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! :)

What the WHAT?!

I went to WW tonight ready to own up to my gain from this week.  I officially gave up and just didn't care for the first 3 or 4 days of the week. Then I got a call from my dad telling me that he's hit a breaking point and he needs to lose weight NOW.  So while I was visiting,  the whole time was spent trying to teach him to make better decisions and choices and while I was at it,  I was practicing what I was preaching.   Lo and behold, it works and I lost 3.2lbs this week. Imagine my surprise! Not that I suggest giving up,  but I do suggest trusting the plan and that it really works!
Now I'm off to Zumba for the first time in like 2 weeks...  I'm sure I'll be sore tomorrow!

Little by little

I went to WW last night with the mind set of going to face the music and expecting a gain.  I knew I had eaten like crap most of last week and to top it off on Sunday had a serious craving for a big ol' burger and fries.  So I had just that!
I'm not sure how, but I lost 0.4lbs... but I'll take it.
The past 3 weeks I've lost,  but each week has been less than a pound a week. I don't know if I'll hit my goal of 12lbs lost before the cruise but I'm going to try to get as close as possible!
Another concerning issue is that my Zumba studio is going to be stopping the 6AM class until the first of the year.  That totally screws with my schedule / routine so now I'm going to have to try to go after work and that is much harder...  I can find any excuse not to go after work! *sigh* We'll see how things pan out...

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!! :)

Score!

I am not one to be shy and let everyone know when my birthday is, and as we all know, this past Sunday was the big day!  Needless to say, I celebrated all weekend!  Between lounging by the pool, shopping, and eating at great restaurants, it was a pretty darn good weekend!

Oh the eating... Saturday my family went to Columbia Restaurant. Possibly one of my favorite Spanish restaurants, solely for their 1905 salad and bread!  Warm Cuban bread with butter = heaven on a plate!  And lets not forget the sangria - yummy sangria made table side! After the immense amounts of Spanish food - of course there was cake, Carvel Ice Cream cake to be exact!  Chocolate crunchies, you are my fav! Food coma ensued and we just sat around the condo and played Mexican Train for the rest of the night. 

Of course the next morning we went to IHOP for breakfast so I got one of their Simple & Fit meals.  Definitely nothing to be excited about, but I had to save my points for dinner because, of course, I was going out to eat again - this time with my friends, and we were going to Carrabba's!  I had the best time at dinner with my friends, and really tried to make the time about hanging out with my closest friends and not all about the food.  I totally got the small Pollo Rosa Maria, which I had planned for the whole time, with the Italian green beans instead of the mashed potatoes.  I still had a carafe of wine, and bread dipped in olive oil - so there was no denying myself, but just tried to be a little more conscious of what I was ordering!

I'm here to tell you - working out at Zumba, and just making a conscious effort of what you are eating totally helps!!  I weighed in last night at WW, and I lost 0.6lbs!  That's a total win in my book, especially considering the celebratory weekend I had!

The best part to this whole story...  today I had a co-worker tell me that she can tell I've been losing weight!!  There are only a few people here in my office that know I'm doing WW, and she isn't/wasn't one of them.  She said she can tell in my face and body that I've lost weight...  She totally made my day! Woohoo!!!!

Distractions

I've been trying to blog for about 3 days... I keep getting distracted, whether by work,or movies, or rambunctious little kittens!!  Nothing horribly exciting happened this weekend - I did finish my first week of my online prep course.  (I'm taking an online prep course to be able to take the Certified Federal Contract Manager certification exam by the end of the year)  This prep course is through the middle of September, and it's getting me into the habit of schoolwork since I want to start my MBA this fall, and it will also be online.

On happier news, I weighed in tonight and lost 1.4lbs this week.  That makes my total of 17.2lbs lost!  I'm pretty happy about that!!

Oh - and Sunday at Zumba, Annette (instructor) totally pulled me up to the front of the class.  I was embarrassed for a millisecond, before the class totally cheered me on and it was sooooo encouraging!!  Don't be fooled, I still look silly as hell doing all these Zumba/dance moves, but it's encouraging to have the support of my Zumba class and instructor!!

This post is kinda all over the place - so it's apparent that the distractions are still there...  Till later - and hopefully a more coherent post!

Secrets

We all have secrets, some deeper than others.  I look forward to Monday blog reading because I know a new edition of PostSecret is there.   Some of the secrets make me really sad, some are horrifying, and others resonate with me - like this one posted this week:

 I've mentioned it before on always feeling judged, and this secret just reaffirms that I'm not alone in my feeling.  I know I'm making progress, and that no one in my Zumba class is probably even looking at me, but there are days that I am SOOOO self-conscious of how I look.  Today was one of those days.  There really wasn't anything different about how I looked - I was wearing my standard workout gear, hair pulled back, etc... but I just felt fat and self-conscious!  I kept tugging at my shirt, hoping to hide some of the rolls, but every time I moved they just kept creeping back into view.  Sucks!

The good thing is that I didn't let it stop me... I was up at the crack of dawn and there, so I figured I better make the best of it, even if I didn't like looking at myself!  I made it through class, and went home and just stared at myself in the full length mirror.  Boy, do I have a long way to go before I am happy with what I see, but you know what...  I can see the difference from where I started - so that's a plus, right!?

Body Change

I went to visit my parents this weekend and was looking at some pictures from two weeks ago where we celebrated my mom's birthday, and I immediately noticed a difference in how I look from the pictures that were taken earlier that day.  Although the pounds aren't dropping as quickly as I would hope, my body is changing and shrinking by the day!  That's a total win in my book!  So I decided to do a quick comparison to a picture of right before I started on this journey...

The picture on the left was taken on April 7th, at a car show with my parents and my in-laws.  The next day I weighed in at WW, got my ActiveLink, and started going to Zumba that week.  The picture on the right was taken yesterday (June 16th).  I'm not as puffy, and my face doesn't look as rounded.  Let's be frank - I've still got a lot to go, and I'll never get rid of the rounded face and big cheeks, but I'm slowly starting to see the person I want to be...  will be!

Exciting stuff, ya'll!!  Tonight's my weigh-in so good thoughts my way... I'm sure I'll keep you updated on the results!

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

Holy Smokes!

I lost 0.8lbs this week!!!  Totally didn't expect that this week!!

You see...  I went out to dinner on Thursday night and had Mexican food.  I came to quickly realize, that unless you have a salad, there isn't much that's healthy when at a Mexican restaurant.  And then comes Saturday night...  I met up with my little cousin and her hubby at Margaritaville.  They were on a mini vacation and wanted to meet up for dinner.  Sure - no problem!!  Then the waiter tells us that they have a new special - a flight of sampler margaritas!

Just look at how cute and scrumptious they look!!!  How could you say no to that?!  And then lets not mention the big ol' burger I had for dinner.  My only moment of clarity was ordering a side salad instead of fries! :)

Regardless, I knew I had to push hard and work off those delicious drinks and burger so there was no slacking on my part at Zumba on Sunday or Monday morning.  And I drank a ton of water. And it paid off!!! Woohoo!!   I'm 0.6lbs away from my first 10lbs goal!!

Ok - time to do some work - just had to share the good news!

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!!

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! :)