No trainwrecks last week

Of course I was also sick in bed with both the flu AND strep throat.  Dr. said I’m the first he’s ever seen to have both at the same time .. I’m all kinds of special!  So my temp went up to 102.9 and I’m pretty sure my brain fried a little BUT I lost 10 pounds.  Hey, I’ll take it however I can get it! ha!  In all seriousness I wouldn’t wish the flu & strep on anyone, it sucked.

the trainwreck crossed the states

Pudge’s last post “trainwreck” was totally accurate for me too (and I think I can speak for Alice as well on that one).  Both me & Alice totally blew it as well!!  For me it wasn’t just my food choices it was WAY too much alcohol.  I can’t even imagine how much sugar I ingested with as much as I drank (that is probably still running through my veins right now!).  I’ve been downing water all morning cause I’m so dehydrated after this weekend.  What can I say though?  We just gotta pick ourself back up and continue on right.  We’re gonna slip up sometimes it’s inevitable but we just gotta make sure we get back on track right away!!

My first week wasn’t as good….

…as the other girls but well what can you do.  I don’t have the loss to report like the other girls, I gained 2 lbs my first week,  BUT I did happen to start my period (I feel weird typing that but well we’re all adults here) the day we had to weigh in so I’m blaming that gain on bloat cause I was pretty proud of myself for our first week!!  I didn’t drastically change my diet but I did have a small change AND me & Alice started walking together.  This week I’m definitely stepping it up a notch on both diet & exercise.  I think Alice was about to kill me last night after I made her walk farther than normal and picked up the pace a little.  I’m pretty sure that when I told her we need to start jogging at the end of next week I saw a murderous gleam in her eye.  Well, what can I say .. I want this bad and I want to push myself when it comes to exercise (of course not too extreme that it’s bad for me).

28 small changes that will make a big difference

28 small changes that will make a big difference by Melissa Sperl

Small changes can make a big difference in your weight-loss efforts. Here are some baby steps that will get you far.

Hey, slow down! Weight loss is no sprint, it’s a marathon. So abruptly and drastically changing your routine is only going to leave you breathless and worn out. A more realistic approach to weight loss is to take it one step at a time, one day at a time. Little by little, it’ll make a big difference.

Do sweat the small stuff.
“Making small changes one at a time is a great strategy,” agrees phychologist Howard Rankin, PhD, a author of “The TOPS Way to Weight Loss” (Hay House, 2005). “It’s not overwhelming, and it results in a slower, steadier weight loss.” Think of it this way, maybe cutting the cream out of your coffee seems like a small feat to you. But once you’ve got that down you can add another small feat, then another.

So, we asked people just like you—on the WeightWatchers.com Message Boards and in meetings rooms—what small steps they’ve taken in order to make their way toward their weight goals. Here’s what they had to say:

1. Water, water, water, water. (Your skin will look great, too!)

2. Order half portions at restaurants, or share a full portion with somebody. Or ask for a “to-go” container when you order your food, and pack up half the portion before you even start eating.

3. Cut back on butter and mayo.

4. Limit fried foods to once or twice per week.

5. Use less or no sugar in your coffee or tea.

6. Replace ground beef with meatless products or ground turkey.

7. Try at least one new food every week. If you’re bored with what you’re eating, you’re more likely to give up.

8. Eat fresh, raw veggies with sandwiches instead of chips.

9. Measure your portions until you’re sure you know what a cup, a half-cup, and a tablespoon look like. This will help you practice portion control, an essential key to weight-loss success.

10. Try not to drink high-calorie beverages.

11. Dip your fork in a side of salad dressing before each bite instead of pouring it directly on your salad. You’ll find that you are satisfied with much less than you usually put on.

12. Find healthy alternatives to all your favorite foods.

13. If you don’t really love it, don’t eat it.

14. Never eat out of a bag or box. Take out a measured/counted quantity of food and put it in a bowl. This way, you know exactly how much you’re having.

15. Always eat something for breakfast.

16. Read food labels. Check serving sizes.

17. Add vegetables to everything.

18. Plan meals in advance; use that information to make out a complete shopping list.

19. Give food to guests to take home.

20. Write down everything you eat and drink, without fail.

21. Plan ahead for special occasions by accounting for higher-calorie foods before you eat them.

… About Small Exercise Changes

1. Take the stairs every single time they’re an option. No more elevators or escalators.

2. Make exercise a priority, not an inconvenience.

3. Park far from your destination so you’re forced to walk. This works at the supermarket, the mall, wherever. (This also helps you waste less time looking for a parking space!)

4. View tiring chores (shoveling snow, cleaning the house, weeding the garden, taking the garbage out, grocery shopping) as a chance to get in some activity.

5. Take the grocery cart back to the store when you’re done loading your bags into your car.

6. If you take public transportation, get off one stop early.

7. Work out with a buddy.

Weight Ticker

How do I post a weight ticker?

Diet & Exercise Tips

Okay, since we aren’t exercise pros, Jennifer said for the first couple of weeks do like 3 sets of 10 on weight circuit.  If you feel comfortable and you’re not extremely sore, increase the number in the sets.  Try to always have a day break in between weight days.  This allows for your muscles to heal so you tear them in a different place and they can get stronger…does that make sense? When doing cardio you wanna keep your heart rate at 70%.  She told me the formula and I have forgotten it!! I will e-mail her today and when she lets me know, you’ll be the second to know.  Cardio for the first week or two should be 30min to an hour.  We all know that.  She said it’s important not to get your heart rate too high. 

Meals - she said it would be a good idea to plan your meals like a week in advance.  That way it makes it easier to count calorie consumption.  The first few weeks, intake on calories should be between 1200-1500.  This keeps your metabolism going.  Protein shakes are wonderful for meal replacements, especially for breakfast.  And if you drink one for a snack, make only half the amt.  The peanut butter on a piece of toast is good for a snack as well as a hard boiled egg, apple, orange, carrots, celery.  Vegetables are wonderful friends she says!!  She makes this mashed cauliflower that can be substituted for mashed potatoes.  She adds a little bit of no fat sour cream and some skim milk.  She said her kids love it and it’s healthier than the carbs.  Also salads are wonderful meals, just watch the dressing!!

Don’t go overboard on the protein the first couple of months.  You wanna concentrate on losing the weight.  You need the protein, yes, but in moderation.  If you do too much weight training you’re not going to see results as fast.  Once you have lost 1/4 or half of your goal weight, up your protein and weights.  You’re basically doing weights during your weight loss period to help the flabby look go away.  In other words, when you loose a lot of weight, you have that flabby skin left.  Using moderate weights during this period helps control the flab.

Water, water, water!!  She’s got this huge water bottle that she carries around with her.  She drinks 4 a day and then if she works out, she drinks another one.  Of course this woman runs in the morning, spins in the evenings, then teaches Tae Kwon Do, then kickboxing in one day.  This woman is like 13% body fat.  yeah, she makes me sick!!

Oh and she said to set reasonable goals; like little ones at a time.  Get out an outfit that you’ve not worn or can’t fit into.  Hang it up in your room, take a polaroid of it and stick it in your calendar/planner.  That way you see everyday what that goal is.  It’s supposed to provide that thing we all seem not to have much of MOTIVATION!!!

That’s all I can think of for now.  I will e-mail her about the heart rate thing and keep ya posted.  Some of these things you guys might already know.  I myself have planned out a weekly exercise schedule to go by.  I’m one of those people that has to be organized and seem to do better when it’s all laid out in front of me.  Good luck girlies!!!!!

Biggest Loser Season Premeire Tonight!!

Hey ladies remember Biggest Loser comes on again tonight @ 7 nbc!! I can’t wait to see what’s in store for this season!!

My challenge to you girls: While watching TBL do some crunches or some jumping jacks .. do SOMETHING while watching!! (and by something I don’t mean eat a bag of chips or a box of bonbons!! ha) Don’t just be a couch potato .. remember Mexico is calling our names! ;)

Not too bad……I guess

Ok, so after a horribly fattening lunch at Babe’s Chicken (thanks Reese!), and a cup of coffee from Starbucks (thanks again!), I had a somewhat decent dinner.  My family and I went to Mama’s Pizza in Plano, where they serve an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet at night, along with a salad bar.  After much consideration as to what I have consumed at lunch, I opted for a salad and two, yes! only two, pieces of pizza.  I’m feeling ok about what I ate.  The portion was good, I full but not stuffed.  I actually stopped myself from going for those last 2 homemade cinnamon rolls YAY!

I had a mild epiphany today.  After drinking so much water yesterday and feeling a bit more energy and a lot less cranky, I realize as I sit here that I haven’t had a single drop of water today and I’m feeling a bit blah!  I’m cranky, moody, and surprisingly lathargic.  I never realized how much those diet sodas sapped my energy and affected my mood before.  I do now.  So as I’m typing this, feeling icky, I’m drinking my first bottle of water.  I still have a few hours before bedtime so I just much be able to make up for that.

I also realized today, that soda is a truly disgusting thing to drink, if it’s from a fountain.  Is it only me, or does the soda taste like dirt?  Not that I sit in my backyard eating the stuff. *S*  Therefore, I have decided today, that there will be NO MORE soda for me.  I’ll stick to my filtered water and some Crystal Light, thanks.

I slept surprisingly well last night.  After going to the movies with Reese, eating the better part of a large bag of popcorn and some dirt tasting soda, I came home and had some water.  Who would have thought that just drinking some water before bed would make me sleep better.  I can also report that I haven’t had any headaches either.

So tomorrow I start my food diary, and actually start my diet as well.  I’ll weigh myself in the morning and post it here.  Hopefully, that will make it a bigger accomplishment when I actually lose the weight.  Hopefully, I’ll be a bit more proud of it.  Hmm, definately something to think about!

11 Ways to Increase your metabolism forever!

11 Ways to Increase your metabolism forever!
By freeweightlossresources.com

Metabolism,  what is it?  It’s the process of converting food to energy (movement and heat). Metabolism happens in your muscles and organs and the result of it is what we commonly referred to as “burning calories”. Metabolism is essentially the speed at which your body’s motor is running.

“Basal metabolism” is the metabolic rate or caloric expenditure needed to maintain basal body functions such as your heart beating, breathing, muscle tone, etc. It’s how fast your “motor” is runnign when you’re still in a reclined position or sleeping. Basal metabolism accounts for about 75% of the calories you expend on a daily basis!

The good news is that there are 11 ways you can “boost” your metabolism! The more of these you’re able to incorporate into your life, the more you’ll boost your metabolism. That means you’ll be expending (”burning”) more calories 24 hours a day!

1. Always eat breakfast! Skipping breakfast sends the message to your body that you’re starving because you haven’t had food in 18+ hours. As a protective mechanism. your metabolism slows down. Food, especially complex carbohydrates, fuels your metabolism.

2. Eat earlier in the day! Research has demonstrated that you can lose weight simply by eating a substantial breakfast and lunch, and light dinner. Dinner should be eaten as early as possible, preferably at least four hours before bedtime.

3.Never eat less than 1200 calories per day! Less than 1200 is usually not enough to support your basal metabolism and thus will slo your metabolism.

4. Snack frequently! Complex carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, and grains) fuel your metabolism. Also, snacking prevents you from becoming too hungry.  The hungrier you are, the less control you have over what and how much you eat.

5. Eat more carbohydrates (food from plants), and less fat (food from many animals and other food with addeds fat)! Carbohydrates boost your metabolism and have fewer calories per weight than fat.

6. Do some type of aerobic exercise (walking, jogging, swimming, stationary cycling, etc) on a daily basis (preferably in the morning)! Forget this twice-a-week stuff. Our bodies were designed to be active on a daily basis! When we are, our metabolism soars!

7. In addition to your regular aerobic exercise, take a brisk 10 to 15 minute walk at lunch or in the evening. This serves to boost your metabolism even more!

8. Tone your muscles with weight training three days a week. Toned muscles send your metabolism through the rood. DO IT!

9. Look for situations to be active. Park as far from the store as you can rather than looking for the closest parking spot. Use the stairs rather than the elevator, a broom rather than a blower, etc. Look for the “hard” way to do things!

10. Avoid alcohol! Alcohol depresses your metabolism and stimulates your appetite.

11. Drink 60+ ounces of water a day. Your metabolism needs plenty of water to function properly - Carry a bottle of water with you and drink frequently throughout the day.

My plans!!

My whole life changing experience officially starts Monday, January 5, 2009.  I have signed up at the rec center.  The rece center here is the best “gym” we have.  It’s loaded with lots of cardio machines as well as weights.  My yoga classes start January 7!!  I’ll be going to the center M-F concentrating on 1hour cardio and 45min-1hr of strength training.  I’m signing up for a spinning class that’s Mondays and Wednesdays, 45 minutes long (burns 450 calories) and starts January 19.  At least I will have two weeks to get some excercising done before I make a complete fool out of myself at my spinning class ;-)    Of course on Wednesdays after my spinning, I will have yoga, so that can be my strength training for Wednesdays.  I’ve also got a colon cleanser that will help with my detox.  And a metabolism booster.  I’m so excited about this.  Ask me how excited I am after 1 week of this and we’ll see!!  In all seriousness though, I’m determined to loose this weight.  It’s time to get back in shape and get healthy so I can be a more active mom to my daughter!!