Weigh In

Weighed in today - I lose almost 5 whole pounds! I am blown away that this is even possible, but SO excited at the SAME time! I almost can't wait to see what next week brings now!

Tonight we are going over to our freinds house for a pizza dinner, so I know that isn't the best thing in the world, however, I WILL eat in moderation. and drink only water.

I CAN do this!!

Another great day! Went to the gym and burned more then I was required to and then some! Came home and did some strength training as well! It's so great to actually have a plan to follow, it makes it so much easier when you can SEE what you need to do. I also stayed within all of my nutrition guidelines today as well. Perfect for Calories, fats, protein etc. I do need to add a couple more carbs, but I am done for the day....

I hope in the end this all pays off.... I am working SO hard at this and to have nothing to show in a couple months would really be a bummer for me.

Super Proud of me!

I am totally proud of myself right now. My downfall has always been stopping at Tim Hortons- our local dunkin donuts type place and getting an iced cappuccino on my way into work. I've been doing this for years. I knew it was the WOST possible thing I could possibly get in the morning. But it's SO good! And filling too! (since there are a zillion calories in it!) My goal for last week was to not stop and get one of these. I failed yesterday, temptation got the best of me. Today I did NOT stop. I figured that last night I worked so hard and burned all the calories that I was scheduled to do yesterday (I burned 327 and needed 303)why ruin that today? So here I am. Sitting at work, eating my bowl of cereal and drinking water. Go Me!

Good news!

In the 4 weeks since I've been to the doctor's last, I've lost 2 pounds! Yippe! yea, I know, that is like nothing in 4 weeks, but hey, it's more then I've lost in a year!

Gym & Moods

I've always been so much more confident & happier when I workout. I don't know what it is. Something must get released into your system or something. But last night after I got home from the gym, I was folding laundry and talking to Mike and he said, " Are you happier when you go to the gym?" I said, well yea, I do feel better about myself after a good workout and have SO much more energy, why? He said because I seem to be in a much better mood. So even if nothing great comes from this body wise, at least I know it IS improving my moods! Especially when hubby points it out!

How'd the weekend Go?

Before I write this out, I should say that I by no means plan on "dieting" I won't use that word or follow any particular plan. My goal is watch what I am putting in my mouth, watch portion control and just to eat healthier in general. I've done diets in the past. I've done great on them as well. THEN as soon as you stop the diet, you gain every ounce plus more. So this for me is more of a lifestyle change then a diet so it's something we can incorporate into our family lifestyle all the time. If there are days that we don't follow it, fine, and don't stick with it, that's fine too. I just don't want to have to set myself up for failure and that is what dieting is to me, in the end, it's failure. Regardless of what we are eating, good, bad, healthy or Not, I will STILL stick to my goal of portion control, regardless. that is going to be my one stipulation.

With that being said!

Friday night - We went to the gym. Courtney & I worked out together. I was able to walk 1.5 miles the treadmill & 1 mile on the stationary bike. I really do enjoy going to the gym. I always have. I have SO much more energy after a workout. It's just that once you get out of the habit, it's SO hard to get back into it!

Saturday - I unfortunately didn't work out this day. I am not beating myself up about it. It is what it is. I did go out to dinner with a friend for a much needed girls night out, and ordered a salad and only at 1/3 of it. Brought the rest home for hubby to eat :-)

Sunday - I watched my portions at dinner and did well. For snack I had a smart choice sundae, since I LOVE my nightly ice cream. Courtney & I also went the gym again and did a 1 hour family fit class. It required ALOT of strength training and kicked my butt big time, but that's OK. I also was able to get about 15 minutes of Wii fit in, in the morning. I did my typical aerobics, the advanced Hula hoop & the advanced Step, my 2 favorite. I need to get into the boxing again too, I love that one!

SO that was how my weekend went. I actually have a med check follow up appointment with my doctor tonight, so I am looking forward to see what my weight is. I know I just started this, but the weight I've been using is what I weighed 4 weeks ago when I went in for these meds, so it will be interesting to see if I am still that or if it changed at all.

Starting & sticking with it

I got this article in my inbox from SparkPeople this morning. I am posting it here as my motovation. When I feel like I don't want to do this, or can't do it, or am too tired, I have this to look back on.

Written by Julie Isphording, Former olympian

14 Tips for Starting and Sticking With It
Stop Failure Before it Starts
-- By Julie Isphording, former Olympian

For some of us out there, if we could just convince ourselves that there is enough time in the day to exercise, we could be on track to a great fitness program. For others, we get started but quickly lose momentum and give up. To help get started and stay on track, here are a few tips:

Throw away the bathing suit you wore in high school… and the memory too. It’s normal to have a mental image of yourself when you last exercised like a fiend. But if that image is from high school, you could be in big trouble. Even if it’s from last year, forget it. Remember as little as possible of what you used to look like. Starting today, make new memories.

Prepare. We already know you don’t have the time, so write it down like an appointment every day. You wouldn’t cancel an appointment, why would you cancel on yourself? Aren’t you important too?

Start slowly. Do much less than what you’re capable of. Take a 20-minute walk if you’re returning to exercise. You might feel like it’s not enough, but it’s a good start.

Get the family involved. Run while your daughter rides her bike. Go to a local track and let the kids play their own games. Run with your spouse. Sign up for a local 10K. Walk with your son. Celebrate with a little something special after every activity.

Where are your friends? Four words, four reasons – motivation, inspiration, determination, conversation. Surround yourself with friends who think positive and live large.

Put the pain in perspective. When the going gets tough, remember that you have survived 600 carpools, 540 loads of laundry (this month), 41 baseball games, 230 dinners and one family vacation. What’s the big deal?

Allow yourself to slow down. You’re driving this bus! For the first time today, you are in control.

Sign up for a race. It’s a goal to strive for and adds a little meaning to your everyday workout.

Run/walk in public. Be proud of your accomplishment. Take in all the sites and be an inspiration to others.

Just show up. Go to the gym, class, or the park. Once you’re there, it’s hard to say no. 98% of life is showing up.

Eat. Follow a healthy eating pattern. If you limit your calorie intake, you will not have enough energy to work out and your metabolism will slow down.

Understand your energy cycle. There are peaks during our days. Even during the week. Try to complete your workout when you feel good about yourself.

Wallow in your greatness. You can exercise to become a better exerciser, or you can exercise to become a better mother, a better father, doctor, teacher, or a better friend – or you can exercise to become BETTER. Be proud of that accomplishment.

Have fun. Where’s your childlike spirit? When you can make workouts "playouts," you’ve got it made.

Don’t give up on yourself. After all, it’s never too late to be that healthy person you might have been.

Day 1

Day 1 of my journey.... where to begin? I am so disgusted with who I currently am and what I have became. I am ashamed to go outside, and would rather stay home then go and spend time out with friends. It's horrible to feel that way. I hate it. I need to change it. I need to gain the self esteem and motivation to be able to change my life, starting now!

We won't talk about food today, since I am really not going to start this until 2 days from now, on Monday. But I did get to the gym tonight. I took it easy, since yes, it has been almost 1 whole year since I've been there. My wrist has been acting up, so I didn't do any weights. I did the treadmill for 30 minutes which equaled 1.5 miles and got 2 miles done on the stationary bike. I'll take it. It's more then I've done in a long time. My goal is to get SOME sort of exercise in every day. Whether it be at the gym, on the Wii fit or just things I'll do on my own at home, I WILL get at least 30 minutes of something Daily! Starting today. I am hoping to get to the step aerobics class tomorrow morning at the Y - however it's at 7am, so that's negotiable at this point.

I've also joined the website sparkpeople.com for support and ordered the book " The Spark" from Amazon today. With a little bit of motivation I am hoping I can do this! Wish Me luck!

And yes, unfortunately, I will post pictures of me too, which i HATE but, I guess it's a must to SEE the results huh?