TGIF!

I just realized it has been over a week since I last updated!  I have been so busy reading other peoples' blogs and surfing for new ideas on Pinterest that I simply forgot about my own blog! 

Last week I lost 3.1 pounds.  Now..I just need to keep it going.  I'm not sure why I feel like I lost weight so I can eat crap.  This week our challenge is to be the "biggest loser" so I am hoping to make it a GREAT week of weight-loss because I don't like to lose.  I want to be the biggest loser before our Thanksgiving dinner. 

I also signed up for my FIRST 5k.  My sister, mom and I will be doing it on Thanksgiving morning!! What better way to get Thanksgiving started than by running/walking my FIRST 5k!!?!?  I'm very excited my sister decided to do this with me and my mom as well, even though she said she'll be canceling if the weather is bad!  But, the tv said it should be about 51 that day! 

YAY for 5k's and YAY for Thanksgiving!!!!! 

Thirsty Thursday

Good Morning! 

I have been absent for a few days...well...7 days to be exact! Sorry!  It hasn't been a great 7 days for me.  I went to my old town to visit friends.  There are two problems with this.  One-they all LOVE to drink and with drinking comes a lot of eating for me.  Two-this town has the BEST Chinese place EVER! 

So...what I'm saying is, I drank a lot, ate a lot, and ate a lot of CHINESE!!!!!!!! 

The four pounds I was down when I weighed in at group training 2 weeks ago is no longer gone.  It is so strange to me.  I feel like I SHOULD be losing at least a flippin pound every week because I feel better and I look better in my clothes but I'M NOT LOSING!  It is SO FRUSTRATING!!!!

One good thing about having these group workouts is that I have a trainer.  So...this morning when she weighed me in, she told me that things just "aren't adding up" with me and my weight loss so she wants me to take a picture with my phone of EVERYTHING I eat and send it to her.  This will be challenging b/c then I also have to think about what I'm sending/eating and own up to it to my TRAINER!  It will be good.  Also, the past week and a half I havne't been tracking my food on  my LostIt account so that is going to start back up today. 

So, I'm off to track my calories before my students get here! Have a great day!!

Long Day

Howdy ya'll! 

We made the chicken and salsa recipe for the crockpot last night.  It was AHHHH-MAZING!!!!  It was so delicious and so easy!!! You all must try! We (mi madre and I) bought stuff for tacos like we normally would have and then instead of beef tacos we had chicken tacos!  They seriously were amazing! All we did was put 5 frozen chicken breasts in a crockpot with a jar of salsa for the entire day and then shredded it up and POOF.....chicken tacos just like the local mexican restaurant!

I didn't sleep well at ALL last night.  I had horrible dreams and kept waking up all night.  Then when it was time to actually get up at 4:30am to go workout, I didn't feel like it at ALL!  This week was hard for me.  I haven't had a problem getting up to workout ANY of the last 4-5 weeks and then this week, I haven't wanted to at all!  My shins have been extremely sore and I have to push through workouts and it isn't a lot of fun.  I dont know... I also WAS so flippin excited about tracking all my calories in and out and that feeling has subdued this week.  I don't know if it is partly because I am heading back to visit old friends and I am SUPER excited to drink wine all weekend with them and eat as much of their Chinese food as possible!?!  It is the BEST Chinese I have ever had!  I might founder on it to be honest.  I will NOT be counting calories at all!  Well, I will conciously try to eat not so much and I might order chicken fried rice instead of the breaded chicken I normally get.  Either way, I don't know why I am feeling this way but I am hoping to get through the weekend and move on, continuing in the right direction by working out hard and losing weight. 

Life is about lessons.  I have to continually learn what works for me and my body and what doesn't work.  I need to learn to see what my body is telling me and actually pay attention to it and not ignore it!  It is possible.  I have seen/read so many blogs of people that have done it!  The biggest realization is that it is a constant struggle but it is COMPLETELY doable! 

Have a great evening!  Be healthy!

Pushing...

Pushing.  That's what I've been doing.  I've been pushing thoughts of doing well out of my head.  I KNOW that my body is already changing shape with the exercise I've been doing.  I KNOW that my muscles are getting a LOT strong.  I KNOW that I can do this if I really put my mind to it, but I've truly been pushing that thought from my head. 

I made it through the last 4 weeks and never ONCE thought about missing a group workout.  This week, I had to push myself to go.  I did NOT want to get out of bed.  I did NOT want to go sweat at 5:30 in the morning.  I did NOT want to do it, period.  But, I pushed myself.  I DID do it.  I made it through the workout and burned 590 calories.  I pushed a fellow group member to do better.  I pushed through the sore muscles.  Now I am pushing through REALLY sore muscles.  It was a leg workout and they feel like they want to fall off at the hip because they are SO sore today.  I am going to have to push myself to go to the gym tonight after work.  I really feel like I could get away with not going, but I already let myself eat 2 monster cookies today and I am SO tempted to have a third.  I need to push that thought from my mind.  Actually-I need to go give AWAY the last monster cookies in the container. 

I coached volleyball this year.  It was my first year and I coached freshman girls.  It went well.  I remember thinking every day though, that I was the FAT coach.  I didn't look good in my clothes.  I didn't even look KIND OF athletic.  I couldn't do the things I wanted to do to help show my girls what I was asking of them because I knew my body either wouldn't do it or would look completely ridiculous executing the moves.  Either way, I was the fat coach.  Also, I looked ridiculous in all the team clothing I had/have.  Well, last night was our team banquet and I bought the XL long-sleeve shirt that I wouldn't have even THOUGHT of buying 4 weeks ago.  I did.  I took it home.  I tried it on.  IT FIT!  It is a little snug but it was SO comfortable and I wore it all over the house and  my Cowboy (aka-Chad, but Cowboy from now on) said it was great!  He also was encouraging and said in NO time, it will not be snug at all and it might even be too big!  YAY!  So that was an accomplishment for me last night.  It is dry-fit material so I even brought it to workout in today.  We'll see how it goes. 

Now, my problem comes because I don't understand how I can have an accomplishment and then go back to eating TWO monster cookies today instead of the protein pudding I brought.  UGH! I need to keep pushing myself to do better eating-wise.  My mom made the crock-pot chicken with salsa recipe that Ann posted on Twelve-in-Twelve this morning so we will try that for supper!  I saw the recipe and called her immediately to tell her to try it and I'd come over for supper tonight so she did! YAY!  I'll let you know how it is!

One final note...I ordered a bracelet from Prior Fat Girl's website. It is the "One bite at a time. One decision at a time." bracelet.  I actually ordered two.  I asked Cowboy if he wanted to wear the other one with me.  He hesitated at first.  I gave him a little heck about it.  He didn't want to because he said he might feel stupid if his friends asked him what it was.  Then, he must have thought about it yesterday all day because last night, he said that if I wanted him to, he would be happy to wear it!  SO....we are both wearing the bracelet.  Now I KNOW I can NOT let myself down.  Or Cowboy.  He works hard to support me.  Sometimes, I forget that.  Therefore, I can not let either one of us down.  I WILL make better decisions...ONE AT A TIME!

1154

1154 seems to be my FAVORITE number right now!  Why you ask?  Because I burned 1,154 calories in my workout on Saturday.  I don't think I have ever been so excited about a workout in my entire life!  WHOOP WHOOP!  DO A LITTLE DANCE...GET DOWN TONIGHT!!! Ha! 

I read on another blog (I'm not sure which one) that it takes four weeks for you to notice your body changing, 8 weeks for your friends to notice, and 12 weeks for the rest of the world to notice.  I am beginning my 5th week and I can SURELY notice some changes!  Chad even told me my thighs aren't as flabby!!! Some might take that in a negative way (I would have 4 weeks ago for sure) but I am chosing to LOVE that comment!  I guess all those nasty lunges and squats really do do something for you!  Again...WHOOP WHOOP!

I probably did eat more calories than I needed to Friday and again yesterday but the thing I am learning, is to get back on track.  Just because you make a mistake by chosing to skip the gym or eat some extra calories, the next day is a NEW day and you can take on the gym and eat LESS calories.  You can continue to lose weight and get healthy.  Even days that I eat more than I should, I am eating less than I would have.  5 weeks ago I would have eaten the entire plate of chinese and not thought twice.  Now, I ate maybe half of it and noticed that I was full and didn't eat through that feeling.  I listened to that feeling.  I stopped when I was full. 

I had my protein shake this morning and I'll admit, I'm still a little hungry, BUT, I haven't been hungry all weekend really and it almost feels good to feel this feeling sometimes! 

I am so happy I now know I am able to burn 1154 calories in ONE workout.  It is such a great feeling!  I feel thinner just thinking about it! 

Temptations...

Figuring up daily calories used to scare me.  I thought that it would be a very time-consuming process that I would give up on very quickly.  I found a website I can use and it has an app for my phone that works GREAT!  They have a huge database of food and I can add my own very quickly.  I have mentioned it before but I LOVE it so I'll mention it again.  LoseIt is an EXCELLENT site to count my calories.  I set a goal of a daily number of calories I wanted to eat and then I can calculate my exercise in there as well.  I LOVE it!  It has also helped me to look at where I want to give up my calories and where I don't. 

Anyways-moving on.  Last night Chad wanted to take me out for supper since he had been gone for the last 7 days and he won a little money at the roping he went to.  We went to a local place in town and he had a steak and I had a buffalo chicken wrap.  I had planned ahead for our outing so I left quite a few calories to be consumed during supper.  I probably shouldn't have ordered the chicken wrap because it was more calories than I could have gotten away with, but it sounded SO GOOD!!!  Boy did I regret that decision later!  It was SO spicy!  Towards the end of our meal I remembered that I thought I had ordered it once before and it was too hot but we forgot to remember that this time.  I really hope we remember it NEXT time I think it sounds good! 

I haven't worked out yet today.  To be honest, my shins are so sore and every time I walk I feel pain.  I feel like I should take the day off for my legs but my body wants and needs to work out.  I dont know what I'll do yet.  I brough my stuff to work out so hopefully by the end of the day my legs are feeling better!

Have a great weekend ya'll!!

I know, I know, I know...

Good news!  I lost 4 pounds this week!!! I have been doing this group training deal for 4 weeks now and haven't hardly lost a thing.  This week I cracked down and what would ya know....I lost 4 pounds!!! I feel like I'm actually off to a good start now!  I started paying close attention to my calories and trying to stay as close to the 1200 mark as I could.  Yesterday I finished with 1,242 calories eaten and NO exercise.  I was going to be under 1200 but then I remembered that my trainer said never to be under 1200 for the day so I had a Kashi cookie!  It was an oatmeal chocolate chip! It was FABULOUS!!! 

This morning I burned 556 calories today.  We are 4 weeks into our 12 weeks of large group training so we checked our progress on our goals.  I GUESS My goal at this point was to be able to run a mile without stopping.  We do 10 laps at our gym on the track is a mile.  4 weeks ago I jogged 2 miles of the 10.  That means I walked 8 laps.  I maybe jogged a couple spurts in there but overall-walked 8 laps.  This time, I walked 2 laps and jogged the other 8!!!   I wonder if I could have done more but there was a girl that usually doesn’t work out with us in the morning sessions and she kept pace with me the first 2 ½ laps and then she wanted to walk.  I pushed her to keep going a little further and said then we would walk a half a lap.  We continued to do that…then we would jog a lap, walk ½ briskly, the jog a lap.  She said she did WAY better that time than she did before so I’m happy I actually helped someone else.  We even sprinted the last parts of a few laps!  I didn’t cut off as much on my time as I would have liked (like 2 minutes) but I feel good about it because I helped her! 

Do you like to have a few cocktails?  If you like Margarita’s or daquri’s?  I believe it is Zilch.com…but you can order these packets…so if you want a margarita you order tequila and water at the bar and then mix a packet in with it.  It is a ZERO calorie mix so the only calories come from tequila and it isn’t very sugary so you don’t get gut rot from it!!!!  Same with daquri’s you just order rum and water.  

I was doing GREAT this morning and was all ready to have my turkey sandwich and a protein pudding for lunch but someone brought in this thin crust apple pie deal today.  It was AH-MAZING!  I did good though, I think!  I only had a small piece and even though I wanted the rest of the 1/2 of pie, I didn't.  I looked at it, I practically drooled over it, and then I got up and walked out!

Yesterday I did great eating.  Like I said, I was right around 1,200 calories.  I didn't work out because Chad FINALLY came home from being gone SEVEN DAYS and I was super excited to see him and we had some things planned.  Oh well.  I got back up and got going this morning so I know, I know, I know...life happens sometimes.  Balance your days and keep truckin! 

Tired Tuesday

Good MORNING!

I burned 782 calories this morning!  WOW!  What a good workout the trainer had planned this morning!  We did cardio and strength mixed together.  It was tough.  I think I went 6 miles total on different machines and did 120 bicycle crunches, 90 push-ups, and 40 lunge/squat combos. 

I was/am so VERY excited about my purchase that came in the mail.  I think I ordered too many things last week online...now I'm just waiting for them all to arrive!  My favorite one came first!  It is a Polar FT7 Heart Monitor.  It is FABULOUS!!!! I figured out there wasn't really a way for me to figure up how many calories I burned when we were lifting and such so I wanted to purchase something to help me with that.  I read about a heart rate monitor on another blog and asked my trainer about them.  She had the FT7 on that day so I checked it out and loved it.  I ordered my own the next day.  Amazon is pretty quick so it only took a few days to get here.  It is also really easy to use and now I have a way to track my calories each and every workout.  Oh-one more thing, the men's and women's are the same size.  The only difference is the color! The black and silver is my favorite besides the expensive pink ones, and it is cheaper I believe right now!  It is a men's but it is the exact same as the gold and black women's one.  And I didn't like the gold one that well. I recommend one for sure! It is an excellent tool for working out!

Monday-I worked out after work.  I warmed up 5 minutes then began alternating- jogging 90 seconds then walk 2 minutes and continued on for 28 minutes I believe.  Then cooled down for another 5.  I burned 451 calories I believe and went a little over 2 miles.  I am still working on the running part! I get tired easily but from reading others' blogs, it will come!  I am considering ordering some compression socks to help with my shin splints.  I think they would be a good purchase and would help support my shins on a daily basis.  

Saturday and Sunday-I did NOTHING but eat a bunch of crap.  I'm working through that though.  This week, Christy, my accountability partner from the Prior Fat Girl website, and I decided to set a small goal of eating healthy for the next 2 weeks.  I believe getting through the first 3 days is always the TOUGHEST!  So, I got through yesterday eating about 1,100 calories and working off 451 of them and today I'm doing well (SO FAR).  I need to get through today and tomorrow.  Once Chad gets back from Oklahoma, it is much easier to get the protein in because he will grill meat for me! When he's not home, I don't make very much!

I HIGHLY suggest accountability partners.  I don't even know Christy and she's already been super helpful and totally amazing.  It is funny how we seem to be SO much alike!  GO US!

Have a great week! 

One last bit.....QUICK

Quickly-
I was looking through my posts and I realized I should let it be known that the day my trainer frustrated me, she was just having a bad day (I think).  She's been GREAT ever since.  I honestly appreciate her so much and after getting through that one workout (and talking to my level-headed mother) I realized that it is OKAY for even her to have a bad day!  So..I'm totally over it!

Also-I realized that the link I tried to post for the Lose It! website didn't work like I'd have liked it to so click there and it will take you to it!!

Finally- this is the calorie monitor thingy--otherwise known as a Polar Heart Rate Monitor :)  I ordered mine on Amazon yesterday! I'll let you know how it goes! http://www.amazon.com/Polar-Heart-Rate-Monitor-Watch/dp/B0031ZI88M

And I'm out for the weekend! I promise this time!
Have a great one!

I DID IT!

Cycling.  Is. Hard. Work.

I did it!  I signed up for my FIRST cycling class.  Then....I WENT to my first cycling class.  Then.....I made it THROUGH my first cycling class!

After reading a lot of your blogs and posts about cycling or spinning, I didn't plan on making it much past 20 minutes.  After 15, I wanted to stop SO bad but I was in the FRONT row (I got there later than everyone else) and I didn't want everyone thinking I was a big wuss.  So...I kept going.  And going.  And going.  And going.  I kept going for FORTY-FIVE minutes!  That's right...FORTY-FIVE BIG, FAT minutes!!  I'm sitting in my chair at my desk and my legs are still throbbing!  But...I MADE IT THROUGH THE ENTIRE CLASS!!!!!  I was/am SO flippin excited!

Yesterday wasn't a great day for eating.  I know it isn't an excuse (I know this only b/c my trainer tells me it isn't) but my monthly friend is on her way here so of COURSE before hand, I feel extremely bloated but yet, my stomach is a never-ending hole!  I never actually FELT full yesterday.  I never stopped wanting food.  I found an accountability partner on the Prior Fat Girl website (if you haven't been there, look it up) yesterday and we were texting last night.  Thanks to Christy, I stopped where I was (still not feeling full) and didn't eat another bite after about 7pm.  If I hadn't talked to her, I know I would have eaten the rest of the food in the house until I went to bed at 9 or 10.  So...THANK YOU CHRISTY! 

Today is another day.  I also read on another blog, don't get down on one day.  Make up for it the next day.  Balance out a 48 hour stretch, not a 24 hour stretch.  So, I will try that today.  I know I can if I really try. 
Have a great day ya'll!
~Jess

UGH!

Last night I got everything ready for Chad to be gone all weekend/beginning of next week.  He will be gone today through Tuesday  night in Oklahoma.  What does that mean for me?  BORING nights at home, FREEZING my butt off (we haven't gotten propane yet), and waking up EXTRA early to go chores before I go to work. 

This morning was a group workout day so I was in town early.  It wasn't a TOUGH workout but we did learn some new exercises.  We just weren't as fast-paced as we have been the last few times.  It was okay though-I did still sweat!  I ended up signing up for a group cycling class tomorrow morning at 5:45.  I am SO NERVOUS!  I don't know what to expect from a cycling class.  I just hope I can survive with all the hard-core cyclers.  OH MY GOSH!!

My trainer is going to let me know how many calories my body would burn if I just stayed in bed all day long.  Then I will have a better idea of how many calories I can eat to help me lose the weight I want to lose.  I need to purchase a calorie burning monitor...haha...I do NOT know the technical term for that.  I'll let you know when my trainer gets back to me!  Ha...that made me laugh at how stupid I can be sometimes!  Oh well!  :)

I have been using a program called LoseIt! http://www.loseit.com/#Home It is excellent! I can do it on my smartphone or on the computer.  It is excellent! It saves foods I eat often and figures out my calorie intake for me! It also provides a neat little graph showing where I am using most of my calories (snacks, supper, dinner, or breakfast) and a graph as I approach my daily goal.  It is my favorite program I have found so far online to help with this.  I love it because it is so EASY!

Anyways....I feel so bloated and just want to eat everything I can get my hands on.  What a GREAT weekend for Chad to be gone..UGH!

Just another manic Monday...wait...Tuesday

Howdy All!

I am exhausted!  I made it to the gym by 5:15 this morning for my 5:45 group workout.  I sat in my WARM car until about 5:30 messing on facebook because I didn't want to face the "cold."  I think it was about 35 degrees but I wore capris and flip flops so it was FREEZING!!  Last November I bought a 2003 Toyota Highlander, limited edition..so, what is arguably the BEST feature during the winter months, got some use this morning!  The BUTT WARMERS!!!!  They were utterly amazing this morning!

Anyways, we did a 50 Rep workout this morning!  We have been doing some full body weight lifting routines and today we had a list of 20 exercises, some upper body, some lower body, core and back.  We had to complete 50 reps of all 20 exercises in the hour.  It could be done in any order.  The were listed with arm workouts, then legs then core/back.  I tried to mix them up so I didn't do all arms then all the legs.  I don't know if that was better or worse!?!?  My core is so NOT strong.  I struggle through those and usually do well with arms and okay with legs.  Today on the other hand, my legs SHOOK and my arms felt so weak but I got through mostly everything.  I did NOT do 50 step-ups.  I did 35 on each leg but didn't finish the rest b/c my shins were sore (I've been battling shin splints since last week) and then instead of Frog Jumps I did some extra regular squats.  Jumping on my toes has just been too much with my sore shins.  I was pretty happy with myself.  I decided I need to buy a workout ball and need to do it sometime SOON!  I could use it a lot and I think Chad would benefit from doing some stretches/core workouts on it as well. 

All in all, it was a great morning workout and I was a sweating HOG when I got done!  YUCK!

Monday night, after work, I walked/jogged 2 miles.  I couldn't jog as much as I would have liked b/c of my shin struggles but I'll get through this and I'll get there!

Sunday-I took the day off!

Saturday-I completed my 5k our trainer wanted us to do.  She wanted us to clock our time so when we are done with the 12 week sessions, we can see our improvements.  I clocked a 5k in FIFTY-EIGHT MINUTES!! WHOO WHOOO!!! Ha....it took me almost an hour to go 3.2 miles...oops!  I'll get there...it can only go up I would assume! 

Have a great week everyone! 

I don't WANT to...

It's Friday...the end of the week....thank GOODNESS!!!!

I don't feel like exercising today.  My shins are sore to touch and stepping wrong sends shooting pain through them.  I feel bad taking a day off but I also feel like I need the rest to succeed in the long run and conqueer my shin problems.

I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO!?!?!?! 

Maybe by the end of work today, my legs will feel better....one can hope!

Shins...who needs 'em?

I recently started working out again by joining a large group training class at my Rec Center.  I told the trainer that I am prone to shin-splints (I fought through them in HS basketball and it ended with a stress fracture in my foot).  I told her that because that was so extreme, I get scared when I get the start of them now and then stop working out. 

 

Anyways, we have been working out for 2 weeks and everything was fine.  I was jogging/walking and lifting and felt great.  I didn't have any problems.  Then we did cardio of jumping rope for 5 minutes.  FIVE LOWLY MINUTES. That was Tuesday (we do group workouts on Tuesdays and Thursdays) and then Wednesday night I went in for my own workout and my shins are KILLING ME.  I walked/jogged (only some) for the 40 minutes I needed to but left wanting to break down in tears.  I went home, layed down with ice on my shins and tried to stay off them.  They were a little better this morning.  They weren't so hot and didn't hurt so bad.

 

Then, this morning, I told my trainer about it and she seemed irritated with me.  She hardly talked to me and didn't give me any help or suggestions.  She didn't give me any alternative exercises or ideas.  She also asked me if the pain was in the front or the back of my leg.  I said, "it is in my shins."  She said, "yeah, but where do you think your shins are, the front or back of your leg?"  DUH! I know where my shins are.  I'm not just making this shit up.  I TOLD you this happens to me and that's why I'm not successful and said I would need help working through it.  I WANT to be a runner.  I WANT to work out and not die every time I want to go for a walk.  I'm not trying to make EXCUSES!  I just don't want my shins to hurt so flipping bad when I run, and like I said, I WANT TO RUN! 

 

Here's to hoping for a better day!

 

I am frustrated.  I felt like walking out this morning when I felt

Ready, Set....GO!

Sometimes life sneaks up on us.  It is the same with weight.  It seems to sneak up on us if we aren't careful and conscious of it constantly. 

Last summer, the summer of 2010, I worked really hard and lost 50 pounds.  That's right FIFTY WHOLE POUNDS!  I felt amazing!  I was back into cute, hip clothes and my hair was AMAZING!

Then I got lax on my weight and everything went downhill.  My weight snuck back up on me.  I'm sure that I have gained back the entire 50 pounds plus some.  I'm not sure because I haven't weighed myself.  I am judging this by the way my clothes fit (or don't fit at all) and how they used to fit. 

About 2 weeks ago I joined a large group fitness class at the gym in my town.  It is going well.  The work outs are anyways. As for my eating, I'm trying.  I know I'm not trying hard enough but that will come.  The more I work out, the less I want to eat because burning those 400 calories was a hell of a lot harder than eating them.  I have cut back portions but I need to switch the type of foods I eat.  I'll get there.  I'm working on it. 

My goals-to run a 5k by the end of our 12 week large group sessions.  I'll get there.  I need to get over this cold first but I'll get there.  Will you?