Happy Memorial Day weekend all! Keep in mind that "holiday weekend" is not code for "go crazy on calories" ;-) As for me, I'm not really celebrating too much. I'm spending my weekend getting organized, doing homework, fixing my budget (never fun...), and getting back on track!

Nutrition: I haven't been keeping track of anything the last few days. On Thursday, I wasn't really hungry. Friday, I ate a great lunch with Stef, but nothing else from the day sticks out. Yesterday, I know there was a breakfast... a lunch... and maybe a dinner? It's all a blur. Today I had oatmeal and a fruit bar for breakfast, and waffles for lunch. I'm having pasta and veggies for dinner =D

Fitness: This week was, by far, my worst yet. Despite losing weight for Tuesday, I only worked out on Thursday with my trainer. Tyler is great, and he understood my need to workout, despite being upset. I felt much better when I was done. Today, one of my goals is to get some homework done, do my laundry, and WORK OUT. I just need to sweat, it makes me feel so much better about EVERYTHING.

I did make that motivational poster I talked about a few posts ago, so hopefully I'll remember to take a picture of it asap and post it on here - I love it!

Finally, I've been really focused on figuring out my new place. I got a dining room table (with 3 chairs), a grill, a floor lamp, a table lamp, and my desk chair.... FOR FREE. It seems that, as people are moving from the development, they just don't want their stuff anymore. I can't wait to find a bookcase in the rubbish bins - my day will be made!

Thanks for reading!!

What a rough week. I only worked out Thursday, with my trainer. I don't know that I ate exceptionally well or very poorly, but on Tuesday I weighed in and lost 4 pounds. That was the good part. On Wednesday I had a weird feeling all day - like I was getting sick, which I definitely didn't need ANYMORE of this year.

Around midnight Wednesday, I found out a friend I knew in high school had killed herself. Her sister called and told me, and I was heartbroken. On Thursday, the only thing that snapped me out of anything was going to the gym, and hanging out with one of my best guys. (You know who you are <3)

A lot of tears, little appetite, some sweating, and way too many hours of sleep caught up on, later... I am starting to feel okay.

Bright side - I had my first driving lesson today. I needed to get out of the house, so Stef took me to eat a good, vegetarian lunch (with delicious dark chocolate cake), see animals in a pet store, and then to a parking lot. I spent the last two days basically reading through the 1st four books in a series, and now that I'm finished, I have to face this grief.

Until tomorrow, I suppose. XO Thanks for reading.

Get out of my head! My brain hurts today. And it has for the last couple of days... which is why my posts have been seriously blah. I'll be excited to workout at the gym today, eat a yummy dinner, and then settle in for some homework. Today was my first day at my new job - it was fun! I felt very productive, and my boss said she'd like me to help out with copyediting, writing and layout (like being at a big time magazine!).

Tomorrow is weigh-in day. I am not sure what exactly to expect, since I've been active and eating pretty good. I didn't work out this weekend though, (cleaning!) so we'll see how it balances out. Also, tomorrow is the finale of the biggest loser, *tear.* I'll be sad to see it end! If you watch, who are you rooting for? I want Olivia to win!

In other news, this week is focused on motivation and new ideas. So, to start off, here is what I propose to do tonight: An inspiration board! I am going to put my goals, quotes, pictures, and favorite words all in one place, with my "dream in detail" in the center. I got the idea from Self  ;-) I'll post a picture when I'm done!

Also, my new ideas:

My trainer suggested trying not to eat carbs after 6pm. This seems hard, since even fruit has carbs, but I may try it out. He says focusing your late hours on veggies and protein help build muscle, and since the primary reason we eat carbs is for energy, cutting them out when you're winding down for the day is a good thing.

Also, my nutritionist suggested cutting some things from my diet. Namely, white/refined carbs and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). When I think about white/refined carbs, I go directly to white bread and pasta. But then I looked it up - so long to cupcakes, crackers, and potato chips too! (I don't really eat potato chips that much anyway, heh. But if I make cupcakes... look out!) We'll see...

As for HFCS, I'm interested to see where this is found. Usually, I just assume everywhere! The perk of dropping HFCS products though (aside from the obvious health benefits) is that it means I have to eat more of the full fat foods - in controlled portions of course - since low-fat or nonfat foods typically have HFCS to add flavor.

What tips have you tried to get fit? Do you have any motivational quotes I could use?

Thanks for reading!

Short and sweet tonight... 1 - I ate okay today. Shared two mini donuts with the kids I babysit, so that was a bit of a guilt trip. 2 - I didn't work out today. I have to admit, my body hurts from 8 hours of cleaning yesterday! 3 - Tomorrow the new job starts, woot! That means I'm off to bed in a few minutes ;-) 4 - I am definitely going to the gym tomorrow, since it's right by my work. Good night all - thanks for reading this short blurb!

Friday – I didn’t work for the first day all week =) It was definitely a nice reprieve. I did go to the movies with a friend, had some chocolate and diet soda… but no popcorn! I also went and got my learner’s permit! I was really worried to get it – and it was over so fast. Next stop – license.

As for food and exercise… Food – not too bad. I did eat some fries with lunch, because I was celebrating my permit. I had a veggie burger and water with them though, so I feel like it evened out.

Exercise – In short, I didn’t. I finally had a day to map out my degree, do a little retail therapy (dollar tree IS in my budget), and getting my learner’s permit was a big deal.

I have gotten into a pattern of working out 5 times a week, so that I can have weekends off. Since I didn’t work out Friday, I will use a weekend day. By this standard, my week goes from Monday – Sunday (which is easier since I work during the week).

Saturday – I ate well, and skipped my workout. I cleaned all day though! And boy, I BET I burned some serious calories. I’m talking organizing, dusting, sweeping, and scrubbing the kitchen. Cleaning two bathrooms. Doing laundry. Vacuuming & organizing the living room. Cleaning my room. I know I burned enough calories for a work out – I was sweating all day & my body hurts!

Tomorrow, the plan is mental and physical fitness. Also known as… doing homework & hanging with Billy Blanks ;-) I am babysitting and signing my first lease tomorrow too! Monday I start a new job, and I have to get up at 7am… so my new sleep schedule is starting tonight too!

Thanks for reading, until tomorrow!

In my weight loss journey, since January 1st of this year, I have lost a total 33 pounds. I can't even describe how incredible this feels. And every time I feel even a little bit tempted to jump of the wagon, I remember the good times, and the bad.

The bad: When my doctor told me I was pre-diabetic at age 20. When I couldn’t fit in a “normal” seat on a rollercoaster. When my little brother told me that he “wished I could run with him.” When I was ashamed to look in a full length mirror in the dressing rooms.

The good: When I had my first workout with Tyler (trainer) that I didn't feel defeated. When I went down a dress size. When I decreased my risk for heart disease from high to moderate over 12 weeks. When I lost 10 inches on my waist. When I rediscovered my muscles in my legs. When my vocal coach told me the weight loss was helping my singing.


In the end, the good very obviously outweighs (pun intended) the bad. 

I don't want to be the "big" sister literally. I want to be able to shop with my friends. I want to not worry about my weight affecting my ability to have children down the road. But most importantly... I don't want to regret living my life cautiously because of my size.

I am so PUMPED to keep going. Thanks for riding on this rollercoaster with me, and of course - thanks for reading!

Today - Mostly good! First of all - I got the job!!!! My interview to become an Advertising Manager went as well as I thought - I'm a career woman now! I start Monday =D

Secondly, Biggest Loser. Now, I know this blog is about me - my successes and setbacks. But this show has motivated me since the beginning of this year & Tuesday's episode was one of the most emotional ones so far. I was watching, as the finalists sat at home and saw the video they made when they first got to the ranch. In it, they (at their largest) told themselves (at their smallest) to persevere, to remember the pain, suffering, and heartache that goes with being overweight, and to always go forwards.

I couldn't help but hear their pleas. I don't ever want to be at my heaviest again. Ever. I don't want to go back to eating so much my stomach hurts, or feeling guilty because I gave up, again. I am only going forward.

Third, this ties in nicely with the BL show, I met with my trainer. Yesterday I hurt my back, and he thinks it's a sprain. So working out today, I was nervous. But - lo and behold - my work has paid off. His workout didn't kill me. Not even close! I felt the burn, yea, but I didn't feel like keeling over, gasping for breath, or giving up. He also said something that I love as a mantra, "Everyday, you change by 1%. No one is exactly the same from day-to-day. Your choices determine whether that 1% is positive or negative."

Thanks for reading! Also, see my other post for today – it’s a synopsis of how far I’ve come. =)

Okay, so I originally planned to write 3 posts today - to make up for totally slacking this week when work started. Obviously, I wrote more. I hope you're all keeping up - I love getting feedback (even if it makes me backtrack and do a little research *cough*CPR*cough*). It's great to know you all are so supportive and are reading along!

So, since the day is only half over, I want to address two things.

First, Wednesday. Today I will be heading to the gym after work, and then trying to get a TON of work done at home. My concern for this week is that, with the new schedule (*ahem* ANY schedule) I am definitely not getting enough sleep. I haven't been going to bed early, and I'm going to crash eventually if this continues. Tonight: despite everything else, I WILL go to bed at a reasonable hour.

The second thing I wanted to talk about was eating disorders. I don't know why, but writing about Fad diets and gastric by-pass made me think about what I've done to try and "be healthy." When I was a teenager, getting thin was one of the most important things to me. Back then, getting "healthy" was something I equated with being thin. It didn't matter what the repercussions were.

Since I see this blog as a way to be perfectly honest about my health - and since I'm talking to the people I trust and know are my biggest supporters, I have to say it: I have dealt with an eating disorder. A doctor called it "EDNOS." This stands for Eating Disorder Not Otherwise Specified (clever, right?)

Basically, it meant that I would fluctuate between not eating and then binge-purging (laxatives or throwing up). When I talked about FAD diets, a thought popped into my head – eating disorders are very similar. Although they are more psychologically-based, they are still seen as “the only way” to get “healthy.”

I’m glad that period of my life is over, and I’m glad to be able to share it with you.

Thanks for reading!

Tuesday!

Okay, so I'm going to try and keep this short, since I wrote a novel on gastric by-pass a minute ago. Yesterday, I had an interview. And even with the bundle of nerves I had, I ate pretty well.

After my interview, I went to work, went to the gym (met with my trainer!), spent some time with the roomies, and then built a dresser with a friend I haven't seen in awhile. If my life were a SIMS game, my social for yesterday would have skyrocketed! (I know I'm a nerd.)

I got a ride to my interview, so I missed that opportunity to workout. On the flip side, I left my bike at home, so I had to walk to work, and then walk home from the gym. I also walked to the aforementioned friend's house - one mile each way! At the gym, I did 1/2 a mile on the treadmill, 15 minutes strength training (for those of you who are curious - plank, bicep curls, lunges), 3 miles on the bike, and 15 more minutes of strength (this time - lateral pull-downs, squats, and crunches). It felt great!

Finally, I weighed in yesterday. Since I started this blog a week ago I've lost.... drumroll please.... 2.6 lbs! Woo hoo! Perfectly healthy weight loss, and totally awesome results!

Today's agenda: At work now... (oops!), then heading to the gym, bike ride home, dinner, cleaning, and homework for the night. It's about time for a night in =)

Thanks for reading!

Monday... It seems so long ago! With work and friends returning to MU, I have fallen behind a little on this blog!

 Monday was my first day back at work. I wasn't sure how long I would be there, so I brought food for lunch. Unfortunately, I only brought lettuce (a "salad") without dressing, a piece of string cheese, a banana, and a piece of chocolate. Yikes! I was going to go to the gym afterwards... but I was very lightheaded after work, and I didn't want to chance it. 

So, I headed home, ate a snack, and started on dinner (brown rice, veggies, tea, chicken). Then I powered through 20 minutes with Bob & my Kettlebell. It wasn’t much, but I did bike to and from work, so I felt like I did okay.

After my workout, I ate dinner (protein within 30 minutes of working out builds the most muscle), showered, and headed to babysitting.

After a longgg day – ten hours of work – I couldn’t even consider coming home to blog. All I could think was “I love my bed….”

Thanks for reading!!

Let me re-address the issue of gastric by-pass surgery. After talking with one of my mentors at school, who has had a successful journey with gastric by-pass, and after talking with the daughter of the woman whom I am concerned about, I want to amend some of my comments.

In general, I think that some people look to surgery as an easier option. While this does not apply to everyone, and while many people do the surgery out of necessity, I am frustrated with the amount of people who assume that getting the surgery will solve all of their problems.

When it comes to surgery, I personally did look into having it at one point. I did not seriously consider it, and when my mom and I went to a seminar to learn more, I was relieved that, due to time constraints and being away at college, it would be nearly impossible for me to do.

That said, at that time I looked into it upon the recommendation of my family. Being that I respect their opinions very much, I did not want to leave any options out. Being overweight is frustrating, and seeing a light by something as "simple" (or so I thought at the time) as surgery makes everything look different.

Also, I looked into it because I wasn't very confident in my ability to lose the weight without some drastic change. At the same time, I was an adult when I looked into it, so Courtney has a point - no one forced me to do anything.

Now, I've done the research. On one side - I see gastric by-pass as a risky, and avoidable procedure. On the other, when it comes to your health - gastric by-pass can be, literally, a lifesaver.

In the general picture, I will always worry when people pursue this as an option. I think weight loss can be done through diet & exercise. BUT, for someone who is older, has more medical problems, and possibly needs the surgery as a kick-start to a healthy lifestyle, it may be an option. Ultimately, I would rather see someone live a long and healthy life after gastric by-pass than struggle and deal with long-term medical issues.

As my mentor pointed out, gastric by-pass could have prolonged people's lives, had the medical advancements been around in the past. I just hope that anyone considering it has tried to lose weight on their own, and is fully aware of all the precautions, risks, and work that comes with it.

Thanks to both Courtney and Diane for making me look deeper into this issue and see both sides of the argument. And thanks for reading!

Sunday is my lazy day. I still ate healthy (somehow…. Don’t know where THAT willpower came from!) but didn’t work out. My muscles finally feel better, and it doesn’t hurt to move anymore. I wanted to work out, but today was the last day of the week long respite I carved out for myself after finals.

Tomorrow, Monday, I re-enter the workforce. I knew it was coming, but still – the thought of getting up to an alarm, dressing at least somewhat professionally, and actually caring what my hair decides to look like for the day... is blah.

Luckily, I’ll be working in an office, so I know it will be relatively easy work. On the downside, I’ll be spending most of the day sitting down… At least I have to ride my bike there! Also, I’ll be working out with Jillian in the morning for some extra motivational mojo, and then packing a superb lunch. 

This week is looking busy – meeting up with friends who are back on campus, helping friends move, working pretty much every day, babysitting, and getting back into the hustle and bustle of life. I’ll be interviewing for a magazine job Tuesday, and if that doesn’t pan out – I’m applying at another job close by. 

All in all, my hopes for this week are simply that I can just stay focused on my goals and not fall into the traps I usually do when I get busy. Namely, eating poorly because I am on the run. My body feels great after a week of doing right by it, so hopefully I can hold on to that!

Wish me luck, and thanks for reading!!

Aerobarre: 7 Moves To Your New Sexy Body Workouts: self.com

Aerobarre: 7 Moves To Your New Sexy Body Workouts: self.com - Looks cool! I'm definitely going to try this out! I don't have the bar though, so I'll use the dumbbells when I can ;-)

Saturday – Long day… I had a migraine all day, so fitness got pushed aside. I did walk a mile with Stef, so  I didn’t give up or anything. But I’m not doing anything else tonight.

As for food: It was a healthy day again – a little more chocolate to keep things sweet ;-)

In other news: I wanted to focus this blog on quick fixes. A few days ago I had a conversation with a woman I have known almost my whole life. She is considering gastric bypass surgery. To me, this is a quick fix. Although this process is, by no means, quick and painless – it is an easy way out. This woman is smaller and older than me; translation: more possible health complications from having the surgery and she has less weight to lose.  

When it comes to weight loss surgery, I am completely against it. Unless it is medically necessary – the person will die without it – I think that losing the weight on your own is so much healthier. Plus, you get the pride and kudos of looking back and saying “look how far I’ve come!” For me, I’ve had friends whose parents and people they know have not only struggled with weight loss surgery, but have also had health complications, gained the weight back, and died. How is this possibly a logical choice?

On a similar note: I want to touch on quick fix diets. Since today was not eventful, this is a topic I think is important to talk about on my weight loss journey. Some of my friends have tried Atkins, South Beach, Slim Fast, the Hollywood Diet, and other fad diets. THEY DON’T WORK. It aggravates me that, time and time again, we hear about people who have tried and failed with these diets. But how many people who have legitimately changed their lives to include healthy habits (eating well, exercising, sleeping enough, & drinking plenty of water) have failed? None. I haven’t tried any fad diets in my life, and I don’t plan to.

Thanks for reading this rant ;-) Until tomorrow!

Friday… What a nice day. Today I went to the park with Stef, we walked two miles on the trail (with hills, no less). We were both pretty achy from last night’s workout with Bob, followed by our 35 minute walk… so I didn’t want to push it too much. Tonight I ended up doing a 15 minute workout on my arms anyway – it was the one part of my body that DOESN’T hurt right now!

Nutrition: Today went pretty well. I had a bit of a chocoholic moment mid-afternoon, but otherwise, awesome! Dinner tonight was rice, steamed veggies (cabbage, brussel sprouts, carrots and broccoli) and grilled chicken. Strawberries for dessert again! Yum!

Plus, after dinner I portioned all my grains (rice & pasta basically) into correct portion sizes (Dear Inventor of Ziploc bags, I love you!). And I portioned my dry snacks. Can you say PROGRESS?

Something I didn’t mention yet in this blog: weigh-in days. I will weigh-in on Tuesdays every week, and post the weight change (Hopefully only a downward slope!)

Also, I’m a fan of Biggest Loser – and the finale is this week! That show has inspired me so much this year, I’m sad to see it go! I feel healthier just watching it (just go with this logic…)

Today I did some more mental cleaning, which – after doing this blog consistently – I am realizing that my mental health is just as important as eating, sleeping, and exercising. So I did laundry, cleaned house, gardened, etc. I even *gasp* started on homework. Whoa.

Sorry for the short blog post tonight, I’m beat! Thanks for reading & keep up the awesome comments! It’s super helpful!!

Thursday: What an efficient day! First, I went food shopping. Not much, my budget can’t stretch. I totally resisted any impulse buys – including that tempting baking aisle – and got strawberries, papaya, mango, bananas, avocado, lettuce, butter, eggs, and light ranch dressing. Nothing more than the fruit I was craving, and the staples I was out of. Awesome!

Dinner went very well too – my complex carbs: brown rice; veggies: a salad with turkey & a hardboiled egg(for protein); dessert: strawberries. Yum =)

For now: no calorie counting. It makes me insane, and very slightly obsessive. Also, I think it’s the reason I end up feeling so hungry! I can’t explain why logically, but it does. So I am going to do what my nutritionist does. First, let me say how shocked I was to hear my NUTRITIONIST say that she hates counting calories. Immediately, I liked her.

Instead, while keeping an eye on calories (no need to lose my head!) I follow the food pyramid. For example, you’re supposed to eat 6-11 servings of grains a day. Half of them should be whole grains. In order to lose weight, you want to be on the low end of this estimate. So, I’d eat 6-8 servings/day. In keeping with Jillian’s principle – varying your daily intake to keep your metabolism revved, I might eat 6 servings today, 8 tomorrow, 7 the next, etc.

Sounds legit, right?

Fitness: Woo hoo!! Back on the express train to a healthy weight today! I worked out with Bob Harper’s Kettlebell Cardio Shred DVD. (Again, for the sake of my precious word count, I’ll refer to these as “Bob” from now on). Can I just say, in the ten minute recuperation stage afterwards, I lost feeling in my legs. Correction: I lost all GOOD feelings in my legs. Ouch!

Then, Stef & I went for a 35 minute walk through the hills of our development. I’m pretty sure I aged about a thousand years since I last took a walk. It was invigorating, though. Now, movie time – purely for the sake of my mental wellness.

Thanks for reading!!