Progress

I made a discovery this week.
I was so frustrated with working my butt off in the gym and seeing slow results I decided it was time to reread my Biggest Loser book and Whatdya know! Just by changing my eating plan to include more fresh fruits and veggies and remove the "lean cuisine" that I had been having for lunch, AND making my dinners lighter Tada! I went from 212 to 205 this week! AMAZING! I feel so awesome and my jeans are definitely looser.

It had to be all that sodium in the lean cuisines- eh?! Well, it's really encouraging me to stay on track. Speaking of track- I'll be going to the Lake Pflugerville 3 mile trail today to get my 'Big Run' in for the week. I'm hoping to get a yoga class in tomorrow to stretch and recover.

Musically- I am finding the songs that have the right beats per minute and the right combination of inspiration to give me a mental kick:

Phil Collins: I can't stop loving you
Phillips Craig Dean: Revelation Song
Bonnie Tyler: Hero
The Proclaimers: 500 miles
Def Leppard: Pour some Sugar on Me
Mercy Me: Beautiful
Toby Mac: Get back up
Avalon: Everything to Me

What's on your workout playlist?

Yum!

Who knew food that is good for you could taste so much like dessert!

I tried this recipe for salad that is in my Biggest Loser Cookbook this week- It IS RIDICULOUS! It tastes like strawberry cheesecake salad!

1 Cup Fresh Spinach- stems off
1 Cup Romaine Lettuce
2 Tbsp. Crumbled Goat cheese
1/4-1/2 Cup Fresh, sliced strawberries
1/4 Cup sliced chicken breast
1 1/2 Tbsp.Kraft Light Raspberry Vinaigrette

Holy Cow! I loved it so much I had it 2x this week.
The easy peasy tip is to get a rotisserie chicken and just peel a breast piece and shred it or cut it up.

I've never had goat cheese before and I had a hard time finding it at the store. I finally found it in the Deli display in a crumbled option and a tiny little cylindrical portion. Goat cheese has 6grams of fat versus the 9 grams that cheddar offers.

1st Milestone...

Wowiee!
10 lbs. down!
73 to go!!!!!!!!!

Cross Day

No-I don't mean Easter... The 10K training plan I downloaded here has Wednesdays marked out for a Cross Training day-- which means no running- just biking, swimming, kayaking, etc.

So- I did 10 miles in 40 minutes varying the tension between 10 and 12. My cooldown was 5 more minutes in which I knocked out 2 more miles. Felt So Great!

I am getting the hang of staying within my optimum heart rate zone while I accomplish the prescribed distance and time.

The other thing I noticed is that if I don't make sure to eat 30 minutes before and get some protein and carbs I crash and burn. The previous day I didn't eat before my workout and suffered through 2 miles barely running at 4.1. My legs killed me and people asked me why I was limping.

This is going to be a long haul, but eventually I know I will be fit and healthy. It has taken 18 years to get out of shape, lethargic, and unhealthy-- It's now time to stop being sick and tired and eat right and get out and do it!

Lately

Last week I only exercised that one day when I rode my bike to work. I even went out and bought a new seat and I STILL haven't used it!

This week has been me hitting a brick wall, too! I wanted to go to the track last night and there was a thunder,lightning, hail, and tornado storm!

Tonight, I see that there is another one cooking, so I'm going to have to be determined to get my butt to the gym or exercise with my video.

On a good note--I am down to 185 :)

188!

Broke the 190 mark! What a roller coaster ride! After last Sunday's weigh in I made the mistake of weighing myself on Tuesday a.m. and was @ 193 :( I was NOT a happy camper. I was frustrated to say the least after having told 193 goodbye forever! Lesson learned, though-pay attention to what week of the month it is and don't freak out to much. (Isn't it GREAT being a woman **sarcasm intended**)

Anyway, THE weigh in is tomorrow, so I'm off to get the groceries so that I can be back in time to do a 1 hour bike ride.

See ya!

20#

Woooo Hoooo! I hit the 20# mark this morning!!!
Never thought that the scale saying 192 would feel so good!

Now, on to the next 20!!!
I am in Medium Scrubs (probably size 14ish)

Yay!

It Fits!

I just put on my "Grey's Anatomy" Scrubs I bought a year ago but haven't been able to wear. I put them on about a month ago just to see where I was at and wasn't even close. I managed to wear them to work last week, but was grateful that I wear a gown over them most of the day-still a tad too tight.

They are actually just right today! Looser around the middle and butt! It's so exciting and rewarding to see the work paying off.

I have taken my "Biggest Loser" Fitness book with me to the gym the last 2 times to follow the exercises and make sure to do them right. It makes me a little uneasy...but why do I care what total strangers think? I dunno, but I did it anyway.

It sure does help the motivation factor when your muscles ache and your feet burn to be able to get yourself back to the gym when you're seeing progress both in the inches department and on the scale!

I still have a long road to go, but at least one mile of it has been overcome!

Mother's Day Dinner

Grrrrr... I finally hit 193 on Sunday and was good all day:
1 cup shredded wheat, 1 cup nonfat milk for breakfast
Orange for snack
Turkey wrap (whole wheat) for lunch
and even worked out! Jake went with me to 24 hour fitness and we did our Biggest Loser workout :)

The guys took me out to Texas Roadhouse for dinner and I had sparingly ate 2 cheese fries --that is "2 fries" not 2 servings of fries, 2 yummy melt in your mouth rolls and 1/2 of a steak kabob, a few pieces of steamed broccoli. So....Monday morning BAM! I'm 196! Hate that!

So, I ate right yesterday and I'm down to 195 again...and I'm spending an additional week making up for the 2 rolls and 2 cheese fries on Sunday :( It's so maddening!

Anyone else experience this? I know that I am still going to continue losing, it's just so frustrating to go backwards with such effort!

Cardio Pump

Wow! I AM pumped! Isn't it interesting that now that I have decided to lose weight and get in shape 2 people have stepped up and gone to work out with me! Last week Kim invited me to work out at her gym @ her apt. This is way cool. It is so hard to go to the gym after a 12 hour shift, but somehow having a friend doing it with you it seems easier. Yesterday I went to a Cardio Pump class at Gold's Gym with Lupita. Wow! The Squats and Lunges Kick my Butt!!! I was still feeling sore from last week, but I was thinking it would be good to work that lactic acid out.

My whole body except my abs feel like they had a good workout. I will have to do some ab work after my treadmill time today.

She says she likes to go to those every week and I can go too. I think I will change my membership to Gold's. It is cheaper and I can work out with Lupita.

This morning when I weighed I am at 195!!!!!!! over the weekend my weight had gone back to 197 and then Monday it was 196 again. It is great to see that 195 on there.

Caleb wrote me the sweetest note yesterday morning. It is the best mother's day gift ever! It is so encouraging. I won't share all of it, but here is part:

"I am so proud to call you that: "Mom". I was looking at your goal sheet on the fridge, how you have consistently lost 3 pounds every week! I may not know how hard it is to stay away from the junk food, but just hearing you become so frustrated when you are tempted with it just breaks my heart. When I saw that you would be 165 by vacation I thought 'Wow!'"

God has done an amazing work in him. I am so lucky to have a him for My son!


What motivates you?

Progress...

I went to the Efflands for dinner last night and was concerned about the menu. We had sausage wraps, watermelon, potato salad, coleslaw and chocolate silk frozen pies for dinner! I was very apprehensive about the menu and eating late, but I had 2 sausage wraps--1 without a tortilla, about 2 tbsp of potato salad, and a piece of watermelon. For desert I had 2 slivers of chocolate yummy goodness and this morning I am at 196!!!!! Praise God!

I got called in to work, so I will have to work out after and get groceries late tonight.

My legs are still Mega sore from my workout Thursday. I know, I know--I need to work out to get the lactic acid out. I will do that today!

I am so excited to see progress in the way I look and feel and the scale!

I worked out with Kim after work yesterday. I did interval training and actually jogged for 11 minutes at 5.0 rate and some 6.0 rate! I need to create a playlist that does moderate tempo for 10 minutes and then a high energy set for 10 and then another walking tempo.

I think it will be good to alternate workingout with Kim with working out on my own at 24 hour fitness.
The roughest parts are that my feet KILL me at the end of the workout and the next day AND that I don't get home until really late and I don't have ANY energy left for my husband or my family.

I am so pumped that I weighed 196.8 this morning! I have been vascillating between 198 and 197 for several days(about a week I think) and so now that I am increasing my exercise level I am confident that I will be able to continue the descent. I have adjusted my goal for this week to be 195 by Sunday instead of the 192 that I thought I was going to be.

I let myself just sit and do nothing on Monday. I really need to go workout first thing when I'm off for the day and not let myself sit all day on the computer.

I am also determined to get a handle on this menu planning without breaking the bank. I don't think I will totally be able to use the auto generated menus here on this site because of the variety of the meals. It is really impractical to buy groceries for that many diverse meals for a family of 5.

Biggest Loser Club-1st Post

Wow, I'm going to take the plunge and chart my progress. I have lost 14 lbs. so far on my own since March, now it's time to pump up the urgency and get on track with this program.

I was so frustrated trying to plan meals for my family that they would eat--that now I am turning to this program to help me. So far I am encouraged. I know that they will eat pork tenderloin.

My main concern is the 12 hour shifts that I work: Will I be able to get the workouts in that I need? I can't see myself eating everything on their menu if I can't work it off every day. I will take it one step at a time.