Kettleball and Restorative Yoga

Yesterday I did a Kettleball routine.  It's of a set that I got off Mamapedia and it was a great "learning" video... I'm exited to try #2.  For right now I'm just using a weight... but I'm mulling over getting an actual kettlebell... anyone have one?  Like?  This isn't the actual video I did... somehow I can't find it.  But this is part of the series.

I did restorative yoga today ala Total Body Workout from BYU TV.  Just what I needed.  Did you know you can do any of their workouts at any time via your laptop/computer?  Pretty darn handy....  I need to be doing yoga once a week.  For real.  I think it does my body good, especially right now.

Weekly Weigh in -- Stress Weight. :)

I hit 160 on Friday.  Then, I ate cheese fries and went up to 162... but darn Outback how addicting is your ranch dressing?  I think that's a loss of 2 pounds last week.... but I'm not exactly sure.

But, seriously... 160 puts me down 50 pounds since I originally started losing weight (in 2008)... and 40 pounds since having P.

It just feels nice.

And again, I'm not stressing about it.  Just like 6 more pounds til' my BMI doesn't make me all pudgey on the wii. :)

What Bugs me About the Biggest Loser

I just watched a Biggest Loser "Where Are They Now?" episode... and while I was brought to tears by a lot of the stories (which, frankly doesn't take a lot lately).  I was just bugged by all the people who said, "my life will be SO much better once I lose weight."

Newsflash, it's not really that different.

Sure, a few things are better, most of those are how you fit in clothes and how you can go shopping, possibly how you can bend down without groaning.... but my life in general isn't that different.

You can't lose weight because it's going to make you a new person.  Yes, your waist size is new.  You might get cuter in your clothes, but don't plan on YOU being different.  If YOU are wanting to be different you need to change yourself, not your weight.  However, I get that they do some therapy type stuff on the biggest loser... but regardless.  You need to be happy now AND then. 

I do think it's the people who think there will be a huge transformation in their self that end-up in trouble and unahppy and gaining the weight back.

I was fine with myself before.  I just didn't want to be diabetic or take cholesterol meds.  And that is all. :)

In other news, stress is totally helping the scale.  I am now down almost FIFTY pounds since I started my weight loss journey and 40 pounds since I started weight watchers.  And THAT is a happy thing indeed. :)  I'm glad that so far, I've been able to deal with the stress without eating.  So far. :)

Weekly Weigh In

I'm up a pound.  Well, last time I actually weighed in AFTER I ran, but this Saturday it was raining so I didn't run... and I am guessing I'm about the same.

I watched on the finales of the biggest loser (I'm watching many of the old seasons via hulu) this week.  A lot of those people are about my weight.  I mean, my ultimate goal should be to have my BMI within a regular weight range.  That's less than 10 pounds away.  I mean, 10 pounds will come off.

This isn't to say that I'm "quitting" but I think I need to stop obsessing over all of it. 

I mean, I'm not really obsessed.  But, maybe you get it.  I'm on the road to recovery.  I just need to stay on that road, with perhaps a few detours into delicious fries... but again, getting back on the road. :)

Also, stress isn't helping things.  I am feeling overwhelmed.  I knew yesterday at Dinner I wanted to eat an entire pig just because of how I felt.  And I need to recognize that and ignore it. :)

BUT, if you'd like some retail therapy, stop by my review blog by tonight for a 65$ giveaway!

Weekly Weigh-In

Somehow dragged myself out of bed this morning and out into the miserable dreary rain to go to my weekly weigh-in. Good thing too since I lost 2.2 lbs. and hit my 5% goal! That's a grand total of 13 lbs. down! :)

Looking forward to an even better week! It's so motivating to see the scale reflect how hard I've been working. It makes me want to eat even better than I already am and workout more frequently. Reaching my goals makes me want to push myself that much more.

Workout Du Jour:

Today I did Dynamic stretch.  I got it with my mammapedia set, and actually I think this one workout alone was possibly worth it.  I really liked it.  I have a hard time with really long yoga sets.  I tend to feel really off balance and falling doesn't make yoga very relaxing.  But this one is only 30 minutes.  It may become a weekly thing.  It's just SO nice to stretch all your muscles, and she does a great job with it.

I'm not going to do my regular workout ratings as this is entirely stretch.  There are a few poses you hold for a bit that might get you a little out of breath... but it's definitely not cardio.  However, the poses aren't held for a very long time and you are moving your body in very open and large movements, which I really like.

I can't find it on youtube.  But it looks like it's only 3.73 on Amazon right now.  I would say if you're looking for some good stretching, possibly to combine with some weights or cardio, this would be a great routine for you!

I think my plan is to work this in with a 10-15 minute workout of either cardio or weights once a week.  I REALLY feel better when I do this. 

Changes

"Weight Watchers: $10. Training: $25. Fitting into clothes I haven't been able to wear for 2 years: priceless."

That's my current status on facebook. Last night I decided to pull out "that box." You know the one, the one where you've tucked away all those clothes that you wish still fit, but they don't, but you keep them around anyway. Then you torture yourself by pulling them out every once in a while, trying them on, and realizing you're still too fat to wear them. Oh wait, that's just me? Tell me it's not just me! :)

Last night while I wasn't able to comfortably fit into my skinniest pair of jeans I have on hand, I was able to button and zip them. These are jeans that I last wore the summer of 2007 and they haven't fit since. My goal is that before summer hits I will be able to wear these comfortably.

As of last week's weigh in I was only down 10.8 which doesn't seem like a lot (at least to me when I have so far to go) but my body is definitely changing. My friend Vanessa always tell me don't pay attention to the scale, but rather to how your clothes fit to know how you're doing. Well now I know what she meant. My current jeans are loose on my hips and I almost have to hold them up when I'm going up and down stairs. My shirts don't have that belly bulge as much as they used to. And I'm wearing certain items that I haven't worn in 2 years.

Change is work. Change is hard. But oh man, Change is good!

Snack of the Day

Today's Snack of the Day is brought to you by the National Dairy Council. Did you know that they recommend eating at least 3 servings of dairy a day? Did you also know that doing that can help you lose weight?

My friend Crystal over at Everyday Food Storage is exploring the world of homemade yogurt over the next two weeks. She posted a video about some of the health benefits of yogurt and other dairy products and referenced a study she'd read by the NDC where they tested two groups. One group increased exercise and decreased caloric intake. The other group increased exercise and decreased caloric intake, but in their daily intake they had to consume at least 3 servings of either yogurt, cheese, or milk. And what do you know? Those people lost a considerable amount more weight than the other folks.

I am a huge fan of dairy products! So here is a breakdown of some of my favorite dairy snacks:

1) String Cheese: Hallelujah! There's a cheese that isn't a bazillion points. :) String cheese is a great snack because it's already portioned out for you, individually packaged, and low in fat. Depending on what brand you buy it ranges anywhere from 1-3 points on the WW Points Plus scale. I love pairing a string cheese with some raw almonds. Yum!

2) Yogurt: My daughter is obsessed with yogurt so we've always got a good supply of it on hand. Now, yogurt can be tricky. Some yogurts say they're low-fat or 99% fat free and taste amazing right? Well that's because they added a truck load of aspartame or other unhealthy sweeteners to that yogurt to make it taste good. Even whole fat yogurt can be that way. Some of my favorite yogurt gets 60% of it's calories from sugar and that's just no bueno. My current favorite: Greek Yogurt! I love the thicker texture and if you get the right flavor/brand it tastes pretty darn amazing. The points on this vary so make sure and check that before you buy it to make sure it's worth it.

3) Low-Fat Cottage Cheese: Hello, I just went through a Costco size thing of this in a week and a half, that's how much I love it. One half cup of this deliciousness is only 2 points, not bad huh? I love eating it plain for a snack, or paired with almonds (can you tell I love me some almonds?). I love eating it at breakfast with some fruit. At lunch I like to make a salad and use the cottage cheese as a "dressing" of sorts. Really, it's so versatile and delicious you need to check it out. And now I'm sad because I'm all out and can't go eat some right now after writing this.

Well folks, there you have it. Dairy is good, dairy is your friend. It will keep your bones healthy and your waistline small. What's your favorite healthy dairy snack?

Weekly Weigh-In

Saturday was my official weekly weigh in at Weight Watchers and I have to say I was really excited about it. Last week was great. It was my first week being really diligent about the program and back on track since our vacation. I also started with my new personal trainer and exercising more and boy did it pay off! A whole 3 lbs. to be exact! I couldn't believe it. I really worked hard this week and it's so motivating to see that hard work reflected on the scale. I hope this week's weigh in can be just as great!

Enjoy the Moment

I've been thinking a lot about time lately.

I take that back - I'm always thinking about time. I'm definitely one of those planners, punctual, always looking for what is next time of people. I'm sure it gets annoying.

But as I sit here in the library studying and thinking about all the things I need to get done today, I find myself thinking "wow...will spring break ever get here?" and "dang, if I can just get through today, things will be less stressful" or "if I could just be done with school and have a job, how great would that be?"

Then I am reminded of one of my dear mother's favorite phrases: ENJOY THE MOMENT
That can definitely be hard to do when you have 4 papers, a group project and 3 quizzes in the next four days. It can seem impossible when you are exercising and eating right and the weight you want to lose isn't budging. It can make you frustrated when you are faced with hard decisions and difficult situations and all you want to do is cry, hoping that will take it away. But what should we really do? Just enjoy it.

This life is meant to be enjoyed. And although it might not seem like it is all fun and games, which it isn't, it isn't supposed to be faced with a sad heart and a bad attitude.

I really need to work on this. Which is probably why my mom says this to me all the time! But I thought we could all use a little reminder to just enjoy our place in our lives, because it will change. It does change. Whether for the better or for the worse, we are always progressing in one direction. So love your life, and move forward! That's what I'm shooting for.

Weekly Weigh in... I should complain more often. :)

This week's weigh in found me down a couple of pounds, maybe just one -- 163.2, which is a great low!  But either way I was DOWN.  It's nice to see a change on the scale.  I'm REALLY trying to concentrate on low fat protein sources.  I'm also trying to workout at least a little bit every day.

Also, I've had enough stress in my little life to last me a few weeks.  I always think that should be burning some calories, but it does seem to be the opposite.

Anyway, hopefully you had a good week too!

Moutainous Ranges

I'm not going to say that this whole weight loss thing has been easy.  But it HAS happened.

But now, I'm stuck.

I can't leave the 165'ish area.

At all.  I'd just call myself done except my BMI is still overweight and I just am not ready to call this "it"... but maybe it is?  I mean, that's not cool, right?

I'm adding high protein stuff and staying within my points, I am mixing up the diet, not eating carbs at night and I am not losing a red pound!  Not even a white one, or a brown one, or a beige one. 

So, what do you do when you hit a plateau.  I'm stuck.  I don't know what to do.  Do I just give it time?  Do I only eat 500 calories?  Do I scream?

I've added running to mix-up the workouts, I'm still doing weights plus cardio and well... screaming is sounding like a nice workout at this point.

Thoughts?

Tale of Two Trainers

Now that I'm getting a handle on the whole counting points thing I thought it was time that I really start exercising. You know, not like just doing Just Dance 2 on the Wii (which by the way totally makes me sweat) but really get serious about exercise.

Introduce: My trainer! I hired a personal trainer!! She happens to attend my church and we were friends before she was my trainer. This can be tricky territory since trainers generally push their clients and don't let them slack, but workout one is done and we're still friends. :) In fact I think being friends first makes it so much better because I know she's really trying to help me be a better person.

Now some of you have heard me talk about my love for all things Jillian Michael. I've often said I wish she could come train me. After tonight I've decided that I have the best trainer in the world! When I was about to throw up tonight (common side effect of the first workout after years of not exercising) she let me take a minute to compose myself instead of handing me a trash can and saying keep going.

Jillian is known for being tough and I still love her and believe she really is an amazing trainer. However, I'm also glad to know that my trainer isn't going to make it her goal to purposely try to get me to throw up during our workouts.

How about you? Can you motivate yourself on your own to work out or do you like training with someone, whether that be a friend, trainer, etc.?

And, for your enjoyment, here is a clip of Jillian's training at it's finest. I'm sure glad I'm not this guy.

So Sore

Hi, I'm walking funny.

And it's not the reason you're thinking.

Ok, maybe it is.

I'm just SO sore after all those squats!

I had no idea it'd be this bad.

So, now that we have a few more readers and perhaps some who actually know what they're talking about.

What do you do to prevent soreness, and perhaps move it along a bit? :)

Snack of the Day

For today's snack of the day I thought I'd give a shout out to our liquid snacks! We all know that soda and juice can be pretty unhealthy depending on the ingredients, amounts, etc. I for one actually do not like soda at all and I'd choose water over just about any juice. For those of you who don't like the taste of plain water, this post is for you!

There are several options when it comes to "flavored water drinks" shall we say. The tricky part is knowing which ones are healthy and which ones are just sugar disguised as water. Case in point: Coca Cola had a lawsuit brought against them for advertising their product, Vitamin Water, to have health benefits (hence the vitamin part). I have to admit, I fell for this one! It is totally advertised as a health drink and no one would no different, right? Coca-Cola's respone?

In a staggering feat of twisted logic, lawyers for Coca-Cola are defending the lawsuit by asserting that "no consumer could reasonably be misled into thinking vitaminwater was a healthy beverage."

Unreasonable consumer, party of one. :)

Now, on to the good stuff! Here are a few of my favorite healthy options to plain water.

- Zest up your water! Add some slices of cucumbers for a yummy spa like drink. Add some lemon slices or orange slices for a citrus taste. Try a drop of peppermint oil for a refreshing cooling drink.. All things you can do at home and without breaking the bank.

- Hint Water. As pictured above, Hint Water's motto is "Drink Water. Not Sugar." They come in a variety of flavors though my personal favorite is Watermelon.

- Metro Mint: Metromint is 100% water and 100% mint which makes 200% yummy. (The math is from their website advertisement but to me it just doesn't add up.) It is a minty refreshing drink that comes in a super cool tall bottle. Yes, I am enticed by packaging and I also judge a book by its cover. :)

What are some of your alternatives to juice and soda?

Weekly Weigh-In

Last Saturday was my first official Weight Watchers weekly weigh-in since we came back from vacation. I had gone to a weigh-in the day before we left for our trip, and this weigh in was 6 days after we came back from our trip. The scale showed I was up by .4 but if you take into account the unofficial weigh in result of +3 lbs. I did at home when we got back from Disneyland then I lost almost all of the vacation weight last week.

I'm still not at my lowest since I started this journey in January though and that is a tad frustrating. I've got 2.6 more pounds to lose until I'm back where I was before I got discouraged by the silly .8 loss weigh in and jumped off the wagon. But really, that was a good lesson and one I'm glad I learned early on so hopefully I won't make that same mistake again and if/when I do I won't let it discourage me so much.

This week's goal: Weigh less than my husband. When I checked the scale yesterday I was 3 pounds away from matching his weight. Now, he's a whole foot taller then me so I know I really should weigh a lot less than him, but small steps here people. I'm super excited to reach this goal!

Amp it Up

This morning I did Gold Gym's Cardio.

Frankly, this is a nice little workout... if you don't workout often.

But I need more.  I need more if I want to lose weight.  I don't actually NEED more.  I guess I want more.

But I still like the workout, a lot.  It has nice music and you get new clothes the more punches you throw.  Anyway.  I like it.

So I added running while I punch.  Which totally brought it up.  But now that I'm running more, maybe it wasn't enough.

So today I added squats between punch sets.  Like, deep squats.  I had my forearms touching my thighs when I squatted.

I thought it wasn't all that bad, til' I got about 45 minutes into it.  And then I realized I was pretty dumb.  But, hopefully I'd have smaller legs next month.

ANYWAY, the moral of this story... is that if you really like a particular workout, but it's not really getting your heart rate where you want it, learn to modify.  I love those workouts where they have "levels" where you can do high medium and low.  Well, the more you watch those, the more you realize how you can add to a workout to make it more difficult.

And it's nice to get to a point where you can really push yourself if need be.  Makes me feel like maybe I'm getting somewhere. :) 

And to round out this entry, my favorite show showing the low, medium and high.  I always wanted hair like this lady. :)

Weekly Weigh-In

Happy Monday everyone!  This weekend was Drew and my official weigh in date.  Guess what, I lost like .4 pounds last month. 

Go me. {Sigh}

I also didn't lose a single inch.  I actually couldn't find my notebook when I had time to measure so I quickly just jotted them down.  Some of the measurements were even BIGGER, but I wonder if that's just from not being able to see the prior months' measurements.

HOWEVER. 

I do feel like this is kind of a new beginning for me.  We have a scale that actually works.  Like, when I take my clothes off, the numbers go down instead of up.  There's no longer a 4 pound range when I weigh in.  This one's for real.  It's nice that the numbers are going down, down, down.  I think I was actually down 2 pounds from the previous week.  I followed WW really strictly last week, really focusing on healthy protein sources and not eating a lot of carbs in the evening.

Anyway, here's to new beginnings, right?

Definition, Please

I read this article when it came out a couple months ago in this magazine my family gets. I loved it - and I think it is important for women to read. So, what better place to share it then on this blog! Hope you enjoy it too :)

Beauty Redefined

Hope it's been a good weekend!

~Trisha

Workout Du Jour: 10 five minute toners -- the one where Hilary's Arms Fall Off

I got Hit the Spot from Netflix.  The really sad news, I have recently decided that 3 and 5 pound weights aren't enough, so I decided to switch to 8 pounders.

Holy guacamole, what a difference 3 pounds can make when you're doing it over, and over, and over...

Anyway... here's the lowdown.

Total video time: Anywhere from 5 minutes to 60 minutes.  The video is set-up so that you can pick what you want to do.
Intensity: High for a toning-only program.  There is no cardio so the heart rate didn't get too high, but the weight part is a LOT.  You will feel the burn.
Total Calories burned according to cardio trainer (my phone app) 345
•Weights ***** Since this is all weights (or using your body weight as weights) she does a GREAT job at weights.  Really, you'll tone right up. :)

•Cardio *  It does get your heart rate up because she does the exercises at a pretty good tempo, but this isn't cardio ladies.

•Sweaty **  I was more burning then wet.

•Annoyance *** She seems less annoying than usual.  Could've just been me though.

So, this vide is great if you want to target spots for a short period of time.  Like, if you had a pre-designed cardio program and you'd like to tone a bit in the evenings too... this would be a great choice.

BUT, I know that cardio is my demon.  I know it's how I will lose weight.  This would be great to tack on to the end of my regular cardio but as a stand alone system... not so much.

It's headed back to netflix.

Book Review On Pulling Curls

I did a book review of Jillian's Metabolism book.  It may be of interest to some of you. :)

Snack of the Day

Hello all! Did you miss snack of the day last week because I sure did. I was on vacation last week with my family at the happiest place on Earth, Disneyland! And while I intended to write a post before we left I just never did get around to it, sorry!

We got home Sunday night and I am still trying to catch up on all the laundry and chores that come with going on vacation. So in lieu of the usual snack of the day post I thought I'd mention a few tips for snacking healthy while on vacation.

- String cheese is a great low calorie snack that's perfect for car trips or theme parks.

- Grapes are yummy and are definitely a favorite of ours on long car trips. Just don't eat too many or you may be needing those rest stops more than you expected.

- Pretzels are a great low fat snack and are a great option to chips if you're looking for a salty and crunchy treat.

What are some of your favorite snacks to have when traveling?

The Disneyland Conundrum

Hello dear readers! I recently returned from a lovely trip to Southern California where I visited with family and spent a wonderful week at the Disneyland resort! It was fun, it was magical, and it made me gain 3 pounds?!!!

For those long time readers of Losing with Loves you'll recall a post by Hilary which also talked about Disneyland. When she came home from Disneyland she also had surprisingly gained 3 pounds.

This is seriously a conundrum for me. I walked around that park from sun up to sun down for 4 days. I was even wearing my new shape up shoes (which deserve a post of their own) and I gained. The even more sad news it that right before I left for the vacation I had gone up about 2.5 pounds at my last weigh in. I thought, "that's ok, I'll work it all off at Disneyland." Wrong!

I could go over all the reasons why I gained on the trip. Obviously I didn't follow weight watchers because I wanted to enjoy myself and not have to worry about it. I still tried to make healthy choices though maybe that churro wasn't such a good idea (I did split it in thirds and only ate 1/3!).

The main point is now it's time to get back on track. Only thing is, how do I do that? I feel like I've fallen so far off the wagon that I find myself saying "Oh well. I tried, it didn't work. Maybe I just can't do it" (Oh, Jillian would beat me if she heard me saying the word "can't").

How do you get back on track? How do you motivate yourself to try again? Is it ever too late to try?