Those Pesky Ten Pounds

Those Pesky 18 Pounds?

2009-08-31T18:02:00.001-07:00

I had a fitness assessment tonight at my gym. I've been going to the gym 3-4 times per week, and trying to eat healthy.

But my weight tonight? 153.

OUCH.

My body fat percentage? 29.4%

The means my bodyfat weights 45 pounds.

YIKES.

Target weight? 135 (suprise suprise).

Now, how do I get there?!?!

Miss Lab's Workout

2009-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Recently, Miss Lab over on Weddingbee posted her workout. I have been faithfully following it for a week now. And I had been doing some serious weight training before that too.

It's WORKING.

I'm not really losing any weight, but I am sure gaining muscle!

I can now bench press 70lbs. That's huge for me. :)

Frustrated

2009-07-23T08:15:00.000-07:00

I am working my tail off.

And seeing NO results.

I tried on a skirt this morning. It used to fit. It is too tight.

WHAT THE HECK.

I did 45 minutes on the elliptical last night and ten on the bike. Plus a lot of leg exercises.

When do I get to start losing weight?

I have started tracking what I eat on the Daily Plate. Maybe this will help? Or my mom suggested Weight Watchers. Maybe it's time. I want to lose 15 lbs. That's a lot.

My sweet fiance suggested maybe we should meet with a trainer. Maybe we should.

Sigh. Sorry for the vent. I'm just extremely frustrated...

HOT

2009-07-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

Holy crap it's hot outside.

I just ran two miles. I thought it would be easier since I've been running so much on the treadmill. It really wasn't. It started out easier. Probably the first mile was easier. Then - not so much.

Food today? Not great, but not terrible.

Breakfast: Strawberry Smoothie (5 large frozen strawberries, 1 banana, 1 cup fat free vanilla yogurt, 1 cup milk)

Snack: 90 Calorie Blueberry Bar (publix brand)

Lunch: Grilled Cheese Sandwich (wheat bread and American cheese) and Cream of Broccoli soup and 100 calorie Rice Krispie Treat

Late Afternoon Snack: Half an Ezekial english muffin with natural peanut butter with honey, and a mini dark chocolate Hershey's bar

I'm still feeling full from that late snack, so dinner will probably be light, if anything.

Now if I could just start seeing that scale move!!!!!!!

I Just Ate Cake...

2009-07-15T10:51:00.000-07:00

...and I didn't enjoy it.

Say what!??!

I have been eating healthy the past day and a half. Really healthy. And I felt so good.

I just raided the fridge at work for a small piece of cake from our bridal shower. And I snuck half a spring roll.

And now I feel icky.

Maybe there is something to this eating healthy thing!

Detox Day

2009-07-14T06:32:00.001-07:00

Today I am having a Detox Day. I actually got the idea from Amy's Quest to Skinny and her 15 Week Challenge.

And boy have I needed this.

After all the cake and chips and CRAP of parties (all of which I enjoyed immensely!) that scale is not looking so good. Neither is my reflection in the mirror. Nor do I feel so great.

This is what she suggested we do:

This week I challenge you to eat CLEAN for one full day. I'm not really picky about what is defined as "CLEAN" but I want to you try to avoid as many processed foods as you can.

GOOD EATS: Lean red meat, Chicken, Fish, Eggs, Dairy, Oatmeal, Fruits, Vegetables, Nuts, Canned Beans, PB, Quinoa, whole wheat pasta, Brown Rice Rice, Lentils, EVOO, dried fruit.

BAD EATS: bread, artificial sweeteners, deli meat, bars, cereals, maple syrup, booze, packaged snacks, granola, extra salt, canned soups, anything else processed, or caffinated.

I still have no idea what EVOO is.

But I needed this today.

This morning I had a bowl of oatmeal with a couple pecans and blueberries sprinkled on top. YUM.

I'm trying to drink lots of water today too.

This is a much needed Detox Day.

Have you ever tried to have a Detox Day?

Parties Are Full of Calories

2009-07-13T06:41:00.000-07:00

We had our honeymoon shower on Saturday.

This also means we had beer, yummy cheeseburgers, mac & cheese and banana pudding.

SOOO good.

But I am proud of us. We went to the gym on Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. It helps me not feel so guilty.

I haven't seen huge results on the scale yet, but I feel myself getting stronger and faster.

My fiance tries to encourage me telling me that I am right on the cusp of seeing results. I hope he's right. :)

This morning I made a yummy strawberry/blackberry smoothie. The only problem with the blackberries is that those darn seeds kept getting stuck in my teeth.

We have another bridal shower today - and this one is being catered by Tijuana Flats! Yum. And more calories. :)

No Excuses

2009-07-09T06:28:00.000-07:00

Last night, I really didn't want to go to the gym. It was raining outside and I had just eaten a big bowl of pasta. I wanted to curl up in front of the tv for the rest of the night.

But I didn't.

I dragged my butt off the couch and drove to the gym. My contact dried up and almost came out on the way over. But I didn't let that stop me.

I got on the treadmill and started running. My shoes didn't feel like I had tied them tight enough. But I didn't stop. I ran a mile in 9:58. I could have run it faster, but I'm proud of this time since I was feeling so out of it.

Then I hit the arm weights. Oh did I hit the arm weights. It was a repeat of Monday for the most part, but for some reason I felt stronger on Monday. No worries. I pushed through.

And I'm proud of myself for that. :)

A Calzone A Day...

2009-07-07T20:19:00.000-07:00

I don't want to think about what that would do to me!

But I did have one today. I had half for lunch and the other half (more like a third) and a piece of pizza for dinner.

Okay, so not my healthiest day.

I did go to the gym tonight. I did 30 minutes on the treadmill at 4% incline and at 4.0mph.

Then I did a serious leg workout.

Hamstring Curls - 50lbs/15/3
Leg Extension - 50lbs/15/3
Hip Abductor (and whatever the other way is called) - Out: 120lbs/15/3, In: 50lbs/15/3
Step Lunges - 20 each side
Wall Squats (with the ball) - 15/3
Calf Raises (straight, inside, outside) 20 each
Step Squats (one foot on a step while doing squats, then switch sides) 20 each side

Any other leg work you think I should be doing? (Other than reducing my daily calorie intake...)

One Mile...in 9:44!!!

2009-07-07T08:25:00.001-07:00

This was a huge accomplishment for me. I ran a mile on the treadmill in under ten minutes.

I know that's not much to a lot of people, but it was big to me.

Yesterday was a pretty good day (minus that delicious cupcake I ate at work).

Morning: Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred (Level One)

Breakfast: Strawberry smoothie with some protein powder

Lunch: Spinach salad (with feta, pecans, and craisins)

Snack: Apples with natural peanut butter...and a cupcake...oh and a rice krispies treat. dang.

Dinner: Bertolli's Chicken Parmesean (made by my sweetie) and a glass of red wine

Then it was off to the gym for some serious arm workouts. I started with the mile run on the treadmill. Then I did:

Bicep curls (12.5 lbs/ 3 sets of 15)
Seated Rows (60lbs/3 sets of 15)
Tricep Pull downs (50lbs/3 sets of 15)
Bench Press (65lbs/3 sets of 10-ish)
Lat Pull Downs (60lbs/3 sets of 15)
Preacher Curls (20lbs/3 sets of 15)
Tricep Kick Backs (10lbs/3 sets of 15)
Standing Rows (10lbs/3 sets of 15)
Chest Press with Dumbells (10lbs/3 sets of 15)
Tight Press with Dumbells (10lbs/3 sets of 15)

I'm pretty sure that's everything. Not bad if I do say so myself!

Then I went to watch my sweetie play a game of softball. When I got home I had a little treat - fat free Cool Whip with blackberries and rasberries. Yummy.

And then this morning...I slept in. Whoops. Guess I'll have to hit the gym tonight! Time for a lower body workout. :)

Any suggestions for a great lower body workout?

Six Days in a Row...and Down 2.3 Pounds!

2009-07-05T09:26:00.000-07:00

I worked out six days in a row this week. (Yay me!)

Monday through Friday, I did the Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred. And it doesn't make me cry to do it anymore. :)

Monday night I went to the gym and did a incline workout on the treadmill and some strength training. On Saturday morning I went to the gym and did 45 minutes of incline work on the treadmill. Ouchy.

But the scale has made it all worthwhile! Hopefully I can keep this up. :)

How did your week go?

A Butt-Kicking Workout

2009-07-01T06:24:00.000-07:00

Yes, last night's workout kicked my butt. As you know, I did level one of the 30 Day Shred in the morning. My day at work turned out to be decently successful.

I looked up Tijuana Flats before we went and found a great "healthy" item - a whole wheat power-lite chicken burrito. At 361 calories, it is a lot of taste for not a lot of calories! The chips and queso probably did me in though.

And so did the leftover ziti we had for dinner. See, I work at a school, putting on events. There is always leftover food. How I can I turn down free leftover food?

But then my fiance went to the gym. Ouch.

30 minutes on the treadmill, 4.0 speed, 10% incline. Wow. Booty is sore.

15 minutes running on the treadmill.

Seated rows, lat pulldowns, pushups, etc. Yikes.

The treadmill said I burned over 530 calories. Plus the weight training. Yippee. :) I was feeling good about it, until my fiance said "That's about half of that ziti you had for dinner." Grrr.

Still, I'm proud. I skipped the 30 Day Shred this morning (my body was protesting), but I plan to do it tonight.

It's "NO EXCUSES" time! :)

Back on the Jillian Bandwagon

2009-06-30T07:05:00.000-07:00

So I did really well with my eating while at work yesterday. When I got home? Not so much.

I had leftover sausage and rice casserole for dinner. Then my fiance and I tried to go for a walk...but we got rained on. Then I did Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred (and cried - no lie). Then I had some chocolate frozen yogurt...with some chopped up pecans. Yummy. And then...two glasses of wine. And then...some leftover pasta because I was still hungry.

Grr. No self control!

Today? I made another strawberry smoothie for breakfast - AFTER I did the Jillian dvd again! :) And I'm now sipping on a much needed cup of joe. We have a lunch date for my office at Tijuana Flats today - we'll see what I can come up with today that won't push me over the calorie edge again.

I'm trying to make this thing work! :)

I'm In

2009-06-29T09:26:00.000-07:00

It's official. I have joined a weight loss competition.

Over the next 15 weeks, I will attempt to lose 15 pounds. I have no idea how this will work since my wedding is 7 weeks away and I guarantee I will be stuffing my face with wonderful food on my honeymoon, but I decided to give it a try.

Stay tuned for updates!

So far today I have been pretty good:

Breakfast: Strawberry Smoothie

Lunch: Spinach salad and celery with peanut butter

Let's see if I can keep it up!!!

Bad, Bad Girl

2009-06-26T11:08:00.000-07:00

I just ate 1280 calories at lunch.

OUCH.

I am so full.

It hurts.

And I'm mad at myself for such bad decisions.

I went to Chick-Fil-A thinking I would get a salad. I walked out with a chicken sandwich, a small fry and a small milkshake.

What???

Milkshake = total impulse buy. I thought, hey, it's smaller it can't be that bad.

Yes, it can. It can be 570 calories bad.

It tasted good, but so not worth it.

And I slept in and didn't work out this morning.

I think I have a date with Jillian Michaels' tonight...

Working Out...But Still No Results!!

2009-06-26T06:47:00.000-07:00

Well, I guess I can't say that entirely. No, the scale has not moved. Which is SO frustrating. But I am feeling better. You know that feeling when you start working out again? I'm feeling my muscles again, feeling stronger, feeling more fit. I just hope the scale rewards me soon!

I read something interesting yesterday. Apparantly, people who take pictures of their food before they eat it (for a food journal or something) tend to make healthier choices. Makes sense to me! I may have to give that a try.

Yesterday wasn't a terrible day...but wasn't great either.

Breakfast: A South Beach 100 Calorie Bar (didn't have time for a real breakfast)
Snack: Proactive Yogurt with Fiber
Lunch: Spinach salad and corn chowder
Snack: FiberOne cereal
Dinner: A "Zinger" salad at Ale House...and about six onion rings I stole off my fiance's plate. Oh and a couple of Blue Moon's. Dang it.

But I did go to the gym for an hour long strength training class.

My fiance? He eats whatever he wants and is still losing weight. But he is somehow bulking up (in good ways) at the same time. Frustrating, no?

I have been in the gym three days this week. No results. Boo.

Ever have weeks like this?

A Week Down...and a Pound Up

2009-06-22T19:34:00.000-07:00

So frustrating. I worked my tail off this past week - with nothing to show for it. I went to kickboxing Monday and Tuesday, strength training on Wednesday and Thursday. And these aren't easy strength training classes! I did serious yardwork on Saturday morning...but did indulge in some Father's Day cake.

I did the first day of Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred this morning. Then I ran/walked for about 30 minutes outside tonight, and then strength training for about an hour. WHEW.

But then again, I did eat two lunches today...

Why can't I get it right?

Why Am I Here?

2009-06-15T06:02:00.000-07:00

All my life, I have struggled with weight. Now, don't get me wrong. I know there are people out there who have much bigger struggles than I. My struggles usually center around the same 15 pounds. But lately, it has been ten. Ten pesky pounds.

Ten pounds doesn't sound like a lot to lose, but in some ways, I think they are the hardest to lose. The scale fluctuates so much that some days, it is just the pesky six pounds, or the pesky eight pounds. But really, it is the pesky ten.

Ten pounds doesn't sound like enough to inspire a major change in diet or exercise. I eat relatively healthy and got to the gym more than a whole lot of people. But all I am doing is maintaining. It's time to kick those pesky ten pounds.

Here is the starting point: The scale said 147.4 this morning. I am 5'6" with a medium build. My real goal weight would be 135. And my time frame? I would love to have at least ten gone by my wedding, which is two months from today!

Anyone want to join me on this journey to lose those pesky ten pounds?