Dancing on a Dreary Day

I was not very motivated this afternoon. Last night I ate (cue guilty look) 3 skinny cow ice cream sandwiches in one sitting. The good news is that it's the first major not-great-choice I have made in the past 6 weeks concerning food. And I know why I did it (a combination of boredom and guilt...and I was watching Lifetime movie...why do I do these things!? Gah!). But that is still 550 calories I didn't even enjoy that much.

I also worked out my lower body really well yesterday, so everything was sore today, especially after 8 hours of work...and I have planter fasciitis. This means I get some intense heel pain after sitting or sleeping. And I only got 4 hours of sleep last night. And it was overcast. Working out did not sound like fun.

But then I realized that I was just being grouchy...and defeating myself in the process. So I took my dog for a mile walk. Not bad. So I thought, why not try to find a workout on On Demand? Just to try out more of the free shows they offer?

Which is why I found myself shaking my booty and making up my own steps to a workout on the telly...did I mention how much fun it was?! I love dancing, and on a day like today, I was excited to be moving...so yay!

I think the wisdom of today is to start. Put on your shoes, get to the gym, find the trail, and promise yourself 5 minutes. Then realize it would be silly to only do 5...so why not 15? Heck, you say to yourself, I know I can do 30! At a higher level than usual! CHOOSE to change...

and load your ipod up with sweet body-pumping tunes:)

Ahem...

I just realized that every single paragraph in the previous post ended with an exclamation mark. As a previous English/Creative Writing major, I want to apologize to you all. I will use them only for important occasions from now on! (like just then:)

No birds, just my BEE...

One of my goals for the past week was to learn more. About anything and everything pertaining to this journey I am on. While I think I got a start on that, it is something I need to continue focusing on. (My other goal was to go on a five+ mile hike, and I did! (Yay for friends, dogs, and rivers!)

Things I have learned this week:

My love of prunes is a wonderful thing! I am proud to come out to you all as a prune-lover. Not just in tarts, but on their own. sweet, sticky, more exiting than a raisin, I learned that they contain “High Fiber and sorbitol (a sugar alcohol that the body metabolizes slowly) keep blood sugar and insulin levels in check...and five prunes have just 100 calories!” -Women’s Health Magazine

My Basal Energy Expenditure...which is not as gross as it sounds, I promise. My BEE is (as I understand it) the base amount of calories I need to get through a day. So my base BEE is 1863. Meaning if I stayed in bed all day and ate 1863 calories, I would also burn them, maintaining my weight. But I don’t just stay in bed all day. I exercise! And for those of you who don’t know, I work in a coffee shop, so about 4 days a week I am on my feet and moving for 7-8hours. Since my activity is moderate, I multiply my BEE by 1.45. So now my BEE is 2701....if I want to maintain my weight....but I want to lose, so I cut about 100ish calories from that number!

And the summary of that whole paragraph is that, if I am calculating correctly, I should be eating around 2600 calories everyday...that sounds so wrong. Doesn’t it? Don’t quote me on that info just yet, I will check it out. In the meantime, feel free to calculate yours at http://www-users.med.cornell.edu/~spon/picu/calc/beecalc.htm

Now for something discouraging. 41.15% of my body is fat....ouch. I know that as a woman, I will always have fat on my body, but 41.15%? That will be re-calculated at the end of my biggest weight-loss challenge, and I hope it is a happier number!

Speaking of the biggest weight-loss challenge (golly, is this post getting long or what?) the second week was good. We did a circuit of random exercises that included running forward with a tube around your waist that your partner was pulling back on...only fun stuff:) I tried some new things, and pushed myself to do that extra tricep curl/squat/crunch. It helps to know there is a group I am accountable to every week. So GO TEAM! And have a delightful week!

PS Just so you know, I will be doing weigh-ins on Tuesdays for the next few months, to coincide with my biggest -weight loss group. S look for new posts on Wednesdays!

My Current Life in Photos

I am going to be doing a barrage of posts in the next few days(yay for my awesome new followers inspiring me!), but I thought you might want some eye-candy before I start writing your eyes off...I don't think that phrase worked...but you know what I mean:)

So here, for your viewing pleasure, is a slide show of my life:

This me doing on of my goals for the past week! I went on a hike that turned out being about 5.5 miles...and I got to do it with a delightful friend and THREE dogs. I truly think owning a dog is one of the best things you can do for yourself healthwise, and they are cute and snuggly too!

This is the same three dogs racing ahead on the trail. You know you've done a good job when they are walking at the end of a hike, instead of running...or when they don't really move for the rest of the day:)

Katie and I at the end of Race for the Cure! Check out our sweet shirts! (and ignore the akward woman walking behind us...is she confused by our victory pose?)

This is a treasure my friends. To the naked eye it might look like a simple burgundy binder, but when you open it up...Bam! It's full of weight-loss success stories, tips, exercise plans, recipes, and so much more! I cut up magazines to save the stuff I find relevant or helpful, and semi-organize it in this binder for inspiration and help. That way I'm not dealing with a huge stack of magazines!

Me cooking dinner for my grandma, my mom, my sister, and I in a farmhouse in Iceland...in case you didn't know, I love food. And I really love baking. And bread. Fresh warm bread with butter. I just drooled on my keyboard...akward...


Next post will be about my future goals for the week, what I learned this past week, and other random what-not. For the next few weeks I will be weighing in mid-week with my biggest weight-loss team, so you will get that update later on. Happy Sunday to you all!

Future Perks

There are some obvious rewards to losing weight. Like better health. And less risk for weight-related diseases/afflictions. And looking good.

And then there are some results that I am particularly exited about, that I have listed below in no particular order (I get exited just typing them!):

-shopping at the same stores as my friends.

-being able to wrap a towel all the way around my body.

-no more chub rub! (ie:my thighs won’t rub together anymore!)

-knowing that I can create and accomplish a goal.

-having more room in airplane seats.

-tank tops and shorts with confidence!

-Not just having a pretty face.

-Being able to buy nice leather boots (my calves are too big to fit at this point in time).

-Having more energy, and get up and GO!

I know that some of these things sound a bit shallow, and related to looks instead of health, but I will enjoy these changes nonetheless. So yay for all the reasons to lose weight!

Can I get a woot woot?!

Month One has been rocked!

Well look at that, it’s been a month! And I am feeling good. Which is why I was exited, but not completely surprised, to see that my weight today is 228lbs. I have lost 16lbs in the last month with hard work, exercise, and better eating habits.

This past week my friend and I did the 5k walking Race for the Cure, I took my dog for a long walk on the beach, and I attempted the StairMaster AND the elliptical in a 31 minute span. Basically, I have been rocking socks.

But it is time to step it up. I think it is important for me to understand more about the calories I am consuming, and how I am expending them. The first meeting of my biggest loser team was a wake up call to being about my food. What gives me energy, what takes it away, how much should I eat and when? Also, how much do I strength train? How long should my cardio last?

So my goal for this coming week is to learn. Learn how many calories, how much fiber, protein, sugar, and sodium, is in the food I eat regularly. Learn how to organize my exercise schedule. Learn about the healthiest choices I can make for myself.

Oh yeah, and I want to go on a 5 mile+ hike...yeah:) No biggie.

(speaking of goals, I did accomplish last weeks. 1)I did 15 min on the StairMaster, and then 16 min on the elliptical, 2)I got more comfortable with the exercise ball, and 3) I worked on making my snacks work for me.)

The next post will contain more about my first meeting of my biggest loser team, my favorite foods, and the rewards I am giving myself as I lose weight...the biggest reward being better health!

Biggest Weight-loss Challenge

Howdy folks. It's the fourth week of my "eat less, exercise more" life-plan, and I have some exciting news. I weighed in yesterday, like every Sunday, and was aiming for a weight of 233.3...but instead I saw this on the scale:

230.5

Woah! I did not see that coming. I think mixing up my exercise styles (treadmill, StairMaster, Latin Rhythms, and hiking) and focusing on healthy food and portions made that magic happen.

It really helps to be thinking pound by pound. Instead of freaking out because, "omigod, I need to lose 90 lbs and all my time is just wasted til I get to that perfect weight and then everything will be perfect and I can live my life!", I just take it a pound at a time. I push myself for that one pound, for the added energy I get when I am fit.

And speaking of pushing myself, I have some exiting news. My dad and I have signed up for a 13 week program at our gym inspired by the show, "The Biggest Loser." Each week we will weigh-in with our teammates (there are about 5 teams), and then do a circuit together. I am pumped for the added encouragement, and support.

Goals for this week are: 1)use the exercise ball, 2)do 15 minutes on one machine, and then 15 more on another one, and 3)work on healthy snacks that combined complex carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fat. [a snack of this combination wwill keep you full and healthy til the next meal].