Show Me Some Action

I have been MIA for a few weeks now, I am back and ready to get down to business, that is the plan, I think.
I have this tendency to have an action plan all ready and then somehow I fail to get parts of it done.  On Monday, November 28th I was all rip roaring ready to go, eat healthy and get my sweat on using the Supreme 90 Day DVD's.  Well Monday came and went and I didnt' do either, I had a dentist appointment after work that lasted longer than I anticipated, it was only a cleaning but my mouth was super sore, let me just add that I have great teeth but they are super sensitive!! So supper was a cheesy brat and mac and cheese!  Less than a stellar day there.   On to Tues, I did the DVD, it was chest and back day, I ate great at work , but supper was from Taco Johns, once again, not good.  Wednesday, I ate really good at work, came home binged, then went to the gym and did 51 minuets on the elliptical which was 570 calories according to the machine.  I didn't wear my HRM.  I did not do S90 day as planned but I went to the gym.  Today I had a great eating day at work, came home and binged, not as bad as yesterday, felt the guilt so I headed off to the gym.  I did  65 minutes on the elliptical, 730 calories burned, once again I did not do the S90 DVD but I did go to the gym.

My problem is when I get home there is a little voice inside my head that says " binge, eat whatever you want"  I give in and do it, then another voice says " seriously now move your ass to the gym and work off at  least some of what you just ate" so I do!!  What is up with this?  Why do I binge?  Why, when I get home do I have no self control?  Why can I never do a whole action plan, eat right and workout? 
These are my choices and for the life of me I can't figure out why I make poor ones. The consequences for my choices right now are my own fault.

How do I work through this and do what I know must be done and further more know that I CAN do it?

I could easily give up, however the consequence to that is far greater than being stuck in this rut right now!!   Never give up, never give in, but I sure do feel like it at times.

Check out Sabrina, read her post Tales From a Fitting Room.  Eye opening and honest. Thank- you Sabrina!!  Maybe I can start hearing that song in my head instead of the little voice!!!

The next 14 days

Since my last post I have hardly been to the gym, it's like I just get over one week of bad news and another one creeps right up on me. 
We have had people staying with us on and off since Oct 7th, SICK people, relatives from out of state.  My 20 year old cousin and his mom just left our house on Monday, he has cancer and was in MN seeing some dr's at the U of M.  His outlook is grim, it is so sad to watch.

On Friday I went to happy hour with some co-workers, it was my pre-birthday bash!!  We had so much fun and my husband even arranged for his sister and her fiance to show up and surprise me.  I will turn 39 again and again if it means having fun with family and friends!!!

We did alot of eating out last week, with the company at our house and the birthday meals!!!  I had absolutely no accountability for what went into my mouth, liquid or solid!!
I am paying the price this week, I feel bloated and fat!!  I feel tired and lazy!!  I feel miserable!!   I went to the gym tonight even though my stomach had that bloated feeling.  I did 60 minutes on the elliptical, my hope was that I would feel better as the minutes past, I didn't but I did it!!  I am now on my 4th glass of water for the day.  I am hoping that the water along with a fiber pill will make some magic and my stomach will feel better.  We have a wedding in Az on Nov 11th, I was telling my husband if I don't kick it in high gear from now until then, the skirt I bought will no longer fit!!!!  I fail miserably when my routine gets messed up!!  I am hoping for some great workouts and some good eating the next 14 days!!
My friend is doing really well with her eating and has lost 5lbs.  Now it's mine turn!!!   Here's to the next 14 days of showing my body whose boss!!!!  Good luck to me!!

Take the Free Advice

I was talking with my boss the other day and she asked how the diet plan was working out.  As I told her it goes really good for a few days and then something throws a kink into my plans and all hell breaks loose.  She told me take it one day at a time and get back on track, my response, " easier said than done".  I am not overly fond of my boss ( I have gotten better and I am working on this) but the lady has run 2 marathons and 2 half marathons, she knows what she is talking about.  I have to do what she tells me at work so I am going to start  doing what she tells me with the diet and eating.  She even gave me a training plan for running a marathon, which I did read through.  She is fit and healthy, start taking the advice it is FREE!!  I will also admit that she is very sincere about this.

I have struggled last week and the beginning of this week with bad news.  I know that I am an emotional eater.  This time I went 3 days only eating small amounts of food.  I wanted to eat, but when I did it tasted disgusting.  With this said I did not LOSE 1 POUND!!!  Are you kidding me.  I need to "get over it".  ( I think I did, I got some semi good news today)!!!!!!


A co-worker has asked me to help her stay on track with a weight loss plan.  I am excited to help because I NEED SOMEONE to help me stay accountable as well. The crappy part is that I work day shift and she works afternoons.  Never fear I will be texting her to keep her accountable!!!!

I saw on Jen's blog that she has posted a spot to find an "Accountability Partner"  I will definitely be signing up. 

Wouldn't it be great to wake up and find an inspiring text or e-mail to start your day!!!!!  I think that maybe just what I need!!! 
 

Day one of tracking calories

Today starts the kick off of tracking calories and doing the Supreme 90 day along with going to the gym.  I have to get my 12 times a month in for the insurance kick back!!   I did the Supreme 90 day this morning it was back and chest I wore my heart rate monitor and it said I burned 233 cal.  I then hit the gym for a 65 minute elliptical workout!!  HRM said 770 calories!!  Good burn for day one.   I tracked my food so far today using My Fitness Pal, thanks Shannon. 

I am wondering what thoughts people have about using protein shakes for a meal replacement?  Does it work? Is it to restrictive to do that?  Do they fill you up?   For some reason for me they fill me up in the afternoon after a workout or if I want a snack but I struggle to feel full in the morning. 

What the Dr Said

Yesterday I had a Dr. appointment to discuss weight gain and loss and pain in both IT bands.  The Dr., has put me on a 1600-1800 daily caloric intake, great just what I want to count calories.  I suck at this and it drives me crazy.  I can't seem to even write down what I eat let alone how many calories it is.  With that said I am really going to try hard and DO IT!  I am starting slow to finish off this week because we will be out of town for the weekend and I know I won't write down what I eat nor will I know the calorie content.  I will start fully on Oct 3rd!!  Good luck to me.  The overwhelming part for me is when you make hot dish or lasagna and have to figure out the calories, it boggles my mind. 
On to the IT band pain, this has been going on for sometime now and it is partly due to the fact that I have a rotated pelvis, which causes my hips to pop out of place which in turn puts awkward pressure on the IT bands, that is how I understand it in a nutshell.  I will be going to see a sports medicine dr in the near future.   I am guessing this will lead to some physical therapy.  I am not opposed to this however when they have you doing exercises that are so strange in nature it makes me want to not do them.  Example, laying inside a door frame like a balled up cat, really, and this is helping my hips how?     We shall see how all of this pans out.  At this point my regular dr said I can continue working out like I have been without any restrictions.  Good to know.  Along with recording calories starting Oct 3rd I will also go back to doing the Supreme 90 Day DVD.  I am going to start completely over.  I did awesome for 2 and a half weeks in Sept.!!!     Since I get overwhelmed so fast I am going to take both the food and the exercise day by day.  I know I can do it and I want to do it so I WILL do it.  

I need to learn to work "interruptions" into my plan.  An example of that is when I work a double shift, 16 hours means no workout, one missed workout leads to two missed workouts which keeps going from there!!  I need to make myself understand that just because you miss one doesn't mean you have to continue down that path.  

I am working the 3-11 shift today, goodness I need to learn to say NO when people ask me to switch shifts, it always screws me up.  However this morning I got a great workout in and burned 885 calories in and hour and 18 minutes, which equaled 5.91 miles on the elliptical!!! 

I have tried commenting on a few people's blogs and "good old blogger" must be having a problem again because it isn't letting me!!!!!

Have a great weekend!!

Want the change- be the change

I am taking a little break from reality for the weekend to try and get my shit together.  I am stressed, pissed, upset and any other emotion you want to throw in there.   I am sick of people saying they will support me, and not holding up their end of the deal.   Frankly I am sick of everything right now!  Exercise, trying to eat right, things that are out of my control, bad news.  Everything!!!!

I will be back in a few days with a much better attitude.  


Want change?  Then be the change!!!!!  Nothing happens on it's own!

Still Faithful

I am still faithful to the Supreme 90 day workouts.  I do good with the workouts however I am still struggling with the eating.  Even though I struggle I am not eating as much as I was before I started.  I was down 2lbs last week but am back up to my starting weight this week.  I do feel "different" I am not sure what it is my clothes aren't loser and the scale moved back up to my starting weight but there is something "different" I just don't know how to explain, maybe I feel a wee bit stronger, not sure,  I will work on figuring it out but bask in the joy of something feeling good for once!!!

I Think I Finally Get It!

I think I finally get the concept that just because you work out on a regular basis that does not give you an open invitation to eat whatever you want!!!!!!!
I started on Sept 1st doing Supreme 90 day, I believe it to be the 'knock off' version of P90x.  Knock off, who cares it cost me less than $14.00 at Target on clearance and it is a BUTT KICKER.   It came with an eating plan and a workout schedule.  I did really good on the first two days eating and working out, then the weekend came I did the DVD and went to the gym on Saturday but my eating was HORRIBLE, Sunday I didn't do the DVD nor did I go to the gym, nor did I eat good!!!..

Back on track today, even without following the plan this weekend I am still down 2lbs from when I started.   I realized this morning while doing the DVD that unless I am willing to follow the eating plan there really is no sense in doing the DVD's.   Sure it is exercise but for me I need to see results and without the right foods for fuel that won't happen.   I am not willing to put myself through a BUTT KICKING workout anymore then eat back my workout in less than 2 hours by eating crap!!! 

I am off today so I will get all my food ready for the next couple of days at work.   

I am determined to have a good week!!!!!!! 

Wishes for a good week for all!!!!!

Fallen Officers 5k

Today i did nothing that I needed to do and I must say it was nice.  All the things I need to get done with still be there tomorrow.

Last Saturday I ran my 1st 5k, well I did the Warrior Dash in July which was a 5k but we won't count that since it was "3.1 miles of hellish fun".  On to the Fallen Officer's 5k.  It was a perfect morning for the race and I did it in 36.35 minutes.  I ran most of it only taking a few walking steps here and there.  I am certain I may have walked more but the thought of getting lost made me keep sight of runners ahead of me.  This was a very small race, it was unfortunate as it was for a good cause, I don't think they advertised much.  There was probably only 50 run/walkers total.  The other thing was that the path was not marked very well.  Had I not seen the women in front of me turn the corner I would have kept going straight and been completely off the course.  See why I had to keep runners in my sight!!!  This was also the 1st annual run so if they continue to have it yearly I will continue to run this one as long as I know about it. 

I got some not so nice feedback from one of my sisters, this is what she said, " what was your time"  36.35, " I thought you said you trained", Shut up, " well when I ran with Sharon (my other sister) her time was 29 minutes and mine was 30" (this was also about 4yrs ago)  Shut up, at least I ran today, more than I can say for you.  Still makes me mad that she said this but to each their own.  Then I was telling my boss about it, she has been wanting us to start a running group as she thinks it would be great team building, we really don't care for our boss.  Anyway she asked my time and I told her 36.35 she says " Well I guess that is respectable"  What is wrong with these people.  However the next day my boss brings me in a magazine with an article on how to train for a half marathon.  Both their comments made me mad but when I think about it now, who cares, I did it for me and not them and if it made me feel good then that is all that matters.  Will I run a half marathon, maybe, who knows I just started to "like" running outside. As, Future Fit Mom"  said If I want to run 13.1 I have to do it for myself not because someone wants me to, not because I need to prove something and not because someone else did, Because I WANT TO FOR MYSELF!!!  True that!!! 

I am on to trying new foods that other people have posted.  I saw Roasted Chic Peas on the Dr, OZ show the other day so I am making them while I write this post!!!  Will they be good?  We will soon find out!!  My next try will be to make my own peanut butter using peanuts, coconut oil and salt!!!!   I found this recipe on http://www.healthywithheather.com/.  Check it out she has some good looking things on there and  yep you guess it I will be trying the beet smoothie!!  It looks so beautiful!!!  Here is one more site that has WWPP recipes,http://www.emilybites.com/  The Buffalo Chicken Bites look so good, I will be making those for sure in the near future.

I have been experiencing some hip and leg pain since the 5k but rest assured I am seeing the chiropractor and still got  3 workouts in this week.  Hopefully I will be back up to speed soon.  For some reason the chiropractor thinks the fact that I don't stretch before or after a workout might have something to do with my pain.  Strict orders to start doing it!!!!!  When will I learn!!  Have a great week.

Off To A Good Start

This week has been good so far.   I have been eating good, and getting exercise in.  My goal was to strength train 3x this week and so far I have only done it once.  I am ok with this as I am still sore from doing Kettle bells on Monday and last night I did an outdoor fitness class for an hour and 10 minutes.  The first half was Hi-low impact moves and the 2nd half was Zumba, let me just say I am NOT a fan of Zumba.  I'm not sure if I am sore from that or still sore from Monday.  I guess that is good!!  I won't do Kettlebells tomorrow, I signed up for The Fallen Police Officers 5k on Saturday morning and don't want to be sore for that. 

On to the tale of the Spaghetti Squash, I got instructions from Kris http://krisgetshealthy.com/, on how to cook this baby.   Thank-you Kris!! I did what she said and it turned out very good.  I had never had it before and it was good.  My plan was to take some of that and some Lasagna made from a South Beach recipe to work the next day.  I packaged my lunch up and grabbed it out of the fridge the next morning.   Oops!!!! I grabbed the container that had all the Spaghetti Squash in it.  What is a girl to do that was my lunch.  Thankfully at work we had meatballs and sauce so I scrapped scauce from the pan and used that with the squash, I threw on some cottage cheese and a very, very small bit of shredded cheese.  It was very tasety and filling!!  So for never having Spaghetti Squash before I ate almost the whole thing in one day!!!   I need to get some more of it this weekend!!!!!!

I haven't been as good at writting my food down as I would like to be but I will get there.  I am on day 6 with no pop!!  Hopefully my changes will result in changes in the scale and the way my clothes fit!!!!

Back from vacation and ready to attack

I am back from vacation and ready to put some plans into action.  Before leaving for vacation I decided when I got back that I would stop drinking Dt, Mountain Dew.   I took all of what I had on hand back to ND with me and didn't buy any today at the store!!!!! Today is day one with no pop, so far so good even with a headache.

I have also known for awhile but chose to avoid the obvious that my eating is not where it should be, it is not that I over do the portions or eat bad stuff, ok busted,  alot of it is processed and I rarely have vegetables unless they are mixed with something.    So to change this when I went to the store today I did not buy anything processed or boxed!!  I bought grapes, clementines, bananas and peaches, I bought spinach, tomatoes, carrots, cucumber and a spaghetti squash.   I don't really know what to do with that guy but I have seen before where people use it in place of noodles, so I am going to give it a try!!!!  I like some raw vegetables but it is easier for me if they are cooked and mixed in with something.  Still have to trick myself sometimes!!!

I am also going to try and prepare my meals for the week, I am going to be doing some of that prep work today, cooking a bunch of chicken and figuring out what vegetables I can mix in with it!!!  I wanted to find some divided plates that had covers today but I didn't have any luck!!  My plan was just to plate all the meals and stick them in the fridge, nice and easy to grab.   Guess I will have to use multiple containers!!!!  I am going to try REALLY REALLY HARD to track what I eat.   At this point I dont' care about calories and if I can  I will figure out the WWPP ( I get overwhelmed when you eat something like hot dish that you have to figure out all the points) if not at least I will have written down what I ate.  It is a place to start.

On to the exercise part, I have always done really well with cardio, I may not always like it or want to do it but I do!!  It is no surprise that I hate weights!!!  My plan is to start Monday doing a Kettle Bell DVD or the 30 Minute Shred DVD or go to the Body Pump class at the gym.   I will do this at least 3 times a week.  The DVD's are both 20 minutes I think and the class is an hour.  I know 20 minutes might not sound like a "good" workout to some but for me that is a place to start.  I have done the Body Pump class before and I do like it other than the 20 million squats you have to do!!  The times for the class are not the most convenient so before I would say screw it.  Not anymore!!!

This is my plan of action, I am going to take it day by day and step by step and meal by meal. 

On Saturday the 20th I plan to run a 5K for Fallen Police Officers, I am waiting to sign up to see if any co-workers are going to do it with me. 

Last but not least here are a few web sites/blogspots and an I-phone App you might find useful.   The I-phone App is called fooducate, it is FREE!!  You scan the bar code on a food and it will give you a grade and the WWPP value along with alternatives that are a better choice!!! 

Now for the websites/blog spots....  thehealthyapron.com, anutritionisteats.com, pointlessmeals.blogspot.com,http://www.howsweeteats.com/

http://www.skinnytaste.com/

Enjoy and have a great week!!
it

Fun Times

On Sunday I, along with some co-workers competed in the Warrior Dash.

This is how is all ended!!!!!

In my earlier post I was confident that I could run the whole race even if it was at a slow pace, this was not the case!!!  The mere fact that it was held at a Ski Resort should have told me otherwise from the beginning.  Our first, "hill" out of the starting gate was a really big "SLOPE".  We started out running but by the time we reached the top we were walking. After that we ran, walked, ran, walked.  We did it as a group with the exception of the two fairly clean guys on the end, they did it in about 40 minutes, the rest of us our time was right under and hour, my official time was 59.45!!!   My husband looked up my results the following day I was 7064 out of 8883!!!  I was not LAST!!!  I was very sore the next day but we had alot of fun!!  My sister and brother came to cheer me on along with 2 other friends, all of them are talking about doing it next year!!!!  Nice to know even  full of mud I can bring inspiration to them!!!!

My plan on Monday was to get organized, making meal plans then making food for the week.  That plan fell by the wayside because my friend from out of town that came to watch the race stayed an extra day.  Much more fun to hang with a friend than plan meals.  I did plan my food for yesterday and today, so far so good for the post part.  I am trying to follow the Weight Watchers plan on my own.  I have used the program before and had success.  I am not a fan of the leaders at the center I went to. I could switch centers but I don't want to have to drive more than across town, I know I wouldn't go. 

Tonight is the first time I have worked out since the race, I did 65 minutes on the elliptical.   I plan to go tomorrow and the weekend, nothing on Friday I have a 16 hour shift at work!!!  ICK!!  Onward with the workouts  and downward for the scale please!!!



Would you be the CEO?

It is finally here, on Sunday I will participate in the  Warrior Dash!!!    www.warriordash.com   This scares the heck out of me.  I know that it is more of a mental game than a physical one.  I am pretty confident I can run the whole thing, not fast by any means mind you,  but the obstacles, that's where my fear is.   I don't do good with mental games.   It is all for fun so I am going to give it my best shot and have some fun!!!!!  I will try and post pictures but I am not to good getting things uploaded on here!!! 

I took Monday off from work just in case I need to recover, hahah.  I really took it off to get my shit together and regroup my plan of action. 
 
The only one that can make changes and make things happen is me!   I am the CEO of my body, I am the one in charge making all the high powered decisions.  Should I have this job?  At this point I wouldn't say I am the best candidate but who else is there?  Who else can make these decisions?  The answer is NO ONE!     For me I think I need to look at weight loss and healthy living as a job and in the end the pay off is living a long, healthy life.   This is as close to being a CEO as I will ever get so I better take advantage of it.     Would you hire yourself to be the CEO of your body?

New outlook

I haven't been blogging lately because I feel like I am failing big time.  I still exercise and try to eat healthy but I fail with eating.  My downfall is always when I get off work.  I eat good while I am at work, but when I get home it all goes out the window.  It is a matter of two things, the first one being I know I don't eat enough while at work so when I get home I am starving and I gorge myself and two, I can do this because no one is home to see me do this.  I do this to myself, I know this.  After my hour or so of non-stop eating I feel guilty and will go to the gym or go for a run.  I am acknowledging this behavior and I know it needs to stop. 

I have been having some really good runs outside, might I remind you I am not a runner nor did I ever run outside until this spring.  I am liking it.  It really is easier on my body than the treadmill.

I had a realization at work today, I am a correctional officer and had to respond to a fight.  I ran to the location with no problems but getting a good grip on the inmate was a different story.  He was already on the floor so we just had to cuff him, stand him up and walk him to another unit.  It felt like it took so much more effort for me to help get control of him, getting on the floor, getting back up all of it.  It felt that way because I need to lose some weight!!!!!!   On the upside of this is that myself and another female officer handled the the inmate on the walk down to the other unit.  Believe me this is pretty big when you have 10 males that usually take control.   We did it and we were awesome at it.   I just want it to be a little easier for me next time.  I can make that happen!!  That is the choice that I will make.

I know that planning is a huge thing for me, I just need to do it 7 days a week instead of 3 or 4 or 5!!   I am getting a new fridge on Friday, this is big, my old one froze the veggies and fruit if they got to far to the back no matter how many times I tried to adjust the temp.  This one is also bigger.  I can have my OWN shelves with all MY fancy containers where I can get to them easily!!!!!

One site I will leave you with and encourage you to check out is dashingdish.com.  There is a recipes for a bunch of flavorful smoothies made with COTTAGE CHEESE!!  Yes, that is correct, don't knock it until you try it.  I have even tricked two co-workers with these babies!!!  You will love them I promise.  Check it out and let me know what you think!!!!

I am ready to put my best foot forward and make some changes!!!  I am in control of my choices, me, myself and I can do this!

What is up with Blogger

I have been trying to leave comments on other's blogs and it is not working. It is very frustrating. Anyone else having the same problem?

Mind over Matter

Is it really Mind over Matter when you are trying to push yourself just a little more during your workout or when you are trying to make very wise food choices for the day? I hear people say this all the time. When will I "get it" and it will " matter to mind" that I have made good choices for the day? Right now I'm not on the same brain wave length.
Last night I dusted off my 90 day journal and wrote down what I was taking with me to work today. I put a little sticker on the June 1st page that says "watch this" what this means for me is watch me right down my food consumption each day, good choices and bad, watch me write down my exercise and calories burned, watch me mark off the water glasses at the bottom of the page and most of all watch me transform myself!!!!!!! I left my 90 day journal open and on the floor where I can't miss it. Failure to fill in my information will lead to blank pages staring back at me!!

I know the rest of this week will be a challenge for me. I work a double shift tomorrow 7am-11pm and will be out of town for the weekend. That means no workouts and probably not the best food choices and some beer consumption. This is not an excuse for me it is reality. I am off work on Monday so that means I will be back in action. I will get a workout in, I will get to the grocery store and get some " quality" food and then make some meals to take to work for the rest of the week. Now that we have sunshine, let summer begin!!!!!!

Being healthy inside and out

I have had 6 days in a row of awesome workouts burning at least 1000 calories per workout. I have had 3 days of pretty good eating. Those would be the 3 days that I wrote everything down that went into my mouth. Even if it was those 3 pieces of candy I ate. Then Monday came and I stopped writing my food down. Why? I am not sure. I have a lot going on right now and I am handling it the best I can, but I still feel overwhelmed. I think that is why I have had really good workouts, it makes me feel like I can just let everything go for the time and focus on myself and my workout. When it comes to eating it is the opposite. I am an emotional eater but a weird one at that. Sometimes I can eat and eat and not want to quit and other days I don't want anything. What I have learned from the past is that "things will be what they will be" If my advice is not taken so be it, then I can't be the one responsible and can only be there to help pick up the pieces when things fall apart. My sister always asks how I can be like that and accept things whatever the outcome. I tell her I control me and I am just not the type of person that needs to be in control nor do I have to have the final say. Life is about so much more than having to be the person who is right. You can learn alot coming from a family of 8. (haha this is where the issues come from) Life is what we make it and at this point I am making it a healthy life inside and out!!!!

A big Thanks

A big thanks to Ann and her blog post about maintenance I think I may have had a revelation. I know there is a "maintenance" phase in the weight loss world, but what I didn't realize is that you could put yourself in that phase without really knowing you did it and before hitting your personal goals. You see I have been at the same weight give or take 5 pounds for the last couple of years. I workout at least 4 times a week and try to eat healthy. I don't count calories and I don't eat alot of fruits and veggies so healthy might not be the right word. It is more like " I watch what I eat". What I realized after reading Ann's post is that even though I am doing that, I am not working out hard enough or eating good enough to lose weight. I have had some really great workouts and some really great eating days, they are just not consistent enough to make me lose weight. What I started to think was "my body is at the weight it wants to be". Nothing seems to work. It is time for me to tell you that I need to revamp my workouts and start eating more "healthy" foods like fruits and vegetables and tracking what I eat so I can start seeing results.
"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment". Buddha

Raw emotions

Lately I have this cloud of emotions floating around that I don't know how to deal with. I am sad, upset, angry, overwhelmed, stressed, tired, and I lack motivation to do anything. Part of it stems from just getting back from Vegas, it was a great trip however I did not sleep well while we were gone then went back to work the next day. On Thursday before we flew out I found out that they would be having the burial for my sister in-law the following Tuesday. There was just no way for us to get off the plane Monday at 230 then drive for 8 hours to make it there. I am still so very sad I couldn't be there. The other part is work, family, my cousins cancer and even the weather. How do you re-motivate your self to get back on track when it feels like your world is spinning out of control?
'Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts." Winston Churchill.

Getting it off my chest

I feel I have a bunch of stuff to get off my chest so here goes. I had committed to doing Shred for 28 days, I managed to do 9 days in a row then took and unexpected weekend trip, then got sick, then never really got back on track, only doing Shred 3 more times. So 12 times in a 28 day period, not what I was hoping for. Trying to burn 1200 calories working out, complete fail, I honestly did not know that would be so hard. There was a time when I would do at least 1000 on the treadmill then hit the elliptical. My thinking then was "if I ate it, I had to burn the calories off". What happened to that mind set????? I got one run in outside, this weather needs to take a hike of it's own and move out of this area. We need sunshine. With that said that one run was "huge" for me, I hadn't run outside before. I am on week 4 of C25K, I program the intervals into my phone and then hit the music, it gives me a "buzzer" sound when it is time to switch intervals. With this said my 1st day of week 4 I just turned the timer on and didn't even look to see how long the running part was. BIG SURPRISE THERE!!! I kept thinking" when am I going to hear that stupid buzzer" I wanted to quit before the 5 minutes of running was up, and then a sweet voice popped in my head, it was Mariah, when she told her story she would tell herself, "I am unstoppable". Being inspired my Mariah, I said " Mariah is unstoppable, she can do this, I can to". So thank-you Mariah for helping me finish those intervals.

I have something that has really been weighing on my mind lately. Why do some people always have to be "one uppers"? When did my wanting to have a healthier life style and drop a few pounds turn into a competition for others? Why is what Iam doing so interesting to some? Obviously if I was so great at weight loss I would have it all figured out by now. Let me let you in on a little secret " I don't have it figured out, I don't know what I am doing and for the love of money this is not a COMPETITION!!! Ok, I feel better just had to get that off my chest!!

I have a co-worker who has lost about 70lbs since Jan 1st, today he jokingly offered to train me at the gym for $400.00, my training hours would be from 3:30AM-6:00AM and then again from 3:30pm-6:00pm. Yes, he is obsessed with working out right now, I politely declined his offer. I did tell him that I would like to try working out in the morning however I like to sleep more than I like to workout. I was told by someone else that once you get yourself vertical in the morning, your workout becomes 2nd nature, my co-worker said the same thing. What do you think about working out in the morning? I really do want to try it for me it would probably be from 4:45-6:00. I have to be to work by 7.

I am leaving for sunny Las Vegas on Friday and will be back on Monday. I won't be getting workouts in but I am guessing we will be doing alot of walking. I will be back at the gym on Wednesday completely re-freshed!!! Possibly Tuesday but I have a dentist appointment and I really, really hate the dentist, so we will have to see how that goes!!!!!!

Here's the deal!!

This happens alot for me, I make a plan, I stick to it for a week or two then something throws a monkey wrench into the plan and I have a heck of a time getting back on track. Here's the deal. I did Shred for 9 days straight and went to the gym. I took Sunday the 10th off as we took a quick unexpected trip out of town and when we got back had other things that needed to get done. On Monday I started right back up with Shred, I had intended on going to the gym when I realized I had an eye appointment that evening. Then Tuesday rolled around, full of sunshine and a temp close to 70 I think. I had a Safety Meeting at work so I didn't get off until 4. I had eaten the lunch that we had a work, failure on my part to prepare my own. Lesson learned , DON"T DO THAT AGAIN. It was some sort of chili macaroni hotdish, I had about a cup, it was really salty. After I ate it I didn't feel right. I told my co-worker about 2:00 that I was sure the beef in the hotdish had come from a cow with mad cow disease. He told me that it wasn't even beef!! Thanks! I got home at 4:10 and hopped on the couch and fell asleep, along with a horrible stomache-ache I had a really bad headache. I called in sick on Wednesday. Not because I hate Wednesdays at work, it just so happened I was actually sick!!!! I didn't eat much on Wednesday and drank alot of water. The headache went away but the stomach was still not right. I did go into work today and made it the whole day. I am fine as long as I don't eat much!! I had a Smart One and some oatmeal today! The good thing about this is I can't seem to finish a Dt Mountain Dew, maybe I am on my way to weaning myself off!!! With all of this I have not done Shred the past 3 days nor have I been to the gym!! I do feel guilty but as Gym Girl said I wouldn't have gotten a good workout in anyway because I feel icky!!! I will be back on track tomorrow. It will be a Shred and hit the gym day as here in Mn they are predicting some snow!!! Really!!! I have been throwing around the thought of going to see a dietitian. I honestly know something is not right, I get calories in calories out, but I can eat more crap and fast food in weekend than any person should and not gain any weight, the next week I can plan out my meals, eat fruits and veggies and not lose any weight. Who does this? Since I started trying to lose weight I can honestly say I don't have a problem getting to the gym, it is the food that I battle with. I did see a dietitian about 2.5 years ago but she was not at all helpful, or in my mind she wasn't , she told me I needed to quit working out so much and to eat more and suggested I may have an eating disorder. It was not an option for me to work out less, eat more and think I had an eating disorder of some sort. I did not go back to her. I just feel like right now I am spinning my wheels and getting no where with the eating part. Any thoughts on this?????

Sunshine in Minnesota

I will say that I had a productive day today, considering I HATE WEDNESDAY'S. Wednesdays are one of the worst days for me at work!!! If I could take every Wednesday off or call in sick I would!! Today I just told myself "it is what it is, these inmates did not get here by following rules, nor can they follow rules inside this institution, just do what you need to do in these 8 hours of hell and it will go by fast" Made it through!!! When I got home I did Shred level 2, what I had forgotten from last September is how much I HATE level 2. All the exercises just seem awkward for me, not sure why but they do. I got myself through it, still on track with that that!!!! I was thinking I should go to the gym but it was BEAUTIFUL out here today, didn't want to waste that opportunity so I laced up the shoes and headed out for a walk. I got about 3 steps out the door and realized this was a C25K training day, crap, so much for the walk. I hit the Gym Boss Trainer and off I went!! I did about 4 miles, whoop whoop for me, I never run outside, I have had many attempts but never this far. I ran 1 FULL MILE on the way back to my house!!! I impressed myself!!!! I then decided to go a few rounds on the boxing bag in the garage. I did about 10 minutes and that was long enough!!!! I did wear my heart rate monitor but it stopped at some point. I think it might need a new battery, maybe I just need to get a new one. Who knows with that thing. I am not letting that set me back. If I don't reach the 1200 calorie burn I am good with that. I feel it is worth so much more doing different things and to just to be out and burning some calories verses no calories!!!!! I am upset that the scale hasn't moved!! I am not sure what to do about it. I have been the same weight give or take 5lbs for the last 2 years no matter how I workout or what I eat so this is nothing new to me!!! I figure at some point it has to move, right!!!!!!! Hopeing for more sunshine in the days ahead!!

Committed to figuring it out!

Today is day 3 of my 28 days of committing to myself. This is how it breaks down and this is what I have learned in 3 short days. I think my heart rate monitor is monitoring someone else's calorie burn. (That is what I would like to think is the problem) According to my HRM I burn 150 calories less than the cardio machine says. I worked out for 2.5 hours on Friday, I used the treadmill and the elliptical, at the end of the workout my HRM said 1046 calories. Are you kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I thought I was going to die and I didn't even reach 1200 and worked out for 2.5 hours!!!! I also did Shred before going to the gym but for some reason my calories didn't show up. I wore it the next day during Shred and it said I burned 200 calories. I was devastated with the whole HRM reading. My eating was really good and I tracked all my food using the Daily Burn app.

On to Saturday, I was up early to attend the Coffee and Conversation at the Beat Coffee House set up by PFG, Jen. It was a very inspiring morning. Jen is such a nice person and is so genuine. Everyone there seemed to have this positive energy seeping from them. This is also where I made the announcement that my summer plans included doing the Warrior Dash, warriordash.com which I had just signed up for the night before. (Temporary moment of insanity) After getting home, I ran a few errands, did Shred then headed over to the gym.
This time I was there for 1.5 hours and still didn't get the 1200 calorie burn I was looking for.

Today, I got up earlier than usual and did Shred, then headed over to the gym, I had absolutely NO ENERGY and I only did 36 minutes on the elliptical, I didn't wear my HRM and the machine said 402 calories. I tried to force myself to keep going but I just couldn't do it today.

I looked back on my gym calendars and I have been to the gym 6 days in a row and have done Shred 4 of those days and the C25K training on 3. I don't know why this week or even the last 3 days at the gym were so hard for me. All through my journey I have went to the gym 4-6 times a week so working out is nothing new. I fall short with the eating part, however this week that has been on track. Where am I going wrong, why were the last 3 days so hard? If I don't' figure it out this is going to be a very LONG 25 more days!!!! Suggestions!!! I am still committed!!!!!!

No Joke, Commitment?

It is no joke that I have a phobia of commitment. With this being said I am making a commitment to myself for the next 28 days. We are heading to Las Vegas for a short, much needed vacation on April 29th. I am starting the commitment to myself tomorrow, April 1st. No it is not a joke, I am doing this!! This is what I have committed to doing for the next 28 days.

1)I will do the 30 Day Shred DVD daily. I did this back in Sept when Syl did this as a challenge. I missed 4 days out of the month doing it. I did well and lost inches, not pounds but inches. Gotta take what we can get.

2)I will eat healthy and make good choices. I will try and eliminate added sugars.

3)I will continue with the C25K training plan, I have one more time left this week and I will be on to week 3.

4)I will burn 1200 calories at the gym. This one scares me a little, I usually only burn around 700-800 in an hour, what this means for me will be longer workouts at the gym.

I can do this, right now the commitment to myself is for 28 days!!!!!

I think I figured out how to set my heart rate monitor to show my calorie burn. If I didn't get itright I will give it another shot tomorrow night!!! Probably has been programed right the whole time, I maybe just didn't know how to use it. That happens alot with me and technology!!!!

I am off for 28 days of pure............................ I will fill in the blank later.

Work in Progress

Week one of the Couch to 5K is now complete. I found a free app for the I-phone called Gym Boss. It is an interval timer, works wonderful for this training, and I am sure any other training. Well, that is if you remember to have your ringer on!! I completed the training then continued on the treadmill, I did a total of 55 minutes. I then jumped on the elliptical for 12 minutes. My intention was to stay on there longer but I had only eaten a protein bar for breakfast and was feeling kind of "weird" so I new I better stop while I was ahead. I came home and had a protein smoothie and now feel back to normal. Today my task will be to figure out how to cook chicken many different ways and still keep it interesting!! This week I really want to concentrate on eating more fruits and veggies. I really LACK in that area. I eat well calorie wise but the nutritional content leaves alot to be desired. Work in progress!!!

I got a feeling............

Why is it that I seem to lose and gain the same 5 pounds over and over again. This cycle has been going on now for about the past 3 years.

At night I will pack my lunch for the next day and lay out a plan in my head for my gym workout. I eat the lunch and as the day rolls on the gym workout doesn't seem to be as exciting as it was the night before. Even though I am tried and don't want to go to the gym, I do it!! Last Friday I did a strength training class with my friend, I was so sore for the next two days. Saturday especially, but once again I made myself go to the gym.

I feel all this excitement that I am doing the right things and then when the scale doesn't move or my clothes don't' feel any different I feel so defeated. I put in the work and don't get the results I think I deserve. It's the same kind of feeling you get when you know you are the best person for the job but they give it to someone else. How do you get over this defeated feeling? How do you turn defeat into accomplishments/success?

I'm back!!!!!

After taking 3 weeks off from the blog world I am back!! My time away was very emotional and stressful. On March 3rd my 29 year old sister in law lost her battle with Lymphoma cancer. She leaves behind a 25 year old husband and a 5 year old son. It all just breaks my heart. She was truly a fighter. What I can take from this is that our health is something that we shouldn't take for granted but for some reason we do, why is that?

I have made a few changes, for starters I canceled my WW membership, I am just not good at tracking, I know it is valuable but I can't see paying for something that I can't make myself do consistently and frustrates me. I did make a workout calender for March but with being gone for the funeral and emotionally drained that went by the wayside. However I did continue to workout at the gym, just not on the schedule I had planned which included weight training. Safer for me to stay with what I am comfortable with and know than to branch out during an emotional time. I have been concentrating on eating healthier and watching portions. It seems to be working well so far. I still need to get the water consumption up. Some days I do really good and others, I am lucky to get two bottles finished. I am going to a strength training class with a friend on Friday, that is the plan as long as she doesn't get called into work. Her gym, guess pass for me. If that falls through I will go to my own gym. It is starting to get nice out around these parts so hopefully some walks outside are in the near future.

I love the Hungry Girl show, she has some great ideas and I have one of her cookbooks and have pre-ordered the newest one. I think it comes the end of March. I have tried a few things, some I like and some are just not for me. I plan to make a few things out of the book I have this weekend.

For next week I want to have a menu planned, mix up my workouts, using the Shred DVD and the Master your Metabolism DVD, and use the treadmill more than the elliptical. Continue to eat healthier and watch portion control and up the water consumption. This is doable and I can do it!!!!

What is up with this?

I went to my WW meeting this morning since my lunch date was canceled do to bad weather. I had an AMAZING LOSS 6.6 pounds. Now one would normally be so happy about this but me, I am FREAKING OUT!! The reason, I did not track one dang thing all week, I ate out 4 times and only one time was it a WW friendly meal. I over ate when I was home, who eats half a jar of peanut butter and half a bag of pretzels in one sitting? I did!! However I did not eat supper that night, like that matters I didn't need to. I missed two days working out, and when I did workout I changed it up and did intervals but on a very easy level, was totally not motivated to work out. So how did I lose that much weight? My fear is that next week I will go back and I will have gained, plus I will go to the meeting at night. Today was a fluke for the daytime. I did drink more water than last week, but if that is what made the difference I will FORCE myself to drink more!! It can't be that simple.

I did the 30 minute Shred DVD and the Jillian Michael's Banish Fat Boost Metabolism today. The Banish Fat one is 50 minutes (5 min warm-up, 5 min cool down).I just bought that one this weekend because it was $7.50, some of it is easy, some hard, some moves I HATE, but a really good workout. Then I felt guilty for not going to the gym. What? I just worked out for over an hour, so why do I think I need to do workouts at the gym? I think it is because I am comfortable there but I ALWAYS do the SAME THING. I really need to change up my workouts so I am hoping that I can use these 2 DVD's to help me with that. After I'm done with this post my plan is to make a workout calender using these two DVD's and getting to gym. (Have to go to the gym 12 times for insurance discount) I need to visually see how I can make it work, childish, yes, but I have to SEE it!!

Please give me your thought's on the loss!!

Learning lessons the hard way

This has been a shit week, it started out shitty and I don't anticipate it getting any better. Sometimes that just happens, it's called life! We went to the Olive Garden for an early Valentine's supper on Sunday. Not a brilliant thing to do when you have a weigh in on Monday. This delectable supper lead to a 2.8lb gain on the scale. I was pissed. Why, I am not sure I knew that there would be no loss, however almost 3lbs hit like a ton of bricks. My eating since the weigh in has been good. I have been having really bad headaches all week. I really believe they are stress related, can't even blame it on not having carbs. Usually a good workout will help with the stress and the headaches. Not this week. Honestly I don't even have the energy or ambition to workout, yet I make myself do it!! I think this is a sign that I need to really think about what I have going on right now and decide worth it to worry about it or chuck it out the window and say good-bye!! It seems bad news has me on speed dial lately, I wonder if you can get on the no call list for that!!!! I declare next week a "stress free" week, I will have Monday off because of Presidents day so a short week should equal a good week!!!!

Feeling good

Normally I blog on Wednesday's guess I am a day late. Oops!!! I had my first week weigh in at WW on Monday and I was down 1.4lbs. I was happy with this, I had logged all my food and used all my points,plus all my weekly points even going over by 3. So I will take the 1.4. My frustration had come the week before when I did my initial weigh in and the scale at WW was 3lbs more than mine at home!! I am over that now!! I find that I am eating better and drinking more. I didn't go to the gym on Monday but I did the Shred DVD, I didn't go on Tuesday or Wednesday because I was LAZY and it was FREEZING COLD OUT!! That is an UN-motivator for me. I went today and watched Jennifer Hudson on Oprah, inspiring! What I didn't get about it is why her WW leader didn't want her to say how much weight she has lost, it was weird I thought!! I am hoping this week has a good outcome on the scale!!!! Gotta end this and get to bed going to work at 3am!! Better find some food, I always seem to be hungry when I work these weird hours. Gotta prepare!!!

Will change be good???

Well if you know me well, you know that I exercise and watch what I eat, I will look into and sometimes order all the new health books/ fads out there. My latest was the 17 Day Diet. I could open a used health book store with the books/magazines I have. Ok, maybe I don't have that many, but let me tell you alot of money is piled up into the corner. With that said I "changed" my plan once again. I decided that I would go back to Weight Watchers. Here is why, it worked for me before, lots of people I know are on it and seeing results, I NEED real food, and I feel it really is one of the best programs out there, for the fact that it is real food, and nothing is restricted, therefore when changing your lifestyle you aren't leaving out any foods, if that makes sense. I signed up for the program after my " free counseling/question/ answering e-mail sessions with Gym Girl. Thank you for the advice and encouragement to do do the program. I went to my first meeting on Monday and to by amazement weighed 3 more pounds on their scale than mine!!! WOW, that was a shock, however I wasn't discourage by that. I have done great this week with tracking what I am eating. That is a EYE OPENER!! Before I thought I was eating well, and now when I calculate the points for some of the things I was eating before it is "costly" to eat them. Better choices are out there.
I have become a fan of Hungry Girl, she now has a cooking show on Saturdays and has some EASY and really good ideas. When I have more time I will post some of the things I have tried and really liked. Today it was Tofu Shirataki noodles, I made the HG Alfredo. You can eat the whole bag of those noodles for 1PP!!!! I must say you have to get past the smell when you first open the bag but they really do taste good!!!

My family is not much on trying new things, so this is what I decided, I will make it and if they chose not to eat it, they can find something on their own. So I will probably be eating the same thing for a week as not to waste. hahha However, they may find it hard to find something to make that tastes good to them. I normally do the shopping and am not going to be buying extra stuff like chips and crackers and processed foods. There will always be PB&J!!! haha
I got my workout in this morning and will now head into work to do the 3-11 shift!! Then back to my 7-3 tomorrow. With that said I already made a Chicken Noodle Casserole for tomorrow night, all we have to do is pop it in the oven for 30 minutes when we get back from the gym!!!! I am on top of this planning thing!!!!!!! I know I will be tired tomorrow after working until 11 then back at 7 tomorrow!!!!

Off to a good start

I have had a great week eating, I am trying to follow the 17 Day Diet plan, however I have to add a few carbs in there, this girl can't function with a low number of carbs, that is not an excuse to eat them, it is the honest truth!! With that said I add them in sparingly. I have found a new favorite protein bar. It is the Zone chocolate chip cookie dough one. Yummy!! I have been having one of these after I get home from work and before I go to the gym. Just the perfect pick me up, however not on the 17 Day Diet Plan.

Exercise, hitting it hard with the cardio, the weights are starting to come slowly. I did the Shred DVD on Saturday and Monday and today I did 3 weight machines at the gym. Somehow I have to turn my workout routine around and do weights first then cardio, that way I will be forced to do the weights and not be tired after the hour cardio workout. I will work on figuring this out.

I have also joined a team for the Biggest Loser MN Challenge. It is FREE!!! You log your weight, exercise and nutrition all on line. It gives you your own stats as well as your team. It is good way to stay accountable!! It started on the 24th and goes until April 15th. I have done really well these first 3 days.

I was awarded the stylish blogger award last week, part of this is to tell 7 things about yourself so here goes!!!

1) I hate birds, any kind, I hate them all.

2)I hate Mace, why can't I be one of those people that aren't affected by it. I was reminded of my hatred for it today when we had to deal with a guy who had been sprayed. Um, didn't hear the radio call saying "irritant sprayed". It makes me cough to the point of almost throwing up, and my nose and eyes run uncontrollably. Next time A-Hole just comply with officer directives!!!!!! If you are wondering what it feels like,cut yourself some hot peppers then rub your eyes and nose!!

3)I like to try new recipes but they never seem to turn out like the picture or what they make on TV. I tried making Kale Chips this weekend, saw it on the Hungry Girl show. It stunk up my whole house and tasted like crap. She claimed it was a "knock off" for chips. NOT

4)I do feel better after I exercise

5)I would like to run a half marathon, but hate committing to things!!

6)I tell my co-workers that I am going to be nice for the whole day and not swear, they never believe me and it never happens

7)I say things how they are, I am known at work for the one who will stay what everyone else is thinking!! Not sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing!! hahah

Minor setback

My well laid out plan had a set back. On Friday we had to leave for ND because my mother in-law passed away. Sweetest lady one will ever know. Driving back on Friday I had told my husband that I had lost 3.5lbs since Monday, I was excited however I knew it wouldn't last. We were traveling, emotions were on the high side and friends and neighbors would be bringing tons of good food to the house and there would be no exercising.

Never fear I am prepared to be right back on track tomorrow. Food is all prepared and I will be ready to hit the gym after work. I have a spinach, red&green pepper and celery egg beater omelet for breakfast a turkey burger with no bun and yogurt for lunch, some jicima and tomatoes for a snack as well as the Dr. OZ Green drink. (an apple, cucumber, celery, and spinach, ginger, lemon juice and 4oz of water), I had to use lime juice and added a pack of truvia and some cinnamon to the mix.

My weekend project will be to change my ticker tape at the top of my page. That could be ugly. haha

Be true, be real, be strong.

17 Day Diet

As you can tell by the title and if you know me at all, you know I am going to try this "new diet plan". Here is the reason why, when I went back to work after being on vacation my co-worker "aka" personal counselor Romo said " do I look different to you" I said "you do" she said " how" I said " you've lost weight", her "can you really tell" me, " yes, I haven't seen you in almost 2 and half weeks". She had been doing the 17 day diet!! Now, unlike me she got the gist of the plan from another co-worker and didn't spend $30.00 on a book that contains all the info. Officer Romo has lost 6lbs in the first week and she cheated a bit on the plan. She is not obsessive about her weight like I am and only needs to lose maybe 10lbs if even. I started the plan on Monday, with only the info that she had given me, as I was still waiting for my book to arrive. Basically you eat 2eggs, 2 yogurts, 2 fruits (only a few certain ones)all before 2pm. Along with these items you can have all the protein and veggies you want. Only fat-free dressings and no condiments unless sugar free or sodium fee. The thing with Monday was I did really good during the day but choose to eat a cup of spaghetti and 2 pieces of french bread and spinach for supper, I had also worked out for 60 minutes. On Tuesday I did the same thing, ate well all day then chose to eat 2 tacos for supper, however I did not go to the gym. Today I did the same thing ate well during the day, went to the gym and did 40 minutes on the elliptical then came home and had lettuce with tuna, tomatoes, red peppers and some lite dressing. I was still starving so I melted cheese between 2 tortilla shells. Let me tell you..... something went very, very wrong and I got the worst stomach-ache and ended up in the bathroom. What happened there? Punishment for eating what I shouldn't have had. One day I will learn. hahah The thing with starting on Monday was lack of planning on my part, as I didn't' plan our supper meals with food I could have, like turkey or chicken. Enough with the not planning. As I am typing this blog, I have chicken breasts in the crockpot, enough for the next couple of days.

Here is how I will eat tomorrow. I will have a clementine around 7:30 and another one around 9 or 9:30. At 10:30 I will eat 2 egg beaters omelet style, with spinach, red peppers and celery and banana peppers, seasoned of course with a Mrs. Dash, tomato basil and a yogurt. I will be at work so if they have a cooked veggie I like I will have that as well. Around 1:30 I will have another yogurt and some sort of raw veggies. Supper will be veggies and chicken breast!! I have been drinking lots of water. I didn't have pop for 3 days until tonight when I just had to have it. Romo said no pop, but after reading the book, it says you can have dt. I think she tricked me so I would quit drinking it!! hahah The other co-worker has lost 10lbs and she is still on her 1st 17 days. If it worked for them it better work for me!!!!!! It says that you should exercise 17 min a day. I got that one down. This is a good plan for me, I think, I am such a carb junkie that this will force me to eat better. I have tried cutting carbs before and let me tell you I am not a nice person to be around. Even though I have had carbs the last 3 days I have not had near the amounts of what I would have eaten before. That is a good thing. Gotta go chop the veggies for the omelet. Be tough, be strong, be real!!!

Semi sort of on track

I am on track with the exercise. My goal for weights is 3x a week, today was the first day I did weights. I did a half hour of weight training on the machines at the gym. My intent was to go to the Body Pump class or do the 30 Day Shred DVD. Here is the 411 on that. The gym is SO CROWDED right now, all the people getting back on track. Good for them, but I just can't make myself go to a class that is so packed you can hardely move. I hope the class won't be as full on Friday or Saturday so I can go. Excuse, no because I actaully used the machines so I still got the weight training in. I did 45 minutes on the treadmill as well. I have had a little trouble with the eating, I can't seem to get full no matter what I eat. I try to make good choices, but I seem to give myself to many choices if that makes sense. It will come so I am not going to beat myself up over it, it has only been 3 days for me. I have been drinking alot more water so that is a plus. Be tough, be strong, be real!!!!!

Sugar, it really is in everything.

I have read many diet/nutrition books and articles in the past. They always seem to talk about sugar. I decided yesterday to check this out a bit more. What I really wanted to check out was how many grams of sugar = a teaspoon. Here is is 4.2 grams= 1 teaspoon. So in something so simple as a yogurt, which we think is healthy because it is low-fat and less than 100 calories, it has a bunch of sugar. I did buy one WW Berries and Cream yogurt today and it has 12 grams of sugar so 2.86 teaspoons of sugar. This flavor is low compared to some. So the question I have is how do you eat when trying to avoid hidden sugars and loads of sodium? I do need to google how much sugar one should have in a day. I have always seen it as "limit your amounts". I would like to find a more concrete answer. Anyone know how many grams you can safely have?

One place of focus for me in 2011 will be "hidden sugar". I am more of a salt person vs a sugar. I can pass on the cookies I want the chips. News flash, time to pay attention to sugar grams on the labels!!!
I got a short 35 minute workout in yesterday and today I got in 65 minutes. My plan is to continue to workout like I did in 2010, however I need and will add weight training to plan. I will start out doing the 30 day Shred or going to the Body Pump class. The challenge is the class is at 5:30 or 7:30, I get off work at 3. I will have to force myself to go to the gym when it is dark and cold out!! If I go by 4:30 I am good, any later and I just want to stay home!! I will make it work!!!

I have planned out my breakfast and lunch for tomorrow, my first day back at work in 12 days!! It's gonna be brutal!!!

I must say I have a much better mind set and feeling about what I want to accomplish this year. With that, I intend to make some noticeable changes!!!