Summer Update

Obviously, I haven't blogged here much over this past summer. That does NOT mean that I haven't been working hard. I was chosen for a weight loss contest on Win, Lose, Blog. It was 6 weeks long. I won! It was so much fun. I'm so glad I was chosen as it gave me the extra encouragement I needed to lose weight this summer. Overall, I am down about 10 lbs from this time last year. I'm happy with that.

I have a very big goal of being down to my wedding weight by my 10th anniversary (Dec 19th). This means I need to lose about 15 lbs. I'm going to try my best to get there.

My goals for the next week:

Plan in advance my eating and exercise. Log all eating and exercising.

Limit all sugars. Try to only use natural sweeteners (like honey)

Eat 5 small, frequent meals. All balanced with good carbs, protein, and some fat. Eat lots of veggies.

No white flour or HFCS at all.

Do Insanity every morning and get to the gym for other exercise as I can. I have some sick kiddos right now so that might not work.

Only drink water and (one glass) skim milk each day

Be more active with kids each day (if they are better, of course). I'm hoping to get some extra walks in with them this week.

Insanity

I've been very interested in the Insanity program from beachbody.com. I've been researching it for awhile and it looks amazing. High, intense interval training. That's how I lost the weight before (well, and clean eating, of course). Well, I bought it this last week! For about 1/3 the price on beachbody. And, no, it wasn't a pirated copy either. Amazingly, there are a LOT of those out there. That's just sad for the people that put out these products.

No, I bought it from a local student here. I saw his post on craigslist.com. He is moving and just wanting to get rid of things. Honestly, I don't think he ever did the workouts as everything was brand new! New wall calendar, food journal and recipes, etc. It also came with three additional DVD's that don't usually come with the program.

I started this on Wednesday and so far I love it! It is super hard (thus, the name, Insanity) but I can see where it will get much easier for me. I thought I was in pretty good shape. I mean, I work out hard almost every day, just finished a half marathon, chase my kids around all day long, etc. I need to lose 20-30 lbs but otherwise, pretty good shape. However, I was quickly humbled during the first workout of Insanity. That's good, though, I want to be pushed!

I would caution anyone with bad joints to be very careful when doing this program. And, if you are just starting out exercising, don't start with this. Seriously, get in really good shape before you start this. It is dang hard and there are lots of jumping, ploymetrics, etc. I do it on carpet but put two mats over it to make it easier on my joints.

No sugar challenge day 1 of 30

So, I am addicted to sugar! I know I could lose 10 lbs if I just cut out sugar. So, for the next 30 days, sugar is gone. Today is day one. Then, after the 30 days, I will allow myself one meal/treat a week free (the same day). Not a full day of eat-whatever-I-want because that just backfires on me.

Also, I am not using any artificial sweeteners as I view those as poison for your body. Also, I will not use white flour. That really isn't a problem unless I eat out. We only keep wheat in this house!

I gave blood on Thursday and that really wipes me out. I didn't exercise Thursday or Friday. I did 60 min body pump this morning, 2 (1 minute) sprints, and walked some. It felt good but I could tell I was still tired from giving blood.

Eating:
B - eggs with hot sauce
S - cucumbers (the only thing our garden has decided to produce successfully)
L - chicken with mango salsa, plain yogurt, banana, and cheese stick
S - whole wheat, homemade bread with honey
D - chicken and salad

Update

81 days until my half marathon and 85 days until my 31st birthday!

I actually am doing well! I have lost a few pounds. But, more than that, I feel firmer and lighter. The eating is coming along well. I overate July 4th weekend but that is mostly it. I'm finding that I'm having more and more days of healthy, moderate eating and less of the bad, oveating. So, I'm going in the right direction!

The training for the half marathon is going well. I ran 8 miles a week ago Monday and it wasn't too bad. Mostly I am continuing to cross train along with my running and also sprinting. I'm still scared when I think of the half marathon but I know if I continue along this path, I should be okay.

Today's plan:
Gym - 45 min body step and 45 min body pump.
Eating:
Breakfast: eggs with sundried tomatoes, 5 fresh strawberries, skim milk
Snack: string cheese, almonds
Lunch: Leftover veggie dish from last night (recipe coming soon!)
Snack: medium apple (or half of the humongous ones I have in the fridge)
Dinner: Turkey burgers and big salad with cottage cheese

Goals

It's good to have goals, right? Even better when they are written down with a plan of action. The best are when you share them with others! So, that you suceed, they can be happy. (Or fail, everyone will know.)

I have two major goals before my birthday in October:

Run a half marathon
Lose 20 lbs

The two go hand in hand. I'm in decent shape right now. As decent as a person 30 lbs overweight can be, I guess. I ran 7.5 miles this week and exercised every other day. But, running is not fun for me right now. I know it will be much easier if I am lighter.

To do this, I need to be eating healthily CONSISTENTLY. I go off and on and I feel horrible when I overeat and eat the wrong foods. I feel better when I'm eating healthily and in moderation. But, there is always the temptation to eat junk (sugar mostly) and overeat. It's like it never goes away.

I love the South Beach diet. Except, I can never make it through Phase 1. Ever. It always backfires on me. I love the second phase, though (minus all the fake sugar crud). This is how I lost weight before. Lean meats, high complex carbs, two servings of fruit, lots of veggies, little to none sugar.

I need to have faith that this will get easier. I need to focus on fueling my BODY not my emotions. I'm an emotional overeater. I eat when I'm feeling any emotion, it seems. Except severe stress. Then I just have panic attacks.

But, I'm in a good place in my life. I feel like everything is in balance in my life except for my eating.

How do I overcome this?

I've read several books. I KNOW what/when I should be eating. I lost 70 lbs after my second son. I've only lost 29 since my last son (now 2) was born. And, I've only lost 4 lbs in the last YEAR! I seriously need to stop this cycle.

I do know this - I can't have a cheat day. It just turns into several cheat days, weeks, etc. I need to limit sugar and white/processed foods. I need to food journal. I need to keep myself engaged in fulfilling activities that I enjoy.

I know all this. I just need to do it.

Rebuilding Amy

Like giveaways and a fun blog? Check out Amy at http://rebuildingamy.blogspot.com/

Weekend update and today

Weekend didn't go as well with eating as I had planned. But, I got two really good workouts in.

Today:

Exercise:
ran 2 miles in 18 minutes (includes warm up). I gradually increased my speed from 5mph until I got to 8mph and stayed there for about 3 minutes.
1 minute sprints (9 or 9mph) with 1 min rest in between
I then did a few minutes of weights with a sprint in between (11mph sprint for 30 seconds). I did three more sprints total.
I then did some more weights and a little bit on the elliptical.
I plan to do ab jam as well tonight and possibly take the kiddos to the park this evening so they can ride their bikes.

Food: - Again, where I REALLY struggle. I am planning everything out the night before and sticking with it. No carbs after 2pm. I'll do another post with more of the 'rules' I'm following with my diet. Basically, it is South Beach phase 2.

Breakfast - 3 eggs with fresh salsa
Snack - didn't eat it as I wasn't hungry
Lunch - Moroccan Lentil Soup with lf sour cream and lf mozzarella, medium apple
Dinner - grilled steak with salad
Snack - v8, cottage cheese

Going to be a good weekend!

The last week has not been good, eating wise. I've made lots of wrong choices. But, I'm back today. My body feels gross when I eat too much and I have acid reflux. Not worth it. I noticed today that my workout pants feel a lot looser in the legs so that is good.

Exercise:
I spent 80 minutes at the gym doing circuit training. I did 5 1minute sprints at 9.5 mph (1 minute sprint with 1 minute rest and repeat). I then did 2-3 sets of weights and then back for another faster, 30 second sprint. I did a few different circuits of this. Then, ab work and jogged/walked for the last 25 minutes. I feel like it was an excellent workout. I'll probably do some landscaping/yard work and probably some more exercise later on.

Food:
Breakfast: 2 eggs with fresh salsa
Snack: raw almonds, string cheese
Lunch: grilled marinated chicken over salad (lettuce, peppers, mushrooms, avocado, onions), LF ranch
Snack: v8
Dinner: lean turkey burgers with lettuce wraps and yogurt dressing
Snack: non-fat yogurt

About 1400 calories

Today's update

We are down to one vehicle right now. So, I haven't made it to the gym yet today. My youngest is napping so I will go exercise some at home. Then, I plan to go to the gym tonight as well.

Food Plan:
3 eggs with fresh salsa
cottage cheese, raw almonds
Meatball casserole with zuchinni instead of pasta
v8
grilled marinated chicken breast, salad
plain yogurt with a teeny bit of agave nectar and almond extract

I estimate it to be about 1500 calories and all within the SB diet Phase 1 plan.

My Advantages Response Card

These are the reasons I want to lose weight. I have these typed on index cards and I put them up all over the house. I make sure to read them at least twice a day.

Reasons I Want to Lose Weight
· I’ll look better
· I’ll be smaller when family comes to visit (June)
· I won’t be obsessed with how I look
· I will feel light and healthy as I don’t over eat
· I’ll be able to wear all those nice, smaller clothes in my closet
· I will set a good example to my children of good health
· I’ll be free of cravings and desires for unhealthy food
· My mind will not be full of trying to decide whether to eat bad foods or not
· I will not be as self-conscious
· I will be able to go to social events w/o embarrassment or worrying about overeating
· Food will not make up so much of my life
· I’ll get more compliments
Reasons I Want to Lose Weight, contd.

· I can feel proud of myself
· I’ll be in better health
· I’ll be able to exercise harder and enjoy it more
· I’ll enjoy intimacy more
· I’ll increase my self-esteem
· I will feel better about myself and thus able to be more patient with others
· This WILL make me a better wife and mother
· I can spend more time on other interests besides food and eating (reading, playing, education, homeschool, etc.)

Tips from Beck Diet Solution

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0848731735/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=4236590319&ref=pd_sl_26dnfnvnk2_e



I am really liking this book! I know if I follow the steps, I can get over my eating issues and make consistent, healthy choices.

This book is based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I am a BIG fan of CBT due to some personal experiences me and my husband have had with this. So, I was really excited to get this book. Judith Beck, Ph.D. is the author of this book. Her father is the founder of Cognitive Therapy.

The book is set up so that the first 14 days you aren't even supposed to start your 'diet'. You can but Ms. Beck really wants us to follow certain steps and really get mentally prepared and equipped to start. I have to admit that I've already started my 'diet'. I say 'diet' because this is really the way I want to live the rest of my life.

Here is a brief synopsis of the first few days.

Day 1 - Record the Advantages of Losing Weight. She calls these Advantages Response Cards. Write down ALL the reasons you want to lose weight. Put them on index cards and tape them up anywhere and everywhere. You need to read them at least twice daily. And, read again if you are struggling.

Day 2 - Pick two Reasonable Diets
We all need a plan or 'diet' to follow. She said to pick two because we'll have a back up if we decide the first isn't working. There are two different kinds of 'diets' - those with specific foods and meals and those where you choose your own foods but have to fit into certain criteria (calorie counting, limiting fats, carbs, etc.).

Day 3 - Eat Sitting Down
This one is key for me. I really need to eat sitting down so I eat mindfully. Don't eat anything 'on the go', in the grocery store, etc. Every bite adds up. So, when your toddler likes to feed you his M&M's, don't let him! Anyone else have that problem?

Day 4 - Give Yourself Credit
This is a hard one for me. I don't give myself credit unless I've done EVERYTHING perfectly. We need to give ourselves credit for every single success we have. That way, if we mess up and eat something we shouldn't have, we don't let it derail us! We move on and start again right then. I tend to let one bad thing I eat turn into several days of eating whatever and not caring. Ms. Beck recommends posting reminders for yourself to remember to give yourself credit. Like, posting CREDIT on your fridge, make into a screensaver, put a penny into a jar for everything you do correctly, etc.

Day 5 - Eat Slowly and Mindfully
I think this really goes hand in hand with eating while sitting down. When we eat slowly, our brain has more time to register that you're full and we'll feell more satisfied when we notice each and every bite. This is sometimes hard for me since I usually eat with three little boys who always need something. Honestly, eating with them often causes me to stress. So, I try to eat breakfast and lunch after them and only eat supper with them. I read to them while they eat their other meals and snacks. I've been trying to do this lately and it has really helped me.

The Beck Diet Solution

I was down 2.8 lbs this last week. VERY good. But, then I seriously blew it the rest of the weekend and Monday night as well. I need to just get in a REALLY good groove in eating well and then take planned indulgences (like one treat or one meal - not a weekend!).

I've started reading the Beck Diet Solution and I really like it. I've made tons of index cards with all the reasons I want to lose weight. I put them all over the house and I read them at least twice a day. I am practicing positive self-talk and giving myself credit whenever I do something good.

Today was a good day in eating and exercise. I ate low carb all day and stuck to my meal plan.

Food:
3 eggs, onion, mushroom and salsa scramble
v8, raw almonds
low carb bbq pork, zuchinni, cottage cheese, cherry tomatoes
meatball casserole, 3/4 red pepper, 1/3 cucumber

Exercise:
45 min body step
45 min body pump
I plan to do ab jam and shoulders during biggest loser tonight.

Day 5 of Phase 1 South Beach

I am DETERMINED to make it the full 14 days of this! This is the best I've done now. I seem to falter around day 3.

My weight was 165.6 this morning. It was 175 just a few weeks ago! I'm hoping it will go down more the next couple of days as AF is here right now.

So, I'm losing weight this week and haven't even been able to make it to the gym! I have been working out, though. We've been busy landscaping and decided to make the lower level of our backyard into a HUGE sand pit for the kids. So, we've hauled down close to 10 tons of sand.

Monday - sprints up our hill, 30-day shred level 3, hauled 2.5 tons of sand down the hill and shoveling (did with hubby)

Tuesday - 40 min of Turbo Sculpt. I then did 5 tons of sand by MYSELF! Oldest son (6) helped some. The shoveling really was the hardest. The kids had a ton of fun jumping into sand piles.

Wednesday - ran about 1 mile outside and did 5 long, good sprints up the hill. This is all I got in. Middle son (4) has had a fever every afternoon and just isn't feeling well. So, can't take him to daycare at the gym.

Thursday - plans for today: 30day shred, turbo jam, ab jam, whatever else I can fit in. I feel like I need a lot of cardio. Whatever the kids will let me do at home.

Edit - I actually did go to the gym today. DS had no fever and felt fine all day. 10 minutes walking and 60 min body step. I feel lighter and am enjoying the journey!

I feel a bit bloated right not so I'm jugging the lemon water and will have asparagus and lemon chicken for supper. But, even with AF here, I'm really excited that I'm still losing weight.

3rd day of SB diet

So far, okay. The cravings are hitting me a little now. I feel hungry no matter what I eat. I'm trying to keep busy so I forget about it.

Exercise:
Turbo Jam 60 min and 15 min ab work.

Food:
eggs, V8, string cheese
black bean, pork, and salsa dish
big salad
balsamic basil honey chicken and veggies

Crap

That's about it. I've gained weight. About 3 lbs since last time I weighed. I now have 25 lbs I want to lose before October. More than that, I just need to stop overeating! I swear I have a problem. Ugh. I hate feeling this big.

I need to keep busy doing other things that bring me satisfaction that don't involve eating!

DH is really stressed about his job. I'm afraid he's going to quit or worse. I hate this cycle he gets himself into. I wish he could just be happy.

Plan for tomorrow:

Exercise:
body step and weights at gym
Ab jam at home

Food:
eggs, milk,
V8, piece of fruit
salad, sweet potato
soup and veggies

I definitely will NOT eat after 7pm. If I just cut this one thing out, it would help a ton. I wanted to eat more tonight and realized that nothing was going to satisfy me. I'm going to go spend time reading a good book and then go to bed.

March2, 2010

Exercise:
45 min body step, 35 minutes weights
Body step was pretty intense as I'm still recovering from being sick. I did weights instead of Body Pump. Did back, chest, and a little stomach

Food:
Granola, 2% milk, peach
almonds, craisins
stir fry (veggies and ground pork with hoison sauce)
1/2 small apple
peas, homemade pizza (wheat crust, fresh mozzarella, pepperoni, red onions)
piece of homemade wheat bread with honey

Done eating for the night.

Today

Exercise - 60 min stairclimber at gym. Burned 615 calories, went just over 5 miles and over 200 flights. My neck is a little sore still so I needed to do something with no twisting. Went to the library beforehand to get books on hold so I could read.

Showered at gym and then took kids to Hyvee to eat, grocery shopping, and then to the park on the way home. It was fun to run around with them. It was only 35 degrees but sunny and no wind! Felt wonderful.

Did great for breakfast and lunch was Hyvee (salad, fruit, and just a little bit of pudding). But, I think I picked up a stomach bug so have just been snacking on whatever my stomach will handle since then. I had some sourdough toast earlier.

Points System

I'm taking a break from weighing myself. I don't know if this is a good idea or not. But, I need to get focused on a healthy LIFESTYLE. Not just on losing weight. I started a points system to this end and have a goal to do this for at least one month straight before weighing myself again. I can't get excel to copy and paste my chart so I'll reprint it here.

Food: (these are all 5 points each because this is my hardest category to keep to! Plus, I'm giving myself an extra 6 points if I get everything in the food category)
Write down everything eat - 5
No eating after 7pm - 5
No white flour - 5
No sugar - 5
4 servings fruits and veggies - 5
Take vitams - 5

Exercise
60 min daily - 5
(I tend to OVER exercise at times so I'm not too worried about this category)

Spiritual:
Read Scriptures - 1
Pray - 1
Read a book of choice (educational and fun) - 1

Kids/Homeschooling:
Read for fun to them - 1
'Devotional' - scripturs, prayer, song, flag - 1
Math - 1
PE - 1
Game - 1
Other reading - 1

Total points possible pre day - 50