Off Track

I've gotten off track over the last few months. Lost focus of the what and why I was trying so hard to lose the weight. I have reevaluated my reasons and come back to the fact that this is for me and my health and for my emotional well being. But we all know that thoughts are good, but they are not actions - and along comes Christmas. Usually a tough time if you have already gotten off track, but not for me this year. This year I will be spending 12 days in Texas with my mom and we are having our own boot camp. Mom belongs to a gym and has gotten a pass for me to join her. She already takes multiple fitness classes a day, but there are a few she wants to try that she doesn't want to try by herself. We have planned to take 4 1-hour classes each day. Plus swim and use the hot stuff. We are both very excited!! Not to worry though we are not losing the fact that it is Christmas. We are going to go to the Candle light service on Christmas Eve and then Christmas day we are going to spend at Moody Gardens. We are also going to hook up the web cam and get some face time with the family.
And so I leave you with a video from Last weekends great adventure with Nat.

car 54 where are you

We made to cedar rapids - 21 hours!! Now shopping with tara tara!

Updating a different blog for the next week

I am going on vacation for a week and a half - I will be updating hopcoach.blogspot.com will I am away. We are driving so hopefully there will be some interesting posts.

Question for You?

So for those of you that have lost enough weight in the past to have to go and buy new clothes - how do you become comfortable in tighter fitting clothes? I like big sweatshirts (yes I know I now live in Florida, but they are still my favorite). I find as I am trying to shop for clothes that fit the new me that I am discouraged - everything is smaller and tighter - and that has never really been my choice for every day clothing. I believe no matter what your weight is you should be comfortable with your own skin - but that can be tough when they clothes you are wearing don't make you feel that comfortable. So any ideas, thoughts or your own experiences?

Never thought I would put this much thought into clothing.

Wow! another bench mark

As of this morning I have lost 31.7 pounds. Over the 30 pound mark. And I am so excited because our pool in our community just opened, so I can start swimming again. That will be a nice addition to my work outs. Especially on days like to day, before the humidity is added in the temps are about 100 degrees. Running in 100degree weather can be very difficult.

And for those that hadn't heard yet - my brother and his wife are pregnant! Expecting in March. We are all very excited for them.

Distractions

Ok - so with the family reunion only 11 days 3 hours away I am finding it very easy to be distracted. Not wanting to get derailed, especially with all of you coming down I had to find away to make myself want to work out every day. I have found 2 ways to do this.
1) I created a challenge on Nike plus - which works with my ipod and I made it an open challenge so there are other people that have joined and I do not even know who they are. I have also posted the widgit on the right hand side of this screen so everyone can see my progress. The challenge? At least 2 miles every day between now and the 20th.

2)I downloaded a series of audio books (there are 12 books in this series) that are a suspensful and action filled and I only allow myself to listen to them if I am working out.

I can't wait to see everyone - its going to be a great week!

Allie

10% reached

Well today I reached my 10% goal!!! Long time coming, but a big milestone to finally make. Below are pictures to show the progress. I am still waiting on the results from the tests done this week - but I am feeling much better.

Over the months and years


10% picture

Wahoo!

I am past the 20lbs mark! And I am pretty much in size XL shirts and I have to wear belts with pretty much every pair of pants I have, because I'm not quite ready to go by new cloths yet - probably will soon though or all my cloths will look huge.

Making progress

So last week I lost 4lbs, this week I gained 1 lbs. A little rough, but I just don't lose 4lbs at a time and I think it was a shock for my system - I don't even know how I did it, so gaining the 1 lbs this week didn't bother so much. I'm still on track and following my plan and have 2 friends at work who are doing the same so besides my family - who I turn to often - I also have a little more support closer to home every day.

The really good news? Well I am going to be a bridesmaid in September and went to try on dresses yesterday - the dresses that fit were a size SMALLER than the size jeans I was wearing!!!! That never happens I am so excited.

Hope you all have a great week.

Yeah! I got sick

What is up with this title? Well I felt really shaky and fuzzy in the head for most of this week - so I obviously went to see my DR. She ran blood work and we figured out that with my 18lb weight loss that the two metformin pills a day was now too much and it was causing my blood sugar to dip to far. So now I am off the metformin until Sunday and then if I am feeling all back to normal I will only take one pill a day.
So being sick meant that my weight loss efforts are working!

And it looks like I may be going to the beach tomorrow with some girl friends - YEAH!

Balance

Life is all about balance - easier said than done sometimes. I have put half my hours in for the week and it is only Monday morning. But thank goodness I have a buddy that is coming to Zumba with me on Wednesdays and Fridays so now we have someone to be accountable to.

New Meal - experimenting

Ok so I was getting bored with plain old chicken and I had a craving for chicken nuggets but didn't want to leave the house and so below is what I came up with, and I put it into the WW recipe builder and it isn't too bad. For a whole chicken breast - if you cut it width wise (I know it says length wise below) - you get 7 - 9 nuggets for 5 points. I also added Red Pepper flakes, basil, and chives for seasoning. Enjoy!

Honey Nut Cheerios Breaded Chicken Tenders
main meals
POINTS® Value: 5
Servings: 4

Preparation Time: 20 min
Cooking Time: 20 min
Level of Difficulty: Easy
Course: main meals 20 minutes is a rough est.. Cook until golden brown, or chicken reaches internal temp of 170, make sure chicken is throughly cooked

Ingredients

4 item(s) cooked chicken fillet
1/2 cup(s) Egg Beaters Egg Beaters
2 cup(s) General Mills Honey Nut Cheerios
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp table salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 cup(s) white all-purpose flour

Instructions

Add spices to taste
1) preheat oven to 350
2) slice chicken breats length-wise
3)Flavor the flour with salt and pepper to taste ina bowl
4) add 1 table spoon of water to the egg beaters in another bowl
5) smash the cheerios and flavor with desired seasonings
6) Dip Chicken in the flour mixture, then the egg beaters, and then the cheerios
7) once coated place chicken on parchment paper cookie sheet and place on middle rack
8) cook until golden brown

Hello Texas!

Well this week I lost 2.2lbs and I am off to Houston Texas to celebrate my dad's 50th birthday.

Zumba is going great! I have lost 3 inches off my waist.

Will update after return from Texas.

Wednesday

So I have been coming down with something, but it is taking its sweet time - so I decided to go to Zumba. Again I had an awesome time!! This was a different instructor so it was a little bit different and then on Friday it is another instructor so again there will be slight changes. It is an amazing work out.

Well tomorrow is Friday!!!!! TGIF

Zumba = AWESOME!

I just got home from my first Zumba class - WOW! If you like to dance this is the work out for you. A mixture of salsa, merengie (sp?), hip hop and a squats and other aerobic moves you are familiar with.
It takes me back to the days with the teens class at Daryls under Miss Renee! Kick your butt - oh Yeah, but it will be almost over and you don't know an hour has already gone by. What more can you ask from a workout? Nothing!

They have Zumba videos, but this is a class you should experience in person if you can, the class makes it that much more enjoyable.

Wish all of you who are trying to get healthy this year all the luck - and just remember its baby steps that will keep you moving in the right direction.

A Few more down

So I lost another 0.2 this week. Not a lot, but it is going in the right direction. I am going to try out a new work out class tonight called Zumba. It looks like a lot of fun and a good workout.
I hope all is going well in the world of the cold. It feels very strange to be January and to not be freezing all the time. I am sure I will grow use to it, but its going to take a while.

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all -
So this year went well for me. For the WW official total I lost 16.1 pounds (losing 0.8 between Christmas and new years!!!).

Yesterday I met with the DR who started all of this in April and by his scale I lost 18lbs!!! Definitely in the right direction.

So I am not going to make a Resolution this year - resolutions seem to have the connotation these days of setting yourself up to fail. My GOAL this year is to keep going in the direction I have started, one slow and steady baby step at a time.

I have a few small goals to help me throughout the year:
+ My work buddies and I are continuing our weight loss challenge - starting new every 3months.
+ My family reunion is in May and I will have not seen most of them since last Christmas or later, but they have been following my progress here
+ In September my friend is getting married and I am in her wedding (that's always a good thing to keep you motivated)

I have a great weight watchers leader and she has started sharing little anecdotes and stories with us through e-mail - I would like to leave you with one:

Life's Lessons from a Butterfly.

Let go of the past.
Trust the future.
Embrace Change.
Come out of your cocoon,
Unfurl your wings.
Dare to get off the ground.
Ride the breezes.
Savor all the flowers.
Put on your brightest colors.
Let your beauty show.

To all of those of you somewhere on your weight loss journey - remember it is a journey and that means that the road will be long, windy and unfortunately have hills - but with each twist and up there is a down and a straight parkway path, and as always that light at the end is there - your final official goal.