Weigh-In Day!

So today was weigh-in day! I am always freaked out by that scale. But I know at least once a week I need to get on so I can track my progress. And I am happy to report that in a week I have lost 3.5 pounds! It's exciting to see that kind of progress. It really helps keep me motivated when I can see that what I have been changing in my lifestyle is actually working. I'm not changing everything at once and I'm not going on a diet. I'm not restricting what I can eat. I still eat a candy bar once in a while. But it's just that, once in a while. I still eat potato chips, but I take a handful instead of the whole bag. I am portioning my food out and realizing I am satisfied with the smaller portions of food. I am also cutting back the amount of soda pop I drink. I still drink it, but instead of having a 44 oz. once, even sometimes twice a day, I am drinking a 12 oz can about three times in a week. I know the way I am doing this doesn't work for everybody and that's fine. I have done so many diets throughout my life and they don't work. I can't go on a diet. I just have to slowly change my lifestyle. It certainly isn't easy but I'm doing it. Baby steps.

Week 1- Completed

Well it's Friday! And I just finished my workout for today. My goal this week was to work out every day this week (not including the weekend). And I almost did it. I didn't end up working out on Thursday. And I feel bad about that. At the same time though, I do have to pat myself on the back! I did 4 workouts and that's a lot more than I have done in a very long time. It's been a difficult week as far as nutrition. Food still seems to be that enemy that I have a hard time facing. But I'm doing well. I'm drinking more water and less soda. I'm not eating as many salty foods. And I haven't eaten out at fast food this week. Baby steps after all is what I told myself. I didn't gain all of this weight overnight and I sure as hell am not losing it overnight. It's going to take time. Time to retrain my brain. 

Another positive thing is that since I started to workout this week, my daughter (who is 5) wants to workout with me. I can see how the changes I'm making in my life are affecting her life positively. That is a driving force that helps keep me going. I really don't want her to end up like me. Speaking from experience it's very difficult to grow up when you are overweight. The world is not kind to fat people. I want her to have a healthy lifestyle and just be that...Healthy. 

So I will have my rest days over the weekend, and then pick back up week 2 on Monday! Here is to a healthy life!

"Just Keep Swimming"

A cute little blue fish once said..."Just keep swimming, just keep swimming..." I'm sure you all know who I'm talking about. Dory the blue fish from Finding Nemo. She never seemed to let anything get her down. I find myself using this as my mantra almost daily with everything from the food I choose to working out. Tonight was definitely one of those moments where I just had to tell myself to "Just keep swimming". I struggle with sciatic nerve pain quite often. Today I had a pretty significant flare up. On those days it can takes everything in me to not just sit on the couch and not move. It hurts so bad sometimes. I really wanted to workout tonight. I wanted to keep up my goal to work out every night this week. I was starting to feel like I wasn't going to be able to keep that promise to myself, until my awesome sister Nicole sent me something on Facebook. She sent me an article about ways to work out and stretch with sciatic nerve pain. I read it and then I decided. Why not? I'll give it a try. So I did. And before I knew it I was doing my sit-ups. I was doing my lunges. I was doing my squats. It hurt a bit at first, but I realized quickly that the more I kept moving, the less it hurt. I've heard a saying go "A body in motion tends to stay in motion, while a body at rest tends to stay at rest." It seems true. The pain slowly subsided and I continued on with my workout as I had planned to do. I am so proud of myself. I'm also so happy that I have such awesome people in my life who help me stay motivated and don't want to see me give up. Thank you!

Money isn't going to stop me!

Well, the holiday's are over. The time for indulgence is over. And I was going to join the gym. Well, that was easier said than done. We realized that based on our income, paying a gym membership fee was a fee that just put us in the uncomfortable zone where our finances are. But I've realized that I don't need a professional gym to stay fit and exercise! I know how to do sit-ups, lunges, etc. I can run up and down my stairs for cardio. I can do a form of step aerobics in my living room while watching a movie. So that is what I am doing. Tonight for instance, I started with some light stretching just to loosen myself up. Then I moved on to some sit-ups and then lunges followed by some squats. To get my heart rate going I did a kind of step aerobics routine. I only worked out for about ten minutes but I don't want to push myself too hard right now. I'm at the beginning. I don't want to go so far that I can't even move the next day and not feel like I can workout again. Baby steps is the way to go if I want to succeed.

New City, New Life, and Hopefully a New Me

It's no secret based on previous posts that I've struggled with weight loss. It's been something I've dealt with my entire adult life. I've been on every diet plan and and counted every calorie. I'm going to do it again. Next week I am going down to the gym and signing up with my husband. I'm going to push myself to go everyday and do it. One of my biggest motivators is my child. She just turned five last week. We took her to the doctor for her yearly checkup and the doctor said she was in the 95th percentile in weight. Which was not good. She isn't overweight, but he told us now is the time to get things under control because the way she eats now will determine her risk factors for high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and others. It shocked me to hear those words come out of his mouth about my little girl. And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. Me and everyone else in her life is a terrible example. We all drink way too much soda pop. We all eat out at terrible fast food restaraunts, and we all give in to her wants for "goodies". So we, my husband and I, have decided enough is enough. It's time to change. I'm 29 years old. I can still change. I need to change. Not for the aesthetics but for my health; for my daughters health.

But there is a voice inside of me. A voice of self-doubt. That voice that keeps telling me that every time you start something you never finish. What makes you think you are going to finish this time? I'm scared. And maybe that's a good place to be. It makes me human. So here is to a new life for me. I'll take it one day at a time. One meal at a time. One exercise routine at a time. But I'm going to push myself. I'm going to stay positive. I'm going to surround myself with people who will help support me in this venture.

Wish me luck!

Walking my way to a Skinnier Me!

It's monday! Start of a new week.  Start of new goals.  I really wanted to exercise this morning, but Alexis just wanted to go outside and play.  Then it dawned on me.  Why don't we go for a walk?  I got Alexis ready and got myself ready, grabbed her stroller and away we went.  It was such a nice morning to go for a nice brisk walk.  It was a little chilly, but I dressed Alexis up nice and warm, and as for me, well it felt good because I was sweating.  It was so nice getting out in the fresh air and smelling the lilacs blossoming.  Alexis kept pointing out airplanes and they flew in the sky and telling me each kind of vehicle that came down the road.  I'm glad the weather is starting to get nicer becaue I am loving going outside for my workouts.  I'm no where near running yet, but I think a nice long and brisk walk will deffinately do the trick.  I walked the farthest yet and I couldn't believe I had the stamina to keep going.  I walked from our house which is just past 9000 south in West Jordan, down to where there is a cross walk just before the soccor field.  That is almost to 10400 south! I went all the way down and then all the way back all while maintaning a great pace and never slowing down except when we were crossing the street.   It was 1.1 mile one way! It was freaking awesome and  I feel fabulous right now!

Blog Has Been Negleted

I haven't posted anything for a while.  I've kind of been ignoring this on purpose.  I hit a rough patch with my weight loss for a while and just wasn't feeling motivated.  I know I should have written about it because maybe it would have kicked me into gear again quicker.  But things happen for a reason I guess. I'm back and feeling great!  I finally kicked off of my weight loss plateau.  When I started this journey, I weighed in at 311.7 pounds.  Yikes that's a scary number.  But after talking to some doctors, getting blood tests, and what not, I finally broke free!  I am currently down to 297.5! I hit my first goal which was to get under 300 lbs and I did it! I've really concentrated on my diet and adding in more and more exercise.  I still have bad days, but I've finally excepted that it's okay.  Bad days happen, and I know it won't be the last time.  Last week I ate like crap.  And you know what?  I felt like crap to.  Sluggish, bloated, couldn't sleep.  I kicked myself in the ass again and said to myself, if this crap food makes you feel like crap, then why are you still eating it?  The answer to that?  I'm just a glutton for punishment I guess.  Last week I weighed in a 295 lbs.  And I gained 2.5 lbs back.  But that's okay.  I'm not going to beat myself up anymore.  I'm not going to drop the weight in six months.  It didn't take me six months to put on this much weight.  It took me a few years.  And it will most likely take a couple years to get it back off.  I want to do this the right way. I want to drop the weight slowly and healthy so that my body has a chance to catch up.  I don't want to end up with bags of flabby skin because I dropped weight too fast.  I want to tone and strengthen.  I want a great body the right way! 

So today, I got up early with Alexis. We had a nice breakfast and watched a little T.V. for a while.  Then, I hooked up my Wii and fut in the Wii Fitness and started a workout.  I started out slow with some simple cardio stuff and worked my way up.  I even got Alexis to do a Wii Fit jog with me! That was the best part.  Seeing my daughter get excited by my example.  It was a major empowerment for me and it boosted my goal to finish a good, solid workout!  She is the one that keeps the fire lit within me.  I loved working out in front of her because I knew I was setting a good example of a healthy lifestyle for her.  More than anything in this world, I want for her to not have to grow up like me.  Being the fat girl.  I want to set it in her mind now that eating healthy and exercising is fun.  So I pushed through the workout.  I couldn't believe myself when I was done.  I had done a 40 minute workout.  It's the longest workout I've done to date! And you know what? I feel worn out, but not exhausted like I worked myself too hard.  I feel good and my body feels that much stronger.  I did 30 minutes of cardio, 5 minutes of balance training, and 5 minutes of strength training.  I'm sweaty and I can feel my muscles aching slightly.  But I feel I could do anything right now.  I know this is a process and like anything in life worth gaining takes time and patience and practice. 

So thanks for those of you follow this blog.  I know I haven't been faithful to you all in keeping up with my progress, but I assure you that it's going to change.  Change is good, and I will not run from it.