155 pounds and Happy about it!

January 9 2010

Thighs - 20 1/2 inches - down 2 inches
Hips - 37 1/2 inches - down 3 inches
Waist - 28 inches - down 3 1/2 inches
Chest - 32 inches - down 1/2 inch
arms - 12 inches - down 1 inch

Weight 155 pounds - down 95 pounds
total weight loss - 95 pounds
total inches lost - 69 inches

155 and still losing

I have been under a great deal of stress lately and it is having the opposite affect it has ever had on me and now I weight 155 because I don't have an appetite. It is not so bad because I weighed about 150 in high school but I can almost fit into my daughters jeans and she is SKINNY! If I go under 140 I will seek medical advice:)

Bye for now...maybe a picture later, who knows what tomorrow will bring?

160 pounds...down to my goal!

I have made it to 160 pounds!!! I am so thrilled and I feel fabulous. When the Christmas season is over I am going to start going to the gym more to firm up the flappy parts:)

165 pounds

I don't know how but I have drooped 5 pounds in one day??? I am very thrilled to be so close to my ULTIMATE GOAL!

Thank you Heavenly Father!

Just to be timely I will post this...UPDATE

I hit 169 pounds TODAY exactly!!! GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!9 to go, but who is counting?

I am still not losing much in way of inches so I will save those measurements for next month:)

This journey is nearing it's close and I am so excited that with God's help I have been able to change these things in my life to become the person that has been coupe up for so long in a shell of fat. The person that was hiding out from the world has been unleashed and she is learning so much about herself, about God's miracles, life, love, laughter, joy, hard work, tears, trials, enduring to the end and so much more. My words can not give justice to the way I feel about my new life.

Thanks are in order to the only one who has given me the strength to make this journey, follow it through and SUCCEED

Thank you my dear, sweet , loving Heavenly Father

PS...Game on Devin:)lol I love you dear brother in law and I am very proud of you and your success!

Pushed it today and ran 10 miles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I wasn't intending to do 10 miles today but I felt so good this time around I just kept running. I didn't have " lead legs" at any point this time around because I didn't walk 3.6 miles earlier in the day like I had with my 8.5 miler. I also had a Lara bar with me...JIC...I needed it! I don't eat sugar but these little dried fruit, all natural babies are what are going to fuel me for the half marathon. It did just the trick!

I experienced quite a "high" at about mile 6.5 this time around. I also had some left in me at the end so I sprinted the last 400 meters or so!!!

Here is a picture of me 2 years ago, pushing maximum density...YUCK!

I look like I am pregnant...but I am NOT! I will never see this woman again! I promise!!!!

The scale said 170 yesterday...

Then back to 172 this morning, but that is how it goes...will be stable 170 by December I hope!

Look at the abs and the arms...getting somewhere!

I was just messing around today and thought " why not take some posing pictures?" Whatever...I was impressed by the ab line and my tan anyway:)

I took the plunge and tried to run 8.5 miles today...non-stop...no WALKING!

And...

I did it! I felt great to mile 5, runner's high began to kick in... even if ever so briefly... but at about mile 6.5 I started to doubt I was going to make it...then mile 7.5 I am aching, feet hurt, hips are sore...knees okay, which is a bonus, but legs and butt are on fire, it's a good burn! At mile 8 I am on my own road and know it isn't far but there is that GIANT( okay little but it looked GIANT) hill...got to the top( ever so slowly but still technically jogging) and then down the home stretch...I can see my driveway at this point and my feet feel like they are made of lead. My toes are getting tingly my butt is even more on fire and I tell my self" Listen here don't you give up now you want to post that you actually did it so no wimping out lady!" Then half way down my own street it comes to " just get to that mailbox.." and so on. I get to my drive way and I think " well, might as well jog to the front door!" I am so proud of myself but my arms tingle my legs are shaking I am shaking...I need water and FOOD! ASAP! I fixed some spaghetti and a massive glass of AGUA. I eat while I "feel myself out" so to speak. I assess whether or not the aches are injury or just endurance pain( They are the latter thank goodness!...and I will be sore tomorrow I can already tell)

Things I learned:
*Don't wear too many layers even if it feels cold outside, wrapping 2 light jackets around your waist really stinks to do while in motion.

* change my Itunes playlist, the songs are getting old!

* bring a quick light easy energy snack and a small bit of water

* Only do 8 miles or more one time per week!

* I am very strong!

* I have supreme cardiovascular fitness because I wore my heart rate monitor the whole time and even when I was pushing really hard I was only at 150 beats per minute which is GREAT for me!!! But...that shows that when my legs get stronger I could push to run faster because I can hold 165-170 beats per minute for at least half an hour, easy,...sooo I conclude


I CAN RUN THIS HALF MARATHON BY MAY>>>NO PROBLEM!

I ran 6 1/2 miles today!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It tok me 1 hour and 7 minutes! Great time for a "non-runner" like me:)

New goal: To run the Helvetia half marathon in May 2010

Plan: Train beginning now!

Expectations?: To run the entire half marathon, NO WALKING! No emphasis on time:)

Thoughts about running 6 1/2 miles today:

feet - check
hips - check
back - check
breathing - check

All in order and feeling GREAT! that is new and I attribute that accomplishment to losing so much of my girth!heh heh...

I love running outside! I can't run unless I have music, very motivating...must be pumping music! Hence my biggest THANKS to Dr. Dixson for giving me an IPOD Nano a month ago to thank me for my hard work in their home...so NICE! I will use it everyday forever!

I can't wait to do a 10 miler just to see how I feel afterward! This run today taught me a lot about running and about myself. I am in SPECTACULAR aerobic shape! I can just keep going but since I was on a time constraint I had to step it up and run faster than I thought I could to get it done. I learned I can push myself harder than I thought! I learned how to step longer with less effort to go faster...it is COOL! I learned about the runner's HIGH...it kicked in about mile 5...pretty cool and I started to run even faster! I felt like a PRO:)

Here is a great breakfast treat!

Today I made Pumpkin German pancakes. I "tricked" them out a bit...

1/12 cups fresh ground whole wheat flour ( you could use gluten free flour too, it works)
1 cup coconut oil - melted
6 eggs
3/4 cup pumpkin
cinnamon, cloves and ginger to taste
1/2 teaspoon stevia
3 tablespoons ground flax meal
1 1/2 cup milk ( you could use coconut flour too, it works)

Bake at 425 degrees in a greased 9 X 13 glass baking dish for 25 minutes.

Top with chopped pecans and my maple "syrup" ( 1/2 cup water, 1 teaspoon maple extract and 1 tablespoon corn starch...bring to a boil and add 1/2 teaspoon stevia, stir constantly. It is not gourmet but it will do in a pinch:)

For a smaller portion just cut recipe in half!

Check out the difference!

June 2009 194 pounds

November 2009 173 pounds!

Sorry it took so long! November 1st, 2009...ONE WHOLE YEAR LATER!

Weight 173 down 77 pounds

waist 32 1/2 - same
hips 40 1/2 down 1/2 inch
thigh 22 1/2 same
calve 13 1/2 down 1/2 inch
chest 32 1/2 down 1/2
bust 36 down 2 inches
arms 13 down 1 inch

down 14 % body from 47% to 33 %!!!!!!!

All I can say is that I feel like a new person!

Excellent dinner option

1 cup cooked brown rice
3-4 sliced mushrooms ( Saute them in a little olive oil)
1 can chicken breast

Quick, easy and tastes really yummy!

New treat that rocks my world!

1 cup plain nonfat Nancy's yogurt
1 tablespoon SUGAR FREE Hershey's syrup( I know it has splenda but only a once in a while treat:)
sprinkle of Stevia
4 fresh sliced strawberries

= HEAVEN:)

I haven't had time to get all dressed and take pictures

I will take pics and stats next month. I am still at 175! I am hoping to break through to 170 by November for a total weight loss of 80 pounds in exactly one year!

Just a spoiler..

I have been 175 pounds for 3 days...so EXCITED! The scale is moving down again! I know the last little bit will come off and will take into my dream goal. It may be slow but it will happen! Don't give up hope when you have times of plateau, they stink but they are necessary! Your body has to adjust to the weight loss and the processing of the toxins when your fat cells shrink.

I will be posting my October 1st pictures and measurements.

size 8 jeans!

This is my size 14 on the right and 8's on the left...what a difference in the shape of my behind! Coolness! I just bought these new jeans to motivate myself to get into an all around size 8! That is how I reached size 10, figured it was a good plan:)

These are size 8!

Some Levi's run a bit larger than others. The fact is that these are 8's! It gives me great motivation to make my final descent into fitting into an 8 all around! This is how I got into 10's! I am so close I can just taste it:)I am still wavering back and forth between 179-181 but I am okay with this "plateau" when it is over I will shocked but will welcome it with open arms!

Went to the gym and did the full boot camp class that was brought back! YAY! I pushed myself hard today. I only hope I can brush my own teeth come Friday:)lol!

I feel better than I did a year ago and that is something BIG! LIFE CHANGING! alll I can say is

"JOY!"

When creating your own workout...

It is always good to go with 3 sets of 15 or 20...depends on what you are lifting and what your goal is. I used to do a progressive workout( 16 years ago) that was 4 sets. 1st was set of 15, then 10, then 8 then my 6 rep max. I loved it but it was more of a man's/body builder's workout. 3 sets of 15 works and wokrs well, but push yourself and add weights! Never just do what you feel like you can do. If you got o "failure" at set 3 then you have successfully broken down your muscle:) That deserves a whoo hoo! Failure means that you couldn't do another rep if there was a firecracker lit under you:) It feels pretty hard and wobbly and shaky and like you want to die...AHH success!

I build my workouts in sets of 2. Two exercises for each body part. 2 back, 2 bi-ceps, 2 tri-ceps, 2 chest. I take about a 30 second rest between each set. If I have to stop and pant for a few seconds between each rep then I do but always on the "rest" part of the exercise.

I do legs on opposite days of upper body and give the body at least 2 days rest between each body region...so like day one...upper body, day 2...lower...day three hardcore cardio and abs...and so on. For me, personally, it helps my body recover and build better:)

The classes I take combine all of these parts which is fine but when "lifting" solely for the purpose of building strength and muscle mass the alternating is key!

six pack abs in 6 minutes

This is a great , easy workout for your abs!

COME ON, WHO DOESN'T HAVE 6 minutes?????????????

I love the "repeat 2-3 times" at the end. Work your way up to it! I could only go through it once the first time I did it. The hip thrusts are really hard to get your butt up as high as he does so I just did my best! I felt like puking the first time I did this...that means it is good! I didn't even use my couch I just did it with a chair and did most of it on the floor without holding onto the bottom of the couch. I also, could quite do it as fast as superman did but good for now, I will get there!

Youtube is a great resource for workouts when you don't know what to do. There are great instructional ones that show you exact positioning and correct form!

LUNGES! LUNGES and more...LUNGES!

Ahhh the lunge. The single most affective and best exercise on the planet! I can't tell if I even do them right...must have mirror at gym...ARG! But... I did 4 lengths of the tennis courts yesterday with my friend, Angela, because I didn't want to drive to the gym. I then, went home and did frog squats ( see the correct way to do these at the end of this post) and some abs! Feels great! If you want your bum to perk up and SEXY quads... then the LUNGE is for you!



Don't forget squats. I like to do ball squats with a ball behind me on a wall ( helps support my fragile back)and some weight on my shoulders, when I am at the gym...SOOOO GOOD! I have a hard time with free squats and keeping my upper body from bending forward for my counter balance..UGH! Here are those great babies....



and then the frog squat, also easier on my back!

I forgot about endorphine rushes and how FABULOUS they are!

I went to the gym today only to find that my bootcamp class won't start up again until next week...soo I lifted out on the floor today for the first time in about a year:(...:) I have been attending classes and such but not really going out there and lifting weights like I used to love to do...bummer for me. I don't exactly know why I quit doing it, who knows why I do half the stuff I do???

Happily, I feel shakey, spaghetti armed, full of energy, on top of the world, peppy, kind of buzzy and warm feeling...I love it! Endorphines are some pretty intense and AWESOME things.

I would invite them to come back any time they please!

Recipe for endorphine rush:

*double bi-ceps - 2 types of curls, 3 sets of 15 reps each - 10 pound dumbbells

*double triceps - kick backs and machine, 3 sets of 15 reps - 60 pounds resistance and 10 pound dumbbells

*double lats(back) - pull downs and seated rows, 3 sets of 15 reps - 50 - 60 pounds each

*double chest - dumbbell press and chest press machine at an angle, 3 sets of 15 reps - 20 pound dumbbells then 25 pounds resistance on the machine


It is humbling to see how little I can lift at this point. Good thing muscles have memory and will snap back quickly huh? I could bench 55 pound dumbbells just a few short years ago:)

"My body will never be the same after I have a baby, right?"

My sweet sister commented " Your stomach looks like a 25 year olds" In my last update post! I love it! I hear all of the time things like " Your body will never be the same after children. Your abs can never go back to what they were. We just have to accept it...HOGWASH! While I have not yet "fully" returned to my 20 year old body...YET I do trust that it will happen. All in good time and with a lot of sweat and work! I don't think it will just be the same I believe it will be better! Because I will appreciate it more this time around and take better care of it!!!!!! When all is said and done I will have lost somewhere around 90 - 100 pounds...that is no small amount of weight to lose. I may have a little saggy here and a little veiney there but I look FABULOUS and FEEL fabulous and I have begun to fit right back into my old/newer better skin! I wore size 10 pants when I was 150 pounds and I am in a size 10 now at 179 pounds...what will 20 more pounds do??? That is right...SIZE "8" baby! My ultimate goal! That is more than I could have hoped for, but it is not the actual size or weight of my body that has made such an effect on my lifestyle change...it is the way I FEEL. My mind has been sorting through all kinds of mental garbage and taking it out to the curb! A healing of the soul, if you will. I have discovered things about myself because I was willing to take a long , hard look into the depths of my entire person. Why did I eat the way I did. What is the reason for the habits I had developed?

Asking your self hard questions and THEN BEING WILLING TO ANSWER THEM is winning the battle!

" Why do I think I need a little "treat" at 9 pm to " decompress" and have some time just for me?"

" What makes me want more food than I need?"

"When am I eating the most of my calories?"

" What causes me to feel justified in eating food that hurts my body? ...and way too much of it?"

Plain and simple I am a food -aholic! I see that now , after months of self evaluation. It is empowering to know that about myself! I use food like an alcoholic uses their drug of choice. I eat when I am HAPPY, sad, frustrated, bored...you name it!

Then searching for REAL answers for my symptoms....

" Strategies, guidelines, rules,faith,healing,support,moderation,love(self love)..." All a good place to start...and END:)

Can anyone say LACTIC ACID?

I am sooooo sore that I want to die....I expected that, wanted that even right? I will just keep telling myself that. Why is it the older I get if I don't lift weights for awhile , when I go back it feels like someone took each and every muscle in body out, pounded it with a meat tenderizer and replaced it neatly and "gently" into it own lovely place, after running it over with a tractor and putting it in a meat grinder:) ?

No pain no gain right?

Pain is weakness leaving the body right?

ha ha ha ha ha

I love pain:)

September 1st, 2009

Weight : 179 pounds - down 1 pound
Bust : 38 in. - same
Waist : 32 1/2 in. - same
Thigh : 22 in. - same
Hips : 41 in. - same
Arm - 13 in. - down 1/2 inch
Total weight loss : 71 pounds
Total inches : 45 1/2 inches

So ...I lost 1 pound and 1/2 of an inch..URG!

I begin going back to the gym tomorrow so I am excited to see what changes that will make for next month. I take it one day at a time! At this point I am just happy to see whatever progress I can make and that I haven't gained anything back:) I am going to have my body fat tested sometime this week and I will start posting that monthly too!

Can anyone say daily doubles?

I have been feeling like I want to work out 2 times a day...so I am going to give it a try:)

Lime and cilantro tacos

Salsa:
3-4 tomatoes , diced
1/2 onion , diced
1 tablespoon diced garlic (I buy it in a jar at Winco)
1/2 bunch of cilantro (chopped fine)
salt to taste
2 tablespoons lime juice or jiuce from 1 fresh lime ( I use the juice from the store in a plastic container from produce)


Chicken breast:
1-3 diced and cooked in a little olive oil with salt to taste

sliced black olives

1 dolup each sour cream

2 corn tortillas ( I ususally make my own but I just used store bought today:)

This is a quick and easy dinner option! Did I mention it is DELICIOUS?