Monday, January 31, 2011

HOLY GUACAMOLE!!!

Okay, so I just got my BUTT KICKED at some cardio-strength training blah blah blah class!  That was so intense.  I have muscles hurting that I didn't even know existed!  I know that's very cliche, but wow, is it true!  This is the first class I've taken at the gym since the start of the challenge, and I can't even articulate how energized and yet physically drained I am.  It's a good feeling, but I guess they call it a 90 day challenge because it's really, really hard.  After tonight, I have a whole new appreciation for my "friends" on The Biggest Loser.  Feeling what I feel now, and thinking that they are at it for hours at a time and that they have a lot more body to move around than I do, my hat goes off to them.  So, thankful that I'm being held accountable to my black team at the 90 day challenge, I move forward from here, albeit a little more slowly and gingerly!

Saturday, January 29, 2011

The Gym!

The 90-day Fitness Challenge has begun!  I'm facing this new challenge with a mixed sense of excitement and dread.  I know this exactly what I need to continue losing weight, but the thought of getting to the gym at least three times each week is somewhat daunting.  Not only will there be the physical challenge on my body, but making the time to go will be a challenge too.  Physically and emotionally I feel better than I ever have.  My body feels in better shape than any point in the last ten years and I have the confidence that had slowly faded away over the years.  So I will face this challenge with the assurance that I will not only get through it, but excel. 

I went to the gym today and the strain on my muscles is already evident.  It's that good feeling that you get when you do something hard and get through it.  I'm excited to continue and I'm sure that I'll reap the benefits of weight loss and continued mental health!

Part of the challenge is setting health related goals.  We are encouraged to set several in different areas of our lives.  I'll share two of the goals I have set for myself here.  My goal is, over the next 12 weeks to lose 18 pounds.  That is about 1.5 pounds per week.  On Weight Watchers alone, that is an adequate goal per week.  Hopefully, as my body adjusts to the change from inactivity to activity, I can sustain that kind of weight loss.  In addition to this, I hope to run, not walk/run, a 5K.  I think with improved stamina and endurance, this is a very attainable goal.

So the challenge ends in May.  I will continue to post on my progress in weight loss and training. 

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

No Luck!

Well, I didn't make my 40 pound mark this week!  URGH!  In fact, I now have 2 pounds to lose to reach my 40 pounds!  So frustrating!  Alas, all I can do is move forward from here.  I'm not going to change deviate after I've come so far.  Just one more hurdle in the race.  Onward I go!

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

1.6 X 3

I decided to change my weigh-in day this week.  I had been going on Wednesdays, but due to scheduling and general boredom with the Wednesday meeting, I thought I'd spice things up a little and move to a different meeting.  Tuesday's meeting was fine, but what I discovered, is that even though I didn't think so, I realized that I've made WW buddies at my Wednesday meeting.  Since I didn't have my usual suspects there, I felt like I was missing out on some of their insight into the program.  One of the ladies that goes to the Wednesday meeting just recently became a "lifetimer"after losing over 100 pounds and her suggestions for recipes (usually involving some usage of pumpkin) are really very helpful (and tasty).  It occurred to me as I sat through this new meeting just how important the support of the meetings is.  While I only see these people once a week, they become an important part of helping me get through the program.  And strangely enough, I was starting to have guilt thinking about them meeting tomorrow and me not being there!  Like I'm a traitor! 

So, what does this have to do with 1.6 X 3?  Well, this is the third week in a row that I've lost 1.6 pounds at my weekly weigh-ins.  I'm starting to wonder if the scales are messed up and only measure that amount when they sense my feet on them!  While I'm glad the scale is moving in the right direction after so many weeks over the holidays going the wrong way, I'm praying that next week I can get at least a 1.8 on the scale!  If I make it to 1.8 I will have reached 40 pounds lost!  That's like a medium-sized dog!  Can you imagine?  From today, if I lose 4 more pounds, I'll have reached 20% weight loss of my original weight!  I'm setting a goal to have those four pounds gone by February 1st.  Weight Watchers always stresses using short term goals to help reach ultimate weight loss success.  I plan to move forward with this two week plan of four pounds down!

I'll keep you posted!

Monday, January 17, 2011

My Pants

Today is Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday which meant I spent the day at home with my two kids.  Usually I enjoy days like this as I have a chance to hang out with my two favorite people and I don't have to worry about getting them off to some place.  Things started off really well.  After a leisurely morning, I took my eight-year old daughter bike-riding at a state park at the bay near our house in sub-arctic temperatures.  It was much more fun than it sounds, believe me.  It gave me a chance to try out my new bike (which, incidentally I got for free from my rewards points from my credit cards, but that's a story for another time) and to jump start my seriously lacking workout routine.  In about two weeks, I'll be starting a 90 day fitness challenge, so I'm trying to get myself in gear before the fun begins!  Anyway, I took her biking while the two year old spent the afternoon with his grandmother.  This meant that he missed his nap.  That's where things got a little hairy!  Because he was overly tired, everything, and I mean EVERYTHING PISSED HIM OFF!!!  He wanted toys in his bath, BUT NOT THOSE TOYS!  He wanted to get out of the tub, BUT NOT YET!  He wanted to get wrapped up in a cozy blanket, BUT WITHOUT A DIAPER!  He was hungry, BUT DIDN'T WANT FOOD!  You get it I suppose! 

So...what does this have to do with my pants?  Well, nothing really.  I just wanted to set the stage of my psyche when I tell about this next really cool part.  After the little terror finally fell asleep in my bed (at 7:30, which might turn into a nightmare later tonight), or should I say fought off sleep as long as humanely possible because of course HE WASN'T TIRED, I carried him to his bed.  As I walked down the stairs, I felt my pants start to slip down onto my hips.  I grabbed them and started to pull them up to their normal position, and then had a thought...what would happen if I let them fall, and then maybe helped them down a little, but without unbuttoning them, of course???  Well, guess what!  I was able to pull these pants off my big butt without undoing them!!!!  While this, in and of itself, is pretty freaking awesome, the even better part is that this is the third size that I've shrunk out of!!!  Since I started my "lifestyle change" last year, I've left behind sizes 18 (and if I'm really honest, probably size 20 too), 16 and it finally looks like size 14 is on its way out the door!!! 

As I walked down the stairs and saw my husband watching TV on the couch, I told him to look over to me.  As I pulled my pants down without unbuttoning them, I saw a little (and I mean little) grin move across his face.  He's not one to show his emotions very easily.  If you know Nino, you know that satisfaction is hard to come by.  That brief moment of happiness MADE MY DAY! 
 
All said and done, today, as most days are, was one of ups and downs.  At least one of the downs was shrinking out of too-big pants!

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Challenge: How to make vegetables taste good!

One of the stand-by recipes from Weight Watchers is a 0-point vegetable soup.  My twist on this favorite is sure to create a party in your mouth!
Today's variety included the following:
  • One yellow onion diced and sauteed
  • 2 green squash cubed (they probably have another name, but I don't know it)
  • 2 yellow squash cubed (same as above)
  • 2 eggplants cubed
  • 1/2 head of cabbage cut up
  • 1 small can of tomato paste
  • 2 cans of diced tomato
  • 1 can of fat free chicken broth
  • red pepper flakes to taste
  • oregano to taste
  • a couple of cloves of garlic
  • basil to taste
  • brussell sprouts sliced up/cut/diced/whatever (I don't usually have brussell sprouts but I was feeling adventurous and bought them and before they went bad in the fridge I decided to add these to the mix)
  • enough water to cover everything up
  • let everything cook down until all of your veggies are soft and delicious
This is a great soup to make in quantities.  You can keep it for a few days in the fridge.  I take left overs to work usually for the whole week.  Also, I've heard of people that freeze it in ziploc bags and thaw out individual servings.  Also, a very nice idea.

Enjoy!

A Breakthrough

Now that I've gotten myself back on track after the holidays, I'm happy to report that I've lost 1.6 pounds each of the last 2 weeks!  What a good feeling to get back to losing again!  That makes 36.6 pounds as of last year!


Since I started Weight Watchers last year, I've encouraged all of my friends and family that struggle with food to think about joining.  Mostly, I've done this selfishly because I want more people that I can talk to about WW.  Plus, I know that I've learned so much from this program and my health and general well-being has been so much improved that I want to share that with as many people as will listen.  This week, my heart skipped a beat, when two, not one, but two, of my friends told me that had or were joining Weight Watchers!  I can't wait to hear how their journeys begin and continue.  I know that the beginning can be so difficult after years of eating anything, but the thing that kept me going in those early days, was that I needed to make a change if I was going to make a change.  Weight wouldn't melt off if I didn't consciously improved my habits.  Knowing that, I also held tight to the idea that habits take 30 days to establish.  I've heard (don't know if it's true) that if you can start a routine and keep it up for at least a month then you've made it a habit, for good or bad!  This was the case for me.  Once I learned the program and really bought into it, about month in, I was able to move with more confidence in making decisions about my eating.  So friends, you know who you are, I encourage you to hold steadfast to your commitment to your health.  I am sure that you'll find the effort to be well worth it! 

Having said that, I am excited to report that I will be starting a 90-day fitness challenge at the gym around the corner from my house!  I don't know exactly what I've gotten myself into, but I'm thinking it's sort of a local Biggest Loser contest (without having to get voted off!).  I can't wait to start.  While I have improved my eating habits, I must admit that I haven't found the exercise routine quite as easy to establish!  I'm hoping that this challenge and being held accountable by a group of people will get me on the path I need to go!


So, as I aim toward new adventures, I wish my friends and family all the best in starting a journey of their own!

Sunday, January 2, 2011

One Year Ago

Today is my one year annivesary of joining Weight Watchers.  Today I renew my committment to the program and myself.  I made the committment last year to lose weight and for once, I have followed through with my New Year's Resolution.  2010 was the year.  I'm not quite there, but I'm on my way!  I'm so thrilled that I have finally been true to myself and started to take care of me! 

So today, one year from the beginning of my journey, I am on my way!  I am about 33 pounds lighter today than I was 365 days ago.  I am healthier, stronger and more sure of myself than I have ever been.  While I still struggle on a day to day basis, I know that I am capable of losing weight and controlling what goes into my body.  I know that I'm the only one who cares enough about me to make sure that I am well.  My journey continues into 2011 and I am proud to move forward.