So it begins...

Please Note: The weight loss ticker above denotes WEIGHT LOSS!

My mom noted to me the other day that in my most recent blog posting I sounded a little fed up. And, truthfully, I am. I'm so tired of playing a victim to food. Like, oh, poor little me, I can't lose weight. It's too hard to get up and go to the gym...it's too easy to eat crap...it's not my fault that my body reacts to stress with a desire to binge...and excuse after excuse.

And all that did was convince me that I didn't have the power to change that. It is NOT hard to get up and go to the gym if it is what I choose to do. It's NOT hard to turn down the cupcake if I'm well nourished and prepared for my future meals. It's all a matter of deciding what I want and, well, doing it.

I'm not a victim. I have so much power. And that decision alone has already lost me 2 pounds. Carry on.

Don't Give Up

Don't give up on me yet.

Top Ten Reasons I'm Going to Succeed:

1) My goal is not just to lose weight, but to learn how to manage the emotional side of my eating problems.

2) Success is measured much less by pounds lost as it is by confidence gained.

3) I have a rockin' support system.

4) I really, truly love the gym...I just have to find the right time to go (I'm thinking mornings).

5) I am not a victim to food, weight, or emotions.

6) Admitting weakness and insecurity does not constitute failure.

7) I am a worthy investment of the time, energy, and money involved in my goals.

8) I'm coming to realize that there is so much in life that is more important then my weight...and if I focus on those things, the weight will control itself.

9) I can do anything.

10) I'm beautiful no matter what the scale (or mirror, or button on my pants, or reflection in the glass pane of the door outside my office building....) says.

So, here we go again. To success!

I'm Will Go Far

or to Fargo...

Well, day one in Fargo has been good. The training was great, I'm feeling really good.

On the plane ride here, I read a book my best friend gave me for my birthday called, "Feel the Fear...And Do it Anyway."

It was extremely eye-opening for me and really focused on that dreaded control word. Only, it wasn't about reliquishing control, it was about taking it. About realizing that no matter what events happen in life, I control how I respond to it. And I have the choice between acting like a victim or taking control.

It has helped me with food today. A couple of times I was tempted to make bad food choices, but I was able to use some of the techniques in the book to remind myself that I have the power NOT to choose to eat. That I control my actions and I control how I respond to stress in my life.
This evening I went down to the hotel gym and got a nice workout. Tonight I'm going to take a warm bath and go to bed early.

And when I get back into town Friday morning, I hope to make a log in the weight loss ticker!

Super-wife is Back

Well, I made a pretty big decision yesterday. I discontinued from my Calculus class. I kind of layed out my priorities and realized that it (meaning Calc) wasn't even on the list...yet it was taking 10-15 hours of my week and really impacting my ability to be 'present,' successful, and happy in completing the items that do fall onto my priority list.

So, last night, instead of going to class and taking a test and starting my homework, I was able to go to the grocery store, make a pot of homemade soup, make pizza crusts for Geoff's dinner tonight, pack snack baskets, wash dishes, cook dinner for me and Geoff, and do some obediance training with my dogs. All between the hours of 7-11! It was good for the soul.

Tonight is my modeling debut. I wish I was a few pounds thinner...but I'm not gonna lie...I look cute! I was told yesterday that I need to, and I quote, "Select something that will help distinguish you as an employee and not a student. For you, Amanda, this is extremely important because you are so young in age. Suggestions include dress shirt, blazer, sweater vest, pearls, lipstick; although I don’t think you have to look like you’re headed to Church. Again, avoid white or pastel colors, and anything red. We love solids! We would discourage anything with large/dominant logos, big stripes, etc."

WHAT?! A sweatervest and pearls?!? I thought they chose me for this because I was a young employee. I'm 23...why do you want me to look like I'm 60? So I settled on a pink dress shirt with puff sleeves, a black skirt with a little white design (probably won't be noticeable to the camera), a belt (that's what old people wear, right?), and adorable pink heels. I also curled my hair. Maybe old people curl their hair.

Anywho, we'll see how it goes. Wish me luck. Or, wait, is modeling like performing and I'm supposed to break a leg...

Not too shabby.

Okay, so I admit it, I stepped on the scale this morning. And...not too bad! I don't have any news to report to that stupid weight loss ticker, but I'm hopeful that I will on Friday.
Today has been another day of control. Over food, I suppose. Ha. It actually feels good to be able to tell myself "yes" to food I have packed and planned. I'm really focusing on food this week instead of getting bogged down in gym failure and then binging.
Next week I have a business trip and will therefore have plenty of spare time by myself, so the hotel gym and I will become good friends.

As a side note: My brown slacks have yet to reappear. I'm very discouraged. I guess this means I need to make my other pants fit.

As an underneath note: My photo shoot is tomorrow...what am I going to wear without my brown slacks!

Control

To anyone who struggles with food, control seems to be this four-letter-word. Because, honestly, at the root of any eating disorder (and, yes, I do consider my binge eating difficulties disordered eating), there is the issue of control. Whether it be too much, or, in my case, the lack thereof.

The hard thing about food is that no one else can control my intake for me. They could try...but then I'd turn into a 3-headed, fire-breathing dragon that would burn off their eyebrows for even suggesting I can't eat that cake. Ultimately, somewhere inside of me, I have to remind myself that I actually don't want that cake. In fact, the only thing the cake will ultimately make me feel is lack of control. And it is the stress and out-of-control nature of life that leads to the eating in the first place. Seems a little counterintuitive.

The good news? Today I have had control. I had a drinkable yogurt and fiber one cereal for breakfast. I had a pack of carl buddig, a cheese stick and carrots for lunch. I have an apply waiting in the fridge for an afternoon snack, and a big, warm, cozy bowl of oatmeal waiting to be cooked and devoured when I get home from work.

Tomorrow, hopefully, will take a cue from today and follow suit. I have a busy week, but I'm PREPARED for it. I control my response to the stress. The stress doesn't control me.

I hope...

The Non-Diet Blog

I've decided that this is the WORST diet blog, ever.

Why? Well, I've yet to lose any weight (in fact, I've gained). Know what that makes this? A non-diet blog. It's a blog to document my weight GAIN, it would seem. And that is something I don't need an audience for. :-)

Sigh. On top of that, I've lost my brown slacks (remember, the only work pants I have that fit?). Fantastic. How do you lose an entire pair of pants? I mean, a sock, I get that. But, pants? Sad day.

I need to jumpstart my life. I'm getting complacent in everything.

School - bare minimum.

Dogs - one walk a day, at best.

Gym - sleep is winning.

Husband - neglected (and I LOVE him soooo much).

Church Responsibilities - bare minimum.

Food - anything and everything.

Anyone got any jumper cables?

M.I.A.

Oops...it's been a little while since I blogged.

Usually this means I'm completely off course...and this time is somewhat of an exception. I'm not 100% on track like I should be, but mostly I'm just wicked busy!

Which is also the reason I'm somewhat veering from the track of dieting righteousness. Not only is it nearly impossible to cook for myself (or the hubster) when there's no time, but it's so much easier to eat crappy. Moreover, I'm a stress eater, so the time crunches and the lack of time to do REAL crunches makes for a girl apt to eat.

And, food has become such an emotional thing for me now, that it's really hard to eat something without feeling emotional...which just means I shove more in my mouth. If I could just eat ONE serving, I'd be fine. Alas, I'm stuck with the whole "enchilada," so-to-speak.

So, I guess what I'm looking for is some encouragement. Between the stress on one side, the guilt on the other, and my shrinking clothes mocking me from the closet, I'm feeling a little run down. What can I do to jump-start the weight loss so I can feel successful and motivated?

Special K Diet for two weeks? Slim Fast? Some sort of :::coughcoughstupid::: cleanse? I'm pretty much willing to try anything at this point. I just need to feel like it's possible to succeed. I'm stuck in that self-loathing part of the diet cycle.

Who asked the mirror, anyway?

I was going to do affirmations in this blog. In fact, I had even put the numbers 1-5 in a list form simply awaiting the affirmations to fall into place...but I just don't have it in me today.

Yesterday was a rousing success. I went to the gym in the morning, didn't eat anything that wasn't planned for, finished my homework, got to be early.

I got up this morning in a pretty good mood. Went to the gym (20 minutes Cyrex machine, 15 treadmill, 15 stationary bike), played with my dogs, showered, etc...then came time to get dressed. I bought a couple of amazing pairs of heels this weekend and I wanted to wear one of them today. They are "statement" shoes, if you will. So I needed a fairly neutral outfit.

Unfortunately, the only neutral skirt I have doesn't fit, but I made the mistake of trying to squeeze into it anyway. Lucky enough, I did get it all zipped up...but couldn't find a top to go with it. Anyway, long story short, I'm not wearing my new heels and I'm feeling a little bit deflated.

The good news? I'm not giving up. I'm gonna show that skirt who's boss.

And so it begins

For anyone who reads this blog, it probably seems lame. A weight loss blog where the blogger has yet to lose an entire pound. And, you are probably right. But I think that's kind of the point. Part of the big reason I'm keeping my blog updated. Because weight loss, dieting, food struggles, exercise, time management, they are HARD.

I've been really good at making excuses for the last 3 weeks of blogging. "I'm really tired." "It's my birthday." "It's a night out." "I really LIKE this food." "I look pretty darn good, why kill myself?" "I wanted to go to the gym, but I just ran out of time." etc...

I'm done with excuses. For real. Don't believe me? Well, just to show my dedication, I will tell you that I got up at 5:45am this morning and went to the gym! I did 20 minutes stair climber, 15 treadmill, and 15 stationary bike. And I will be going every morning for the rest of the week (and beyond). No more excuses not to go to the gym - because "I'm lazy and don't want to get out of bed" is an excuse that is off the table.

So, mostly I'm going to be focusing on exercise and diet (meaning food) this week. I started my day with fiber one and a yogurt smoothie thing (instead of milk). It was delish. Also, I'm trying to increase my water intake. I am making it a rule that I have to get in my 8 glasses (64 ounces) a day before I can have any diet soda. And that is motivation, baby.

Also, I'm going to make sure to take my multi-vitamin everyday. I've been pretty sporadic with that.

So, here's my new weight loss goals:
By October 30th - 10 pounds lost
By November 20 - 15 pounds lost
By December 11 - 20 pounds lost
By December 25 - 25 pounds lost

Overall, that's a goal of about 2-3 pounds a week. Very doable if I just stick to it. Which I know I can. And I will. :)

Fail

Goal #4) Have a Happy Birthday (on Thursday), but DON'T overindulge.

Have a Happy Birthday, Check.

Don't overindulge? Fail.

But it was a super wonderful day!

No weigh-in today. Out of fear. :)

Running too fast...

I had a weird...scary dream last night:

Long story short - serial killer attacked everyone in my house by cutting off their legs with a chain saw and their hands with a kitchen knife. I woke up as me, in the dream, was hiding, trying to keep from having this happen to me.

Now, bear with me on this one, because I don't really believe this kind of...well...crap, but it seems applicable today. On Monday morning, I was listening to the radio and on my daily radio show, I was listening to the lady who decipher's dreams. One of the callers recited the tale of dream where she gave birth to twins - one without legs and one who was blind and deaf.

Turns out, that according to dream people, missing (or in my case, the brutal removal of) legs refers to something in your life that you feel is not progressing the way you want.

Amen. Sometimes dieting is really easy for me - this particular time has been really tough. I'm hanging in there, but the fact that I've been dieting for 2 weeks and lost 1/2 pound is an indication that this isn't a breeze.

Unfortunately, I have no one to blame this lack of progress on by myself. I'm the only one who can "protect myself from the leg hacker," as the case may be. Wish me luck!

Ah, Monday.

I very well may be the only person in the world who just loves Mondays.

Food stuff is hard for me on the weekends. My main food cravings come out of stress and boredom...so the weekends can be hard. Especially Sunday - when I'm home all day. Begging the world to give me something to distract me from my hunger. Ha.

Anywho, with the exception of some fudge my neighbor made for us (which was SO good I don't even feel bad about eating it), I had a pretty successful weekend with food.

But, it's nice to be back at work, back to my regular schedule, and feeling good.

The goals for week three (which hopefully brings a loss of a pound or more):
1) Drink 50 ounces of water a day.
2) Walk my doggies each morning before work AND after work.
3) Gym 4 days, weights 2 days (TV is not allowed on until AFTER the gym).
4) Have a Happy Birthday (on Thursday), but DON'T overindulge.
5) Don't go to bed at night until my house is at least straightened.

Coming Clean

Weigh in: well, 1/2 pound down today. Like, seriously? A half pound? I couldn't even get the whole pound? Sad day. BUT, 1/2 pound down is better then 1/2 pound up or 0 pounds down...so, I'll take it.

And, if I'm being honest, I probably fudged my starting weight a tad...or two. On Tuesday I actually weighed 3 pounds more then today..so do with that information what you will.

I wanted to kind of clarify myself to anyone who might be reading (although I'm pretty confident it's just my mom). In my ham shanks post, I told you that I wasn't really a large person. This is true. So, you may ask yourself, what is this girl's problem? Why is she making such a big deal out of losing weight?

Here's a little timeline for you:

Spring 2004: I was getting ready to graduate high school and go to college. I worked hard to lose about 20 pounds before I left for school.

January 2005: I gained the typical freshman...er, 22...during my first semester at college.

March 2005: I tried the Nutrisystem diet. It worked. I had lost all 22 pounds I had gained. That loss lasted all of 10 minutes.

Summer 2005-April 2006: This was a particularly rough period for me. I got to hanging out with the wrong friends and really start using food as a way to deal with stress, anxiety, and as a mode of comfort. This resulted in a 30 pound gain. I was miserable. I had been doing this yo-yo thing for so long. And, here I was, now heavier then I had ever been.

Summer 2006: I went home for the summer and my mom helped me to work really hard to get myself feeling more confident. I lost about 20 pounds and was feeling pretty darn good when I went back to college for the fall semester.

January 2007: I had gained back all 20 pounds. Seriously. I was back to my peak weight. My roommate and I decided that we would go on a diet together. We worked out every day and I quickly dropped the weight again. By March 2007, I was back down about 17 of those 20.

August 2007: I got married. I wasn't at a low weight for myself, but I think I looked pretty darn good. I felt beautiful and it was the best day of my life. Then I gained the "newlywed 35."

April 2008: (Yes, just 8 months later...35 pounds gained in 8 months) I have had it. I can hardly look at myself at this weight. It's the heaviest I've ever been...and I'm worried about what my new husband must think and I have clothes in my closet that I can't even get over my knees, practically. I decided enough is enough.

April 2008-April 2009: I had made it my goal to lose 55 pounds in a year. I actually came really close. In April of 2009, my mom takes me on a girl's weekend and spoils me with a new wardrobe for my new body. We have the most amazing time and I'm feeling so great.

April 2009 - present: I fall back into bad habits. My struggles with binge eating that I thought I had gained relative control over come back to haunt me. I can't seem to stop eating. I eat a lot, I eat in secret, I feel shame, I gain weight.

Today: I am between 15-20 pounds of my lowest weight during the last year, and still 25 from the original goal I had set for myself. All those fantastic clothes my mom bought me? Only about 1/3 of them can still fit. I NEED to stop this cycle, not only for my body, but for my sanity.

So, although I may seem like some lame size 8-10 girl trying to be thinner for no apparent reason...but I promise you that it is more to prove to myself that I CAN do this. That I'm not a failure and that struggling with my weight may have owned the last 6 years of my life...but it doesn't have to own the next 60.

I'm BYU's Next Top Model

Okay, not really, but I really did get asked to "model" for some campus posters. Here's how it went down:

I was walking into work wearing my brown slacks (okay, let's be honest, they are pretty much the only pair of work pants I have that fit right now...so I wear them a lot) and a long sleeve jewel-toned v-neck shirt. I was walking with a little more swagger then usual...because, well, I've been on a diet for 3 days now, I must look a little thinner (riiiight).

I walked past the large conference room and saw our HR manager sitting there. I gave her the usual head nod (no one speaks before 8am). About 30 seconds later she came into my office and asked me to be in some posters for the employee giving campaign that will be posted around campus next spring.

Heck yeah. I just hope the photo shoot isn't for another couple months. I'll be in prime "model" mode by then. But I'll definitely bring my lucky slacks.

Saran Wrapped Ham Shanks

Two things you need to know about me before you read the rest of this post:

1) For years, now, I have affectionately referred to my thighs as my ham shanks. They are truly my #1 "problem area."

2) I am not a "big" person. I am between 5'6" and 5'7" and about a size 8 (or 10) depending on the brand and my goal weight should put me somewhere around a 4-6.

Okay, so on Monday, Husband and I went to TJ Max. For the record, we LOVE TJ's...and Ross...and pretty much anywhere you can find a good deal. But, I digress. I found a pair of exercise pants for $10. And, since you can never have enough exercise clothes, I snatched them up. I didn't feel like going through the hassle of trying them on, so I just grabbed a LARGE and figured that would be fine.

I got home and went to put them on...and, lo and behold, it was like wearing saran wrap. Especially over my shanks. And these were the larges. I thought for sure I'd be safe.

Nonetheless, the rest of the night at the gym, I kept turning to my gym bud (Steph) and whispering to her, "I'm SO aware of my pants right now."

I had a little Kim Kardashian going on, if you know what I mean.

As far as my goals for the week go, I'm doing really well. Sticking to the meal plan 100%. Although I hate the crackers I bought...but I paid good money for them, so I will be eating them. I went to the gym last night and did weight-lifting. So that's 2 of my 4 (required) days down with 1 of the 2 days of weights down. I haven't been so good about the card writing thing. I'm hoping to catch up tonight. I haven't missed a walk with my dogs in the morning yet...and they are starting to really get excited about it in the morning. And, lastly, I have not bought any food since my grocery shopping on Monday. Hazahh!

P.S. I got asked to be a MODEL today. More on that in my next post. ha!

Food Plan and other assorted goodies

One thing is official, I have no idea how to turn a word table into a usable image. So...good luck reading my food plan for the week. SF bar = Slim Fast Bar (cheapest version of a protein bar I could find).

I went to the grocery store last night and got everything I need, so we'll see how this works out for me.

On a different note, I did go to the gym last night and did 40 minutes of cardio while watching Dancing with the Stars and hanging out with Steph. I did get up this morning and walk my little dog-faces (in VERY cold first-day-of-fall weather). And, I did realize that my birthday is 8 days away and there's no chance of losing 10 pounds by then, so I'm amending the birthday goal to 4 pounds. Riiiight....

Week 2...

Well, last week didn't go as well as planned. No gain on the weigh in on Friday - but no loss. Sigh. It's okay, though, it's a new week! I can either lose, gain or remain. As long as I don't gain, I'll call it a success.

Goals for Week 2:
1) Gym 4 days, with weight-lifting on 2 days.
2) Walk the dogs before work daily.
3) Write cards to those who I appreciate (1 per day)
4) Plan my weekly food plan - post to the blog.
5) Do not buy any food outside of my regular grocery shop (Diet Mt. Dew does NOT count).

Stay tuned for my food plan.

Drop Zone

I was looking through some photos yesterday that I have compiled over that last 5 years or so. And I've realized one thing: a weight loss yo-yo doesn't even begin to describe the struggles I have had.

I think it's more like this ride I used to ride at Great America in California called Drop Zone (there's a version of this everywhere), but you start at the bottom, excited and ready to go. This is how I feel at my lowest weights. Proud that I had the courage to get there, ready for what's coming next. Then, the ride slowly begins to climb, as does my weight. Until I finally reach the top and I'm looking around nervous and just wishing I was back on the ground again. So, in a matter of months, whooooosh, I'm back down. Ready to start the whole cycle over again.

Luckily, my weight has never gotten really out of control, but a 30 pound swing every year is too much to handle emotionally. I'm hoping that I can keep my feet on the ground after I get to my goal this time.

As far as my goals for the week, things are going really well. I'm excited for my weigh-in tomorrow...although I am retaining a little water since it's...well...that time of the month.

Check in tomorrow to see if I've made any progress. If not, I'll keep chugging along!

Shortcuts

As I was driving (my 15-minute drive) to work this morning, I was listening to my usual morning show. In the middle of my drive, they cut to a commercial break. In the 3-5 minute break, I heard a variety of commercials for insurance, car dealerships, etc...but I also heared individual commercials for the following: HCG Diet, Sono Bello (surgery free body sculpting), laser hair removal, cosmetic surgery (breasts, specifically), and Weight Watchers.

No wonder no one ever succeeds at diet and exercise. No one has to. We've got HCG (a 500 calorie a day diet...obviously you lose weight on it), body sculpting; everything to enhance, re-shape, and totally alter our bodies. Honestly, I like my body. The proportions aren't perfect. I'm a little short-waisted and I'd like a little...um..."more" on top...but it's my body. I want to treat it well, feed it the nourishment is deserves, keep my muscles strong and fit, and, most of all, feel good in my body. I don't want the easy way out (although I do wish the whole process of dealing with weight and food was simpler).

The "easy" way, as those commercials taught me this morning is by convincing women (and some men) that the way their bodies are naturally isn't good enough and that we need some sort of "help" in changing ourselves into whatever it is that we think they should be.

Well, all I think I should be is happy.

For my one reader

Well,

Obviously, the fact that I haven't written for months means that I have been failing miserably at everything diet related.

The reasons, you probe:

1) Family Drama
2) Lack of motivation
3) Binge eating
4) Laziness
5) Starting CALCULUS

But, I'm going to work really hard to hit my goal weight by Christmas. My birthday is in a couple weeks, so I'm hopeful to lose about 7-10 pounds by then and keep going on and lose another 15-18 by Christmas.

The reasons:

1) To help me cope with family drama, lack of motivation, binge eating, laziness, school stress, work stress.
2) Increase my feelings of self-esteem.

To life! My 5 goals for this week:

1) Gym it at least 4 days (40 minute minimum)
2) Plan out my food intake and carefully track calories
3) Do dishes/homework/vaccuum/laundry/whatever is being neglected when I feel the urge to eat when I'm not really hungry.
4) Limit myself to pressing the snooze button only ONCE each morning.
5) Get to be before 11:30pm each night.

Yay!

I had a great swim last night. A great workout in general. I meant to get up and work out this morning...but that didn't happen. Lol. So, I'll be going tonight. No swimming tonight. Just arm weights and cardio. I'm looking forward to it, though, because I'm finally starting to see success. I weighed 2 pounds less today and that puts me at a half pound below my starting weight (see my updated ticker to the right). I still have quite a ways to go, but I'm finally on the right track.
I'm going tonight to get a pedicure with my sister-in-law. My toes are in desperate need of some love and I am excited.
Moreover, I leave for Vegas in 2 days and will get to see and party with my parents. I'm soo excited. I'm also excited that by the time I see them I will be another pound down or so. Phew. I was so concerned about seeing my mom looking the way I did just a few weeks ago. I felt terrible. It feels soooo much better to be taking care of myself and eating right. I can't figure out why it's so hard sometimes - because it is so much better.

4th of July Week

I had a SUCCESSFUL weekend! I can't recall the last time I did a perfect job sticking to my diet and goals over the weekend, but I did it this weekend. Finally! My weight is down a little bit, but nothing too noteworthy yet. I'm leaving town on Thursday, so here are my goals for this lovely week:

1) Gym at home M-Th with 2 days of swimming and weight-lifting all four days.
2) Work out at least one day on vacation (to make a total of 5 days this week)
3) Buy a couple pairs of shorts to wear.
4) Stick to my diet even while traveling and eating out.
5) Take the stairs instead of elevators as often as possible.

Here goes nothing! I won't be around on Friday to weigh in, but I'll do it next Monday!

Ready for the weekend.

Well, I'm feeling pretty groovy. Today's weigh-in wasn't particularly eventful (same as the last time I weighed in), but I feel pretty good. As I said in my last post, it's my "time of the month," so I'm pretty bloated. I'm hopeful that once my period is over, I'll lose a few magical pounds. lol. We'll see what happens.
I'm going (at the generosity of my fabulous parents) to Vegas next weekend for the Fourth of July and I really hope to be at least a few pounds lighter by then.
My swim last night was amazing. After a half hour of arm weights (free weights), back weights (machine) and abs, I did 15 minutes on the bike and 10 minutes on the stair climber. Then I swam for 15 minutes. Sooo glorious. I wish I had the stamina to stay in all day. I'm excited to go back again and swim. :D That was a very good goal choice.
I went to the gym this morning as well. Fridays I don't do weights because I only do 4 days a week of weights. So, I did a new machine called the Cyrex (kind of a cross between and elliptical and a stair climber), the stair climber and a cool down on the treadmill. It felt good.
I'm hoping me and Geoff will get to play some tennis tonight as well.
I love to be active. I hope I can maintain such an active lifestyle.

Floaty and Bloaty.

Well, yesterday was a good food day (despite the fact that I was so much hungrier then usual!). I just ate the food I had planned to eat and not a bite more.

It's my "time of the month," though, so I feel like a whale today (even though my weight was down from yesterday). Oh, well, such is the life of a woman.

Tonight is swimming night at the gym. I'll do the same routine as on Tuesday - weightlifting arms, 15 minutes on the bike and then 10-15 minutes swimming (however long I can stand it). I'm really looking forward to it. And some sauna action.

Just Keep Swimming...

Well, the gym last night was a whole new kind of adventure - I swam! I started with arm weights and 15 minutes on the bike. Then I changed and jumped in the pool. Swimming is HARD. I only could do 10 minutes. Hopefully I'll build up some stamina in there as time goes by. It felt good to swim, though. The pool was so warm. Then I sat in the sauna for 10 minutes. I would have liked to stay longer, but I started to get a little dizzy, so I decided that time was up.
I also went to the gym this morning. I did leg weights and the treadmill. I was going to also do the stair-climber but got a message from my husband that he was very sick and asked me to come home, so I did, of course!
Anyway, I'm doing well with my goals and feeling the burn. :)

That makes two of us.

I haven't been around for a little while either. Sorry about that. If I'm not around it's probably a bad sign for my goals (hangs head in shame).

However, since Sunday, I've been great (okay, I realize that that's only 2 and 1/2 days, but it has to start somewhere, right?

Here's my goals for the week:

1) Gym 6 Days, Weight-lifting 4 days, Swimming 2 Days (followed by the Sauna)
2) Go to bed every night with the dishes clean and the house straightened.
3) Get some tanning time in on 2 days (the sun finally came out to play!)
4) Stick to my calorie goals.
5) Use exercise to avoid binging - if I'm tempted to binge, walk the dog.

So far, so good. I'll report in tomorrow.
Amanda P.

P.S. Power to Amanda E for workin' that soda goal. I don't have that kind of strength.

It's Been Awhile

Wow, it's been some time since I've blogged. My apologies. Quick update: I'm down a couple more pounds, not where I wanted to be, but I'm working on it. I HAVE, however, maintained my goal of no soda pop or carbonation. It has been SO hard! lol. But I'm drinking alot of water now and it feels really good. I think my lack of soda has helped me in a couple of the pounds I dropped. I also go to work earlier, 7am....Which means I go to bed earlier, and for the most part, I feel pretty good each day. And since I go to work earlier, I get off work earlier and have time to go run my errands, or go for walks....basically, I'm more active throughout my day now that I have more time in the evenings. Which feels nice. So I think, slowly but surely, I'm getting closer to my goal!

Must...Have....SODA!

Man! I never thought that layin' off the soda would be so hard. I didn't realize how much I actually drank it till I made it a goal to NOT drink it. It's proving to be very difficult. But I'm holding strong...even through temptation. lol. I've been replacing my soda with water, and even though I'm craving a little carbonation, the water satisifes just as well. It feels better to be getting more water in my system.
Also, as far as exercise, my Gold's Gym membership should be renewed by Wednesday, so I'll definitely be hitting up the gym before or after work...depending on the schedule I have for work next week. But instead of the gym, as of right now, Allen and I have been going on walks just like I said we would(in between the rain storms of course).
I haven't been eating after 8 o'clock...with the exception of ONE time. But I've been pretty good about getting dinner done and eaten by 7 o'clock. And IF I still want a snack, I make sure it's before 8. After that, it's a big glass of water.
Getting to bed by 11 has been difficult. This week it's averaged around 11:30-11:45. I'm a night owl, so this goal is especially difficult for me and will probably require another week as a "goal" in order to get it under control.

Well, there's the update for now. It's positive for the most part, right?? :)

What a Woman Wants

Still going strong. Did the morning gym routine at 6am. Today was upper body weights and cardio. My legs are SORE from yesterday's weight lifting. yay. lol. I'll show that personal trainer who needs to pay $30 for an hour. I'll be toned and awesome without his help! I made, it, though. Weight training is done for the week. Just cardio on Friday and Saturday. Phew. Almost sounds like a reward. ha.
For a bit of something less serious and daunting, here is my list of the top 3 things women want:
1) Magic Fairies who clean the house while she's running errands
2) An endless supply of Diet Coke (Mt. Dew, Pepsi, Dr. Pepper)
3) Sunny, beach-worthy days nearly every day.
Feel free to add what you think in a comment. :-)

Hump Day

Well, Wednesday is here. I still made it to the gym this morning at 6am. I got a pretty good workout in. Today was legs...and my legs are sooooo much stronger then my arms, so leg day makes me feel like I got "more" of a workout. I'm up to 120 lbs on the leg press (I started at 75 lbs). For cardio I did the rowing machine and the stair climber.

Food-wise I'm right on track. Haven't cheated or "snacked" yet this week. I'm excited for the weigh-in on Friday. I'm hopeful that I will not have a massive FAIL like last week. ha.


Unfortunately the weather forecast has not improved and I'm not convinced I'm going to get any outdoor exercise in this week and I definitely won't be able to tan. I think I'll take a class at the gym if I can't work in some outdoor fun. I'm going to see Kelly Clarkson tomorrow, so that should be fun (although I'm pretty sure it's supposed to be an outdoor show...and that will be LAME if the weather is rainy).


Diet-wise things are going well...now if only the weather would cooperate!

Week 2: Off To A Late Start...Again

Ok, so as previously mentioned, Week 1 didn't go so hot. lol. So here we go trying to attempt Week 2. Which, also might be hard since we are vacationing Friday through Sunday down in Lake Powell. But we'll see how it goes.

Here are this weeks' goals:

1) Continue drinking more water(especially with fun in the sun coming up this weekend, don't wanna be dehydrated). Must drink at LEAST 80 ounces a day.
2) Since my Gold's Gym pass is currently in the renewing stage, I need to do some form of exercise everyday for 30 minutes, even if it's just going on a brisk walk around the neighborhoods.
3) As tempting as it is to snack on junk food on vacations, I'm going to stick to the healthy stuff. 3 square meals a day, with healthy snacks in between to keep my metabolism up!
4) Get to bed no later than 11:00pm. Lately I've been going to bed WAY past 11....and as a result, I've been to exhausted to do anything, especially exercise. So I think getting my 8 hours of sleep in will help me in my weight loss goals.
5) As of today, no more soda pop for the week. I think part of my problem is the amount of soda I take in. Especially the caffeinated drinks. As mentioned in goal 4, I haven't been getting much sleep, so to counteract that, I use the caffeine. SO! More sleep, less need for caffeine...NO SODA this week.

Ha ha! Wish me luck! I will report!

Empowered

I'm not even sure if I know how to describe it...but I woke up feeling so empowered this morning. I made it to the gym at 6am and did arms/abs and cardio (today was the bike and the treadmill).
I'm super excited to have a nice, long, productive day. The weather is supposed to be CRAPPY all week - so I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to get out and do some outdoor activities and tan...but I'm afraid the weather might put a stop to those goals. That would be lame...but maybe I'll take a class at the gym or something instead. We'll see!

Goals, Week 2

Well, after my lack of success on Week 1, I'm excited to get started with Week 2. Here are my goals:

1) Gym 6 days (weight lifting and cardio 4 days, just cardio 2 days). Also, at least 2 days of physical activity outside of the gym (tennis, frisbee golf, biking, etc...)
2) NO SNACKING (I failed relatively miserably at this last week, so I'm determined to keep it a goal until I can do it!)
3) Switch to morning gym instead of afternoon.
4) Brush my teeth twice a day (I'm good about one, but I need to do two - this is less of a weight loss goal and more of an overall health goal)
5) Spend at least 20 minutes during 2 days tanning.

I'm still going to be drinking my water from last week. Just because it's not a specific goal anymore doesn't mean it isn't something I want to do!

Wish me luck. :-p

Not A Total Loss

Weigh-In Day: I will admit, I wasn't looking foward to today's weigh in. This week has been difficult in achieving my goals...BUT to my surprise, I actually lost 1lb. I was hoping for 2-3, but 1lb is definitely a start. I didn't make it to the gym this week, but I did alot of walking, and even went on a nice walk with my husband one evening. I consumed more water than I have been before this last week. And I've been cutting down on portion sizes considerably while having small and healthy snacks in between meals. I've also been making more of an effort to eat breakfast in the morning. So I guess I'm noticing a better eating habit beginning to form, now I just need to buckle down on the exercise. I think that as soon as I tackle the exercise routine, I'll see a more significant diffence when weigh-in day comes again. :)

Fail?

Well, I weighed in today and the results weren't as desired. +2.5. Granted, this all really started on Tuesday, so I can't expect a miracle out of 3 days. It's okay. Maybe next Friday will come with big numbers.

As far as the other goals go I've been doing okay. I didn't get a chance to pre-log yesterday because I was sooooo busy, and this led to some "snacking" that I wasn't supposed to allow. All in all, I'd still call my goals a success. I'm working on determining my goals for next week. So I'll probably post those up tomorrow so I can get an early start on them and try to up my chances for "success" next week.

Rough Day :(

Amanda E: Ok, so Day 1 was pretty rough for me to be quite honest. I drank water, but only got about 60 ounces. But I guess that's better than my usual 8 or so...And I didn't make it to the gym due to a massive headache that hit me right at 5pm, when I headed home from work. I also planned on packing snacks last night so that I could have them here at work. But when I went to my kitchen to pack snacks, I realized I had no healthy snacks to take. So, after work today, I'm heading to the store to get some! :)
Like I said, Day 1 was rough, but today WILL be better. I already feel it. :) I got a good night's sleep and I'm ready for working out today. :) Wish me luck!

1 day down...

Amanda P: Well, after day one, I'm feeling pretty good.

100 ounces of water is A LOT. Especially considering I have absolutely no appreciation for water at all. Hopefully my body will appreciate the extra hydration.

I made it to the gym last night and did 30 minutes of upper body weights/abs followed by 30 minutes of cardio (15 stair climber, 10 bike, 5 rowing machine). It was a pretty strenuous workout and my arms and deltoids (shoulders) are sore today - yay! (not the kind of debilitating sore that the stupid personal trainer put me through, however).

I have already had 20 ounces of water this morning and pre-logged my food for the day. I have a busy day/week ahead, so it's kind of nice to have these goals in place to keep me from making lame decisions about food/exercise.

I was tempted to weigh in this morning, but remembered by goal to only get on the scale on Friday morning and held off.

On Your Marks, Get Set, GO! (Week 1)

Ok, so here we go. My goals for this challenge are to not only lose some weight, but to also start and maintain a healthier lifestyle...which is basically nonexistent at this point. Ha! So here are my five goals for this week to get me going on my long road ahead:

1. Actually EAT breakfast...I tend to have a hard time eating anything for breakfast since I'm in a hurry to get out the door and get to work.
2. Smaller portions at meal time, with healthy snacks in between each meal.
3. Drink at least 72 oz. of water per day. I tend to have a hard time even getting 8 oz. in a day. So I have a 24 oz. water bottle that I'll drink at least 3 of each day.
4. Commit at least 3 days to the gym this week for at LEAST 45 minutes each time.
5. No eating ANYTHING past 8pm. No munching, no snacking...NADA...I'll drink water if I'm a little hungry. haha!

Well, there they are. They are "carved in stone" so to speak...I think they are pretty reasonable and attainable goals. So wish me luck! I'll let you know what happens!

Week One

Amanda P:

So here goes the beginning of week one.

Here are my five goals for this week:
1) Drink at least 100 ounces of water a day
2) Do weights (increase from 15 minutes to 25) before cardio and decrease cardio from 45 minutes to 30 minutes a day and monitor heart rate (key) everyday.
3) Do not allow myself to even TASTE something that isn't planned on my menu for the day.
4) Pre-log my eating for the day so I am accountable to that plan.
5) Do not step on the scale until Friday morning.

I'll let you know how it goes!