Monthly Inches Check - Nice Numbers!

10/21/13
Weight: 246.2 lbs (-2 lb loss!)

Alright-y roo. So, I obviously lost weight this week. Yay! I had done what I could to stay on track. And more importantly I bought a FitBit and actively used it. I think tracking my caloric intake/outtake really helped.

I kept on point with my workout schedule, did lots of walking and even my stability ball exercises. I tapered off doing the water rower. I haven't decided if I plan to get back to it or not. 

Inches - 4.75 inches loss since last posting

• Neck - 15
• Arms - 15
• Wrist - 6.25
• Chest - 39
• Upper Waist (spare tire) - 49.5
• Waist (belly button) - 46.5
• Hips - 53.5
• Thigh - 27
• Calf - 17.25

:~D

No loss, No gain

10/14/13

Weight: 248.4 lbs (+.2 lbs)

Well meh. I really didn't do much of anything this week according to the scale, eh? Weird too. I felt pretty good about my week, did much more exercising than normal - simply because I wanted to. I actually ended up doing a 'power walk' on Sunday, because I felt like it. 

It was a 2 mile, 32 minute walk. Which means my pace was around 16 min per mile. That's pretty fast for me. 

So yeah, I was expecting a slight loss. I figured I'd lose a lb. Am I a little disappointed at the scale? Sure. But, I also realize I have to account for my indulgences throughout the week. That even if I am accounting for them through exercise (gaining back points to consume), maybe I've miscalculated. 

Oh well.

One thing that is still pushing me is that Husband has still lost 50 lbs (he actually lost another 3 lbs this week *grimace). He's not gaining it back. So, in order for ME to not feel like the fat cow wife, I have to keep going forward. I have to keep losing until I hit my goal. 

I want to believe this time that alone will push me through these meh weeks. 

Despite the meh on the scale, husband and I did enjoy our splurge day. We actually ended up walking around quite a bit, since we hit the mall twice. And in looking around I found a new activity tracker I decided to get.

Fitbit

Oh, how cute is this thing. I am so excited about it! I used to have a bodybugg (still have it around here somewhere) and it was nice, but.... Fitbit seems better suited for me. Plus, I know it won't 'hurt' my arm. I ended up with the Fitbit Flex, since I don't need the clock feature of the Force. I will have to write about it another day after I get it all situated. 

Goal for this week is to push through the non-loss of last week. Also, to keep up with my daily exercise plan (so far, so good!). I may decide to add 1 night of intense workout a week. I haven't fully decided yet, but I'm thinking of a TurboFire workout (which I miss). Once a week for now might be a nice little boost.

:~D

Very Successful Weigh In

10/07/13

Weight: 248.2 lbs (-4.2 lbs!)

I did it! I managed to lose the weight I gained last week and then some! Just goes to show me that if I do stay focused and stick to my weekly plan then I can achieve success. Yahoo!

 I made sure that each day I did my as planned exercise. I enjoyed the walking I did each day. I would sometimes use the points I gained from exercising to allow myself a few extra snacks. Some days, however, I did not. I tried not to eat too far under my daily allotted points, because I know that under-eating can hurt you just as well.

My focus was on POINT this past week. Sunday I dragged encouraged Husband to go with me on a 5K walk around a local park (it has a full 5K path with markers). The weather was so nice. It was a great day for it. We both truly had a great time. I'm so happy he's coming on board for walking more. Such a good impact for me.

Splurge/Free day this week was awesome. I feel like I'm getting past the point of have-to-have cravings each week. It's almost comical on Free day for us to figure out what we want. We are getting to the point of almost shrugging through it. Don't get me wrong, we do enjoy our free day. But we just aren't gorging like we used to.

And that's a great thing.

This week, I'm feeling almost over-confident again. This can happen when I've had a good weight loss week, or I have some excuse (monthly crap week for a woman) to use to try to eat junk I know I shouldn't.

I sorta let that happen Tuesday. I snuck some sweet junk food that I didn't need, just because. Almost even planned for crap eating on Wednesday. Then I started visualizing the 239 on the scale. Realized that if I don't watch it, I'm going to fall in to my trap again. I really want to see 239. I really want to be down another pants size.

So today, I'm trying very hard to pull my reins back. I know that I am bigger than my cravings/excuses. I know I can finally hit 239 and keep going. I know I can be down another pants size soon. I know I will succeed.

:~D

Race for the Cure!

09/30/13

We did it! Race for the Cure. And in the pouring rain of all things.

My mom is a rockstar. She didn't pause a beat! However, she did manage to lose some very expensive sunglasses. :-( I felt so bad for her. But, success to finishing the walk!

Hubby and I then decided to go 'walking' around our local state fair the next day. This meant we logged a total of at least 8+ miles walked in just 2 days. Holy cow!

However - sad news - I gained 3 lbs!!! Before you go thinking "it's probably from the exercise", NO. It wasn't. I did very bad during my eating plan for the week. Several days of 'slip-ups'. So, I was actually expecting a gain. I'm not upset nor have I let it sabotage this week. 

And in fact, I have created a new weekly workout plan for myself. I figured this would be a good way to help keep myself in check. So far, I'm doing good.

Monday: Rest/Splurge Day

Tuesday: 10 sit ups, 10 push ups, 10 tricep dips, 15 min walk (or 8 min arm toning workout)

Wednesday: 3 min WaterRower, 30 min walk

Thursday: 10 sit ups, 10 push ups, 10 tricep dips, 15 min walk (or 8 min arm toning workout)

Friday: 3 min WaterRower, 30 min walk

Saturday: 10 sit ups, 10 push ups, 10 tricep dips, 15 min walk (or 8 min arm toning workout)

Sunday: 3 min WaterRower, 30 min walk

I've been doing well with it this week and believe that this will continue to keep me on the right path. I've also been sticking well to my new daily WW points value (28 now!) instead of going back to the old number just because I gained weight.

My biggest goal for the week is to get back on track and at the minimum lose the 3 lbs I gained. As long as I do that, I will be happy.

Weight: 252.4 (+3.2 lb gain)

No new measurements until 10/21/13 (and will continue to be monthly)

:~D

40 lbs lost total! Big goal hit!

09/25/13

Well I did it. My chanting worked. Lol. I hit 249.2 lbs on the scale on weigh in day. That means I've lost a total of 40 lbs since starting this about 6 months ago. Sheesh, that seems like such a long time for a measly 40 lbs. But, each lb down was a victory.

I felt great on weigh in day and husband did too. He hit it final goal - 222 lbs, 50 lbs lost! Between my husband and myself, we've lost 90 lbs. WOW! That's a lot. I took new pictures of myself to compare from 3 months ago. I do see a small difference. Especially in my face. I can see why people are saying that.

But good gosh. I am so tired of this belly. It really haunts me. And my bat-wing arms too. I never realize how bad they've gotten until a see a picture of me with my arms out and that lose flab/fat/skin hanging down. I've always thought I had these great strong arms. That may be, but right now my biceps are hidden underneath layers of flab. Ugh.

The next 10 lbs are critical. Like more critical than any other weight I've lost so far. I HAVE to reach 239. And quickly. I've always stalled out in the 240's. It has been since when I first met hubby since I've seen 239. Plus that will put me at 50 lbs lost. And I think I will really start to see some major differences in my body after that.

What's the plan for the next 10? And how to get them off quickly/safely? I'm still figuring that out. I do know that the day after splurge day I kept eating badly and boy did my stomach pay for it last night. I was practically curled up in a fetal position at bedtime. I felt so sick. So it is completely obvious that my body doesn't like continuous bad food being put in it. Only once and a while can it handle it. I know that's a good thing.

I'm really hoping the 5K walk this Saturday will really help burn some calories. I would love to see another big loss next week. I just want to get away from the 250's as far as possible and through the 240's really quick. I am so afraid that if I dawdle here I'm going to lose ground. 

Weight: 249.2 (Total loss since last posting of 2.6 lbs)

Inches - 4.75 inches loss since last posting

• Neck - 15
• Arms - 15.5
• Wrist - 6.25
• Chest - 39.5
• Upper Waist (spare tire) - 50
• Waist (belly button) - 47
• Hips - 55.5
• Thigh - 27.5
• Calf - 17.5

:~D

I'm the Tortoise right now

09/21/13

Egads. I let another month go by before I decided to post again. Shame on me!

Honestly though, there hasn't been much to actually post about my weight-loss journey. There has been a lot of other nonsense going on in my life, but nothing specific to the weight loss.

I am sitting at 251.8 as of my 09/16/13 weigh in. Not too spectacular for a month. Just 3 lbs. Well, it was a little more, but last week I actually gained .5 lbs back. Had a rough time last week. I'm working to make sure I recoup that mis step this week. So far, I'm doing pretty good. 

Husband is now only 2 lbs away from his goal, the stinker. Good gosh. He will have lost 50 lbs, with NO exercising at all. Just a watchful eating plan and 1 splurge day a week. Same as me. But I've thrown in some exercise here and there. His next big step is to figure out maintenance eating and he does plan to start exercising regularly. He wanted to lose the weight just from eating better and not exercising. Because he doesn't want to rely just on exercising to lose weight. That way if he doesn't exercise steadily during the week, it's not going to wreak havoc on his weight.

Goal: 249 lbs. 40 lbs lost. It is almost a chant at this point. I am just so tired of saying 36 lbs, 37 lbs, 38 lbs. Week after week after week. 

Then, it is so OBVIOUS that Husband has lost weight. He really looks like it! And considering the percentage he's lost vs. me. It's ridiculous! Plus, I've been this weight before. I've looked this way before. So, it's not really any dramatic difference to anyone else.

Although recently a few people have talked about how they can see my weight loss in my face. *shrug

Exercise: Mostly walking. I am preparing for the Race for the Cure 5K with our church. I also decided to start an ab workout I came across. I'm hoping it helps my spare tire area, because right now that is my most problem/hated spot on my body. If I could reduce some serious inches there, I would be so much happier.

I did find an abdominal workout in a magazine that I decided to try. It is a series of 6 particular workouts done at 15 reps. Several of them are in a plank position. I tried it on Wednesday (4 days ago). There was one set that I could not do holding my arms straight in plank position. So I went down to my forearms. And ended up with rug burns on my elbows. LOL Good gosh.

Not only that, but for 2 days my shoulders/biceps were so sore. Wow, right?! I learned I need to use a yoga mat and that they work out more than just my abdominals. Phew!

Race for the Cure: September 28th, 2013. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Boy am I excited about this! Only 1 week away. My church's team will be walking this 5K. I've been walking as much as I can to get ready for the race. It will be in support of my mom who is currently battling breast cancer. Along with all the other fighters in our church. So excited!

Weight: 251.8 (Total loss since last posting of 3 lbs)

Inches - No new measurements at this time

• Neck - 
• Arms - 
• Wrist - 
• Chest - 
• Upper Waist (spare tire) - 
• Waist (belly button) - 
• Hips - 
• Thigh - 
• Calf - 

:~D

Overnights

08/19/13

Here I am. I am making myself post. I actually have a good loss to post, so I shouldn't be unhappy about it. I guess sometimes remembering to blog can be a chore. Particularly with everything else going on right now.

I didn't get to weigh myself last week. My foot had a terrible sprain and I couldn't put any weight on it, at all. So I figured the weigh-in wouldn't be accurate and just waited another week. Also, we decided to change our weigh-in day to Monday. Why? Well, I changed schedules for work and now work overnights with Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday off. Plus, Hubby's schedule changed and it just made sense to have Monday as our new weigh-in/splurge day.

It seemed to work well for us this first time.

Hubby lost 2 lbs for the week. He is only 7 lbs away from his ultimate goal. The jerk. ;-) Actually I am very proud of him. He has been diligent in his eating.

I am down another 4 lbs since my last weigh-in. In two weeks, that is a respectable loss. I had noticed certain things started feeling looser on me. Certain clothes and now even more, my wedding ring feels a smidge more loose. Nothing to be concerned about, mind you.... Yet.

With my new work schedule (only having been on it a week), I feel my body adjusting to the new sleep/eat schedule. I worry that I will be eating all day long. Because that's how it felt the first week. But obviously I still lost weight, so maybe it just seems like it. Anyway, I figure that is something I will need to be aware of, so I don't begin overeating without realizing it.

I am getting so much closer to 249. 40 lbs lost. Wow. I can't wait. Now, I've been at 249 before many many times. So it isn't that huge of a goal number to me. But it is a nice one. To be able to say "40 lbs lost". Well, that feels like success. Plus, it's only 10 lbs away from my first major goal - 239. I haven't been that number in quite some time. I always foul in the 240's and start inching my way back up. So 239 will be a big number to me.

Exercise: Well I haven't really been doing much of any exercise. I sprained my ankle a few weeks ago. It seemed to heal, then my foot (I believe as a residual from the sprain) was in terrible pain for 2 days. Now I'm taking it easy on it, simply because I don't want to go through that pain again. I was on crutches!

Race for the Cure: September 28th, 2013. The Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. Boy am I excited about this! I have about 5 weeks and my church's team will be walking this 5K. I do plan on walking more until then to get ready for that race. It will be in support of my mom who is currently battling breast cancer. Along with all the other fighters in our church. So excited! And bonus, it will give me some exercise to focus on for a few weeks. I'm hoping that will help prevent me from hitting a plateau.

Weight: 254.8 (Total loss since last posting of 4 lbs!!)

Inches - 4 inches lost (since last posting)

• Neck - 15.25
• Arms - 15.5
• Wrist - 6.25
• Chest - 40
• Upper Waist (spare tire) - 51.5
• Waist (belly button) - 47.5
• Hips - 56.5
• Thigh - 28
• Calf - 18

:~D

Still here - still moving down the scale

Alright, alright, alright. I know I've been a terrible blog member and haven't posted in over a month. How shameful of me!

But, I didn't fall off the wagon or the earth and I am most definitely still making progress.

Mind you, in 5 weeks, it hasn't been tremendous progress, but I have to include a vacation and subsequent weeks of losing the gained vacation weight. So overall, I am pleased with where I am today.

For 07/27/13 weigh in: 257.8! Total loss since last blog: 5.2 lbs! Total overall loss: 31.2 lbs!

That's a success in my book. Like I said, the husband and I went on a quick (much needed!) vacation a few weeks ago. I gained about 6-7 lbs during that time. For the following week, it seemed to begin dropping quickly, but then I had lots of Dr. appointments and most notably oral surgery. I have since recovered from that as well.

This past week was my biggest drop recently with almost 3.2 lbs. And since our vacation, I haven't exercised at all. Plus, I have not been as laser focused about my eating as before vacation. I have still kept on track and within my points, but I've splurged a few times and I haven't been making sure when I eat certain things (like carbs/proteins, etc.)

So, I am still a little surprised that I had a decent drop this week. And all this plus the fact that I have NOT exercised a lick. Not even a neighborhood walk.

Go me.

I'd love to post measurements, but when I did them yesterday, I'm not sure if they are accurate. I don't know if they fluctuate after a day of eating or not (probably not, but still). I will make sure to have new measurements for the next Sat. weigh in.

Bottom line: I'm still here!

:~D

It Isn't a Fluke

My lovely weight loss last week wasn't a fluke! I am so happy!! I managed to lose another 3.2 lbs. Phew. Honestly I do worry sometimes that I'll go back to just a 1 lb or 1.5 lbs loss a week. I don't even know how I could push through that. Because it would just simply take me forever to lose 140 lbs at 1/1.5 a week. Good Gosh.

Another 3.2 lbs lost really helps me out. It fuels my motivation. I feel that the combination I have figured out is actually working this time. I had begun to realize that my weight loss is like a puzzle. And I have to find the right pieces to fit together to to make the puzzle whole and really work.

Puzzle pieces:

• Diet - a.k.a. Eating plan
• Exercise - not just the act but what exercising I'm doing (and how long each week)
• Supplements - not diet pills, but they are essential nutrients from oils, etc that my body is missing
• Grass Shake - this I believe has been key to helping me achieve my Freggie servings each day
• Protein Shake - I also think it is good for me to drink at least one a day, right now it is a Metabolism Reset shake that should be helping to get my metabolism on the right track

I have had to keep telling myself that if I have a crappy week in weight loss that maybe I still should be figuring out one of the puzzle pieces. I have not just changed what I'm eating but when I'm eating during the day too.

Maybe that was the catalyst? Plus I have been swimming for an hour each morning (5 days a week). Good that be it as well?

Not to mention the grass shake, supplement and Metabolic Reset shake are finally starting to work. Sometimes it takes a week or so for new things to settle into your body and show progress.

Here's hoping.

Now the goal is to just keep going forward with this. During the next week, hubby and I will be taking a short trip. I am SO looking forward to this much needed quick get away. But this means that while we won't be going hog wild with our eating - We do plan to enjoy ourselves. So next Saturday's weigh in will most likely not be so good. My goal is to just maintain. To not gain any weight. If I could do that, I will be happy. I'd hate to undo all my hard work with 3 days of fun.

Weight: 263 (Total weekly loss of 3.2 lbs!!)

Inches - 3 inches lost overall!

• Neck - 15.5
• Arms - 16
• Wrist - 6.5
• Chest - 40.5
• Upper Waist (spare tire) - 51.5
• Waist (belly button) - 48
• Hips - 57
• Thigh - 30
• Calf - 18

:~D

Where have I been?!

Holy Cow, where have I been? I haven't posted since last week?!

Well, I have been keeping focused, that's for sure. I didn't fall off the wagon. I just - got busy.

The really GOOD news is that last Saturday, June 15th, 2013 I had a really good weigh in day. FINALLY. And I really needed that too. I was slowly starting to lose hope with only losing 1 - 1.5 lbs a week. I'm sorry, but that really sucks at my weight. So, here are my Saturday stats:

Weight: 266.2 (Total weekly loss of 3.6 lbs!!)

Inches

• Neck - 15.5
• Arms - 16
• Wrist - 6.5
• Chest - 40.5
• Upper Waist (spare tire) - 53
• Waist (belly button) - 48.5
• Hips - 57.5
• Thigh - 30.5
• Calf - 18

Total Loss overall since 06/8/13: .5 inches (Don't know what happened to increase my belly size, but there it is)

Workout: 1.5 hours of heavy yard work/push mowing

I was so very happy about my much bigger weight drop. I need that motivation. And I am still pushing/hoping for another somewhat big drop this week. I think it is very acceptable to expect 3 lbs a week lose. That isn't too much (especially for my size!).

 

I've been working really hard on my water aerobics too. I think that has added a LOT to my weight lose. I'm in our pool 5 days a week for an hour doing lots of different exercises. Just constantly moving. I now have web gloves, water dumbbells, noodle, kickboard and a ball to use for my water aerobics. That's besides the laps that I do (running, kicking and swimming).

 

And I've found that I truly love the pool. It's so easy on my joints, it helps lower my stress and I feel like I'm getting a solid workout!

 

The other good news is that I'm starting to squeeze into a smaller size. I'm not quite there to be comfortable, but so close. I really hope that I lose another big drop in weight before our trip next week. Hubby and I are taking a short 'get out of town' trip a few hours away.

 

Speaking of Hubby - he has lost 33 lbs at this point! And SO many people are commenting on his weight, because you can easily TELL he's lost a lot of weight. His belly is shrinking fast!

 

On one hand - so proud/happy for him! On the other - frustrated with myself, because I'm doing all this work and he is dropping so fast with a much easier time.

 

I've also been working hard on drinking my Grass shake every day. I actually really enjoy them! I need to do a post just about the grass shake - cause it really is awesome!

 

On to my day!

 

:~D

Water Aerobics

Our pool is ready! YAY!

This morning I really struggled with getting up to swim or not. Don't know why, because last night I could barely contain my excitement. Husband and I have been working on the pool for a few days, getting it ready to swim. We still have a few things to do, but it is at least in the condition where you can get in and splash around. 

I finally grumbled my way out of bed (1 hour later than I planned) and put on my swimsuit. Plus shorts. Plus a t-shirt.

This is what I swim in. Yes, I know.

I trek outside and test the water with my hand. BRRRR! But I am determined.

Since our steps are sitting in the middle of the pool, I'm going to have to just jump in, none of this ease myself down nonsense. So I stick my feet in (BRRR!), then talk myself out/in to finally stop wussing out and jumping down in the pool.

OMG THIS IS SO FREAKING COLD! 

Then it got soooo much better. 

Once my body adjusted, the temperature of the water was fine. I got the steps put in place so I'd be able to get out and began scrubbing the pool wall. After doing that for a bit, plus getting more floating debris, I decided it was time for my water aerobics. I had researched different exercises to do the last few days, so I had those in my head for what I wanted.

I managed to bang out 30 minutes of water time. I just kept on moving. I did laps around the pool 'running', I used my noodle as a kick board of sorts and kicked laps. I also used my new hand web gloves to do different arm exercises. I LOVED IT. 

My goal is to get in the pool every day that weather/schedule will allow me. It was great for my joints and I knew it was helping me to tone up nicely. 

 

Water: 8 glasses
Workout: 30 min Water Aerobics
Supplements: EvoLean (3), Censor (4), Daily Vitamin (2)
Food

• Breakfast - Amazing Grass Drink w Unsweetened Almond Milk (10 oz), 1 slice Wheat Bread with 2 tbsp Almond Butter - 5 pts
• Lunch - Turkey Sandwich - 6 pts
• Dinner - Fries and Tortilla Shells - 12 pts
• Snacks - Whey Protein Shake, Popcorn Rice Cakes  - 4 pts

Total pts: 27

New Week, New Plan

Yesterdays weigh-in was another blah, blah feeling. I only lost 1.4 lbs. Granted I finally came in under 270 (SWEET!), but I'm still annoyed that my effort does not seem to be showing in my progress each week on the scale or even in inches. I did manage to lose 1.5 inches overall after a week, that's probably on par. But I really think my body is resisting big time.

It has really made me wonder if my body's metabolism is severely screwed up. I've been doing lots of research lately about different ways to go about this to try and ramp up my fat burning efforts. I found two articles in the Woman's World magazine talking about ways to help melt serious fat. 

One article talked about using Whey Protein shakes throughout the day (they have recipes for add-ins to make it more like a smoothie) with ideas on smaller lighter meals. The shakes provide the majority of nutrition your body needs and along with the suggestions they have to fill out the shakes, thus making them more filling, you don't feel like you are missing food or hungry during the day.

The suggestion was to use lower calorie Whey Protein powder, which has always been a concern of mine and why I haven't tried protein shakes before. I thought they were only for serious athletes that are already burning an insane amount of calories. I didn't even think about low cal alternatives for normal people like me. Apparently Biggest Loser has a brand that tastes really good and is only 60 calories. Now, I've just got to find it. LOL

The other article was actually an interview with Danni Allen, the latest winner of Biggest Loser. They even got advice from Jillian for this article on how she structured Danni's diet plan. THIS article had amazing information that I can't wait to try. They talked about how Danni focused the majority of her daily calories on a huge (and I mean HUGE) breakfast, then ate super light for lunch and dinner. Not only that, but reducing her carb intake after 3 pm! Whoa! 

(keep in mind that the workouts do help, but both Jillian and Danni said that 80% of her success was her diet plan)

Plus, she added this great drink in the morning that was a mix from Amazing Grass Chocolate Green SuperFood which is packed full with organic nutrients. O.M.G. This stuff is no joke. As I continued to read this article, I got really excited. I started pondering that maybe my current plan is ok for a 1.5 lb a week loss, so I'm doing good on the amount of calories I'm taking in, but maybe I need to change up when I consume the most calories throughout the day. And according to Danni and Jillian - it worked superb for her and the rest of the biggest losers!

So husband and I got up early this morning and headed over to Whole Foods to look for this Amazing Grass drink. They actually had a sample of the Goji/Acai flavor. It looks gross (like a grass mixed drink), but the taste was AWESOME! It tasted so good! I bought a canister of the chocolate blend, while husband bought some of the single packs of other flavors to try. 

SO EXCITED! And I already drank a glass of my chocolate flavor - not bad at all! I blended it with Unsweetened Vanilla Almond Milk. I think I'm going to switch to Sweetened and maybe blend it in the blender for a smoother texture. Plus, I might add in a banana and some ice. I CAN'T WAIT!

Water: 10 glasses
Workout: None 
Supplements: EvoLean (3), Censor (4), Daily Vitamin (2)
Food

• Breakfast - Amazing Grass Drink w Unsweetened Almond Milk (10 oz), Plain bagel thin with 1 tbsp Brummel & Brown Butter - 3 pts
• Lunch - PB & J - 7 pts
• Dinner - Smart Ones Lasagna - 6 pts
• Snacks - Snack Popcorn, WW Choc Mini Cake (2), Green Grapes (1/2 C) - 5 pts

Total pts: 21

Saturday fun

Today was another cheat day. WEEEE! I always look forward to these days. I will say that my 'cravings' are getting better throughout the week, but Saturday still holds this nice feeling of not worrying at all about trying to calculate or figure out the nutrition of what I'm eating. That's the bonus for me at this point.

Hubby had planned to do some barbecuing smoking of a brisket and he was going to be stuck at home all day. Smoking/barbecuing meat (in the true sense) is a long process. Because of this, I was going to be the food runner for the day. Fine by me.

One of Husband's craving for the week was to enjoy a cheddar sausage roll for breakfast. He also likes cooking things himself. So he had already picked up a package of cheddar sausage and french bread to make his own sausage rolls. OMG - they were so good.

Then, we started working on the yard. Please understand that not just our front yard, but our back yard is very big. Our front yard is about 2250 sq feet. The back yard is close in size. I mowed and because the back yard had been neglected for an extra week, I had to mow it twice. We moved the dog pen, we cleaned up trash. A lot work sweaty work was done.

I decided that I needed a break and some lunch. So I ordered myself a pepperoni calzone and got Husband some food from Arby's. But since I was at Arby's and my calzone hadn't arrived yet, I also got myself an order of curly fries.

Between the curly fries and the 4 slices of calzone I ate - I felt STUFFED. And a little sick.

Later, we mowed the front yard (Husband edges and weedeats) and I was just done after that. LOL Just done.

Husband had wanted to experiment with some mixed drinks, so once we knew we were in for the day and wouldn't be driving anymore he made us something. First we tried this Frozen Pink Lemonade (alcoholic) - YUM. Then he mixed me up a Blue Lagoon or something like that. It was good too.

But, then about an hour later - my guts were hurting so bad! Boy, was my body not happy with what I was eating/drinking today. That's good to remember.

Overall - a pretty nice day off!

Weight: 269.8 (Total weekly loss of 1.4 lbs)

Inches 

• Neck - 15.5
• Arms - 16
• Wrist - 6.5
• Chest - 41.5
• Upper Waist (spare tire) - 53
• Waist (belly button) - 48
• Hips - 57.5
• Thigh - 30.5
• Calf - 18

Total Loss overall since 06/1/13: 1.5 inches

Workout: 2 hours of heavy yard work/push mowing
Water: 8 glasses
Supplements: EvoLean (3), Censor (4), Daily Vitamin (2)

Food (Cheat Day)

• Cheddar Sausage Roll (2)
• Skim Milk 16 oz
• Pepperoni Calzone (Mazzio's), Ranch Dip
• Frozen Pink Lemonade Alcohol Drink

Rocked a Morning Walk!

SEIZE the DAY!

That is today's motto. And boy, did I seize it!

I walked 3.39 miles. Yes, that's right. 3.39 miles, which is actually further than a 5K!

I really rocked a workout. And I felt the endorphin rush afterwards which gave me some good vibes despite my scale scowling this morning. Besides, who knows what my inches will show??? One can only hope.

But, I do wonder.

Have I hit a plateau? Already, with not even 20 lbs lost???

I realize that my official weigh-in isn't until tomorrow and I'm also telling myself to stop being so negative and pessimistic. But, sheesh. It can be very disheartening. On the other hand, seeing that number on the scale didn't prevent me from exercising today, in fact, in may have pushed me to do the entire 3.39 miles!

So, I've got to remember the famous saying:

Well, maybe not 'swimming' per se. But basically I've got to just keep going. Keep Moving. Keep motivated. This work will pay off for me one day.

But, I am also considering that my metabolism may be very screwed up. That I may only see 1 or 2 lbs lost each week, while (hopefully) my inches continue a steady decline. Then BAM - I start burning like a mad woman.

Is it a muscle thing? Is that why the "lbs" aren't dropping?

I am really going to try to focus on strength training and exercising properly. I very much hope that my hard work will pay off and that all this fat is just waiting to be burned up, but first I have to create the right foundation. Geez this is frustrating, however I just have to 'keep swimming'.

Water: 10 glasses
Workout: 3.39 mile walk - 66 minutes, Bicep Curls - 3 set: 10 reps, Triceps - 2 set: 10 reps, Lateral Raises - 2 set: 10 reps
Supplements: EvoLean (3), Censor (4), Daily Vitamin (2)
Food

• Breakfast - Slim Fast Shake - 4 pts
• Lunch - Frito Burritos (3) - 12 pts
• Dinner - PB&J, FF Pringles, Skim Milk (8 oz) - 11 pts

Total pts: 27

So Happy It's Thursday

Ahhh. It's S.H.I.T. day. ;-) So Happy It's Thursday.

So, after hubby's revelation that he's down a whopping 30 lbs left me feeling a little blue. I am so happy for him. At the same time, I am so envious of him too. I have worked through eating better a few weeks before he started. Plus, I've been working out the past few weeks and he has yet to start. 

Grumble. Grumble. 

And yes, I am perfectly aware that men have an easier time losing weight, blah blah blah. Hearing that does not make me feel better. Sorry, it just doesn't. 

Right now, not only is my husband speeding down the weight loss track, he is so much closer to his goal weight, PLUS he is about 28 lbs LIGHTER than me right now anyway!

Believe me, that is the worst part of all. That I am so much heavier than my husband. 

My worst fear, being heavier than my husband.

Maybe this dilemma will help fuel my motivation to keep up with this new plan this time. Maybe. I feel like my body needs some serious adjusting to be able to start really burning up some fat stores. My metabolism is probably severely out of whack. I've really been pondering lately about the puzzle pieces I need to figure out in order to burn through all this extra weight. 

Which then leads me to protein shakes. 

I've heard of Whey Protein powder to use for shakes, particularly as a great after workout recovery drink. But I always thought they were more for super athletes or people working out all day long. Not me. But through some of the research I've been trying to compile, it may be something I should seriously consider. My morning slim fast shake is already higher in protein than it's regular version and I do know the true benefits of protein for my body. Could this be the puzzle piece I am missing?

We shall see. I plan to get the Biggest Loser Whey Protein (by Designer Whey) found at GNC - http://www.gnc.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3399839 and try this. I like that it is low calorie, since sometimes people complain about the high caloric content of most whey powders. This may be why beginning weight loss people don't jump into the protein powder at first. I want to try the chocolate version and go from there. Once I start the week with this new add in, I will blog about it and my progress. 

I'm still taking my new supplements (in fact, it's only the 2nd day!), so I'm really hoping they also do some major good. Maybe all these little changes will be the key to my weight loss for the final time.

Not to mention - we are working on opening the pool! I am SO excited! I already have my ideas on water aerobic exercises and hope to get out in the pool almost every day to work out. YAY! (bonus is that it is our own pool and very private).

Water: 10 glasses
Workout: Cleaning the pool work - 45 minutes
Supplements: EvoLean (3), Censor (4), Daily Vitamin (2)
Food

• Breakfast - Slim Fast Shake - 4 pts
• Lunch -  - Frito Burritos (2) - 9 pts
• Dinner -  - Roasted Chicken, Mashed Potatoes - 10 pts
• Snacks - Rice Cakes (4), Brownie, Skim Milk (8 oz) - 7 pts

Total pts: 30

Supplements

Husband came to me the other night really excited about some supplements he had been researching. Now, so far I'm usually not happy with supplements. I know that "diet pills" are a myth. That there really aren't any magic pills that will help you lose weight without any work.

I get that. 

The problem is that right now, I really need a boost. I don't look at pills to do all the work for me, but if there are supplements that help boost my diet and workouts then I want to go for it. Besides, we are supposed to see an improvement in 3 weeks. So, after that time we can say "no go" if they haven't done much to help. I double checked my measurements today (and weight) just in case I've had a drop in inches/weight since my Saturday Record day. My weight is at 270.4 (yay), but I didn't see any difference in inches yet. So, we will stick with my last recorded. 

I want to talk about the products specifically on here, so I can record how it works or doesn't work for me. I'm curious to see what the side effects might be, if any, and generally how I feel taking them. If anyone ever decides to read this blog, maybe they will find usual information/reviews about this to help them make the decision.

Plus, considering how overweight I am, I am really curious to see if these supplements work. Sometimes I wonder if supplements are only meant for people already close to their fitness goals or just trying to truly 'lean up'. I really hope these work for me.

On to the products: 

EvoLean http://store.ndsnutrition.com/nds-diet-energy/evolean/

EvoLean is a non-stimulant (instead using green tea extract) product and only has 4 ingredients. The reviews all across the web are super high for it. Hubby and I have heard radio commercials about it and he did some extensive research on it. We found it at our local GNC. It is a little pricey, $70 a bottle (1 month supply), but if it works like it's supposed too then it's worth it to me. 

The main focus is to help burn fat - it's a thermogenic. 

Censor http://store.ndsnutrition.com/nds-diet-energy/censor/

Censor is a toning supplement made up of "good" oils for the body.It mainly focuses on helping to reduce belly fat (YAY!). It has Omega 3, 6 and 9. Yes, part of the ingredients include Fish Oil. This is really good for me, since I hate fish of any kind. It's also a little pricey at $50 a bottle.

Fortunately, GNC had a combo package deal, which helped with cost. B/c besides the combo pack, they had a buy 1 get the 2nd half off special. So, Hubby and I were able to each get a pack to try them out.

Also, come to find out today Hubby has lost a total of 30 lbs and is only 17 lbs away from his goal. *stun* While I am extremely happy for him, it just reminds me of my short fallings. I haven't even crossed the 20 lbs lost line and I still have about 130 lbs overall to lose. Such a long way for me to go. But he is supportive and I'm not giving up. 

Water: 10 glasses

Workout: Water Rower (3:30 min), 25 sit-ups 

Food:

• Breakfast: Slimfast Protein Shake - 4 pts
• Lunch: Peanut Butter (Reduced Fat)/Jelly Sandwich (Low Sugar), FF Pringles - 9
• Dinner: KFC Chicken bites (3), Potato wedges - 10 pts
• Snack: Chocolate Almond milk (8 oz), Rice Cake - Popcorn flavor (4) - 4 pts

Total pts: 27

New Possible Goal

Tuesday
I decided to combine my postings for Monday and today. I simply didn't have a major post ready for Monday. So I will at least post my stats. I will say that I feel guilty about my late night snack (Caesar dressing), because it is SO bad for you. It is incredibly high in calories AND fat. Like stratosphere high. And I'm sure I acutally ate more than 16 pts worth (1 serving!), but that's what I will calculate. The good news is, that I no longer have any in the house. 

So that helps. ;-)

Today (Tuesday) is a non-work day. I had thought to get up super early to mow the lawn. But storms woke me up instead, so I knew that would be out. I had hoped to still wake up reasonably early, instead sleeping until 9:45. Ugh. I've got to get my sleep schedule under control. 

I did manage to kill a serious calorie burning workout. No matter what the schedule stated - I did the Fire 30 - TurboFire workout. Boy, is that intense. But Hubby and I were talking last night about something that I may have problems with in about 3 weeks. 

We may decide to take a vacation (much sooner than planned) and FLY there. 

My biggest fear is not fitting in the airplane seat.

I really don't want to have any issues. I've scoured the internet, trying to find ways of measuring myself in determination for an airplane seat. So far what I've found is that the smallest width of seats is around 17 inches. So I put my tape measure out on a bench and sat down. Apparently I am at 21 inches. 

I have 4 inches to lose!!! In 3 weeks!! How in the hell will that be possible?! I don't even know what kind of lbs that is to lose. (I do realize that lbs and inches lost are a bit different from each other)
So, I decided that I would give it a rip roaring try and see where I'm at in 2 weeks. Maybe we can still plan it within a short amount of time and go. I would really like to get out of town. I am very much feeling pent up.


Water: 8 glasses
Workout: Fire 30 Class
Food

• Breakfast - Slim Fast Shake - 4 pts
• Lunch/Dinner - Grilled Chicken Salad (10 pts)
• Snacks - Movie Popcorn (16 pts)

Total pts: 30

Monday
Water: 8 glasses
Workout: WaterRower (3 minutes), Situps (W1D2, 20 situps)
Food

• Breakfast - Slim Fast Shake - 4 pts
• Lunch - Lean Beef Hotdog, Fat Free Pringles - 6 pts
• Dinner - Wheat Linguine with Laughing Cow Alfredo (YUM) - 4 pts
• Snacks - Triscuits with Caesar dressing (16 pts)

Total pts: 30

ReBoot!

As I said yesterday, I was planning to "reboot" today. I 'sort of' fell off the wagon for about 2 days, not that big of a deal, but I recognized that it happened and made a deal with myself to get back to it on Sunday.

So, this morning I got up (later than I planned) with enough time to go for a walk. I wanted to walk, the weather has been nice after all our storms, so it has felt really good to get out of the house and stretch my legs.

I headed out just after 10 am and decided to just walk where I felt like walking and at a pace I felt comfortable at. I didn't want to push myself or make this walk feel like work. Sometimes, I think we need that in a workout. To not feel like we have to push ourselves. There are times when we do, but I believe that I needed to enjoy the walk after my crappy last week.

It was a really nice walk. The temperature couldn't have been better. The sky was beautiful,  birds were chirping and some of my neighbors were out in their yards. So I just be-bopped along with my music in. Walking always helps to clear my head. And I kept walking until I felt like circling back. I managed to make it a mile in about 20 minutes. That's pretty good for leisure walking.

By the time I got home, I had walked 1.31 miles and in 27 minutes. My pace usually slows after the initial mile, which is fine. I felt really good getting that walk in. Now, on to work and the rest of my day.

Water: 8 glasses
Workout: Walk (20 min pace), 1.31 miles (total of 27 minutes)
Food

• Breakfast - Slim Fast Shake - 4 pts
• Lunch - Lean Cuisine Pizza - 7 pts, Ranch - 2 pts
• Dinner - Brownie - 4 pts
• Snacks - Canteloupe (2 pts), Cracker Chips (2 pts),  Brownie (2 pts)

Total pts: 23

Fell off the Wagon, but I'm doing ok

Weight: 271.2 (Total weekly loss of 1.6 lbs)

Water: 8 glasses

 

Inches 

• Neck - 16
• Arms - 16
• Wrist - 6.5
• Chest - 41.5
• Upper Waist (spare tire) - 53
• Waist (belly button) - 48
• Hips - 58
• Thigh - 31
• Calf - 18

Total Loss overall since 05/21/13: 6.5 inches

Color me surprised! I'm a little shocked that I've lost 6.5 inches overall in just 10 days. WOW.

Especially considering that I haven't worked out since really Wednesday and even then, I sort of lost my steam with TurboFire for the week.

Sheesh. I believe this might be the motivation I need to get back on my horse tomorrow.

Despite my blah feelings the past few days, I did manage to get in a basic walk. It wasn't that long, don't even think I made it a mile and probably lasted about 16 minutes. I really just wanted to get out and get some air. I think it helped. Sometimes I just feel shut in or closed in and I need the open air. Granted, it wasn't a great as the country side, considering our boxed in neighborhood, but it was the best I could hope for. 

Now, on to restarting my journey tomorrow.

:~D