Weight Loss Blog: Days 23-24: Achievements

I'll admit that I get excited over the small stuff. It's who I am. Whether it's in this adventure or something else- the small things are a big freaking deal. Like my last post- I've been trying weight loss schemes for YEARS. And every time a lb came off- I did my little victory jig and moved on. (yes... if you saw it, you'd laugh)
So when I post my weekly numbers, I get excited knowing that what I'm doing is actually doing something (go figure.... who knew a good diet and exercise would actually work?)

So here I am to say- celebrate everything. Whether it's an inch, a lb, .2 lbs, or the fact that you can now walk up a flight of stairs without becoming breathless- it's worth celebrating.

Like today- I woke up and did the scale like I do every morning and what came up? A number I haven't seen for a while. It made me smile. And then I entered said number into my calorie counter app and it brought up my total weight loss so far. I smiled again. And then I realized that I'm a mere 3 lbs away from my first 10 lb goal. THAT deserved the victory jig.

I can't say what will happen when I hit that mark- let alone my actual goal of 30 lbs....but I will say this: IT WILL BE EPIC. I think I might just celebrate by inviting all of you on a shopping spree and helping me choose out a new wardrobe or I might just throw a huge party with LOTS of good food :)-

Right now- it's a good day. I'm feeling a little more energized, I am seeing a noticeable difference in the way I look in certain clothing, and I am starting to like myself just a little bit more.

Celebrate it all my friends- it's what will keep you going.

I couldn't resist....lol

Monday's Weight: 166.6

Yesterday's weight: 166.2

Today's Weight: 165.8

Weight Loss Blog : Day 22 : I'm Habitual

I'm a creature of habit. If I like a certain meal from a restaurant, I order it...every.single.time. If I like a particular grocery store, I wont shop anywhere else, AND I'll shop in the same order every time too. (ok.. .so maybe I'm a little OCD as well) When I clean, I clean the same way. etc. I guess I am OCD- I get it from my mother. This funny is exactly how I feel

Habit, OCD, whatever you want to call it.. it's how I manage things. Its how I maintain sanity in all things. I am not afraid of going off a schedule or being spontaneous though- but I don't think I want to be sponateous when it comes to my weight loss.  Call me crazy- but I think I'll stick with what works lol

They say it takes 21 days to develop a habit. I am proud to announce that I have made that! I have officially made my exercising routine, my eating habits, and calorie counting are all a routine now. It feels so good to know that what I started out doing is now part of my every day life. 3 weeks is probably nothing in the grand scheme of things, however- it is the beginning of a life change. And for me... that's huge!

I find that I've been able to apply myself to something I thought I couldn't change. I've been able to exercise, which I've never enjoyed (still dont, but at least I do it), I've started eating better and not giving in to the delicious temptations, and I've given up a few things that I used to think necessary.

I think through the last 3 weeks I've been able to control myself more than I ever have. I've also learned about what can and can't get me through those hard days. And I'm proud to say that I've not given up and that I continue to stick to my guns and goals :)

So I'll keep trucking along until I reach my goal weight. 

Even when I make stupid mistakes like mixing up numbers......like below lol

Total inches lost: 

Off waist- 4 inches

off hips- 5 inches

off bust- 1 inch

10 inches total lost!!!!

And I'm down 6 lbs. So averaging about 2 lbs a week (which is just fine by me)

Yesterdays Weight : 167.2

Todays Weight :166.6

Weight Loss Blog: Days 19-21: Repetition

I tell you what....Most days I sit around and wonder what I'm going to do. And then all of a sudden, my job breaks out and bombards me with a million things at once and I find myself taking and editing pictures for 3 days straight. I LOVE it though :)

It just makes for some blog neglect. lol

Over the past few days- amidst the the turbulence of my fluctuating weight, I've realized something about my body. Repetition is what helps me succeed.

Here's what I know works: I have my protein shake for breakfast, I don't snack until lunch, I eat a lunch of under 300 calories, I allow myself 200 calories of snacks in the afternoon, and then for dinner- I eat under 500 calories (which is a good size meal), and then if there is enough left, I *might allow one more snack.
With in this time frame, I partake in my herbals. 3 capsules for breakfast, 5 capsules for lunch, 3 capsules for dinner. I also do my exercising in the afternoon- after lunch- for 1-2 hours. (this varies because it totally depends on baby's nap) And the final thing: I NEVER eat after 8pm and I NEVER eat more than 1300 calories.

So.... when I find myself going off that schedule, my body reacts- typically... in the form of adding horrendously HUGE numbers to the scale. (because anything going UP... is horrendously huge)

I think the 2 biggest factors for me are eating more than my allotted calories and eating after 8. Those 2 things have triggered my body to either not lose weight or to gain weight every single time.

I have a word of advice: use a schedule. Use repetition. And mostly, record everything. If you record it, you'll find the patterns of what you see helps you to succeed and what things smack you up side the head and kick you in the butt.

And because I've waited several days to post, I'm running out of useful things to say. So I'll leave you with numbers and a reminder that even though I've had bad days and good days, I've still managed to stay on track. So DON'T GIVE UP!!! You'll see results, regardless of what the scale says.  Just wait until I post my totals tomorrow for my 3 week mark! :)

Fridays Weight: 167.6
Saturdays Weight: 166.2 (yay!)
Sunday's Weight: 167.4 (ugh)
Today's Weight: 167.2

Weight Loss Blog: Days 17-18: FOOD!

I was hoping to post every single day. Alas- my job and other motherly commitments prevented my from posting yesterday. That's OK though.

So today- I just wanted to post about what I love... FOOD! Just thought I'd throw out a few of my fav recipes to share. Thing is- they may not be the healthiest, but if you watch your portions... I think they are just fine. It's about taste to me anyway :) If you visit my Pinterest Board you'll probably notice a theme. I like home-cookin' and baking. Do what you will with them.. but I've tried an awful lot of them and they are just as good as they say they are!

Crescent Chicken

The idea is getting crescent rolls, stuffing them with seasoned chicken (I cooked mine in coke and other seasonings... it's so yummy!!), then placing them in a pan and covering it with Cream of Chicken soup. Bake and top with cheese or leave it.

I am a SUCKER for breads. I could eat them all day in any form and be on cloud 9. So when I was on a quest to find the PERFECT roll- I found it :)

BEST ROLLS EVER

Click on the link to get the recipe. so worth it!

Sweet & Sour Chicken

Click on the link for the recipe.. it's baked.. and so good!

And because I am a choco-holic.... I will list a delicious devil of a snack for you (I'm sure it's probably about 300-500 calories for one square, but I'd totally eat it lol)

Smores Bars

Smores are a weakness of mine...next to breads. lol

Ok- so this is seriously not the best post in the world for those who are trying to lose weight. My point in doing it is that you don't HAVE to give up the things you love to lose weight. You can still enjoy good cookin' and snacks, just watch the portions/calories. I've been doing that this whole time and I'm still dropping weight. :)

Yesterdays Weight 168.8 (didn't change from the day before)

Todays Weight: 167.6

Weight Loss Blog: Day 16: The Alternatives

I'm am back to my normal bubbly self and am having a wonderful day! It makes such a huge difference to my attitude, my energy, and my emotions when I eat right and get some exercise. Seriously- today is awesome :) This describes me perfectly

Sooooo...... What i'm talking about today is considered "taboo". Meaning: everyone can believe what they want and they can not agree with what I'm about to say, but this is my personal experience with it and I believe it to be amazing.

What is this amazing thing you ask? Well.... Hypnotherapy. 

About a year ago, I got a wonderful opportunity to join a friend and participate in a 6 week course of Weight Loss Hypnotherapy. A neighbor of hers had just been certified and he was creating a system and needed guinea pigs. He also wanted to start building a clientel- so we  totally sacrificed our time and weight to be part of this :) 

Believe what you want about hypnotherapy. But my experience has shown that alternate methods of helping to rid your body and mind of negative and toxic things is only going to help. I will go through my process and how it helped me.

The first week, we were asked to fill out a piece of paper. That paper asked questions about our eating habits, what we do to control emotions, things we want to accomplish through the hypnotherapy, etc. He then handed us a piece of paper with a huge list of "scenes" on it where we could choose "where to go" through the session. We could go to the beach, we could go to an amusement park, we could go to outerspace (don't ask me how that is relaxing AT ALL), etc. I opted for the beach :)

A little explanation. Hypnotherapy -in this sense- is a type of self hypnosis. He guides you to relax and your body just naturally drifts into a sleep state (or sleeping all the way lol) where your mind is more formidable and accepting of change. I don't know all the logistics, but basically, when your mind is in that mode, your brainwaves act differently and your body responds more naturally to the influences. So when you see that magician hypnotizing someone- you know where their mind is. - and for my opinion- being hypnotized for sport or fun is NOT good. Having someone else in control of your mind is never a good thing- no matter how hilarious it is. BUT, with this, being self hypnosis- you still have control over everything going on. And not to mention, it's for bettering your body and mind, so I believe it to be a good thing. He explains it a lot better than I do here.

Anywho- so week one happens and the first session was way wierd. I remember listening to the soothing sounds and my mind was racing a million miles a minute expecting that I would be experiencing this weird sensation of someone else telling me what to do and then forgetting it all once I "woke up".

Total misconception.

I ended up staying awake the entire session and heard everything. I was relaxed, but my mind would not rest. It was fascinating. I loved it. And while he did it live- it was recording. The thing is that you have to listen to each session for at least a week in order for it to really take a hold. 

So I listened to it for a week, then proceeded the rest of the 6 weeks. Each week it got easier and easier. At night, I would put it on and I would fall asleep within 2 minutes. And by what was explained to me- that is self hypnosis. It literally feels like you are just putting yourself to sleep.

This system is amazing. Although we were guinea pigs, we learned and changed through this process. I slept better than I've ever slept. I had tons of energy. I felt like my emotions were under better control and I tended to be slower to anger. 

And now you want to know..... did I lose weight? Yes. but there's a "but".

This is one of those things that if you don't believe it will work- it won't. You have to be willing to submit yourself to change and believe it will happen. I was in it to lose weight whether I believed it would work or not. I didn't walk in to this thinking that it was a complete hoax nor did I think this was my saving grace. I had high hopes it would work and then I'd be happy.

However- I didn't apply it. I wanted to lose weight- sure. But I did nothing to change anything in my life to accomodate those things I wanted changed. So although I lost weight- about 10 lbs- it all came back. 

This is not one of those "do nothing and see the difference" type of scams. This is real. This is changing your MIND. This is changing the way you approach food for whatever reasons you have. This changes the patterns of everything you are used to. And it's amazing.

After all was said and done. I decided to stop listening to the sessions every night because I wanted to get to a point where I was committed to change. Like now. 

So I start tonight. I am so excited! Even if you aren't in it to lose weight, the emotional change alone is worth it.

So his site is called Leading Edge Hypnotherapy. Like his page. He hasn't posted in a while, but he did move his family to Arizona for his job- which takes a large amount of his time from what I understand. His system is awesome though. You can purchase his system here.

*his site is currently under construction- but I have messaged him and he assures me it will be up soon*

The most awesome review and experience is with his wife. She is amazing. Read through her blog and her experience and see how she applied his system and lost 45 pounds!

And if you think it still isn't real- I watched her through this process. Each week when I showed up at their house, she was noticeable thinner. She looked completely different just in the 6 weeks I was doing this program.

I will keep you posted, but if you are looking for an alternative method- I HIGHLY recommend using Jonathan's system.

And to leave you- I will add that this is how I have felt all this week. And that's OK lol

Yesterdays Weight: 169.4

Today's Weight: 168.8

Weight Loss Blog: Day 15; Depressed

Ugh. Today I woke up and realized exactly why I shouldn't be weighing myself every morning.

Because I face this time when I have GAINED weight for the last 3 days. At first I laughed it off and chalked it up to the fact that my scale is super stupid. Really.

But anywho- It still doesn't take the sting away when I look at the scale, hoping to see the numbers drop and WHAM- big ole' fat numbers right in my face that I thought I would never see again.

That is depression.

I found myself wandering through the grocery store isles today just thinking how I would love to make that, or eat that, or bake that. It was torture. I happily walked out not giving in to any temptations- but it was one of those moments where I thought "ah- this isn't worth it. Gonna throw in the towel and just eat"

And this folks- is where I usually quit. I get so tired of feeling like crap after not seeing results or FEELING results.I know I've lost some weight and some inches- so what's the big deal right? Well- the point is that I'm one of those people that need to see results and feel that my sacrifice is working... and to see those number rise- doesn't boost the confidence levels. Why am I eating so few calories, exercising, and sacrificing if the numbers are just going to go up?

I know I know..... it happens. The numbers fluctuate. I keep telling myself the numbers don't matter- it's how I feel that matters. Well- my theory only works when I'm actually SKINNY :)   When I've lost the weight and when I reach the point where I like myself again, THEN I don't care what the numbers are. lol

I'm such a hypocrite.

Oh well. I will continue on. I have this and you to be accountable to. So I'll keep going- even though I want to dive into a big piece of chocolate cake right now.

On the flip side- I did lose another 1/2 inch- so VICTORY!!!! (I'll count the small things)

Yesterdays Weight: 168.6
Today's Weight: 169.4

Weight Loss Blog: Day 14: The 2 week mark

It's been 2 weeks since I started my weight loss journey. And this is usually the time I get bored of trying something and saying "to heck with it". I don't have the feeling of quitting just yet- so on I go!!

Now.... the last 3 days- I haven't been able to exercise because of my back. I did some research last night and got back on the ball this morning.

Here are a few things I found I could do:

1) Press Ups

Supposed to do this to strengthen the core muscels.

2) Extension Exercises

These help relieve lower back and butt pain :)

3) Curl ups/Crunches

Now... I will say, that my Dr said NOT to do crunches- but it's mentioned online that using the curl up method of just lifting your head and shoulders off the floor will help strengthen those core muscles as well. I was too chicken to try this one today though :)

4) Leg Raises

Pretty self-explanatory. But this exercise helps strengthen the lower abs, thus creating more support for the lower back.

5) Leg lifts in the water

This would absolutely be my choice if I had access to a pool. swimming is something I really enjoy doing- guess I should get a membership to a club just for the pool :) This targets lower back specifically. With the resistance, it also targets abs muscles.

There ya go! Even though I feel like an invalid and don't feel as though I'm doing ANY exercising at all, at least I can start somewhere before hopping back on to my treadmill and weights.

With that- I have to start something, because I've GAINED weight in the last 2 days. I'm getting kind of depressed seeing those numbers go back up... especially since I"ve stayed true to or below my calorie count. Guess exercising actually makes a difference! (go figure)

And as of now, this is basically what I have to deal with 

Also reminds me of the billboard- think I mentioned this too- "I love back pain- said no one ever".

2 week stats: (with the last 2 days of weight gain) I'm only down .2 lbs from last week for a total of 3.8 lbs lost. BUT- I've also lost 2 more inches!!! (so I'm OK with that)

Yesterdays Weight: 167.6

Today's Weight: 168.4

Weight Loss Blog: Day 13: The days you hurt

I mentioned in my very first post about the ailments that I have been experiencing for what I fell is from weight gain.  Friday night, I was cleaning out my garage, nothing too serious, and before I knew it, I threw my back out again. Now- a little back story:

When I was preggo with #5, I gained quite a bit of weight with the pregnancy and developed Sciatica. And because it hurt to pretty much do anything, I grew heavier and it got worse. (vicious cycle)
Once the pregnancy was over, I went through about a week of the sciatica being WORSE that even the post labor pains, and that sucked. But once it left, it was gone for good.

Until about 3 months ago.

I do sit down a lot during the day because of my job. I manage a photography company and am busy on the computer most of the time doing various things. My sciatica came back but wasn't too painful. And then the end of August, I was packing up our house to move and while placing freaking plastic containers into a box, i twisted just right and a shooting pain rocketed through my back and down my legs, causing me to almost black out. I couldn't move for the pain was so immense. I was light headed, couldn't move, and no one was home to help me.

After about 10 minutes, the stabbing pain subsided, but I was so sore, that all I could do was sit in a recliner. After a week of taking pain meds and taking it easy, I couldn't stand the pain any longer and went to the dr. He proceeded to tell me that Sciatica was most likely the cause but that I needed an xray to rule out spine deformities. I never got the xray. He then prescribed me 4 pills to take to help with pain management and told me I needed to lose weight, exercise, and not sit so much. (ha....nice one)

I stayed down and took it easy for 2 more weeks- (all the while I had to pack some since we were moving Sept 1) and by the time moving day came along, I felt just fine.

I've been doing great ever since, just had some minor residual pain- but knowing it was a 'mechanical" thing in my back, there was really nothing I could do to prevent it ever happening again.

Fast forward to Friday. Cleaning out the garage, doing seemlessly nothing, and WHAM. rocketing pain shooting down my back and almost knocking me out yet again. My 10 yr old son was there when it happened, scared him- but I knew it wasn't as bad as the first time.

I've been laying down taking it easy for the last few days, and the pain is easing up, but it's still apparent.

Dr said I need to rest and take pills until the pain is practically gone, and then go to a chiropractor.

In the mean time- I am having a hard time with this. I want to lose weight, I want to get in shape so I don't have to experience this crap anymore. But how can I when everything I do  potentially could hurt me worse?

So now I struggle. I need to now find a few different exercises that I can do from home, without having to worry about re-injuring my back. I've been told going to a physical therapist can help with it- so I may just need to bite the bullet and make that happen.

I also think that's why I gained a few ounces back since yesterday :(
I don't even know why I weigh every day- it makes me depressed when I see numbers go up. BUT- I do think it makes my resolve stronger knowing that I'm not just losing to lose. My body is guiding me on this journey and telling me when I need to push and when I need to slow down. And I'm OK with that.

For now, I'll watch what I eat even more and maybe just focus on arms for the time being lol.
On to do some research......I'll keep you posted as I figure out how to work around this "bump in the road". :)

Yesterdays Weight: 166.8
Today's Weight: 167.6

Weight Loss Blog: Day 12: Let your body be your guide

I aim for cheesy and corny titles.....or at least creative. lol

Today- I want to talk about something I've been noticing over the past few days.
I've gone through highs where I wake up, feeling "skinny" and good about myself, then there are days where I wake up and feel like I look the same and will never reach my goal.

All through this- I keep one thing constant...listening to my body. Sure- the other day my body told me I needed to keep eating food and I listened and gave in- but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking listening to what my body is telling me it needs to finish what I've started.

I have been sticking to my calories- for the most part- and I've been struggling through exercising, because I HATE doing it. And I think a lot of it is training my brain/self to the adjustment of changing everything I feel is comfortable.

Part of that "listening" comes from part of the story I told already. Back when I was "experimenting" with different weight loss pills and such, I got sick with a few of the pills I took. But what about the opposite experiences?

As I've been doing my usual routine the last week and a half, I've come to know a few things. Most Dr's recommend doing some sort of "detox" before starting a diet. That detox is cleaning our your system and getting it ready for the change it's about to go through. Now I'm not going through a whole lot of change, jut not eating as much and exercising. BUT- the theory is there. I thought that just not eating as much and exercising was going to help my body flush itself out.

I was wrong.

Through my eating of less calories and taking the Garcinia pills, I've been losing weight. Not a whole lot of complaints, but I came to realization that my body hasn't gone through a "detox" of ridding itself of the amount of crap it's used to ingesting. But lets also be honest- I'l never be one of the people that can eat "healthy" either :)

I see all these advertisements and pictures of people going from 250 to 125 JUST by taking this certain pill AND a colon cleanse.

That leads me to something else...When you are taking vitamins and minerals- it's suggested to use an accompanying  vitamin or mineral to maximize the benefits. Example: Vitamin C speeds up the absorption of Iron. So why should I expect to lose weight if i don't aid my body with something to help it flush itself out and help to absorb the changes?

Sooooooo- I've had these bottles from DoTerra that I haven't used for whatever reason. I wanted them and intended to use them, but was too lazy to actually use them. Until now. Once I decided that i needed to aid my body in it's changes, I wanted to help aid my digestive system.

My morning routine is now as follows:
1 capsule of Zendocrine
        Zendocrine does the following:
                           dōTERRA®'s Zendocrine essential oil blend is a proprietary blend of therapeutic-grade essential                                           oils of clove, grapefruit, rosemary, and geranium that have been studied for support of the cleansing                                     organs of the body. The blend is formulated to be used individually or in combination with the                                                 Zendocrine botanical extract complex.

1 Capsule of Terrazyme
        Terrazyme does the following:
                          dōTERRA TerraZyme® Digestive Enzyme Complex is a proprietary blend of active wholefood                                                  enzymes and supporting mineral cofactors that are often deficient in cooked, processed, and                                                  preservative-laden foods. TerraZyme's powerful combination of digestive enzymes support the                                                body's constant production of enzymes critical for healthy biochemical functions throughout the body                                      including healthy digestion of food nutrients and cellular metabolism of nutrients to energy.                                                      TerraZyme includes a variety of whole-food enzymes that help with digestion of proteins, fats,                                                  complex carbohydrates, sugars and fiber.

And I will be adding
1 Capsule of GX Assist:
         GX Assist does the following:
                           dōTERRA®'s GX Assist® is a proprietary combination of Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade essential                                     oils and caprylic acid that help support a healthy digestive tract by creating an unfriendly environment                                     for potentially harmful pathogens that can disrupt digestive immunities and cause digestive upset.                                         GX Assist is formulated with therapeutic-grade oregano, melalueca, lemon, lemongrass,                                                         peppermint, and thyme essentials oils that have been demonstrated to have in-vitro antimicrobial                                         properties. GX Assist also includes caprylic acid that has been traditionally used as for its specific                                         health-supporting properties in the gut.

Eat with my protein shake.


Then for my lunch- I take 2 capsules of the Garcinia.

Yesterday was the first day I applied my extra naturals to my pill regime and it's made a vast improvement already! I will continue on this path unless my body tells me otherwise.

Seriously... clean your system out. It's full of garbage. (even though I continue to eat some) your system needs to flush itself out of all that gunk every once in a while- and I want to train my system to expel the unwanted instead of letting it sit around.

With that being said.... try them- you won't regret it!!!

Yesterdays Weight: 168.4
Todays weight: 166.8

YES!!!!!!

Weight Loss Blog: Day 11: The lesson of NOT letting go

I was waiting for this "I don't care" thought to enter my mind and take hold. I knew there would be days that I struggled. that ifI knew there would be times that I wanted to just forget about the calorie count and just go back to eating what I want, when I want, in any quantity I wanted. I also knew if I didn't allow myself to indulge on the things I love to eat most, I would hit those walls a lot more and harder.

Whenever I would go on a "diet", I would get rid of all snack foods and crap. The theory is that if it isn't available to you, you won't eat it. And for logistical reasons, it makes perfect sense. But try telling that to someone who is addicted to sugar.

I don't care that I enjoy cookies and cakes. I love that I can eat cotton candy and popcorn. And just to take them away, makes me want them more. I end up hitting the wall after a few days- I run to the grocery store and blow a ton of money on crap. Should I eat it? No. Do I care? No. lol   I know being healthy is thing I NEED to do. But all things in moderation. I end up eating less of the crap and just focusing on the meals and calories and trying my hardest to change things a little at a time until I WANT to be healthy in the things I eat.

Until then.....I'll count my calories and enjoy the things I love in moderation :)

The reason I talk about this is because yesterday was the day that I gave in to the sugar devil. He reared his ugly head after lunch yesterday and although I was still being careful with calories, until last night. I felt hungry all.day.long.!!! It was horrible. And eating a banana or a piece of bread just wouldn't cut it. I ended up over my calories for the night (not by much but still).  And with the horrible bawl fest that was the Glee episode last night, I had to accompany my grief with food.

I went to bed feeling like crap. Literally. I felt full, I felt gross, and most of all- I felt disappointed that I gave in to those cravings. This came to mind:

So I ask you (and myself)....is it worth it? Do I want the body of my dreams more than I want that cookie? Do I prefer feeling good at night when I go to bed, or do I NEED to have that bag of popcorn? And now that I've experienced the shame while going through the process of trying to transform, I understand now that I prefer NOT to give in to those cravings. I prefer to let my tummy grumble or soothe it with a stick of gum instead of giving into that horrible sugar devil and regretting it later.

Now that I've experienced the total disappointment in myself after giving in- I will come back to this post and remember exactly how I felt. I will try harder not to give in to crap and to stay motivated to lose this weight. :)

Yesterdays Weight: 167.8

Todays Weight: 168.4

Weight Loss Blog: Day 10: The "Baby Belly"

I've had 5 kids. I've gone full term and delivered every single one of them without complications.
Lucky for me- with all my beautiful babes, I also ended up with a beautiful baby belly to show for it :)

Bless little kids' hearts, but they are brutally honest- whether you want them to or ask them to be. And often times, it's hurtful to hear. But out of the mouths of babes.....there's no room for lying. So when my son says "Mom, your fat" or "why is your belly so big", it's  a hard lesson to learn while you're trying to teach your kids to keep their mouths shut! lol

Then you have people like my husband.  He's not the skinniest guy around either and he says he wants to do this thing with me ( he even suggested we name the blog The Heavy Housewife and Chubby Hubby) but has yet to be able to quit those things he loves so much (aka food and soda). Anyway- he loves his weight and himself that I admire him. He jokes around about his weight all the time. (it must be a guy thing). He'll walk into the room and say something like "You diggin this? Cuz this is all lovin' right here" (while rubbing his belly) lol. He's a nut and I love him for it. Sometimes I'll play along.. on his behalf, but I can never play along using my body as a thing for joking. I guess you could say that because I have poor body image, that's one thing I haven't found funny....nor have I found anything to laugh at. So I'll laugh at my husband :)- This reminded me of him- but it VERY easily apply to me as well- I should learn to lighten up on myself.

I've heard from several people that the baby belly aka the muffin top, is one of the hardest things to get rid of. It's something I haven't experienced NOT having in over 13 years. So I'm bound and determined to reach that goal. I've tried the crunches, I've tried different ab workouts, but there is an underlying cause to why women have such a hard time losing the baby belly all together. It's called Diastasis- and for us dumber folk- the separation of the abdominal muscles. Most of the time, it's recommended that you visit a physical therapist and have them check how bad your diastasis is, because it's highly likely that each person needs a specified and personal workout regime to attack that separation. Most of us don't have access or money to a physical therapist. Like me- I get to rely on the good ole' internet and do the research to help myself (and oddly enough, help you too!)

So I was led to one of my favorite people...Dr Oz. I watched this clip and love the gentle exercises his personal trainer recommends using to close that icky gap and get your abs back. (and according to them.. it's actually doable- which I have yet to believe). So watch this clip and see what you think

I think that his routine is something that I will be incorporating into my daily exercises. Unless I attach the problem, then my dream body will never come- no matter how many crunches I do. (which... it's said that crunches are actually BAD for diastasis)

So there ya have it folks- attack that baby belly/muffin top and get your abs back!

Yesterday's Weight: 168.6

Today's Weight: 167.8

Weight Loss Blog: Day 9: Jammin' Out

I am my fathers daughter. I love entertainment. Give me games, a party, music, movies, etc any day of the week and I will be a happy girl.

I thought I'd take a little break today and discuss something fun. My music!!!  Being that I grew up a dancer with a dance major for a mother, and both parents who grew up in homes where music was religion, I too endured the amazing times of Abba, Beatles, and my all time fav- the 80's! This is def going to be me:

One fun thing about my family is that no matter where we are or what the situations is, we will all break out in song during any random conversation, just because a few words triggered it. And what's sad (or awesome) is that we usually all sing the same song. It really is that awesome.....and fun. Something like this:

ALL.THE.TIME. lol

When I'm running/walking on my treadmill or just working out in general, it's imperative that I listen to music. I seriously think I'm incapable of working out without it. So for kicks- I'm going to list the songs I have on my Ipod now for workouts. They are all upbeat, they have varying beats (which I love because I typically walk/run to the beats- call it the dancer in me), and it makes the time go by faster when I make mini goals during each workout relating to said music. ie "I'll jog this entire song", or "I'll walk the next 2 songs and then run on the 3rd". Plus- most of the time I end up belting out whatever song is playing, which I believe gives me a greater workout (or just makes me breathe a lot harder lol).

Here's part of my list:

Live While We're Young- One Direction

I Got A Feeling- Black Eyed Peas

Party Rock Anthem- LMAO

Call Me Maybe- Carly Rae Jepson

If I Had You- Adam Lambert

Dancing Queen- Abba

Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen

What Makes You Beautiful- One Direction

Sail Away- Enya (The Dubsteb Remix)- Its way cool!

Some Nights- Fun

Stronger- Kelly Clarkson

Put A Ring On It- Beyonce

Everybody Talks- Neon Trees

Walking On Air- Katy Parry

Hungry Like The Wolf- American Idol Edition from David Cook

Firework- Katy Perry

We Are Young- Fun

Best Song Ever- One Direction

Drive By- Train

Payphone- Maroon 5

Love You- Selena Gomez

The Sweet Escape- Gwen Stefani

Want U Back- Cher Lloyd

Roar- Katy Perry

We Found Love- Rhianna

Say Hey-Michael Franti

Bulletproof- La roux

Eye of the Tiger-Survivor

I'm A Believer- Smashmouth

Raise Your Glass- Pink

We Built This City- Starship

Brave- Sara Bareilles

You Make My Dreams Come True- Hall and Oats

So now you have a taste of my eclectic mix- all of it completely fabulous. :)

Now...ROCK ON!

Yesterdays Weight: 168.8

Today's Weight: 168.6

Weight Loss Blog: Day 8: Frustrations

Today is one of those days. A day when I reach a point where I just want to snap. I'm only one week into my weight loss journey and I expected that days like these would happen.
So many things come to mind when I think of everything I've endured to lead me to where I am right now. The good, the bad, the happy, the sad (isn't that a song? lol).

I tend to speak and act on my emotions and I know that it's something that has helped aid my weight gain. I now have to train myself to react in a way that won't be detrimental. It's been hard today- I'll admit- to not want to just crawl back in bed and eat all the snacks I want. But I've stayed strong and have been sticking to my calorie intake.

So what to do when I get like this? I know that exercise could be a very viable option and I've heard that exercise also helps get all that gunky emotional crap out....but I still have no desire to do it. (maybe thats the reason it needs to happen?)

I need to come up with something that will help me through the frustrating days. I need to find the motivation to keep me from sinking back into my comfort zone and going back to what I know. I am NOT a self- motivator. I've always tried and always fail when it comes to stuff where I have to stay self motivated. So how am I doing it now? Well- doing this blog for one keeps me on task. I know that I have to post once a day and if I have nothing to post, or worse, have failures to post.. I know it will only make my journey that much harder.

I've always use humor to deal and this is no different. I can usually find something funny in all things to lighten the mood or turn something ugly to something nice. So in the spirit of me and the struggles I face today, the pajama pants that I'm still in, and my poor children who will have to face the wrath of their crazy mother, I leave you with this:

And one bit of good news:

Today marks my 1 week mark and I am down 3.6 lbs and 2 inches on my waist!!! And THAT is cause to not be as sad. :)

Yesterdays Weight: 168.6

Today's Weight: 168.8

Weight Loss Blog: Day 7: Rewards

There is just no way that I can physically accomplish something without a reward. If I have nothing driving me to do the mundane, then what the heck is the point?
In the past- it's been "When I get this done, I get a big piece of chocolate cake" or "When this is accomplished, I get to go get a large movie theater popcorn". Oh yes..... be jealous- but almost ALL my rewards are food. Surprised? :)-

Now, every now and then I'd go off my beaten path and get myself a cute shirt or something new to decorate my house, but more often than not, it was always the good ole' food. But for the last oh.....6 years- my major accomplishment is just like this:

One of the hardest things for me is going to be how to reward myself through this thing. So I've browsed my amazing Pinterest board and got a few ideas. A few ideas are posted below:

1) For every pound you lose, put a dollar into a jar and once you reach your goal weight, you use the money to get a new outfit.

2) Every milestone you hit, you reward yourself by getting a "free" day. (Eat what you want, do you what you want kind of thing)

3) If you have a large goal, once you reach it, take a trip to a location of your choice.

4) Aim for smaller rewards with smaller and more frequent goals by getting a new pair of shoes or a piece of jewelry or craft material of your choice. Whatever you like most, get something small to keep you motivated and happy.

5) For every milestone you hit, throw a party :)

I know some are cheesy and stupid- but hey.... a reward is a reward right?

My personal favorite is #1. I'm the kind of person that would typically go for #2, but I need to train myself not to have food rewards. Kind of goes against the whole point of losing weight and sticking with a goal just to throw food back at myself.

Anyway- I do like new clothes. And as I lose weight, it would make sense to get something to fit my body at the stage that I will currently be at than to continue to wear clothing too big for me.

I still have some thinking to do, but as of right now, I think I'll just keep track of my progress on here and then just get a whole new wardrobe when I become skinny again ;)


Yesterdays Weight: 169.4
Todays Weight: 168.6

Weight Loss Blog: Day 6: Starvation

I don't think I've reached the stage where I feel like I'm absolutely starving. I also don't think that I should expect it either. Although, I am often catching myself wondering whether the calories I am allotted on a daily basis will be "enough" to keep me full and functioning.

I've already shared that I love food. So the fact that I'm limiting myself on something I enjoy should automatically seem to be a sacrifice on my part. And it is.

When I'm sitting with family or friends or even just my husband, and they are all eating as much as they want of whatever they want, I feel a little sad that I can't be doing the same thing. Can I enjoy what I do get to eat? Sure. But instead of only eating 1 cookie like I promised I would, I find myself longing to keep eating them until I feel full.

Now, I have been very good so far and even though it's been a little shy of a week, I have not succumbed to divulging in food like I'm used to.
They say it takes 21 days to develop a habit. I keep telling myself that if I can just reach that point, then I should be fine. You know, like reaching a specific milestone in pregnancy- once you reach it, you can get through the rest of it. (or not lol)

There are a few things that I've learned about myself that help when I get hungry and know that I shouldn't be eating anything.
1) Eat a piece of gum. I know it may sound crazy, but just a stick of sugarless gum helps stave off the cravings.
2) Eat ice. Yes I said it. I am an ice chewer. I love it, I need it, and it makes me happy. I buy bags of Sonic Ice- the nugget kind- and I go through about 4 cups a day. And not just small cups either- LARGE cups. I refuse to drink water unless filled with ice. And as bad as it is on my teeth, I think it's a heck of a lot better than eating more food.

The fact that someone created this thing, shows that I'm not the only one. Did you know there is an Ice Chewers Anonymous? lol 

Anyway- when the first 2 fail, I go to 3.

3) Eat a fruit. even though I prefer not adding calories, eating a banana or apple usually helps.

And that my friends is how I'm not starving. I'm making sure I'm eating enough calories during my meals, and that I'm snacking on better things when I need to snack. So far.... it seems to be working :)


Yesterdays Weight: 169.2
Today's Weight: 169.4

Weight Loss Blog: Day 5: Some things DO work

In this quest of mine, I'm determined to FEEL good about myself. I know that I'm not happy with my body image, but feeling good is something I know I can do, and I think that's important. Getting a haircut, a new outfit, or whatever....feeling good about yourself is- I think- a very important part of not only losing weight, but getting yourself to a point where you can love yourself again.

Now I'll admit, I'm a very positive, confident person. Very rarely will you see me upset, mad, or down in the dumps. It's just not who I am. I do have my bad days, of course, but I prefer to be the "glass half full" type-o-girl. That being said, I think it's especially hard for me to be so negative about myself.  I hate that I can never look at myself in the mirror and think "DANG- I look good!". Nope.....doesnt' happen. And that's why I buy cute clothes :)- Because let's be honest, we'd rather spend money on THINGS to make us feel better instead of changing ourselves to make us feel better right? (dang...i'm insightful sometimes)

So when I walk around saying this:

I mean it. Really. Even though I don't have the body I want and look the way I want, I do believe myself to be awesome enough that regardless of how I look, I can still do the things I want to do.

This all leads me to an important point. I've mentioned before how when you're overweight, you'll believe just about anything to give you leg up on losing it? I'm still in that phase of where I want to believe there is still some things that can help me achieve my goal a little faster. And if it makes me feel good by seeing results, well then by dang- I'm gonna do it!

I was using my awesome Pinterest Page and came across this thing I've been wanting to try. It's a homemade body wrap. I've always wanted to try one, but didn't want to pay for it. So why not. Give it a shot and see what happens right?

This is not me. I'm not that thin. I don't see why she wanted to do this to begin with, but whatevs.... to each his own right?

You can view what to do here. It's way easy and it's actually not that bad. The basic idea is to find a lotion that contains caffeine, preferrably one that says it's a "skin tightening" type, and then seran wrap, and ace bandages. You apply lots of lotion, not rubbed in all the way, and then wrap tight in seran wrap and then ace bandages on top. then sleep on it for like..8 hours.

I put mine on around 8:30 pm and proceeded to feel like a statue. I was awkward walking around, since I couldn't bend over. Let me just say, go to the bathroom BEFORE you do this- because once it's on, it's very hard to sit down on the toilet. lol

Well- as embarrassing as this is- I will post pictures. You will ignore the grossness that your eyes will behold- but I want you to see REAL pictures.

BEFORE:

Ok- so also disregard the clothing on the bed and floor. This is how I think of my room:

Oh if only! Ok...moving on......

So my waist measured 40" and my hips were 42" before I did this.

AFTER:

Don't know if you can REALLY see a difference- but hey- I can!

My waist measured 38" and my hips were 40". 

I LOST 2 INCHES!!!!! 

It felt weird. But it wasn't uncomfortable. I was able to sleep just fine and it wasn't bothersome. You can feel sweat dripped though- and that's a little gross. lol

The moral of my story: If there is something you want to try to make yourself FEEL better, then do it. (You know.. as long as it's not dangerous) It's worth feeling better about yourself to keep the motivation going.

I know that seeing some results only 5 days in gives me more motivation to keep going with my weight loss. I know that it's not easy, but who's to say that doing something like this, buying yourself a new outfit, or getting a haircut isn't worth making yourself feel good?

IT IS!

Yesterday's Weight: 170.2

Today's Weight: 169.2

Weight Loss Blog: Day 4: Exercise...The 4 letter word.

Oh the word that is literally the bane of my existence. I usually feel like above- I think I'm allergic to it. It wasn't always like this though.

See- my mom is a dance major, thus I grew up always dancing. Whether it was in her own personal studios or taking lessons- I don't ever remember a time in my childhood that I wasn't part of a dance class. I loved it. Even into high school- I joined the dance team (Go Indianettes!) and loved every second of it. And because i was constantly dancing, I never had issues with eating whatever I wanted and never gaining weight.

Fast forward 15 years....... I apparently and obviously don't dance anymore. That ended with my high school career...and hence, the working out. Oh sure I do some things here and there. I get in a "mood" where I feel like working out and I get a gym membership with all intentions of getting in shape. Then 2 weeks pass by and I'm bored- so I don't go anymore.

About 2 years ago I discovered Zumba. A lady was teaching it for free at my church 3 times a week and so i went. Being a dancer my whole life, this was my thing. This was the ONE thing that I knew I could stick with to get my exercise.

And then I got pregnant with #5. I continued attending my Zumba class until I was about 4 months along and then it just got to be too hard on my body.

So when I decided to start this journey, I thought "I'm going to have to exercise....kill me now". Still to this day (You know.. a whole whopping 4 days into this thing) I still have no desire to exercise and want to continue with my routine of doing nothing.

*Side note: Have you ever worn spanx? LOVE them. seriously.....I need to get a new one because I've worn mine so much. I think even when I lose the weight I'll still wear one :) *

Anywho, I know I'm accountable to everyone who is following this, so I gotta get off my buttookies and get into shape. I'm tired of being the person that keeps looking at other "skinny" people and feeling bad about myself.

I've decided to use my handy dandy Pinterest page and attempt a lot, if not all, the awesome exercises that have caught my eye. I know I need a routine, but until I find what I like and what works for me, you'll get to deal with hearing about my exercise escapades as I attempt them. And I say attempt, because honestly, if you really saw me doing them- you'd think it was a comedy show.

So here are a couple of the exercises I've tried so far and my reviews of them.

Working with Kettlebells:

The exercise routine is found here. I use a 15 lb kettlebell and it's super simple. I crank up the tunes and I actually enjoy it. You sort of feel like you're not really working out until you keep doing it, then it BURNS. It's awesome. I think I like it better as a warm up though instead of an actual main exercise. Doesn't really get the heart rate up and the "burn" doesn't become apparent unless you do it for a while. 

Then I have my hand treadmill:

Whenever I've joined a gym, the treadmill has always been my best friend. I can lift weights and do elliptical, but I always spent the most time on the treadmill. I've wanted one for years and finally found a great one for a great deal just this summer. Because I have a form of asthma, I've never been a runner. I've never enjoyed it and I've never done a lot of it because of how much I can't breathe. So I do a combo of walking, jogging for 30-45 minutes. Gets a good sweat going and gets the heart rate up enough to where I can still breathe (kinda fond of the breathing thing....). I will always include my treadmill in my workouts.

Yesterday- I tried this one:

Holy Crapola. My body was NEVER intended to feel the way it does today. When you read the workout, the first thing you'll do is look up every exercise it says to do- because honestly, I've never heard of those words. BUT- once you see the pictures, you'll go "awwww- I've done that before!". So it's simple. But they tell you to do 20-30 reps on each leg 2-3 times. IT. IS. DEATH. It breaks it down to doing 3 "warm up" exercised, 3 main exercises, and then 2 stretches. I did the 3 warm ups just fine. Felt the bur but it was tolerable. Then I got to the first main exercise- I made it through 20 reps once on each leg before feeling like my legs/butt were going to fall off. So I attempted the second one, yah- that just wasn't going to happen. I did as much as I could. But then I did what I always do, shy away from the hard stuff and stick with the stretching. lol

I then moved on to do weight lifting:

I did bench press- lifted a whole 20 lbs thank you very much. (but hey....after doing it like 40 times, my arms actually felt it) I then did arm curls with 15 lbs, then did dead lifts with 20 lbs. 

Have you ever tried this workout with the kettlebell?

Don't know what it's called- and I don't bring my hand up to a salute either... but basically- you hold the kettlebell in your hand and let the weight pull you down to the side while bringing your opposite arm to your hip. you flex your abs while doing this and it tones your side abs/aka the muffin top. I've been doing about 30 reps on each side twice and let me tell you, you don't really feel it while you're doing the actual exercise, but I am so sore.. I know it's working.

Now- after all I've tried, I've reached a point (today) where I am so sore, I can barely move. I took 2 tylenol PM's last night and the pain STILL woke up me up- I was that sore. But it's a good pain. I know that whatever I've been doing is starting to work and that makes me happy.

I will continue to do new exercises until I really find what I like- but this seems to be a good start :) At least I can look forward to the day when I don't have to tell myself this:

I'd love to hear about other exercises that you've tried that have worked well too- so comment and let me know!

Yesterdays Weight: 169.8

Today's Weight: 170.2

??? Don't know how that happened and kind of depressing- but hey, I'm still less than where I started.