Operation Bridesmaid 279: Day 6

Today’s plan is to try the new Calorie Knockout video. We’ll see who knocks who out. I’ve been battling some head stuffiness since before the holidays…so I’m hoping that I can push through the lack of efficient breathing and do the whole video. I’ll try to post an update later on how it went, or as with my last challenge; follow my on dailymile.com where I post most of my workouts.

Today also starts my effort to get back to better eating habits. As I’ve proven through the holidays…weight likes to add on faster than it likes to fall off; and this holiday I added 5lbs of weight back on that could have been prevented with some better eating. Easy items to call out: no breakfast, less water intake (that’s a big one), and chocolate (why oh why do I love you so?).

With only 273 days left, I better get my buns in gear and get off this computer; I’m going to need each of those days!

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New Year, New Challenge

Well the results are in: by my 30th Birthday I lost a grand total of 35lbs! (working on getting a good before/after pic) Unfortunately that number could have been lower. { I added 5lbs back on during the Holidays 😦 – bummer. } I am still going to take a moment to celebrate the big accomplishment of the weight I have lost though. **pats self on back**

Now that the Holidays are over, it’s time to set my focus on the next goal: Getting below 200lbs by next October. At this point, that is roughly 20lbs away.  So why below 200lbs and why October?? Glad you asked. 😉 The 200lb goal was set this fall by a health coach during my health screening. We came up with that number together as an achievable goal. October came about for one very important reason, my sister is getting married October 6th and I’m standing up as Matron of Honor! (that and the next health screening is shortly there after.) This surely won’t be as easy as I want it to be, but I’ve got some new weapons from our friends at Biggest Loser: Calorie Knockout and At Home Challenge. We (Chad and I) did the At Home Challenge a few days ago. This video is a 5min warm up, 10min cardio, 10 min strength, 10min cardio lv.2, 10min strength lv.2, and 5min cool down – we got through the warm up and cardio and then we called it quits…wow! did that kick our butts. I think that between the two videos, the quads volleyball league and workout bike…I have a good chance at reaching this goal. Of course, that all hinges on my getting up and utilizing the tools at hand. I’ve proven to myself that I can do this. Let Operation Bridesmaid begin!

30lbs by 30yrs Challenge: The Final Countdown

With 30 days left until I hit 30yrs, I can look back and reflect on the progress made to date with this challenge. Losing roughly 40lbs to date and maintaining that loss has been amazing. A year ago I would have laughed at you, had you told me I would lose 40lbs, and I would have said that goal was completely unrealistic. Today, my attitude has changed. I am confident that I can do this weight loss journey and I feel equipped to take it on.

A goal was set for me, by a Health Professional, to have my final weight to reach 175lbs. This is based on my body composition and is a number that I’d also be comfortable with. A short term goal was also set for next year (November 2012) of getting it under 200lbs…. but I’m going to take this to the max and push for that goal by the end of the countdown.

I can do it.

That’s roughly 15lbs loss in one month. It’s going to take effort and focus, but that’s nothing new at this point. I need to get in my daily workout and continue to watch what I’m eating (especially during the Holiday season). So if you catch this on Facebook or stubble upon it in WordPress … ask me how its going. I’d be happy to be held accountable and glad to share with you.

Thanks Friends and Family for all your support to date. I look forward to keeping you updated on the progress and final results.

30lbs by 30yrs: Day 204

Today I hit a very personal marker in my journey of weight loss. I now weigh less than my weight when I found out I was pregnant with my first child. So literally, today, marks a weight I haven’t seen in 7.5 years! Sad, but awesome all at the same time. Let me add though, that this is still a big win for me; as I had hit a plateau in my weight loss for the past few months. I’ll call out my own part in this:  I had relaxed on keeping my diet in check and had not been consistently working out. It was good to know that I could maintain the weight; however, when your on a weight LOSS journey….maintaining is not what you should be doing.

I have finally gotten myself re-energized, thanks to a personal challenge from a family member, and I’m going back to my basics once again. Looking back at the last few months, I noticed an unhealthy trend that I tend to keep falling into…….not getting enough H2O! Let me tell you, that in the last 4 days, I have lost 4lbs. and it wasn’t because my diet was perfect (in fact, I was even over calorie intake at least 2 of the days). I will give full credit to keeping myself properly hydrated.  Who Knew?….okay, I knew, but like I said…bad habit. 🙂

So if there is any advice to throw out at you today: drink your water. A minimum of 64 fl. oz (8 glasses of water) a day! Don’t forget to add in more if you are working out or out in hot weather.

Track my workouts at Daily Mile .

Dietary Progress: Journaling at My Fitness Pal.

(Look for JoubertCG and friend request me.)

Challenges: Drinking enough H2O and dealing w/congestion.

Today’s Planned Work Out:  Much will depend on my ability to exercise without getting dizziness due to head congestion.

30lbs by 30yrs: Day 175

 

 

Hope everyone had a great weekend! We finally had some great weather, which meant lots of outdoor activities for our family; including mowing the lawn, swimming, and general outdoor play. We were able to get a bonfire in and a very nice family picnic on Sunday… and all that without blowing my diet. (Quick moment of celebration.)

Today, I have more house cleaning to do as we prepare for a Realtor walk through. It shouldn’t be too bad, as we just cleaned for a showing on Thursday; but we do have the everyday items that need to be looked after. It’s a pretty overcast day, and word from the weather man is rain is coming this afternoon; which means cleaning around the kids.  Should be lots of “fun“.

Track my workouts at Daily Mile .

Dietary Progress: Journaling at My Fitness Pal.

Challenges: Getting to bed before 10:30pm

Today’s Planned Work Out: Schwinn 220, Pursuit, Lv. 12, 40min.

30lbs by 30yrs: Day 172

Today I present a  few excerpts from Good Morning America anchor George Stephanopoulos’ interview with Dr. Oz  on  how daily routines affect weight loss. I’ve done a few of the things he suggested, and I have to say that I think it helped. I’m trying to find the video, as the blurb below doesn’t contain all the  tips. If I find it I will get that posted ASAP. In the mean time  read over what he had to say:

“It turns out, the best thing to do when you first get up is to weigh yourself,” he explains. On average, you’re two pounds lighter in the morning, giving you more motivation, he adds. “Five minutes later, fire it off,” Oz says about a daily workout. Exercising early in the morning has two benefits. First, studies show you’re more likely to exercise in the morning. And, explains Oz, “you burn off fat.”

“[It’s] hugely important that we go to bed at 10 p.m.,” he says. “10 p.m. is the time when our melatonin levels are the highest.” Meanwhile, staying up late triggers carbohydrate cravings.

 

So are you getting enough sleep? I know that I struggle with this one all the time, but I definitely notice a change in energy level when I get a good nights rest.  Thought I’d give you a little food for thought as we head into the weekend.

In case you’re interested in more, here are 2 video links from the Dr. Oz show on ” Simple ways to sleep yourself thin”

____ Videos_______

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/simple-ways-sleep-yourself-thin-pt-1 

http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/simple-ways-sleep-yourself-thin-pt-2

 

 

Track my workouts at Daily Mile .

Dietary Progress: Journaling at My Fitness Pal.

Challenges: SLEEP.

Today’s Planned Work Out:  Biggest Loser Cardio Max week 3-4

 

30lbs by 30yrs: Day 171

….and…. I’m off.

Every feel like your life is in a constant state of GO?

I know I do, and sometimes I need to remind myself to stop and take a minute to slow down and take care of my needs.  Today, that is going to be even more challenging as I prepare our house for a showing. For those of you who have had a house on the market…you know my pain. Now add in 4 children, trapped inside (it’s wet/rainy outside right now), and you got yourself on interesting situation.  Add to that the fact that the house is going to be shown at supper time, which means that we’ll be taking our family out; it could very well spell disaster for my diet.  My goal is to muster up enough energy to complete my workout for the evening and not ruin my progress during supper. I know I can do it,but will I have the motivation to get it all done?

Track my workouts at Daily Mile .

Dietary Progress: Journaling at My Fitness Pal.

Challenges: Getting in the exercise, while preparing the house for a showing.

Today’s Planned Work Out:  30 mins of weighted workout.

30lbs by 30yrs: Day 170

So, I’m going to be the first to admit that I’ve been slacking a bit lately- on both my diet and my exercise. That said, I guess this blog is where I need to come back to and start holding myself accountable. I’ve also recruited a few friends to help on my dietary tracking (and hopefully I’ll be helping them too), and it’s good to know that they are watching it like a hawk on prey.

If you’re just catching my posts now, let me familiarize you with the way I blog. Everyday…or two I write a little blurb about what’s going on in my life: set backs,progress,challenges,schedule; and at the very end you will see something like this:

Remember you can always track my workouts at Daily Mile .

Dietary Progress: Journaling at My Fitness Pal.

Challenges: Getting in the exercise.

Today’s Planned Work Out:  Schwinn 220, at least 30mins, Pursuit- lv. 12

This is how you can follow my activity even more closely. When I workout, I try to get a post up on dailymile.com where I can track the exercise I do, post or participate in challenges, and follow my friends. Even better yet, I can sign in w/Facebook (which is super quick) and my posts can post on my wall in FB as well. Second (and really a must for people getting into the diet mode) is myfitnesspal.com. This is where daily I can track my caloric intake. It’s really as simple as signing up. You create a weight profile (your daily activity,current weight,goal weight, how much you want to lose a week) and it gives you how many calories you need to eat in one day. There is a vast catalog of foods or a place for you to enter info on the food if you can not find it. If you exercise, you get more calories to eat.  At the end of a day, you submit the info and it gives you an approximate weight that you would be at in 5 weeks if everyday you at like that. So simple and a great way to make you think about what you’re putting into your mouth. Added perks include: sharing your weight loss on FB AND there is an app (Android for sure, iPhone not positive) for your smartphone so you can track your diet on the go!

The last two items on my list are my challenges and day’s planned work out. My challenge may not change everyday, but  I want my readers to know that weight loss is a journey….there are good days and there are bad days and hopefully a few of you can gather inspiration knowing that I struggle with things too. The planned exercise is my way of telling myself “This is what you are going to do”. If I wait and tell myself…maybe I’ll XYZ today and don’t plan it, I probably won’t do it. If there is only one piece of information that I need to share it’s this: diet alone will not help you lose weight. It is a part of it, but without exercise the pounds won’t be going far.

Remember: you CAN do this, stay active, and I’ll catch you tomorrow.

30lbs by 30yrs: Day 155 (First Goal Complete)

I HAVE REACHED MY GOAL OF 30lbs LOST!!!

The number on the scale this morning blew me away. When I began this, I thought 30lbs was going to take a whole year, today I’m thinking…”you can do 30 more”. My body feels different, my spirit is different….all that in 6 months.

For some of you just joining the journey with me…let me tell you, I was once in a place where I knew I needed to lose weight but just wasn’t motivated enough to do it. I have to give some credit to Biggest Loser for the motivation to keep going. This last season on the show there was a young girl, Courtney, on it; she weighed 390lbs at the start of the show. I thought…” This young lady weighs more than me….if she can do it, so can I.” As each week went by, I was more and more motivated to keep going. Of course, I wasn’t dropping weight at the rate they were, but I was losing weight.

So where do i go from here?

My next goal has been set, and in my eyes it’s a pretty lofty one… Lose another 30lbs by my birthday, for a total of 60lbs lost this year. If  I can reach that goal: I will  be back in the 100’s, at a weight I haven’t seen since my first pregnancy- 7 years ago. I know I CAN DO IT… and I hope you all continue to support me as I move forward on my journey. It has meant so much to see all the Facebook “LIKES” and comments on my posts.  THANK YOU!

30lbs by 30yrs: Day 126

Two months have gone by….and I feel like I’ve hit a plateau here. 4/5lbs to go and lots of challenges lately, including a week long family vacation. Relaxing – yes, Good for the Diet – well, it could have been worse. So to get “back on the horse” I’ve started doing the Biggest Loser CardioMax video. WOW! is that a good workout. I thought after 120+ days my body had improved (and it has… ) but this just took it up another notch. Muscle groups that haven’t been “worked-out” in I don’t know how long have come to life…and the soreness I’m feeling from 2 days ago is proof of that. Encouraging to feel the burn though.

How are you’re journeys going? Have you stayed on track? It’s said it takes 90 days to change a habit, so if you’re just getting started… keep at it! time really does go quickly and it’s so worth it. If you’ve taken a detour from you’re original commitment….now’s a great time to pick it back up.

Here are some great sites to help you out:

myfitnesspal.com and dailymile.com

I’ve benefited from them 10-fold already and the best part is they are free. (It will help keep you accountable as well.)

Hope to be back in about a week with an update on the Week 1 of CardioMax. Until then…keep moving! 🙂