Numbers

I need some motivation.  My weight loss has slowed, which is to be expected.  I've lost a little drive.  My eating choices haven't been the best recently.  As usual I need to focus.  I haven't gained any of what I've lost back which is absolutely awesome.  I'm not losing as quickly as I could be if I was working at this 110% every day all day no matter what.  So like I said I need some motivation other than the numbers on the scale.  I found that motivation.

I'm looking at different numbers.  I've lost almost 30 pounds since I've started.  AWESOME!  Guess what else...my BMI (Body Mass Index) has lowered! Body Mass Index (BMI) is a number calculated from a person's weight and height. BMI provides a reliable indicator of body fatness for most people and is used to screen for weight categories that may lead to health problems.  So let me show you the charts:

Ok so the changes aren't that great but it shows a change!  I'm losing weight and I'm definitely getting much healthier.  I think the next thing I need to start doing is to measure inches lost.  I've heard it over and over again that sometimes you lose inches when your weight hasn't changed.  I can use all the motivation I can get right?

Sugar Is My Kryptonite

Whether it be real sugar, or some kind of sweetener like Stevia or Splenda it is definitely my kryptonite.  All it takes is a small taste of any form of sugar and I become non-stop.  You know how when the Hulk gets all mad and smashes stuff?  "Hulk SMASH"...yeah I'm more like "Cec EAT!".  Ok lame analogy but I just got done watching the Avengers (which is an awesome movie by the way).  I've mentioned this so many times before.  I've known it for a while.  I cannot eat any kind of sugar.  I can't even do diet drinks.  It causes me to crave all kinds of sugary AND salty foods like nothing else.  It really is my biggest weakness.

I need a plan.  I think I need to stop eating every form of sugar.  Splenda is no different to me.  It also causes me to crave.  I will continue to eat my vegetables.  Those natural forms of sugar found in veggies do not cause me to crave.  It's the diet drinks, the sugar free jello or candy, any thing like that that causes me to stray.  I need to get rid of all of it.

I've decided to try the reward system.  If I can go a whole week without any kind of sugar, I get 1 song from I-tunes.  If I can go a whole month without any kind of sugar I'm going to get my hair done (my greys are starting to show again). I think this is a perfect time to try the reward system.

The youtube video below is the songs I want from I-tunes.  It's by a Christian Rock band called "Press Play".   I absolutely love it!  So here's to no more sugar!

Wish me luck!

Recap.

Last night I went to bed a little bit after 1am.  I rushed home after work and did all my pre-bedtime stuff as fast as I could because I had a goal.  I wanted to wake up to go to Zumba at 5:30 in the morning.  Yes, you heard it...5:30 AM!  Crazy right?  Well believe it or not I managed to actually get my bum out of bed and went to class.  It was a good class.  It was hard of course, but really good.  I had a lot of fun.  I'm just not used to moving that fast that early in the morning, haha!  I decided to go to this class because I'm really trying to get to at least 3 classes a week and these are the times that I can make it.

After class I was talking to my instructor Tricia about my journey.  She's also noticing the changes that I have been having.  It's pretty awesome that people are starting to notice.  During out conversation it came up what I'm doing differently this time around.  This is the longest I have EVER stuck to any kind of diet, workout, healthy regime, etc.  So I just wanted to share with everyone again what it is that is working this time.  I know I've cheated a few times but I have always gotten back on track.  It's not like every other time.  I would work at it, lose a little, then go back to what I was doing that caused me to gain the weight in the first place.  Well, here's what's different this time and what is working for me:

1.  Don't Set Big Goals

• In the past I always set these weight loss goals that would never happen.  I would always think I need to lose this much by this day, or I need to lose this much every week.  I always lose a decent amount pretty quickly at first.  I then think that I can lose as quickly every week so when I do the math I would think I could lose this rather unrealistic amount in a short amount of time.  Of course that wasn't the case.  I wouldn't reach the goals that I set and would get discouraged and give up.  This time around I'm taking it one day at a time.  I'm accepting any and all losses whether they are big numbers or even half a pound.  What's key is that I'm not gaining.  I still have a ways to go but I am making progress each week.  

 2.  It's About Being Healthy...

• So many times I've started some kind of weight loss program in the hopes of bettering the way I look.  I was unhappy with the way clothes fit or the fact that I couldn't climb stairs without losing my breath.  Every other attempt has always been about my body image.  Well I'm really good at lying to myself.  I am really good at hiding what I don't like.  However, this body image mindset was always so superficial and short lived.  I would lose weight and become happy with that small weight loss.  Not this time.  Getting healthy sounds and IS so much more important than being able to fit into a certain size.  You can't argue with science.  Everyone knows that your life expectancy exceeds if you're healthy, the risk of diseases are lower if you are healthy, and pretty much any aspect of your life will be good if you are healthy.  So this time around I've gotten rid of the superficial body image idea.  I'm focusing on getting healthy for myself and of course for my family.  My kids do what I do.  All my past BAD eating habits have already been passed down to them.  As I'm learning to be healthy, so are they.  It is imperative for me to become healthy not only so that I can live and be with my family but so that they learn these important lessons as well.  So I will wear what fits and not worry about the size of my pants.  The size of my clothes will lessen as I become healthier.  Being healthy is the true reward.

 3.  Don't Do Too Much Too Fast

• A big reason for a lot of my past failures is that I would push myself too hard too fast.  I would start working out and dieting like crazy.  After a while my body would just get tired of it.  I also have a horrible problem called "laziness".  It's really quite awful.  I tend to give into my laziness too quickly.  In the past I would start working out everyday a couple of times a day, and dieting hardcore.  This time I spent almost a month introducing working out and being active into my daily life.  I spent the time finding out what worked and what didn't work.  I learned what workouts I could and would actually stick to.  Instead of doing something by myself at home, I went out of my comfort zone and found one of the best things that has helped me so much in this journey...yes, you guess it...Zumba!  Going to live classes and meeting wonderful people who all want the same goal and finding such inspiration in the instructors has been the winning formula for me.  I have never been this active for this long in any other past attempt at losing weight.  After spending some time getting used to working out I started focusing on my eating.  Taking it one step at a time instead of a huge bunch of stuff all at once has really been a winning formula for me.

I've been on this journey for 8 months now!  This is the longest ever!  It is because of the different things that I'm doing this time.  My mindset is in the right place now.  It's not about image, it's about health.  That's what is important.  It's about finding what works for you so that you can stick to it.  It's not about being unrealistic in your goals, find a goal that you can reach.  Take it one step at a time.  I've fallen a few times but what counts is getting back on track.  I'm going to end with my motto.  It's from a Toby Mac song and it is so true to where I am right now and it can apply to everyone!

We lose our way
We get back up again
It's never too late to get back up again
One day you will shine again
You may be knocked down
But not out forever

Random Rant...

...about clothes.

These last few months I started working out on a regular basis.  I have discovered how annoying certain fashions for women who exercise is really quite annoying.  It seems that whoever comes up with these fashions are trying to make styles that make women look "sexy" when they workout. 

I can tell you for a fact that I am no where near any form of attractive when I workout.  I could be trying my darnedest but it just doesn't happen.  I am not a fan of clothes that are tight.  I prefer loose fitting clothes especially around the mid-section.  Unfortunately it's hard for me to find anything like that.  I could just wear t-shirts but I also hate the necklines of t-shirts. 

OK, so this is what I'm talking about.  I cannot wear this shirt because it is too tight around the midsection.  I do not like having to re-adjust my clothes the entire time I'm working out.  Also I do my best to hide the "spare tires" that I have.  The last thing I want to see when I workout is every little bit of extra weight.  Now some people may wonder why I just don't get a shirt like this in a size larger than what I wear.  Unfortunately, that doesn't work either for me.  If I get a shirt size bigger then the chest/shoulder area of the shirt is waaaaaaaaaay too big.  It's a no win situation for me.

I'm not saying that nobody can pull this off.  There are a lot of people who can and that is absolutely awesome for them.  I look forward to the time I can wear a shirt like this.  My issue is that when I go shopping for workout clothes this is the only style I can find.  I just wish there were more options out there for those of us who don't want clingy clothes when we workout.  That's all. 

So here's a nice goal to achieve in the near future.  Until then my husband is going to get sick of me wearing his t-shirts, haha!

Not M.I.A, I promise!

Phew!  Well that was an interesting last couple of weeks.  I know I haven't posted since October 5th.  That's a long time.  Well believe it or not but I was sick (and the rest of the family) for that long.  It was so miserable.  I think what was the worst about it was that I wasn't prepared.  I had no idea how hard it was going to be to make good food choices, and exercise all while being sick.

Needless to say I strayed while I was sick.  All I wanted was food that was hot.  I didn't want to eat any food that was cold.  I also didn't want to cook.  So I ate a lot of bad foods.  Pizza, french fries, etc.  Then I so foolishly ate some real sugar.  When I put any form of sugar in my mouth I go into a crazy food frenzy.  I think that I can argue that certain foods really are addicting.  People say all it takes for alcoholics to fall off the wagon is one drink.  I can honestly say that that is the case for me when it comes to certain foods.  What's even scarier is that when I eat like this I can't stop.  When I eat properly I often forget to eat because I'm not hungry.  When I eat horrible junk food it's like I can't get enough.

So the first week of this sickness, I didn't lose any weight.  Ok so not so bad.  I can live with that.

The second week, I was finally getting over this sickness...I have been back on my eating plan and have been working out again (2 days to be exact) and I lost 1 pound.  Score!

Ok so it's not a lot.  It could have been better.  The key is that I am losing.  I am not gaining.  It's slowed down quite a bit.  But the fact that I could go almost 2 weeks of not working out and eating badly yet still manage to lose 1 pound is a good sign.  It's a sign that my metabolism is starting to get back to where it should be. 

When I was in high school I ate.  I ate a lot.  I ate a lot of BAD food.  I was active though.  I played sports, I rode my bike a lot, and I walked everywhere.  I have a good metabolism.  I believe it's genetic.  Just look at my mom and dad, or any of my siblings.  We have to work to stay fit but we can be fit.

This is a good sign.  Now it's time to ramp up my workouts.  I am going to try to start going to Zumba classes 3 times a week, and I'm going to start adding workouts for my core.  I'm not sick anymore.  Time to get back on the wagon.  I've written so many of these posts - on the wagon, off the wagon.  I'm going to keep working hard and avoid writing anymore of these posts. Trillionth times the charm right?  Wish me luck, again!

*Cough* *Hack* *Barf*

Ugh.  I'm sick.  I feel like crap.  I haven't been sick in a long time.  I know this because I haven't been sick since I started this new healthy lifestyle.  I am struggling to eat properly.  I'm struggling to stay active.  I had no idea how hard is was going to be to continue to stay healthy and be sick at the same time.

I have no energy to cook.  I haven't done any meal planning.  All I want to eat when I'm sick is bad food.  I don't want to cook.  I want my comfort food.  I always turn to different kinds of food when I am sick that I use to help me feel better.  This could be something from fast food to cough medicine.  I had no idea how much sugar is in cough drops!  I have found sugar free cough drops but much to my dismay they are not nearly as effective as the sugar-full cough drops.

I'm going to try to make it to Zumba on Saturday.  Hopefully I won't be too rundown.  Honestly though it's not looking good.  I have the coughs pretty bad.  When I workout I need my breathing to be steady.  I don't know how good of a workout I will get in when I'm hacking up a lung every 2 seconds.  Plus, it's not very nice to go somewhere and risk getting other people sick.  I think I'm going to just have to stay home and try to get the energy to do my own at home workout.

I was not prepared for this.  I had no idea how hard it was going to be.  I've been making bad food choices.  I have not been active.  At least now I know.  I'm going to have to make sure I pre-plan for the illnesses I'm sure to get this season.  Hopefully I'll kick this bug pretty quick and get right back on track.  Now excuse my while I go find that lung I just hacked up.