I did it!!!

After 3 long weeks of trying to lose one pound to hit one of many goals... I finally did it this past week.  I weighed in last night and lost 1.4lbs for a total of 40.8lbs lost!!

I'm so excited.  I've still got a long ways to go, but so far it's been awesome.  I can't really tell a difference in the way I look day in and day out, but I can tell a difference in my energy and the things I can do now that are much easier and less laborious, which is awesome!  Even in Zumba - while I'm still ridiculously tired after class - partly because it's 6:15AM and partly because Annette, my instructor, worked our butts off - it's not as hard anymore.  But for more motivation for those next 11.2lbs (remember, my goal of 52lbs in 52 weeks), I made the below comparison.  NOW I see it! :)

Life

Life has thrown me quite a few curve balls over the last month.  I take that back - Life is testing me to my absolute limits, or at least that's how it feels. Without delving too deep, let's just say that I've had many more lows than highs over the holidays.  But even still - I've tried to maintain focus on my weight loss.  I managed to lose weight over the holidays which is always a struggle, but I lost about 3.5lbs since Thanksgiving.  Nothing huge - but it's better than gaining. 

I'm more focused and determined to make this my year.  I'm going to continue on my journey of weight loss.  I've started working out again - thankfully the early morning Zumba/Circuit/TurboKick classes are back!!  I'm going to work on mentally making myself a better person.  I want to get back into a church family.  And the most scary - I'm going to start my MBA.  I've been talking about it for over a year and the time has come to just make it happen.

So what are your goals for this year?

A month... really?!

I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted!  Weight wise, things have been kind of uneventful.  I gained for two weeks, and then lost for two weeks.  I did manage to lose over the Thanksgiving weekend, so that was a plus!  I'm down a total of 35.4lbs which is exciting.  Another exciting thing is that I'm officially down a pants size.  I was pushing the limit on what I was wearing before so it took a little while to have those fit comfortably, then be too big, then still not fit into the next size down, etc.  But I had to go shopping for jeans before my Thanksgiving trip and I'm officially a size down!  YAY!

The process is going much slower at this point, but that's mostly my fault.  I haven't been diligently tracking like I was in the beginning, and I have barely worked out this past month.  (I need my 6AM Zumba class back desperately!!)  But I am noticing lifestyle changes that are just becoming part of normal routines.  Making better choices at restaurants... choosing to go for walks... and just overall more energy.

I always do comparison pictures to motivate myself to keep going.  Here's the latest one:

I'm definitely going to need the motivation and keeping the end in sight over the next week or so.  Saturday we leave for a 5 day cruise to Key West and the Bahamas.  Cruises tend to be all about food!!  I'm going to take my sneakers and some workout clothes and try to at least go for walks at some point during the day.  I'm going to have to somehow combat the ridiculous amounts of food I will be consuming!  Pray for me!!! :)

Inspiring

So the past few times I've been to Zumba, my knee has been hurting.  I had a fleeting thought that maybe I needed a break.  Then I realized that I can't stop - because if I do, I won't start again.  I know myself.  So now I'm looking into a knee brace.

Then I saw this video:

Now I really won't stop.  Never give up!!

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. ~Phil 4:13

Finally back

So, remember two weeks ago that I wrote that I gained 1.6lbs?!?  Well, it's very obvious that it's much easier to gain than lose!  It took me two weeks to lose the 1.6lbs, but I finally did, so I'm back to my total loss of 30.4lbs.  Woohoo! 

I'm having to readjust again because Ryan is finally back from working out of town, so I'm having to cook for more than just myself.  Doesn't really sounds like a big deal, but Ryan is really picky and not the healthiest of eaters.  Just makes for a challenge in making stuff less bad, and a test to my willpower in not eating the crappy foods that taste oh so good. But, this is only for a few weeks, because in two weeks he'll be out of town again for 6 weeks! *sigh* good for my diet, bad for my marriage. :)

Another thing I've been thinking about is that saying that you can't out exercise a bad diet.

I did crazy walking and exercise this past week.   Not only did I work out with my normal Zumba classes, but then Friday night went to Halloween Horror nights at Universal Studios and pretty much walked for 5 hours straight.  My legs and feet were on FIRE by the time I got into bed at 3AM!  So  all that walking and exercising, and I only lost 0.8lbs this week.   Just goes to show that it really doesn't make up for a bad diet.  And I wasn't even that bad... I only had two or three bad meals all week.  Oh well - it's still a loss, right!?

And it's official - we are going on a cruise Dec. 7th!!  My goal is to lose 12.6lbs by the cruise, which means I need to lose 1.5lbs a week!  It's going to be tough - but I think it's doable.  Just going to have to be on plan religiously for the next 8 weeks!!  Wish me luck - and keep me accountable! :)

Another loss... but not necessarily the correct way.

I was very surprised when I stepped on the scale yesterday at WW.  I lost 2 pounds this week!  I totally didn't expect it since this weekend was a total bust as far as eating healthy.  Let's sum it up, shall we: Friday night was McDonald's cheeseburgers and fries; Saturday was IHOP for breakfast, two hot dogs and two bags of chips for linner, and then second dinner was a Zinger salad from Ale House; Sunday was Chinese for lunch, and pizza and bread sticks for dinner.  *sigh*  How in the heck did I lose any weight with those foods?!?!  Well, for one, everything I ate, I tried to get the "healthier" versions, i.e., only had a handful of fries from McD's, hot dogs were chicken dogs, Chinese was steamed chicken and broccoli with drizzled sauce on top, and pizza was thin crust.  Still not the best choices, but apparently it helped.

Also... on Monday, after Zumba, I spent 2 1/2 hours doing yard work, so I'm sure I sweated off any crazy food!  (yeah - I was exhausted after that!)

So, all that to say - I think this "lifestyle change" is really starting to click... meaning, even when I eat like crap, I'm still thinking enough to make the better choices of the crap! :)

Oh - and those two pounds brought me ooooh so close to 25lbs lost...  my total lost now is 24.2lbs so I'm hoping and praying that next week I can really celebrate!! :)

ActiveLink Challenge 1... DONE!

I finished my first ActiveLink challenge for the first 12 weeks!!

Not too shabby if I do say so myself... The challenge was 12 weeks, so that averages out to 15 Activity points per week.  I'm totally patting myself on the back for this one - considering before these past 12 weeks I wasn't doing ANYTHING, so to be earning 15 points a week is awesome for me! :)

Go Carmen!!! 

My Inspiration Story

I've been talking to my Zumba instructor about my milestones and other silly fitness related things and she has asked me to write my story for her newsletter and grand opening.  She wants to do a spotlight on her students, to show off the awesomeness of Zumba and to promote the studio.  Here's my story:

I've been overweight my whole life and tried every diet you could possibly imagine.  I've struggled with self confidence and being able to accept and love myself for longer than I want to admit.  Something finally clicked on April 8th and I decided to make the change for me.  I went back to Weight Watchers and that week they were starting a challenge to get members motivated and active.  I vowed that day that I would start going to Zumba at Body & Motion twice a week.  It was hard to start back up and there were many times where I swear I wouldn't have made it through the class, but with the support and encouragement of the Body & Motion family I'm loving every minute of every class.  I've even found myself doing the routines I can remember while away on travel in my hotel room!  In 8 weeks, not only have I lost 12.6lbs, my clothes fit so much better, and I am doing Zumba at least 3 - 4 times per week and TurboKick one night a week. I have more energy and am just happier all around!  I love my Zumba and TurboKick family - not only do they keep you accountable and make sure you are in class, but they encourage you every step of the way!  I'm so excited to be part of the Body & Motion family!

When it officially comes out, I'll post the link! :)

Weigh In Blues

I went back to Weight Watchers last night and it happened....  I gained!  I gained 2.4lbs.  I was expecting a gain since I always pre-weigh Monday mornings, but I was secretly hoping my scale at home was wrong!  I wasn't totally surprised since I was on travel last week.  I tried making better choices, but I'm sure the drinking involved didn't help my cause!  I tried to make up for the food and drinking by going to Zumba 4 days in a row, but I think my body started to revolt and EVERYTHING hurt yesterday!  My WW leader says that because I worked out so much, my muscles might be retaining water to repair themselves.  That gave me a little bit of hope that its not all for not.

But on the up side... this is the first time I've gained anything the past two months of my journey.  And it helped me make even better choices when I went grocery shopping right after my meeting!

Plus I have an AMAZING support group of friends... they definitely keep me going!

Now - off to make this a good week!! :)

Total bust!!

Well - I was all gunho and ready to do Zumba this morning.  I looked it up on the Zumba website, found a place near my parents to go, called to verify that I could come without a membership and got all the details.  Woke up early, came and picked up my Aunt, gave her the downlow, let her know to not try to kill herself... and we get there - and NOTHING!  cricket.... cricket....   There are some guys there doing powerlifting so I ask them.  Apparently it was all over Facebook that there would not be a Zumba class this morning because the instructor was graduating today.  Hmm... that doesn't help me - an out of towner who just called to get the information.  Guess they could have said something when I called, but it sounded like I was interrupting his work out when he answered.

Oh well, I'm going to do Zumba on the Wii - which I totally don't feel like it's the same, but at least I'm still moving.  I now know for next time I'll try out the community center instead of this gym place.... it was really geared more for lifting and MMA fighting than Zumba... they just happened to have a spot cleared out in the back for the Zumba class.

I found an LA Fitness that has Zumba tomorrow morning, so I'm going to get a guest pass and try that.  Let's hope that one doesn't fizzle out!

Alright - off to have some Cafe con Leche y Pan... and then try my hardest to work off those calories - which are oh so worth it!! :)

It all pays off!!

Since this was a long holiday weekend, and my WW location was closed on Monday, I weighed in on Sunday morning.  And wouldn't you know it - I lost 2.8lbs!  I think all the Zumba and TurboKick are finally showing up in my numbers.  I was actually telling a friend the other day that not only is the scale showing results, but I really think that I'm losing inches as my clothes are fitting better!

I'll be missing my meeting next Monday as well as I'll be on travel for work again.  Which also means I'll be missing Zumba/TurboKick all next week. Sad face!!  I'm really going to try to make the best choices I can because not only will I be traveling for work next week, this coming weekend I'll be visiting my parents. 

Funny side story - I was telling my mom of my progress on Sunday and I heard my aunt in the background saying she wishes she could workout with me.  Sooooo, I went online and found a Zumba class for Saturday morning when I will be in town for both of us to go to!  She's definitely started backpedaling now... but we're going!  Especially since I won't be able to the rest of the week.  :)

Work is a little crazy at the moment... and will be until this proposal is submitted in July.  The upside - I can't go out to lunch because my meetings are right smack in the middle of the day, so in turn I bring lunch and can plan accordingly.  The downside - the afternoons seem to drag since I didn't get to leave and I don't get to see my lunch buddy friends!!!  Another sad face!!

Off to my next meeting! Til' next time peeps!

30 Day Squat Challenge

To ensure that my body hates me for the next month, my co-worker (a-hem, Lauren) has decided to do the 30 Day Squat Challenge that has been floating around Pinterest, FB, and Instagram - and has recruited me amongst other co-workers.

If you have never heard about it.... see below:

In searching for this image, I found there is another 30 day challenge for crunches and another one for planks!

Yeah - that's a LOT of squats!  What makes me slightly more insane for doing this, is that during Zumba and TurboKick, there are already a lot of squat-type moves, if not full on squats incorporated.

All I can say is that I better have amazing legs/butt after all this craziness!!

So - anyone want to join the crazy train?! :)

Back on the Wagon

Weeellll.... it's be about 2 weeks since my last post and I kinda fell off the wagon.  Life got a little busy and we were eating out A LOT!  I've come to realize that when you constantly eat out, making the right choices becomes harder and harder until you just eat whatever looks good.  And trust me, the big ol' bacon cheeseburger, or philly cheesesteak is what ends up looking good.

I was also traveling for work last week, and the same day I got home, I had some friends staying with us through the weekend.  They were great houseguests, and even cooked dinner for us on Friday.  She made the most amazing Chicken Parm with Spaghetti, cesar salad, and garlic bread.  She even apologized when I got home and said - this is not a WW friendly dinner! Who can say no to a dinner made for you!?!?

BUT - I started tracking again today and went to Zumba again this morning.  Man, it was hard getting out of bed at 5:15 this morning for Zumba!! And it was very obvious I haven't done much the past week and a half - I was dying through class!

I managed to get some Activity Points last week amazingly enough.  8 pts for the week and average of 78% to goal.  Ever since I upped my baseline two weeks ago, hitting goal is much more difficult!  Guess I need to be more active - even though I feel like I'm much more active that I was a month or two ago!

Nothing too exciting going on otherwise - we are starting to get the house cleaned up and doing all the fixes required so that we can rent it out if we find our dream home anytime in the near future.  That is a never-ending search - plus we can't firm up if we want to buy a house or build one.  I think as picky as the hubby is, building would be our best bet.  I'm pushing for it at least!!

Ohhhh - the biggest news is that we got a new kitty!!  We picked him up from our friends one week ago on Sunday and have spent the past week trying to make our current herd not hate him!!  I mean,  who could hate this adorable face!?!?

Gizmo

Inspiration in places you'd least expect

As I was scrolling through Facebook today, a post from an old co-worker caught my eye.  She shared the following article:  iReporter shakes off 170 pounds.  I felt like I was reading my future...  This is going to be me one day!!  I may not be opening a Zumba studio, but I will be getting to my goal through Weight Watchers and Zumba.  It's amazing to see that all this effort will eventually pay off.  If she can do it, there is no reason I can't! 

I've slowly started to share this blog with some close friends.  The more people that read, the more accountable I feel.  Some have suggested that I share it on FB - but I don't feel like I'm there yet.  There are tooooo many people that might possibly read it, and that scares me! I don't think I'm ready to be that open about it!

I'm kinda nervous about weighing in this Monday.  I was tired last week and didn't work out as hard, and my eating choices haven't been the best.  I just felt hungry a lot of the time so I was randomly eating... and probably not the best of things.  Stupid Oreo Pie!!! :)  Oh well - I'm drowning myself in water this weekend in hopes of making Monday a good one!

Have a great weekend peeps!!

Hurting... In a good way

Ouch...  That's what I've been thinking and saying the past few days.  I've been pretty diligent with working out and staying relatively active the past few days and I think its catching up with me!  My whole body is sore....  legs, arms, back... everything!! Although it's not necessarily a bad thing since this week showed a loss of 1.4lbs. Woohoo!! And that was even with a company picnic and some not so great meals where I threw caution to the wind while making choices.

Nothing too exciting has been going on lately...  Just focused on making every choice a wise one,  whether it is food related,  or just life in general.

Right now I'm pretty tired and have to get up early for Zumba so that's all for me....  Plus writing on my phone isn't very fun!
G'night peeps!

Encouragement

I just read a Dear Abby column (don't judge!) where someone who is overweight and has to lose over 50 lbs was walking with a friend and was ridiculed by a passerby.  This post brought me to tears (which isn't hard, but that's besides the point) because I know all too well how hard it is when you are overweight to exercise - and then when you do, you get made fun of!!

It's easy for people to tell you to brush off people's comments, but when you are overweight and self-conscious about it, words hurt more than anything else.  I still remember being made fun of in middle and high school.  The hurtful comments from classmates have never left.  Even comments from family or friends who love you, which aren't meant to be malicious, leave hurtful impressions. I know what it feels like going to a party or get together with family and/or friends and barely eating because you feel like you are being judged because, "Look at the fat girl - look at what/how much she's eating".  Regardless of if anyone is thinking that or not... that's how we feel because of those hurtful words in the past come creeping back in when you least expect it.

I've finally come to a place in my life where I know the family and friends I surround myself with love me for me, and don't judge when I eat a big ol' burger, or pizza.  But I've also come to a point in my life where I'm ready to make a change.  I've started WW for the 500th time (it seems), and this time making a real go at it and I've started exercising.  And to be completely honest...  the strangers at the Zumba and TurboKick classes are the most encouraging about exercise.  I'm without a doubt the biggest girl in the class, but everyone tells me how great I'm doing.  I remember a specific lady in class - I have no idea what her name is, and I don't even know if I've seen her again - but she made a point to come over to me during class and tell me, "Keep it up - you are kickin' butt!!"  Those words, whether she knows it or not, have kept me going back and feeling good about myself.  

So this is  me...  a big girl, making a fool of herself during Zumba or TurboKick, but having fun and keeping at it in order to continue my journey to happy and healthy!

New Week

Today starts my new WW/ActiveLink week - as well as the start of a new work week!  I started off the day with a Zumba class at 6AM.  It was my last chance workout (as Biggest Loser would say) and I was so tired I didn't even give it my all.  Granted I still did more than if I wouldn't have gone, but definitely didn't hit it as hard as I have in the past.  I guess we'll find out how it all pays off this evening at weigh-in.  I'm hoping for a loss, but I also know my body could be in shock from the sudden change in work outs.  I worked out 5 days last week... 4 of those 5 were Zumba or TurboKick classes!

Speaking of... my ActiveLink stats for last week were 18 Activity Points Plus earned and an average of 132% of goal!  Not too shabby for my first week!

I'm searching the Interwebs now for some new recipes to make this week...  I'm already tired of my standards and need to find good alternatives so I don't make the fattier choices!  Thank goodness I'm headed to the grocery store this evening!! :)

Wish me luck tonight!  Think skinny! :)

Walking... and Pain!

I just recently purchased the ActiveLink from WW and it really does make me think about how much activity I get in one day.  Truth be told, if I could sit on the couch and watch TV and/or Movies all day - I totally would.  Plus, my job of sitting behind a desk all day doesn't bode well for much activity.  But, since getting the ActiveLink, I'm really trying to reach and exceed that 100% goal everyday.  

Yesterday was my first day using the ActiveLink that I didn't have a workout planned.  When I got home from work I was only at a little over 50% for the day so I decided to go for a walk.  I decided to walk to the post office that is down the street from my house so I actually had a purpose for my walk.  Phone in hand, earbuds in, and Pandora rockin' I start on my 1.2 mile trek.  

I get right outside of my neighborhood and my right shin starts aching.  I tell myself to push through it and keep going.  By the time I got to the post office I was seriously contemplating calling the hubby to come get me because the pain from the shin splints was so bad.  I finally told myself to just keep going - it's only 15 more minutes back to the house.  

So I did it!!  I made it back - pain and agony and all... but I finished my walk!

(Come to find out - even if I had tried to call the hubs - he would have never answered.  He spent the time I was walking, outside in the yard fertilizing and treating the shrubs, with his phone in the house!  Good thing I pushed through!)

I did reach 131% of goal so that was great!  For the first time I noticed that the different types of exercise definitely yields different Activity Points.   On previous days when I did Zumba or TurboKick (Cardio Kickboxing) and exceeded 100% I got 4 Activity Points.  Yesterday I got 2 Activity Points.  Not that I’m complaining… I still got out there and reached my goal, but it definitely motivates me more to go the classes, as I get more out of it!!

This weekend I'll be going out of town to visit my parents and celebrate my little cousins 25th birthday AND she passed the BAR!  I'm going to try really hard to make the right choices and just keep drinking tons of water so I don't overeat on the yummy Cuban food that will be there!

Have a great weekend peeps!