning. Now that I don't drink soda this is my substitute for Diet Pepsi, and I get in a dairy serving(at least I count it as dairy) WW says it is not but so yeah I CHEAT! I don't like milk unless it is in a bowl of cereal.

The cute cup helps too!

I tried mango and strawberries in my oatmeal today it was pretty good and very filling. I took the picture before adding my oatmeal and yogurt I thought it would look more appealing.

lunch was leftover grilled chicken salad.. I love this salad!

Then one of my daughter's was with a friend and got into a car accident while I was at the gym. So by the time I got home at 8:30 everyone was hungry and needing to eat, it was 9pm by the time we got to Chick-fil-A, where I knew I could eat a good fruit and char grilled chicken salad. Well, needless to say for some reason they closed at 9pm last night so we ended up at Wendy's. I had just burned 1081 calories in a lift and zumba class so I ate a single hamburger and a Caesar side salad. I didn't get the hamburger in the picture. :(
I did not use the entire packet of dressing. I'm not a lot of dressing type of girl, just add a little for flavor.
I got in my red, orange, plenty of green veggies for the day!

Not bad for $1.00!

Wednesday, I had oatmeal and a banana. Not my favorite in the oatmeal unless I cooked it with my 2tsp of oil and add cinnamon but I didn't make time for it this morning, and forgot to take a picture of it.
For lunch I had a salad with a variety of colors, lettuce, cucumber, mushrooms, tomatoes, red beets, with 2tsp olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Along with left over spaghetti and 1/2 a whole wheat roll.

These Cherries I had as a snack were so juicy!

Leftover salad again for dinner did I say I love salad!

I just added a 1/2 c lean ground beef and made it my Taco Salad for the night when everyone else was having tacos.

Thursday...I know I really need to think of something different then fruit and oatmeal for breakfast! Today I added blueberries and raspberries, and a low fat vanilla yogurt to my oatmeal.

Love me some berries!

Yes leftovers again more salad!

Lunch was leftover salad again. (I said this salad goes along ways as you can see I have made several meals out of it) Salsa, and some red white and blue tortilla chips.
Tonight was WW night.... End of the Rainbow! Do you wonder if I found a pot of gold at the end???? I found that focusing on fruits and veggies this week was not only healthy for me with all the antioxidants that I ate and the leafy greens. But also helped with my weight loss. I was down 1 pound! Now the topic for the night was about overcoming the temptations of Summer BBQ's and parties. However everyday is a temptation and it's ok if you sometimes have a day that you eat more then normal. In the long run this journey of weight loss and a healthier lifestyle is about what you do most consistently is what matters and where you get your results. So focusing on the outcome you want is going to help with the response that you choose to make in what ever situation you face. Remember four key words....
Patience with yourself and the scale.
Persistence in making good choices.
Commitment to your program.
Resilience- The ability to bounce back, forgive and move on.
Now as for what was for dinner. Yes another salad, Jose and I went to Chick-fi-a after WW.

This is one of my favorites char grilled chicken and fruit salad!

Ok Every salad is my favorite.. LOL
Now as for next week. I found that blogging more often then once a week really helped me this week. I still have lots of fruit and veggies left so that will more then likely be my focus again this next week. I am so excited to think I only have 3.4 pounds to lose to be under 200!

Cheaper the a Prescription!

2011-07-18T20:59:00.000-06:00

This is the fourth day of my focus on eating a rainbow. I was interested in finding out the health benefit of each different color of foods.

For breakfast I had my usual oatmeal mixed in a peach and 1/2 cup of strawberries, along with a low fat peach yogurt. To me this is the most filling breakfast and keeps me satisfied till I eat lunch. I eat this every weekday. I either add some type of berry or peaches or apricots. The foods I ate at breakfast provided the health benefit of;
peaches-orange/yellow carotenoid rich foods help reduce risk of cancer and heart disease and can improve immune system function.
strawberries- red antioxidants healthy hearts

At lunch I had leftovers from dinner last night of a Salmon patty and peach salsa. Again the benefits of the orange foods cancer fighting!

This afternoon I ate at my desk the juiciest nectarine I have had so far this season, and a plum.
nectarine-orange/yellow- cancer fighting food again. I can't get too much of this with cancer running in my family sounds like a good one to stock up on.
plum-blue/purple contain anthocyanins help reduce risk of cancer, stroke and heart disease.

For dinner I made what I call a Southwest chicken salad. It has a head of Romaine lettuce, tomato, green onion (from my garden) black beans, kidney beans, a can of southwest corn, avocado, and a can of diced green chilis, 1lb of chicken tenders cooked in 2 tsp of olive oil seasoned with salt, pepper, red chili pepper, coriander and garlic. A squeeze of fresh lime and cilantro. It makes a huge salad fed the 4 of us and one of the girls friends and leftovers for tomorrow for all 4 of us for lunch.
tomato-lycopene helps prevent cancer.
lettuce, green pepper, avocado, lime-green contain lutein. works with another chemical, zeaxanthin found in the red/orange/yellow to help keep eyes healthy.
corn-orange/yellow carotenoid rich foods help reduce rist of cancer and heart disease and can improve immune system function

I would have to say this days food was cheaper then filling a Rx for high blood pressure, and any cancer treatment. And was cheaper then a trip to the Doctor. Now to discover what else I can come up with this week. I have a watermelon and cantaloupe waiting to be eaten!

Eating my way through a Rainbow!

2011-07-17T20:37:00.002-06:00

Thursday WW weigh in I was up .4.
Not a surprise to me either, as the past week food was calling my name. Not that I was hungry to eat it by any means, but it would not stop talking to me. Constantly I was hearing.... julie, come take a bite....julie, I'm chocolate don't you want some? Julie, It's me ice cream calling!...Julie, I'm the chocolate doughnut that you love! JULIE, ARE YOU LISTENING??? IT'S ME FOOD CALLING!!!
How am I an addict supposed to ignore all this talking??? I went to the gym.. Ok I missed Saturday the 10th. Because, I thought I couldn't see very well my eyes had been bugging me for several days so I stayed home. Turned out I had my contacts in the wrong eyes. So that is when it all started not going to the gym that Saturday. I went to breakfast with Jose, used 15 points, went to lunch at subway used 8 points, went out for an shake at the Iceberg (at least I shared), also shared onion rings with Jose. I have no idea how many points I used so I just counted 25. Sunday was better but I just felt so snacky, And since I had messed up already I stopped tracking. I did however try to focus on filling foods for the rest of the week. I also went to the gym for 2 hours on Tuesday, took one of my daughter's Wednesday after getting off work and walked on the treadmill for 30 min. then went to an hour of Zumba Wed night. So that .4 gain could have been worse had I not ignored the food talking to me during the rest of the week.
The topic of the WW meeting was eating fruits and veggies. Why is it that fruits and veggies did not call my name last week??? Cause fruits and Veggies don't talk! LOL
But this week my plan is to eat a RAINBOW!

I am stocked up on a rainbow color of fruits and veggies!

Thursday night when I got home from WW, my plan was to make spaghetti. I added a zucchini, red and yellow bell pepper and green onion from my garden. It was yummy!

It was a very colorful sauce.

Berries I took to work Friday for Breakfast.

I had a very colorful salad for lunch Friday. I think every color of the rainbow may be on there. Friday night was the usual dinner at Cafe Rio, and a grilled Chicken Tostada. Saturday morning I did get up and go to the gym for my usual 2 hours. I burned 1047 calories doing the Lift class that was a killer of 30 minutes of squats and lunges followed by 30 minutes of abs and arms. Then I did an hour of Zumba. After getting home and showered I went to breakfast with Jose to Golden Corral not my first choice as I'm not really fond of buffets. However I was able to make good choices and had a salad and a huge bowl of fruit and some egg beaters.

Grilled Chicken sandwich from Subway with lots of veggies for lunch, the best part it was free with the points I had on my Subway card! Saturday night we had chicken brats that we found at Sunflower market they are a mild Italian seasoned and very good. Along with some strawberries from the garden and a salad it was a colorful meal.

Red, White and Blue to start out Sunday morning!

Sunday I went to the grocery store with Jose and my daughter Kathleen, she wanted stuff to make sandwiches, we found some wraps on sale buy one get one free. Good choice they are only 2 points! I made a wrap loaded with veggies. Lettuce, cucumber, green pepper, tomato, green onion from our garden and added yellow wax peppers. Added to a slice of pepper jack cheese and 3 slices of turkey made a huge filling meal for 7 points.

I could barely roll this up!

In the WW weekly there was also a recipe for salmon burgers with peach salsa. I made that for dinner along with some rice. I will make this again everyone loved it.

Along with a plum our meal was well rounded and my plate with filled with a rainbow of colors.
I have to say that making myself focus on this for the week has really made me more aware of what I am eating and you know what I have not heard one cookie, chocolate doughnut or shake talk to me so far!

IF Only...

2011-07-09T19:46:00.000-06:00

I am feeling so much better! Can I just say I am enjoying the gym again and working out. I feel like now it is something I want to do instead of something I know I need to do. Saturday I went to the gym for Lift and Zumba. Lift class was a really good workout we did a ton of leg and arm work, and used the Bosu ball for building up Core strength, it was a hard workout but lots of fun.

This was part of the torture

This is a happy face after a good workout!

I have kept busy all week with walking 30 minutes every day at work. Working in the yard a couple of days, 5 hours spent at the gym, and a couple of bike rides. I racked up 89 activity points!

I love riding my bike!

Thursday night WW weigh in down .8. I feel like I put in a lot of work to lose .8, but that is about the norm for my journey. And tonight I got my 45 pound star back! ONLY 5 more to go to be back where I was last summer when I quit WW. I realize now that this is just going to be my way of life going to WW is the only way I can stay accountable, so I will always have to count points and weigh in once a week.
The topic at the meeting was IF ONLY...how easy it is to get caught up in if only thinking....
IF only I would have worked out 6 hours at the gym this week...IF only I had a personal trainer.. IF only I had a personal chef.. IF only I had more money... IF only I had a gym membership. Those were a few of the if only's people had in the class.
IF ONLY thinking CHALLENGES can be.
*Believing that weight loss could be quick, easy and a sure bet if only....
*Using those reasons as an excuse for slow progress.
*Not believing in our own abilities and the Power to make a change.
*Failing to picture our lives at our goal weight.
STRATEGIES
*Recognizing extravagant resources do not guarantee success. It's still a journey of choice. And now one else can make you be a success but your self.
*Determining the resources on our wish list and recognizing that we already have most of them.
*Believing in our own power to make a change.
*Envision success to make our goals feel attainable.
*Use story boarding to create an action plan.

No one else can lose this weight more me. I am in charge this is my life, and if I don't do something to change it will go on indefinitely. It's up to me to accept responsibility for improving my health.
Now I have to figure out how to make it through a Saturday without using all of my flex points. Two weeks in a row now I have used more then I like to but I guess that is what they are there for to make the plan a life plan not a diet. :)

Now for the menopause update....
One night at the gym one of the ladies there we were talking and I had told her about starting Estradiol. She told me that she had taken it that and she gained 50 pounds! I was surprised that any one would stay on it long enough to gain 50 pounds. I told Jose, "If I gain past 5 pounds taking this I am OFF it!
At WW Thursday I asked the Kris (the leader) if they had any info on Menopause. She handed me a flyer and then one of the receptionists started talking to me about it. She is on the same HRT and has not had any problems other then some water retention after using it for 3 months. She said her Dr. gave her a water pill and she has not had any other problems. So I am hopeful that it will not cause me to gain. For now I am still feeling great, getting better sleep, and have a better attitude. Only thing I have noticed the past couple of days is my contacts are bugging me but I don't know if it just allergies or the medication.
But I can deal with it.

The Diagnosis is in.. I'm going to Live...just getting OLD!

2011-07-01T22:14:00.000-06:00

I went to the Dr. (GYNO) Monday. He looked at my labs, asked me some questions and told me I am going through MENOPAUSE!
My suspicions were confirmed my eggs are drying up and I running low on estrogen!
I started crying... and had a hot flash right there in his office.
Are you more emotional??? was that one of his questions? Why YES Dr. I am frickin emotional! You just told me I'm getting OLD!
Now that I think about the appointment it was pretty funny. Jose went with me thank goodness or the anger emotion would have told the Dr to shove it!
He gave me his recommendation for HRT. I asked him if not losing weight was one of the side effects of menopause. He says (now this is what I remember anyways) The Law of physics is less calories in, more calories out you have to lose. So you need to exercise more. I started crying and all I could think was WTF! another Dr. not listening to a thing I just told him. In between sobs, I just said never mind and started to get up to leave. Jose, stopped me. (because this is what he heard) You're hormones are unbalanced and that and your lack of sleep could be playing a part of your not losing weight. This isn't a magic pill but it could help.
I asked the Dr. will it make me feel like myself again???? He told me it should help with the emotions, hot flashes, night sweats and could..could help with some of the weight loss. Just to feel like the old me is worth it. He told me that if I didn't notice a difference in a month to call and he would up the dose. I asked how soon will I see a difference. Immediately he said.
$3.00 at the pharmacy for this wonder pill. I took it in the car. Slept all night! Woke up Tuesday morning with what felt like a new look on life and each day has gotten better.
I went to the gym for 2 hours Tuesday, and even went again on Wednesday for an hour. I have walked 30 minutes every day. Best of all I have not had a hot flash or night sweats. Jose told me I wasn't as critical and he didn't feel like I was going to jump down his throat when he opened his mouth.
My manager at work and I had a good laugh about it on Thursday, after being on the Estradiol for a few days I guess my mind is clear and I can see how I was really acting. Here is my funny story....Jose usually drives to work in the morning because he is more awake then I have been, and I drive home. Lately when I have asked him if he wants me to drive home he would say no. So one day I just got in the drivers seat and I started driving out of the parking terrace. Jose was holding on to the handle thing above the window. I said to him, WHATS the matter does my Driving SCARE YOU!!. he says no. I say, Then WHY are you HOLDING on for dear life? we haven't even got on the road yet. Huh??? he didn't say a word the whole way home. However I am driving asking him WHAT's wrong with you why are you so quiet??? HUH???
Then I hit every light red! What in the hell? Jose says we'll get there just be patient. I say, Don't they know who I am??? the lights are supposed to turn green as they see me approach!
OH my yes that was me just a week ago.. LOL So glad I can laugh about it now.
Weigh in Thursday was not 1 pound down. :( I was up .6. oh well new med, could have been that I have been drinking more water and .6 is not going to discourage me.
I have been in such a good mood I even went and tried on some clothes Thursday after work. I tried on the cutest sundress it had a built in bra top, fit cute, and my color. (well one of my colors) I showed it to Jose, who said it looked good. (and this time I believed him a week ago it would have been you're just saying that because you don't want to see me cry) However with the built in bra, the cup size was too BIG! it would have fit about a DD cup and I am only a B. Any one taller then me would have seen right down the top. I was sad cause it was so cute and I used to love to wear dresses. I can't wait till I feel comfortable enough with how I look in a dress to wear them again. I did buy these cute sandals that would have gone prefect with the dress! One day!

So here is a question for you. Are you on a HRT and have you had trouble losing weight while going through menopause?

Week update...and Listen to your Body.

2011-06-25T22:38:00.001-06:00

This past week I have stayed busy in the evenings I am not at the gym doing yard work. Even though we our lot is only 1/8 of an acre, we sure seem to have a TON of yard work to do. I should have taken before and after pictures. All I have to show you is my garden that has really doing well this year.

I covered my peas and strawberries this year to keep the birds from eating them and Thankful that this has worked. I can't wait till all the veggies are ready to pick right now I have strawberries and green onions.

Update to the Dr....Tuesday after working out for 2 hours at the gym, I get in my car and notice I have a missed call. It was from the Dr's office, and they had left a voicemail. It was his nurse calling to give me the results(which I already knew) then she says not sure what you want to try but the Dr's suggestion is eat a low fat diet and you might want to try exercise. Call me and let me know what you want to do.
I looked at my heart rate monitor to see how many calories I had just burned 1,072....what I WANTED to do was go straight to his office (but the time as 8:26pm and the office closed at 8:00)and give him a piece of my mind! I wouldn't have cared if they would have called Security on me I was so pissed!
Maybe my Testosterone was a bit high at the moment cause I seriously wanted to kick his ASS! I think I will just go live at the gym you JERK!
Needless to say poor Jose to the brunt of my frustration that night. I just was not in a good mood as on the way to the gym going 60 mph down Bangeter Highway I had a little old lady pull out in front of me and had to slam on my brakes as skid through the intersection. She didn't hear me lay on my horn and didn't even turn her head to look. So my adrenaline was already up from that, then doing an hour of Zumba then an hour of lifting. Then to get that message on my phone. I had to tell him just leave me alone for a few minutes cause I am pissed and need to cool off!
I called my trainer and talked to her cause running through my head was your a slacker! you don't work out like you think you do. I asked her to be honest with me and tell me if she thought I was a slacker in her class and if I needed to push myself harder? She told me that I work hard and asked me how many calories I had burned. I told her and she said that is a good workout!
After talking to her for about 45 min. she asked me how many calories I ate a day....hmm no idea I count my WW points. She told me she would write a letter to the GYN that I am going to Monday telling him how long she has been working out with me.
So I added up my calories for the past week and my average is 1,457 per day. I texted my trainer and she said to try adding 200-300 extra calories of lean protein on the days I work out with her for 2 hours and see if I have a loss or gain. I will see how that goes. I have never counted calories before but since Tuesday I have been keeping track of both my WW points and calories which has been very interesting to me. My average over six days is 1,488.
Weigh in at WW on Thursday..well I didn't meet my goal I had set for myself which was to lose 1 pound, I lost 1/2 a pound. In looking at my WW weight tracker I have lost 4 weeks in a row and my average has been 1 pound a week! To me that was a big hurdle as I haven't lost 4 weeks in a row since forever.

The Topic of the week was Listen to your Body..are you REALLY Hungry??
Do you know what physical hunger feels like? Growling stomach, headache, unable to concentrate, grumpy.
Funny Jose always says do you need to eat before you get grumpy. LOL guess that is how it effects me.
Questions to ask yourself...
When did I eat last?
What did I eat last?
What am I doing and how am I feeling?
*determine if its hunger or a feeling, are you angry, bored, sad, happy, separate feelings from food.
Is is a Craving or a Habit...some things to try.
Distract it..find something to do. A suggestion was made in class to make a list of things to do for 15 minutes. So here is my list; ride my bike, work in the yard, read a book, take a walk, paint my toenails, read my favorite blogs.
Fake it..If you are craving something make a lower fat version of it.
Feed it..Eat what it is your Craving keep it in a smaller portion count the points and move on.
Dig deeper. Am I really hungry? Or is it a feeling?
Separate feeling from food because food doesn't fill an emotional hunger.
Goals for this week...Track both WW points and calories, Workout, Follow WW healthy guidelines, Stay Focused.!

Of course my scale said this on Friday the day after WW weigh in.

"Success is the sum of small efforts, repeated day in and day out'"

A loss, a QUACK, and some weekly goals.

2011-06-17T21:56:00.000-06:00

First off weigh in on Thursday at WW, I was down .4! I will take any loss. I stuck to the goals I had set for myself this past week, which was self monitoring and getting my oil in and staying on track through a friends wedding. I also kept active all week long. Jose and I started walking again during our breaks at work which is nice to get outside in the fresh air. Then all week long we have done much needed yard work, cutting out some dead bushes, and honeysuckle vine, digging up flower beds (in fact tonight we uncovered about 100 tulip bulbs that we don't recall ever blooming where they were planted) and moving some plants around.
We have also gone to the gym after work and lifted weights, I went to lift class, and zumba and tried Plyometrics. Sounds like alot of activity.. to only lose .4. Guess it's just the way my body is working right now, and I am happy that I have had a loss 3 weeks in a row!
I got my test results from blood work back yesterday. This is how the conversation with the nurse went.
Nurse.... Your test results are back and looks like your cholesterol is high it is 201. and your LDL is up to 124. So the Dr wants to call in a prescription for you, or you can eat a lower fat diet and exercise.
Me...Ok.. hmmmm... So what about the TSH and the other tests?
Nurse... Your TSH is 2.420.
Me.... And what was the T3 and T4?
Nurse.....Looks like he didn't request those.
Me.....Ok Thanks.
I hung up the phone pissed as all get out and told Jose so that Fu**ing Dr didn't listen to a thing I told him!
What a waste of my Fu**ing insurance $$ and my time!
I called the nurse back and asked for results from the previous year, A year ago in Aug my cholesterol was 182, my LDL was 103, and TSH was 2.340.
Me....ok so here is a ? for you nurse, I have been watching what I eat going to WW for over 2 years. I have been working out for almost 2 years 6 days a week. Why if I am doing what the Dr says have these results gone up?
Nurse....Good question, I can call in a prescription!
Me... No Thanks, I am going to seek further help!
Today I went to the Dr office and got a copy of my last 2 years of lab work then I called my OBGYN, since this is obviously hormone related (or at least I think it is). I am going to go see him next Thursday. I will again take all of my WW journals and exercise journals to show him what I do. I just don't
understand why my weight loss is so slow. Yes I may have to face the fact that it is due to my age now but I guess I need a Dr. to tell me that I am getting old.
So on with a new week and some new goals I set for myself.
1. Keep tracking.
2. Plan a 2 week menu and stick to it.
3. Weigh and measure my food. (no more guesstimating)
4. Keep the use of flex point to a minimum.
5. Lose 1 pound this week. (so Thursday the scale needs to say 203.6)

Getting to Know Me...

2011-06-10T21:24:00.000-06:00

At the gym Tuesday night in Zumba, the instructor said she had some people say to her I have been doing this for X amount of months and I have not lost a thing. She said this is what you need to think about. You get out of this class what you put into it. If you work hard and fuel your body with good food you will get good results. But if you come to the class and then go home and feed your body CRAP that is the results you are going to get. So I stayed for the weight lifting class and really pushed myself I finally did 25 push ups in a row! Those words were pretty powerful to me, I felt like she was saying it right to me. It made me stop and look at my food journal and see how many flex points I had eaten and really look at what I had eaten, and yes I had ate some Crap.. a snack size bag of peanut M&M's last Friday, and Monday a chocolate doughnut. I have not put any bad foods in my body since. I have focused on lots of fresh fruits and veggies this week and good lean protein.

Last nights WW meeting was about self monitoring, I blogged about it last year here. . Monitoring yourself in other ways then just the number on the scale. Interesting how it was pretty much the same topic, and more interesting I also lost 2.4 pound, but this year I weigh 205! Yes it has been a might struggle trying to get this 13 pounds I gained when I quit I have 6 more to go.
But back to the topic of the meeting, Kris had told us she rejoined WW 4 times, each time she would lose some and then think I can do this on my own.. gain it back and rejoin..quit..gain it back rejoin. It wasn't until she looked inside as to why she always gave up.
DING.. DING...DING! That is me right there. I have lost count how many times I have rejoined WW now. Then she pointed to me and said complete this sentence. I was good until....my response. I lost 50 pounds. That is where I stop. Now find the solution!

I made this basket liner for my new basket. Jose thought I needed a dog to sit in it!

Tonight when I was riding my bike, (for the second time today cause yes I love it!) on the route that I ride it is on an incline 2 blocks one way and then I make a left turn and it is on an incline 4 blocks, I turn right again and it is down hill for 2 blocks. When I finished the route I decided not to go home but to keep riding, I rode around the neighborhood school, and then back around my route. As I rode on the incline I was thinking damn this is hard! but then I imagined how much harder it would have been at 253 pounds. I am not so sure I could have rode by bike the 6 miles that this ends up to be. Then I thought you know this route is kinda like my weight loss journey, the first 50 pounds have been rather hard to get off. Just like the inclines are hard to ride but just keep pedaling I will be going downhill real soon. So right now I am at the part in my journey that is like the incline on my ride, its been damn hard but, I just need to pull out all the things I have learned and keep going, keep tracking, keep working out and I will be on the down hill part of my journey soon.
So I learned about myself that I always give up at 50 pounds. But this time I am not going to give up.

WW update.. Topic finding your Support.

2011-06-03T21:45:00.000-06:00

The topic at WW last night was about finding support in your weight loss journey and how those that use a support network of some type whether it be your weekly meeting, friends, the WW on line community, reading blogs, or creating a blog are more successful at losing and keeping weight off. I know it has helped me to not give up trying to get to a healthier weight.
Last nights weigh in I was down 1 pound. So discouraging, frustrating, mind boggling, some weeks to see only a pound loss when I have tracked all week worked my ass off at the gym and either see a gain or such a small loss. I had been feeling pretty good for a couple of weeks on taking the kelp supplements and L-Tyrosine, but started feeling run down and tired again. I had talked to a couple of my friends and they had the same symptoms and were diagnosed with Hypothyroidism. I have done some research on line and I have so many of the symptoms. So I made an appointment with my Dr. and went in for a physical today it's now time for me to find support from him. I took in the past 3 years of my food journals, the past 2 years of my exercise journals, my WW weight trackers, and I had worn my Polar heart monitor all day to see how many calories I would burn by the time I went to the Dr. office (which from 5:30-4:30 I burned 1,770 calories just at work) I wanted to be armed with all the information I could to show him that I had been trying to lose weight and I have just all of a sudden hit a brick wall. I cannot seem to make any progress. After giving him all my symptoms. He seemed to be interested in this tingling I have in the front of my neck. Tomorrow I go in to do fasting blood work and hope to find an answer to why I just am not feeling normal. He did tell me you know your turning 50 this could be a hormonal thing. If the blood tests come back normal he is going to have me see another Dr. in his office that focus more on other hormones, and to possibly do a sleep study. Not sure about spending the money on that one. Jose says I don't snore and he doesn't notice that I stop breathing. I am hoping that they can give me some answers I just want to be back to my old self.

Rainy Days and Sunday....= NO Exer-scuses!

2011-05-29T18:35:00.000-06:00

OK I am really tired of all the rain here in Utah! I know that we need the water but this is enough. I woke up at 2am with it raining so hard it sounded like someone had turned a hose on top of our house and left if on full blast. The wind must have blown really hard last night cause the pilot light on our furnace was out. Jose had to get up and light it the house was freezing. My poor garden is water logged, the cucumbers are no more. The peas, strawberries and iris's are loving this rain though.

Poor Cucumbers may they rest in peace.

Strawberries are loaded with blooms hoping for some big berries!

The peas are really taking off I covered them with a net this year so birds would not eat them.

Brussel sprouts, chili pepper, cherry tomatoes, eggplant, onions and garlic all doing well!

Iris's in my front yard I love these heirloom flowers!

look at the park near my house.. it is flooded with water today and this Lab is loving the water too!

I guess I can't let a little rain keep me from exercising today I can't let the rain stand in my way, and since that is what the WW meeting topic was Thursday was Exer-scuses- Identifying and overcoming exercise obstacles. So on my bike I get!

I just took a little ride around the neighborhood and down to the school.

Weigh in was not so good I was up 3 pounds. It takes me 3 weeks to lose it and 1 week to gain it back. Man I have got to get SERIOUS here and figure out what I am doing wrong. I have tracked all my food since Friday. I made it to the gym yesterday for Zumba but got there too late to do lift all of the passes were gone so ended up just going and walk/run on the treadmill, which wasn't bad at all since all the treadmills have their own TV so I watched Nick and Nora's playlist and didn't even think about the time.

However with all the rain it has put me in a baking mood. Jose was looking for some type of treat this after noon, so I got out a can of pumpkin and a couple cake mixes and made the WW pumpkin chocolate chip cookies. They used to be 1 point, I figured them out today and I got 39 per box of mix and they figured to be 2 points each which still is not bad when you are looking for a sweet treat.

Pumpkin chocolate chip cookies.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day and we are going to James and Whitney's for a BBQ and celebrate her birthday, I have to make her a Peanut butter chocolate cake that they request on their birthdays, I guess I will be using some of my flex points there. I will be going to the gym tomorrow for and hour 15 min of Zumba so will earn about 17 points there. With Whitney also doing WW I think our BBQ is planned pretty low on points we are going to have Turkey burgers and Corn on the cob and fruit and veggies.

Hope Everyone has a good Holiday! I am not looking forward to going back to work on Tuesday I have really enjoyed these 10 days off. Maybe I will start my count down to retirement. LOL only 16 more years to go!

Busy Week...

2011-05-26T16:32:00.000-06:00

I have been on a much needed vacation this week and off until Tuesday after Memorial day! I have kept busy with working out some. Last Saturday I went to an hour lift class at the gym and then an hour of Zumba. I burned 1,058 calories! Then went on the Weight Watchers Walk-It Challenge with my son and daughter n law who recently joined Weight Watchers. I wasn't out for beating any time just went and was glad to spend time with James and Whitney and Buddy their dog. I burned another 412 calories there.
I was very excited for her to finish when we got done she said she felt really good about herself finishing.

Me and my son James

James, Whitney and my grand dog Buddy

Whitney & I with our 5k Certificates

Sunday I got up and could hardly move! My thighs felt like they each weight 200 pounds and were so stiff and sore. I seriously did nothing on Sunday.
Monday Jose and I cleaned out our storage shed. Tuesday we started a little project that I have been wanting to do for some time now. We put bead board around our kitchen island, bar, whatever you call it, and I painted it black! I love it! I may not have ever mentioned it on this blog but I love to decorate. I had wanted to be an interior designer when I was younger and still one of my dreams/passions. Give me a can of paint and I can make over a room!

I also went to Zumba in the morning before starting our project and again in the evening. Just what my body needed to loosen up the stiffness.
Wednesday we helped my mother n law by moving some boxes of home canned food that she needed to throw out. Man she packed them heavy too. My daughter told Jose that I could out lift him now! It was a good workout. Funny today Kathleen asked me if my arms hurt I told her no. Why? She said hers felt like they were going to fall off! I remember those days before I started lifting.

Anyways.. today is weigh in not sure how it will go. I haven't tracked at all since Saturday, but I have kept busy, I have enjoyed sleeping in some, and staying up late, and going to the gym during the morning instead of at night. So I will just see where I ended up and start fresh on another week.

Energized!

2011-05-11T18:16:00.000-06:00

It has been a few weeks since I blogged last time I was Exhausted. I have been taking kelp supplements daily now and after about a week I felt finally AWAKE! Last week at WW I was down 2 pounds finally after 2 weeks of gaining. I am hoping that my cutting back in my workouts (and not working out like a crazy woman), cutting out additives and processed foods, artificial sweeteners and diet soda is going to get my body back into working order like God meant it to be. And no I'm not turning into a Granola girl or Hippie as one of my daughters asked. Did that already back in the 70's and early 80's.

I have to share with you my Mother's Day gift from my children and husband.... I have been wanting a Beach Cruiser for a while now. Really fell In love with an Electra Bike but just don't have the funds to spend $700.00 for the bike. Last year when I was close to losing 50 pounds I found a bike I liked. (but never rewarded myself with) Well I got it for Mother's Day! I have been having so much fun riding it, even though it rained on Sunday and Monday it didn't stop me I rode it in the rain. I felt like a kid again coming in the house soaked after a bike ride. I put on my facebook tonight that my family may never eat dinner again, cause I have other things to do now! LOL

The rain is not going to stop me!

Off on a biking Adventure thru the neighborhood.

Single speed is certainly a workout of the thighs!

Spring flowers.

Look I can ride with one hand and take a picture, I even got the flowering tree in the background!

I Love to ride my Bicycle, my bicycle, I love to ride my Bike!

Whee!

EXHAUSTED!

2011-04-25T14:13:00.000-06:00

Last weeks weigh in was a bomb I gained 2.6 pounds. I felt like I had worked my Ass off. I had earned 64 activity points. I had 31 weekly points left. Needless to say I was disappointed. One of my friends at the meeting asked me how I had been feeling. I told her I was tired.. No I am down right Exhausted! There have been mornings (like every morning) this past 2weeks that when I wake up I am thinking about when can I take a nap????? I have even been going to bed early but just can't seem to get enough sleep.
Last Thursday was the last day I worked out I went to an hour 1/2 kickboxing class after the WW meeting. Friday I didn't go to the gym after work instead I went and took an hour nap while I waited for Jose to get off. Then I came home and took another hour nap. Saturday was busy with getting things ready for Easter Lunch with my Son and his wife, and my girls. Yesterday after they all left I went and laid down for another nap.
Today I got up ready for work, drove into work with Jose but could not get out of the car. I turned around came home. Called my Boss and told her I couldn't make it to work. I haven't called out in a year and 1/2 so I think I'm okay with taking a sick day.
Here's the diagnosis.. I am low on Iodine!
Wow.. Here all these years of me not eating Salt cause my Mother stopped using it back in the 70's cause of my Dad's High Blood Pressure. And I just developed a taste that I don't care for it. So now the lack of Iodine is making me sluggish. I am not one to take Medications. So I am trying supplements. L-Tyrosine for the thyroid, and Kelp tablets for the iodine. Not to mention I just went and got some Salmon, tuna and strawberries. I am hoping that this will make me feel better cause I just can't stand this feeling of wanting to sleep (but not being able to sleep) and the ache in my joints. I am going to give this a month and if the supplements are not working then I will go back to the Dr. for a prescription.

Pain in the Butt/Omega-3/Great Salad and Gardening.

2011-04-16T20:37:00.003-06:00

I had a good idea last night to text the instructor of the lift class I go to on Saturday mornings, to ask if she took requests for workouts. Cause I was suggesting we do butt and leg work, since I had done shoulders, biceps and triceps in the gym Friday. She replied, of course I take requests!
This morning she had us set up with a Step, Bosu, Balance ball, shackle band, long resistance bands. A BIG resistance rubber looking band, and a set of weights and a mat. She told every one about my request and said so tomorrow you can thank Julie for your sore ~~ASS~~ BOOTY!
Oh man and she did not fail in doing my request either. At the end of the class she says to me Julie give everyone your phone # so they can call and cuss you tomorrow. LOL
I just told them OH YOU KNOW YOU ALL LOVED THE PAIN!! Hey I earned 13 activity points, then I stayed for an hour of Zumba and earned 14 more activity points. Can't complain about that.
The instructor texted me about 3pm saying, my legs and booty are screaming..... "why Julie why?" actually I love it!
My Facebook page tonight has several comments from the ladies in the class telling me they were in pain.
What was I thinking???? but alas I do love the pain in my ASS too!

Now on to other topics..
After reading in the book Truth about Beauty about Omega-3 supplements I decided I wanted to add this to my healthy living. I went to the Sunflower Market today looking for an Omega-3 supplement. I had one in mind that I had read about on Shelly's blog my Journey to Fit , I found it and picked up another bottle to look at when the young lady in charge of the vitamin and supplements department asked if I needed help. I told her what I was looking for and that I had heard about the Norwegian Gold and wanted a supplement that didn't leave the taste of fish in your mouth or when you Burp, and if she had one she would recommend?
She asked me if I had thought about a liquid form and if I wanted to try one. (let me say I am not being paid to review this product in any way shape or form)
She gave me a choice of flavors to try, Lemon, Mango/Peach, and Pina Colada. I tried all 3.. LOL
It is not like a liquid it is more like a smoothie consistency. I first tried the Lemon flavor because I love lemon. OMG I could handle taking this every day! Next I tried the Pina Colada... yum reminded me of my drinking days I could sip this through a straw out by a pool! Oh wait you only need 2 tsp a day? dang!
Then I tried the Mango/Peach. Oh this is the flavor I wanted it was like eating a Mango/Peach milk shake. SOLD! Oh of course it has to be the most popular flavor and they were OUT of it! I took my second choice Lemon. This is probably really weird ~~stupid~~ but I can't wait till in the morning to take it! LOL

This is it Barlean's Omega Swirl. You may be wondering why I wanted to start taking this. Well I have had Gout (which is a build up of Uric acid in the joint and it VERY painful ) in my big toe twice and it has been hurting me the past couple of weeks and one of the benefits of this is it is a powerful anti-inflammatory and I am hoping this will help.
On the beauty side of it, Omega-3's help the skin, hair and nails, and anti aging. With me turning 50 this year I may need to buy stock in the company.
And I have to share with you a picture of the best salad I have had this week.... and it was only 6 points.

made in my own kitchen! Romaine and Red leaf lettuce, celery, grated carrot, diced onion, a small can of mandarin oranges in their own juice. 2oz of grilled skinless chicken breast, 1 T sundried tomato and Feta cheese, 1/4 cup of Chinese noodles, and 2T of Asian Toasted Sesame dressing. I could eat this every day!
Today I also cleaned up my garden little bit of weeding and leveling the dirt in the boxes. Planted 2 rows of peas, 18 garlic cloves and 36 green onions. It was so nice to work outside in the warm sun and to see all of my Tulips, daffodils and hyacinths blooming.
Today was a good day!

Quick Update to my Week.

2011-04-14T21:36:00.000-06:00

First I kept my commitment and did the workouts I had scheduled. Today was a cardio day and weigh in day. It always makes me nervous to workout before weighing in. But told my boss at 2:15... ok this is my LAST CHANCE WORKOUT before I weigh in tonight. I went to the gym at work and got on the treadmill. I started with walking at 3.0 mph for 5 min, then I ran 1 min at 5.0, walked 2 min. Then repeated that. after the 2nd run time I kicked it up to 5.5mph this seemed to be easier to run faster. I completed 2 miles in 30 min.. No I know it's not fast but it was an accomplishment for me!
Tonight's weigh in down 3.4!
I only have 6 pounds to go to be back to my weight before I quit WW last summer. :)
I am just going to push past that 200 on the scale and not look back!

Finding my Inner Beauty.

2011-04-11T19:33:00.000-06:00

I had committed to go to the gym last week....and I stuck to my word, and have schedule my time for this week too.
Sat 4/2- 1 hour of lifting and 1 hour of Zumba
Sun 4/3-rest
Mon 4/4- 30 min lifting, 10 min yoga stretches, 20 min cardio
Tues 4/5- 45 min cardio
Wed 4/6- 30 min lifting , 30 min cardio
Weigh Thursday I was up 1 pound. I was not surprised cause my muscles were so sore I am sure I had some water retention.
Sat 4/9- 1 hour of lift class, 1 hour Zumba.
Mon 4/11- 30 min lifting 10 min yoga stretches.
Tues 4/12- 30 min on treadmill at work, 1 hour of Zumba at gym
Wed 4/13- 30 min lifting , 30 min cardio
Thur 4/14- 45 min cardio
Fri 4/15- 30 min lifting, 30 min cardio
Sat 4!6- 1 hour lift class, 1 hour Zumba.
I really can tell the difference when I get to the gym at least 6 days a week. I sleep better, I feel better all over even though my muscles are sore, and my mood is better. (Jose calls it my Prozac)

I have been reading a book called the Truth about Beauty by Kat James, the book is about healing your body from the inside out. Avoiding chemicals and additives that we put in and on our bodies, and how they affect our weight, skin, hair, and emotional well being. I started reading it because of a conversation I had with a friend at WW. I was telling her how I hated how red my face was and how sometimes my neck would burn and itch. I have been to the Dr. tried a Rx, numerous creams, no perfumes, and nothing had worked. I had done some reading about Splenda and artificial sweeteners. She told me that she was reading this book and it talked about artificial sweeteners in the book. Oh course being the curious ~~hypochondriac~~t person that I am I had to go buy it. I have now been off artificial sweeteners and caffeine for 10 days now. I have been drinking just water, green tea and Teeccino I have installed a filter on my shower to filter out any chlorine from the water. I have a filter under my kitchen sink to filter the water, and then filter my water to drink through a Brita pitcher.
I have changed my soap to Kiss My Face to wash my face with and shower. I started using a peach and cream moisturizer. I can't believe how much better my skin feels and how I feel after just 10 days. My face has not itched, or been hot and tingling. Yes I did have the withdrawl headache for about 3 days, but I honestly have not missed Diet Pepsi that I had been drinking at least 32oz of daily.
I am also trying to change the foods I eat to more locally grown or organic. I am lucky to work with a girl who has chickens and have been getting a fresh dozen of HUGE eggs from her a week fro FREE! and they are so pretty! I just love looking at them in the carton. :)

I have also changed from milk to Almond Breeze, and Silk Pure Coconut. It is so good on my oatmeal and blueberries. It's also good in a cup of Teeccino.
It may be a combination of getting back to the gym and the changes I have made but I feel so much better!
I know I need to just continue my focus on living healthy and the weight will come off.

I am finding my motivation in making myself healthy from the inside out!

I feel good... (insert James Brown song here)

2011-04-02T18:50:00.000-06:00

Thursday night weight in.. I was down .4! I am accepting any loss at this point.
The topic of the meeting was Support....Strengthening or aiding the cause. Assistance to a person or cause or interest. To give moral or psychological support, aid or courage to.
Having people support you is so important. I know my husband supports me he has really encouraged me the past month with my exercise being on a slump. He tells me you'll get back into a routine just keep working at finding something you like again. So since working out has been my trouble lately. I committed to going to the gym this morning and went to the lift class I like and then stayed for an hour of Zumba.
I burned 1047 calories according to my Polar FT7!

AND I FEEL GOOD!

I know I always feel better after I workout! Thanks to the support and encouragement of my husband I know I am going to find my groove again and get back to the gym daily like I know that I should!

Tip #22 & #26

2011-03-30T21:23:00.000-06:00

I have tried really hard to get back on track with my eating and workouts this week. I have tracked everyday but Sunday. I made a workout schedule, Mon, Wed, Fri weight days. Tues, Thurs, Sat cardio.
Jose and I packed our gym clothes and took them to work so we could go right after we got off work Monday and not need to come home. We went to the gym, I lifted weights and it felt good! When we got home I went onto the Internet and printed all the schedules to the 3 different gyms I can go to. I even highlighted classes that work with my schedule! I woke up Tuesday feeling that soreness in muscles I hadn't used in a couple of weeks and yes I still love that feeling. Tuesday I went to Zumba at the new gym, it is crazy busy! I love the instructor but hate the 20 min drive both ways, the crowded parking lot, the long lines and having to leave my house 45 min early because of all that. It did feel good to have a good sweat. However the room is not ventilated very well and it is frickin' HOT in it. I almost felt like I was going to pass out when it was over. I briefly thought of staying for the lift class after but knew I would not be able to keep good form the way I was feeling. I even had to sit in my car for about 5 minutes before I drove home. I sent Jose a text and told him I was wiped out! At least I got my cardio in! We ended up going to Panda Express for dinner, not sure why but the Zumba class really left me feeling like it was my first workout ever.
(maybe cause I hadn't eaten since 11am and it was now 7pm) I tracked my 22 points that my meal ended up being.
Tonight not so good.. I should have gone to the gym for leg day squats and lunges. Ended up coming home, and signing on to the PC to do some work from home I was only going to work another 30 min and ended up working an hour and missed the Zumba class for tonight and didn't go to the gym to lift.
I have to tell myself I did better then last week. When I start thinking about the workouts I am not doing I really start beating myself up. I happen to be looking in my WW 3-month tracker and came across these Tips at the bottom off the pages.
Tip #22 "It's not the mountain we conquer: but ourselves." -Sir Edmund Hilary
Yes that hit home.. it is my brain and whatever it is in my head not letting myself get under 200.
Tip #26 Change your perspective on a plateau. Think of it as a resting place for you to regain your bearings and control.
Again what I needed to read this week.. so beating myself up! Take it one day at a time and I will soon be back in control of my eating and have my workout routine back to my normal.
SO.... I have scheduled to walk when I get home from work tomorrow, go to the gym on Friday to lift and Saturday try a lift class and then Zumba.
I rejoined the gym at work for the next 6 weeks while Jose is in training so I can get my lifting and cardio in while waiting for him to get off work. I think with that planned it will help give me the boost of wanting to go to the gym in the evening for the classes I like.

Hindsight....

2011-03-24T21:26:00.000-06:00

Well I haven't blogged since the 13th.... I was so awesome then!
I missed WW last week, not because I had something to do though, it was because I didn't want to .. step on the SCALE! I was certain I had a gain and I didn't want to face the truth. I pulled a muscle in my left leg weeks ago and it hurts like hell! I have not gone to the gym. First because the trainer I like changed gyms and it didn't open till this Monday, and I just didn't feel like going. I didn't track anything I ate this past week either. I did tell Jose every day I need to get to the gym, I need to track my food, I have gained 10-20 pounds, I need to get to the gym but I don't feel like it. I told myself ok take this week off and then get back to some type of activity.
Tuesday I went to Zumba and it felt good to sweat. Yesterday I walked 3 miles even though it hurt my leg I completed the 3 miles.
Last night I had an email from my WW leader, asking if I was ok and that she had missed me last week.
Just what I needed. I told her I was fine and committed to being there tonight. I went an hour early cause I wanted to talk to her and have her weigh me in. I told her I hadn't worked out and I had gained 10 pounds or so! She said let's see.... I stepped on the scale, she told me I was not up 10. I said well then 5.
she said not 5. Well then I said it must be 4.8. Nope 3.4. Sure feels like more.
I was glad I went to the meeting. It was insightful. The meeting was about Hindsight: understanding the nature of an event after it has happened. How we tend to repeat out mistakes.
Boy do I! Join WW lose 50 pounds.. quit WW. Gain back 50 pounds. rejoin WW lose 50 pounds, quit WW.. get the picture.
This is what was written on the board.
Look back at slip ups.
Know.......what your doing right.
Evaluate....what, when, why.
Identify......what worked, what doesn't.
Use............that feedback.
Apply........it's lessons.
Everything that has happened before is helpful now...look back to move forward!
During this meeting I realized that I always quit WW around the weight I am now. I get close to 200 and I hit a wall. I did get under 200 last year I was at 198 I quit. I said I could do it on my own. I didn't. I gained back 13 pounds. I rejoined WW. 2 weeks ago I was at 203, getting close to that wall. I think my brain gave up. I let my body listen to my brain and let it give up. I spoke up and told the class that this is what I realized I was doing that I always give up. What is it about being under 200 that my brain tells me no???? I don't want to give up this time.
Ended up several people had the same problem not letting themselves get either under a certain weight or to goal. It was interesting to here a couple of the ladies say that they were afraid to get thin because of the attention they got from men when they were thinner.
After the meeting of the men who has lost 140 pounds came and talked to me, he told me to hang in there that he had hit that same wall after losing 150 pounds and gained back some weight. He said just stick to it and don't give up. I talked to Kris after and she said to me just power through this and I will see you back next week with a loss!
So I came home from WW meeting got on line and did my tracker for the day. Ate a Subway sandwich which was within my points for the day and pre-tracked my food for tomorrow.

FOR THE LAST TIME I CANNOT LET THIS DAMN # ON THE SCALE BRING MY WEIGHT LOSS TO A SCREECHING HALT! I AM NOT THE NUMBER ON THE SCALE!

I am AWESOME!

2011-03-13T18:05:00.000-06:00

The topic of WW meeting Thursday was Celebrate your successes... I am not good at that. Hate to admit it but I am my own worst critic. Yup I say things to myself that I would never say to anyone else. I don't reward myself when I lose another 5 pounds I always make up some type of excuse...after I lose another 5 or when I am a size smaller. In the meeting Kris said positive reinforcements make you feel good about your achievements and reinforces the behavior and attitudes that lead to achievements. Recognizing success is fuel for achievement. So I learned I need to be proud of what I have done and celebrate and reward myself.
So here I go.. my attempt to celebrate my successes!

I lost 2 pounds this past week!

I used E-Tools and tracked every day this past week!

I have lost 51 pounds!

I love to workout!

I am down 5 sizes!

I am healthier!

I am happier!

I can look in the mirror and no longer hate what I see! (still don't like to watch myself at Zumba though)

I can shop in a normal size store!(no longer dependant on Lane Bryant)

I can accept a compliment and just say Thanks!

I have a hard time with my body image. I still see myself most of the time looking the same as I did 51 pounds ago. Just this week we had a baby shower at work for a girl who works from home, when she saw me she said oh my gosh you are tiny!

I thought me? You're saying I look tiny? Then I realized she hasn't seen me in over a year I do look different!

I have changed! and I have been Successful! I am AWESOME! ME, JULIE I AM AWESOME!

I AM A SUCCESS! AND I NOW LEAD A HEALTHIER LIFESTYLE AND IT SHOWS!

I am going to say this to myself all this next week. I AM AWESOME! And my reward?

....this journey is my REWARD!

SHAKE IT UP SATURDAY!

2011-03-05T20:39:00.000-07:00

The WW topic this week is shake it up to avoid boredom.... so how is this for a start?

made oatmeal -and not instant!

added 1Tgranola, 1Tcraisins, 1T sugar free syrup, cinnamon, 1/2 cup diced apricots,

and a cup of spiced pear yogurt. 8 points, includes a whole grain, a milk and a fruit!

Then I colored my hair RED, flipped it out, and put on makeup! And it's only 10am.

8:30pm update to rest of my day.... I played Taxi driver today. (cause we only have one car) Took Jose to work at 5:30am, dropped my daughter off at her work at 7:45, picked up Jose at 11:00am, took daughter back to work at 12:00pm, went to lunch with Jose.
Went to fabric store for ribbon and fabric to make a baby gift. Came home and gave both my dog a haircut.
Made dinner, and watch Renovation Reality show on TV. Probably not what WW meant by Shake it up. But I sure kept busy today!

Weight Watchers Meeting Topic ...Beating Bordom..Bike update.

2011-03-04T22:34:00.000-07:00

bore·dom /ˈbɔrdəm, ˈboʊr-/

[bawr-duhm, bohr-]

-noun

the state of being bored; tedium; ennui.

The topic of the meeting was Avoiding Boredom.. Don't let yourself become the hamster on the wheel.
It's hard to stay out of that boredom rut. We start feeling safe with eating the same foods because they work or we know the points and it's easy, the same workout because we know it. Then boredom hits and we give up again. Been there done that too many times. However I have also had the feelings of boredom hit with my workouts.
When I started going to the gym in Sept 2009 was when I started to enjoy working out, but there again after 6 months of doing the same workout I found myself getting bored. Afraid of giving up all the hard work I had done I tried Zumba, and was hooked. I have learned I have to shake things up every now and then and try something new. I have done a couple of 5ks, yoga, weightlifting class, walking class, kickboxing, and pilates.
I can't give up, I just have to keep trying new things, cause now it's just my lifestyle. And just like life you don't wear the same clothes day in and day out, or read the same book every day. Well maybe you do...
Your program is as limited or as interesting as your imagination. You have to embrace change and shake it up! Try a new recipe, or try a different activity.

And the results for the week were +.2.. yup up and down with these same .2! So this was a good topic for me to think about am I messing around with this weight cause I need to shake up my food?

I visited my bike at the Sports Chalet tonight. (this is pic is from when I found her) I rode her around the store, but was wearing clogs and they kept falling off. I couldn't remember how to stop a bike without brakes on the handles and was afraid for a minute I was going to run into something. LOL but riding it made me want this bike even more. The weather is starting to get warm and it would be so fun to ride around. I am praying for a bonus this month from work so I can buy it. Even though I really need a new PC, I am being realistic ~~selfish~~ ~~foolish~~ and thinking the bike would be the better choice!

BUTT KICKED AGAIN!

2011-03-02T21:13:00.000-07:00

On of my friends at the gym talked me into taking a Pilate's class with her tonight. She had told me she took it last week and really liked it. So me being the kind to try new things now decided to go it was an hour class right before Zumba. I was a little nervous to take it. I was afraid it would be too hard and I wouldn't be able to do it. So I texted the instructor today to ask her how hard the class was and if she thought I would be able to do it. She told me since I had done her weights class I would be fine. Ok a little less nervous. I get there and watched what equipment the other ladies set up. My favorite piece of equipment..... the BOSU BALL..NOT!
I swear it seemed like the first 30 minutes of the class was standing on that bosu ball. It wasn't bad if I was focusing on a spot on the wall or the ceiling, the minute I would look in the mirror I would lose my balance.
The remainder of the class was leg lifts, ab work, planks..and it kicked my ASS! I told my friend I was going to be cussing her in the morning.. Hell I was cussing her before the class was over. LOL
Then I stayed for Zumba.. man I am nuts or what. I felt like I could barely move when it was over.
Guess it's time to hit the shower, pop some Excedrin and go to bed.

Traveling journal results.

2011-02-27T18:27:00.000-07:00

I have learned in the past 2 years that the scale doesn't always say what I want it to say, and the results on the scale do not always reflect the how I did during the current week. This past week I had plans to track daily, workout daily, and have a good loss and find the motivation to keep losing. However I woke up last Saturday sick. I didn't work out, I didn't eat all of my points a couple of days due to lack of appetite. However I DID track every day everything I ate.
The scale said....down .8.
I finally decided to pay for my WW monthly not only will it save me some money by doing that , but gives me access to the online tracker, which i have had fun playing with the past couple of days and am excited to use it this week. Now that I am feeling better will be back at the gym starting tomorrow and can't wait to enter my activity to the online journal.

Traveling Journal update.

2011-02-21T15:55:00.000-07:00

So I have been using the WW class Traveling Journal for 4 days now. The first 2 days were a little rough. It made me realize that I have been using my points for things other then those that are the healthy guidelines foods and that I have a hard time getting in my milk and oil. Both Friday and Saturday I used flex points which I know is ok because that is what the new Points Plus plan is designed for to be used when life throws you a curve ball. Sunday I ate exactly 29 points, and today I planned out my day ahead of time focusing on my Good Health Guidelines first, and I still have 9 points left that I am not sure how I am going to use them. I guess this was a good lesson for me this week. Now hoping that all the crappy eating I did last week doesn't show up on the scale this week.

Heavy... and out of control... what I'm going to do about it.

2011-02-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here watching a show on the A&E channel called HEAVY.. the guy on here is saying he is a food addict. That is how I felt this past week, like I could not stop eating! I felt like I was not hungry just ate because it was there. This started on Tuesday the day after Valentine's day...stress at work and a package of Hershey's Kisses on my desk that someone gave me. Me, stress and CHOCOLATE do not go well together!!! Not even realizing that I had eaten them all till I saw all the wrappers in my garbage. I emailed my WW leader and told her I needed help. We talked at the scale to try to figure out what my problem was and my reasoning for eating so out of control. The only thing I can come up with was my workout schedule has changed and I went from earning 80 activity points to 52 points I think my body was in shock and I didn't know what to do but eat.

My weigh in on Thursday I was up .2, I am sure hoping that next week does not show a bigger gain on the scale, but if it does I know why. Our WW class has a traveling journal, one person takes it for the week knowing that the person after you is going to read everything you ate and you have to report back to the class how you did for the week. When it was asked who wanted the journal for the week my hand immediately went up. This is my companion for the next week.

So far so good. I am trying to stay within my 29 daily point, use very few weekly points and not use any of my activity points. I did an hour of Zumba yesterday on the wii (which by the way is a great workout), today is my rest day. Sunday I am going to the gym to lift weights, Monday Zumba at the gym, Tuesday weights, Wednesday Zumba at the gym, Thursday after WW Cardio Kickboxing. I have this written down in my tracker and time scheduled.

I am going to continue this journey as its not a diet anymore it is my Life. Yes I had a bad week but I have to remind myself like Kris said it is only one week out of the big picture!

You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.

Workout for a Healthy Heart Weekend.

2011-02-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Lori at Finding Radiance sponsored the 1st annual Bloggers' Healthy Heart Weekend. In recognition of women's Heart month, which is very close to my heart, as my mother passed away October 13, 1995 from an heart attack. I have proudly worn my red dress pin for years. So when I red on Lori's blog about this I had to also be involved more then ever this year. Thursday at work we were told that a co-worker had passed away Wednesday night.. she died from a heart attack. The saddest thing she had taken Thursday off from work to go to the Dr. cause she hadn't been feeling well. So this 5k I did today was to remember my Mother, Karolyn McGehee and my co-worker Jackie Nester.

I woke up at 8:00 am and decided it looked nice enough outside to do my 5k outside instead of on the treadmill at the gym. I worn a red shirt and my red dress pin.

Ready to go!

It's colder out here then I thought it would be.

T

This is the view on my walk/run. Snow on the mountains!

My heart rate is getting up there. This is helping me build a healthy heart!

Ok...going back towards home the wind is in my face and my eyes are watering!

I made it back home!

Wow 40 minutes! I forgot how much harder it is to run outside then it is on the treadmill at the gym. This was the first time I had done a workout outside all winter. I do have to say that I have missed that high after a run. I am hoping that the weather stays warm so that I can do this every Sunday.

Then Jose and I went to breakfast. I had a slice of ham, egg beaters and I only ate 1/2 the hash browns.

Oh and several cups of black coffee. I am trying to save points this week and give up the creamer.

Here's to a good week and working out for a Healthy Heart!

I need to bounce back...cause I want to ride this!

2011-02-06T16:51:00.001-07:00

Sometimes I just don't feel like doing this anymore, but yet I don't want to give up. Some days I just want to eat and not worry about journal, about how many points I am consuming. I don't want to hear on Thursday nights that I have gained. Some days I just wish I was a normal healthy weight. But that's not how it is... the scale isn't going to give me a loss every week, I think that is why I quit WW this summer I didn't like the feeling of failure if I had a gain at the scale, the questioning from the person weighing me in.. "oh what happened this week you are up?" Two weeks ago this happened to me again. I had a 4.2 gain. yes that is a big gain I don't think I have ever had one that big. I knew what it was from though I knew I was retaining water from all the lifting I had done, my thighs felt like they were huge. I just told her I have been lifting more that 4.2 is no big deal it will come off! This past week I didn't work out as much I only did Zumba on Monday, Yoga on Tuesday, and Kickboxing on Thursday after WW. (with my new pink boxing gloves)

I had a loss of 2.8. I'm happy with that. I realized that after I bought this 3 month journal that I haven't journaled like I was. It is different from the weekly tracker, so I guess I have been using it as an excuse not to track. I need to learn from past experience that when I do journal I have a better loss. In the WW meeting Kris had written on the board to find inspiration to get you back on track... I found some inspiration at the Sports Chalet...This Electra 3 speed bike. Her name is Gypsy.. and she is going to be mine! Cause I am going to look so Cool riding this groovy bike this summer! Oh and those are my pink boxing gloves in the basket! :)

Isn't it cool!

NIFTY FIFTY NIGHT.

2011-01-26T21:04:00.000-07:00

Nifty Fifty was the theme of last night weight lifting class, and today I am feeling like I am over 50!
The Instructor always makes the hour long class fun, she had good music playing from the 80's and 90's, so doing everything in reps of 50 didn't seem so bad at the time. We first started with using the long resistance band stepping on one end and then doing 50 side bends on each side. 50 bicep curls in sets of 10, 50 one arm rows, 50 squats in sets of 5, 50 leg lifts, 50 push ups, 50 crunches. and a couple of things on the BOSU ball I don't even know what they were called. After that class I stayed for yoga, which was so relaxing... I came home ate dinner, showered and slept so peacefully I slept through my alarm at 4:30! Woke up feeling great when I finally woke up and now my legs are felling every 50 squat I did. Oh I love the pain!

Good Choices Pay Off!

2011-01-23T14:42:00.000-07:00

My good choices last week paid off! At weigh in on Thursday night I was down 3.2 pounds! Yeah!!! I have now lost 7 of the 13 I put back on, and only 4 pounds to go to hit my 5%. I rewarded myself with a new 3 month journal to track my points. I am going to make myself stick to rewards as I have not been very good with rewarding myself with the rewards along the way...always saying to myself just 5 more pounds...not until I'm in a smaller size. I am going to try this year to reward myself for each 5 pounds I lose, so I am looking forward to that next 4 pounds to be gone so I can get the new Points Plus cook book!
Looking back at last week I earned 49 activity points. A few times my workout was pretty strenuous last Saturday's when I thought I was going to get sick. Monday Zumba was a lot of hip work that left me with sore hips and sides. Tuesday's Firm Physics class was fun...at laughs were had by all at my expense. LOL
We were doing leg lifts with our feet resting on the BOSU ball while balance on our side on the balance ball.. at about 25 on the first side I lost my balance and fell off and couldn't stop laughing, the lady next to me started laughing and she fell off. I could see the instructor laughing in the mirror. LOL Then we went to the resistance bands stepping on it with one foot and holding on to one end by your knee and the other behind your our back doing tricep extensions, and one end of the band slipped out of my hand. I must have just had the giggles that night cause I could not stop laughing at myself. Afterwards the instructor and a couple of the ladies in the class said that is what makes it fun to be able to laugh at yourself and carry on. Yoga was packed Tuesday night kinda sad I only have one more class that I can take before it is the instructors last day. :( I took Wednesday, Thursday and Friday off from working out my body was so sore and then I came down with a sore throat. I thought it best to listen to my body and not push myself. Thank goodness I woke up fine Saturday and enjoyed the last Saturday morning Zumba class which was lots of fun and tears at the end. I kinda hate that I have gotten to be friends with the instructor cause it is making it hard to think about not going to her classes for a month. Yes I have become attached... she is a good motivator and friend. I am thinking if I can't find a class at the gym on Saturdays that I will try to come up with something like it at home. I have my own balance ball, medicine ball, resistance bands, and some hand weights all I am missing is a Step and BOSU ball. I also have Jillian Michales 30 min shred that used to Kick my butt I may pull that out of the closet and do that Saturday mornings. Well this was a lot of ramblings on.. but I am glad that my focusing on power foods last week paid off.

Choices....

2011-01-16T14:16:00.000-07:00

Thursdays weigh in I was up 1lb. No big deal. That 1 pound gain is no big deal to me anymore. I know I had a good week and I worked out, I tried a new sport and I tracked. One thing I have noticed the past two weeks is with my new job I don't ~~have~~ make time to drink enough water and eat snacks. I know in a couple of weeks when I get into a routine with it that these things will be under control. I really need to work on getting my water in. The topic of the meeting was making good choices and power foods. So my shopping list I focused on fruits, veggies, whole grains and lowfat dairy and lean meats.
My goal for this week is to make good choices and track.
Friday I got a text that made me very sad. The trainer at the gym I go to put in her 2 weeks notice and her last day is Jan 28. All of the classes I take are from her and I really don't know what I am going to do for a month before she starts at a new gym. I texted her back and told her Saturday you better kick our butts cause I just ate a 1/2 a Snickers bar.
Saturday morning it was really sad she started crying when she told the class that was there for the 30/30/30 class. Needless to say she KICKED our butts. I had to run to the restroom about 10min. before the class was over cause I thought I was going to throw up! I started getting sore Saturday afternoon. This morning I woke up with sore legs, sore back, sore shoulders, stiff neck, and a sore BUTT! I'm not going to the gym today like I normally do. I think my body needs rest today. So now I have some new choices I need to start making on my workouts for the next month. :(
I did make good choices for breakfast a banana and a tsp of peanut butter before going to the gym. I burned 1302 calories during the hour and 1/2 of lifting weights and conditioning, and the hour of zumba.
So for lunch went to Subway and had a turkey and ham sandwich on wheat + cheese and lots of veggies.
Dinner was 4 oz of extra lean ground beef, whole wheat bun and salad.

What the HELL was I thinking!

2011-01-08T18:12:00.001-07:00

Today I started out with good intentions.
My plans were to meet 3 of my friends for Breakfast at Kneaders. I had looked at the nutritional information on line. And planned what I was going to order.The only item I could find the points for was an egg and cheese sandwich on a croissant, for 10 points. I ordered it on 100% whole wheat but still counted the 10 points, and I had a black cup of coffee.
My plans did not include eating a glazed doughnut after picking my husband up from work.Which I counted as 7 points. Now I have used 17 points out of my 29 for the day on 2 food items!
After dropping my husband off at home, one of my daughters and I had an eye Dr's appointment. She says on the way home we have nothing to eat at home for lunch...so I went to subway, while standing in line I started adding up points I also needed to meet my healthy guidelines and decided against getting a sandwich.
Funny how me not ordering a sandwich, made my family think I was upset.
Yes I guess I was upset with MYSELF!
I found a can of healthy choice Tomato basil soup in my pantry and thought I better keep my lunch as low as possible points. I ate that for 3 points, Now I am down 20 and I am still hungry, and have not eaten any of my healthy guidelines foods. I still have 4 points of milk and 2 points for oil. WTH am I going to do????????
OK I grab a grapefruit and eat that. Thank god fruits are now 0 points.
I made my grocery list and menu for the week and went to the grocery store HUNGRY! I stuck to my list except for a bag of clementine oranges that are one of my favorites, and figure I better have plenty on hand this week as my goal for myself is to stay on track, journal, and not go over points. Oh I forgot I picked up a little packet of peanuts (protein and fats right) Dang I forgot about the Kit Kat bar too (I have not eaten that YET)
I am STARVING when I get home and I am sure I told my husband this 100 times while in the grocery store. I put things away, and grabbed a yogurt for 2 points, wait I added the peanuts to that ate it and didn't figure the points until about 5 minutes before I started blogging this, they were another 8 points, I am now -1!
Oh it gets worse....my daughters both needed rides (cause their engine in their car blew up) and on the way home my husband wanted fries. I can't tell him no, he's not the one on WW.
Did I mention I was STARVING???? I started eating them in the car, I counted 10 fries.. I stopped eating them figuring I will need to counted them on my tracker as 5points, I am now -6. I still have 2 points of oil, and 2 points for milk to meet my healthy guidelines I am going to be -10 points, and I have not eaten dinner.
My husband asks me if I am OK.. I seem upset..YOUR DAMN FRICKIN RIGHT I AM UPSET. UPSET WITH MYSELF!
And I still have to make him dinner! What the HELL was I thinking today?????
I am still starving!

I was the Biggest Loser!

2011-01-07T17:55:00.000-07:00

Last night was the first weigh in of the new year. I no longer worry about weighing in and told my self when I rejoined I really didn't care what that number on the scale was. My focus was on being accountable for what I was eating, eating healthier and continue working out. I know pretty to rejoin 2 weeks before Christmas, but what it helped me do was to stay in control and not check out for 2 weeks.
I lost 3.2 pounds over the Holidays! making my loss since rejoining 4.8...only .2 away from a gold star.
When we shared our bravo moments last night mine was having a loss, I told Kris that what had stuck with me from the last meeting was her saying DON'T CHECKOUT for the 2 weeks. During that meeting I found on my phone a picture I had on my phone of the lowest weight the scale had said before I quit this summer, I set it as my wallpaper on my phone and added the banner DON'T CHECKOUT. Every time I opened my phone for 2 weeks I had that reminder, and it helped me to stay focused and I lost 3.2. She asked the class if anyone had lost more and no one had..She told me I was the Biggest Loser!
Then after WW class I went to an hour 30 min kick boxing class as one of my goals for myself for the new year was to try a new sport. I was a little nervous to try something new but also excited to hit something, as starting a new job this week also brought on new stresses. Let me just say it was a butt kicking class, it was a hard workout, and I burned 774 calories. But man did it feel good to hit and kick that bag! I wish I would have had my camera to take a picture. I did wake up (an hour late) to a bruise on my wrist that must have been from my heart monitor watch and me backhanding the bag. It's right there under that freckle..LOL

It was a fun class and hope to do it again. Just thinkin' my family may think I live there now. Now I am thinking if I could find a pair of Lime Green Boxing gloves that would be perfect!

I am making a differnence to someone!

2011-01-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

I have to share this note from my 18 year old daughter today. I got home from work and she had this waiting for me on the table. And after a hectic day on my first day of a new job it was what I needed.

this is the note.

This is the bracelet, just the anchor I needed.

Often in the past couple of years I have wondered if I am sitting an example for my daughters. I know from my own relationship with my mother her harping on me about my weight backfired. I would be ready to lose weight on my own terms. So to read this note today makes me realize I am being an example to her and I can see she is slowly starting to make changes on her own terms. I'm just happy that I am making a difference to someone...MY DAUGHTER!

Get Up and Get Going!

2011-01-02T21:32:00.000-07:00

It is so cold out and all I want to do is stay in the house!!! We have so much snow and it is freezing! I wish I were a bear and I would hibernate in my own little cave.

This is what is looks like out my door.. cold, snow, cold!!

I have to admit I did exactly what the WW leader said not to do over Christmas break..she said not to check out! Which I did. I was fine up till midnight Tuesday and I woke up with a migraine headache that I couldn't get rid of. I went to work Wednesday, but didn't go to the gym for Zumba Wednesday night. It was at that point I checked out. I haven't kept track of my food, I did get up and work out on the WII on Friday and Saturday, which I had not stepped on for months in fact it said I weighed 23 pounds less since the last time I got on it and now my WII fit age is 28!

The gym was closed yesterday on New Years I was really feeling the need to lift weights. We got up this morning to be there when it opened to hopefully miss the New Years Resolution group. It felt good to lift! Now tomorrow to get out my new planners and Get Up and Get Going with this New Year!

A New Year...

2010-12-25T21:12:00.001-07:00

This year I turn the big 50! I told myself 5 years ago that I was not going to be overweight when I turn 50. I have eight months to get to where I want to be to meet that goal. But somewhere in the past year being at my goal weight by my 50th birthday didn't really seem to matter anymore. I realized that I am still going to turn 50 no matter what on August 23rd, no matter what I weigh that day is still going to come.
What matters to me now is just living a healthy lifestyle, to continue my daily workouts, continue to eat healthy and maintain my focus on taking care of me first.
I had quit Weight Watchers in August, I have tried not to focus on the number on the scale since then but to just focus on my workouts. The beginning of December I started feeling like my pants were not fitting as well.. ugh! I stepped on the scale and was up 5 pounds. At that point I decided I needed to go back to Weight Watchers so I rejoined last Thursday yup the week before Christmas, I weighed in and was up 13 pounds since August. I about died! SERIOUSLY 13! I could feel 5 but not 13, and seriously my clothes I am wearing a smaller size then I did at that same weight. I guess maybe my body has changed shape wise.
The Weight Watchers program changed recently and I am really liking the new program I lost 1.6 the first week, I guess I do need that accountability in order for me to lose weight. It will be Jan. 6th before I weigh in again and I am really trying to stay focused and not Check out till then I am planning on my next weigh in being a loss.
I need to set goals for myself to help myself stay focused this next year on achieving my healthy lifestyle.

Goals for 2011
5%-New Points Plus Cookbook
10%-New workout shoes
15%-tbdl
20%-tbdl
25%-tbdl
30% This will be 3 pounds from my healthy weight.

Fitness Goals for 2011
Increase the amount of weights I lift.
Take a spin class.
Continue yoga and become more flexible.
Be comfortable looking at myself in the mirror in Zumba and move to the front row.
Build up my shoulder muscles to show definition.
Be able to bend my leg up behind my back and grab my ankle.

I CONQUERED THE BOSU BALL!

2010-12-22T08:30:00.000-07:00

For eight months I have let the Bosu ball intimidate me. I had tried it in April and it made me Dizzy, so I haven't tried it but a couple of times since. Last nights class only had about 9 people in it so I decided I would try it. When the instructor saw me with the Bosu she was surprised and said what you are going to try it? I told her yes I am going to do this tonight! The first thing she had us do was to stand on it and balance on our right foot for one minute.Good thing I stood my the spin bikes so I could balance myself a couple of times.Then change to the left, I have better balance on my left foot. Then we did the same thing on each knee with the other leg bent up in front of you. Next came the Dead bug which was the one that made me dizzy, where you lay on your back on the ball and bring your knees up and balance. I only fell to the side once and this time I did not get dizzy I found a spot on the ceiling and focused on it. We then turned the ball over and put our folded mat on the flat side of the ball and knelled on it with opposite hand and knee and the other two up. The last thing we did was a side plank on it.
I did it!! I didn't get Dizzy! I got over my fear of falling off and embarrassing myself! I conquered the BOSU BALL!

One week closer to the Holidays. No weight gain!

2010-12-05T22:00:00.001-07:00

No I have not fallen off the face of the earth, even though I do not blog often anymore. Thanks to my darling daughters using my desk top because one of them decided to go to the pawnshop with their laptop. I now cannot download pictures or even get on the Internet on my PC. Thank goodness Jose has his set with a password on it and they can't access it.
I have been reading the book Intuitive Eating... and have tried to give up the diet mentality, Kinda hard when I think I have been dieting since 6th grade if not sooner. The book talks about how dieting really makes you think that some foods are bad you end up depriving yourself of them and then when you do allow it you often binge.
Well my food that I haven't had in probably 2 years is a Qtr pounder from McDonald's. So...Last Wednesday after Zumba I was starving and hadn't gotten dinner ready before I went to the gym and Jose and Kathleen suggested McDonald's. I decided that I was going to get the Qtr Pounder and not feel guilty about eating it.
Guess what... It wasn't as good as I remembered. I can do without it. I would rather have something tasty like a Southwest grilled chicken salad, or a chicken breast subway sandwich.
I stepped on the scales Saturday and I was down 1.4 pounds. The week before I lost 1.2. I had hoped I wold not gain over the holidays there are 3 weeks left and I know I can do it.
I missed my workouts Saturday, so I missed my 2 1/2 hours at the gym, but have to admit sleeping in till 8:30 instead of getting up at 4:30 was really nice that extra 4 hours of sleep was wonderful.
I am looking forward to Yoga again on Tuesday.. I really do sleep like a baby on Tuesday nights, it is my best sleep of the week.

ZUMBA-EXPOSED!

2010-11-11T18:42:00.001-07:00

Last night was Zumba night..I really love this workout, and the instructor is the best! The class was pretty full last night with alot of new people, one lady brought her husband, and there were about 4 teenage boys. It was a full house! When we have a class with alot of new people the instructor always has us move and find a new spot after each song. I always stand on the right side of the class and in the second row by the same women every class. Last night the 4 boys that were in the class were on the row in front of me and behind me and kinda hung around were ever I was and accidently hit one in the face he was standing so close.
Last Wednesday we learned a new dance to an african beat, reminds me alot of music you would hear in Lion King. After this song she told us ok I need you to get a drink and step out of your box we are doing a six minute song. This dance is like doing squats for six minutes! I was already hot and had worn long sweat pants over my shorts. I knew I would not be able to do this with them on so decided to quickly take them off.
I bent over a little to pull them down and wasn't really paying attention more concerned about getting them off over my shoes before the music started. I looked down, and I had pulled my pants AND shorts down to my knees! I looked up to see if any one saw, well only my friend Leah and we both started laughing as I quickly pulled them up. LOL I told her well I guess I stepped out of the box.. and my Pants!
After the class was over and everyone had left I said to the instructor, "did you see me step out of the box?"
then told her what happened. She died laughing and told me it was going into her book of funny things that happen in her class.
Now as far as the 4 teenage boys that were standing on both sides of me.. I didn't look up to see if they saw me or not I guess next week I will know if they did or not by if they stand by me or if they don't look me in the face....
There you go Zumba Exposed

Yoga=Realization of what's bugging me.

2010-11-10T17:10:00.000-07:00

This is the 3rd week now that I have done Yoga. I seriously think that is what helps me make it week to week now. Knowing on Tuesday night the last hour I spend at the gym that day is going to be the most relaxing hour of my week. I have discovered that Yoga can be a hard workout. Last nights class was alternating between doing the downward dog pose and then a plank holding each for a minute, followed by the pigeon pose which is stretching out the hips and quads. Not only is Yoga good for your flexibility, it is also good for your soul. Last night during class I think I finally realized what is bugging me....FALL.. I find that every fall since 1995 I get this bad case of the blues. My mother passed away Oct 13, 1995, my little sister passed away Jan 13 1998.
My father got remarried to a lady I loved like my mother and she passed away on Nov 1 2000. All of my grandparents have died in the months of October, November and December.
I find every year and this time I just really don't care about much. I celebrate the holidays really because of my kids sometimes just going through the motions just because of them and not really wanting to celebrate any of them at all. The deep meditation of last nights class helped me dig deep inside and realize whats been slowing me down. I haven't tracked my food this week, last week I did really good and then just stopped. I think what has saved me from gaining back 55 pounds is that I really have developed a habit of working out, and possible this will save me this year from any weight gain and to now enjoy the holidays
Now off to the gym to ZUMBA!

New workout =increased motivation.

2010-10-31T19:53:00.000-06:00

So I have been in a blogging slump, eating slump and workout boredom. I have stayed at the same weight for 2 months now 200-203 for a month.
I haven't felt like I have had anything to say so haven't blogged. My eating I was bored with counting points, got tried of trying to balance my meals 40/40/20, and needed a different workout plan. I am not ready to give up and won't give up my exercise, I guess in this past year if I have learned anything a out myself is that I do LOVE going to to the gym.
I had been going to the gym to lift weights Monday, Wednesday and Friday, Zumba Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. I decided to change things up and now go lift Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday. Zumba Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. I also added Tuesday night a firm physiques class which is an hour of arm, abs and leg workout, followed with an hour of relaxation Yoga. Tuesday was the first night I did Yoga I felt so good after and slept ALL night long. It was the best sleep I have had in months. Saturday I also do a firm physiques class that is an hour and 1/2 class prior to the Zumba. I am dead tired when I get done but I really enjoy the BURN!
Starting tomorrow I am going to go back to counting WW points and see how that works.
Now I can't wait for Tuesday!

What no Bells and Whistles???

2010-10-10T14:16:00.067-06:00

I have felt like it is time to mix up my workouts again as I have been doing the same routine since April. Wednesday night at Zumba I talked to the instructor about a class she teaches called Firm Physiques 30/30/30, which I have taken before but the Bosu ball makes me dizzy so I hadn't gone back. She told me to come and do it but when she uses the Bosu to do the same exercise without the ball.
Saturday I had to take Jose to work and 6:00am so decided to just get ready and go to the gym and take the class. Man it is a butt kicker and just what I needed. (and today my butt is hurting) No understand the class is 30 minutes of ab workout, 30 minutes of legs, and 30 minutes of upper body. Everything we do is done in 100's!
It is the leg workout the kills me even though I do 60 squats and lunges or dead lifts every Wednesday.
She had us doing lunges with one foot behind us up on a Balance ball, and a set of 100 with our foot up on a step. Then we did leg work with Tubing wrapped up around our back, then up thru your legs and your feet in the handles. with then another small one hooking both feet together, laying on your side with feet at a 90 degree angle doing 100 leg lifts. This is just a small amount of what we did in the class but the part that I really struggle at.
I did survive the class and stayed after for Zumba. While in Zumba looked down at my heart monitor and I was at 999 calories burned! I thought ~~wanted there to be~~ is there going to be bells and whistles when it hits 1,000? I showed Ralynn the instructor and she whistled for me when it hit 1,000! I ended the class with 1,167 calories burned for the 2 1/2 hours of working out.

1,167 calories burned during workout.

11,321 calories burned in my last 25 workouts!

I was so sweaty!

It really helped me focus during the day on not eating more calories then I burned. I wish I would have worn it all day long it would have been interesting to see how many I burned for the day. Because later in the day Jose's 86 year old mother called me for help she had called someone to shampoo her carpets and they didn't show up, so I took my carpet cleaner over and shampooed her carpets.

Our girls were gone at dinner time so Jose and I took advantage of going out for a mushroom Swiss burger at Apollo Burger. Neither of us were starving so decided to share a meal since they are pretty big hamburgers. When we were done we both felt satisfied and not stuffed. It was a great DAY! Now this morning ... LOL I woke up a little stiff, but Jose, Kathleen and I went to the gym. I am hoping by the end of this month I can be under 195, as I have been maintaining my weight at 200 and hoping a change with kick things up again.

Shopping ...with no tears!

2010-10-03T14:25:00.000-06:00

Shopping!.. I love shopping, but not very often do I have a good time doing it. You know going into the department store to find the perfect top or pants. Most of the time I try on the size I think I should be and it doesn't fit. Often I have walked out of the dressing room on the verge of tears. Vowing to NEVER try on clothes until I have lost 10 or 20 more pounds.
Saturday I went to JCPenny (because they were advertising a great clearance sale) I was looking for workout clothes. I wish I would have taken my camera to take a picture of my husband holding all the clothes I found to try on. I had picked out 3 different black workout pants, and 6-7 tops for the gym.
While walking through looking at clearance racks I spotted the New FALL clothes. Green sweaters my favorite! I picked up a sweater and hung it back up telling my husband this will never fit. He told me just take it and try it on whats it going to hurt?
OH....OH...OH.. I fell in love with it! I had so much fun trying on all the clothes I took into the dressing room! This time when I walked out I didn't have any tears, only a big smile. This time everything fit! In fact some of the things I took in were too BIG finally what a good feeling to try something on and it be too big.
I didn't walk out with what I went for.. workout clothes, but instead walked out with the cutest green sweater, a multicolored top, and this fun rose top with the coolest neckline I have seen in along time.
Oh I did buy a black tank top off clearance for $4.80 for the gym.
Now to find some fall shoes and a black sports bra.:)

I have had dessert EVERYDAY this past week!

2010-09-18T19:52:00.000-06:00

I LOVE DESSERT! probably one of my biggest challenges has been to stay away from dessert.
This past week I have been eating it every single day! Key Lime pie, Strawberry Shortcake, and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice cream. Key Lime Pie is my favorite, I have had so much that my jaw is sore, and I don't feel guilty at all! Cause look at what I found.. one of my other favorite things.. SUGAR FREE CHEWING GUM!

This has been my lifesaver at work this past week. I always keep my desk stocked with gum. Now I keep it stocked with Dessert! If you like gum, and Love Dessert, you need to check out this gum.

Where has ONE YEAR of working out gotten me??

2010-09-14T20:05:00.000-06:00

Today is my 1 year anniversary of changing my life! One year ago today I started working out at the gym at work with a personal trainer. I had been doing WW at that time already for a year but never worked out. Where I work (a Health Insurance Company) I was given the opportunity to try a program called Kinetix. I wasn't really interested in the food part of it but knew I needed to develop an exercise plan. I was hoping this would get me started on a routine. Little did I know at the time it was a beginning of an ADDICTION!
With starting this program it was also about journaling your food and your workouts. I still after a year journal my workouts and food. It is funny to look back now at the first day of working out and what weights I lifted then. Mondays is always chest, back and abs workout. A year ago I lifted 7.5, 10.0, and 12.5 pound weights doing a flat bench press. Now I flat bench press 15, 20, and 25 pound weights. If you wonder why 3 different weights I do these starting with the lightest 15 reps, next 10 reps with the next weight and then 5 reps with the heaviest. Then do it in reverse order. On my journal a year ago after doing a one arm row with the same light weights I have written Oh my left arm is a weakling... ouch! Now my one arm rows are 12, 15 and 20 pound weights and am thing about moving up because it is becoming easy to do. Abs a year ago were floor crunches done in the same order 15, 10, 5, 5,10, 15=making a total of 60. Now I do my 60 without stopping. The other days I lift are Wednesdays with Leg day, squats, lunges or dead lifts, and calf raises. Fridays Shoulders=Seated shoulder press one week and Side Lateral raises the next, Biceps=Standing curl one week and Incline Hammer curl the next, Triceps= Tricep Extention one week and Bench dips the next. Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday are cardio days, and the goal was to keep your heart rate in 65%-75% of your target heart range mine then was 112-130 I had to walk about 2.0-2.2 mph to keep my heart rate in that zone. Now my target heart rate is 130-153 (but I rarely stay in it I like working out at a higher level and usually am at 140-170) At the end of the first week of working out I thought by Friday morning I was going to die, I could barely walk down the stairs from my legs hurting so bad, and to put on my bra I thought my arms would not bend back behind me to hook my bra. LOL Saturday I could barely move and I spent most of the weekend in bed popping back pain pills and putting heat and ice on my back. Man I seriously wondered what I had got myself into, but Calvin (the trainer) swore that the 2nd week would be easier. He was right! It was easier and I was liking it. I have not quit, I have missed a few days while sick this past winter but Jose practically had to tie me down so I wouldn't go.
So where has one year gotten me.. well I am down 25 pounds from then. I now have muscles that I can see that I couldn't before. I have developed a habit now of going to the gym 6 days a week and sometimes twice a day. Monday and Wednesdays I do weights and also go to Zumba. I now feel like I have so much energy. I used to not be able to fall asleep at night now I am asleep so fast. It has improved my moods and now I know when I do need to either eat or go workout. Before I would plan my nights around what is on TV, now it is around what class is going on at the gym or what workout I need to do that day. It has help curb my cravings for chocolate. From craving chocolate every day to maybe craving it once or twice a month. I have gone from wearing a tight size 24 to a baggy 16 (well baggy in the butt-I really need a butt, I'm thinking maybe those booty-pop panties) LOL
Today I realized I had on the same shirt I wore last year the I really didn't like how it fit cause of seeing my gut bulging out. Now it is baggy way baggy! I still have 45 pounds I want to lose and I know thanks to this healthy habit I have found I will get to where I want to be.

9/14/2010

2009

Weiging in.. and other ramblings from my head.

2010-09-09T21:13:00.000-06:00

This morning I weighed myself after following Kinetix for a full week now and I was down 3.8. Now that's more like it. It makes me feel like my hard work pays off. I got an email today from the Kinetix trainer (Calvin) regarding questions about the urge to eat I was having. He told me it could be several reasons.
Either because of changing my eating to eat K-balanced, or my meals not being balanced. He told me to try eating 500 calories for my breakfast and make sure I was truly balanced at 40/40/20, then to have a 200 calories snack later. So today I tried that and I didn't have the urge to eat. I actually had to remind myself every 3 hours I either needed to eat a meal or a snack. I have to admit my body feels better and I am in a better mood when my body is balanced.
Now I just need to learn to keep my heart rate in my fat burning zone during Zumba. Last night I was only in my zone 41 of the 60 minutes, and burned 394 calories. Which I am still not sure if my monitor is set right, I am still playing with the training zones on it. Zumba last night was lots of fun we used weights on one of the songs that lasts 6 minutes. It is a lot of arm and leg work. It was fun. Then the instructor told us that she was able to buy the Zumba weights for us all and they would only be $10.00. I can't wait they sound maracas when you shake them.
Today while at work I was listening to my ipod. Came across a play list of songs that have motivational songs and the song by Jordin Sparks, One Step At A Time came on. I know this song isn't about weight loss, but I do associate it to my weight loss journey. I have to remind myself that there is no need to rush to get to my goal and the only way I am going to get there is One step at a time.

Weightloss... A Balancing Act.

2010-09-08T18:23:00.000-06:00

Tomorrow will be one month since I stopped going to Weight Watcher meetings, and started counting calories. I have stepped on the scales every Thursday just like it was weigh in at WW, the first 2 weeks I stayed the same, last Thursday I stepped on the scales and I was up 5 pounds. Yes, I was a little concerned with the results. I have never had that large of a gain since I joined WW. I decided that I would go back to balancing my meals 40/40/20 like I had done a year ago when I started working out and followed Kinetix. I do have to say that I do feel better when I eat my meals 40% carb, 40% protein, and 20% fat, and cut out all sugar.
Weight loss is truly a balancing act...balancing my time to get to the gym for workouts, balancing my meals, balancing my time with the family and work. Balancing the urge to eat and the need to eat, that I have been dealing with the past 2 days. 8:30 the past 2 mornings, about 1.5 hours after eating breakfast, I have wanted to eat again. I'm not hungry, just this urge to CHEW! Thank goodness I keep my desk stocked with sugar free gum, cause it has been my lifesaver. This past week I wasn't very good with balancing, first tried to cram 2 days of workouts into one last Friday, because of Labor day weekend, so I could spend Saturday with my girlfriends going to Swiss Days in Heber, UT. I was so sore on Saturday morning my thighs were so stiff if I stopped walking. Monday morning I misunderstood the Zumba instructor on what the time for class was and missed class. I was disappointed but turned that around, came home got my husband went back to the gym and did my arm work. I have been planning all my meals and snacks at night which has worked out well this week. Today I went to the gym after work with Jose, made dinner and have Zumba in 45 min. Tomorrow I will weigh in and see how well I balanced it all out this week.

Another year older, another year healthier, and my new TOY!

2010-08-31T21:24:00.000-06:00

Last week I celebrated my 49th birthday, 55 pounds thinner! It was a great weekend, yes at my age it is no longer just a day of celebrating it is a whole weekend. Friday night was going to the play Hairspray, the girl playing Tracy looked alot like the girl in the movie and sounded just like her. It was lots of fun for me, my 2 girls and husband (he said it was good too and glad he went) After that instead of doing dinner out I choose to just stop for dessert. Not very often do I eat dessert and felt it was an occasion to celebrate, and by going out for dessert means no leftovers at home. My favorite pie is Lemon so of course that is what I had.
Saturday, I got up and did Zumba by the outdoor pool at the gym, it was so much fun! Nice and cool out and we watched the sun come up over the Wasatch Mountains. Later I went shopping with my husband and out to lunch. Sunday my Son and his wife came over and we BBQ'd burgers, corn and roasted green chili's for our burgers. Instead of a cake I decided to have ice cream sundae's we bought 4 small cartons of different flavors, Strawberry-Lemonade, Moon pie, Smores and Blueberry pomegranate. Again the reason was so cake would not be leftover.. I can't deal with cake sitting around. The ice cream everyone loved and we decided on the next birthday we celebrate to do the same thing.

Oh I forgot we also had fresh sliced strawberries.
Monday the 23rd which was really my birthday, I started the day off with a visit to my Dr. for my yearly exam. (which due to surgical reasons I only have to go every 2 years) anyways I was down 49 pounds from my last exam. All of my blood tests came back at healthy levels and I was told to keep up the good work!
Then I went to purchase my new TOY! my polar heart monitor ft4 that I have been waiting to get.

Not only while I workout will it tell me if I am working in my target heart zone, but it will also tell me how many calories I burn. It has taken my a week to get it personalized to me and not the industry standards. The trainer at the gym had me take my resting heart rate for 3 mornings in a row before getting out of bed and then we took the average and she helped me set it with a formula so it will give me more accurate readings for me.
Last night I used it and I burned 563 calories in Zumba, today I used it while on the treadmill for 30 min and burned 248 calories. After getting home I realized I didn't have the zone set right, so now it is and I am excited to use it at the gym tomorrow and get the correct readings. Oh I love my new TOY!
As far as my weight goes, I am counting calories, (or ww points converted into calories) But here is something that I have been told by 2 trainers now. They don't think I am eating enough calories and that is why my weight loss is slow. Because I have gotten to the point that I am burning too many calories and my body is not losing. So I am very interested to see how increasing my food (in healthy choices) will affect my weight. For the past 2 weeks I have stayed the same as the last time I weighed in at WW. I feel like that is encouraging.
I had received an email from my WW leader Kris, telling me she missed me. It was hard to tell her that I was taking a break and wanting to try something different. I do owe her a lot, as she was a big help on this part of my journey. She listened to a lot of the hang ups I have learned to over come, such as not comparing myself to others, and it's not a race, to not give up and keep going. WW has taught me skills that I will continue to use the rest of my life. I know that I will always have to watch what I eat and I will always workout.
But for now me and my new TOY are going to take a test drive down a different path.

Progress not Perfection.

2010-08-15T16:58:00.000-06:00

Progress not Perfection....that was the topic at Thursdays WW meeting. Funny thing this was what Calvin (the personal trainer) I had the pleasure of teaching me how to workout and use the Kinetix program which is eating 40% protein, 40%carb, 20%fat. The programs belief was we are not perfect nor will we ever be. You need to focus on the progress you are making every day. Even if it is something little one day as just eating one meal right. The program was also letting yourself have have a free target one-two meals a week of what ever you wanted it didn't have to be balance in the 40/40/20. It was on Sept of 2009 that I had started that program mainly to learn how to workout. I now look back on my journey and for 11 months now the progress I have made is I never miss a workout. I am at the gym at least 6 days a week and sometimes twice in one day (Monday lifting weights and Zumba in the evening) I have lost 25 pounds since I started exercising. I am go the point now that I only weigh 8 pounds more then Jose. When we got married we both weight 135 (that will never happen again) But we are both healthier. Recently I changed my gym memberships, I had one at work and one at another gym. I cancelled the one at work and changed the other to a family pass. See that is one of the things that my progress has affected is my daughters and husband now wanting to workout with me. It has been really nice Jose has gone with me Mon, Wed, Fri to lift weights and one of my daughters went with me Tuesday and this morning for cardio and weights.
A year ago I would have been able to tell you what was on prime time TV every night. Now I can only tell you when Tureblood is on Sunday nights. LOL
I'm no way perfect and will never claim to be, but I no longer crave fatty fried foods, or chocolate. I know that my eating healthier and working out daily has helped my body change to like a machine needing better fuel.
I am struggling now at this point of my journey as to wanting to keep going to WW meetings or not. I have joined WW so many times I have lost track. Always starting with a friend having them quit going and I give up saying I am going to do it on my own. Which never happened. It's not that I don't believe it the WW program I still do. But I feel this restlessness inside me just wanting to try something different. Not HCG either, So I am allowing my self 2 weeks off from WW to see how my focus on being healthy and working out will work.

I guess I am just feeling the need to open a new door.

Finally to ONE-DERLAND!

2010-08-03T13:42:00.004-06:00

Look it's a MAJOR AWARD!

Thursday July 29, 2010 I finally got my 50 pounds lost award at Weight Watchers! I actually am down 51.4
since rejoining Weight Watchers Sept. 27, 2008 with my friend Leesa, weighing in at 249. The night I joined I had no idea how long it would take me to reach goal but had hoped with the support of my friend that this time I would get to my ideal goal. Sad but true I let my friends success become a road block for me, and really stumbled along the way. At times instead of pulling myself out of the hole, I let myself stay in that hole for a few weeks.
In September of 2009 I started working out with a personal trainer, he helped me with a workout routine of lifting weights 3 days a week and doing cardio 3 days a week. I developed a routine that after a year I am still doing. I can not get by without exercising. I have also added 3 days of Zumba to my weekly routine and use that now as my cardio instead of walking.
My weight loss has still been slow compared to others, but I think this is the lesson that I have learned this time around that I cannot compare my weight loss journey to the weight loss of others. This is MY journey and I have discovered things about myself that I never knew.
I LOVE to workout, I love to sweat, I love to have sore muscles, I love the definition of the muscles in my legs, calves and arms. I LOVE to dance! Zumba reminds me of dancing with my friends in the 70's-80's doing the hustle in our parents living rooms and doing it I get any where to 7,000 -8,000 steps in an hour on my pedometer.
I Love that my husband is of my accomplishment, and tells everyone we run into that comments on my loss. just yesterday at the grocery store we ran into our dental hygienist and he told her I had gotten my 50 pound award. I never thought that he would be so proud. This is where my other stumbling block comes in I have had a hard time accepting a compliment, so I have really worked on just saying thanks.
Now I am learning to accept my body and the way the weight is coming off of it, and not coming off in the places I want it to come off of. Like my middle! I keep telling myself that to just keep working at it and it has to eventually come off gut. I have take my measurements and I am losing every where but my waist. I told Jose the other night I look like Heimlich the caterpillar from Bugs life. He told me you may think so, but you are becoming a butterfly to me, you may not see it but I do.
Hmm... never thought of it that way but I guess I am coming out of my cocoon and transforming my body into a better body. I have 48.6 more pounds to lose to get to my Weight Watchers goal so this transformation is not over yet.

Taken Aug 23, 2008 weighing 250-249

Taken Aug 3, 2010 weight 197.4! In my 50 pound reward shirt and capris.

Just do it!

2010-07-28T18:27:00.000-06:00

So I haven't had much to say lately just kinda in a blogging slump. You know nothing new to say, and just living life. Summer has brought alot of new adventures in our family and that has kept our home life in a state of Teenage Drama so to say.
I am just getting ready to go to Zumba again tonight, to the same gym that the mirror's are so close! However after that experience, each time I have gone again I make it a point to just look at myself in the mirror before the class starts. I take a peek now and then during the class and Just do it!
I dance like no one is watching and just enjoy the workout that I am getting. Weigh in is tomorrow and I really hoping to see good results as I have been focusing on healthy guidelines and just doing it!
Now I am off to ZUMBA! (my butt/gut off)

MIND FREAK!

2010-07-15T20:57:00.000-06:00

So I haven't blogged since July 1st, my brain has been on Freak out mode! First with my daughter in VA and needing to come home right away and trying to find someone clear across the country from me to help her get to the airport. Luckily she is safe at home. Then I have a sister n law who went in for hip replacement and 2 days later found out she had lung cancer and given 2-3 weeks to live. Thankfully she has beat those odds and she is still with us. So my brain has turned to mush, just thinking about everything, day to day life, my family, my weight loss, money, kids, jobs.. you name it, it has gone through my mind in the past two weeks.
I have kept up with my workouts in fact I added another Zumba class to my week and now do it 3 days a week. The instructor that I go to is so good I just LOVE her! Saturday she told us you can either work out like you are going to eat carrots every day or you can work out like you are eating ice cream. No body is watching you so put the most into and get the most out of your workout. On one song she had us close our eyes and just feel the music and do the Samba and pretend you are dancing with your partner. Interesting how it was easier to dance that way. After the class she handed out an article titled Who's Really Looking? by David Patchell-Evans.
It was about fear of being looked at often prevents us from trying new experiences. We tend to be hyper-aware of our bodies and what we perceive to be our imperfections. We tend to exaggerate how much people notice us and we waste time worrying about our "flaws" instead of using that same energy for the joy of living. The truth is NO ONE is looking. People are there doing their own thing. He says he stopped thinking about whether people were scrutinizing his less then perfect moves while at the gym and started focusing on having fun. Then people were drawn to him because of his positive energy.
So Monday nights Zumba class I went to class with this in mind no body is watching me just go in there and have fun and enjoy what I am doing. Worked good!
Last nights Zumba class is at a different gym with the same instructor, smaller room and I ended up in the front row by the mirrors. Usually I am in the second row and don't really see myself. Well about 1/2 way through the first song, I see myself in the mirror and all I can see is this Big fat roll! and my mind freaks out.... You don't look like you have lost weight not just 50 pounds but any weight. You still look the same as you did 2 years ago. You can't do this dance. People are looking at your BIG fat roll! What are you doing here you look stupid doing this.
Oh my HELL! I had to shut it up! Thank goodness another regular lady came in and was trying to find a spot and I told her here stand in front of me.
I was fine as long as I didn't see myself in the mirror.
So all day today I have thought about what happened last night at class and wondering how do I get my Freakin' Mind to think the same way as how my body feels inside. I feel healthy, some days I even feel thin,
I feel better then I have in probably my whole adult life.. which is pushing almost 49.
Thank goodness for WW meeting tonight because the meeting topic was Using Mental Strategies.
and focus on NSV (non scale victories) So I am going to be telling myself when I go to Zumba class and see myself in the mirror and start having those mind freak episodes- 1. 50 pounds ago I would not have been doing this let alone come to the gym 6 days a week. 2. I enjoy this class and I feel great when I am done.
3. I may not do the moves the same as everyone else but if it's shaking I'm doing it right!
I know one of these days my mind and body will sync up together. Nobody said this Journey was going to be quick and easy so I might as well enjoy it every step (or dance) of the way.

Weight Watchers Has Made An Honest Woman Out of Me!

2010-07-01T21:24:00.000-06:00

For at least the past 18 years I have been living a lie. Not a big lie.. just a little white lie it was perfectly innocent and I am sure I am not the only one who has lied about it. Come to think about it I have probably lied about this for 22 years. But today when I went to Weight Watchers and weighed in that lie was now the TRUTH!
I AM NO LONGER A LIAR!! This is what the scale said, (yes I always have my camera with me you never know when you need a picture :D)

200!

And the truth is this is .......real weight on my Drivers License! I do not even remember the last time I weighed 200 pounds. Probably 15 years ago and I tried taking Phen-phen, for a brief moment and I do mean brief I may have been under 200.

The interesting thing about this is I have a terrible self image of myself, it has gotten better but still not where I should be. After seeing the weight on the scale, the weight on my Drivers License, and seeing that I have lost 49 pounds in my WW book (however its really 53) it was like a light bulb came on in my head.. all of these things mean I have been successful, my hard work is paying off. I really am(weigh) what I said I did.

And now I only weigh 6.4 pounds more then Jose! I haven't weighed close to the same weight since before I got pregnant with twins.

Along this journey I have had a lot of doubts about my success, wondering at times if I really will get to my goal. After seeing 200 tonight I know that I can achieve my goal. I know that I can lose another 50 pounds, I will do it and I can do this. I will/am making my body into a healthy body that I plan to keep for along time.

Next week I am so hoping for that 50 pound reward!

Cleaned my closet... who wants some hand me downs????

2010-06-28T16:59:00.000-06:00

Yesterday I decided it was time to clean out my closet. I have lost 50 pounds and still have size 28-20 clothes hanging in there I can't wear. I should have taken a picture at how stuffed it was, but didn't think about it until today, and I'm not going to hang it all back up just to take a before picture. LOL
While cleaning the closet out I tried things on that were my favorites. My all time favorite shirt I had bought at Macy's a couple of years ago. I had waited for it to go on sale cause it was $59.00 and thought that was too expensive. Jose talked me into getting it cause I would look at it and touch it and try it on every time I went to into the store. I didn't get it on sale but I sure loved this top, and the short black skirt I wore with it. I think I actually felt sexy in it when I wore it. SEXY 253 pounds!( I deleted the picture off my PC I had to take a picture of a picture.)

I put it on today.. not so sexy.. now sloppy and to big! I can't figure out how to alter it, cause it has a zipper down the side.I have to admit I was a little sad that this shirt no longer fit. I hate to take things like this to the thrift store, and my one friends that I pass clothes to I thought this would be more revealing then what she would wear.

So what do you do with you clothes that are too big, if you are not able to alter them or even want to alter them. I have these 2 tops and a black skirt that I don't want to take to a thrift store but want someone to have them that could use them.

The skirt is 21 inches long and a size 26 from Lane Bryant. The black and wine colored one is a sheer material with a black underlay, it is a size 24 from Macy's. The black and ivory top is a size 2x from CJ Banks. it is a sheer material also with a black lining with the ruffle at the bottom, the material is really cool, it is accordion pleated.
So here is my thought I am going to give them away to someone, if any one reading this would like them for them self or for someone you know that would really like wearing them let me know. Just leave me a comment letting me know you want them, and I will make sure they get to you.

Lead me not into Temptation.....

2010-06-26T20:23:00.000-06:00

But deliver me from this evil desire for McDonald's hot fudge sundaes!
I know that is not the way it reads in the Bible, but trust me this past week I have been saying that to myself every time I drive by McDonald's. Tuesday, I got word that my brothers wife was diagnosed with lung cancer, and given 2-3 weeks to live. She went in for a hip replacement June 10th and checks out with lung cancer!
I am sad. I am mad. I am sad. I am scared. I am sad. I am emotional. I am sad. I am worried. I am sad.
Did I say I was sad? I have let myself turn to emotional eating, 3 days in a row I went to McDonald's and ate hot fudge sundaes, I guess it could have been worse. But ice cream was my desire at the time, and I didn't care. It made me feel better. After going to WW Thursday night and staying after and telling my leader Kris what I had gone through earlier in the week and eating ice cream 3 days in a row, I felt better. Her telling me it was okay and me recognizing I was using it for comfort was like my confession to let it go and move on. Oh and weigh in I was up .2, I'm ok with that.
Friday, I recommitted to tracking this week, and back to my workouts. Last night I did my 3mile walk/jog and actually jogged further then I ever had. This morning I got up and went to Zumba class and had a great workout. Came home and talked to my neighbor for a 1/2 hour she just did a 188 mile relay race last weekend and it was exciting to hear her talk about it. Jose was about ready to call and see if I was still at the gym, he was waiting at home he didn't work today. I took a shower and by that time it was 10:30. Jose hadn't eaten and was ready for food and at this point my 90 cal granola bar had worn way off. We went to McDonald's (yes it is Jose's favorite place) They were still serving breakfast and I didn't feel like using so many points on breakfast so I got the Apple and Walnut salad for 3 points. We went and bought some fresh fruit and veggies for the week, and to the local Dunford Bakery for the 1point wheat bread. Jose had said he was going to buy a big chocolate cake doughnut. However we both walked out of there with just the wheat bread! Came home and made a delicious turkey breast sandwich.
I had also promised Jose I would make the WW 1point pumpkin cookies I ended up making 2 batches cause I bought the wrong size of pumpkin. I made one batch with a spice cake mix and one with a dark chocolate cake mix, then put 1/2 of each batch in the freezer.

Here is the recipe if you don't have it. They are so easy to make they freeze well, and they are yummy.

1 point Cookies
1 15oz. Can of Pumpkin
1 Spice Cake Mix (chocolate is good too)
3/4 cup Mini Chocolate Chips
Mix pumpkin and dry cake mix together. Then add chocolate chips.
Drop by teaspoon onto ungreased cookie sheet. ( I use a mini cookie scooper to make mine)
Bake at 350 for 18-23 min. (I bake them for 20min)
Makes 36-42 cookies at 1 point each. (I usually get 38)

Isaiah 41:10
Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Look What my Husband got for Father's Day!

2010-06-21T16:38:00.001-06:00

I have always taken Jose shopping for new shoes or clothes for the summer for Father's Day, so Saturday when we went shopping he picked out his sandals and some shorts. I am still searching for a swimming suit to wear Wednesday to water aerobics, so we walked through the ladies department at Kohl's. I am someone who when I go shopping I have to touch every fabric that catches my eye. I am a lover of colors and material. My dream when I was in High School was to be a dress designer. I saw this shirt and fell in love with the colors and the fabric it is a sheer fabric on top and then has a black lining. I picked it up said oh this wouldn't fit me its too small. (this was in the ladies department and not the plus size) Jose said just humor me and go try it on. Normally I am a NO, not today when it comes to trying clothes on, since the muffin top experience a couple of months ago. However I loved this shirt so thought why not..... and low and behold it fit.
I came out and modeled it for Jose and he says. For Father's day instead of buying me a new shirt, you get this one and it will be my Father's day gift to see you in it.
Man no wonder why I love this man, He is one of my biggest supporters, even when I tell him I can't see a difference he can.
I wore this to work today and had several compliments. I just love my Father's Day shirt!

Thursday nights WW Meeting Topic.. Tracking

2010-06-18T21:26:00.000-06:00

Thursday nights meeting was about making Tracking work for you-to track more accurately and consistently.
To Monitor: To check on a regular basis to track usually for a a specifiic purpose.
In the Week 1 book it tells you to track everything you eat and drink, correct portion sizes, and your body's signals of hunger and fullness.Tracking makes you aware of what you eat, your points and adds accountability.
Tracking is a record for you to see your success and gives you a history of patterns of weight loss, gives you accountability. It's a guide to your satisfaction, helps you know where you are when you feel like you have lost control. Tracking is your commitment to program.
Tracking when you first start a program is like the honeymoon stage of a marriage, you do everything right, measure, get in all of your healthy guidelines, get all of your points in and not go over flex points.
Then as we have lost some weight and have gotten comfortable with the program we become a little lax in our tracking. Stop tracking bites, licks and tastes, stop measuring, go over points a few days a week.
Some can still be successful this way but not for long, consistently not doing the program will catch up with you. When you get to this stage in your journey, it's important to forgive yourself first, and move to acceptance, and to track for your improved success.
Kris gave us a challenge.. What are you willing to do this week in order to lose weight...Commit to Track.
Okay, I have tracked every thing I ate today... Fridays are high points days for me, I admit I let myself have Friday as my day to eat whatever I want. So this morning 8 points was on a Chocolate cake doughnut.
10 points for dinner on a grilled chicken tostada at Cafe Rio, secret is don't get the rice, don't eat the corn tortilla, and don't get the house dressing, ask for 1/2 the amount of tortilla strips and get extra lettuce with extra salsa. I can never eat the whole thing and I am very satisfied. I count it as 10 cause I am not sure if they put fat in the beans, or oil on the chicken. I feel pretty confident in counting it as 10 points.
Last nights weigh in was a loss of .8, I am fine with that now. I have come to accept that I am a member in good standing of the .2, .4, .6, .8 club. I have an exclusive membership because in looking back in my book that is the average of my losses. I know at one point it really got me down to see such small results on the scale.
Since I decided to stop stepping on the scale daily, I am ok with whatever my body does for the week. My focus has shifted from the #, to just focusing on being active and eating healthy, and try to be happy about my body.
So here is what I like about my body this week....
My hands and that my rings are getting really loose!

And LOOK I have COLLAR BONES that you can see now!

Just one of those days....

2010-06-16T20:25:00.002-06:00

Ever have one of those days where you think I should have just stayed in bed. Today(yesterday) was one of those days... I started out with good plans and in a good mood. I slept good after a great workout Monday night of Zumba, got up at 5:00am I can't start work till 6:45 and Jose can start at 6:00 so figured it was so nice outside and we have a beautiful walking path at our workplace and would take advantage of 45 minutes.

Nice paved pathway, quite, nice morning air, I am ready to go with my Ipod in hand. I get down the the first pine tree and there are some birds flying around. They followed me from tree to tree, and at one point I thought they were going to dive bomb me in the head! I cut my walk short after throwing my hands in the air, yelling at them and throwing a few rocks. I headed to the gym inside.

It was a little scary I was thinking for a minute that I was in the movie the Birds.....

I had Jose go with me on break out to the path to show him the birds and that I wasn't crazy about them being the birds from HELL! Come on their eyes were white they were possessed or from the movie Resident Evil -Extinction. When I was trying to get pictures of them flying I screamed and Jose ducked. It was kinda funny now that I think about it. Later in the day several other people said that the birds were acting like they were going to attack. I know they are just protecting their babies but it was very annoying.
Reason # 2 to stay in bed... I decorate cakes for co-workers and friends, a man at work asked me to decorate a cake for his wife's 43 birthday, she likes reality TV shows Biggest Loser and America's Top model. Now the cakes I decorate are custom decorated I am not Walmart or Costco. I use a lot of fondant and gumpaste, and that is what I had planned for this cake, when I told him $40.00 he said that was too much. I told him I have to pay for my ingredients, power, and time. Only because he has been my husbands friend for the past 23 years did I offer to scale it back and do it for $20.00 (not even worth my time)
I decorated it, it turned out ok but not my original vision. I signed onto my PC to blog, and my profile was gone, all my pictures, documents and bookmarks. No where to be found. I was ready to cry (ok I did cry)
Jose says to me do you need to eat or exercise? LOL he knows me so well and knows when I am out of balance.
Reason #3 to stay in bed... I had put a pound of extra lean ground beef in the microwave to defrost when I got home from work, I went to make burgers for the grill, and it was a pound of partially cooked meat, one big patty! Ok now I was really crying. Jose said let's just go eat.
Reason #4 to stay in bed....On our way to dinner I sent a text to my daughter and told her to get home, and she was to have no sleepovers and that she was going to go to a sitters for the summer (right she is 18) more tears...
I ended up texting her back and apologizing and told her I had just had a bad day, being chased by birds, making a cheap cake, and then ruining dinner.
Reason #4 to stay in bed... After dinner I decided to go for a walk, it was a nice walk till I walked through a swarm of bugs!
Reason #5 to stay in bed... After my walk I decided to blog about my day. I had finished the post and hit publish post, and I get this warning.. Firefox will not allow you to work off line please unclick work off line.
So I did, went back into my blog to re-post it and it was GONE! It was at that point I decided to cancel the day and go to bed... I guess every day has to have a silver lining.....hmm Moral of the story..........
If you get chased by birds you can at least get some leg work done by doing squats to dodge them.

hitting cancel!

2010-06-15T22:14:00.000-06:00

It has been one of those days. I hit cancel on EVERYTHING! Will blog about it when my PC and internet don't SUCK anymore!!!!

Weight Watchers Meeting Topic.

2010-06-11T21:42:00.000-06:00

Thursdays meeting topic was about Staying in control of your eating and how to stay ahead of your hunger so that you are not famished and eat mindlessly. We discussed three different types of eating patterns.
Structured-Those that eat at a regular interval all the time.
Unstructured-Those that forget to eat, don't plan meals, and eat whenever.
Combination-Those that may be structured for part of the week or day and then unstructured the rest.
The right eating pattern is the one that keeps you in control by giving you the minimum hunger and maximum satisfaction. Again the key is to stay ahead of your hunger, cause you will be ok UNTIL you get hungry!
Then the mindless eating takes over and you end up stopping at the nearest fast food place or reaching making a choice that you are going to regret.
I think at some point in my journey I have fallen into each of these categories, right now I know I am very structured. I wake up starving and have to eat soon after I get up something small if going to the gym, and then eat my breakfast at 7:00am, I eat a snack at 9:30, eat lunch at 11:00, a snack at 3:30 or 4:00 and depending if I go to the gym at night dinner by 6:00 or 8:00 on gym night. I find I feel better if I eat every 2-3 hours and combine a small amount of protein with a carbohydrate, my favorite snack is a light string cheese and a gala apple.
My weigh in wasn't a loss but I was only up .6, I didn't feel bad about that at all, what with graduation dinner for my daughter last week, and dinner with Jose's family Friday, Bagels before my daughter left on Saturday, and Lunch with my other daughter Monday.. sounds like a lot of eating out. I felt good about the choices I made and I had great workouts this week, my calves and abs are still killing me so I know I am retaining some water in my muscles. Which leads me to what I a happy with about my body today..

My aching calf muscles.... cause it means I worked them well this week! and I think my legs look good!

and my Bulging Biceps!
Jose makes fun of me every night after I put on my Pj's I flex my muscles in the mirror instead of stepping on the scale now I flex in the mirror. LOL Last night he says I wonder if Arnold used to flex in the mirror every night?
Do you flex your muscles? What are you happy with about your body?

Boot Camp-Part 2 MOVE IT MOVE IT!

2010-06-09T20:28:00.002-06:00

Move it-MOVE IT......DID I EVER! ALL I CAN SAY IS HOLY CRAP!

This is what I looked like when I got done.. trust me that is a fake smile! LOL and I really need to get another workout shirt.. I do have more I just like how this one isn't so tight around my gut.
Tonight's Boot camp was done by 3 different instructors, the first 20 minutes started with some knee raises, squats, jumping jacks, and then we got in to groups of 2, went to the track and while one person ran around the track the other person did a squat walk around the track. The person running had to keep running till the person doing the squat walk made it around the track once, then you switched. Once you had both gone around the track one person ran while the other ran up and down the stairs 4 times. Next was a side lunge around the track with your right leg after one lap switched to the left leg. Then ran back to the gym.
Now came the toughest instructor I have ever seen.. (the 8 months pregnant one) She had us stay in our teams of 2 and get a step and a jump rope. While one person jumped the other person did different steps on the step. Then we would change every minute. At one point she was jumping length wise across the step... man that is a little out of my zone, so I just kept moving and moving. The last 20 minutes was Zumba which funny is now out of all 3 of the things we did tonight more in my comfort zone.
I'm glad I did the boot camp this week it was a lot of fun and while I was on the track I talked to the instructor that teaches the Zumba classes she told me she was glad to see I came back and asked how my weight loss was doing. I told her I was down 50 but the weight just seems to stay right in my middle. She told me to just keep with it that it will eventually come off, and said the last place you lose it is the first place you gain it. Which I have heard this from more then one trainer so there must be some truth too it. Nice to know that I won't always look like the green M&M lady with skinny legs and a big gut.

I really hope moving more will make up for some of the emotion eating I have done with one of my daughters moving away from home. Not that I have gone way over my points just have made a few more choices of treats then I have been. I guess that is part of the learning to live a healthier life is discovering what different things set you off. I really didn't think I would let my daughter moving effect my eating habits but apparently I am not as strong as I think... at least emotionally I'm not. Give me a dumbbell and I will give it all I got, but let one of my children go and I wither like an emotion wreck. So I just have to keep MOVING!

A BOOT CAMP-BUTT KICKIN'

2010-06-07T21:00:00.002-06:00

This week is BOOT CAMP week at the gym I go to. I wasn't sure if I wanted to go or not till I saw the instructor at the gym on Friday, she told me it was going to be lots of fun and it was only for an hour.
I usually go to Zumba on Monday nights but since it was canceled for boot camp, decided to attend. I got there in with time to spare, good thing cause the instructor was there in her army hat and a clipboard to sign you in. (some of the ladies said that if you didn't sign in the instructor makes you run laps for each person that didn't sign in) Yicks!
The class started with doing 30 minutes of Zumba, then we ran a lap around the track, came back into the room and set up a step. The next instructor is 8 months pregnant and she is one ~~crazy~~ hard instructor. Her 30 minutes
of the class was leg work, starting with 100 jumping jacks, then squats, double time stepping on the step, knee raises, and I can't even remember what else we did by this time I was sweating so bad I could hardly see cause it was dripping in my eyes. I did finish but man am I dead tired.. and I know I am going to have the sorest glutes when I wake up! I took this picture on my phone so you can see how bad I was sweating..

I figured I earned 10 activity points from that BUTT KICKIN' workout.. I think I will do it again on Wednesday!

Letting go and setting the record straight.

2010-06-05T19:47:00.000-06:00

Today I let one of my children move (the one in the rust shirt) I was sad, but I know as a mother we have to let our children grow up and move on. In the past things like this would have caused me to head to the nearest food I could find, but today I really haven't had much of an appetite. Thank goodness for the WW 5k today, because after we left the airport I went home changed my clothes and planned to head to the park. I couldn't find my Ipod... that really puts a wrench in things, I have certain music I do my cardio to I really thought I am not going to go. Thanks to my husband saving the day he gave me his Ipod, and told me he had Lady GaGa on it, because that is one of the Artists I like to listen to when I walk. I got to the park and started walking, I walked a while with a nice lady I met who attends a different meeting, we had a nice pleasant talk about our WW meeting and leaders, and how she really liked the leader she had because he kept her motivated. You know I feel the same way about my leader Kris, I have had some really good talks with her about the challenges I have faced with my weight loss journey. I left the lady and told her to have a nice walk and went on my way, I needed to walk fast today to get my feelings of sadness off my chest and clear my head. I was feeling a little blue, cause my daughter had left, her twin sister is now alone, and my friend Nicole wasn't there with me, and I was going to finish this walk with nobody to see me finish...(i know poor me.. boo hoo) I got close to the finish line and noticed a cute guy there with a camera, it was Jose! He had got on his motorcycle and came to the park with my camera,

I was so glad to see him there! Then when I crossed the finish line who else came across but my leader Kris, who again we had a nice chat. We talked about how it had come to my attention that one of my followers thinks I am annoyed with her, because she thinks I am jealous of how fast she is losing weight. Yes, I had said in a previous post how one of my biggest struggles is comparing myself to others that are losing faster. I want this person to know that the person I had a problem with is not YOU! It was a person that I had been friends with for 15 years, we had tried WW together several times and she always quit on the 3rd week. Well this time when we joined it clicked for her and she dropped her weight fast. But what was hard for me was she would come in each week and spread her book out and show how much she had lost.. I was always a big cheerleader for her, ALWAYS every week I congratulated her. One week she said to me, (when I had only lost .2 or so) how do you keep coming when you have such small losses? HOW??? Well I told her I just want to make it to goal I don't care how long it takes. But really what I wanted to say to her was HOW can you say that to me, it really hurt my feelings. I tried to keep going with her to weekly weigh ins, and I did for a month or so after she said it, but found I was letting my envy of her success sabotage my weight loss, so I quit going on Monday nights and changed to Thursdays. That is when I met Kris, and I told her my story, and she has helped me work through this. Well, it has taken me probably about 6 months to get to a point where I realize we all lose weight at different rates. And in the meantime I have apologized to my friend, I told her face to face that she was the reason I quit going with her, I told her I was jealous of her success and that I was sorry for ending our friendship and guess, what today when I finished my race she had texted me wanting to know where I was in the park and asked if I needed a hug because she knew my daughter had left. We met, we hugged and she told me how proud she was of me, and I told her she was one of my inspirations.
So You, who think I am jealous of your weight loss are wrong. No I am happy for you I am happy for any one who is trying to lead a healthier lifestyle, and I am losing my weight at a rate that is healthy for my body.
Like our leader Kris said, Slow and Steady wins the race!
Which by the way I knocked 2 minutes off the time it normally takes me to walk 3.1 miles!

Then I found this.. this is what I want for my 50# reward!

You Do the Math, and other Friday ramblings on from my head.

2010-06-04T16:43:00.000-06:00

Thursday nights WW meeting Topic was about mastering the math of weight loss.
Kris did a really good job giving this lesson last night, about how in order to have a loss you need to consistently create a calorie deficit. Meaning less food in and more activity.
There are three major components to come up with the total calories needed per day.
1. Resting Metabolism
2. Activity
3. Digestion
One of the good thinks about Weight Watchers is they have done the Math on this for you, all you need to do is turn to the quiz in your week one book to determine how many daily points you need. Kris stressed several times how important it is to CONSISTENTLY meet and NOT EXCEED your daily or weekly points target.
Did you know that not eating enough food can also cause you to not lose weight? So understanding how the points system works is a big Key to having the Weight Watchers Plan WORK for you!
Knowing how many points a food item is per serving is important because if you are eating more then one serving of that food, you need to DO the Math, and multiply the calories, fat and fiber info for one portion by however many servings you are going to eat and then calculate the points, which can result in a different number then just multiplying the points value by the number of servings you are eating...HMM I may need to start double checking my Math!

You know I have been doing WW for years... I know how to count points, and for years thought that was all I had to do was count points and the weight would come off. It wasn't until I started working out 9 months ago that I realized MYbody needs more then that. I'm not sure if my age (almost 49) now has something to do with it or not, but I cannot just count points and have the weight come off. My body needs activity and LOTS of it! I am still trying to figure out the right mix of how many flex points to use and if I should use activity points or not, and how much activity is going to result in a loss that week. This week I had several good workouts, earned 28 activity points and didn't use any of them. I used 14 flex points and lost .6, so I am down now according to when I started WW 46 pounds (but really 50 from when I started losing)
I have to also say that probably just 2 weeks ago now I finally had my AHA moment and things started clicking in my head.. and I let go of my UNTIL moments.. until my kids are grown, until I find the time, until I have money, until I have lost weight and don't feel like the BIG Lady in the gym, until my TV show is over, until I have lost 5 more pounds... I discovered...
I can't compare my Weight Loss Journey to others. (it's not a race)
I stopped putting my focus on the number on the scale and just started LIVING HEALTHY!
I take the time for my activity, and I don't care how I look doing Zumba, I LOVE it, so I DO it!

I enjoy what I am eating and what I am doing, realizing I can eat whatever I want I just need to count the points and portion control. I feel I freed myself from always wanting what I thought I couldn't/shouldn't have.
Now I find I don't really have cravings since I allow myself to have it if I want it.

I need to find something about my body I like instead of always finding fault with myself.
My husband challenged me to find things that I do like about myself... so today I like..
That I had the ambition to get up at 5am and go to Zumba for an hour and then lift weights for 30 minutes,

My PINK toenails....

My Rhinestone sunglasses and how I look in them!

Activity-Amp'd up!

2010-06-01T20:36:00.000-06:00

You may be surprised to find out how easy it becomes to exercise regularly, eat well, and reach a healthy weight when you stop treating your amazing body as the problem, and start using it as the solution. -Dean Anderson

I came across that quote in my reading this weekend, it fit along with the topic from Weight Watchers last week, to AMP UP your activity. I really had to think about this I figured my activity is about as AMP'D as I can get it, unless I want to take up residency at the gym. I decided that I would put a little more effort into my workouts instead of a 30 min walk. I made them 50-60 minutes, and today went to the gym and did 40 minutes of upper body lifting and then 35 minutes on the treadmill at an average of 3.7 mph.
I got an email at work from our gym saying every 10,000 steps is 5 miles, so far in the past week I have taken 78,167 steps so if I figure that right I have walked/ran 39+ miles in the past 7 days. I have worked out for 5.75 hours in the past 5 days.
And have sweat up a storm! How's this for AMP'D UP WW??

And for that quote.. I think I am using my body as the solution.. cause after working out tonight Jose commented on how I seemed to be in a better mood and not so critical of everything. I used to use food as my emotional outlet, boost, quick fix, whatever you want to call it. Now I just need a good workout.
Quay... I am looking for a suit and some aqua socks, I really want to start water aerobics soon!

Memorial Day weekend.... Resisting McDonald's.

2010-05-31T20:50:00.000-06:00

This has been a busy Memorial Day weekend... but for some reason seems that I have been off work longer then 3 days. Saturday morning I got up at 6:00am and did a little yoga, off of On Demand on Comcast.
Then met 3 of my co-workers down by the Jordan River for a walk, we are all on the walking team together and really trying to get our max steps in as a team over the weekend. The three that I went with are all about 5'6" to maybe 5'8" and I am only 5'3", so I was afraid that I was really going to have to step up my pace with all of those long legs. Since they had never been on this river walk I took the lead, I had my Ipod in one ear to help me keep my normal walking pace. We got to the one mile marker in 20 minutes, I thought man we are walking slow.. oh well enjoy the scenery and the company. We saw a pelican in the river, and some quail along the trail, and got passed by a group of runners. We decided to walk for 30 minutes one way then turn around. On our way back my boss, who was walking beside me finally said to me.. OK slow down, you are kicking my ASS!
I don't know why I got such a kick out of that but I did, she even told me you can tell all your friends at work that you kicked by BUTT walking! You bet I will !!! LOL
We went to a movie with my daughter who is leaving this Saturday, trying to spend as much time with her as we can.. *this was a mistake* not the movie but the popcorn I cannot leave movie popcorn alone.
Got back on plan with my evening dinner.
Sunday I got up and decided I needed to run.. my 12,817 steps from Saturday had just left me craving more of a run that for some strange reason my body Craves like Candy now, that and I probably ate 10,000 calories of Movie popcorn! I decided to take a different route and went up by Jordan Landing and ran/walked around up there but can someone tell me why the sidewalks end up there? Where are you supposed to go when the sidewalk ends man what stupid planning, It would/could be a really nice walking path if there was a sidewalk on both sides of the streets up there. Anyways I walked/ran for an hour and it felt really good. I got home and Jose was in the garden pulling weeds, my Iris's look so much better now!

We finished that then gave the dogs a bath.. Jack is shaking the water off, and they both were waiting to be brushed. This is such a wet job!

Monday morning, I got up and made pancakes and this delicious blueberry topping from Lori's at Finding radiance. It is sooooo good. I am going to use the leftover for my breakfast in a jar tomorrow.

The pancakes were from a Fiber One mix and were 4 points and the blueberry topping I counted as one, even though it wasn't a full cup of blueberries. Jose and the girls really liked them.
Today, I spent trying to hem pants for Kathleen's new job and graduation. I got the work pants hemmed and went on to the dress pants for graduation Wednesday.. OMG I did the dumbest thing in my life, I cut ABOVE the pins I had put in for the hem and cut the frickin pants 2 inches too short! I about had a major melt down.. and yes there were Tears lots of Tears.. I couldn't stop crying I felt so bad and the sad thing her school won't let the girls were capris, it is either a dress or dress pants. We had found this pair of pants for her Friday and they were so flattering on her. I got in the car still crying and went to go buy another pair. You think I could be so lucky.. NOPE the store did not have the right size and they checked the other stores in the area and there is not her size in this style in the state of UT!
You know I really wanted to stop at McDonald's.. that Quarter Pounder might make me feel better.. NOT!
I am not going down that road.. so I headed to JoAnn's fabrics to buy something I could try to iron the piece back together and fix them.. NOT! That didn't work... MCDONALD'S you are looking even better now!
Resisted... Let's make them into capris and I will wear them.. So/SEW I did.. and they fit me! But one leg is Longer then the other.. OMG will this day ever End???
My daughter tried them on, she tried pulling them down as far as she could without them falling off her butt. I was proud of her not once did she get upset at me. She told me she could wear a different pair of pants.. I took her to go buy a new blouse to go with them I felt so bad. I know it was only a pair of pants... and the world is still turning but there for a minute I really wanted to step off and console my self with McDonald's.
This is how I ended my day with a nice bbq burger on my grill, some baked sweet potato fries and this yummy bowl of fruit.

So....

And if you cut the pants too short make them into Capris.... and remember McDonald's isn't going to solve the problem.
Hope you all had a good weekend.. And now I have only a 2 day work week!!!

Lots of Sweat and Tears to get to this #! BUT I DID IT!!!

2010-05-27T22:43:00.002-06:00

Tonight at Weight Watcher I finally got my 45 pound star! (in non WW world I have really lost 50 now) This has been one the hardest 5 pounds I have lost so far, it has taken me 3 months to lose, which I feel like I have worked my ASS off to get! But this 12 weeks I have learned a lot about myself, I am not a Quitter, I am not afraid to try a new exercise, I have tried several different classes this past month at the gym, Zumba which I now love and go to twice a week, I did a Yoga class, and a couple of toning classes. I have found that when I have stress in my life the best way to feel better is go for a walk or run on the treadmill and break into a good SWEAT!
I also managed to stay off the scale all week long and just focused on being healthy.... eating healthy and working out. I was actually excited to weigh in tonight and told Jose I felt like it was like Christmas and waiting for the surprise of what was I going to get? I was expecting something good and I got it, a loss of 1.4!
A month or so ago I bought my 45 pound reward and it has been hanging in my closet for me to look at every day.....Tonight it is on my body! I still got that muffin top going on but I know one day it will vanish.

Now just so you know I have a really bad body image of myself. I do not see that I have lost weight. When I was in the gym Monday, I wanted to see how heavy 45 pounds was, just hoping that Thursday night I would be down that amount. I had my camera with me and took these pictures.

This is just one side of the barbell.............................................and me trying to lift it while taking a picture.
When people have asked me how much weight I have lost my usual response is JUST 25, 30, 35, 40....

NOT any more 45 pounds is a flippin' heavy weight! So I wanted to do this visual thing in order for ~~my mind~~ me to see/realize how much I have lost and hopefully help my brain and body image sync up, Jose went with me on my quest for 45 pounds... of

This 40 pound bag of dog food was heavy and I still need to add 5 pounds to it.

And thanks to the Butcher that was still there the 45 pounds of GROSS fat. When I told him why I wanted a picture of it he congratulated me on my success and I graciously Thanked him.

After lifting all of these things back onto the shelves it finally sunk in that this was/is a significant amount of weight. I told Jose that I need to lift a 40 pound bag of dog food every time I come to the store to remind myself that I am NEVER going to see that weight on me again.
Now on to my next goal...a 5k next weekend and I am thinking I need to find a 10k to do.

Your Invited on a Blog Tour...

2010-05-27T06:42:00.002-06:00

Grab a drink, get comfy in your chair and be prepared to tour 12 blogs about our success, struggles, and weight loss journey's.
August 2008- Here I am (in the Black and white shirt) at my heaviest 253 at on of my friends baby shower and I am bigger then the expecting mother. I may have been smiling on the outside but not on the inside. I was not very happy at all! Even though I had a big smile Don't let the phrase "Fat and Happy" fool you.

May 24, 2010-At this point in my life I am in the best shape I have been in for years.. probably 25 years to be exact. I weighed as of last Thursday 205. I have lost 48 pounds! It's not been a fast Journey but it has been a Journey that I have discovered things about myself I didn't think I would ever do, and habits I always dreamed of doing but to afraid to attempt because of my weight.

I joined Weight Watchers with a friend on July 6, 2006, weighing 253.8 pounds I stuck with it till March 2008, at that time I had lost 21 pounds. After 2 years 8 months realized my mind wasn't really into it anymore and getting very discouraged at my slow weight loss, and gave up. I ran into a friend at the grocery store in September 2008 and she had just joined Weight Watchers, I had gone with her before and she quit. I decided that I was going to go back no matter how long it takes cause again I had gained back most of the weight I had lost. September 15, 2008 I rejoined Weight Watchers for the 5th maybe 6th time (I have lost track) I weighed 249 pounds. I have discovered at 48 almost 49 years old that it is much harder for me to lose weight. In September of 2009 I started using a personal trainer to teach me the correct way to workout. I have to admit I am now addicted to working out. I love to SWEAT! In fact I just got done walk/jogging 3 miles because I had a tension headache and needed to get rid of some stress, and working out now does that for me I wish I could bottle the feeling I have after a good workout. I lift weights 3 days a week, I just started a month ago taking a Zumba class twice a week, and I walk/jog 3 miles at least 3 days a week
My favorite healthy snack is either a Gala apple and a cheese stick, or 12 Quaker Vanilla Creme Brulee rice cakes broken up and 20 roasted peanuts- each of them are 3 points, it tastes just like Cracker Jacks!
The biggest life lesson I have learned this time around is I have to make time for myself, I have to workout now I am not in a good mood if I have not worked out for the day, my husband will even ~~tell~~ ask me if I have worked out. The thing I struggle with and has been really hard for me is to not compare myself to others! The rate at which we all lose weight is different, but it is really hard for me to not wonder why some lose faster and that is my struggle to not be jealous of their weight loss and not to compare my weight loss journey to theirs. My biggest supporter is my husband. We both work for the same company and one of the gyms I go to is at work. He has stayed late and gone in early at times in order for me to have time to work out either before work or after work. He always asks me if we are going to go out to eat what would work best for my plan for the day. For Christmas he filled my stocking with protein bars and an Ipod arm band so I could wear it when I walk. He is a great support. Also my best friend Nicole, she has listened to be Bitch a lot about some of my struggles she is always supportive and reminds me how far I have come and how I have improved my health, and she went with me on my first 5k on Thanksgiving Day.

I am hoping to get to goal before I turn 50, and I would really like to do a 1/2 marathon.
I wish someone would have told me when I first began to not get hung up on how quickly others lose. This really has been a huge road block for me at times. I have even sabotaged myself because of it. This is my journey and mine alone.

I stand before a road that will lead into the unknown, at least unknown to me. I want to go but am paralyzed with fear. Fear of the choice where the outcome isn't clear. No but still I go. and I take the first step of a million more, and I'll make mistakes that I've never made before but at least I'm moving forward, at least I'm moving forward, at least I'm moving forward. I wonder if the journey will be short as I hope or much longer then it seems, but either way I've made up my mind through feeling scared I'm leaving that behind. so now its time to go. And I take the first step of a million more and I'll make mistakes I've never made before, but at least I'm moving forward.
This is a song by Hoobastank titled Moving Forward. on my Ipod that I walk to I had downloaded it when I first started training for my 5k and the first time I heard it I cried. It is how I feel sometimes about my struggle with weight how some times I am scared I will never get all of this weight off. I have to remind myself that I am changing bad habits and it is ok if I am not perfect every day, because at least I am Moving Forward, and I am going to keep Moving Forward!

The next blog to tour is Traci's make sure to stop by,

http://tracitreasures.blogspot.com/

REFOCUS ... UPDATE

2010-05-26T22:13:00.000-06:00

Last week I said I would not step on a scale for a week see REFOCUS post.. Just noting tomorrow is weigh in and I have not stepped on a scale since doing my BCA on Friday morning! I am happy I accomplished the challenge I had set for myself to stop stepping on that damned scale every flipping morning. I have to admit I have felt less stressed this week over what that scale may say tomorrow at WW. Because I know that I have had a successful week with good workouts and healthy eating.

Breakfast in a Jar.

2010-05-26T18:42:00.000-06:00

This week I have tried to focus on eating a more filling breakfast, since last weeks Weight Watchers meeting Topic was about Breakfast. I had read about this breakfast in a jar on a blog I follow @ Finding Radiance.
I thought the first time I have an empty jar I am going to try this... this week I had one empty jam jar.

I used 1/2 c quick oats, 1T vanilla protein powder, and 1/2 c fresh blueberries, a dash of cinnamon and a packet of splenda. When I got to work I added 1/2 of hot water then put it in the microwave for 1 min, put the lid back on the jar and let it sit at my desk for a few min. It looked pretty cool watching the blueberries pop, and the purple mix through the oatmeal. This ended up being a very satisfying breakfast and it was only 3 points!

And good till the last bite!

Tune in tomorrow for a blog tour of 12 different blogs.

Fat to Fit Blog Hop.

2010-05-23T15:20:00.000-06:00

I came across this blog hop on Sam's blog Believe In Yourself, this sounds like a really fun way to get support for others who are losing/lost weight and living a healthy lifestyle.

(The rest of this post is copied from Diminishing Lucy, thanks Lucy!)

If you want to share, if you want more followers, if you want inspiration and support, join in? So, if you have a diet/weight loss/healthy eating/exercise/fitness post that you want to share, come and play? It is SO easy, I promise:

1.Follow Lucy's and my blog. (if you haven't already done so).

2.Grab the "Fat to Fit" button/code (you'll have to go to Lucy's to get the code, I don't know how to do it on here yet. Someone teach me) from below and post it on the sidebar of your blog, or within your diet/weight loss post:

3.Add the URL to your diet/weight loss/healthy eating/exercise/fitness post POST in the Linky below (not your homepage: the actual post)
4. Copy the blog hop code from below into your post too.....then you are also hosting the exact same blog hop link list.....and you will get loads of extra followers too!
5. Follow at least one other blogger.....share the love, and comment!
6. The blog hop list will open every Thursday and will be open all week.
7. A new and fresh link list will open every Thursday. (And then you can link up again with another diet/weight loss/healthy eating/exercise/fitness post.)
8. Open to any blog, any country, just as long as the post content is diet/weight loss/healthy eating/exercise/fitness related.

I cannot wait to read all your posts!

Good Morning/Good Night!

2010-05-22T20:58:00.002-06:00

Good Morning!!(or Evening) This is my Bed Head Hair.. So lovely at 6:00 am aren't I? Here is my picture I had to take in order to accept the blog award from Sam. It was nice to sleep in a little today, normally I am up at 4:30am. I got up to take Jose to work and go walk on the treadmill before going to Zumba at 8:30.

I walked at about 3.6 mile pace today, I was just needing to get some steps in on my pedometer. I walked 2.11 miles. I'll explain why, I work for a Health Insurance Company, and every year we have what is called the Summer Challenge we make up teams of 10 and for 4 weeks we keep track of how many steps we take each day, and at the end of the challenge Gold, Bronze and Silver medals are awarded to the top 3 teams. This year the theme is from Toy Story, and each team has come up with a name for their team has a name with a Toy Story theme. This year the team I am on is called, You.. are.. NOT.. a TOY.. you...are..a PEDOMETER! As of Friday we were in 8th place so I need to rack up some steps over the weekend, that competetive side of me want that GOLD medal. When I got off the treadmill I had 5,028 steps, this is what it said when I got done with Zumba, and going to the Sunflower market for produce.

Went to lunch with Jose for a Salad at Chick -fil-A, then took him for a haircut and finished up grocery shopping to BBQ tomorrow for my Daughter n Laws birthday. After all of that shopping and unloading this is what it said.

16,876.. I think I am ready for bed now! Good Night All I am going to go lay in bed and read the new WW magazine. Hope you are having a great weekend!

REFOCUS...stop looking at the scale.

2010-05-21T22:40:00.000-06:00

I have to admit last nights weigh in was a little disappointing. I have worked my Butt off this past week I earned 45 activity points. I spent 2 1/2 hours in the gym last Saturday doing a toning class and an hour long Zumba class, lifted weights on Monday as well as took an hour long Zumba class, Tuesday walked on my breaks and went to an hour Yoga class at the gym, and Wednesday walked for an hour.
Before I went to weigh in I was a little anxious so I even weighed my clothes to wear the lightest clothes I could find. I only need to lose 1.4 to get my 45 pound STAR! I went to the scale, stripped down to my bike shorts like normal. Stepped up... and lost .4! I know I should be excited at .4, I lost .4 last week too.(after working my ~~ass~~ Butt off that week too. I was really hoping for a little more then .4. I even tried this week not eating any flex points and tried not to eat all my activity points. I was really ~~frustrated~~ wondering what in the world had I done this past 2 weeks to only have lost a 1/2 pound total in that time. I went back over my tracker to see what I messed up on. OK I didn't eat my healthy oils this week, and I ate 41 of my activity points. I stayed after the meeting to talk to Kris (our WW leader) for some suggestions. This week I am going to try to stay within my points and not use my activity points, I am going to add a little protein and carbs at each meal and snack to help with the muscle repair.
She also asked me if I had done my body fat analysis recently. Which I had, in a month I have lost 5 inches over all, my weight stayed the same but I gained 4.4 pounds of lean muscle, lost 2.4 pounds of body fat, and increased my Basal Metabolic Rate from 1521 cal to 1550 cal. after sharing her the results, she helped me see that the number on the scale may not be going down as fast as I want it to. But my hard work is reshaping my body.
This week I vow not to step on the scale. I am going to continue my workouts as planned, (cause I'm an addict). Eat more protein/carb balanced meals and snacks, And feel good about my results no matter if it's only .4!

My world is expanding as my butt is shrinking!

My first blog award...Thanks Sam!

2010-05-21T21:47:00.001-06:00

I just got my first Blog award! From one of the most inspiring ladies I have made friends with at Weight Watchers. I admire her honesty in her posts. Her inspiring words are really up lifting. You need to check out her Blog,

Believe In Yourself.

As with most awards, it came with some rules:

1. Get really Excited that you got the coolest award Ever! Yeah!

2. Choose ONE of the following options of accepting the OMB award:

(a) Get really drunk and blog for 15 minutes straight, or for as long as you can focus.

(b) Write about your most embarrassing moment.

(d) Make your next blog a "vlog"/video blog. Basically your talking to the camera about whatever.

(e) Take a picture of yourself first thing in the morning, before you do anything else (hair, makeup, etc)

and post it. This is the only one I think I would dare to do. So watch for my bed head tomorrow.

3. Pass this award onto at least 3, but preferably more, awesome blogger as yourself. Don’t forget to tell them.

I am going to pass this on to 3 blogger I enjoy reading.

Petra @ The Constant Battle with my Inner Devil.She was my first follower. She lives in Germany, and I love reading her blogs, she works out like crazy and is a runner.

Ana @ Vegan Ana. I came across her Blog on Sam's, I find her lifestyle change of Vegan till Dinner very interesting. I may try it one day.

Nicole @ Dan & Nicole. She is my support! She is my best friend and the one I could tell anything too. I love her blog about her life with her husband.

OK you 3, you have been given your award now too.. Thanks again Sam!

YOGA...ohm...ohm...OUCH!

2010-05-19T21:08:00.001-06:00

So I am on my quest to take full advantage of the gift Jose got me for Mother's Day. By using my month pass to the gym on all the classes I find interest in, so I can decide if I want to buy a yearly pass. I have been taking Zumba twice a week, I have gone to an intense Saturday workout twice, a walk fit class, and last night decided to try a Hatha Yoga class. I got to the gym about 15 minutes early to take a few laps around the track. The class started at 8 so I wasn't sure if it would be crowded or not, I was a little nervous to try something new like this in a small class sitting. With Zumba you can just get lost in the crowd and not stand out as the newbie in the class. I put on my brave suit and decided to introduce myself to the instructor and tell her I was a beginner and go to the front of the class. She told me she would give instructions for different levels of difficulty...yikes there are levels???? What did I get myself into again! I didn't bring my own mat, I wish I would have because the ones in the class were only about 4 feet long, and there were times I was on the floor. The class started with the lights dimmed low and nice relaxing music playing. We started warming up with some poses I was familiar with thanks to Wii fit. Who ever says Yoga is not a workout and you don't break a sweat is wrong.Within minutes I was sweating. The class did several poses that there was no way this old body was flexible enough to bend that way. I cannot lay on my stomach and grab my ankles with my hands. I could grab one and when I would try to get the other ankle I would drop the one I was holding. I know Yoga is a serious class and you are supposed to be quiet so people can relax, but there were a few times where I almost bust out laughing at trying to do the pose. I don't remember the name of this pose that really killed my right hip but we were on our hands and knees in the Table position I believe it was called, then you brought your right foot in front of your left knee, and slid your left leg out behind you, then brought your elbows to the mat in front of your right leg. At one point I swear she ~~called~~ I felt like a pretzel cause she had us bring our right arm up under our chin towards the left side of us and our left arm towards the right and then put our chin on the floor. This was the OUCH moment. I could feel this pull in my right hip in fact when I got home my little toe felt tingly. I loved the end we did the corpse position and she had us concentrate on our breathing. I did leave there very relaxed and most of my muscles had loosened up from being tight since Saturday. I slept so good last night and woke up feeling very refreshed. I will do this class again, the only bad thing is they only offer it one night a week. I may need to find a DVD so if anybody knows of a good Yoga DVD let me know.

I practiced this today and was able to get my foot up to level 2, this was after doing my 3mile walk so I was warmed up!

Pushing myself to the limit.. and gardening.

2010-05-15T18:35:00.001-06:00

This morning I got up at 6am to take Jose to work(we only have one car since we work at the same office) then I went to the gym to do the 30/30/30 workout I tried last Saturday. Today was the instructor that teaches Zumba, I was a little nervous as to how this class would be since she is a little firecracker in the Zumba class. I drank a protein drink about 30 min. before the class started. I knew from last week I would need something in my stomach and I had planned after the hour and 1/2 workout I was going to stay for Zumba this week. I got to the gym and the ladies told me they really like the instructor better that would be there today. I got my station set up. I took a picture so you can see what is involved for this workout. I'm going to pretend I am on the Biggest Loser, and work my butt off.(oh I have already lost that)

We first started with our legs today, 100 of everything, squats while having your heals on the back of one of step supports with your hands on your ankles.

This was ok, my legs are my strongest part of my body right now. We then did leg lifts with the 10# weight behind your knee, while kneeling at the end of the step and your body laying on top of it. Next was with the large band around your foot, kneeling down with the other end in the opposite hand and we did leg raises and pulses...100 times each leg! Then we did 100 sit ups, well I did crunches I just can't lift this body off the floor like that more then about 100 times. Next was kneeling with the balance ball between your knees and 100 squeezes. We did 100 bicycle's while laying on the Bosu ball, (this for some reason today made me really Dizzy. There were more leg exercises with the bands around your feet, push-ups, and bicep curls.. At this point I thought I was going to throw-up! There was still 30 min to go I finally had to set down cause I started getting really light headed and thought I was going to pass out. I ended up going to the restroom to put cold water on my face. Funny the instructor had one of the ladies come check on me. She told me that she had passed out in the class once and the called the paramedics. Thank goodness that didn't happen. I did go back into the room and finished up with the bicep curls and triceps extensions. Then I did the 60 min Zumba class, and this time I didn't go to the back of the room I stayed in the middle where I was for the previous class. It was lots of fun being able to see the instructor better, and it is such a good sweaty workout. (I love to sweat) Jose said I looked a little green. LOL

Then I left and felt so energized, came home and started laundry, cleaned the kitchen and then went to pick up Jose from work at 11:00. I was starving, I figured I had earned 23 activity points and had only eaten 6 points, I was running on empty. We went to Cafe Rio, where I always get a grilled Chicken Tostada, I don't eat the rice or bean, I ask for extra lettuce, and don't use dressing just lots of lime and salsa. It was yummy and I count it as 10 points, I think I had earned this today!

When we got home from lunch I finished planting my garden. I can't wait for all of the fresh produce the summer time brings! We do square foot gardening, Jose made me these last year as my Mother's Day gift. I have peas growing against the trellis, and a banana squash in the bottom. Spinach and Romaine lettuce planted in the middle, cucumbers on the opposite end, then 3 different tomatoes plants and red potatoes up in the top.

This box has 4 jalapeno peppers and 4 anaheim peppers, 4 squares planted with patty pan squash, 2 zucchini on the end and some flowers in the middle.

The box of 36 Strawberry plants, I hope this year I get some berries.

Pots of Oregano and Basil. (and my dog Belle)

I better put my other dog on here so he isn't left out the sweet little boy Jack.

Thanks to my daughter giving me all the plants for Mother's Day, I am hoping for a good garden this year.

Tonight, I am going to have a WW frozen dinner for 4 points and set in the recliner cause I now feel like I am exhausted!

What did you do this weekend?

Weight Watchers Meeting Topic: Getting Support

2010-05-15T17:44:00.000-06:00

The meeting Thursday night was about getting support and how to ask for it. Sad to think that sometimes the very people with whom we are closest are the least supportive. I used to think that about my family, like when Jose would bring home chocolate covered doughnuts, or just plain chocolate, or say he wanted fries from Mc Donald's. Thankfully things have changed. Doughnuts are not brought into the house, and if he wants chocolate he will buy one candy bar instead of two. (I know he was just trying to be nice and share) Now, I have to say my family is VERY supportive of my weight loss journey. I have been thinking about the steps that we talked about Thursday night and how I have used them on my journey to get the support that I need.
Acknowledge:(your need for help) I have told Jose that I need help getting to my goal.
Decide:What and from whom. I told Jose that I needed help when it comes to food that is brought into the house. Also that I need my time for working out every day.
Speak:Ask Clearly. I tell Jose where I really want to eat if we are going out instead of settling for some place I know I wont be able to handle.
Be Flexible: If my family really is in need of fries, I will compromise and go to McDonald's or Chick Fil A, because I know I can make wise choices there.
Be Realistic: This I probably use the most at work, I know I work with alot of ~~overweight~~ ~~women~~ people who don't have the same lifestyle choices as I do, so when they have their ~~junk food~~ potluck days I just don't participate. (it's easier that way and I'm kind of a germaphobe when it comes to eating food of people I don't really know)
Say Thank you: I just said this today to Jose when I picked him up at work. He commented on how he thought it was cool that I was not afraid anymore to go the the gym alone or try new classes, and he was proud of me for pushing myself.
Stay focused on your goal, and realize that others may have their own agendas.

Accidents do happen...

2010-05-14T20:34:00.000-06:00

After having a great Mother's Day weekend, and being happy with the choices I had made on eating out and the BBQ on Mother's Day. I was ready to have another good week. Monday I went to the gym at work and lifted weights, it was arm day, felt good. Monday night I went to a Zumba class at the gym by my house (it is getting really crowded) but was still lots of fun.
Tuesday I had decided to go to a class at the gym called Walk-fit, it is 45 min of walking along with other strength exercises.
However I had a minor accident.. I would like to say it was from some extreme workout I was doing, like skull crushers and I dropped a weight on my head. Or that while running a 1/2 Marathon I fell in a hole, or while swimming I banged my head against the side of the pool, or even that while taking a Zumba class I got into the beat and slipped and fell over my own two feet.
No its nothing cool, or extreme.

When I got home from work I was unloading the dishwasher and putting away a stack of glass bowls and had one fall back and hit me square on one of my front teeth, and chipped one of my veneers. I still went to the gym to do the class. However I didn't finish it. The class was 1 lap around the track no big deal, then 2 times up and down the 2 flights of stairs, 50 jump ropes, 25 squats, 25 lunges, 10 push ups, then continue from the top, for 45 min.

After I did the stairs and 50 jump ropes, then caught my lip in the jagged edge of my tooth. I decided to just walk. I was afraid of breaking off the other part of my tooth. I went to the dentist Wednesday afternoon.. OUCH $375.00, now that is Extreme!

Unfortunately I haven't been back to the gym since Tuesday, and have been eating rather soft foods cause of the temporary on my front tooth, but weigh in last night was still a loss of .2, and I have planned to go to the gym in the morning for that killer class I did last Saturday.

A weekend of Celebrations and Sore muscles.

2010-05-09T20:46:00.001-06:00

This weekend celebration started Friday with celebrating my twin daughter's 18th birthday with a BBQ with their friends.

This was their first Birthday picture.

Here they are 18 years later.

This Mother's Day was celebrated with different presents then what I usually get. Friday on our way home from work Jose turned down a different street then we normally take, I asked him where we were going, and he said to get your Mother's Day gift. Then he pulled up in front of the gym I have been going to a Zumba class at. He bought me a month pass. I had told him last week I wanted to get one and see how much I would use it for a month and check out some of the other classes they had to offer. Saturday morning I got up and went to a class called 30/30/30. (this is the description on the class schedules) A complete body strength and conditioning class. This class will consist of 30 min upper body, 30 min of lower body, & 30 min of core training. You will see big improvements in muscle strength, conditioning, endurance, posture and balance. Who knows you just might drop a dress size.

It sounded like it could be fun, it was from 7-8:30am and the Zumba class starts at 8:30 I had figured I would do both and have a really good workout.

I got there about 7-8 other ladies were waiting. I asked them about the class, and told them I was new. They were helpful and told me to just get the same equipment out as they did, and set up my space. This consisted on getting a stair step, 2 10# weights, a balance ball, a Bosu ball, 2 glides for your feet, a small exercise band, a large band, a bar bell with 2.5# weights on each end and a yoga mat. Now I have been lifting weights 3 times a week for the past 8 months I didn't think this would be a big deal. Let me just say I can barely move today and by triceps feel like they are on fire! After about 15 min into the class I thought, "WHAT THE HELL DID I GET MYSELF INTO!"

We did 2 sets of 10 of everything -5 times, I can't even remember what all we did, biceps, triceps, legs, abs, back every muscle on my body got worked in that hour and 1/2. Needless to say I was wiped out afterwards and didn't stay for Zumba. Then my daughter Victoria told me that her greenhouse class she was in this year was giving away the plants they grew and wanted me to go pick out my Mother's Day gift from her. It was so much fun I Love Plants, and we were able to get as many as we wanted. I got everything I need for our garden and it was so cool to think my daughter helped plant them all from seed and took care of them for the past qtr of school. She was so happy that I really liked the free gift she gave me. We ended up with the entire trunk of the car full.

I loved the gift my husband gave me. Then he gave me a card this morning with a note saying how much he hope I enjoyed the gym pass, and a little insert from Woman's health magazine for a years subscription he has paid for. This morning one of my daughters got up with me and we went for a walk down by the river we ended up walking 2 miles and it was very nice and peaceful out. We saw lots of birds and some beautiful geese along the river.

My Son and daughter n law came over for dinner we BBQ'd chicken breast, and corn and had green beans. For dessert I made an angel food cake in large muffin pans so they were individual size, then put blackberries, strawberries and raspberries on top. They were delicious.

It was a wonderful Mother's Day, and I felt good about all my choices I made this weekend. I love how my family knows now that I live a healthier lifestyle and gave me such thoughtful gifts.

I've gained some things and lost some...butt I will keep going!

2010-05-06T21:18:00.001-06:00

This weight loss journey of mine has been longer then I had hoped, and sometimes harder then I expected. I have discovered things about myself that I wouldn't have had it not been for this journey to a healthier lifestyle.
In the past I loved to decorate cakes, scrapbook, have my nails done, spend money, and eat. I had let all of these thing consume me every waking minute of my day as a matter of fact. Now I love to cook healthy, wouldn't think of going longer then 2 days without working out. I love to walk, jog, lift weights, new found fun thing to do is a Zumba class at the gym. I don't even mind going to the gym alone now. In my past attempts to lose weight I gave up when the weight loss slowed down or came to a stop because of my lack of effort. I gave up.
Last night on the Biggest Loser, they showed a sign on the wall the really hit me, STAND UP AND FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED-BOB
It is so true, I need to finish what I started, I am going to get to a healthy weight this time. I am not going to give up!
This week I gained 1 pound, which I had expected since last week I did have a large loss for me of 3.8 and normally after a loss like that I will stay the same or have a gain. I didn't let it get me down like I have in the past, maybe cause I have had some non-scale victories this past week. I will share some pictures here.. First let me warn you these will not be pretty, and it's ok if you laugh.

I wanted to go to a water aerobics class so got out my swimming suit from last year, I tried it on to see how it would fit.... and I lost my ASS!

I don't think this will work for water aerobics.. LOL

I lost it in my Capri pants from last summer too....

Does anybody know of any exercises I could do to build up my lost Butt?

Now pick yourself up off the floor from laughing and offer any comments.

I gotta stop this MINDLESS eating!

2010-05-03T09:44:00.000-06:00

After having such a good week last week, my weekend feels like I have really fallen off track.
I had friday off and got up and went to a Zumba class at 5:30, it was lots of fun I felt great. Had a good day. Saturday I was decorating an Anniversary cake and 80 cupcakes for a friend and went scrapbooking. I counted my points, went over but no biggie cause I can use flex points. Yesterday I fell apart! My twins are turning 18 on Mother's Day and one of them told me she wants to move to Virginia Beach, Va. to live with her best friend that moved away in November, and that she already has a job out there waiting for her.
So wanted her birthday/graduation present to be a one-way plane ticket to leave on June 5th.
I can't say no to her she is going to be 18 and I want her to be happy, and I know if I tell her no she will just buy the ticket herself.
Man if I would have known before I had kids how hard it is to let them go I don't think I would have had any. So instead of letting her see how sad I was I fed myself, not that I didn't count points but I didn't meet my healthy guidelines yesterday. I started out with not a bad breakfast, 1 1/2 c of strawberries, 1 c of yogurt, 1/2 c of fiber one, a slice of dry toast. 6 points.
lunch a sandwich 2 slices of 1 point bread, a slice of swiss cheese and 3 oz of turkey breast, lettuce and tomatoe. 8 points.
Watched the movie Avatar and ate a bag of 94% fat free popcorn 1 point.
a granola bar 2 points, the top of a cupcake 3 points, a frozen yogurt 2 points.
Dinner spaghetti 7 points and bread 2 points.. I was over 5 points but I really feel like I let my feeling feed my face when I really wasn't hungry. When I realized at 8pm what I had done all day I just went to bed, watched Ruby on Style network and told myself I will do better tomorrow.
I have the day off today so I got up at 6am and went to the gym. I lifted weights and did leg raises and walked a mile on the treadmill.
Today I am going to be back on track I have had 2 point oatmeal, 2 tsp of healthy oil to get them out of the way and 2 points for cranraisins and almonds I added to the oatmeal. I have snacks planned for a pear and banana, and lunch a salad, dinner chicken, rice and green beans.
6pm tonight Zumba class again. I am going to make it thru the next month!

Plateau....BUSTED!

2010-04-29T21:57:00.000-06:00

YES! Changing things up this past week broke my plateau, I lost 3.8. and now am down to 204.4.
I am so close to 199. It is like I can actually see that number now. My plans for this week are to keep mixing up my workout and my points every day. I am going to go to another Zumba class at 5:30 in the morning.
This weeks meeting skill topic was Building helpful Habits while losing weight will help us keep the weight off long term, and change happens on five different levels.
Environment: Our Surroundings. Changing the foods we keep in our home. I have done this level. I no longer buy 2 quarts of ice cream or cookies, or candy or chips when I go shopping. Now if I want it I will buy just a serving of the foods that are red light foods for me. I am past this level.
Behaviours: Our actions. I no longer need 2-3 chocolate bars a day, or a diet Pepsi first thing in the morning. I can actually go without having fast food. I eat healthier and workout. I am past this level.
Capabilities: Our abilities, skills and strategies that we use to help us in what we do. I am now a good tracker, this week I color coded my tracker with each of my healthy guidelines in a different color.
I am also very organized, and a planner. I am on this level, because I know sometimes my strategies in handling things like parties and eating out could be better.
Beliefs:Our ideas and values we hold to be true-why we do what we do. Our beliefs can help or hinder us,
such as I for a couple of weeks really didn't think I could get past 208. I really had to work on this during the past week and change my thinking that I would never get below 208. I need to keep believing in my self that I can lose this weight and I do deserve to be at a healthy weight. I am not past this level.
Identity:Our sense of self-who we are and how we see ourselves. Sadly I am not even close to this level.
I do not see myself any differently then I did when I weighed 253. Luckily in the meeting when I asked the leader about this she said that our identity will change as we continue losing weight. I can't wait till this happens.
Often times we have to rethink our beliefs about our ability and desire to make lifestyle changes. We learn these different levels of change by doing them, and sometimes we may not get past the first two levels because we give up to soon before we have gone to a deeper level of change.
I guess that's why this is called a Journey, because we are constantly changing in one of these five levels in order to make it to our goal of a healthier lifestyle.
I liked this saying Kris had written, Act the way you'd like to be and soon you'll be the way you act.
Or Fake it till you make it!

My names Julie... not Julia Child, and other random stuff.

2010-04-28T22:02:00.000-06:00

I will first start by saying my name is Julie, I grew up watching Julia Child on TV in the 70's. In fact one Thanksgiving I even acted like her stuffing the turkey while my sister got it on 8mm movie. When the movie Julie & Julia came out I went to see it, LOVED it! I own it and have probably watched it 3-4 times.
I laughed so hard when she got her first follower and it ended up being her mom. I remember when I started this blog and got my first follower I was so excited. I like to cook, often try different things, but tonight I was just making Tacos. I had started cooking my extra lean ground beef, added my onions and diced green chili.
Got out the spices I use; salt, pepper, garlic powder, chili powder, and cumin. I opened the bottle of garlic powder and went to add it, and 1/2 of the bottle poured out. (someone had taken off the shaker top!)
I thought what would Julia Child do....I hurried grabbed a colander and scooped out the meat all the garlic had landed on and ran it under hot water. phew...saved that meal! I added the chili powder, and went for the cumin, sprinkled it out in the pan. Hm-mm that smells funny I thought. What I had just added was not cumin, it was CINNAMON! What would Julia do? Take a drink and stir it in! Don't tell and see if the family can guess the new spice.. LOL
It really didn't taste bad, in fact it was pretty darn good. I think I will add a dash of cinnamon next time I make tacos. I had to take a picture, because I love the bowl I put it in, I got it as Overstocks warehouse sale for .50cents. and the blue bowl I just bought today for .50 cents at a local thrift shop. I have this thing all of a sudden about big bowls.

For the random part. I have tried really hard this week to stay on track, stay within my points and mix up my workouts. Tonight after work I did a video of Biggest Loser Yoga, I forgot what a workout it is and how much upper body strength it uses. Man I was sweating in no time! It felt so good, it's a work out, but when you are done you feel so relaxed. So here is a picture for you Quay (cause I know you hate sweat) see I sweat doing yoga.

maybe you can't see if really good my just a little there on the front of my shirt. LOL

I am crossing my fingers for tomorrow's weigh in that I am under 208!

Your results are not always about the scale.

2010-04-27T18:01:00.001-06:00

I am lucky enough to work for a company who supports and promotes employee health. Once a year they offer a health assessment called Biometrics. I had this done last year on June 2 and then again today.
I brought my last years results with me to the test so I could compare and see if my change in lifestyle had made a difference.
June 2, 2009                                                       April 27, 2010
TC(total cholesterol) 164                                       151
HDL(good cholesterol) 40                                        48(you want this number to be higher then 40)
TC/HDL Ratio              4.1                                       3.1(you want this number to be lower desirable is 3.5
TRIG(triglycerides)     180                                      99(you want this to be less then 150)
LDL(bad cholesterol)   88                                     83(you want this to be less then 130)
Glucose (fasting)          96                                     87(normal is 70-99)
Blood Pressure 124/84                                       122/82
BMI                       39(obese is >30)                      31 (yeah I am almost not obese soon to be overweight)
Weight                 225                                          192 (I will take this # on Thursday at WW)

While the nurse was waiting for the machine to finish reading the blood sample, she was looking at my last years results as the numbers for this year were coming up. She asked me what I had been doing cause my
numbers had really improved. I told her about doing WW, and working out 6 days a week.
She told me to keep it up cause it was really making a difference.
The one that blows me away is the Triglycerides, WOW I really had that much more FAT in my blood!
I was really HAPPY to see that all my hard work has made a difference. Then when I was walking back to my desk, I saw someone that I haven't seen in a while and she said to me, Wow you are looking good!
Boost my ego! and this time I said Thank you with a smile. So even though the number on the scale doesn't always say what we want, our hard work and persistence does make a difference in our health.
Here's to Your Health! :)