Cruise!!

Good news!  I went on a week-long cruise and didn't gain any weight!  Yay!  I did gain a bunch of water weight, but lost it in the first couple of days after getting back.  Maybe it was from swimming in so much salt water!  :) 

More good news!  For you Willow Spring-ers, there's new exercise equipment in the fitness center!  Woo hoo!  I went to go try it out tonight, but for some reason,  my key didn't work.  I'll look into that...

As for the rest of my life, I hope my big stressers are over, so I can focus on eating healthy rather than eating to make my stress go away.  I'm going to try!!

Hi everyone!

Yeah, it's really me:( What happened? Where did I go? I'm not sure. I was doing ok for a while and lost some more weight. I'm a yo-yo, in both dieting and mind=) I went to Anchor Blue with Josh tonight. He needed some pants, I browsed the shirts. I tried some on and pretended they looked good on me. Josh was nice and said "hmmm...it might be a little tight?" "maybe this store isn't quite your style?". His words weren't hurtful, but now I feel FAT and depressed. I had such high hopes for myself, such great goals. Sure, I'm busy, but that's no excuse to be healthy! I just need to DO instead of TALKING about doing. I just need to eat less, and eat healthy and just DO that instead of thinking, "well, I messed up today, so who cares!" OR "it's kind of chilly outside, I'll jog tomorrow" OR "I'm too tired to get up early to exercise". I could go on, but you get my point.

I guess I need to get back on track and commit myself again. And I need to commit myself to others, not myself. If I'm the only one that knows my goals and mess-ups, then no one will know when I mess up!

So here goes! Even though this week is extremely busy, I commit to eat healthier (even if we chance to eat out) and exercise every day, whether it be in the morning before I babysit, or at night when I jog with Christian.

I'll keep you guys posted and let you know at the end of the week how I did!

We've got to move it move it!

Thanks, everyone for getting us going again.  I guess with everything there is a lag between the initial hype  and the real commitment.  As for me, I am doing somewhat better.  I got a membership to the legacy center!  woot woot!!  And I went twice last week!!  And I found out that I am a really bad swimmer!  But when I went, I did a bunch of stuff and felt great.  I like the variety there and it keeps me going for a couple hours.  As far as eating, I really realized that I am an emotional eater.  I got my final rejection letter yesterday from doctorate programs that I had applied to, and then came home from the store with a bunch of junk food.  Well, it wasn't all junk, the brie cheese was great.  And I got bananas.  I didn't eat it all - don't worry, but food is tied to emotion for me and it helps me feel better when I am down or stressed. 

I'm a fatty fatty two by four:)
I can't seem to get out of this rut that I'm in! I eat too much, exercise too little, and feel awful about it all!
I've thought about going to Weight Watchers with Mike but we haven't been able to go together. I don't want to go alone- any volunteers to go with me?
and, I need a jogging partner. I need to go at 6am.

The blog has...lost steam

Hello everyone!
I changed the blog from private to public. That way, any posts people write will show up in our google readers (if we use that). I know that it will be more motivating if it's easier to read what's going on, without having to come here. If anyone doesn't like that, feel free to change it back.
I hope that even though we may not be writing on this blog, we are all still working on our personal fitness in some way!
Here's my own update. I have lost a couple pounds since I last wrote. I've been eating less, eating healthier, and exercising more. I am finally hovering around my ideal weight! I feel happy and healthy. I think the nicer spring weather really makes a difference in my desires to exercise, because I can go outside!
I hope everyone is having a nice spring, and feeling good about the work we are doing.

Keep Going!

I know that dieting and exercise are hard but KEEP GOING!! I'm not sure what all of your weight loss goals are but dramatic health improvements can be achieved by only losing 10% of your weight. Start out losing only 5% and then maintain and then do another 5% and maintain, etc. Slow and steady wins the race and unfortunately women have a harder time losing weight than men. It's a physiological fact. Get yourselves motivated again and start small-little steps.

Weekend of CAKE!!

My sister, Kristin, got married last weekend!  Yea!  But the bad thing was that there was cake, cake, CAKE!  Yummmmy!!  I love cake!  I had cake at the bridal shower, cake at the reception, and cake after the reception!  It was so good!  But I was careful and ate less of other stuff, so I didn't gain any weight.  Plus, my cake and all things sugar cravings will stay satisfied for a long time!

My exercise has hit a lull again.  I like the wii fit, but it wasn't giving me the satisfaction that I was looking for.  There are too many pauses in between, and it doesn't challenge my endurance very much.  So I tried the treadmill at the clubhouse again.  I used to do it all the time and watch movies, which was great.  But the belt is a little jerky, and the screen for movies had weird colors.  So I brought my own portable DVD player, rigged it up to the panel with a belt, and tried to get used to the jerkiness.  It worked out pretty good, until right at 55 minutes, when I was going to start my cool down, the treadmill shut off and wouldn't turn back on.  I killed it.

Exercise!!

I did so good this week with exercise!   I went to my parents' house every week day and exercised on their wii fit for 45-75 minutes!  And then today (Saturday), I put out the milk at work!  I could really feel it in my arms and shoulders while doing the milk.  I'm sure it is because I did push-ups yesterday.  We'll see how my weigh-in goes in the morning...

Is my scale broken?

So, I lost two pounds. But, I'm not sure how. I worked out a few times but I ate terrible. Let's see if it stays gone for next week.

Here's hoping!

Dang

I haven't been doing so good lately, and not really trying.  I think I just needed a break after being sick, and before being sick, I was really good for 6 months.  I avoided weighing myself for a while, and finally did and found that I gained back everything I lost.  So poor fishies.  I took off all the ones I've added.  I'm starting over and refocusing to do better from now on. 

I did exercise today!  I played on my parents' wii fit - those things are fun, and it is good to get a mixture of aerobic, strength, and balance.  It tells me frequently that I'm a little wobbly - maybe if I keep practicing, I won't be such a klutz!

I added a fish!

Finally, I have a fish to add. Probably a result of sickness, but a fish, nonetheless :) I've been pretty constant, so I guess no gaining is still good. I have maintained my 2-3 workouts a week, and have decided to add to it by walking twice a week with Erin Nielsen. Things are going okay, but I need to start eating more fruits and veggies. I've also decided to start training for some little runs in the Spring and Summertime. I'll keep you posted :)

Update

Well last week, I did awful with my eating. I ran twice (once more than the previous week:) So, I gained .2 (can we not count that!) My hair was wet!

Anyway, I have been doing some exercising this week too. I'm really motivated to lose 25 pounds so that I can feel good about getting pregnant again. If I have to have a C-section again, I want to be able to be physically fit so that at least I will have that going for me. C-sections are hard to lose weight after.

Anywho. Good job Pam! You're the woman! I saw you on Sunday and you looked great.

Exercise!

The past few days I have really craved exercising.  Not just my 20-minute Buns of Steel, but sweat-pouring-down-the-face don't-know-if-I-can-keep-going type of exercise.  I love how it makes me feel afterwards.  I like going to a gym, and I used to do it all the time when it was readily available at work.  I also liked Sharon's suggestion of going swimming, and considered getting a membership at the Legacy Center.  But I'm not sure at this point if the distance would be a deterrant, and if I could justify the cost.  If I do get the job that I interviewed for last week, then I will definitely get a membership, and exercise on the way home from work.  I have also used the Willow Springs fitness center, but the equipment is breaking down (unless they got new ones in the past year).  So after weighing all of the drawbacks, I went to my parents' house today, and used their wii fit!  It was a lot of fun, and I feel like I got a good workout.  I am a numbers person, so I like that it told me that I got a total of 31 minutes of exercise time and burned 196 calories.  And losing 3 lbs since last time (a month ago) was great too!

From Sharon's Blog...

If the exercise routine or diet seem too easy or good to be true, it probably is. Don't let anyone fool you. The best way to lose weight is a change of lifestyle, and it takes your whole life to work on it. And it should be HARD, but very rewarding.

The interview went well, I think, but I didn't even want to go out to eat afterwards, so that was easy to avoid!  I had a can of tropical fruit when I got home as a reward, and it was okay.  But then I didn't exercise, and I was craving some chocolate, so I gave in tonight.  So overall, not the greatest day, but is still could have been worse.  I think the hardest times for me are when I don't feel well.  That's when I don't want to exercise, and I just want chocolate.  I guess if I make sure that I have a lot more good days than bad, then those bad days will be okay.

Are aches and Pains normal when exercising?

Hi Pam,

That's a good question. Because you are starting out on a new exercise program, I would say being sore is very normal. Your body is not use to the exercise and is feeling it. If the pain doesn't subside within 24 hours, but just gets worse, than that is not okay. You need to try a different kind of exercise. But if you are sore for a day or two and the pain is not getting worse, this is normal. Your muscles are breaking down and rebuilding, and this is what you want. The pain should lessen as you continue to exercise on a REGULAR basis. If your knees or joints are bothering you, you may want to consider getting new shoes, or changing up your mode of exercise. Don't always walk. Do you have a bike or access to a pool? I think it is a good investment in your health to join a gym or buy a bike so that you can keep a healthy lifestyle. Exercising in different ways helps you to build muscle all over your body and keep your exercise routine interesting. A lot of times, as people lose the weight, their joints hurt less when they exercise, because they have less weight to carry around.

Good luck and have fun!

Answer to Pam

Pam asked me about the diet where you eat 500 kcal per day and take shots. It is the hCG diet and has actually been around since the 60s. It was started by a guy named Simeon who was doing field research in Rome. There are various diets out there that are classified into low or very low calorie diets depending on how many calories you consume in a day. The hCG diet is a very low calorie diet consisting of 500 kcal per day. That's how you lose the weight. The shots contain the pregnancy hormone hCG which helps to suppress hunger pains and utilize the fat stores. In one of my classes I did a research project about this diet and this is what I found.

1) People do lose weight.
2) There is NO scientific research to see if there are extreme health problems later in life caused by the diet. There is NO research to see if people who do the diet end up keeping it off in the long run. There is NO research-period-that can show significant evidence that it is actually causing people to lose fat weight instead of muscle or water weight. Basically there is NO research about hCG.
3) Some people kept the weight off but most people did not. The problem with such a short diet is that it is not a lifestyle change and the results are short lived.
4) There is a concern of malnutrition. The diet is limited to a few meats, some vegetables, and four different fruits. One melba toast is allowed. A person consuming this diet may experience various side effects from a lack of vitamin and mineral consumption. The side effects will be small since it is only a short amount of time but any period of malnutrition is not good for the body.
5) Of all the diets that were studied in my class (8+) the hCG diet was the most expensive.
6) The FDA has approved the diet but you should still be careful with FDA approved products. There are several weight loss pills out there that will cause high blood pressure and other health problems that are FDA approved. In the long run (6 mo-12 mo later) people who dieted without weight loss pills lost as much weight as those who lost weight with weight loss pills.

My experience has found that if you try to use the "quick fix" diets that you are no better off in a few months. The best way to lose weight and keep it off is to change your lifestyle because it will give you lifelong results. Don't forget about the Word of Wisdom. It tells us to eat grains, meat, fruits, and vegetables. It also talks about running and walking without getting out of breath. If you can't run or walk without getting out of breath then you need to start exercising more until you can. Heavenly Father built our bodies and He knows what's best for them.

Pam, I hope this answered your question. If anyone else has any questions I'd love to answer them too.

Question for Sharon

When I exercise, I can really feel it in my knees and hips later.  It isn't a sharp pain, just more of an ache.  Am I doing someting wrong?  Or am I doing something right?

Bring it on!

Bring on the scrambled eggs florentine and Jilian's 30 day shred!
I gained back a pound last week, but because of the great jump start I had the first week, I am still on track with my goal of losing 1 1/2  pounds each week overall.  I just need to keep up with my self-discipline of keeping busy, exercising and eating the good stuff.  I was just thinking last night how I have some big things coming up ever couple of months for the next year, and it would be nice to use those as milestones.  I can look forward to looking better for each one!

I'm Baaaack!

Hi guys! Sorry I was gone for so long:( My kids each took their turn of the flu. It took 1 1/2 weeks to cycle that through. I was SO glad that I didn't get it. HA! After 2 weeks of being flu free here, I GOT IT! Ugh. I woke up Sunday morning not feeling so well, thinking it was just because it was early. I survived church (Josh and I are primary teachers). Josh did the teaching, I did the "surviving". Anyway...I feel MUCH better today! I'm sad to report that I haven't lost any weight:( But that's ok! Just so you know, I'm not really trying to cheat, but I'm starting that HcG diet on Monday. I bought the stuff 2 weeks ago, but wanted to wait until after our girl's night to start it. I'm only going to do the minimum which is a total of 25 days, but the first 2 are eat anything super fatty you want. I've heard that it's kind of hard to keep the weight off afterwards, but I think if I can just jump start some weight loss that I can develop some pretty good eating habits and exercise routine to keep it off. Honestly, I'll be happy if I can lose 10 lbs doing it. My body doesn't seem to respond to this kind of stuff as amazingling as other people.

Anyway...I'll keep you posted. Maybe I'll blog about it every day while I'm doing it, then you'll know, Pam, if it's something you want to try.