Going on Vacation

I am leaving for Florida in about 13 days so I have been able to motivate myself to keep up the good eating and working out by thinking about the bathing suit I am going to have to buy. It does help but I am worried about having a plan when I get there. We drive 2 days both ways and I am going to take fruit and nuts to snack on. The hotels might have a workout facilities but I doubt my uncle has anything. I will ask him but if not I am going to have to get up early and walk. My awesome aunt and uncle are putting us up for the rest of the time we are gone.

I am still at 150 but I do think that loosing 15 pounds is an accomplishment. Today I am taking my dog to a park with loads of trails and we are going to walk at least 90 minutes. Lucky for me my dog is hard to wear out so she will be a good walking buddy. The trails are sandy and they are not so hard on my hip plus they have a lot of hills. I do like to get outside sometimes and even though walking isn't the best cardio workout it seems to make me feel better to be outdoors sometimes. I don't really know why but it does.

On that note I have been to the tanning bed 2 days now I came home pink yesterday but it is all tan now. I am going for the two weeks prior to my trip and that is it. I used to really like tanning but I don't really want to pay that money to do something I could do in my own backyard once it warms up a bit. Well I guess I would wear more and have a less even tan but I really don't care. I don't really care if I am tan either I just know the glowing white color I have now will just burn to a crisp in the Florida sun.

Things Are a Little Crazy Around Here....

or at least I am crazy. I have been trying to develop some serious discipline and I have gotten down to 150 that is 15 pounds from the start. When I don't get on the elliptical I walk the dog or when possible I do both. I have been eating healthy too and trying not to stress about everything I put in my mouth.

I have been getting crazy crabby though if my routine gets messed up, especially on work days. I love my husband but it seems like when I make a goal like getting on the elliptical at 7 am he wants to hang out when he gets home. When before he couldn't wait to get home to play video games (he works until 6:30 am). On my days off I don't have to work out so early but on work days I need to get 45 minutes to an hour in the morning then I don't have to worry if I am too tired to work out when I come home. When it is nice we have been going to the park with the dog and walking trails.

I am going to be out of town from the 13-21 to visit my aunt and uncle in Florida so I also have to plan for the trip. We just decided to go on Saturday so I have a lot of planning to do. I have to tan a little so I don't burn the minute I hit the sun but not much just so I am not glowing white. I am not big on tanning these days but I know I fair better when I have the start of a tan. I think the only workout I will be able to get there is morning walks so I will have to be in the sun. I have also been working three days a week instead of two. I have one week of two days then three days before I leave. My mom-in-law will be staying with the dog too so I don't have to worry about her or the house.

Well enough of my rambling off to work on some other stuff

Weight Loss Journey In Review

I have been thinking a lot about my weight loss lately and I have lost 13 pounds over the last six months or so. That is not bad at all it is just not what I want. I want things to go faster because I have no patience with this in my life. It much harder for me to have patience with myself than with others.

I have been stressed about it too much and I am just going to keep working at eating healthy and working out. I know that I feel better and I can get more done when I keep it up. I can try to work on tweaking my workouts for more fat loss too.

So in all I have been doing very well with my working out and I just need to get a handle on eating healthy. I love healthy fresh meals I just don't like to cook them.

I have noticed I do best when I eat fresh healthy meals and don't spend half my free time freaking out about how many calories are in them. I actually loose more weight when I don't count calories and just try to make smart choices. It has been great to have this blog because I can look back and see the results and when they have been the best.

I didn't get my workout in yesterday but I had six days in a row before that. I am going to change my goals a lot. My goals are no longer going to center on actual weight. I am going to have a goal to get into a size 7 or less in the sewing patterns that I make. I can't say I don't care about my weight but it does seem like muscle builds before fat is lost. I have read a lot of articles that say be patient and keep it up eventually it will come off. Jeff King has been encouraging me not to worry about the weight for months and well I just have to listen now. If another six months go by and I am not smaller it will be time to visit my doctor to see if there is anything else going on.

My weekly goals will be to work out a little everyday. I want to keep that goal so next time things turn out like yesterday I will just hop on the elliptical or treadmill for 20-30 minutes instead of skipping it. On my days off I want to do at least 90 minutes and work days at least 45 minutes. I am not going to go crazy thought and feel defeated if I don't get as much in as I would like.

I have to work three days again the next two weeks so it changes my plans. I am not complaining it is more money we can save. Then the girl who took over my job will be back three days a week for a while. Two days is more than enough for me. I can pay all the utilities with that and still have some money for sewing stuff and books. I can't wait to have more time for my favorite hobbies especially sitting down with at real book to get away from this world for a few hours.

Feeling Pretty Good

Well with the last few days being a little crazy and me working out a lot and gaining weight I thought I would finally take some measurements again. I decided to do this because I had some measurements from a few months back to compare them to and I have just about had it with the scale.

So I start with my arms and no change and I take a few new measurements bust and chest then move on to the waist and still no change. Then I do my hips and i have lost a full two inches in my hips!!! I measure my right thigh and I have lost an inch. So my suspicion about where I was loosing the fat was right.

I am still frustrated that the scale is stuck around 152 but I am encouraged that at least something is positive happening. I have worked out every day since Sunday April 11th and averaging at least 3 days a week before that but many more most weeks so I have not been slacking off most of the time. I have been working hard this week and I do believe now that I am gaining muscle and just not loosing much of the fat yet. I worked out 99 minutes on the elliptical today and 60 yesterday and 99 the day before. I only got 45 minutes on on Tuesday but 99 in on Monday and 90 Sunday. It will only let me set it for 99 minutes so that is what I do when I can. I am thinking I might add a half an hour some days in the evening a few hours before bed. I have to fight with my husband for it in the evening. I come home and cook myself some dinner and he gets on the elliptical by the time he is done it is getting late and I can't sleep right after a work out. This from the guy who thought our treadmill was good enough. Not a complaint just a statement I am glad he wants to use it I will just have to find the right time maybe I could skip dinner and have a very light snack and then eat after. I will have to think on that one.
Well I am really feeling like reading something kind of sexy and vampy so I may just be off to spend some time with a sexy Night Huntress.

Can I Really Speak My Mind?

Okay I am starting to feel like I am not who I once was or who I want to be. Weight is just one issue in my life and it is a big one but it is not the only one. I don't usually do sarcasm well so I try to just be nice. I am really tired of being nice to some people. I censor what I say, even on my blog because it is socially appropriate. Well I think I am going to overhaul this blog soon and when I do I am going to have a rant or two a week. I need to get some of that out there and I can't think of a better place than here. I tend to be one of those people who just stand there and watch with their mouth wide open while you take everything they have and run over you with their car. Which makes me really good with some things and really really bad at confrontation. I have never been great with it but over the years I have learned to just keep quiet and let things be, or complain about them to my poor husband who can't change them.

I think I am done with that and I will come to my readers and ask them how they would handle some of the situations that I find to be frustrating.

Still on Track

Okay I have had three good days of eating and working out. I am down another pound as I can't seem to stay off the scale but I am not going to freak out if i end up gaining. My legs have been pretty sore the last few days and I am sure I am building muscle in them. I can really feel it if I have to sit for a while then when I get back up I am sore.

This morning I did 45 minutes on the elliptical and I want to do it again tonight if I have time. I did 99 minutes yesterday and I have been watching what I put in my mouth but not going insane over every calorie. I am just trying to make smarter choices with food. Like this morning I planned on doing the strength setting on my elliptical so I wanted to have a high protein breakfast. I had an omelet with a tiny bit of cheese and some mushrooms and green onion that I cooked in another pan with a little soy sauce and mirin. I have been really hungry since I really started kicking but on the elliptical so I am trying to balance my hunger with small snacks and big portions of veggies with my dinner. I am not just eating because I am bored now I am really hungry. So I have some strawberries and cashews to snack on as well as some granola bars in case I get the sweet cravings. My husband is on the elliptical now so if I want on again I have to wait my turn, I plan on getting another 45 minutes in tonight and at least an hour in tomorrow hopefully another 99 minutes. Getting in shape is now my second part time job. I really want to look great by my 13th anniversary on August 22nd. I would like to be a little closer to the size I met my husband. I know I won't ever weight that little again but I also know with hard work and healthy eating I can get back to someone who resembles the girl he met.

Really I have let things get out of control I started this journey a full 68 pounds more than I was when we met and I have been up and down in weight since we got married. I went back down to where I stayed between 110-115 for a good year. Which is not that far off from the 97 pounds I was when I met him but I did a lot of weight lifting then so I probably looked better than I did at 97 pounds. For someone who has been 100 pounds it is hard to see yourself in the 165 pound body. I am beginning to get there I am almost down 15 pounds and I can see some shape to my legs and rear end again. I really want the belly fat to go away but what is really nice it that my face is starting to loose some weight and doesn't look so round anymore.

So that is it I am working on lifestyle changes and balance. I don't have to go to work as much so I am going to take a chunk of that time and devote it to getting in shape. I am going to try to focus on how I look and feel and not how much I weigh, but that will happen gradually.

On a side note I am trying to take the stressful things as they come I read in Prevention Magazine today that working out can reduce stress after a hard day so I am going to try to work out in the morning and evening on work days. I also have the duplex to stress over because one set of tenants is harassing the other set and doing rude and mean things. They are also not following simple rules like not parking where you would block another tenant from getting out. I have to deal with this and I just hate it I wish this place would sell and someone else would have the headache. The fees and taxes have been raised too and the water bill keeps going up so I also have to think about raising rent. I am not exited about having to reprimand adults or having to raise rent but things have to be done. This is really the only thing bothering me right now because I can handle work on a part time basis and I can take things like my car stereo being stolen as an annoying but not big loss.

First Week of Only Working Two Days

W

Well I am getting a late start today. It is my first Monday off and I thought I would do some odd chores and look for some things on the net. I did manage to get the dishwasher going and get rid of all the old stuff in the fridge as well as a few loads of laundry are clean they just need folded and put away.


My updates today are going to be rather random but I will try to start with my weight loss/getting in shape plan. I have been sewing quite a bit lately and because of that have decided my waist line needs to exist again. I am not sure what to do about it yet but it has to be done. I want to buy a pattern book with Gothic Lolita patterns one of these days and I want to look good in them. If I can translate the patterns enough to use them.

So after a week of total failure in the eating department last week I am back on track. I didn't workout everyday last week either but I think I got 4 days in. I have to start posting my workouts again so I don't forget what I did and so I can track my progress by seeing what seems to be effective. I did my weigh in this morning and there was no damage done last week but no progress made either. I was 151.5 and I plan to weigh periodically during the week but I think I will make Mondays my official days to mark my weight. Some time next weekend I plan to take measurements.

I spent 90 minutes on my elliptical yesterday and I really turned the resistance up so my legs are sore today. The good kind of sore in the spots that are supposed to be sore. I plan to do another 90 minutes today shortly after I post this. I have the first disc of Blood Ties Season 2 to watch. I have made it a rule that I can't watch my Netflix television series unless I am working out. Not that I have to listen to my own rules but I am going to try. I plan to do 60-90 minutes on my days off and 45 on the days I work. That way I get a workout in everyday even if they are not always the best. Just making working out a part of my routine everyday is going to have to be the start. That way if I have plans I can just get on for 45 minutes and crank the resistance and incline up. If I have a lot of time then I can work out as long as I can. I just have to make it something that I can't not do unless I am very sick or something I can't prevent comes up.

So I have also been thinking about my eating and I watched some episodes of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution which I rather enjoyed. So I found a show that he did in England called Eat to Save Your Life on you tube. It is graphic and rather gross at times but it really is a wake up call for overweight people. It also demonstrated that something that I do tend to ignore. Muscle does weigh more and it leads to better health with a proper diet. There was a man on the show that was in the obese category and one that was in the slightly overweight category but the heavier man in the obese category, his body scan came up with less body fat and than the younger thinner man.

Now that I have time again I am going to work on making my own food from fresh ingredients as much as possible. I am not going to worry so much about cost of food or how easy the dishes are. I will not go crazy like I used to and analyze every label on every possible thing but I am going to be more careful. I want to get in shape and have a waistline again even if it isn't like it used to be I would like to see it again. One of the best ways to eat healthy is to pick fresh foods. I will eat lots of fruits and veggies and lean cuts of meat but I am not going to cut out other things I love like pizza I am just not going to have it once a week or more. I am going to go try really hard to cut back on sugary things which seem to be my biggest downfall. I only had added sugar in my yogurt yesterday and I got a headache. I get less of a headache when I am caffeine deprived. So I know I have a problem with sugar I was thinking that it was carbs but now I think it is actually sugar because when I eat carbs they are usually also full of sugar. I have a few natural granola bars left that I can have if the cravings won't let up. Until I can get control of that though I have to stay away it is like I am a sugar addict once I have some I want to eat it all day.


So to sum it up I need to eat healthier again and be consistent but now that I have more time I feel like I can do that. I have time to cook and plan meals for work that won't mess up my eating plan. I also need to work out more and everyday. It needs to be as important as brushing my teeth, like something I wouldn't leave the house without doing or at least wouldn't go to bed without doing. I used to do that and that was when I was thin my life was different because I made healthy eating and working out a part of everyday life. I practiced the use of the word "NO" quite often to others and my self with statements like "No I can't hang out until I have had my work out" or "NO I can't eat that greasy bacon burger with three cheeses on it." I also said no to multiple desserts at a party and to going to eat anywhere that I couldn't find something that wasn't deep fired on them menu. At some point I was even able to allow my husband to have sweets in the house as long as I had something I could eat like some low fat ice cream. I am not there yet because I can't just seem to have a serving of ice cream I have to have a huge bowl.

Right now I am very motivated to get on top of this problem and get back to a healthy weight. As far as the weight factor goes that is all I care about. Since I am not going to be a body builder I think that it is reasonable to believe that I can get to at least the top end of my healthy BMI weigh which is around 130 pounds. After that as long as I stay that weight or less I am not going to worry about the scale so much and just work on living healthy.

Truthfully I think I was really hoping that this weight would come off a lot faster. I was hoping that counting every calorie and working out was going to work but that actually seemed to cause less loss and more stress. So for now I am just going to journal what I eat and the workouts I do. I am going to try to live healthier and if all I can manage is a pound a week then so be it. If I can loose more then I will be great-full but my goal will be gradual weight loss and lifestyle change. I know I can do this I was just hoping that by August the month of my birthday and our 13 year anniversary I would look really good. I guess that it could still happen.

Well I have rambled on forever so I won't bore you with my story of my stereo being stolen from my Jeep and the evils of being a landlord.