I'm getting people's opinion...

So, with my recent promotion and pay raise, it looks like I might be able to hang onto my Curves memebership after all! I am also looking into Weight Watchers, because it seems that my food seems to be my current struggle. I have tried over and over just counting calories, and that doesn't seem to help me as much as it helps others. I think I just need to be more accountable or something. I don't know. I am so determined to make it work, and to make it a permanent change, that I have been looking into many things. Weight Watchers seems to be the most reliable in my research.
With my health problems, HCG is completely out of the question. MD Diet I feel the same way that I do about HCG. I have done most everything I can do on my own, and I can't afford a dietician. So, I think Weight Watchers is going to be the most helpful to me.
Any suggestions? Input? Advice?

Follow me on Twitter!

That's right! I am now on Twitter, and will be tweeting away! Follow me and help encourage me! I am @Minniesfatblast!

The Holidays

So, the holidays are here, and we all know what that means...lots of food and sweets! I have to admit that this time of year has always been hard for me. I have tried the last couple of years to have just a little bit rather than nothing, and it has been tough. I love all of the food around the holidays. It's comfort food, and that makes me want it more!
I know the biggest thing for me this week is going to be making sure that I get workouts in. To be honest, I have been such a slacker lately, and after going over my finances with my hubby, there is no way I can keep up with my Curves membership, so I have to let that go at the beginning of the year.
I still have my T-Tapp, which is great. I need to have more variety though. My old manager at work swears by Zumba, but I still haven't ever gone to a Zumba class. Does anyone have any ideas? I have asthma, and with the cold weather here in Utah, it makes walking a little hard for now until I get into better shape.
HELP ME PLEASE!!! And I will report on how I do over The Holidays with my treat/comfort food consumption!

Country Dancing

So, Hubby and I went on a double date last night and went country dancing. IT WAS AN AWESOME WORKOUT!!!!!!!! I used muscles that I haven't used in so long! It was a mix of swing, line, and slow dancing. It's so much fun, and we will be doing it again! When I plugged it in to calculate how many calories I burned, it was about 950! It felt so good!

The Return of the Minnie!

So, I officially made it back down to Curves today! It feels amazing! I'm so glad that I went! I didn't realize quite how much I missed going to the workouts, and how much better I felt after when I know that I worked hard, worked up a sweat, and that's getting me one step closer to where I want to be.
Zumba starts on the 23rd, and I won't be missing it! I want to at least try it! My boss swears by it, so I need to at least give it a chance.
I've been thinking about doing Weight Watchers as well, so I have a little more structure in what I eat. Yes, I am traking it on sparkpeople.com, but it still doesn't seem to make me accountable enough for what I am wanting to accomplish. Any input?
Thanks to anyone who is left out there reading this! :)

Zumba Postponed! :(

So, my Curves isn't starting Zumba until the 18th now, so I won't be able to go for a while. I haven't made it back down to Curves yet either. but I am walking, and doing my Wii Fit at home, as well as T-Tapping. I do have to say, I am down another pound today, which puts me at 205! I'm excited about this, because when I started my true weight loss journey a year ago, I weighed 235. I have lost 30 lbs, even though my blog only says I have lost 11. Either way, I am super proud of myself! I have 13 lbs to go to my wedding weight, so that is the next goal!

Finally Feeling Better!

YaY!
I'm finally over that funky flu that comes and goes for like a week! It was not fun, and I'm feeling pretty good. I acutally did some yoga tonight to stretch my body out. It felt really good and relaxing!
I'm so excited to slowly work myself back into my routine, and I found out that my Curves is now going to be doing a Zumba class! I'm so excited to go and try it out!
I will post about my adventures in Zumba class soon!

Blah

I'm sick. So much for starting back to Curves today. Maybe tomorrow when I am feeling better.

Keeping it up!

Another pound GONE!!!!!! 10 LBS SO FAR!!!!!!!!!!

I am so happy that my body is still losing! I have really been conscious of what I have been eating, and that seems to help me so much! I know I need to be more active, which will be happening starting Monday! :) The pleurisy is under control much more now, and I will be returning to my Curves program.
I have started doing my T-Tapp again, and it has been going well. Because of how weird the poses are, hubby REFUSES to even try, even though it would be good on his knee. I hope I can convince him to do it with me. :)

Weight loss!

So, I am continuing to loose weight despite the fact that working out has become difficult because of the pleurisy. I was truly hoping to start up again tomorrow, but I don't really see that happening. I hate that my weight loss is being hindered by not being able to work out, but I am grateful for the fact that with me watching what I am eating, I am continuing to loose weight! I am down 9 lbs since I started this journey publicly. I really was hoping to be further along by now, but I'm just glad I have made it this far!

Attempt to Walk

So, I attempted to go for a walk with 2 of my good friends Friday Night. IT HURT SO BAD!!!!!!!! This Pleurisy is really hindering my workout efforts more than I originally thought it would. It's even hard for me to stand and cut hair all day sometimes if I am not keeping up with taking something for it. I don't know what to do, because I don't want all of my efforts to be wasted after months and months of work, and only 7 lbs to show for it right now. I don't want to be back at square one. I'm still trying to be dilligent about what foods I am eating, and limiting my calorie and fat intake, but I hope it's enough.

Pleurisy

Pleurisy is inflammation of the lining of the lungs and chest (the pleura) that leads to chest pain (usually sharp) when you take a breath or cough.

This has been going on for about 5 days for me. I went to the doctor yesterday to see what was going on. Sunday night was the worst of it. Basically all I can do is wait it out, so as soon as I can breathe normally, I will be back with my workout routine!

Well, I'm back in the loosing streak, I just hope this doesn't de-rail it!

I'm just letting you all know that I'm alive and working on getting healthy still. I have been crazy busy, but I'm getting better about prioritizing my healthy lifestyle!

Adventure on the AF trail

So, last night I went on a walk with my friend Patty. There is a new trail by my parents house that I had never been on. I knew it went across town, and past my old elementary school. So, Patty met me at my parents, and we decided we were going to walk the trail. It was a toughie! There were more hills than I thought there would be! It was a great walk, and we worked up a good sweat. We know now that at least once a week, we will be getting in a tougher workout!

Feeling Good!

Okay, so I have had a cold most of the week, so my working out hasn't been so good. I haven't gained, but I haven't lost like I want to. I got the best sleep last night that I have gotten in a long time, and I really feel good. I realize now how important getting good sleep is. I have heard it over and over again, but I still took it for granted. Getting the great sleep that I did helped me feel good enough to go on a short walk with my friends. I even felt good enough to cook happily! My husband was surprised and didn't argue as I cooked whole wheat pasta with lean ground hamburger with our excellent sauce and green beans for dinner. He is learning to like my healthier foods, but it's still rough on him. Tomorrow I will be going to Curves and then on a walk that evening. I'm excited to be getting into a routine again!

Sick Day

So much for getting back into my healthy routine today. I woke up to go to work this morning, and it was not a pretty picture. I won't give the details, but needless to say, going into work wasn't an option. After I called my amazingly understanding boss, I went back to bed, and that's where I spent most of the day. My sweet hubby didn't end up working today, so he was extra attentive to my needs, and I spent half the day sleeping, the other half watching movies on Netflix. I know, that's bad for getting healthy. Today my body was telling me I needed some Rest and Relaxation so that my body could heal, and I listened to it so it didn't get any worse.
I am feeling better now, so things should be good for tomorrow!

UPDATE!!!!!!!!!

So, it's been a little while since I have blogged. I do have good news though. I have lost the pounds that i gained when I was being really lazy. My eating is a little better, but I need more work on that. I have been running around like a chicken with my head cut off for about 2 weeks now. Looks like things are starting to settle more into a routine, so my regular workouts will be resuming starting Monday.
Just thought I should let you all know that I haven't given up, or haven't been slacking. I just haven't had 10 minutes to sit and blog! :)
Love you all and thank you for your continuing support! I need all the help I can get! :)

WOW!

Ok, so tonight in celebration of the 4th, we went to Chili's for dinner. I usually get soup and salad, but it was way too warm outside for that, and the only other salad I liked is LOADED with calories.
So, I changed up from what I usually ordered. I ordered the Monterey Chicken. BAD IDEA!!! It's crazy loaded with calories too! I only had 2 meals today, and I consumed over 2400 calories today. That is ridiculous! Then again, it is loaded with cheese and bacon, and I got the loaded mashed potatoes. So those were bad choices. I thought about substituting the potatoes for a side salad. Looks like I should have, and have been more careful about what I ordered. I'm going to try to get a really long walk in tomorrow to help make up for it, but we shall see.
Note to self, when you know what you regularly order is in your calorie range, don't assume something else is! Check your nutrition facts before you go!

sparkpeople.com

So, before I start on today's subject, I should give a little bit of an update. I worked out at total of 3 times this week, which is better than what I have been doing the last little while. But alas, I am seeing no progress. I figured it was due to lack of exercise, and the fact that I haven't really been keeping track of what I had been eating, and I always loose when I do track it.

So, that brings me to today's subject! Sparkpeople is an amazing FREE community of people all over the world who are all trying to beat the bulge. I've made some very dear friends via sparkpeople. It tracks your calories that you eat, and the calories that you burn. If you are not following anything specific, then they can create a plan for you. Its a wonderful tool, and I'm glad to be back and using it again.

Zone Out

Ok, so today I was kinda in a daze all day. I zoned out, and time didn't really seem to matter all that much. It was really different. I made sure that I ate, and I was in a daze until after work. I made it down to Curves today, and my mind has been sharp all day since. I find it interesting that when I got down to my workout that my brian decided it wanted to work properly. That just motivates me to get back into a routine where I am eating good and working out again. I just feel better when I do it that way.

Better Today

Ok, so today was better than yesterday. I've been a lot better about what I was putting into my body, and I felt WAY better. I wasn't able to make it down to Curves today, but I'm going to workout on my Wii Fit tonight. I'm also going to T-Tapp. Those are both fairly low impact, but I need to do something or I'm going to go Crazy!
Monday, I WILL make it down to Curves, because I miss going down there. I always feel so much better after I go down there. Well, I'm going to have a tiny snack. Maybe some pears or something remotely healthy instead of sugary popsicles! :)

Realization

I can't get my wedding ring off of my finger. I was getting ready to take it off to clean it, and I can't get it off. Maybe it's because the weather has been changing a lot here, I don't know, but all of my fingers are bigger now. I'm doing everything in my power to not cry as I type this, but I feel that is a sign that I am getting fat again.
I have to be honest, and the only thing I have really done to have a part of my healthy life, is the 5K walk I did tonight. I haven't been watching what I'm eating, I haven't been going to Curves, I haven't even cared lately.
Tonight was a HUGE eye opener for me. Tomorrow is a new day, and I will make it better than today. I think I'm going to have to take this one day at a time, or I won't be able to conquer it.
I have gained some of the weight back. I can't bring myself to move the ticker yet, because I don't want to move it back. I will see if I can do it tomorrow.
I'm going to start tomorrow by actually having breakfast! That has been my struggle the last couple of weeks.

Burnout

So, lately, I have been burnt out with my life. I was having too many extremes all at once. I was trying to put too much on my plate. I was trying to work all the time, work out all the time, spend all of my time with my hubby, and eat healthy all the time. I was trying to be perfect, and I got burnt out.
So, I took this weekend off of work. I spent today doing things that I have wanted to do for a while. I went and got my hair done, I went to lunch with friends, and I took myself to a movie I have been dying to see. I went and saw Letters to Juliet. It's definitely a gushy warm feelings movie, but that's exactly what I needed today.
Tomorrow I head out of town for the rest of the weekend. I will try to eat pretty good, and to get a walk in.
What I have realized, is that when I try to be perfect, I gain weight. I just need to learn to be happy being me, and add my healthier habits. But I also need to not beat myself up when I make a mistake. This whole journey is about life changes, not burnouts.
I am changing my life for the good.

Walking

So, I haven't been able to make it down to Curves yet this week. I've been doing a lot of walking, so that I am still getting some cardio in. It's been great so far! I walked another 5K Monday night, and then a mile and a half tonight. It's also been good for me to have a walking buddy. My good friend Eva has been my walking buddy. It's great, because she is able to push me to keep my heart rate up, because her legs are a mile long! (Just teasing, but her legs are longer than mine.) I feel healthier every day! This week is going to be crazy, so I may not blog much more the rest of the week. I'm running all over the place for the next few days, so hopefully I will be able to catch up on Sunday.

SHOUT OUT!!!!

So, this is a shout out to my mom! When we went shopping yesterday, she kept having to try on smaller sizes than what she thought! She is really taking care of herself, and that makes me really happy! I loved running back and forth to get my mom smaller clothes! She's been about the same size for a while, and she was feeling pretty good when we were at one of her favorite stores, and even though she had grabbed a smaller size than she bought last, she still had to go down another!
Needless to say, I'm proud of you mom, and I want to be more like you! :)

Memorial Day Weekend!

Sorry I haven't been posting much! Things have been crazy! Friday I worked most of the day, and then we went and had dinner with some friends! The manicotti was delicious, but I was careful not to gorge myself on it to blow all of the calories I had burned from walking on Thursday, because I wasn't able to get a workout in that day.
Saturday I worked most of the day, and then we went to a Rodeo that night, which was a blast. It was a bit of a hike to get over to the grounds from where we parked for free, but I didn't mind, as I wasn't able to get much of a workout in that day either.
Sunday was nice, very typical. I wanted to get a walk in, but that didn't end up happening. Still ate pretty good, and tried to keep moving, much to my husbands dismay.
Today, my mom and I are on the hunt for great clothes she can wear when she goes to Brazil to visit some of our family. Lots of walking. I was going to walk another 5k this morning, but I couldn't get out of bed. Maybe tonight after we go see Ironman 2. Here's to healthy eating and getting a great walk in!

Guess what I did this morning...

I walked a little more than a 5K, and I didn't die! I am so proud of myself! My dear friend was very patient with me, and we did it at my pace. We did it in about an hour and 15, but my heart rate stayed up. So, now the goal is to get my time closer to an hour. I feel really good! I still am going to T-Tapp and go down to Curves, so today is a workout day!

I have a new goal...

I WANT TO RUN A MARATHON!!!!
It's a pretty difficult goal for me, as I am not the girl you see running around everywhere. So, I'm going to start small. I'm going to start by doing a 5K. I will be doing more running/walking to train for it, and I want to do it by the race on the 4th of July here in the town where I am living. From there, I will steadily move up what I'm doing until I run that marathon.
Why is this a goal now? Well, it's actually been a goal of mine for a couple of years now, but I'm only telling people now, through this blog. I see all of these people who tell me that they run 5k's or run marathons, and I want to be that person. I want to be that in shape that I can do it. So, there is my new goal. We will see how I do!

Steady Progress and Working out with LeeAnn

So, I like that I have been seeing steady progress with my workouts. I feel healthier every day, and that was one of my big goals with this journey. I've made it down to Curves the last 2 days, and I've gotten to go with LeeAnn! It's always fun to go with her! I'm going to need to go in the morning tomorrow, so we won't be able to go together. Going with her is fun, because we push each other! :)
Well, Now I'm going to Wii Fit with the hubby, and then probably T-Tapp to wrap up the day. I'm a workout fiend!

Today's weigh in

Ok, so today is Sunday, and I have decided I will do a weigh and measure every Sunday. The unfortunate thing today is, I don't have fresh measurements today for you. I have had a sore throat the last 2 days, and didn't want to get my family sick, so I couldn't borrow mom's measuring tape to do my new measurements. The good news is...I AM DOWN ANOTHER POUND!!!!!!!!! WAHOO!!!!!!! My goal for now is to just loose 1 lb a week, because by the end of a year's time, that is 52 lbs! :) Slow and steady wins the ultimate race in weight loss!

So, I have been thinking lately about what got me wanting to loose the weight in the first place. Other than the fact that I knew I needed it for my health, I was addicted to watching a particular season of The Biggest Loser. It happens to be the first season that a woman won the competition.

Ali was such an inspiration to me. She had gotten kicked off the show in week 4, and fought to get back on the show. She was just so motivated to change her life. Now, I have to tell you that I'm not the kind of person that would go on a tv show and let the world see my struggle through this, and everything. But, it's people like her that have helped me realize that I can conquer my fears, and win the battle against the bulge. Another person I have been able to relate to is Valerie Bertinelli. She seriously went under a huge transformation in front of everyone, and looks phenomenal. She truly gets that it's not an easy thing to go through, but she understands the importance of it, and I love when I find articles on her or Ali, and it just helps me recommit to living a healthier lifestyle all around. Tonight, I said no to strawberry shortcake. I'm feeling good! :)

Personal Triumph!

So, this morning as I was getting dressed, I didn't feel like wearing the same pants that I had been wearing to work, because I felt like I always wore them, and they were feeling big on me lately anyway. So, I got into the top of my closet, and found a pair of older slacks that I hadn't worn except for a couple of times after my hubby and I got married. (The reason I had stopped wearing them is because they stopped fitting.
I should have taken off the vest before I posed for this picture, but who cares!

THEY FIT THEY FIT THEY FIT!!!! I couldn't believe it! My weight is still higher, but they fit! That's just more proof that what I'm doing is good for my body! The weight I'm sure is more muscle. I feel really good! My reward of getting into these pants today, was a snowcone with cream from the Snoasis in the parking lot of my work.
I FEEL FABULOUS!!!!!!! I haven't felt that way for quite some time now. I'm glad I got that feeling today!

Angry Workouts

Did I have this stamped on my forehead today? It sure felt that way. Let me start at the beginning.

So last night, I set the alarm for 7:30, so that I could be up by eight. My hubby wanted some help with something, so I thought I would get up early and help. Well, my loving hubby turned off the alarm, and I didn't hear it, and woke up at almost 9.

Secondly, I had written down my work schedule wrong, so instead of closing like I thought, I was supposed to open. I get a frantic call from my boss at 11:30, because the other girl who was supposed to open with me wasn't there either, so no one had been at the salon for the first 2 1/2 hours we were supposed to be open. I was in the middle of making food for me to take to work for my dinner, so I tore out of the house with a few snacks so that I didn't starve, got to my work in 20 minutes instead of 30, and apologized profusely to my boss. She understood, and since I am never late to work, I didn't get fired.

Thirdly, work was ROUGH!! I didn't hardly get tipped, which is unusual, and my second to last customer was totally and completely rude to me for no good reason. She was telling me to put more layers in her daughters hair, and I explained that if I did that, it would create holes in the bottom line of her daughters hair, which I knew she wouldn't like. So she rudely tells me to cut it shorter and redo the layers, and I did it with a smile. She pays and storms out of the door, and again no tip. Now, most of the people that didn't tip, were teenage boys sent in by their moms who weren't ever told that they should tip. I understand that, and that's fine. It was just frustrating, because we are looking for a house, and I need every penny I can get because I want to come up with a good down payment in the next couple of months.

Then I get home, finally ready to try some of my new dinner, because my hubby said it was tasty. Well, he had eaten it all, so I got to make me a sandwich.

AAAAAAGGGHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So, I went down to Curves, and Chelsea was there! (YaY!) She decided she would come and workout with me. We went around the circut, talking and catching up, and I ended up doing a ton of talking. I was so distracted by our wonderful conversation/rant fest on my end, that I worked out harder than I have in a LONG time! I burned 631 calories in 30 minutes, and I feel spectacular about it! Just think, I am that much closer to my goal, and if I stay consistent with my workouts this week, I should loose more inches, and hopefully another lb!

Sorry for the raving rant, but angry workouts are majorly productive!

Measurement Day

Ok, so today was measurement day. Here are the results!
Bust: Previous 45.5" Now Same
Waist: Previous 39" Now 38.5"
Abs: Previous 46" Now 44.5" (W00T!)
Hips: Previous 51" Now 50.75"
Thighs: Previous 58" Now Same
Arms: Previous 17" Now Same
Weight: Previous 212 Now 211 (W00T!)

So, in general, I have lost another pound, and lost 1.25", which all things considered is pretty sweet in about a 2 week period! Look forward to more weighing and measuring!

BBQ

So, today is my first bbq of the season, and it will be great! I'm a little nervous about being tempted by treats that people may bring. Its bring your own meat, so I got me some lean burgers, so that is easy, and I can dress my own bun. (I like my burgers pretty plain as is, so there shouldn't be a problem there.) Lately I have had such a sweet tooth that it worries me. Maybe I will have a small sweet treat before I go as to not be tempted by things I shouldn't eat....I think I will do that.
The park we are going to be at is big, so I can do quite a bit of walking around and such to burn some calories. There will be frisbee and such, so we will see if I can get into that. Needless to say, I'm still trying hard, and I will be doing measurements tomorrow, so I'd better stay active today! :)

Changing Things Up

So, I have been thinking lately that part of the reason why I haven't been getting my workouts in as regularly as I was for a while, is that I'm a little bored with them. I love them, but I think I need to mix it up a little more. So tonight, I got a call from Carrie, and we were going to T-Tapp together, and then I was going to go down to Curves. She asked me once I got there if I would like to go SWIMMING because the pool at their clubhouse opened yesterday. I said HECK YES! So, I called up my hubby, had him bring me my suit, and we went swimming for about an hour and a half. It was a little cold, but it was good, and we got to relax and warm up in the hot tub a little before we left. I was really nice to change things up for me.
I do neet to apologize to Chelsea! I didn't intentionally ditch you tonight honey! I will see you next week!
But, I think tonight was really good for me. My muscles are starting to ache slightly, because there are some that I haven't used for quite a while. It was nice to have my hubby join us, and so did Carrie's hubby. I'm glad I had part of my cheering squad there tonight to keep me moving around! Love you guys!

Today's Workout!

Ok, so today I made it down to Curves, and Tami was there! YaY! I love when Tami is down there, because my workout goes by so fast! It's just like we're two girlfriends talking, I just happen to be working out. (This happens with Chelsea also, so that is a big reason why they got a note on my blog!) Today really went by fast. We had LOTS to talk about! As funny as this sounds, it seems like Tami and I need each other right now. She has just started a relationship that is a lot like my hubby and me, and I need her to help me have a reason to get down to Curves more often! I love going in and hearing the excitement in her voice when I show up. Chelsea is the same. I really truly consider them friends, and I love that I chose to join Curves when I did, and at the club that I did!
YaY for burning calories and talking with friends!

Dear Chelsea and Tami,

I'm sad that I don't get to see you very much lately! I have been a major slacker for a couple of weeks now. I autopiloted to my mother in laws house last night and forgot to come in for my workout. This morning I went in, and neither of you were there. Just know that I think of you often, and miss you. I will hopefully still see both of you later this week.Love,

Mother's Day Blues

If my friend Angela saw me today, she would call me a "Sad Panda." Today, I feel like a "Sad Panda." Mother's Day is particularly hard for me this year. This is my third year being a married woman on Mother's Day, and I yearn more than ever to be a mother now. I have been feeling this way for quite a while. My body is even trying to trick me to think that I'm pregnant. All of those hopes were dashed of the possibility of being pregnant when I had a visit from "Aunt Flow" starting yesterday. So for me, the sting is still fresh, so the fact that today we spend the day celebrating mother's was difficult for me. Mother's Day is a wonderful day, please don't get me wrong. Not only do I have the most amazing mother, and mother in law, I have a whole network of women who love and support me and have for years. I am truly blessed and grateful for all of my mothers. I just yearn to be pregnant and feel my baby move inside me. I yearn to hold my newborn and think, "I just grew this human inside of me." I even yearn to be woken up in the middle of the night by my child. So, today was rough, but tomorrow is a new day full of health and exercise!

Decision

I'm going to start measuring weekly. I need to keep myself motivated by seeing the small changes in my body. I have to be honest here. I have been really lazy this week about my workouts. My eating has been a little better, but not great. I WILL be better this week. I will get to Curves at least 3 times this week, and T-Tapp at least 3 times this week! Look forward to my constant measurements! :)

May Progress Report

Bust: April 46.5" May 45.5"

Waist: April 39.5" May 39"

Abs: April 46.75" May 46"

Hips: April 51.75" May 51"

Thighs: April 59" May 58"

Arms: April 34" May 34"

Weight: April 213 May 212

Body Fat % April 41.5% May 41.5%

BMI April 38.95 May 38.5

Considering my laziness the last 2 weeks in getting a workout in this last month, that's a pretty big change! More proof that I am beginning to make better choices that I can live with. I just need to make sure I get my workouts in! So in summary, I lost 1 lb, 4 inches, and I feel good! Next month will be even better, because I will be doubling up my workouts, and eating enough! :)

Motivation

The motivation to eat good, is the hardest part for me. I notice that when I don't care about what I eat, I don't care to go and workout like I should. I need to get back to being motivated me on my eating. Does anyone have any great healthy recipes that are fairly inexpensive? I need all the help I can get right now.
Thanks in advance!

I DID IT!!!!!

Going 28 days without cheese has been one of the hardest things I have ever had to do in my life. I can't believe I did it! I feel good, but I am ready to not be quite so restricted! I can't believe how much cheese I was eating before! I also didn't realize how much food has cheese in it. Either way, it was a huge accomplishment that I was able to do it.
Workouts have been slacking, but they will be picking up tomorrow! :)

The Final Stretch!

So, as of Thursday, my 28 days are up! I have decided I will slowly add cheese SPARINGLY back into my diet. It is too hard to be that restricted. How am I going to celebrate? By going to a conference with my Mom for 2 days, and loving every minute of it! It is getting harder to be without it, but I can see the finish line now. I can't break down yet! I will make it! I have the will power to do this!
Been reading Intuitive Eating the last couple of days, and it's very interesting. In the book, they profile what kind of an eater you are, so that you know better how to transition into an Intuitive Eater. I am a combination of 2 of them. I'm the Unconscious Emotional Eater, but mostly, I am the Professional Dieter. I have tried most everything out on the market, and it has failed me. I think it's time to let my body tell me what it needs and what it doesn't need.

Recommendations

So, as I have been on my journey, I have gotten many recommendations for books, things to do, and what have you. Just tonight at a party for some good friends of mine, I was told about this book.
It truly sounds interesting. I went to Barnes and Nobel and picked up a copy. I may be slowly sharing bits and pieces from the book as things continue.
I am on the downward slope with the 28 days without cheese. I can eat cheese as of Thursday! that will be great, because I will be attending a 2 day event with lots of walking with my mom.

I'm hoping to still plan out my meals, but if I can't it will make it so I don't have to be quite so picky about where we go.

Scheduling

Ok, so I know I haven't blogged the last few days. I haven't had much time at all to myself the last few days. I did do T-Tapp with Carrie yesterday, but I haven't done a workout at Curves in a week. :( That is totally and completely awful! So, what I have decided to do, is make a better schedule of my life. I really need to get organized again, because I need to make sure I'm getting my workouts in! I can't keep missing them if I want to continue to progress in losing weight. Even though I haven't been as good about working out, I haven't gained anything back. With a fun Women's Conference coming up next week, I know I'm going to get a lot of walking in, so that will help me keep some weight off. I also am going to be working mostly days next week, so it will be easy for me to do my Curves workout on my way home. Well, I'm off to eat dinner, and then do some T-Tapp before I settle down for the night.

Running late

Ok, so I had just gotten done T-Tapping, (Thanks for doing it with me Carrie!) when I get a call from my hubby. We are supposed to be meeting up shortly so that we can go to his appointment in a nearby city at 6:00pm. He calls me at 5:20, saying he is running a little late, so to just meet him there. Being the person that I am, I got there at 5:45, to make sure that the people at this weekl appointment knew that my hubby was running a little late, and would be there shortly. I needed to be done at this appointment by 6:45, as it is scheduled, so that I could make it down to Curves in time to get my workout in tonight. Time keeps ticking by. No hubby, and they aren't ready for us. AN HOUR goes by, and I am still sitting in the waiting room, with 2 people ahead of us, and hubby isn't there. His phone died, so I couldn't even check to see where he was. I was panicking, because it was taking him so long to get there, that I thought he had gotten in an accident or something. I was a wreck until he showed up. We didn't get into our 6:00 appointment until 7:10, which means I missed my Curves workout, and I missed going to see Valentines Day at the dollar movie. GRRRRRR!!!!!!!!

Ok, Rant Over. Time to relax and get some sleep!

This Weekend

This weekend has been rough for me. I've had lots of things to consider, and I've also been having a lot of cravings. Cheese and Chocolate. I rarely crave chocolate, so it's a weird one for me. (No, I'm not pregnant, so don't worry about asking that. I'm just saying it now, because any time I have mentioned my cravings, that is always the first question.) The cheese is getting harder now. I really miss eating certain things that don't have a lot of cheese in it. But I really know that I can last 10 more days. I can't believe that's all that's left on this challenge. Workouts were bad this weekend too, so I need to step it up tomorrow! I want to do my weigh in as soon as my challenge is over, so I need to make sure I am in tip top shape!

Fridays

Fridays have a tendency of being my most hectic days. I almost always work, so I have to find time for my workout, and for date night with hubby. The workout, didn't happen until just now. I just finished my T-Tapp Basic Workout Plus for my workout today. This morning I also had to include a trip to a place I may start working a day or two. That means I wouldn't have a day off except Sunday, but if I needed to do that for a few months, then that's ok. I'm still debating on whether I will take this job or not. We will see. Anyway. I feel better now that I got my workout in. Tonight, we had Tepanyaki for dinner, and it was tasty. I brought plenty home for leftovers, and the best part about it....NO CHEESE! :)

Progress on Not Eating Cheese

So, I realized that I haven't really talked about how the not eating cheese is going. Don't let this picture deceive you! I still haven't eaten cheese for 2 whole weeks! I am honestly so proud of myself! But the best part about it, are that my little cravings are at a minimum, and I feel great! My clothes all feel so different! I know that I am loosing inches, and my home scale says that I have lost as well! I really feel so good! I still plan on slowly working cheese back into my diet at this point, but we shall see.

Today is my day off from work, and it's been nice so far! I went and got a Jamba Juice with Eva this morning, and got some lunch with Catherine! Both of my workouts are going to happen tonight. I'm going to workout with Carrie around 4, and then I'm off to Curves after that. It will be great! It's so gorgeous outside, I may take a walk as well! :)

Crazy Day!

Ok, today was insane! I got up early and went with my Hubby to an appointment, then we needed to run some other errands. Before I knew it, I had an hour to shower, get ready for the day, eat lunch, and get my butt to work! Ah! So, I didn't get my Curves workout in today! :( I was sad, because Tami and I were going to have a chat, but we will tomorrow, since it's my day off! w00t! Then when I got to work, the first half of my shift, was SLOW SLOW SLOW!! Then, about 6:15, we started getting busy, and we stayed steady until the very end of our shift. Jessica and I were very tired by the end of it. We hurried to close up, and got out of there about 20 minutes after closing. I went straight to Carrie's house so we could T-Tapp. (If you haven't checked it out yet, seriously do it!) I asked her as soon as I got there, "Can I hurry and eat my dinner? We got busy just as soon as I was getting ready to eat." She let me eat, we did our workout, and now here I am, at almost midnight, getting a chance to get my blog in. It wouldn't have been so bad had it not been for the fact that I woke up at about 4:30 due to horrible nightmares.

Ok, I have to explain something. I don't typically remember my dreams. I sleep deep enough when I dream that I don't remember them when I wake up, unless they are particularly horrible and wake me up in the middle of the night. I have had a series of horrible dreams the last 3 nights, and they are all associated with death. They are very Final Destination like. There were a group of girls who all participated in some sort of bizare ritual, and one by one they have kept getting killed off in my dreams! There was one left, and she was about to be killed when I woke up this morning. It was HORRIBLE!!! Hubby slept right through me trying to talk to him, poke him, prod him, everything this morning. Usually when this happens, he wakes up about the same time I do, and will hold me until I fell back to sleep. He had a really long day at work, so he didn't wake up. I didn't get much sleep after that for fear of falling back into that dream.

Anyway, long story short, I should be asleep right now, but I am wide awake! Bah! I need sleep! I'm going to go try to lay down.

Comments

So, I've been hearing comments from people, that they can see a difference in how my clothes fit, and that my waist looks smaller. That makes me feel like a million bucks. My husband was just saying that it is easier for him to get his arms around me, and that makes me really happy! For me, this isn't so much about the number on the scale as it is about how I feel, and how I look in my clothes. Seeing a certain number would definitely make my doctor happy, and I can't lie saying that seeing a certain number wouldn't make me happy too. But the number I want to see is a size 8 pant! :) Needless to say, I feel good about myself today! I haven't felt good about how I look in a REALLY long time! :) I will take another progress picture after my not eating cheese challenge is done!

Why are Asian people so Petite? (Unless you are a Sumo Wrestler)

THEY DON'T EAT CHEESE VERY OFTEN!!!! I feel this is the key to their success, consider that the weight seems to still be falling off. I have been staying strong on the no cheese. I don't see the need for it so much anymore. I still have the occasional, "A little bit of cheese on a salad would be nice" moment, but they pass. I am a fan of not eating cheese if you are trying to loose weight! I guess I didn't really have a full grasp of what it was doing to my body.
Got a lovely workout in at Curves today. Still burning over 500 calories! W00T! I'm just feeling really good about what I'm doing, and my body is saying thank you! I need to do another T-tapp workout though! I find that they help me feel at my best. Also, I feel like I eat a TON, and I'm still loosing weight!
I acutally asked Chelsea down at Curves about it, and she said that my body had gotten so used to eating around 1500 calories a day, that I needed to eat more to kickstart my metabolism again. Between that, giving up cheese, and Curves+T-Tapp, I am melting before my very eyes!

Feelings

As I have started to share my journey publicly, I have been having mixed feelings. It has truly been helping me, but I feel different. I'm not sure if it's a good different, or a bad different. I've become more aware of who I am right now in my life. There are certain things I like about myself, but there are things that I don't. I have also learned when I started this journey, that I didn't like myself hardly at all. My dear friend Carrie pointed out to me after my first few posts, that I wasn't very nice to myself. I have started making a more conscious effort to be nice to myself. Doing that has really helped me get a better grasp on who I want to become, which is the biggest part of this journey that I am on.

I feel like I'm rambling a little bit, but it feels necessary. I don't know if my blog is helping anyone but myself, but I know that I need this. I need it more than I ever truly realized. The person I want to become loves herself, and I realized I'm not quite there yet. I like myself, but I don't love myself yet. Soon enough I will be there.

I'm a very lucky person to have the people around me who love me. I have my amazing husband, my caring family, and my wonderful friends. I also have the support of all of the great people at Curves, and I know that people are rooting for me to become my best self. There's still work to do, but the support helps.

A Conversation

So, I sat down with my hubby last night, and asked him where he wanted to be with his weight. He gave me his number. 170. I said "Ok, what are you willing to do to make it happen?" His answer was, "I don't know." So, I asked him to think about it over the next couple of days. I also suggested that we portion out his snacks, so he became aware of how many calories he was eating when he was sitting and eating food. He seemed ok with that idea. We also don't keep soda in the house, so that he has to make a conscious decision to go and get a soda. For now, these are things he has said he is willing to live with.
Didn't get a workout in today, but it's still light outside, so I think I will ask hubby to go on a walk with me, so that we burn some calories. Sounds like the perfect date night, yes?

I feel phenomenal!

Honestly, This last week without cheese, I feel AWESOME!!! I never knew I had this much energy! According to my scale here at home, I have lost 5 lbs in the last week. I just made sure I got my workouts in, and I haven't been eating cheese. I can't believe that my body is having this kind of reaction! I love going to Curves, and doing T-Tapp with Carrie. Speaking of, that's where I am off to!