2013 has begun, and in 24 days I will enter into the final year of my 20s. If you remember back to the beginning, I started this because I didn't want to enter my 30s at anything less than my most healthy and physically fit. So, here we go. Starting tomorrow, my first day back from break, my fitness clothes will stay at school. I will be using the school's weight room and treadmill as well as my own classroom's projector for some videos to change things up, and when its not frickin freezin my sog might actually get to go on a walk! Simply put, 7 days a week, I will spend no less than 30 minutes being physically active. This is just a start, but a big one. I am queen of excuses, and this is a no-excuse pledge (learned by my previous professor and now colleague, Rhonda Fuelberth). Even if im sick, (unless I'm actually bedridden), or think I'm too busy between school, speech, honor choirs and the two nights a week I spend singing in my own choirs, I will be active. So, here I go. I'm not calling it a resolution, because those fail. I'm not calling it a diet, because so do those. I'm calling it a much needed alteration to my current lifestyle. As it begins I will only focus on exercise. But I know for maximum weighloss and health benefits my eating must also change, so look forward to that. But first, I must make it through 20 consecutive days of consistent, no-excuse activity. Then it's a habit and I can move to the next step. I will also aim for weekly weigh-ins and regular blog entries...hopefully! :) You ready for this ride? I am. And it starts now, with a walking video and some basic floor exercises and stretches.
1/1/13 4:33pm
Bust: 46" (those of you that know me know that this is not likely to go down much-I'm a busty lady!)
Waist: 38"
Muffin Top: 42"
Butt: 43"
Thigh: 25"
Weight: 190
1st GOAL: 170
Final GOAL: 135
LET'S GO!!!!!
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
When I started this blog, it was because I realized I was within sight of my 30s, and I did not want to begin my 30s feeling any less than great about my health and fitness. Well y'all, I'm officially 14 months and 11 days from 30. Time to get rolling! I'm well aware that the amount of weight I want and need to lose for good will not happen overnight, through commercial diets or by wishing it. So, here's my progress and my plans.
There you have it. I'm on the right track, and beginning to see enough progress to really light a much needed fire under my ass. I can't promise daily updates anymore, but hopefully weekly weigh-ins can be accomplished. I haven't figured out which video I'm going to do, but I'm thinking about starting the 30-Day Shred. Just to see what can happen in 30 days. May as well...Christmas pictures could actually be fun this year. :)
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Alright, so here's the truth: I've fallen off the blogging, because I've fallen off the healthy lifestyle wagon. My fears were confirmed, or maybe it was a self-fulfilling prophecy. As soon as I moved into my new place, and school started, and choirs started, the stress mounted and I stopped trying. I have become lazy, soaking up any free time I have by just sitting. I have consoled my nerves and stress levels with food and stillness. I will not sit here and write that today is where I make the change, because that would be a lie. I have not weighed myself in the past month, probably. The last time I did, I had managed to not gain, but I hadn't lost either. I'm quite certain I have now gained back, most, if not all of the few pounds I had managed to lose. There you have it. My willpower has officially left the building, and I have no idea when it will return. This has always been my struggle. I kick off a plan, I do really well for a couple months, and just when the pounds start to melt off, and a normal person would be inspired by it and continue to work, I quit. So, audience, if there is one, I ask for your help and support. I honestly don't know what it will take for me to whip myself into obedience. Ideas? I'm open to ANY!
I have weighed myself, and for the first time, I will put that number on the screen. *sigh* Here goes....on Saturday, September 29th of 2012 at 3:27 in the afternoon, in all my naked, busty glory, I officially weigh 189.6 pounds. Honestly, I'm surprisingly pleased with this number. I thought for sure I would be back in the upper 190s, which is where I started when I began this blog. Last winter, the scale hit 200 and I just about lost my head. I cried, for days, because I was not sure what to do. In the spring, in a desperate attempt, I actually started taking CTS 360. I am not ashamed, because when that didn't seem to do anything, I realized I was going to have to do this the old fashioned way - with good ol' work, sweat and calorie counting. Damn!
Here's the real crux of this issue...I'm lonely. I have been single for many years, with only a couple short-lived relationships in the middle of it, and I'm done with it. I would like to have a companion. I would like to be someone who walks through the grocery store and turns the heads of men of all ages. I would like to grab a guy's attention with my looks, only to have him realize that I also have depth, and wit, and can hold his attention and affection for longer than one night. I would like to have the confidence to TRUST when a guy says he finds me beautiful. Sadly, this has not been the case. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm a catch. But I know that because I love who I am on the inside. I believe that I am a good, no, GREAT match for someone special. Unfortunately, it's a rather physical world we live in, and somehow, I have to actually catch someone's attention before they can see the rest of it. So...that's where I currently stand - somewhere in the middle of wanting and having a life.
Ok...enough soul searching, for now. On to something completely unrelated - this weekend is for crafting! My best friend is having a baby, I'm throwing her a shower, and I have a baby blanket to make. I found a couple tutorials this morning (while lazily staying in bed) that will hopefully create a really cute, easy receiving blanket. I bought some really cute fabric, actually meant for my now two year old nephew, and I will begin that as soon as I'm done. I'm actually a little nervous, because I've never sewed anything (besides hems) on my own before. My mom has always helped me. But, I will be brave and just figure it out. (Maybe on some other fabric first. :) )
I have weighed myself, and for the first time, I will put that number on the screen. *sigh* Here goes....on Saturday, September 29th of 2012 at 3:27 in the afternoon, in all my naked, busty glory, I officially weigh 189.6 pounds. Honestly, I'm surprisingly pleased with this number. I thought for sure I would be back in the upper 190s, which is where I started when I began this blog. Last winter, the scale hit 200 and I just about lost my head. I cried, for days, because I was not sure what to do. In the spring, in a desperate attempt, I actually started taking CTS 360. I am not ashamed, because when that didn't seem to do anything, I realized I was going to have to do this the old fashioned way - with good ol' work, sweat and calorie counting. Damn!
Here's the real crux of this issue...I'm lonely. I have been single for many years, with only a couple short-lived relationships in the middle of it, and I'm done with it. I would like to have a companion. I would like to be someone who walks through the grocery store and turns the heads of men of all ages. I would like to grab a guy's attention with my looks, only to have him realize that I also have depth, and wit, and can hold his attention and affection for longer than one night. I would like to have the confidence to TRUST when a guy says he finds me beautiful. Sadly, this has not been the case. Don't get me wrong, I know I'm a catch. But I know that because I love who I am on the inside. I believe that I am a good, no, GREAT match for someone special. Unfortunately, it's a rather physical world we live in, and somehow, I have to actually catch someone's attention before they can see the rest of it. So...that's where I currently stand - somewhere in the middle of wanting and having a life.
Ok...enough soul searching, for now. On to something completely unrelated - this weekend is for crafting! My best friend is having a baby, I'm throwing her a shower, and I have a baby blanket to make. I found a couple tutorials this morning (while lazily staying in bed) that will hopefully create a really cute, easy receiving blanket. I bought some really cute fabric, actually meant for my now two year old nephew, and I will begin that as soon as I'm done. I'm actually a little nervous, because I've never sewed anything (besides hems) on my own before. My mom has always helped me. But, I will be brave and just figure it out. (Maybe on some other fabric first. :) )
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Alright ya'll...I'm connected to the world again. Wow...what a busy week. I moved about a week and a half ago and have been settling into my new digs. LOVE being in my own house. I don't have to worry if my music is too loud while I'm doing dishes, or whether my vacuuming at 10:00 at night is annoying the downstairs neighbors. Soooo nice. Yesterday I brought the pets home too. I think my mom misses them, and my dad probably does a little too, even if he won't admit it. The animals are still settling in, investigating the house. But all is well....minus the diet and exercise. Wow...I was worried for a reason. Left to my own devices I have NOT been eating well, and this morning was the first exercise I've had, and it was a little ten minute walk with the dog. At least it's something? I haven't weighed myself. Next month (after another paycheck) I'll look into getting a membership at a 24 hour gym here. But, for now, I think I'm going to start the 30-day Shred by Jillian Michaels. Mama Laughlin, a blog I read all the time, does it every once in a while to help jumpstart some weightloss. So, I think I'll give it a whirl while I don't have a gym.
My plan: get back into tracking calories on MyFitnessPal, walk the dog every morning for a little warm-up, do the Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred. So...from here on out, I'll update you on my progress on those things.
Oh yeah, and teacher meetings start Friday, kids come Wednesday. Wow. Where has the summer gone?! Right, I traveled, painted and lost 12 pounds. Sweet. Ok, here we go.
My plan: get back into tracking calories on MyFitnessPal, walk the dog every morning for a little warm-up, do the Jillian Michaels 30-day Shred. So...from here on out, I'll update you on my progress on those things.
Oh yeah, and teacher meetings start Friday, kids come Wednesday. Wow. Where has the summer gone?! Right, I traveled, painted and lost 12 pounds. Sweet. Ok, here we go.
Monday, July 30, 2012
Well folks...I figured out my grand prize for my weight-loss goal: A European backpack trip. Yep...its my new obsession. But I'm not going to even think about going until I'm fit and healthy enough for a week of carrying all my belongings in a backpack, staying in hostels, eating sparingly and WALKING!!! Ok, well of course I'll think about it before then, I've already bought a couple travel books...whoops. But, I will not allow myself to book any travel plans until that point- only dreaming allowed. Oh and dreams I have! So...on with the lifestyle change and now there is a VERY nice prize at the end!
Short post for today...because I haven't really done anything post-worthy. Parents got back yesterday, dad was totally beat today so I ran errands to book the moving van and round up some boxes. Tomorrow we'll exercise, finish painting the kitchen and begin packing. Ewwwww. I HATE moving!!!!
Short post for today...because I haven't really done anything post-worthy. Parents got back yesterday, dad was totally beat today so I ran errands to book the moving van and round up some boxes. Tomorrow we'll exercise, finish painting the kitchen and begin packing. Ewwwww. I HATE moving!!!!
Saturday, July 28, 2012
Oh dear...I got busy again! So, after the last post, my dad and I started working on the kitchen - moving things out of cupboards and painting ALL of the cupboards. It has not been fun. We were also still working out in there, and there were just some really long days. I'll post the before and after pictures of the kitchen when it's all over. However, before we were completely done with our final coat, Mom and Dad left for Yellowstone with their good friends. I left at the same time for a really busy week. Friday evening, after the folks left, I packed up the dog, some food and a BIG suitcase and hit the road. First stop: Waterloo. On Saturday morning, my brother and sister-in-law headed to Illinois and left the kid alone with me! It was SO great! I had the dog with me, and they really seemed to get along. This was Auntie M's first overnighter, so I loved every minute. So, they got back Sunday afternoon, took me out to dinner as a thank you, and I headed for my next stop: Ames. My aunt and uncle who live in Ames graciously agreed to take care of my dog while I was on the last leg of the journey. They have an awesome black lab mix, and my dog (a smaller mutt) just LOVES playing with her! They are hilarious together, and since I had already used my brother and best friend as dog sitters this summer, I decided to spread out the help. So, I stayed the night in Ames, but bright and early the next morning, I woke up, showered, and headed to my next and final stop: Mason City. I had never been to MC before, and I have decided I LOVE it! What was I doing there? I was at a conference for choir directors. Our national organization is called American Choral Directors Association (ACDA), with a branch for each state (Iowa Choral Directors Association), and branches for regions (North Central ACDA). This conference happened to be the ICDA Summer Symposium. They have it every year at the same time, and this was my first time. I'm always on vacation or broke, or both during this time of summer. And, I almost didn't go this time. I pre-registered far enough in advance that I hadn't started freaking about money yet. HOWEVER, by the time I was looking for hotels I was a little worried and thought about getting a refund and calling the whole thing off. I'm SOOOOOOOOO glad I went! It was far and above the BEST conference I've been to, and that's really saying something. I love conferences, and always have a blast. But this one was just so focussed on getting us ready for the school year, and I have to say, I'm pretty pumped to start the new year. Never thought I would say that! So, it was a great week: Met many new friends and colleagues, learned A LOT, saw Music Man Square and toured Meredith Willson's childhood home. Now, I'm home, my parents are still gone on vacation, and I've realized I have only a week left to pack before I move into my new place, and that kind of freaks me out. Plus, dad and I have to put the kitchen back together. Yikes! Monday I'm auditioning for Iowa City Chamber Singers again, and hopefully will get to participate this next year.
There are a couple more things I have to report on from the past week or so: my new found talent for hurting myself, and of course, how I've been doing on my "lifestyle change" - because I refuse to call it dieting.
So, first things first. You'll remember my account of crashing my bike after only the second time on it. Well, I will soon be going to the doctor, because I'm afraid I've broken a bone in my palm. I can move it just fine without any pain, but it's still extremely sensitive to the touch. That alone makes it hard to ride my bike for very long, or put weight on my palm while lifting weights. Problem! Also, two days before we all left, dad and I were getting things ready, and walking in and out of the kitchen, about to go for a walk. With all the things out in the kitchen, the passing space from the kitchen to living room is quite tight. Dad and I passed through it at the same time, and I managed to break my "ring finger" toe on a wicker chest by the corner. OUCH!!!! There was a LONG stream of expletives. However, we still needed to walk and after a little bit it didn't hurt to walk on it anymore. Apparently my toe was just numb. So, we went for the long walk, it was doing alright, but I could feel it again by the end. When we got home and I took off my shoe and sock, it was completely purple. The bruising has subsided, but the pain lives on. DAMN TRUNK! Oh, but that's not all folks. On Sunday, while babysitting my wonderful nephew, accident struck again. The boy was napping, which he does for about 3 hours now, and I had gotten restless. I had already watched TV, packed all my stuff up and puttered around with the dog. So, I had been checking up on the blogs I follow, and had landed again on the wonderful video hair tutorials of The Small Things Blog (link attached). This is one of my favorite ways to pass time. She has taught me how to curl and style my hair, even though it's not quite long enough yet for all of it. So, I decided to at least curl my hair and try out one of the styles if the boy was still sleeping. Well folks, I am CLEARLY not coordinated enough for that, because I really burnt my hand - right on the space between the thumb and first finger on my left hand. Yowza! I ran it under the cold water, but that was not enough to stop the blister from forming. THAT one has not quite healed yet. Still looks gross, and now it's all scabby and pealy, and during the conference I had to constantly keep a bandaid on it because I kept breaking it open. Yeah, sorry, you probably didn't want to hear all that. So, there we are. I think for the time being I will stay inside, away from sharp/hot/hard objects until this gray cloud of bad luck passes over.
So, that brings us to health and fitness. Let me start by saying, I am officially down 12 pounds!!! Hooray! But I will follow that up with some honesty - I was NOT very well-behaved this past week. I think I stayed pretty reasonable most of the time, and the lack of free time in my day at the conference (not to mention lack of money) kept me pretty conservative. But, I need to admit to myself that even today, I was not good. I should have gotten up this morning and walked or biked. I should not have eaten those little powdered hostess donuts (damn you hostess!!!!) and I should not have stopped tracking my calories on MyFitnessPal. Ok, now that I've admitted it - which they say is the first step - I can forgive myself and move on. I have so far been extremely proud of myself. Despite the slower speed of those numbers on the scale coming off due to weight training, I have not once had a weigh-in with positive numbers. All weigh-ins have been down from the last one, even if only by .4 lbs. So, I sure as hell am not about to break that streak! So, here I go...back on the wagon. This blog is keeping my honest, and I will really work harder at posting more often so the posts dont have to be this long! Yikes, sorry readers! Busy weeks to come, but I'm dedicated. Peace!
There are a couple more things I have to report on from the past week or so: my new found talent for hurting myself, and of course, how I've been doing on my "lifestyle change" - because I refuse to call it dieting.
So, first things first. You'll remember my account of crashing my bike after only the second time on it. Well, I will soon be going to the doctor, because I'm afraid I've broken a bone in my palm. I can move it just fine without any pain, but it's still extremely sensitive to the touch. That alone makes it hard to ride my bike for very long, or put weight on my palm while lifting weights. Problem! Also, two days before we all left, dad and I were getting things ready, and walking in and out of the kitchen, about to go for a walk. With all the things out in the kitchen, the passing space from the kitchen to living room is quite tight. Dad and I passed through it at the same time, and I managed to break my "ring finger" toe on a wicker chest by the corner. OUCH!!!! There was a LONG stream of expletives. However, we still needed to walk and after a little bit it didn't hurt to walk on it anymore. Apparently my toe was just numb. So, we went for the long walk, it was doing alright, but I could feel it again by the end. When we got home and I took off my shoe and sock, it was completely purple. The bruising has subsided, but the pain lives on. DAMN TRUNK! Oh, but that's not all folks. On Sunday, while babysitting my wonderful nephew, accident struck again. The boy was napping, which he does for about 3 hours now, and I had gotten restless. I had already watched TV, packed all my stuff up and puttered around with the dog. So, I had been checking up on the blogs I follow, and had landed again on the wonderful video hair tutorials of The Small Things Blog (link attached). This is one of my favorite ways to pass time. She has taught me how to curl and style my hair, even though it's not quite long enough yet for all of it. So, I decided to at least curl my hair and try out one of the styles if the boy was still sleeping. Well folks, I am CLEARLY not coordinated enough for that, because I really burnt my hand - right on the space between the thumb and first finger on my left hand. Yowza! I ran it under the cold water, but that was not enough to stop the blister from forming. THAT one has not quite healed yet. Still looks gross, and now it's all scabby and pealy, and during the conference I had to constantly keep a bandaid on it because I kept breaking it open. Yeah, sorry, you probably didn't want to hear all that. So, there we are. I think for the time being I will stay inside, away from sharp/hot/hard objects until this gray cloud of bad luck passes over.
So, that brings us to health and fitness. Let me start by saying, I am officially down 12 pounds!!! Hooray! But I will follow that up with some honesty - I was NOT very well-behaved this past week. I think I stayed pretty reasonable most of the time, and the lack of free time in my day at the conference (not to mention lack of money) kept me pretty conservative. But, I need to admit to myself that even today, I was not good. I should have gotten up this morning and walked or biked. I should not have eaten those little powdered hostess donuts (damn you hostess!!!!) and I should not have stopped tracking my calories on MyFitnessPal. Ok, now that I've admitted it - which they say is the first step - I can forgive myself and move on. I have so far been extremely proud of myself. Despite the slower speed of those numbers on the scale coming off due to weight training, I have not once had a weigh-in with positive numbers. All weigh-ins have been down from the last one, even if only by .4 lbs. So, I sure as hell am not about to break that streak! So, here I go...back on the wagon. This blog is keeping my honest, and I will really work harder at posting more often so the posts dont have to be this long! Yikes, sorry readers! Busy weeks to come, but I'm dedicated. Peace!
Friday, July 13, 2012
Alright, so I've been slacking. Well, not really slacking, I HAVE been busy. Since we got back, I signed a lease for a rental house that I'll move into in August! Yay! I love my parents, but I think we're all ready for me to be out on my own again. No matter how completely painless it's been living here, it's simply nice to have your own space. AND, the dog and cat can both come with me! Hooray. So, through the magic of technology and MUCH measuring, I have mapped out the entire house and begun virtually arranging everything inside it. Yup, I'm a geek. Ok, so about vacation, and my life over that past week...
Vacation was terrific. I could write a whole other blog just about my vacations, but I'll leave that for another life. My parents and I went to Colorado. My oldest brother lives in Loveland (formerly Ft. Collins) with his wife. My sister-in-law's mother and step-father are from Iowa, and they've been trying to get my parents out camping with them in Colorado for some time. So, we went finally. Here's the catch - they have horses so they obviously have to camp in grounds that have corrals and horse trails. So, we found a great spot in State Forest State Park, on the far west side of Poudre Canyon on 14. For those of you following the news, you'll note that Poudre Canyon was one of the areas that was hit very hard by the fires. Hwy 14 had been closed for a long time, but had reopened just as we got there. Well, the day we arrived in Loveland, the whole area had been finally getting some much needed rain. As it happened, the hwy had a mudslide, and we were detoured. Woops. So, we took this big hike northwest up to Laramie and back down southeast to get to the grounds. It was still raining most of the way. Ok, this is getting long, so I'm going to try to cut it down. There were 3 more very important things that happened: 1) I FINALLY saw a moose!!! Right on our way into the campgrounds! And good thing it was then, because the rain pretty much kept us in our tents during moose watching time every other day. 2) I got to ride their horses! My sister-in-law's mother had heard from my mom that I wanted to ride, and she let me! It was GREAT! She even said I looked very natural and comfortable. Woot! 3) We were camping with COWS. Yes, you understood me correctly. There was a guy moving 600 head of cows through the area, and they were supposed to come straight through the campground. This happened on my horse ride. That morning, we could hear the cows in the distance, and in the time it took to ride maybe two miles, the valley just below our campsite was FULL of cattle. Then we found out the cowboy dude had come up and asked if he could move them through, and they of course said NO! But, the cows were there, we even hiked through them, in a thunderstorm, just to hike. Sooo...long story made very short, that was my vacation in a nutshell. And since this blog is supposed to be about my new healthy lifestyle, may I add that I think we did QUITE well on vacation. Much better that vacations before. But all three of us were dedicated to not blowing all our hard work on 4 days, so we paid attention without going crazy about it. I still had a pancake both mornings, but seriously, who is strong enough to resist pancakes cooked over a camp stove in the wilderness?! Not I!
So, since I've been back, I am 2 for 4 for days having worked out. Not good! I'm ready to get back on that wagon. As for diet, we have pretty much stuck to simply counting calories. And here is where I'll share a GREAT bit of technology that I found while on vacation - MyFitnessPal. This app is for iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Windows and can be accessed from a regular old computer. Setting up your profile is essential when first using the app. You put in your current and goal weights, height, age, gender and daily activity level along with how many pounds per week you would like to lose (it only goes up to 2 lbs, so you can't set yourself up for failure) and it maps out how many calories a day you should consume. It's a tracker, much like Weight Watchers for anyone who is familiar with that, and has a FREAKISHLY large database of foods you can look up. Plus, you can plug in your own recipes, or if all that is just to hard, you can simply scan the barcode of the food item you want to track, and voila! it's there in your tracker. It also has room for tracking exercise. Once you're done for the day, it gives you a "pep talk" and says "If every day was like today, you would weigh ______ lbs. in 5 weeks." It's inspiring, and really is the best app I've ever had. And I'm not even being paid to say that! The very best part about this app: IT'S FREAKING FREE!!!!!!!! So, if you don't have it by now, please, take a moment and download it. I swear, it's calorie counting made nearly effortless.
Alright, so today, I walked 4.05 miles (yes I'm sore) and as of yesterday, I am 4.8 pounds down from when I started this crazy journey on June 25th (my half birthday in case you wanted to know). AND, I'm another two pounds down from the heaviest I reached, back in February. I will tell you this much, as I'm still not ready to share specific numbers with you, for the past 6 months (or more) I have been hovering all over the 190s. This is the first time I remember that 4 consecutive weigh-ins have gone down. Calories have clicked with me. And it's become a game. What can I get for 400 calories or less?! And with the app, it's even more fun. I know if I had been only cutting and counting calories, the weight would have been coming off even quicker. However, this is not JUST about the numbers on the scale for me, this is about overall health and fitness. I've been doing (pretty much) daily cardio AND weight training. I know the muscle I'm building is keeping the numbers from falling off too quickly, and honestly, I'm almost completely ok with it. Sure, I'd LOVE to be 10 lbs. down now. But, in the long run, I don't just want to weight less, I want to look damn good and toned in my clothes. And, regardless of the mere numbers that have been subtracted on the scale, my pants are looser, I definitely feel stronger, and shoot, even my bras are getting loose. And if you know me at all, you know I have PLENTY of boob to lose. I am feeling confident and happy with the progress that I've made. Not only physically, but mentally. Sure, I'm still scared about living on my own again and being left to my own devices and the possibility of falling back into old habits, but I'm also feeling like I can definitely do it. I'm not scared of having a bad day anymore. I have had meals (vacation) that I am definitely not proud of, and made me incredibly remorseful. But it's what you do AFTER that bad day that counts. I haven't failed just because I let myself eat way too many calories one day. I only loose if I let that one day win. It's the next day that matters the most.
So, this was the longest post ever. I guess that serves me right for procrastinating. To whoever is reading, DOWNLOAD THAT APP! Those are your parting words. :)
P.S. Stuff Etc. Half Off Sale tomorrow. I even bought the Early Bird ticket which allows me in an hour early. However, it's apparently a little like Black Friday, so I might actually have to wait in line before it opens. LAME. Oh well, I went in today and took notes on things I want/need for the new house, so I may as well try to get them. Happy Friday the 13th everyone!
Vacation was terrific. I could write a whole other blog just about my vacations, but I'll leave that for another life. My parents and I went to Colorado. My oldest brother lives in Loveland (formerly Ft. Collins) with his wife. My sister-in-law's mother and step-father are from Iowa, and they've been trying to get my parents out camping with them in Colorado for some time. So, we went finally. Here's the catch - they have horses so they obviously have to camp in grounds that have corrals and horse trails. So, we found a great spot in State Forest State Park, on the far west side of Poudre Canyon on 14. For those of you following the news, you'll note that Poudre Canyon was one of the areas that was hit very hard by the fires. Hwy 14 had been closed for a long time, but had reopened just as we got there. Well, the day we arrived in Loveland, the whole area had been finally getting some much needed rain. As it happened, the hwy had a mudslide, and we were detoured. Woops. So, we took this big hike northwest up to Laramie and back down southeast to get to the grounds. It was still raining most of the way. Ok, this is getting long, so I'm going to try to cut it down. There were 3 more very important things that happened: 1) I FINALLY saw a moose!!! Right on our way into the campgrounds! And good thing it was then, because the rain pretty much kept us in our tents during moose watching time every other day. 2) I got to ride their horses! My sister-in-law's mother had heard from my mom that I wanted to ride, and she let me! It was GREAT! She even said I looked very natural and comfortable. Woot! 3) We were camping with COWS. Yes, you understood me correctly. There was a guy moving 600 head of cows through the area, and they were supposed to come straight through the campground. This happened on my horse ride. That morning, we could hear the cows in the distance, and in the time it took to ride maybe two miles, the valley just below our campsite was FULL of cattle. Then we found out the cowboy dude had come up and asked if he could move them through, and they of course said NO! But, the cows were there, we even hiked through them, in a thunderstorm, just to hike. Sooo...long story made very short, that was my vacation in a nutshell. And since this blog is supposed to be about my new healthy lifestyle, may I add that I think we did QUITE well on vacation. Much better that vacations before. But all three of us were dedicated to not blowing all our hard work on 4 days, so we paid attention without going crazy about it. I still had a pancake both mornings, but seriously, who is strong enough to resist pancakes cooked over a camp stove in the wilderness?! Not I!
So, since I've been back, I am 2 for 4 for days having worked out. Not good! I'm ready to get back on that wagon. As for diet, we have pretty much stuck to simply counting calories. And here is where I'll share a GREAT bit of technology that I found while on vacation - MyFitnessPal. This app is for iPhone, iPad, Android, Blackberry, Windows and can be accessed from a regular old computer. Setting up your profile is essential when first using the app. You put in your current and goal weights, height, age, gender and daily activity level along with how many pounds per week you would like to lose (it only goes up to 2 lbs, so you can't set yourself up for failure) and it maps out how many calories a day you should consume. It's a tracker, much like Weight Watchers for anyone who is familiar with that, and has a FREAKISHLY large database of foods you can look up. Plus, you can plug in your own recipes, or if all that is just to hard, you can simply scan the barcode of the food item you want to track, and voila! it's there in your tracker. It also has room for tracking exercise. Once you're done for the day, it gives you a "pep talk" and says "If every day was like today, you would weigh ______ lbs. in 5 weeks." It's inspiring, and really is the best app I've ever had. And I'm not even being paid to say that! The very best part about this app: IT'S FREAKING FREE!!!!!!!! So, if you don't have it by now, please, take a moment and download it. I swear, it's calorie counting made nearly effortless.
Alright, so today, I walked 4.05 miles (yes I'm sore) and as of yesterday, I am 4.8 pounds down from when I started this crazy journey on June 25th (my half birthday in case you wanted to know). AND, I'm another two pounds down from the heaviest I reached, back in February. I will tell you this much, as I'm still not ready to share specific numbers with you, for the past 6 months (or more) I have been hovering all over the 190s. This is the first time I remember that 4 consecutive weigh-ins have gone down. Calories have clicked with me. And it's become a game. What can I get for 400 calories or less?! And with the app, it's even more fun. I know if I had been only cutting and counting calories, the weight would have been coming off even quicker. However, this is not JUST about the numbers on the scale for me, this is about overall health and fitness. I've been doing (pretty much) daily cardio AND weight training. I know the muscle I'm building is keeping the numbers from falling off too quickly, and honestly, I'm almost completely ok with it. Sure, I'd LOVE to be 10 lbs. down now. But, in the long run, I don't just want to weight less, I want to look damn good and toned in my clothes. And, regardless of the mere numbers that have been subtracted on the scale, my pants are looser, I definitely feel stronger, and shoot, even my bras are getting loose. And if you know me at all, you know I have PLENTY of boob to lose. I am feeling confident and happy with the progress that I've made. Not only physically, but mentally. Sure, I'm still scared about living on my own again and being left to my own devices and the possibility of falling back into old habits, but I'm also feeling like I can definitely do it. I'm not scared of having a bad day anymore. I have had meals (vacation) that I am definitely not proud of, and made me incredibly remorseful. But it's what you do AFTER that bad day that counts. I haven't failed just because I let myself eat way too many calories one day. I only loose if I let that one day win. It's the next day that matters the most.
So, this was the longest post ever. I guess that serves me right for procrastinating. To whoever is reading, DOWNLOAD THAT APP! Those are your parting words. :)
P.S. Stuff Etc. Half Off Sale tomorrow. I even bought the Early Bird ticket which allows me in an hour early. However, it's apparently a little like Black Friday, so I might actually have to wait in line before it opens. LAME. Oh well, I went in today and took notes on things I want/need for the new house, so I may as well try to get them. Happy Friday the 13th everyone!
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