Good News For The Winner In Me!

 ....side note, I have to quit blogging!  My baby has just woken up!...

I have some good news.  There are several sponsors for the local challenge I am doing. At the initial weigh in I entered a couple of drawings for free training and such. 

I received a call a couple days ago that I won a months worth of free training, gym membership or fitness classes.  I know this is a marketing thing to get business stirred up, but the cool thing is this business is the business of my former trainer (Johnny’s Fit Club Fitness) where I won the challenge four years ago.  A few months after our challenge Johnny, my trainer started this business.

So the short of it all, is I chose the free month of training.  And my former trainer Johnny is going to train me again!!  Our first session is next Tuesday! 

Yeah I am excited to have someone to push my butt again!!

Weight Loss Goal Rewards..

I got in a little bit of a slump last year of not really caring about my weight loss anymore.  I am not sure what triggered it, but I decided to re-visit my rewards for weight loss.  I was rewarding myself every 10 pounds, and I decided I needed a little lift more often, so I have revised my list and changed my goal gifts to every 5 pounds now.

Here is my updated weight loss goal rewards:

Aspire…

Reach….

Work…..

209: Yesterday

199: hair trim

189: pedicure

184: Color Hair

179: Bedroom makeover

174: New piece of workout equip.

169: Weekend Road Trip

164: Hair Cut

159: Pedicure (down 50 lbs)

154: Family Pictures

149: New outfit

144: Energetic Body Wrap

139: New Book

134: Manicure

129: special vacation (down 80 lbs)

Happy 2012ing!

Challenge for $$ Reflections

I am debating about joining a local weight loss challenge.  It begins this Saturday and goes through June 8^th (my wedding anniversary!).  The first place prize is $3000.  If I could drop my sugar habit for six months, it is possible I could win this challenge.  I am a winner you know???!!!

Four years ago I joined a fitness challenge at my gym.  I was determined, I was motivated.  It was a six week challenge and was measured by the greatest amount of fat percentage lost.  There were only 8 people who participated, but I did have tough competition.  I don’t remember all the details and numbers, but I do remember only loosing around 5lbs.  But I lost 10% of my body fat and won the challenge!  It was a great boost in my roller coaster of adventure. Here are my before and after pictures from the challenge.

I have always wanted to be trim and fit and have taken great efforts to do so.  It has always been a challenge to keep my weight at bay, but since I have had kids, it has been even more difficult.  The body I once cursed and felt like it was oh, so large, I would love to return to today.  Perspective!

So if I join this challenge.  I would like to return to the 150lb beauty, I was four years ago. 

I am a numbers person.  I looked up the past two years winners of this challenge and one lost 30% of her body weight and the other lost 26%.

For me to drop 30% I would be at my ideal weight of 140lbs.  Can I get it accomplished  by June 8^th?  It is possible, but being a mom now, can I do it???  I know I can do it, I am just not sure how the road there will look exactly.  Dropping everything and going to the gym doesn’t exactly work with two toddlers who need a lot of attention from mom.  Even when I plan it into our day, things come up (teething, sickness, need of a nap or just plain cranky! All of which seem to happen a lot in my life!).

Oh decisions, decisions!  Maybe if I could make a goal of what I would do with the $3000.  The possibilities are endless.  A new camera housing for my 50mm Nikor lens.  A cruise vacation with the hubs to Alaska.  A nice little nest egg for the kid’s savings accounts.  Or maybe a special trip shopping and to the spa, ahh... a day of relaxation. 

I have almost talked myself into the challenge.  We will see what happens between now and Saturday.  It costs $50.00, so for me if I drop the money on the table I will need to commit to make it worth it.  Of coarse I aim to win if I join, but I do know that the ultimate winnings are a healthier, leaner more in shape body!  If I can get my sugar habits under control this is very possible!!!

Any advice or words or encouragement are welcomed!

Happy 2012ing!

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 6: 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   

(16.7 loss since I began my journey in January)

The bad news... I had my first gain for the 12 week Slimmer This Summer Challenge.  Not a big gain, only .1 lb, but none the less, a gain that really easily could have been avoided.  Last week I basked in a few pieces of wonderful pumpkin bread and didn’t track yesterday and ate more than I have in quite a while.  We were visiting my in-laws and I decided to take a day off.  I knew I would have some sort of gain.

The good news... We are half way through the challenge and I am down 8 lbs.  I am not on track for loosing a total of 24lbs, but it is still possible if I kick butt and get back in gear! Also more good news below on my measurement report.

I am 4 pounds away from reaching my next reward: a pedicure.  My feet need some summer pampering in a major way.  I want this bad.  My mother-in-law wants to go with me even, but if I don’t hurry up and lose the next 4lbs, she is going to go without me!

Daily Carb Count:

(out of 165g carbs with adjusted fiber intake)

Monday: 141carbs –fiber adjustment -39 102carbs (63 under)

Tuesday:178carbs –fiber adjustment -65 113carbs (52 under)

Wednesday:144carbs –fiber adjustment -33 111carbs (54under)

Thursday: 220carbs –fiber adjustment -28 192carbs(27 over)

Friday: 216carbs –fiber adjustment -41 175 (10 over)

Saturday: 217carbs –fiber adjustment -65 152 (13 under)

Sunday: Didn’t track, way over!

To view my food diary, visit myfitnesspal.com. 

Profile name: ambreee

Exercise:

I got my five work outs of 45-60 minutes in, despite not really feeling well a good part of the week.  I was moody,  dizzy and really tired all week.  I don’t know what is up.  The kids were crazy too. Maybe we are all fighting a bug.

Water Intake:

Did good on water, even exceeded my goal a couple of days with the summer heat getting to me.

Measurements:

Despite the gain, I am still shrinking. This week I lost ½ inch off my hips, belly and rib cage and a ¼ inch off my arms.  Here are my total losses (lbs and inches) since the beginning of the challenge.

Weight	201.3	193.3	8
Neck	13.5	13.5	0
Chest	43.5	42.5	1
Ribs	39	36.5	2.5
Waist	41	40	1
Belly	46	44	2
Hips	45.5	44	1.5
Calf	16	16	0
Arm	15	14.5	.5
	6/6/11 Start Measurements	7/18/11 Current	difference

My Weight Roller Coaster: The Past Three Years

I weighed myself on Thursday and I was 194, I could hardly believe it.  I was also starting my period so I expected the scale to start climbing.  I was just 196 on Monday.  I weighed again today and I am still 194.  I am hoping it isn’t a flaw.  I am not sure why I feel like this is such a milestone.  I still have a really long way to go.  But for some reason this gives me a glimmer of hope.

I am watching what I eat (especially how many carbs) and I am exercising at least five times a week, sometimes more.  I am allowing myself to have treats now and then, but I am trying to eat with moderation.

When I started my weight loss journey in January I weighed 210, my all time high (with the exception of pregnancy, which I got to 213).  I started a weight loss challenge on the first of June.  My start weight for the challenge was 201, and so at that point I had lost 9 lbs in 6 months.  I have been exercising, but I have had a terrible time changing my eating habits.  I also was still dealing with a lot of postpartum depression issues. 

When my two little ones, under two would start crying I would feel stress, and to relieve my stress I would snack.  There happen to be a lot of crying around my house with my babies and so I happen to be doing a lot of snacking.  Even with all of the exercise I was getting no where.  Well, not exactly no where.  But I was not seeing weight loss, and that is what I really wanted to see.

I have battled my weight all my life.  I have had to be a conscious eater, to maintain at around 155-160.  My two pregnancies threw me for a loop. The first one, I was very sick.  Talk about starvation mode.  I gained ten pounds the first month from crazy hormonal imbalance and by the time I was six months pregnant I lost over 25lbs (I was at 145lbs).  I threw up daily and around the fourth month for three weeks I kept NOTHING down.  I was to the point of getting IV’s, once from the ER and a couple others outpatient. I felt depleted and depressed.

Eventually after working with a naturopath I was able to take some enzymes that helped me digest food again.  I felt like it saved my life and my pregnancy.  Even though my heath wasn’t at jeopardy, I felt like I was dying.  It was hard to be sick.  I continued to throw up, I even threw up on the delivery table but at least I was able to eat and the throwing up wasn’t every day towards the end of my pregnancy.

I was able to gain, and the day prior to delivery I was a ripe 200lbs.  I can honestly say, the last month was my best month!  I finally felt semi-good.  I was so happy to eat again that I really packed on the weight quickly.

My second pregnancy wasn’t nearly as traumatic.  THANK GOODNESS!  I was nauseous and did throw up every few days the first six months or so, but I was at least able to function and not starve.  Even though it was much better, I still nearly always felt sick.  I only gained a total of 13 lbs the whole pregnancy.  I started at 200 and ended at 213.  And leaving the hospital I think I only lost eight pounds. I gave birth six weeks early when my water broke prematurely, my son weighed just under five pounds. I stayed in the hospital a total of a week (five days before the birth and two after).  I must have put on some poundage with all of the hospital food because when I got home I weighed 205.  Don’t people loose more when they have a baby????

 It didn’t take long to climb back up to 210 with my baby in the NICU for 3 ½ weeks and the holidays comforting me through post partum depression.  So in January I decided to buckle down.  Even though it has taken me seven months to lose 16 pounds, I am grateful I am losing something.  The Slimmer this Summer challenge has been so great for me. 

This morning I realized my sports bra (yeah, I only have one that fits right now) was in the washer and I didn’t have enough time to dry it before I headed to the gym, so I wasn’t able to run.  I challenged myself to get in two runs by weeks end.  I guess I will be heading to the gym again tomorrow!

As I was in a frantic rush this morning digging through my out grown boxed clothing searching for an old sports bra, I came across a pair of jeans I had forgotten I bought.  I  purchased them after having baby #1 with out trying them on and turns out they didn’t fit, so I never wore them and they got tucked away.  I pulled them out and tried them on after my work out. 

I didn’t expect them to fit, but I was able to get them on, and buttoned up.  A little tight, but here in a few weeks they should fit great.  So I am down a pant size!  Yeah!!!  Just got to keep working on this muffin top!  I can’t wait until they are starting to droop off of me like my other pants are.

So this post is random, but it is a peek into my wild ride of weight loss.

Reward Yourself!

With every ten pounds of weight loss, I have decided to give myself a reward. When I made this goal sheet I was 209lbs.  I have met my first benchmark! 

I have this little reminder posted on my fridge and in my bedroom.  I also have another copy for my bathroom, it just got misplaced.  I need to get it up still.

Here is my mini goal reward break down:

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 promised I would grow my hair out for my husband.  Right now it is the longest it hs been in the past 12 years.  Long hair isn’t my thing, but he likes it.  But the catcher is when I reach 139lbs, I get to chop it off.  Now that is a motivator for me!

Since I can’t stand my shaggy fine hair, I knew a hair trim would be a motivating goal.  And it worked.  I got moving and now I can get my hair trimmed.  I can’t wait!

Pedicure here I come!

What kind of rewards are you giving yourself in your weight loss goals??

Please comment, I would love to hear!