Hmmph!

Why is it that when you are ready to be all "go get em' Jillian!" that something always seems to interrupt that motivation and ambition?  So I totally had a bummer of a week last week with my exercise and eating right, because I was sicker than a dog.  I started getting sick about two weeks ago.  It was quite a weird sickness.  It started two Thursdays ago with me getting the aches and a slight fever after zumba, followed by laryngitis on Saturday and Sunday, to congestion/ runny nose with the aches/ cough/ fever/ etc on Monday - Wednesday, to a full voice on Thursday but nasty cough and tickling/ scratchy throat until this Monday.  I even stayed home from work two days in a row, which is very uncharacteristic for me.  To say the least, this illness made me take a break from exercise and eating super healthy.  I only worked out a total of like 4 hours last week.  Yikes!  And it's sad to say, but the numbers are reflecting this.  On my weigh on Tuesday morning morning, I was up 4 pounds!  Yuck!  Luckily I am feeling better now and getting back to work.  I've already lost 2 pounds (according to my scale, so that's good.  I have to really push it for the next week or I'm going to be paying for some other people's dinner in NYC next weekend.  But like I've said in the past, all it takes is getting refocused and back to work.  I know what to do, I just need to do it. 
Here's to a week of exercise and healthy eating! 
Good luck to you all too!  Hope you're doing better than me.  Let's push it hard before the big "eating" holidays hit.  You can do it!

IT'S PICTURE TIME EVERY BODY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Week 25

The time has come........

30 pounds lost (well actually 31 pounds)

And still going....

My good friend, Tagen Baker, is a fantastic photographer and was willing to take some new pictures of me to show my 30 pounds lost.  We took these last night in her back yard after work and she did a great job.  Thank you Tagen!!!!!

It feels SO GOOD to have made it to 30 pounds in the last 4 1/2 months.  But it also is a great motivator to KEEP GOING, especially when I compare and contrast pictures from the beginning of the weight loss journey until now.  I have a new goal and that is to lose another 20 pounds by New Years Day.  That would mean I need to lose 1.2 pounds each week for the next 8 weeks.  Which is totally doable since for the past 4 1/2 months I have been averaging about 2 pounds per week.  I just have to make it through the Thanksgiving, Christmas, and a trip to Baltimore/ NYC for a week. 

GAME PLAN!!!!!!

1.    I am enrolled in a Health Challenge with work which goes until Christmas.  The Health Challenge focuses on healthy eating, exercise, a food diary, drinking water, adequate sleep, etc, etc.  It has been a great asset to help me stay on track the past month. 

2.  Healthy options for Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I am going to try to create healthier recipes for some of the holiday favorites that will hopefully taste good too.  And if they do not work out, then it's ALL ABOUT PORTION CONTROL!  It isn't necessary to have 3 large meals on Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I also will be sure to track my calories those days too, instead of making it an exception day.

3.  Exercise!  While I am out of town, I need to make sure I keep up my physical activity.  Luckily the trip to Baltimore/ NYC will be with Angie and Ashley (my teammates for the weight loss challenge) so hopefully we can keep each other on track on the trip.  We'll use our workout DVD's, eat healthy at least 2 meals per day, and TRACK CALORIES!  All three of us have smart phones that we can access FatSecret.com with, so we will have to use that app to help us choose good options when we are eating out.  It's going to be hard but worth it!

AND I'm just going to keep going!  There is no giving up.  I know exactly what I need to do to acheive this goal, so I just have to do it. 

This is an example of what I will be eating for the next 8 weeks!!!! 

M.I.A!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sorry for not posting for the past couple of weeks.  I have recently moved and I don't have internet access yet.  Hopefully I will be able to get that up and going this week and then I will update you on the progress from the past couple of weeks.  It's going to be good!  Consider this a season break and the premier will hopefully be next week!!!!!  Good luck in all of your weight loss goals.  I appreciate all of your support in this endeavor.  I haven't given up!