My first day back :)

So, today was my first day back jogging/walking in almost a month, and it felt great!  I am so stoked that it was not horrible feeling, and I am ecstatic that I hardly felt any pain whatsoever.  I had a couple of tinges in my right ankle, but it does not hurt or throb, and it is not swollen.

And, on top of walking/jogging this morning, I took Cazzie to the park this afternoon, and I played on the slides and play set with her.  So, I got a little more exercise in by running around with her.  And, I at least plan to go running again tomorrow morning, and hopefully, I can convince her to go to the park again tomorrow.

*Isn't that bad when you have to talk your 9 year old niece into going to the park?* :)

Expectations & Realizations (part 1)

So, you want to lose weight?  Yes, of course, would be the response of most of the individuals that I know.  I, too, want to lose weight, and over the past 8 weeks, I have lost several pounds and inches, and I have learned a lot.  I have had many expectations, both in the past and now, with my eating, exercise, and weight loss.  I have also had many realizations from what I used to do, to what I do now, and what I have learned through it all.

Many of the expectations I used to have about weight loss, working out, and eating have gone out the window.  I have completely changed the way I think, act, and live, which has helped me tremendously on my journey to becoming a better, healthier person.  In turn, I am recognizing that many things I used to think were bad, are not (but, some still are), and I am arming myself with the knowledge to create a healthier, more fulfilling lifestyle for myself, and hopefully, for others as well.

Expectation #1: I am going to lose weight quickly (over night, in a week, or in a month).
How many times have you jumped straight ahead, full force into a new diet plan or weight loss regimen?  Too many to count, right?  Well, that used to be how I was.  I used to think that the fat would just "melt" right off of me (as you so often hear in commercials about weight loss pills, equipment, or videos).  But, then, a few days, weeks, or months into this new program, I would give up because I was not seeing results.  Has this ever happened to you?

Realization #1:  Weight loss takes time and effort, and results are not seen immediately.
Results will not be seen overnight.  As a matter of fact, depending on your size and how much weight you want to lose, you may not see results within the first month or even a couple of months.  But, trust me, if you are eating right and exercising, the results are there.  Many times you will feel the results more than you will see them.  You will feel stronger, healthier, and happier for sticking with it and changing your life.

Expectation #2:  I need to eat a low-carb (or fat, or sugar) diet to lose weight.
How often have you jumped on the newest fad diet, such as the low-carb diet, the low-fat diet, or the high-protein diet?  How often has this worked for you?  Not very often, huh?  This is because when we restrict ourselves too much, we will want everything that we are not eating, therefore failing with our diet plan because we are eating foods that are considered restricted with the plan we are on.

Realization #2:  I can eat carbs, fats, and sugars.  I just have to eat them in moderation and eat the right kinds.
Carbs and fats can be good for you, if you are eating the right kinds.  Complex carbs fill you up and turn into energy to help you maintain daily bodily functions, while most simple carbs turn into sugar, which in turn causes you to gain fat and weight.  Complex carbs are brown rice, wheat bread, and vegetables.  Some simple carbs that can help you lose weight because they help you fill full are fruits and dairy products.  To read more about why carbs are good for you, check out this article.

Expectaion #3:  This is going to be easy b/c I know what I need to do and how to do it.
So, you think it is going to be easy in the beginning.  But, as you progress through your diet plan or weight loss program, you start to lose motivation and struggle while working out.  You really want to give up, at this point, but you shouldn't.  Everyone goes through struggles and wants to give up at one point or another, even me.  To read about some of my struggles, check out this blog post.

Realization #3:  Changing your life for the better may not be easy, but it will be worth it.
So, you had some struggles, you ate something you shouldn't have, or you skipped your workout today.  This means you should just give up, right?  Absolutely not.  Just because you slip up, don't quit.  You have to motivate yourself and push through the slip ups and mistakes.  Never give up.  Read this blog post to learn more about slip ups & staying motivated.

*So that this blog post does not get too long, I am breaking it down into more than one post (note the title), and I will continue to post my (our) expectations & realizations about weight loss, dieting, and exercise.*

Week 8 Calorie Deficit, Exercise Journals, Measurements, & Totals for eight weeks!

For this week, I had some pretty stressful events in my life, which did affect me physically, emotionally, and mentally.  I did not workout as much as I would have liked to, but I am not giving up just because I missed a couple of days of exercise.

During this past week, I only worked out on three days, mainly because of the stress, sickness, and time restraints that were placed on me this week.  In addition, it is getting harder on me now to burn calories and get my heart rate up to what it needs to be for calorie and fat burning results, but I did lose over a pound, so I cannot complain too much because weight lost is always good for me! :)

I did eat a little more than I would have liked to this week.  So, my calorie deficit was only a little over 3,500, which is a pound of weight loss, so that is still good.

Over the past 8 weeks, I have lost over 13 lbs and 14 inches off my body.  It is such an amazing feeling to see these numbers and to feel and see the results on my body.  I have lost 4.5 inches off my waist alone, and I can tell the difference, majorly!  I am slowly shrinking, as are most of my numbers, including body fat percentage, bmi, weight loss, and most of the areas I am measuring.  I did not lose any inches over the past four weeks in my butt or chest area, but that is fine.  Also, I gained a half inch in my arms, but believe me, that is from lifting weights and gaining muscle, so I am STOKED!

In eight weeks, I have accomplished a lot more than I could ever write about or express in words.  But, for the items I can write about, here goes:
*I have gained so much strength, endurance, and confidence (which is the best)!
*I am able to jog and run now, which I could not do when I first started.
*I am continually surprising myself with how much I can do, including jogging for longer periods of time, climbing stairs faster and easier, and lifting heavier weights than I thought I could.

Listed below are the miles that I have tracked throughout the past 8 weeks, not including weight lifting, stretching, and other random exercises!

Walking/Jogging (Outdoors) = 68.9 miles
Treadmill = 4.5 miles
Bike = 4.1 miles
Total Miles = 77.5
Plus, countless miles on the stairmill and elliptical!

Have you ever just wanted to give up? *I have*

If you have ever just wanted to give up, I know the feeling.  Have you ever tried and failed, or tried and gave up quickly?  Well, it is time to stop quitting, giving up, and push yourself to the limits! 

Yesterday, I just could not get motivated at first.  I went to the gym with all hopes of doing HIIT for an hour.  I had a plan, and I was going to put it to action.  First, I was going to get on the stairmill, then the bike, then the treadmill or elliptical.  Well, I did do this, but not for an hour.

I started with a 10 minute hill interval on the stairmill.  Well, I did fine & felt great, until I got on the bike.  I had the intention of doing 20 minutes on the bike, but I could not do it.  I did almost 10 minutes on the bike before I got off, so physically, emotionally, and mentally drained.  I just felt that I could not go any further. 

But, I went on and got on the elliptical.  I told myself, "I am going to do at least a 30 minute workout, and I have only done about 20 minutes!"  So, I set the elliptical for 20 minutes, in hopes that I could push through the yucky feeling I was having, and I did (for the most part)!  I finished the 20 minutes on the elliptical, and I did feel a little better afterwards.

After finishing my workout, I was drenched in sweat from the pure mental and emotional effort that went into my workout.  In addition, I was worn out and exhausted.  After I got home, I cooked supper, ate, and was extremely tired and sleepy by 6:30 P.M.  That is crazy!  But, I forced myself to stay up until at least 9 P.M., and by that time, I was not as tired as before, so I watched one of my recorded shows, and I went to bed around 11:30 last night.

So, the point of the story is, sometimes we are not just physically drained and exhausted, it can become emotional and mental.  And, emotional and physical exhaustion can wear you down and make you feel extremely tired, sick, and sleepy!  If you ever feel this way, try to push through and motivate yourself to keep going & never, ever give up!

Week 7 Calorie Deficit & Exercise Journals!

So, I do not think I did too bad this past week, especially since I was not tracking everything on a daily basis.  I did write it all down, though, and I entered it into my spreadsheets yesterday.  I did stay below 2,000 calories everyday, but there were a couple of days that I was over my 1,800 calorie goal that I wanted to meet.  Not too shabby!  And, to top it all off, I have lost a total of 12.4 pounds.  I thought that I was going to be stuck at 188 forever, because normally I lose 10 lbs, then I give up or quit because I usually hit a plateau.  Well, not this time!  I pushed right on through, and proved to myself and others, that this time, it is not just a diet or weight loss plan to me, it is my life, and I am determined to become happier, healthier, stronger, and more full of energy!

National Day of Prayer 2011

Today, May 5th, is the National Day of Prayer.  It always occurs on the first Thursday in May, which happens to be Cinco de Mayo.  I thought about today and how so many people will be celebrating by going to bars and drinking, even if they are not of Hispanic origin or from Mexico.  Well, I just found out that today is National Day of Prayer, and this is a much better way to celebrate today.

The link to the website is under National Day of Prayer.  Through this website, you can learn the history behind the day, the mission, and how you can get involved.

Today, I will be praying for many items, including the nation, the government, the current education system, and many other personal requests that I know about.  Please join me today & PRAY!

Has my hard work paid off?

That is the ultimate question!  I sure hope so.  For the past six weeks, I have carefully documented every bite I have taken.  I have logged every food and drink that has entered my body.  Well, let's hope that it has worked, because for this week I am putting it to the test.  I am not going to record any of my food and drink intake this week into my spreadsheets.  I am still writing it down and acknowledging what I eat and drink, but I do not know how many calories I have taken in, and I will not know for this week, until Sunday night or Monday morning.

So, I believe I have done well so far.  I know which foods are healthiest and healthier for me, and I know about how much I need to eat on a daily basis to be within my calorie range.  I have lost around 10 lbs, although I do have fluctuations in my weight.  Normally, I get to the 10 lbs lost area, and I give up, but that will not happen this time.  I am so determined to have a better, happier, and healthier lifestyle, so I will not give up.  I will go through struggles, weight plateaus, cravings, and pain, but I will make it through!  I have an awesome support system with friends and family, and I have God on my side, and I know His will always prevails!

Wish me luck, and please pray that I have learned what I need to know to make it through without having to continuously document everything that I eat on a daily basis!

Week 6 Exercise Journals & Calorie Deficit!

This week I had a rehearsal and wedding to attend, so I did eat some things that I shouldn't have, but it is okay.  I am still having some weight fluctuations, also, but I feel so much better every week that I continue on my journey to become happier and healthier!

Week 5 Journals & Calorie Deficit!

Since I had birthday parties and Easter this week, I had some major weight fluctuations, but it is okay because Week 6 is a new week, and I will jump right back into my workouts and eating right!

Week 4 Journals & Measurements!

So, for week 4, I had a calorie deficit of 7,907, even though I went over my 1800 calorie limit on Saturday. 



For this past week, my weight has fluctuated quite a bit.  In fact, it is still fluctuating, and probably will continue to do so for the next week or so, until I finish my antibiotics.  I recently had to go onto antibiotics for an infection in my right hand (which is healing tremendously - Thank you Lord!), but antibiotics can cause some weight gain and fluctuations in weight because it can destroy the good and bad bacteria in our body, slow metabolism, and cause retention of fat cells.  So, for now I will have to deal with these weight fluctuations and just get back on the grind when I come off my antibiotics.

So, I have lost a total of 10 inches from my body in 4 weeks.  All of my measurements are decreasing (which is awesome!), and my BMI is slowly going down, too!

I have learned a lot over the past 4 weeks of my life.  I found out that I can eat what I want and still lose weight.  I have eaten everything from pizza, to cheese, to ice cream, to cookies & muffins.  In addition, I allow myself to cheat on one day out of the week, so that I never feel like I am missing out on my favorite foods.  I also found out that I do not have to kill myself in the gym to burn calories or lose weight.

For now, I am very happy with my progress.  I am steadily losing weight and inches, I do not feel starved or hungry, and I have a ton of energy now that I did not have when I started!

Ash Wednesday - Lent

As far as I can remember, I have never participated in Lent and the process of giving up something for the time between Ash Wednesday & Easter Sunday!  But, this year will be different.  This year I plan to give up sodas, and I am going to try to quit smoking.  I do not like the word "quit" though.  So, I am going to try to stop smoking, indefinitely!

The reason I chose the two things are because I feel they are weighing me down and holding me back from Jesus.  Instead of relying on the Lord, I have become addicted to items that are bad for my health and my religion.

I want to become a stronger person, individual, and Christian.  I want to crave the Lord not sodas or cigarettes.  I want to live my life to the fullest, without anything holding me down.  Cigarettes and soda are ruining my health, which is ruining my progress to become a stronger person and Christian.

Lent is the time to celebrate the Resurrection of Jesus!  It is a time to pray, as Jesus did, while removing items from your life that are holding you back.  During this time, I will try to pray and read the Bible several times throughout the day, while giving up items that are holding me back in my life.  In addition, I plan to clean and get rid of items that are old and not needed anymore.  I believe that by committing to Lent and sacrificing items, I will become more in tune with the Lord and His will in my life.