Thursday, December 24, 2009

Pity Party

Every year for Christmas, we go visit at least 4 or 5 sets of family on Christmas day. I love the chaos and hustle and bustle of it, but my dh hates it. Every year he complains a little bit more.

This year, he started threatening to get "sick" on Christmas, so we wouldn't go anywhere. We decided to compromise and had really scaled back our visiting plans for the year.

Sunday, I started getting a sore throat. It has gotten worse and worse and worse. I finally gave in and went to the doctor yesterday, who gave me antibiotics and a painkiller. Antibiotics have not started working yet, but, yay me, the painkillers make me incredibly nauseated, so I get to throw up on top of everything else.

My family all left about 30 minutes ago to go to the annual Christmas Eve party at my parents' house. I'm sitting here alone, feeling sorry for myself.

So miserable.

Since this is a weight loss blog, I'll mention that I barely eat when I get a sore throat. So today, all I've eaten was a bowl of applesauce (I returned it soon after eating), and a banana. Yesterday's dinner was not accepted either.

So, with any luck, the sins of December are being purged, and I will at least break even for my final weigh in.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Dear Coughing Lady at the Gym Part III

Dear Coughing Lady at the Gym,

I feel like I am getting to know you so well. I haven't been in a week, and you come jump on the treadmill right next to mine to welcome me back.

I really think that maybe you should see a doctor. I don't think it's normal to cough every 8 seconds every single time (I think?) you go to the gym, and keep it up consistently for a month or longer.

Thank you for getting there later than me so I was able to finish my run within 10 minutes of you arriving.

I am now on week 6 of my couch to 5k program. It's been tough to get past week 5 due to sick kids and sick me, but I'm finally there.

Hope you get over your cough. I really, sincerely mean that.

Smooches,

Wendy

Monday, December 7, 2009

Sick of being negative

Seriously, I am so sick of being negative. I am feeling a bit down today though. While I did eat out a couple times over the weekend, I was pretty good about it, or so I thought. I still haven't had any soda, and when I did eat out, I ate less than half of what was on my plate. But, this morning, I find that I weigh 4 lbs more than I did a week ago. I never lose weight that fast, how can I gain it that fast? I know I didn't consume 14,000 calories, which is what it would take to gain that kind of weight. That doesn't even take into account the calories I would've used just to function. Maybe it's just a bad weight day, and it'll be better tomorrow.

To make matters worse, my younger two kids have colds, so no gym daycare for them, which means no gym for me unless I wait til evening. And, since I suspect it's in the beginning stages of the cold, I will probably be gone from the gym all week. ARGH!! I got an email about the gym daycare schedule, and she said that the gym is CLOSED from 12/20-12/27. Seriously? They didn't do that last year. It makes me wonder if the daycare lady is confused.

I actually saw an even lower number on the scale on Friday, so hopefully this is temporary.

One piece of better news is that I actually found a protein supplement/meal replacement that I can tolerate. I was at the mall, and they were giving samples. It's a local company, so I feel good about supporting local economy. Anyway, I got the orange cream formula. I do a half serving, which is 1.5 scoops with 1 c. orange juice. They say water, but it's better for me if I have juice. That has 23 g. protein, and a ton of vitamins.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

November Weigh In

This was kind of a difficult month for me. I decided to quit drinking all soda. Now, as a general rule, I don't love soda that much, however, I am a hard core mountain dew addict. Seriously hard core. However, I made a goal a few days into November that I wouldn't have any. And I succeeded! I'm very proud of myself. Part of me wants to continue the 'no soda' goal for the rest of December, but on the other hand, I hate the idea of making any food/drink completely taboo. What I may do is give myself permission to have one or two mountain dews in december. I think if I budget a soda a month, that is reasonable, and then it's not a forbidden fruit, so to speak. However, if past experience serves, I may get a mountain dew, only to find that it's too sweet. Hopefully this time, instead of continuing to drink that first bottle, wondering how I got addicted in the first place, I'll hand it back to my kids, and mourn the loss of my favorite vice.

I had been feeling very virtuous because I'd been working out constantly, gave up my soda, eating well, and then BLAM! Out of nowhere, a good five (!!!) pounds jumped on the scale. No idea how it happened, and it was extremely disheartening. However, since I was already in the throes of soda withdrawal, I just kept going. I got sick and wasn't able to exercise a week. Even now, I'm finding it difficult to run. Well, even more difficult than usual. It hurts my lungs. So, I'm trying to just do 5 min increments and not make myself worse.

This was my weight this morning:

I'm actually pleased with it, since I was in the 155s for a solid week this month. To lose 6 lbs (from that point) in a month is HUGE for me. Even from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1 is 2.8 lbs, which is not a bad number, given how slowly I tend to lose weight.

I am hoping to reach 145 or 144 by New Year's.

Wednesday, November 25, 2009

Four Days

That's how long it's been since I've worked out.

I went in at an obscene (for me) hour on Saturday to complete my week 5 of couch to 5k. I got a bit of guilty pleasure because as I ran, I watched the Food Network make all kinds of fattening food. It was actually pretty fun in a warped way.

I wanted to take Sunday off because I think giving the body a day off from exercise once a week is important. Monday, I woke up feeling pretty awful with a cold. Same thing yesterday, if not worse. Today I feel a bit better, but definitely not up to exercising. Besides that, I need to bake 8 or 9 pies, as well as rolls. And my kids are out of school. Simply too much going on.

On the up side, I weighed myself this morning, and the phantom chocolate cake seems to be gone. Finally. It's going to be a good day, I can tell.

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Dear Coughing Lady at the Gym

Yes, I mean YOU. You are the one who made #5 on my pet peeves at the gym post that I made recently.

I didn't get a good look at you last time, so I unknowingly got on the treadmill next to you. Again. You are still coughing every 10 seconds or so. And you kept stopping your run and standing on the sides of your treadmill while you tried to catch your breath. You do realize that if you do that, you aren't *actually* running as far as the treadmill says, right?

Oh, and it was really rude of you to move the fan that was pointing at both of us so that it was only pointing at you. The only reason I didn't scream at you in a PMS induced rage is because you weren't covering your mouth when you coughed, and I didn't want those germs being blown onto me.


ahhhhh, I feel better.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

7 days sober

I don't know that sober is the right word for it. But, I haven't had any soda for seven days. I still feel really irritable, and am still craving it like crazy.

I think having a sem-defined goal helps. In the past when I quit, I just said that I quit. Period. But then after 3 or 4 days, I'd rationalize that having it once in a while would be ok. So I'd have a mountain dew. Then, I'd have one a couple days later. Then the next day. Before I knew it, I'd be back to my old habit, and sometimes having even more. The only time I actually stuck to my mountain dew free goal was when I lived in Japan. Of course, that made it easy- they didn't sell it in the stores. There were two or three drink machines that sold it in the entire town of 200k people. Ironically, I discovered one of them was across the street from my apartment, but by the time I made that discovery, I wasn't desperate anymore. Plus, over there, they make their soda with real sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup, so it tasted like the throwback stuff. Ew.

This time around, I've said I can't have any for the rest of November. I think that at the end of the month, if I've actually seen a decent weightloss, I may decide to extend it through December.

The other thing that has helped me a bit this time is the concept of addiction. Being addicted to something, anything can be ugly. I went on a cruise last year, and the cruise ships didn't have my mountain dew. I was going through serious headache withdrawals, and some of the time on that vacation, I spent looking for a bottle of mountain dew instead of enjoying the sights, meeting the people, etc. Seriously, that is messed up.

Someone close to me is a drug addict, and they've had some very unpleasant things happen as a result of their addiction. Sometimes I want to shake some sense into them. They have all these tools and people around them, wanting them to quit, willing to do anything to support thing to quit, and yet they keep using. They almost died this year. They've wrecked a couple cars. They've watched friends almost die. They've been arrested and gone to jail. Yet they keep using.

I've realized that I am addicted to my mountain dew. Sure, it isn't going to get me arrested, or killed, or anything like that. But how can I sit there and be judgmental for their decisions when I am addicted to something as well. I'm probably making a huge drama queen post out of it, but it is hypocritical to sit here and feed my addiction and expect them to quit something that has a much more powerful hold on them.

In other ramblings:

I completed week four of the couch to 5k program. I thought I would have to repeat week four again, but I actually feel like I can move on. I don't think that I'll ever be a runner, but I think it will help me get into better shape.

I have lost almost all of my phantom cake. I would normally be thrilled with the amount of weight I lost this week, except that I'm still a pound up from the weigh in on Nov. 1. Considering I've been very well behaved with my eating and exercise, I'm irritated. Here I am, halfway through the month, and I'm struggling to get BACK to where I was at the beginning of the month. -sigh- I will just keep plugging along.

Tuesday, November 10, 2009

Where's my chocolate cake?

ARGH!!!!!!!

So I weighed myself this morning, and apparently the scale thinks that I single handedly consumed a Costco Chocolate Cake (yes, it deserves the caps). I don't remember this happening. I would remember and have enjoyed every second if this really did happen.

I *DO* remember doing week four, workout one on the couch to 5k running program, then walking at a brisk pace to have a solid 70 minutes of fitness yesterday. I remember NOT having any soda at all. I remember lean pork and asparagus for dinner, and eating nothing after dinner.

Seriously, so not fair.

I have decided to completely go soda free through the end of November. This lack of sugar, hfcs, and caffeine *may* make me a little irritable.

Thursday, November 5, 2009

a different kind of milestone

I had really tiny fingers when I got married. My wedding ring was a size 4 or 4.25. I couldn't wear it while I was pregnant because my fingers swelled up, but within days of the baby being born, I could wear it again.

That is, until my fourth and last child was born 2.5 years ago. My fingers never went back down, and I was a size 5 finger.

I know it's stupid, but it bothered me. I wanted to lose weight and be able to wear my wedding ring again. I know I could get it sized, but I didn't want to.

So, instead, I bought a "bling ring" (a cz anniversary band), and it was fun, but I was a little sad about my wedding ring.

I hadn't tried on my wedding ring in quite a long time. Today on the radio, the discussion topic was "Why aren't you wearing your wedding ring?", and it got me thinking about my real ring again.

For giggles, I tried it on today. It fits! It's snugger than it used to be, but I can wear it comfortably. I am still only a couple pounds from my all time heaviest weight (pregnancy excepted), but I feel fitter than I have for most of my married life. So while I am chubby, no doubt, I am getting leaner.

It was a nice thing for me. I skipped the gym today because I was too sore, but it was nice to see a result in an unexpected place.

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Things I hate about the gym

I go to a ladies' only gym, so I suspect my list of pet peeves would be longer if I went to a co-ed gym. Here's things that set my teeth on edge.

1- People who save spots/set up equipment for friends who may or may not show up. This one bugs me more than anything else. I'll show up to a weights class with 5 minutes to spare, and there's little to no weights left, and I'm tucked up in a corner by a wall. 5 minutes into the class, someone will come breezing in, and they have a full set up with more weights than they need, in a prime spot in the room because some friend saved it for them. Or, worse, they no-show, and all those weights just sit there. Being cranky, I'll go grab what I need if it's 10 minutes into class and it's unclaimed. Kick boxing is even worse because people will get turned away if there's too many people. GRRRRRRRRR.

2- People who talk through class. I think it shows disrespect for the teacher. It also shows you aren't working very hard if you chat. It also is distracting, and you're never talking about anything interesting enough to make the distraction worth it. Shut up and work out, or leave the class area if you want to visit.

3- People who don't wipe down the equipment after they're finished.

4- People who are reading a book and trying to do a leg machine at the same time. But they're in a really good part or something, so they do one rep every 15 seconds. Come on!

5- People who are obviously ill, coming to work out. Lady, if you are coughing every 8 seconds, maybe you should take a day away from the treadmill and recover.

6- People bringing obviously ill children to the daycare.

7- Daycare volunteers who can't tell the difference between allergies and a cold (no, I am not a #6, I swear!).

8- Daycare volunteers who completely ignore all children save for their own. Help with the kids!

9- People who attend the weights class, and then substitute moves that are not a good substitute (for example, if we're doing chest press, they decide to do bicep curls instead). Yes, I realize this is petty, but it seems stupid to go to the class if you're not going to largely follow the instructor. Oddly enough, most of these people are also the chatters from #2.

10- People who have totally perfect bodies. Actually, I have a love/hate relationship with them. I'm so jealous I can't see straight, but they act as inspiration for me.

11- People who run wicked fast for a crazy long time on the treadmills. Ditto #10- I'm just jealous.

Sunday, November 1, 2009

Nov. 1 weigh in

Sept 1: 155.8
Oct. 1: 152.8
Nov. 1: 152.2


Not impressive. But, at least it isn't a gain. I am happy that I lost .6. My fat percentage went down a little more. This month, I exercised 1580 minutes. I have noticed that I had to move up to heavier weights, and when jogging, my heart has gone from the high 170s to the high 160s. That right there has me more excited than a 5 lb loss would.

Thursday, October 29, 2009

Couch to 5k

I hate running. I really, truly, hate it. Hate it hate it hate it with a blinding passion. I don't understand these running addicts. Considering that I really like sports in general, this is pretty compelling. However, nearly all runners are very skinny, or they are headed in that direction at a good pace.

I think there MUST be something to it.

I have decided to do a couch to 5k program. Because I have been doing some walking/running, I decided to skip week 1. I have done two of the three required workouts for week 2, and so far, so good. I worry a little about next week. I am supposed to warm up for 5 min. Then run 90 sec, walk 90 sec, then run 3 minutes, then walk 3 min. Repeat twice. Then again, I do run in 3-4 minute spurts, but it takes me a good 8-10 minutes of walking to recover. Maybe I'll have to run a little slower to do it. Week 4 looks even scarier.

Friday, October 23, 2009

Tried a protein drink

There's a really great store in Layton called Max Muscle. I heard from a friend that they will give you samples of their protein drinks before you buy. Considering those scarily big canisters are between $50-$60, that is important! I went in there yesterday, and talked to the salesperson, who could've easily been their poster child as a success story.

I have had trouble eating more than about 43 g. of protein a day, and if I could get a decent tasting protein drink that would add an additional 30 g, I would be happy. He gave me a ton of written information on each product that I was interested in, and a sample of my top 4 choices of things I may be able to tolerate.

Today, I tried "Iso-Extreme" in orange flavor. It gives 30 g. of protein and 143 calories. I didn't love it. I managed to drink it all down, which is pretty impressive. I think if I were to mix it into a smoothie, it may be tolerable.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Venting

There's a lot of so-called "diet experts" out there who claim that the chemistry of dieting is easy. All you have to do is take in less calories than you use, and Voila! The weight comes off. I think our bodies are much more complicated and sensitive than that, so it makes me really angry when they say that. I feel like by saying that, they imply that you are somehow cheating if you aren't losing weight. In fact, I think some of them come right out and say that.

Here's some simple math for them. In the last week, I consumed 10,542 calories. Through exercise, I burned 2377 calories. THIS WEBSITE says that my resting metabolic rate is 1342 calories a day. For the sake of argument, I'll assume I'm totally sedentary, which isn't true. That means just by living, and going about my day, I burn 1610 calories a day. According to my very conservative math, I burned 13647 calories in the last week. A pound is 3500 calories. My total deficit comes to about 3100 calories, so I should have lost almost a pound this last week. I didn't. This deficit has been pretty much the norm since I started this competition. I haven't lost any weight since our weigh in on Oct 1.

I think Karilynn may be on to something when she suggested I change how I'm consuming those 1200-1400 calories a day. I generally have been eating two large meals, a smaller meal, and a snack. I'm going to try and divide out my eating more evenly throughout the day. I've journaled through sparkpeople, and my calories, fat, and carbs are all within their recommended guidelines. I'm consistently falling short on protein though. So, I will also try to up my protein intake.

ETA: I never should have done the math. I realize now that if I behave perfectly- eat 1300 calories a day, exercise 5-7 hours a week, I will lose less than a pound a week. At least, according to the "It's Simple Math, Folks!" people. That sucks.

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Updating

Not that there's really a lot to update. I have been plugging along.

I've really tried to embrace the whole "truly enjoy and savor food" thing. If something tastes great, I eat it slowly and truly enjoy it. If it doesn't taste that good, and it's not good for me, I quit eating.

This morning I went to this Realtor seminar (yes, I'm a realtor in my real life), and it was held in a movie theater. We were given bags of popcorn and drinks. The popcorn didn't taste good to me- the fakey butter felt icky on my tongue, and it tasted kind of stale. After a couple bites to verify that I really wasn't imaging it, I put the bag down and didn't finish it.

Yesterday we had a staff meeting/birthday party for my broker. I had decided ahead of time that I would get a piece of birthday cake, and let me tell you, I was so excited for it. Imagine my disappointment when I realized the birthday cake had some kind of jam filling. I hate jam filling. -sigh- So, I said no thanks, and sat back.

You know what though? It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.

The only downside to the increased business in my professional life is that I haven't been to the gym all week. I was feeling very beat down and sore over the weekend, so I figured I needed a couple days off, but I haven't really worked out since Saturday.

I've noticed a few twinges in my knees, which concerns me a little bit. They've never bothered me before, and I don't want them to start.

I have created a new playlist on my iPod that has all of the songs that really do inspire me to run. I am hoping to explore running more. I hate it with a deep and abiding passion, but everyone swears to me that it's addictive and if I really try hard enough, I'll learn to love it, and become addicted as well. I'm skeptical.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Need to change things

I have been really, really good since October 1, according to Spark People. My calories have been between 1200-1400 every single day. My fat has been under 60 g a day. Carbs under 200 g. a day. I have exercised 340 minutes this month, 150 of which was weight training. The only thing I haven't done perfectly is my protein intake- according to Sparkpeople, I should have at least 60 g a day, anI have been hovering between 40-55. And yet, I have gained almost a pound since Oct. 1. Fat percentage has gone up a teensy bit. I feel like my jeans are fitting a touch looser, but not enough to console me.

I'll admit I'm discouraged. I've been fighting off a major ice cream and chocolate craving for over a week. I'm down to one 12 oz. can of mountain dew a day, and want more, but my self control has won out every time. If I was seeing results, it'd be much easier to fight off the cravings.

I'm wondering if I need to eat more. Sparkpeople thinks I should eat between 1200-1550 a day. I've been more in the 1200 range. I'm seeing signs that I'm not eating enough. What are those signs? Well, that's TMI, even for me. I think maybe I'll try bumping the calories up to 1500. I also neeeeed to get more protein. My body feels beat up and worn out, and it seems like I take forever to recover. For example, I had a weight training session from **** on Tuesday. Here it is, 3 days later, and my hamstrings and triceps still really hurt.

I am considering trying some of those protein powders. I think I could make a half decent smoothie with some fruit, yogurt and some protein powder. Now I just need to decide, whey or soy, and which one is going to taste the least grody to me.

Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Before-ish photos


Here's my kind of before pictures.

You can tell my dh (the photographer for these) is significantly taller than me, and didn't get on his knees or anything. LOL

Monday, October 5, 2009

ground beef vs. ground turkey

Here's a quick calorie count for you on how little changes can make a HUGE difference.

Assume a 4 oz. portion of either.

80% lean ground beef
278 calories
18 g fat
27.2 g protein

Lean ground turkey (foster farms, in my particular case)
150 calories
7 g fat
22 g. protein

That is almost half of the calories, and less than half of the fat!

Last night I made tacos. I used ground turkey instead of beef, and fresh baby spinach instead of lettuce. I really do love fresh spinach, so that was no big deal. I was worried about the turkey because I am the world's pickiest eater. Yes, I am even pickier than your 4 year old. Swear!

Omigosh you guys! It was so good! It tasted fine. In fact, it didn't have that greasiness that I don't love that I get from ground beef. I am now tempted to try it for hamburgers.

I first tried ground turkey in place of the sausage I use in lasagna. I actually preferred the turkey, much to my shock. I fed my parents and my grandfather the substitute, and they all snarfed it down without knowing, so they apparently couldn't tell the difference.

I think that if I continue to find little substitutions like this, I can dramatically cut my fat without feeling like I'm sacrificing.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

Diet Book Review- Fed Up by Wendy Oliver-Pyatt

I love diet books. I read them as a hobby. Because I am a cheapskate, I am limited to what I find at the library. I thought this blog was a perfect place to review the books I do read.

Today, I read Fed Up! : The Breakthrough Ten-Step, No-Diet Fitness Plan by Wendy Oliver-Pyatt.

The author struggled with her weight and eating disorders for quite a few years. She realized that she had an extremely unhealthy relationship with food and exercise. Her purpose in writing "Fed Up!" is to encourage a "nationwide rethinking about whether dieting and maintaining mental lists of so called good and bad foods actually leads to long term health and weight management." She feels like we, as women, hold ourselves to an impossible to attain standard of beauty. See Dove's Campaign for Real Beauty ad to show just how impossible it is to fit the traditional model of beauty.

I thought she made some great points. There's a lot of people out there who have labeled certain foods as "bad" or "evil" that really aren't. I don't think it's healthy to completely eliminate entire food groups from one's diet unless there is a religious, allergic, or personal issue with them.

She encourages the reader to be more in tune with his/her body. If it is hungry, feed it, but listen to cues, eat slowly and ENJOY the food, and stop just before you feel full. It's a very rational approach.

However, I think that she does seem to forget that people do develop food addictions, and unhealthy eating habits. If someone is addicted to sugar, they need to be encouraged to fill their diet with other foods, and try to retrain their body to crave the healthier options.

I also felt like her advice on how to deal with an overweight teen or child was a little too ineffective.

Will I follow her diet completely? No. However, there were certain parts that I really liked, and WILL take away from it.

I will view food as a source of nutrition and fuel for my body. I will not view food as "bad" or "forbidden" or as the enemy.

I will respect my body for the amazing things it has done, currently does, and will do. Each day, I will find something about my body that I find attractive, and I'll tell it to myself.

I will listen to and honor my body- I will eat when I am hungry. I will stop an exercise if it hurts too badly. I will eat slowly and truly savor and enjoy each bite, and I will stop eating when I feel full. If I am truly craving something that should be eaten rarely, I will eat it, but I will have only a small portion.

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Oct 1 weigh in


I really wish everyone was posting their weigh in pics.

I didn't do as well as I'd hoped. I lost 2.8 lbs. I'd hoped to be down at least 4.

On the upside, my fat is down 1.5%, so that makes me happy.

I am going to work harder on my eating this next month. I need to increase my fruit and veggie intake. I am doing better with Mountain Dew, particularly after the comment that Elise made.

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Two steps back

I've noticed I've been back sliding. I've kept my calories down, but almost half of my daily calories has been from Mountain Dew. Predictably, my body is in revolt over the insult.

I am a realtor by trade, and I've had two closings the last couple weeks. The one was extremely stressful and complicated. When I get stressed out, I tend to not eat much, but drink tons of mountain dew (note to self: probably a good idea to not start drinking alcohol if I'm this fixated on soda).

The stress of work has caused my to almost completely undo all of the progress I made.

However, yesterday, I realllllly wanted a pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. I resisted. Then, as I was watching Biggest Loser, I reallllly wanted ice cream (I love to eat ice cream and watch that show. The irony kills me). I didn't eat it.

I had a friend dare me to not eat bread for a week. I accepted the dare. She called it all yeast based breads. I think I'll expand that to any leavened bread (baking soda, baking powder, etc). I can still eat naan, tortillas or the like.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Biggest Loser (the tv show)

I watched the Biggest Loser season premiere.

The first episode always has me weepy. All of these people have so much pain, and want to change so badly.

Abby's story had me in tears. What a terrible tragedy.

It was amazing to Jillian actually CRY! I wonder if that fried her circuit boards? Kidding. Actually, I adore Jillian, and if I were to pick one of the trainers, it'd be Jillian.

There's one thing that really made me angry about the show. The bottom couple, who were up for elimination each lost 13 lbs. SERIOUSLY?! I couldn't do that without amputation. And yet, somehow, that wasn't enough. It upsets me that super dramatic numbers are absolutely necessary and expected. Plus, to get picked, and only be able to stay for a week? Sad.

I would love to know what their actual schedule is there at the ranch. How many hours a day are they actually working out. Just how hard are they pushing the contestants? What are their heart rates at? I would think they couldn't push them too hard or they'd be too sore to work out the next day. If they were worked too hard, I'd think it'd do damage to make them work out every day.

On another note, I am super jealous of the gym there. They have so many cool machines there. That ladder machine looks fun. There's a lot of cool and unique weight machines too. I do belong to a gym, but it really is bare bones. When it comes to cardio machines, there's treadmills, ellipticals, something similar to an elliptical, reclined bicycle, and regular bicycles. The weight machines are very basic. There's not even a captain's chair. On the plus side, they have free daycare if you are able to volunteer in the daycare. My membership costs me $16/mo, including daycare, including classes. That's a screaming deal.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Calcium

I really need to up my calcium intake. There was an amazing article at WebMD about calcium and weight loss.

The highlights were this: They made a group of mice very fat. They separated the mice into four groups. All were given a calorie restricted diet. Group A got no supplement. Group B got calcium supplements (like tums), Group C got low fat dairy, and Group D got even more low fat dairy. All of the mice lost weight.

Group A (no supplements): 8% reduction in fat
Group B (tums supplement): 42% reduction in fat
Group C (medium amount of lowfat calcium added): 60% reduction in fat
Group D (high amount of lowfat calcium added): 69% reduction in fat

HOLY CANOLI!!!!! This is HUGE! All four groups were given the exact same food, other than the dairy part. That is an amazing difference.

I've been trying to take at least 500 mg of calcium each day. But, it looks like I really ought to try to find lowfat dairy that I like and get the calicum that way. I hate drinking milk. This definitely bears doing some research though.

I weighed myself this morning, and was a little discouraged to see my weight up a little from Friday. At this point, I'm only down 1.5 lbs from the start of the competition. My body fat is down 1% though, so that's nice.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Doing Well

I don't think I'll post huge weight loss numbers like some of the ladies here will. I never have lost weight quickly. I am usually thrilled with 1 lb a week. I don't expect to be one of the big winners and get money. But, if I lose the weight I want to lose, I think I have won. I'd rather shed 35 lbs off my figure than get some cash prize. If I get both, fabulous!

However, I am going to work really really hard. Knowing people are reading my blog is just the kind of pressure I need.

I am down 2 lbs from my start weight, which is good. I'm pleasantly sore, which is also good. Shape Magazine had a great article this month on some exercises to do to flatten your abs. I did the routine yesterday, and feel it today, which I take as feedback that I did it right. This morning I went to a kickboxing class. I had a lot of fun, though my heart rate was in the 170s for the whole thing, which seems bad to me.

I've kept my calories about 1500-1700 a day. I happen to know that my base metabolic rate is just over 1200, so I think that's pretty good when you take my exercise into account.

I am still working up the courage to take a picture of me as my before. I need to get it done now so that I can see my results. I do have a photo of one of my goals. I bought this dress 18 months ago to wear on a cruise I took last summer. I was just barely too big for the dress by the time the cruise came around. I'm now about 12 lbs over where I was then, and haven't attempted to put on the dress. But, I eventually want to wear this dress, and then have it be too big.

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Such a Ditz!

I was just sitting here, thinking about how hungry I was. I thought, "I've just eaten, and I'm this hungry? Wow, maybe I *WAS* eating way too much if I'm this hungry."

I sat for a few more minutes feeling sorry to myself. Then I heard the microwave beep. I remembered that I'd stuck a Smart Ones Parmesan Chicken in the microwave to cook. Never did get it out. D!OH! I remembered the putting it in the microwave, and somehow forgot to get it out and eat it.

Feel much better about my stomach as I munch on this. My mental state? Not so much. ROFL

Monday, September 7, 2009

Learning from the past

I spent the weekend camping, so going on a hard diet/exercise campaign was next to impossible. Instead, I decided to think back over the last couple of years.

I have been trying to lost weight/get toned for two years now. Yet here I sit, weighing as much as I did when I got started. True, I am definitely more fit than I was then, but I am nowhere near where I want to be.

So, what did I do wrong? A lot of things, I think. I still get a bit confused on certain things. But, I'll start with what I know I do wrong.

1- food choices
I can easily keep my calories under 1500. The problem is, I can cheerfully get half of those calories from a Mountain Dew and candy bar. Portion control isn't an issue, it's making wise food choices. While on paper, 1500 calories a day SOUNDS good, if it's not 1500 GOOD calories, I won't lose weight. Trust me, I've tried. Many times.

2- MOUNTAIN DEW
I love the stuff. Absolutely adore it. I'd go so far as to say I'm addicted to it. I go back and forth as to whether or not I should quit altogether. I have very few, if any vices in life. What is the problem with a 12 oz can a day? The quit part of me reminds myself that I am genuinely addicted, and do I want to go through life addicted to ANYTHING? Secondly, I have quit it several times, and each time I think that having a can every once in a while is ok, I quickly backslide to a 24 oz bottle a day. There's also lots of research out there that soda, even diet soda, is bad for you. Mountain Dew is loaded with high fructose corn syrup, which also has an extremely bad reputation. On the plus side, having a vice makes me more sympathetic to addicts because I have a glimpse of how hard it is to quit something you love.

3- Consistency
I'm good about exercise (well, I was til this summer). I go to the gym at least 3 times a week, but usually, it's more like 4-5 times a week. However, when I decide to start eating a particular way, I don't have staying power. I tend to backslide into my high sugar ways within a few days. I think I need to find a happy medium that allows for some indulgence. Or maybe, I need to just go through sugar withdrawals and adjust.

4- Exercise
I don't know what I'm doing wrong, but I obviously am doing *something* wrong. I am definitely in better shape than I was two years ago. I notice quite a bit of muscle definition. I can go on a 3-4 mile hike with the two year old on my back and do ok. I did a 26 mile bike ride on a whim when my SIL asked me to go with her so she wouldn't be alone. I try to do weight training 2x a weeks, and then cardio (either walking, elliptical, bicycle, or kickboxing) 3-4x a week. However, my heart rate is still really, really high. I did a health assessment through Hill Air Force Base a couple months ago. I did extremely well in the strength and flexibility sections (I was 90th percentile for my age/size). However, in the cardio section, I had the ability of a much older SMOKER who never exercises. I nearly cried. How could all that hard work not show up? I got a heart rate monitor, and sure enough, my heart rate skyrockets when I just start out. It tends to then settle back down in a little bit, but the test ended before it could do that. I don't FEEL like I'm pushing myself that hard, but my heart seems to think so. I am confused here. The cardio machines at the gym think that for me to lose weight, my heart rate should be under 130. To be in the "cardiovascular training" area, I should be between 130-160 or so. If I'm under 130, I don't feel like I'm working.

When I watch "The Biggest Loser", they seem to be killing themselves. Are they drama queens, or are they working over their target heart rate? I feel pretty good until my heart gets into the 180s. I can be in the 180s for a while, but not forever.

So, here are my goals:

1- I WILL cut back on mountain dew. I don't know that I'll quit altogether, but I think that only having a can once or twice a week is ok.

2- Instead of going on a diet where I focus on all the things I can't have, I am going to focus on what I can have. I will make sure that I get at least 6-8 servings of fruits/veggies, 2-3 servings of dairy (through yogurt or cottage cheese), 25 g. fiber, and at least 60 g. of protein a day. I think if I am eating all that, I will probably not be hungry enough for much sweets. If I have eaten all the nutrients I need in a day, and I want ice cream, then I'll have a sensible portion. I refuse to be one of those people that giggles about how badly they "cheated" on their diet because they had a strawberry and a piece of white bread.

3- I will take vitamins. There are several studies out there about how people who are nutrient deficient tend to gain weight and have trouble losing weight. I'll take a multivitamin, fish oil supplements (because I think fish is NASTY), and calcium.

4- I will continue to exercise. In fact, I think I'll actually consult a cardiologist on my heart rate issues and see what he/she thinks is my issue.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Day 1

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Wow. That's all I can say.

I've been trying to lose weight pretty much ever since Z was born. I lost a little weight in the beginning, but it stalled. For the last few months, I felt like my calorie counting and gym workouts weren't doing much. This summer, I have been really busy with work (a very good thing), and the kids were out of school. It was nearly impossible to get to the gym, and I stopped paying attention to what I ate.

I have learned that the exercise and eating well WAS making a difference. I pretty much hadn't weighed myself since June, but could tell from clothes fit that I had gained weight. The sad part was that it turns out I'd gained nearly 10 lbs over the summer. YIKES.

I am now officially the heaviest I have ever been outside of pregnancy or recovering from pregnancy. In fact, I weigh what I did when I delivered my first two children. Ugh.

As depressing as it is, I will remember that this is my before.

Monday, August 31, 2009

Biggest Loser Contest!

The first big weigh in is tomorrow. I am hoping this will be the kick in the pants I need. I pretty much took the summer off from exercising and eating right, and gained more than 10 lbs. UGH!!!!!!!!