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| Note: the master bedroom is still not painted. |
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| Nope, still not painted. |
Showing posts with label Weight Loss. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Weight Loss. Show all posts
Thursday, March 8, 2012
A Picture Paints a Thousand Words
Friday, February 24, 2012
Like a Wee Little Fish
Hubs and I have started something new: swimming laps. As a part of our Iron Man Challenge, we have to swim 2.4 miles. This may seem like peanuts to some, but we have found it to be a lot tougher than we had anticipated. What I mean by that is... my body hurts. No, it aches. I didn't know I had all these muscles, but now I am keenly aware of each one as I shuffle along at a snail's pace.
To help us get past the pain and get our swimming groove on, we each bought a pair of Speedo Vanquisher swim goggles. I went for a stellar green, mirrored pair and Hubs went the more subtle route with silver (we ordered ours through Amazon.com). Eventually, I want to add a Speedo swim cap, but I've put it off because I think they look funny. What I didn't understand until recently is that swim caps serve an important purpose-- helping one cut through the water without worrying about ears getting clogged and hair getting tangled. And honestly, I need all the help I can get.
While swimming has been harder than we had planned, I really love it. To reach our Ironman Challenge goals, we also have to run 26.2 miles and bike 112 miles. Of the three, I find swimming to be the best all-body workout and the one I enjoy the most. I like the challenge of training my legs to kick properly and getting my strokes to be more graceful and complete. Of course, I am no expert. One day back in the beginning, I was half way through my laps (.4 miles equals 14 laps at our pool) when the women's water polo team came in for practice. They all sat on the bleachers to wait for the lanes to open. As I swam slowly past, I swear I heard one of them say, "I think that girl in the green, mirrored goggles is drowning. Should we do something?" Hubs thinks I am making this up because he claims they had better things to do than watch me swim, but I swear I heard it.
Looking beyond technique and muscle pain, I would say the most difficult part of swimming is taking off my t-shirt and shorts to jump into the pool. I am still very self-conscience of my body. I have lost a total of 105 pounds as of today and I am now a size 8/10 or M/L. I can't believe it- literally, I still think of myself as big. Walking around in a skin-tight swimsuit is about as vulnerable as you can get (especially when the pool is located at your place of employment, is surrounded by glass windows, and is crawling with tiny college girls). Anyway, the first time Hubs and I went, I thought about making a run for it, but instead I said a quick prayer and dropped my towel. Wonder of wonders- the world didn't end, nobody pointed and laughed. I don't think anyone even glanced in my direction, except for Hubs who told me I looked hot....Smile...Blush... I put on my super power goggles and jumped into the pool.
To help us get past the pain and get our swimming groove on, we each bought a pair of Speedo Vanquisher swim goggles. I went for a stellar green, mirrored pair and Hubs went the more subtle route with silver (we ordered ours through Amazon.com). Eventually, I want to add a Speedo swim cap, but I've put it off because I think they look funny. What I didn't understand until recently is that swim caps serve an important purpose-- helping one cut through the water without worrying about ears getting clogged and hair getting tangled. And honestly, I need all the help I can get.
Looking beyond technique and muscle pain, I would say the most difficult part of swimming is taking off my t-shirt and shorts to jump into the pool. I am still very self-conscience of my body. I have lost a total of 105 pounds as of today and I am now a size 8/10 or M/L. I can't believe it- literally, I still think of myself as big. Walking around in a skin-tight swimsuit is about as vulnerable as you can get (especially when the pool is located at your place of employment, is surrounded by glass windows, and is crawling with tiny college girls). Anyway, the first time Hubs and I went, I thought about making a run for it, but instead I said a quick prayer and dropped my towel. Wonder of wonders- the world didn't end, nobody pointed and laughed. I don't think anyone even glanced in my direction, except for Hubs who told me I looked hot....Smile...Blush... I put on my super power goggles and jumped into the pool.
Update: I finished my Ironman Challenge yesterday (one week early). I am so happy to have this under my belt. What's next you ask? I am planning on a sprint triathlon in June. This means I'm going to be spending a lot more hours in the pool and the gym.
Friday, January 6, 2012
One Year Today!
One year ago today, Hubs asked me to join him in a healthy eating adventure. I will admit, I didn't want to do it. I wasn't happy with my body, but at the same time, I didn't want to put in the effort that was going to be required. I remember I told him I didn't want to constantly have to think about what I was eating. At the same time, I didn't want him to have to do it alone. I knew we would stand a better chance if we shared the journey.
When we started, I was weighing in at a whopping 250 pounds. As a direct result of my weight, I was struggling with asthma, using only 25% of my lung capacity. Every time I climbed the stairs in our house, I was huffing and puffing by the time I reached the landing. In addition, I was having significant lower back pain and my left thigh would randomly become numb from a pinched nerve. Perhaps most hurtful however, Hubs and I were diagnosed as infertile, not for a specific reason, but just because we had surpassed the allotted time for "trying" without conceiving.My doctor told me that the first defense against infertility would be shedding the pounds. Overall, I was just a mess.
I've spent a lot of time reflecting on how I got to that depressing point.I think eating out was a huge culprit. Working and taking classes became great excuses to stop at fast food restaurants for a quick burger and fries. And when Hubs and I were home, it seemed easier to pop in a couple of pizzas or whip up some boxes of mac and cheese, than it was to plan out a healthy meal. I was lazy and full of excuses. Following these patterns, I gradually put on the pounds. It all happened so gradually really, I didn't realize how big I gotten until I was tipping the scales at 200 pounds. When I reached that point, it seemed too daunting to turn it around.
It took Hubs to get me to try, but I really owe him so much more... He made it possible for me to stick with the plan. It was his encouragement that helped me translate eating good food and exercising into a new lifestyle rather than just a short-lived diet or fad. Hubs held me accountable and he literally ran beside me when we started exercising, telling me I could do it (all while I ranted and raved).
Hubs has lost a good deal of his own weight, but that's not mine to reveal. What I can tell you is that after one year of changing my diet, taking the train/walking to work, starting to run, completing two races, taking up cycling, and yoga... I no longer struggle with my asthma. I no longer have any lower back pain or numbness in my thigh. I have gone down 10 dress sizes. I can run four miles without stopping. I have so much energy I have a hard time sitting down to watch TV. Hubs and I only eat out about once every two weeks. AND.... drumroll please.
I have lost a whopping 100 pounds! I met my goal three days ago and it was all I could do not to announce it to the world right there and then. It is shocking to think that a year ago I weighed 250 pounds and now- here I am at 150. I feel good. No wait, I feel awesome!
What's next for me? Well, I am definitely sticking with my new lifestyle. Hubs and I recently signed up for the IronMan Challenge at my workplace. We have two months to complete a full IronMan- 26.2 miles running, 2 miles swimming, and 112 miles cycling. In the last two days, I logged 10 miles cycling and 3.2 miles running. This workout should be great training for my upcoming sprint triathlon. That's right, I am signed up for the SheRox Sprint Triathlon on June 10th. A sprint triathlon involves swimming half a mile, cycling 14 miles, and running a 5K. Hopefully in the process of training for the SheRox, I will continue to lose a little more weight and get fit. I would say that is my goal for 2012--to get fit and continue to be a healthier person.
Please, grab some carrot sticks and a tall glass of ice water and help me celebrate.
When we started, I was weighing in at a whopping 250 pounds. As a direct result of my weight, I was struggling with asthma, using only 25% of my lung capacity. Every time I climbed the stairs in our house, I was huffing and puffing by the time I reached the landing. In addition, I was having significant lower back pain and my left thigh would randomly become numb from a pinched nerve. Perhaps most hurtful however, Hubs and I were diagnosed as infertile, not for a specific reason, but just because we had surpassed the allotted time for "trying" without conceiving.My doctor told me that the first defense against infertility would be shedding the pounds. Overall, I was just a mess.
I've spent a lot of time reflecting on how I got to that depressing point.I think eating out was a huge culprit. Working and taking classes became great excuses to stop at fast food restaurants for a quick burger and fries. And when Hubs and I were home, it seemed easier to pop in a couple of pizzas or whip up some boxes of mac and cheese, than it was to plan out a healthy meal. I was lazy and full of excuses. Following these patterns, I gradually put on the pounds. It all happened so gradually really, I didn't realize how big I gotten until I was tipping the scales at 200 pounds. When I reached that point, it seemed too daunting to turn it around.
It took Hubs to get me to try, but I really owe him so much more... He made it possible for me to stick with the plan. It was his encouragement that helped me translate eating good food and exercising into a new lifestyle rather than just a short-lived diet or fad. Hubs held me accountable and he literally ran beside me when we started exercising, telling me I could do it (all while I ranted and raved).
Hubs has lost a good deal of his own weight, but that's not mine to reveal. What I can tell you is that after one year of changing my diet, taking the train/walking to work, starting to run, completing two races, taking up cycling, and yoga... I no longer struggle with my asthma. I no longer have any lower back pain or numbness in my thigh. I have gone down 10 dress sizes. I can run four miles without stopping. I have so much energy I have a hard time sitting down to watch TV. Hubs and I only eat out about once every two weeks. AND.... drumroll please.
I have lost a whopping 100 pounds! I met my goal three days ago and it was all I could do not to announce it to the world right there and then. It is shocking to think that a year ago I weighed 250 pounds and now- here I am at 150. I feel good. No wait, I feel awesome!
What's next for me? Well, I am definitely sticking with my new lifestyle. Hubs and I recently signed up for the IronMan Challenge at my workplace. We have two months to complete a full IronMan- 26.2 miles running, 2 miles swimming, and 112 miles cycling. In the last two days, I logged 10 miles cycling and 3.2 miles running. This workout should be great training for my upcoming sprint triathlon. That's right, I am signed up for the SheRox Sprint Triathlon on June 10th. A sprint triathlon involves swimming half a mile, cycling 14 miles, and running a 5K. Hopefully in the process of training for the SheRox, I will continue to lose a little more weight and get fit. I would say that is my goal for 2012--to get fit and continue to be a healthier person.
Please, grab some carrot sticks and a tall glass of ice water and help me celebrate.
Thursday, January 5, 2012
Just put Coal in my Stocking Please
I've been getting a lot of questions about how I survived the holidays-- you know, considering my new, healthy lifestyle and weight loss goal. (Can you believe it will be one year this Friday since Hubs and I started focusing on getting healthy?) In response, I want to tell you exactly how it all went down.
First off, it was not easy! Hubs and I traveled north to my parents for the holidays and the house was overflowing with chocolates, potato chips (including my favorite barbecue variety), fudge, cookies, pie, cheeses, and so on... and so on.
As a first line of defense, I traveled with a lot of my own food items or I bought them up there on our first day in town. I made sure I had my essential bagel thins close at hand. I also took my fat free sweet Italian cream coffee creamer, fruit leather (snagged from Trader Joes), homestyle popcorn from Pop Secret (incredible stuff), baby carrots, cuties, double fiber bread by Brownberry, light string cheese, and some light sour cream (my parents don't like sour cream, so we would have had to buy this anyway). Having these snacks/low fat options around the house helped a lot. When my family was munching on chocolate turtles, I grabbed some fruit leather and consumed only 1 weight watchers point instead of 5. When we had Italian beef on Christmas Eve, I had my homestyle popcorn and carrots with my meal, instead of potato chips. And when everyone else was eating my uncle's fried cornmeal mush for breakfast, I was more than happy to eat a bagel thin coated with oohy gooey peanut butter and a cutie.
Inevitably, I knew I couldn't avoid all of the holiday indulging. I tried to do it wisely though. When we went out for breakfast the day after Christmas, I ordered oatmeal with a side of scrambled egg whites instead of the bacon and cheese omelet I would have ordered before. When everyone was ordering fish fry on Christmas Eve's Eve, I got a salad with grilled chicken and cranberries (delicious). And in my stocking this year, I requested no candy. It was a big change because normally my stocking would be full of Snickers, Kit Kats, and Lifesavers. The one surprise was a package of Weight Watchers chocolate, caramel, pecan candies. They were just like turtles, but only cost me 1 point each- hooray!
When it came to Christmas dinner, Mom generously let me introduce a number of healthier options. 2 years ago, we had: broccoli rice casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes loaded with butter, ham, white jello, cranberry sauce, gravy, buttery dinner rolls, candied yams, and wine. This year, we served up: roasted parmesan green beans, honey ham, 7-up casserole (made with diet soda and 1/3 fat cream cheese), rosemary garlic parmesan biscuits, regular mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, gravy, and wine (from the winery behind our house). It was a scrumptious meal, filled with healthy dishes (many of the recipes from where else, but Gina's skinnytaste).
To balance out the copious amount of eating going on over the holidays, I purposely included plenty of exercise. Thankfully, there was enough snow Up North to do cross-country skiing. I was so excited to dust off my skis and glide across the fresh powder to my heart's content. It had been too long since I'd gone skiing. It is such a good cardio workout- my arms and legs were really feeling sore by the end of the second day. In addition to skiing, I managed a couple of yoga videos, walks in the snow with the dogs, and 2 really good 5k runs (the runs happened while we were still at home and I had access to the gym--I'm not one for winter running out of doors).
So how did it all work out? Well, my original goal starting way back in January 2011 was to lose 100 pounds by January 6, 2012. You already know that I've lost at least 90 pounds and I will tell you that when I left for my parent's house I was 3 pounds away from reaching my goal. I will also tell you that I gained 1 pound over the holidays. Oh the suspense...
And the verdict is...
Like I could really tell you today when tomorrow is January 6th. You'll have to check back tomorrow to see whether I met my goal of 100 pounds lost or not.
First off, it was not easy! Hubs and I traveled north to my parents for the holidays and the house was overflowing with chocolates, potato chips (including my favorite barbecue variety), fudge, cookies, pie, cheeses, and so on... and so on.
As a first line of defense, I traveled with a lot of my own food items or I bought them up there on our first day in town. I made sure I had my essential bagel thins close at hand. I also took my fat free sweet Italian cream coffee creamer, fruit leather (snagged from Trader Joes), homestyle popcorn from Pop Secret (incredible stuff), baby carrots, cuties, double fiber bread by Brownberry, light string cheese, and some light sour cream (my parents don't like sour cream, so we would have had to buy this anyway). Having these snacks/low fat options around the house helped a lot. When my family was munching on chocolate turtles, I grabbed some fruit leather and consumed only 1 weight watchers point instead of 5. When we had Italian beef on Christmas Eve, I had my homestyle popcorn and carrots with my meal, instead of potato chips. And when everyone else was eating my uncle's fried cornmeal mush for breakfast, I was more than happy to eat a bagel thin coated with oohy gooey peanut butter and a cutie.
Inevitably, I knew I couldn't avoid all of the holiday indulging. I tried to do it wisely though. When we went out for breakfast the day after Christmas, I ordered oatmeal with a side of scrambled egg whites instead of the bacon and cheese omelet I would have ordered before. When everyone was ordering fish fry on Christmas Eve's Eve, I got a salad with grilled chicken and cranberries (delicious). And in my stocking this year, I requested no candy. It was a big change because normally my stocking would be full of Snickers, Kit Kats, and Lifesavers. The one surprise was a package of Weight Watchers chocolate, caramel, pecan candies. They were just like turtles, but only cost me 1 point each- hooray!
When it came to Christmas dinner, Mom generously let me introduce a number of healthier options. 2 years ago, we had: broccoli rice casserole, green bean casserole, mashed potatoes loaded with butter, ham, white jello, cranberry sauce, gravy, buttery dinner rolls, candied yams, and wine. This year, we served up: roasted parmesan green beans, honey ham, 7-up casserole (made with diet soda and 1/3 fat cream cheese), rosemary garlic parmesan biscuits, regular mashed potatoes, baked sweet potatoes, gravy, and wine (from the winery behind our house). It was a scrumptious meal, filled with healthy dishes (many of the recipes from where else, but Gina's skinnytaste).
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| Picture taken from skinnytaste.com |
So how did it all work out? Well, my original goal starting way back in January 2011 was to lose 100 pounds by January 6, 2012. You already know that I've lost at least 90 pounds and I will tell you that when I left for my parent's house I was 3 pounds away from reaching my goal. I will also tell you that I gained 1 pound over the holidays. Oh the suspense...
And the verdict is...
Like I could really tell you today when tomorrow is January 6th. You'll have to check back tomorrow to see whether I met my goal of 100 pounds lost or not.
Friday, December 2, 2011
5K OK
I haven't mentioned this yet, but it is huge... Hubs and I ran a 5K on Thanksgiving Day! I mean it literally--We ran the whole thing. To make it even more fun, it was a family event. We ran the race with Hub's two older brothers, our sister-in-law and his oldest brother's girlfriend. In addition to that, Hub's parents, my sister, her husband and their new, adorable little girl showed up to cheer us on.
It was only the second time in my entire life that I ever ran over 3 miles. I was initially worried I would end up walking a large portion of the race, but I worried for naught. I had no trouble finishing the race running. In fact, when it was over I actually felt like I could have kept going. Is there an 8K in my future? Let's not push it.
What's up next? January 6th, 2012 will mark the one year anniversary of my new healthy lifestyle with Hubs. To date, I've lost 93 pounds and my goal is to make it to 100 by the 6th. I really think I can do it! To help me stay focused (because the Lord knows it's getting harder and harder to drop the pounds), I signed up for a sprint triathlon on June 10th, 2012. A sprint triathlon is a .5 mile swim, 14 mile bike, and a 5K run. I think I am going nuts!
Let this be an encouragement to you... If there is anything you want to do (weight loss or whatever), but feel like it is too daunting or impossible--You can do it! If I can lose 93 pounds in 11 months, you can do anything. I'm serious. Just take a look at my new, slim, super sweet gams.
It was only the second time in my entire life that I ever ran over 3 miles. I was initially worried I would end up walking a large portion of the race, but I worried for naught. I had no trouble finishing the race running. In fact, when it was over I actually felt like I could have kept going. Is there an 8K in my future? Let's not push it.
What's up next? January 6th, 2012 will mark the one year anniversary of my new healthy lifestyle with Hubs. To date, I've lost 93 pounds and my goal is to make it to 100 by the 6th. I really think I can do it! To help me stay focused (because the Lord knows it's getting harder and harder to drop the pounds), I signed up for a sprint triathlon on June 10th, 2012. A sprint triathlon is a .5 mile swim, 14 mile bike, and a 5K run. I think I am going nuts!
Let this be an encouragement to you... If there is anything you want to do (weight loss or whatever), but feel like it is too daunting or impossible--You can do it! If I can lose 93 pounds in 11 months, you can do anything. I'm serious. Just take a look at my new, slim, super sweet gams.
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Divided by Half
This is a big announcement, no wait... it's huge! As of this morning I've lost a total of 90 pounds since January 6th, 2011.
This year has been truly monumental for me. Next month I will be celebrating the completion of my master's degree. In addition, I've reduced my size by half. Seriously. What's more, I'm hoping to have reached my weight loss goal of 100 pounds by the end of December. I am well on my way.
Continuing with the concept behind my 80 pounds lost announcement, I want to share some amusing/shocking/crazy weight loss comparisons. Hold on to your hat.
Here are some things that weigh 90 pounds:
1 healthy Holstein calf
1 female Labrador retriever weighs in at 90 pounds
A Singer treadle sewing machine weighs approximately 90 lbs
4.5 average car tires
360 quarter pounder hamburgers
90 pounds of feathers (get it?)
69 regulation sized basketballs weigh approximately 90 pounds
and lastly... 45 free range, organically fed chickens
This year has been truly monumental for me. Next month I will be celebrating the completion of my master's degree. In addition, I've reduced my size by half. Seriously. What's more, I'm hoping to have reached my weight loss goal of 100 pounds by the end of December. I am well on my way.
Continuing with the concept behind my 80 pounds lost announcement, I want to share some amusing/shocking/crazy weight loss comparisons. Hold on to your hat.
Here are some things that weigh 90 pounds:
1 healthy Holstein calf
1 female Labrador retriever weighs in at 90 pounds
A Singer treadle sewing machine weighs approximately 90 lbs
4.5 average car tires
360 quarter pounder hamburgers
90 pounds of feathers (get it?)
69 regulation sized basketballs weigh approximately 90 pounds
and lastly... 45 free range, organically fed chickens
Thursday, September 29, 2011
A Whole New Me
Let's do some comparing: My weimaraner, Grace, weighs in at 79 pounds. An average 11 year old child weighs 79-80 pounds. 10 gallons of water weighs roughly 80 pounds.
Hmmm... what else weighs about 80 pounds-- 7 standard sewing machines, 3 female trumpeter swans, 2 bicycles, 27 bowling pins, and 20 watermelons.
Geesh.
To celebrate this momentous occasion, I've started taking yoga classes with some of my coworkers. I honestly never thought that would happen. Then again, I never thought I would run a 3K either.
The yoga classes are offered Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, but my plan is to run/train (for the upcoming 5K Turkey Trot) on Tuesdays and Thursdays and to take yoga on Wednesdays. Who am I? A totally new (energized) person--That's who!
I have to admit though, I was really nervous during my first yoga class. I have a strict policy of not putting my head below my feet because of my past history with headstands. I keep having flashbacks to college- falling on my head and injuring my neck (have I shared that story? I'll have to check--It's a real winner).
Surprisingly, yoga wasn't that bad. I actually really enjoyed it. I could do a lot more of the poses than I expected. What's more- it was soothing and I came away feeling de-stressed. And this may be besides the point, but I really love my new yoga outfit.
Hooray for
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