Weigh-In Wednesday & Dressing Pretty

It's Wednesday again!!  I love Wednesdays because it's the middle of the week, we have Bible study at church, only 1 more day until Friday and it's weigh-in day!

I really don't know how, but I weigh exactly the same as last week - 210.4.

I've done this once before.  It's really odd to me because I don't know that I ever weighed the exact same in the past.  I am glad it's not a gain though.  My eating has been on and off.  I've had good days and I had a really bad day.  See exhibit A:

I really should break off my relationship with Little Debbie.  She really is no good for me.  We stayed at home all day Sunday with the exception of going to church.  Staying at home is a huge struggle for me.  I get bored and I eat.  I know it's not an excuse but I know my weaknesses and I really need to work harder.

I didn't workout as much last week as I should have.  On Sunday I started the 30 Day Shred and have done it for 3 days now.  The hard part for me has been the squats and lunges.  My legs burn so bad and they seriously have never been this sore.  But I know it means that I'm working those muscles and I'm going to push through.  Operation Red Bikini is in full effect and May 31 is 92 days away!

In non-fitness/eating right news, I am in search of our Easter wear.  I don't know about y'all but Easter has always been a time that we get new, pretty outfits.  Of course we buy clothes through out the year, but Easter is when I search for just the right colors and styles and it's not an easy task to coordinate all 4 of us.  As a fundraiser for summer camp, our church does family portraits on Easter morning.  This has pretty much been the one time a year that we have a family picture taken.  Here are the pictures from the last 2 years.  I think we may go for yellow purple, or orange this year!  I know I can't but I also want to try and wait until pretty much the last minute to see what size I will be in.  After all, it is a month away and I'm hoping I won't need a 16 this year!

2011

2012

Happy Wednesday!  And if you're a big a fan of these guys like we are,

then you're Happy, Happy, Happy about tonight!

Jillian Michaels, Enough Said

Jillian Michaels is probably best known as being the pretty harsh trainer on the Biggest Loser.  At least that's where I know her from and I'm pretty sure if I was on that ranch training with her, I'd curl up in the fetal position and cry.  Anyway, one day last week, Lora mentioned a challenge on IG for doing the 30 Day Shred or Ripped in 30 for 30 days.  I immediately jumped on the chance to join.  I've had the 30 Day Shred DVD for a few years but have never done it and now was the perfect time to put it to use.  Plus, I'm all about motivation and accountability and I don't want to be left out of anything!  The challenge started on Sunday.  It was later in the evening and we had just finished supper and I was relaxing in front of the TV with the family while scrolling through IG when I ran across this:

CRAP!  I had forgotten about it and honestly I wanted to pretend that I didn't see it.  But then I thought about it and reality hit me that I needed to do it.  I joined the challenge for the accountability and here it was.  So I did it - barely.  I'm not going to lie, it was hard and my muscles burned and I they're still hurting.  I developed a strong dislike towards jumping jacks.  Who knew something we did in elementary PE class could be so hard?  (There's no modifications for jumping jacks.  I have 400 pound people that can do jumping jacks and so can you!)  The tops of my thighs burn so bad when I sit down.  I need a higher toilet or I just need to perfect peeing while standing up.  I did the workout again yesterday.  I will admit that the jumping jacks were easier and I wasn't as winded as the first day, but the squats and lunges don't burn any less.  My plan is to do it straight for 30 days without a break.  I'm just hoping my muscles suck it up soon and stop their whining!

Yes ma'am.

And because this workout promises results I took my measurements so I can see my progress after 30 days.

 

          Right Thigh - 24"

          Left Thigh - 25"

          Right Calf - 16"

          Left Calf - 16"

          Right Bicep - 14.25"

          Left Bicep - 13"

          Ribs/Under Bust - 39.5"
          Waist - 40.5" (I've lost 1 inch!)
          Hips - 41"
          Butt - 46"
          Neck - 15.5"

So, here's to my daily date with Jillian for the next 28 days!   

Weigh-In Wednesday

It's that time again - Weigh-In Wednesday!!

I said goodbye to 2 pounds this week! 

Although I did try to stay on track, I will admit that Valentine's candy, Mexican food and the weekend in general got the best of me.  But I got right back at it and I feel great.  I can't say it enough - you eat crap, you will feel like crap!  I loved this post from Elle Noel.  I have always wanted to be a clean eater.  I thought clean eating was pretty much all organic and border line vegan and that was something I did not want to do!  Her post was reassurance that it can have a different meaning for everyone and I can pretty much do it my way as long as I stick to the general principles.

The last few weeks have taught me that I will have bad days and slip ups and it will be okay.  I am a perfectionist and have a huge fear of failure.  In the past when I would 'diet' and fail, I would quit, give up and pretend that I never tried to start with.  I mean if you never tried or started something then you can't be a failure, right?  I lead a very hectic life and could have plenty of excuses why I could fail, but that's what makes this journey so rewarding.  What makes me truly enjoy the success.  I found this quote by Marilu Henner and it pretty much sums it up: "Being in control of your life and having realistic expectations about your day-to-day challenges are the keys to stress management, which is perhaps the most important ingredient to living a happy, healthy and rewarding life."  Realistic expectations are a great thing to have!

On to other news, this package arrived yesterday:

The sender's name and address verified that it was my Easter dress I ordered last week.  But, based on the size of the package I had extreme doubt that this dress would be worn on March 31.  I knew the dress would be too small, but that was an understatement!  I got it on, but have a long way to go before I actually wear it.  Maybe it can be an end-of-summer-date-night dress!

Monday night, I tried Elle Noel's Cauliflower Mashed Potatoes.  I don't think that I have ever eaten cauliflower.  It just never looked appealing enough to me to eat.  The fresh cauliflower at my Kroger was almost $5 and I thought that was a little high not knowing if I would eat it or not so I got frozen.  They also don't sell just cauliflower so I got the California blend and sorted it out.  I did get 2 bags because I wasn't sure what the ratio of cauliflower to broccoli and carrots would be but it was almost double! 

I got 3 plentiful servings out of this bowl of cauliflower and it was so good!  I will definitely add this to my weekly menu.  I don't think I could fool my husband with it and my son said it looked like grits but my daughter ate some and said it was good.  Never be afraid to try something new!

What's in My Fridge and Operation Red Bikini Talk

Okay, so maybe the 2 things mentioned in the title of this post really do have something to do with each other.  Holly is having a linky (when I typed that, autocorrect changed it to kinky and I thought it was funny so apparently I'm 12 again!) party today and I'm all for being part of the cool kids! So here's what's in my refrigerator & freezer.

We obviously like to drink a lot and I had even taken the tea pitcher out to make more and didn't even list the grape Kool-Aid that's in the back!  I also realize that I probably need to clean out my fridge.  We have 3 separate jars of the same kind of cheese dip and another 3 separate tubs of vanilla icing.  And I now also see 2 bottles of A-1 in the door.  Someone needs a lesson on opening new things if there's already one opened!.

We also have a chest freezer in the laundry room that contains more meat - ground beef, duck, squirrel and possibly a pork loin, tons of boiled peanuts (we normally boil 2-3 bags each season, can you tell we love boiled peanuts), pizzas and lean cuisines.  My pantry is also very well stocked with lots of canned vegetables, pasta, juice, sodas, sports drinks and condiments.  I know some people that don't keep their homes stocked with food, but we are not those people.  Growing up, I can't ever remember being hungry but maybe deep down I have a secret fear of being hungry and that's why it appears that I have a food hoarding problem.  I visit Kroger each week and our weekly staples are milk, bread, fresh fruits and vegetables and the kids snacks and lunch.  I also stock the freezer back with whatever meat we used that week.  I don't really meal plan but I do have a general idea of what I may cook that week and since my home is well stocked I usually have whatever on hand.  I do rotate the freezer and canned goods so that I don't end up letting something go bad.

No on to Operation Red Bikini talk.  For some reason I woke up at 3:33 this morning.  Usually when I wake up in the middle of the night, it takes forever to go back to sleep.  (I promise this has a point but for some reason, I can't make a story short!)  Well, I let the dog out, put a load of laundry in the washer and started browsing on my phone - Facebook, Instagram, Google Reader and e-mail.  I happened to remember that a Hazel and Olive dress I saw earlier in the week was being listed on the site today.  I looked and there it was.  There was a Large available and I knew it would be a perfect Easter dress.  I immediately purchased it since their items tend to go fast.

Then, after the fact I checked the size chart and realized that I may have wasted my money.  A large is a 10/12 and I'm currently in a 16.  Easter is in 6 weeks.  Granted this dress doesn't appear to be fitted through the body, but I know that I have to get my rear in gear to wear this dress on March 31.  I guess you could say that I'm on a pre-Operation Red Bikini mission.  I have to start working out more and really stick to eating right.  Which takes me back to what's in my fridge.  I know my eating right has really slacked the last 2 weeks.  My goal is to make a meal plan and exercise plan for each day and stick to it.  I know it's going to be hard but I also know it's going to be worth it.  Usually people give up something for Lent.  My goal for Lent (even though it's a few days late) is to stick to my plan - 42 days of exercising and eating right. 

Happy Friday!!

Weigh-In Wednesday

Well, here is more of my 'scientific research' that hard work pays off. I've only exercised 1 time in the last week and have went over my daily calories almost every day this same week. Those 2 negatives do not make a positive (unless its a positive weight gain!). I am the exact same weight today that I was last week - 212.4.

I'm just glad I didn't see a gain after my lack of effort. And just because yesterday was Fat Tuesday I baked & ate some (more like 4) of these:

Today was also a total bust. I had an out of town meeting all day which led to me skipping breakfast, eating the catered lunch, rushing home to get the kids, rushing to church and having nothing healthy readily available for supper when we got in. My failing to plan today has led me to fail. But, tomorrow is a new day, although it is Valentine's Day and I'm sure there will be candy involved!  Hope everyone elses Weigh-In Wednesday was great!

Monday Mixture

Ah, so it's Monday again.  The beginning of another work week and the countdown to another weekend.  Anyone else start counting down to the next weekend as soon as the last one's over?  I mean I'm grateful for my job and I don't party like a rock star on the weekends so I'm not sure what the big deal is.  I just really love Saturdays and Sundays.  This weekend was surely an uneventful one, unless you count laundry, grocery shopping and setting up a dog pen an event.  Oh and there was my customary Sunday afternoon nap.  Oh how I love thee. 

Yes, I mentioned setting up a dog pen.  It was for this cute little guy.

This is Lil' Dan.  My son named him after the dog in the movie Where the Red Fern Grows.  He's been wanting a dog of his own and particularly a Red Bone Coonhound ever since he watched that movie several months back.  We looked everywhere for one before Christmas but the ones we found were in the $400-$500 range and we weren't about to pay that for a dog!  Well, last week a guy called my husband and told him he had a litter ready and this was the last male.  He's so cute and still has that puppy breath, but he smells so bad.  I even gave him a bath and he still has that hound smell!

So, what's on my agenda for this week?  Of course tomorrow is Mardi Gras and the day of forced love is Thursday.  My man works in New Orleans and it's pretty much the Mardi Gras mecca in our area.  They really live it up down there.  Needless to say, he's off of work today and tomorrow and will be spending time at home.  The kids get to make a Mardi Gras 'float' for school and they're having the 'parade' Thursday.  Why would it make sense to mix that in with all the Valentine's madness on Thursday?  Maybe they want to get all the chaos in on one day.  Wednesday night I'm sure mama will be up late addressing Valentine cards, making cupcakes and putting together a Mardi Gras float.  Why couldn't I have been an under achiever and not make it so hard on myself?  The hubs and I have never really went over the top on Valentine's Day.  I don't understand the whole dozen roses and boxes of candy anyway.  I mean flowers die and you really never know what's inside those chocolates until after you've put it in your mouth.  Wait 'til the day after and buy me some half priced Pink & Red M & M's and some new shoes with the money you'd save from not buying overpriced flowers!

Working out really didn't happen last week.  Work has been extra busy for me and after being gone to the cow show, my house needed attention and laundry was piled up.  I know, excuses, excuses, but mama was TIRED!  I am going back to the gym today and tomorrow for sure since the hubs will be home with the kids.  And he even volunteered to cook supper!  I've tried to talk him into becoming a stay at home dad, but he's not buying it.

I did manage to go to Dairy Queen last night and not eat chicken strips with gravy or a blizzard.  I ate a grilled chicken wrap with no cheese and then only ate half of the tortilla.  Since I still had some calories left and there was a new frozen yogurt place in town I've been wanting to try, I killed 2 birds with one stone and stopped.  I got some fat free fro yo with cherries and strawberries and just a spoon of Heath bar crumbles for my chocolate fix.  It was really good.  This was my first time ever going to a place like this so they may all be the same, but it was a buffet style.  You get a cup and fix it yourself - several flavors of yogurt and tons of toppings.  I could've definitely went full fat girl crazy with the toppings - Snickers, Butterfinger, Oreo, caramel, chocolate syrup, cool whip. 

I have been scoping out heart rate monitors.  I'm a little on the cheap side and don't want to pay for a good one but I don't want to waste my money on a cheap one either.  I found this one on sale at Sears.com.  I'm not crazy about the color, but it's over half off!  I'm still trying to convince myself that it would be $40 well spent.  I have several apps on my phone for tracking distance and time, so I'm looking at this strictly for counting the calories I burn.  Any advice?  Do you use a heart rate monitor?  Money well spent or use that money to buy new shoes?  Any extra functions I would love about it?

Weigh-In Wednesday

I know I've been a terrible blogger and haven't posted since this time last week.  The last 7 days have been total mayhem.  Here is a shot of my Google Reader for proof: 

I never get this far behind on my blog reading!  I've been burning up the roads back and forth to the cow show, packing and unpacking and re-packing, late nights and early mornings and staying in a van down by the river an RV in the coliseum parking lot.  Although we had a great time, I'm looking forward to being back to some sort of routine tomorrow.  And hopefully I will be back on the regularly scheduled blogging train in the next few days.

But, today's Wednesday and

that means it's time for ...

I missed weigh-in last week due to the death of my scale.  I intended to buy a new one last Wednesday and weigh, but I totally forgot about it.  After being in town for 4 days I finally managed to remember to get one at Target Sunday.  My weigh-in this week is 212.4 pounds.  That makes me down 3.8 LBs in the last 2 weeks, which I think is a good, average loss. 

I can't tell you how happy I am over this loss.  This is proof that I can do this.  This is proof that giving up good bad food and moving my butt is worth it.  This is motivation to make me want to keep going.  I'm sure I will hit a slow point soon and will probably even stall and hit a plateau for a little bit.  But, when that happens I hope I still have some of this motivation to not let it stop me.  I will be the first to say that this is not easy.  Everything I eat is a choice.  Making myself exercise is a choice.  I haven't made the right choices in the past.  If I had, I wouldn't weigh over 212 pounds today.  It's a constant struggle for me.  It's so hard to look at what I consider a huge mountain and not get discouraged because I'm only climbing a few feet each week.  I want to be at the top of that mountain and I will get there!