Happy Holidays!

I hope each and everyone of you had a very happy holiday this year. I got to spend time with my family and relax. As much as I love this time of year I am happy that it is coming to an end so I can get my routine back. I got some Nike spinning tennis shoes from Santa, I'll let you know how they work after spin class on Saturday.

The other day I was looking in the mirror and I got a glimpse of the woman I am becoming. I know I've lost a lot (not enough) weight and its really starting to show. It makes me so excited that I can't stand it. I went shopping this weekend with some gift cards I had gotten and got a pair of size 18 dress pants. That hasn't happened in a LONG time :)

I'm still hovering around 227lbs for the past two weeks. But come 2007 I'm going to be back on track. I'll try to post some of my goals and game plan for the new year.

Although I don't think it's going to be right for me at this time I encourage all of you to sign up for The Deep End of the Pool. The only reason I am not doing it is because I will be gone for three weeks in January. But this group was very VERY supportive for the past 12 weeks and I lost a total of 27lbs during the challenge.

Time to come up with my New Year Resolutions!!!

I'm working hard for the money

So this past week I worked approximately 60 hours and I'm feeling the affects. I have HUGE amount of work to do in a very SHORT period of time.

In other news I have exactly one month till my vacation. It's not a typical vacation but two of my friends and I are going on a Missionary trip to Belize. We are going to be building a house and other community service type stuff in Belize City. It will be a very welcome break in my work schedule.

I am still doing pretty good on my workout schedule. I didn't go this morning because I was so tired but I'm going to attempt to go to a pilates class tonight at the gym. If I can get there early I may try to get in 30mins of cardio before. I'm not going to pressure myself for the next two weeks. My goal is to be 225lbs before 2007. I know I can do it :)

Pilates

So tonight my roommate and I are going to Pilates class again. This will be the 4th time I've gone in the past two weeks and I love it. After the first time I was sooooo sore but that is getting better. I'm using muscles I don't normally use which is always a good thing.

If anyone who is reading this is a bit intimated by Pilates I definitely encourage you to try it. It's a fun work out that goes by quickly. You can relax and stretch and work all of your core muscles. I'm going to try to find out how many calories are burned for an hour of Pilates...I'll try to update later!

Have a great day!

"Stop right there"

I found this while browsing the Internet this morning: The Talking Plate

Now, If I could just get a talking plate, a talking fridge, a talking microwave and a talking pantry that can all knock some sense into me I don't think I would have a problem. But somehow I doubt the plate can tell the difference between a pile of broccoli and a pile of chocolate chip cookies.

Chest cold

So I've come down with another cold. This one was given to my by my Father over Thanksgiving...Thanks Dad!

Anyway, things have been kind of slow the past week because I've been so out of it. I am really going to step my game up for the rest of the week for the exception of Wednesday night. My roommates and myself are inviting our friends over for a potluck Christmas party. I'm going to be making my Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle tonight for everyone to enjoy.

On a side note: My roommate and I tried the Pilates class at offered at our gym last week. We went once during the week and then on Saturday morning. Let me tell you my muscles haven't been that sore in a long time. I definitely think it's something I am going to add into my routine. I could feel it in my abs, butt, legs AND arms!

I want it so bad I can taste it

Recently I've had this weird feeling that I may never reach my goals. Growing up I was always heavy. I don't blame anything other than myself for my weight. The reason why it's taken my 25 years to be comfortable to say I know I have a problem is because I never saw myself as over weight until now.

In the past year I feel I have change my way of thinking, my way of life, and my heath for the better. I have drastically improved my fitness and eating habits. I want to lose the weight to become healthy and attractive. I just sometimes get to stuck thinking it will never happen.

As a teenager I wanted the easy way out and that never worked. As an adult I've realized that there is no such thing as an easy way out. The only reason why I've seen results is because I exercise every day and eat right. I'm not even half way to my goal yet and it's scary.

I'm just scared I can't do it. I'm scared I will never get out of the 200lbs range. I'm scared that I will never feel 100% good about the way I look. I'm scared that the girl who I see in my head will never match the girl I see in the mirror.

I'm not trying to be negative here. I just think that when you want something so bad you can taste it, and it's a long term goal, there are times where you doubt yourself. What I do know right now is that I am motivated and I am making progress. I am going to try my hardest to keep going for as long as I possibly can.

Holiday in Review

Thanksgiving was a hit!

Although our table was smaller this year for more than one reason it was still nice. My mom went above and beyond to provide us with a tasty Thanksgiving dinner. My Pumpkin Gingerbread trifle was the highlight of the dinner. We had the trifle and cheesecake and the trifle was almost gone by the end of the weekend and the cheesecake hadn't been touched. It's a keeper!

On the weight loss subject everything is going pretty well. My mom even commented that I really look like I've lost even more weight than the last time she saw me a few weeks ago.

I am fighting off yet another cold. This one is just a sore through but I've slept in the past two days instead of going to the gym. Although I know it's not that big of a deal I still feel down. Once I got into my routine of exercising in the morning I can really see the benefits of my mood and energy when I don't go.

I hope everyone had a great day...Tomorrow is hump day :)

Holiday Receipt

I'm not much of a cook, mainly because I've never really had to be. I can follow a receipt but I am terrible about coming up with things on my own. My Mom asked me to bring a dessert for dinner so here is a receipt I found by Paula Deen:

Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) package cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping
1/2 cup gingersnaps, optional

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

Here is my revised (lower in fat and calories) version:

Lana's Lite Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 (5.1-ounce) package sugar free vanilla pudding mix
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 (12-ounce) container frozen lite or sugar free whipped topping

Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions substituting apple sauce for oil; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cinnamon into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped topping. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped topping. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.

I'll share my thoughts on it after the Holiday!

Turkey Day

I am looking forward to this Thanksgiving weekend. I have two days off from work, I am spending time with my parents, a good home cooked meal, and hopefully some shopping and Christmas spirit.

I've come up with a game plan as far as eating Thanksgiving lunch/dinner is concerned. Here are the rules I intend to follow:
1. Good hour long work out Turkey Day morning
2. Eat a good breakfast
3. Only snack on fruits and veggies
4. Small servings of all dishes

I am one of the crazy shoppers that is planning to hit the stores on Black Friday. My mom and I are gonna hit the stores pretty early on Friday so I wont get my AM workout in. I'll see how much walking we do and decided if I need to hit the gym later Friday night.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Stats

I've been working on the following spreadsheet this afternoon. I'm going to keep maintaining it and I'll re-post it at the end of The Pool Challange. It sounds like there will be a new challange after this one is over and if I decided to do it again I'll try to maintain this more and hopefully get some more variables.


So there you have it. Nothing really exciting but I like seeing the progress that I've made.

Seasons of change

I don't believe I've talked about the season/time change on my blog yet. Well let me tell you....I HATE it when Daylight savings time ends. There is just something that puts me in the worst mood ever than going home in the dark.

I've been feeling the ramifications of the time change for the past few weeks but I finally think I am getting back to normal again. For a while it was pretty light in the mornings but I have had the hardest times getting up to go to the gym all week. Monday I skipped, Tuesday was good, Wednesday was okay, Thursday I felt like I only worked out for 10mins and today was nothing special to talk about. None the less I was still successful at losing this week...and I lost 2.4lbs. I was down to 236.4 at one point this week but I didn't do so well yesterday with a HUGE lunch including cake at work.

Regardless I am happy. Since I think today is going to be a slow day at work I am going to try to put together a little spreadsheet of my progress. As in the Financial field I LOVE numbers and I LOVE organization.

I hope everyone has a happy Friday!

A Pain in the Rear

Okay after you read this you can feel free to call me crazy.

Lately, I've had a few issues with sitting down for an extended period of time. It could be as little as 30mins or an hour and my butt aches for sitting down too long. Now I know I've lost a lot of weight and I know my butt has gotten smaller but is the missing extra cushion I used to have making that much of a difference.

I went to the movies with my friend last night and it took everything in side of me to stay seated for two hours. I kept moving around and fidgeting in my seat because I could not get comfortable.
I really hope this wasn't TMI but has anyone else ever experienced this or do you think it's a totally separate problem?

New routine

So I've started a new project for work. It's a new location, new environment, new people and I've very excited. There is however a down fall. I used to take public transportation and now I have to drive to work. If anyone reads this bloc is from the DC Metro area they know how bad traffic is here. So to alleviate the stress of that I would take the Metro (the subway) into work everyday. There is a lot of walking involved as you could imagine. Walking to the train station, walking to the train, walking out of the station and walking to my office building. I've was worried what my decrease in walking would do to my diet. I have seen a slight decline in weight loss but I'll still losing which is what counts. I'm going to try to find new ways (i.e. walking up stairs more often) of getting in those extra steps.

In the mean time I have everyone has a great weekend. My official weigh in this morning was 239.4 so I've lost another pound this week! Yay! I'm going to push my self next week and see if I can jolt my metabolism.

Happy Monday!

I first off want to apologize for being MIA lately. Nothing tragic or exciting is going on in my life to keep me away from blogging. I just got a onto a new project at work and I have no access to the outside world. No email, no internet, no nothing and It’s driving me crazy.

My diet has been going pretty well lately. I spent all Sunday emptying out my closet of all the clothes I cannot wear anymore. I have never done that and let me tell you it feels great. Although I couldn’t get rid of them I was able to box them all up to be given away when I move out (less than a year away). I’m sure I’ll hang on to one pair of pants for good measures to reminding of what I NEVER want to be again.

I hope everyone has a very nice weekend and I hope to make more entries this week! Thanks for stickin’ with me!

Feeling Better

So this illness has kicked me in the butt the past two days. I have a walking/talking space cadet since Wednesday but I finally feel a little bit better today.

I've lost 3.2lbs this week which I contribute to my increased water consumption and decreased appetite.

We are doing some birthday celebrating this weekend but I hope to take it relatively easy. I'll do a recap of the weekend on Monday if anything exciting happens!

Happy Halloween weekend!

Getting sick

So all this week I am in a training class for work and I think Im getting a cold :(

My throat hurts, my nose is running and I just dont feel good all over.

Tonight on my agenda I will be cuddled up on the couch with some warm soup. I hope I can knock this cold out before the weekend.

One month anniversary

So how ironic is this...

This Sunday I am participating in the Making Strides Breast Cancer Walk in Washington, DC. It's been exactly one month since my breast cancer scare and there hasn't been a day that I haven't thought about it. When I was waiting in the doctors office for my test results that day I remember seeing a poster for the walk and I could help but think horrible thoughts. When I signed up I wanted to walk in support of a good cause and I was so scared that now I would have been walking because I WAS the cause. I honestly can only thank God for watching over during that time and for having everything work out okay.

So since Breast Cancer Month is coming to an end I hope that we can all take some time do to something in support of the millions of people affected with this disease. Make sure you take the time yourself to do your monthly check ups or ask a friend if they have done theirs.

I cannot wait for Sunday!

Time to breathe

Happy Friday everyone.

Some of us at the Pool know what that means: Official Weigh-in Day!
As of this morning I was at 244.8lbs. I honestly have no idea how that happened but I have a theory.

My work outs and eating habits were getting kind of monotonous. I was doing different routines to work out every morning but nothing new and exciting. So I went on vacation and too a break from the routine and something has shocked my system. I lost 2.2lbs this week and that's the biggest loss I've seen in a few weeks.

So if there is anyone out there struggling take a mini-vacation from the routine. Still try to make healthier eating choices but allow yourself to cheat a little bit too. I by no means am an expert at weight loss but I hope I can help someone!

27 questions

Since I have been unable to come up with anything interesting to talk about in the past two days I figured I would find a fun meme to entertain those of you who check my blog. Leave me a message in my comments if you post it on your blog!

1. You can press a button that will make any one person explode. Who would you blow up?

I would feel way to guilty to actually do this but It would have to be Fergie if I had to chose!

2. You can flip a switch that will wipe any band or musical artist out of existence. Which one will it be?

Please see the answer to number one….Fergie would have to go!

3. Who would you really like to just punch in the face?

Fergie….as you can see I hate her new song.

4. What is your favorite cheese?

Fresh mozzarella..MMM!

5. You can only have one kind of sandwich. Every sandwich ingredient known to humankind is at your immediate disposal. What kind will you make?

Grilled chicken, fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil

6. You have the opportunity to sleep with the movie celebrity of your choice. We are talking no-strings-attached sex and it can only happen once. Who is the lucky celebrity of your choice?

Jake Gyllenhaal

7. You have the opportunity to sleep with the music-celebrity of your choice. Who do you pick?

Dave Matthews, no question

8. Now that you'’ve slept with two different people in a row, you seem to be having an excellent day because you just came across a hundred-dollar bill on the sidewalk. Holy shit, a hundred bucks! How are you gonna spend it?

New winter coat

9. You just got a free plane ticket to anywhere. You have to depart right now. Where are you gonna go?

Atlanta, GA….to see my best friend in the whole world

10. Upon arrival to the aforementioned location, you get off the plane and discover another hundred-dollar bill. Shit! Now that you are in the new location, what are you gonna do?

Take the BF to dinner

11. An angel appears out of Heaven and offers you a lifetime supply of the alcoholic beverage of your choice. It is…?

Caffeine Free Diet Coke and Rum (I gave up caffeine)

12. Rufus appears out of nowhere with a time-traveling phone booth. You can go anytime in the PAST. What time are you traveling to and what are you going to do when you get there?

I'’d go back to my senior year at college. I had a blast!

13. You discover a beautiful island upon which you may build your own society. You make the rules. What is the first rule you put into place?

No violence ever!

14. You have been given the opportunity to create the half-hour TV show of your own design. What is it called and what'’s the premise?

Lana'’s life with Dave Matthews….Dave and I would be in love.

15. What is your favorite curse word?

Damn it

16. One night you wake up because you heard a noise. You turn on the light to find that you are surrounded by MUMMIES. The mummies arenÂ’t really doing anything, they're just standing around your bed. What do you do?

Scream "“Damn it"” and freak the hell out!

17. Your house is on fire, holy shit! You have just enough time to run in there and grab ONE inanimate object. Don't worry, your loved ones and pets have already made it out safely. So what's the item?

My computer AND cell phone....I can carry both

18. The Angel of Death has descended upon you. Fortunately, the Angel of Death is pretty cool and in a good mood, and it offers you a half-hour to do whatever you want before you bite it. Whatcha gonna do in that half-hour?

Be with the people I love.

19. You accidentally eat some radioactive vegetables. They were good, and what'’s even cooler is that they endow you with the super-power of your choice! WhatÂ’s it gonna be?

Is it a super-power to become independently wealthy and never have to work again?

20. You can re-live any point of time in your life. The time-span can only be a half-hour, though. What half-hour of your past would you like to experience again?

I honestly have no clue.

21. You can erase any horrible experience from your past. What will it be?

Thankfully nothing that horrible has happened that I feel should be erased from my past. Knock on wood!

22. You got kicked out of the country for being a time-traveling heathen who sleeps with celebrities and has super-powers. But check out this cool shit… you can move to anywhere else in the world! Bitchin! What country are you going to live in now?

Europe…have get more vacation days

23. You have been eternally banned from every single bar in the world except for ONE. Which one is it gonna be?

I have no clue

24. Suddenly, you have gained the ability to FLOAT!!! Whose house are you going to float to first, and be like "Dude, check it out… I can FLOAT!"”?

I'd probably go find my roommate at work.

25. The constant absorption of magical moonbeams mixed with the radioactive vegetables you consumed earlier has given you the ability to resurrect the dead famous-person of your choice. So which celebrity will you bring back to life?

Im saving this wish till Dave Matthews dies and Im using it then!

26. The Celestial Gates of Beyond have opened, much to your surprise because you didnÂ’t think such a thing existed. Death appears. As it turns out, Death is actually a pretty cool entity, and happens to be in a fantastic mood. Death offers to return the friend/family-member/person, etc. of your choice to the living world. Who will you bring back?

My granddad

27. What's your theme song?

Fly by Sugar Ray, it just gets me going.

Apples and Wine....Weekend in Review

I hope everyone had a good weekend.

My weekend was a lot of fun. Friday and Saturday were fairly soggy in DC but we tried to make the best of it. We went apple picking in Maryland on Saturday and were able to stay dry for most of the time. Sunday was a beautiful day and we went to a wine festival at Mount Vernon. The wine and cheese was abundant.

I am proud of myself for working out on Friday and Saturday. However, I eat like crap this weekend. When I am away from my house making wise food decisions get 1oo times harder and it's so frustrating. I have a bad feeling I may be paying a Fatty Fee this week. Im not going to starve myself just to drop a few pounds. Im just going to learn from this mistake and not do it again.

Im gonna try to post a few pics tonight to jazz up this post! So check back tomorrow :)

TGIT

Thank goodness it's Thursday.....AND I don't have to work tomorrow :)

I have a fairly exciting weekend ahead of me. An old roommate is coming into town from San Diego and we are hitting the town for some celebrating. I cannot wait!

I have done lots of reading about how to eat on the go and what type of drinks I can order (thanks to DEOTP). I doubt much exercise will take place but I am prepared for that. I worked out really hard this week and because of that I have seen a 1.8lbs lose this week!!!

I did my official weigh in today because I don't know if I get access to my computer tomorrow.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone and I hope I have stories to share when I get back!

Help wanted

So I needs some advice.

I go to the gym every day and everything that I have read states that the best exercise is a combination of aerobic and resistance training. Well the aerobic stuff is easy. I can hop on an elliptical machine and know that after 45mins to an hour is a good aerobic exercise. My problem is the resistance training.

Simply put: I don't know how to lift weights.

I love going to the gym and I prefer to use the weight machines over the free weights. I just want some direction. I've scoured the internet looking for tips or books that will help me plan out a good weight lifting session. When I go to the gym on my weight lifting day I sometimes get discouraged because I don't know if I am doing the machines in the right order or working the right muscles. I don't have the money for a personal trainer but I was hoping someone out there might have found some useful tools they use for weight lifting.

Thanks :)

Goals updated

Okay so since this is MY blog and MY goals I am taking the liberty to change them slightly. When I first thought of goals I wanted to lose 2lbs a week....I didn't stick to that last week and was pretty down about it. I can admit a defeat! My problem is that I need to know that my goal is attainable or I feel like why bother even trying.

So here are my new goals:
1. Write in my workout journal every day (even if I don't work out)
2. Lose at least 1lb a week
3. Complete the Deep End of the Pool challenge with out paying the Fatty Fee EVER!
4. Write a blog at least 3 times a week

Happy Monday

Good morning everyone!

I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend.

My Friday was super stressful at work. I knew I had two options...go home and have a few beers to relax or go to the gym. After an hour and a half at the gym I felt great! I worked out all of my frustrations and got a great workout in.

Saturday my roommate and I went hiking. We had done some planning so we knew we were taking moderately strenuous trail. On the way to our destination we started hiking up hill and that kicked both of our butts. The second half was down hill and very rocky. Once we got to a small waterfall we took a mini break and had a snack. Our way back was smoother but up hill almost the entire way. Once we got back to our car we were both exhausted.

Now a new week begins and I am determined to loose more than 1 lb. this week!

Temptation

Temptation's name today has been Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. If you have never had one then I recommend NEVER trying them because once you do you will fall in love. Someone brought an entire box of hot delicious Krispy Kremes into the office this morning. I was NOT happy!

I looked up the nutritional facts and there they are: 200 Calories and 12 grams of fat...thats for only one! Needless to say I didn't have one but Lord knows I wanted one.

Thank goodness it's Friday :) Im gonna go drink some water now!

Question for everyone...

Say you are on a diet ( I know we all are) and you and your friends are going out for a night on the town. You know everyone is going to be drinking and you don't really want to get drunk but you want to have a few drinks. What do you order that wont end up being an additional 800 calories?

I can make sure I don't get the munchies. I usually pretty good at saying no to food. But I don't know what I should order to drink. Does anyone have any tips or advice?

Wanna lose 20lbs in a week???

Join me and my new friends at the Deep End of the Pool.

Together we lost over 20lbs last week and I know we will do it again this week. Don't worry about being the last one in because they are still accepting people till the end of September! If you are curious just go visit the site and read up on the rules. If you want to get yourself motivated this will do it!

In other news I haven't had any caffeine since Thursday last week. On a scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the worst) it's been about a 6. I've had a few headaches but nothing I can't deal with.

A female thing

This past Friday I went for my annual lady doctor visit...if any guys read my blog then please feel free to exit now.

The exam was pretty routine till she started doing the breast exam and felt a lump in my right breast. She didnt seem too alarmed but inside I was freaking out! She recommended I get a sonogram and mammogram soon. So I went home and immediately made an appointment for Monday (today) morning.

I spend this whole weekend no knowing what today was going to bring. I only mentioned this to my mom and two of my best girlfriends and they each told me stories of women they knew that went through the same thing to find out it was nothing.

So bright and early this morning I reluctantly went to the hospital. The worst possible thoughts were going through my head the entire time. In the end the doctor said I am clear.

All in all I dont think I could have gotten through the weekend without my family and friends. I thank god that everything worked out for me and my heart goes out to the women that aren’t as fortunate.

Now it's time for me to get back on my game...I'll be workout tonight :) Have a great Monday everyone!

YAY!

The scale read 251 this morning :)

Blah

The past couple of days I've been feeling blah. I dont think it's for any reason in particular. I don't feel bad...but I dont feel great.

I've already lost a pound this week so as long as I keep it up I wont be paying a Fatty Fee this week :) Instead I am going to put that $5 in a special place for ME! Hopefully, at the end of The Pool Challenge I'll have $65 in cool cash! I want to use that money for some new clothes that I so desperately need AND they will be a smaller size than I have now. Plus...if for some lucky reason I do win the challenge I could have some extra money to spend too. Shopping is a great motivator!!!

I hope everyone is have a wonderful and successful week so far.

Goals for the rest of 2006

Okay so I know I am REALLY late publishing these. I had a crazy day at work on Friday and a pretty busy weekend.

I shall not stall any longer, here are my goals that I want to accomplish by Jan 1, 2007:
1. Write in my workout journal every day (even if I dont work out)
2. Lose 2lbs a week (total of 30lbs)
3. Complete the Deep End of the Pool challange with out paying the Fatty Fee more than once
4. Write a blog at least 3 times a week

Okay now it's official and it feels great!! I'll record my official start weight tomorrow.

Time is running out!

Quick go read this blog: http://www.the-pool.blogspot.com/

I think this is a fantastic idea. Basically it's a group of us that have commited to a 12 week challange to lose weight. You want to sign up before midnight tonight! Im not going to post all the details because you can read it on the Deep End of the Pool blog.

I also know that AnaBell signed up too!

Goals

I have a new goal and it's to come up with a short list of attainable goals for the remainder of the year. I am not much for new years resolutions so instead I want to be able to say that I achieved (Insert Goal Here) before 2007. I have a feeling that these goals will be centered around weight loss but if I may add others in there as well.

I promise to post the goals by Friday!

Do you guys have any goals you want to achieve by the end of the year?

Morning Workouts

Let me be the first to say that I am NOT a morning person. However, for the past two months I have been getting up at 5:30am and heading to the gym. There are times where I am only at the gym for 30mins but I feel good for getting up, breaking a sweat, getting my heart rate up and burning some calories.

If you can get yourself into that routine I totally recommend it. After a while it just becomes routine to get up early for a workout. I've noticed several changes other than just weight loss since starting this routine. I sleep better at night, eat a healthy breakfast in the morning, I make better food choices in the afternoon because I know that I worked for it in the morning, and I feel like I've accomplished something before the sun rises.

Now the challenge is going to be keeping this up during the winter! I HATE cold and dark mornings. But I'm gonna do it :)

Another week...

I hope everyone had a lovely weekend.

Friday I went out with a group of my girl friends. We meet up with some boys and had a great time. I didnt feel great Saturday morning but thanks to my roommate I was motivated enough to go to the gym for spin class. I didnt workout 100% but I gave it my best. Saturday and Sunday were more relaxed. On Sunday I had brunch with friends and headed to my parents house for a wonderful dinner. I tried not to worry about calories but I still eat sensibly.

For the next 6 months I am going to be keeping a workout diary. I have a bad history with keeping up with things like these but I am going to try. I need to take baby steps so first I'll record workouts then food and calories.

So close...

It is Friday afternoon and I am sooooooooo ready to leave work.

I've been really good food wise this week (I know it's been a short week) but I decided to treat myself this afternoon with half of a pack of the new Dark Chocolate M&M's. I am a HUGE chocolate fan and so I've been wanting to try them, plus dark chocolate has some health benefits, right?!?!?!

Anyway, when I opened the pack I accidentally spilled about 3/4ths of them on the floor. That is a great wait to ensure I wont eat them :)

I definitely give them two thumbs up.

For everyone who reads this blog have a wonderful weekend and my birthday is Sunday so email me for where to send presents :) Just kidding! Thank you to everyone who has been very encouraging in their comments!!!

I did it...do you think I've gone to far

Okay so once returning from my trip I had convinced myself I had gained at least 5lbs. I decided that I wouldnt step on the scale until mid week next week. I was afraid that a gain of 5lbs would bust my ego.

Well of course I couldn't resist the temptation yesterday at the gym. I jumped on the scale and imagine my surprise to find 257.9. I was so freaking excited.

I cannot tell you how much I love losing weight. It's a rush and makes all the hard work pay off. My mom is giving me a shopping spree for my birthday. Which is such a blessing because none of my work clothes fit anymore. All of my pants are way too big. Believe me I am NOT complaining but I sure didn't have the cash to buy clothes.

I hope everyone is having a great week. If not, let it motivate you to try harder next week :)

Also, If anyone can tell me what the title is from wins a prize...It shouldn't be too hard!

Jet lagged

So I had the most amazing weekend.

For those of you who are Dave Matthews Band fans I spent the weekend in Quincy, Washington. I went to the Gorge Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Yes, I traveled across the United States for Dave Matthews Band....I am that big of a fan :)

I didnt eat GREAT but I didnt eat terrible either. Starting next Monday I am going to be using this book to write down my workouts. I am hoping that help motivate and inspire me. I want to get better at making the most of my workouts. I need to make sure I am working out the right way.

I'll try for more exciting posts this week!

PS....Someone around here is turning 25 in 4 days :) Yup, that someone is me!!!

Meme

I copied the following from Cookie. Leave me a message if you put it on your blog!

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Checklist Meme
Just bold the things you have accomplished in your life.

1. Bought everyone in the bar a drink
2. Swam with wild dolphins
3. Climbed a mountain
4. Taken a Ferrari for a test drive
5. Been inside the Great Pyramid
6. Held a tarantula
7. Taken a candlelit bath with someone
8. Said "I love you" and meant it
9. Hugged a tree
10. Bungee jumped
11. Visited Paris
12. Watched a lightning storm at sea
13. Stayed up all night long and saw the sun rise
14. Seen the Northern Lights
15. Gone to a huge sports game
16. Walked the stairs to the top of the leaning Tower of Pisa
17. Grown and eaten your own vegetables
18. Touched an iceberg
19. Slept under the stars
20. Changed a baby's diaper
21. Taken a trip in a hot air balloon
22. Watched a meteor shower
23. Gotten drunk on champagne
24. Given more than you can afford to charity
25. Looked up at the night sky through a telescope
26. Had an uncontrollable giggling fit at the worst possible moment
27. Had a food fight
28. Bet on a winning horse
29. Asked out a stranger
30. Had a snowball fight
31. Screamed as loudly as you possibly can
32. Held a lamb
33. Seen a total eclipse
34. Ridden a roller coaster
35. Hit a home run
36. Danced like a fool and not cared who was looking
37. Adopted an accent for an entire day
38. Actually felt happy about your life, even for just a moment
39. Had two hard drives for your computer
40. Visited all 50 states
41. Taken care of someone who was shit faced
42. Had amazing friends
43. Danced with a stranger in a foreign country
44. Watched wild whales
45. Stolen a sign
46. Backpacked in Europe
47. Taken a road-trip
48. Gone rock climbing
49. Midnight walk on the beach
50. Gone sky diving
51. Visited Ireland
52. Been heartbroken longer than you were actually in love
53. In a restaurant, sat at a stranger's table and had a meal with them
54. Visited Japan
55. Milked a cow
56. Alphabetized your CDs
57. Pretended to be a superhero
58. Sung karaoke
59. Lounged around in bed all day
60. Posed nude in front of strangers
61. Gone scuba diving
62. Kissed in the rain
63. Played in the mud
64. Played in the rain
65. Gone to a drive-in theater
66. Visited the Great Wall of China
67. Started a business
68. Fallen in love and not had your heart broken
69. Toured ancient sites
70. Taken a martial arts class
71. Played D&D for more than 6 hours straight
72. Gotten married
73. Been in a movie
74. Crashed a party
75. Gotten divorced
76. Gone without food for 5 days
77. Made cookies from scratch
78. Won first prize in a costume contest
79. Ridden a gondola in Venice
80. Gotten a tattoo
81. Rafted the Snake River
82. Been on television news programs as an expert
83. Got flowers for no reason
84. Performed on stage
85. Been to Las Vegas
86. Recorded music
87. Eaten shark
88. Eaten fugu (pufferfish)
89. Had a one-night stand
90. Gone to Thailand
91. Bought a house
92. Been in a combat zone
93. Buried one/both of your parents
94. Been on a cruise ship
95. Spoken more than one language fluently
96. Performed in Rocky Horror Picture Show
97. Raised children
98. Followed your favorite band/singer on tour
99. Taken an exotic bicycle tour in a foreign country
100. Picked up and moved to another city to just start over
101. Walked the Golden Gate Bridge
102. Sang loudly in the car, and didn't stop when you knew someone was looking
103. Had plastic surgery
104. Survived an accident that you shouldn't have survived
105. Wrote articles for a large publication
106. Lost over 100 pounds
107. Held someone while they were having a flashback
108. Piloted an airplane
109. Petted a stingray
110. Broken someone's heart
111. Helped an animal give birth
112. Won money on a T.V. game show
113. Broken a bone
114. Gone on an African photo safari
115. Had a body part of yours below the neck pierced
116. Fired a rifle, shotgun, or pistol
117. Eaten mushrooms that were gathered in the wild
118. Ridden a horse
119. Had major surgery
120. Had a snake as a pet
121. Hiked to the bottom of the Grand Canyon
122. Slept for more than 30 hours over the course of 48 hours
123. Visited more foreign countries than U.S. states
124. Visited all 7 continents
125. Taken a canoe trip that lasted more than 2 days
126. Eaten kangaroo meat
127. Eaten sushi
128. Had your picture in the newspaper
129. Changed someone's mind about something you care deeply about
130. Gone back to school
131. Parasailed
132. Petted a cockroach
133. Eaten fried green tomatoes
134. Read The Iliad and The Odyssey
135. Selected one important author who you missed in school, and read
136. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
137. Skipped all your school reunions
138. Communicated with someone without sharing a common spoken language
139. Been elected to public office
140. Written your own computer language
141. Thought to yourself that you're living your dream
142. Had to put someone you love into hospice care
143. Built your own PC from parts
144. Sold your own artwork to someone who didn't know you
145. Had a booth at a street fair
146. Dyed your hair
147. Been a DJ
148. Shaved your head
149. Caused a car accident
150. Saved someone's life

67 out of 150. 45%.

Confession

I was a bad girl this weekend. But I honestly do not feel bad about it.

My weekend consisted of good friends, a great time, and way too much Bud Light!! I spent most of Sunday recovering from the damage done on Saturday night. I was hungover till about 4pm and eat like crap because of it.

There is not much I can do about it now. Im not dwelling on it nor will I spend all week beating myself up for it. Today has been a different story; I've worked out and eaten healthy.

How was everyone else's weekend?

PS...I'm going on vacation this weekend and I cannot wait :)

Falling asleep

So last night I started watching Dr. 90120 instead of getting extra sleep.

What I saw both shocked, scared and inspired me and I wanted to share my thoughts with you. I dont watch the show normally because it's usually boob and noise jobs. Beverly Hills is filled with VERY beautiful people with too much money! Trust me I've been there.

The story last night was about two very different women. The Woman #1 was about my age (25), was 311lbs at her heaviest, and had gastric bypass surgery to lose weight. She had lost about 90lbs and wanted to get a breast lift and tummy tuck to remove her lose skin. Woman #2 was about 35, about 280lbs at her heaviest, and lost over 110lbs with diet and exercise. Woman #2 had the same procedure done...breast lift and tummy tuck.

Now I dont want to sound like I am judging Woman #1 for taking the "easy" route. I dont doubt that it was hard for her, but she just did not seem to appreciate it at all. Yes she was happy with a better body but even she said she never wanted to exercise again. In my opinion Woman #2 looked freaking AMAZING and seeing the way she changed her life really is an inspiration.

What the story really hit home about was once your fat you will always and forever show signs of being fat. Even though the lose skin makes me nervous and sick I would chose that over 100lbs of extra fat on my body. When I finally reach my goal and I want to re-evaluate my life. If I have the means to have a procedure like this I will look into it as a last gift to myself.

To both Woman #1 and Woman #2 congrats and thank you for making me stay up way past my bed time last night :)

Inconvenience

So I've come to the realization about the truth of dieting.....

It's all about convenience.

On a good day I pack my lunch and a snack for work. Mainly it's combination of a salad, string cheese, yogurt, veggies or fruit. I have a tendency to have the fruit in the morning, salad at lunch and another snack at the most anticipated 3pm snack time. When I come prepared I do great!

The problem is when I'm not 100% prepared. If I dont bring a snack I have a tendency to go to the dreaded vending machine. I do tend to make wiser decisions (i.e. pretzels over Dorritos) but it's always something worse for me than it would have been if I brought something from home.

Being on a diet is not just about disciplining yourself to eat the right foods. Your mind also has to work for your stomach. I need to start being more proactive about going to the grocery store and always having healthy food on hand.

In other news...I had a very nice weekend. I had a great workout on Saturday and ended up taking Sunday off. I'm going to the gym after work mainly because I have a feeling there is going to be a roommate bonding trip to our local ice cream shop. I'll get a sorbet...dont you worry ;)

Pics

So I have been trying to come up with a topic to talk about today but I've got nothing.

So instead I wanted to post this picture from this past weekend:

I went sailing with a few friends. Well I didn't sail but I enjoyed the trip on a sail boat. It's hard to see me in the picture but I am doing a small scale version of the over played out Titanic scene at the front of the boat. I know I'm cheesy!!!

I just cannot believe that August is half way over, September will be here soon, and summer will be over. As sad I as I am to see the sun still up at 8pm I love Fall!

I'll try to post something more exciting tomorrow :)

Cushy Tush

Review of Bell Gel Relief Seat Cover:

The very first thing I noticed once I hoped on my spin class bike this morning after putting the seat cover on is I had to readjust my seat. The pad added an extra inch so once I got to the right position I was spinning away. The back of the seat has the most padding and I could really feel the difference right away. The pointed part of the seat with the grove it in took a little bit longer to get used to but it was a vast improvement on the hard plastic seat I was used to.

All in all I paid under $15 for this bad boy and I dont regret a single penny. Even though you still can feel a little discomfort after sitting in the seat and peddling for over a few minutes it's about 75% better with the seat cover than without.


3.5 spins out of 5 spins.

Links

So work was a bit slow today and I did some googling :)

I found a few fun new weight loss blogs for me to read. I'm new at this so I dont exactly know the blogger etiquette but I hope no one minds that I added them to my link section.

I've exercised every day this week but my sweet tooth too control a few times. My new bike pad should be waiting for me when I get home tonight...YIPPEE!

This weekend I am off on a much needed mini-vacation. Be back on Monday!

Making Strides

I signed up for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in DC this October.

It's a non-competitive 5 mile walk for Breast Cancer. I know it's not that big of a deal but I'm excited. It gives me something to work on. I'm making a vow that I will walk 5 miles every weekend until this event. I know I can do it but I want the exercise.

Have a great night!

Relief

I know all of you out there who have ever taken a spin class or been an avid biker have endured the pain for a hard bike seat.

Let me just say I feel your pain. Every week I go to spin class and spend the next day recovering from the violation from the seat. So today I went in search of some relief...

Bell Gel Relief Seat Cover

I cannot wait to get this baby in the mail!!!! I even opted for the rush shipping. I'll post my thoughts after I try it out :) It's scary how excited this makes me.

Have a good day and leave me a comment if you read this!

Quickie!

This past weekend was sooooo much fun, but also exhausting at the same time. We went to the James River Runners if you are ever in the Scottsville, Va area! Check it out!

A friend of mine said she could tell I had been working out at the gym :) Yay!

My meeting with the personal trainer on Monday left much to be desired. He tried his best to convince me to get 5 or 6 sessions. If I only had the money! One thing he kept focusing on was weight training...so I'm going to try to focus on that more often.

Have a great day!

Personal Service

So yesterday afternoon I met my roommate at the gym. She has been talking about signing up for a membership so I figured she could meet me there, she would sign up, we would work out, then go home. Well there was a little more to that...

As she was talking to one of the Gym's workers she was being asked all those embarrassing questions, i.e. How much do you weight?, What do you eat?, How much do you exercise?. I had to stick my nose in and got caught up in the conversation.

The next thing I knew I had my body fat checked (35% FYI) and a free Personal trainer session for this coming Monday.

I'm nervous and excited all at the same time. I'm going to make myself go but I know I'll be nervous the entire time.

In other news:
I am going tubing Saturday with a big group of friends. It should be a fun way to get some exercise. Maybe I'll post pics when I get home!

The definition of Intimidation

This goes out to the ladies…

I hate feeling intimidated by hot guys at the gym. By no means do I want them to leave because they are so nice to look at, but it’s hard to not feel judged by all the hard bodies around you as you bounce all over the place. This was one of my biggest fears when I first joined a gym. What I love about my current gym is that there is a separate ladies weight room.

What I have come to notice is that in the ladies weight room most girls don’t talk to each other. We listen to our headphones but it’s not a social scene. We are there to work out and not show our muscles off.

Let me get back to my point…

Yesterday I thought I would try out a new gym that is on my way home from work. I was excited about something new to try. The machines are all brand new and so is the weight equipment…it’s NICE!!! The bad thing is that there is no ladies only weight room.

As I was trying one of the upper body machines a hot male specimen came over to me and instructed me to move my seat up so my arms were parallel. As much as I now realize he was trying to help, I was mortified. I said “Oh, Thanks” and continued with my work out to then hear him ask if he could “Work in with me”. That’s when I had had enough.

After that I quickly gathered my things, said Thank you again to Hot Boy and left.

Has this happened to any of you? Any suggestions on how to get over the embarrassment working out in a co-ed environment?

A case of the Mundays

This weekend was alot of fun. Friday was dinner, dancing and drinking. I danced alot and stuck to rum and diet cokes....so I don't feel too bad about my choices. Saturday was a relaxing day and Sunday was gym and nap day. Overall a very successful weekend.

I over slept this morning...I woke up to see the clock ready 7:08am. I'm normally up and out the door to the gym by 5:45am.

Here is a cool link I found today....SnackSwapper

Leave me a comment if you read this!!!!

Day One

Well today really isn't day one but it's the beginning of what is going to be a long adventure for me. Asmuch as it pains me to say this I am 24 years old, 5'6" tall and 270lbs. It is not necessary for me to say that I need to lsoe weight. I have been heavy for as long as i can remember. I was a semi-active kid; playing soccer and riding my bike were every day occurrences. I believe genetics gave me "big bones" but bad decisions have given me the extra 100lbs.

I know I need to be realistic about my health and fitness. I know it's unrealistic for me to make a comple 180 in regards to my eating habits and work out routines, but i'm getting on the right track. I'm not on a strict diet nor do I count calories; I dont work out six times a day for an hour at a time. I have joined a gym and work out 3 to 4 times a week and I have started making better food choices.

I'm on my way to a healthier life and a more fit me!