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!

My new workout plan!

For every day, I have come up with some names for my workouts to make it more interesting!  Tell me what you think.

Muscle Madness Monday (Legs)
Tortuous Tuesday (HIIT)
Wicked Wednesday (Abs/Core/Back)
Tremendous Thursday (Cardio)
Fit-girl Friday (Upper Body - Arms/Shoulders/Chest)
Super Saturday (Stairmill)
Sweet & Sour Sunday (Cheat Day)

These are just general workouts, but I usually do cardio everyday except Sunday, so that I can keep my heart rate up, even while I am doing major muscle workouts.  I hope that these will keep me more motivated to do my workouts throughout the week!

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!

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!

No gym membership - no problem! Rainy day exercises you can do at home!

Since it was supposed to be raining all day yesterday and today, I asked some friends on Facebook for some suggestions of exercises you can do at home.  My friends gave me great advice, and I now have plenty of exercises that can be done at home!  I also have some suggestions of my own, which have helped me in the past!  Some of the exercises require some equipment, but most of the equipment is fairly cheap, and it will pay off to have it!

YOGA - Yoga is a great way to build balance, strength, and flexibility.  You can do simple yoga moves to help you relax and relieve stress, and the stretching helps with flexibility.

WORKOUT DVD'S - These are great for individuals who do not have a gym membership or are not comfortable working out in front of others.  In addition, you can do these whenever you have time, and you can do them in the comfort of your own home!

WALKING/JOGGING IN PLACE - This is great for rainy days because you do not have to leave home.  In addition, it is a great way to do some cardio, if you do not get bored easily!

DANCE AROUND THE HOUSE - Turn on the radio, put it on your favorite music to dance to, and turn it up.  Dancing burns lots of calories and is a great cardio workout.  In addition, just dancing around the house can work several muscles at once.

CLEAN THE HOUSE - While this may not seem like fun, it will burn some calories.  So dust, vacuum, sweep, mop, clean windows, or do whatever needs to be done!  You can get some spring cleaning done on those rainy days when you cannot exercise outside!

You can also do some individual muscle exercises, such as bicep curls, tricep kickbacks, squats, leg lifts, crunches, arm swings, halos, planks, and push-ups.  Check out http://liztaylortraining.blogspot.com/ for some great tips and advice on these types of workouts, and she also has great info on many other topics, such as makeup, love, and your career! 

In addition, if you have a Wii or Xbox, I have heard that their workout games are amazing (I am thinking about purchasing the Wii for myself soon)!

Some equipment that may be necessary for some of these workouts:

DUMBBELLS - Dumbbells are great for weight training and targeting certain muscles.  Most dumbbells are cheap, and you can find the right weight for you.  If you do not have dumbbells or cannot afford them at this time, you can use water jugs (if they have handles) or canned goods.  While these may not be enough weight for you, it is still beneficial.

MAT/YOGA MAT - If you are working out on a hard surface, a mat is very beneficial.  It is useful for exercises that require you to lay on the floor, or for different yoga positions!

BODY BALL - The body ball is perfect to help with certain exercises that you may be limited with, such as push-ups, wall squats, crunches, and you can also use the body ball as if it were a bench in certain exercises, such as chest butterflies or chest presses!

KETTLEBELL - This kettlebell is amazing.  It allows you to do weight training and cardio, all in one.  The arm swings that I mentioned earlier are super cardio exercises, and they help build muscle all over.  After I get done working out with my kettlebell, all my muscles are sore.  There are several exercises you can do with the kettlebell, and they are all beneficial if you are trying to lose weight!  In addition, I only paid about $8 for this at Wal-Mart, and it came with a workout DVD and a chart of different exercises.

Other great accessories to have are a weighted jump rope (jumping rope is a great cardio routine), resistance bands (these are easy to use & you can do many leg exercises with them that you cannot do with dumbbells), and most importantly, a scale.  While the scale will not help you while you are working out, it is very beneficial to ensure that your exercises and diet are producing results!  Some individuals, especially women, think that the scale is their enemy, but it is actually your best friend, and when you start believing that, it will help you tremendously!

I would like to think Brandi, Renee, Amy, Liz, and Sarah for helping me find some new ways to exercise indoors!  If anyone else has any ideas that are not listed, let me know, and I will be glad to add them!

Workout for the day

My workout for the day:

Warm-up: March in place (5 mins with 3 lb dumbbells)

CIRCUIT (8 lb kettlebell)
- 1 Arm Swing (2 sets of 10 each arm)
- Kettlebell Clean & Press (2 sets of 10 each arm)
- 2 Arm Swing (2 sets of 10)
- 1 Arm Squat Press (2 sets of 10 each arm)
- 1 Arm Swing (2 sets of 10 each arm)
- Halos (2 sets of 10)
- 2 Arm Swing (2 sets of 10)

Cool down:  5 minute walk outside

Total workout - 20 minutes 36 seconds
336 calories burned

Post workout:
- 1 glass 2% milk with 1 scoop of whey protein
- 1 slice of bread with peanut butter

After working out for a week, I am going to increase the sets that I do my next workout.  In addition, I feel awesome that I am sticking with my goal of working out, and I plan to continue with it.

3 workout sessions - 2 lbs gone!

On Tuesday, February 1, 2011, I completed the following workout:

Warm-up:  March in place (5 mins with 3 lb dumbbells)

CIRCUIT (8 lb kettlebell)

- 1 Arm Swing (2 sets of 10 each arm)

- Kettlebell Clean & Press (2 sets of 10 each arm)

- 2 Arm Swing (2 sets of 10)

- 1 Arm Squat Press (2 sets of 10 each arm)

- 1 Arm Swing (2 sets of 10 each arm)

- Halos (2 sets of 10)

- 2 Arm Swing (2 sets of 10)

- Tactical Lunges (2 sets of 10 each leg)

Cool Down:  Walk outside (5 mins)

29 Minutes - 474 Calories burned

Post Workout - 1 glass 2% milk with 1 scoop whey protein

Overall, I am excited that I have lost 2 lbs with only doing 3 workout sessions.  This exhilarates me and makes me want to continue on because I know I have it in me to lose so much more and reach my dreams and goals.  I am continuing with my workouts every other day, and I know that I will lose a whole lot more as the time goes by.

Never give up!

Today, I did not feel well at all.  I woke up at 5:30 AM sneezing, and my nose was running like crazy.  Then, I ended up with a sinus headache and not being able to breath.  Needless to say, my allergies and sinuses were trying to ruin my day, but I was not going to let them.

I did complete a successful workout today, even though I did not feel like doing it at first, I felt absolutely great afterwards.  My legs have been on fire since my workout Thursday, and it felt so great to work through it and know that I was committing myself to my goals.

My workout for the day was:

Warm-up:  5 minute march in place with 3 lb dumbbells

CIRCUIT (8 lb kettlebell workouts)

- 1 arm swing (2 sets of 10 for each arm)

- Kettlebell clean & press (2 sets of 10 for each arm)

- 2 arm swing (2 sets of 10)

- 1 arm squat press ( 1 set of 10 for each arm)

- 1 arm swing (2 sets of 10 for each arm)

- Halos (2 sets of 10)

- 2 arm swing (1 set of 10)

- Tactical lunges (1 set of 10 for each leg)

Cool down:  5 minute walk outside

Total time:  27 minutes, 25 seconds

Calories burned:  423

I did not complete 2 sets of each exercise because I was having trouble breathing with my allergies, but I am happy that I did not let my allergies keep me from working out at all today.

After my workout, I had an 8 oz. glass of 2% milk with a scoop of whey protein.  I try to include whey protein shakes after all of my workouts.

Overall, today has been a fairly nice day.  I feel accomplished and happy that I continued with my plan even though I did not feel good today.  So, my quote for the day is, "NEVER GIVE UP!"