Day Five

I am down 4 pounds!! Feeling good today. I will post more information later along with my food journal:)

How are YOU doing?

Day Two

Woke up achy today. My neck, shoulders and head hurt so bad...my energy level was low and really wasn't sure how today would go.

So proud of what I did in spite of the pain.

I watched everything I put in my mouth, wrote it down and ate only quality foods. That's what Chris had me focus on today...quality vs. quantity. She reminded me how my day is affected by the foods I choose to eat. So true.

Today was lower body/abs and walking. To be honest...I just couldn't bring myself to do abs today. I did walk for 46 minutes, doing walking lunges and lots of hills. My legs are on fire tonight. Love it!

Out of 5 stars I give myself a 4 today.


"Our thoughts and imaginations are the only real limits to our possibilities."  -Orison S. Marden

Preparing...

So tomorrow is the first day of the rest of my life.
Yep.
I'm gonna do it this time.

I mean I say that every time.
But somehow I mean it.
After all it's only 2 weeks.
I can commit to anything for 2 weeks.

In the 2-Week Total Body Turn-Around, there is a "Commitment Contract" for me to fill out and sign. Here it is....

My Commitment Contract

I am starting this program on this day...Monday, August 8th, 2011. 

Because...I am tired of feeling squishy. I am tired of none of my clothes fitting. I have to wear a bigger size and that's just not acceptable. I feel overwhelmed by my weight. I tire more easily and I just don't feel as confident as I know I can. 

At the end of 2 weeks I want to feel...energized. Like I am on my way to making healthy, life changes. Thinner and more confident. Proud that I stuck with something and finished it! I also want to be in the habit of exercising daily with both cardio and weights again. I miss that!

When the 2 weeks are over, I will...be proud of ME. Proud that I did it! I know this will give me the energy and confidence boost I need in other areas of my life. I will also continue to exercise and make better food choices so I can get to my ultimate goal weight. 

In the past, I have started my weight loss journey only to give up within a few weeks or even days. I always give in to sweets. That seems to be my downfall these days. Also chips. I start strong but never do I finish strong.

My lack of planning and preparing has typically stood in the way of my accomplishing similar goals.

I will sidestep these obstacles this time by staying on top of this program by planning my time and not using TV or housework or whatever as an excuse.

Here is an excerpt from the book that really speaks to me...

"What you do and think over the next 2 weeks will have a profound impact on your success both in the near term and in the distant future. Two weeks, when compared to your entire life, is nothing-a mere blip. But when you consider these 2 weeks being the launching point toward eating  more healthfully and exercising regularly, the shift is monumental." 

So tomorrow it begins. Tomorrow I am committing to eating better foods, exercising daily and drinking more water.

In the book, each day has it's own section of recipes and workouts along with a motivational quote and tips to achieve your goals. My focus tomorrow is upper body and core. Two areas that need my attention desperately:) On the menu is a turkey meatball pocket, fruit and Lemon Garlic Shrimp. Looking forward to that...sounds yummy.

My plan is to share here daily for the next 2 weeks. If you want to follow along...please do and be sure and let me know!! I could use the support:)


"Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it."  -Lou Holtz, legendary football coach

Jump Start

So did you think I wasn't coming back?:)

Oh I am here.
I have been making small changes in my life so I can be healhier.
I so want to focus on that right now.

In May when the headaches began coming on severe I went into a deep depression.
I didn't want to be around anyone.
My family hated being around me.
I was never happy.
I wasn't living that's for sure.
Just trying to figure out how to get through the day without pain.

But all that has changed now with my diagnosis.
So the past 2 to 3 weeks I have been taking Baby Steps.
Getting up an hour early to go walk {i have energy now!}.
Taking 1 point popcorn to the theater instead of downing a half bucket of grease.
Making sure I'm drinking water throughout my day.
Washing my face.
Moisturizing my skin.

I am such a "plan" person.
I know that when I'm given some sort of plan...goal...it's easier for me to do the work.
So I had been on the lookout for some sort of weight loss plan that I could do right at home...you see I had to quit Curves due to my neck and leg pain {yes, i still have those issues but they are MUCH better}...so home workouts are the best for me.

I was soooo elated when I found this little gem at Hastings Bookstore last week....

It was on clearance so I thought what the heck.
After reading it I am sooooo excited and thankful to have found this book!!!

So this weekend I am gathering all my food and exercise equipment, creating a journal and gearing up for this Jump Start to begin on Monday.

Currently I weigh 156.8 and my size 14 capri's aren't feeling so good. My middle is thick so shirts don't look as nice as they used to.
My goal for the next two weeks include....

*Down to 150
*Increased energy
*Improved diet {clean eating}
*Look better in my snug t-shirts

Each day I will share a bit of the book with you as well as my progress.

Are you ready?

I know I sure am!!

See you Monday!:)

"If we really want to live, we'd better start at once to try."  -W. H.Auden

Weekly Goals

Looking forward to a healthy week. I am in a much better place than I've been in a few months. Still a ways to go when it comes to my weekend eating...but working on that.

My goals for the week are simple...

Curves 5 days this week
Walk outside 2 to 3 days this week
WATER
Less food
Clean food
Keep up with my entries here...they help me focus!
Read all your motivational blogs:)

Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it's always your choice.
Wayne Dyer

Spring Goals

So last week I told you I was re-committing to this weight loss thing. I actually had 3 really good days in a row but then...it was Easter Sunday and I had was like a shark in an ocean of blood...I went on a frenzy. Chocolate, rolls, sweet potatoes, real butter....I was eating faster than I could chew.

But, it's Monday. And Monday's are good. Spring is good. It is a time of renewal.

My WORD for 2011 is REINVENT. I have been reinventing the way I do art, the way I look at my life. The way I interact. I am trying to get involved and serve others more. I am on the right path with it all but my health. So here are a few "mini" goals for the next 2 months....

April 25th-July 1st Health & Fitness Goals

*I will get to 148.0 by July 1st, 2010

*I will eat less at every meal, never eating till I am stuffed

*I will allow myself a splurge meal once a week

*I will exercise at least 4 days a week for 30 minutes or more

*I will share positive entries and quotes here on my Blog

*I will turn to others for inspiration and motivation and try to help them along

*I will remember that I am only human and I can't do it all...I can only do my BEST.

What are some of your short term goals?

Setting Goals and Cleaning

So, I found a latin dance DVD at Wal-mart along with a small pilates ball and DVD. No Zumba but according to the description of the latin dance it is pretty much the same thing.

I have also set up an area downstairs to workout in complete with mat, light weights and a step.

I will take photos of myself later on today and put a Before photo up on my sidebar along with my goals and a few stats about me now.

Let the transforming begin:)

Today I am transforming our upstairs. We have clothes and too much junk just everywhere. It is driving me bonkers!!! My goal is to make it a clean, fresh looking area TODAY!!!


What are you doing this weekend?

Believe in YOU

image from Bing.com

I used to BELIEVE in myself. I used to train and run marathons. I used to do things waaaay out of my comfort zone.

Me on the left in Denver, Colorado at my first Triathlon

Where did that part of me go? I'm not sure.
But I tell you right now...as sure as I live and breathe...
I am gonna BELIEVE in me again....

How about you?

Stand up and DO something!

This was me last Mother's Day. I was in the middle of losing weight. I felt AMAZING! Here is an excerpt from my journal dated April 21, 2010 {one month before this photo}....

"Good Morning:)! At long last I am losing weight! I have lost 9 pounds on my way to 10!! My goal is to get to 140 pounds. I'm at 157 at the moment. It has finally clicked with me, Dave and Jacks. To lose weight you must cut down on the calories-period! And that is what we are doing. I stand taller, I smile more, I am confident. My life is worth more than stuffing myself with food!"

Wow! I wrote that! I was actually feeling those feelings? That is the person  want to be...and I WAS that person...for a very short time.

All in all I lost 15 pounds and dropped nearly 2 sizes. I was wearing clothes that hadn't fit in YEARS. I was sooooo happy. Then, slowly I began to eat more and exercise less. And now I am back to wearing my 14's {i was in 10's}, wearing bigger shirts to hide my muffin top and not so confident.

HOWEVER....I have PROOF that I did it just a few short months ago. I can and will do it again and get to my goal of 140 pounds!!

Here is a photo of me taken Thanksgiving Day. I am wearing that brown vest to hide my rolls {trust me they are there!!}. My face is puffy here and my legs...oh boy! At the end of my weight loss last spring these pants literally would fall off me!!!

So...today is a brand new day. 

I am ready to get back on track!!

This afternoon I'm sitting at my kitchen table,

healthy cookbooks in hand, 

ready to prepare a months worth of meals. 

I know when I do this for my family 

we eat sooo much better.

Planning is truly the key to successful weight loss.

"Get all the education you can, but then, by God, do something. Don't just stand there; make it happen."  -Lee Iococca

I am doing something. I am arming myself with healthy foods and recipes, my gym pass and workout clothes and lots of support from my family and friends. I am also committed to sharing my journey here and help you reach your goals.


I also intend on reading Lynn's blog. She lost over 170 pounds!! Please read her post from today. Soooo inspiring!!  




What will YOU do to reach your healthy weight this year?

Start NOW!

Today...a part of you may be feeling hopeless. You may be thinking to yourself....

"I have nothing to wear."
"Nothing fits!"
"Why did I eat all that SUGAR!!?"
"I will NEVER be thin and healthy and pretty...NEVER!!"
"I hate myself today."
"I am just too far gone...too much fat, too out of shape...."

Are any of these statements sounding familiar?

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall." ... Confucius

Image from Bing.com

 I have recited over and over in my mind each of those statements over the past 72 hours. Holidays are hard on me. Every year I tell myself that THIS time it will be different. THIS time I won't eat all that junk.


But, like always I didn't listen to myself...I mean I was telling myself "Don't do it, Les" but I did it anyway.

Along with the festivities the past 72 hours I have managed to eat dozens of cookies, 1/2 lb. of fudge, countless pieces of chocolate along with bags of potato chips, dips and cheese. Oh my goodness the CHEESE!!!

It is time to stop the madness. It is time to forgive and forget and move forward!!! Like Confucious says it is time we rise up and get our groove on!!

Today I want you to STOP making excuses. Today I want you to forgive yourself and start fresh!! Today I want you to set 5 goals for the week...just for THIS week! You can do it! Here are mine...


1. Make it to the gym 5 days this week.
2. Drink to 32 ounce glasses of water a day.
3. 1 or 2 Diet soda's ONLY this week.
4. Keep a food journal for the next 7 days.
5. NO SUGAR {the only exception is my son's cake today-a sliver}


Now it's your turn. Take a piece of paper right now and jot down 5 goals you can accomplish this week!! 

You CAN do it!!!

Share one goal with us...inspire us!!

Tdoay I Will...

Make the decision, then do something - no matter how small - toward accomplishing what you want.

 Today I will drink a full 8 glasses of iced cold water with lemon.

Today I will NOT eat sugar.

Today I will take time for ME and create and BE still.

Today I will love myself.

What will YOU do today?

Create a Plan

Soooo thankful it's the Saturday after Thanksgiving. While I enjoyed every bit of the day I ate waaaay too much and my stomach now feels like a basketball!!

Last night as I stuffed two pieces of cherry pie in my mouth I found myself asking..."Why do I continue to do this? I feel so sick and out of control. Why am I doing it?! WHY!!!!!!!!!!!!????????

"Most experts believe binge eating is much more prevalent than any survey can measure. 'Our findings only document people whose eating problems are clinically significant and causing marked distress—and that’s probably just the tip of the iceberg,' says James Hudson, M.D., Sc.D., director of the psychiatric epidemiology research program at McLean Hospital and lead author of the national eating disorders survey.

I am a binge eater. I know that. Some days my portions are under control, I eat just till I am full. No sweets or chips or other junk. But then some days I eat anything I can find...crackers, cheese, chips, nuts, anything by the handfuls...{after handful after handful}

Last April my husband and I began taking the weight loss drops HCG. You can read about my journey here. I LOVED this program!! It wasn't easy...but it was do-able. I lost 15 pounds total and felt amazing. Please read my journal...it won't take but a minute;)

Anway, after eating more and more the past few months the weight has crept back on. As of today I am 158.6. Ugh.

For the next 28 days my husband and I will be taking 4 drops of HCG 3 times a day. You can read about HCG here. Normally I don't believe in pills and shakes and all that other weight loss stuff...however, after having success the first time I KNOW this works. It does curb by appetite and keep my blood sugar levels stable so I don't eat as much and I lose. And I was doing a great job of keeping it off until I became just plain lazy.

 My husband and I don't follow the strict 500 calories a day plan they suggest. We eat approx 1,000 to 1,200 a day...lots of fruits {berries are good}, veggies, lean meats and water. Very little bread. If we DO eat it we choose whole wheat with 40 calories a slice. I will be sure and post my food for the day {with photos some days}so you can see what we're doing. I will exercise starting Monday...my goal is to begin slowly {I don't have a lot of energy for the first few days} at 10 minutes a day. By the middle of next week I should be back to my normal 30 to 45 minutes a day.

"You don't drown by falling in the water, You drown by not getting out."  -Anon.

I have been drowning in food. I am done. As of today I am done!

I look forward to taking this journey to health. I hope you'll join me, too.

*Create a list of goals for yourself today. List at least 5 things you want to happen by January 1st, 2011. Here is mine...

1. wearing smaller size jeans
2. NO binge eating
3. Loving myself 100%
4. Be in control of my actions
5. Be able to focus my energy on my creative projects, my family and other things...not the size of my stomach.

*Decide on an eating plan that's right for you. It may be Weight Watchers, Body for Life or simply just counting calories. Do what works for you. That is critical to your success.

*Promise yourself something..."I promise to workout for 10 minutes a day for the next 30 days." "I promise to keep a food journal." "I promise to choose 2 or 3 of my fave holiday foods and eat them only."

*Tell yourself you can do this and JUST DO IT!

I think President Abraham Lincoln sums it up perfectly...."No individual who has resolved to make the most himself can spare time for personal contention."

What will you promise yourself for the next 30 days?