Thursday, January 29, 2009

Week 4, Day 1

Okay, so I'm a huge slacker. I just have had no motivation to work out, eat right, blah blah blah so I really didn't feel like I had much to write about. I weighed in yesterday and only lost 0.4 pounds so then I was really depressed! Today, I realized that I weighed in on the wrong day so I figured what the heck and weighed in again so it would be more accurate. I actually lost 2 pounds!! I must have weighed in yesterday after drinking lots of water or something. I'm not going to complain though!

I wanted to share some tips and tricks that I have found but I have fighting children so I guess it is going to have to wait! One quick on though - Hostess 100 calorie snack packs (the chocolate ones anyway) are only 1 point for a package! Score! BUT, be careful. If you eat two of them at once, the points go all the way up to 4 (because of the fat doubling and the fiber not counting again). So enjoy them in moderation.

Next week is the for real weigh in - exciting and scary!

Thursday, January 22, 2009

Week 3, Day 1

So far, I am doing okay on the food thing. I decided to gradually lower my points per day down to where they should be to help me lose more weight. I am losing (actually a bit more than I thought) but I really should be sticking to the points that I should be at so I can win this thing. My strategy is still the same, slow and steady. I figure if I knock of 2 points this week, and then a point per week till the end, I'll be right where I should be and hopefully do good! For me, that is better than trying to do it all at once and feeling like I am starving.

Exercise is another story. I have been doing it but I know I am am not putting my all into it. I am just going through the motions to get it done. I dread my workout every day. I think that is another plus of doing it in the morning, then I can get on with my day. It is so funny though because after I do it, I feel such a sense of accomplishment but I just have a really hard time motivating myself to do it in the first place. I wish it was warmer. I would LOVE to go for walks but I can't take a baby out in frigid temps!

I guess I should share my weight loss. The first week, I lost 3.4 pounds. Not a great first week but at least it was a loss. I was worried about week 2. I didn't really think I would lose much. But I lost 2.2 pounds! Everything I have read says after the first week, 1-2 pounds is the best amount to lose for sustained weight loss. I just wish I had done a little bit better the first week. But I figured it out, if I lose 2 pounds per week for the entire 12 weeks, that is 24 pounds! Not bad! I really wish I knew what my fat percent loss was. Two more weeks and I'll get to go find out.

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Week 2, Day 6

Now that hubby is back to work, I might be able to get back on track with this bloggy thing!

Sunday was an interesting day. We go to my Aunt's house every Sunday evening and we get to have treats. I saved my points so I could still have treats at her house. So I hadn't had anything to eat since early afternoon and went to her house and had a 100 grand candy bar, an IBC rootbeer, and a fudgescicle (can't figure out how to spell that one) AND STAYED WITHIN MY POINTS. However, that night, I CRASHED! I couldn't even believe it. It was the weirdest thing. I got to really see the effects of junk food on my body because I didn't have points to eat anything else so it was the fully effect. It was yucky! Maybe that will help me stay away from that crap (or maybe not).

I hope this post is even coherent. I am trying to hurry and catch up before the baby wakes up.

Yesterday, we went to Wendy's for lunch for my Aunt's birthday. I was going to just not eat and then eat at home but I got online and checked out the nutrition info on their menu. I decided to have a Ceasar salad with no croutons or dressing which was only 3 points! I can do that! Then I had a light Minute Maid. I didn't even snitch one fry or one bite of Frosty from my kids. GO ME! And one of my boys even GAVE ME his frosty ... I threw it in the garbage. I was so proud of myself!

I got my workout in late but I did it. I have decided that it definitely works better to exercise in the morning though!

So, here's to a great day today!!

Saturday, January 17, 2009

Week 2, Day 3

I had intended to post on here every day just to help keep me motivated, but...OOPS! :)

Thursday went well. I stayed within my points and got my workout in. I started using my Ab Lounge during the crunches part of the exercise video. I just don't have ANY stomach muscles right now so crunches just aren't going to happen for a while. But I am VERY glad that I have the Ab Lounge. It feels like it does something and I can do it!

One concern I have is that I haven't had sore muscles AT ALL. I know that sounds weird to be concerned about that. I should be glad. But usually I get sore muscles so I worry I'm not doing something right. Or maybe it is just that I actually AM doing something right this time. I am doing a warm up and cool down with each workout which is something I have NEVER done before. I am still losing weight though so that is what matters.

Friday was GREAT! I finally found something to motivate me. I am excited to have motivation but at the same time sad because it took something external to motivate me. I should be motivated just because it is the right thing to do and it will make me healthy. But at least now I can do it full throttle! I am not going to go into my motivation right now. But it will help someone I love A LOT and that is very important to me.

I even took the stairs at the hospital (my daughters pediatrician is at the hospital so I was there for a well-check) and I was going to the fourth floor! Then I walked the length of the hospital four times (and let me tell you, it is a LONG hospital). I was very proud of myself!

Now for today...weekends are hard because the routine gets thrown off. But I am determined to stick to it AND get my workout in today. I am doing fine with eating but it is already almost 4:00 and I haven't worked out yet. But it WILL get done. It HAS to get done!

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Week 1, Day 7

Well, I barely made it through the first week. I'm tellin' ya' though, if I didn't have the money/husband competition to keep me going, I'd be for calling it quits. I am a big wus (don't have any clue how to spell that)! And my husband is kicking MY butt! It was supposed to be the other way around. He is exercising 2-3 times a day. I just don't have the time or the motivation!

I caved yesterday. My kids were having cheese quesadillas for lunch. I cooked them on the skillet with a light coat of buttter. Oh it smelled good! So, I caved and ate half of one of them. BUT...I still only ate 26 points yesterday! So while I may have caved, I did still stay under my points. I have been doing decent at staying within the points. Now I just need to work on making the points that I eat a little more on the healthy side!

Sometimes, I don't think it's fair though. My husband is at work all day. He takes what he is going to eat with him and that is all he can eat. I am surrounded by food all day and feeding my kids all day and I just have to try my best to resist. Then there's the whole exercise thing. He works out at work and then comes home and exercises again at night. By the time night gets here for me, I am so tired from chasing kids all day that I exercise just won't happen. So I do it in the morning but then nothing gets done around the house....blah, blah, blah.

Okay, I need to be more positive. That is one thing that I have found is key to any goal. You have to have a positive attitude and you have to WANT to change. I just wish there was a magic pill to help me WANT to change. I know I NEED to change, I just don't WANT to do it.

My workout this morning seemed harder than it has before. I don't know why. On The Biggest Loser, they always say week 2 is the hardest. Maybe they mean motivation or energy or something. I don't know. I still did as much as I could. One thought that I had is that maybe I wasn't doing the moves correctly before and now I am so they are straining my muscles like they should. I don't know.

My husband is doing really good though. He has already been doing this for 12 weeks and his weigh in was today. He still lost 5 pounds and .4% body fat. According to our scale, I lost almost 4 pounds but I have no idea on the body fat because our scale doesn't measure that. I can't wait for 3 more weeks when I can do a real weigh in. Hopefully, I will see some big changes. That would definitely be a huge motivator.

I think a big part of my problem is that I want to have a super model body when I am done with this. I know I won't. I never have. So I worry that when I don't achieve that, I will feel like I failed. I have got to change my mindset and be happy about little changes instead of wanting to be what the world considers "perfect." Being healthy and happy is all that really matters.

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Day 6

I did good yesterday! I only ate 27 points! Usually, I look around trying to find something to "fill" my points but yesterday I didn't! I was talking to my husband last night. A commercial came on for Slimfast. It talked about how it keeps you from being hungry. We both just kind of laughed.

Hunger is not my problem. I don't eat because I am hungry. I eat because I like the taste of food. I usually am not hungry when I eat. I just want something in my mouth. I know, try gum, mints, etc. Those actually do make me feel hungry. So, I put something in my mouth to keep me from eating, and then I end up feeling hungry which increases my likelihood to eat! Maybe that trick works for some, but not so well for me!

Right now, my boys are eating graham crackers and milk. That is one of my FAVORITE snacks! I must resist! I ate a yogurt so I would be "eating" but not getting nearly the calories but...

I worked out this morning. It was "strength and sculpt" day. I still suck at it but I did a little better than last time. My biggest problem is the crunches. I can do the rest of it (at the lowest level anyway) but I totally suck at crunches. Having five babies in seven years with no attempt at regaining those muscles has really taken it's toll. I do have an Ab Lounge but I am waiting on my husband to fix it and maybe that will help. I can hope anyway.

This whole thing definitely is a lot easier with external motivation. When I was completely on my own with just "desire" as my motivation, nothing worked. In fact, I gained weight. But knowing that I could win money has its perks. Oh, and it doesn't hurt that I challenged my husband and I am very competitive. It will be great to kick his butt at SOMETHING! He gets to weigh in every week though and see his progress. Because we live so far from his work and I have to bring four small children with me, I only get to weigh in monthly. I think that has it's advantages and disadvantages.

I am hoping that getting into shape will give me more energy so I can get more done around the house. But another quote I like comes to mind - "Cleaning the house while children still live there is like trying to shovel snow while it is still snowing." SO TRUE! I also feel like I use my "cleaning" time to exercise. How do I do it all?

I hate how expensive eating healthier is! I would love to stock my pantry with low calorie snacks, fruit and juice drinks, soups, etc. but it is so expensive! My husband likes his Smart Ones desserts and Lean Cuisine meals and he actually does use the Slimfast shakes. By the time I buy all that, my budget is pretty much cleaned out and I still have to buy food for the rest of us, diapers, formula, blah, blah, blah...

Okay, enough whining for now. I've got kids to attend to...You'd think I'd lose weight just chasing them around all day...

Monday, January 12, 2009

Weight loss

I have heard it said...or read it written...or something like that - "An unwritten goal is merely a wish. So I have decided to "write" down my goals and keep a log of how I am doing on them. I am not doing this for anyone to read. It is just for me. But having it written and public will hopefully motivate me to take myself seriously for once.

This is my year to get ME back. I used to be a very organized, clean, detail oriented person who spent some time (not a lot, but enough) making herself look decent each day. That was ten years ago.

Now I have five children who are my life but that has come at the expense of me. They come first and foremost. That is something that I do not plan to change. But, I do plan to put a little more time into me instead of putting myself DEAD LAST.

So that is what this blog is for. This year, I plan to get my body back. I weighed in on a super deluxe scale at my husband's work and I was mortified at what I saw!

180 pounds
40 % body fat
metabolic age of at least 50 (that is as high as it goes and I am only 34)
overfat body type

I can't remember all of the figures but those are the ones that stood out to me. That has GOT TO CHANGE!! I joined The Biggest Loser competition at his work with them. I am very grateful that they were gracious enough to let me join despite the fact that I am not employed there. Before I joined, I was gung ho ready to go. I was going to exercise all day, eat right and in very small amounts. I went out and bought "The Biggest Loser" workout video and I was going to push myself to make every move that they did on that video no matter how hard it hurt or how tired I was.

AND I refuse to take diet supplements, metabolic enhancers, diet shakes, etc. because in the long run THEY DON'T WORK. What happens when I stop taking those? Unfortunately, I know from experience that all the weight plus some comes right back!

Then I weighed in and the time came to actually put all of my goals and aspirations into practice. I wasn't as excited anymore. I think the reality of it just hit me. Dang! Now I really have to do this! I think I am too afraid to do it because I have failed too many times in the past. What if I work so hard and starve myself and nothing changes? If I don't try, then I can't fail, right?

So, in comes the hard work.

Day 1. I couldn't do the eating thing. It was too hard. I have eaten too much for too long to just quit. I decided I would start tomorrow. I ate all morning to bulk up for the weigh in anyway. Might as well enjoy the rest of my day. And since I am starting the eating thing tomorrow, I will just start exercising tomorrow. Maybe a dietary supplement wouldn't be so bad afterall...NO I CAN'T DO IT!

Day 2. Did the low impact cardio workout. It dang near kicked my but!! But I did it! I thought I would be way sore the next day. I wasn't. Just tired. I broke down and tried a slimfast shake. It was NASTY. Good thing! Now I won't be tempted to go back down that road.

Day 3. Did the strength and sculpt workout. Okay, I mean I TRIED to do the strength and sculpt workout. I think I only actually did about half of it. Went to a baby shower and ate everything in sight. But I worked out so it's okay, right...

Day 4. Sunday. Can't work out on Sunday right? Did okay with the eating until we went to my aunt's house which is completely stocked with chips, soda, candy bars, candy, etc...

Day 5. Today. I have actually done pretty good today but I feel like I am starving. I am doing Weight Watchers. I am supposed to have 24 points a day based on my weight with 35 weekly points. I decided to split the extra points up and give myself 29 points a day so I don't feel so restricted on a daily basis. And then I gave myself one more extra point for exercising so it's a nice round 30 points per day. I know I won't lose weight as fast that way but if I try to quit eating cold turkey, there is no way on this earth I will stick to it. So today, I have had 9 points and it is almost 2:00! Not bad! I have already exercised. I got both babies down for a nap before my kindergartner came home. So I just had the preschooler and he loves to sit and watch. I think I did a little better today on the workout (I did the cardio today). My coordination was definitely better.

If I win this competition, I have decided to take the money and do a mini make-over.

1. Get a professionally hair style. I have been to a salon once in my entire life because I have had an ugly mole on the back of my head that I was too embarrassed to have anyone see. I had it removed last year so now, I can do this for me!

2. Get back to wearing a little make-up. I'm not big on the cake it on style but a little never hurts.

3. Get some cute clothes! All I have are drab sweats and t-shirts because I feel too fat to wear anything else.