Tuesday, March 31, 2015

Bootcamp & Bras

After trying a spinning class last week, I was easily talked in to going to bootcamp today at lunch. I even decided to purchase a Fitness Class Punch Card, which will allow me to attend 10 more classes. I am definitely interested in trying the TRX class and the spinning class (again). I love the chalkboard walls at Walker Ice & Fitness! The one in my workout room isn't nearly this great!


After bootcamp I came home for lunch, a shower, and food prepping. I was able to cook chicken for me to use on salads for lunch and get all of my fruits and veggies prepped for the week. Then B showed me the new scale he bought. My husband is a geek and has to research everything! He found a website that helps him with this geekiness and found this scale on The Sweethome


We ended the day with a quick trip to Target. I wanted to check out their sports bras after being told by a friend and reading Monica's post on Run Eat Repeat about their sports bras. I picked up two so we'll see how they hold up. I have bought a few different brands and am still searching for one with good coverage and support. 


Do you have a favorite sports bra? What did you do today?

Monday, March 30, 2015

March 2015 & Yearly Goal Progress

So we made it through March! It is so nice to see the sun out! In Michigan it is supposed to be in the 50's for the week. I drove with my sunroof open and the windows down this afternoon. I am loving the fresh air. I can't wait to open all the windows in the house! Anyways...


If you read my post about Goals you will know that I forgot to make my normal 3-5 goals for March.  So instead I made two goals about half way through the month. 

March Goals
  • Loose 2 pounds (This would put me at 164 pounds)
  • Decrease my 5K time to under 43 minutes

My 5K time is at approximately 42:30 minutes. I did not make the 164 pounds, but I will in April. I am not going to beat myself up though. From here I pick myself up and work on getting out of the 160's! 


Here are my recorded measurements at various times since I started in September 2013. I am going to try and get my measurements taken every three months. The total pounds lost below is from my heaviest of 212 pounds and not the 203 pounds from when I started.

                        September 2013      March 2014      December 2014      March 2015       Total Lost
Weight -          203                            195.9                176.4                         167                     45 pounds
Waist -             47 inches                  41                     38.5                           38                       9 inches
Hip -                50 inches                  46                     44                              40.5                    9.5 inches 
Thigh -            21 inches                  19.5                  20                              19.5                    1.5 inches
Arm -              13 inches                   12                     12.5                           11.5                    1.5 inches


2015 Goals/Projects
  • Read 50 books  - I have currently read 14 books & I am halfway through book 15. It's a long book. No judgement!
  • Run 5K in under 40 minutes - I am working on this. I still need to sign up for a 5K this summer. 
  • Reach goal weight of 135  I am currently at 165 on my scale when I weighed 3/30/15. I am still celebrating this since I haven't seen this weight since I was married in October 2008!


How did you do on your goals in March? 

Saturday, March 28, 2015

Two Steps Back

This week was not great week for me. My husband was out of town for work and I ate like crap! When I am cooking for both of us I always write down what we are eating for the week. I had made a plan this week for myself, but I didn't write it down. In the end it backfired.

One night I ate refried beans, hot sauce, and cheddar with tortilla chips. Another night I met a friend and had a couple of strawberry margaritas. Not to mention 2-3 nights I ate bananas with melted chocolate chips for a late night dessert.


 

I have been craving pizza and a rich chocolate cake for the past month. I ate both Friday night! I indulged in the craving and it was delicious. Saturday morning I went to bookclub and enjoyed cinnamon french toast with maple syrup. Then B and I went to see Insurgent and had popcorn. It was all delicious, but none of it was nutritious. 


 

Guess what? When you eat like crap you feel like crap. It is time to get it together. I have gained weight this week and my tummy hurts. So I am going to make menu for this week and schedule my workouts for next week once I finish this post. 



For some reason this always seems to happen. I will do great; loose weight, eat right, and workout. Then I fall. Hard. I always pick myself back up, but for some reason I splurge and go back to some of my old habits every time I loose approximately 10 pounds. When I get down to the lower digits (low 180's, 170's, and now 160's) this seems to happen. No idea why it happens, but I stumble around this point. So I am brushing myself off today and going to get it together. Again! 

Do you have any weight loss patterns? Do you stumble and have to pick yourself back up?

Thursday, March 26, 2015

Trying Something New

I needed to get out of the house so I had my friend/trainer, Lyndsey, sign me up for one of her spinning classes. She teaches a Cycle Strength Intervals (description below) on Thursdays and signed me up.


C.S.I. Cycle.Strength. Intervals.Ready for a challenge? This class will burn fat and build/tone muscle. C.S.I. combines the cardio benefit of SPINNING with the power of strength training. Each class will include intervals on the Spin bike and strength training using weights, TRX and bodyweight. *NEW CLASS


I was definitely excited, but started to get a little nervous. Wednesday night I texted her worried asking what to wear and when she texted me back "a leotard and leg warmers" I knew I was being silly. I met her at Walker Ice and Fitness Center for the class. At this point I was a little nervous, but I was feeling optimistic. I got this. No worries! Ha!

I grabbed a bike (like the one pictured above), a mat, 15 pound weights and was ready to go. The class was a little full with a wide range of people. It wasn't what I was expecting, but I still felt confident. Then we started class. My legs were burning. We then did the strength interval and knew I did not have this!! This was a killer workout!


The facility was great and I love that you can pay $7 to drop-in on a class. It was extremely clean and everyone was nice. I will definitely be back now that I know what to expect. I would like to try her TRX class and Cross Fit at some point this year too.

Have you tried anything new lately? Did you like it? 
Is there anything new you would like to try?

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Training for a 5K

During the summer of 2013 I decided I wanted to try and start running. So I talked to my trainer about it and we started one night. She had me start by running until I couldn't run anymore and then walk until I caught my breath. I did this for weeks increasing my run time by approximately 15 seconds every 1-2 weeks. I was at my heaviest around this time and was embarrassed I could only run for approximately 30 seconds at a time when I started.


I would run approximately 1.5 miles about twice a week. I began having horrible shin splints and was trying to RICE (Rest Ice Compression Elevation) as almost nightly. My Mom and I did our first 5K together in September 2013 at the Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. There were a ton of people so it was hard to run and my legs kept cramping. We did complete it in under an hour though! 


In October 2013 I had signed up to do a 5k and my sister-in-law joined me. She helped push me through it. We walk/ran it in less time than my first 5k, but my legs were really bothering me. I received some advice to let my shins recover and I decided this was a good idea. The winter in 2014 was horrible and not ideal for running anyway. I decided to focus on my eating habits and increasing the number of workouts I was doing weekly.


Training to run a full 5k has always been a goal of mine. I talked to B about getting a treadmill after we turned our storage room into a workout room this fall. For Christmas he surprised me and got me a treadmill for Christmas. It was delivered right after the new year. I have been working on getting my 5k time under 40 minutes. I am not there yet, but I am working on it! I am currently running 4 minutes at 4.8mph and walking for 1 minute at 3mph. I need to sign up for a 5k this summer, but am hoping to have  my time down soon.

3/24/2015

Monday, March 23, 2015

Favorite Apps

I use a couple different applications on my iPhone related to health and fitness. I am sure there are a lot more out there that I have to discover, but these are the four I use currently. 

  
I use MyFitnessPal daily. I have been tracking what I eat daily for a couple of years now. There are times I get busy or finish logging my food, but I complete my entry the next day. I am definitely not perfect about it, but it at least gives me a guideline of how I am doing. 

Tabata Stopwatch Pro is an app I use whenever I do a tabata workout at home. I like that you can personalize it. Tabata is one of my favorite workouts and this is a lifesaver for doing it at home!

Interval Timer is an app I use for running/walking and other timed workouts. I have been using this app for training to run a 5k. I needed to build myself up slowly as far as running times and this helped me when I was running outside to let me know when it was time to run or walk. I also use this for a workout my trainer has me do where I do 10 exercises back-to-back for 60 seconds, 30 seconds, and 15 seconds with a rest between each set. It sounds easy, but it's killer! 

I used Sworkit Pro a lot before we got a treadmill for cardio days. I am now doing run/walks on cardio days, but I still love to use this app when I am traveling. It lets you choose what type of workout you would like to do (cardio, strength, yoga, stretching) and then you can continue to customize it for a specific amount of time. 

What are your favorite apps to use?

Saturday, March 21, 2015

Lazy Day

Today was a lazy day for B and me. I woke up at 2:00am wide awake and wasn't able to get back to sleep until after 4:30am. My insomnia has been bad lately and I am hoping it is because of a medication I am currently taking. Thankfully my last dosage is tomorrow morning. We laid around all morning and after lunch I took a nap. I love naps!


After my lovely nap I had to force myself to go downstairs to get a workout in before we went out. I was not feeling a workout if I am honest with you. At the last possible moment I finally got up and put in my hour strength workout. I am glad I did it and I felt better afterwards.


By waiting so long to workout, I was rushing to get dinner prepared and myself ready before we went out. I tried a new recipe from one of my favorite blogs, Broccoli & Barbells. Tonight I tried making the recipe One Pot Cheeseburger Pasta, but I did use ground beef instead of ground turkey. It was easy & delicious! Plus who doesn't love a one pot meal?!?! As soon as we finished dinner we headed out and went to see South Pacific.


Do you like naps? 
Did you get your workout in today?

Friday, March 20, 2015

Be Nice to Yourself

I grew up thinking and talking negatively about myself. When I was at my heaviest I called myself names and made jokes about myself constantly. I would tell my friend she was as big as my thigh, that my maxi dress could be used as a tent, called myself fat all of time, and more. If I made fun of myself and said what people were thinking I believed it wouldn't hurt as much.


My husband and a friend of mine began to be really annoyed with me. So when I began my weight loss journey I knew I needed to start talking to and about myself differently. In the beginning I had the bright idea of calling myself "chunky" instead of "fat." I did that for a while, but they were still really annoyed with me. Plus now my trainer was telling me to stop.


It started slow for me. I began by accepting compliments and making less jokes about myself. In the beginning it was uncomfortable. It has gotten easier, but I still have a long way to go. I just keep pushing forward and try to be nice to everyone around me and myself!

Say something nice about yourself in the comments!

Wednesday, March 18, 2015

Enchilada Stuffed Peppers

For dinner tonight B and I tried Enchilada Stuffed Bell Peppers. This was the second time we have tried them. I mix everything up except for the black beans and filled two peppers then added black beans to my portion. B doesn't like beans unfortunately.


I only had three bell peppers so I put the remaining part of mine in a small bowl. B did let me know he prefers the regular turkey enchiladas I generally make, but I thought these were really good. I will definitely be making these again.


I am trying to incorporate more veggies into our diet. I didn't grow up eating veggies so I am trying new ones and trying to learn how to prepare them. What is your favorite veggie? What is your favorite way to prepare them?

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Penne with Chicken & Asparagus


Dinner was one of my husband's favorites tonight. It is easy to make and delicious! We do use whole wheat penne normally. However, we were out of penne so we used whole wheat gemellini tonight. It hit the spot!

Penne with Chicken & Asparagus is a recipe I found when I did Weight Watchers years ago. I try to make it whenever I can find good asparagus. 



Goals

Does anyone else make goals? I make yearly goals and monthly goals for myself. The monthly goals relate to my weight loss and want I wish to accomplish during the month. I then post them on my motivation board that I see every morning when I get ready for the day. I also share them with family and friends.


2015 Goals/Project
  • READ 50 BOOKS
  • RUN 5K IN UNDER 40 MINUTES
  • REACH GOAL WEIGHT 135
    • Workout 5x week
    • 2 cheat meals per week
    • Freeze more meals
    • Win a DietBet
January 2015 Goals
  • Log food nightly
  • Workout 5x a week
  • Walk/run more than 5x in January (I received a treadmill for Christmas from B)
  • Make a new reward list.
  • Win Dietbet (Loose 7+ pounds) I did not win the Dietbet I signed up for in January. 
February 2015 Goals
  • Get out of the 170's!!!
  • Run 5K in under 45 minutes
I did not make goals for March, but for the next two weeks my goals are to loose 2 pounds and decrease my 5K time! I would really like to get under 43 minutes by the end of the month. I know, I know... I am slow! I was at 43:46 last week. 


What kind of goals do you make?

Monday, March 16, 2015

Slow & Steady

My weight loss has been slow. When I began I didn't workout and I ate horribly. I was eating Cheetos and Diet Coke for breakfast and ate out frequently. My husband and I ordered so much pizza one night the manager called me back to give me a lower price. He told me he normally applied a coupon because we ordered so frequently. Embarrassing!

So... My trainer tried really hard to get me to work out four times a week. However, I was more of a 2-3 times a week (maybe). I also started tracking everything I ate in myfitnesspal on my iPhone. I didn't really change how I ate, but I tracked what I ate. I continue to track my food in myfitnesspal. I even changed my profile from private to public so now my friends can see what I eat.


I have slowly begun to change what I eat. I usually eat a Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick or other granola bar for breakfast. The Luna Chocolate Peppermint Stick are one of my favorites! I also love the Dannon Fit & Light Greek Yogurts. I will be honest that I have not really given other greek yogurt brands a real chance. That is something I need to do. 
 

I became really frustrated that I wasn't loosing weight like I wanted about a year ago. It was then I started to look more at what I was eating. I began eating more complex carbs (brown rice, whole wheat pasta, etcetera). I also began bringing Progressive Light Soups with whole wheat saltines to work for lunch. I am continuing to try and eat healthier, but it is definitely a process for me. 

In July 2014, I purchased a heart rate monitor so I would have a more accurate way to know the calories I was burning. This was perfect for me. I love setting goals for myself and knowing what I was really burning instead guessing.  It also helped push me to workout a little longer to get to a certain number of calories. I have the Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor (Amazon).


When I started seeing Lyndsey (my trainer) again in 2013 I had already quit the gym. I felt intimidated there. So I bought a set of 10 pound dumbbells and began working out at home. Over the past year I have had added more workout gear and continue to work out at home. 

I continue to try and eat cleaner. My husband and I no longer eat out nearly as often and we are incorporating more fruits and vegetables into our meals. However, all of these steps have and will continue to be slow for me. 

Check out my personal trainers page at Broccoli & Barbells. She has workout ideas and some amazing recipes!





Saturday, March 14, 2015

Opening My Eyes

During the summer of 2012, I finally went over 200 pounds. I was also diagnosed with hypertension and was put on a blood pressure medication. That September I began seeing a personal trainer. She was pregnant and had her baby right before Thanksgiving.  I saw her until mid November and continued working out for a couple weeks before quitting. 

My trainer reached out to me in March 2013. I went back to see her the first part of April and weighed in at 211 pounds. I couldn't breathe through the whole workout and was extremely embarrassed. I knew I never wanted to ever feel like that again. 

I had lost a few pounds before going on vacation in July. When I got back from vacation I weighed in at my heaviest of 212 pounds. I will never see this weight again. It has been a slow and steady process for me, but it has been a lifestyle change for me. From July 2013 to November 2014 I lost 35 pounds. I will do an updated picture soon.

BEFORE: JULY 2013 (212 lbs)                                                    AFTER: NOVEMBER 2014  (177 lbs)


Friday, March 13, 2015

Here We Go!

My focus is to discuss weight loss, depression, and learning to be positive. I was skinny all my life until I met my husband. I then put on approximately ten pounds a year until a little over two years ago. I had gained approximately 100 pounds in 11 years. My weight loss journey has been slow, but steady. I have currently lost 45 pounds in approximately 18 months.

Beginning my weight loss journey I realized how negative I was towards myself. I called myself names and was not confident at all. It drove my poor husband nuts. However, I knew I needed to stop when a  couple of dear friends started getting after me for it. I am definitely better than I was a few years ago, but I am still working on learning to be more positive. 

If you have any questions please leave them in the comments. 

Thanks for reading!