Previous Goal: 20 pound weight loss by my birthday on July 20th.
Week 10
Weight Loss = 4 pounds
% Weight Loss for Week 10 = 1.5%
Total Weight Loss = 21#
Total % Weight Loss = 7.66%
I was SO STOKED to meet my goal. In celebration I went and got my hair cut. Of course I also partied like a rock star, it was my birthday. So in birthday fashion, I didn't really care about what I ate that day. I did go to the gym for an hour that morning, but it definitely didn't help create a big calorie deficit by the end of the day. That day I went to lunch and had sushi followed by a trip to a French bakery for a delicious chocolate eclair. I went to dinner that night with the girls, but I picked a pretty good meal overall (halibut and orzo pasta with artichokes and mushrooms, yum!). Then we finished the night with a birthday party at my house, which included yummy sweets and ice cream cake. Too say the least, I was WELL above my calories. But calories don't count on your birthday, right?
That's right. They don't count on your birthday. But they do count the day after, the day after that, and the day after that too. We had birthday treats at work the day after my birthday and the day after that. Then I went to Las Vegas and St. George for the weekend. Road trips are never great for a weight loss plan. We ate out at every meal except for one, and it was mostly fast food. I also worked out only twice in the last week after my birthday. So, to say the least I have bad results to report for week 11. Here we go!
Week 11
Weight Loss = 0 (Gained 3 pounds instead)
% Weight Loss for Week 11 = 0%
Total Weight Loss = 18 pounds
Total % Weight Loss = 6.57%
So I had a bit of a roller coaster experience the past two weeks. I kicked it into high gear to make it up the hill to meet the goal of 20# and then quickly accelerated back down to my old ways once I got to the top. Luckily I know the different barrel rolls and loopy loops to work through to get ready to start the climb back to the top again. The barrel rolls to work through are going to be to start logging my foods again (I haven't tracked my calories for about 2 weeks, boo!), no more exceptions on foods (it's okay if I eat this since I worked out today), more consistent workouts (4-5 times/ week for an hour and a half). I know, I know! I go over these different things every time I have a bad week. It just goes to show that CONSISTENCY is key! Especially when riding the roller coaster. Life will always throw it's ups and downs during a weight loss plan, it's just important to hold on tight so you don't go off track. So it's time to buckle in, now that the barrel rolls are over, and prepare to climb to the top again. I WILL be back to a 20 pound weight loss by the next weigh in.
P.S. Sorry for not posting last week or on time this week. I was super busy all last week, especially Tuesday since it was my birthday. Then I decided to go to bed at 9pm last night instead of posting. But I will be better, especially since I know that people are following and interested in my results. It's a great motivation.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
It's Business, It's Business Time!!!!!!
Week 9 Weight Loss = 4 pounds
% Weight Loss for Week 9 = 1.46%
Total Weight Loss = 17 pounds
Total % Weight Loss = 6.20%
That's right! I did get down to business this last week to bust out another 4 pound weight loss week. It wasn't an option not to. My overall short term goal is to be down a total of 20 pounds by my birthday next Tuesday, and I knew I couldn't have a poor weight loss week again to reach that goal. So I watched my calories even more this last week than I have for the past two weeks. AND I have finally figured out how to eat out with friends and still stay in my calorie range for the most part. I ate out on Thursday night, Friday night, and twice on Saturday. I just tried to choose healthier options. So I thought I would list what I chose at each restaurant to show some options when eating out.
Thursday night - Pei Wei Restaurant
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps (YUM!) - 500 calories
- Edamame - 156 calories
- 1 crab cream cheese wonton - 50 calories
- Total Calories for Dinner = 706
Friday night - Jimmy Johns Sandwich Shop
- Beach Club Sandwich on Wheat (no cheese) - 730 calories
- Total Calories for Dinner = 730 calories
Saturday night - Chipotle
- Chicken Burrito (no cheese) These things are humongous! - 480 calories
- Total Calories for Dinner = 480 calories
Overall these are pretty good numbers for total intake @ dinner time. The one way I best kept in my calorie range while eating out was just to get the main dish. A lot of portions at restaurants are huge these days and can easily fill you up. So if you can, avoiding the side items can save you some calories while still enjoying eating out with friends and not going hungry. But you definitely have to assess that per restaurant.
I also tried to choose things w/ vegetables since they are lower in calories and have lots of fiber to help fill me up. Also I tried to make sure I got some protein in my meal too. I am not the biggest fan of most protein foods, so sometimes I slack on protein in my diet. But I do know I am not as hungry when I include protein in my diet.
Looking back now as the dietitian at my meals, there are some adjustments that I could have made to my selections to help save calories too without giving up the flavor of the foods. Here are some ways that I could have made my selections even better when I was eating out.
Sharing an entree: At Pei Wei I could have shared the Lettuce Wraps with Joy which would have cut their calorie amount in half. Sharing an entree with a friend is always an easy way to conserve calories. Plus it conserves money because you can split the cost. Also sharing an entree can help you from overeating, especially if you are one of those people with the "clean your plate" mentality.
Be more aware of the condiments: At both Jimmy John's and Chipotle my meals were sabotaged by condiments. My Beach Club sandwich at Jimmy John's had mayonnaise and avocado slices on it. I definitely could choose to not have one added the next time I get one to help save calories. At Chipotle I added the sour cream to my burrito, which was unnecessary. The burrito was flavored very well and I could have easily saved a 100 calories (more or less) if I would have left off the sour cream. High fat condiments such as mayonnaise, butter, guacamole, etc can definitely add unnecessary calories to foods. Most of the time it is best to try to add flavor to foods other ways (like spices) than adding the fat, sorry to disappoint you Paula Dean and Julie Childs (I know you both LOVE butter way too much!).
Another thing that helped my weight loss was my hard core workout with Angie on Saturday. STORY TIME! Saturday morning Angie and I decided to head up one of the canyons in the mountains surrounding SLC and explore and hike for exercise. We weren't planning to be gone TOO long but we did want to get in a worthwhile workout. After being confused about which canyon we were in, we ended up just stopping at the first trail head we saw off the side of the road. We stopped at the Ride Pine Lake trail head because there were a lot of people parked there, so we figured it must be a good hike.
We started up the mountain and did awesome for the first hour (to the point that we even did a small sprint of trail running). Then nature caught up to me. I didn't think our hike would be very long or strenuous and I don't like to eat before working out, so I didn't eat breakfast. After hiking at a steady quick pace for an hour and then starting to climb over rocks and at a higher % grade up the mountain for about a 1/2 hour, I lost ALL MY ENERGY! It was not very fun. I typically don't whine a lot during workouts but I started whining and having to stop frequently. All energy was vacant from my body and Angie could tell. So she came to my rescue! She stopped a couple of boy scouts that were heading down the mountain to get an estimate of how much further it would be to the top (we were determined to make it to that lake, especially Angie who ate breakfast). After they told us it was at least another mile and about an hour, Angie then bravely asked if they had any type of snack that they could spare us since "we" didn't eat breakfast. She didn't even call me out in front of the boy scouts, nice friend. Of course the boy scouts had a ton of food left over after their camp out and they were so nice to share it with us. They didn't even take my $5.00 that I offered. So I was saved by Angie, boy scouts, and some homemade trail mix that some young 12 year old's mother made for a camping trip.
After eating a little trail mix and resting a few minutes and along the way, we made it to the top in 2 hours total. (Not going to lie, that last hour was one of the worst I've experienced in a while.) The 4 hour hike and 6 miles was totally worth it! I would definitely recommended Red Pine Lake as a must do hike in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Just make sure you eat a good breakfast before you go so you don't deplete all your energy stores half way up the mountain. You don't want to be saved by a boy scout, do you?
SO, now all I have is 3 pounds to get to my 20 pound goal by my birthday next week. I can totally do it. And actually I am hoping for even more. Just going to stick to the basics again. A healthy diet within my calorie goal range or below and lots and lots of physical activity. Should be fun and totally worth it again! Till next time! Keep up all of your hard work!
% Weight Loss for Week 9 = 1.46%
Total Weight Loss = 17 pounds
Total % Weight Loss = 6.20%
That's right! I did get down to business this last week to bust out another 4 pound weight loss week. It wasn't an option not to. My overall short term goal is to be down a total of 20 pounds by my birthday next Tuesday, and I knew I couldn't have a poor weight loss week again to reach that goal. So I watched my calories even more this last week than I have for the past two weeks. AND I have finally figured out how to eat out with friends and still stay in my calorie range for the most part. I ate out on Thursday night, Friday night, and twice on Saturday. I just tried to choose healthier options. So I thought I would list what I chose at each restaurant to show some options when eating out.
Thursday night - Pei Wei Restaurant
- Chicken Lettuce Wraps (YUM!) - 500 calories
- Edamame - 156 calories
- 1 crab cream cheese wonton - 50 calories
- Total Calories for Dinner = 706
Friday night - Jimmy Johns Sandwich Shop
- Beach Club Sandwich on Wheat (no cheese) - 730 calories
- Total Calories for Dinner = 730 calories
Saturday night - Chipotle
- Chicken Burrito (no cheese) These things are humongous! - 480 calories
- Total Calories for Dinner = 480 calories
Overall these are pretty good numbers for total intake @ dinner time. The one way I best kept in my calorie range while eating out was just to get the main dish. A lot of portions at restaurants are huge these days and can easily fill you up. So if you can, avoiding the side items can save you some calories while still enjoying eating out with friends and not going hungry. But you definitely have to assess that per restaurant.
I also tried to choose things w/ vegetables since they are lower in calories and have lots of fiber to help fill me up. Also I tried to make sure I got some protein in my meal too. I am not the biggest fan of most protein foods, so sometimes I slack on protein in my diet. But I do know I am not as hungry when I include protein in my diet.
Looking back now as the dietitian at my meals, there are some adjustments that I could have made to my selections to help save calories too without giving up the flavor of the foods. Here are some ways that I could have made my selections even better when I was eating out.
Sharing an entree: At Pei Wei I could have shared the Lettuce Wraps with Joy which would have cut their calorie amount in half. Sharing an entree with a friend is always an easy way to conserve calories. Plus it conserves money because you can split the cost. Also sharing an entree can help you from overeating, especially if you are one of those people with the "clean your plate" mentality.
Be more aware of the condiments: At both Jimmy John's and Chipotle my meals were sabotaged by condiments. My Beach Club sandwich at Jimmy John's had mayonnaise and avocado slices on it. I definitely could choose to not have one added the next time I get one to help save calories. At Chipotle I added the sour cream to my burrito, which was unnecessary. The burrito was flavored very well and I could have easily saved a 100 calories (more or less) if I would have left off the sour cream. High fat condiments such as mayonnaise, butter, guacamole, etc can definitely add unnecessary calories to foods. Most of the time it is best to try to add flavor to foods other ways (like spices) than adding the fat, sorry to disappoint you Paula Dean and Julie Childs (I know you both LOVE butter way too much!).
Another thing that helped my weight loss was my hard core workout with Angie on Saturday. STORY TIME! Saturday morning Angie and I decided to head up one of the canyons in the mountains surrounding SLC and explore and hike for exercise. We weren't planning to be gone TOO long but we did want to get in a worthwhile workout. After being confused about which canyon we were in, we ended up just stopping at the first trail head we saw off the side of the road. We stopped at the Ride Pine Lake trail head because there were a lot of people parked there, so we figured it must be a good hike.
We started up the mountain and did awesome for the first hour (to the point that we even did a small sprint of trail running). Then nature caught up to me. I didn't think our hike would be very long or strenuous and I don't like to eat before working out, so I didn't eat breakfast. After hiking at a steady quick pace for an hour and then starting to climb over rocks and at a higher % grade up the mountain for about a 1/2 hour, I lost ALL MY ENERGY! It was not very fun. I typically don't whine a lot during workouts but I started whining and having to stop frequently. All energy was vacant from my body and Angie could tell. So she came to my rescue! She stopped a couple of boy scouts that were heading down the mountain to get an estimate of how much further it would be to the top (we were determined to make it to that lake, especially Angie who ate breakfast). After they told us it was at least another mile and about an hour, Angie then bravely asked if they had any type of snack that they could spare us since "we" didn't eat breakfast. She didn't even call me out in front of the boy scouts, nice friend. Of course the boy scouts had a ton of food left over after their camp out and they were so nice to share it with us. They didn't even take my $5.00 that I offered. So I was saved by Angie, boy scouts, and some homemade trail mix that some young 12 year old's mother made for a camping trip.
After eating a little trail mix and resting a few minutes and along the way, we made it to the top in 2 hours total. (Not going to lie, that last hour was one of the worst I've experienced in a while.) The 4 hour hike and 6 miles was totally worth it! I would definitely recommended Red Pine Lake as a must do hike in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Just make sure you eat a good breakfast before you go so you don't deplete all your energy stores half way up the mountain. You don't want to be saved by a boy scout, do you?
SO, now all I have is 3 pounds to get to my 20 pound goal by my birthday next week. I can totally do it. And actually I am hoping for even more. Just going to stick to the basics again. A healthy diet within my calorie goal range or below and lots and lots of physical activity. Should be fun and totally worth it again! Till next time! Keep up all of your hard work!
Thursday, July 8, 2010
Recipe Time!!!!
Easy Vegetable Primavera
Ingredients:
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small/ medium sliced zucchini
1 small/medium sliced yellow squash
1 small diced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt, pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp Basil (or to your taste preference)
1 jar of Marinara sauce (I typically use a Roasted Garlic and Onion sauce)
Parmesan Cheese
(May add any other vegetables you prefer. Other ideas are carrots, eggplant, etc)
Cooking Directions:
Step 1: Cut peppers in julienne strips.
Step 2: Slice mushrooms, zucchini, and squash.
Step 3: Dice onion.
Step 4: Combine in baking dish.
Step 5: Add basil, salt and pepper, minced garlic and stir so evenly distributed.
Step 6: Add Marinara sauce and stir to evenly cover vegetables.
Step 8: Sprinkle top w/ Parmesan Cheese.
Step 7: Bake in oven @ 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until vegetables are cooked to preference.
Can serve by itself, with chicken or fish. Yum Yum! Bon Appetite!
Ingredients:
1 red pepper
1 green pepper
1 yellow pepper
1 cup sliced mushrooms
1 small/ medium sliced zucchini
1 small/medium sliced yellow squash
1 small diced onion
1 tbsp minced garlic
salt, pepper to taste
1-2 tbsp Basil (or to your taste preference)
1 jar of Marinara sauce (I typically use a Roasted Garlic and Onion sauce)
Parmesan Cheese
(May add any other vegetables you prefer. Other ideas are carrots, eggplant, etc)
Cooking Directions:
Step 1: Cut peppers in julienne strips.
Step 2: Slice mushrooms, zucchini, and squash.
Step 3: Dice onion.
Step 4: Combine in baking dish.
Step 5: Add basil, salt and pepper, minced garlic and stir so evenly distributed.
Step 6: Add Marinara sauce and stir to evenly cover vegetables.
Step 8: Sprinkle top w/ Parmesan Cheese.
Step 7: Bake in oven @ 350 degrees for 45-60 minutes or until vegetables are cooked to preference.
Can serve by itself, with chicken or fish. Yum Yum! Bon Appetite!
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The Dreaded Post.......
The time has come. Yes, it's time to post the dreaded post. Those of you who have followed the blog from the beginning probably already know what I am about to report without even having to read on further. Here's to those of you who haven't quite figured it out yet.
Week 8 = 2 pound weight gain
Week 8 % weight loss = 0
Total Weight loss = 14#
Total % Weight Loss = 5.12%
Yup, that sucks. So what happened? Well the weekend happened. This weekend I went on a road trip all weekend long for the 4th of July. I am not going to lie, it was WAY fun and totally worth it. It just sucks to get the repercussions of not working out and relaxing on the eating habits. But as said in the past, this is not the end. Just because I gained weight this week doesn't mean I have to give up and stop. Instead, it just reminds me that I can pick up the pace again and start posting the big numbers. And that is the plan.
Road Trip Downfalls:
- Not working out on a daily basis. We did go hiking in the Tetons by Jackson Hole one day and we
walked around Idaho Falls and Jackson Hole a little bit, but it didn't add up to my usual physical activity
level. Plus, there was a lot of sitting in the car.
- Not choosing the healthier option on the menu. The tater tots @ Taco Maker, the loaded sweet potato
@ Texas Roadhouse (yum!), drinking the whole bottle of Reed's Dairy Chocolate Milk (450 calories in
one bottle), the side of sausage patties @ breakfast in Jackson, the regular serving of Aggie Ice Cream
instead of the kiddie size (but admittedly, that was SO worth it!), getting the focacia bread and a
Chicken Club Sandwich @ Firehouse and eating it ALL! I could have definitely adjusted my choices
and serving sizes.
- Choosing unhealthy snacks for the trip. I didn't really have anything healthy for snacking on the trip.
Vanilla flavored Tootsie Rolls, Milk Chocolate Cinnamon Bears, Gummy Worms, Sunflower Seeds,
and Chex Mix = lots of sugar and lots of salt! Next time I need to be better about getting healthy
snacks to munch on.
Goal: Total Weight Loss by July 20th (my birthday!) is 20 pounds.
That means I need to lose at least 6 pounds in the next 2 weeks (14 days). I feel that is very possible. I am going to go back to the basics, which are:
- Work out daily for 60 or more minutes. Lots of cardio people!
- Choose healthy options @ meal and snack time. I already gave away my leftover milk chocolate
covered cinnamon bears from my road trip.
- Drink LOTS of water!
- Track calories EVERY DAY, I slacked off on that this weekend since I didn't have a computer
handy, even though I could have used the app on my phone. :(
- More sleep. It's been shown that the more sleep you get @ night can help with weight loss and
maintenance. I think it's related to reducing stress.
So I hope you all aren't too disappointed. I'm sure you all knew this day was coming when I would report a bad week. But if it makes you feel better, I am disappointed in myself. But I can turn that disappointment into motivation easily. I know I can do better than gaining weight, even with a road trip and holiday. My birthday and another 3 day weekend holiday are coming up later this month. I know it will go a lot better next time.
Week 8 = 2 pound weight gain
Week 8 % weight loss = 0
Total Weight loss = 14#
Total % Weight Loss = 5.12%
Yup, that sucks. So what happened? Well the weekend happened. This weekend I went on a road trip all weekend long for the 4th of July. I am not going to lie, it was WAY fun and totally worth it. It just sucks to get the repercussions of not working out and relaxing on the eating habits. But as said in the past, this is not the end. Just because I gained weight this week doesn't mean I have to give up and stop. Instead, it just reminds me that I can pick up the pace again and start posting the big numbers. And that is the plan.
Road Trip Downfalls:
- Not working out on a daily basis. We did go hiking in the Tetons by Jackson Hole one day and we
walked around Idaho Falls and Jackson Hole a little bit, but it didn't add up to my usual physical activity
level. Plus, there was a lot of sitting in the car.
- Not choosing the healthier option on the menu. The tater tots @ Taco Maker, the loaded sweet potato
@ Texas Roadhouse (yum!), drinking the whole bottle of Reed's Dairy Chocolate Milk (450 calories in
one bottle), the side of sausage patties @ breakfast in Jackson, the regular serving of Aggie Ice Cream
instead of the kiddie size (but admittedly, that was SO worth it!), getting the focacia bread and a
Chicken Club Sandwich @ Firehouse and eating it ALL! I could have definitely adjusted my choices
and serving sizes.
- Choosing unhealthy snacks for the trip. I didn't really have anything healthy for snacking on the trip.
Vanilla flavored Tootsie Rolls, Milk Chocolate Cinnamon Bears, Gummy Worms, Sunflower Seeds,
and Chex Mix = lots of sugar and lots of salt! Next time I need to be better about getting healthy
snacks to munch on.
Goal: Total Weight Loss by July 20th (my birthday!) is 20 pounds.
That means I need to lose at least 6 pounds in the next 2 weeks (14 days). I feel that is very possible. I am going to go back to the basics, which are:
- Work out daily for 60 or more minutes. Lots of cardio people!
- Choose healthy options @ meal and snack time. I already gave away my leftover milk chocolate
covered cinnamon bears from my road trip.
- Drink LOTS of water!
- Track calories EVERY DAY, I slacked off on that this weekend since I didn't have a computer
handy, even though I could have used the app on my phone. :(
- More sleep. It's been shown that the more sleep you get @ night can help with weight loss and
maintenance. I think it's related to reducing stress.
So I hope you all aren't too disappointed. I'm sure you all knew this day was coming when I would report a bad week. But if it makes you feel better, I am disappointed in myself. But I can turn that disappointment into motivation easily. I know I can do better than gaining weight, even with a road trip and holiday. My birthday and another 3 day weekend holiday are coming up later this month. I know it will go a lot better next time.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
GRATITUDE
First, weigh in time!
Week 7 Weight Loss = 1#
Total Weight Loss = 16#
Week 7 % Weight Loss = 0.3%
Total % Weight Loss = 5.84%
So this week was once again a lower weight loss week, which I am okay with. As of Sunday when I peeked at the scale it was looking really really scary. I was actually up on my weight from the week before. That was no good, so I worked out a lot on Monday in hopes of just maintaining my weight. Luckily I was able to drop an additional pound instead. One of the greatest parts of today was that I actually had a double weigh in. Which normally is not a good thing, but it is when you are getting paid money for one of them. My work has a program called Healthy Lifestyles where we track our exercise. The program also involves getting points for doctor visits, dentist visits, wearing your seat belt, and they have random challenges dealing with healthy eating/ exercise. The points that you accumulate equal money at the end of the year. So this year I got a lot of points for all of the exercise that I have been doing, then I got points for losing weight, improving my cholesterol, body fat %, BMI, and improving my blood sugars. So ROCK ON for this competition. Not only is it helping me get healthier, it's also helping me fatten my wallet.
*Disclaimer paragraph: The reason why I didn't lose very much weight during Week 7 is due to lack of exercise. I did not work out on Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday. Friday I just went for a short walk on my lunch break, so I really wouldn't count that either. The reality was that I didn't find time to fit it into my schedule. I had a lot of social activities going on and let my working out suffer. So I still need to figure out how to do both some more. Now onto what I wanted to write about.*
Gratitude. It's always good to list things that you are grateful for. It helps you realize what you already have, when in our world it is so easy to think you need more. I work in a field where I encounter a lot of people with health problems that affect their lives. Today I saw a child who was born with spina bifida and has problems with growing properly, developing, and he can't walk. It was so sad to see his condition, but his attitude was AMAZING for a child so young with so many physical problems. So, I have decided that even though I don't have a perfect body, I want to list 5 things about my body that I am grateful for.
1. I have two feet that I can use on a daily basis, whenever I want. They help me run, dance, jump, skip, zumba, etc, etc. I can paint my toenails fun, funky colors. They look great in almost every shoe out there. And boy do I LOVE shoes!
2. My legs are strong. They support a lot of weight on them on a daily basis but never seem to give out. My legs do burn A LOT when I do hard activities (like a hike) but they get me to where I need to go and they help me burn a lot of calories through the activities I do. I believe my legs are one of the greatest assets to my weight loss so far.
5. My neck. My neck has got me through a lot during my 26 years of life. It holds my big head (I had one of the biggest heads in my graduating class when we were measured for caps and gowns. Big head = large brain) on straight during stressful situations. It helps me keep my head up high when I don't succeed to my best abilities when it would be easier to just let my head hang down. My neck supports my head when it wants to float above the clouds on a good day or when I am really happy and excited.
So even though I am trying to improve my body, I have truly been blessed with a wonderful body. I am grateful that I have a body that I can use to it's full potential. I am grateful that my body is endures pain and struggles to help me succeed in my weight loss adventures. I want to treat my body with respect and allow it to be as beautiful as it should be. Why are you grateful for your body? I hope you all can find at least 5 or more reasons why you are grateful for your body. Every body is beautiful in it's own way. We need to embrace that.
Okay enough with the cheesiness, sorry. So it's onto Week 8. Let's see what my body does for me this next week. I'll check back in with you next Tuesday. Good luck in all that you are doing and working on!
The pictures in this post are some of my favorite advertisements from NIKE.
Week 7 Weight Loss = 1#
Total Weight Loss = 16#
Week 7 % Weight Loss = 0.3%
Total % Weight Loss = 5.84%
So this week was once again a lower weight loss week, which I am okay with. As of Sunday when I peeked at the scale it was looking really really scary. I was actually up on my weight from the week before. That was no good, so I worked out a lot on Monday in hopes of just maintaining my weight. Luckily I was able to drop an additional pound instead. One of the greatest parts of today was that I actually had a double weigh in. Which normally is not a good thing, but it is when you are getting paid money for one of them. My work has a program called Healthy Lifestyles where we track our exercise. The program also involves getting points for doctor visits, dentist visits, wearing your seat belt, and they have random challenges dealing with healthy eating/ exercise. The points that you accumulate equal money at the end of the year. So this year I got a lot of points for all of the exercise that I have been doing, then I got points for losing weight, improving my cholesterol, body fat %, BMI, and improving my blood sugars. So ROCK ON for this competition. Not only is it helping me get healthier, it's also helping me fatten my wallet.
*Disclaimer paragraph: The reason why I didn't lose very much weight during Week 7 is due to lack of exercise. I did not work out on Thursday, Saturday, or Sunday. Friday I just went for a short walk on my lunch break, so I really wouldn't count that either. The reality was that I didn't find time to fit it into my schedule. I had a lot of social activities going on and let my working out suffer. So I still need to figure out how to do both some more. Now onto what I wanted to write about.*
Gratitude. It's always good to list things that you are grateful for. It helps you realize what you already have, when in our world it is so easy to think you need more. I work in a field where I encounter a lot of people with health problems that affect their lives. Today I saw a child who was born with spina bifida and has problems with growing properly, developing, and he can't walk. It was so sad to see his condition, but his attitude was AMAZING for a child so young with so many physical problems. So, I have decided that even though I don't have a perfect body, I want to list 5 things about my body that I am grateful for.
1. I have two feet that I can use on a daily basis, whenever I want. They help me run, dance, jump, skip, zumba, etc, etc. I can paint my toenails fun, funky colors. They look great in almost every shoe out there. And boy do I LOVE shoes!
3. I have a healthy stomach that can tolerate a variety of foods. I only have a few select foods that I can't eat without pain. I can enjoy healthy foods that can nourish my body and provide the energy that I need for daily activities and exercise. I don't have to have medications to help me utilize what I eat, I have a good stomach for that. (I work with people on a daily basis who struggle finding foods that won't make their children sick. In the hospital, I worked with people who's stomachs never worked properly, and they had to be fed by tubes, special formulas as adults, etc.)
4. My arms and hands, I don't like how they look (yet!) but they work properly. I use them ALL the time when I am talking. I use them in the "women's only" weight room at the gym to do some of my favorite free weight exercises. They help me look more graceful during zumba class or when I am doing a happy dance at work. My arms carry my most precious belongings. They help me hug and hold those I love and care for. And I rarely ever have cold hands.
5. My neck. My neck has got me through a lot during my 26 years of life. It holds my big head (I had one of the biggest heads in my graduating class when we were measured for caps and gowns. Big head = large brain) on straight during stressful situations. It helps me keep my head up high when I don't succeed to my best abilities when it would be easier to just let my head hang down. My neck supports my head when it wants to float above the clouds on a good day or when I am really happy and excited.
Okay enough with the cheesiness, sorry. So it's onto Week 8. Let's see what my body does for me this next week. I'll check back in with you next Tuesday. Good luck in all that you are doing and working on!
The pictures in this post are some of my favorite advertisements from NIKE.
Friday, June 25, 2010
Good Article about Burning More Calories on the Treadmill. Enjoy!
I read this article in the Shine section of Yahoo today (6/25/2010) and really enjoyed it. Thought I should share it with all of you.
How to Burn More Calories on the Treadmill
by FitSugar, on Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:10am PDT
Whether the hot humid weather has made running outside impossible, or you're a gym rat by nature, running on a treadmill is a great way to burn calories, keep your heart healthy, and tone up your lower body. If you want more from your workouts, try these tips the next time you hop on the moving belt.
1. Bring Hills Indoors - Pumping up the incline will not only help prevent shin splints, but it also tones your tush, thighs, and calves while burning extra calories. After a 30-minute workout at a 10-minute-per-mile pace, you'll burn 270 calories with no incline, 363 with a five percent incline, 420 with a 10 percent incline, and 482 with a 15 percent incline (crazy steep, I know).
2. Slow and Steady Doesn't Always Win the Race - On long, slow runs when you need to take it easy, it's great to travel along at a consistent pace. But during your intense workouts, take advantage of intervals. By alternating between running a few minutes at a moderate pace, and throwing in sprinting bursts, you'll end up burning more calories, building your endurance, and becoming a faster, stronger runner. Not to mention, intervals have also been proven to fight belly fat.
3. I Think I Can, I Think I Can - Whether you prefer chugging along at a consistent speed or doing intervals, to get the most out of your workouts, you've got to make continued progress. One way to do that is to gradually increase your speed. Don't jump from 10-minute miles to eight-minute miles because you could seriously hurt yourself. Instead increase your pace just slightly so your body has time to adjust.
4. Compete Against Friends (or Strangers) -If you hit the gym with a buddy, do your workouts on side-by-side treadmills. You can use one another's energy for motivation to run faster or longer than you would if you were alone. If you're at the gym solo, find a stranger on a treadmill to secretly race with.
5. No Need to Hold On For Dear Life - You should be moving at a pace that's fast enough to get your heart and muscles working, but not so speedy that you have to hold on in order to prevent falling. When you release your grasp of the handles, it allows you to swing your arms, which will not only burn more calories, but will also tone your core and upper body. Holding on can also contribute to bad posture, which can lead to back and shoulder pain.
How to Burn More Calories on the Treadmill
by FitSugar, on Tue Jun 22, 2010 10:10am PDT
Whether the hot humid weather has made running outside impossible, or you're a gym rat by nature, running on a treadmill is a great way to burn calories, keep your heart healthy, and tone up your lower body. If you want more from your workouts, try these tips the next time you hop on the moving belt.
1. Bring Hills Indoors - Pumping up the incline will not only help prevent shin splints, but it also tones your tush, thighs, and calves while burning extra calories. After a 30-minute workout at a 10-minute-per-mile pace, you'll burn 270 calories with no incline, 363 with a five percent incline, 420 with a 10 percent incline, and 482 with a 15 percent incline (crazy steep, I know).
2. Slow and Steady Doesn't Always Win the Race - On long, slow runs when you need to take it easy, it's great to travel along at a consistent pace. But during your intense workouts, take advantage of intervals. By alternating between running a few minutes at a moderate pace, and throwing in sprinting bursts, you'll end up burning more calories, building your endurance, and becoming a faster, stronger runner. Not to mention, intervals have also been proven to fight belly fat.
3. I Think I Can, I Think I Can - Whether you prefer chugging along at a consistent speed or doing intervals, to get the most out of your workouts, you've got to make continued progress. One way to do that is to gradually increase your speed. Don't jump from 10-minute miles to eight-minute miles because you could seriously hurt yourself. Instead increase your pace just slightly so your body has time to adjust.
4. Compete Against Friends (or Strangers) -If you hit the gym with a buddy, do your workouts on side-by-side treadmills. You can use one another's energy for motivation to run faster or longer than you would if you were alone. If you're at the gym solo, find a stranger on a treadmill to secretly race with.
5. No Need to Hold On For Dear Life - You should be moving at a pace that's fast enough to get your heart and muscles working, but not so speedy that you have to hold on in order to prevent falling. When you release your grasp of the handles, it allows you to swing your arms, which will not only burn more calories, but will also tone your core and upper body. Holding on can also contribute to bad posture, which can lead to back and shoulder pain.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
HOLY SHAMOLE........But hold the guacamole this time! :)
So it's that time again. A Tuesday night at about 10:00pm and time to report how things are progressing in my weight loss adventure. Here we go!!!!
Week 6
Week 6 Weight Loss = 1.5 pounds
Week 6 % Body Weight Loss = 0.547%
Total Weight Loss = 15 pounds
Total % Body Weight Loss = 5.48%
Again.......HOLY SHAMOLE!!!!!!
*To those who didn't know me in college, this was an amazing phrase that I actually picked up from my grandmother when I visited her while in college. It was a phrase that I used frequently but somehow have lost over the years. I am glad to be able to reintroduce it back in my life again.* P.S. Guacamole is a good source of dietary fat because it comes from a plant source (avocados) but if you are watching calories it can be a calorie trap. So eat in moderation! ;)
1.5 pounds lost is great in one week. 15 pounds lost in 6 weeks is awesome. Losing 5.48% of your body weight in 6 weeks feels fantastic. Getting out of the 260s weight range = PRICELESS!!!!!!!!! I don't remember the last time I was in the 250s. For a year I worked out with my trainer, and I never made it below the 260s. I definitely would say that it's been well over 3 years since I can remember being in that weight range. But don't worry, I am NOT going to stay in the 250s for very long. It's all downhill from here.
A lot of people have been asking lately what exactly I have been doing to maintain my weight loss. It's a huge combination of a lot of things. So I thought I would list out what is working well so far.
What I've Been Doing to Maintain The Weight Loss:
1. Try to be physically active on a daily basis. Whether it is going to the gym, spending time outdoors, adding physical activity to the daily life (park further away from the door, etc), all of these things can add up. If I can't make it to the gym (which I can't every single day) I look for ways to increase my activity level. Burn calories, burn!
2. Pay attention to my food choices. Is the donut really worth the calories? Can I enjoy a bowl of strawberries even more? There are amazingly delicious foods out there that are healthy and tasty. So I've been trying to choose those over the ones that are just tasty. It's helped me stick to my calorie range, while still allowing me the joys of eating.
3. Allow yourself to have the donut every once in a while. Everything is okay to eat in moderation. We dietitian's teach that concept ALL THE TIME! I am just a dietitian that had troubles practicing that concept. I've just had to teach myself that I can have one donut and not a whole dozen. In the past I have definitely allowed myself to eat very large servings of foods that aren't the best for me. So now, instead of completely avoiding foods all together I am working on having them in moderation and as an occasional treat. I enjoyed the small ice cream sundae last weekend very much!
4. Making it public has helped me keep the motivation to press forward. The fact that so many people are following the blog has really helped me stay on task the majority of the time. My coworkers help keep me on task daily and weekly as they ask me how it is going, follow the updates on the competition poster, and comment about the changes that they can see already (my clothes are starting to get more baggy). I also agree with Angie (my friend/ roomie/ competition cohort) that different people have been placed in my life at this time to help me be successful in this endeavor. It's the little things that people say and do that are really adding up to help me keep my motivation to continually work towards my goal. My thanks go out to you all. Thank you for allowing me to make these changes in my life. Special thanks go out to those who want to walk beside me and improve their lives too.
Now for the ugly part of my motivation. PRIDE! I'm a pretty stubborn girl from time to time and I also stay motivated because I don't want to embarrass myself by having to report a bad week to you all. I know that bad week or month will come sometime in the future. Everyone plateaus during weight loss, but I really will try to push myself harder to keep face. I'm tired of being the "fat dietitian". It's hard to work in a health field all about nutrition when I don't look like a good role model. So my pride, even though pride can be a bad thing, will keep me motivated to continue also.
5. The goals and rewards! I have some personal goals and rewards that I am working towards to help me keep on track during this journey. Little ones include fitting into the "skinnier" clothes that I have in my closet. Like I've said in previous posts, I have to be able to run a 5k for my family reunion in July. As of right now I can run a mile without stopping. That's much better than 6 weeks ago when I could barely run for 5 minutes at 4 miles per hour, but I still have a ways to go. One of my bigger goals is to go skydiving when I am comfortably within the weight limit range. The three of us involved in the "Unleash The Skinny Girls" competition are going to work on making some incremental goals to strive towards along our competition journey. But we are going to make it so that when all three of us reach the goal we can reap the rewards, that way it will keep us motivated individually and as a team.
So there you have it. The 5 bigger things that are keeping me in this journey. I think I can sum it all up in one sentence (don't you wish I would've just put this at the beginning so you wouldn't have to read such a long post?).
Jillian's Weight loss Mission Statement:
To successfully lose weight, I need to keep focused on the finish line, put in the effort, get back on track when I fall off, utilize the strength and support of those around me, continue to discover my own self worth, have faith in God's purpose for me, and I will succeed.
On to week 7!
Good luck to you all!
Till next Tuesday!
Week 6
Week 6 Weight Loss = 1.5 pounds
Week 6 % Body Weight Loss = 0.547%
Total Weight Loss = 15 pounds
Total % Body Weight Loss = 5.48%
Again.......HOLY SHAMOLE!!!!!!
*To those who didn't know me in college, this was an amazing phrase that I actually picked up from my grandmother when I visited her while in college. It was a phrase that I used frequently but somehow have lost over the years. I am glad to be able to reintroduce it back in my life again.* P.S. Guacamole is a good source of dietary fat because it comes from a plant source (avocados) but if you are watching calories it can be a calorie trap. So eat in moderation! ;)
1.5 pounds lost is great in one week. 15 pounds lost in 6 weeks is awesome. Losing 5.48% of your body weight in 6 weeks feels fantastic. Getting out of the 260s weight range = PRICELESS!!!!!!!!! I don't remember the last time I was in the 250s. For a year I worked out with my trainer, and I never made it below the 260s. I definitely would say that it's been well over 3 years since I can remember being in that weight range. But don't worry, I am NOT going to stay in the 250s for very long. It's all downhill from here.
A lot of people have been asking lately what exactly I have been doing to maintain my weight loss. It's a huge combination of a lot of things. So I thought I would list out what is working well so far.
What I've Been Doing to Maintain The Weight Loss:
1. Try to be physically active on a daily basis. Whether it is going to the gym, spending time outdoors, adding physical activity to the daily life (park further away from the door, etc), all of these things can add up. If I can't make it to the gym (which I can't every single day) I look for ways to increase my activity level. Burn calories, burn!
2. Pay attention to my food choices. Is the donut really worth the calories? Can I enjoy a bowl of strawberries even more? There are amazingly delicious foods out there that are healthy and tasty. So I've been trying to choose those over the ones that are just tasty. It's helped me stick to my calorie range, while still allowing me the joys of eating.
3. Allow yourself to have the donut every once in a while. Everything is okay to eat in moderation. We dietitian's teach that concept ALL THE TIME! I am just a dietitian that had troubles practicing that concept. I've just had to teach myself that I can have one donut and not a whole dozen. In the past I have definitely allowed myself to eat very large servings of foods that aren't the best for me. So now, instead of completely avoiding foods all together I am working on having them in moderation and as an occasional treat. I enjoyed the small ice cream sundae last weekend very much!
4. Making it public has helped me keep the motivation to press forward. The fact that so many people are following the blog has really helped me stay on task the majority of the time. My coworkers help keep me on task daily and weekly as they ask me how it is going, follow the updates on the competition poster, and comment about the changes that they can see already (my clothes are starting to get more baggy). I also agree with Angie (my friend/ roomie/ competition cohort) that different people have been placed in my life at this time to help me be successful in this endeavor. It's the little things that people say and do that are really adding up to help me keep my motivation to continually work towards my goal. My thanks go out to you all. Thank you for allowing me to make these changes in my life. Special thanks go out to those who want to walk beside me and improve their lives too.
Now for the ugly part of my motivation. PRIDE! I'm a pretty stubborn girl from time to time and I also stay motivated because I don't want to embarrass myself by having to report a bad week to you all. I know that bad week or month will come sometime in the future. Everyone plateaus during weight loss, but I really will try to push myself harder to keep face. I'm tired of being the "fat dietitian". It's hard to work in a health field all about nutrition when I don't look like a good role model. So my pride, even though pride can be a bad thing, will keep me motivated to continue also.
5. The goals and rewards! I have some personal goals and rewards that I am working towards to help me keep on track during this journey. Little ones include fitting into the "skinnier" clothes that I have in my closet. Like I've said in previous posts, I have to be able to run a 5k for my family reunion in July. As of right now I can run a mile without stopping. That's much better than 6 weeks ago when I could barely run for 5 minutes at 4 miles per hour, but I still have a ways to go. One of my bigger goals is to go skydiving when I am comfortably within the weight limit range. The three of us involved in the "Unleash The Skinny Girls" competition are going to work on making some incremental goals to strive towards along our competition journey. But we are going to make it so that when all three of us reach the goal we can reap the rewards, that way it will keep us motivated individually and as a team.
So there you have it. The 5 bigger things that are keeping me in this journey. I think I can sum it all up in one sentence (don't you wish I would've just put this at the beginning so you wouldn't have to read such a long post?).
Jillian's Weight loss Mission Statement:
To successfully lose weight, I need to keep focused on the finish line, put in the effort, get back on track when I fall off, utilize the strength and support of those around me, continue to discover my own self worth, have faith in God's purpose for me, and I will succeed.
On to week 7!
Good luck to you all!
Till next Tuesday!
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