SCC Week Four

Spring Chick Challenge (SCC) Week Four Challenge Update:

1.       Commit to a NSV (non scale victory) to be assessed at the start and the conclusion of the challenge.   My size 14 jeans I currently wear will be loose and falling off!  I will be wearing a size 12!!

I did some measurements over the weekend to see how I have done over the month of January.  I lost an inch on my waist, belly and hips.  I was happy there was a decrease, I had a rough week and was a bit discouraged.  I have to look at the positive side of things and keep trekking along.  Over the month I lost a total of 5 lbs.  I am now finally to my pre-holiday weight.  So it took the month of January to work off the months of November and December!

2.       Commit to a set of nutrition parameters and track via MyFitnessPal

o        I will aim for 1200/day and adjust according to my exercise  tracking via MyFitnessPal (add me as your friend—ambreee)

o        I will drink at least 64 oz of water a day.

o        For the month of January I am giving up sugary sweets!

They say that it takes 21 days to form a habit.  I made it 22 days with out candy, cookies and sweet baked goodies.  And I can honestly say I have not formed a new habit.  It is going to take more than 21 days for me.  Last week I was weak!!  Really weak, I folded and gave into cookie dough and candy.  I had a little bit nearly every day.

Giving up goodies cold turkey isn’t the best solution for me.  I think I do better if I allow myself to have goodies here and there and just make sure I track it to stay with in my allotted calories.

I was a bit disappointed that I haven’t lost more with my efforts.

3.       Commit to a set of exercise parameters. These can be as loose or as flexible as you feel work for your personality, schedule, etc.

o        I will exercise 4 times a week at least 45 minutes a session

This week I got in 4 workouts.  They probably averaged 45 minutes, some were longer, some were shorter.  I had great aspirations to make it to the gym.  It didn’t happen.  Both my kids are sick.  Started with coughs, then came the fevers, ear infections and now they are slowly on the mend.  Still sick though, I was really hoping to make it to the gym today!!! I guess I will be doing an at home work out once again!

With my kids being sick, I have had a terrible time keeping up with my personal wants and goals.  I am also struggling to feel well and am fighting off the germies!  I look forward to not giving up and continuing to move forward!!! 

This week for my new exercise I created a playlist on youtube of a beginning zumba work out.  I hope you guys all checked it out!

4.       Commit to blogging at least twice weekly and 1 of those times must be you check in with a complete up date on your progress. All other blogs could include new insights, results of weekly challenges, or just letting others know how you are doing.

Check!

5.       Commit to support... both giving and receiving. Check others blogs and comment as you feel motivated to do. 

Check!

Week 5’s Goals in addition to my goals above:

No Caffeine!!

This won't be a problem for me.  I don’t drink coffee, tea or soda.  I guess I need to come up with a mini goal for me this week that will actually be a challenge. 

How about take my vitamins every day this week!!!

I hope you are all doing well!!  Keep your heads held high and February will be a great month.  I am looking forward to winter winding down and spring right around the corner.

Have a great week!!

Size 12 Goal Pants...

Not the happiest looking picture of myself, but here are the size 12 pants I have chosen as goal pants to be able to fit into by March 19, the end of the Spring Chick Challenge.  As you can see I have many inches to loose around the middle.  Darn trouble spot!!!

Let’s Get Moving!

Slimmer this Summer Week 12 Final Post

Well summer is drawing nigh and so is the Slimmer this Summer Challenge.  I enjoyed the challenge and loved that I had something to keep me motivated and on track.  Were their days that were off track and not fun, of course.  But overall I am pleased with the results.

My goals:

-Journal my meals

Over all I did pretty good about documenting all my food.  I had days where I was out and about where I didn’t access the computer and didn’t keep track.  I also had a handful of days where I wanted to eat foods I wouldn’t normally eat, but I tried to exercise moderation and be sensible.

Through this challenge I started using My Fitness Pal. I loved having this tool.  It was so helpful to me!  Much easier to get real with myself.  I will continue to do this over the next few months and onto the next challenge (will post details later)

-Be under 165g of Carbohydrates/day (with fiber adjustment)

This will always be a challenge for me.  I love food with carbs.  From veggies to sweets, carbs are what I love.  I know 165g of carbohydrates isn’t necessarily a ‘low carb’ diet, but it is a good guideline.  I will continue to work toward this as well.

-Exercise 5 times a week for 45-60 minutes

I faithfully exercised this whole challenge up until the end.  I even got in a good run yesterday.  I was 100% on this goal up until last week.  I hit a wall of exhaustion and I decided to rest before I got sick.  I am glad I did.  Although I did not get in 100% these last two weeks, I still got in 4 good work outs each of the last two weeks.

-10 glasses of water a day

Initially this was hard for me.  I have been dehydrated for too long!  Eventually it got easier and easier. I am glad this was a component of the challenge.  It helped me along the way!

-Run/walk a 5K in under 40 minutes GOAL MET!

Yeah, one goal accomplished!  After I met this goal I scaled back on running.  Over the past couple of weeks I started back up. I have a neck injury that gets most agitated when I run.  I was hoping to overcome my neck issues this summer, but it is still a work in progress.

Now when I run I push myself to do a 10 minute mile (but with slowing down once or twice for a short rest and drink of water. I am closer to an 11:20 min. mile), then walk another mile or so then finish off with another 10 minutes of running.

-Build a support network

Thanks to all who have supported and commented my blog posts along the way.  I have read and followed most of the other challengers this summer.  I tried to comment several times through the week and support others too.  Today for some reason again I was not able to comment on others blogs.  So just know I have been reading and I am so proud of all the work everyone has done in becoming healthier!!  I am so impressed and inspired by many of you!!

-lose an average of 2 lbs/week, 24lbs total

I lost a total of 13.4 lbs this summer.  11 under my goal, but I am happy with my results. I have more work to do, so I will keep trekking along!

This Summers Stats:

Measurement losses:

Neck: ½ inch

Chest: 2 ½ inches

Ribs: 3 inches

Waist: 1 inch

Belly: 2 inches

Hips: 2 inches

Calf: ½ inch

Arm: ¾ inch

Thigh 1 ½ inches

Beginning Weight: 201.3

Week 1: 198.6 (-2.7)

Week 2: 198.6 (0) No change

Week 3: 196.9 (-1.7) Total loss 4.4 lbs

Week 4: 193.9 (-3) Total loss 7.4

Week 5: 193.2 (-.5) Total loss 8.1   

Week 6: 193.3 (+.1) Total loss 8.0   

Week 7: 190.3 (-3) Total loss 11.0

Week 8: 191.7 (+1.4) Total loss 9.6

Week 9: 189.4 (-2.3) Total loss 11.9

Week 10: 188.3 (-1.1) Total loss 13

Week 11: 189.7 (+1.4) Total loss 11.6

Week 12: 187.9 (-1.8) Total loss 13.4

(22.1 loss since I began my journey in January)

Thanks for the awesome challenge Debbie and Mir!!!!

Week 10: Slimmer This Summer

My goals:

-Journal my meals

-Be under 165g of Carbohydrates/day (with fiber adjustment)

-Exercise 5 times a week for 45-60 minutes

-10 glasses of water a day

-Run/walk a 5K in under 40 minutes GOAL MET!

-Build a support network

-lose an average of 2 lbs/week, 24lbs total

Beginning Weight: 201.3

Week 1: 198.6 (-2.7)

Week 2: 198.6 (0) No change

Week 3: 196.9 (-1.7) Total loss 4.4 lbs

Week 4: 193.9 (-3) Total loss 7.4

Week 5: 193.2 (-.5) Total loss 8.1   

Week 6: 193.3 (+.1) Total loss 8.0   

Week 7: 190.3 (-3) Total loss 11.0

Week 8: 191.7 (+1.4) Total loss 9.6

Week 9: 189.4 (-2.3) Total loss 11.9

Week 10: 188.3 (-1.1) Total loss 13

(21.7 loss since I began my journey in January)

Since I met my last mini-goal, I indulged in my reward of a pedicure.  It was wonderful.  I sat back and relaxed. A rare treat in my life.

My mother-in-law went with me, as my father-in-law and sister-in-law watched the kiddos.  The salon we went to was in a nearby town.  The town was once all farmland, now it has turned into yuppyville on the outskirts of Boise.  I guess I can’t talk it down too much, after all it is where my in-laws live.

It is not very often that I get out and pamper myself.  I know there are some people out there that are good about making time to give themselves a little bit of a boost.  Something I should do more often.  Even if it is soaking and painting my own toes at home.

I had to chuckle and raise my eyebrows when I overheard this woman come in.  She was loud and made sure every one knew about her chipped toe nail.  She had a design painted on her large toe nail and when she noticed her chipped toe nail, she made a special trip just to get the toe nail trimmed and the design fixed.  She was a little over the top, but offered me entertainment as I sat and observed her bizarre behavior.  Alas, I was in yuppy-ville.

Food:

Monday: 169 carbs -28 fiber adjustment 141

Tuesday:193 carbs -54 fiber adjustment 139

Wednesday:158carbs –45 fiber adjustment 113

Thursday: Didn’t Track but wasn’t a terrible day

Friday: 212 carbs –42 fiber adjustment 170

Saturday:208 carbs -35 fiber adjustment 173

Sunday:175 carbs -13 fiber adjustment 162

To view my food diary, visit myfitnesspal.com. 

Profile name: ambreee

Exercise:

Still 100% with exercise. Whew!!

Over the weekend I purchased Jillian’s 30 Day Shred.  Yes, I am joining the bandwagon.  I have seen so many out there giving this a try with great success.  I could use mixing up my routine a bit.  The workouts are only 20 minutes, so I most likely will still be going to the gym to meet my goal of working out 45-60 min. 5 days a week.  I am not sure if I will be doing it early before the kids are out of bed, or in the evening.  Somehow??? I don’t know how I am going to work it in. This morning the kids were up for the day at 6am.  I am not a morning person, and I am not getting up earlier than that!  I hope to get a schedule worked out and do this for 30 days straight (minus Sunday, I don’t work out on Sundays. So we will see how it goes 34 days from now.  Wish me luck! I am a bit scared to face Jillian on a daily basis!

Water Intake:

Did good on water this week.

Measurements:

Weight	201.3	188.3	13
Neck	13.5	13.25	.25
Chest	43.5	41.5	2
Ribs	39	36.5	2.5
Waist	41	40.5	.5
Belly	46	44.5	1.5
Hips	45.5	44	1.5
Calf	16	15.5	.5
Arm	15	14.25	.75
	6/6/11 Start Measurements	8/15/11 Current	Difference

Hope all of you have a great week! 

Week 9: Slimmer This Summer

My goals:

-Journal my meals

-Be under 165g of Carbohydrates/day (with fiber adjustment)

-Exercise 5 times a week for 45-60 minutes

-10 glasses of water a day

-Run/walk a 5K in under 40 minutes GOAL MET!

-Build a support network

-lose an average of 2 lbs/week, 24lbs total

Beginning Weight: 201.3

Week 1: 198.6 (-2.7)

Week 2: 198.6 (0) No change

Week 3: 196.9 (-1.7) Total loss 4.4 lbs

Week 4: 193.9 (-3) Total loss 7.4

Week 5: 193.2 (-.5) Total loss 8.1   

Week 6: 193.3 (+.1) Total loss 8.0   

Week 7: 190.3 (-3) Total loss 11.0

Week 8: 191.7 (+1.4) Total loss 9.6

Week 9: 189.4 (-2.3) Total loss 11.9

(20.6 loss since I began my journey in January)

209: Start Weight

199: hair trim

189: pedicure

179: Weekend Road Trip

169: Bedroom makeover

159: family Pictures

149: New outfit

139: hair cut

129: special vacation

I have finally earned my next reward for hitting 189lbs. A pedicure!! I have been anticipating this all summer. For motivations sake I have not even taken off my ratty toe nail polish from a couple months back.

It took longer than I planned, but I am so happy to have made it!  Hopefully my in-laws will be able to babysit for me while I go out sometime this week and enjoy being pampered.  I am ten pounds away from my next reward of a weekend road trip!

Food:

I did good this week.  There is a direct correlation between keeping my carbs down and losing pounds. Dang!

Monday: 189 carbs -37 fiber adjustment 152

Tuesday:161 carbs -46 fiber adjustment 115

Wednesday:164 carbs -30 fiber adjustment 134

Thursday:162 carbs -50 fiber adjustment 112

Friday: 208 carbs –42 fiber adjustment 162

Saturday:210 carbs -50 fiber adjustment 160

Sunday:

To view my food diary, visit myfitnesspal.com. 

Profile name: ambreee

Exercise:

Still 100% with exercise. I got in 6 work outs! Yeah!

Water Intake:

Did good on water this week. Met my goal nearly every day.

Measurements:

I am still a little bloated, but my measurements have gone down some from last week.

Weight	201.3	189.4	11.9
Neck	13.5	13.25	.25
Chest	43.5	41.5	2
Ribs	39	36.5	2.5
Waist	41	40.5	.5
Belly	46	44.5	1.5
Hips	45.5	44	1.5
Calf	16	15.5	.5
Arm	15	14.25	.75
	6/6/11 Start Measurements	8/8/11 Current	difference

Here are updated photos:

Hooray for week 10!  Only two weeks left of the challenge!  Lets see if we can rip it up!