Crazy...

It has been extremely stressful and crazy here as we prepared for and then moved.  I didn't follow my diet, ate junk and moved a lot.  Hopefully I didn't re-gain all my lost weight as I haven't found my scale yet.  I am ready to get back on track though and looking forward to my workouts.  Just tired and not quite finished yet.  Once we are done cleaning out the old house, I can really relax and enjoy our new place.  Still positive and anxious to get back to it!

Pleasantly suprised...

Well, I did better than I thought I did this weekend.  It is interesting how when your body is tired and sore, you feel so swollen.  And yet, I have hit my 15lbs lost mark!!!  It was Father's Day weekend and we had some yummy food and fun, which to me means that I thought I might have ended up 2 steps back this morning.  I surprised myself with how well I did in eating and in terms of exercise, I did get some just not as structured.  I cleaned a lot yesterday in preparation for Father's Day dinner.  We took Daddy up to a lake and that was it's own type of exercise.  So even though I feel swollen and tired, I feel SOOOO happy that I didn't undo myself.  My husband said I have been making good progress.  It was nice to hear that he was proud of me, it helps with the motivation ;)

Another pound closer to my goal.  Only 5 more to the 20lb mark.  I know it still says 14 lost but I lost enough to be under 240 for the first time in probably a year.  That is a big deal to me.  When I had my checkup early last month, I was talking to my doctor about my goals for losing weight, etc. He informed me of my starting weight when I got pregnant with my youngest.  Ever since, that weight has been my goal to pass and really feel successful.  So being 5 away from that now, is another great small victory!  I really didn't feel like working out this morning but I knew I needed to.  So, I did it anyway albeit less enthusiastically than usual.  I did a little 20 minute workout and burned a good bit of calories but like I said, I didn't push it.  It might have something to do with having my shake before my workout instead of after, which is in relation to the time the kids woke up and breakfast, etc.  I also have about a week left to get stuff put in boxes and organized for storage and our new place, my new class just started and I think I am feeling like there is a lot going on and I just want it to all be done already.  Oh well, I am proud of myself for pushing forward even when I would have rather sat at the computer.  On another note we went out for dinner last night.  I researched the menu and calories of each meal before we went and made a healthy and really filling choice.  I was surprised at how full I felt and knowing that it was a nice 480 calories.  Better choices, feeling lighter, gotta get stuff done :)  Keep trudging through, you will be happy you did in the end.  Now for homework!

Legs and Lungs is intense but it feels so good to have my legs thoroughly stretched out.  I am hovering again, this time I am close to getting under 240 for the first time in too long.  So, my motivation is there but there are some snacks in the house that I got for the kids, tempting me.  I have my skinny cow and I am trying to treat myself with that only instead of the snacks I got the kids.  It was kinda hard yesterday but I didn't go over my calorie limit so that is good.  Just need to get over the hover, so that is when I start changing up the workouts I do, hence the lungs and legs from the full circuit.  Maybe the Zumba tomorrow, that would be fun and the kids could do it too. Well, I have lots of homework to do today and then I can kind of relax for the rest of the week.  The final week of a class is always better if I get my part of the team assignment in as soon as possible.  Working out has definitely made it easier to focus and be productive.

Got my workout on this morning and I feel so much better than I did yesterday!  After my workout, I fed the kids, cleaned the kitchen and started the laundry.  I love how productive I was, now just to keep it up the rest of the day.  I have some homework to work on but I am looking forward to getting under 240 this week.  That is my goal, 2 lbs just as usual.  That will be a big step for me.  I feel lighter today, even after my yucky and cheat day.  I had Wendy's for dinner.  But honestly, the burger tasted good and I had been on my diet the rest of the day, so it wasn't too bad to eat it.  I also had a soda which I haven't had in so long, so I couldn't tell if it was diet or not.  When I was a soda-aholic, I could tell the difference between Coke, Pepsi and their diet counterparts.  It was just interesting.  The best part about working out in my swim suit is noticing the fit.  When I first started my belly kept the top part stretched and down where it needed to be. Now when I work out, it slides up.  I look forward to the day it is too loose.  That is a ways down the road but it will be a victory.  I can't believe it took me so long to do this, I am constantly amazed at how good I feel.  Never giving this up again!

Haven't worked out

Ugh, is how I feel today.  I was going to get my workout done this morning as usual, but after not doing it over the weekend and my boys being sick and needing me instead of playing happily it didn't happen.  I am feeling it too.  I feel yucky and blah.  I am definitely going to do it tomorrow, hopefully my boys will comply with giving me 30min of uninterrupted movie watching so I can workout.   This is a hard process but I know I will be happy with the end results.

13lbs GONE!

I have lost another pound and I am feeling good.  I put on some formerly tight jeans and a shirt I really liked but accentuated my belly the wrong way and for the first time in a while, I feel comfortable in the outfit.  I was a little worried about sitting down in the jeans, I tend to have a problem (3 kids and all) with zippers staying in their upright position after I resume standing.  Luckily, no falling zipper or protruding gut.  I have yet to take measurements.  I think when I hit 20 lbs lost I will start monitoring the inches.  I just haven't had the desire to wrap the measuring tape around my body yet.  I am worried it will be a discouragement instead of a help just yet.  Since I know a lot of my eating and weight problems are emotional, I am trying to work on being happy with how things feel wearing them and how I feel with my progress.  Even my husband told me after I told him about the clothes, I made a comment about having not sat down yet, he said that I couldn't just be happy with the good.  I am happy with my progress but looking at myself after a shower is kind of a jinxing effect, I don't look like I have lost but I feel in my clothes that I have.  I guess I like to not allow myself to be happy because it has been an issue in the past.  When I was younger and thinner but big-boned, we are tall/big people in my family, I was still told by relatives that I needed to lose weight and other detrimental things.  In trying to motivate me, it just made me not want to do anything.  I am trying to no longer need their acceptance in my health, looks and weight and just focusing on how I feel about my weight, looks and health.  It sounds more complicated out loud but it's not.  I am trying to change the way I feel about myself instead of relying on certain people's approval.  Keep Going, it is the only thing that will get you over any slump, frustration or plateau!

Words cannot express how good I am feeling.  I love how working out and eating better is making me feel so much lighter.  I am still heavy though and I fluctuate throughout the week, like everyone else.  But I don't feel so bloated.  I used to feel huge, heavy and weighed down.  Now, I feel that even though the 12 pound weight loss may not be immediately visible, my belly is not protruding as much as it used to.  And not feeling bloated, especially right now as it is the first time since I started this endeavor a month ago that I have had the challenge of keeping up with it through my cycle, that is a huge deal.  I have ended up doing more housework than my usual workout.  I found a neat calculator that helps me figure about how many calories I may have burned while doing my housework so that I could add that to MyFitPal.  I really like using that tool as well, it helps me stay on track like my blog does.  I still like my apple and crunchy peanut butter snack and much prefer ice water to cold water with no ice.  It's weird, I know, but it works for me and I consistently exceed the amount of water I should be drinking daily.  I am looking forward to keeping up with it this summer and making some great headway.  Keep working at it and Stay Strong!