One Potato Two Potato

Hello! Long time no see, eh? This summer has been fast as far as activities go, but slow as far as exercise and diet go. I didn't just fall off the wagon. I jumped off, did a few somersaults, and wound up somewhere in between Kansas and Kentucky.

Now on to the good news! I have been following Hilary's posts on Facebook regarding her carb fast, getting back on track, etc. Well once again she inspired me to re-evaluate my own food and exercise habits and you know what I found? Crap. Lots of crap.

So here I am! I'm back on track following a plan that my trainer wrote for me but this time I'm throwing calorie counting in there as well. Jillian Michaels always says losing weight is simple: it's calories in and calories out. Simple science. I always fought it but now I get it.

I'm on day 4 and I have lost 4.3 pounds. Yeah there's probably water weight in there and my body is just revving up because I went from eating burgers and fries and pizza to lean chicken and broccoli. It's like being on the ranch week one. I'll put up a big number this week and then probably go to more "normal" weight losses each week.

So my food plan includes lots of lean protein, no carbs after 4pm, and a lot of water just to name a few things. My exercise plan is to do 30 minutes per day of focused exercise (dvd's, gym machine, etc.), be as active as possible the rest of the day (play wii with the kids, ride bikes, walk to the park, etc.), and jog 3 times a week to train for a 5k and 10k I have coming up in September.

It's good to be back!

Let Them Eat...Pie!

Wikipedia says that a physicist named Larry Shaw created Pi Day in 1988 when he worked at the San Francisco Exploratorium. Pretty sure my dad has been celebrating it longer than that, sorry Larry!


My dad used to send me to school with pie for me and pie to share with my friends, because he's cool like that. Pi Day is one of our families favorite traditions! Especially when mommy picks up pie at Marie Callendar's and doesn't have to make it. :) 


So for today, go ahead and eat some pie. Then go run on the treadmill to work it off.  It's a holiday, we don't count points/calories/carbs/etc. on holidays, right? Happy Pi Day!

Sick

It's officially winter and we are all officially sick. Just nasty colds but still, annoying! I haven't worked out all week except for one evening of running around with the kids at the park. I just feel blah.

Another conundrum: why is it that all I crave is CRAP when I'm sick?! On a normal weekly basis the idea of a McDonalds french fry is disgusting. A slice of pizza? No thank you. But when I'm sick? Bring. It. On.

Last night I caught myself eating an ice cream sandwich with the kiddos. I don't even like ice cream sandwiches! I stopped (after eating 3/4 of it) and threw it in the trash. Why was I eating it? Because I'm sick. Well sure, that makes sense.

People talk about eating soup when you're sick. Blech! I don't like most soups normally anyway but when I'm sick? I want to eat a big Cafe Rio pork salad, watch my favorite movie The Holiday, and nurse my cold away.

I guess in the end it all boils down to convenience but mostly comfort. When I'm sick I want those comfort foods and it doesn't matter if they are healthy or not. I haven't indulged all my cravings this week but that could just be because there is no Cafe Rio nearby. :)

What do you eat when you are sick?

Official Weekly Weigh-In

My last weekly weigh-in was a cheat one, I'm technically not supposed to weigh-in midweek but I did. So that weigh-in was Tuesday night, the day I train.

Like I said in my last post, I have been on a plateau forever and so my trainer worked up a new food plan for me to follow instead of WW. I love WW, it got me going and helped me lose 20 pounds so I know it works. I also think it's good to shake things up now and then. I do know that I definitely want to use WW when I am at my goal weight just to maintain and stay accountable.

But back to the weigh in. So today was my official weigh in day are here are the results this week:

Down 5.4 pounds!!!!!!!

I am so excited! Let me tell you, it has not been easy. Every day this week I have had to make the choice to be healthy and work towards my goals. Last night I wanted a piece of pizza from my cheat meal the night before so bad but leftovers are not part of the cheat meal deal. I seriously kept going back and forth in my mind about whether or not I was going to eat some. Finally, I decided not to and instead have a spinach salad with tomatoes and hard boiled eggs.

I knew that if I had gone off plan and eaten the leftover pizza then I would have felt horrible if my numbers were higher than I had expected this morning. So I decided to stick with it and not waste all the hard work I've done this week. My trainer says I'm being rewarded for my good choices and I have to say, I like this reward!

So it's on to week 2 of this new food/exercise plan. I hope the results keep coming and the pounds keep dropping.

What good choices are you making today to get you towards your goals?

Weekly Weigh-In

Haven't done a Weekly Weigh-in update for a while, probably because I've been stuck on a dumb plateau for what has seemed like for-ev-er!

So I changed things up, both food and exercise wise, and it's working:

Down 2.6 this week!!!

So ready for my training session tonight! Bring it!!!

Workout Du Jour

Last week I wanted to up my workouts a bit so I brought out the big guns: Jillian. Yep, Jillian. Now, I am a huge Jillian fan and I realize not everyone share's my opinion. But you have to admit, the girl knows her stuff.

Last year before I started my weight loss journey I bought The 30 Day Shred. (Hilary also talked about this HERE.) I never made it past Level 1, not even sure I finished the dvd. It was a lot harder than I had thought it was going to be and at that point I was totally out of shape.

Last night I wanted to workout a bit and thought I'd pull it back out. I was really impressed with how well I did! Of course it was still crazy and intense, but I made it all the way through and felt great after. And I'm super sore today, lovely. :)

So this dvd is broken into 3 levels and the idea is to do the dvd everyday for a month and (they claim) lose 20 pounds. Each level is only 20 minutes (give or take) and you start with Level 1 and move on to the next level when you feel ready.

If you like Jillian's style on The Biggest Loser you'll love this dvd. She doesn't yell, but she doesn't take any excuses and tells you how it is. Very different than say, Denise Austin who is just a little too perky for me.

It's not very fun either. This is not a dvd where I would say I love this workout! No, this is get down and get it done. No breaks, fast paced, and very intense.

That being said, I really think she knows her stuff and I really like the circuit training aspect of it. Check it out and let me know what you think!

Weekly Weigh-In

Goals are a great thing. They give you something to work towards, push you and motivate you to work harder. And then sometimes you don't meet those goals and it's up to you whether you let it discourage you or motivate you.

I choose to be motivated! This past week I had a lofty goal to lose 4 pounds. The most I've lost in one week is 3.1 and that was last week. The way it works on the Biggest Loser is if you have a big week then usually the next week is a lower week. It tends to work that way in real life too, at least for me.

I was not down 4, but rather down 1. And you know what? I'll take it! That's one less pound to lose, one less pound standing between me and my maintenance weight!

There were several things I did this past week which only helped lead to the low number. I have reviewed them and am pushing through to this week.

My goal this week is to worry less about the scale and more about being healthy. I need to stop obsessing about numbers (not ignore them, just not obsess over them) and really listen to how I'm feeling, how my clothes are fitting, etc. After thinking about it I realized I'm feelin' pretty darn good!

Around the Blog

I love blogs and I find that they can really help motivate and inspire me. So I thought I would share a few of my favorite weight-loss, fitness, or food related blogs and websites. These are ones that I love reading and go back to often.

In no particular order:

1. Myfitspiration: This one is for all you Biggest Loser fans out there. The purple team from Season 11, sisters Hannah Curlee and Olivia Ward have launched their own blog! They were my two favorites so I am loving this connection to them. They post videos, answer questions, write blog posts about the things going on with them, etc. It's a very fun read.

2. Courtney Crozier A Look Into A Big Loser's Life: This is also for Biggest Loser fans. Courtney from Season 11 has begun her own blog as well. She also does videos and writes posts. One of her most recent posts was about having a skin removal surgery done and was quite interesting to read about.

3. Running for My Life: I stumbled upon this blog through a mutual friend's blog and I'm sure glad I did. This blog is great for those who are beginning runners. Aubrey, the blog author, gives great running tips and talks about her experiences which has been super helpful to me. One of my favorite tips was when she talked about switching from listening to music while running to listening to General Conference talks. Makes sense to me!

4. Come Experience doTERRA: This blog is run by a friend, Nicole, who has been using doTERRA oils for years to help her family be healthy. I love the idea of using natural things such as essential oils to help us be healthy. I've also found that essential oils are great for using while working out. I don't go for a run without using elevation and citrus bliss to give me energy and uplift my mood, deep blue if I have shin splints or joint/muscle pains, and breathe to help with my asthma while running. I also just got a great tip to try using peppermint on endurance runs. It will cool you down, keep you alert, and give you a boost of energy to make it to the end of a long race.

5. Deals to Meals: This is a great website that I've known about for about a year and a half or so but just recently began using. They do have a blog you can follow which has great recipes and helpful shopping information. It's so nice to be able to see all the sales and get recipes to fit with those sale items. With it being summer there's a lot of great produce sales and it's nice to have all the price comparisons already listed for me right there on the screen. This does cost a fee but as I said they also have a blog you can find on that site that is totally free and has great information.

Those are just a small sampling of some of my favorite websites. What are some of your favorite health/fitness blogs and/or websites?

Snack of the Day

It's summer and let's be honest, right now my favorite snacks are all the fresh fruits and vegetables! There are so many farmers markets around here, orchards, produce stands, etc., it's so great! Having a great local variety definitely helps me eat my recommended servings each day.

Currently some of my favorite fruit/veggie snacks are:

- Greek yogurt with blueberries

- Cucumber slices with a sprinkle of sea salt

- Roasted tomatoes and yellow squash

- Salads, salads, salads!

- Steamed carrots and broccoli

- Frozen red grapes, a great cool treat

- Pink lady apples, my favorite kind of apple

- Sauteed zucchini, steamed zucchini, roasted zucchini, I like zucchini

What are some of your favorite fruit/veggie snacks?

This is My Now

(Yes, the title is from that cheesy American Idol song that Jordin Sparks sang at her finale. Deal.)

I started my journey on January 8th with the goal to lose 50 lbs. this year. I started off strong, working along side a good friend who was the one to inspire me to start this journey in the first place...and then she moved.

And quite honestly, I was already getting complacent and lazy by the time she moved (it had been about 5 months or so since I started). And then summer happened. And then my nice little graph on the side of this blog went up and down and up and down.

The only thing that even kept me thinking about weight loss and fitness during those hard times was my friend/therapist/trainer. She's amazing. She has done everything she can to keep me on track, even though sometimes I just wouldn't listen. It was like I had a wall up.

When we started back up after a break a couple weeks ago she just gave it to me straight. She basically told me that I needed to work hard, track my food, do all those things because I should be losing weight right now! She said, "You're expecting a miracle in one hour a week." And it's true. I was. I thought hey I've got a trainer, now the weight will just slide off, right? Wrong! I have to do my part.

I've now realized that it's all about me. I'm doing this for me. It's ok for me to be selfish with this. It's ok for me to say I need 30 minutes to workout today while you watch the kids. It's ok for me to say no to someone who wants me to help with something because it will add stress to my life. It's ok!

So, this is my now. This is my brand new year. I'm recommitting and I'm more ready now than I think I've been this whole year. Make sure and check back to see updates including my own updates as well as tips, tricks, things I have found useful.

I'd also love to hear from you! What do you want to hear about? What things are you curious about?

Weekly Weigh-In

A couple weeks ago I started training again and really got back on board with my dieting, etc. Well, let's just say when my trainer tells me to do something you bet I'm going to listen! I've been working hard and it's paying off.

Today's weigh in marks 20 lbs. lost since the beginning of the year!!!! Check out my little side graph now. Nice downward slope and I'm loving it!

Weekly Goal: My goal for this week is to keep up with everything I've been doing (train, food journal, no sugar, etc.) as well as:

1. Go to sleep on time! This is a huge one for me. I'm such a night owl which isn't good for my body but is also when I tend to snack.

2. Exercise 30 min. a day. I've done well the last week doing this every other day or every couple of days but I really want to make it a part of my daily schedule. Whether it's a yoga dvd, jogging, a brisk walk, zumba, whatever. 30 minutes devoted to exercise.

3. Really push myself to the limit. I want to show myself what I really can do. I love the Biggest Loser because they do this to the contestants. They push them until they think they are at their limit, and then they push them some more to show them just what they can do.

So check back in with me next week when I report on how things went. :)

Weekly Weigh-In and Other Measurements

I haven't posted in a while so I thought it was time for a quick update. I took a bit of a "vacation" this summer, that is, a vacation mentality towards Weight Watchers. Then I literally went on vacation these past 3-4 weeks. It was not pretty folks.

But now...I'm back!!! I'm motivated and I'm ready to buckle down and really get this thing done. Step number one was to buy a scale for my bathroom since I am no longer attending WW meetings and can't use theirs.

The big weigh in after a month of: I lost 3 pounds! Yes, it was over a month so it's not that great, but I was definitely not counting points and it's nice to know that I'm learning to change habits, not just follow a diet.

So YTD total: I'm down 15.5 lbs!

I am running a 5k with my trainer the last weekend of September, so 8 weeks away from last Saturday. I made it my goal to lose an additional 20 lbs. by the day of the race. I am kicking it into high gear over here! I will keep you update with a weekly weigh-in and I'd love feedback and motivation through comments!

Suggestion of the day: Use a food scale!!!! I haven't been using one all year, just going by the serving size on the back of packages or guesstimating. If you want to see results you NEED a food scale. Today I ate some blue corn chips for a snack. It said 1 oz. or approximately 14 chips for a serving. I used my brand new food scale and got maybe 10 chips at 1 oz. I've been over eating and over guesstimating everything!!! Get yourself a food scale people. (FYI: The one pictured is not the one I bought).

Progress

I love making goals. I love how I can set a goal, work hard, and then see the improvement.

Tonight I ran a quarter mile straight. That's approximately one time around a high school track. Without stopping.

And I was ok, no side cramps, no hyperventilating.

I couldn't even do that in high school, people! This is HUGE!

I still don't like running. I still wouldn't call myself a runner. And I still almost wet my pants every time I think about the fact that I'm running a 5k in a little less than 4 weeks.

But I'm working hard and it's showing. Really showing. That's progress. And that is definitely something to be happy about. :)

Making Healthy Choices

It's hard for me to stay on track when on vacation. A lot of times I'm not doing the grocery shopping or cooking and there's usually fast food involved.

I decided that to try and not gain weight while still enjoying my vacation my mantra would be "Make a healthy choice." For me this did not mean skipping treats but rather making a better choice than I had previously done while vacationing.

Here are a few ideas:

1) Plan Ahead

- I've found that with trying to diet or eat healthy it's all about planning ahead. We didn't want to stop for fast food on the drive down to So Cal so I packed lunches and snacks ahead of time. Sandwiches, nuts, fruits, veggies, etc. were all great to have along the way.

2) Split Meals/Food

- When we were at Disneyland we did this all the time. We bought 2 churros and split them between our family of 4. 1/2 of a churro was enough to enjoy the taste without consuming all those calories.

- When my hubby and I ate at a restaurant we split our monte cristos and pomme frittes. The waitress was happy to do that for us and it was plenty of food, especially with how heavy it was. (But good, oh so good!)

3) Make a Better Choice

- On our way home we left later than expected and had not planned on stopping for dinner. When we were on the road and realized we needed to eat before continuing our drive we stopped at a little gas station. This one building housed several fast food restaurants including Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, and Burger King. I enjoy Taco Bell and give me a whopper and fries any day! But this time I was trying to keep my healthy vacation idea in mind and opted for a Subway sandwich loaded with veggies and a fat free sauce. Was it the best thing I could have eaten for dinner? Probably not. But it was a better choice than what I normally would have picked.

For me I guess I learned that even though I'm on vacation I still need to be accountable to myself. It's not ok to say "well, I'm doing tons of walking around the parks so I can eat junk all day long." I can enjoy my vacations and indulge in treats but remembering these three things will help keep me on track when I'm not in my home environment.

The Disneyland Conundrum: Take 2

Ok, so I didn't do a Disney 1/2 marathon, but after 2 days of walking all over both parks my legs sure thought I had!

We like to go to Disneyland often. You'd think with all that walking I would lose weight while there. Not so, my friends. That mean old mouse (ok, so he's really not mean, but come on, help a dieting girl out!) has put churros, hand dipped corn dogs, etc. all over the place!

It's so hard to say no to all the yummy treats! By the time I come back home I've GAINED 3 pounds!!!

Not this time my friends. I did my weigh in when I came back and I did not gain a single pound. In fact, if anything I actually lost about 1/2 pound or so.

Tomorrow I will post some of things I did while on vacation, which may be no brainers to you, but weren't to me and really helped me enjoy my trip while not hating the scale when I got back.

Weekly Weigh-In

Well, I missed Weight Watchers on Saturday because we were out at the Walk Now For Autism Speaks event. It was fantastic! Not to mention we walked 1 mile so I got some exercise too. :)

My goal this week is to focus on being more active. I want to workout 1 hour 3 times this week as well as try to be more active in general.

Ways To Accomplish This Goal:

- Train with my amazing trainer one night this week

- Do a yoga video on Netflix, it really is good to do at least once a week

- Walk to the park instead of drive

- Play more Wii games like Just Dance, Wii Active, or Wii Fit as part of my evening activities

- Dust off my 30 Day Shred dvd. We all need a little Jillian in our week. :)

How do you workout and stay active?

Weekly Weigh-In

So today's weekly weigh in was up one pound from my last weekly weigh in making that 12 point something pounds lost since I started. I've had ups and downs throughout these past few months and I wonder where I would be if I had just stuck to it this whole time but that's all part of the journey!

My weekly goal for next weigh in is to lose 3 pounds. I know, that's a lot when you're not a Biggest Loser contestant but I've done it a couple times before so I know it's achievable if I work really hard and track points like crazy.

Ways I'm going to achieve my weekly goal:

- Work out at least 30 minutes each day
- Train with my trainer one night this week and really work hard
- Track every single thing I eat this week
-Meet my fruits/veggies requirements each day, and then some
-Focus on lean protein, healthy snacking, and portion control
-Meet my water intake requirements each day, and then some

I remember when one of the contestants this season on BL had a weight in mind he wanted to achieve at weigh-in. He was so determined to hit this weight that he wrote it in sharpie on his arm and would constantly repeat the number during workouts.

I have to say, I'm kind of tempted to get a sharpie and put a huge 3 on my arm, but I think that goes against the whole idea of being kind to my body. So instead, I'm going to make "3 pounds" my mantra this week. When my workout gets hard and I don't think I can do it I'll say "3 pounds, Mary, 3 pounds" and keep on going. When I'm trying to decide whether to eat a greek yogurt or a bowl of ice cream for a snack I'll say "3 pounds, Mary, 3 pounds."

Do you like making weekly goals? How do you stick to those goals?

I'm Back!

I know, it's been a long time since I last posted. Life got busy and my weight loss efforts got pushed to the back burner.

Thankfully, some of the new healthy habits I've been learning these past few months are sticking because in the 4 weeks I didn't do Weight Watchers I only gained 1 pound! This is huge people. The last time I went off track for a week I gained 1 pound. I'm glad to see I didn't mess up as much as I thought I had.

That being said, I am back and I am re-committing myself to this goal and this journey. I trained with my trainer Tuesday night, as usual, and we came up with consequences that she will inflict (such as extra intervals, etc.) that I will earn if I do not work out twice during the week in addition to training as well as attend the WW meetings. She is one tough trainer and I met my goals this week because even walking on the treadmill for 20 minutes is a heck of a lot easier than what she would make me do next training.

I am going to start posting the weekly weigh in again and this time around I'm adding a weekly goal, something to keep me on track. I'm glad to be back. :)

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.

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?