still feeling pretty good

Hello all,

Just a quick check in to say im still feeling good and working hard. I took a few days off and haven't been eating great, but I have been keeping myself in check and making sure not to overeat out of bordum.(not sure how you spell that.)

I can't wait until biggest loser starts again, that is ALWAYS a HUGE motivation for me. Being in the Bahamas was great for me though because I got a lot of compliments from my friends who haven't seen me in a while AND i felt comfortable wearing my bathing suit in front of people. :) If ever you feel like you've been working hard and no one notices, send pictures to old friends, they can ALWAYS see a difference! <3

Thanks for reading! <3

Been working hard!

Hello all!

Thank you for remaining patient! I am finally back and working hard! For the past about month I've been working hard toward my weight loss goal! I am SUPER motivated and have stayed on track pretty well so I figured I can finally write and make promises without breaking them.

JT and I joined a local gym here called "anytime" fitness. Don't ask me how it happened, but we managed to go on a day where there were no sign up fees and it 10 dollars off the regular price for the contract. It was meant to be I'd say. :)

Although I haven't lost a lot of weight yet, my muscle tone is already starting and Im feeling GREAT!

The plan is to get as much down as I can before the bahamas and then continue that trend upon my return home. Then, to hit my weightloss/body fat loss goal by the winter. Id like to be where I want by then so wherever we end up going I can begin my personal trainer license while I figure out where I am going to go to school to finish my teaching degree.

I will continue this blog from now on and work on finding good, information links. Thank you for reading and please feel free to add some information and comments! <3

Wish I would re-dedicate myself to writing

I really need to! Especially since Im super popular with 17 followers! Thanks guys!

So today was so awesome! I ran, lifted, worked and ate very well! I feel great and sore and remember finally how much I LOVE working out. Its so motivating and really makes me feel good about myself.

The last few weeks have been interesting - we've started recycling, have been seriously checking the ingredients in everything we put into our mouths (NO HFCS or HYDROGENATED crap!)And its so awesome! Now If I could just get the scale to budge haha.

The last few weeks have been pretty invalid weight loss wise. Ive pretty much just stayed in the low 170s. If I can be in the 160's this week after actually working ill be happy. I wish I would have been more serious this month with my efforts because my GFs and I are doing a "biggest loser" competition. Unfortunately noone in the group has made much progress and I feel like if I would have worked harder I may have inspired them to do better too.

I still ask myself everyday why it is so hard to get motivated. I know what I have to do, I know how I am SUPPOSED to feel, but I have SUCH a hard time :( When do you get to a point where its easy? Because I would really like to be there lol! I have my bahamas trip to Gina's wedding coming up and ill be damned if im not in a bakini (and looking good! haha)

hope everyone else's journey is going well. Please share any new info you've found and let me know how you're doing! <3 Thanks for reading!

Biggest Loser inspired check in

enjoyed the show a lot tonight so I figured I should probably check in.

My weigh in yesterday didn't go as well as I hoped after my crazy amounts of exercise last week. In fact, I gained weight. But oh well. new week - hopefully Ill see better results then.

Life in general is extremely stressful due to some personal family issues so I am constantly starving and wanting to shove my face. I hate that food is what I want to turn to. Why can't I want to turn to the tread mill or something lol? Luckily Ive held off thus far... and I am strong - but stress always makes me weak! ahhh!

We're off of school right now so we'll be working out more and doing house work as well. that always helps kick start our efforts because we feel great and productive and want to continue in other areas of our lives.

Ok - bed time for me. Thank you for reading.

check in

Well - I think Im going to have to commit to writing only once or twice a week. As much as I'd like to write daily, its difficult for me. I would like to check in at night after the day is over and reflect... but sometimes im just too tired and pooped out and just don't feel like I have enough to say, so I guess we will take it from here and see what happens! lol.

I started a new job this week. It will be AMAZING for my weight loss efforts. I am working at a restaurant called "Jakes Tyler." It is a fine dining establishment and absolutely one of the best in town. The building is set up in such a way that there is no avoiding the exercise lol! There are 4 levels. The "cellar" level is also the same level as the kitchen. Then there is a bar/dining room which is semi-formal, then an atrium level that is quite formal and the final level is the rooftop, it is called Cheveta. In order to get the food from said cellar to your floor you have to go down the stairs when you are "buzzed" with a little beeper and pick your food up and carry your butt up the stairs to your floor. This is also the case for drinks and anything else you might need. Therefore, I have literally done 100's of flights of stairs and stood for more than 25 hours so far this week. There is NO way I will not lose weight. And if I don't i have a medical issue because the amount of calories I am burning has to be SO high. I am going to wear my bodybugg tomorrow... ill let you all know. :)

On a different note we've pretty much completed our change to whole foods. We no longer have food in the house that has HFCS or aspartame etc... in it. My goals this week aare to drink less alcohol (ive been drinking A LOT lately.) and to drink more water. I also hope to lift a little too - i really need to build some muscle. (and I need to be more disciplined... i feel like I have more of a schedule in my life when i commit to working out.)

I really love the new job, school is done for a couple of weeks (and I think I got all A's.) And I just feel great in general. I hope this continues and I am able to make a lot of progress. :)

Thanks for reading! :)

monday

I don't even think many people are still reading this, but thats ok - figured I should still keep up with posting because it does keep me on track.

I ran the warrior dash on sunday - OMG so fun! JT and I decided we are going to try to run some sort of event every couple of months at least. There is one coming up in June and one in August! :) :)

I finished the run in 35 mins and considering it was 3.5 miles and had 11 obstacles I feel really good about that time. I think I could have gone even faster if I had been wearing cleats and better clothes - my shorts were too loose and almost feel off several times.

I started my biggest loser challenge last monday at 174 (so sad I know...) but I was 171.4 this morning! :) :) And after doing our run I am feeling better than ever! :) I know I keep saying that... lol but I really do feel great!

I also start my new waitressing job tomorrow- I think it will also help with my weight loss effort since Ill be on my feet and walking around a lot more for several hours a day. OH and I also got a pair of Vibrams!!! WOO HOO! They are So awesome! Mine had a manufacturer defect so Ill have to switch them out Friday but I wore them for a few hours today and LOVE them! I can't wait to go for a run in them. If you don't know what they are here is a link -

http://www.vibramfivefingers.com/

thats all for tonight - Thanks for reading!

Race Day Tomorrow!

Although we are probably unprepared and in for a sore body - our big race day is tomorrow! WOO HOO!

We spent today on the farm doing chore's with Jt's parents - that in itself was a pretty good workout so i am feeling pretty good. :)

I hope everyone else is making good choices this weekend - I will check in tomorrow or monday with our race results!! <3

update

Sorry I didn't update yesterday - i was very overwhelmed with papers, studying etc...

Things are going well here. I had softball tonight and we won again! we are 6-0! Although tonight's game was VERy close - we played like Crap!

We have the warrior dash sunday. I don't really think im ready for it, and Jt is in a lot of pain with his back again, so I think we are going to take it VERY VERY easy. the main goal is to finish it.

If the fatties in Texas can do a 5K on TBL - then I can!

Thee good news is that I am SO close to being done with school. I don't even have stress anymore. Only two more tests, one of which is online. I have two papers due but I already turned one in and the other is done besides one section. :) Life is good. Weight be gone because stress is gone! lol!

We did a great job eating this week. We ate all whole foods etc... I feel so good about it too. Its hard to let go of "low fat" but im getting used to it and enjoying teh chance.

Thanks for reading!

I want a change

Not just for me - but for America. It is really weighing on my heart.

I know that probably sounds strange, but it breaks my heart to see people who just have no control over their lives... ME included. My family included, my friends included. The worse part, is that no matter how "bad" someone wants to lose weight - it is SUCH a struggle due to our society. Convenience outweighs health more often than not. Cost outweighs health. But what can we do? I sure as hell can't buy organic chicken at 5.99 a lb. I can't buy organic strawberries at 8.99 a carton. No matter how hard I try to eat better, healthier - it seems like there is always something more that I have to consider or figure out. Why can't it be simple?

One thing I heard several times today while watching my DVR's Jamie Oliver and watching biggest loser, is that this generation right now, is the FIRST in history expected to live a shorter lifespan than their parents. HOW SICKENING! There is HOPE - but I feel like we as a society have to do MORE. Here is the beginning of our hope - JT's aunt shared this with me today and I think it is SO cool. I would LOVE to teach at a school like this!

http://austindiscoveryschool.org/nutrition.php

Now, I have another article to share that Carolyn posted for us the other day in our email group, and although its not positive or hopeful outwardly, I think it is important to note that it is positive that we are figuring these things out and learning why we are struggling so heavily (no pun intended!) as a society.

http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/03/28/fatty.foods.brain/index.html?hpt=C2

On a different note - we started out challenge Monday. I am so excited about it. Ive eaten pretty well the last few days too :) Just have to get back into the workouts more heavily and get the eating completely under control. It should be pretty easy though with JT and I having a couple week break in our school schedules. :)

I have a lot of homework to do tomorrow - but my overall goal is to do a midnight run to wally world tonight to pick up a few snacks etc... and then to find SOME time tomorrow to work out. Once we get a little moolah we are going to purchase some TRX bands. Ive really wanted them, but money wise ive had to hold off and now Im just going to such it up and put the money out.

Thanks for reading. <3

Successful Sunday

Today was a pretty successful day. JT and I ate healthy all day and I had softball :) We have our run next weekend so we are both going to continue to work out this week to prepare ourselves. We'll probably have to take it REALLY slow though! lol. We bought a water cooler thingy too - so now we have NO excuse not to drink water! (very affordable AND it is better for the environment AND it makes HOT water!)

My knee is feeling better! But its still a little weak. I am going to have to run on grass all week so my knee doesn't swell back up. JT is still hurting pretty bad though (he tweaked his hip/back/butt lol last year and its still acting up.) So Im calling the chiropractor this week for him and hopefully she can fix that for him for the run.


In addition to all of that - we only have two weeks left of school... can't wait to have a break. I really dislike it right now because I have so much work to do. :)

I have been working on my goals - Ive redone my overall goal - I'd like to be 144 by Aug 1. Id also like to get my body fat down to 18%. That is 3 months! Plus, my girlfriends and I are having a biggest loser competition type deal starting monday. We are going to do it in monthly increments and the winner at the end of that month, who loses the most body fat will get a gift or 25 bucks from each of the other people in the group. Should be fun AND very motivating.

thanks for reading!

lets make a change

I sent this email to many of my friends and family - I wanted to send it to all of you as well. :) Please support this cause!

Hello -

As many of you know, JT and I are working toward being healthier in our lives. Something we are taking most seriously is eating less processed crap and eating more whole foods. One of the things that has inspired us, is the show "Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution." If you haven't heard of it, Jamie is a chef from Europe who went into the schools of Hunington, West Va. with a mission to completely change the way the kids/faculty/parents/residents look at food. It has been a hassle for him - people are just rude and unwilling to change their ways without a fight. They are more worried about "how they would be portrayed on a show," than the health and well-being of their children. Thankfully, Jamie wouldn't take no for an answer. He pushed and pushed and pushed and did everything he could to educate the community and now he has finally gotten through to many of the residents. I am very happy for Hunington, but I'd really like to see something like this move across America. In our infinite knowledge as a society we think as long as the nutrition label looks good we're good to go - but what we don't take into account many times is what is put into the food. Things such as High Fructose Corn Syrup are within the first 3 ingredients of many of our foods... and although commercials are trying to tell you otherwise, HFCS is very dangerous and terrible for us. Here is an informational article about that -

http://skinnychef.com/blog/high-fructose-corn-syrup-bad-for-you


In addition to the ingredients in the food for the kids, one of the problems Jamie has found is that there are so many strange rules about how many grains should be in a meal etc... but what they are counting as grains are "pizza crust," in addition to that - they have to have a certain number of vegetables per meal - unfortunately, they consider french fries a vegetable. It is sickening... i could literally go on and on - He asked a group of 1st graders to name the vegetables he was holding up - one kid called a tomato a potato... and they didn't get a SINGLE one right. They couldn't name ONE vegetable out of probably 15. So basically, there is a complete ignorance. We need to educate our youth about healthy choices.
The whole point of this email is to ask you to help us try to make a difference. I have posted the link to Jamie's online petition to change the food in our schools. This petition (according to the site) will be presented to the president, and hopefully from there we will see a radical change in the food we feed our kids and the obesity problem that plagues our society. (which has also created a serious health problem in our nation.)

http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution/petition

Whether you support this or not, please forward this to anyone you think might care. The more people we can get on board, the easier it will be to make a change.

Thank you for your support. :)
Heather and JT

Too cool for school

yes - its wednesday so I didn't have to go to school! woo hoo! :) :)

It was a pretty good day mostly, but Marley decided to misbehave and stuck her damn head under the back fence after instigating the pitbull back there and ended up getting her face mauled. She is ok, and it was completely her fault, that pit is as sweet as can be... its just upsetting and nerve wracking when things like that happen. She will have a few scars on her face... and shes in some pain - but nothing too serious. Besides that I just cleaned up the house and grabbed a few things from the grocery store. We ate really healthy today! I feel great actually. We'll be continuing that trend too. Hopefully we'll start to see some changes. Its crazy - because we know that it is SO important to eat right in order to see results... but its like we have to get to a point where we are "ready" to commit to eating well.

I have a softball game tomorrow and I can' wait! I hit really well at practice Sunday - I feel like this will be a great game.

Not much else to report today - but I will do my goals etc... here in the next few days :)

Oh my birthday pie

:) Today was the busiest and most productive day I've had in weeks (and when I say that I mean it... even though i've been pretty productive lately.)

I ate decently today (besides splitting Tiramisu with JT - but we did split and it is his bday!) well was... im writing this after midnight so its no longer his bday technically.

In addition to eating well I cleaned the house (which was so filthy I was beginning to feel disgusted...) did some homework, pulled together some bday stuff for JT, went to class, had a job interview (went really well by the way - it was at Chase bank.) had dinner with JT at a GREAT restaurant and did some more homework. Oh and watched a movie! :) haha The nice thing about the productiveness of my day is that is was actually quite fun. :)

Tomorrow I am getting my hair cut. Any of you who are reading this and have seen me in the last 3 years know that my hair is almost to my butt... its time for a change. WIsh I had ANY idea what I was going to do... haha. Ill definitely post pictures! :)

I can't wait to start walking/jogging again this week. My knee still hurts but it IS feeling better today :) And Carolyn gave me some good advice (stop trying to overdo it so quickly!) Very sound advice, thank you. Im a little worried about this week's weigh in. We'll see I guess!

Thanks for reading!!!

much work - little play

Today was a very homework intensive day again! This is what I get for waiting until the last minute to do everything! lol!

I did go to softball today and had a decent practice. I feel absolutely disgusting though. I really feel fat and gross. Its such an awful feeling :( I just wish it wasn't so damn hard to lose weight. Its a constant struggle that I am so tired of having. I enjoy eating - but I constantly have to monitor what I put into my mouth because if I look at something fattening it somehow makes its way into my love handles, thighs and arms. :( bleah.

I will persist though. Its all I can really do. I just wanted to check in. I could really use some words of encouragement though if anyone has any to offer. :) thanks for your continued support. <3

Saturday

Another long day of school work!! haha. A productive day though. And although I took another day off of running (seriously... all excuses aside, my knee is gynormo... there is A LOT of fluid in it... it sucks.) But I DID play some disc golf!

I found an interesting article to share :

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/love-handles-to-killer-abs.htm

Thoughts on the article?

In addition to school work and disc golf today, I went to a going away party for my friend Kelsey. :) It was so fun and I met some great people. They are all "hippie" type people and real into eating organic etc... VERY COOL.

Tomorrow will be more school work, softball and more school work. I really hope I can run a little this week - Im a bit concerned about our run on May 2! I will walk that crap if I have too! haha I want my viking helmet! :)

thank you for reading - hope you enjoy the article I posted!

LOoooong school day

These days are always work productive, but not great for my workout/eating plan. I didn't eat badly today, but I didn't feel as in control and I would like to be. And I worked so hard at school all day that I just didn't have the energy to run (and I am so sore... my knee is literally throbbing.)

I did make the decision today though, not to be stressed anymore. I think that is one of my problems. I allow myself to be so stressed that it impedes my weight loss efforts. I found this article which I thought was quite interesting and informational - http://stress.about.com/od/stresshealth/a/weightgain.htm

The only way for me to alleviate this problem is to just stop stressing (easier said than done I bet! haha) But I am going to make and effort. I am also going to try to make smaller, better goals so that I can reach some and feel more motivated. I am going to work on those tonight and post them tomorrow.

How is everyone's weight loss/better health and fitness lifestyle going? Please share! :)

Thank you so much for reading!!

Day 3

Another decent day. Took running off for my bodies sake and instead played a round of disc golf with JT. :) So that was fun! :)

We went grocery shopping tonight! So I am VERY excited that we have good, whole foods in the house to EAT and snack on! :) Tomorrow is a long day at school - but I will run after my night class <3 and then rather than weigh in this week, I am going to wait until next week. Id like to see a big number on my first weigh in day back. :) I will also re-tape myself so I can start new with my measurements.

It is unreal how difficult it is to find normal foods without modified this, hydrogenated that... I am just floored at how "processed" our society has become. We looked at every single ingredients list tonight though and I feel great. :)

I read an article in my Women's health today that said Milk is the BEST post-workout snack. It said in a research study, women who drank milk after a workout lost weight, whereas women who drank sports drinks after a workout generally gained weight. The study showed that the Milk was a natural fat burner and muscle repairer. I know you're not a big milk fan Carolyn, and personally I don't drink much milk - but I wanted to share that bit of info in case anyone else swears by milk. :)

I am way more sore than usual! haha IT is crazy! I need to find something besides ibuprofin to help me feel less miserable! any suggestions? fish oil?

Thank for reading! <3

successful

YAY! I had a very successful first day back! :)

I logged my food, drank more water AND ran again! Although, the run SUCKED today... even worse than yesterday haha. I still ran the ENTIRE 2 miles. I will probably walk at a fast pace tomorrow or run one lap, walk one lap etc... to give my knees and back a rest (and my neck... my form is AWFUL right now so I am SO sore!)

It feels so good to be back at it again. Just having something to work toward feels good - its something I can't even really express... i just feel great being on track. I will say however, that my food is BS still. I ate too many sweety type things and not enough protein. JT and I are going to do a little shopping tonight so we'll have some good snacks in the house. I HAVE been eating a lot of almonds though Mel! :) haha

So I think since it is obvious to me that I will be able to run the 5K no problem, I think i might set a goal for myself to finish. I have to figure out what it will be because its not a normal 5K - but i'd like to push myself so that JT gets a great run in too.

Anyone read any good fitness articles lately? If so, could you share them!? :) I need some good - fitness reading! :) <3

Thank you so much for reading!

Recommitted.

Although I have written several papers this evening, and the last thing I want to do is write, I promised some friends (and myself) that I would recommit myself to writing tonight. I am good for my word. (sorry it wasn't yesterday Terrina ... im good on my word to a point...)

Things have been going ok on this end. I am not where I'd like to be - I am supposed to be at my goal weight of 144 tomorrow... and Im 25 lbs. off still. I am proud to say I have not gone back into the 170's, but not having any progress at all makes me feel sick.

On a good note, I have begun my 5K workout training. I can pretty steadily run 2 miles. I don't stop at all, but its pretty difficult near the end. I think ill be able to do the 5K comfortably when its time though based on where I currently stand.

Also on a good note, we've weeded out all of the CRAP out of cupboards. We got rid of everything that had High Fructose corn syrup, modified whatever, aspertame etc... and we've started buying whole foods. It feels great! Now if we could stop getting fast food again we'd be golden! haha!

My goals for this week are to run EVERY SINGLE DAY, log my calories starting tomorrow, and to drink enough water. Hopefully I can lose a pound or two by the end of the week and get back on track fully. I WILL be 144 by the time I go to the bahamas! I haven't forgotten my goals and even though im not on target, I won't quit.

Terrina wrote and told me she has lost some weight! WOO HOO!!! I am SO proud for her! <3 One thing she noted, and I have said again and again and posted articles about etc... is how important food intake is. She works out constantly and said it was changing her diet that helped her actually lose weight. Thank you SO much for being a motivator T - and for being on me to post again. You girls too Vicky, Jenn and Carolyn! haha

From this day forward (best I can!) I will write and stay on track. PLEASE help me as you have before! <3

check in

Well, i had my weigh in yesterday. It did not go very well - but im not discouraged...just disappointed. I am tired of working toward weight loss and not achieving it. I don't understand why I was losing a lb. a week and now its not happening at all. ugh.

On a different note, I watched Jamie Oliver last night. He finally got through to some of the kids... but the saddest thing I think I have ever seen is an entire 1st grade class unable to identify even ONE fruit or vegetable he held up. Seriously... one called a TOMATO a POTATO. It was so sad. I would call that a FAIL for our society and our future. There was also a 4 year old that literally looked like a 4th grader because she was so big. I hope when Im teaching I can do something to help children with their decisions in food - and Chelsea you're right, maybe we will be able to make a committee or something? I WILL do something.

SO I think the only way I am going to be able to get to my goal is to radically change something. I have tried just to watch myself and eat a little better... i definitely need to work out more. There is no question about that. So I think I am going to make a challenge with myself to work out EVERY day this week starting NOW. Today I have a softball tournament. Tomorrow I have softball practice. Monday I will ride my bike to school and go on a jog and lift weights. Tuesday the same and etc... I also talked to JT and he is going to buy me TRX bands for Easter! I am SO excited. They will be a great resource for working out! Another goal is TO DRINK WATER! UGH! haha I still haven't been drinking water like I should.

The main key to this is to know that this is going to work for me - when you fall... you have to continue to get back up and work toward your goal. Thank you for reading.

Toooosday!

Decent day today!

I had school all day and got good news that I was wrong about how many books I have to read! Instead of 40 I only have to do 24! I am SO excited because I was SO worried about finishing. Now it will be just fine because i've done at least 10 already. I also found out I only have to write 4 of my 8 english papers! WOO HOO! Talk about taking stress right off of my shoulders! I only wish JT could get a break too. Our house has been so stressed due to the ridiculous amount of work he is assigned daily. I know this is all worth the frustration but I will be so happy when he doesn't have to feel stressed all the time. It makes me feel terrible.
Through the stress though - he made us a great dinner on the grill again! We had fajitas and he grilled the tortillas and made black beans in foil on it too! it was awesome! Fage instead of sour cream and corn (again...i love it so much! haha)

Melanie - I have been snacking on almonds and its been so filling and yummy! Thank you for the suggestion!! :) Also - in regards to the P90X - its a workout video that has a 90 day plan. Each month is a different set of workouts and they are challenging and awesome. All you need is a set of weights or resistance bands (i suggest getting both) and a pull up bar that you can put in one of your doors. (you can get a great deal on the entire package on amazon.) Id also like to suggest though that you consider TRX. If I had a choice that's what Id rather do - Chris can probably tell you about them because they are very popular for deployment situations etc... but they are AMAZING. Heck - if you could afford it, both would be awesome! haha You'd love them. They actually even offer TRX classes at a lot of gyms!

Aside from all of that, JT and I are going to go ahead and finish up the food in the house and then completely change to non-processed foods. We're not buying diet soda any more etc... and we're going to start buying organic next time we go to the store. I think the only thing we may have on hand in case of emergencies is sugar-free monster :) no aspertame and it has lots of vitamins and minerals... we don't drink them all the time but on non-coffee days in the hot hot heat of texas its nice to have a cold caffeinated drink! any opinions on this?

thanks for reading all! <3

successful monday

Great day today!

I ate clean (im pretty sure) and made my rounds to all of the different health food/product stores in town. It was SO cool!

SO this is what I ate

Breakfast- Fage yogurt, locally grown honey and bearnaked granola
Lunch - went to an organic eatery and had tomato basil soup and a salmon cake
snack - 1 oz. of Almonds and 8 oz. of milk
Dinner - 4 oz. of ny strip, asparagus, corn and bakery bread.
I have also had 2 and a half glasses of wine! lol! :) Delicious! haha

I feel like today went well though. I personally feel very good right now and I went on a nice long walk in the beautiful weather with chels today and that was good. :)
I found some really neat places to get products and food and found out our farmers market starts back up here in only a couple of weeks. :)

Some of the places I checked out today were neat - I am actually quite surprised how much availability we have in this area. They are also going to be building a chain grocery store around here but apparently its going to be a green/organic version of it. I can't wait! :) They even have a store that is all about "holistic medicine," but its not that they are selling it - they have a naturopathic doctor who performs Iridology to tell you what you need in your body. They also have infrared saunas and several other things. I don't know how awesome those things are, but they did seem pretty neat!!!

I have told anyone wiling to listen about the Jamie Oliver show. I still can't believe that crap. Today i've been trying to come up with a plan on how I can help fix some of the problems. I just really feel like I have some sort of a calling...just wish I could figure out what it was so I could get started! :)

Tomorrow I am going to try to do even better on my eating (eat enough at least) and then JT and I are going to a comedy show tomorrow night! I can't wait!!!!

Thank you so much for reading!

Horrified.

I am absolutely horrified.

I just watched Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and its basically about a man from Europe, England I believe, who comes to America and goes to a town and tries to help them change their school lunches/ideas about food.

The reason I am horrified, is because it was such an eye-opener of the fact that many Americans are ignorant, set in their ways and don't give a CRAP about their bodies. This man goes into a school and shows them that what they are feeding their kids is processed CRAP and he brings in fresh food, within their budget, to show them they can do it. It was a teaser so we didn't see if he succeeded yet (premier is Friday next week at 8, 7central). But just the negativity he encountered FLOORED ME! He was trying to HELP them and they were being SO MEAN to him.

Not only can't I believe how absolutely close-minded and rude these people were to him... but I can't believe that our country actually believes what they are doing is good! I mean WTF? This guy goes into a school and they have pizza for breakfast, chicken nuggets and "potato pearls" for lunch, the next day they have pizza for lunch... its like what are we doing to our YOUTH?! No wonder I am fat - that is the SAME CRAP i ate growing up....all processed BULLcrap. Our bodies cannot process that stuff and I feel SILLY that I have been on this "eat low fat" crap. I am sorry. Carolyn you were right. We have to eat fresh, simple food to remain healthy and safe. One of the most hard hitting things he said what "I've been to African villages and have seen what they eat - and they eat better than American children... parents should be PISSED." Here is a link to the show and a commercial to it - http://abc.go.com/shows/jamie-olivers-food-revolution.

We just have SO many factors working against us. Healthy food is expensive. We are brainwashed to think that "diets" are the way to go, rather than making a REAL change. There is SO much crap out there about weight loss, being healthy, that we don't know where to start.... How can we fix these things?

1. For one - JT and I decided instead of going out to eat and spending on extras, we will invest that money into eating organic/unprocessed foods. We will budget it somehow, someway.
2. I will no longer diet. I know I keep saying this is a lifestyle change, but its REALLY got to be... I don't want my kids to be fat and miserable like i've been.
3. I will do what I can to find good information and share it. We can only go on what we believe... so we've got to learn as much as we can about as many aspects of weight loss and eating well and BEING HEALTHY as we can and decide what we believe.

I hope this is a good start. Because this journey has gone well... but its been BS that I haven't lost more weight and I don't feel as good as I did... WHY? you ask? Probably because we've been busy so I've been eating "Lean" pockets and processed CRAP that isn't helping me in any way. As Ive said before but not actually modeled - its not about HOW MANY calories you put in your body per se (well it is...but more importantly) its about the nutritional value of those calories.

I will not drink diet coke. I will not drink crystal light, I will not eat lean pockets, I will not eat "low fat" cheese unless its organic and naturally low fat. From now on my body is a temple. the end.

I would also like to bring up my question the other day about snacks. I suggest everyone read the book "The Abs Diet." Its not actually a diet at all really - but its a VERY informational guide, written by the editor in chief of Men's Health Magazine "David Zinzenko". I promise you will not be disappointed by this book - it tackles the evilness of high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oil etc...and much much more. If you read this book for me, I will read ANY book you suggest.

In regards to snacks, I will give you a preview from the book in JT's words -

"1. 10 -30% of the calories you burn each day, get burned by the simple act of digesting your food.
2. maintaining a steady blood-sugar level prevents your body from slowing down its resting metabolic rate in order to conserve energy until the next energy source (meal).
3. Psychologically, you feel like you're getting to eat more food so you're less likely to binge on bad things (it matters WHAT the food is that you're eating more often...)
4. Its not 6 or however many meals - its six calorie consuming sessions for lack of a better term. Your body uses more calories to digest protein than fats and carbs - 25 cals burned for every 100 cals consumed of protein vs. 10-15 cals burned for every 100 cals of fats or carbs consumed. And those are JUST the calories your body burns in digestion - it doesn't even take into account how protein fuels your muscle repair and keeps you fuller longer.

Im telling you this book is great - I can't even begin to scratch the surface of all of this...

Thank you for reading. I really hope you got as much from reading this as I got from writing it! Love you guys! PLEASE comment as you see necessary.

weigh in went well!

Down a lb.! I was 168 today! :)

Woot Woot!

I know ive been really slacking on the blog lately... and I hate that. I am going to start writing EVERY single day and at a reasonable time by Monday! I will also start sharing links and info again too. <3

I really appreciate the continued readership though. The journey still goes on even when you're not at your best. I hope to be 166 next week - i HAVE to have a 2lb. week for my sanity! haha it will be all on me though - i have to eat well and work out. :)

<3 thanks for reading!

Happy St. Patty's day!

Overall it was a pretty good day today.

We worked on organizing JT's closet and literally ate nothing the entire day until dinner. We were going to make Pork Chops and corn but ended up getting wings to celebrate the day. Emotionally I had a tough day. Today is my Grandma Weaver's birthday - she passed away in 2002 and I miss her so much. Im feeling better now though after a couple of beers :) and JT loved on me quite a bit and babied me which has been nice. :) I DID NOT eat away my sadness which is a huge accomplishment. I am lucky because I stopped eating my emotions away a few years ago - that has made this weight loss journey a lot more manageable. :)

ON a different note - I have a softball game tomorrow and I am SO excited! I love playing a sport to burn calories - feels like a freebie! haha :)

JT figured it up and if I can lose between 2-3 lbs. a week (which I haven't done yet! lol) I can be very very close to my goal of 144 by April 13 - Ill be in the 150's at least which will be my lowest in years. Its SO hard to imagine myself at that weight! haha I've always been sort of "athletic" and built that way but ive never been really athletic and tone. I can't wait! haha

We also have our warrior dash May 2 and I really have to start getting ready for that! its only 3.1 miles but I want to do an awesome job! :) I think that will take running - so I really am going to start that up... i know i've said that but im yet to do it - still a bit nervous I guess. :)

anyways thanks for reading - Id still appreciate some snack vs. not-snacking feedback if anyone has some to offer! :)

New Week, ready for some hard work

Good day today!

JT made a WONDERFUL dinner (as you can see) and we finally finished the living room yesterday! It feels SO good to get stuff done!

This week should be a decent weight loss week - even if I can only get back down to 167. I am still doing pretty poorly with the water drinking though.

On a different note, a few of my girlfriends have been discussing whether people should be eating snacks or only 3 meals a day? Any ideas on that subject?

THank you for reading! <3

whew

another busy day today!

Its really starting to look great around here though. Tomorrow should be a great day - we are going to put up some reed fencing to give ourselves a bit more privacy and then we are having a BBQ with JT's parents. :)

Weight wise all of this work is hopefully paying off... maybe Ill see big numbers next week finally? Who knows :)

See you all tomorrow!

The proof is in the pudding.

I didn't write last night because I knew I'd want to check in this morning with my weigh in. And all I have to say is although I've been burning a million calories...I was 169 this morning - its obvious to me that EATING is as important, if not more important than calorie burn. Its not simply calories in vs. calories out... its about putting lowfat nutritious food in your body.

I am actually glad this happened because its a good eye opener. From here on out I am going to eat my low fat - good for me food and have a cheat meal... I just have to plan plan plan! :)

I hope all of you who have addictions (cough cough chocolate) will use me as a bad example. Look at me as the control group and take my results as fact! Because that is the ONLY Thing I changed... my diet! I ate less calories than normal and burned more.

Thank you for reading - and just to be clear I am not unhappy with this week because I am right back on the stick! :) <3

Lordy am I tired!

Wow has it been a busy day. And as a result my eating has not been great. So terrible and BS. I am eating a lot less often but getting quick to grab things like lean pockets and fast food. That has to change. I am however, burning a million calories a day which is nice. :)

Its so weird how you can know in your brain that you're not doing something correctly - you have all of the tools to make the right choices and all of the resources... yet you still choose to make the wrong choice. Why? I just can't quite figure it out. Yes its more convenient - but just a LITTLE planning would help me be more successful. I went for 9 straight weeks doing great and on week 10 its like im my old self again.

I am not going to let this stop me though. Really this is just a small bump in the road that I am going to face the rest of my life. And honestly, if I were in maintenance mode I would be fine right now because I am not OVER eating, just not eating low fat/good choices. And Ive said it... Ive preached it... the food you put into your body makes all of the difference. We'll see how Friday goes I guess! :)

On a different note I am still looking for soy information! :) And anything else anyone would like to share! Thank you as always for reading!

I am a little less terrible

Ok - two times in one day - that should be enough to redeem myself a bit :)

Today was a good day. We tore the garage out pretty much and painted quite a bit of the shelving JT made. :) ITs beautiful by the way - wait until I post pictures... you all are going to want to hire him!

We also went out to dinner this evening with his mom and did some walking around. I ate a very healthy dinner and I feel so proud. I ate well ALL day today. I also checked my calorie burn for the past several days and ive been well over 2600 every day! :)

I have been looking for articles on soy and how it impacts weight loss - does anyone know of any or know any information about that? I heard its bad for weight loss due to the access estrogen but I want to read about it and learn about it more. I used to LOVE soy milk but stopped drinking it for this reason. I am now drinking organic horizon. :)

My big goal this week is to up my water intake. I have talked about it before and just haven't done it and that is a problem. I think I may even be getting a bladder infection - seriously.

I have to get into the 150s. Seriously. Ive been at this for 9 weeks now and I've only lost 10 lbs. I know its no big deal because I AM losing, but I know I can do better. Im talking so much talk and not doing enough.

thank you for reading <3

I am terrible

I can't believe I have skipped so many days of writing. I actually feel super guilty. I have so much to write about but I get so tired and just forget until the morning.

NO MORE! (except on Sundays occasionally... thats a nice break haha)

Anyways, a LOT has been going on here. We were basically out of town this weekend and had a great time with our friends in Houston. We ate VERY badly Saturday night and Sunday I am not too proud of my diet choice, but its been a nice break from counting calories and I am TOTALLY back on track. I will say though - I have been burning calories like a MAD WOMAN! :)

We have been doing work on the house and it is REALLY coming along - I am SO excited about what we are accomplishing. Our main problem has been not going shopping recently - we just don't have things in the house to snack on. That has to change today for sure. I got a few things last night to snack on, but we need dinner/lunch/breakfast food. When we have those things, its much easier to make healthy decisions.

My friend Jennifer from my email group shared an AWESOME article today - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35315651/ns/health-diet_and_nutrition/ MAKE SURE YOU READ IT! Very good information.

Based on that information, I think I am going to try to buy organic produce finally. Melanie and Carolyn have been advocating I do that anyways. Its time though.

I am also going to try to jog a little bit starting the next few days. I am not really supposed to run, but now that I've lost about 10 lbs. my back hurts SO much less often! And I really have a need to be in aerobic/cardio vascular shape. I just hate not being able to run comfortably. Even if its slow I want that.

I will write again tonight to catch up a little bit more, but thank you for reading! <3 150's here I come!

weigh in

well - I had my weigh in today and I was 167 again. :) Im a bit disappointed because I burned A LOT of calories this week but oh well :) next week! I am still doing great!

Thursday

Long school day today - but SPRING BREAK IS HERE! I will have TONS of time to work out and JT and I are going to be doing hard labor around the house all week so it should be good!

I will def. check in tomorrow but wanted to thank everyone for their better eco living ideas! If anyone else has some please share! :)

Busy Wednesday!

We accomplished SO much today!

Not only did we rip down an old dilapidated shed in our backyard, but I also went walking today! I burned my 2600 cals! WOO HOO! (almost exactly!)I also REALLY cleaned the kitchen today.

I found an AWESOME blog (especially for my frugal friends!)

http://frugalecoliving.blogspot.com/

enjoy! hahaha

Ok so this is today's new topic - (i need some input on this one for sure!)
What do you all do to be more eco friendly, organic etc... I need some tips because I am not very organized - I have no idea what products to buy etc...

The one thing I am CRAZY about is using as FEW plastic shopping bags as possible. It takes SO MUCH oil to make plastic bags and they are just terrible for the environment in general. We bought re-usable bags and make an effort to use them... although we both forget a lot! haha.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

side note: Mel - the diva cup should be so good as a way to be more eco friendly - it came today and I can't wait to use it! My friend bought one and is having a hard time with it sticking out a bit... any suggestions on how to make it more comfortable?

Thanks guys <3 WEIGH IN FRIDAY! WOOT!

Good Day

Another good day in the Bolestridge house.

JT and I finished the drywall and painting and moved around the kitchen! It looks SO much better and we burned a TON of calories while doing it! We are REALLY looking forward to spring break too because we are going to do a lot of home improvement - it will radically change the house too... I can't wait to post the before and afters!

I also took the day off of school kind of. I had an exam this morning that I went to, but decided I needed a rejuvenation day to just get stuff done and just unwind. I really think emotions have A LOT to do with weight loss efforts. I find when I am more stressed I tend not only to eat more - but the negative attitude really makes me retain weight I think.

Tomorrow will be another day of house work as well as a tough workout for sure. I really need it! I haven't been lifting like I should (SHAME ON ME!)

Im sorry my blog has been a bit stinky the last few days. I want to check in but I haven't had a lot of time to do research and post articles! If anyone else would like to post some I would LOVE it!

Quite Tired!

Yes... its past 1 (for some reason my blog says its pacific standard time.. haven't taken the time to change that yet! haha) JT and I just made a midnight run to wally world to pick up stuff for healthy chili tomorrow! SOOOO excited! :) I love his chili and its so cold and rainy and gross here! Chili will definitely hit the spot!

We had SUCH a productive weekend. We completely cleaned out the garage and bought shelving to organize a bit. We also patched the drywall in the kitchen and pretty soon it will be all fixed and much easier to move around in! I also played softball! It was just overall a wonderful weekend with my sweet hubby.

I had class today and rather than putting in a super long workout Chels and I did some walking around cardio. It actually worked pretty well too - i burned a couple hundred calories.

My calorie burn the last few days has been great. I am going to make it a serious goal to burn my 2600 a day I usually get close but if I just do a BIT more I can make it and I'll see better results. My eating has been on target so Im feeling good. (I will admit though I had more than 1 cheat meal this weekend!)

See you all tomorrow! <3

Saturday

Well - got rid of all of my ratty/too big old clothes today. :)

Feels good but scary at the same time. I always worry Im going to want to wear something as SOON as Ive gotten rid of it haha. :)

We spent the day working on the house which was pretty nice and tomorrow we are going to do some more work in the kitchen. :) Should be good for calorie burn at least! I also have a softball scrimmage tomorrow!

Short post today - I'll check in with some good info tomorrow!

Weigh In! Woot!

Well ladies and gentlemen - awesome day.

I had my weigh in today and was down another lb. 167.6 was the official weigh in so I am officially down 10.1 lbs. In addition to that I measured my body fat today and its 26.6 - down from34%!!!!! And finally, I did my measurements today and I am down 4.5 inches! I am SO pleased with my progress. I know its not as quick as I hoped it would be weight loss wise, but based on my body fat percentage loss I'd say im accomplishing my goal of HEALTH! :)

SOOO overall VERY good day! I did however have a cheat meal tonight! ah! It was pretty good! BLT and fries at a local burger joint. :) It was a fun! JT had the chili dog and it was good too. He is down 10 lbs. officially too after today's weigh in. :)

My softball tournament for tomorrow was canceled due to the rain we've had here so instead, JT and I are going to work on the house - make ourselves a healthy "ihop" like breakfast and play some disc golf! :) Its supposed to be a very nice day so disc golf should be something we can do! Besides that I have to really buckle down and read a few books for my adolescent literature class! Im falling behind!

I am also looking forward to biggest loser coming back. I've REALLY enjoyed the Olympics, but I wish they wouldn't have canceled my show!

See you all tomorrow! thank you for reading and I'd still LOVE opinions on body image if anyone has them! Thanks Chelsea and Terrina for sharing yours! <3

Optimistic!

Tomorrow is the big day!

Had a great day today - well... exhausted day... but good day in all. I stayed up a bit too late for my own good finishing a paper and then had 4 classes today! But I feel great. I am optimistic for tomorrow. I am just feeling so good about the changes in my body. JT is going to do my measurements for me so I can have that information along with my weight. I am excited to see if there is a change. :)

We are headed to Dallas tomorrow for a dental appointment for JT - the good thing about that is that we are going to stop out the outlets on the way home! Maybe i'll find an inexpensive "reward" for myself! haha :)

I have a softball tournament Saturday then softball practice Sunday :) Can't wait - such a great way to burn calories while doing something I LOVE! I just hope its warm!

I want to discuss quickly body image. What do you all think body image is? Do we perceive ourselves differently than others? Why is it that even though i've only made a little progress toward my overall bowl do I feel so much better? And this feeling of contentment with my body - will that make me slack because I am comfortable? well... it won't because I won't let it - but for some reason it ALWAYS has before. I start looking and feeling better than ever and then I just stay right where im at until I gain it all back.

Thanks for reading! <3

Wednesday!

Wow! busy and productive day today! :)

Firstly, we got up pretty early and I worked on the house while JT did lesson plans. Then we took Spargi on a super long walk today. We decided we are going to try to take the girls on a walk every day individually so they each get some special attention and so we can get our heart rates pumping a few extra times a day. :) Then after JT left for class I started reading a novel so I can write a paper this evening (yes - this was newly assigned - i actually didn't procrastinate... its crazy). I am actually still working on that, but I wanted to take a minute to check in! :)

I found an AWESOME article today that MANY of you will really like! :) I am so excited to share it! Make sure to go check out the link!

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Dirty-Dozen-Foods

and here is the protein pancake recipe we use - however, we are going to stop using the olive oil and switch it out or just take it out completely. It adds quite a bit of fat- even if good fats its a bit much. I also added a bit of cinnamon.

HI PROTEIN PANCAKES
1 c. cream style cottage cheese 4 eggs 1 1/2 c. flour 1/4 tsp. salt 1/4 c. oil 1/2 c. milk 1/2 tbsp. vanilla Whirl at high speed in blender for 1 minute. Bake on lightly greased griddle. Turn when edges look dry.

Tomorrow I have school ALL day - should be a good one though. :) Weigh in Friday! AHH! :) Thanks for reading!

Tasty dinner

As you can see, JT made a wonderful dinner this evening! I will post the recipe too because it is definitely worth making! It was so awesome. Of course he always has to make a few changes and substitutions to make it healthier.

Today was a better day. I at least feel better. I still have a slight head ache going on 3 days now but its not nearly as bad as it was when it started. Oh... and just to give everyone a little laugh... I went to get my eyebrows waxed today and my lady, who usually does a good job, pretty much took off one of my eyebrows completely. I literally look like Im doing the Rock eyebrow raise at all times and have half an eyebrow. The worst part is that I have NO idea how to put on pencil to make it look normal lol. Good thing they grown quick i guess. :)

The rest of the week we will have a lot going on! Tomorrow we're going to work on the house and we are both going to get in a heavy workout.

OHHHHH we also got a little waffle maker and made AWESOME protein waffles today! They were soo good! And EASY! I will find the recipe for that to post tomorrow...Very easy breakfast to make and eat in a hurry. Healthy and delicious too! :) Does anyone have any other quick breakfast, lunch ideas? I really really need to start planning better. Ive been doing a good job but Id like a few more options. :)

Dinner Recipe -

Pork Tenderloin with Chimichurri

Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2007

Prep Time:

15 min

Inactive Prep Time:

35 min

Cook Time:

8 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 to 8 servings

Directions

Chimichurri:

Ingredients

• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 2 jalapenos, seeded and minced
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
• About 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
• About 1/2 cup finely chopped fresh oregano leaves
• 3 limes, juiced
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 teaspoon whole black peppercorns
• 2 pork tenderloins (about 1 pound each), trimmed of excess fat, patted dry
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Lime juice, for drizzling
• Parsley sprigs, for garnish

Combine the garlic, jalapeno and vinegar in a bowl. Stir in the parsley, oregano, and lime juice. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Mix well and set aside at room temperature to allow the flavors to marry.

Reserve 1/2 cup of the chimichurri to serve and marinate the pork in the rest. Put the pork and marinade in a sealable plastic bag and set aside in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Preheat an outdoor charcoal grill or oven broiler to high.

Remove the pork from the marinade, wiping off any excess. Season both sides with a generous amount of salt and pepper. Drizzle with olive oil and place on the grill. Grill the pork on the hottest part of the barbecue for 4 minutes per side, until well charred. Allow the tenderloin to rest for about 5 minutes prior to slicing. Spoon some chimichurri over the meat, drizzle with lime juice, garnish with parsley, and serve with the remaining sauce at the table.

and here is the recipe for the potatoes HOWEVER - we BAKED ours and used Fage instead of sour cream for the little sauce (which was AWESOME and will taste AMAZING with artichoke!)

• 20 to 30 small new potatoes
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

Directions

Garlic aioli:

• 2 heads garlic
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 sprig thyme
• 1 tablespoon water
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• *1 jumbo egg yolk
• 1 lemon, juiced
• Salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• Chopped chives, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Lay potatoes out in a single layer on a sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss the potatoes around so they are evenly coated and pop in the oven to roast for 35 to 40 minutes until tender.

Alrighty! Thank you for reading! See you tomorrow!

bleah

Well - I wasnt going to post tonight because im in a bit of the funk... well - not a funk really I am just feeling bleah today because its that time of the month and I had a terrible migraine last night and ended up waking up WAY late this morning lol.

Also - I went to try on some new pants so I have SOMETHING to wear besides stretch or workout pants and it sucks because I couldnt find any... they were all too big in the waist and tight in the thighs. Blast my thunder thighs. haha

Actually - i should be more positive, the day wasnt that bad at all. Its just so hard to keep things in perspective sometimes. My poor mom had an abscess in her tooth all weekend and had to get it pulled today and I am complaining about waking up late this morning.

JT and I decided we will be cooking at home the rest of the week. We are also going to start making some MAJOR home improvements, including framing in our garage area so we can move our workout room out there and bring our living room furniture back lol. It will also add some storage space to the house which we DESPERATELY need. That should burn tons of calories in addition to my work outs. Today I took a rest day because of my 3 hour practice yesterday and still managed to burn 2500 calories. This is going to be a really good weigh in week. (i know I keep saying that, but Ive burned A LOT of calories already this week!)

Well besides all of that I have a softball tournament this weekend. I cant wait!

Thanks for reading! <3

Great Weekend

So I had a great weekend!

Well to start with Friday - We went to JT's parents house and messed around with the sweet baby goats <3 And then we had our cheat meal (mexican).

Saturday we did a lot around the house. We played disc golf, went to lunch out and made pretty healthy choices and also washed the car. The disc golf was a blast though and again, its amazing how many calories you burn from just walking around! haha It makes me so happy to know I can just walk around and DO stuff and burn calories to lose weight. Chelsea - thank you for such a fun time! Hope you enjoyed the game!
I also made dog biscuits - So cool! The girls LOVED them! Thanks again Melanie! <3 As silly as it sounds, making my sweet babies dog biscuits really brought me a lot of joy! haha

Then today... oh my goodness today... SO busY! I ran around the house and got a lot done here this morning - then I had a THREE hour softball practice! haha Then I stopped by Sam's on the way home and Brookshires (regular grocery store here in Texas). Then I came home and put the stuff away - took a shower and realized we had no lunch meat left so I had to go back to brookshires! Then I came home, made dinner, cleaned the kitchen and fed the dogs! lol! I burned 2904 calories for the day! haha and I ate very light because I was so busy!

SO yeah, busy, but amazing day. I love feeling so accomplished!

I'll have another long check in tomorrow. I found some great vitamins I'd like to share and a few more products I like. Feel free to share your own too! <3

weigh in results

Down another lb. this week! 168!!!

Im feeling good! Can't wait to see a TWO pound weight loss in a week! haha! :)

Today was such a good day. JT and I went to visit his parents and their goat had BABIES! THey were SOOO cute and we burned a few calories trying to help with that fiasco (feeding, shoveling, raking etc...) and I got to play with the babies! :) Then we had our cheat meal this evening (mexican food!) it was good. :)

Tomorrow we are going to play disc gold in the morning and we have a lot to do around the house :)

see you all tomorrow! <3

weigh in - only a couple of hours away!

Only a few hours to see my new weight! :)

Today was great! I had school all day and met my calorie burn by walking around campus. I took healthy snacks and lunch and didn't fall prey to the vending machine blues! :)

Ive also been doing much better taking my vitamins which makes me feel like I am accomplishing something every day. Also, I am cooking much better lately too! I made fajitas this week (JT can't get enough of them) and breakfast one day and Voila last night! I feel proud that I am actually cooking a bit and not leaving it all on poor JT!

In addition to fitting in to my shirt the other day, JT and I decided (mostly him) that it is time to get me a new pair of jeans - mine are LITERALLY FALLING OFF haha. I look like im trying to sag! :) He is fitting back into his darn skinny jeans already too! haha :) I wish my progress was as extreme as his but as Ive said 100 times I AM feeling SO much better in general.

Can't wait to check in with my weight! <3 See you all in the AM! (FOR SURE THIS TIME!)

so tired!

It was a restful day for sure - but I just did plyometrics and I am absolutely exhausted. haha.

Today was a pretty good day - I got a lot accomplished homework wise and I would say the R&R went well too haha. :)

Nothing else really to report :) Just wanted to check in and let everyone know Im still truckin! <3

Quick check in

Im pretty tired today for some reason but still feeling great! :)

JT made tilapia for dinner and it was so delicious. :) He is so amazing. We've since been watching the olympics and working on homework. I must say I am quite disappointed about biggest loser being on hiatus until March 2. :( boo. Oh well.

Tomorrow should be a very productive day because I do not have school and will have a lot of time to take care of business such as working out, laundry, homework and some much needed R&R. (don't ask me why its much needed but my body is telling me it is so I am going to go with that. :) haha)

I am feeling quite hopeful about Friday's weigh in. I am feeling good and feel like my body is catching up with the hard work finally. My pants are literally falling off and its only been 9 lbs. I can't wait to see where im at when I meet my goal!

<3 OH and another thing I am ready for is some warmer weather so I can ride my darn bike!
I'd also like to congratulate my friends who are seeing success because they are working hard! Keep it up everyone! And remember - THIS has to be a lifestyle change - yoyo dieting is not healthy! YOU CAN DO IT!

Whew!

Exhausting Monday! And I don't even do HALF of what JT does on Mondays! haha

Anyways it was a VERY productive day. Not only did I knock my calorie burn out of the park by cleaning my butt of (literally) this morning and working out, but I ate very well today, got homework done and JT and I picked up a few essentials at the store!

P90X has been very good to me. I must say. Its a tough workout but man it is making me so strong. What I find MOST amazing though, is how much just doing stuff burns. Walking around the house picking crap up - walking to class etc... brings your overall daily calorie burn up. My point with all of this is that making small changes here and there in your day will be helpful to calorie burn. Take the stairs a few extra times, park a few spots further from the store, class, work etc... That is especially important on days you can't get a workout in.

I know my weight loss is going to be big this week. I have cut my calories a bit and I am going to do a little extra "moving" throughout the week. Im feeling SO good.

Side note - Melanie! I answered your questions about the supplement questions I had if you don't mind checking that out for me. And thank you everyone for your continued support in this endeavor and lifestyle change! Its still going GREAT! (PS I fit into a shirt I haven't been able to wear in a couple years! woot!) :) :) :)

Eating Matters

Important message today.

Eating has a huge impact on weight loss goals. I know that is something most of us think we already know, but the truth is, most people think if they work out still they will see results. And, you may, but they will not be a significant as they would if you could work out and eat right.

Think about it this way - it takes lets say 30 mins to burn 300 cals (hypothetically) if you eat a candy bar at 220 cals - you've already undone your weight loss effort. You have to burn 3500 cals to lose ONE pound a week - so eating your exercise cals back every day isn't getting you to your goal because its undoing the work for you. I know a lot of the problem for me at least is emotional eating - its something I find myself doing constantly. I found an article that may be helpful about emotional eating-

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/weight-loss/MH00025

A really great book to explain how our bodies process food - why diet is so important and the evils of high fructose corn syrup (yes ladies and gentlemen... the commercials are BS) is the "ABS Diet." I definitely suggest picking it up. It will open your eyes.

I had a nutritionist tell me at one point that 90 percent of weight loss is diet and Ive never seen the results I am seeing now before because Ive never been as aware of what I am putting into my mouth.

I didn't mean to get off in a tangent or anything, I just wanted to put that out there because I think its so important. And its not just calories either - fat vs carbs and protein matters too. If you're eating 1500 cals a day and 900 are candy then you're still defeating yourself because our bodies need a balance.

As far as I go - I had a great day eating wise and workout wise. I ate light for most of the day and had bison steaks for dinner - they were SO good... as good if not better than regular steaks and they are SO healthy for you its crazy. Plus, although they are a bit expensive, so is red meat so that will be what we buy from now on I think. I also played softball today which felt great. Well, I did the batting cages but it was a hell of a workout! haha. My abs are killing me.

Also, I was 168 this morning... too bad my weigh in days aren't Saturday lol! haha Maybe I'll see some good results this coming Friday. I can also see in my every day life that my body is changing drastically now. So, with frustration (no weight loss this week) I can see the overall picture, which is so important. :)

thank you so much for reading!

weigh in!

I was 169 again this week. :) And I worked a bit harder and ate well but my body didn't want to let anything go. :) haha Im happy though because I AM still in the 160's!

more later this evening!

Long snowy day

Weigh in day tomorrow.

Its been a busy week but Ive had a lot of good workouts and I ate pretty well. I still don't think Im doing as much as I can though. I feel like I need to continue to ramp up my workouts until I am yielding a much higher calorie burn. I do however, feel like I am getting stronger which is a nice feeling!

As you can see on the left, JT made a wonderful dinner this evening. We had three cheese stuffed spinach ravioli, homemade tomato sauce and chicken sausage. It was so good. mmmmmm!

We're watching ironchef right now... its chocolate throwdown of course... ugh. I want some darn chocolate now. haha :) I will resist!

alright - i will be here tomorrow and I WILL check in with my weight! here's hoping!

I love Wednesdays!

Productive day today!

Im feeling good too! Although, I have a feeling I am not going to see much weight loss this week. I haven't cheated and weighed in early but I am feeling a bit bloated :( oh well. Its the end result right?

Beverly came over to workout today and we did core - it was HARD. My tip for the day is that whenever you're doing ANY chores (unloading the dishwasher, doing laundry etc...) engage your core the whole time - its a great way to get a work out in for free!

Something I've noticed too is that its INSANE how many calories you can burn just by walking! on the days I have classes and have to walk between them or JT and I go shopping etc... I burn SO many more calories. Its pretty awesome.

RETRACTION RETRACTION RETRACTION

After further review, the wendy's hamburgers I suggested the other day aren't as good a choice as I thought. In fact, its much worse, so don't eat it! Im sorry for misinforming you all. And that is a good thing to keep in mind - always double and triple check caloric information on fast food items because WHAT a disappointment to think you're doing good and making good decisions and finding out later you're not! :( ugh. Good news though! Chick - Fil- A chargrilled chix sandwich was accurate and its great for you! :) :)

I know this is a short one - just wanted to take a minute to check in! Thanks for reading! <3

being a loser isn't so bad! :)

Great day on the motivation scale. Besides of course getting into a fight on facebook (again.)

The other day was a fair argument, I won't get into that because it doesn't relate here ... however, today's fight really really really pissed me off (yes three really's... thats how mad I am!). I actually got into a fight with someone because they think Obama signing an executive order to combat childhood obesity was a waste of his time because it should be spent on Iran relations etc... It was like um... ARE YOU KIDDING!? I can't describe how ignorant I feel this person is right now and it saddens me that someone could think protecting our Americans and actually TEACHING them the importance of nutrition, providing healthy lunches at school for kids etc... is a waste of the president's time. You'd think, with all of this health care debate, someone would consider the fact that more than 50% of our population being obese could be part of the problem! And worst of all, is the fact that healthy food options are not available to SO many americans because healthy food is expensive. A person on a budget can go buy a damn double cheeseburger for a dollar, one of those little warm up pizzas with 20grams of saturated fat for 77 cents but can't buy produce for less than 1.99 a lb. Someone please tell me how this is right? I don't always agree with the Obama administration, but I do appreciate this and will support his in this completely. Here are some interesting articles so you all can educate yourselves on the initiative and shut stupid people up!

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/09/obama.child.obesity/index.html

http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/09/lkl.michelle.obama/index.html?hpt=T2

Ok, enough of that. :) I am personally feeling good because I am educating myself! (and you all are helping to educate me - thank you SO much for all of your comments, encouragement and feedback!)

Oh and forgive me please for the vulgarity... thats a goal I need to make... cleaning up my potty mouth!

I can't wait to make this goal - I am 100% getting my personal trainer license. I need more control to help people because truly, helping people, or at least feeling like I help/motivate people makes me enjoy life. I want to help people feel good about themselves - to know that they are beautiful no matter what size they are, that losing weight is more important than just looking good, its about being healthy. I want to help people feel that by gaining control of their diet, and body that they can reach their potential. <3

Go Saints!

Great weekend and great Monday!

JT and I had a fun and productive weekend! We got a lot done around the house, did lots of homework, watched the game and caught up on Lost and just relaxed in general! It was wonderful! We did have a cheat meal which continues to satiate those cravings for bad things (although they really come so less often than they used to!) We had wingstop again lol! Thats the third cheat meal we've had and all three times its been wingstop! haha

Today I had some girlfriends over (chelsea and bev) and we did the Kymbo P90X workout. I was being ridiculous and complaining how stupid it was the whole time because I couldn't "feel" it well enough but the truth is I burned SO many calories! haha Im glad we finished the DVD too because I was really wanting to move on right there in the middle. That is the nice thing about working out with friends - they make you continue because otherwise you'd be letting THEM down too, not just yourself!

For dinner tonight we had a lean pocket and soup. haha. JT was exhausted from school all day and we all know how my cooking escapades usually go. Tomorrow is our long day at school but JT really has an itch to start cooking again - I hope he itches to cook tomorrow so I can show it off (and eat it!) We also have lost and biggest loser to watch tomorrow AND its my long day at school (well one of them!) But I WILL find time for a workout. :) Then Wednesday we are going to dinner with a dear friend (Jennifer) so I am really looking foward to that too! This is going to be SUCH a good week! :)

Not a lot else going on. I am trying to decide what goals I can set for myself for this week. In addition to weight loss goals (which are sometimes overshot) I would like to make weekly goals as well so I can stay focused... maybe a certain calorie burn for the week? Better water intake? Does anyone have any suggestions? One goal that I would like to achieve overall, is a better understanding of supplements and how they help or hurt my body. I have been researching that on bodybulding.com but still dont feel like I have a grasp on it (there are just so many supplements!) If you dont have an account already, bodybuilding.com is a great resource. They have a section with lots of helpful weightloss articles and such, recipes, workouts etc... They also have a motivation area where you can see how far some people have come. :)

well thats all tonight! Thank you for reading! <3

Saturday (again) lol.

Feeling great in the 160s officially!!!

Time for my daily check in! It was a very good day!

JT and I stayed up until 3am last night watching the rest of season 5 of Lost so we could catch up for this season! Then, because we were up so late, (and it was SUCH a long week) we ended up sleeping until damn 11! We ate and ran a few errands before I headed to softball practice.. omg SO FUN!

I love softball. I burned over 600 cals and felt GREAT running around (even though it was freezing) and I am really looking forward to practicing and playing this spring. Oh and a couple of people on the team noticed I had lost a couple of lbs! How awesome is that!

On a different note eating today and this weekend is still going strong. Its so easy to stay on track finally because Im not constantly wanting bad crap (i do crave it sometimes, but Its not an addiction or an option anymore if that makes sense.) We've found things to take the place of the old things in many cases and some things I just don't know how I ate in the first place lol. My friend Chelsea wrote something in her blog that is how I feel but have been unable to put words to and that was she just didn't let herself have an option to make a bad decision. She made up her mind and stuck to it.

You just can't make it a choice. When you eat you have to make decisions ahead of time and not falter. When you go to a fast food place you have to plan and KNOW what you are going to get so when you go its not like... well a small fry wouldn't be too bad... You have to either A. decide ahead of time you want a small fry and just do it or B. make the decision ahead of time that you're not - but allowing yourself to fight with yourself in your head is where the problem starts. You just have to have the bad choice as not an option.

alrighty - i'll try to check in tomorrow with an article and an update - if not I def. will monday!! Thank you for reading!

Friday Weigh in

Sorry I didn't post this yesterday, I don't know what the heck I was thinking!

My weigh in was great yesterday - 169!!! I really think I'll be in the 150s by mid march! Especially now that I have my bodybugg back and Im doing p90x every day! Friday was a good day. We relaxed a lot of the day but I got in a great workout and JT made delicious pork loin for dinner.

Today I am going to play softball and do my P90X yoga.

I will def. check in tonight! <3

Special congratulations to Kristy Varsetti on her lifetime membership to Weight Watchers today - she's lost more than 140 lbs! You are such an inspiration!!!

Weigh in is a comin!

Good day today!

I had school ALL day - but running around to all of my crazy classes helped me burn my 2600 cals no problem! I also had a great lunch of chargrilled chicken from chick-fil-a courtesy of my dear friend Chelsea! :) <3 <3 Also, JT and I have spent the evening relaxing together which I always love. Who could ask for more!

Tomorrow will be a good weigh in. I already know. I said this would include the good the bad and the ugly so although this may be TMI, I am going to share. :P I have been really stopped up the last week (seriously... its been miserable) but I am finally back to normal and I know that is going to make a huge difference in addition to all of my hard work and healthy eating this week.

I know this is a short blog today, but I will check in early tomorrow to report my weigh in and make a good post! <3 Thanks for reading!

The huger gods are punishing me today!

I am starving. Just saying.

But anyways I had a great day. JT and I had our massages this morning (HEAVENLY) and then I went to a weight watchers meeting with my friend Chelsea. (more on that later.) THEN - I came home and Beverly and I did plyometrics day on P90X... omg. We could only do 30 minutes because it was so damn hard. haha. I feel great though!

OH and great news! My bodybugg came today finally! Curse it for breaking on me and making me go without for two weeks!

I have eaten too many calories today for my 1350 goal, but I am taking that as my body needs more today. I have made all good choices so I know eating a couple more cals is not a big deal. It is so important to listen to your body in my opinion - otherwise its too easy for your stomach to take over and make you eat everything terrible in site! lol!

So weight watchers was good today. It was so funny- Chelsea and I were talking about motivation and decisions beforehand and it just happens today's meeting was about motivation lol! I could totally see myself being the leader of a class like that for people who need a little help staying on track and a little information and encouragement. I think weight watchers is a great option for some people. Especially people who need to be held accountable and who need a little guidance on how to pick food and get the most out of their consumption nutrition wise. It isn't something I will pay to do weekly because I feel like I am doing great as I am - however, I think it is a great program that helps a lot of people. They have rewards for milestones and they really try to give people credit for what they do right rather than what they do wrong, which I think is important.

Tomorrow is my long day at school but Beverly is going to come over at 730 AM for yoga... ugh. haha I sure hope I can get my lazy butt out of bed! haha (those of you who know me know this is highly unlikely...) Then I will be late for class as usual and spend my day learning! But what a GREAT way to start the day! P90X yoga!

Thank you as always for reading! <3 Weigh in day is a coming! <3

yay for today!

I had an awesome workout today - I LOVE P90X. I am serious - if you need a workout that is structured, intense, but not too hard on your body TRY P90X!

The rest of the day was also good. School was very enjoyable as usual and I feel satisfied with my eating and progress in general. I am truly achieving goals I didn't even set. You know, when you set goals for yourself, or when I do for myself at least, I make goals that are obvious even superficial sometimes. That is important, but my whole point with this is that sometimes we learn even more and gain even more than we expected and achieve goals we didn't even know we had.

On a different note I am working on a food list that may be helpful for anyone here trying to get in shape themselves. I will eventually compile the list and post that as well but I figure I will post things as I come across them as well so you can start using them right away!

Think Thin protein bars (crunchy brownie, crunchy peanut butter, raspberry strawberry white chocolate, cookies and cream and toffee are all good so far. I will let you all know if any more are good!) Great way to satiate that sweet tooth and get in lots of protein!

Wendy's regular hamburger - we've only had this once but it really hit the spot! It is low calorie (only 280 cals for an entire sandwich with toppings, ketchup etc...) and it is low in saturated fat.
(not for every meal, but when you are really craving something bad its a good not bad option.)

Fage greek yogurt. It is my favorite healthy thing so far. You can use it as sour cream or just eating, it is SO low calorie, no fat and has 15 grams of protein. You have to add honey or splenda to it if you're just going to eat it but its so good. I also add granola and dried fruit.

Another option when you're out and about and are forced to grab something last minute is Chick Fil-A chargrilled chicken sandwich. They serve it on a wheat bun, it does not have cheese on it and it comes with lots of fresh veggies on top. It has a lot of protein, is low calorie and low fat. To add a bit of flavor, put some of their bbq sauce on top (not honey bbq the regular bbq.)

Crystal light! A great way to to get your water intake in without having to choke down water! lol!

That's all for now, but I do hope that is helpful!

Tomorrow should be an amazing day - JT and I are rewarding ourselves for all of our hard work with hour massages at a massage school (a great way to get a good massage for an inexpensive price - we are getting our hour massages for 31 dollars each! I think it is important to do something nice for yourself when you reach a goal!) Then I am going to a weight watchers meeting with a friend and tomorrow is the hard P90X day so my workout should be awesome too! :) Also, JT and I basically have the entire day off together tomorrow so I am really looking forward to just hanging out with him and enjoying him all day AND I am looking forward to a GREAT dinner hopefully! haha

Thankyou for reading! <3

A new week!

Good food day today! Well, I didn't eat nearly enough, but I did make dinner tonight! How cool is that!!!

I made grilled chicken, cut up tomatoes, avocado, onions (i forgot those... JT came through though loL!) lettuce, fat free refried bean, low card tortillas and fage for sour cream. They were AWESOME! :) Not nearly as good as JT's great food, but good for me!

Tomorrow should be a productive day - I have class until 315 but afterward I am going to workout immediately and then watch biggest loser which is ALWAYS very inspirational! Depending on the timing, I am probably going to go to a weight watchers meeting with my friend wednesday too - not because I plan to do weight watchers, but because I want to support her. Plus, it never hurts to do things like that because any information they can give me will increase my healthy-life knowledge.

JT and I did have a cheat meal Sunday and it was awesome this time! It hit the spot! Such a nice reward for being on track for 3 weeks! (almost 4!)

Thank you for reading - I will have a lot to share tomorrow (Ive been making a list of yummy healthy foods such as protein bars that actually taste good and are low in fat etc...)

PS- I weighed in today for shits and giggles and I was in the 160's...WOO HOO! Lets see what Friday brings!

Im sweaty....

Lol - that is a special tribute to my beautiful friend Nikki - its too bad she doesn't read this because she would probably pee herself.

But seriously, I am sweaty... well I was but I showered real quick. I just did my first P90X and WOW! I feel great! I also did 12 minutes afterward on the elliptical! I burned 500 cals before I took off my HRM!!!! JT and I also went to dinner with my friend Chelsea and her husband at Olive Garden this evening and we both made great choices. We skipped salad with the dressing already on for soup and I had mussels and two orders of side veggies (broccoli and asparagus!) I also had diet coke rather than wine tonight - even though I REALLY wanted wine! lol! JT had a tomato pasta dish with grilled chicken on top. :)

No big plans for tomorrow except working out and homework (for both of us!) I also have to go to Walmart for socks and undies lol! (JT has a slight obsession with socks so I am sure he'll be happy to go and pick up a few packs for himself lol!) Im also hoping it warms up a little so we can go on a darn bike ride! It has been FREEZING here! (for Texas at least! lol)

anyways - Today's article!!!

Eating on the Go

With the average American eating one meal a day away from home, it’s critical to learn to make healthy choices when on the go. With careful thought and some planning, you can eat out and stay on the right road to your weight loss goal.

Make Educated Decisions

Restaurant foods are known for their hidden fat and calories. Just one teaspoon of oil or lard adds 45 calories of pure fat to your meal. An extra 50 calories a day of hidden fat in a restaurant meal can result in a five-pound weight gain over the course of one year! That’s why it’s so important to use the nutritional information on menus, websites and pamphlets. These resources provide calorie totals which can help you decide what items to eat while still maintaining your target calorie deficit. Many restaurants have “healthy” items that are lower in fat and total calories, and choosing these items may make it easier to hit your target calorie deficit.

Tips for Eating Out

Use these tips to stay on track while eating on the go:

● Always ask how the food is prepared. To cut calories, request that items be grilled, baked or broiled.
● Avoid buffets and all-you-can-eat restaurants. Research shows that people tend to eat more when there’s more food available. Also, restaurants add extra fat to various items to help food retain its taste.
● Ask for sauces, cheese and salad dressing on the side so you can control the amount you eat.
● Replace French fries, onion rings, casserole side dishes and creamy or cheese soups with steamed rice, a baked potato, a broth-based soup, corn, beans, fresh fruit or a side salad.
● Order bread, toast, sandwiches or rolls dry and add your own condiments (butter, mayonnaise, etc.) to control the quantity.
● Split entrees and large portions of meat when servings are especially large. If you’re dining alone, ask for a box right away and package the extra food to take home.
● Order extra vegetables with your entree.
● Instead of an omelet with cheese, try an egg white omelet with flavorful vegetables such as onions, mushrooms, green peppers and/or tomatoes.
● Choose chicken, turkey or fish instead of fatty beef, hamburgers, pork or lamb.
● Avoid alcohol’s empty calories. If you choose to drink, opt for light beer and wine spritzers rather than frozen fruit drinks, liquors and creamy after-dinner drinks.
● Pick restaurants that provide nutritional information.

Ways to Avoid Fast Food

The key to staying out of the drive-through or vending machine is being prepared. When we wait too long to eat, appetite can overshadow our ability to make sensible choices. Keep your meal replacements (a.k.a. Apex Fitness Fast Foods) such as bars, crisps, protein cookies and shakes in your car, gym bag, desk or purse. These items can help you accomplish three critical components of weight control: 1) portion control; 2) balanced meals and 3) regular meals. Studies demonstrate that consuming foods from your normal diet AND incorporating meal replacements leads to greater weight loss than traditional calorie restricting diets.

Focus on the Big Picture

Keep in mind that indulging in your favorite foods won’t necessarily prevent you from reaching your goal. The bodybugg system gives you tremendous flexibility - if you miss your target calorie deficit one day, you can make it up over the next day or so by eating less and/or moving more.
Remember that when it comes to weight loss, it’s not what you eat, it’s how much you eat that determines your success. In other words, you can eat what you want and still reach your goal as long as you maintain, on average, your calorie deficit.

Hope this is helpful for everyone! Thank you for your support as always and next week WE WILL BE IN THE 160s!!! WOOT! haha :) :)

Frustrating Friday

Ugh. and Smile. Both at once really. haha

SO, despite my enthusiastic post last night about not being bothered if I wasn't in the 160's this week, I was pretty bothered this morning when I was 170.8. I was 169 or a bit less ALL week - and it comes to weigh in day and im not. The thing is though, if I wouldn't have cheated and weighed in early I wouldn't have been disappointed because at least I had gone down over a lb. Ugh - NEXT WEEK! ( I know that is what I said last week) but this is NOT EASY! And I am going to have to keep working hard. The most important thing is NOT to get discouraged!

I was talking to JT about what I can do to take my workouts to the next level and he suggested I do P90x. It seems that my main problem is that I go into my workouts without a solid plan - not being organized makes the workout less effective for me, so if I do a workout dvd that is intense (even if I can't do it intensely for a while! lol) I will be organized and get a solid workout in every time. I will do swimming and biking on the side for extra and fun! :)

Another problem is that I haven't been logging my food because I haven't had my boddybug - which is BS because I can still log my food I've just been silly. So I started doing that today. I isn't that I am eating food that is bad, but if I don't pay close attention I might be eating too much food that is good for me! lol.

SOOOOO I have lost 7 lbs. so far. That is pretty good. that is 2.3 lbs. a week on average. If I can do a bit more next week I will make my monthly goal!!

Thanks as usual for all of the support! <3