Jan 1 - 13: Off the wagon still

Jan 14: (185lbs) 15min on treadmill, 5 on stairmaster, 10 on elliptical

Jan 15 - 16: LAZY DAYS (over ate way too much)

Jan 17: 20min on treadmill, 5 on stairmaster, 15 on elliptical, arm, leg, & ab machines

Jan 18: 30min on treadmill, 30min on elliptical

Jan 19:

Jan 20:

Jan 21:

So, after being away for several months, going through a divorce, and gaining back 15 pounds, I’m back in the ballgame!!!  A week or so ago, I started visiting 3FC again.  I haven’t been posting regularly, but have been reading most of the posts on the Calorie Counters Valentine’s Day challenge.  And, of course, some of the GOAL thread posts to try and get me back in the game!!!  The people there are so motivational and I can’t believe I let myself lose connection with the site!!! 

I’ve joined a gym this go around.  It’s called Urban Active.  I decided to give it a try because you can pay month to month and it’s only $14.95!!!  They also have a TON of cardio machines!  I signed up last Thursday, 1/13/2011, and had my first workout the following day.  Then, took the weekend off, and was back in the grind of things today!  I feel so much better when I work out!  Now, if I can just get back in the mindset of saying NO to bad, high calorie foods, and only allowing myself a “cheat” day only once in a while.  

I don’t want to make excuses or blame someone else, but the divorce really did a number on my eating habits!  Not because I was eating my emotions away (because the Big D was my decision and I’m happy I was able to stand up for myself and take action to be happy!), but because I moved out of my house to live with some friends and started EATING OUT every day!!  Some times 2 meals a day!  But also, in actuality, I have been a “slacker” when it comes to my lifestyle change since Summer.  When I hit that 170lb mark, my mind said, “I’m Done!”, even though I knew I wanted to get to 150.  So, now I’m back up to 185 and determined NOT to gain anymore!!!  That’s where the gym comes into play…

Instead of laying in bed from the time I wake up til it’s time to go to work, I’m making myself get up and go to the gym!!!  Come February 2nd, I will change shifts and move to day shift, 730a-4p.  Since the gym will be 5min down the road from my new apartment (Moving in next week), my plan is to wake up early and go to the gym BEFORE work at 730.  Not sure how well this will work out considering I LOVE MY SLEEP, but I’m hoping it’ll be better than trying to go after work when I’m tired, hungry, and want to watch TV!!!! LoL

The next thing I need to do to fully get back on track is start logging my calories!!! I read somewhere that if you take your current weight and mulitply it by 13, that’s the number of calories you can eat to maintain your current weight.   185×13=2405.  So, if I decrease every day by 500 (1905cal/day), then I should lose 1lb/week, with NO exercise.  HOWEVER, I don’t want to eat 1900 cal/day, so I’m going to aim for 1600-1800.  AND if I’m exercising, then I’m burning more calories and could maybe lose 2lbs/wk — WHICH WOULD BE AWESOME!!!  I’ll be happy to lose just 1/week considering that’s how it happened for so long, but I’ve always longed for bigger losses each week!

Sorry to write a book, but it’s been so long!! LoL 

WOW!  It’s been well over a month since I’ve visited 3FC!!!  I am truly sorry!!!  Alot has been going on, not only with work but with my personal life too.  I am pleased to say that my weight is still under 175 and I’m back on track as of Monday, 10/18/2010.  I WILL LOSE THIS LAST 25LBS!!!  I’m still in my size 12 jeans and size L tops.  I feel if I get back to visiting the site daily, I can get back on track with losing!!!  3FC has really helped me lose and helps keep me accountable!!!  Now, I’m off to find my CC Holiday Challenge!!!

Sept. 1: Rest Day

Sept. 2: 30 DS L3, Treadmill Inclined Walk 25min=2.32mi

Sept. 3: Rest Day

Sept. 4: White Water Rafting

August 1: 45min on TM (inclined walk @ 6% 3mph)

August 2: 45min on TM (inclined walk at 6% 3mph)

August 3: TOO BUSY (I know, not an excuse!)

August 4: LAZY DAY

August 5: OFF DAY (prepared all day for yard sale)

August 6: Had yard sale all day…does sweating profusely while hanging outside all day count?? haha  Did do some ab work in the evening…

August 7: (168.6lbs YAY!!) yard sale all day, then cookout 

August 8: recovered from night of drinking! haha

August 9: abdominal work, 45min on TM (inclined walk @ 4-5%, 3mph)

August 10: OFF DAY

August 11: (167.8lbs)

August 12: lazy

August 13-15: Traveling

August 16- 22: TOTAL SLACKER!!!

August 23: 30DS L1

August 24: Treadmill (Inclined walk @ 4-6% @ 3.5mph)

August 25: Rest

August 26: 30DS L2

August 27: Treadmill (Inclined walk @ 4-6% @ 3.5mph)

August 28: Rest

August 29: Walk At Home: Walk Strong

August 30: Lazy

August 31: Lazy

July 1: 174.0

July 2: 173.2

July 3: 172.8

July 4: (GOAL: 170.something) 173.0

July 5: 174.0, 45min (2.8mi…inclined walk then 1mile run @ 5mph)

July 6: 173.6

July 7 - July 16: Pretty much a LAZY FEST!  Along w/trip home to WV & DMB concert…

July 16: (175.2lbs) gonna start weighing on Fridays only :D

July 17: 30DS L1, Treadmill 25min including 1mile run @ 5mph

July 18: 1hr of yardwork, 45min on TM (3-5% inclined walk @ 3mph)

July 19: OFF DAY (sore legs & foot)

July 20: 30DS L2

July 21: 30DS L3

July 22: Inclined Walk on TM (1hr=3.2mi @ 4-6%))

July 23:(174.6lbs) 30DS L1

July 24: OFF DAY

July 25:30DS L2

July 26: 50min on TM (inclined walk @ 4-6% 3.1mph)

July 27: 30DS L3, 50min on TM (inclined walk @ 4-6% 3.1mph)

July 28: Rest Day

July 29:(171.4lbs) Lazy

July 30: (170.6lbs) 60min on TM (inclined walk @ 4% 3.5mph)

July 31: 55min on TM (inclined walk @ 4% 3.5mph)

Well, I have survived my first week away from home while counting calories!  I did not count calories due to eating dinner at local restaurants and not being able to look up the nutritional values.  However, for the most part, I made decent choices that I would NOT have made a year ago!  For example, at lunch I chose a 6″ sub with a side of yogurt at Subway, instead of the 12″ and a bag of chips.  The only horrible day I had was Friday when we had left over pizza in the fridge and I ate 3 pieces for lunch, then took 2 more with me for the drive home!!!  Then had a baked potato for dinner and a huge cupcake for a late night snack!!!  So needless to say, I did not weigh on Saturday, but rather chugged the water and ate very low calories.  Then, I stepped on the scale today and was super scared that I would be up 4-5lbs, but rather, I’m only up 1.6lbs from my all time low!!!  This is such a relief!!!

My goal for the month of June, or rather the 4th of July CC Holiday Challenge, is to MAINTAIN!  I knew at the beginning of the challenge that I’d be going to the conference this past week….staying in a dorm room and eating out every day for every meal!  Then, going to the beach for a week at the end of the month and once again, eating out alot.  SOOO, if I weigh in on July 4th at 170.x, I’ll be extremely happy!  Even happier if it’s in the 160’s, but I’ll take maintenance at 170!!!

June 1: 30DS L3-D8 (169.6lbs)

June 2: 30DS L3-D9, 45min on TM (3miles, inclined walk & walk/run intervals) (169.6lbs)

June 3: 30DS L3-D10, 50min on TM (2.8miles - inclined walk) (169.6lbs)

June 4: Lazy Day

June 5: Lazy Day

June 6 - June 11: AT CONFERENCE

June 12: Lazy Day - Recovering

June 13: (171.0 lbs)

June 14: 30DS L1 (169.8lbs)

June 15: LAZY (Extremely sore!!!)

June 16: LAZY (Still sore, but being lazy!)

June 17: I’M A SLACKER!!

June 18: LAZY (Finally NOT sore anymore, but needed to pack for vaca!)

June 19 to June 27 ON VACATION  (I actually worked out in the exercise room at the resort 4 days and rode bicycles almost every day!!!…but I still overate!)

June 28: 177.8 YIKES!!! (Mostly all water weight, it WILL come off by 7/4!)

June 29: 175.4

June 30: 175.0

First of all, I’d like to update you on my trip home to WV….IT WAS FANTASTIC!!!  I was nervous for nothing!

Second of all, since the end of the CC Arbor Day Challenge, I’ve sabotaged my weight loss!  The challenge ended on a Friday and that weekend I hit a low of 170.6.  I really thought I’d be in a new decade by now, but I’m not!  I’ve been really off-plan the past few weeks.  Eating off plan while traveling is a given…atleast for me….so I’m not too upset about those 4 days.  However, every other day this month I’ve been a bad girl!  I can’t seem to say NO!  And even on the days I think I’m gonna be On Plan, I go home after work and eat.  I had set a challenge of “No Eating 3hrs Before Bed” for Memorial Day, and I have failed miserably. 

I’ve read other people’s posts about self sabotage when they hit a min-goal or new milestone.  I’m beginning to think I’m one of those people.  If I remember correctly, I’ve done this everytime I reach a new “decade”. Mind you TOM was all messed up this month, and that may have a slight effect on my hormone levels, but c’mon now!  It’s been 3wks and I can’t seem to get back on track!  My LoseIt! application on the iTouch says for me to lose 2lbs/week, I should eat 1227 calories.  This was my new goal starting this past Monday…well the closest I came to that was 1257 and then yesterday & today were WAY over!

I think a part of me feels I’ve met my initial goal, which is true.  When I reached my highest of 230, I told myself I wanted to be a size 12 and 170lbs.  Well, I’m in size 12 in alot of different brands AND I reached 170 at the beginning of the month.  But since joining 3FC and learning how to be healthy, I really would like to be in the “healthy” BMI range…therefore, I changed my final goal weight to 154.5…just inside the “healthy” range.  I’m really aiming for 150 and then to have my normal weight range/fluctuation set for 150-155.  So I still have 20 or so pounds to go and I can’t seem to get back on track!

However, then there’s this part of me that feels it’s summer and I’m at a good weight, why don’t I just try to maintain for the summer & then continue my journey this fall?!?!?  I have alot of traveling to do (atleast one trip per month through September) and for me to maintain all summer would be awesome.  I could still exercise 3-5x per week and ATTEMPT to stay in my calorie range…and just see what happens.  I should be happy with my WL thus far, but it’s really hard to be happy when I’ve been struggling these past few weeks!!!

On a final, more positive note, I’ve been doing 30 Day Shred since the last week in April and I love it!  Well, I don’t love Level 2, but the WO is awesome and JM is not too too irritating! LoL  I took my measurements the day I started and will again the day after I finish.  Maybe the numbers on the tape measure will cheer me up since the numbers on the scale are being so RUDE!?!?!  haha  I could be gaining a little bit of muscle, but I also know I’ve been over on my calories…oh well…9 more days of L3 til we find out!

So, I’m going home to West Virginia tomorrow and I’m nervous!  I haven’t been home since Mid-December and I’ve lost almost 20lbs.  This was not a big deal when I was heavier…a 20lb loss wasn’t that noticable.  Heck, most people didn’t notice any difference until closer to 40lbs down.  But these last 20lbs have really changed my body!  I’m in a size 12…still not my Gap jeans, but everything else!  The Gap jeans pull on AND zip all the way, but are still too tight in the legs/butt for me to be comfortable.  BUT I’M NERVOUS!!  I guess part of it is because I’ve lost so much since being home when all last year I was going home every 3months.  For example, went home in September right before I joined 3FC and got OP….I was right at 202lbs.  Then I went home again in December and had lost almost 12-15lbs…noticable, but it wasn’t a drastic change.  I got compliments and it was very motivational.  But this time…something is different.  I’m just scared that I’m not going to look right in my clothes or something??  Is this normal??? IDK!

On the other hand, I’M SUPER EXCITED!  I get to see my one & only niece who I hear is growing like a weed and has entered the “Terrible 2’s”.  My best friend also had a baby in November and I’ll get to see him also!  I get to see my mom graduate with her Bachelor of Nursing degree (she’s been an RN for 28yrs now but only had an associate’s and couldn’t get promoted into management!).  I also get to see my brother marry his baby’s momma/the girl he’s been in love with for over 10yrs now!  It’s going to be a great weekend…if I can just get over the fear of “not looking right”!!!  I’ve been super stressed about what to wear and I’m SOOO not that type of girl!!!  Am I a freak?  Or is this normal???

On a lighter note, I’m still fighting through 30 Day Shred.  I just completed Day 5 of Level 2 today.  it’s unbelievalbe how much harder L2 is than L1.  But surprisingly, even tho it’s harder, I haven’t been sore the following day.  I’m mostly following Natalie with only sometimes doing what Anita does.  I’ve read about Level 3, so I’m thinking I’ll advance on after 10 completed WO’s on L2…just follow the DVD how it was made.  Then, my plan (as of today) will be do 3-5 days of 30DS with added 30min of cardio on those days.  This may change, but right now, that’s what I’m planning