Friday, June 26, 2009

3 month Before/After

Well....it's been 3 months since my last confession photo update. I think I can see some difference in my face and my pants from last summer are fitting a little better. I feel stronger! One of my legs is still longer than the other....


Measurements:
Waist..................34.75 ..................34...................3/4 inch
Hips....................44.5....................43.25............. 1 1/4 inches
Breasts...............41.5....................41................ .1/2 inch
Thigh (top)..........22 ....................21.75............. .1/4 inch
Thigh (btm)........20.5...................20.25............ . 1/4 inch
Calf.....................17.5..................17.5............. .. no change
Bicep..................13......................12.5............. .. 1/2 inch
Weight...............215.....................208............ ....7 pounds

........Total Inches........................3.5 Inches
....... Total Weight........................ 7 pounds

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Week 13...I'm a runner!

Welcome to the 13th (completed) week of Extreme Makeover: ME Edition hosted by the incredible Amber Filkins!

Let's weigh-in...

Last week: 208.5 pounds
This week: 208 pounds

LOST.....1/2 pound


The Plan from Week 13:

I had a great week! I walk/ran 3.9 miles! I learned how to do The Plank and it's kicking my @ss and I even drank a lot of wine. I have started running. Just for short distances during my walk and usually when I'm going down a hill but I am able to run a little bit farther each time. I am LOVING the Map My Run for my iPhone. It even tells me how fast I'm going. Awesome!

I drank more water and I took my pills EVERYDAY! Here's what is helping me. I printed out a calendar for June and I wrote in each box...Water and two check boxes for Pills, one in the AM and one in the PM. I hang this on my fridge and I mark off when I have filled my water glass and when I've taken my pills. I also write my workout on it and if I've worked out that day I place an X over the day with a blue highlighter.

I'm feeling a little upset. Yesterday afternoon, I started to feel really exhausted so I took a nap while my kids were asleep and I woke up feeling horrible. I was sick all night with a headache, upset stomach and aches. I feel off the soda wagon because all I want when I'm sick is COKE. And my hubby delivered....3 2 liter bottles! I didn't need that much....

I did make something really healthy and yummy on Monday and my hubby loved it! Black Bean Cakes with Guacamole!


The Plan for week 14:


AM Walk/Run Outside
  • Thursday
  • Saturday
  • Monday
Elliptical & Weights (light workout)
  • Friday
  • Tuesday
Also....
  • Take Pills
  • Drink 60 oz of water EVERYDAY
  • Plank & Sit-ups (Fri, Sun, Tue)

This week's question:
Brought to you Shortmama from Family of Shorts

"Who is your biggest supporter/motivator in your weight loss? Do you have anyone around you that tries to sabotage you by "talking" you in to eating the not so good stuff?"

My husband is my biggest supporter but sometimes....he gets on my nerves about it. He turns into the Food Nazi...telling me that I can't or shouldn't have something. Sometimes I really want a freakin ice cream from Mc Donalds and he won't let me. UGH! He also gets upset with me when I bake something yummy (which is only once a month for my baking club) but he is always right there to eat it. :) The Saboteurs in the family are Alex and Mallory. They talk about ice cream all day long and when we go to the store they know exactly where the donuts are kept.

Have a great week!

Sunday, June 21, 2009

My Own Best Friend

cause it makes me that much stronger
Makes me work
a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter

~Fighter by Christina Aguilera

I don't know how but somehow my kids know when I'm planning to get up early and walk. Thursday night, I was up with someone three times. And I was so tired....I was only going to walk around the block. But then as I came around the corner this song came on and I decided to go to the next block before returning home. I'm loving how motivating these songs are to me.

I made some new friends this week. MomActive, Bookieboo and Tracey Mallett. Another thing that I'm enjoying this time around and that I think is really keeping me motivated and on track has been the support of those of you that read this blog and leave me comments. It's like having my very own support group and it means so much to me.

And then there is Twitter. I was at a food court on Saturday and I had one beef taco....but I was still hungry and I found myself sitting directly across from the HotDog on a Stick place. I wanted one really badly and I sat there for 15 minutes mulling it over in my mind. I tweeted that I needed someone to talk me down and my twits delivered! @foodiemcbody, @fabfatties, @lavagal, @priorfatgirl THANK YOU!

This week I'm going to concentrate on thinking positive thoughts. I'm not losing as fast as I wanted and I've adjusted my goals on the side bar. I don't want to let the slowness of my weight loss bring my mood down because I know what happens then....I eat stuff I shouldn't I then I really have a problem.

As I take my walks in the morning I am in the moment. There isn't anything to pull my attention away. I gaze at the mountains and absorb the cool, fresh air and the music helps propel me along my path. I concentrate on my breathing and my feet hitting the pavement. And I am in the present with myself and my thoughts. At that moment I am my own best friend and I am doing something great for myself and my family.

I really like Connie. It's about time I treat her as well as I treat other people. It's time to be selfish and take care of ME!

Inspirational Song of the Week: Fighter


Move of the week: The Plank!


Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Week 12...Fat Chick Walking

Welcome to the 12th (completed) week of Extreme Makeover: ME Edition hosted by the incredible Amber Filkins!

Let's weigh-in...

Last week: 209 pounds
This week: 208.5 pounds

LOST.....1/2 pound

The Plan from Week 12:

I've had a great week! I didn't work out over the weekend...or take my vitamins but I'm working on a plan to get that back under control. I increased my mileage from 1.5 miles to 2.5 miles and I felt great about it! I made some good choices when eating dinner out and polished off a box of Lil Drumsticks. *connie slaps herself on the forehead*

Yesterday....I carried my 25 pound daughter a half mile and then held her for two hours while we toured the Disney A Christmas Carol Train. How many calories do you think that burned. I'm serious. I need to know! While we were on this train we were in a car that was all mirrors. I snapped a picture of myself just for the heck of it and I was shocked at what I saw when I downloaded the pictures. I look 7 months pregnant! This is horrible......

This morning I went for my walk and I used the iPhone app called Map My Run. It worked great but I thought it stopped working when I was fiddling with my iPod (it just kept playing the same song over and over) and I didn't go as far as I wanted. I decided to stay closer to home this time because when I ran away from home on Monday I freaked myself out a little. *i know i'm crazy* I walked through the Adult Living community that is a few blocks from our house and a little old lady in an Oldsmobile stopped and asked me if I needed a ride. Apparently, I looked like a fat chick lost instead of a Fat Chick Walking....

The Plan for Week THIRTEEN:

AM Walk Outside
  • Wednesday
  • Thursday
  • Friday
  • Sunday
  • Monday
  • Tuesday
Also...
  • Take Pills
  • Drink 60 oz of water EVERYDAY
  • Find a stretching exercise for hips
  • 25 (Wed, Fri, Mon)

This week Amber asked us to show a picture of our fridge...

I am pretty proud of the contents of my fridge but it didn't always look like this and I still struggle to come here to the fruit and veggies when I need a snack instead of the pantry and the chips and pretzels. I'm going to make a list of approved snacks that I can look at when I lose my mind and start scavenging in the kitchen.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

The Climb

I can't believe I'm about to quote Hanna Montana but....

I can almost see it
That dream I am dreaming
But there's a voice inside my head saying
YOU'LL NEVER REACH IT

Every step I'm taking
Every move I make feels
Lost with no direction
My faith is shaking

But I gotta keep trying
Gotta keep my head held high

Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waiting on the other side
It's the climb!

The weekends are hard for me. I just can't keep my routine going when I have grocery shopping and swimming lessons and hair appointments and a husband hanging out. I can't even take my vitamins. What the heck is up with that?

My neck is better...it hurts in the morning when I get up because I can't stop sleeping on my right side. I still haven't scheduled my massage.....

On a positive note....Saturday I found myself all by myself out running errands and decided to stop by a new grocery store that just opened on the other side of town. It is a GREAT store. They have a fabulous deli with a salad bar, hot food bar and other items prepared by a chef. I selected three items to share with my husband and also 3 donuts that we split 4 ways with the kids. It was the perfect amount of food (and treat), I didn't overeat and I was satisfied.

Today, we ended up going to lunch at the last minute. We almost went to Subway but I felt like something different so we went to Rumbi Island Grill. I could have had a rice bowl or a sandwich but I chose a salad and I left the dressing off.


Aloha Chicken Salad....Exotic Field Greens, chicken breast, diced mango, gorgonzola, red pepper, red onion and tortilla strips. It was great!

Rumbi is nice enough to post their nutritional info and this salad (without dressing) comes out to 440 calories, 17 g of fat, 43 carbs, 5 grams of fiber and 31 grams of protein. Not bad....I think I ate less than that because I did not eat the little triangle of flat bread that came with it.

I'm proud of myself for making better choices and eating less but I also realize that many years of bad habits take time to change and trying to force myself to exercise will take more effort. I was really discouraged this week with my neck problem and I get upset that my hips hurt and I hope that these things will get easier as I lose weight. It has to be hard having all this extra weight on my joints.

Tomorrow is a new day and I will be getting up early to walk. Calvin bought me an arm band for my iPhone (not the one I wanted for my iPod) because he wants me to carry my phone incase I run into trouble.

I will be walking Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week and then starting the Couch to 5K on Thursday!

Inspirational Song of the Week:




EDITED...6:35am:
I almost didn't go for my walk this morning. My son woke me up twice during the night because his nose hurt. Someone (hubby) forgot to give him his medicine before bed. But I thought about The Climb and I got my shoes on. I decided that I wanted to go a little farther today so I changed my route and got on a road called Fruitland. Once started down this road I couldn't stop! It's a two lane/no sidewalk road and one side is mostly farmland. I saw cows, chickens and a horse and there some people running behind me so I felt like they were chasing me and I couldn't possibly turn around. So I kept walking. I ran a short ways but my knees protested right away...not ready.

I started to feel like I had run away from home because I was so far away. Finally I could see my street across the wheat field and knew I would be home soon. At this point, my legs started to go numb...they were moving but I couldn't feel them. I remembered this happening during the 5K that I walked with Kaycee and Monica and it is such a weird feeling.

I rounded the corner onto my street and I thought my legs were going to fall off! My hips were screaming at me and my ass was dragging. But I did it! 2.5 miles in 45 minutes! That's a mile farther than I was walking last week!

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

Week 11....Pizza for Pain

Welcome to the Eleventh (completed) week of Extreme Makeover: ME Edition hosted by the incredible Amber Filkins!

Let's weigh-in...

Last week: 209 pounds
This week: 209 pounds

LOST.....0 pounds

Sigh

The Plan from Week 11

It seems like every week I've got something messing me up. I decided to train for a 5K celebrating my 39th birthday and I got a brand new pair of running shoes, fitted to me and my special situations and then I pulled a muscle in my neck and haven't been able to work out for a few days. I'm still having issues with it but I'm trying to get back on track. Yesterday I got up for my walk even though I was in a fair amount of pain. I felt really good when I got back and was so glad I went. I just wish this pain would go away....

I have to tell you that another thing that was messed up by this pain in my neck was my eating habits. Over the weekend, because I wasn't up to cooking...we ate Pizza and KFC. And there were leftovers and I ate them because they were here. It's like this constant pain wore down my willpower and I was feeling badly so I ate....but the pain was still there. You can't cure pain with pizza...but Vicodin helps.

I went to the store last night because I was out of half and half for my morning coffee and I bought more fruit. Have you had a cantaloupe lately? It must be in season right now because OMG! So good!

The Plan for Week Twelve:

Blue...completed Red....not yet completed

AM Walk Outside
  • Thursday (30 minutes, 1.5 miles)
  • Sunday
  • Monday (45 minutes, 2.5 miles)
  • Wednesday
Also....
  • Continue taking Colon Cleanse Pills, Vitamin D and Acidophilus.
  • Drink more water...I'm up to 4 glasses a day
  • Sleep as much as possible (at least 7.25 hrs)
Question of the week: What's your favorite thing to drink while you're losing weight? We all know how important it is to get that water intake up, especially with summer almost here. What's your favorite way to spice it up?

When I can't have soda (oh how I miss you....) I like to drink brewed tea. That is what I order now when I go out to a restaurant. And I make it at home every day so that there is always a pitcher of DECAF Iced Tea waiting for me. I bought a really nice (thick) glass pitcher at Wal-Mart for $5 and I throw 4 teabags (or 2 family sized ones) in the pitcher, pour boiling water in and let it steep. I have a hot water tap on my sink so this is so easy.

I've tried those crystal light packets but my kids steal my bottle from me!

Have a great week!

Friday, June 5, 2009

If The Shoe Fits....

I was so excited for my husband to get home and dinner to be over last night. I informed him that I was going to run an errand once I cleared the dishes and I ran out the door...so happy for one thing to be leaving the house alone. But also to go do something that was going to put me one step closer to my goal....

RUNNING!

I had looked for a running store on the internet not expecting to find much because my experience with looking for information in Northern Utah has been disappointing to say the least. I found something called Peak Performance which sounded exactly like what I needed.

I was thrilled to find this adorable little running shop right along side the Ogden River Parkway and even more thrilled to meet Anthony Gallegos. I explained that I'm an almost 39 year old Fat Mommy that wants to run and that I have had tons of...let's call them challenges with my knees and hips and blisters and shoes not fitting right and I just really want to stop hurting myself and get in shape and run!

He conducted a couple tests with my feet and legs and determined that I am ARCHLESS and PRONATED. Pronated feet cause the heel bone to angle inward and the arch to collapse. No wonder I have so much trouble. He also informed me that I didn't need TWO pairs of shoes in TWO different sizes. I just need the right shoes that fit my feet properly. Here's the deal....because my feet turn inward when I walk, I need a shoe with stability. The material on the inside base of the shoe is rigid so that it supports my foot and won't turn in. This would also explain why I have so much trouble with my knees...they are also being turned in and I would imagine not rolling on track like they should.

I tried on two different pairs of shoes and ended up with these beauties! They are Saucony Progrid Omni.



After my mile and a half long walk yesterday (with a head wind) my hips were killing me all day. It was all I could do to take my kids to the Air Show Open House at the Ogden Airport and have to walk around. Within a few minutes of walking around the store in these shoes...my hips stopped hurting. I felt like I was walking more level and the shoes were surprisingly light weight.

I can't wait to get out there and start training...as soon as my stupid blister is gone!

If you are in the Northern Utah area stop in and see the guys at Peak Performance. They are located at 1895 Washington Blvd, just north of Downtown Ogden. They also sell walking shoes, children's shoes, shoe inserts, socks and apparel. I am so impressed with what I learned there and so irritated with the lack of knowledge I have experienced in the past at that place that rhymes with *Put Docker*.

Thursday, June 4, 2009

Birthday 5k

Yesterday was National Running Day. I've been thinking about running a race for my birthday....my 40th birthday, September 2010. And then I got to thinking that I would really like to run one for my 39th birthday as a way to celebrate my new lifestyle and keep me motivated and on track.

I went to my favorite new blog...Weight Loss with the Fabulous Fatties and Shannon decided that she is running a Utah 5K for her birthday in September! It was like fate....another sign telling me what I need to do for myself.

So....here is my plan. This week, I am going to walk every chance I get working up to 2 miles by Wednesday of next week. Starting Thursday, I will begin the couch to 5k training. I have roughly 13 weeks (based on what race we pick).

I'm so excited to have this race to train for! I love having a goal and a light at the end of the tunnel. And of course that means I need some GEAR!

Sennheiser PMX 80 Sport II Headphones for iPhone and iPod @59.95


Incase Sports Armband iPod nano in Grey/Green $29.95

I need some new shoes too but I need to find a running store so I can get the very best one's for my situation. Plus, I have two different sized feet so I have to save up for 2 pairs of expensive running shoes!

EDITED: I walked for 30 minutes this morning and developed a blister on my right foot. Looks like I will need those shoes sooner than I thought. Oh hubby! I need your credit card!

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Week 10...Do Over

Welcome to the Tenth (completed) week of Extreme Makeover: ME Edition hosted by the incredible Amber Filkins!

Let's weigh-in...

Last week: 207 pounds
This week: 209 pounds

GAIN..... 2 pounds

I'm blaming this on TOM. I need a do over!

The Plan from Last Week:

I was doing GREAT until Sunday afternoon when my pre-period migraine hit and I knew what was coming next. I won't go into the ugly details but I couldn't work out and I ate some ice cream (Coffee Toffee Frosty from Wendy's) and I drank two sodas. The good thing is that I didn't go too wild and crazy because I don't have any sweets in the house. I could have baked something but I was feeling so terrible that I didn't have the energy.

I told my husband that I need to find the cure for PMS because it ruins my life for a couple days every month. I seriously can't go anywhere, do anything or live my life. He told me there is a cure and it's called Menopause. Thanks buddy....you're a big help!

The Plan for Week Eleven:

Blue...completed Red....not completed Cancelled due to injury

AM Walk Outside
  • Thursday (30 minutes, 1.5 miles)
  • Friday
  • Monday
  • Tuesday (30 minutes, 1.5 miles)

PM Walk with Family
  • Friday
  • Monday

Water Aerobics

Strength Train
  • Thursday
  • Monday

Question of the Week: What's your favorite beauty secret?

I don't have a lot of beauty secrets...but I just discovered something that is making a big difference in my skin. It is the Wal-Mart brand of Night-time Firming Cream. It's under $5 and smells great! You may not know this...but Utah is considered desert and is very dry. My skin has been super flaky and dry ever since we moved here and every product I bought did NOTHING. Until this night creme. Within 10 days of using it before bed every night...all flakiness was gone!

Have a great week!