YIPPEEEEEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm finally back on the down slide and moving past this stupid plateau!!!!!!! I'd like to thank my supporting cast of stars: Jenny Craig, Alli, Hydroxycut Max for Women, my trainer and my hubby!
Jenny Craig gave me the structure I needed to hit the reset button this week. Hydroxycut gave me energy (actually worked better at controlling my appetite and giving me energy than phentermine did, believe it or not!). Alli...well, I don't know if it helps to lose weight, but it makes you so afraid of "treatment effects," that you don't dare cheat. Of course, my hubby is always my strength, encouragement and support. The trainer is the reason I go to the gym instead of taking a nap. LOL SOOOOOOO....I FINALLY hit the 30# mark! Whoot! All of that in spite of the fact that I had a nasty run of sinusitis this past week, keeping me out of the pool and gym for a week, so I didn't even get to start working out again until Friday. I'm hitting the pool again on Monday, when my instructor is back from vacation. Now I still have 80#s to go until I hit 145#s, but it's better than 110#s!
In other news, I'm getting an epidural steroid injection into my spine on Friday. Yippee. Can't wait. My back has been trying to kill me again. This is another effort at avoiding surgery and praying to God that I can get it calmed down enough that I can continue strengthening my core and never have to think about surgery again.
Okay, that's my report! I'm healthy again, getting ready for steroid injections to fix my back, I'm back in the gym, and I'm down 30#s and over the plateau! Whoot!
I have stewed and stewed over my decision and finally after 2 and a half months and only seeing the scale move 5 or 6 pounds, I decided to rejoin Jenny Craig. My husband and I had many long discussions over it and I've vacillated between I need to do this to get my brain and body back in weight loss mode and no, don't do it because you have others to feed and it really sucks being a stand-out dieter. For many reasons, WW was not doing it for me. I didn't like the new points plus. I like it in theory, but not in practice because it doesn't do much for me when, for instance, I'm out at Panera and they only put calories on their menu. How do you figure points then? I resorted to the old points system and made sure that I was eating healthy and staying in my calorie range, but then I got lazy about following points, counting calories and keeping my food log (I know, BAAAAADDD!). I unfortunately made some bad choices when eating out, which happened a lot recently with special events, date nights since I don't see hubby that often...Ohhh...and don't forget stress eating. I'm more than a little aggravated that my parent's house and my house needs tons of work and my brother is leaving it all to me to do while he works out daily for 2-3 hours in the gym. I'm bitter that we were going to lose home owner's insurance on my parents' house and while I'm slaving at the house doing everything, working with attorneys, insurance companies, and ignoring my routine, my brother is dropping weight and turning into a hard body at my expense. It's just wrong. Would it be so hard for him to stop being so selfish and throw me a bone so I can have time to do what I need to do, too? Grrrrrrr....
Anyhoo, so hubby made the point that, yes, I have the ability and know how to eat right and if portion control is what I'm looking for, I can do it with store brand prepackaged foods....but the thing with JC is that I will get myself into the mind set that this is ALL I can eat for the day. When I'm done with it, I'm done. Period. And maybe that's what I need right now to jump over my hurdle. I just need to put myself in "dieting" mode for a little bit and focus on calorie and portion control. And as for my brother...I've got the insurance issue at my parent's house in my past, my house is still crazy, but it won't look better until he moves into mom and dad's...and I'm going to have to get over the fact that I hate the mess that is my house and focus on getting healthy and stop being pissed at him. He's never going to change and he will never care about anyone but himself. That is just what it is, so I have to stop picking up the pieces and do what I have to do for me.
SO...I'm doing JC for the moment in hopes that maybe it will get me to the 200# mark by Summer, which is my goal.
I confess that I am a 30-something that never learned how to swim...so I hired a private swimming instructor and in 3 short lessons, I actually swam today!!!!!! Whoo-hoo! Of course, I still need to get stronger and build endurance, but I overcame my fear of having my head under water (I had a near-drowning experience as a teenager), made up my mind that today would be the day I swam without holding on to a flotation device, and I did it! YAY!!!!! I'm excited because now I have an exercise option for the days when my knees, back and ankle are bothering me, plus, I overcame a lifelong fear!
I had a body wrap today, too, which is always nice and relaxing. I almost petered out and decided to be lazy and skip krav, but I didn't and I'm glad I dragged my butt into the gym for class because I feel so much better for having gone. My trainer is on vacay, so I need to force myself to workout without him yelling at me. Krav does that. LOL
On scale news, I still seem to be wavering between 228 and 231. I know why. My diet is all over the place. Damn evil girl scout cookies combined with the fact that I haven't hit the gym the way I wanted to this week because I've been busy working on my parent's house, which has lead to more stress eating. It's been a year since I lost them now and going through their things has been painful for me. I miss them something awful. I almost started to pick up the phone to call mom to tell her I was able to swim on my own today then caught myself. I wonder if I'll ever stop having those slip-ups where I forget that calling my mom and dad to tell them good news isn't an option anymore.
I just need to get myself over this hump and get back to being more organized with my diet and step up the exercise routine. The more fit I get, the harder it is for me to get the same burn from my workouts and therefore, the results are not as impressive as they were. I've had moments where I've thought about doing Jenny Craig again, but it's expensive, for one thing and I would much rather spend that money elsewhere, plus, living with 2 men makes it difficult to eat separately and it's much easier to cook healthy and eat less than to cook good food for them and have a frozen dinner for me. I just need to put down the cookies and stop diving for food when I feel blue.
Anyway, the biggest news was the fact that I overcame a big fear and I'm totally pumped by that!
For anyone who hasn't tried it, get a Groupon account (if you have an iPhone or Android, download the app)! I'm totally addicted to it and the best part is that there is some sort of deal for exercise classes practically every day! I have a regular gym membership, plus a membership to Krav Maga, but I also have exercise ADD. I have a ton of videos at home, plus an elliptical (which I'm selling, btw, if anyone is interested!), but since my brother moved in, space is extremely limited in the house and I can't use any of them. :( Beyond that, I like taking group classes and personal training for the accountability as well as the social aspect of it. Problem is, there are so many cool things out there to try, but I can't justify paying for memberships to Jazzercise and yoga studios for things that I may not get to regularly between work, Krav and my trainer, but I'd like to dip my hands in it and give other things a whirl. The great thing about Groupons is that you save anywhere from 50%-75% off and there's no commitment, so I get to buy classes for super cheap, the Groupon is good for a year usually, and then I can move on to something else. So far, I've bought a month of unlimited Jazzercise for $25, 6 Nia classes for $30 (Nia, which I'd never heard of until the Groupon, is a combo of yoga, martial arts, and jazz dance...sounded intriguing! LOL and classes are normally $12 each, so it was a cool deal), I got a $130 Seaweed Body Wrap for $48, and a 3 hour bowling outing for 4 people including shoe rental and pizza (that'll be a cheat night!) for $32. All in all, it's pretty sweet and there's a new deal every day, so I'm stocking up on the sweet fitness deals as they pop up. :) I'm totally loving the concept of getting to try more than one class thing because I tend to be one of those people that gets pumped after one class, sign a commitment, then I get busy or bored and give up after a couple of weeks. Plus, I get to try a variety of things, keep my body guessing so that it works harder for me, and it's all affordable stuff. Can't argue with that!
I should get Groupon to let me do their commercials! LOL But seriously, it's a free app and you only pay for the Groupons you buy, so you can't go wrong. If you're looking for a way to get to enjoy all of the expensive classes that it seems like on the rich and fabulous usually get to do, it's the way to go. I'm a bargainista, so I LOVE the deals! :-) I think I may add Detroit onto my preferred cities as well as Columbus, then I can find something to do when I'm in Detroit visiting hubby and he's at work.
Okay, that's my plug for the day. In other news, diet was so-so. I over slept and didn't get to walk before work, but I got to walk plenty DURING work and according to my body bugg, I only fell short of meeting my target 2950 calorie burn by 100 calories, so not too bad! :-)
I'm off to bed now. Work sucked and I still have 2 more days of this to deal with.
When will I ever learn to NOT step on the scale the morning after a cheat day (or 2!)...especially when TOM is in town? UGH! NOT pretty! I really don't understand how a person can have their weight fluctuate FOUR WHOLE FREAKING POUNDS without having heart failure! Oh well...what goes up, must come down...right?
SO, my elbow finally feels pretty darn good and I'm ready to get back into the swing of things. Friday, I took a cardio MMA class with hubby and my brother. Saturday and Sunday were spent going through mom and dad's house trying to finally get the house cleaned up and fixed up. That's gonna take months and it's emotionally draining, but it has to be done...so not much in the way of an organized "workout," but it was an active weekend. Monday, I worked out with my trainer. Monday night, I gave into my hormone-driven carb and chocolate cravings. I think it was a combination of emotions from going through my parents house, kissing goodbye to hubby for another week, and stupid TOM. Today, I worked out with my trainer in the morning, PLUS, did an hour long Krav Maga class in the evening...yay for me!!!!! I also got a mani/pedi, got my hair did, and got a body wrap. The body wrap was SUPPOSED to be relaxing, but the stupid staff there had ZERO volume control, so I had to spend my hour of relaxation listening to a bunch of loud, cackling hens that wouldn't shut up even after I complained. Gave me a headache. UGH. I did NOT pay all of that money to listen to that. I could have listened to noise and been PO'd about my rest being interrupted at home.
AT ANY RATE!!!! Tomorrow is my last day off before I go back to work for a stretch of 3 twelves in a row in the ER...so I have an appointment with my trainer in the morning and I plan to spend the rest of my day cleaning my own house before someone calls "Hoarders: Buried Alive" on me. I am seriously thinking about taking most of the crap from my house and my parents house and throwing on the lawn and having a huge yard sale. I know what I'm getting rid of at my house...anything that I haven't seen, used or touched in more than a year for certain, plus a bunch of other things that have been making me curse every time I trip on them. Mom and dad's stuff is harder...how do you decide what to throw away that your parents held dear (or just held on to for whatever reason)? I hate this task more than anything.
I have had a hiatus from swim lessons...the Swim Team that I took lessons with was unorganized and kept canceling on me, then I throw out my back and call off for a class without 24 hours, I get read the riot act for not "following policy." Excuse me? Like I was supposed to know 24 hours in advance that I would help a Nurse lift a 300# patient and not be able to move? Whatever. Plus, it was getting harder and harder for me to take off every Tuesday for a personal fitness class. I found out that the fitness center that is associated with the hospital system that I worked at offers adult swimming lessons with instructors that have flexible schedules. PERFECT! I start this coming Monday and I'm pumped! I have so many stupid back and joint issues that I think learning to swim will help cut out some of my excuses to not work out when my knees, elbows and ankles are bothering me. Plus, hubby's family has a cabin in the Poconos right on a lake, so if I want to participate in the family activities, I'm gonna have to learn to do something besides float and sink. LOL
Now to just get my diet back on track. I'm back to loading up the crock pot when I work and making healthy choices (except for TOM cravings!)...so I'm hoping to start seeing a downward trend on the scale ASAP! :-)
YEAH! I finally broke that plateau that I have been hovering on for God only knows how long. Amazingly enough, it was on a week where my diet was so-so and I didn't get any gym time because I had a cortisone injection in my elbow and my ortho doc made lifting off-limits and he didn't have to tell me to avoid krav maga because there was no way I could punch and throw elbow jabs with a red, painful, swollen elbow. It was also the week I had strep throat and another bout of bronchitis with it, so I pretty much stayed in bed if I wasn't at work. Needless to say, I was pretty shocked to step on the scale and see that I had LOST weight, HIT my 10% goal of 230#s...and then passed it by 2 #s! Whoo-hoo! I was in such disbelief that I actually got back on about a dozen more times to make sure it wasn't a fluke or the way I was standing on the scale! LOL
This weekend, the Arnold Fitness Expo was in town, so my brother and I spent the weekend hanging out there. It was crowded as could be, but it was a great chance to taste a bunch of nutrition drinks and bars, reinforce that no matter how hard I try, I really can't stomach the taste of any of them, and get some motivation and inspiration to hit new goals. I got a couple of free diet and exercise books while I was there and I'm thinking that I need to change up my eating plan. I'm finding it difficult to stick to the new WW points plus system. I agree whole-heartedly with the nutrition science behind the new system...it really makes sense. Where I start to have issues, and I've heard this from others, is that not only is it more complicated (maybe this is because those of us that have been lifetime WW dieters have the old system memorized...I can recall bitching about that when I 1st started points years ago)...but my main issue is that it leaves you hanging when you go somewhere and you're lucky to know the calorie content of an item. Since WWPP took out the calorie element to encourage you to eat foods with better nutritional content, it kind of leaves you hanging in a situation where a restaurant may only give you a calorie count. IDK I'm not sure where to go with that right now and my future with WW is hanging in the balance. There are so many diets out there that it makes your head spin. I'm a medical professional, so I tend to be fairly analytical of diets and would rather stick with a tried and true, clinically proven diet like WW as opposed to a fad diet.
For the moment, I'm re-evaluating the contents of my kitchen, analyzing the times of day and moments when my diet goes horribly wrong...shocking that it's usually after being starved for 12 hours and diving in when I get home, I'm stressed, or getting ready to start my period. Phentermine seems to be losing its magical hold on me. I take it, have energy (love that), but it doesn't seem to be helping the appetite when I need it most. I need to talk to my doctor about that. I think it's about time for my 3 month vacay from it anyway. On the up side, it has helped me drop almost 30 #s during a hard winter when my physical health was keeping me from doing it on my own, so I can't complain TOO loudly! The good thing about going to something like the Arnold Fitness Expo is the freebies and discounts, I got a free book called Body By Design, and 2 discounted books: The Eat Clean Diet Recharged and The Paleo Diet. My trainer is a disciple of the Paleo Diet, but I've heard great things about the Eat Clean Diet. My main search right now is trying to find something that I can stick to in a life like mine and it will meet the needs of my hubby and brother, who are big foodies and I have to cook for them, too. Hubby hates anything healthy, is a major gourmand and of course, he complains that he weighs a whopping 180#s. My brother works out a million hours a day and eats like a horse, eats healthy, but wants protein, protein, protein. Hubby is only here part time since he is still living most of the time in Detroit finishing his residency. When he's here, he wants to eat out. He wants to eat out at nice restaurants. Nice restaurants DO NOT cater to the dieter. It's hard to say no to yummy foods. Hubby LIKES my cooking, but he doesn't want me living in the kitchen when he only sees me a couple of times a month. SO....my search continues for a diet that will allow me to live normally and not have to be in isolation from my guys.
I need to be better about logging my food again. I have my LiveStrong app on my iPhone. I love it. I've just been unorganized lately. Being sick, trying to keep up with everything by myself since my brother is not inspired to ever help me under ANY circumstance (he can work out at the gym for 4 hours at a time, but 15 minutes of helping me with chores kills his "bad knee."), hubby will help, but he's not here and when he is, I feel like I need to drop everything to give him 100%...in the meantime, I feel like my house is out of control, my parent's house needs to be sorted through and either sold or rented, and I'm so damn busy taking care of everyone else, that I fall out of the picture. I think I"m giving up other people's bullshit for Lent. This whole Wonder Woman act is getting old and overwhelming.
I'm finally feeling better as far as my health goes. Strep is gone, bronchitis is gone, elbow feels better. I'm going to physical therapy today for my elbow to learn some exercises to strengthen my arms so I can get rid of this tennis elbow. If this weather would let up, I'd really like to dig my bike out of the garage and get outside and play since I haven't gotten to enjoy playing outside in years: 2004-2007, I was working like a mad woman to pay off bills that my ex left me; 2008-2009, I was stuck in school and dad was sick...2010, I was stuck in a cast. I'm ready for some sunshine! I haven't been on vacation in years and I can't tell you the last time I got to go outside and enjoy myself. Of course, I can't think of the last time I got to enjoy myself without feeling guilty because I should be doing something like cleaning house, etc. It would be really nice if my brother would start pulling his weight. I've tried everything imaginable to try to motivate him to help me. He thinks I'm a nagging bitch and usually tunes me out. It's getting old. Mom did everything for him because he was her baby. Now I have a 31 year old man who is strong and capable of helping out who would prefer to sit on my couch and watch tv all day when he is here, or go out clubbing on the weekends. He's taking advantage of the fact that I've always been responsible big sis and I think he thinks that I am happy having no life and not getting to do anything but serve everyone else. GRRRRRRRRRRRR!!!!!!!!
Oh well, enough complaining. It's getting me nowhere fast and only making me mad. Spring weather has got to be moving in soon and Bethany's plan is to start detoxing...starting with my house and my parent's house. I can't stand to live like this anymore and it's affecting the rest of my life...and there is going to be a certain brother who is going to be really upset when I start throwing out whatever I deem as trash and giving the rest to charity if he doesn't start pitching in. If he won't listen to my words, maybe my actions will get his attention. If it's not trash, don't throw it on the floor or in my way! Humph! Next on the agenda is to stop letting other's drama get in the way of my happiness. I simply do not have the capacity to shoulder other's issues anymore, especially when they are not doing anything to change their situations. I have enough problems to take care of myself. I'm giving up my second job. I'm spending my days off focusing on what matters to me. Yes, for Lent, I'm giving up other people's bullshit. It's fattening and causes high blood pressure.
I haven't been on in a while for multiple reasons. First of all, I was sick for well over a month, still battling it, actually. IDK what is going on, but this is antibiotic and steroid round 3 and this respiratory crap still won't let go of me. I had a brief 2 weeks where I felt like a human, but then I got strep (hence the 3rd round of antibiotics), and back to the bronchitis on top of it! UGH!!! It can really stop now. I feel like I'm back in my 1st year in the ER. I think a lot of it is stress, but a big part is probably working in a new community and new bugs, so my immune system is going to have to get used to it.
On top of the sickness, I've developed a nasty case of tennis elbow that is putting a kink in my fitness plans, too. I got a steroid injection in it today, I swear it feels worse after the injection than it did before...I'm hoping that it calms the pain soon, because I'm tired of having my arm hurt to even pick up a bottle of water.
I'm not staying out of the gym, but I've not been going at it as hard as I would like. My diet has been so-so. I've been pretty bummed because I've been sick, in pain, and desperate to see some sunshine, so cabin fever is killing me. Combined with 2 months worth of steroids to get me breathing right again...which makes you hungry as a horse!...I've only lost 3 pounds since the January 5th. It sucks, but at least it's 3 pounds down. Thank God that I have been working out in spite of feeling like crap or my prednisone induced big appetite would be bulking me up like nobody's business!
SO....I'm starting to feel a little better, but I can't shake this stupid cough/wheeze thing. Tomorrow is my last prednisone dose. My orthopedist swears that my elbow will feel better by the weekend. I work the next 3 days. At least it's easy to keep on my diet when I work since I don't get time to eat. I went to the store to stock up on healthy things to cook and snack on. I'm planning on being back in the gym by Saturday.
Things have GOT to start evening out hopefully now that the weather is letting up...here's to plugging though and not giving up!
UGH! I have bronchitis...AGAIN. I just went through this not even a month ago. I felt GREAT when I woke up this morning except for a scratchy throat and a nagging little cough. As the day progressed, the cough got worse and I began to wheeze. Stupid Asthma. I was supposed to go to a Zumba class with my BFF today, but I had to settle for listening to her rave about how great it was because I was wheezing. I'm not usually one to run to the doctor for the least little thing...yes, I'm a Nurse Practitioner who is married to a doctor and I HATE to go to the doctor! LOL This time I decided to call him and get on prednisone today and get this kicked out ASAP. I have goals to hit and I'm not going to let a virus stand in the way of that. That being said, TOM is on his evil little way, too. Joy. I have been fighting the chocolate and salt craving to the point of madness. Today I gave in. I felt like crap, I didn't have the energy to distract myself, so I went for the gusto. Well, I wouldn't call it gusto. It was more like 4 pieces of Ghiardelli chocolate caramels, but it was AFTER a bowl (not a huge bowl) of Cinnamon Toast Crunch cereal and a 100 calorie bagel with fat free cream cheese. LOL I was doing really good until then. It put me from my 1500 calorie goal to 2000. SIGH!!!! Did I mention I was watching the season premier of The Biggest Loser while I indulged? LOL Oh well. I've been very good. One day won't kill me. I'm allowed a cheat day every once in a while. Today wasn't when I wanted to do it, but it happened. Back on the saddle tomorrow. I have to work the next 3 days in a row. I'll have to see if I have the wind to exercise tomorrow. If I'm wheezing, I'll give my body a day to rest and then back to the grind Thursday morning. Of course, resting my body doesn't mean resting my eating habits again. I had that day. That, I suppose, is what is great about doing what I do. I'll be lucky to eat at all, let alone cheat! LOL
On the UPSIDE...I saw my orthopedic surgeon today and he discharged me from physical therapy and cleared me to do whatever I want! YEAH!!!!!
I do have another goal to make, I don't know how to swim. So I've signed up for private one-on-one swim lessons that start on January 11th...another reason I have to get over this stupid bronchitis.
I DID start working on my goal to get my house under control, which is going to take longer than I want to admit. One room at a time. I started with my bedroom, it's better. Thankfully, my cleaning lady will start back on Thursdays to at least do the vacuuming, dusting, blah-blah stuff that takes up my time so that I can't get to the organization stuff. So with her doing the basic upkeep stuff, that opens up time for me to use my limited time to do the big stuff that I wish I could just pay her to do, but I really need to do myself: organizing, deciding what goes, what stays, where the stuff that stays goes. Hubby is going to be in town this weekend and poor thing is going to get put to task to help out. Thank God he's willing to help without raising a huge fuss. It's going to be nice when we're not living in 2 cities in 2 different states. I've really only got one or 2 days a week to concentrate on my house project. I work three 12's out of town each week, plus I teach Nursing one day a week. I almost didn't contract as faculty for this quarter, but then I reminded myself of my other goals: paying off bills and paying for my trainer and weight loss doctor. SO, if working out with my trainer, which keeps me motivated, and paying off my bills (which will reduce my stress), means working 1 extra day a week, so be it. It's worth it. I am blessed that I do have a cleaning lady who doesn't charge me an arm and a leg because she's a family friend, so at least I can focus on the bigger tasks at hand. Of course, I wish I didn't have to pay for the help, but my dear brother seems determined to work against keeping the house clean, he's like pig pen: loveable, but no matter what, filth seems to follow him. LOL At least he helps pay the mortgage and takes care of the dog when I'm out of town.
Well, it's 2:45 am and I need to be up at 8am. I'm going to try to get some sleep now. Hopefully my kitten will be agreeable to that. Poor baby got spayed and de-clawed Monday and just came home this afternoon and has been crying all day unless I hold her. What makes it hard to ignore is the fact she sounds like a human baby crying, which melts me and I can't just walk away. So wish me luck on trying to get some sleep!
Gadgets, Gizmos, Motivation and starting 2011 UNDER 240!!!!!
I know, I just weighed in, but New Year, New Me, had to have my 1/1/11 start weight...And the winner is.....ME! I'm 239!!!! Which means I'm UNDER 240 for the new year and DOWN 16 pounds! Whoot!!!!!
I'm a gadgets and gizmos gal...do I need them? Probably not. Do I want them, definitely! Can I afford them? Sometimes. LOL SO...hubby got me a Mio Motion watch for Christmas. It's a watch that doubles as a pedometer and tracks my heart rate WITHOUT a stupid chest strap and figures my target HR based on my weight, which I can log on the watch. I have a Polar watch, but I never wear the stupid strap. It's uncomfortable and a hassle to remember. So far, I love it!
I got an Amazon gift card from my SIL, too...so I used it to buy a Withings WiFi scale. Again, I needed a new scale since the old one had seen better days, did I need a WiFi scale that automatically knows who is on the scale and then transmits your weight to my ipod touch? Hmmmm...oh well! LOL It's a cool toy and it tracks my BMI, body fat % and weight, then transmits it to my ipod immediately without me having to do a thing.
Oh yeah, then there's my Livestrong app on my BlackBerry to help me keep track of my food and exercise logs. That was only $2.99, though...and TOTALLY worth it!!!! It keeps me accountable
So newest gizmo that I just added to my arsenal? A Body Bugg. I've been coveting one since I saw them used on The Biggest Loser, but they're expensive. After talking to my trainer who LOVES them and a few friends who use them, I found them on sale on 24 hour fitness for $219 for the latest version, which is the SP and it connects with...you guessed it...my ipod! LOL With the promo code I had, it was $204. That's where some of my sign on bonus money from my new job went. LOL I just ordered it today and I'm excited to give it a try! I think it will be an eye opener to see what I am really burning during my training sessions, working out on machines, and just daily activity. The calorie burn on machines is based on a 150# person, NOT me. So we'll see what I'm really doing. The bonus is that it's compatible with my gym's system, so my trainer can log on, see my progress, and help to keep me on track and honest.
I'm keeping with my WW and phentermine (under the watchful eye of my weightloss doctor), plus I've got my supportive friends, hubby and family. Which is the most important tool anyone can have...support. But I like my toys. I like the facts and figures and it motivates me and challenges me to do better when I see results and have the tools to help me pinpoint areas that need work.
Also new for 2011: I've found a motivation beyond the doctor yelling at me about my cholesterol and blood pressure. Two of my BFFs, my brother, maybe hubby, and I are going to go to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society's Team In Training info session on the 18th and sign up to walk the Capital City Marathon here in Columbus in May. Free training and working for a good cause with friends. Can't beat it!
I'm iffy about doing resolutions these days. I feel like I'm setting myself up to fail and get depressed, but I am determined this will be my last fat year. I'm going to get my house cleaned and organized...little by little, room by room. And I'm going to challenge myself to start trying new workouts and take some fitness classes at my gym each week as my schedule allows me to so that I don't get bored and keep motivated. I started out with 110 pounds to lose...I want to get down to 145 ultimately. I'm 16#s closer to that goal now and don't want to give up.
My next goal is to reach my 10% (25#s) by February 14th. Small, short term goals. That way I don't get frustrated so easily. I can do this, I just have to be patient and keep my determination. I'm determined, but I'm not patient. Thank God I'm organized and determined enough to make up for my lack of patience! LOL Plus, this is the first time in my life that I can recall where it looks like I might be able to focus on me and I have a hubby that is willing to support me in doing that.
Here's to a great 2011! May it be your best and healthiest yet!!!!!!
I haven't weighed or blogged in a while. With the Holidays, I've been afraid of the scale and too busy to blog. It came down to time to blog or time to work out, so I chose to work out. BUT, in spite of myself, I'm down 3.9 pounds and ALMOST out of the 240's!!!! It's only a 3.9# drop in 20 days, but, hey, considering that between then and now I've had my brother's TWO birthday parties, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, AND the Day after Christmas...3 family dinners on Christmas Eve, the work dinner on Christmas Day, and another family dinner on the day after Christmas. Then I got sick for a week and didn't work out right before Christmas. My saving grace has been that I DID continue to work out with the exception of that sick week. I haven't been the most perfect dieter (who is during the holidays?), but at least I've kept up with my fitness routine. All things considered, I've lost 14 pounds in less than a month, so that's pretty acceptable in my book.
I'm working today and tomorrow and then starting New Year's Day off right by getting my butt kicked by my trainer at 11am. Less than 2 more days left of 2010 and after the year I've had, I'm ready to say hello to a fresh start. My next goal is to get to my 10% goal...down 25 pounds, which is 230, by Valentine's Day. Maybe then I can go out with hubby to a nice V-Day dinner without feeling TOO guilty about the indulgence.
Well, better get to work. Had to get up early for physical therapy and now I've gotta get showered and off to have another fun-filled day in the ER! At least I'm working at Bethesda today, which tends to have lower acuity and more bumps and boo-boos than Good Samaritan. I'm ready for the break, even if it is for one day.
Of course, my hubby is always my strength, encouragement and support. The trainer is the reason I go to the gym instead of taking a nap. LOL SOOOOOOO....I FINALLY hit the 30# mark! Whoot! All of that in spite of the fact that I had a nasty run of sinusitis this past week, keeping me out of the pool and gym for a week, so I didn't even get to start working out again until Friday. I'm hitting the pool again on Monday, when my instructor is back from vacation. Now I still have 80#s to go until I hit 145#s, but it's better than 110#s!
But seriously, it's a free app and you only pay for the Groupons you buy, so you can't go wrong. If you're looking for a way to get to enjoy all of the expensive classes that it seems like on the rich and fabulous usually get to do, it's the way to go. I'm a bargainista, so I LOVE the deals! :-) I think I may add Detroit onto my preferred cities as well as Columbus, then I can find something to do when I'm in Detroit visiting hubby and he's at work. 
Oh well...what goes up, must come down...right? 
Did I mention I was watching the season premier of The Biggest Loser while I indulged? LOL Oh well. I've been very good. One day won't kill me. I'm allowed a cheat day every once in a while. Today wasn't when I wanted to do it, but it happened. Back on the saddle tomorrow. I have to work the next 3 days in a row. I'll have to see if I have the wind to exercise tomorrow. If I'm wheezing, I'll give my body a day to rest and then back to the grind Thursday morning. Of course, resting my body doesn't mean resting my eating habits again. I had that day. That, I suppose, is what is great about doing what I do. I'll be lucky to eat at all, let alone cheat! LOL
