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!

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 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!

Exercise Journal, Calorie Deficit, and Weight Loss

So, for this past week, I walked a total of 11.2 miles.  This is .4 more miles than the week before, which is great.  In addition, I did lose some weight, although it seems that I gained a little bit of it back, but I do believe that is normal fluctuations.  So, my weight loss for this week is 1.2 lbs, and my weight loss total is 3.8 lbs.  I hope that I can continue to drop at least 1 to 2 lbs a week, if not more.

This spreadsheet shows my calorie deficit for my 2nd week into my journey.  I burned a total of 2,000 calories, and I only consumed a total of 11,408.5 calories for the week.  This created a deficit of 7,055.5 calories, which should be about 2 lbs lost, when in all actuality, I only lost 1.2 lbs.  But, this is okay because I know the results will show in how much better my clothes fit, how much better I feel, and how I look.

So, I have some before pictures that I am going to post.  I created this collage to show my weight gain over the course of a couple of months.  Halloween 2010 I weighed around 185 lbs, November 2010 I weighed around 190 lbs, while I got up to around 200 lbs in February of 2011.  I am only posting these pictures to show my readers exactly what I used to look like, so that when I lose the weight and post new pics, you will be able to see the difference.  I am also posting these pics to hold myself accountable to my goals!

Add color to your plate!

http://www.eatright.org/nnm/

The foods you eat on a daily basis should not be colorless or dark and dreary.  Turn your plate into a rainbow by adding plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet.  I just found out that March is National Nutrition Month.  The American Dietetic Association sponsors this nutritional campaign every March, and this month is “Eat Right with Color,” (ADA, 2011, para. 1).



http://www.qualitativelife.com/rawfood/2011/01/30/raw-food-delicious/colorful-vegetables-and-fruits/?lang=it

It can be very easy to add plenty of colorful fruits and vegetables to your diet, and it is very beneficial to your health.  Colorful foods are packed with minerals, nutrients, vitamins, and antioxidants that are necessary for a healthy body, mind, and lifestyle!


http://mysweetyroom.onsugar.com/Fruits-good-Skin-1636120

These fruits and vegetables can be added to your day by eating them as snacks, dessert, side dishes, or main meals.  Look for the opportunity to add an extra fruit or vegetable to your diet, and when you are shopping, always add one fruit or vegetable to your basket that you have never tried before!

RED

Apples

Bell Peppers

Guava

Potatoes

Rhubarb

Strawberries

Tomato

Watermelon

ORANGE

Apricots

Carrots

Cantaloupe

Oranges

Peaches

Pumpkin

Squash

Tangerines

YELLOW

Bananas

Corn

Honeydew Melon

Lemon

Pineapple

Squash

GREEN

Apples

Avocado

Broccoli

Kiwi

Lettuce

Peas

Spinach

BLUE / PURPLE

Blackberries

Blueberries

Cabbage

Eggplant

Grapes

Pomegranates

References

American Dietetic Association (ADA). (2011). National Nutrition Month 2011. Retrieved from http://www.eatright.org/nnm/

Delicious Healthy Brownies!

Delicious brownies that are healthier for you than most other sweets.  These brownies have less than 100 calories per serving, and they are made from black beans.  Yes, I said black beans!  They were absolutely delicious!  My brother was not going to eat them, but he gave one of them to his one of his daughters, and she said that they were great and tasted fudgy.  So, he decided that he would try them.  He said that he preferred the box brownies, but that is because they are filled with preservatives.  He tried extremely hard to taste the black beans in the brownies, and he couldn't.  They were a great hit with both of my nieces, and I would definitely recommend them to anyone who has a sweet tooth and is trying to lose weight.

For the recipe, you can follow the link below: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/rocco-dispiritos-fudgy-fruit-nut-bars

This recipe calls for cutting the brownies into 12 equal squares, but I did 15 equal squares, so that the brownies were under 100 calories each.  The nutritional facts for my batch of brownies is per brownie:
* Calories - 97
* Fat - 0.7 g
* Carbs - 20.4 g
* Sugar - 12 g
* Protein - 3.3 g

In addition, I could not find the espresso powder that was called for in the recipe, so I just left it out.  They still tasted great!

National Wear Red Day – February 4, 2011

Since February is American Heart Month, today’s blog is going to be about how to decrease women’s risk for heart attacks and heart disease.  “Heart disease is the number 1 cause of death among women 20 and older, killing about one woman every minute,” (American Heart Association, Inc., 2011, http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/).  In addition, heart disease kills more women than any form of cancer.

The heart is a very important muscle in the body, so it is important that you stay heart healthy, including exercising, eating right, not smoking, and getting regular checkups with your doctor.  Another important item is to know your risk factors for heart disease and heart attacks.  On the Doctor Oz website (2011), the following factors are listed, including stress, smoking, and obesity.  For the full list, go to the following website: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/what-women-need-know-about-heart-attacks.

You also need to know the major symptoms that happen prior to and during a heart attack.  Most symptoms that occur in men do not occur in women.  In fact, women are most of the time told that they have indigestion and are sent home from the hospital while they are having a heart attack.  Some of the major symptoms listed on About.com (2011) are anxiety, fatigue, and indigestion.  For the complete list of symptoms, go to the following website: http://usgovinfo.about.com/cs/healthmedical/a/womensami.htm.

Another great website is www.womensheart.org.  This website includes exercise programs, nutrition and health information, and an action plan for women at risk for heart disease.  To see this action plan, go to the following website: http://www.womensheart.org/content/HeartAttack/heart_attack_symptoms_risks.asp.

Doctor Oz also has a program that is 4 weeks or 28 days long.  It is the 28 days to prevent a heart attack.  This program can be found on the following website: http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/28-day-heart-disease-action-plan.

On the www.goredforwomen.org website, they have a tell 5 and save lives plan.  This includes telling five friends or family members about this website, and they will give you a free heart health kit.

I believe the most important thing anyone can do is become informed.  The more information you have readily available, the more you can do to prevent your risk for a heart attack and heart disease.  I hope that this blog helps at least 1 person become more informed about the deadly disease that is the number 1 killer in women.  I know that this information has helped me become better informed and make healthier decisions to keep my heart healthy, so that I can live a very long life for my family and friends.

In addition, since February is American Hearth Month, every pound that I lose during the month of February, I am going to donate a dollar to the American Heart Association.  For example, if I lose ten pounds during February, I will donate $10 to the AHA.  If anyone would like to join me in this challenge, please feel free to do so, and let me know that you are doing this!

If I get help from others for this challenge, I will create a page within the next week or so, on the following website: http://amha.convio.net/site/TR?fr_id=1150&pg=entry.  This will allow me to create a team or join as an individual, and it will allow others to see my progress and donate to the cause.  Please, let me know if you would like to help me by donating some money, and it does not have to be much.  If 250 people donate $1 each, than that is $250.00, while if we all donate $10 each, that will be $2,500.00.  This money will help the AHA in distributing information and helping to reduce and prevent the risks of heart disease!

I am going to do my best to become healthier, starting by losing weight, so that I can reduce my risk for heart disease.  What will you do?