SMILE... you are on the elliptical...

It felt so good to get back to the gym. I haven't stepped foot in it since last Wednesday. I was visiting my family during a 4 day weekend. I didn't do a whole lot of exercising, but we were running around a lot.

I am still stuck at my weight and haven't really stuck to the "only weigh in once a week" deal that I made myself. Yeah, I am calling myself out on that one. I have asked some advice from a few friends on the best way to start running and how to keep it going. I have been doing really well and am up to 3 blocks strait without stopping. I am really hoping this will start my weight loss again.

Fun story from the gym: I was on the elliptical tonight, i-pod plugged in and just a going. One of my favorite songs came up and pushed me to go faster. I was smiling and lip sinking to the words. (yeah I am one of "those people" at the gym). The woman next to me looks at me and just shakes her head and starts to laugh.

Hey, if you can't have fun while you are working out... what is the point?!

Frustration has set in...

My weight hasn't changed in a while. I can't seem to get past a certain point no matter how many times I weigh myself.

I have started "wogging" more often and staying consistent at the gym. I am eating lighter meals at night and trying not to over indulge on the weekend. I don't know what I am doing wrong, but it is putting a damper on my journey.

After talking it over with many friends and reading the book "Born to Run" (fantastic book I recommend it!) I realize that I  need to focus on the fitness part of my journey more instead of the weight. Right now I do all my goals by weight, but friends have suggested maybe doing by physical ability. How far can I jog at one time? How much faster can I do my route? How heavy of weights?

Maybe tracking my progress that way and focusing on that for awhile will help the weight part of it. I am just getting discouraged. Every time I think I have gotten over the plateau, the next 4 weeks I am stuck.

New experiment: Only weighing myself 2 times in one week. Right now I weigh my self at least 6 times (yeah I know :S) However, my "official weight" is always on Monday. When I weigh myself in the morning and at night, it is just to make sure I am still on track. However, I am getting disappointed in the morning lately bc it is the same weight all the time. Maybe taking a step back from that will be good for me.

We shall see!

Tell Everyone!

I had a conversation recently about my "chattiness"  with my weight loss journey. I was and still am a tad concerned that I will or have gotten annoying with talking about my healthier lifestyle. I read early on that it was good to let your friends and family know what you are doing because it keeps you accountable. So I did and I have.

The conversation started by the person telling me that they were not as "umm chatty" as I am about my weight loss. I felt a little offended, which is silly because I know I AM chatty about it. However, the way they said it didn't make it feel like a compliment.

So the question is: Is it better to go on your journey alone and with no support? Or is it better to tell everyone and get the support that you may need on your way to a healthier lifestyle.

After thinking this through, I have come to a conclusion. It is all up to how you want to deal with your journey. I should not be offended if people say I talk about my loss too much or I become chatty about living healthier. It is something I am passionate about, so I am going to talk about it.

 In saying that, I respect others decisions to keep it to themselves. In my opinion I think talking about it and getting that support is part of the journey. I also like to think by talking about it and being vocal you may inspire someone else to change their lifestyle.

If I could inspire and motivate just one person to start their own journey... it would be worth annoying a few people by being too chatty about my weight loss!

What are your thoughts on being vocal about your weight loss journey?

Just celebrated my 100 lb. loss with a hot air balloon ride. It was one of the most amazing experiences ever! I wanted a "big to do" for my "big loss"... I got it.

Super yummy muffins! (low calorie)

1 box of cake mix (doesn't matter what kind)
1 can of pumpkinL 15 oz

Mini muffin pan (or regular muffin pan or you can make this into cake too!)

Mix pumpkin and cake mix together.
Fill cups with table spoon of batter
Bake at 325 degrees for 20 min. or until done.

Enjoy! Only 60 calories a piece.

I just made the spice cake and devils food chocolate cake. They are amazing!

Eye Opener

This past week I have been in a super funk. I gained 2 lbs. last week and have been stuck the past few weeks before that. I feel as if I hit a "plateau" more often then not. So I did what many articles have said and looked back at how I have been living.

The realization: I have become more lax in my food portions and have not been keeping track of calories as diligently as I had before. I was eating healthier things, it is just that my portions were slowly getting bigger. I thought it would be a "no brain er" for me to keep the portion sizes small and make the healthier choices. However, when I stop thinking about what I am doing, I obviously slowly start going back to the larger portions.

The good thing is, I realized this now. I need to get back to my basics and remember what I am doing this for. I am still a ways away from my ultimate goal and I can't forget for a moment why I am doing this.

Recent Small Victory: I was having a horrible day last week and just wanted the day to be over. I stopped at the store to pick up a few groceries. Now, I was (and still have the urge to be) an emotional eater. Usually when I was having a bad day I would drown my feelings in a bag of chips and frozen pizza. It always made me "feel better". However, I made one of the best decisions that night. Instead of getting chips or a pizza I got... a bag of brussel sprouts! You are probably thinking "What the hell?".

 I wandered around the store and saw those and instantly knew they would make me feel better. Better than if I were to mow down on something junkie. I steamed my sprouts and settled in for the night.

I think I have gotten to a point where if I am in a mood, I am able to choose to have healthier food. If I would have had ice cream (or something else as tasty and bad) I would have felt 20 times worse. When I make decisions like this it makes me realize how far I have come. Emotional eating is something I will have to deal with, but at least I know I can make the right decisions for myself.

Cheers to a small victory!

Interesting... From Pinterest!

Having the information laid out like this is very interesting. Just think that changing your life style can help you live a longer fuller life... that is what everyone wants I think.

Thoughts?

No surprise

Well, my Monday weigh in came and went. I gained 2 lbs. over the past week. It actually isn't as bad as I thought it would be.

I got back into the gym last night and rocked it. When I slip like this, it kicks me in the ass to up my intensity. Yeah, I bitch and complain of how upset I am over it (which is legit), but I know what I need to do. I am never down and out for a significant amount of time. That comforts me bc of the trial of reaching the goal weight and then keeping it off will be less difficult.

I was getting out of control for a bit... but I am back!

When you make a mistake... accept it and move on. DO NOT WAIT UNTIL MONDAY to start again. Why wait?