Moving On

Sorry I haven't updated lately. This weekend was crazy busy, and then yesterday I was a little down. I found out I have plantar fasciitis in my left foot, so basically that puts an end to my walking and Wii Fit. Kind of depressing. I can "bike or do the elliptical" but since at this point I have NEITHER, that's a little difficult. I think I'm going to either invest in a bike or get one for graduation, so hopefully I can pick up on my exercise again! I cleaned out my car last night and literally couldn't move this morning, so I guess I did get some exercise in yesterday! :)

I've been doing pretty well as far as eating goes. Lots of oats for breakfast. My parents took me to Jason's Deli Sunday night to celebrate me completing the MBA program at Troy (whoooo!) and I had the salad bar. Probably overate a littttlllee bit, but I could have eaten a giant spud! So that's a step in the right direction.

The scale's still pretty stuck, but it will probably move now that I can't exercise. (sniff, sniff) I was down to somewhere between 213.2 and 214.2 this morning; it fluctuated. The Wii Fit scale (yes, I'm still using it to weigh in) put me at about 213.5, so I figure it's somewhere in there. I was going to WI tonight, but (1) I HATE weighing in at night b/c I've eaten alllll day, and (2) I'm busy packing for the BEACH!

I'm a little nervous about this beach trip. The girl I'm going with doesn't exactly watch her calories, so I'm hoping I can take enough low-cal snacks and food for me that I can cancel out any nasty eating I do! At least I can get fresh seafood! Yum!!!! I'm still trying to eat very clean, obviously, so we'll see how I manage. This will be the test!

It's funny to me; every since I started eating better it seems as though my skin has cleared up and even the bumps I have on my arms (not sure what it is) look better. So I can tell this is definitely healthier and better for my body!! Definitely a good thing.

Sweet Rewards

Sorry I never came back last night! It was busy; we went to dinner at McAlister's Deli, where I got a Veggie Spud (Yum!!) and, of course, their sweet tea. Only drank one glass though, and that was 32 oz! Then came home and worked on school work, worked out for a little while, and crashed.

This morning I hopped on my bathroom scale and was DOWN! Yay! 214.6. I'm hesitant to see if it will last; I'm so skeptical of weight loss now! We'll see. Breakfast was 1/2 cup oats, 1 cup Fat Free milk, 1 sliced banana, 1 Tbsp Natural PB, and some cinnamon. Delicious. I have a picture, but my work computer is funny about SD cards. It will get uploaded later, I PROMISE! :)

I worked out this morning for a bit before work. I have class tonight, so I wasn't sure how tired I would be when I got home. Hopefully I will get home early and have time for a walk; I feel so much better when I get outside in the fresh air.

Update in a bit with pictures!

Scales are Ridiculous

Went to Weigh-In (WI) at Weight Watchers today...up .5 lb. I was pretty discouraged, but I honestly think it's the exercise I've been doing. SO, I'm going to suck it up and keep going. I know I'm eating healthy and becoming stronger, and that's all that matters in my head. So whatevs. The scale can suck it. (No...I'm not bitter at all! :P )

I'm no longer a Green Monster virgin! I made my first one for breakfast this morning, and I must say it was pretty tasty! No picture (I PROMISE I'm going to start uploading pictures soon!), but it was made with: 1.5 cups baby spinach, 1 banana, 1 Tbsp Natural PB, 1 Scoop Protein Powder, and some frozen mixed berries. Nom! That will definitely become a menu staple.

Lunch was leftovers from last night: Baked Orzo with Ground Beef. Truly DELICIOUS. I ate too much of it (leaving me with NO points left...glad I've worked out a lot!) but if you practice self-control, it's really pretty low-point. I had a side salad, as well.

We (my parents and I) are taking my grandparents out to dinner tonight. Hopefully I can find something good and low-calorie wherever we go. Dad and I are really trying to stay healthy. I'll try to update later. Now, back to work!

One week down!

One week has gone by since I began my half-hour work-out plan! It's really been going well, too; everyday has been some type of exercise. Last night was Zumba. They have the class for free at a friend's church, and I had heard it was super fun. I LOVED it. We worked out an hour (although I only counted it for 45 minutes) and did all kinds of dancing and exercises. When that music is going, you don't think about how tired you are, you just wanted to keep up with the song! I will definitely go back.

I was planning on getting up today and working out, but I had an early morning meeting so I missed out. Maybe after work. I did fix "Overnight Oats" last night. I enjoyed them, but I think I'll cut down on the yogurt next time. It made it a little bitter. Plus, it was more points than I'm used to spending at breakfast. That's not a huge deal, but it's hard to plan for lunch and dinner when breakfast uses up so many points.

I have made a decision though. I'm going to stop focusing on weight loss quite so much. I mean, obviously it will still be a factor since I'm going to WW, but it's not going to be the only thing I look at. I'm going to try to improve my overall health. I'm going to eat less processed food and incorporate whole foods into my diet. (Much easier when Fresh Market opens in August!) I'm also cutting out things that are hurting my body. I'm still going to enjoy my twenties, but there's no reason to damage my body while I do it!

I can already tell I'm losing inches; my stomach is smaller and my legs feel (to me, anyway) more muscular. I'm going to get my bike fixed SOON; I want to go to Callaway Gardens and ride the trails. I feel SO optimistic about this!

Keeping Up the Pace

Finally down a lb this morning: 216.0! That's not quite as low as I'd like, but at least the scale is moving down instead of up! A friend and I went walking last night at Lakebottom (a local park) and walked the whole track twice. That's 3.5 miles! It took us an hour since we were walking at a slower pace, but I did it! I was pretty proud of that.

I tried to get up this morning and do my Wii Exercises (I haven't done them since Friday), but I had the worst headache. I moved my head and it just throbbed. So I weighed in, took some medicine, and lay down until I absolutely HAD to get back up for work. My head's feeling MUCH better now, so hopefully I can exercise this afternoon. I think I'm going to a Zumba class a friend invited me to. I've never been, but I've heard they're fantastic, so hopefully I'll enjoy that.

Done fairly well on food. I'm still tracking EVERYTHING. It's been a week since I started exercising and tracking again. Hopefully my weight will catch up soon! I am pretty proud of myself for tracking and exercising. It's really funny to me; it seems like everything I do now revolves around working out. Almost as if I plan my days around my workout schedule. Crazy! But it's only been a week, and they say it takes 21 days to make/break a habit.

I'm weighing in on Thursday this week at WW; I have class on Saturday. I probably won't lose, and I'm trying to make myself ok with that. I'm becoming healthier, and that's what counts. (I still wish I could record a loss in my little book...)

Frustration (but Committment!)

Sorry there was no real post yesterday; I thought it was going to be a lazy Sunday, and then the day exploded. My phone was ringing off the hook. I almost thought I was going to miss my exercise, but Dad decided to go walking and waited on me to get home! I love my pops! :) So we walked a bit slower, but we got our 2 miles done in a little over 30 minutes. He was sad about the longer time, but it was nice for me to not be huffing and puffing at the end.

In more upsetting news (for me, anyway), I weighed in this morning, expecting a nice small loss. After all, I've been working out, tracking, and staying OP, except for that mess of Saturday night. The verdict? Up 2 from yesterday, up FOUR from Saturday! What. The. Hell. So I said, maybe my scale is just crazy; it was having a fit last night when I weighed. So I went to try to weigh in on the Wii Fit...and the Wii won't come on. I call dad, start freaking out (poor dad), and FINALLY got it to work, only for it to tell me I was up on it too (about 216.5) UGH!!! I fought back my tears (seriously. I'm so overemotional sometimes), made a protein shake, and came to work.

Now, I have two options. I can let this throw me off my game OR I can push through it. I'm definitely choosing the second option. I've decided that I'm going to not focus on the scale quite so much right now and hope that the gain is a temporary set-back from exercising more often. I'm going to keep exercising and, after three weeks (April 27) I'm going to try on my "skinny jeans". They're from my senior year of high school and a size 14. A SMALL size 14. lol. Anyway, even if the scale keeps being a cootie queen, (hehe), I can see how the pants fit compared to the last time I tried them on. Granted, that was almost a year ago, but still. I wasn't exercising as much then. I want to see if my body is changing, even if the scale isn't.

That said, I still want the stupid scale to move down instead of up. It's frustrating when you're doing everything right, and the scale refuses to show progress. Sigh.

Just a quick check-in

Last night was a complete and total BUST. Quiznos (which isn't exactly high on the nutritional scale) then Starbucks. Usually I do ok at Starbucks, but last night I splurged and got Cheesecake for some ungodly reason. Probably b/c the girl I was with got it, and I'm all about doing the same. The result for yesterday? -43 points (yes, I tracked), and a weight gain of two pounds this morning. Sigh.

Back on track today!! And extra exercise, hopefully, just to build those AP points up.

Motivated!

Look at me, updating 4 days in a row! I went to Weight Watchers this morning and maintained from the last time I was there. 216 on their scale. HOWEVER, I was at 213.6 on my scale this morning, so like it or not THAT'S what I'm following! :) I'm not going to lie though, I was pretty frustrated when she told me I didn't lose. I'm just hoping it's muscle I'm building. If I maintain again this next week, I'm going to have to change something up.

I made a protein smoothie for breakfast when I got home (it was really more like brunch, lol), but it was DELICIOUS. I'm definitely going to start making those more often. I went on a walk for about 30 minutes after that, so another day down towards my two-week goal! I'm pretty proud of myself.

I think that working out daily boosts my self-esteem so much. I mean, I know it's only been five days, but it's amazing how much happier I feel and how much my outlook has changed on certain things. My body shape hasn't changed yet, and according to WW I haven't lost much weight, but before, I was willing to take whatever I could get from a guy. Willing to put aside my true feelings and wants just to have someone act interested. Now? I feel like I am the most important person in my life. I have to put what I want first. Who is a guy, any guy, to tell me I'm not worth a relationship? To tell me I'm not as beautiful as another girl? I deserve the absolute BEST because I am a beautiful, strong woman who is working on bettering herself and becoming the best version of me. Come on!

Anyway, there's a few thoughts bouncing around in my head (besides that little rant) that I want to talk about on here later this week. More motivation to post!

Oh! Another victory for me? I've tracked EVERY single thing I ate today (unusual for a Saturday) and didn't binge. Did I eat a little bit more "unhealthy" than usual? Sure. I had a hot dog with a regular bun, with baked tostitos and some veggie dip. Then I had my one chocolate bunny from Easter with milk. But I measured and counted everything I put in my mouth and I feel SO good. Here's to keeping this going.

And just to leave you with something I know EVERYONE'S dying to see (haha!) here's a picture of me after my walk today. No make-up, sweaty faced, but so proud of exercising on a Saturday.

Ups and Downs

As of today, I have officially worked out four days in a row. Only the last three have been for over 30 minutes, though, so I'm not counting the first towards my two week goal. Go me! I actually got up this morning and reached my Wii Fit daily goal (230 cal burned), which I usually don't hit. Hopefully Dad and I will go for another walk tonight; I really enjoy getting to spend some time with him.

That's the good news. The sort-of bad news (to me, anyway) is that I was up a lb to 216.2 when I weighed this morning. Argh! I know, I know; it's probably some muscle or my body retaining water, but STILL. I want to lose weight for Weight Watchers tomorrow! I've actually spent this week on plan, and I want to prove it. I've gained for so long when I go in there, saying "I swear I've been on plan! It's muscle!" probably won't cut it.

Not sure what's going on tonight. It's Friday, but I really kind of want to just chill at the house. We'll see. Walking is definitely planned, though; it's GORGEOUS outside! :D

Rain, Rain, Go Away

Today is a messy, gloomy, rainy day. It's kind-of a downer after so many warm, sunny days in a row. I've been in a great mood everyday this week, but today? I just want to go home, curl up in my bed, and sleep. Not exactly a way to burn off calories, huh?

I weighed in at 215.2 this morning; a maintain from yesterday. I'm not going to lie, I was a little disappointed. I have to get over that, though! I get used to losing pretty quickly, and then when I don't lose I get upset. But, technically, I've lost 5 lbs this week. Yes, it's from water weight, but that scale is still down and that's what's important to me right now.

I've also worked out three days in a row (before work) now. Dad and I went walking last night; we finished two miles in 30 minutes. I know that's slow to all your runners or regular walkers out there, but I haven't walked in a LONG time. I was pretty proud of myself for (a) the time, (b) the distance, and (c) the fact that I actually did it. Then I got up this morning and did 23 minutes on the Wii. Doesn't burn a ton of calories, but it gets me moving and puts me in a good mood (generally) for the rest of the day.

What put me in a BAD mood today was the fact that I can't read (or pay attention to things!) and the dressing I thought was fat-free is definitely NOT. I spent 4 points on my salad with 3 Tbsp of that dressing. NOT. happy. However, I'm tracking it and moving on. Hopefully I can get some activity points and burn off the excess.

I'm looking at getting a heart-rate monitor for an exercise goal. I really want to keep working out, but I don't want to spend $100 (or more) on a Polar and then just quit exercising. (I do have a tendency to just....stop.) So I think if I work out for two weeks straight, for at least 30 minutes a day), I'm going to invest in one. That's my reward. You heard it here first, kids; the first exercise goal I've set on the blog. Whee!

Starting Off Right

Let's see if I can actually keep up with a blog for once. This is mainly for my own purposes (ie: keeping up with my weight loss/points/etc), but if it helps people in the blogosphere, that's cool too. As you can tell from the "about me" and blog title, I'm trying to lose the weight and tone up. I mean, Summer is coming and in sweet home Alabama that means going to the beach/pool/river/lake/etc. It stays about three million degrees around here, and keeping cool is the name of the game. However, bathing suits and shorts don't look great on...heftier people. Another reason for me focusing on weight loss is my health. I'm 23, I want to get the weight off NOW and not wait until I'm 30 or 40 and it's a lot harder. I'd rather tackle it when I'm young, with no family commitments to get in thew way.

I've been a paying member of Weight Watchers for a little over a year, but I haven't actually been following the plan for a while. (Bad me!) That said, the plan WORKS when you work it. So as of Monday, I've gotten back on the wagon and am trying to focus my energy on getting in shape. I have a goal, I have a plan, and I'm going for it.

I graduate with my MBA on May 21st, and I would love to be under my high school graduation weight at that point. That said, my goal weight is 199 for May 21st, 2010.

Now. For Today:

Weight: 215.2
Exercise: Wii Fit (27 minutes)

So I have 16.2 lbs to lose in six weeks. Wow. I didn't realize it was that little time left. That's about 3 lbs a week. It will be difficult, I admit. However, I'm going to shoot for that, make it my short-term goal, and focus on that from here to May. I'm going to try to use this page as my motivation. I also have a SUPER cute bathing suit I'm using as motivation that's a size smaller than I am now, as well as a pair of jeans I wore my senior year in high school. (Six years ago! Gah.)

Updates will be coming. Wish me luck!