Let's Try This Again

So, somehow I've managed to gain some of my lost weight back. Boo to weight gain!

So, for the last few months (maybe even a year) I've been wanting to try being vegetarian. It's not because I don't like the taste of meat, or even because I'm against people eating meat. I've read a lot of different articles and everything seems to point towards veganism and vegetarianism being a much healthier lifestyle. People who don't eat meat (and animal products) have much better hearts and are much less likely to end up with cancer. If there were a pill someone could take that would guarantee those things then I'm sure people would take it, but it's a little harder to change your diet.

Anyways, I've been wanting to do this for a while, and I've even purchased a couple of great cookbooks. So here's my goal... starting today (Oct. 4) until Nov. 4 I am going to do a no meat or animal products diet and see how I like it. In the past when I've thought about making the transition I end up not doing it because it's a permanent thing, but since I'm just doing a trial period I think it will be easier. And in the end.... if I don't want to do it anymore there's no shame.

The hardest thing for me will be making sure that I include enough protein in my diet, so I definitely have to make a special effort to include plenty of beans and nuts. I'm not necessarily doing this for weight loss, but I wouldn't be disappointed if it helped me along the way. Also, started the gym back up yesterday... so that will help to. My goal for the gym is 3 times/ week. It's not much, but I don't want to set myself up for failure... so it's definitely a start.

For breakfast this morning I made a Banana Cocoa Smoothie for breakfast. It is pretty good, but has too much cocoa for me.... so I think I'll cut that back a bit next time.

Banana Cocoa Smoothie

1/2 c. Silken Tofu (found this in the refrigerated section of the produce area)

1/2 c. Light Soymilk

1 Banana (sliced and then frozen and hour before blending)

2 Tbs. Cocoa Powder - unsweetened (I think I will try 1 Tbs next time)

1 Tbs. Honey

Mix it all together in your blender and breakfast is served. :) 285 Calories.

January Measurements

I have not been too good at keeping this updated... but I really do like keeping track of inches and pounds on here, if nothing else. My current weight is 227. I'm now 5 pounds from weighing what I did when I got pregnant with my daughter in Sept. 2008. I am thrilled to be at this weight, but I am definitely not done yet!

Measurements:

Feb'10/Aug'10/Oct'10/Jan'11(total)

Waist: 50"/48"/46"/41"(-9")

Hips: 54"/53"/52.5"/49"(-5")

Right Thigh: 30"/29"/27"(-3")

Bust: 49"/48"/47.25"/45.25(-3 3/4")

Right Arm: 18"/16.5"/16.5"/15.25"(-2.75")

I've noticed that my thighs and arms are not changing as much as I'd like, and I know the way to change that is to make a better effort of getting to the gym. I really want to start doing some Yoga classes as well as regular gym work outs. I told myself when I started this (40lbs ago) that I would start doing yoga once I had lost 30 pounds... and now I keep telling myself "maybe after I lose 20 more". I need to stop doing that and just go do it. I used to love Yoga and it strengthened my body in places regular work outs didn't seem to.... example: arms, back, and overall flexibility. If I can turn some of my flubber into muscle then I think I will start feeling a lot better about myself. So, my goal this week is to go to the gym 4 times.... and one of those times I want to go to a yoga class!

So I have almost reached my first BIG goal: getting back to my pre-pregnancy weight. Some future points that I would like to reach are: (1) getting to my wedding day weight (approx. 30 pounds to go) and (2) getting to the weight I was at when I met my husband (approx. 60 pounds to go). It is going to take me a while to get there, but in the end I would rather it come off slow because the weight tends to stay off better that way.

September and new measurements

We went to Sedona this month. It was absolutely beautiful. We had planned a couple of awesome hikes to go on, unfortunately while we were at slide park I smashed my toe pretty bad and that put a major damper on our hiking goals. Even though I am now missing a toenail, the trip was still a blast. If you're ever in AZ go to slide park. It is one of the funnest places I have ever been. Just be sure to wear closed toed sandals :)

September has really been a busy month for our Family. We spent one weekend in Utah, the next in Sedona, and a week in Nebraska/S. Dakota. It was a lot of fun, but between school, work, being a mom, and constantly being out of town I did not make it to the gym nearly as much as I wanted to. I have been working very hard to control what I eat and how much I eat so I was still able to lose some weight. Thank goodness! I'm now weighing in at 246. I'm excited to finally be on a downward trend. During naptime today I am going to sit down and make a gym schedule so that I can start to tone my body and get rid of some flub.

This is mostly just for me so that I can continue to keep track of where I am at.

Feb 04/Aug 03/Oct 04

Waist: 50"/48"/46" (Total -4")

Hips: 54"/53"/52.5" (Total -1.5")

Right Thigh: 30"/29"/27" (Total -3")

Bust: 49"/48"/47 1/4" (Total -1 3/4")

Right Arm: 18"/16.5"/16.5" (Total -1.5")

So after talking to some church friends at the gym today, I got the urge to do some measuring. clear Back in February I Took some measurements so that I could track how I was doing, but haven't really done anything since because I hadn't really felt like much had changed since then until recently. I have been going to the gym and have started to see a couple differences (i thought). Taking measurements today has actually kinda proved to me that it really has made a difference. I am definitely not anywhere near where I need to be, but it is nice to be headed in the right direction!

STARTING STATS/Current Stats

February 4, 2010/Today

Waist: 50"/Waist: 48" (-2")

Hips: 54"/Hips: 53" (-1")

Right Thigh: 30"/Right Thigh: 29" (-1")

Bust: 49"/Bust: 48" (-1")

Right Arm: 18"/Right Arm: 16.5" (-1.5")

HOORAY FOR THE GYM! Yay!

staying motivated

Because my Havasupai hike is so far away, I don't want to give myself a chance to get unmotivated. So, my husband and I decided to go to Sedona, AZ next month and go on a couple of the many beautiful hikes there. One of the hikes we're going on is called Devils Bridge and it is 2 miles round trip. The other one we're planning on going on is called Boynton Canyon, which is 6 miles round trip. We wanted to do one "easy" hike that was a good distance and one "moderate" hike that wasn't quite as long so that is why we chose those hikes.

We're hoping to go on a couple more good hikes before the big Havasupai hike so we can prepare ourselves, so I am really excited! I think that going on a good hike every month or so will help keep up the motivation. It is easy for me to lose sight of a goal when it is 8 long months away.

Also, this morning I am starting to count calories again. My husband is going to do it with me so that I have some moral support. It's so much easier to keep it up when you're doing it with someone else, especially somebody who you live with. I'm going to make a calendar and we're going to mark when we go to the gym as well as write how many calories we ate every day. I'm excited!

In training...

So I've heard of people training for marathons so that they have something to work towards instead of just the day to day workout. Well, I hate running, so there is no way that I would ever train for a marathon.

BUT, there is this really cool place an hour from our house called Havasupai Falls. From what I have seen (pictures) and heard it beautiful and I'm dying to go there. Here's the kicker... It is a 10 mile hike down into the Supai Village (you can't drive) and then there are trails you can follow to the falls. And then you have to hike yourself back out. You can also take a helicopter down in or back up... but that would be expensive and defeat the purpose of me training.

So here's the plan. I am going to go on the hike in April 2011 and will need to be physically prepared to be able to complete it. I am making a goal to go to the gym 4 days a week minimum, preferably 5 days. I have been working on cardio as well as strength training and will continue to do that.

So, I am training to hike to Havasupai Falls!!! I'm really excited. :)

So I've been working at my new job for the last two weeks. It has been great to get out of the house and spend some time with adults again. I haven't been working the schedule I will work once I am done training, so my schedule has been kind or erratic, which has made it hard to get to the gym. But, I did manage to make it there three times this week. It has been so nice going back to the gym. I haven't started to see the results yet, be I am starting to feel them while I'm working out. I have been able to adjust the machines and make it a little harder w/o feeling like I might die. I'm looking forward to getting on a normal schedule so that I can just know when I go to the gym instead of trying to fit it in somewhere.

Gym

I haven't been on here forever, but I figured now is as good of a time as ever. I start a new job on Monday at one of our local hospitals. This job will be good for me (us) for a number of reasons... obviously the extra money will be nice, but I think it will also be nice to spend a few (24) hours a week working with other adults. I admit the one thing I have missed since having my daughter is just regular old adult interaction. :) Another reason this job is great is that the hospital owns this awesome fitness center and I get a discount! Wahoo! So instead of being over $60 for just me to go, it will be about $45 for me and my husband to go. They also have free child care, which means I can take Olivia instead of worrying about what to do with her!

So, yesterday my husband and I went and got a membership, and this morning I went to the gym. It's always hard when I first start going back because I am so out of shape, but it still felt good. One thing I am super excited about is the Yoga classes. I love(d) yoga! I think that I will wait a month or so before I go so that I can get into a little better shape though... I don't know if I could do it right now.

On Monday evening I have a fitness evaluation at the gym. They're going to do all sorts of measurements, which I am sorta not looking forward to, and then they're going to give me a tentative workout plan, which I am excited about. They also have this key thing they give you that you plug into the machines and it keeps track of your daily workouts, pretty cool!

Anyways, I am really excited to FINALLY have a gym membership. I always do much better with my eating when I am working out... because who wants to eat tons of calories when you have to work so hard to get rid of them?

Something to think about...

This morning I ate a package of fruit snacks that was 100 calories. Not too bad, right? Wrong. It took me about 18 minutes on the treadmill to burn those 100 calories. Makes me not ever want to eat fruit snacks again. Or any other waste of calories for that matter.

job well done???

So, I think it's fair to say that I had a pretty good day today. Unfortunately, I was not able to do the treadmill, BUT I succeeded at every other personal/cleaning goal and then some. I had a job interview at 11:00am, and had to leave the house by 10:00 to get the baby to a sitter and still have time to get to the interview. Because of that, I had to get in the shower and get ready right when I woke up so that I would have time to do everything. Something about me that I already know is that once I am ready for the day I can just kiss the workout goodbye.

When I got home around 2pm (we stayed at my friends and played after I went to pick the baby up) for some reason I was exhausted! So I was kinda a bum until 5. But then I got in a cleaning mode and deep cleaned both of the bathrooms (tomorrows chore). Note: don't clean shower and big tub unless you expect to take a shower during or right after cleaning. I also got the kitchen cleaned which was todays goal. Front room is picked up and ready to be vacuumed. And I did pretty well on my calories today.

So, overall today went well. Tomorrow I need to hop on the treadmill for 30 minutes before I do anything else!

great day already and it's only 2:30

So... today has been awesome! I feel fantastic for a change, so that is nice!

Last night after I blogged, I made up two charts for myself. One is a personal goal chart and the other is a cleaning chart. I get overwhelmed when I have to clean the whole house, so basically I divided all of the "main" chores onto seperate days of the week so that every week my entire house gets cleaned. And then I also have a few chores that I do everyday. I know that a cleaning chart probably seems unrelated to my weight loss, but if I can organize my house and keep it cleaned for some reason I am better at being goal oriented. Maybe that makes sense. :)

Anyways, about my personal goal chart. I have things like my maximum caloric intake and 30 minutes on the treadmill... but I also have things like getting ready, put on some makeup, and brush teeth after breakfast, lunch, and dinner (I hear you're less likely to eat in between meals if you have freshly brushed teeth) and going on a walk at least 4 times per week. I get in the habit of just staying in my pajamas all day, so having a goal to get ready every day is good for me. And strangely enough when I get ready for the day I feel happier.

So far I have completed all of my daily cleaning duties (besides the ones that I will do right after dinner and before bedtime) and I have done well with all of my personal goals. I feel fantastic. Not only has the day not dragged on, but my house is mostly clean, I've exercised, I've eaten healthy, and I've been ready for hours now. It feels good to FEEL GOOD! :)

Rethinking my priorities...

So, I need to get back on the bandwagon. Goal for tomorrow is to count calories and get on the treadmill for 30 minutes. I am not asking a lot of myself, so, I should be able to do it no problemo. Calorie maximum is 1365. Treadmill pace is 2.8-3 mph for 30 minutes. That is SIMPLE and there is no reason why I can't do it.

I am sick of looking like this... (weight:260)

And ready to look more like this... (weight: approx. 180...and yes, I thought I was FAT then)

I've kind of been in denial. I "feel" like I am living in someone else's body. When I think of myself I think of the me from 4 years ago... and it has been really hard for me to accept that this is who I am physically right now. If I really want to change this I have to accept that this is REAL. When I look in the mirror or at pictures I cannot even believe that it has gotten this out of control. I honestly don't know how to do it, but I have got to try. I can't keep dodging out of pictures and pretend that if there are no pictures of me the way I am now then it never really happened. I want to have family pictures to send out this Christmas and I want to be proud to send them out!

I also need to realize that this will take time and that I can't expect to go from 260 to 180 overnight. I think the biggest reason why I've given up in the past few months is that I don't get that instant satisfaction that I've been looking for. This calorie counting, portion control, and exercising has to be a life change for me, not just a diet. I need to be realistic and expect to lose 10 pounds per month (MAX) and know that that is the healthiest way to lose it. I've got to change my habits and be the person that I see in myself. I'm tired of being disappointed.

weight today: 263.2

down 2.2 lbs from yesterday! :)

weight today: 265.4

down .4 lbs from yesterday.

So far calorie counting is working easy for me. I don't know what the difference is between 1367 calories and 29 weight watchers points, but for some reason it just seams easier for me to follow. I've had people tell me that calorie counting "doesn't work because you end up eating the same old junk". But the thing is, I'm not going to eat a piece of chocolate cake because it will take away a huge portion of my daily calories and I will be starving for the rest of the day. I usually end up eating around 300 calories for breakfast, 300 calories for lunch, and then I have the rest for dinner - which I may not necessarily use all of. (I'm basing this off of previous experience - obviously I wouldn't know this after just one day of doing it... ha ha).

I still haven't done the treadmill, but I am proud of myself regardless because at least I'm still trying to do something. Between a sick baby (and I think I'm getting it) and getting back from a trip while preparing for another... I mostly just feel like sleeping. I know it's not a good excuse though. Anywho... one thing at a time!

weight today: 265.8

new beginning...

I got my thyroid checked on Monday and just found out the results. My levels are normal, so that is great. Now I need to stop pretending like something is wrong with me (other than a lack of determination) and get back into a good routine!

I'm starting from scratch! I haven't done the lemonade cleanse for a few days now, and I'm not really sure I want to get back into it. I think I'm going to do something I did a couple years back and count calories (along with exercise) and see how I do at that. So tomorrow I will weigh myself and probably have a new "starting" weight. I am going to start off by having a maximum of 1367 calories per day... and then adjust intake by 9-10 calories every week. I also want to start fresh on the treadmill by only doing 30 minutes per day (for now) so that I can get into a good habit without overdoing it.

I used a calorie calculator online and if I follow the intake guidelines that it gives me I should lose around 100 pounds in the next year (and that's is based off of no exercise) so I know I can do it. I need to stay determined and not over do it so I don't quit. If you're interested in figuring out how many calories you should be taking in to lose, check out this link.

As for today.... I need to re-coupe from my mini vacation and get my house back in order. I also want to get on the treadmill for 30 minutes when my daughter takes her nap.

Weight this morning 260.4. Up .8 pounds

I suck

It's official... I suck! I ate a chicken salad tonight even though I am not supposed to. I guess my body wanted to punish me because I've had horrible intestinal cramps ever since. So tomorrow I am back on my cleanse. Did I mention that I suck?

After talking to my husband about how bad I suck, we came to the conclusion that it might be smart to have a small naked juice (it's 100% fruit and vegetable juice) once per day so that I am getting something with a little consistency and don't end up feeling starved... and then break down and eat a huge meal.

I'm really disappointed in myself that I didn't stay strong, but what's done is done and I need to move on and learn from my mistakes. I bought a few Naked juices today and am prepared for the next few days w/0 food. I think I do better on my cleanse when I am around people who know what I am doing because then I don't try to talk myself out of it. Tomorrow I'm leaving to see family and I have all of my cleanse stuff prepared to go.

Not looking forward to tomorrow when I have to weigh myself... hopefully I haven't gained weight.

feeling unmotivated right now... I'm hungry, but mainly I'm just feeling light-headed. I think I'm going to lay down and take a nap and hopefully I'll feel better about what I'm doing when I wake up. I really want to do this but I'm not sure if I can.