Saturday :)

Yay for Saturday! I slept in until about 9:45 today. That was really nice. Then I got up, ate breakfast and watched some TV until about 11:30. Then I decided it was time to go get some stuff done. I went to the gym and did 20 minutes on the treadmill (just wanted to do a quick workout), then I tanned. This evening I am going to go to my sisters to cut her hair and hang for a while. Chris is going to play poker with some friends. Maybe he will win big like last time :)

This last week went really fast! There are only 4 days (including today) left of being 29. Sad. Oh well. I went to the chiropractor on Wednesday and they did scans and x-rays. I went back on Thursday to see what they found and to get an adjustment. They told me that I have 6 lower vertebrae instead of 5. They said it isn't anything bad just kinda cool. :) They also found that I have a curve in my mid back and my neck is not right either. I am going back on Wednesday (MY BIRTHDAY) to see what the plan of action is-how much it is going to cost and how long it might take to get it corrected. I also get a pillow! I am excited about the pillow because it looks really comfortable!!! They are also checking with my insurance to see what they will cover. I just want my back to quit hurting!!! It did feel really good after he adjusted it. When he did the mid-section of my back, I kinda let out a little squeal because it scared me! It really popped loud! I have been really good since the adjustment to not pop my back myself. I have really wanted to several times, but I haven't done it!!!

Yesterday at work was terrible! We celebrated National Chocolate Cake Day. There was so much cake and it was all delicious! I would know--I tried it all! :) Chris and I worked out when I got off work. It was a really good idea after having all that cake!

Have a good weekend!!!

Eat Well

I was up early today and yesterday and went to the gym. It is so nice being the only one in there! :) Usually by the time I leave, there are more people there but I can get the majority of my workout done before they arrive! Love it! :)

I really think that not worrying so much about my diet is helping me. I feel more satisfied. When I "diet" I tend to eat things that I really don't like and then I'm not satisfied. So, I keep searching for that food I want and end up overeating. Now that I am just trying to make good decisions, I feel really good. Not just about being satisfied but also happy with myself for making this decision to try to eat well.

Healthy Decision

Well, I think some of you may be disappointed, but over the last week I have come to a conclusion about my dieting. I am really tired of constantly worrying about my weight and trying to lose. I feel like it really drags me down and I obsess about it and get really upset with myself. It seems like I can't ever stick to something long enough to make it work. I didn't even stick to the Special K Challenge for a week! I don't feel like that is a very healthy. I have decided that working out and just trying to make healthy decisions with my eating will be good for me. I don't like to deprive myself of things that I really like and enjoy. There are just way to many temptations out there that get me and when I give in, I fall off completely and can't get back on. So just trying to make good decisions and eating normally will be a lot healthier for me.

I'm not sure if doing this blog has helped me or not. I have enjoyed sharing with everyone about my journey which isn't done and never will be. Here is the plan forward...I am going to continue working out and try to make healthier decisions with food. If I lose weight good, if I don't...it's no biggie :)


From the stuff that I have tried, Weight Watchers is by far probably the best method of losing weight if you need to lose. It is pretty easy to follow and it can be kind of fun to track points. I just got tired of it and felt a little burned out. If I ever want to really try to lose weight in the future, I would go back to that method as it is the most healthy.

Thanks to everyone who has been keeping up with my journey and showing support along the way. I am going to try to continue to blog and keep everyone updated on my workouts and share stuff I find that is helpful. I probably won't have as many posts as I have had, but maybe one a week will be sufficient.

Girl Scout Cookies

It's only 9 a.m. and I have already fallen off track today! I ate my Special K with a banana in it for breakfast, but then I saw some Girl Scout cookies on the counter and they were calling my name! I ate all of what was left :( with a glass of milk! Well, I guess they won't be there to tempt me tonight after work.

Yesterday, I had Panera Bread for lunch. My little 1/2 sandwich was 490 calories! Ouch!!! Well, I was planning to just have cereal for breakfast since I had a normal lunch, but that didn't happen. I got home from work and started munching.

So, now that the cookies are gone hopefully I can continue on with my Special K challenge without any back steps!!! I have a date with the gym tonight :) It missed me yesterday. haha!

Chipotle Imposter

So, today I realized that with this Special K Challenge you are only eating around 540 calories before you eat your supper. Not counting any fruit/veggie or beverage calories you may also intake. That is crazy! No wonder you lose weight so quickly! haha :) Well, it is day 3 of this and so far, everyday I have been pretty hungry but I have stuck to it. I might be lacking in the supper department though. I think I might be over eating. I don't know. I guess we will find out when I weigh myself next Monday. I don't think I am eating that many calories at night that it would completely ruin what I am doing during the day though so I am probably safe. Plus, I am still working out.

Tonight, Chris and I went to the gym after I got off work. We both had amazing workouts. haha :) It was my chest & back day. What drives me nuts is when someone can clearly see that you have a routine that you are doing on the machines and they come over and start using the one you are going to go to next and then they sit there and take 5 minutes on it. Why do people have to do that???

We had burritos for dinner when we got home from working out. I am so stuffed and I only had one! I made some rice quick when I got home from work and it tasted just like the rice at Chipotle-cilantro-lime rice! So good!!! We just used some pork that I had made the other day in the other day in the crock-pot that was supposed to be bbq, but it really didn't taste like bbq to me so it worked really good for the burritos. Kinda like the barbacoa at Chipotle :) We were going with that them tonight. haha!

Well, time to shower up and get ready for tomorrow and fold some clothes!

Quick Post

Well, yesterday went pretty good on the 1st day of the Special K Challenge. I got pretty hungry in the afternoon before I got off work, so I had a few Special K crackers to tide me over until I got home for dinner. Luckily, I had dinner in the Crock-pot so I didn't really have to work to hard to eat. I figured eating a few crackers was better than making a bad choice or eating too much at dinner.

I got up this morning and weighed myself. I was down 5 pounds from yesterday morning (after working out and eating)...??? Seems kinda weird, but I was peeing a lot yesterday so I think I must have had quite a bit of water weight on me.  I will take it though! I worked out this morning too. I kinda made it quick because I was running a little late but I still got it done. I just didn't do as much cardio as planned, but it was a weight day anyway so the cardio is just extra :) I drank a protein shake when I got home so hopefully that doesn't throw off the challenge too much. I also had my Special K cereal. The Special K Challenge says that you can drink beverages as normal. Not sure if a protein shake would be included in that or not?!?!

Special K Challenge

So, yesterday was completely unproductive in the workout dept. But today is a completely new day and I already have my workout done :) Yesterday, I did go grocery shopping and I decided that I am going to give the Special K Challenge a try. I figured it can't be that difficult to follow...Special K cereal for breakfast & lunch, 2 Special K snacks during the day, as much fruits and veggies I want & a sensible dinner. I bought 2 of everything to take to work so I don't have to worry about packing my lunch everyday. To make it even easier, I portioned it all out into baggies so I don't have to measure-except for my milk. They also say that you can drink your normal beverages. It says I will lose 6 pounds in 2 weeks. We will see how this goes :) I forgot to weigh myself this morning before eating, drinking and working out to get an accurate measure :(  I will have to remember to do that tomorrow!!!

Yes, I know what you all are thinking...is this girl ever going to pick something and stick to it? I just get so bored with the same old things so I like to change it up and try new things to see what works and what doesn't. Plus, I kinda like being the sucker that tries all these things! haha :) Someone has to do it!!!

I am still taking the be-Hot vitamin packs and I do like them. I really didn't feel like going to workout this morning, but after I got up and took those with some Spark from Advocare, I was ready to roll :) I got a really great cardio workout in and sweated my butt off :)

Hungry

We went to Columbus on Friday night and stayed at a hotel for a pool tournament that Chris was in. It was pretty fun. We got up there Friday afternoon and just hung out and then he played at noon on Saturday. It was a day filled with pool. That means lots of sitting for me. I was surprised that I wasn't wanting to eat more than I did. I had McDonald's for lunch and then for supper I had a hamburger that they were selling there. It wasn't very good, but I was to that point where I had to eat something or I was going to get sick.

So, I haven't worked out since Thursday and I am feeling it. We are going today! No excuses!!! I could really feel it in my arms from my workout the other day. I guess that means that I did good :)

We slept in today and it was so nice! I must have needed it! I didn't get up until 11:30. I am feeling really hungry today! Hopefully I won't let it get the best of me!!!

Yum Yum

Wow! I feel like I had an awesome workout this morning! I got up at 7:15 and was out the door by 7:30. I worked out non-stop until 8:30. Today it was Shoulders & Arms + Cardio. I did sets of 3 today in a sort of circuit rotation mixing in my cardio. It seemed to go quite well and I am way more proud of my workout today than yesterday. So, now I am home and drinking my protein shake. Yum yum. It is chocolate. Hmmm I didn't eat breakfast though so I better take an extra snack to work just in case I get hungry.

Well, time to get ready for work. I have to be there in an hour. Good thing it only takes me about 45 minutes to get ready!!! :)

Ho hum...

Over the hump of Wednesday...one more day of work this week and a 3 day weekend here I come! Chris and I worked out at the gym tonight. I was feeling like I had a really good workout until the end when I just rode the bike for 20 minutes waiting for him to get done. I spent a good 30 minutes doing my legs & core work plus some cardio. It was really busy when we went in and I think I felt a little intimidated by all the other people. I still did what I needed to do, but it was just a little crowded. I like going in the mornings around 7:30 when no one else is there!!! :) Once I have my routines down, it won't be so bad I guess. I just need to push myself a little more to do more poundage on the machines and maybe more reps.

I took my be-Hot vitamin pack tonight before I went to the gym and now I am not feeling hungry for dinner. Good thing we had chili from the other night left over so Chris has something to eat! haha :) I had a protein shake when we got home so that should keep me full the rest of the night. I think I am going to go to bed early. I am kinda tired. Just feeling kinda ho-hum. I don't really have anything to do and Chris has homework. Just bored and don't want to eat because I am bored.

I have just been taking leftovers to work for lunch and then having some snacks on hand to munch on throughout the day. I haven't been counting points or doing simply filling, but just paying attention to what I am eating. My appetite has been crazy though! I just feel like eating all the time at work and I think it is because when I workout in the morning my metabolism is really going. As long as I am having healthy snacks in moderation I guess it isn't so bad.

Motivated & Positive

I started my morning with an invigorating workout :) I was at the gym by 7:30 a.m. just like I had planned. Today, I did cardio. I really pushed myself and did some different things. I went in with a plan and I stuck to it. I switched between things to keep myself interested. Here is what I did for my 30 minute workout:
5 minutes on treadmill at 6 mph
5 minutes on arctrainer
1 minute mountain climbers
1 minute high knees
5 minutes on treadmill 6 mph
5 minutes on arctrainer
1 minute jumping jacks
1 minute switch kicks
5 minutes on treadmill 6 mph
1 minute switch kicks

I did something I probably shouldn't have done last night...I cancelled my WW online. I was feeling like I wasn't really using it and making the most of my money I was putting into it each month. So, I am going to give it a go on my own. I am going to just be conscious of what I am eating. I know the rules of WW so I am sure I will apply that as well. I just won't have the help of the online system or the food database. I do have the Lose It app on my phone that I can go back to. It was pretty helpful. I think I will try to use that more. Plus, with the workouts that I have planned, I know I can succeed. Staying motivated and positive is key! :)

Tomorrow, I work my legs and core :)

Trainer

Today, I met with the trainer at Snap for my fitness assessment. It is based off of a bunch of factors. Your score is between 0 & 40 and I am a 16. Not quite where I thought I would be. Oh well, there is always room for improvement. I was a little disappointed in the assessment because I thought they would help me come up with an actual workout, but she helped me set a goal and then gave me a training schedule for 4-5 days a week.

• 1 day a week do intense cardio
• 3 days a week do cardio & weights:
• 1st day-legs & core
• 2nd day-shoulders & arms
• 3rd day-chest & back

Now, I just have to figure out what exercises to do on those days. I need to figure out a plan that I can go in with because I hate going into the gym and not knowing exactly what to do. I told her I always feel like I am wandering around and don't really know how to do stuff or what to do. She suggested that I see her as a trainer or go online and look at all of the exercises on their website and come up with a plan.

I bought a planner today that I can write down when I am going to go to the gym and just have it scheduled into my day and know exactly what exercise I am going to do for that day. She suggested this too :) I thought it was worth a try. :)

Tonight we are having chili for dinner :) Mmmm! It seems kinda thin so I hope it thickens up a bit. It is considered a filling food and I put more beans in than I normally do to make it a little more bulky. I am not a huge fan of beans normally. We will see how it tastes.

Down 1

I just went to weight in at WW today and I am down 1 pound from the last time I was there. 185.8 is the current weight. I am down a total of 8 pounds since I started WW. Not really as well as I was hoping for, but I will take it. I really didn't want to go this morning, but I knew that I wouldn't want to go tomorrow either since I have to work. I didn't stay for the meeting.

Today is going to be a difficult day at work because there is a birthday and I am sure we will get food and have cupcakes or something. I think I will let myself splurge a little just because I did so good earlier this week. Last night, I was out and about running my errands after work and I was getting soooo hungry! I stopped at Hy-vee and picked up some Special K bars that are really yummy and crunchy like the cereal. I ate one of the bars before I continued on my way with the errands. I thought I bought 4 boxes, but I guess I only put 2 in the cart. They are on sale 2/$5. I saved myself from going through the drive-thru!!! Then when I got home I made a chicken burrito like the one we had the other night. Yum!

Happy Friday!!!

Viola! :)

Day 3 of back on track :) Another successful day down on the books. It really feels good. I stepped on the scale and it is going down from all of the holiday over indulgences. Yay!!! That makes me really happy and feel so good!

Chris and I worked out this evening, then we came home and had a yummy dinner. I got this Birds Eye Viola meal in a bag. It was chicken alfredo with veggies. I added an extra bag of broccoli, a little more precooked chicken, and a little mozzarella cheese. It turned out really good. It just added to the flavor and made it go a little farther. Now there is enough for dinner tomorrow night since Chris has to go back to class.

Tomorrow, I am going to get up early and workout. I want to tan after work and need to run some errands. 

N-R-G

I have so much energy and motivation. I got up at 6:15 this morning and I ate a banana and took my be-Hot. Then went to the gym at about 7:30. I walked/ran for 10 minutes, then did the elliptical for 10 minutes and then rode the bike for 10 minutes. Quick 30 minute workout to start my day-skipped the weights since I did those last night. I headed off to work at 10 a.m. and I was so good all day at work! I didn't cave! I had an English muffin with egg salad for breakfast (sounds weird, I know, but it is really good!). For lunch I had brown rice with some soy sauce. I had an apple and some yogurt for snacks. For supper we had a friend over and I made a ham steak that was 97% fat free, salad, potatoes and corn on the cob. It was really good and I am stuffed!!! After dinner I still had motivation after cleaning up so I swept and mopped the kitchen and both bathrooms. Hopefully, I can always be this motivated. I even tanned tonight after work! I want to have a nice golden tan for my bday :) haha!

Now it is time for some R&R. I think I will find something good on TV and lounge on the couch :)

Hot! Hot! be-Hot :)

Today I took my first be-Hot vitamin pack. I am liking them so far! I got up and took them with my breakfast then waited an hour before I went to workout. I went to the gym, but it was really busy at 10 a.m. I guess everyone had the same idea...sleep in then go workout before the Huskers played. haha :) Well, I only stayed for like 15 minutes then decided I would go back later with Chris. We went around 7:45 and we were the only ones there :) I still had enough energy and I haven't eaten very much today either so this be-Hot stuff must suppress your appetite as well. I can handle that!!!

When we got home from working out, I made some chicken burritos. They were really good! I got some Tyson pre-cooked fajita chicken strips from the freezer section today when I went grocery shopping. We have eaten out so much in the last 3 weeks I think I have gained every ounce back that I have lost! So it is home cooked meals for us!!! Yay :) So anyway, I just added some chili powder & red pepper flake to the chicken meat and heated it up on the stove in a little bit of olive oil. We had La Tortilla Factory 100 calorie tortillas, light sour cream, lettuce and cheese to go with it. It was really good and I made just enough for us each to have one burrito. No leftovers and no over eating!!! :)

It really feels good to be eating right again. I feel so much better about myself even though it has only been one day! I am also really happy that Chris is on board with getting healthy too :) Makes life so much easier!!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

Happy New Year everyone!!! It's 2012, the year I turn 30. haha! It is funny how refreshed I feel today after being out late last night. I still have my cold and I didn't sleep very well because of it but, I am up and have taken a shower and feel good now.

I am not sure what we are doing today, probably not much. I need to get some groceries so we can start eating healthy again! I also need to get a few things that I left at my friends house last night.

Chris and I worked out yesterday morning for about an hour. Then we went to GNC and he got some more protein shake stuff and I found these little vitamin package things called be-HOT. I think they caught my eye because they are pink :) But Chris bought them for me so I think I will start doing them tomorrow since there is a 30 day supply, that will get me to Feb. 1. I am going to make up my own 30 day challenge to get me through this month!!! I am going to have to really plan out some meals that will be yummy and healthy so we will want to eat them. I am going to keep doing the simply filling...well, I should say start doing that again...since I haven't been tracking for like 2 weeks now! The challenge starts tomorrow!!!