Happy Thursday!

Hey Blogworld!! Sorry I have been MIA! Things have been hectic and I've been tired so I haven't been able to wrap my head around posting. Fortunately I have a little break at work, so it's time to update you. Weighed in on Monday and it was soo not good, up to 298.8. I think a 6 lb gain from last Monday (I'll post the scale later). I know it was all due to TOM being here, but it still doesn't feel good to see it on the scale, esp when you've worked out 7 days in a row and only had 2 minor indulgences. So I chalked it up to bloat and kept it moving on Monday. Then Wednesday happened...oh the horror...

I had a late Tuesday/Wednesday morning and was hungry so I was in a McDonald's drive thru at 1 in the morning and pretty much the day went to hell from there. I pretty much ate out all of my meals yesterday and they weren't healthy either. So I can only imagine what may have started off as a bloated weight gain is being maintained by fat girl Wednesday eating. I don't know why I let myself get out control some days. :( But today is a new day and I refuse to repeat Wednesday again! So even though I didn't pack my lunch, I did bring my snacks and I plan on getting a veggie tray or salad for lunch and I do bootcamp tonight. I'm picking myself up and getting back in stride. Can't let one day derail my efforts! Alright now it's time to get back to work. :) 

Just a Quickie!!

What's up blog world?? It's Saturday and I have worked out 6 days in a row! Yay me!! Didn't make it to bootcamp this morning b/c I had a late night, but I did still manage to make it to the gym when I woke up. Last night I met up with a friend for drinks and I only had one drink and we split a quesadilla (2 pieces). Not so bad...then this morning happened. On my way home I made a stop at Chick-fil-a. I do love that place. That was so not on my menu for breakfast but I had it, it was good and I'm over it. I've eaten good for the rest of the day and now I'm getting ready to go out with the girls. No alcohol for me tonight, I used my extra calories on chicken biscuits this morning. :)

Today I didn't even have to use my A.K...

I gotta say it was a good day! (in my Ice Cube voice) lol...But for real it was a good and insightful day. Today one of the nurses brought me a belated birthday gift, the first season of The Cosby Show and some lotions. She remembered me telling a patient that it was one of my all time favorite sitcoms and she bought it. Love it!

Met with a nutritionist at the gym I've been going to and love, X3, today. I thought she was insightful but maybe I was expecting more. She did bring some things to the forefront, that I guess I never thought about such as I'm sabatoging myself when I treat my good number on the scale with a meal.  She also mentioned that the reason I may have a hard time losing weight is because I can't visualize myself smaller. I do think she is on to something. I didn't have children and now trying to lose baby weight, I wasn't small and then gained weight in college or during a relationship or whatever. I don't have a reference of, "I want to be the size I was when..." I remember being 205 lbs in 7th grade and 300 lbs at 21. That's all. I have always been overweight. I have been in size 22 and above since...since. There was a brief moment in time when I did get down to a size 20 and maybe some 18's when I lost weight doing Atkins. I got down to a low of 257 lbs, but then I had bread and that was all she wrote. So I know that I don't want to be classified as 'morbidly obese' anymore and I would like to have a healthy and active lifestyle in onederland. One of the problems is that I'm a realist and when I picture that person, she looks older with loose skin and is self conscious about it. I know I have a lot to lose before I even get to that point, but the puckering of my skin in places where I have lost weight does keep it in my mind. So it's an obstacle, but not big enough to stop my efforts. What's a little loose skin compared to adding more years to my life?

So I guess the nutritionist wasn't so bad, but I have to see her a few more times before my mind can really be made up about her.

As far as working out I kicked ass in kickboxing and then did some weights. It was a good day

Is it only Tuesday?!?!?

Hello Blogville! I.am.tired.com and we still have 3 more days of the week! Damn! It could be to these past 2 days I have been killing it with my workouts or it could be the fact that "TOM" reared his ugly head yesterday morning. I'm going with the latter. I woke up this morning and I was in a funk all day. I didn't want to really talk with my co workers, I ate lunch by myself and I found patience was a little short with my patients. That damn TOM!!! Tom didn't keep me from starting my fitness class though. :)

I started back with a fitness class that an RN at my hospital does. She is also a certified personal trainer and a certified health nut. She just had her first baby at 38, gained 34 lbs and lost 44 lbs in 3 months. Show off...Anywho she did the classes last year and I had some success, losing weight and watching my body change. Unfortunately after I got back from my Jamaica trip ( last August), I couldn't keep it together and gained 20 of the 31 lbs I lost while I was in a food coma until this past January. Her classes are hardcore. Today was a cardio day, so we ran a mile, did sprints on the track, did stairs and treadmill intervals and finished with abs. It was one killer hour and I am happy to say that I did better than 2 people in the class maybe even 3 (not a whole lot, but better). I mention this b/c last year I was the one who was always last and needed encouragement, but I was the one encouraging today. :)

So now lets tally it up...I do the fitness class 3x/week, I meet with a trainer 2x/week and my goal is to kickbox at least 2-3x/week. This is weight doesn't have a chance! 

This is the post that never ends...

LOL! I am so going to abbreviate it as much as I can, but I have so much to share! Please feel free to skim through, but I hope you read it all!

Recap: Friday: I met with my new trainer Kimberly and she is totally kick ass. Our session was 30 minutes and she worked the hell out of me. (Insert NSV: I was able to hold a plank for 30 seconds, 3 times! That core is coming baby!) Before we met I had done 30 minutes on the treadmill. Got my 2 miles in! Meals wise I stayed on it. No problems there **happy dance**


Saturday: Day 12 of working out in a row. Totally felt the PT session taking its effects all over my body. I knew I wasn't going to make it to X3 but I still wanted to get my Zumba on, so I did make that. Needless to say, I was almost incapable of keeping up the first 30 minutes. My limbs were sore, but I pushed through. Tonight was one of my girl's birthday dinners so I made sure I prepared myself by lookng at the menu beforehand and this is what I got:

 Almond Encrusted Salmon Steak over Boy Choy with a Curry Sauce! Yum! I was still hungry after that, so a friend and I did order a salad after and split it. Anna Mae, you would have been proud...I said no to the cake! LOL! A good night!

Insert NSV: I was able to rock my banana yellow shoes that I bought last summer but was unable to wear b/c I was afraid I would break my neck!

The other perk of my weight loss: I can wear the hell out of my heels now! Their purpose has grown from looking good sitting at the table to I can walk around in them and not look like my feet hurt! Amen! LOL

                                                                                                         

So here we are Sunday and I have two challenges I am starting today! Hot Damn! One of them is a challenge that I am doing with one of my best friends and the other I am joining that already stared with the nutritionist at the gym I go to.

Challenge #1:  Operation Dominican Republic!

As some of you may know I am going to the Dominican Republic 2 months from today! So my girl Kennesha and I made a pledge to lose 30 lbs by then. I know I know, that is a big number to lose in a short time. I should be more focused on changing the habits that got me to this weight, which is what I am doing and at the same time I hope that I will lose weight with these changes...maybe 30 lbs, lol **insert big cheesey smile** So since the challenge starts today, I jumped on the scale a day early:

6 lb loss since Monday! Woo hoo!!!

I am very realistic and know that 6 lb losses won't come every week, but my goal is to lose 2-4 lbs a week. Even if I don't get to 30 lbs by the trip, I know that I will be making habits that will help me continue my weight loss goals after the trip.

Challenge # 2: The Do it Do it Challenge!

This challenge is done with the nutritionist at X3 and its goal is to develop "awareness, achievement, direction, focus...that will create better habits in your life."  So basically she kind of made a template of things she wants us to complete each week with alloted points for each one. Some of the things are things that she wants us to do every day (drink 80-100 oz of water )while others are a specific amount of times a week (lift weights 3x/week). She wants us to add personal things that we want to add to our lives and allot our own points for it. Develop good healthy habits, that's the challenge.

So today is the day I rest. No day 13 of working out for me.  I will come up with my goals, rewards and things I want to accomplish now that I am owning up to the fact I won't live my life forever overweight. Exciting and scary at the same time but I can do it!

When did you know you could do it?

I woke up this morning and just knew that I will get to my goal weight. It was such a definitive thought that it struck me like a ton of bricks. I know I can and will do it! These past 6 months have been full of growing pains and tests of my strength. I am in a season where literally my mind thinks about my health, weight loss and fitness. I mean my systolic blood pressure (the top number) went down 55 mmHg! That is such a huge fucking big deal! I almost got suspended from work in October until I came back on meds b/c my blood pressure was bordering too high.

Outside of blogging, only my closest and dearest friends know the extent of what I am doing and how important it is to me. Co workers and casual friends may know a little, but not much. I am so fortunate that I have been blessed to have friends who will listen to me over and over and over and did I say over again? :-) My roommate jokes that if she leaves me alone too long I might turn our place into a gym! LOL

Has my social life taken a bit of a hit? Maybe. I don't regret it though. Now don't get me wrong, I still make it out, but if I have to choose between going out and being tired vs. getting a good workout in the next day, sometimes the workout wins. Do I talk about it a lot? Probably. But hey those who matter don't mind and those that mind don't matter, that's what they say anyway. This is one of the hardest journey I have ever done in my life. Starting college over again at 23 and going straight through to get my Masters' a little tough. Moving to a new city 3 states over from your home town, yea that was hard. Embarking on a journey to lose the equivalent of a normal sized person your height (140 lbs) that is hella hella hard! I am so lucky to have people on my side. :-)

I so can do this and you better believe I'm sharing this journey with everyone who will read it! I have a busy day today meet with the trainer and have to do my hair and of course get through work ughhh! Happy Friday!

Just call me a Go Girl!

Hello Blog world! So it's after midnight my time, but of course this post is pertaining to Thursday...

I got it in at the gym for 10 days in row! Where they do that at?!?! Right here!!! LOL! I so wanted to go to X3 today and kick some my ass, but when I was going up and down the stairs, my knees were a little achy and I had to take a shit. That is one the thing I try my hardest not to do in public, taking a shit. I love the comforts of my own home and I know how mine smells and I know how it feels when I walk in after someone just did it, so I do try to hold it. There are exceptions to the rule of course, like when I'm going on a long plane trip. I'd rather do it at the airport than on the plane, if the urge hits. Also if I have the bg's (bubble guts), then you know I'm looking for the nearest bathroom in sight! LOL. Fortunately that has only happened to me once and I was at work of all places. I made sure I went to a bathroom no one goes to and I laid the smack down! LOL. Thank God no one came in after me! So now that I've given insight to my bowel habits, I'll tell you after I handled that at home I took an hour and 45 min nap. OMG it was so what I needed! I really felt good. I was able to wake up and go to the gym and get my fitness in!

Today's Workout:
15 minutes on the stairstepper. (I'm so proud of myself b/c I can finally do 15 minutes without stopping!)

30 minutes with trainer Valerie (I have been working with her a little bit at LA Fitness, but our sessions end in the next 2 weeks) We did upper boddy and core

2 miles in 30 minutes on the treadmill! This is big for me b/c this was the first time I did 2 miles in 30 minutes.

I took some pictures of what I look like now in my 'progress outfit', not a pretty sight, but it can only get better from here. Tomorrow is my first official training session with Kimberly at X3 and I'm excited to see what she has in store. On Sunday I'm starting a challenge that the nutritionist is doing with all of her students at X3. It's 6 weeks long and I've already missed the first 2 weeks, so I can't win but I'll at least be a part of it. I'll post the information about the challenge and any tips that I get here on my blog. I'm fortunate that I'm in a position where I can pay for extra services to assist in weight loss/fitness endeavors and I'm not going to be stingy with the info! Happy Friday!!!