The 12th Week

I can't believe it's almost the end of week 12. Woohoo!!! So far I have lost 23 pounds, 6 inches off my waist and almost 9 inches off my hips.

Because it's nearing the end of week 12 I thought I would share with you 12 things I've learned since starting this journey.

 1.   Water is my friend. Water is amazing. I love it. It keeps me hydrated, helps me from getting groggy, prevents headaches and helps flush out toxins. I try to drink water when I crave foods. I take small sips and usually by the time I'm done with my water the craving is gone.

 2.   Dried Plums are the same thing as Prunes. I discovered this when first working out. I was trying to eat healthier foods so I thought dried fruit would be a good snack. Later I discovered that dried plums ARE prunes. I should have known that. I'm not sure why I wasn't thinking about it. Long story short, don't eat a bunch of prunes unless you have a bathroom nearby...

3.   Shaving your legs is a heck of a lot easier when you're losing weight! Between less leg mass to shave and more flexibility due to a smaller stomach it's a pretty awesome deal. Quicker shower time for sure!

4.   Quinoa- I love love love Quinoa. If you don't know what Quinoa is, or have never cooked with it before here are some links for you: 

• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quinoa 
  • Greek Quinoa Salad 
    
    • Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash 

5.   Motivation can come from anywhere and anyone. I am constantly finding motivation in things. I get it from my own achievements. It comes from seeing other peoples success. I get motivation by wanting to reach my goals and even a simple quote. I have found that this journey has really been teaching me about my true self and has brought me a lot of inner peace. I pray and talk to God and that keeps me motivated too. Gather motivation from anywhere and anyone you can find it. It will help you more than you may think.

6.   Calorie Saving- I have really learned to try to spend my calories wisely. If I'm going to eat something higher in calories I'd rather it be healthy. Salmon can be pretty up there in the calories, but at least I know it's better than eating a fried corn dog. I've learned to LOVE coffee without creamer. Instead of eating a toaster strudel for breakfast I make homemade breakfast sandwiches equaling about the same calories, but a lot more satisfying and healthier. I like to use mashed up avocado instead of mayonnaise when I can. Instead of eating candy, eat fruit. Instead of using salt, use herbs. Instead of ground beef, use ground turkey. Little things like that add up! Here are some links to some food swaps that helped me a lot:

• Healthy Breakfast Swaps

• Healthy Lunch Swaps 

• Healthy Dinner Swaps

• Healthy Snack Swaps 

7.   All foods are not created equally. This is my personal opinion. I am trying to lose weight and eat healthy. Do I buy fat-free sour cream, sugar free low-fat yogurt, fat free no salt sugar free super processed pizza? No. If you're going to eat. EAT! Just do it in moderation. There is no reason to fill your body up with empty, chemical filled calories.

8.   My own strength - I have said before that this journey has taught me my own strength. It is so fun to see myself changing mentally and physically. What I can do now I wasn't able to do before. We started out walking very slowly and are now beginning runners. I love it. It's incredible to push myself and see that I made it because it shows that I'm getting stronger. Mentally it makes me feel on top of the world. It makes me feel ecstatic and fearless. I'm taking things into my own hands instead of shying away.

9.   Getting Support- Having support from people who care about you is a fascinating thing. Without it I would not have made it as far as I have. I love having a team of friends and family cheering me on. They help me avoid falling backwards and help me keep my chin up and moving forward. Knowing people are also following my progress helps me stay focused.

10.   Giving Support - Being able to support others is my favorite thing about this entire journey. To get messages, comments or even my husband coming home and telling me that someone has told him that I've not only inspired them, but motivated them to start being healthier and/or exercise is the greatest feeling of success. You can even ask my husband- It brings the BIGGEST smile to my face. It feels like I've been able to make a difference for someone. I hope that this blog and my posts on Facebook can ofter everyone support and motivation in their healthy quest.

11.   Struggling- Yes, I struggle. Sometimes it's with food. Sometimes with wanting to relax and drink an entire bottle of wine! Sometimes I just want to sit on my butt and do absolutely nothing and GASP a time or two I've even wondered why the heck I was doing this in the first place. When you feel like this please please please, do not stop what you are doing. Every second is a chance to make better choices. Contact your workout buddy and whoever is your own support team, or contact me! Talk to them. Tell them what you are struggling with and let them help you get through it. Many of you have helped me get through my struggles. I had a week when every time I got on the scale I wanted to burst into tears. I was tired and working my butt off and wasn't seeing any results. Shad would hug me and tell me to keep going. A lot of YOU told me to keep going. Just hearing that very sentence helps! Trust me. Keep going. You will see results as long as you are working for it.

12.   Rewards- Rewards are the second best part of this process! Set your big goal, but be sure to set small goals along the way. When I lost my first 10 pounds I went out and bought some new jeans. When I had lost a little over 15 pounds shad bought me a BIG5 gift card. Now that I've lost 20 pounds I got the cute boots I've been wanting. When I reach 30 pounds lost I'm going to get my haircut and a new dress to go out in. When I reach my ultimate 125 goal Shad is taking me on a romantic getaway. Find what rewards you want badly enough and reach those goals!!

I would love to hear everyone's feedback in the comments below. What is the reward system you are using? What do you love most about getting healthier? What things do you struggle with and how are you overcoming them? What have you learned since you began your health/exercise journey? And any other comments/suggestions.

"God is within her, she will not fail." - Psalm 46:5

Our Secret to Fast Lasting Weight Loss!!!

More and more I am getting asked, "What is your secret to losing weight so quick?" 

Little disclaimer here- We aren't fitness trainers, we aren't science and health experts and what you are about to read is strictly an opinion and what has been working best for us.

So now that you're here, what's the secret?

Well I can assure you that it's not a special little pill.

Is it the grapefruit diet? 

No carbs? 

No meats? 

Cayenne and lemon water?

 Liquids only? 

NO!!

Absolutely not! We like to eat for goodness sake!

The secret is hard work and determination.

When we started out we made goals. We equipped ourselves with two incredibly helpful FREE apps runtastic and myfitnesspal. (These apps sync with each other which is even more awesome.) We held each accountable and depend on each other. (Find yourself a workout buddy. Even if they can't physically workout with you, find someone who can help encourage you and support you.) I can also say we haven't lost weight quickly either. We've dropped about a pound to two pounds a week. Slow and steady, but we're taking the hard route so the pounds STAY OFF.

Using my fitness pal helped us see how many calories we were consuming throughout the day. You have to be consistent. The first week was a pain typing every little thing in, but it definitely helped me! It was crazy to me to see how many calories I was consuming. Embarrassing to say, it was almost TRIPLE of what I consume now. I look at calories now as if it's currency. Sure I could eat this 300 calorie pizza stick or I could have some yogurt, fruits and a yummy salad and be way more full and satisfied. Do I really want to eat that entire bag of Fritos? Heck no! I could have a yummy burger for the same calories, maybe even less. What's that? I exercised? That's great! It means I have more calories!

Pinterest is also a great tool. The health and fitness section is full of motivation, recipes and work outs. I love it!

We exercise M-F everyday. We started out slow. We walked only about a mile in the beginning and then two miles in about 40-50 mins and worked our way up. Now we do a combination of running and walking 4 miles in about 40-50 mins!! You cannot watch what you eat and not exercise and expect to lose 20lbs like magic. And you can't exercise and eat junk and expect to lose weight either. 

We get inspired and encouraged by others. I'd say our biggest factor in losing weight Is the support we get! We've had our struggles and continue to have struggles. And yes, we've had our binges too. Pink lemonade cupcakes anyone? It is HARD work to be healthy and fit. There is no easy out! 

So there you have it. Be inspired. Make goals. Be proud. Exercise and don't eat garbage. Don't starve yourself. Be happy.

Ask for support!!

Week 10 - Monday

  It's funny how we see ourselves. When I started this weight loss journey I saw myself as overweight. Now that I weigh 20 pounds less I look in the mirror and still see myself as overweight. It makes me discouraged and it's not until I look at my before and now pictures that I realize how far I've come. That really helps me keep going. 

  This negative feeling may have something to do with the dreadful belly! YIKES. My stomach has definitely gotten smaller. That I am happy about. I still hate how it looks. So this week, I've decided, is ab week!! I'm really going to try to push myself to tone up as well as keep up the exercise. We're also still trying to up our running skills. Today we walked two laps and ran two laps in addition to our usual 2 mile morning walk. I really really want to avoid shin splints so we're working up to it. It is crazy to me that I can run for 30 minutes on the elliptical and if I do the same at the track I'm hurting. I'm guessing it's because I'm using different muscles when it's elliptical vs. running?

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated! 

Motivation Monday

Welcome to Motivation Monday! Maybe this is the day you decide to start your own exercise journey. Maybe it's the first day of your exercise week like me. Either way you're doing an awesome job!!! Because it's Motivation Monday I wanted to share some of the most inspiring pictures/quotes that have really helped me and I hope they'll help you stay motivated as well.

This was especially helpful to me when I first start exercising. I was easily frustrated by not seeing instant results and feeling like I wasn't doing enough. We knew we had to start out slow so we could build up to being stronger and exercising longer.

I am constantly having to remind myself of this. Especially when I'm waging war with my scale!

I wish so badly that I would have started 4 + years ago. I have given up a lot in the past because of how long it was taking. I could have just gotten healthy then! I am changing now though and that's what counts.

This is very, very true. I have said before that I have to fight with my mind. I thought I couldn't do it, but I can!! The more I can, the more I do! 

This one has helped me recently. I've been in a funk I guess. I cannot give up now because all of that hard work will have been for nothing. Gotta keep looking forward!!

This is the last picture for Motivation Monday. I used to think, "Oh I ate that bag of chips so I blew my healthy eating for the day. I'll just eat an entire pizza and try again tomorrow." WRONG! You get a second chance every SECOND!! Just two days ago I had a beer and decided, "Well I already screwed up and drank away a bunch of calories I may as we'll enjoy my night..." I was wrong. I ended up dumping the other half of my second beer down the sink. I know, I know.... precious beer!! And having A beer isnt entirely bad at all. It wasn't about the beer though, it was the choice and self control to change my second chance. I ended up working out instead. :-)

I would love to read some motivational quotes that have helped you, or any feedback you may have in the comments below.

I hope you will all have a fantastic week! You're doing great!! Thanks for reading. 

Week 9

Monday: 

Shad and I decided to go on a fun anniversary trip Sunday & Monday since we knew he'd be working on our actual anniversary. We stayed at Belknap Hot Springs. I was feeling extra chunky on Monday. I had completely let go with drinking beer and junk that entire sat-mon weekend with Shad.The only thing that made me feel better about that was our exploring. We hiked around and saw some beautiful things. 

This was at Sahalie Falls. So beautiful. I know I got a little bit of a workout because I was sore after hiking around.

Tuesday:

Our 4 year wedding anniversary. I spoiled Shad with a yummy breakfast and he headed off to work. I had full intentions of cleaning around the house, jogging on the elliptical and eating healthy. I did none of that. I played video games, ate a bunch of cookies and sat around. I wasn't feeling well that day. Probably a combination of not drinking enough water, eating junk and not exercising. When Melissa got off work we ended up going jogging. It was really hard not to cancel because I was already having such an off day. After the jog I felt so much better! I felt refreshed and happy that I had at least done something!

Wednesday:

We decided to meet up at 5:45 so we would have enough time to jog a mile as well as doing our usual walking route. It ends up being just over 4 miles. :-) Very excited to mix it up!

Thursday:

Our morning routine seemed a bit tougher. At one point I had asked Melissa if we had ran 4 laps or 5 at the track. We were currently only on lap 3! That was a little disheartening. We powered through it though and finished our morning exercise. I ate better this day and felt a lot happier. Unfortunately I cancelled our plans for our exercise dance party due to a new dinner recipe taking way longer than I expected. It did turn out yummy though.

(Quinoa and Sage Sausage stuffed Acorn Squash.)

Friday: 

Melissa and I took it easy this morning for fear of injuries and pulled muscles. We have upped our work out so we need to let our bodies heal and get stronger. Our dance party was a blast. It's always goofy trying to figure out how to do the right dance moves. I feel like it kicked my butt this time around. This whole week has been a hard one for me. 

I am extremely excited to be starting double digits on Monday! On to week 10!!!!!!!

Week 1-3

I'm trying to post what I can recall about what happened each week up until this point...

Week 1-Week3

I was feeling extremely motivated. I felt like a kid waiting for Christmas. I just was ready to lose weight and wanted to lose it right away. I lost about 3 lbs that first week. That helped me be extra motivated!! I refused to be on a "Diet" and went crazy on pickles. Pickles have no calories!!! I was very excited. I found weight loss treasure! ...So I thought.

Not enough proteins + exercise = very hungry person=eating more. It took me awhile to realize that I needed to make sure I was eating foods that have lower calories, but protein to keep me fuller longer. Pickles were not cutting it. What are my favorite yummy healthy snacks that keep me full until the next meal or help curb cravings you might ask? I'd love to share!!

• Half of an Avocado with 1/2 cup of cottage cheese (It's a bit on the higher calorie side for a snack, but keeps me full for a long time. Its about 230 calories)
• String Cheese (Western Family brand is only 60 calories)
• Chobani Tubes (Delicious Tubes of greek yogurt)
• Hard Boiled Egg Slices on top of Wheat Thins.
• Popcorn (Helps me curb the potato chip craving)
• Frozen Blueberries (taste like sour candy!)
• Water, Water, WATER!
• Half an English Muffin w/ 1 tbsp of peanut butter and a few slices of banana

There are a ton of low calorie high protein snacks I've found on pinterest and have yet to try. You are welcome to follow my pinterest board, "Let's Get Healthy" for more ideas and motivation.

By the end of week 3 I was still feeling pretty motivated. I remember one of the days exercising as much as I could. I ate well, but as few calories as I could because I knew when I got home, Shad was making his unbelievably wonderful  Bacon Bleu Cheese Burgers. Shad said he should have taken a picture because it looked like I had never eaten a burger before. I was so happy. So, so happy. That burger was marvelous!

Here's week 1 vs week 3

Change is Difficult

I wish I would have started this blog when I started exercising, but it's too late for that. Instead I hope you'll join along in this journey. I hope it inspires and motivates you and you will encourage and motivate me as well.
 
Change is incredibly difficult.

Usually when I get an idea to exercise it lasts about 1 week - if that! I get discouraged, binge, and feel sorry for myself. I finally decided that struggling with trying to conceive a child meant I should at least do everything I can to get healthy. We've been trying for over two years with no luck and it finally hit me.


Maybe getting healthy for a baby was enough motivation. Maybe I was just sick of not being who I really was anymore. Either way, I finally committed to changing.

I asked my best friend Melissa to help me. She promised to bang on my door at 6 am every morning and not leave until I got my butt out of bed and exercised with her. I had no idea this first tough week of exercise would lead the way to finding the happier me I had long forgotten about.

We started our exercise journey on Aug 5th. We are now almost done with week 9! This has been HARD! It is FRUSTRATING to wake up early everyday and exercise. It has been EMOTIONAL! Yes- we have had our ups and downs and our journey is not over.

Last weekend we both met one of our goals. We raced as walkers in our very first 10k, The Best Dam Run. We placed 10th and 11th out of 76!!! As silly as it is, I started to cry when I came up to the finish and saw my husbands beaming face. The combination of success, pushing myself past my comfort and pride was very overwhelming. I am SO SO proud of Melissa. She kept me motivated when I was ready to give up.

Nearing the end of week 9- I am happy to say that I have lost a total of 18 pounds. My goal is to lose 30. I'm over halfway there. There's no way I could do this without the support of Melissa, my husband and all my friends and family that cheer me on everyday.

 

Week 1 is on the left and Week 9 is on the right. 

I have learned a lot about myself in these past 9 weeks and it's been an amazing experience. I have learned that my body is capable of doing things I never thought I could do before. I have learned that I have an extra person in my head that tells me I can't do it and I have to fight back through out the day, everyday. I have never felt more beautiful, confident, happy, or myself. I have discovered that I love being me.

Before I end this post I would like to leave you with this...

It is up to you to take control of you!