Week in review and other tid bits

Like Amy, I am going to post a review of how the week went....on Saturdays.  But, this past Saturday, I was too busy.  PARTYING!!!  It was my birthday.  31 now.  wow!

Anyway, on with the review of last week.

My number one goal right now is to log all my food (Monday-Friday) into sparkpeople.com.  That is what I am using as my food log/calorie counter/nutrition analyzer.  So far I really like it. The only day I missed logging was Friday because we left that morning to go up north to visit a friend and hang with family for my birthday weekend.  Four out of five days....not too bad.

Overall, my calorie counting went well.  I only went over calories one day and I have a really good excuse for that!  Tuesday I got a migraine, complete with an eye floater.  I haven't had one that bad in a long time!  As the migraine hit me I downed THREE hot dogs! I was panicking!  That's 446 calories just for the dog part, not counting the buns or condiments!

Also, after hours of sleep in a dark room (or with something over my eyes), the only way to really snap me out of a migraine stooper (relieve the pain) is to give me (which Nathan did!) a nice, tall, cold, 20 oz. Dr. Pepper.  It's just what the Dr. ordered.  Does the trick but that's 225 calories!!!  So, Tuesday I was well over my calories. 

Wednesday I was way under my calories because I slept so much and made sure the migraine had passed. So, maybe Tuesday and Wednesday balance each other out?

Exercise....well, I ran Monday morning.  Walked Tuesday and Wednesday mornings and nothing Thursday and Friday.  I still haven't attempted strength training and I'm pretty sure the serious thought of it on Tuesday is what made my head revolt by spiraling out of control into migraine mayhem.  Maybe I'll think about strength training NEXT week. 

I can't really tell you if I've lost any weight because I have a very imprecise scale.  Let's just say I am feeling much better in my skin and my clothes are feeling different.  And so far, that's good enough for me!

Amy has ended two of her posts with cool quotes.  They reminded me of a billboard I would see in Lincoln.  I can't remember EXACTLY what it said, but it was something like this, "If you are saving your breath to exercise tomorrow, tomorrow you may not have the breath." ~don't remember if there was an author cited either.  Cool quote though huh?

Amy's Week One

This first full week of 'weighting' has been VERY tough for me. I knew I wasn't starving, but I definitely felt like I was going to starve to death on some days. 'My body is just adjusting to not eating all the time,' is what I kept telling myself. Which is true, I found that I munch and munch most days after 3 or 4 pm. I've had to keep myself busy with whatever so that I wouldn't go into the kitchen and eat. I've also discovered that I'm way more of a grouch when it comes to lack of food than when it comes to lack of sleep. I can deal with little sleep, but food, oh boy, I'm a wreck and poor Arthur has suffered through this first week like a champ.

Arthur has been so helpful with watching his portions and giving me workouts to do. He's been awesome. I did cardio twice this week and lifted three times. I think that'll be the new schedule for me. It's easier for me to stay inside and lift than get out and cardio....not to mention the weather is getting pretty cold so that makes the change a little easier too.

I've lost 1.6 pounds. I'm now fluctuating between 179 and 180. I've made Saturday morning my time to be weighed and it feels good. Slow and strong!!

Speaking of slow and strong. On Friday, Arthur and I went on a 'bike ride.' To me a bike ride is a leisurely ride down the street or to the park and back. Arthur's definition of a bike ride is up thousands of hills and up some more hills. Naturally I made it my cardio activity. Round trip it was 6 1/2 miles but since there were so many hills, I considered it 10 miles. Ha!!! I spent so much time going up the hills that it felt like I'd biked that many more miles! In all honestly thought, I really did enjoy myself. It felt great to get out and see beautiful Rexburg...it really is beautiful.

Thanks for stopping by, until next time, "Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin

A break through and Becky's "before"

I often dread exercise.  I guess I don't dread the actual exercising part, it's the getting ready; it's the fear of failure; it's the horror of doing it and not even seeing/feeling results.  The thing is, I rarely see results but I always feel them.  Exercising makes me feel good.  Most times it gives me MORE energy and NOT LESS. 

Because of my anxiety I put it off last week.  Each day I did, I felt more and more guilty.  Friday evening I told Nathan that I needed his help to get me out the door to exercise.  He said, "Ok, what time are you going to go?"  I said, "8:00," thinking it was going to be too dark and still hoping (a little) it wouldn't be.  It was.  I didn't go.  I felt like a lazy idiot.  I'm mean, who was I fooling?  Not me!  Not anyone else. 

So....

Saturday I got up and I was out the door ready to run at 7:15.  I did great!  I truly surprised myself!  This little town doesn't look so hot and dry in the morning shade, before the sun comes over the mountains (hills).  It was beautiful.  It was hard, but I pushed myself.  I still haven't clocked on my car odometer but, I think it was a least a mile. 

While I ran I thought of a lot of things.  Mostly about the relay race I ran last October.  How fun it was.  How anxious I was training for it.  How much fun the ladies I ran it with were and how supportive and loving they were. 

I thought about blogging and how fulfilling it was going to be to write this post.  I did it!  A success!  

The song that ran through my head (without headphones) was Queen's "Don't Stop Me Now!"

Don't stop me now
Don't stop me
Cuz I'm havin' a good time
Havin' a good time

I'm a shootin' star leaping through the sky like a tiger
Defying the laws of gravity
I'm a racin' car passin' by
Like Lady Godiva
I'm gonna go go go
There's no stoppin' meeeee
I'm burnin' through the sky
Yea! 
200 degrees!
Which is why they call me Mr. Fahrenheit
I'm traveling at the speed of light
Wanna make a super sonic man out of you!

Don't stop me now
I'm havin' such a good time
I'm havin' a ball
Don't stop me now
If you wanna have a good time
Just give me a call
Don't stop me now
Cuz I'm havin' a good time
Havin' a good time
I don't want to stop at all!!!

Ok, that's enough of that.  That is one really great song!  I love it.  And it kept me pushin'.  In fact, yesterday I ran again.  It was harder...I don't know why but runnning seems to get harder the more I do it...not easier...but still rewarding.  Monday I took my iPod and made sure Queen was pumping in my ears.  There are actually quite a few great Queen songs that are great for exercising. 

Now the strength training hurtle is next.  I don't really have a space to do it where my in-laws won't run into me.  They totally wouldn't mind...but, I might.  I also don't have weights, which Amy assures me isn't a problem.  I just need to do it.  I'M GOING TO DO IT!!  TODAY!!!

Here are some "before" pictures!

I look like I'm half asleep in this one.  I thought I had blinked...but, no, just about to blink.

This one is better.

And yes, for those of you who didn't know.  I got my hair cut.

Please keep cheering us on!

Amy's Week

I decided that I'd post every Saturday and let everyone know what I did during the week. Since Becky and I didn't start this blog until Wed/Thurs I'll give you a quick update.

Thurs - Arthur put together a strength training workout together. It included some power cleans, bicep curls, ab cross overs, bent over rows, and squats, all from which I am sore. It felt good and being sore feels good too. I did well on watching my calories, however, unlike Becky, this is going to be the more difficult part of this weight loss journey. I realized on Thurs that around 4pm I get very bored and normally munch on whatever is in the house. I got myself outside w/ Maya and tried to keep busy until Arthur came home. I did it, but it was HARD!!!

Fri - I went for a run, two miles....that's pretty great considering I was extremely sore. I ended with some more ab cross overs. This day was MIGHTY hard in regards to the calories. By 4pm, I had to have a very little portion of cottage cheese. That was supposed to hold me over until we had dinner around 8. HA!!! Definitely did NOT hold me over. I felt horrible and thought I was going to hurl right in the middle of Pier 1. Not a good thing. So, to be straight with you, yesterday was very, VERY difficult. I'm thinking that my body is just getting use to this change. Hopefully within a week or so I'll get the hang of it.

Thanks for stopping by...until next week, "In the end it will all work out. If it doesn't work out, it's not the end." -Anonymous

Becky's Overall Goal

My overall weight loss goal is to lose 32 lbs. by the time I turn 32, September 25, 2011.

This is going to be interesting because I hope to be pregnant for 9 months of this time period and so I definitely will not be dieting during that time....but, I still think I can do it.

I found this interesting Calorie Calculator. I don't know how accurate it is or if followed produces the desired results...but, it seems logical. But, I'm not using it...just thought it was interesting.

Also, I found this cool article from GoodHouskeeping.com and it helps you figure out how many calories to cut to lose weight. It's a pretty crazy formula, but I did it with my calculator, so I didn't get hurt. If you're scared of big formulas or just don't own or can't find a calculator here's a simple one...

I got this formula from my cousin Megan.  She wasn't positive about the source from which it came but, I like it so I'm using it. 

11 times your weight minus 500 = how many calories you can eat and still lose weight.

She also said that if you cut 3500 calories from your diet per week you will lose 1 pound per week.  Makes sense.  Please read Megan's disclaimer, it's cute and relavant because we keep referencing her.

So, the formula is how I came up with my calorie allotment. 

Exercise yesterday.....didn't do it.  But, I only ate 1460 calories. 

I kinda don't think the hard part for me is going to be the calorie counting...so much.  I think its going to be the exercise.  Sigh. Well, I'm sure I'll have my days where I wrastle with one or the other or with both.  I'm going to go running today....I AM!

However, my mother-in-law made brownies yesterday for her activity day girls and there were leftovers.  I got one for Marley but not for me!  There is also yummy ice cream in the freeze...passed on that too!  Boo-ya!

And one last thing.  We try to go to the temple once a week, because right now we can!  Anyway, we are going today.  After, we usually go out to lunch.  I'll let you know how my fast-food-wiser-choosing goes.

Oh, and I'll be getting a "before" picture up soon, very soon.

Amy's story and more.

I'd like to echo everything my wonderful cousin Becky said...way better than I ever could have said it, BTW.

I'm so ready to lose those extra...several...pounds. I, too, have been heavily inspired by my awesome sis-in-law and also by the fact that I will be WAY more accountable for what I do now that others are involved in my/our journey. I'll be blatantly honest, I've got about 25 pounds to lose, but if I lose 30 I'd be fine with that. Just in the last two months or so I've gained too many lbs to count, 7. Is that too many?? I guess if I can count them on two hands, it's countable. So, I guess my goal is to lose 30 pounds by August 23, 2011, the day I turn 30.

I'll tell you a little about me. I've fluctuated with weight my whole life, but up until this point, like my cuz, never really felt the need to lose weight. I was comfortable with my body. Since I've had my daughter (who will be two in December) I've seen weight come and go. For me, unfortunately, it has been coming and not going for about 8 months. My before pregnancy weight in Jan '08 was 173...highest I hit while prego, 196. After giving birth I range between 162 and 167 for the duration of breast feeding, about nine months. I've peaked, this morning, at 181.6 and I don't like feeling like I'm out of control, but I believe I am, slightly. My goal weight is 151.6 and boy will it feel great putting on those dusty jeans again!!

This is where Becky comes in. I need someone to literally spell it out for me and I'll do it. She's going to be my training and sooner or later I'll become hers, but for right now, I'm one of her cheerleaders and I know she's one of mine. I love that through a simple text conversation we came to this agreement and I'm so exciting to begin this battle/wrestle along side her. I can't leave out the husbands in the equation...THANK YOU for supporting us!!!
I've included some before pics. You're welcome!

The Journey Begins

I've never really tried....REALLY tried to lose weight before. There are times in the past when I thought I needed to lose weight, but looking back, I don't think I did. I'm thirty and I consider myself lucky that this is the first time I am REALLY trying to lose weight and the first time I have REALLY felt I needed to...it's time. I'm about 50 pounds over my comfortable weight and I don't like it. I'm uncomfortable. But, I know it's going to be hard.

Eating...we have to do it to live. We do it three plus times a day. It is going-to-be-hard.

Exercising....I love it when I'm doing it...but, getting myself to do it...is....hard. I need to tell myself that I don't have a choice...this is my job today....do it!

I think a key to weight loss is support. I have a lot of support from my family. In fact today, after a semi-stressful situation I really wanted to buy a candy bar. My husband said, "No." I was a little mad for a little while, but I realized that he did what I couldn't do for myself, at that moment. And now hours later I'm glad he did.

Don't get me wrong, I DO NOT want someone constantly telling me what I can and cannot eat, but the support helps. Especially when it is done lovingly and encouragingly.

I think another key to weight loss is accountability. I am going to be accountable to me and my husband and my cousin Amy. My husband because he's willing. My cousin Amy because we are doing this together. We can do it!

So to start us off, here is our plan.

Diet goals:
Amy: 1460 calories a day
Becky: 1500 calories a day (starting, I think it will change over time)
No soda
Limited fast food (try harder to make healthier choices)
Limited sugar

Exercise goals:
Mon/Wed/Fri = cardio
Tues/Thurs = strength training
Sat = cross training

These goals are modified from one of our favorite blogs....So Buttons. Specifically, from this post.

Amy if there is anything you want me to modify on the goals....email me and I'll change it right away!

The rest of you....join us for the journey!