Day Sixteen: School!

So the Fall Semester has started. I'm determined to stay on track. I haven't had time to work out twice a day, but I'm definitely fitting in at least one workout a day, no excuses (unless a really big homework assignment comes up). I had every intention of working out in the gym tonight, but I had to read a few chapters for my two classes tomorrow so I couldn't. However, I did work out this morning before school so I don't feel so terrible.

Day Fifteen Stats:
Wake Up: 9 AM
Breakfast: Life cereal with 1% milk
Exercise: Biggest Loser Power Sculpt level 1
Lunch: ham sandwich on wheat with mayo and mustard, tortilla chips and salsa
Snack: cheez-itz mini bag, black grapes, sweet chili quakers rice cakes, nutty delight special k bar, banana (not all at once, spread out throughout the day to stave off any hunger pangs)
Dinner: chicken curry and brown rice

Day Fifteen: Time Flies When You're Having Fun! :)

I know I've skipped a few days of posting stats, but I've been pretty busy. That being said, I haven't slacked on my exercising and eating schedule habits, au contraire! I have held to my promise of not eating fast food, skipping sodas, and working out every day. (I have yet to fit in TWO workouts a day, but I at least have fit in one a day).

Day Fifteen Stats:

Wake Up: 9 AM
Breakfast: cup of strawberry milk and yogurt
Lunch: ham sandwich on wheat bread with provolone cheese, mustard, lettuce, and tomato with black grapes and one mini bag of Cheez-itz
Snack: Special K Nutty Delight Bar (MY NEW OBSESSION. They are so good!)
Exercise: 30 mins elliptical, 2.4 miles, 315 calories burned
Dinner: Progresso chicken noodle soup, Quakers Rice Cakes (sweet chili flavor), applesauce

I haven't weighed myself since Day Ten, and I don't plan on doing so until the end of the week. I find that weighing myself TOO often gets very discouraging very quickly. I can feel my clothes becoming more loose on my frame, I can tell my muscles feel tighter, I don't NEED to step on a scale to know I'm still making progress. As an impatient human being, I know that the pounds refusing to melt away day after day will make me want to give up. And I just can't let that happen, not this time. So I'm staying off the scale, perhaps measuring myself every week or every other week.

Also, as a side note, I have discovered a fantastic podcast to work out to: We're Alive. It's a podcast chronicling the survival stories of a group of people suddenly thrust into a zombie apocalypse, centering around a young Army Sergeant. It's fantastically written, fantastically acted, and the quality of the sound effects and editing is sublime. I found my feet pounding along on the elliptical as if the zombies in my ears were coming out to get me! It was a fun way to work out and it kept my eyes away from the clock and the time on the elliptical just flew by, before I knew it, the machine was signalling time for my cooldown and I hadn't had time to sigh heavily and wonder when was this little slice of hell going to end!? So I highly recommend this podcast for any horror/zombie/apocalypse fans, and especially for those fans who also need some fuel for their workouts. This podcast will make any time on the treadmill, elliptical, bike, or road highly tolerable and even enjoyable... you'll want to keep running so you can start the next episode and find out what happens next! :)

Day Ten: Lost Two Pounds!

Stats:
Wake-up: 1 PM (I KNOW, I KNOW, TERRIBLE!)
Breakfast: yogurt
Lunch: none
Snack: banana, chocolate covered almonds
Dinner: bison chili and peanut butter sandwich on wheat bread

Alright, so I stepped on the scale this afternoon and I've lost two pounds! Woo! I've also noticed my pants are fitting a bit more loosely, I have to keep tugging them up here and there. This is exciting! Once the pounds start coming off, it provides more motivation to keep moving forward! :) I'm excited about this leg of the race. I have support, I have drive, I have energy, I have everything I need to accomplish my goals! :)

3 Fat Chicks on a Diet

I have mentioned this website before, I think, and I just have to bring it up again. 3fatchicks.com seems to be a great website for weight loss tips and inspiration. I have to admit, the only thing I have looked at for any length of time is the Goals section of the Forum. Here is where members of the 3fatchicks.com forum post their weight loss success in picture format. They'll post their beginning picture alongside their current picture to show how much weight they've lost. And there are some real heroes on that forum, people who have lost 300+ pounds!!! There's nothing more inspiring to me than to see those pictures and know that I'm headed toward that same achievement, shedding pounds that are doing nothing but holding me back and putting my health in danger...

I can't wait to post my Goal photos!

http://www.3fatchicks.com/forum/goal-photo-album-200/

Check out the photo album if you're running low on motivation, it will surely kick you into gear! :)

Day Nine: Working Out!

Stats:
Wake Up: 11:30 AM
Breakfast: bowl of Life cereal with Skim milk
Lunch: grilled sandwich with portabello mushroom, roasted red peppers, lite mayo, and paprika on wheat bread
Exercise: Biggest Loser Cardio DVD Level One
Snack: Special K
Exercise: 30 mins elliptical
Dinner:

Today I feel alright. I made the mistake of staying up late because I felt like watching The Full Monty... so instead of my usual 2:30 AM bedtime, I was up until after 3:30 AM. So I ended up sleeping in, which if you haven't noticed, has become a bad habit, the only one I haven't managed to break thus far. I'm sticking to my eating schedule, I'm avoiding eating fast food, no sodas, etc. But sleeping in is something I haven't managed to completely give up yet. :( However, school starts on Monday and I'll HAVE to get up early in order to make it to class... so that's a positive aspect of the semester starting! :)

Day Eight: We'll Pretend the Weekend Didn't Happen :P

Day Eight Stats:
Wake Up: 9 AM
Breakfast: banana
Exercise: 1 hour clogdancing
Lunch: 2 bowls of Life cereal
Snack: Special K
Exercise: 40 mins elliptical
Dinner: Progressive chicken noodle with vegetables soup and cheese crackers

So I was just talking to my bestie on the phone and she asked how much weight I had lost so far. I admitted that I hadn't stepped on the scale since I began working out. I hopped on the scale, excited to see 265.5 reading on the scale's face since I had assumed my start weight was 267 pounds. Well, looking back through my blog entries, I stand corrected because my starting weight was 265.5. So I haven't lost (OR GAINED, that is definitely important) a single pound. But, it's only been five days since my first weigh-in.

But I'm definitely not discouraged. I'm happy I haven't gained anything. It shows that I'm working out enough to maintain my body weight, so now I need to step it up and definitely get in two workouts a day like I had originally planned so that I can start burning instead of maintaining. I've been through this before. I know the scale moves slowly, but as long as it's moving downward and not upward, I know to rejoice, even in the smallest changes on the scale.

Especially at the very, very beginning. Your body has to build muscle at first, and muscle weighs more than fat does. So sometimes, it can even look like one is gaining weight, when in fact, your body is just strengthening itself to be able to handle your hard, sweaty workouts. I know my body feels tighter already, especially my upper thighs. I know this is a good sign and that I won't let the scale's stubbornness get me down. I have to be just as stubborn and keep pushing ahead so these muscles I'm building can start working to burn off the excess fat on my body.

So I'm feeling good! I fell off the track a bit this weekend with my eating, but this is a new week, my last week before school starts to solidify my daily eating schedule and daily exercise routines. When they become habit, they'll be a lot easier to fit in to my school schedule. I can't let school be an excuse like I did the last time I was in school... I just have to adjust, stay strong, and maintain motivation. I got this! :)

Day Five: Sore Muscles

Today's Stats:

Wake Up: 11 AM (QUIT HITTING THAT SNOOZE BUTTON, FOOL!)
Breakfast: Like cereal with skim milk
Lunch: 6inch veggie sub on Italian bread from Subway, banana, water
Snack: chocolate cupcake, cup of pineapples
Dinner: chicken stir fry wth brown rice, chocolate cupcake for dessert
(It was cupcake day at work, so I literally had people shoving cupcakes in my face. Not an excuse, but I also haven't eaten sweets all week, so breaking for two little cupcakes isn't a big deal.)

No exercising today, but that's because I had to run errands before work and then work was super busy, so I had to stay at my desk on my lunch break to make sure the machines kept running.

My glutes are in a lot of pain right now, but my butt already feels tighter after only a few days of working out. That's my biggest happiness about working out, the perkier booty. Of course I love the tighter thigh muscles and smaller stomach, but for some reason I really love being aware of the muscle definition in my butt (I guess because when I'm NOT working out on a regular schedule I literally have NO ass, it feels nice to know there's a little definition forming in the trunk department, LOL).

This weekend will be a test of will seeing as without a work schedule to stick to, I'll be very tempted to sleep in even longer than 11 AM, but I MUST force myself out of bed and into my workout gear. The momentum CAN'T slow down now, I'm doing so well! :)

Day Four: Just Keep Going

Wake Up: 11 AM
Breakfast: bowl of Cinnamon Life cereal with 2% milk
Workout: Biggest Loser Cardio Max Level 1
Lunch: Turkey wrap with cream cheese, lettuce, red peppers
Snack: Banana
Workout: 30 min elliptical
Dinner: chicken stir fry with brown rice

I can already see elements of my old self trying desperately to break through my surge of motivation. I still sleep two hours past my 9 AM alarm. I still am not putting my 100% effort into my workouts. Sure, I'm sweating, my heart rate is up, but I know I can lunge deeper and jump higher than I am. I'm cashing in in some ways.

But I seem to be forgetting something: I'm starting over. I'm not going to be at the same fitness level I was eight months and twenty pounds ago. I've gained weight, I've lost muscle tone. I'm not as far back as where I started in April of last year, but I'm definitely quite a few laps back from where I was in the race last August. But I can't get discouraged as I realize this fact. I have to keep pushing, I have to keep moving forward.

I can't lose momentum. My life is hanging in the balance! I need this for me. I don't want to remain miserable and self-loathing well into my thirties and forties. Instead I'm going to spend my twenties kicking my ass into shape so my late twenties, thirties, and forties can be great years to revel in my personal health and happiness seeking success. :) 

Biggest Loser Last Chance Workout Monday Routine: A Review

I've been a big fan (pun intended) of the Biggest Loser workout DVDs ever since I discovered the fat-melting, muscle-toning magic of the Biggest Loser Cardio Max DVD. Combined with the Biggest Loser Power Sculpt DVD, I lost over fifty pounds and my muscles were toned.

I decided to expand my Biggest Loser workout library with two more DVDs: Last Chance Workout and 30- Day Jump Start. Today, I did the Last Chance Workout for the first time and I'm going to go over what I thought of the workout.

I've never watched the Biggest Loser television show. I know what the premise is, and I'm supportive of the contestants meeting their weight loss goals, but I've never actually tuned in to catch an episode. The workouts came to me after some Google research to see what the best workout DVDs were for truly overweight people who needed to shed some pounds in a safe, effective manner. Biggest Loser workout DVDs kept popping up in all my searches, so I selected Cardio Max to begin with, knowing that cardio really melts the fat. I added the Power Sculpt DVD a few months later to help tone my muscles after my workout tolerance was piqued with the Cardio Max DVD.

After branching off into the Last Chance Workout DVD, I have to say, I'll be going back to Cardio Max and Power Sculpt from here on out. I think Last Chance Workout is intended for those who are most of the way to their workout goals, but just need an extra push to shed another pound or two, or need a shake-up in their routine. I don't have that satisfied feeling at the end of the Monday routine on Last Chance Workout that I do when I do the Cardio Max or Power Sculpt workouts. Last Chance Workout takes you through six circuits which consist of 30 second intervals of cardio moves, then 30 seconds of strength moves. This is a Jillian Michaels staple, one that I utilized quite well with her 30 Day Shred DVD (not associated with the Biggest Loser franchise, but an excellent workout DVD just the same).

I used Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred when I was several months into my workout regime last year and it hit all the right spots, shaking up my routine and waking up and wearing out muscles that had gotten used to the moves in the Cardio Max and Power Sculpt DVDs I was using up to that point. I think that is how Last Chance Workout will better benefit me, if I start using it a few months into my exercising rather than right now at the beginning. Those thirty second circuits, while keeping me from being bored, don't give me enough time to truly get the full effect of the workout.

If you're a beginner, I highly recommend the Cardio Max and Power Sculpt Biggest Loser DVDs first, then the Last Chance Workout later, after you're able to get through the three levels on the CM and PS. Its not that CM and PS are easier than the LCW, they just utilize longer circuits, so when you have to stop for breath before picking a move back up again, you still have a little bit to get back into the move rather than the DVD already moving on to another move. LCW moves too quickly for beginners, in my opinion.

You will stop to take breaths when you start out, you won't be able to complete all of the moves on your first, second, or even third try of the workout.The idea is that when the moves become "easy" and you're able to complete them successfully without feeling winded or sore, that's about the time you move up to the next level where you're going to be winded and sore all over again with new, harder moves. The problem with LCW is that it didn't give me a chance to feel winded and sore because when I had to stop for breath, I missed a move and half of the next one.

So, again, I would definitely recommend beginners who enjoy DVD workouts (and even if you think you don't, give the Biggest Loser workouts a try) I highly recommend the Biggest Loser Cardio Max and Biggest Loser Power Sculpt DVDs, then moving on to the Last Chance Workout and Jillian Micheal's 30-Day Shred after you've made it through the 6 week program for CM and PS.

Can't Wait!

I'm just so excited, I can't WAIT to walk into a store and know that I can fit the clothes they have there.

I can't WAIT to stand in front of a mirror with a smile on my face, knowing that I look good.

I can't WAIT to accept compliments from co-workers, family, and friends, because I know I"ve worked hard and deserve the positive feedback instead of thinking they are just "being nice".

I can't WAIT to feel like I deserve the amazingly attractive man I'm dating because I, too, will feel amazingly attractive.

I can't WAIT to wake up and just feel good to be awake and starting a new day.

I can't WAIT to feel that rush of adrenaline when I step on the scale and see that, yes, I DID IT.

I can't WAIT to sit in the desks at school and not worry that it's going to collapse beneath me and/or that my body hangs off the edges of the seat.

I can't WAIT to be able to run faster, jump higher, and exercise harder with a smile on my face because it feels so good.

I can't WAIT to wear my favorite outfits again.

I can't WAIT to feel my stomach turn in disgust when someone suggests eating fast food.

I can't WAIT to be able to wear sexy lingerie.

I can't WAIT to spend less money on clothes that are much cuter than the plus size clothes.

I can't WAIT to not have jelly rolls and back fat and armpit fat and ugh.

I can't WAIT to feel sexy again, in and out of clothes. 

I can't WAIT to succeed. 

For further motivation, http://pinterest.com/dreamngina/fitness-inspiration-and-motivation/

First Weigh-In and Start Up Pictures

This blog is a big motivator for me to struggle onward with this journey. So it's here that I will share my thoughts, goals, and pounds lost as I move forward to a happier and healthy life.

I did my first weigh-in this morning before breakfast.
Starting Weight (August 15, 2012): 265.5 pounds

Here are my "before" pictures, taken at my gym on August 13, 2012.

Here I go! :)

Day Three: I'm Feeling Good!

I'm sticking to my guns so far, and I'm feeling great! I've craved soda, but grabbed the water bottle instead. I've wanted to eat right before bed, have my usual bowl of cereal or sandwich before climbing underneath the covers, but I reached for a water bottle instead. (I'm not saying that water cures all cravings, but it fills my tummy in those two situations.) I've managed to stay away from sweets for the most part (except for one break yesterday with a rogue strawberry Pop Tart).

I've worked out the past two days on my break at work, and that felt great. Today, with no errands to run before work, I plan on doing a Biggest Loser workout DVD and then tonight at work on my break, doing some walk/light jogging on the treadmill. I want results and I want them fast (but not TOO fast). Working out twice a day and eating less has been the only way I've found to achieve that goal. I hear all the time about miracle diets, appetizer depressant pills, etc. but I don't buy into that stuff. Hard work, motivation, and drive are what I had to endure to drop the pounds before. I didn't keep all those pounds off because I stopped working hard. Plain and simple. It wasn't a failure in my methods, it was a failure in me. I quit on myself.

But I'm at the point in my life where I pick myself up, acknowledge my failure, but use it as fuel to push me even farther. I'm tired of starting over, so I need to go straight through to the finish line!

Today's Stats:


Wake Up: 11 AM
Breakfast: two pieces of wheat toast with butter and peach preserves, key lime pie whips yogurt, water
Work Out: Last Chance Biggest Loser Workout Level One
Lunch: salad (lettuce/onions/bell peppers/grilled chicken/shredded cheddar cheese/tomato basil vinaigrette), water
Snack: cup of pineapple chunks

Dinner: two tuna sandwiches with mayo and an applesauce, water

FINALLY!

It's strange how this sudden change of mood always seems to come out of nowhere. One minute I'm avoiding the scale on my kitchen floor, carefully walking around it and not looking directly at it, while treating mirrors in my house much the same way. I dodge away from the flashbulbs of cameras and feel horrified at the results of stealthy photographers who do manage to capture my likeness on film. I'm eating terrible food constantly, and sitting around my house doing absolutely nothing with all my free time.

Then something happens, and like a switch was flipped on within me, I'm shoved into a motivated streak that has me racing toward my finish line, full of fresh energy and resilience. Its hard to put a finger on, but something within me is finally tired of being down on myself and losing all the leadway I had made for myself last year. I lost over fifty pounds last year! I've gained nearly all of it back, but why? Why did I stop my healthy habits and sink back into these embarassing and deadly ones?

I can't answer that question, I can't place my finger on it. Laziness is probably the most obvious. But today something clicked. I didn't have an exercise partner, I've given up on letting that be my excuse. I didn't have anyone tell ing me I had to exercise, or that I should. I just decided that today was my first day, and I did it. I worked hard, I concentrated, I worked my muscles, I was drenched in sweat, and I felt great.

I. Felt. Great.

I have to remember that, because I know that even in the height of weight loss, it can be hard to step on that treadmill or do those jumping jacks. I have to remember the sense of accomplishment, the rush of adrenaline, the winks in the mirror as I strut into the changing room at the gym after a hard, satisfying workout. How did I forget those feelings? I can't forget again, I simply won't...

This is important.

This is my life.

Things are going well for me in other areas of my life. I have a nice apartment and a job that allows me to afford that apartment. I have a nice car, with a new stereo. I have money for clothes, and healthy food. I have a family who loves me and is there for me however, whenever, and wherever I need them. School starts again soon and that forces me into a schedule, which is only a beneficial aspect of living healthy. The ability to obtain a higher education and a mind that is still able to learn and retain is something I am grateful for and something I look forward to putting to good use once again. My GPA rose a bit from last semester due to really great grades, so that's great. I'm in love, I have a wonderful boyfriend, FINALLY, in my life who supports me and makes me feel like I can take on the world! So there's nothing stopping me now...

Here I go!

My goals are to lose at least sixty pounds by my next birthday (February 7th, 2013) and then an additional forty by May 2013. When I reach those goals, I will reward myself with one of three trips (depending on which is most feasible and expense-appropriate):

1. Cedar Point
2. Disney Land
3. Ireland

My plan for achieving those goals are simple and will become slightly more intricate and challenging as I plod along. At first, I will give up fast food and eating out at restaurants completely, and only getting salads when eating out as a social event. I will not drink sodas or eat excessive sweets. I will eat three meals a day, with a snack in between lunch and dinner. I will make all of my meals. I will work out twice a day, fitting in at least one Biggest Loser workout DVD.

Nothing is going to stand in my way, not even myself. I'm going to live out my twenties as a happy and healthy woman!

Sudden Realization

I fell off the wagon. I'm nearly back to my worst weight. I can line up the infinite amount of excuses and blame time constraints, the weather, Chick-Fil-A's delicious chicken sandwiches, or whatever, but it all boils down to the fact that yet again, I've failed myself.

I have no one to blame but me.

But I've come to that breaking point yet again. My high school reunion was quite recently and of course, many candid photos were taken. These photos opened my eyes to the whale I've allowed myself to become again.

So I have to recover, recuperate, and rejuvenate my efforts to better my lifestyle, better my health, and better my body. I only have this one life, why do I keep allowing myself to squander it? I can't think of a better answer to that question than the obvious and most truthful one: I'm lazy.

The guilt of being so lazy, though, is starting to tip the scale against being lazy. I can't stand myself. I can't stand that outfits I used to love wearing no longer fit. I can't stand that pants that were falling off of me now create a muffin top. I can't stand that I've lost that wonderful, beautiful confidence I was steadily gaining as I lost weight less than a year ago. I'm depressed all the time now, I lack energy and drive to do much of anything. I'm back in that rut from which I had fought so bravely to climb out of before...

But I'm still alive. I'm still able. I have another chance. I have to take it. So here I go!