This morning I tried Yoga for the first time. It was fun! I bought a DVD called "Yoga for Dummies" and a yoga mat over the weekend so I figured I'd give it a shot. I really enjoyed it and I need to work on increasing my flexibility (that was one of the things I was still not doing well with when I re-took my fitness test at the gym). I think I'll add the yoga DVD to my fitness regime 2-3 times a week. I couldn't believe how sweaty I got. It was quite a workout for the muscles and helped me do some great stretching. This will be a nice compliment to what I'm doing at the gym.
Speaking of the gym, last night I did the Advanced Step class....OMG what a JOKE that was. I felt like a complete idiot most of the time. I couldn't get a bunch of the steps she was doing so spent most of the class doing side step knee raises and double time basics. UGH! I actually think she was trying to make some of us look stupid. We had three ladies even leave the class before it was over. I was relieved to know that I wasn't the only frustrated one in there. I was pretty bummed because I was looking forward to a hard core cardio work out last night. I know I won't be back in that class any time soon. I think tonight I'll try the 50/50 in addition to some time on the treadmill. We'll see how that one goes.
Tomorrow's weight and measurement day. I think I'll be fine, I'm sure the large losses are going to slow down here pretty soon and get on the 2-3 lbs. a week schedule. I sure have enjoyed losing 5+ lbs a week though...it's a real morale booster!
Keep drinking water, get moving and turn off the TV! YOU can do this and so can I!!
Hugs from AZ,
Shannon
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
Tuesday, August 14, 2007
Nickelback and Determination
Well...last night hubby and I went to see Puddle of Mud, Daughtry and Nickelback in concert. Do you know how long it's been since I've been to a rock concert? LOL! Well, Nickelback was AMAZING! It's funny, I was complaining about how expensive the tickets were, until they came on. Now I think they were worth every dime. Go figure! LOL.
Guess what else? I was actually dancing around the floor...in my size 18 pants. It was fun. I even got a few smiles my way. Hubby liked that too. He said I looked "hot". Awwww....isn't he a charmer! LOL!I made sure to go to the gym yesterday morning, because I knew I'd be busy last night. I did 40 minutes on treadmill from 3-4mph from a level 3 warm to level 15. Felt good! I even did lunges for the last minute at level 15. WOW...are my legs sore today! I'll be going to the gym tonight with the family. I think I'll do an aerobics class....we'll see.
Food intake is a-ok. Nothing too exciting happening but it's still all YOAD. Hey, I made the YOAD rice pudding and added raisins to it. YUM, YUM! My family loved it! I think everyone may have loved it too much.....makes them crazy when I limit the portion or the serving number. I think hubby would have eaten a trough of it, were it available! LOL! I must admit, it was yummy enough to graze on, no question.
Thinking a lot about some of the stuff I wrote about yesterday. One of my YOAD friends told me that some of the fear may be a deep rooted fear of change and actually succeeding. I think she may be right, especially the succeeding part. I literally can not imagine me thin. I never have been, I don't know how to imagine that. I have decided that it's time to start trying! I'm going to get there...I KNOW IT! With the support of my friends/family, my strong will, my exercise & diet ethic, it's GOT to happen. I just need to remember it's one bite, one meal, one day and one pound at a time. This is not a race. It needs to be slow & steady with constant determination.
Just for the record....I AM DETERMINED!
Hugs from AZ,
Shannon
Guess what else? I was actually dancing around the floor...in my size 18 pants. It was fun. I even got a few smiles my way. Hubby liked that too. He said I looked "hot". Awwww....isn't he a charmer! LOL!I made sure to go to the gym yesterday morning, because I knew I'd be busy last night. I did 40 minutes on treadmill from 3-4mph from a level 3 warm to level 15. Felt good! I even did lunges for the last minute at level 15. WOW...are my legs sore today! I'll be going to the gym tonight with the family. I think I'll do an aerobics class....we'll see.
Food intake is a-ok. Nothing too exciting happening but it's still all YOAD. Hey, I made the YOAD rice pudding and added raisins to it. YUM, YUM! My family loved it! I think everyone may have loved it too much.....makes them crazy when I limit the portion or the serving number. I think hubby would have eaten a trough of it, were it available! LOL! I must admit, it was yummy enough to graze on, no question.
Thinking a lot about some of the stuff I wrote about yesterday. One of my YOAD friends told me that some of the fear may be a deep rooted fear of change and actually succeeding. I think she may be right, especially the succeeding part. I literally can not imagine me thin. I never have been, I don't know how to imagine that. I have decided that it's time to start trying! I'm going to get there...I KNOW IT! With the support of my friends/family, my strong will, my exercise & diet ethic, it's GOT to happen. I just need to remember it's one bite, one meal, one day and one pound at a time. This is not a race. It needs to be slow & steady with constant determination.
Just for the record....I AM DETERMINED!
Hugs from AZ,
Shannon
Monday, August 13, 2007
Thoughts & Fears
OK--now back to the worries I that I mentioned yesterday. I posted a message similar to this on my YOAD message board this morning. I needed to share and I feel very "safe" there. They are my friends and they want to help.
I'm starting to have fear. I'm afraid I'll get unmotivated. I'm afraid I'll be a size 24 again. I'm afraid that I'm going to mess up. Why? I'm not sure really. Could it be that I just bought an entire wardrobe of size 18 pants and 1X shirts and I don't want to jinx myself? The only other time I have ever lost to an 18 was about 4 years ago, during the Atkins craze. I lost about 25 pounds and went to buy some clothes. I tossed out some of "my fat clothes", as my sisters called them, and bought a few outfits in the smaller size. Well, once I went off Atkins, I gained back the weight (plus). I was then left with 2 size 18 pants/shirts that I could never wear again (until NOW...YIPEE). They were an actual external sign of my failure to myself. I hated them and I really was ashamed of myself for gaining back the weight (over about a 2 year period).
Could it be hearing the compliments of my Mom at dinner the other night? (My mother has always been horrid at diet sabotage and turning her nose up at failing dieters--but not meaning to be intentionally mean or unsupportive, it's just the way it comes out. She has never been truly overweight, like I am/was, she's always been about 20-30 pounds overweight). Something about when she brings up eating or exercise....it almost makes me want to do the opposite. I'm sure this stems from being a child & adolescent and always getting the "you need to lose weight", "you are getting so big", "wow, what do you weigh" kind of stuff thrown at me. She also always put a carrot out on a string everytime I'd try to lose weight to try and motivate me (in her own way). She'd say stuff like, "If you'd lose 30 pounds, I'll buy you this", "If you lose 50 pounds, I'll take you here", "If you lose 100 pounds, I'll buy you a new wardrobe". I know that those things sound nice BUT for some reason they've always been the kiss of death. The other night, at my birthday dinner she said "You know, when you get down to the weight you want to be, I'll pay to have that big flab of skin cut off your stomach". UGH---I know that she means well and that she loves me, I really do...but SHIT! I wish she wouldn't say stuff like that to me. I'd just prefer the compliment and nothing afterwards, no string, no carrot, no "reward" for doing the right thing, for becoming healthier and for being happy.
In my mind, I'm thinking that's where some of these negative thoughts and worries are coming from. Almost like, she's actually wanting me to fail. Could that be possible? I don't know....I just know that I don't want to fail. I want to succeed. I am doing great with my food choices (staying at around 1,500 calories daily and eating YOAD approved foods), doing well with exercise as I'm going to the gym at least 5x a week and I have support from hubby at home (most of the time). Am I being a spaz? Are these irrational fears? Is this common to have fears like this during the journey?
I do know that I'm still on a journey. A journey that will take me down a path that's at least 70 more pounds, probably more. I really, REALLY feel like THIS is the journey and the path that is going to get me there. THIS is going to be the time that I lose the weight and get healthy...FINALLY. Maybe that in itself, is part of it. Maybe somewhere, deep inside me, I'm actually afraid to be thin. Could that be it? Hmmmm......
Shannon
I'm starting to have fear. I'm afraid I'll get unmotivated. I'm afraid I'll be a size 24 again. I'm afraid that I'm going to mess up. Why? I'm not sure really. Could it be that I just bought an entire wardrobe of size 18 pants and 1X shirts and I don't want to jinx myself? The only other time I have ever lost to an 18 was about 4 years ago, during the Atkins craze. I lost about 25 pounds and went to buy some clothes. I tossed out some of "my fat clothes", as my sisters called them, and bought a few outfits in the smaller size. Well, once I went off Atkins, I gained back the weight (plus). I was then left with 2 size 18 pants/shirts that I could never wear again (until NOW...YIPEE). They were an actual external sign of my failure to myself. I hated them and I really was ashamed of myself for gaining back the weight (over about a 2 year period).
Could it be hearing the compliments of my Mom at dinner the other night? (My mother has always been horrid at diet sabotage and turning her nose up at failing dieters--but not meaning to be intentionally mean or unsupportive, it's just the way it comes out. She has never been truly overweight, like I am/was, she's always been about 20-30 pounds overweight). Something about when she brings up eating or exercise....it almost makes me want to do the opposite. I'm sure this stems from being a child & adolescent and always getting the "you need to lose weight", "you are getting so big", "wow, what do you weigh" kind of stuff thrown at me. She also always put a carrot out on a string everytime I'd try to lose weight to try and motivate me (in her own way). She'd say stuff like, "If you'd lose 30 pounds, I'll buy you this", "If you lose 50 pounds, I'll take you here", "If you lose 100 pounds, I'll buy you a new wardrobe". I know that those things sound nice BUT for some reason they've always been the kiss of death. The other night, at my birthday dinner she said "You know, when you get down to the weight you want to be, I'll pay to have that big flab of skin cut off your stomach". UGH---I know that she means well and that she loves me, I really do...but SHIT! I wish she wouldn't say stuff like that to me. I'd just prefer the compliment and nothing afterwards, no string, no carrot, no "reward" for doing the right thing, for becoming healthier and for being happy.
In my mind, I'm thinking that's where some of these negative thoughts and worries are coming from. Almost like, she's actually wanting me to fail. Could that be possible? I don't know....I just know that I don't want to fail. I want to succeed. I am doing great with my food choices (staying at around 1,500 calories daily and eating YOAD approved foods), doing well with exercise as I'm going to the gym at least 5x a week and I have support from hubby at home (most of the time). Am I being a spaz? Are these irrational fears? Is this common to have fears like this during the journey?
I do know that I'm still on a journey. A journey that will take me down a path that's at least 70 more pounds, probably more. I really, REALLY feel like THIS is the journey and the path that is going to get me there. THIS is going to be the time that I lose the weight and get healthy...FINALLY. Maybe that in itself, is part of it. Maybe somewhere, deep inside me, I'm actually afraid to be thin. Could that be it? Hmmmm......
Shannon
Sunday, August 12, 2007
Quickie
Hi!
Just a quickie today, as it's pretty late. We spent most of the day doing the post b-day shopping with the gift cards I got for my birthday.
Well....38 is pretty good, so far. It's been a pretty nice day today and yesterday was too. The first 48 hours of 38-hood are a-ok! LOL!
I'll get into all the "goods" about shopping tomorrow. I've also had some fears creeping in about re-gaining weight (although I'm still doing great with my eating and exercise AND I'm still very motivated). I'll share those tomorrow too.
I have the day off tomorrow. I'll get caught up on my blog, some G.S. stuff and get ready for the Nickelback concert tomorrow night. YIPEE!!
Hugs for now,
Shannon
Just a quickie today, as it's pretty late. We spent most of the day doing the post b-day shopping with the gift cards I got for my birthday.
Well....38 is pretty good, so far. It's been a pretty nice day today and yesterday was too. The first 48 hours of 38-hood are a-ok! LOL!
I'll get into all the "goods" about shopping tomorrow. I've also had some fears creeping in about re-gaining weight (although I'm still doing great with my eating and exercise AND I'm still very motivated). I'll share those tomorrow too.
I have the day off tomorrow. I'll get caught up on my blog, some G.S. stuff and get ready for the Nickelback concert tomorrow night. YIPEE!!
Hugs for now,
Shannon
Friday, August 10, 2007
Birthday Eve---Quiet Day
Hello!
Kind of a quiet day today. It's been nice. I've just been getting ready for a big Girl Scout Registration event that I'm hosting tomorrow. I didn't have to work today so it's given me lots of extra time. I cleaned up the house, did the rest of the laundry, played with the dogs and didn't have anything else to do! LOL! I watched TV for a bit but I really didn't just want to sit around (wow, talk about a change! In the "old days" I would literally watch TV for hours).
The family & I are going to the gym this evening to try a new class called 50/50. It's supposed to be 50% cardio and 50% strength training. We'll see how it goes. I'm excited!
We went to the gym last night and I spent about 40 minutes on the treadmill and about 30 minutes doing weights. Guess what?! I'm actually jogging now at times on the treadmill!! How cool is that?! I'm so impressed with myself! I'm going to be able to do that 5K yet! (I am thinking about the 'Couch to 5K' program---I'm not at the "couch" level but I am certainly not a runner). Hmmm.....another possible goal.
I joined a challenge on Spark People last week called 31 by 31 the "Halloween Challenge". These folks are trying to lose 31 pounds by Halloween. I'm not sure if I'll be able to hit that mark, as they started back in July, but hey, I'm going to give it my best shot. Wanna join us? Why don't you try 21 by 31 or something like that?
OK, I better run. I need to drink another glass of water and visit with my daughter for a bit (she just got home from school).
Have a super day! YOU can do THIS!
Hugs,
Shannon
P.S. Tomorrow is my 38th birthday! YIPEE! You know what?! By the time I hit "the big 4-0", it really may be "the new 20", as they say! That will be AWESOME!
Kind of a quiet day today. It's been nice. I've just been getting ready for a big Girl Scout Registration event that I'm hosting tomorrow. I didn't have to work today so it's given me lots of extra time. I cleaned up the house, did the rest of the laundry, played with the dogs and didn't have anything else to do! LOL! I watched TV for a bit but I really didn't just want to sit around (wow, talk about a change! In the "old days" I would literally watch TV for hours).
The family & I are going to the gym this evening to try a new class called 50/50. It's supposed to be 50% cardio and 50% strength training. We'll see how it goes. I'm excited!
We went to the gym last night and I spent about 40 minutes on the treadmill and about 30 minutes doing weights. Guess what?! I'm actually jogging now at times on the treadmill!! How cool is that?! I'm so impressed with myself! I'm going to be able to do that 5K yet! (I am thinking about the 'Couch to 5K' program---I'm not at the "couch" level but I am certainly not a runner). Hmmm.....another possible goal.
I joined a challenge on Spark People last week called 31 by 31 the "Halloween Challenge". These folks are trying to lose 31 pounds by Halloween. I'm not sure if I'll be able to hit that mark, as they started back in July, but hey, I'm going to give it my best shot. Wanna join us? Why don't you try 21 by 31 or something like that?
OK, I better run. I need to drink another glass of water and visit with my daughter for a bit (she just got home from school).
Have a super day! YOU can do THIS!
Hugs,
Shannon
P.S. Tomorrow is my 38th birthday! YIPEE! You know what?! By the time I hit "the big 4-0", it really may be "the new 20", as they say! That will be AWESOME!
Thursday, August 9, 2007
Thoughts
Well as you can see, I have posted my weekly measurements and FINALLY posted my gym measurements. I am happy. I am doing well. You know, I am starting to actually think that this is IT, this is THE time that I'm actually going to make it to my goal. I am confident and fit. I am enthused and I have energy. I love going to the gym. I love eating healthier! I'm not hungry. I'm less stressed, less angry and rarely am discouraged.
WOW---I am just SOOOOOOOO excited about this and so excited about ME!!
I am 20 pounds away from 199---OMG! 36 pounds is the most weight I've lost in my entire life! Can you see me dancing on air here? I AM! :-)
Thanks to everyone that's been so supportive-my DH, my kids, my YOAD Family, Rich, Elizabeth and the new folks I'm meeting on Spark Pages.
I'm going to do this! YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
Have a super day!
YOU CAN DO IT TOO!! I BELIEVE IN YOU!
Shannon
WOW---I am just SOOOOOOOO excited about this and so excited about ME!!
I am 20 pounds away from 199---OMG! 36 pounds is the most weight I've lost in my entire life! Can you see me dancing on air here? I AM! :-)
Thanks to everyone that's been so supportive-my DH, my kids, my YOAD Family, Rich, Elizabeth and the new folks I'm meeting on Spark Pages.
I'm going to do this! YIPEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
Have a super day!
YOU CAN DO IT TOO!! I BELIEVE IN YOU!
Shannon
Today's Measurements (Weekly Thursday Measurements)
As of this morning, here are my numbers and what they are compared to last weeks:
Weight 219 (down 5 pounds)
Abs 42" (down 1/4") Sucked in Abs 39" (down 1 inch----OMG I am in the 30's!!!)
Chest 45 1/2" (no change)
R arm 14 3/4" (down 3/4")
L arm 15" (no change)
Neck 16 1/2" (no change)
R thigh 26 1/2 (no change)
L thigh 26 (no change)
Abd Apron/Pannus 50 1/4 (no change)
Numbers since beginning measurements on 7/12/07
Down 16 pounds
Abs Down 2.5 inches, 3.1 inches "sucked in"
Chest Down 2.8 inches
Right Arm Down 2.75 inches
Left Arm Down 2.75 inches
Neck Down 1 inch
Right Thigh Down 1 inch
Left Thigh Down 1 inch
Abd Apron down 1/2 inch
Weight 219 (down 5 pounds)
Abs 42" (down 1/4") Sucked in Abs 39" (down 1 inch----OMG I am in the 30's!!!)
Chest 45 1/2" (no change)
R arm 14 3/4" (down 3/4")
L arm 15" (no change)
Neck 16 1/2" (no change)
R thigh 26 1/2 (no change)
L thigh 26 (no change)
Abd Apron/Pannus 50 1/4 (no change)
Numbers since beginning measurements on 7/12/07
Down 16 pounds
Abs Down 2.5 inches, 3.1 inches "sucked in"
Chest Down 2.8 inches
Right Arm Down 2.75 inches
Left Arm Down 2.75 inches
Neck Down 1 inch
Right Thigh Down 1 inch
Left Thigh Down 1 inch
Abd Apron down 1/2 inch
IMPRESSIVE NUMBERS, I'm very excited & proud of myself!!
I CAN DO THIS!! I AM DOING THIS!!!
Yipee!!!!!
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