Hi. I'm Nicole.

Remember me? I'm that one person who set out to accomplish amazing goals.

I'm here. Here's what's been going on.

Nothing that excuses not working out.

Okay, I take that back a little. Grad school is hellaciously busy. My prof thinks he's all that since he just got his PhD and is teaching his first graduate level course. I'm sorry, but take your arrogance elsewhere. Last night, I bullshitted my way through a five page paper on instructional learning theories and how they're effectively used in my school. Really? How is this going to make be a better principal? It's not.

On a bright side, if there is one, I've maintained. My weight this morning was 239.2. Pretty good for not working out in the last week. Eating actually has been okay for me. I need to get back to a schedule. But it seems like school crap pops up. For example, in two weeks, I'll have conferences until 7:30 PM. Ugghhh....

So, I'm here. I'm alive. Now, I need to get moving.

Well...

I'm here. I've been busy. Cut me some slack. No wait. Don't.

I have my weight and body fat, but no measurements. I'm actually happy to report that I was very busy this Labor Day weekend. I got a boost of energy and decided to paint our bathroom. Is it bad that my arms hurt from painting the ceiling? It is an awkward angle though.

I didn't stuff myself, but I wasn't good.

I'm just being.

I did do tae bo myself on Saturday morning and burned over 400 calories in 30 minutes. Don't ask me why I didn't do the full 60 minutes. I don't have a good answer.

My attitude is meh....blah...eh.... I'm in a wedding on Saturday. I'm smiling on the outside, but dying on the inside. Not where I wanted to be for this weekend. Wanted to be below 230. Instead, I'm barely below 240.

What is it going to take for me to get my ass in gear?

August Recap and September Goals

While I want to say August was a waste, I'm not going to. I still kept exercising, albeit fewer times than I wish. Life's going to change in that department. My gym is relocating to another gym and therefor, the class time is changing to a time I cannot do unfortunately. This is a temporary move as they are moving to a brand new gym, but they just started moving dirt around for that, so I don't know how long that will take.

I have three weeks left of Max10 and that makes me sad. I've loved this program and it's got me moving again for the first time in two years. Now, it will be up to me to keep moving. Funny thing is (okay, maybe not funny) I have all of the tools right in our basement. We have a treadmill, elliptical, Hand weights from 3-60 pounds (that latter end would be for my husband) and DVDs ranging from tae bo to Biggest Loser. We even have a hanging punching bag and a smaller kicking bag.

So, in three weeks, it's my turn to do it. It's my turn to use the knowledge I have (which I have a lot...it's applying it that's the problem) and APPLYING it! That goes for nutrition, too. Eating out has become all too common, and it's time for it to start.

I'm rummaging around plans and ideas in my head and I will have them finalized a week before Max10 finishes. I need to have a plan because if I don't, that's not good.

Until then, I do have September goals. I didn't accomplish much in August, so it's time to get back on track.

Goal 1: Lose 5 pounds
Goal 2: Work out at least 4 times per week
Goal 3: Log everything I eat on my blog DAILY whether I like it or not
Goal 4: Take measurements once a week, including body fat
Goal 5: Do something once a week that makes me happy...preferably something that doesn't cost anything

Stay tuned for starting stats...

August Week 3 Results

Short and sweet....

237.8 this week for a loss of 0.2 pounds. Amazing considering the week I've had.

Hoping for consistency this week!

August Week 2 Results

Exercise Goal: Max10 at least 5 days per week I made it 3/5 days this week due to school and other plans. This week will be the same :(


Nutrition Goal: No french fries....not eating out, not at home. None. They have no nutritional value and I feel I have an addiction to them! Did better this week...only once and they were baked at home.

Nutrition Goal: Eat more veggies and fruit Actually did work on this during the week.

Weight Goal: After vacation, I'm starting August at 239.0 so, my goal by September 1st is 230.0. This is going to be a challenge as I head back to work and temptations will be more present, but I'm determined to reach some goals. That means I would be looking at the 220s for September. That would be great. Lost last week's gain plus a pound. Was lower at one point this week, but it crept back up today for the weigh-in!

August Week 1 Results

Exercise Goal: Max10 at least 5 days per week I made it 4/5 days this week due to being out of town one of them.

Exercise Goal: Start C25K program 3x per week Scratch this. With school starting back up and being back to work starting this Thursday, I will not have the extra time for this.

Nutrition Goal: No french fries....not eating out, not at home. None. They have no nutritional value and I feel I have an addiction to them! Big. Fat. FAIL. Not once, not twice, but three times. One at home, and two out. Disappointed in myself here.

Nutrition Goal: Eat more veggies and fruit Actually did work on this during the week.

Weight Goal: After vacation, I'm starting August at 239.0 so, my goal by September 1st is 230.0. This is going to be a challenge as I head back to work and temptations will be more present, but I'm determined to reach some goals. That means I would be looking at the 220s for September. That would be great. Gained 0.8 pounds this week. Not surprised, but not happy. Not going to happen next week.

July Results....August Goals

July Goals and Results:
Exercise Goal: Continue Max10 at least 5 days per week (3 days...on St. Louis vacation other days...did walk quite a bit though there)

Exercise Goal: Do additional 30 min. of workouts 2-3x/week (bike, jog, walk, etc.) (None...too hot still)

Nutrition Goal: Eat out no more than 2x/week (Vacation shot this one down the tubes)

Nutrition Goal: Eat fewer carbs and more veggies and fruit (I'm proud to say that instead of fries with my meals in St. Louis, I ordered side salads! Huge step for me!!!)

Weight Goal: Weigh 235 by July 30th (trip with college friends to St. Louis)...less would be great, but this averages one pound/week. (Beginning weight was 242.0 and I finished at 237.0. Now before you yell at me, I'm actually very proud. You see, the third week, I weighed 238 and only because I had the flu, so when I started eating again, the weight came back, but I worked hard to lose it.)

August Goals:

Exercise Goal: Max10 at least 5 days per week

Exercise Goal: Start C25K program 3x per week

Nutrition Goal: No french fries....not eating out, not at home. None. They have no nutritional value and I feel I have an addiction to them!

Nutrition Goal: Eat more veggies and fruit

Weight Goal: After vacation, I'm starting August at 239.0 so, my goal by September 1st is 230.0. This is going to be a challenge as I head back to work and temptations will be more present, but I'm determined to reach some goals. That means I would be looking at the 220s for September. That would be great.

Here's a pic from vacation in St. Louis:

Week 3 Weigh-In

Exercise Goal: Continue Max10 at least 5 days per week (3 days...hubby's dr. appt. ran over so I missed Thursday, sick Friday and Saturday)

Exercise Goal: Do additional 30 min. of workouts 2-3x/week (bike, jog, walk, etc.) (None...too hot and been sick)

Nutrition Goal: Eat out no more than 2x/week (Ate out quite a bit this week due to heat-didn't want to turn on oven or stand outside and grill...so fail on this one)

Nutrition Goal: Eat fewer carbs and more veggies and fruit (I'm not putting a number on this but this is a serious goal I need to work on) (Ehh...did okay)

Weight Goal: Weigh 235 by July 30th (trip with college friends to St. Louis)...less would be great, but this averages one pound/week. (Beginning weight was 242.0 and this week, I'm at 238.0....loss of 4.0 pounds in three weeks...I attribute this to the stomach flu I got yesterday because I was planning on a gain this week)

Not proud of things this week and also got sick, so hoping this next week goes much better! St. Louis trip on Friday!

Week 2 Weigh-In

Here are my goals from last week and how I did this week:

Exercise Goal: Continue Max10 at least 5 days per week (6 days done, thank you very much!)

Exercise Goal: Do additional 30 min. of workouts 2-3x/week (bike, jog, walk, etc.) (That's a negative this week unless you count climbing up numerous steps yesterday, many times with a tube, at the water park)

Nutrition Goal: Eat out no more than 2x/week (Ate out twice this week...once for anniversary/job celebration and once for lunch at the waterpark....goal met.)

Nutrition Goal: Eat fewer carbs and more veggies and fruit (I'm not putting a number on this but this is a serious goal I need to work on) (Still working on this...this week was not stellar, but not horrible)

Weight Goal: Weigh 235 by July 30th (trip with college friends to St. Louis)...less would be great, but this averages one pound/week. (Beginning weight was 242.0 and this week, I'm at 239.8....loss of 2.2 pounds in two weeks...I've got two weeks to lose 4 pounds...doable, but time to step it up)

Today is a GREAT day!!!!!!

Here's what's happened today:

-I weighed myself this morning and the scale said 239.8

-It's my husband and my 4th wedding anniversary

-My husband was hired as an elementary PE teacher!

Today's a great day, I must say...if I may.....I'm a poet and I didn't know it!!!!

Here's some pics from 4 years ago...it was just as great of a day as today!

That's what I'm talking about!!!

Dang, it feels to be a gangsta....

Or completely back on track. I nailed it today, in all aspects. My diet was on key. My workout was phenomenal (gosh, I love kickboxing). I just feel good. I have energy. I feel healthy.

Now, I need to do and feel this every day.

On a somewhat unrelated note....happy vibes to my hubs and me as we wait to hear the outcome of his teaching interview from last week. Him getting this job would relieve some unneeded stress in our lives!!!

I FEEL GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRREATTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTT!!!!!

It's What's for Dinner

No, not beef.

Chicken!

I made an incredibly healthy dinner tonight and it was incredibly easy! I made grilled chicken sandwiches with a side of pineapple and strawberries. I simply marinated the boneless, skinless chicken breasts in Italian dressing, grilled them and put them on toasted whole wheat buns! Add some spinach and tomato and it's delish! No mayo for me...that's never been a problem though.

I had to make up for the not so healthy breakfast....the last piece of cheesecake from my birthday. I say I recovered pretty well. Goes to show that just because you make a poor choice first thing, doesn't mean you need to blow the whole day.

Those 230s are going to appear this week. I'm going to make it happen. And my next goal is that their stay is short lived.

Week 1 Update

Here are my goals from last week and how I did this week:

Exercise Goal: Continue Max10 at least 5 days per week (I only did 2x this week due to July 4th, my birthday, and they were closed today...interim weeks...new crew starts at class on Monday)

Exercise Goal: Do additional 30 min. of workouts 2-3x/week (bike, jog, walk, etc.) (That's a negative this week unless you count climbing up numerous steps today, many times with a tube, at the water park)

Nutrition Goal: Eat out no more than 2x/week (I say this because of birthday and anniversary and trip to St. Louis) (Let's see...1, 2, 3, 4....out of town last weekend and my birthday)

Nutrition Goal: Eat fewer carbs and more veggies and fruit (I'm not putting a number on this but this is a serious goal I need to work on) (I can say I worked on this, but there is room for growth)

Weight Goal: Weigh 235 by July 30th (trip with college friends to St. Louis)...less would be great, but this averages one pound/week. (Last week's weight was 242.0 and this week, I'm at 240.8....loss of 1.2 pounds which is good considering the lack of exercise and number of eating out times)

Tomorrow's the Day!

Tomorrow's my birthday....nah, nah-nah, nah, nah!

And it's "hopefully" the day I re-enter the 230s.

In case I don't, I am so proud of the workout I did today. I did kickboxing for the first time in a week and I pushed hard. My instructor even said at one point, "Damn, Nicole's on fire!"

Yes, sir.

I kicked it.

Did you?

Weekend Recap

Hi all! Hope you had a fabulous 4th and was able to enjoy some time with family and friends.

This weekend was one of my best friend's bridal showers and bachelorette party. I'm matron of honor in her wedding on 9-10-11, so I played hostess. Let me tell you how the weekend went:

-Went to the pool with hubs...fun and slightly active
-Centerpiece cake flopped on the two-hour drive
-Shower was chocolate themed....read: chocolate cake, Better than Sex cake (not sure I agree....!!!), Oreo cheesecake (yes, please drool with me), Three-layer brownies (holy rich goodness), homemade chocolates, and M&Ms.
-Four hours on the road
-Only one beer....bride is not much a drinker which bodes well for my diet
-Appetizers at a restaurant that were fried goodness
-4th of July party with carb overload...did make a patriotic jello cake though and it was yummy and super cute!

Notice: No active exercise. I don't count the pool. It was too busy to get my heart rate up.
Notice: No mention of fruits and vegetables. Yeah, didn't see much of those.

Today, I'm back in the saddle and worked out for the first time since last Wednesday. It was weights and bands night and I know I'll be feeling it tomorrow. Tomorrow's kickboxing, and I think it will probably kick my butt.

Oh well, that's my own fault. I deserve that.

Here's to being back on track. I'm not going to let one weekend detour me from my goals. I still have a goal of being below 240 by my birthday which is Thursday. This morning, I was 0.8 away from that.

July Goals

As June is ending (boo!), I've decided to publicly make some goals. I will report on these once a week and hope to attain them by the end of July. Did you know that July will have 5 weekends? Yay! :)

Exercise Goal: Continue Max10 at least 5 days per week

Exercise Goal: Do additional 30 min. of workouts 2-3x/week (bike, jog, walk, etc.)

Nutrition Goal: Eat out no more than 2x/week (I say this because of birthday and anniversary and trip to St. Louis)

Nutrition Goal: Eat fewer carbs and more veggies and fruit (I'm not putting a number on this but this is a serious goal I need to work on)

Weight Goal: Weigh 235 by July 30th (trip with college friends to St. Louis)...less would be great, but this averages one pound/week.

I will post a July starting weight, which I'm sad to report has slightly gone up since my 10 week testing on Saturday.

Progress made in 7 weeks pics

Here's a pic of my from my husband's graduation back on May 8th:

Notice I'm tugging at my shirt as to not show the muffin top....


Here's a pic of me today. I'm trying to decide if I can tell a difference or not. I think the muffin top isn't as noticeable...

Forgive my self portrait-taking abilities.

I've stared at these two pictures trying to find improvements. I think some in the face...some in the body. I know my legs are leaner but it's hard to compare since I'm wearing pants in the first picture. Sorry these aren't the best pics to compare but the graduation ones are the most recent "pre" pics I have other than the ones we took at bootcamp. And no offense, but those aren't going online!

One thing you can't see is my inner strength. It's there. I promise.

The results from bootcamp are in...

Weight
Week 1: 249.4
Week 10: 240.4

Body Fat
Week 1: 41.2%
Week 10: 39.4%

Neck Circumference
Week 1: 15.5
Week 10: 14.75

Chest
Week 1: 49
Week 10: 45.75

Waist
Week 1: 46
Week 10: 43

Hips
Week 1: 51.75
Week 10: 47.25

Thigh
Week 1: 28
Week 10: 25

Arm
Week 1: 15.75
Week 10: 15

1-Minute Step Ups (as fast as you can)
Week 1: 47
Week 10: 59

1-Minute Push-Ups (on knees)
Week 1: 25
Week 10: 42

1-Minute Full Sit-Ups
Week 1: 15
Week 10: 25

Conclusion: It's not the number on the scale that defines who I am or what I can do. Let the other numbers speak for themselves.

I'm back in the saddle again!

Sorry for the song title references, but they fit my posts :)

I took off last night of kickboxing because I didn't want to risk re-injuring or prolonging my ankle sprain and I'm glad I did. It felt great today, so I went to circuit class tonight and rocked it! I was able to do jump squats with the med ball and jump rope on both feet. They wanted us to do one foot at a time but I thought it wasn't worth the risk of hurting it or possibly twisting it again.

Another cool thing is that I've been asked to be a coach for the next 10 week session! One of the guys who teaches (his wife is also in my class) emailed me last night and said he wants to nominate me to be a coach because he said every time I work out I bring it and work my ass off. He said that's what the new crew needs to see and he thinks I could really motivate them and push them in workouts.

Wow.

I never thought I'd be a "leader" in a workout class. I do "bring it" every time in class because of the strength I feel. I push myself to places I don't think I can go and then go further. I do it for me. Not for anyone else. But now I'll have an added incentive because I'll have a team of newbies watching me. Get ready, kids.

Now, if I could get my full nutrition on game, things would be super swell. Did well today. I'm proud of myself.

Just when things were back on track...

During workouts tonight, I was doing jump squats on the steppers and as I was finishing up that circuit, I came down on my left foot wrong and twisted it. Being the "strong" person I am, I kept working out and didn't say anything. I had to modify the cardio circuits, because any sort of jumping on that foot hurt.

I came home and put it up and iced it now twice. It's not really swollen but the area on the side of my foot is sore to the touch and dark looking.

I'm beyond mad because tomorrow is kickboxing. I love kickboxing and everything about it. It gives me a great cardio workout and it's just fun. If this thing doesn't heal overnight, I don't know how much I'll be able to do. I can definitely do abs and punching, but I don't know how much kicking and jumping will be done.

Pisses me right off.

Self Sabotage

As I embark on week 10 of my fitness bootcamp, I find myself sabotaging my results that I could be proud of. In the last four days, I've eaten out five times. Saturday, I was so full from Mexican (hello, chips and salsa....I missed you) that I felt physically uncomfortable and almost sick. For some reason, as I'm finishing this 10 weeks, I feel like I'm suddenly invincible and can eat anything. Wrong.

So, instead of eating out tonight, I have a nice sirloin steak ready to grill and some veggies to go with it.

Kickboxing will be brutal tonight because I still feel full from my last few days of self destruction. But I'm still going. Hopefully I can kick some major butt.

Still in the 240s....my goal is that they're gone by Saturday.

I like to move it, move it.

You like to, MOVE IT!!!

Pulled out the good 'ole bike today. If you've been a loyal reader of mine (bless you!), you'll remember two years ago when my hubby and I got our bikes and rode the crap out of them that summer. We have mileage trackers on our bikes and mine said we had over 70 miles on it from that summer.

Well, we added to it tonight. I don't quite know the mileage, but I wore my good 'ole Polar F6 HRM and during our 31 minute bike ride, I burned 347 calories. That's like half my dinner!!! Sweetness! Add that on top of our tone and burn class (read: weights, resistance bands, abs, and some cardio) and I'm guessing I might have approached 1000 calories burned today!

This is a good thing. I've been flirting with the 239 pound mark on the scale all freaking week....240, 241, 240.2, 242, etc., etc. I want that new decade by gosh!!!!

As much as I'd love to say that I'll be getting in more bike rides this next week, I just saw the forecast for the next seven days and there's a chance of showers and thunderstorms every darn day! Bah humbug!!!!

Nine days until 10 week testing....

I feel strong.

I haven't said this in a LONG time. But I feel strong. I feel powerful. The numbers on the scale may not reflect it, but I think it's important to see yourself getting strong. I can do more push ups. I can kick and punch the bag harder. I can go faster longer on the step ups. I can do more sit ups (although the performance is still poor!).

I have completed 8 weeks of bootcamp or whatever you want to call it. While I haven't lost a gazillion pounds like I'd hope to, I feel a different loss. A loss of laziness. A loss of a lack of desire to do physical activity. A loss of a lack of thinking about what I put in my mouth. Now, I workout six days a week at my full potential at least 5/6 days, I think about my food choices before they enter my mouth (still tracking online). I don't give up after being 20 minutes into my workout. My classmates are noticing my strength and complimenting on it. My instructors are pushing me harder and harder because they know I can do it.

Two weeks from today, I will go through my 10 week testing. I hope to have lost at least 10 pounds by then. I hope to do more sit ups and push ups. I hope I'm more flexible. I hope I can jump higher. I hope I will have lost more inches than I did at 5 week testing.

But if not, I know deep down inside, I'm stronger. And nothing or no one can take that away.

I would really like to do another 10 week session but I don't know if it's the cards due to financial limits. I'd hate to stop this momentum when it's going so well. I just want to do one more 10 week session and get me into the school year again. Then, after that, it's up to me...unless I can afford to continue. Now, I just need a prayer and a miracle for my husband to get a call for an interview and then a job offer. Life would be so good if that happened.

The Heat is On!

So, do you have that song in your head? If not, you should!

Holy hotness is all I can say. We went from 60 degrees in May to 90+ degrees in June. On top of that, my gym is not air conditioned and I've had two days of unbearably hot workouts. Monday was kickboxing. They had us doing pyramids with partners. For example, maybe they called out right roundhouse kicks from 10 to 1. So, one partner does 10 right roundhouse kicks while the other person might be doing crunches or plank jacks. Then the other does ten. Then, 9, 8, and so on. That was brutal. I actually did not feel well the rest of the night and I think it was due to the extreme heat and cardio combined.

Yesterday was weights and bands. They had us doing circuits. We had everything from shoulder presses with weights to wall squats to tricep dips, to side squats with a step. They even had one of those floor ladders they use where you jump between boxes. It was hot but I didn't feel quite as physically spent as I was on Monday.

Today will be kickboxing again and it's still incredibly hot out. I'm hoping the cold front goes through before 6 PM tonight when class starts. I think I will have more energy and gusto if it's even just 10 degrees cooler.

On the weight front, it varies. One day I'm at 240, the next 244, the next 242, the next 241 and so on. I'm really focusing on eating fresh fruits and veggies and getting my protein in. I'm trying to eat whole grains, but it's not always possible. Our final testing is just a short 2 1/2 weeks away. I'd love for the scale there to say 239 that day to show a 10 pound weight loss. That means I need to lose more pounds to get to about 236 here.

We'll see what the next 17 days bring...

Sweat...it does a body good.

Who needs milk when you have sweat? Okay, I obviously am not drinking my sweat. At least not intentionally...and I'm still drinking my milk...where am I going with this?

Oh yeah! Sweating. While some people find it appalling to see someone sweat or sweat themselves, I feel it as an energy rush. Your heart's a pumping, your blood's a rushing, and your endorphins are going nuts. I think of sweat as calories melting off my body. That's a good thing when you slipped up and ate McDonald's for lunch. Bad thing is that it didn't even taste that great. The sandwich was okay but the fries were greasy and let's just say my body said farewell to those suckers. You'd think I'd learn my lesson but I didn't. Subway just didn't sound good and I know I didn't have to order the fries, but it was part of the meal combo. Duh, you idiot. Ever heard of just ordering the sandwich?

Next time, that's what I'll do. It'll be cheaper and better for me.

I worked my ass off tonight in class. It's bands/weights night, so I pushed it and went up in bands and weight. Using 20 pounders on my squats just burned....but it felt good! Also, we had a push up challenge and I finished second in my class with 47 push ups in one minute. That's 22 more than when I started almost seven weeks ago.

I feel strong. Now if I can just get my mind/stomach in check with great choices, I could blow those numbers off the scale.

Live and learn. Then, sweat it off.

Summer Vacation Means....

-Ability to get groceries when it's not so god-awful busy.
-Able to buy, put together, and use new lawn mower to make the yard look gorgeous (read: workout, too!)
-Sleeping in and waking up on own, not to loud, beeping alarm
-Reading the newspaper (yes, I'm old-fashioned) while watching Good Morning America and Ellen
-Not feeling stressed

Is it a coincidence that my weight has gone down two pounds since school being out? I blame stress big time. I feel so relaxed and so good. I got about an hour workout in this afternoon with mowing lawn and now I'm off to my workout class for some weights and resistance bands. I kind of like the two workouts a day. In fact, I may just try that to see how that affects my progress.

While I know many of you who aren't in education are jealous of my time off, but after this year, I need a chance to refresh for the next crew in August. They literally almost killed me! I'm actually excited to not be working at all and only have six weeks of class (3x/week) starting here in a couple of weeks. I can focus on ME!!!!

After all, it is all about me :) LOL!!!

Excuse Eating

How many of you have eaten because you have so much to do? How about because you're under a lot of pressure? How about because you're exhausted and can't think straight? How about because you don't feel the best and comfort food sounds fabulous?

THAT'S ME!

Today was not a stellar eating today. I probably consumed my daily calories by noon today. Our lounge was full of birthday treats (for those of us who have summer b-days) and I ate and ate. I had snack mix, cake balls, scotcheroos, chex mix, chocolate covered strawberries (hey, it was partially fruit, right?!?)....

I was so full I didn't even eat much of my lunch. I picked at my grilled chicken, ate a bit of salad and ate my fruit. My body doesn't know what to do. I know that I should eat something tonight because I have to workout in the morning but nothing sounds good.

I'm in regret. When you've been so good for six weeks and splurge, it sucks. Your stomach feels like it weighs 1,000 pounds. You feel gross and feel like you look gross. But I didn't skip my workout. In fact, I pushed it tonight and upped my weights I was using. My biceps and triceps are burning still!

Lesson for the Day: Eat like crap, feel like crap.

No Mercy!

First things first....my thoughts and prayers go out to all of those affected by the devastating storms and tornadoes that occurred this weekend. Our sirens went off in town, but the severe storms stayed away. Unfortunately, this is not the same for thousands of others.

Week six of bootcamp has begun and they have literally no mercy on us. Kickboxing was so intense tonight. We were punching and kicking and doing ab work like nobody's business. It was insane! You know you're working hard when you're down doing a plank and you literally have sweat just dripping off of your face!!!

I feel good. I hope my body follows through!

5 Week Progress Report

I'll let the numbers speak.

Starting Weight: 249.4
Week 5: 247.0

Starting Body Fat: 41.2%
Week 5: 40.4%

Inches Lost: 4.75 in.

Fitness Changes:
Starting 1 min. Step-Ups:47
Week 5: 55

Starting Push-Ups: 25
Week 5: 35

Starting Sit-Ups: 15
Week 5: 23

Starting Flexibility: 9.75
Week 5: 11.25

Vertical Leap: 15 (both times)

Heart Rate Test: Let's just say my heart rate is happier now than 5 weeks ago.

Thoughts: I don't know. There were a couple of ladies there in similar circumstances. In fact, one who weighed more than me only lost a pound and didn't lose much for inches. Discouraged? Slightly. I also talked to a girl who did this in the fall and she said the first five weeks she only lost 4 pounds and the second 5 weeks she lost 10. The guy who runs the place said everyone's body is different and reacts differently.

So, here's to the next five weeks!

I'm not giving up

Saturday is 5 week testing in my bootcamp. If you've been reading my blog, you'll know I have concerns with results I'm going to see. I haven't seen the numbers on the scale. But there is measuring tape. My goal is to lose 1/2-1 inch per measurement (neck, chest, waist, hip, thigh...arm probably not so much).

I'm not giving up. If I don't like what I see on Saturday, then that proves to me I need to work harder before my 10 week test on June 25. And I have a plan for that. Even if I do like what I see Saturday, I just might do it anyway.

After all, I have goals to accomplish.

New clothes to buy.

More daylight to enjoy.

And someday, babies to conceive.

I don't understand.

I have been working out hardcore for 45 minutes 6 days/week and have been 95% diligent in following a healthy eating plan of 5-6 meals per day. I have felt stronger and better.

I have not lost a pound. In four weeks, I'm where I was a month ago. Next Saturday, we will have our 5-week check-in where we will go through all of the measurements, minute timings of sit ups, etc. I'm scared there will be no change.

Part of the issue...my IBS. I'm not blaming it, but I think it has something to do with it. Right now, I feel like a backed-up, bloated whale and I've only eaten two small meals, one containing fiber to try and get things moving. I feel like this is somewhat holding me back. I'll have two days where I eliminate (trying not to get too TMI) large amounts and then I'll go three to four days straining and barely getting rid of anything. My wonder is if I'm bound up and that's adding to my weight.

I don't know. I'm frustrated. I'm giving 110% into this program (I know I haven't blogged daily, but you bet your ass I'm doing it). I feel like I'm getting no where. By now, I expected to be out of the 240s for good. I'm not. It sucks.

In six weeks, we'll have our final results. I'm going to just cry if I've made no progress then. I didn't pay $300 to get nowhere.

I wish I knew what was going on wrong inside of me.

Update and back to normal

Well, I didn't get the job. I came in 3 out of 4. The two who "beat" me had financial experience in schools and are actually being recalled for an additional interview. I feel good about how it went and was proud of how I presented myself. I'm actually glad I didn't have the stress of being offered the job and then contemplate the 'yes' or 'no' answer.

So, time to move on.

This weekend was a big weekend in our house. After five years, my husband graduated with his BA in Physical Education. It's been a long road with a lot of stress, but now his classes are done. Next problem, no prospective jobs at this time. Jobs in education are tough right now with schools cutting budgets left and right, but it's even a bigger problem in PE because that's a specialized position that once people get in, they don't leave until they retire. Worse comes to worse, he can substitute which in a bigger urban area like ours, that won't be difficult, but the consistency can be an issue.

But anyway, back to me.

This week has been a stressful one. As a result, I haven't gorged in my eating, but I also haven't recorded what I've eaten. I've been snacking more on unhealthier options (crackers and cheese versus fruits and vegetables). My weight also hasn't gone down for the second week in a row. Part of that is the transfer from fat to muscle, but also some of it's from water retention to some unhealthier options.

So, it's time to hit the restart button and go back to reasoning why I started this 10-week program. I'm now entering week 4. I feel stronger, but I think I could feel better if I followed through with the nutrition part 100%. I will have a 5 week testing in two weeks and I want to see progress. So, I have a lot of work to make up for this week. Here I go.

Tomorrow's the day!

My interview is tomorrow!!! I'll have my first glimpse into the life of being an administrator. Anxious to meet the staff, see the kids and see if this is a right fit for me.

I've been working out this week, but to be honest, my eating hasn't been 100%. I haven't gone hog wild but I haven't tracked what I've eaten. For the next two days, I'm okay with that. Once I get this behind me, then it's back to tracking and focusing.

I multitask some things well, but not big things.

My mind is in 5000 places right now. Maybe I can report a more coherent blog entry tomorrow! Don't worry...I'm not missing kickboxing tomorrow night!

Bootcamp Week 3 Day 1

Holy cow, life is going by fast right now. Sorry I haven't been updating my blog. My life is all-consumed with this impending interview on Friday. No worries, though...I've been still working out and eating right.

Yesterday was the start of week 3 of bootcamp and we entered the phase called the "Burn Phase"....read: cardio max. In the 45 minutes of kickboxing yesterday, I don't think we stopped moving once. We went from punches to kicks to core work to jumping jacks to planks to more kicks and punches. I was dead.

People are work are already telling me I look thinner/leaner. Wish the scale said that. I'm up a pound from last week. I hate that I'm so attached to that stupid number. Some days it feels like my clothes fit better and others it doesn't. So I don't know! Frustrating. I want immediate gratification, but I didn't become this overnight. The change won't happen overnight.

Grrr....

On a side note with the interview, the more I research the school, the more I'm questionable about the future of its existence. It's solely a K-6 elementary building as the middle/high school kids go to a neighboring school with whole grade sharing. It's been doing this for 5 years and enrollment has declined every year. My question is, how long will this school be in existence? I can't take a job that won't be there in two years without knowing I had another job lined up. At that point, it would have to be another principal job as I would be too expensive of a hire as a teacher. It sucks because it could be the perfect first job that I can't afford to take. I'm sure the stress of all of this is playing havoc with my body as well.

Bootcamp Week 2 Day 4 and an Update

First off.....I HAVE AN INTERVIEW!!!!!! I've complained/bitched/moaned about applying for elementary principal jobs and not hearing a thing. Well, no more! Next Friday at 9 AM, I will interview for a K-6 Principal position in a small, rural school. There are only 90 students Preschool-6th grades so it would be a great size for a first job. I'm super nervous but super excited to finally have a chance to interview. It'll be about 45 minutes to get there, but I'm going to have to commute in order to get a first job as an administrator.

All of this has been wreaking havoc on my sleep. I'm guessing I maybe slept 2-3 hours last night because I'm thinking about what I'll say, what I'm going to ask, what to wear, how to sit....everything!!! It's a good thing it's week away so I can convince myself to chill out before then.

Bootcamp is still going well. I'm still being a good girl and watching what I eat. I admit, I had a cookie yesterday and I didn't die. I did great today and plan to do so again tomorrow. I know that I get Mexican on Saturday and I can have what I want, so I'll live :)

I'm concerned about my weight, which I need to quit, but I've been weighing myself every day this week. I've gained one pound since last week and have recorded everything I've eaten and have stuck to my portions. They tell us not to weigh ourselves, but it's a bit of an addiction. I need to assure myself it's going to be okay. I guess I just thought that since I had started working out 6 days a week and eating healthy that I would see a bigger loss in the first two weeks.

But for now, I'm tired. So it's time for bed.

Bootcamp Week 2 Day 2

Today, I had a better attitude. I changed up snacks a little (celery and natural PB...I know....SUPER EXCITING!). I avoided temptation of snacks. But I will admit that tonight for supper. I needed some carbs because I hadn't had many today (which is NOT normal for me...I'm a carb-addict!). So, I made cottage fries from the freezer and baked them and ate them with my grilled sirloin and green beans. They didn't take up most of my plate like normal. Green beans took up half, sirloin a fourth and the fries a fourth. And I didn't have seconds.

Class tonight was challenging as always. Whoever said resistance bands are easier than lifting weights must not have done a resistance bands class for an extended period of time. OUCH!!! Shoulder presses, chest presses, squats (yuck), lunges (bigger yuck), and intermittent crunches, planks, etc.

Tomorrow is kickboxing at a whopping 5:30 AM!!! Ugghhh.... I hope I don't drag through the day as much as I did last week. That was torture! Tomorrow is my last official night of night class. I already have plans the next two Wednesday nights, so I have two more weeks of 5:30 AM kickboxing plus next Friday morning! It wouldn't be so bad if my hair didn't take so long to do! Last week was pretty much a wet ponytail...we'll see if I can be more efficient tomorrow morning!

The things you do to help you achieve your goals....I tell ya!

Bootcamp Week 2 Day 1

Kickboxing kicked my butt. Holy cow. I really, really pushed myself. My shirt was drenched in sweat. I went to put my shoes on and got a little lightheaded. When I got home, I asked my husband about it. He said it's because I didn't have any carbs before my workout. This is true. I was in a hurry so I just quick grabbed some beef jerky. That's protein, which is great, but that's probably why I was so worn.

I'm struggling with meals already. I'm trying to keep things as natural as possible but I feel like I'm being too repetitive. Tonight, I was going to make chicken stir fry but I was too worn out. My husband offered to go get drive thru....right, dear (he can do that and not gain weight)...and I told him that I couldn't. After all, I had made it through lunch at Chili's without the temptation of chips and salsa and queso that my co-workers had. I decided to go out with them because I did want to socialize and knew I could make a healthy choice. So, I had a cobb salad with grilled chicken and dressing on the side. So, for supper, hubby went and got Burger King (I admit, I did have three fries) and I had scrambled egg whites with turkey bacon, green pepper and mushrooms.

Totally not satisfied.

But I'm also not satisfied with how I look.

It's a battle that will continue to face every day for the rest of my life. What does satisfaction mean to you with food? With looks?

Bootcamp Day #6 and a chicken

Saturday morning was my last day of week 1 for bootcamp. In the 45 minutes, they did both kickboxing and resistance bands. Our warm up was jogging around the gym. Then, they had us partner up and one partner was running with a resistance band around their middle while the person behind was pulling on the resistance band and dragging their first. Envision: Jillian Michaels on Biggest Loser. This was tough! The class continued to be as equally tough and my shirt was thoroughly soaked when we were through.

I decided to stay for yoga. I've never done yoga before so I was anxious to check it out. It was very relaxing. She did a lot of stretches and during the last 10 minutes, we did relaxation and I literally almost fell asleep! It was great. I definitely am going to try to stay for yoga each Saturday if I can.

Today was my day of rest. Since I used yesterday as my "free day" for eating (Easter dinner at the in-laws yesterday), I was back on track. Hubby and I were running errands at Walmart and I decided to get a rotisserie chicken from their deli department. It smelled delish and I knew that if I took the skin off, it would be super good for me. So tonight for dinner, I had chicken (no skin!) and a side salad. It was so good! My husband loved it as well. Since you get a whole chicken, I literally dissected it to get all of the meat off. I pulled all of the skin and fat off and I have an entire container full of it! It'll be great to grab from for snacks or to take a container of it for lunch.

I have many challenges to overcome, but right now, I know I can do it. Tomorrow is a teacher inservice day and the usual "routine" is to go out for lunch. I'm going to pass. I'm bringing my lunch and will eat it at school. It stinks that I'll miss the social part, but right now, my program is more important for me to stick to. Hope my co-workers understand.

Another challenge this week will be that it's Administrative Professionals Week. In honor of our secretaries and associates, each grade level brings treats throughout the week for them. This is hard. So far, I've made it through two treat days from birthdays last week, so I've got four more this week. I can do it.

Bootcamp Day #5

Sorry I forgot to update bootcamp from yesterday...was too excited about the green smoothie!

I approaching the end of week 1 of bootcamp. I'm tired. I'm sore. But as of this morning, I'm almost 5 pounds down from last Saturday.

Tonight, in kickboxing, it kicked....well, it kicked my butt! Jab, cross, hook, uppers, overpunch, front kicks, crunches, jumping jacks, push ups, lunges. You name it, we did it.

I'm starting to worry that I'm not getting enough calories. I logged my food from yesterday and it totaled around 1400 calories. For a person my size, that's about 800-1000 less than what I should be eating. But, I'm not hungry. When you eat lots of greens that are worth so little calories, you're full and it's hard to eat more.

Tomorrow is combined resistance bands and kickboxing and then a for the first time, I'm taking the yoga class after.

Happy Easter all!

Green Smoothie!!!

Okay, this isn't the best pic, but here she is after blended into her green goodness!!!

8 oz. water
1 banana
Handful chopped up pineapple
Big 'ole handful of spinach

And LIQUIFY!!!!!!!

Bootcamp Day #3

Whoever thought up the grand plan to work out at 5:30 AM should be shot. Okay, they shouldn't but those are my thoughts right now! Oww.. My body hurts. Last night, we did resistance bands and did whole body, but really focused on arms and abs. Just as my body was absorbing that, I go to kickboxing this morning at 5:30 because of my grad class tonight. It was a good workout. I found that I was more tired faster. I think it's because my body was running on a banana and cashews. But I didn't want to eat a lot before working out. I had my normal breakfast after getting home.

The soreness is beginning. My biceps, shoulders, back, and abs are so sore right now!!!! I know it's a good hurt but I'm going to whine if I want to!!!!

I forgot to bring a snack to school so I ate a small part of my lunch for my snack. Oops. My bad.

Now, to attempt to teach my fourth graders all day long!!!

Bootcamp Day #2

I'm tired.

Woke up today to 40 degrees and rain. We took the fourth graders on a field trip today to the University of Iowa campus to see three various museums. It was cold and dreary and exhausting. But, I went to workout tonight using resistance bands. We did all sorts of exercises...shoulder presses, chest presses, squats, lunges (hate those), and ab work. Tomorrow isn't going to be pretty. And the best part? I get to go at 5:30 AM because I have grad class tomorrow night. So on top of being exhausted and sore, I'm going to add to it.

Gotta love trying to get healthy!

I know I'm not supposed to weigh myself, but I did this morning. Down almost four pounds from Saturday. Not trying to get too excited but it feels good to see the scale do that.

I can do this.

I'm just tired!!!!

But as my dad said, I can sleep when I'm dead! :)

Bootcamp Day #1

I'm alive!!!

Kickboxing went well tonight. In fact, parts of it were a little slow paced because they were showing proper technique. Since I've taken kickboxing before, I know the punches, but I was a patient little girl and did my boxer shuffle while he showed the jabs! I still worked up a great sweat. Unfortunately, I can't really wear my HRM since we're moving around so much and the gloves/wraps get in the way of the watch, so I'm not sure how many calories I burn.

Here are my meals for today:
Breakfast-1 egg, 2 whites, 2 pieces of turkey bacon, and 2 pieces of whole wheat toast, small glass skim milk
Snack-Green smoothie (I promise pics will be coming...husband has the camera!)
Lunch-Chicken taco salad (Bed of lettuce greens with shredded chicken with taco seasoning on top, tomatoes, salsa)
Snack-Banana, cashews
Dinner-Steak salad (lean sirloin cut up on top of lettuce, tomato, green pepper, small spoonful shredded cheese, and 2 Tbsp. Ranch)
Snack-TBD....we'll see if I can do any more food tonight.

Today, I managed to avoid brownies, bars, cookies, M&Ms, and chips. It wasn't as hard as I thought.

I already get a challenge for tomorrow....field trip. Not exactly conducive to bringing a salad, so I'm thinking a natural PB sandwich, baby carrots, and some fruit. Snacks will also be hard as we'll be on tours when I'm supposed to eat, so I'm thinking cashews would be easy and maybe another banana. Trying not to get too much fruit in though because they want us to stick to 1-2 servings.

So, there ya have it! Day 1 in the books. I don't think it'll be too bad getting out of bed tomorrow, but Wednesday will be torture!

MAX 10 Orientation and Nutrition

Hi everyone! Happy Sunday!

As promised, I'm here to report on this weekend's orientation and nutrition seminar for my new bootcamp. Let's start first with orientation...

Orientation Results:
1-minute step ups: 47
1-minute push ups (girlie ones): 25
1-minute sit ups (not crunches): 15
Flexibility: 9 3/4 (not sure what that measurement is, but that's what they told me)
Vertical Leap: 15 (again, not clue what that means)

Weight: 249.4 (with shoes, pants, shirt, shorts, and sports bra on)
Body Fat: 41.2 % (yikes....didn't like that number at all)

They also took measurements but I won't bore you with those for now. I'll update the progress in five weeks.

We didn't do the mile run because in Iowa, weather changes in a finger snap, and it was sleeting/snowing heavily and the director decided not to do it. I'm guessing we will still do it at 5 weeks and 10 weeks though.

Nutrition Seminar:
Today they talked about the things we should and shouldn't be eating. They want us to eat as much natural, unprocessed food as possible. We're aiming for 5-6 portions of protein, 2-3 portions of whole grains, 3+ portions of veggies, 1-2 portions of fresh fruit, 1-2 portions of dairy, and 1-2 portions of healthy fats/oils. They also want us drinking a minimum of 8 glasses of water a day. Not a problem for me.

Then, they did a demonstration on how to make a green smoothie. I've heard about this from online message boards, but have never had the "balls" to try it. Today, they made it with water, fresh pineapple, banana, mango and spinach. Blend until the spinach has been chopped up and enjoy. The sight of it looked like Shrek's vomit. I was nervous to try it. I smelled it. It smelled like pineapple and bananas. Okay, I can handle that. I took my first sip. HOLY CRAP THIS STUFF IS GOOD! I proceeded to drink 2 1/2 more cups. It tasted very refreshing, light, but at the same time, filled you up. And the best part? It's SO good for you! Think about the vitamins you're getting, the natural sugars, the protein, the fiber, oh man, it's yummy. So I made my husband dig our blender we got for our wedding (4 years ago-never been used) and tonight, I will attempt this green smoothie myself! I will post pics and you'll see what I mean. If you haven't tried it, do. A great snack if you make a smaller one but this gal makes a quart sized one and that's her breakfast (drinking it throughout the morning). The possibilities are endless. You can add any fruit, change up the greens (romaine, kale, collard greens) and also add supplemental things like hemp seed (good Omega-3s), chia seed, etc.

So, tonight, I'm going to be a chopping fiend. I have bananas, strawberries, pineapple, celery, broccoli, and all sorts of stuff to cut up and then of course, attempt the green smoothie. My husband asked if it would be something he'd like. I said he'll get to try it tonight!!!!

Stay tuned for pics (assuming my blender works!)!

Who I Am and Who I Want to Be (Warning: Long!)

As I embark on this new challenge (AKA Bootcamp), I feel for me, it's time to look at where I've been, where I'm at, and where I want to be. This might be a long one, so hang in there while reading!

Growing up, I was always a heavier child. When I entered school in kindergarten, I noticed that I was a little bigger than the other girls in my class. It didn't bother me as I just played as was happy. Then in 4th grade, I noticed that I started developing in the chesticle area and that I was starting to get fat rolls. I became very self conscious about myself but hid it well. When I would get home, I'd have cookies and Mountain Dew. I played sports and enjoyed it. I never felt like I couldn't do anything because of my weight.

As I entered into middle school (why does anyone have to go through this stage of life, I'll never know), there was a definite difference in my appearance compared to the other girls. I clearly had a larger stomach, arms and legs. I wore boys clothes (shorts/jeans and t-shirts) because girl clothes didn't fit right and didn't look good. I started hearing the jokes that I had more rolls than the bakery, etc. I laughed them off but deep down, they hurt me. But I didn't do anything about it. I did participate in volleyball, basketball, and softball. I remember them having a tough time finding a softball jersey that fit me. I also remember that we could earn gold slips in school. If we earned 10 gold slips, we could get a candy bar at the end of the day. Being that I was the ideal student, I had gold slips galore. I savored in every Reese's PB Cup, Snickers, Whatchamacalit, M&Ms, etc. that I got.

As I entered into high school, I was over 200 pounds. I played volleyball my freshman year. I clearly remember the coach yelling and me to speed it up during our warm-up runs. I remember practically dying during sprints and killers. But I did it. I remember losing weight but not really making a big deal about it. Deep down, I knew as soon as volleyball season was done, I'd probably gain the weight back anyway. It bothered me, but not enough to do anything about it. I quit volleyball after the season and coach was not happy. We didn't see eye to eye but she wanted me as a setter and I didn't want that position, so I just quit.

I had friends in high school but I was always the third wheel. I know I was talked about behind my back a lot, but I just pretended it didn't happen and lived my life. My sophomore year, I started volunteering in an elementary special ed room. The teacher there was a first year teacher and we got along well. She struggled with weight too and so we made graphs about our weight and actually started working out after school. We'd go on walks around town or do a video in her classroom. That made me feel good and I liked seeing the results. By the time summer came, I was down 12 pounds and was happy with the progress I'd made. Summer came, and so did the weight. But again, I didn't care.

Junior year and senior year came and passed. I went to prom with my swing choir partner because I knew there was no chance that I would ever be asked. My group of friends all had dates, so I had to have someone. Ben was a trooper and we had a lot of fun. I remember writing in a journal my senior year that I weighed 240 pounds and was mortified that I weighed that much. I knew girls in my class who weighed 125. I weighed over 100 pounds more than them. But still, I didn't do anything about it.

I looked forward to college, moving away from home and the life of a small town girl and experiencing new things. My freshman year was a blast. I met a lot of great friends and partied a ton. My weight maintained and I was cool with it. I never met any boys, danced at clubs but was jealous of the other couples "getting it on" on the dance floor, wishing that was me. So, I went into my sophomore year knowing I wanted to change. I signed up for aerobics class at college and went faithfully 4 days a week. I started cutting down what I ate (A LOT), so much so that I begin just eating about once a day. I lost 18 pounds in a month as was so happy with myself! I also started looking online for boyfriends and met a guy who lived an hour and a half away. We talked for a few weeks and decided to go on a first date. He came up to my dorm and picked me up. I was the talk of the dorm, let me tell you! We went to dinner and a movie and things went fabulous. We continued to date throughout the remainder of my college years, doing the long distance thing. I went to his place every weekend because he didn't "care" to come up to the dorm or my apartment (Remember this fact....). The longer we dated, the less I worked out and the more weight I started to gain. He didn't say anything and I didn't either, so I assumed life was great.

I was placed for student teaching and he got a job in that same city, so we decided to live together. I didn't think life could get any better. We saw each other on a daily basis, I cooked and cleaned and everything was lovely. He proposed to me after about 5 months of living together (Dec. 2003) and I thought my dreams had come true. I started planning a wedding, bought the dress and felt as if my life was complete. We set the wedding date for June 2005. In the fall of 2004, I got my first teaching job. I'll never forget the night I got the phone call. When I accepted the job, I ran into the computer room (where he spent most of his waking hours) and told him the good news. His response was, "that's nice." My sister was also there at that time and she was ecstatic for me. I shoved it off as he was into his game and life went on. As we approached the holidays that year, his work shift changed from 2-11 PM, so I literally never saw him except for when he was asleep. I started noticing that instead of getting home at 11:30, it would 2 or 3 AM. I questioned him about it and he said he was going to a bar to drink with some guys. Okay, fine.

After a few weeks, while trying to be intimate, he totally dissed me. Then he said he had something to tell me. He told me he's been going to a strip club every night after work. He said he liked it because he enjoyed talking to the guys (oh yeah, right) and it relaxed him. I was devastated. He then went on to tell me he wasn't attracted to me anymore and that I was too fat. My life crumbled. He called the engagement off and I moved out and lived with my sister. I was so hurt, it made me sick. I couldn't eat. I lost 15 pounds in two weeks. My sister forced me to eat with her so she knew I ate. About a week after I moved in with my sister, he came to visit me to bring my mail. He said he'd made the decision that he didn't want to be with me anymore. While I was crushed at first, as time passed, I was okay with it. He didn't want kids (which I do) but I was willing to accept it and put up with it which I never should I have done. As I look back to that relationship, the first year was fabulous and then routine. He chose computer games over me and had told me if I wanted to spend time with him, I should play the online games with him. So I did. I was so gullible. I also found out later on that the night I moved out, he went on a first date with a girl he worked with.

I spent about three weeks in depression, sleeping a lot, barely getting through work (I don't remember how I taught then) and just existing. I got on the scale and saw I was 25 down from my highest just a month or so back. So, I decided to start watching what I eat and working out. My sister and I worked out together and had fun doing it. She was dating a guy at the time, so that kind of bothered me. But I used that aggression in my workouts. I decided that I didn't want to live with her for a long time, so I looked at renting an apartment. Then, I started looking at buying houses. I found a smaller house that would be perfect for just me and the payments were only $90 more a month, so six years ago today, in fact, I bought my first house.

I continued working out, losing weight and dating, but nothing panned out really. Until November of 2005, I met my now-husband. December of 2005, I weighed my lowest of my adult life, 214 pounds. I felt on top of the world. I looked good, I had a man in love with me, and it was great. And as with relationships, as I started getting comfortable, the weight crept on.

Fast forward to today (sorry, that was a long life story...hope you're still with me). I currently weigh 245 pounds. I don't work out consistently and my eating needs help. Again. Tomorrow, I embark on my Max 10 BodyShaping bootcamp for 10 weeks of hard workouts and monitored nutrition. My goal is to lose 20 pounds by June 25 (end of week 10). Ideally, I'd love to lose 30 but I'll take what I can get. I just want my body to respond. Then after June 25, I'm going to hit the jogging/running and hope to lose another 10-15 pounds before school starts. This could put me close to the 100s, something I haven't been in for 15+ years.

My goal would be between 170-180. Then, my goal is maintenance and toning. Assuming my husband gets a full time job (I pray to god that happens), I would like to start trying to conceive our first child in a year (summer 2012). My doctor believes I have PCOS and losing weight would be a huge asset in trying to conceive. I also refuse to carry a child at my current weight.

So, there you have it. That's my story and I'm sticking to it. I plan to blog daily on my bootcamp and nutrition activities. I will also post my weekly progress.

Here I go....

I love Spring!!!

I have been so in love with the weather lately. This weekend, it got to 84 degrees! To be honest, that was a little warm for the beginning of April but I won't really complain.

Another thing with warmer weather, I have enjoyed my evening walks with my hubby! We've gone an hour two nights in a row and I actually remembered to wear my HRM tonight and saw we burned 560 calories!!! Go us!

Bootcamp is approaching and I'm ready. I'm ready for this challenge. I'm ready to get my ass kicked (literally...you know, it is boxing and kicking...I digress...!)

But here's what I'm nervous about. On Saturday at 8 AM, I will go and find out just how horrible I've let myself get. I'll have the weight, body fat, measurements, number of sit ups (umm...yeah, maybe 2?), push ups (maybe 3?), step ups and the mile run. I'm hoping we're not running outside as right now, the forecast for Saturday is 49 degrees and rain. Yuck!!!

In preparation for bootcamp, I'm making sure I'm at least getting these walks in every night. Time to get my body trained. Trying to work out the meal preparation as adding this hour class six days a week is going to take a lot out of my evenings.

Just hoping my body cooperates.

MAX 10 Bootcamp starts April 18th!!!

As mentioned before, I signed myself up for a bootcamp for 10 weeks. The bridal bootcamp thing didn't pan out because not enough people registered for it.

So here's what I got myself into:

-Expert instruction. Most instructors are either martial arts professionals or certified fitness instructors.
-Motivational coaches. You will be assigned a supportive who has completed one or more MAX10 sessions. Your coach will help guide you through the 10-week MAX10 session. They are their to help answer all of your questions, and provide the motivation you need to stay on track.
-Fun team atmosphere. You will be placed on a team. Research shows that group formats are the key to obtaining consistent results over time. Being accountable for and to your team will help everyone achieve more!
-Reverse Interval Training techniques. Interval training has shown time and time again to be the most effective training technique for burning fat. We’ve taken it a step further and enhanced it to be even better. Come see how!
-Exciting workouts. Our 3-phase system and diversity in equipment and exercises combined with creative instructors make our program superior to others. We are proud of the training that we provide to our staff. We think well trained instructors make all the difference in the world!
-Diverse exercise modalities: We have combined the best from Kickboxing, boxing, Tae Kwon Do, resistance Training, free weight training, plyometrics, core work, and various stretching modalities to keep you coming back for more!
-Flexible class times. We have classes early in the morning, around the noon hour, after work, and later on at night. We even have our MAX10 Express class which is a shortened format for busy lives. Can’t make it to your normally scheduled class time? No problem, drop in to any other class time, or come to the Saturday Express class!


MAX10® sets you up for success with the tools to shape your body. Tone and firm your figure with high intensity, personal training style workouts. Boost your endurance, lose weight, increase your strength and transform your physique. Gear up with professional kickboxing equipment. Hit the bodyshaping books with the MAX10® Body Shaping Manual. Bring a friend, form a team and focus on the fun while we track your progress.

Included with sign up:
-MAX10® Personal Coaching
-10 Weeks of MAX10® Classes
-MAX10® Progress Reports
-MAX10® Body Shaping Manual
-Revgear® Boxing Gloves & Wrist Wraps
-MAX10® Nutritional Tracking Book
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And let me tell you, I look bad ass in the boxing gloves!!!!! Anxious to see how the fitness testing goes on the 16th. One mile "run," 1 minute of sit ups and push ups, step test, and measurements galore!!!

Before then, I need to get back to getting active or I'm gonna be one sore puppy that week. Feeling tons better today (thank you, meds), so my goal is to get outside after work and work on the walk/jog thing.

I've got big goals.

Double Whammy Weekend

Going into this weekend, I had big plans. The weather was great (60 degrees Saturday and 80 degrees today), so I was going to accomplish a lot of housework and then get out and attempt to start jogging outside. I left school Friday in a great mood. As Friday evening went on, a sore throat started. I thought it was just because my throat was dry. Boy was I wrong.

As the overnight progressed, I started running a fever of 100, my neck became stiff, my head was congested and my sore throat was horrible. Saturday was pure misery. I either laid in bed or laid on the couch. Today, I went to an urgent care clinic and was diagnosed with the double whammy of ear infection and sinus infection. So, I have 10 days of meds. Day one is down, so I'm hoping I can start feeling relief tomorrow. I'm going to work and attempt to teach my 4th graders after doing literally nothing all weekend.

I'm so pissed though...the plans and setting are perfect and then something like this messes it up. So, instead of burning 1000+ calories per day (my plan was anyway), I burned nothing.

Bah.

Hi. Remember me?

I'm still here! I haven't faded away into the darkness nor have I given up. I've been so busy with school and filling out job applications that blogging has taken a back seat. One elementary principal application I'm filling out has 21 sections.....21!!!!! I've been working on it for four days and I'm still not done! Yikes! I guess it's a way to weed out the weak!

I made it to Zumba on Saturday after a month hiatus. I was out of town the last three Saturdays so I was happy to get back. It was a good 750 calorie burn and I can still feel it in my hips. It's all about the hips in Zumba! After Zumba, I asked the instructor if she was teaching kickboxing anywhere (I've taken a kickboxing class from her about three years ago and she's phenomenal). She told me yes and told me where. She said she's doing a three week bridal bootcamp starting next week for brides-to-be and people in weddings. I told her I'm going to be matron of honor in my best friend's wedding in September and she said that would work. Then, she said they're doing a 10-week program after that that focuses on kickboxing, resistance bands, weights, step aerobics, medicine balls, yoga, etc. She told me to check into that.

So, today after work, I'm going to stop by and check it out. Cost is a big thing because I would pay for this out of our cash stash (for emergencies). We have quite a bit in there, but cost will be a factor. I would like a good jump start into summer and i think this could be a great thing....3 weeks plus another 10 weeks....that's 3 months of good consistent fitness and nutrition (they coach you through that, too).

We'll see what they say! Hope everyone's doing well!

30 minutes and 400 calories later...

I survived hopping back on the treadmill. For some reason, tae bo is not doing it for me right now. With warmer weather trying to stay, I'm kind of getting the craving to get back into jogging. I call it jogging because this overweight woman doesn't run. At least not yet!

So, I jogged about a total of a half of a mile and walked one and a half. 30 minutes. 2 miles. Almost 400 calories. Dog tired. I remember this process I did two years ago with husband boot camp. It took me over a month to run two miles non stop in 22 minutes...I remember because I timed it. I'd like to be able to go a mile non-stop by the time I get back outside in another month. I have a love/hate...okay mostly hate...relationship with the treadmill. I have the TV on while I run but it's just tough mentally. Hubby and I were going to do it outside, but it started raining and soon after, storming when we wanted to go so that shot down that idea.

I've been the queen of maintaining my weight since the new year. Not that it's a good one, but at least I can say I haven't gained 5 pounds. For the next couple of weeks, I'm really going to focus back on making exercise a part of my daily routine. I started out the new year really well in that department and then literally crashed and burned. I'm starting with 30 minutes and hope to build from there. I have been very conscious of what I eat, but that doesn't mean I haven't consumed things I don't need. I'm trying to include more vegetables.

An update from my gastroenterologist appointment...he wants me to increase my fiber intake, try a low GI diet and take probiotics. He's going to see me again in June and go from there. He's officially labeled me with IBS. I've said this before, but I'll say it again. I think my working out will also help my problem, at least the constipation part. So, today I tried greek yogurt. I tried the Chobani strawberry kind and added in Bran Buds for fiber. I can't do yogurt. I don't know if it's the texture, consistency, taste or all of the above, but I ate six spoonfuls and gave up on the yogurt. I ate the rest of the Bran Buds dry. It's funny because it looks like rabbit pellets!!!!

Any yogurt suggestions? I know the live cultures or whatever it is in yogurt would be good for me, but I just can't swallow the stuff!!!

Love Spring Break!

I know, I know. For those people not in education or even bigger districts, most people don't get spring breaks. I used to be one of them. When I was in school, our spring break consisted of Good Friday and the Monday after Easter. Since I work in a large 4A district now, we have a spring break. And I must say, I highly approve!!!

So, here's how my week has gone...

Monday-hair appointment....highlighted and got about two inches chopped off. Feels like a weight lifted off my chest. Then, chiropractor...always feels good to be adjusted. Grilled out with hubby and walked. Bachelor finale...glad he picked Emily, but a little worried they won't make it to the altar.

Tuesday-massage...60 minutes of pure heaven. This was the best massage I've ever had. Then, I proceeded to clean from 11 AM to 6 PM. I mean massive clean. I had sweat literally pouring down my face. Bedroom-dusted furniture in there that probably hadn't been dusted since the last decade, put all clothes where they belong (can be a problem for us as our closets are coat closet size), vacuumed big time, washed curtains (hadn't been done since I moved in about 6 years ago). Living room-vacuumed large rug and sucked up kitty hair (wood floors are notorious for that), dusted all furniture, swiffered wood floor. Kitchen-did dishes, swept up floor, washed curtains, cleared off kitchen table (kitchen's too small to even use table to eat so it's a paper collector). Vacuumed stairs to basement. Vacuumed out hubby's car (he's a pig). Washed all throw blankets and pillows and three other loads of laundry. Had the windows open too. Was so proud of what I accomplished and was physically exhausted. But I'm guessing I burned a good 500 calories of more in those 7 hours.

Wednesday (today)-Worked out to my good 'ole Tae Bo. Burned me some 501 calories. Would have done more but have to get cleaned up to go to my gastroenterologist appointment. For those who haven't been following, I've been pretty much diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. I either can't go or can't stop going and anywhere in between. I have no consistency and it sucks. He had me do tests to rule out bacteria in bowel, fructose intolerance, lactose intolerance, and celiac disease. All those were negative which I'm thankful for, but doesn't help the situation. I've played around with fiber intake and I haven't found a happy medium. I'm either in the bathroom or I feel like a bloated whale. So, we'll see what he says.

Spring breaks are a good refresher for me. I know that the winter doldrums are behind me and spring is close by. The temps are warming are people just seem in a better mood. Now, to work on making me healthier. It's a work in progress. More on that later...

Life is full of excuses.

I'm sick.
I'm tired.
I'm busy.
I'm lazy.
I don't want to.
I have other things to do.

Etc., etc., etc.

So, last week, I was very sick. Monday night, Tuesday and Wednesday entailed me either laying on the couch or sleeping in bed. Running a high temp was brutal as were the aches and extreme exhaustion. I started feeling better Thursday and had late night conferences. Then, Friday I kind of felt like crap again. Saturday was the first day I felt normal, but I told myself I don't want to push it. Excuse #1.

Sunday, we traveled an hour and a half to my niece's 6th birthday party. We left at 11 and got back around 6. It's been a long day. Excuse #2.

Monday, I seriously did have a migraine and pretty much slept from 4-9 PM and then went to bed to avoid it getting any worse.

Tuesday, late night conferences and didn't want to get up early. Excuse #3.

Wednesday, had late night conferences the night before and grad class from 6-9 PM. Don't have time. Excuse #4.

Today. What's my excuse? I don't have one.

I am beginning my spring break. For the next 10 days, I don't have to worry about work or grad class (yay for my college and school I work at for having the same spring break). There are no excuses.

"But I want to enjoy my break."

I will. Just because I use an hour or so to workout doesn't mean I can't enjoy the rest of the day. That's a poor excuse if I've ever heard one.

One bonus to being sick and a small kudos to me....I lost three pounds from not really eating for two days last week and I have actually been able to keep it off. Go me.

What's your excuse? Forget it.

Influenza Strikes

So, just as I get my motivation a rolling, influenza strikes. Last night, my entire body ached and my temp went from 97 to 101 in two hours. As of right now, I'm running a slight fever but have zero energy. No work and no workouts for this girl. I've alternated from the couch to the bed and I have a feeling that will continue.

Weekend workouts=almost 1500 calories burned!

Zumba + Tae Bo = Reenergized

It's amazing how when you put 100% effort into workouts, you can feel great. When I'm being a lazy bum and giving excuses as to why not to workout, I forget about the endorphins being released into my body and this feeling of being invincible!!!! Okay, I'm not SuperWoman, but I feel great. I need to remember this on days when I feel like simply sitting, catching up on DVR and not breaking a sweat.

This week will be a challenge as it's conference week. Wednesday is grad school until 9 PM and Thursday is conferences until 7:30 PM. Wednesday will be tough to get a workout in, but I should be able to get a small one in on Thursday. I'm trying to get back on track with my workouts. I can tell I've lost some of the firmness/tightness I had a couple of months ago. I can tell in how my jeans fit, how shirts hang, etc. It's time to change that. I refuse to go back to an old size just because I was lazy.

I'm matron of honor in a wedding in September. In two weeks, I'm going dress shopping for our bridesmaid dresses. I'm scared but excited. Does that make sense? I know I'll have to try things on how I currently am....ack.....but I'm also looking ahead to the progress I could potentially make and how I could look come 9-10-11. Ah, the possibilities...

Girl Scout Cookies are the Devil...

and I'm an angel!!!

Okay, maybe not an angel necessarily, but you want to know something? In the past, when Girl Scout cookies arrive, I ravish them. I don't eat one and then not eat another until the next day. Oh no, my friends. I inhale one after another after another until the whole stinking box is polished off. And that's in a matter of minutes.

This year, I purchased Girl Scout cookies. After all, I am a former Girl Scout so it's important to support the cause. Instead of leaving the entire box at school to be consumed during my prep or lunch time, I put two in a itty bitty baggie and threw it into my lunch. The box stayed home, tucked away in it's nice, cozy cupboard. They're not going anywhere (except maybe my husband's stomach) and I have to remember that.

Have you ever eaten things before because you're afraid if you don't, they won't be there later? That's part of my eating problem. Take brownies for example. I'll make an 8x8 or 9x13 pan of luscious, chewy, chocolate brownies. After they're cooled, I'll eat one. Then I'll probably eat part of another before I put the lid on. Then, before bed, I'll cut just a "little" piece and eat it. Then in the morning, I'll go weigh myself, see the pan, and grab another "little" one. While I'm putting my lunch together and cut one to put in my bag, I'll take part of the next one. Just a little one. Then I come home and see that pan sitting there. I'll notice my husband has been eating them, so I better have another one, big one this time, just so he doesn't eat them all. And the cycle continues.... Now, this hasn't happened in a while and as a matter of fact, I avoid making things like brownies, bars, cookies because of this problem I have. If they're not there, I can't eat them.

I'm working to get over that hump. I can have a little and know that there will still be more at another time. The food isn't going anywhere. And it's not that I don't ever make them. It's just that when I do, I struggle to only eat portions and not rows.

It's all about the baby steps.

Not working out=Watching what I eat

Ever have those days where it's just not feasible to get a workout in? Well, that's me this week. Tuesday night, we visited my husband's brother, wife, and new baby girl as we hadn't seen the baby since she was born 3 weeks ago. Tonight as I type, I'm waiting for my night class to start. Tomorrow night, my 4th graders have their music program and Friday night, our school's carnival happens and I volunteered (was expected of us) to sell tickets during part of it.

Makes me sad I can't work out because I have to put a huge effort into watching everything I eat this week. Not that I don't otherwise, but when I know I won't be burning said 300-800 calories, I've gotta be watchful.

But alas, I digress. I'm stressed out with some work situations, so I'm trying to find other ways to cope rather than eating my emotions. So far, so good.

NSV=Non-Scale Victory!!!

Okay, I have to share this because this is huge for me. Today we had Professional Development/Teacher In-service (whatever you want to call it). My principal bought a large box of doughnuts for our morning meetings. As soon as I walked in the room, the overwhelming smell of dough and sugary frosting was inhaled into my body. First reaction.....I gotta have one of those. So, I decided to test my willpower. I saw at the table where the doughnuts were. I looked at them. There were glazed, frosted, jelly-filled, cream-filled, cinnamon rolls, and calorie-laden goodness.

"I don't need it," I told myself. "I already had breakfast at home."

An hour goes by.

"Man, there's still a bunch left," I thought. "No, I don't need it."

Another hour goes by.

"Look at all of those doughnuts sitting there. I could have half of one."

Nope.

As the meeting finished, I watched my principal take the box out of the room and away from my sight and smell.

I win.

I beat you, doughnuts. You didn't beat me. I saved myself at least 300 calories.

And guess what else? I worked out. Now, don't get too excited. It was a quick 25 minute, 306 calorie burn, but I did it. Add that to the doughnut I avoided and that's 600 calories not swimming towards my abs, hips and butt.

I can do this. I just have to try.

Got my Zumba on!

Yes, boys and girls, I went to Zumba once again this morning. While I was disappointed the lady who did it last week wasn't there due to an emergency, the sub did a pretty good job. Burned 871 calories in an hour....that's pretty hardcore! I really like this class and look forward to going on Saturdays. We have a little group from the school I work at go and that makes it even more fun!

A class like this can break up the monotony of working out. I think it's what I need right now. Now, to keep my workouts going throughout the week...

Hi. I'm Nicole.

I'm the blogger who's been attempting to become healthy. Well, I haven't been so good about that lately. In fact tonight was the first time I worked out since Saturday.

I could dwell on that fact and give you my reasons ("cough, cough" excuses), but I'm not going to.

Today was 64 degrees here in Iowa. After a blizzard two weeks ago, this was a welcome warm-up. In fact, most of the snow (except for the large mountains of snow from the plows) is gone. So, to celebrate, my hubby and I grilled out for dinner and then went for a 40 minute walk afterward.

I've missed this. Let me tell you why. First, grilling. OMG....nothing is much better than grilling. Burgers, chicken breasts, pork chops, steak, tilapia (looking to try this, so not sure I love it yet), veggies, fruit (again, want to try it). It's a healthy way to cook dinner (read: no frying, oil, added salt) and it smells wonderful! Nothing beats making the neighborhood smell like a grill!

Secondly, I've missed the walks after dinner. Not so much last summer, but the summer before, this was our nightly ritual as long as the weather cooperated. We cook/grill dinner, let it settle a few minutes and then venture out in the neighborhood anywhere form 30 minutes to 2 hours, depending on how we felt. It was great. Bonding time, plus a little burn time.

Now, 40 minutes tonight got me about 360 calories burned according to my trust 'ole Polar F6. Not bad. We've got some hills around that we like to climb, so that helps. Right now, I'm looking at the fact that I moved today.

I don't know what my funk is. My stomach has been giving me issues from time to time this week and that really affects how I feel. For those of you who have followed me know that my stomach issues have been plaguing me for a while now. I completed breath and blood tests with my gastroenterologist. They all came back negative (which means I'm not lactose intolerant, fructose intolerant, have celiac disease or bacteria in my bowel....yay), so I am classified as having irritable bowel syndrome. I can be constipated, have diarrhea, or anything in between. Lately, I've been sliding back and forth from one to the other. Sorry if that was TMI....

Funny as it is, exercise can help alleviate some of the symptoms, especially if I have constipation. Tonight's walk proved that. It was in the door and to the bathroom (not in an emergency manner). But it's been proved that the movement of your body helps the movement of your bowels.

So, now that you know about everything about my bodily functions, it's time to check me some fourth graders' tests. Today's the end of the trimester, so that means assess the crap out of your kids to help you do report cards. Yay for me! Tomorrow's a work day for report cards, so that'll be good to have some quality time int he classroom.

Tomorrow, I'm also participating in a wellness blood screen at my school. My district offers a discount for nurses from a local hospital to come in and do a blood panel for cholesterol, triglycerides, etc., so it's worth the $15. Anxious to get the results!

ZUMBA baby!!!

Holy crap was that fun. I went to a Zumba class this morning at a local gym and it was 60 minutes of gyrating, shaking, pumping, jumping fun! In 60 minutes, I burned 883 calories.....I know!!!!! I felt awesome, it was fun and I look forward to making this a part of my Saturdays from here on out. It's only $5 per class....$20 a month? I can do that. It also breaks up the monotony of my other workouts. Three of the gals from my school I work at went too and they all loved it!!!

To be honest, I was running late this morning and didn't step on the scale, so I'm going to have to update that tomorrow...sorry about that. I had to go to the post office before Zumba to mail out a second principal application for a job that's about 15 minutes away from here....would be a PreKindergarten-2nd grade principal....that would be awesome. Haven't heard anything from the first job I applied for and I'm okay with that. It's all about the process and experience.

Off the showers. If Zumba does one thing, it's make you SWEAT!!!! Ole'!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'm still here!!!

This has been one heck of a week busy-wise. So, I'm still here, I'm still planning! I have a workout waiting for me tonight, that's for sure.

Also going to try out a Zumba class this Saturday! Anxious to see how that one goes! Stay tuned...I'm still here :)

Life, please slow down a little.....not a lot, but a little!

Evaluating...

I need to plan. Not a plan. TO plan.

So many times during the week, I don't plan my meals or my workouts and what happens? Order pizza. Go to Wendy's. Easy quesadillas in the quesadilla maker (along with lots of cheese). No workout planned....well, I'll do "part" of this, etc., etc., etc.

Two years ago, I did this amazing program called Farrell's Extreme Bodyshaping. It was the most intense, hardcore 10 weeks I've ever had. The workouts were planned and our "coaches" made us preplan our weeks' meals. The nutrition plan mimicked the Body for Life program, so you knew that 5-6 times a day, you needed a protein, carb, and veggie (veggie 4-5x I guess).

I was on. NOTHING swerved me from my plan because it was all laid out. I didn't have to think.

And that's my problem now. I allow too much time to think and then make bad choices rather than having everything laid out and just get it done.

So, how am I going to fix my problem? I'm going to plan. I'm going to print out calendars for each month, but only plan a month at a time. I'm also going to go back to the Body for Life program. Other than the protein, carb, and veggie, it allows you one free day a week. This is a day where you don't have to track your eating and can essentially eat what you want. This really worked for me before because I worked hard all week to earn that day, usually on a Friday or Saturday.

Stay tuned for pictures and my plan.

Because I have a plan.

Confession

So, I've been avoiding this post since yesterday morning because I'm not proud of what I've done these past few days.

I've eaten. A. Lot. In fact today, I've eaten so that my stomach physically hurts.

Yesterday's weigh-in was a gain because I ate a lot on Friday. I had ZERO self control. Yesterday was much of the same. Snacking has become a hobby of mine this weekend.

I feel gross. It feels like my stomach is about to explode.

And the worst part? I don't know why I did it. I don't like how I feel. I don't like how I look. And I didn't even work out to try to feel better.

I don't get it. I don't know why. It makes me sad.

Time to get my act together...

Insane Abs

Tae Bo Insane Abs=probably insanefully sore abs tomorrow!

Check it out here...

I made it through 40 minutes of this and burned 416 calories by just doing abs!!! Let me tell you, there's no messing around with Billy here. He means business.

I feel fine now, but I can imagine laughing may hurt tomorrow!

Feb. 2nd

1689 calories consumed
601 calories burned in 42 minutes

I think I made it to the 90 ounces of water, although since I was home all day with a snow day (that's what 13 inches of snow and 40 mph winds will do), I use different water bottles, so I'm not quite sure on the ounces. Had to be close.

It has been asked why I'm not counting calories every day. I don't have a good answer. I'm trying to get myself into the swing of things yet once again, so it's small steps. Right now, I'm tracking Monday-Friday. It's not that I'm not going to track them...there's a good chance I still will just because I'm in the habit. I guess more so, I'm not publicizing it here on weekends since I don't always get a chance to update.

As of right now, we have a two-hour delay for tomorrow (I'm an elementary teacher in case you didn't know!), so that'll be a good start to a Thursday! A possible issue is that one of my teammate's birthdays is tomorrow and treats will be in the lounge. I've had a pep talk with myself that I'm going to grab a napkin, leave it folded and put what I want on that. After that's gone, I'm done. That way I don't deprive myself, but I also won't blow the day's calories in a 5 minute span.

I'll report/confess back tomorrow.

February already?

Well, here in Iowa, we're in the midst of a blizzard, so today's a snow day! Actually, the snow part is done (12-14 inches later) but the wind is still howling. Our street hasn't been plowed yet, so we're probably not going anywhere today.

You'll be happy to know I did work out for 30 minutes last night. It was a quick workout while dinner was in the oven, so I didn't put on my heart rate monitor to track calories. For me, January started off so good, 11 days in a row of working out, and then I started to flop. I flopped because I let busy-ness get in the way. Then I got sick. A week later, I'm just now starting to feel better.

So, it's time for some goals for February. February is a short 28-day month (but can sometimes drag on forever), so it's important to make the best of it.

My goals for February are:
-Exercise 5 days a week for a minimum 30 minutes
-Track calories in at least 5 days a week
-Track calories burned during exercise each time I workout
-Drink a minimum of 90 ounces of water DAILY
-Start eating more fruits and veggies again (I've been slacking on this for some reason of late.)

I'll continue my weigh-ins on Saturday and hope to make more than a 2.6 pound progress this month.

What are your goals for this month?