Friday, March 29, 2013

Fat be gone Friday::: Robyn's weigh in day


I am ashamed to admit that I am a grass is greener kind of girl. I am constantly finding myself thinking how the grass is greener on the other side. I am always waiting for something to happen that is going to make everything better. I always think “if only ______ then things would be great”. The funny thing is that when I lived in Cali I didn’t realize how much I love grass. Living here in the valley of the sun has made me realize how a little grass here and there makes me so happy. I love the bright green color and the feel of it under my bare feet. I love how it makes me feel at home. I am beginning to realize that I have to plant my own grass in life, love that little bit of grass that I have, and embrace the good things in my life.

It’s a process. I do a lot of chanting in my head. I remind myself how this is a journey. I remind myself of the much anticipated shopping spree and the name brand booty bling jeans that I want. I remind myself how much better I feel already. This is a lifestyle. It’s not a race. It’s a change forever. I’m proud of the good choices that I made this week. I am happy in my now and so excited for my future.

My gym was closed for renovation this week. Thankfully we had beautiful weather. I got outside and walked and ran.  I DO NOT like running! I never have. It’s so mental. This week I worked up to being able to run 3 miles without stopping!!!! That’s huge for me. I really missed the gym though. It’s just so easy to get cardio in while watching t.v.  The whole week I felt like I wasn’t getting enough exercise. I worked hard and really watched my calorie intake. It’s a slow week, but I am down.

 So, I am happy to report that this week

I lost .5 pound. Yep, half a pound people. But, I’m down!!!!
18.5 total!!

Man did I work for that half a pound. I am going to get that elusive 20 pounds next week!!!!


Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Weigh In Wednesday ::: Hope

“The brick walls are there for a reason.
The brick walls are not there to keep us out.
The brick walls are there to give us a chance to show
how badly we want something.
Because the brick walls are there to stop the people
who don’t want it badly enough.
Randy Pausch, The Last Lecture
 
All this week I have been weighing myself, so I knew that this morning wasn't going to be like the previous 3 Wednesday mornings.
I knew the number on the scale wasn't going to be what I wanted it to be.
I gained a pound this week.
Strangely I'm not that upset about it.
I mean it bothers me, don't get me wrong, but I'm not beating myself up about it.
I knew when I started this journey that there would be challenges.
Nothing worth having is ever easy.
The quote from Randy Pausch reminds me that the set backs are there
to prove how badly I want this.
And I do.
The pound I gained isn't because I gave up, stopped trying,
didn't work out, or ate cheeseburgers every day.
It's part of my journey.
It's there to make me question how bad I really want this.
It's there to separate me from the people that give up.
I will do this. I am doing this. Setbacks and all.
 
On a personal note...
I want to say a HUGE thank you to each and every one of you who have
encouraged me, stopped me to tell me that you've been reading
our blog or have shared how we have inspired you to
start your own weight loss journey.
It is completely overwhelming to me to have this much support.
You all are amazing!!!
 
On another note...
If you have never heard Randy Pausch's speech The Last Lecture,
here is the short version he gave on Oprah.
I highly suggest you check out the full version which is over an hour long.
 
 


Friday, March 22, 2013

Fat be Gone Friday:: Robyn's weigh in


There’s this little part of me that wants to feel sorry for myself. A part that wants to say woe is me. This little part wants to dwell on my bad choices, to point out my flaws, and to be sad that my progress is slow. There is this whole other part of me though that is crushing that little negative voice in my head. This positive part of me is reminding me how hard I worked. I squeezed my curvy body into a swim suit and swam laps for the first time in years. I keep upping my incline, my resistance, and my intensity. I am becoming stronger and healthier. I made so many good choices, more good choices than bad ones. I am that type of girl though. I have to remind myself of the good I do and forgive myself for the bad. This is a huge part of my journey. I’m learning to believe in myself, to not make excuses, and to do hard things so that I can become better. I want this so bad. I want to look in the mirror wearing a great pair of jeans and feel the satisfaction of knowing that I worked hard to look phenomenal. I am starting to believe that it’s going to happen.

However sad I am that I am a curvy girl (I decided not to use the word chubby any more J), I am so grateful for this journey. I am grateful for the knowledge that I have, that when the time comes that I feel great about myself, I will know that I worked for it. I will be a better me in every aspect of life because I have travelled this road.

So, if nothing else I am consistent

I am down 1.5 pounds this week
For a total of 18 pounds.

Although a little part of me wants to be sad and wonder why it’s not coming off faster, I can’t be sad about that. I have lost every single week. I’m going to push a little extra this week to see if I can hit my 20 pounds. I want it so bad I can taste it. It tastes like lots of fruit and veggies and maybe just one cheeseburger or burrito thrown in during the week. J

Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Weigh in Wednesday ::: Hope

Are you excited?
Me too!
It's my fav day of the week!
Some people may dread stepping on the scale.
I used to be one of them.
Now I LOVE it.
I get to see the fruits of my labor.
 
This week started out a little shaky.
After my 3.5 lb loss last Wednesday,
I caved and had a big old juicy cheeseburger.
The kids school was doing Spirit Night at a local restaurant,
so I treated everyone to burgers and corn dogs.
You know what's funny?
I didn't even particularly want a cheeseburger that night, and surely didn't think I'd eat the whole thing (they are kind of big!)
But, there I was, sitting there staring at an empty wrapper
feeling a tad bit guilty.
But then Robyn's little voice popped in my head.
She said "I didn't get fat eating veggies
and I'm not going to get skinny eating veggies".
What she means by this is that even though we are losing weight,
if we don't indulge every once in awhile,
this whole thing will never last for the long haul.
She's right.
I don't feel guilty anymore, but the cool part is that now I have the
self control to eat the things I know I should be eating after splurging on something not-so-good-for-me :)
 
Then I had to get over some other hurdles, like not having the time
(no, literally, I could NOT find time) to work out a couple days that I wanted to.
I try and get to the gym 5-6 days a week.
This week I only went 4 days and 1 of those
I only walked on the treadmill for 20 min.
Needless to say, I was hoping to lose at least a 1/2 lb this week!
That's all I was hoping for, honestly. But my body had other things in mind.
I got on the scale this morning and guess what?!?!
I lost 2.5 lbs this week!
{EEK!!!}
That means I am down 21.5 lbs!
The awesome part is that I only have
ONE pound to go before I am officially under 200 lbs!
I think know I can! :)

Friday, March 15, 2013

Fat be gone Friday::: Robyn's weigh in day


“Real life”? What does that even mean? Life is a crazy roller coaster with twists, turns, ups, and downs.  We hold on tight sometimes afraid for our lives. We raise our hands in the air and squeal with delight. We kick and scream, fight and cry. Then we have moments of peace, moments of clarity and grace. I live for these moments. The bitter in life teaches us to appreciate the sweet. This week was so sweet for me. J
Going in to our vacation I thought a lot about what my strategy for weight loss was going to be. What was I going to do? I felt a little overwhelmed. I thought back to a family birthday party for my little boys a few years ago. I was toward the beginning of my first weight loss journey. I was really motivated and totally obsessed with losing weight. As we cut the cake and our family and friends all enjoyed some I chose not to eat any cake. That’s a huge symbolic picture in my mind. I want to eat cake!!!! I am going to eat cake!!!! I am going to enjoy my life. I am going to lose weight doing it!
That’s my “real life”. So, I enjoyed my vacation. I ate ice cream, cheese burgers, pizza, and full sugar soda. I just ate less of it then I used to. I also ate salad and lots of fruit. I drank lots of water. I exercised everyday. I laid in the hotel bed each night thinking about what I had eaten that day. My husband would remind me how negatively stress affects weight loss and health in general. I would squash my stress and remember that I am enjoying my life. Then I’d go run on the treadmill. J
This morning I weighed myself with some trepidation. After nearly 2 weeks of chaos, 2 6 hour drives, a funeral, 5 days at Disneyland, and eating out every meal, can you believe that I am
Down 1.5 pounds
For a total of 16.5 pounds lost
I shouted for joy. Then I crumpled and cried in my closet. I can do this people. I am doing it!!! I had the best week with my little family and I lost weight! I am so happy.
    I bought this shirt a few months ago on clearance without trying it on. It was too tight in the arms and hips. I'm really excited that I can wear it now. :) 

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Tight Tooshies Thursday

The quest for a tight tooshie requires a lot of hard work and determination. Exercise for me is really mental. It's about confidence and determination. It's about believing in yourself and then following through. Over time I have become stronger not only physically but mentally too. It makes exercise really fun. I recently discovered the medicine ball. I love it. It is a great tool for core strength and toning muscles including the tooshie. I have not yet invested in one for home, but I would love to. I use them at the gym. I love to use them doing crunches. I crunch up and then twist from side to side. This strengthens the tummy muscles and works on the waist line. Plus, it makes sits ups just a little more fun. My hubby and I use them to play catch. This is really fun. I smile and laugh the whole time. It's tiring and I drop the ball occasionally. We throw the ball back and forth a few different ways. We push it out from the chest extending the arms. We also twist at the waist and throw low with arms straight down in an arch upward. I try to bend my knees and get the lower body involved too. It gets your heart rate up too. Another great exercise is to do lunges with the medicine ball. You throw the ball just ahead of yourself, step forward into the lunge and then catch it at the bottom of the lunge. These are just a few ideas to use a medicine ball in your workout. I'm realizing the quest for a tight tooshie can be fun. Exercise can be fun. As I add variety to my workout I'm using muscles I didn't even know that I had. Changing things up keeps it fun and interesting. Now go tighten that tooshie! :) 

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Weigh in Wednesday with Hope

Hello again!
I am super excited about today because
I realized that I have almost made it to my first goal.
I haven't told any of you what my first goal was because frankly, I was a little embaressed.
Still a bit embarressed but I'll tell you anyway.
My first goal was to make it to under 200 lbs!
I have been over 200 for about 10 years now, which is soooo hard to say!!!
Having babies and not focusing on your health will do that to a girl.
So, this week I lost 3.5 lbs, for a total of 19 lbs gone!
Can I get a WHOO HOO?!?!?!
And now I am going to tell you what I actually weigh {this is huge for me people!!}
So right now, I weigh 203 lbs.
The last time I did weight watchers, I got down to 200 lbs.
I'm almost there!!!
I have to say that sometimes I look in the mirror and get a little frustrated that I let this happen to my body, but today I have to say that I'm really proud of myself.
There isn't anything easy about it, but that's what makes it so much sweeter ;)
 
{me: 19 lbs smaller}