Friday Fitness Update

Hello Friends!

I realized that it's been over a month since I've updated my Fitness goals and to fill you in on how I am doing!  It's slow going but I have lost 6 pounds since I last posted. For those of you that are following my journey you might remember that I wrote about my husband's diabetes diagnosis and that this is a joint undertaking back to healthy living for both of us.  I'm really happy to be able to say that my husband has lost quite a bit of weight and his sugar numbers are getting better every day.  There is no magic pill for weight loss and it honestly just takes time, dedication, and educating yourself about food!!

Here's what we've been doing the past month:

• Less dining out!! And when we do we have been splitting one meal!! Yay for us!!
• No junk in the house! That wasn't too hard to do as I never really bought a lot of junk. My husband's biggest problem was not eating all day and then coming home, eating dinner and then really never stopping eating until he was ready for bed.
• Small meals every 3-4 hours.
• Snacks!! Fruit, nuts, cheese sticks, lean turkey or ham slices, and yogurt!
• Water 
• No more dinner plates, using smaller plates for our meals.

And what I consider the biggest factor

• EXERCISE- we've been riding our bikes, swimming, and walking! 

**** If you're on a personal journey back to a healthy way of living, please leave me a comment and tell me how it's going for you and what the biggest factor has been for success!!

Starting weight on June 1, 2012: 172

weight update: 166

Friday Fitness- Update #1 in 2012

Has two weeks went by already? I wish I had stunning news to share with you in regards to great weight loss, awesome recipes, and clothes fitting better. But I don't. What I can tell you is that being on the road is not conducive to losing weight!! My husband and I have been all over Michigan these past two weeks looking for our new camper. With that comes lots of time in the car and yes, you guessed it...eating out! I didn't weigh myself at home so I'm just going to say that I have stayed pretty much the same. I need to get my scales out ( my initial weight I posted 2 weeks ago was the scale at work) and post that on here later tonight. I'm just too lazy right now to get it out of the basement. Nice place for it though, don't you think???

New things I discovered:

• A very cool app that you can use on your phone, computer, iPad, ...whatever you want! This is called My Fitness Pal and I just started using it today. One of the things that I noticed right away was how easy it was to use! Makes adding your food not quite the hassle and there's no excuse not to do it! Added bonus- it's free!
• Losing weight with friends makes the journey a lot easier!! With this app, I have other friends who are using it and we can check in on each other to cheer on the weight loss or we can also stick a foot up someone's butt when they haven't logged in for a while!! I like that!! 
• I must not go over 1200 calories, 192 carbs, 46 g fat, 52 g protein, 28 g. sugar and 2500 g. sodium. I love how this app takes care of my totals and at a glance I can curb my eating immediately. I have already failed in the sugar department though. It was my Maple and Brown Sugar oatmeal that tripped me up! I'm removing that from my breakfast foods immediately!!

Progress:

• 173 pounds posted 6/1/12
• same weight but will post what I weigh on home scale

Friday Fitness- revived

It's been over two years since I did my last Fitness Friday update! Wow, I'm totally ashamed of myself for falling off the fitness wagon and finding myself almost at the same weight from three years ago. It wasn't until I received an email from a friend who stated that my success with Weight Watchers was an inspiration to them and made them decide to get back on WW again. Talk about hard to look at myself in the mirror after that email! So, needless to say, my friend's email has inspired me to get my weight and health back in check. I have no one to blame for gaining back the twenty pounds I lost. What I know to be true is that I stopped counting my points, stopped moving, and suffered a bout of depression that lasted over a year. I'm one of those people who eat their feelings and when I'm sad I eat. I've really focused hard on the reasons why I eat and have been trying my best to redirect my actions when I know that I am sad. On top of that, my husband was just recently diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes and even though it has been hard to deal with, I truly think it will be a blessing to both of us. My husband stopped smoking over a year and a half ago, when he did that he picked up eating as his bad habit. Now, he's paying the price. But he won't do his battle alone. We all are eating what he eats and I don't bring any "junk" food into the house. He's already lost a few pounds and is starting to feel better. Soon I expect that we will be able to take longer walks together. It's something that I'm really looking forward to doing with him again!



So my goals are very simple. I want to eat fresh foods, good protein, good carbs, and start adding more activity to my life. I'm not going to post every Friday because I feel that it's a pressure that I'm not ready to put upon myself. I pretty sure that I can commit to every other Friday and when I start feeling better about everything I will more than likely end up making this a weekly habit again. I will also be brutally honest here. I'm not going to lie about my weight, my failures, or any of the bad parts of this journey. I hope that maybe by reading this post it might inspire someone else to want to start a better life for themself! If you do, please feel free to share your story with me!!



Starting weight on March 12, 2010: 171

Ending weight on September 10, 2010: 153

Starting weight on June 1, 2012: 172

Friday Fitness Update #10

What I've been doing:
Well, since the holidays and my son being at boot camp I really ate all of my anxiety and all of that wonderful food that comes out during Thanksgiving and Christmas. I knew that I was totally off-track..I could feel it in my clothes. But I made a deal with myself that if I wasn't too much of a glutton I would get back on track once the holidays were over and once my son graduated. So today is the day that I begin anew....my son called his girlfriend last night (she missed the call) to let her know that he'd made it through the Crucible and was now a real MARINE!! I'm so proud of him..there are not enough words to describe my joy. This time next week I'll be in San Diego to see his official graduation and to wrap my arms around my first-born!! I can now quit using my anxiety as a crutch to eat and get focused once again on my health.


Weight Watchers and Me:
I know WW came out with their new program but I'm staying with the old one. I will incorporate more fruits into my diet because now they don't have any points associated with them! Another thing I'm going to start working on is jogging! I've been inspired by Mari (Bookworm with a View) all year with her preparation for the multiple marathons she runs and I just know that the key is getting started!! This is also a way to get our American bulldog Lily some much needed exercise!! So wish me luck friends...I'm not going to concentrate so much on my numbers but rather on how I'm feeling and how my clothes are fitting on me!!

Starting weight: 171
3/19/10: 168
4/1/10: 166
4/16/10: 164
4/23/10: 162
5/14/10: 161
5/28/10: 159
6/11/10: 155
6/25/10: 153
9/10/10: 153
10/15/10: 147
1/7/11: 157

Fitness Friday Update #9

What I've been doing:
I've been eating my emotions that's what I've been doing!! I've had a few things happen in the past couple of weeks where I've found myself very upset and then the next thing I know I'm eating something that is totally not healthy for me but yet tastes so damn good! I've recognized this behavior and I'm really working on trying to make sure that instead of eating chocolate or something greasy, I either go for a walk or do something that is a healthy choice, not a destructive one. I have been walking more too which is a good thing!


Weight Watchers and Me:
I'm going to post some pictures of the mac/cheese that I'm going to make this weekend. It's a Hungry Girl recipe and let me tell you...it rocks!! My son loves it and that's a good thing. I made my first spaghetti squash ever the other day and that was pure bliss!!! I'm working my points and really trying to incorporate some new foods into my daily menu. I'm trying not to get too excited, but I'm only 7 pounds from my goal weight!!!!

Starting weight: 171
3/19/10: 168
4/1/10: 166
4/16/10: 164
4/23/10: 162
5/14/10: 161
5/28/10: 159
6/11/10: 155
6/25/10: 153
9/10/10: 153
10/15/10: 147

Fitness Friday Update #8

My last update was the end of June- time to get serious again about my health!

What I've been doing:
I have to admit that while I did watch what I ate during my summer vacation, I also threw all cares to the wind when it came to food and vacation time. While I was up north with my family I ate whatever I wanted. That would include: chocolate candy bars, marshmallows, a whole bag (eaten over 3 days) of Cheetos, a greasy but oh so good Patty Melt, alcohol, and whatever else sounded good. I also need to fess up and tell you that I did not work out once...I didn't even walk one lousy mile!


Weight Watchers and Me:
I'm still doing WW, but I was very lax with myself over the summer. The hardest thing about having my summers off is that my days are not structured the way they are while I'm at work, so I found myself often at the fridge looking for something to eat. This was my first week back to school and I'm very thankful for it because staying within my points has not been hard to do.


Starting weight: 171
3/19/10: 168
4/1/10: 166
4/16/10: 164
4/23/10: 162
5/14/10: 161
5/28/10: 159
6/11/10: 155
6/25/10: 153
9/10/10: weigh in is first thing in the morning, as soon as I get my number I will update this post! I'm pretty sure that I'm either still at 153 or a bit less. I don't feel like I've gained any weight but I guess we'll just have to wait and see...........the suspense is killing me! 
edited 3:10 pm
I stayed the same!!! 153...whew!
Goal weight: 140-145

Fitness Friday Update #7

** Remember when you see my weight loss that it is over a 2-week period, not one week!

What I've been doing:
I haven't been walking. What is my problem??? Could it be that I've been spending too much time on my front porch reading?? Guilty as charged. I've been inspired by Jen's (Devourer of Books) week dedicated to Audio Books, and I'm going to check out a classic on a playaway. I so need something to listen to while I'm walking. But I promise you that I will no longer try to find an excuse NOT to walk and will get active again!


Weight Watchers and Me:
Since I've lost enough weight to qualify going from 22 points per day to 21 points, I feel that I've been doing a great job of eating within my point limit. I stopped adding my extra 5 points to my total points for about a month now and I attribute my 4 pound weight loss to that. Surprisingly, I haven't found myself being really hungry. I keep a lot of turkey and WW string cheese around so that when I need a quick filling snack this is what I usually grab. I did purchase some soy noodles to use in a Hungry Girl recipe, but I haven't gathered up enough nerve to make it yet...I'm scared of the texture!! But I did open up my email today to find a very cool recipe for squash...I have some sitting on my counter but was lost as to a great way to prepare it. Well, this sounds yummy so I want to share it with you!

Steamy Creamy Squash Packet PER SERVING (1/2 of recipe, about 1 cup): 80 calories, 3g fat, 233mg sodium, 11g carbs, 3g fiber, 5g sugars, 3.5g protein -- POINTS® value 1* Avoiding heavy starches? Not in the mood for Tofu Shirataki noodles? Check out a new way to squash (har har!) your cream-sauce cravings... Ingredients: 2 zucchini or yellow summer squash, stem ends removed 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion 2 tsp. light whipped butter or light buttery spread (like Brummel & Brown) 1/8 tsp. dried oregano Dash each salt and black pepper, or more to taste 1/2 tsp. chopped garlic 1 wedge The Laughing Cow Light Original Swiss cheese   Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Thinly slice each zucchini/squash lengthwise, forming wide, flat strips. Cut strips in half widthwise and set aside. Lay a large piece of heavy-duty foil on a baking sheet and spray with nonstick spray. Place sliced zucchini/squash and onion in the center of the foil. Top veggies with two evenly spaced dollops of butter. Sprinkle with oregano, salt, and pepper. Top with garlic. Place another large piece of foil over the veggies. Fold together and seal all four edges of the two foil pieces, forming a well-sealed packet. Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, or until veggies are soft and tender. Let cool slightly. Cut packet to release steam before opening it entirely. (Careful -- steam will be hot.) Empty into a bowl and set aside. Place cheese wedge in a small microwave-safe bowl, and microwave for 20 seconds. Stir until smooth, add to veggies, and toss gently to coat. If you like, season to taste with additional salt and pepper. EAT! MAKES 2 SERVINGS

 
Starting weight: 171
3/19/10: 168
4/1/10: 166
4/16/10: 164
4/23/10: 162
5/14/10: 161
5/28/10: 159
6/11/10: 155
6/25/10: 153
Goal weight: 140-145

Fitness Friday Update #6

What I've been doing:
I'm ready to start walking again!!! I went to my chiropractor on Wednesday and my back/leg/knee is doing so much better!!! I don't have to visit him for 30 days, which is a good thing. I'm going to make sure that I do a lot of stretching before and after my walks. I want to start out easy and work my miles back up. Next week school is out for the summer so I will have no excuse not to be getting my morning walk in. I love getting up early when I have no where to be. I've also been saving my $$$ to buy an iTouch and I want to load it up with audio books. Hope to get that this weekend or next. My husband has a friend who bought a Bow Flex but never used it so we're getting a deal of a lifetime on it. I'm very excited to add strength training to my program.


Weight Watchers and Me:
I'm in love with Skinny Cow's ice cream! They offer Caramel Cone...of which, I just finished before writing this post. Yummy..the caramel, chocolate bits, and pieces of cone and all for 3 points. I've also tried the Strawberry Cheesecake- loved it, and the Chocolate Fudge Brownie- delicious and just 2 points each. This is wonderful for me because I really enjoy my ice cream and am so happy that I don't have to give it up just because I'm changing the way that I eat. I've also tried Healthy Pop by Jolly Time popcorn. I'm not that crazy about it. Yes, it is a lot of popcorn for one point, but I end up putting a lot of salt (bad) on it and using that butter stuff so that it will have a bit of flavor. I think I need to find the butter flavor and see how that one tastes.

Starting weight: 171
3/19/10: 168
4/1/10: 166
4/16/10: 164
4/23/10: 162
5/14/10: 161
5/28/10: 159
6/11/10: 155!!!!!!!!!!!
Goal weight: 140-145

Fitness Friday Update #5

What I've been doing:
At the moment I still haven't been released back to exercising or being able to mow my lawn!!!!!!!!!! Hopefully next week my doctor will give me the green light. Today was the first day where I've been able to walk normally!!! I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things and to really see my numbers fall in the coming weeks!


  Weight Watchers and Me:
I was just introduced to The Hungry Girl, by my awesome blogging friend Jenny (Jenny Loves to Read). If you haven't checked out this site and you participate in the WW program, I urge you to visit it today and sign up for her free newsletter!! After checking out Hungry Girl, I immediately requested all 3 of her cookbooks. I've been reading them very intently and decided to buy my own copies. I'm really excited to mix up my food a bit and to also incorporate some better choices for substitutions of those loved fried foods.

 

 
Starting weight: 171
3/19/10: 168
4/1/10: 166
4/16/10: 164
4/23/10: 162
5/14/10: 161
5/28/10: 159
Goal weight: 140-145

Fitness Friday: Update #4

What I've been doing:
Good question. What have I been doing? Not losing weight that's for sure! I've stayed at the current weight for almost 2 weeks now and am getting frustrated!

To add to that I've been experiencing some major sciatic nerve issues that have really interfered with my ability to function this past week. I'm currently going to the chiropractor and that has helped. On Tuesday my pain was at a 9 out of 10 and today I'm at a 3-4. I'm not allowed to exercise right now and I can't mow the lawn! I love mowing my lawn so that is a sad thing for me!!! Also, I splurged on Friday with 2 margaritas, french fries, and then on Sunday had Chinese! That didn't help me at all. As soon as I'm put back together I intend on getting serious again with my walking.



  Weight Watchers and Me:
Still loving WW, but I really blew my points over the weekend. Trying to get it back under control and working at spicing up my diet just a bit! I did get a Companion Food Guide today which has been very enlightening...did you know that a Snickers candy bar is 5 points!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That's a dinner!!!!

Starting weight: 171
3/19/10: 168
4/1/10: 166
4/16/10: 164
4/23/10: 162
5/14/10: 161
Goal weight: 140-145

Fitness Friday: Update #3

What I've been doing:
Well, I haven't been walking in over 2 weeks...we had Spring Break so I just slacked during that time. Then the weather has been sucky here in Michigan so I didn't go outside to walk. I really have no excuses because I can walk inside...I just haven't done it!! Yes, I know, I need to get back into the walking groove. I have plans on restarting my walking schedule on Monday!

Weight Watchers and Me:
I've been doing a really good job of sticking to my points and not wasting them. Last weekend I did splurge a bit on pizza. It was well worth it! Sometimes cheesy pizza hits the spot!

Starting weight: 171
3/19/10: 168
4/1/10: 166
4/16/10: 164
4/23/10: 162
Goal weight: 140-145

Fitness Friday Update #2

What I've been doing:

I've decided to go back to basics and do what has worked for me, which is walking!! I'm working hard at doing 2 miles every day but not at a leisurely pace. I feel really good after I'm done and that makes me happy! I don't walk on weekends at the moment, but I do walk Mon-Fri.



Weight Watchers and Me:

I'm loving the point system, it works for me. This past week I went to bed with quite a few points still left for the day, but I attribute that to being a bit under the weather. Now that the temps are warming up here in Michigan I plan on being outside more and hopefully that will take my mind off of food!!! I'm still giving myself 25 points for the day with that extra 5 if I need it. I'm in love with my calculator...when I think I want something, I just plug in the info and when the NUMBER comes back that astounds me I rethink my choice!! I'm amazed at how many points I was eating a day...mindless eating at that too!!! I have my WW scale and that is an amazing tool!! Will be working on inputting my own recipes and figuring out how many points a serving is. The eye-opening part of this scale is to see what a REAL serving size is supposed to look like!!

Starting weight: 171
3/19/10: 168
4/1/10: 166
Goal weight: 140-145

Fitness Friday

Fitness Friday

I thought that every once in a while I would like to post about my journey back to being physically fit!! Today is a weigh-in day at work and I can hardly wait.  I will be absolutely honest with you in regards to my successes and failures and what I did and didn't like. I'm not being paid by anyone...I'm doing this for myself and my family!

What I've Been Doing:

For a few weeks I've been doing Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred workout and counting my calorie intake (1500/day). While doing this I've come to find that I can't stand Jillian. Just don't like her. I hate it when she calls the girls who are helping her workout- "Buddy." I also hate it when she says, "Just 5 more...buddy, you can make it." YOU don't want to know how I respond back to Jillian. Thank God, it's just me around while I'm torturing myself. The 1500 calorie intake left me hungry!!!!!!!!! On top of that I wasn't paying attention to the fat nor the fiber. So last week I weighed in and did not make any progress.

What I'm Doing Now:

I'm back to doing Weight Watchers. I did this several years ago and lost 40 pounds. Now I know why I gained it back. I didn't equip myself with the right tools to keep it off. I am now armed with a WW calculator so that I can figure out how many points something is before I decide to eat it. There's a big difference between looking at calories and using the WW system which takes into account fat and fiber. I have 25 points daily with an additional 5 (I guess you get 35 extra points for the week)....at the end of the day yesterday I had 2 points left and I went to bed feeling full and satisfied. The other thing that I changed is how I exercise. I honestly don't buy into the Biggest Loser only because they lose the weight so fast and I have read that this isn't the ideal way to drop pounds. Since my son is staying after school every night for track, I've been strapping on my tennie boppers, attaching my ipod to my arm, putting on my shades (Yes, we have had sun this past week in Michigan!!) and I've been walking between 1.5-2 miles every day! I feel good about what I'm doing now. On top of that, I have a HUGE support base where I work. Several of the gals go to WW's and we're all there to keep the other honest!

Current Weight: 171
3/19/10 Today's Weigh In: 168
Goal Weight: 140-145
Height: 5'6"