Getting in Shape Together

Challenges and Calculators

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Sat, 02 Aug 2014 05:16:00 +0000

Today was the final weigh-in for the 5 week weight loss challenge. I cringed seeing only a 2 lb loss, weighing in at 140.8. I laughed a little as I stared down at the scale, reaching for the camera on the counter to take a picture for the weigh-in submission. I reflected, thinking that at the beginning of the challenge I was excited that for the first time in over 10 years I was so close to my weight loss goal. So close that if I did 2 lbs a week I would meet that goal.

I was sad that I never once dipped below 140. I did hit it once a week ago. What kept me from being completely shaken though was the fact I had started taking measurements and paying attention to my body fat %. From the beginning of the challenge to today I lost 2.2% of my body fat! Also in that time I lost an inch off my hips, 1 1/4 inches off my waist and 1/4 inch from around my neck. Sure does look different in a mirror. I even went and bought the next size down in jeans and they are already needing a belt to stay up.

I struggle less and less with overeating and now find I have trouble eating enough which may have been my biggest challenge this go around. Not eating enough can stall weight loss as your body struggles to have enough calories to survive, and rather than lose weight, it again starts storing fat so it can use them, maintaining your current weight. A friend pointed me towards a nice calculator that I feel gave me a better idea of my calorie intake than using the My Fitness Pal calorie calculation.

http://iifym.com/iifym-calculator/

At my age, height and current weight and activity level the calculator set on the Lean Mass Formula (I know my body fat %) my BMR which is the number of calories burned at rest...so essentially the number of calories needed to live. This came in at 1367. This would be the number of calories I need to just function. The number of calories needed to maintain my current weight is known as TDEE. This the number of calories that are needed to function PLUS the number of calories the body burns daily just doing normal tasks like sleeping, working, exercising, playing and digesting food to name a few. My TDEE at an exercise level of exercising 3 times a week moderately came in at 1879 calories. As I stated already, this is the minimum number of calories I should consume if I wanted to maintain my current weight. It is a nice weight, but I would like to lose a few more, or at least if I gain or maintain my muscle weight changes.

Step 2 of the calculator has you chose your goal. This is were I find the flaw in MFP calorie consumtion verses this calculator. MFP has me at 1200 calories a day and if I exercise any it wants me to consume those calories back or it says I am way under my caloric goal. The calculator though says at 25% fat loss (notice I did not say weight loss) I need to consume 1409 calories.

http://iifym.com/do-i-add-back-calories-i-burn-during-exercise/

The above article from the producers of the calculator explains why, if using the calculator correctly and maintaining the inputted exercise, that you do not add back in your calories expended during exercising. If you add them back you are eating too many calories for your weight loss goals as the calculated caloric intake as already taken the exercise into consideration.

One thing I have to consider though is that the calculator does not say what kind of exercise..low, medium, high impact that is being used in this calculation, though it seems to amount to somewhere around 1000 calories worth, in my case, 3 times a week. If you are exercising daily for instance, 1760 calories would need to be consumed to lose the same amount of weight vs exercising 3 times a week.

This next 4-5 weeks I am going to test this calculators outputs and I am adjusting my calories to match this calculator as well as try to meet their recommended protein, fat and carb intake. This is a hefty goal as I said I am having trouble even eating 1200 calories some days.

Oh how time flies...

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Sun, 13 Jul 2014 08:33:00 +0000

It's been nearly two years since I touched this blog. The first thing I did was to go back to the beginning and read the words I had typed. There was or should I say is a common theme that still hold true, I have impulse control issues when it comes to food, I love food and I crave sugar. What is different though is that I am not letting that control me.

In going back through the years I noticed how my weight fluctuated. I started the blog on 6/26/2008 logging a starting weight of 155.2. I noted that this was not my lowest weight and that I had been yo-yoing for 18 weeks prior. For all of 2008, my most prolific blogging time I had a low of 151.2 in August and a high of 160.8 in November.

2009 was much of the same at higher weights with my 2009 high being 164.6 in January and 150.8 in March which is when I stopped blogging for the year.

I logged one weight in 2010 and that was in January coming in at 157.8.

October 2011 showed my lowest weight to that date of 149.8. Things should have been looking up from there as I remember being so proud of myself. November 2011 we had a house fire and my life turned upside down for awhile as I moved in with my father for 4 months, bought a house, rebuilt a house and gained over 20 pounds by August of 2012 clocking in at my highest all time weight of 170. That was a turning point for me.

I spent the next year watching what I ate. I got a new job in January 2013, found a new friend, and started walking every day at lunch. By August of 2013 I was back down to 153. I focused on my job and didn't return to using blogging or other tools to document my weight loss. I with I had.

April 2014 I lost my job. This could have been another setback for me, but I used it to propel me to focus on me. I scheduled doctor and dentist appointments before my insurance expired to make sure my family and I were in good health and I continued to watch what I ate.

I joined a group of friends for a weight loss competition. I logged 149 pounds on 5/11/2014. I have still yo-yo'd but I am proud to say I am at 141.2 pounds and 29.3% Body fat.

I have started tracking my body fat percentage as I found that even when I gained weight, that my % told me if I was gaining fat, muscle or water. I have about 56% muscle mass, 5% bone mass, which means I retain quite a bit of water, but that means I am well hydrated.

I am trying to work on toning exercises now that I really understand my food habits and how to control them. I have never deprived myself. I have never really dieted, though I have tried a few "diets" that last maybe a few days.

I believe my key to weight loss has been to open up about my weight loss to friends, family and my husband. He has grown to be my greatest supporter along with my father who has had his own rewarding weight loss journey.

In addition to toning exercises I have been running. I signed up for two 5k's this year with a third being decided on. I am well on to meeting my ultimate weight loss goal, but mostly I have given myself the tools to keep it off.

A little down

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 03:02:00 +0000

Not to much to write about but I am happy to report that I am down 2 pounds from last week...right on target. I was a little concerned as I downed a half a loaf of zucchini bread and several beers, but seriously that couldn't have out done what I had accomplished the rest of the week and besides I was PMSing and needed the beer.

My Avocado Egg Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 21:47:00 +0000

I've been roaming pinterest the last few days looking for good solid low-calorie lunch ideas. I stumbled across one that was located at Skinnytaste.com. I'm book marking her site for future reference. The recipe in question is Avocado Egg Salad. I loved the idea and decided that was what I was going to make for lunch today. I love egg salad, I have a particular way I make it. Eggs, mayo, pickle relish and yellow mustard. Simple and easy but I wanted to tone it down for this recipe. Skinnytaste's recipe while good called for things I just did not have in the fridge like plain yogurt and red wine vinegar. I don't like the taste of vinegar in my egg salad so that was an easy one to omit. I also prefer Miracle Whip for myself and it has less calories than most light mayo's. I also halved the recipe.

Here is my Avocado Egg Salad Recipe (Servings: 3, 1/2 cup each)

1/2 avocado - cubed
2 small boiled eggs - cut up
2 tsp of Miracle Whip
2 tsp of yellow mustard
A couple dashes of cinnamon
A dash of paprika
Salt and pepper
3 decent sized romaine leaves

In a bowl add the cut up avocado and eggs. Add to this the miracle whip, mustard, cinnamon, and paprika. Stir together. Salt and pepper to taste. Spoon evenly into lettuce leaves.

Seriously this was yum-o. Wish I would have taken pictures. I ate all three servings but hold on...ALL three servings?! The original recipe said one 1/2 cup serving was 155 calories, so eating three would be like 465 calories. I try for under 300 per meal depending on how often I eat, so I thought was was me over doing it again until I sat down and calculated my recipe. By switching out or omitting some ingredients; I was able to make 3 servings equal to only 279 calories!

Note: This difference may however have more to do with the scale I used to figure calories. Avocados for instance have two difference calorie amounts at myfitnesspal.com and I used the one noted as "corrected from website" which was 278 calories for a medium hass avocado, while the other one listed was for 240g hass avocado at 332 calories. If I break the original recipe down using my figures the calories per serving would be approx. 122 instead of 155.

Continuing the countdown

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 19:15:00 +0000

Calorie counting. Oh joy. Actually it has been quite a joy and yes I am still eating what I love, just in smaller, more reasonable portions. I've been counting calories for a week now. The first few days were very hard. I made it easier by utilizing technology. On the 16th I upgraded cell phones and picked up the new Samsung Galaxy S3.
Now I am not here to tout phone brands. Any good smartphone capable to downloading seamlessly would be better than the piece of $&^! I had before...and it was suppose to be a smartphone too.
Rumaging through the apps and thinking of what would be useful for me and free, I came across one called My Fitness Pal. It has been a great tool for jump starting my diet...again. I just enter the foods I eat by either typing in a short description or what I love to do it scan the bar code. With this feature 9 out of 10 times it has found everything I scan, even the off and store brands. I can adjust the number of servings I consumed of each food or if I eat something homemade and I have a rough idea of the calories, I can just manually add them. I can also add all my exercise for the day and keep track of my water consumption.
Here is how my week has gone since day one (surprisingly I haven't missed a day). My target calories are 1200 per day for weight loss.

July 19th - 810 calories (39% carbs, 44% fats, 17% protein) and exercised for a total of 30 minutes
July 20th - 2672 calories (I overdid it on the pizza) (58% carbs, 28% fats, 14% protein) and exercised for 20 minutes
July 21st - 1559 calories (snacked to much) (49 carbs, 34% fats, 17% protein) and zero exercise
July 22nd - 1497 calories (still snacking away) (59% carbs, 28% fats, 13% protein) and zero exercise
July 23rd - 1591 calories (snack, snack snack) 72% carbs, 13% fats, 15% protein) and zero exercise

On the evening of the 23rd I decided to weigh myself. I started out at 168 on the 19th and was appalled but not surprise to see 170 on the scale after the week I had. I decided then I needed to figure out how to spread the calories out so that one I didn't each so much and two didn't feel hungry and be tempted to snack. I also wanted to make sure to incorporate more fruits and veggies.

My new plan:
Eat six 200 calorie meals (1 meal every 2 hours) or eat four 300 calorie meals (1 meal every 3 hours)
This is how my 6th day went

July 24th - 860 calories (52% carbs, 28% fats, 20% protein) and exercised my little contented heart out.

Yep spreading out the calories made me feel so good! I was energized and wanted to get out and do something. I dragged pallets out, shoveled dirt and finally made my compost bin. I got my husband motivated and we worked a great deal on the dog kennel we are building and I went walking with my son, who is always begging to go, but I am always to tired. I also got on pinterest and found some great, short exercises that claimed to burn a lot of calories. The one I chose to do last night says it burns as many calories as a 40-60 minute run in just 4 minutes. Since I do a mile in 10 minutes I used the fitness calculator to estimate that in 4 minutes I would burn 772 calories! Wow. I tried it and yes I was tired afterwards. Here is what you do.

4 minute workout

20 secs squat thrusts (as fast as you can, as many as you can)
10 secs rest
20 secs mountain climbers (again as fast as you can)
10 secs rest
20 secs high knees (as fast and as many as you can)
10 secs rest
20 secs jumping jacks (as many as you can)
10 secs rest
Repeat 1-8

I just broke out the stopwatch app on my phone and got started. Good idea may be to stretch before this exercise and make sure you wear shoes (yeah I didn't do either of those). It is also a great idea to do this just before your shower as you can wash the sweat off and it can help burn off the last of your energy before you settle down for the night. Now if I could just get to bed at a decent hour.

Baby Steps go like this....

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 17:29:00 +0000

My youngest is at that stage where she is starting to scale furniture. I sat the other day and realized something as she attempted to walk along the couch towards me. First she took a hestitate step forward, but before her foot hit the ground she pulled it back and put it back down. Then she tried again, a smile on her face as she pressed that tiny little foot onto the floor infront of her. Then she gave up, or so I thought as she lowered herself to the ground, plop on her little butt. She hadn't given up though, she had figured it was easier to go with what she knew as she crawled the remaining foot to where I sat, and used the couch to stand up again. Reaching for me she smiled at her accomplishment.
It doesn't matter how you reach the goal as long as you feel good about yourself when you reach it. Baby steps are not taking one step in front of the other slowly, but rather taking one step forward, one step back and then finding another route to reach your goal. Up until then I thought, "what am I doing wrong", I was taking baby steps, changing little things in my diet, running occasionally and always lifting weights (weights being my 16 pound daughter and my 30 pound son). My children keep me pretty active but not to the point of breaking a sweat like 30 minutes on a treadmill. Who has time for a treadmill though.

With that little butt flop though my dear daughter opened my eyes to the fact that even though the holidays are coming up, and my goal still looms like an unreachable quarry, I can do it. A few days ago, stepping on the scale for the first time in months I was shocked that it read...149.8! The number made me both happy and sad. Happy because the small changes I have been making are working, sad because I know it could be better. I have sabtoged myself on numerous occasions. Food, good food, is a weakness and I fight not to go for seconds when seconds are available. I also fight to resist eating a big bowl of cereal at 9pm, fight to leave the snacks I buy for my sons lunches alone, fight to regain motivation to get out and do anything.
Here's to the holiday's and the challenges they bring.

Weight Loss Magic

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:23:00 +0000

Though it's been 10 months since I posted last, I wish this were a post about my amazing ability to lose all the weight I set out to lose before I got pregnant the first and second time. Sadly no, this is a post on my amazing Photoshop abilities. You see a picture can speak a thousand words and I thought maybe I could motivate myself to actually use the Wii exercise programs I ~~insisted DH buy~~ bought. So here's my before (a few months prior to finding out some of that pooch was because I was pregnant) and my dream "after" courtesy of the magic of photoshop. Pretty good right? Now to make that a reality.

After & Before

So as of today my weight sits at 156.7. Not my lowest in the last month...that was 153.4...but still below 160. With my yo-yo weight I've kept a steady goal of staying below my first goal weight. Needless say I have lots of work still ahead of me, including but not limited to the weight loss are to get motivated, stay motivated, and motivate others. Why the last one? Frankly speaking, I do better myself when I see people inspired by what I am doing for myself. I get lazy though once I start peaking, maybe it's boredom, but I have to find that motivating factor and that dream number of 132 is just not enough.

Maybe it's being a role-model of eating right and good fitness for these two:

Round Steak with Zucchini Fritters and Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Sun, 19 Sep 2010 02:24:00 +0000

I have to admit its been rough trying to get a recipe right. I swore to do my own recipes by not rushing off to Google every idea that popped into my head. Tonight's dinner was a home run in that department.
I started off with the idea of using up the two zucchini I had on the counter before I go out tomorrow to harvest more. They were getting a little on the hard side and I knew I would need to shred them so I thought, "my not give zucchini pancakes a try?" I ran to the computer and entered the search term, then slowly backspaced as I realized I needed to try this myself.
The basics I knew. Zucchini, eggs, and some kind of breading. I wanted to avoid flour because really I wasn't looking for a "pancake". Breaking out my trusty food processor I plucked the zucchini from their resting place with the yellow squash waiting to be frozen and started to cut it up. Each long piece went into the processor quickly becoming shredded green bliss (can you tell I love zucchini?) I also shredded in one very small (size of my palm) sweet onion. Now here's the hard part....waiting. You want the zucchini to be as dry as possible to once it is all shredded you'll need to put it into a colander with about 2-3 tsp of salt. Mix it up and let it sit for 20-30 minutes. The salt will draw the moisture out of the zucchini. After time as pasted put the zucchini into a large square of cheese cloth (paper towels will work too though you need quite a few) and wring the zucchini out. Keep pressing until all the moisture is out then turn it into a bowl. In a separate bowl combine 2 eggs, a tsp of mayo, 1/4 tsp of garlic pepper, 1/4 tsp salt and a couple dashes of pepper. Whisk this together then pour it in with the zucchini. Mix the zucchini and eggs together, it will be quiet moist. In a shallow dish add 1 cup of corn meal. Heat a skillet adding 1-2 tbsp of olive oil. When hot (pan sizzles when sprinkled with cold water) form the zucchini mixture into a patty, this will be messy and drop on top of the corn meal. Use your hands to pull cornmeal onto the top of the patty then carefully pick the patty up and drop into the skillet. Depending on your patty size you could get 5-8 patties. Let cook 2-3 minutes or until golden brown on one side, then turn and cook another 2-3 minutes.
Now to the leftover cornmeal I added seasoning salt, stirred to combine and then dredge two round steaks. I added these to another pan I heated with more olive oil and cooked 5-7 minutes on each side or medium rare. You can of course cook them to your desired doneness. I found the cornmeal added a nice crust that did not burn like flour or bread crumbs.
I decided after plating the steak and zucchini cakes that I needed a sauce. This is a very simple sauce. To a small bowl add about 2-3 tbsp of ranch dressing, a half tsp grated horseradish and a couple two or three dashes of hot sauce. Mix together and spread over the cakes. As a palette cleanser and for some color on the plate I cut up 2 small tomatoes and fanned 4 slices over each plate.

I wish I could find my camera because this was divine! The flavor of the onions and zucchini with the horseradish married beautifully. Each bite wasn't overpowered by one flavor or another, but yet you could pick out the onion, then the horseradish, with the sweet tint of zucchini. The steak was just done enough to melt as I bit into it, the seasoning salt and coarseness of the cornmeal brought out flavors I had been missing before, and the tomatoes and their sweetness definitely brought that cleansing level to the dish I was looking for, as I alternated bites of zucchini with bites of steak and tomato.

When your husband makes it a point to say, "write that recipe down" you know you have a keeper.

Pregnancy and Working Out

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 19:25:00 +0000

I am 6 months pregnant with my second child. Today I go in for my first ultrasound and know that coming out of it I will finally know this is real. I wasn't prepared to be having a child so soon after my first. Sure it's been three years but in my mind I pictured having my life under control, my finances steady, my son heading off to kindergarten before I even broached the subject of another child with my husband.
I was smack dab at the beginning of getting my life under control and getting back in shape...for me...I was doing well with a few steps back here and there. At the beginning of this pregnancy I weighed in at 148 or was that 158?? I'll have to check, 158 sounds right and it was where I was plateauing. I bounced between 158 and 162 it seemed almost daily. I wish I knew what I needed to do to get back on track and get that number going down. I thought I was getting there until come March 7th and my monthly visitor failed to appear.
I didn't let that get me down though surprisingly. The first few months I maintained that 158 mark, watching what I ate more closely to make sure I was getting the nutrients I needed for my child as pre-natal vitamins make me so so sick to my stomach. I upped my fruit intake, I crave fruit anyways and I upped my fresh vegetable intake. Makes me wonder if I wasn't pregnant what this little change could have done for my weight loss.
My problem now is exercise. I try to stretch real good every morning and take the dogs out for long walks before the heat explodes usually by 9am. The afternoons are a little tougher as the heat is just obnoxious and sends me skittering inside every time I open the front door or even think about getting in my car to go anywhere. I want to try yoga, but it is difficult in a small town to find someone that knows how to shape a program for a pregnant woman. Everyone says just take it easy on exercise and drink plenty of fluids, which I do but I feel I could be and should be doing more to prepare my body. I didn't do much with my son and though labor with him was not difficult, I feel it could have gone better for me if I had prepared more physically.

Progress or lack of

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 02:32:00 +0000

I'm still working out, but maybe like once or twice week. I wish I could convince myself to do more, everyday, but I always seem to fine something more important to do. I flit from one task to the next never fully completing the one before moving on to the other. Eating has improved but I still have issues with not eating the chocolate chips that are meant for the cookies I was suppose to bake this past Christmas. Admitting I ate the entire bag of milk chocolate chips and the entire back of white chocolate chips *sigh* my son did help me eat a few handfuls so I guess it wasn't the ENTIRE bag....but still guilty nonetheless. I blame it on PMSing that week (yeah that's it).

I am looking forward to warmer weather as I plan on getting out of the house more this year than I did last. Breaking off, but not completely, my connection to the couch and the computer and running. I want to get in shape to do the 3K run for Susan Komen Race for a Cure. I did it two years ago for the first time and though I did far from well I did manage to run the entire race, that was without much prep. I'd like to improve and know the only way to do this is to work...hard. This year the race holds special meaning as we just lost my husbands grandmother to breast cancer. She fought for a good 3 years and I want to do this for her and all women out there. So in a few months I'll be putting up my donation board, so if you can a contribution would be much appreciated. All donations will go to the local cancer research hospital so if you want to please donate to your own local Susan Komen Chapter and send me some good luck and you can do it vibes.

Time to get my shapely butt off the couch, off this computer, it's time to work out.

The Before Picture

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 01:44:00 +0000

<------------------
Before I get to ahead of myself, on day one of my quest for a "new me" I took a before picture right before my first workout.
At the time of taking the picture I weighed in at 157.8
Looking at that image makes me want to go do my workout for the evening but first I have to tell you about the fabulous pizza I made for dinner.
Sausage, Mushroom and Olive Pizza
1 box Jiffy Pizza Crust mix (hey I don't have time to watch yeast rise)
1 cup sausage ( I used lowfat sausage links, cut them up in little pieces and cooked in frying pan till done)
1 cup cut up mushrooms (fresh from the produce department)
1 cup sliced Olives (canned)
2 cups Lowfat shredded Mozzarella cheese
1 cup Lowfat, Low Sodium spaghetti sauce seasoned to taste

I just followed the package instructions on the Jiffy box for baking. Spread the dough out on a small baking sheet and once cooked cut into small squares. 2 squares was actually enough for me! Definitely something I will try again.

Now off to exercise!!

DAY 3

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 06:27:00 +0000

Today was suppose to be a day of relaxation but not of no exercise. I had wanted to do Yoga and Pilates BUT I was suppose to get my new refrigerator this morning so instead of exercising at 8am I was putting the final coat of paint of the wall as we had to move the cabinets over to put in the fridge and I was putting things away to make sure the installation went as smooth as possible. The hours ticked by and no fridge. Hubby came home at noon for the day and still nothing so I called to see what was the hold up as I had asked for a morning delivery. Needless to say and to make a long story short no fridge today and no yoga/pilates.

My entire mood and groove for the day was ruined. I reverted back to sitting on the couch and watching TV, munching on crackers and little else. Sure this morning I did vacuum and clean so I did do some work but not what I had planned. I made an early dinner (early for us) of stuffed bell peppers which was very yummy and then went to my brothers to help celebrate his wife's birthday. I was proud as I only had a very small piece of cake. Afterward I went to my sister's to help her unload a bedroom set and that is when the fun began.

Seems my sister bought a Wii. Of course we had to play it. I'm not sure if it's on the console or a game you buy but we played some sports. This included baseball, bowling, golf and boxing. Boxing was most certainly my favorite as I love how difficult it got after each level and we were only in the training mode! I think I did somewhere around 7 rounds of boxing and my arms are very sore..afraid of what tomorrow will bring. Sadly, but I say this lightly, the game says my "fitness age" is 68...OMG!! Of course this is more based on your ability to figure out how to move the contoller right than actual fitness but damn my eye hand cordination is horrible especially compared to my 50 y.o. father who scored a 34.....that's it I am getting a Wii.

New Year, New You

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Wed, 06 Jan 2010 06:49:00 +0000

(Posted from my Myspace Blog)

Yeah so the subject is corny but that is how I am feeling about 2010. I've got a few goals I've placed before me and it's about time I actually stick to them for once.

Jan. 2009 I pledged to lose the excess weight I've been carrying for the last 6 years. That worked for awhile but I plateau'd and here it is 2010 and I'm the same weight I was a year ago give or take a few pounds. I never really got into working out and have decided that is going to be my golden ticket.

I was sitting on the couch late the other night and saw an infomercial for a weight-loss program. I was actually really interested in it because they discussed a concept called "muscle confusion". What that means basically that is just when you think you have the work-outs figure out and are getting bored the system switches you up and jumps you to the next level. Having the testimonals look like real people helped too. 3 payments of $39.95 seemed a bit steep for me since I also would need to buy dumbbells, a resistence band and a few other items. So I went to ebay to see how much I could get it for there. The lowest I found was $54.99 with free shipping. Not bad and I could use the other $64 for supplies. .. What I decided on costs me no more money than I pay already for satellite TV because it is on the TV....FitTV to be exact.

Almost all the workouts aired in the morning or early afternoon....I am by no means an early riser unless need be and working out is not an need be. So I recorded the programs I wanted to try...I LOVE DVR! I started yesterday with two half hour shows...one was cardio dancing and the other was tai boe (sp?).....I tell you I felt great after but today my arms were killing me and I hadn't even added weights. With feeling so sore and not so good to my tummy I resisted working out today but eventually I got over it and at 10pm I got on my workout clothes and set out on another hour programs. This time I tried body sculpting...one show targeted the butt, thighs and abs while the other targeted abs, legs and arms. I feel great right now but tomorrow I know I am going to be hurting so I think I will take it a little easy and try some low impact Pilates and some yoga for a change of pace.

Running for a Cause

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 16:50:00 +0000

Last year I participated in the 5k run for our local chapter of the Susan G. Komen Race for a Cure. It was an rewarding experience. I was amazed by the thousands of people who came out for the event not only to to run or walk the course but to also stand on the sidelines and cheer everyone on. I am again participating and this time I have recruited a friend. It will be great to have someone I know along side me pushing me to make it to the end of the race. Perhaps we will even manage to get more than $50 donated this year....that was my only fail. My goal last year was $125 and I am going to try for that again this year.

So check it out, I know there are runs throughout the year so if you are interested in running/walking and want to do it for a cause check out your local events.

Race for a Cure
http://race.komenboise.org

Going down

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Thu, 26 Mar 2009 20:41:00 +0000

Okay its nothing to get overly excited about but on Sunday I weighed in at 151.2 and last night I came in at 150.8...just .4 lbs lost but here's the kicker....this is the lowest I have weighed in a long time, beating my prior lowest weight and this puts me at 18.8 pounds to lose....not 19.2. The difference between seeing a 18 and a 19 is tremendous! I totally blank out the decimals and just looks to good to be true, am I actually seeing results.

Coming up I think I am going to see if Sami, my cubicle buddy in this dreary office would like a running buddy at lunch. She just started running and it would be great to have someone around to motivate me and she would probably welcome the company.

Goal Week #11

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 17:10:00 +0000

If had been blogging right along this would be my 11th week of goal setting. I had to put this to the wayside to focus on school but I have only 3 days left and 5 assignments so here I am again. Not much traffic but I hope anyone reading got something out of my babbling.

So what I have I been doing the last 6 weeks you ask? Well besides school, we are in full tax season mode and I have added an extra 7-10 hours to my work week to be able to meet the tax deadline with over half the tax returns assigned to me done. Through it all I have finally curbed my cravings and my overeating habits. I have had some chocolate, but it took me 2 weeks to eat it all and I have had some extra helpings here or there but always of crisp lettuce, I love me a good salad. Had fast food a couple times, but I didn't feel guilty. I have been enjoying food more now that I have slowed down to really taste it.

With school over at the end of the week I plan to kick week 12 off to a great start by breaking out the stroller and going walking everyday with my son. We have a great little park nearby where we can laugh and run or we can head to the other side of town to play on the slides and swings. With spring arriving a few weeks back I have been itching to get out more. Having a few extra hours of sunlight helps as well. There is so much cleaning to do to get ready for spring and summer BBQ, I will be busy for quite some time.

I am down to 151.2, still over 19 pounds to go until I am at my goal weight. I am feeling better about myself and the direction I am heading in. I am proud of myself, something I haven't been in awhile. Going to keep on doing what I have been.

Yet another update

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 18:01:00 +0000

I really do need to get my goals setup for the past couple weeks, but I just haven't had the time to make any up let alone to be able to follow them. My goals right now are leaning far away from weight loss and more towards getting this last 6 weeks of college done and over with and put behind me. I have really disliked this experience and for anyone reading....don't do online classes. The concept is great but unless you can lock yourself away from your family for 4 hours a day, don't do it. At least with being in a classroom I am focused on me....at home when trying to do my work or listen to a class I have a child tugging at my pant leg wanting in my lap, just so he can try to mash my keyboard and play with my mouse, then theirs dear hubby who whines about "whats for dinner" while he does nothing at all, all day! Yeah so this is a little vent and way off topic....thanks for letting me digress.

On to weight loss!!! I stepped on the scale last night and it read 152.6!!!!!!! Yes I am quite excited, even without the goals this past week, what I have done is still working. I am still walking when I can, still watching what I eat, and still eating less of what I forget to watch....lol. The great thing this time, that I didn't have last time is that I am actually seeing a difference. I went and bought a full length mirror right before starting all this and I can say it has really helped to put things into perspective for me. I see a more slender face, a smaller (yet still flabby) middle and do I dare say my ass is looking better. It was the one body part that looked great before, but it has improved too.

Well back to the rat races....I mean work. I'm not sure if anyone is reading lately because it seems my feedburner is messed up and I haven't had time to fix that either. So if you do stop by, drop me a comment.

Update Coming

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 16:59:00 +0000

Sorry to anyone who actually stops by to read. It has been super busy this week as I started my final 6 weeks of school and it is my busy season here in the office. Just a quick note to say the weight loss is going well and that I will probably be combining my 6 and 7 weeks goals together in one post as I haven't even thought of a new goal for this week (week 6). Wow have I really been doing this for 6 weeks! I weighed myself last night and though my 2-3 pound/week weight loss has decreased, I was still happy to see an even 155 on the scale.

Hope you all are doing well....keep checking in, as when school gets over, this blog will hopefully explode with information and updates.

Goal Week #5

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 16:22:00 +0000

5 weeks into starting to blog about setting goals I am at my first goal weight!! I stepped on the scale last night to 155.2. I can't believe I am at my June weight! Lets see if the 2-3 weight loss continues.

I managed last week to do a few situps and crunches and some leg lifts. I am really starting to feel it in my abs. I know I need more cardio though but mother nature doesn't want me out running. Saturday was a beautiful day and I was stuck in an office attending meetings. I had hoped that the rest of the week would be as nice, but no. Sunday was dreary, Monday it snowed, Tuesday it snowed. Lets see if it snows today. Grrr. I really did want to get out running. Income and bills still do not allow me to purchase a treadmill so I will just have to come up with some other creative way to get my heart pumping this week.

So that's my goal this week. To do some cardio....fitness channel maybe?

Goal Week #4

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:11:00 +0000

I dropped a bomb on last weeks goal. I never ever did a jumping jack, and what little dancing I did was on a game.....yeah I am pathetic. :) Ok have to buck up this week and get over my motivation blues. My last day at my second job is Friday so I hope that will provide some extra motivation for the rest of the month as I will have an extra 12 hours a week to myself.....first time since June!

The one and only day I walked was Monday when hubby took to work. He actually worked and needed the truck so I got to do my lunch walk. Food is still going amazing however and I surprised myself the other night while making dinner. I was STARVING and hubby wanted BBQ chicken legs so that meant no quickie dinner. I was really really and I do mean really eyeballing the Zingers in the cabinet, even had one in my hand and was about to open it when will power kicked in last minute. I gently replaced the cake in the box and left the room. I am so freaking proud of myself.

Oh and weighed myself on Monday and I am down to 157.6! What is that..another 2 almost 3 pounds?

So what is my goal for week 4? Well I'd like to see another 2-3 pounds gone as that would put me back at my beginning weight of 155.4 set back in June 2008. So I think this week I am going to tackle the jumping jacks again and add some toning exercises like lunges, situps and pushups. I'm also going to look for my motivation. Will power returned so motivation has to be following....just not sure how far behind.

Goal Week #3

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:08:00 +0000

I'm going to continue working on the goals I set for myself in weeks one and two. These were to cut my portions, watch what I eat and to walk more. I've been doing well on all of them, except yesterday as I had 3 Twinkies. Yes I know I posted below that I would prefer an apple, but the problem is I also had the apple. hahaha I should have reached for it first as I was instantly satisfied after the first couple bites.

So for week three I am going to try and add in some sort of aerobic exercise. Perhaps jumping jacks and dancing as these both entertain my son as I do them. He's at that age were he tries to copy my moves so if I jump up and down, he jumps up and down. It makes for a nice game and a good way to get in some more intense exercise.

Here's some simple, no weights required exercises to try this week:

http://search.msn.com/images/results.aspx?q=jumping+jacks&FORM=MSNH11#focal=c0bf3729958646afc7eebf4aa510dbbd&furl=http%3A%2F%2Fimg.timeinc.net%2Fhealth%2Fi%2F200804%2Fclassic-jumping-jack-225.jpg

Loving the love

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 23:00:00 +0000

Wow, just got to say seeing some comments makes me what to work that much harder. I set this blog up so I and others could have a support team. I haven't really been pushing it, just blogging in general so it is surprising when someone you don't know pops in and comments. Thanks Mrs. Dwiggins!

Oh and Courtney I am not forgetting you either...I have to make some time so I can sit down and review your blog. Readers be looking for that review later this week. I am so excited to learn about vegetarian eating....from a non-vegetarian point of view.

So I am down some in the waistline and even hubby noticed! I haven't grabbed a tape measure yet, but I'd say it has to be a couple of inches as my size 12 pants kept trying to slide down my hips. I am still very fluffy in the upper tummy but at least me pooch is starting to wane. Hopefully when school gets over in March and things start warming up around here, I'll have the energy to get out bed in the mornings and go jogging before work.

Update

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 18:33:00 +0000

How did I not post this?? Ok on the 11th I weighed myself....164.6 YIKES! This is what made me start the idea of posting weekly goals. Well in week 1 I lost 4.4 lbs!! Yep I weighed myself last night before bed and I came in at 160.2. Still not my lowest weight but hey it's a start.

Here's an update on some of the things I have posted about over the past month or so.

Walking: I am still doing this, just not everyday like I had planned. I like sleeping and have been struggling to get out of bed with enough time to get dressed, use the bathroom, eat breakfast and gather my things to head out the door. Right now I give myself enough time to do those things but have to rush out the door to get in the truck and barely make it to work on time. I'd be 20 minutes late if I tried to walk after all that. This I will try to incorporate into a weekly goal.

Juice Fast: Never did it. Thought about it but money is tight so I couldn't afford to buy the things I needed as well as the food the rest of my family needs. This is on the back burner for awhile.

Sugar: I have so, so cut back on this. I am so proud of myself. If I need sugar I snag a jolly rancher or a stick of gum. I've been eating more fruits and heck even my husband is reaching for fruit instead of the snack cakes.

Self Control and Motivation: I've been really working on these and applying them to all aspects of my life from dieting and weightloss to school, my career, my house and my family. One of my business classes is on motivation and amazingly it has really helped me to focus on the important things.

Goal Week #2

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 07:04:00 +0000

I did well with my first goal...though I never used a measuring cup. I kept my portions small and didn't go for seconds even once. For this week I am going to continuing working on my first goal and add a second goal of walking more. It is freaking cold outside so I think I am getting exercise from not only walking, but shivering like crazy too. I can't wait until it warms up again.

My wish

noreply@blogger.com (Merissa & Casey) — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 17:13:00 +0000

I wish I had money. The kind of money that will buy me a personal trainer, a assistant to plan my day and to make me stick to it, and a nutritionist. These can be all one person, if such a person exists.

I've been doing alright with meeting my personal goal for this week. I haven't gone back for seconds, not even once. I have given into cookie temptations but limit myself to one or two. I still feel sluggish though and my brain power is waning. I need to stop procrastinating and just do but I don't do will with structure I have come to realize. I'm more of a fly by the seat of my pants kinda of person, but it is causing me some problems. I'm so tired of taking second fiddle to well....everything.