Blame it on the Weather

I've been doing just fine with the eating part, even drinking water...I've been going to all my trainer sessions (well not like I go all week), but still. Anyway it is the "in between" stuff that I should be doing that I have not. For instance:

Kickboxing - those martial arts people have not seen me since late October.
Elliptical machine - I throw my coat over it when I get home.

I meet with Chad tonight and I am sure he will want an update of what I've done since last seeing him. Our last session he asked if I had been doing my cardio and because I am such an awful liar I said "no" and he actually said "WHY"...I was stunned. I felt like a child and answered like one.."I don't know" was all I could think to say. THEN he went on to ask "Did you get caught up in some television show"? wth...but then I thought, why even get offended because that is probably what happened anyway.

Funny how I say I am not a good liar since I verbally promised him I would do kickboxing at least 3 times last week..even threw in 2 classes in one day. I've noticed that I say things to make myself sound good ...now if I can just get the doing things to look good down...LOL smh

IMMADOBETTER
at least I better or I'll be wearing a shawl over my wedding gown.

Determined

Well I am happy to report that I saw my trainer (2nd session) on yesterday. He warned me that this session would be harder and it is going to get even harder every session. GREAT.
The session was indeed much harder than I anticipated. It was a session where everything he did looked easy until it was my turn. I have never lifted weights like that... EVER. Weights are one of those things females (like me) either walk by at the gym OR we never stay on it long enough to feel a burn.

I am a little sore today, which means there is a possibility of being bedridden tomorrow.

Today's goal is to attend kickboxing tonight, but as I fake punch the air (in my cube at work) it hurts so bad. I don't believe I have enough strength to punch on an actual bag.

My trainer (let's call him Chad because "my trainer" sounds like I have money) said I may need time to heal but you know how it is when you feel like Superwoman..OR when your wedding is around the corner.

So pray I make it to class tonight..but if I don't, I will climb onto my elliptical machine and count backwards :-)

Play Time is Over!

Wow, I have not posted since mid October. It is amazing how time flies and also how I lied and said I would not stay away as long as I did before :-).

Nothing much has changed. I have not really been losing since the last weigh in. I had my engagement party October 29th and have not set foot in a kickboxing class or glared over at my elliptical machine since. As a matter of fact, I have not even gone down hwy 6 toward the park..I have been detouring as much as possible lol.

TODAY is "another" new day. This week I will get myself back together and do those things I had been doing that were successful. Kickboxing here I come! I was preparing for this day for some time now..I even went to a consultation with a trainer. The consultation went well, he measured my body fat, checked my balance (I wondered why), and he had me to do other little things that showed him where I was fitness-wise. That little consultation felt like a workout for me. I was even sore the next day..wth.

I made the decision to go ahead with the trainer and had my first session with him this past Friday. It was enjoyable in certain parts..others not so much. I posted on Facebook that it went well until I discovered my hearing had become impaired. I was so tired and nauseated afterwards that I could not hear. They say what won't kill you will make you stronger..in this case I better be FINE lol..WE SHALL SEE.

Time is winding down...I am excited, nervous, paranoid, and anxious at the same time.

Still On The Wagon

I know I haven't been here in some time, but I am still on the "weight loss wagon." Of course I've had the occasional slip up here and there, but I am learning to choose my battles. There was once a time if I messed up I just GOT OFF and started over (months later probably). I think I am getting that it is a way of life and not some punishment.. For the most part I eat what I feel are the right foods lol. I am still attending KICKBOXING yay, I love that class. I don't ever want to step foot in a gym again, but at some point I will (ugh). I am drinking more water...you know how I HATE that, but my body and taste buds are adjusting well.

This was a quick update, but I plan on being more indepth and consistent in the future.

YAY 35lbs down. Looks like I am at the halfway mark of my desired weight loss goal.

Weigh-In #2

I have been struggling with the fact that I am losing inches and not as many pounds as I would like. I've heard people say "I'm losing inches and not lbs" before but never really understood the joy in that. For some reason it is more gratifying to see numbers get lower accompanied by looser fitting clothes. Down 23lbs...

This is pretty much what happened during my last weigh in.

Planning Ahead

My goal is to lose weight ALL OVER, however I do know that 4-6 months before my wedding day I would like to target certain areas, such as my arms. I have always hated my arms and I never, never, EVER show them if I can help it. But there is a possiblity that my affordable dream dress may be strapless..(OMG). So I figure why not make myself feel better about those areas such as my arms before it comes to that.

My co-worker just sent this article that is very informative. http://health.msn.com/blogs/second-opinions-post.aspx?post=1787907&gt1=31036

Here are a few things it covers

1. Zero in - Someone knows my needs

Most wedding dresses reveal the arms, shoulders and back, so it’s a good idea to focus on these areas when weight training to get great muscle definition in that strapless, low-backed gown. Target your upper body with pushups, shoulder raises, and bicep curls, or try this bridal workout designed by Dr. Heaner.

Be sure to work in more cardio workouts such as walking, running, cardio machines and aerobics classes in addition to strength training. "Your workouts should combine strength training to firm up flab and cardio to create a leaner silhouette,” says Heaner.

La La Vazquez followed this formula to shed 13 pounds before her July 10 wedding to NBA star Carmelo Anthony. Vazquez, 30, hits the gym with Gunnar Peterson (who has trained Jennifer Lopez and Kim Kardashian). "I work out with him every single day. It's for an hour and not on the weekends." - I am no La La Vazquez but I can use 13lbs shed just from my arms alone lol.

2. Think before you drink - I have friends pushing drinks down my throat already (DANA).

Between your engagement party, your bachelorette party, and myriad other pre-wedding celebrations, you’re likely to spend a lot of time with a drink in your hand. Keep in mind that festive, fruity cocktails are often loaded with calories. So when your friends raise a glass to you, make sure yours is holding light beer, white wine or club soda with a twist of lime.

Hobson's Choice

My weight loss thought of the day:

I sit and think about all the times I’ve started, and then stopped. A friend of mine told me yesterday that she dropped the ball on her weight loss journey and the ball is still on the ground rolling…THAT WAS FUNNY to me. It was funny because I know all too well about dropping the ball and watching it roll on by and not even care. Well I take that back, I care, but just not at that moment. There was always “I’ll start Monday”, or I’ll start the first day of whatever month was approaching. There is always a reason to strive for better health, but sometimes it doesn’t work that way. With having said all of that, I am GLAD that I have no other choice right now other than to Just Do It. I say that because I know ME, and I know what will put the icing on the wedding cake for ME. I am also thankful that my choice to start and finish this journey is not due to any health risks.

Weigh-In #1

According to my scale, I've lost a total of 12lbs from June 15 to July 15. Twelve pounds is ok, my goal was actually 20lbs. I guess if you read this blog you'd kinda figure out why I didn't reach my goal. The first month is when you should actually see big numbers.

I am not disappointed, that is 12lbs I won't have to worry about. So next month around this time, my goal is still the same (20lbs).

To accomplish that goal I will work out more consistently. I will substitute work-outs when my knee flares up, instead of not doing anything. I am proud of myself when it comes to food intake. One change does come to mind and that is not to eat as much fruit and mostly eat it earlier in the day. Fruit is very healthy, as we know, but eating a lot of natural sugar late in th day may cause weight gain over a period of time. I guess I'd rather binge on fruit opposed to Ghirardelli chocolate...(memories) lol. Or would I?

So keep your fingers crossed for weigh-in #2, August 15th.

Tried It, Didn't Work

Got My Boost

I attended the 2010 Bridal Extravaganza on yesterday and got a bit of the boost I needed. I had a ball and I want to thank "my girls", Consuela and Dietra, who are actually a part of my wedding party, for attending with me. Sometimes they appear more excited than me, but a lot of that is due to me still taking it all in.

We were there all day, and no one complained. In the beginning it was quite overwhelming. It seemed as though we stood in the same spot for 2 hours. There was no way we could see all there was to see, but as the day progressed so did we. This was quite the experience, and really that was the only reason I attended. I did not go with the intent to spend lots of money. I wanted to people watch and "oooh and ahhh" as much as I could. Don't get me wrong, I walked away with a few ideas and some ideas that were confirmed.

They covered the "rooter to the tooter" in vendors lol. Some ideas were practical, and some were elaborate.

Check these out:
Who would have thought of an elaborate porta potty for an outside wedding? Not me!

Oh and how about this:

That's right..1.4 million, but he said he'd sell it to us for 1.2 million. I had to pass though HA

Ok, there were plenty of things there that I could totally get with lol

The old school bopper in me lives...



The runway shows were nice..unfortunately we were only able to see one. There was no way we could watch all the shows and look around in one day... and there was also no way I would be going back the next day to do it all over again.


We managed to enter my name in EVERY drawing there was at George R. Brown Convention Center. Keep your fingers crossed...something free is ALWAYS nice.

All in all, we had a Wonderful FUN time!

I Wanna Get Chocolate Wasted....too

Man Down

Ok, here goes... I have missed a couple of days of kickboxing. Let me not make light of the situation, it has been a week. I am now receiving phone calls from the kickboxing gym asking if I am ok.

It has just been one of those weeks and I suppose we all have them.

Although I have not done much physical activity, I have been pretty consistent with watching what I eat. I knew July 4th would be hard. There are plenty of holidays that people bbq, but on the 4th they seem to be more serious. I absolutely love anything smoked. As a kid (and still today) I can smell a pit 10 miles away. So again, I knew this would be a challenge. My fiance promised me he'd have a smoked turkey leg ready for me. There was no way I could sit with his family eating a salad as they ate all my favorite foods. I love smoked turkey legs and it was probably the only thing that could keep my mouth from salivating over ribs, potato salad, peach cobbler...*had to stop that sentence*

I feel better today and plan on attending today's class. The Bridal Extravaganza starts on tomorrow so I will be there with bells on. Attending the show will give me a much needed boost.

My weigh in is not far away..I have to work hard this coming week if I want to meet the goal I have set for myself this month.

My Sentiments Exactly

IN A ZONE

Hi, I have not posted in a couple of days but I wanted to give you an update on what has been going on.
I finished my trial period of the kickboxing classes on Friday of last week. I decided I would attend the Saturday class and afterwards get the necessary information to sign up. I don’t know if classes on Saturdays are MEANT to be harder, but when it was over I found myself walking like a baby who needed his/her diaper changed HA. Maybe this was the “end of the week extra push” they do or something. With all that going on, surprisingly I love the class and signed up for 6 more months of brutal and antagonizing pain. The classes are not cheap so I figured in order for me to get my money’s worth, I should attend at least 3 times per week, if not more.

Saturday night I had an ice pack in one hand and my Grandmother’s old heating pad in the other.

So far everything has been going well. I have been eating 100% better, gagging...I mean drinking lots of water and exercising. I will continue to use my craigsliptical machine in the mornings and will incorporate something else on the evenings I don’t attend kickboxing. Although I am not comfortable enough YET to plaster before and after photos…I will have a weigh in on July 15th which makes a month since I started this blog. Don’t get excited because not only am I not comfortable with spandex before and after photos…you won’t get any “I weighed this and now I weigh that” amounts. I will simply inform you of how much weight I’ve lost the first month.

H2"NO"

I have a love/hate relationship with water. I love water because we need it to survive. Water is very good for the skin, it helps our body to function properly and it aids in weight loss (which is the only reason I am drinking it right now). I am sure there are thousands of other reasons, but those are just a few.

I hate water because it makes me feel like my head is growing when I swallow it. I don’t know what it is, but I feel as though my ears are stopped up and there is this pressure in my head waiting to explode. The after effects are even worse, I began to feel like my head is a fish bowl (remember it grew) and there are fish swimming all around in there…don’t forget the plugs in my ears to keep the water inside. My drinking water is rather eventful. I have to coach/fuss and encourage myself and usually there is a big UGH production when I am done. On the other hand, water gets the job done. When I make a habit of drinking it, I really don’t crave other things like juices and soda.

The Devil is a Lie!

I am happy to report that I attended my first kickboxing class on Friday evening. I want to shout out to Michele and Tammy for showing up as well; it made the experience less embarrassing.
Let me back up a bit. I woke up Friday morning with an awful crook in my neck (GREAT). I had a couple of venues to see (for my wedding) that day and once that was over I went home to doctor on my neck. I had my massager in one hand, and then decided to try my grandmother’s old heating pad. I took 1 and half muscle relaxers and propped my head on a pillow with the heating pad underneath. When I FINALLY woke up I felt a little better but was not totally sure I should attempt kickboxing with a partially functioning neck. I refused to be defeated again so I got dressed and was on my way.
There was a combination of floor exercises along with using a kickboxing bag. It was very fast paced, but doable. We were shocked we worked up such a sweat. I enjoyed the class and it was more entertaining than being on a treadmill peeping at how much longer I have to go. I was also surprised at how sore I was the next day and TODAY. I will gladly be attending kickboxing class tonight.

I Chickened Out!

Plans were made for me and my friend Tamms to start kickboxing classes today. Unfortunately Tamms was under the weather and decided to start later this week. I, attempting to be a go getter and have that "nothing can stop me now" attitude, decided to attend the class alone. I figured this is my battle and other people can't accomplish these goals I've set for myself BUT ME. I am really a shy person, which may be hard to believe since creating a blog may not be on the "to do list" of a shy person...but really I am. OK, I set out for my first class and KNEW I would sit in the parking lot for a minute to "people watch." As I expected, they were all skinny and APPEARED to have been doing this for a while. Well I really can't be sure they had been kickboxing for a while, but you know how your mind works when nervous. Finally, I forced myself out of the car. I've lived long enough to know that, more times than often, nothing is as bad as we think it will be. It was awkward from the moment I walked in the door. There were a couple of chairs in the lobby, all of which were taken, which left me the only person standing. Ok, that is fine, no big deal. I watched the kids finish up their martial arts class until finally an instructor asked if this was my first class. He proceeded to look for my name on a list and gave me a form to sign. During this time the kids finished and those individuals that were seated got up to move into the room. The instructor began telling me a little about the class as we followed behind the crowd. He was really a funny guy, which made me more comfortable. He mentioned the class was fast paced and may be confusing at first. I was thinking maybe I should just observe. At any rate most everyone was against the wall either stretching or putting on gloves. I tried to strike up a conversation with the first lady I came in contact with. I asked her how long she had been coming, not sure if she heard me, I had to ask again..UGH. I believe she said a month, but it was so low I assumed she was just not in the mood for small talk. By this time I'm thinking to myself "I wish Tamms was here" so this would not be so intimidating. My mind went blank for a minute and I found myself walking out PRAYING the instructor or anyone else would not ask me where I was going. I felt defeated. After speaking with a couple of friends they assured me that it would have been intimidating for anyone going alone. So yes, I chickened out but will be there Friday evening with my good friend Tamms. :-)

TODAY is the DAY

I had been thinking of how I could work out twice a day. It is very hard to work out at the gym or even go out to the park early in the mornings. I would have to rise at 3:00am, not happening. I was thinking about purchasing a recumbent bike. We all know why I would choose a “recumbent” over a stationary bike. If you don’t know, I will tell you, the seats are bigger and it seems to be less work. Anyway, I figured I could do this in the mornings and workout again in the evenings after work. I’ve read in many articles that if you do something early in the day it gives you more energy and you burn more calories throughout the day. I am all for that. My search started on Craigslist to find a bike within my budget. I found an ad for someone selling used equipment for very reasonable prices. I went over after work and to my surprise he had a nice selection, but I was ONLY interested in the $35 bikes he mentioned over the phone lol. Just to make conversation I asked about other equipment I saw. He was a trainer so I wanted to pick his brain and see what information I could get out of him for free. I asked if he’d recommend other equipment over bikes…and his response was “if you want to sit and pedal you can” BUT you’d burn more calories doing blah blah blah. The way he said “sit and pedal” made me feel lazy. That may have been a sales tactic, and if so, it worked. I ended up buying an older model elliptical machine for a bit more.

I woke up this morning PUMPED. I found Joyce Meyer on television and got on my elliptical machine. I was thinking to myself “why did I purchase this when I absolutely avoid these things at the gym?” At any rate, I did it. It squeaked a little, which was very amusing for my dog. I know he was waiting for me to leave the room so that he could “mark his territory.” I won’t go into how long I was on the machine, let’s just say it was longer than I expected to stay on.
Not sure what I will do after work. Maybe I will go to the park where I love to walk and think. Maybe I’ll take Bishop (my dog) for a walk around the neighborhood. He loves it but by the time we hit the corner to come back home his tongue is hanging from his mouth… so embarrassing. He’s definitely a house dog. They say a dog’s health is also a reflection of its owners.
I have signed up for kickboxing. I hear it really works for shedding the pounds, but that seems true for most cardio work-outs. I have many ideas and will definitely keep you posted on which ones I follow through on.

Today is the last day to say “Tomorrow”

I had an idea to create a blog to keep myself encouraged while going on this journey of losing weight before my upcoming wedding. This started as one of those great ideas I blurted out to a couple of friends, who also thought I should go for it. I am not sure if I struggle with some kind of attention span disorder or what have you, but if I don’t jump on things when I conjure them up in my mind, they fall by the wayside…just as this blog was about to. I guess you could consider this an effort to follow through. I figured a blog would allow me to vent and get passed certain obstacles along the way. The best part of this outlet would be to have positive feedback and encouragement from family, friends and even those I may not know.

Losing weight is not a new issue for me. I’ve lost and gained more weight than should even be allowed in any one person’s lifetime. Keeping me motivated and focused is where the problem lies. About two years ago I made my mind up that I would be healthy. I exercised, ate better and accomplished losing 60lbs over a 6 month period. I was very proud of myself, not only for the weight loss, but because of how I achieved it. I thought that because I finally did it the RIGHT way, the healthy way, that I would not gain it back…surprise, surprise. I find myself talking about the 60lbs in 6 months often. I think I harp on it so much because I still can’t get over the fact that it was for nothing, however, I know that is not the case. At least now I know what lies ahead and this time I will surpass what I have accomplished in the past. OK I will move on, that was beginning to sound like one of those “Before Blastofat my children couldn’t get their arms all the way around me until now” infomercials. That is definitely not what this is about.

For the past year or so I have been saying "I will start tomorrow" and tomorrow has turned into months and months later. Tomorrow, June 15, 2010 is when I start my transformation.

Today is the last opportunity I will have to say “I will start Tomorrow.”