Chelsey

I am out of time but I'll just say:


189! 189! 189!

Week 9 - Sara

And without further ado, here are my results for the week:

Slightly less than stellar. But I know exactly what happened and I really can't blame my body at all. In fact, I'm surprised I even lost any with how much I ate this week. Thank goodness for exercise!

This week I shall do better and will be looking forward to losing a little more than a pound.

Chelsey - Week 8

I am upset. Last week I really did work out every day. I tried way hard, and where did it get me??

TO 190 lbs. That's right, the same blasted weight I was last week. No wonder people find weight loss frustrating and quit.

WHat's worse is the next two weeks are most likely not going to be super productive in my wiehgt loss schedule. Just to warn you all. This week I have an awful cold and can barely get up and do chores let alone work out. Im hoping by tomorrow I will feel well enough to start my new work out video :INSANITY, it's supposed ot be insanely hard and kick my butt into shape.

And for next weeks agenda? Monday Brynlee is getting surgery to remove her tonsils. And from all the mothers I've heard from so far basically the first 5 days she will be crying and not sleeping, and I will be needing to shove food down her throat with a syringe, because she isnt going to want to eat or drink anything....awesome. SO Im guessing with the little time I have that week Im not going to be taking the time to cook healthy meals and workout. Quick and easy food will most likely be on the menu plan. I wont have time for dishes or that nosense. Maybe the added stress will help though. haha.

Week 8 Results - Sara

I did it! Kicked my butt in gear and added a few extra, high-intensity workouts to try to make up my gain from earlier in the week. Not to mention the random lunges and jumps I did while brushing my teeth or waiting for a pot to boil.

(Plus, I took hubby on a date to Krispy Kreme the day after I had gained. I definitely needed to make it up to myself at that point.)

It was a lot of work but...

For some reason Blogger always registers my photos in this direction. But I am just too lazy to go fix it today.

....TA-DA!! It worked! Hip, hip hurray for another 2 pounds down!

Saturday Suggestion

I decided to share a little about my workouts.

I simply can't afford a gym membership at this point, so I do most of my workouts at home in my living room.

But I didn't go buy a bunch of workout DVDs.

So what do I use?

NETFLIX!

That's right, I stream my videos online. They have a nice little selection of videos which allow me to mix it up and try to avoid getting bored with my workout.

Here is one I tried this week for the first time:

This is a fabulous workout! The 50 minute video breaks up into five 10 minute, high intensity workouts. And let me say, they really are high intensity! I find myself sweating before the end of the first 10 minutes! And I have not yet been able to complete more than 30 minutes at a time before my legs are shaking and I'm completely out of breath. But the great thing about these 10 minute series is that you can do just that- 10 minutes at a time.

There is a lot of jumping and leaping, which can be slightly problematic for a busty gal like me. But since I'm in the privacy of my own home, it's not too traumatizing.

As far as workouts are concerned, I would highly recommend it. I would even give it 5 out of 5 stars. If you get the chance, try it and tell me what you think.

Friday Fact

Yesterday I did it.

I overindulged.

I didn't think it was THAT much, but when I stepped on the scale this morning I found that I had gained almost a whole pound back.

You can try to say that it's just normal weight fluctuation.

But I just don't think that is the case.

My scale so-far has been quite reliable. It hasn't fluctuated at all day-to-day (except to go down on occasion).

And so all of my work earlier this week was counteracted by one simple day of over-indulgence.

And that's when it hit me.

I can't just be losing weight.

I have to be changing.

My whole lifestyle.

My way of thinking about food. About exercise.

The way I relate to food. To exercise.

It can't be temporary.

It must be permanent.

Otherwise, I'll just gain it all back when I'm done.

What a waste that would be!

And sure, I know this is not new information. I've heard it all before.

But I think I'm finally starting to get it.

Really get it.

Good thing today is a new day.

And I will start over.

Again.

And again.

As many times as it takes.

Tuesday Tip Two: Rock Out

You know how when you are at home you turn on the tv to watch a movie or show while you're cleaning/working/whatever... Well, if you are anything like me, you somehow end up migrated back to that tv every 5-10 minutes or so to sit down and enjoy some of the show. and then 10-20 minutes later you convince yourself to get back up and continue what you are supposed to be doing. well...

Turn OFF the TV! Turn ON the music!

I started this this week, and it as helped tremendously. Instead of sitting down all the time flipping through channels, I simply stream "pandora" through my tv and listen to music. It gets me moving, and I get my chores done surprisingly early. Plus it makes me have more pep in my step and instead of finding an excuse to sit down, I try to find more things I can get done.

Also, whenever I have to walk from one side of the house to the other, I've been forcing myself to do those workout lunges the whole way. Toned Butt, here I come!!!

Tuesday Tip: Freeze Your Food

I absolutely love baked goods.

Photo by MShades

Yum!

But I not only love eating them, I love making them as well.

And my family loves them too.

I don't want to deprive the whole house of baked goods just because I'm trying to lose weight.

And there is no reason why baked goods can't fit sparingly into a healthy diet.

But I have 3 problems with baked goods.

1. Calories
- I hope this isn't news to you, but baked goods are full of calories
2. Portions
- A whole cake, a batch of cookies, a pan of brownies - any of these is a lot to eat for 2 adults and a toddler.
3. Waste
- Baked goods simply have to be eaten in just a few days or they dry out and they're just not that good. If I don't eat them, I feel like all that work and money has just gone to waste.

And so I've discovered a solution that really has been working for me the last few weeks.

My salvation comes in a miraculous object called...

The Freezer!

It's the coolest contraption ever! It usually comes attached to a refrigerator and it will freeze your food so that it lasts longer.

Okay, now I'm just being silly. But seriously. Freezer!

Here's how it works for me:

Firstly, once my goodies are ready I treat myself to a small portion.

Ahhh...take just a moment and savor the yumminess.

Then I immediately portion the goodies out into serving sizes, (remember, that's recommended serving sizes...not desired serving sizes) wrap them all individually, and put them in the freezer.

This has a few big benefits for me:

1. I no longer have them sitting on the counter, staring me in the face.

2. Since I know that they will stay good for up to 2 months, I feel no pressure to eat them quickly.

3. They are already portioned out, so when I do feel like a little treat, I am less likely to overindulge.

And that's my Tuesday Tip for you! I hope that it helps you get out and spank those pounds!

Week 7 Results - Sara

It has been a good week.

I exercised every day.

Every. Single. Day!

I chased my kid around, following his demands that I "Run! Run!"

And I could do it! Run, that is. Just a short distance from room to room.

Again. And again. And again.

I also had the energy to do jumping contests with him in the kitchen.

I regulated my food intake and kept the sweets limited. Not eliminated. Just limited.

And I even drank a little Coca Cola most days.

It amazingly lasts so much longer when you only drink 8-10 oz a day.

I just knew that today's weigh-in was gonna be good.

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And I was right!

My goals shall remain the same this week as they have the past several weeks because it seems to be working.

And if it's not broke, don't fix it.

Onward and downward!

That's right, we're goin' DOWN!

Week ...,.Is it week 7 already?? -Chelsey

By now, I would have given up. I would gotten ticked off, and given up. It's been 7 weeks people!!! and I still have 40 pounds to lose by June. Talk about frustrating. Anyways... I've become more realistic and decided I would be okay to only get down to 165 by June. Meaning I only have 25 lbs to go, and at a rate of 5 pounds a month I can do that. because this week Im......


190! I was really hoping for 189.. But I got really sick the past couple of adys, and I dont think that was god for my body.

What I did different this week? I counted calories! Boring, but actually helps you really realize what you take into your body. Here are my counts
Sunday-1300
Monday-1200
Tuesday-1150
Wednesday (No clue, we were in Sun valley, and Im sure it was 3000)
THursday - 300
Friday - 500
Saturday- 800

I realize those last 3 days are not healthy calorie intakes, but thats food I shoved into my mouth and swallowed. I had a tummy flu and didnt feel like eating at all!! I was lucky to do that.

I also have a few more foodfit recipes to share, but I will have to get to those later.

ADIOS

Wednesday Revelations

Shhhhh!!! I have a secret that I am going to tell you.

You know those people that always go on and on about how they work out?

And how they love it?

And how they couldn't live without it?

Oh yeah, you all know them. You're probably thinking of one person right now.

Well...

I have always held a deep, abiding resentment toward these people.

Don't get me wrong. It wasn't a super harsh resentment. In fact, it was quite small.

But it was there nonetheless.

Why?

Because I called a big, huge B.S.!!

Come on! I told myself. Nobody LIKES to work out. It's terrible. It's exhausting. It kicks your butt!

I was convinced that anybody who said otherwise was either lying or they just had some gene that I apparently wasn't lucky enough to get.

So now for the kicker.

I was wrong.

That's right, it hurts to admit it.

(Better take note of such an admission, hubby :)

And it's true.

Because after a month of doing consistent workouts, I have slowly developed into one of those people.

I know! Nobody could be more shocked than I!

Apparently you actually have to do it to get the effect.

Who knew?

I seriously get a high from the endorphines.

I feel much more balanced and energized overall.

And I love the sweaty, tired, just-finished-workout feeling that I get. It's amazing!

I love it so much that in the morning I can barely wait until my son gets his morning cartoon fix so that I can monopolize the tv and get moving.

And so there you have it.

I send out my deepest apologies to those who already understood.

I just didn't know.

Or at the very least, I had forgotten how good it felt because it had just been far too long since I really moved.

Now if you excuse me, I am off to do some yoga, breathe deep, and contemplate my transformation.

I am now officially a person that people like me hate. And I don't even care.

Tuesday Tip: Tiny Treat

If I'm feeling in the mood for something sweet I pour myself a small (8-10 oz) glass of chocolate milk to sip on.

Mmmmm....

Sweet.

Chocolatey.

And full of vitamins and calcium, these aren't just wasted calories.

Remember, make it last. Sip slowly and, most importantly, savor the sweet coolness.

Week 6- Sara

Dear Chey,

I hate to do this to you. I don't want to seem like I'm kicking you when you're down.

But...

Booyah!

Just remember, I had a rough week last week and I turned it around this time.

You can too!!

I'm still rootin' for ya!

But also still for myself too.

:)

Is sleep loss a factor??? - CHELSEY

I don't know if you know this, but I have a 15 month old who is the world's worst sleeper. Literally. Not just she wakes up once or twice a night. She wakes up 5- 10 times a night, and sometimes is up from 30 minutes to 2 hours. And it's not a whine you can sleep through. Its thrashing, and whining, and pouting, and awful. I've been up since 3 am this morning. Yesterday I was up from 1 to 4 am. On an average night I get 3-5 hours a sleep. Never more, sometimes less. And naps during the day? HA! SHe will sleep maybe 20 minutes to 40 minutes...and I have stuff to get done. We visited the doctor this week and we have an appointment with a specialist in two weeks. They are thinking maybe her tonsils and adnoids are too big thus preventing her from breathing well, making her wake up alot (Last time they thought it was bad allergies so prescribed her a big dose of benedryl every night, it didnt help, and if benedryl doesnt knock her out, there must be something wrong)SO she will need those removed.
Anwyho, the whole point of this is I was watching Dr. OZ, and he said if you don't get 7-8 hours of sleep a night you won't lose weight. WHAT?!?! DOes this mean I'm screwed and can work as hard as I want, but tough luck for me?? GOd, I hope he is wrong. But other people say it too

MAxworkouts.com says:
There really is nothing better than a good nights sleep! After you wake up from a deep restful sleep, your mind seems clearer, your body feels better and even your day seems to go better. Well, your not just imagining it…it’s true. Your body’s chemistry is greatly affected by sleep. In fact sleep plays a vital part in managing your body’s hormones…the same hormones that also control your metabolic processes responsible for weight loss. Believe it or not, sleep plays a huge part in weight loss. Numerous studies have found a direct correlation between weight gain and lack of sleep. Depriving yourself of adequate sleep can alter your hormones and make losing weight much more difficult than it should be.

“Sleep loss disrupts a complex and interwoven series of metabolic and hormonal processes and may be a contributing factor to obesity,” says John Winkelman, MD, PhD, medical director of the Sleep Health Center at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and assistant professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.

The major hormones disrupted by sleep deficit are leptin, ghrelin, cortisol, insulin and growth hormone. All of these hormones play a key role in weight loss and maintenance through controlling appetite, cravings and dictating metabolic rates of sugar and fat.


Huh...That sucks. I wish I could make a goal to sleep more, but that's really not in my control. Guess I will work twice as hard and hope to God something happens.

I"M BAAACCCKKKKK!!! - CHELSEY

Did you all think I had given up and disapeared??? NEVER! No, I was just In Yuma with no sclae and no internet, and enjoying life. BUt now I'm back with depressing realities, and MAJOR MOTIVATION!

SO I really dont want to tell you this weeks weigh in.... ok.. (195.5) see how I snuck that in there hoping you wouldn't notice.

I had a reality check yesterday. I only have 5 months to lose 40 lbs. So I need to get serious. Not that I wasn't before, but Apparently it wasn't good enough.

Goals this week:
1)GO to the gym tomorrow, get a membership and go two hours a day.
2) Stick with my food fit menu and eat SMALL portions. I have the same problem as sara, apparently my small wasnt small enough.

I think that's good. And hopefully I start losing soon or I will get majorly depressed. I don;t know if you know, but I've done this before. Back in MArch-April I consumed only 1200 calories a day, and worked out every day at the gym and lost : ZERO pounds. I got so frustrated I quit. But I have a dress to fit into this time. And damnit, I want to look good on my wedding day.

Friday Fact

I'm horrible at math. Completely horrible. So let's see if I can do this right.

3500 calories = 1 pound.

Thus to lose 1 pound in a week, one needs to eat 500 calories less per day than whatever it takes to sustain his/her current weight. (7 days x 500 calories = 3500 calories)

Interesting.

Good to know.

But like I said, I'm not counting calories.

It's boring.

It's depressing.

I find myself focusing too much on eating and on how hungry I feel.

But more importantly, I just don't want to do it.

Nope. Not gonna.

So instead, I'm working on portion size.

Perfect!

Except, wait, what is the right portion size?

I was just going for "smaller" than what I had.

But thanks to this refresher from the Chubby Girls Diary I realized that my smaller still wasn't quite small enough.

What the scallop? When did I start eating such huge masses of food? Smaller isn't even small enough? Sheesh!

So I followed Brenda's (I believe that's who posted it) lead and printed the portion size visuals out. (Thanks for the tip!) They are on the front of my fridge in plain sight, along with my "before" pictures. Every time I go to the fridge and think of getting something out I remember where I'm at and how I can get better.

And it's helping! (At least with helping me choose right amounts)

So there's the math if you're an analytical person and want to count calories.

And if you're more like me, use the visual - it'll be more your style.

Of course, then there's exercise. But that's a whole other ball of wax.

Sara - 1 month review

It has been one full month since I took my before picture. This morning I decided to take another just to see if I could tell a difference.

Let's be honest. I've only lost 4 lbs. Hardly anything that I believe would be noticeable. But I'm determined to document and progress - so here it goes. I even wore the exact same style of shirt, just in a different color.

Left - before
Right- today

Hey look, I still have that just-out-of-the-shower-drowned-rat look.

I sport that a lot. It's my signature style.

But do I dare say that I am slightly more tone? You have to look very closely, but I believe I am. Or is that just wishful thinking on my part?

Naw, no way! Look at my butt. Definitely a little more perkiness there! Or wait, maybe it's just an optical illusion because my shirt is up higher.

But wait! What about that chest area? Were all 4 pounds lost strictly from there? I don't really mind that going down as long as the tummy goes with it. I'd hate to have a huge tummy and nothing else.

Sheesh! I don't know.

Oh, you can look away now. Sorry that I made you do that. I'm sure it was horrifying. You'll likely to spend months in recovery.

Either way, this is probably the longest that I have ever stuck with a steady workout routine. Thanks to your support and my terror at being made into a liar I am sticking with it. Hopefully this next month I will see more progress.

Tuesday Tip: Drink Water with a Straw

I find that I drink a lot more water if I put it in a container with a straw.

I'm not sure why that is - perhaps because I'm lazy and can easily just sit and sip on it without having to lift it.

But it doesn't really matter why because it works for me.

Give it try, maybe it'll work for you too!

Week 5 - Sara

Okay, here it is.

The moment I have been dreading all week long.

Why, oh, why do I let myself be naughty?

Probably because it feels sooooo good.

That is, until it doesn't.

Then it feels awful.

Terrible, really.

You know you've overdone it when the thought of another sweet makes you want to vomit. You can't even entertain the thought of pancakes in the morning because they have sugary syrup on them.

Yeah, that's a problem.

Let's just get this over with.

Drumroll please.

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Hmmmm.....okay. I can live with that.

It's actually not as bad as I had feared.

Whew!

Oh, man! Just think if I hadn't been naughty. I could have rocked it this week!

Doh!

Oh well, like I said yesterday, it's just at small and temporary setback. Just one more reason to do even better this week.

My goals this week are simple and similar to before:

1. Work out at least 5 days.
2. Limit the sweets for goodness sake!
3. Get back to drinking lots of water.

Here I go, off to spank those pounds into submission!

Sara Week 4 Wrap Up / Confession

Dear Internet,

Please forgive me for I have sinned. Heavily.

I am not blaming my sister-in-law in any way, but she came to visit this week and we had previously decided to save our Christmas goodie-making to do together.

And make goodies we did.

Curse you goodies!

Caramels, toffee, fondants, cake balls, brownies - they were all sinfully delicious.

Not to mention the Coke. Oh my! Katie and I both love Coca Cola and I simply couldn't resist indulging while she was here.

In short, I failed miserably at portioning this week. That which I did well for Christmas I undid at New Years.

My only possible redemption this week is that Katie was super sweet and worked out with me almost every day. That has to have helped at least a little (even if I am certain the chocolate damage far outweighs the workout benefits).

But I must say that for once, I'm totally not discouraged and ready to give up. I had a bad week. So what? It's not the end of the world. I will just pick up my good habits again and be better, starting today. Even a bad week isn't going to ruin this goal for me. I'm going to make it, it'll just take one week longer.

Crossing my fingers and hoping for a New Year miracle,
Sara