Hmmm.. I can't believe it's been a week since I've checked in. I had a pretty good week so far. a decent upper and lower body workout. Two good days of treadmill work, and a 5 mile hike on Saturday. I have even been doing well on my food.. until Sunday when my Fiance brought home a loaf of french bread he won at the checkout counter while picking up some diet soda. Oh it was SO good! but I got up this morning and the scale said 190!! *sob* I know I'm toning, and that my body is getting stronger. I'm actually seeing an improvement in my energy levels and I think I'm losing inches. but... 190 lbs! I have to say that that number has motivated me even MORE to hit the gym tonight. I think I'm ready to start pushing my workouts to a level 10.. I just hope I don't overdo it.



I got an email from someone (Yay someone actually reads this!) Thank you for the suggestions for drinks. I found the EAS Advant Edge "Carb Control" drinks seem to be doing the trick for me. They are quick, taste ok, don't seem to upset my stomach, and only have 2 grams of carbs. :) One in the afternoon about 3:00 seems to hold me over until after my workout, so I'm satisfied.



For anyone looking for a "sweet treat" I have discovered Sugar Free italian sodas. English Toffee, Carmel, Amareto... Throw them in the blender with some ice and milk and WALA a milk-shake tasting drink I'm sure there's a way to throw some protien powder in there to make it a little more 'legal' I make mine with whipping cream to keep a handle on the carbs.



I must remember to take measurements tonight....

My weekend started fine, and then dissolved into a two day long 'free day' :| BUT, I am down to 187.5... I can finally walk across the room without pain, so tonight I hope to do my lower body work out again. I'm going to be a lot more careful about my calf workout though!



Not much else to report. I'm feeling confident, and better physically and mentally, even if my body isn't showing a great deal of improvement yet. I'll give it time.

Another great day yesterday, and I'm feeling grand. The only fly in the ointment is that I checked the "Protien drink" that I drinking in the mornings and discovered it is a "Meal Replacement Drink" with 27 Carbs per serving! Gack! The good news is that I've only been drinking it for two days. No wonder I liked it so much! So, I skipped the drink and had some eggs for breakfast. I guess it back to finding a protien drink I can stomach. I liked having that convienance in the mornings. I liked the premade drinks from EAS, so maybe I'll look for the powdered form for my morning meal.



I'm SO glad that today will be a 'rest' day for my workout. My calves are SCREAMING at me! I got up in the middle of the night last night and found I couldn't straiten my legs. I had to hobble to the bathroom. I knew I had overdone my calf workout, I just didn't know how much until last night. Other then that... the workout last night was GREAT. I ran/walked my 1.5 miles in 21 minutes and still managed to hit a 10 on that workout. I'm continuing to take my weight workout easy.. not going for the 10 yet... it's obvious that if I had worked the rest of my body the way I had my calves that I wouldn't be able to get out of bed this morning. Maybe I'll add a body part at a time and take it to failure. It's a thought.



All other parts of the day were great too.. food was good, water great.. got 8 hours of sleep... another 5 star day! I had to battle the cravings monster lastnight when I went to clean up the leftover cookie dough. I LOVE to eat cookie dough and could almost taiste it! Instead I chugged some water and filled the bowl full of water. It didn't look so appitizing after that.



My darling Fiance informed me this morning that he's gained 2 lbs already :) I'm hearing dance lessons in my future. In the mean while, I'm signing up for ballet classes, and adding that to my workout schedule. I took ballet for 8 years as a kid and am looking forward to doing it again.



So, my goals for today are:

Stay under 20 carb grams

Journal my intake

10 minutes of pilates

REST

62 oz of water

less then 62 oz of soda

Read some more success stories to stay modivated

I already took my vitamins

I plan to get 8 hours of sleep



weight today - STILL 189... but I'm getting stronger already, I can tell!

Let me start off with a great big.. Wooo hoooo! I had a GREAT day yesterday, and I've continued the trend so far today. I think I had a 5 star day! :) Let's calculate, shall we?



Food - Journaled, and of good nutrition.

Exercise - Lower Body workout, 1.5 miles ran, 10 minutes of pilates, and all journaled.

Hydration - drank 62+oz of water, and had 52 oz of soda

Attitude - journaled (a lot!) and got some motivation off the net

Energy - 8 hours of sleep and took my vitamins



Yep it was a five star day!!



I took it a little easy on the weights.. until I did calfs then I overdid it a bit. My legs were shaking when I was done with that. By the time I got to the treadmill my legs were rather tired, but I still managed to get 1.6 miles in 23 minutes. Not the three miles I had hoped for, but it has been a long time since I tried to run seriously. The best news was even though my legs were VERY tired, I got out of bed and was able to put full weight on my foot this morning. No pain!



I've managed to bypass several temptations today as well. The cravings hit when I drove through Burger King for a soda. Boy those cini-minis looked good! and then at lunch when I got my car cleaned they had these chocolate cresaunts that made me look twice. But I kept my goals in mind... #1 to kick my DFs butt in the complition we're having. First one to lose 10 lbs is the winner.. and if I win.. I get dance lessons for the two of us! Needless to say that's quite a motivator for me. We're also talking about a small pay off for each day one of us goes to the gym and the other didn't. He's going to owe me SO big. :)



My goal today is another 5 star day...



I've done good in food and journalling - Tonight I'm going to the gym for a upper body workout, an 1.5 mile run. And then later 10 minutes of yoga. to be documented of course! I need to get started on my water, but I've stopped drinking soda for the day. I think I'm finally at a good point in that addiction. I'll maybe work to eliminate that entirely eventually, but one step at a time. I'm going to stop somewhere and check out some success stories for some motivation as soon as I'm done here. I already took my vitamins and I'm planning on 8 hours of sleep.. :)



Yay me!





Oh, and I'm down 1 lb since yesterday.. I KNEW I was feeling lighter.

I just have to say that my Fiance is the best! I talked to him today about my frustration with my motivation and he immediatly stepped up to the challenge. We're working right now to come up with some goals and rewards and we're going to keep each other on track. I don't know what I would do without him! I've also desided that one of my goals each day is going to be to read something inspirational, or motivational - it doesn't have to be wieght related, but I've found that reading the success stories on the various web sites has done much to lift my spirts and renew my 'can do' attitude. AND - I've been a good girl food wise today. It's 4:00pm and I'm still feeling pretty energized.



I'm working on my first bottle of water, have journaled all my food, and have a date with my DF (Darling Fiance) at the gym tonight, so I'm looking forward to having a 5 star day! Umm.. or maybe I need to come up with some sort of raiting system. Let me think about this. Here are areas where I can struggle or do well...



Food

- journal

- nutrition

Excercise

- Weight training

- Marathon Training

- Stretching

- Journal

Hydration

- 62 oz of water

- Less then 62oz of Diet Soda

Attitude

- Journal

- Motivational Reading

Energy

- 8 hours of sleep

- Vitamins



So that's 5 areas At the begining of each day I'm going to evaluate the day before and give each day a number of stars - So far today



I've got 1 Star for food as I've been journaling and eating nutritionally sound

-- a 0 for exercise, but I've got a plan in place to make that a 1 as well

-- a .5 for Hydration as I've only had 52 oz of soda, and I'm on my way to another .5 as I guzzle my water

-- Attitude is a a slam dunk for a one because I've done nothing but journal and look for motivation today

-- Energy, well I have a .5 there as I took my Vitamins, and hopefully I'll get 8 hours of sleep tonight.



I think I like this!



Oh, and I can already tell I'm eating better today. I feel lighter, and just.. BETTER already.

Forgot to set some goals for today -



- Take vitamins

- 3 mile run

- Lower body workout

- 10 minutes of Pilates

- 20 net grams of carbs

- drink 2 bottles of waters



I've accomplished 1 already. Took my vitamins this morning.

I don't know what happens to my energy levels. I really do need to get in to the lab and get my blood work done. Yesterday I was feeling grand, looking forward to going to the gym, and then, by the time I got home I was exhausted and it was only 5:30! Needless to say I didn't make it to they gym. I used the excuse that it would have been awkward with my fiance's car in the shop, but I could have made it work if I had really wanted to. It reminds me a little of the bible verse that says something like... I know the things that I must do, and yet I do not do them... it certainly applies here. I just another of those 'educated' fat chicks. I know what I need to do. I know the things that will make the changes in my body, and yet... somehow I always manage not to do them. It's really nothing more then lazyness. Well, lazyness and a love for food... *sigh* BUT, today's a new day. A day when I can do the things I must do. I'm three weeks into this challenge with nothing to show for it, but a gym membership and a cupboard full of vitamins. But, on the other hand, there are over 8 weeks left in this challenge. Still time to make some major changes for the better, do be one step closer to the lifestyle that "I" want.



I just had an idea. You see, although I know that I am at an unhealthy weight I really don't think I look that bad. I never had issues with the opposite sex, and my fiance makes it very clear that he loves me the way I am. In fact he worries that my goals might be too stringent and that I might get too skinny. My Dr, though has made it clear she wants me to loose weight, as she's worried that it may begin to effect my health. It was she who suggested I alter my eating habits toward a lower carb lifestyle. I did that and have lost SOME weight, but as always I've stalled around the 185 mark. But, I think one of the reasons I've stalled is that I'm trying to reach other peoples goals. Loosing weight because my Dr, or society tells me I need to. Intellegently I know that my health will suffer unless I make some changes, but that doesn't seem to matter when I come home tired after a day of work, or when someone announces that there are paistries in the break room. Still, there are some things that I want to change. I'm tired of being tired. I hate that I wake up exhaused. I know that healthier eating, and exercise is supposed to change that. So, I need to come up with goals for ME... yes, reaching 130 is a goal for me, but it's not priority... it's not enough to make me change... But perhaps some other things will.



My wish list



1 - To have more energy

2 - Run a Marathon

3 - Wear size 8

4 -



I think I'll continue to add to this list and perhaps ever post it up somewhere. There has got to be something out there that will motivate me!!