AFFIRMATIONS

1. I AM COMMITTED TO GETTING HEALTHIER... PHYSICALLY, MENTALLY, & SPIRITUALLY.
2. I DESERVE TO BE HAPPY.
3. I AM WORTH THE EFFORT.
4. I AM IN CONTROL OF MY EMOTIONS BECAUSE DEPRESSION IS MANAGEABLE.
5. I WILL LOSE 100 LBS.
6. I STAY THE COURSE EVEN WHEN I DON'T FEEL LIKE IT.
7. I MAKE MY DREAMS REALITY ONE DAY AT A TIME.
8. I HAVE MASTERED CONSISTENCY... THE KEY TO ANY SUCCESSFUL PLAN.
9. I CAN FINISH SOMETHING.
10. I WILL TOTALLY ROCK THIS.

#100HealthyDays

100 Days Challenge - Day 5

I have to say, I'm enjoying my checklist every day.  I make lots of notations and check marks in it.  But I am seeing a trend that I need to nip in the bud.  I'm doing everything well... except my diet!

So let me tell you what I'm tracking.

Weight
Bedtime (previous night)
Wake-up Time
Hours of Sleep

I have one night since Sunday where I only got a little over three hours of sleep.  Otherwise, I've slept A TON!  Not sure, but it's probably just recovering from our Relay weekend.  My weight hasn't changed a bit.  But neither has my diet, so no surprise there.

Morning Medications
Essential Oils
Morning Supplements
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner
Snacks
Water
Evening Meds/Oils/Supps

I'm doing pretty well with my medications, essential oils, and supplements.  (I'll go into detail on those in a future post.)  But for whatever reason, I just can't get back into the Nutrisystem diet again.  I have plenty of food.  And I even enjoyed it the first time.  I just need to do it!  That's my goal this weekend.  Nutrisystem or nothing!  I also haven't been drinking my water.  Those are really the only two areas that I'm struggling with... and those are two areas I really need to work on.

Bible: 10 Chapters/Day
Rosary
Chaplet of Divine Mercy
Blog: Psalm
Blog: 100 Days Challenge
Read "100 Days of Weight Loss" and complete Journal/Exercise
Identify three things that I'm grateful for
Read Affirmations
Post: #100HappyDays picture
Walk (steps)

The Bible reading plan that I'm currently following had me start in ten different books of the Bible, reading just one chapter a day.  It breaks down the bible into ten different sections, all of them differing lengths.  So I could possibly/will probably finish the different sections at different times.  No matter though.  Once you finish a section, you repeat it.  So the next time I'm reading Genesis, I'll likely be in a different Gospel.  At any rate, I've been reading Matthew, Genesis, Joshua, 1 Chronicles, Isaiah, Romans, 1 Thessalonians (and then 2 Thessalonians, and then 1 Timothy), Job, Acts, and Psalms.

I've also enjoyed saying a Rosary and a Chaplet every day.  Both are beautiful prayers.  I always thought they were time-consuming before.  But now, I'm truly enjoying that quiet time.

I don't intend to blog on this Challenge daily, but I will a couple/few times each week.  But I DO intend to read the "100 Days of Weight Loss" book and complete the associated Journal/Exercise portion, as well as reading my personal Affirmations and listing three things that I'm grateful for.

I haven't been posting my #100HappyDays pictures because my phone is out of commission.  But as soon as it's back (or I've replaced it), I'll be posting things that make me happy... every day... for 100 days.

As for steps, I haven't hit 10,000 since Relay.  I need to get back at that too.  Last week, I walked nearly 82,000 in one week.  But the Pacers were still playing and I did a Relay Field Day and a Relay for Life.  This week (only 4 1/2 days in), I'm only up to 20,247.  I don't expect to hit 82,000 every week, but I do want to average 10,000 every day.  So I need to regulate my steps... and my sleep.  Last week, my steps were up and my sleep hours were down.  This week, my steps are down and my sleep hours are up.  I need to find a happy medium.

I'm not expecting a whole lot of change tomorrow (Friday).  But I AM planning to make positive changes in my diet and water intake this weekend.  Next weekend should look much different.  AND I should see a shift in my weight.  And that would be a very good thing too!

100 Days Challenge - Day 3

I've been telling folks for a few weeks now that my summer will be filled with walking, reading, and sleeping.  I think those three things will help center me.  And boy do I feel like I need centered.

My depression seems to be out of hand.  My doctor agrees and is sending me to a specialist.  That appointment happens tomorrow.  Not really looking forward to it, but I'm sure it's for the best.

But in addition to my emotional stability, I really want to get a handle on my schedule, my weight-loss, my budget, and my sleep.  I've been struggling with, or out-right ignoring, some of those issues in my life.

This next 100 days (starting this past June 1st), I'm getting focused.  I bought a book titled "100 Days of Weight Loss" by Linda Spangle.  It comes with a Journal to help me stay on track.  I've also developed a checklist of those little things that I need to do to help my cause (taking my meds, drinking my water, getting enough steps in every day, etc.)  I also added a few things that I've wanted to incorporate into my every day, but I regularly find excuses to avoid them (reading my bible, saying a rosary, doing a chaplet).  And most of all, I want to stick to my Nutrisystem diet.  I was doing so well when I was sticking to it before.  Time to rededicate my efforts.

My reasons for doing the 100 Days Program:

1. lower my blood pressure
2. free myself from depression
3. be more active
4. sleep better
5. look and feel better
6. turn a man's head occasionally
7. impress my doctor
8. finally finish something I've started
9. be more comfortable in smaller spaces (planes, theaters)
10. buy cuter clothes

So, I'm on day 3.  I'm doing well with several aspects of my checklist.  But I've not embraced that Nutrisystem diet again... yet.  I will.  By the end of this week, I want to be checking off everything in my list of things to do.  Then the goal is to continue to do each of those things for 100 days.  And the book gives little life lessons all summed up in two pages.  I can do two pages... as well as the little exercise that goes with them.

Today, I did my rosary and my chaplet.  I also read ten chapters of my bible:  Matthew 8, Genesis 8, Joshua 8, 1 Chronicles 8, Isaiah 8, Romans 8, 2 Thessalonians 3, Job 8, Acts 8,and Psalms 8.  I'm using a 10 Chapters a Day plan.  Let me know if you want a copy.  I took my meds, supplements, and essential oils.  I did a blog entry on a Psalm (which I do every day).  And I'll read.  So far I only have 3000 steps in.  And I probably won't get a heck of a lot more.  I'm beat after not sleeping well.  And I had an emotional day.  My plan is to go home, take my seroquel, read, and get to bed super-early.  It sounds lovely!

Nutribears

Nutrisystem sends out Nutribears when you hit milestones in your weight-loss.  The first bear comes with a 10 lb loss.  His name is Pound.  He's the red bear above... with the 10 embroidered in his chest.  It doesn't matter if you lose 10 lbs in a couple of weeks or a dozen weeks.  You'll still receive Pound in your next order.

Guess what?!  I earned my very first Nutribear today!  Down 10.8 lbs since January 19th.  Five weeks and two days.  Pound is on his way to my house!

The purple 20 bear is awarded for a 20 lb loss.  His name is Commitment.  I'm hoping to get him by Easter. That's seven weeks away.  I think I can do it. Wish me luck!

When you lose fat...

I found this on Facebook today. I like it!

Slacker

Man, I've really been slacking on keeping up with my blog lately.  It's been a full ten days since I posted anything.  I have a blog on the Nutrisystem site as well, that I have been posting to.  So I guess I've been getting my fix there and ignoring this one.  I'll try to redeem myself.

I had a doctor's appointment on Monday the 10th.  It was a follow-up concerning the change in meds for my depression.  I was looking forward to it because I haven't felt this good (depression-wise) in A VERY LONG TIME.  But instead of discussing how good I feel, we focused on how bad my test results were.  My sugar is slightly elevated.  My TSH (thyroid hormone) is even higher than three months ago.  My iron isn't going up anymore.  My blood pressure is too high.  And I need to lose more than 100 lbs.

I spent the entire day looking forward to discussing how GREAT I felt with my doctor.  Instead, I was completely dejected by the time I left.  [sigh]  He increased my Synthroid, increased my iron, and added an ACE inhibitor to my every day.  I'm supposed to take my BP three times a day and record it for him.  After a month, I'm supposed to let him know how things are going, so he can decide if he needs to make adjustments.

He also wants me to walk every day.  Nothing major until we can get my BP under control.  In fact, he only wants to see me lose 2-3 lbs per month.  Ugh!  I weigh so much I should be losing 1-2 lbs per week!  Hopefully I can make progress on all fronts that we're ALL happy.

I also had the Coaches vs Cancer game this week.  For whatever reason, I was really nervous about it.  I know I wasn't as prepared as previous years.  I know we didn't do t-shirts, so we won't have the profit from those sales.  But my stomach was tied in knots.  Ultimately, we finished the week with $800 in donations!  We were really happy with that!

Still, it was either the stress of putting that together, or maybe a bug, or possibly the increase in iron.  At any rate, I didn't eat for more than two days because my stomach just felt full and uncomfortable.  I just didn't feel well at all.  But I think it's finally passing.  I've been eating, just not as much.  And I hope to get back to 100% on my menu and workouts tomorrow.

We got more snow yesterday.  Again with the white-out conditions.  I think we got 2-3" total.  And I understand we could get another couple of inches tonight.  But by the end of the week, we're supposed to have 50 degree temps.  This has been a strange winter to me.  So windy and cold.  More snow than I remember in several years.  Looking forward to the warmth.

Until then, enjoying my three-day weekend! Happy Presidents' Day!

Add a Dash of Cardio

[sigh]  Okay, so I totally increased my workouts, but didn't do so well on my diet.  I think it's because I had such great success in the first week without much effort, that I thought I wouldn't be doing much damage when I cheated.  Lesson learned.

I was really pretty good Sunday through Wednesday.  All down hill from there though.  But tomorrow starts a new week and I'm excited to get back on the horse!

My meals this week included Red Beans & Rice, Pasta Fageoli, Cheddar Broccoli Rice, Three Cheese Chicken Pasta, and Mac & Cheese with Beef.  A big problem for me was that I was out of my office on Thursday.  I need to come up with a solution to that as I'm out of the office THREE DAYS this coming week.

On a positive note, I did three T25 workouts and two Les Mills Pump workouts.  I have decided that I'm SOOOO not going to worry about keeping up with the T25 schedule.  I'm simply not fit enough to do a few of those workouts.  But I AM going to do the first couple of workouts every day until I feel coordinated enough to add another one.  I'll continue with the LMP as it's scheduled.  Really feeling good about my workouts.

I also did well with my water early in the week, but drastically trailed off as the week went on.  I can't let that happen.  Between eating fewer calories and working plenty of muscles, I really need to be getting no less than 64 oz of water... and probably closer to 100.  So I'll work on getting that back on track this week.

I'd tell you how much I weigh, but I didn't even weigh myself today.  I knew it wouldn't be pretty.

After One Week

Well, I've made it through week one.  Was I perfect?  Not even close.  Did I still find success?  Why yes I did!

So I'll just tell you.  Last Saturday when I weighed myself, I weighed a whopping 254.6 lbs.  To the best of my knowledge, that's the most I've ever weighed.  But today, I weighed in at 248.2!  I lost 6.2 lbs in the last week!  I know it's probably all water weight since I drank a lot more water than I normally do.  But hey, the water weight needs to go too.  I'm still stoked about the significant start to my weight-loss goals.

I honestly enjoyed the Nutrisystem meals.  All but one, that is.

I have to admit, I didn't love the breakfasts.  I'm not much into sweets, especially first thing in the morning.  And the breakfasts, though not bad, are all too sweet for me.  I had four different kinds of muffins and three different kinds of breakfast bars this week.  In the future, the breakfast bars have to go.  But I can do the muffins.  I've been adding a boiled egg to breakfast every day.  I'll continue to do that.

I really enjoyed every lunch...except one.  I had spicy kung pao chicken, three cheese chicken, cheese tortellini, a loaded baked potato, and white bean chicken chili.  I loved them all... except the spicy kung pao chicken.  I had to force myself to finish that one.  But since there are so many lunch options, I don't have to worry about EVER eating that one again.  I added green beans, zucchini, or yellow squash to each of those meals.  I cheated today and had a Subway sandwich while doing my laundry at the laundromat...turkey on wheat with onion, green pepper, and tomato.  It was lovely!

I LOVED every one of my dinner options.  I had a thick crust pizza, lasagna with meat sauce, chicken Alfredo, Italian herb flat bread pizza, chicken pot pie, and rotini with meatballs.  I had broccoli or cauliflower with each of these meals.  I cheated one night and had food/snacks at our Relay for Life kick-off.  But I tried to eat relatively healthy with fruits, veggies, and cheese.

This week was the Nutrisystem Fast Five week.  I don't know if Nutrisystem does that with ALL first-time orders or if it's a deal they have going right now.  But the menu is a little more stringent.  And for my morning and afternoon snacks, I was supposed to do a chocolate shake.  The morning one increases energy; the one in the afternoon battles cravings.  Well, this is where I totally lost it.  I had both shakes on Sunday, the morning shake on Monday, the afternoon shake on Tuesday, and the morning shake again on Wednesday.  I am so freakin' OVER these diet shakes.  I didn't touch another one all week.  The supply they gave me should last until summer!  Instead, for my snacks, I had a Babybel cheddar cheese in the morning and a small green apple in the afternoon.

I also drank 64 oz of water every day...except today.  I need to be drinking more, especially once I start working out.  But this was a good start for me.  I have a travel mug that holds 16 oz of water.  I give myself two hours to finish it before I fill it again.  And I was able to keep up with that schedule this week with no problem.  I initially intended to flavor the water with my Slim & Sassy oil.  But I quickly got tired of that taste.  So I flavored it with MiO.  It's no-calorie and has several flavor options.  My favorite is orange tangerine!  I ended up putting my Slim & Sassy oil in a veggie cap and took it like a vitamin.  Every time I filled my water bottle, I took another Slim & Sassy capsule.

As for workouts, I didn't do the ones I'd intended to do.  I'm not sure why.  I was really excited to get everything started last Sunday.  But maybe this is better, to build up to 'everything'.  I got some walking in.  I did some dancing.  Setting up for Relay was a decent workout.  But tomorrow, I start Les Mills Pump.  Monday, I start T25.

Oh, I took "before" pictures too.  I was at work and took them in our huge wall mirror in the ladies room.  I'm wearing regular clothes instead of tight, short workout clothes where I show a lot of skin.  But I think it's clear that I'm obese.  My plan is to take a picture every month.  I also need to do my measurements.  Perhaps I'll do that first thing tomorrow.

Starting Sunday, January 19th

Earlier this week, I posted a picture stating that just because you haven't attacked your resolutions in January doesn't mean you've failed them.  I probably shouldn't use the word resolution.  Nevertheless, I've got all the tools at my disposal to move forward with my "Journey to a Better Me".  I want to lose weight and get healthier.  I want to sleep better and enjoy more peace and happiness.  I want to read and write more.  I want to do a better job keeping up with my budget and increasing my savings.  I want to actually finish writing a book, instead of regularly starting a new one.  I want to organize my home and my car and live in a less cluttered, stress-free environment.

But I know I can't change all of that at the same time.  But I can start focusing on each of these one at a time.  And hopefully by the end of the year, I'll be much more content with who I am.

I created a workout and menu plan that starts this Sunday.  My tools of choice are Nutrisystem, Focus T25, Les Mills Pump, doTerra Slim & Sassy essential oil, and plenty of water.  If I do what I can to stick to the schedule as much as possible, I expect positive results.  If I get brave, I may share pictures and weight/measurement progress as I go.

I tried the Nutrisystem plan a few years ago and lost weight with it.  I liked the food and learned a lot about portion control.  It was super-convenient to have the meals already made, just needed heated up.  And they were portable, making it easy to continue with the program at work or elsewhere.  I will add nuts, eggs, cheese, fruits, and vegetables to the prepackaged meals.  Otherwise, I want to avoid eating anything outside of this program.  My initial plan is to do these meals for at least three months, but preferably six months.  In addition to dropping weight, I should see changes in my cholesterol numbers as well.

I bought T25 a month or so ago.  I started doing it along with the modifier (the one person on the screen who does things a with a little less intensity than Shaun T) and realized I needed to modify the modifier.  It was so frustrating to realize how out of shape I am.  And I really let it get to me and quickly stopped pushing play on my T25 DVD.  To think, just 18 months ago, I did my second 5k in two months.  Unfortunately, I've done nothing physical since then.  Well, I've come to the conclusion that it doesn't matter if I can't keep up with Shaun T.  It doesn't even matter that I can't keep up with the modifier.  One day I will.  Until then, I'll go at my own pace...while I keep moving for 25 minutes straight six days a week.  My plan is to do this workout first thing every morning, Monday through Saturday.  It's a 10-week program.  If I keep doing it back to back, I could get through it five times in the next year.  Hopefully by the second go-around, I'll be able to keep up with the modifier...and by the third go-around, I'll be closer to keeping up with Shaun T.

I've actually finished the Les Mills Pump (LMP) schedule before.  I LOVE LMP!  It's a workout program on DVD, but it uses weights instead of being all about cardio.  It makes me feel strong and powerful.  I also see progress faster when I'm lifting weights.  Whereas T25 will get my heart rate up for 25+ minutes six days a week, LMP will help me build stronger muscles throughout my body 3-4 days a week.  I'll likely start with a light weight, 5 lbs on each end of the barbell.  But I'll build up as I go.  I intend to do this workout at the when I get home from work each day.  This program is 13 weeks long.  If I keep doing it back to back, I could get through it four times in the next year.

Are you at all familiar with essential oils?  From the doTerra website:

Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants.  They can be both beautifully and powerfully fragrant.

In addition to their intrinsic benefits to plants and being beautifully fragrant to people, essential oils have been used throughout history in many cultures for their medicinal and therapeutic benefits.  Modern scientific study and trends toward more holistic approaches to wellness are driving a revival and new discover of essential oil health applications.

dōTERRA®'s Slim & Sassy® Metabolic Blend is a proprietary formula of CPTG Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade® essential oils designed to help manage appetite between meals.  Slim & Sassy includes a blend of grapefruit, lemon, peppermint, ginger, and cinnamon essential oils.  Just add 8 drops to 16 oz. of water (regular size bottle of water) and drink between your healthy meals throughout the day to help manage hunger, calm your stomach, and lift your mood.

And finally, I know it's well-accepted that in order to lose weight, you must be drinking plenty of water.  I always thought 8 glasses of water every day was a lot.  But I've since learned that the bigger you are, the more water you should be drinking.  In fact, you should really be drinking one ounce of water for every two pounds you weigh.  Since I weigh well over 200 lbs, I should be drinking nearly a gallon of water a day.  Now THAT'S a lot of water.  But hey, if I start losing weight, I can start reducing the amount of water I drink.  There's something to look forward to.  And honestly, water flavored with Slim & Sassy isn't too bad.

Fitness Challenge Week 2

WEEKLY POINTS
First of all, there are weekly points we can earn. This is a first for me, so I'm not sure of the exact purpose of the points. But they accumulate week to week and apparently we should accumulate as many as possible. This is how we accumulate points and these will remain constant from week to week.

1. Post a positive comment about yourself once a week. (2 pts/wk)  CHECK 2/2
2. Stay below 2,500 mg of sodium each day. (1 pt/day...5 pts/wk)  CHECK 4/5
3. Drink 64 oz each day. BONUS POINT for an additional 8 oz each day. (2 pts/day...10 pts/wk)  CHECK 8/10
4. Every 30 consecutive minutes of working out scores a point, up to 60 minutes. (2 pts/day...10 pts/wk)  CHECK 9/10
5. Complete the weekly Challenge. (3 pts/wk)  CHECK 3/3
6. Every 25 full sit-ups scores a point, up to 75 sit-ups. (3 pts/day...15 pts/wk)  CHECK 13/15
7. Finishing the week with the highest percentage of weight-loss earns 3 pts AND gets everyone else on your team 1 pt.  CHECK 1/3
8. Being the team with the highest percentage of weight-loss earns another 2 pts.  CHECK 2/2

TOTAL:  42/50

WEEK 1 RESULTS

1. Workout for at least 30 minutes, at least 4 days of the week. No individual calorie goal this week. But the Wolverines need to burn a total of 15,000 calories. We have 10 people on our team, so that's 1,500 calories each in five days...or about 300 per day. These workouts will also count for #4 in the Weekly Points above.  CHECK 5/5 for 2152 cals
2. Complete 300 reps of anything that can be counted in reps, but they must be in sets of 25. This could be leg lifts, bicep curls, push-ups, jumping jacks, etc. Anything that can be counted. And this week, I get to choose which one I do! Individual goal is 300; the Wolverines must do 5,000 reps. With a team of 10, that's an average of 500 reps. Sit-ups completed here will NOT count towards #6 in the Weekly Points above.  CHECK 725 reps
3. Choose a Hard Rep (HR) and determine the number you can do currently...and do it. I chose push-ups. My arms are weak; my shoulders are weaker. As horrible as it sounds, I can only do 3 from my knees before collapsing to the floor. So I must complete 3 push-ups from my knees at least 4 days this week.  CHECK 5/5
4. Give up something food-wise that I know is bad for me. This one was easy for me to choose. I'm giving up McDonald's sweet tea. I grab one of these on the way to work almost every day. That's 280 calories each. I'll save over 1,000 calories a week by dropping this bad habit!  CHECK 5/5

I lost 4.2 lbs this week!  Water weight, I'm sure.  But still good!

WEEK 2 CHALLENGE
I'm supposed to stay off my feet as much as possible for the next two weeks.  And I'm seeing a podiatrist on Wednesday for my heel spurs.  That could be a challenge...for this Challenge.  Here's how Week 2 looks.

1. Workout for at least 4 days of the week, with each workout being one of the following: 30/60/90/120 minutes long.  The 120 minute workout can be split up into two workouts, but must be done within the same 24 hour day.  Individual calorie goal this week is 1300.  Team calorie goal is 17,600 calories. We have 11 people on our team now, so that's 1,600 calories each in five days.  These workouts will also count for #4 in the Weekly Points above.
2. Complete at least 400 reps with at least 100 each of Upper Body (UB), Lower Body (LB), Core, and Cardio...and they must be in sets of 25.   Team goal is 7,700 reps. With a team of 11, that's an average of 700 reps. Sit-ups completed here will NOT count towards #6 in the Weekly Points above.
3. Do 2 sets of my Hard Rep (HR) at least 3 days this week.  They can be split up into two shifts.  That means doing 3 push-ups from my knees TWICE in one day.  I hate push-ups.  I'm such a wimp!
4. No impulse eating of candy or baked goods.  AND stay under your sugar allocation at least 4 days this week.  Bonus of 2 points for staying under all 5 days.

Feel free to join me! You don't have to report your results anywhere. You don't have to officially join anything. Just print out this page and check things off as you complete them. We can get in shape together!

The Wagon

I tell my son regularly that every time he quits smoking is a good day.  Even though he's picked it up again every time, he's still doing his body good every day that he doesn't smoke.

Well, I've started giving myself the same advice.  I was doing so well with my diet and exercise March through July.  In August, I started slacking.  In September, I DIDN'T exercise or eat well more than I DID.  Time to get back on the wagon.

In looking back at what worked for me, it was all in the planning and tracking.  Planning my meals and my workouts and then tracking the results.  Not just tracking pounds lost...but calories eaten, calories burned, steps taken, miles traveled, reps completed.  I was eating, breathing, dreaming, talking health and fitness so much more during those months that I was seeing positive results.  I need to get back to that.  Not only do I have a lot more weight to lose, I have some of those pounds to lose AGAIN!

So, I spent the morning coming up with a plan, both for my workouts and my diet.  I'll spend tomorrow afternoon shopping for the foods I'll need to make it happen.  It's probably a silly short-coming of mine, but I like starting things on 'the first'.  Monday happens to be October 1st.  Lucky me!  Though I plan to eat better and get a 2.5 mile walk in tomorrow.

So, here's the plan...

MENU
Breakfast - Shakeology
Lunch - salad with tuna and at least 3 servings of vegetables
Dinner - chicken or fish and veggies
Snacks - boiled egg, yogurt, or fruit
**notice no processed foods and low carbs

EXERCISE
Les Mills Pump - weight workout 3x every week
Les Mills Pump - hard-core abs 3x every week
45 minute walk every day (2.5 - 3 miles) - I want to get back to hitting 10,000 steps every day.

WATER
No less than 3 cups in the morning, 3 cups in the afternoon, and 3 cups in the evening.  More when I'm working out.

My goal is to focus on the activities one day at a time.  No need to stress myself out about menus and workouts that are days away; I just need to accomplish my menu/workout each day.  I'll have the entire week in the back of my head though, as that's how often I'll weigh myself.  And because the eventual results are what keep me motivated, I'll continue to picture significant success for each month.  But because I'm a planner, I've already created somewhat generic calendar/plans for October, November, and December.

GOALS
Daily:
     10,000 steps
     1200 - 1400 calorie in-take
     9 - 12 cups of water
     350 calories burned during workouts
Weekly:
     1 - 2 pound loss
Monthly:
     5 - 8 pound loss

Sept 1st Update

Okay, I feel like I've been working hard, but the scales are definitely not showing it.  And I'll tell you why...because my diet has been crap!

I've been slacking on my water intake.
I've been eating fast-food.
I haven't been cooking as much as I should.
I've allowed too many processed foods back into my menus.
...I could go on and on.

Time to recommit!

My current weight and measurements:
WEIGHT:  210.6 lbs (same as last month, still more than post-Reset...which is NOT good!)
NECK:  15" (same as last month)
BICEP:  12.5" (loss of 0.5")
FOREARM:  10.25" (same as last month)
CHEST:  46" (same as last month)
WAIST:  43" (gain of 0.5")
HIPS:  47.5 (loss of 0.5")
THIGH:  28" (same as last month)
CALF:  16" (same as last month)

Now I give myself a bit of a break because I've been doing a weight-lifting program.  So hopefully I've been building muscle.  And of course, muscle weighs more than fat.  Not to mention, I've increased my calorie intake due to the weight-lifting.  So, it took me a little bit of time to figure out exactly what I should be eating to keep from being hungry without overeating.

LES MILLS PUMP
So, I've been doing Les Mills Pump for four weeks now and I LOVE IT!!!  The workout I've done the most these last couple/few weeks is Pump & Burn.  Tomorrow I graduate to Pump & Shred.  I haven't even watched it yet.  But I'm sure it's more intense.  AND it's 15 minutes longer!  So, I'll definitely be stepping it up this month.  But I say, BRING IT ON!

WALKING/RUNNING

I have a 5k tomorrow morning...probably in the rain.  My second one ever.  I have to admit, I'm more looking forward to it being over than I am looking forward to the event itself.  I have the same goals as before...run the first mile, run more than half, and run through the finish line.  I was going to shoot for bettering my time.  But the weight-lifting has really affected my running and the rain isn't going to help either.  Outside of that, I intend to continue running and walking regularly.  It's worked for me thus far; I don't intend to give it up any time soon.

THE 17 DAY DIET

When I did my first Monthly Challenge with Jayme, she suggested that we read "The 17 Day Diet".  For whatever reason, I missed that step of the challenge.  Well, I decided it's about time I check it out.  It reminds me a lot of the Reset.  But whereas the Reset was very strict as to what I should eat for every meal, the 17DD gives me a list of foods that are appropriate for each 17 day cycle.  And there are four 17 day cycles.  So far, I find it intriguing.  Also I intend to commit to drinking more water again.  I've REALLY been slacking on my water.  And that is never a good thing, especially when dieting...and DEFINITELY when lifting.




So, that's my plan for September.  Lifting, walking/running, eating cleaner, and increasing my water intake.  It's going to take a bit of self-discipline...which is what I struggle with.  But I have a mission.  I have a goal.  And I am NOT ready to settle yet.

MOTIVATION

1.       Don’t WISH for it.  WORK for it!

2.       I may not be there yet, but I’m closer than I was yesterday.

3.       A year from now, I’ll be glad you started today.

4.       Work like a DOG.  Sweat like a PIG.  Look like a FOX.

5.       You can be SORE tomorrow or SORRY tomorrow.  The choice is yours.

6.       Whether you think you CAN or think you CAN’T, you’re right.

7.       The only difference between TRY and TRIUMPH is a little umph.

8.       If you’re tired of starting over, stop quitting!

9.       Today is another chance to make yourself proud.

10.   It’s not that some people have willpower and others don’t.  It’s that some people are ready for a change.

11.   What doesn’t CHALLENGE us doesn’t CHANGE us.

12.   Never let what you CAN’T do interfere with what you CAN do.

13.   Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels.

14.   Just…five…more…minutes.

15.   Change is not change until I change.

16.   “Believe in yourself, trust the process, change forever.”  - Bob Harper

17.   Act as if what you do makes a difference.  Because it does!

18.   It’s ALWAYS too early to quit.

19.   Suffer the pain of DISCIPLINE or suffer the pain of REGRET.

20.   Success must be felt INSIDE before it can be seen on the OUTSIDE.

21.    Yesterday was the ONLY easy day.

22.   Keep your eye on the prize.

23.   If you don’t like to sweat, think of it as your body being covered in liquid awesomeness.

24.   The only person standing in the way of your goals is YOU!

25.   Sweat is just fat crying.

26.   Don’t be afraid of going slowly; be afraid of standing still.

27.   The next six months are going to come and go whether I workout or not.  But my decision could drastically change the way I look and feel.

28.   WORKING OUT is hard.  BEING OVERWEIGHT is hard.  Choose your hard.

29.   Someone busier than you is working out right now.

30.   DEAD LAST is greater than DID NOT FINISH which still trumps DID NOT START.

Beachbody Ultimate Reset, Final Results

Drum roll please...

Starting Date:  July 7th
Ending Date: July 21st

WEIGHT
Starting:  217.8 lbs
Ending:  208.4 lbs

TOTAL WEIGHT LOST:  9.4 lbs

MEASUREMENTS
Chest Starting/Ending:  48 / 46, Difference of -2"
Waist Starting/Ending:  44.25 / 42.5, Difference of -1.75"
Hips Starting/Ending:  49.5 / 48, Difference of 1.5"
Right Thigh Starting/Ending: 29 / 28, Difference of 1"
Left Thigh Starting/Ending:  29 / 28, Difference of 1"
Right Bicep Starting/Ending:  13.5 / 13, Difference of 0.5"
No change in my left bicep or neck.

TOTAL INCHES LOST:  7.75"

Up next: Les Mills Pump

Beachbody Ultimate Reset, Day 21

Okay, I know I got really behind on posting every day.  But the fact is, I was kind of getting sick and tired of dwelling on the Reset every day.  I mean, it was already taking over my life with respect to the menu and the supplements.  I just didn't want to continue to add to that by posting about it every day as well.

So, here it is, Day 21.  Hallelujah!

In a nutshell, I'm happy to say that I survived the Reset.  I also have no problem admitting that I didn't really like it either.  There were several times when I was 'that close' to saying that I regretted the decision to do it in the first place.  And I even cheated on certain aspects.  But once I got more than half way through the 21 days, I was determined to finish it.

But the fact is, I didn't completely stick to it.  I ate an appropriate breakfast probably 90% of the time.  I ate an appropriate lunch probably 90% of the time.  I ate a Reset-approved dinner...maybe 60% of the time.  I drank more than 100 oz of water probably 50% of the time, but drank at least 72 oz the other 50% of the time.  I took my supplements religiously the first two weeks...not so much the last week.  But I'll continue to take them as suggested until they're gone.

Beachbody has a Reset Maintenance Kit to allow me to continue to take the supplements for the next couple/few months.  Yeah, I cancelled that shipment.  No more Reset for me!  I'll go back to taking my multivitamin and iron supplement.

It was suggested that we track our weight and measurements at least weekly and track our mood and sleep daily.  I did all that.  I lost weight nearly every day the first week.  I bounced up and down regularly in the last two weeks.  Today, I weigh 209.4, which is an overall loss of 8.4 lbs.  My mood bounced around too.  I felt pretty good the first week, depressed and weepy the second week, and weepy but more positive the third week.  The Reset did nothing to improve my sleep.  With my trazodone, I sleep GREAT.  Without it, it's a crap-shoot.  But I do think my energy level is up.

During the Reset, I wasn't supposed to work out.  Well about half way through, it really started to get to me that I chose to give up working out for 21 days...and I wasn't looking forward to having to bounce back from that kind of a break.  This past Monday (Day 17), I couldn't stand it anymore.  I brought my running clothes to work with me and even in the 90+ degree weather, I was going to at least get a short walk in.  Well, I felt MUCH better than I expected AND I wanted to know exactly where I was physically with regard to my walking/running.  So, I mostly walked, but also included some running, for 2 1/2 miles.  Tuesday, I ran more and did that same 2 1/2 miles.  Wednesday, I ran the entire first mile.  I felt GREAT!  I took yesterday off, but I have my clothes with me again today.  Looking forward to my lunch walk/run.  Hoping to run that first mile again.  So I'm thankful to say that I don't seem to have lost much of a step in my workouts.  Yea!

Would I do it again?  No way.  Have I picked up some better habits?  Definitely!

Before the Reset, I was a very bad drinker.  I'll bet I had no more than 24 oz of 'something' in an entire day.  I'd venture to say that I've had more water in the last three weeks than I had in the previous six months!  I also picked up some new foods that I'll stick with (stir-fry veggies over quinoa, steel-cut oats with fresh fruit, scrambled egg and spinach on wheat, and a few others).

All in all, it was probably a good thing.  But I really am glad it's over.  And I'm thrilled that I can get back to my workouts!

Beachbody Ultimate Reset, Day 14

FIRST THING
Caught up on my sleep!  Okay, I don't know if a person can ever catch up on sleep.  But I slept more than ten hours last night.  I went to bed just after 7pm and woke up with my alarm at 5am.  And I felt TONS better all day! 

HOW I FEEL
No depression today.  And thankfully, the Release Phase is over after today.  So, hopefully I don't have the emotional swings that I've fought with this week.  All in all, I had a good day!

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast:  watermelon and cantaloupe

Lunch:  picked up a salad at the deli...lettuce, cucumber, tomato, onion, avocado, and vinaigrette

Dinner:  baked sweet potato chips, baked zucchini chips, and avocado hummus

WEIGHT
This morning's weigh-in: 209.0
That's a 0.6 lb loss, putting me down 8.8 lbs total.  So, after bouncing up and down all week, I notice that my weight is exactly the same as it was last Friday.  At least I didn't lose any ground.

BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE

This guy listed is his blood work before/after doing the Ultimate Reset as well.
Cholesterol - before 179 after 137... dropped 42 pts in total cholesterol!
Triglycerides before 267 after 60... I can hardly believe this one... wow!
HDL before 25 after 29.
LDL before 101 after 96.

INTERESTED?
If you are interested in trying any of these programs or learning more about them, you can check them out...Beachbody fitness programs, Shakeology, Ultimate Reset.

Beachbody Ultimate Reset, Day 13

FIRST THING
I slept just over three hours last night/this morning.  And I'm exhausted because of it.  Not sure why I couldn't get to sleep.  But I already can't wait to go to bed tonight!  Nothing major on the calendar today...just work and the Reset.

HOW I FEEL
My depression was bad today.  I fought tears all morning long.  Things got better in the afternoon, only because I got better at distracting myself from being blue.  My attitude towards meal preparation is better today though.  Could be because I did a quick Shakeology for breakfast and ate leftovers for lunch.  I think I've just hit my quota of new meals that I have to learn to fix just to eat a meal. 

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast:  Tropical Shakeology with frozen strawberries

Lunch:  leftovers from last night...quinoa stir-fry with zucchini, yellow bell peppers, white onion, and grape tomatoes

Dinner:  baked sweet potato, brown rice, roasted veggies including zucchini, yellow squash, broccoli, and asparagus

WEIGHT
This morning's weigh-in: 209.6
That's a 0.8 lb loss, putting me down 8.2 lbs total.  Up and down all week!

BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE

INTERESTED?
If you are interested in trying any of these programs or learning more about them, you can check them out...Beachbody fitness programs, Shakeology, Ultimate Reset.

Beachbody Ultimate Reset, Day 12

FIRST THING
Okay, my rant from my Day 11 post was actually written the morning of Day 12.  And I even entered my Day 12 weight instead of my Day 11 weight.  I have corrected my weight on my Day 11 post.  I actually lost 0.2 lbs.  It was the morning of Day 12 (today!) that I had a gain.

So today, Day 12, I skipped breakfast, which I mentioned in yesterday's post.  And I went to lunch with friends for a Relay for Life meeting.  And I decided HOURS before I went that I was going to enjoy it.  And I did!  I didn't go too haywire...no beverage during my meal, no dessert, nothing deep-fried.  But I can't tell you how much better I felt after that little lunch outing.

One thing that I'm really upset about with this whole Reset is that I feel like I blindly took a break from the progress I was making in my running.  I mean, I ran my very first 5k on June 30th and then completely stopped my training one week later.  Outside of short walks, I've done ZERO exercising in 12 days!  And I'm starting to feel it.  And I hate it.  I have a lot of work to do before my 2nd 5k in September.  I just can't stop smacking my head and saying, "What the heck were you thinking?!"  I'm just so frustrated with myself.

But I'm more than half way through the Reset, so I'd just as soon not stop now.  Sure I totally blew the diet today, but I'm calling it a speed-bump.  Still makes me wonder though, why I feel SO MUCH BETTER after cheating on my diet.  I think it's safe to say my body was definitely missing something!  Then again, it could all be in my head.

Detox supplement - 14 down, 7 to go.  Reset - nearly 12 days down, only 9 to go.  NINE!!!

HOW I FEEL
Frustrated.  Somewhat wiped out.  Still Concerned about my fitness level.  I mean let's be real...I still weigh more than 200 lbs.  Why on earth would I volunteer to do something that put a complete halt to the fitness program that was working for me.  I've told at least three people this week that they should "stick with what they'll stick with" when it comes to working out.  I should have taken my own advice!  I was doing so well with the walking/running thing. Why rock the boat?!  I just hope it's not as hard to get back on that track when I finally can again.

TODAY'S MENU

Breakfast:  nothing, totally skipped this meal out of frustration

Lunch:  totally cheated!  I had a baked chicken thigh, mashed potatoes with no gravy, green beans, and a salad.  It was lovely!

Dinner:  quinoa stir fry with zucchini, yellow bell pepper, grape tomatoes, and white onion...colorful, huh?

WEIGHT
This morning's weigh-in: 210.4
That's a 0.6 lb gain, putting me down 7.4 lbs total.

BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURE

INTERESTED?
If you are interested in trying any of these programs or learning more about them, you can check them out...Beachbody fitness programs, Shakeology, Ultimate Reset.