Spring has sprung....

But, it feels like Summer!

{& has for two weeks now!}

So, the official first day of Spring was Tuesday, March 20th, but here in NC, we have had temps in the high 70's and low 80's for about two weeks.

It has felt a.m.a.z.i.n.g.!

And, it is so pretty outside, with the trees and flowers blooming.

But, I have serious b.e.a.c.h. fever.  I really just want to hop in the car and drive the four {only 4} hours to get down on the coast, with my feet in the sand!

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Isn't it gorgeous?  I don't think I am going to be able to wait until Summer!

Anyone else having beach withdrawals? :)

Update: This post was supposed to be published Wednesday, but for some reason I have had problems with Blogger, so I was not able to publish this until today.

So, today at lunch, my mom asks me to look up some hotels at the beach to see what prices will be like for the end of April.  Yes, I said the end of April!  I am so ecstatic!  Yay!  I might not have to wait until Summer after all! :)

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!

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!

Tap Water vs. Bottle Water - What is better for you?

Since water is a very important part of everyone's life, it is important to know the facts about the water you are drinking.  Water is important because it keeps you hydrated, it helps you lose weight and stay healthy, and your body is made up of about 50% to 75% of water depending on how much body fat you have!  Some experts say you should drink 8 - 8 oz glasses of water a day or 64 oz.  Other experts say you should drink half your body weight in ounces of water.  For example if you weigh 150 lbs., you should be drinking 75 oz. of water a day.  On About.com there is a quiz, that will tell you how much water you should drink a day depending on where you live, the temperature, if your sick, how much you exercise, among other factors in your day.  Here is the link.  In addition, individuals can drink too much water (more than 32 oz within an hour).  It is important not to do this because it can have serious side effects, including death.  So, make sure to space out your water intake throughout the day.

Another important factor to the amount of water you drink, is what kind of foods you eat.  If you eat a lot of water-filled food, such as fruits, like watermelon, and vegetables, like broccoli, then you will not need to drink as much water in a day.  I found a great list of fruits and vegetables and their water content on the following website.  In addition to containing water, which is vital to everyone's health, fruits and vegetables are also great sources to help keep you full with lower calorie amounts than other snacks and side dishes.

So, back to the topic at hand, what type of water is better for you? - Tap Water or Bottled Water?  Tap water is very easily accessible and is fairly safe depending on where you live and whether you use a filter or not.  Bottled water on the other hand can be safe, but it can be harmful, just like tap water.

So, tap water can have toxins and harmful substances in it.  If you live in the city, then you should contact your local health department or water company to find out about the tests that have been done on the drinking water, and see what is in it.  If you have a well, you will need to pay to have your water tested, and some individuals in the city should also pay for this test, because toxins can be leaked into your water through the pipes that it flows through.

If you go through with the test, you will know more about what is in your tap water, so you can better decide what kind of filter you need for your house.  There are plenty of types of filters out there, including filtered pitchers and filters that can be screwed directly onto the faucet.  I believe these are the best two options, over buying bottled water.

Bottled water cost money, can have toxins in the plastic that the bottle is made up of, and most bottled water is just filtered tap water - read more here.  There are several types of plastic that contain toxins, including number 3, number 6, and number 7 plastics.  These plastics all contain toxins that are harmful - read more here.  Another link that list some toxins in plastic is here.

So, my suggestion is to filter your tap water, save money, and use a metal water bottle, which keeps water colder and is safer for you and the environment.  I bought one at Wal-Mart for $5, and it supported breast cancer research.  What could be better?  Know the facts about your water and stay healthy!

Here are some other links about this topic:

http://www.sharecare.com/question/home-filtered-safer-bottled-water?partner=droz

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/how-safe-your-drinking-water

http://www.sharecare.com/topic/water-liquid-nutrient?partner=droz