30 pounds down

30 pounds down
Size 16--Size 8

Sunday, February 28, 2010

Bought new jean---a size smaller :-)

I bought some jeans a size smaller. My old ones wouldn't stay up. Dang! What a bad problem to have. New jeans are a size 10. I was size 16 at my biggest---so not too bad! Still haven't lost much pound-wise! Still below the 5# mark, next goal will be to get below the 10# mark (i.e. get below 170#, 160#, 150#, 140# I won't divulge my weight).
When I got married---I know that was a long time ago---for those of you who knew me then, think back to what I looked like. I thought I looked "OK" body-wise and was a size 8. Previously (in high school) was a 6, and looked nice. So, I have one more size to go to get to my wedding size, yet only 2 pounds to go to get to my pre-pregnancy weight---not making any sense at all.
I guarantee that I now have more fat on my body than I did when I got married (I was a teenager when I got married). So, here are my questions:
1) are they making clothes bigger now than 15 years ago? (i.e. a 10 now is bigger than a 10 then)
2) if I continue on my current loss in body size and then finally manage to lose pounds, what will I look like? Is it possible to end up smaller than an 8?

In junior high, I was a size 3 and weighed 110 pounds, and then my figure filled out a little more, mostly hips... (to this day I still remember my mom freaking out that I had stretch marks on my hips lol)
In high school I was a size 6 and weighed 115 pounds
When I got married (age 19), I was a size 8 and weighed 125 pounds (freshman 10 lol)
When I got pregnant (age 28), I was a size 12 and weighed 150 pounds
After 2 pregnancies (age 34--now), I am a size 10 and still above my pre-pregnancy weight.....I KNOW my gut is bigger now....

This will be really interesting to see how this turns out....

Saturday, February 27, 2010

Reevaluation of last weeks goals

1. Lose 2 pounds. Goal partially met. Was consistently 2.2 to 2.8 pounds less at beginning of this week, however Thursday and Friday I was right back up. Today was back down a pound. It was suggested that the Chinese food that I ate on Wed and thursday night may have caused me to retain water. Sounds nice to me :-)
2. Decrease assist on Grivtron by 10 pounds. Goal met. And have lifted every night this week but Friday--gym closes early and I got in from work too late :-(
3. Core exercises 3 nights a week. goal partially met. I lack motivation in this area. Somebody motivate me, please?
4. Schedule appt with trainer to get remeasured, etc. Goal not met. I didn't see her any of the nights I was at the gym.

Continue same POC for next week.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Homemade dishwasher detergent works

Several internet discussions discuss homemade dishwasher detergent and that it doesn't work. I have made some and have been using it for a month will good results. The recipe I use calls for table salt, borax, baking soda, and powdered lemonade. I made 1 quart of initially---in case it was bad, I wouldn't have a who ton left over. For one quart, I used a half-cup salt, and then equal portions of the borax and baking soda, which I layered in the jar to facilitate mixing. I didn't have any lemonade, so I used a packet of mango-ade (from Mexican grocery store). I then covered the jar, and mixed by rolling and turning the jar. Leave some air space so that you are able to mix.
I use 1/4 cup of powder for 1 load of dishes in the dishwasher. I have EXTREMELY hard water, but I do have a water softener. I suppose you will have to experiment with the amount the achieve the effects that you desire. I also put white vinegar in the liquid-rinse aid (ie jet dry) compartment.
Cheap, effective, and probably better for the environment.

Have lifted 4 nights in a row :-)

I've lifted 4 nights in a row...managed to "sneak in" a lifting session on my parenting days. by chance I was done with work early and was able to squeeze in an afternoon session before i had to pick the boys up from daycare.

Still only able to do 15 reps 1 out of every 3 sets (obviously the first one). So will continue to work on this.

Just goes to show that even if you are really busy, one can usually carve out a little time each day for some form of exercise.

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

gym tonight and loving the bra :-)

For the first time, I was able to do 45 minutes on the treadmill (alternating between brisk walk, really fast walk, and jogging) without having to stop to stretch out the muscles on the front of my lower legs. Wow. Didn't think that would ever happen.
Tonight was day #3 on the 70# assist narrow grip and 80# assist wide grip, and 80# dips. Past 2 nights was only able to do 10 reps, 3 sets. Tonight I was able to do 15 reps some of the times, and 3 sets of each.
By the way, I like my new sport bra. Keeps the girls comfy :D

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

diet for yesterday and today

yesterday
yogurt with fiber cereal and blueberries
southwest chicken salad with grilled chicken from mcdonalds
fiber bar
talapia
mixed grilled vegetables

today:
yogurt with fiber cereal and blueberries
chicken strip sandwich from sonic
fiber bar
2 small slices of leftover pizza
6 ounces hot cocoa (homemade)
1 bowl of cereal

Sunday, February 21, 2010

diet for today?

1 bowl of fiber cereal with a little 2% milk
2 squares of pizza left over from last night with oil soaked off with napkin
1 bite of kids' reeses cups, 1 bite of nasty red rope candy (would have spit it out but was in public)
half a sandwich on wheat bread and beef brisket
tablespoon of baked beans
2 tablespoon of mac-n-cheese
1/4 cup of coleslaw
1 fiber bar
another bowl of high-fiber cereal, minmal milk

#1 rule for not having too much crap in your house

Remember, part of this blog is dedicated to getting my house in order....not that i have too much junk, but everybody can use more organization. So, one rule I have followed is to remove one item for every item brought into the house. For example, just prior to Christmas and birthdays, my kids will pick out the broken toys, or toys that they no longer play with in anticipation for the new toys received on birthdays and holidays. This has worked well. My kids have never had more toys that what fits in their toy box or their shelf.
I've used the same principle for shoes and clothes. New shirt bought, old shirt either in the trash or donated to charity (if still usable).
So, yesterday, I FINALLY bought some Sketchers Shape-ups :-) I had worn out a pair of sneakers, so it was time to get some new shoes. The worn-out ones will go into the trash as they weren't too comfortable to begin with. I have an old pair that I use for working out in the yard, etc. Some people i have know have 100+ pairs of shoes. I have 10 or less.... I've been in houses where toys overrun each room...and i've known people who have 4 closets full of clothes not worn (out of style, wrong size, worn out, or just too many).

re-evaluation of fitness goals from last weekend

Those of you who are in the nursing field are probably familiar with the "nursing process" and "careplans", same can hold true for weight loss and fitness. Let's re-examine last my goals from last weekend using a simplified version of nursing.

Assessment/observation: I am 30 pounds overweight
Goal: was to loose 2 pounds this week
Implementation: was to continue visiting the gym, maintain current cardio regime, increase weight lifting, watch diet
Rationale: all of these listed in "implementation" are known to decrease weight, i.e. increase physical activity, decrease PO intake
Evaluation: was goal met/unmet? Goal was unmet
Revision: continue same goal for next week, Implementation: this week i'm going to write down everything I eat so that I am more conscious of what i am consuming. More of a diet focus and continue same exercise regime--at this point I am unable to visit gym more regularly

Goal #2 was to buy a sports bra. Goal met. obtained sports bra yesterday

Goal #3 was to decrease amount of assist on gravitron by 10 pounds. goal met, although it was very difficult.

Goal #4 was to focus on core. Goal not met. Didn't do a single core-specific thing this past week :-( Revision: on my parenting nights (i.e. non-gym nights) I will do core exercises. I am also really uncertain as to what I SHOULD be doing, so I bought a couple magazines and will research on the internet. I have a hard time doing core exercises at the gym for two reasons. 1) the "floor area" is a well used piece of carpet that has had many sweaty bodies laying on it (gross) 2) by the time i do 45 minutes of cardio, plus lift weights, stretch, etc, time is a factor.

Goals for this week:
1) loose two pounds--write down everything i eat, really watch diet
2) decrease assist on gravitron by 10 pound (70 pounds narrow grip, 80 pounds wide grip, 80 pounds dips)
3) core exercises--whatever that might be--three nights this week
4) set up appointment with physical trainer to be re-measured (weight, fat %, arm, leg, waist, bust, hip circumference)

I need somebody to hold me accountable? Feel free to comment on my blog, IM, facebook, text, or call me :-) I need the motivation.

Saturday, February 20, 2010

Another week--still no decrease in weight :-(

Still just *slightly* below the 5# mark....maybe like by 2/10 of a pound. Getting frustrated...guess I'll just have to work a little harder...

Friday, February 19, 2010

I am woman hear me (my truck) roar!

I detest mechanical stuff. A disadvantage of being divorced is all that "penis" type stuff---you know, fixing things, working on cars, etc. Well, maybe not actually fixing something, but at least telling what's wrong so that it can be fixed. Well the blue beast (my truck) died on the street outside my house. It was actually working, then I got up one (cold) morning to drive it to work because i couldn't find my car keys. It wouldn't start. I didn't think that it was the battery because I still had juice, lights, and door chimes, plus the starter was trying to turn over.
I had "tech support" over the phone with my brotherinlaw "the engine whisperer" and was able to get it running.
My first foray into auto repair was successful. I still don't like it, though, but I guess I had better get used to it.
By the way, the engine was just flooded. Nothing too serious.

LOL my motherinlaw is buying me a bra for valentines day!

Well, since I didn't get any sexy lingerie for Valentines Day this year, I thought that I'd get myself a not-so-sexy sports bra. Have been doing some research on styles, prices, etc. A new edition of a fitness magazine had a whole article on the subject today at the gym....will make my selection soon.
Anyhow, my motherinlaw called to tell me that she was sending me a check for V-day and to buy what I wanted. She did this in lieu of mailing chocolates like she usually does :-) Anyhow, I told her that I wanted a sports bra. LOL kind of funny that my mother-in-law will be buying me a bra for valentines day....or at least making the down payment on one. I"ll keep you posted.

Thursday, February 18, 2010

So sore

I weight-trained three days in a row, and am very sore, but the soreness started fading last night(I took a day off). I weight trained again tonight, and was not sore, but oh, that last set of each exercise was hard. This is probably the last night before I decrease the amount of resistance on the gravitron. I have my kids this weekend :-) and nobody under the age of 14 is allowed in the weightroom....so, Monday it will be.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

finally getting noticed :-)

Two separate people on two separate occasions commented to me that it looked like I had lost weight. This means a lot to me because I've been quite frustrated with lack of progress.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Gym kicked my butt today

Ok so I stepped down the resistance on the Gravitron. I'm now @ 80 pound for narrow grip and 90 @ wide grip. I have also added dips @ 80 pounds. It was suggested that dips might assist in removing my bat wings on my arms :-)
I also added 10 pounds to the mult-hip and have stepped up the dumbbell press to 25 pounds each hand.
I also did my 45 minutes cardio on the treadmill today.
I was so sore, I took a hot shower, ate dinner, napped on the couch, soaked in the tub, and am now getting ready to go to bed.
I will be a sore girl tomorrow.
I had to do the gravitron in sections today---some before cardio, some after.

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Which cardio is best? Please opine

To my readers who are knowledgeable in this area, I pose a question. Which of the following two cardio workouts are best?

1) 45 minutes on the treadmill, changing speed each minute. Walking fast at 3.5 mph, walking really fast at 4.0 mph, and running at 5.2 mph. This leaves me tired, gets me breathing hard, not much sweat, heartrate not too high, and my calf muscles get really tight in the front to where I have to stop and stretch them as my feet quit working

2) 45 minutes on the Precor EFX (eliptical type machine), using an alternating resistance program that changes about every three minutes. Doesn't make me too tired, but I notice that my heartrate is higher than when on the treadmill. Legs don't tighten, I sweat like a dog, and I usually get a nice runners high, i don't breathe as hard as I do when i'm on the treadmill.

Time is precious to me. It is hard to carve out 45 minutes for me to do this cardio, so i want to make the best use of my time. sometimes the decision is made for me as all of one type of cardio equipment is in use and I'll have to pick what's available.

Goals are to be able to run a 5K by October, and to of course lose wt, body fat, and get in shape. I figured that with a goal of running a 5K, it would make sense to use the treadmill, but I question this as I get a higher heartrate, more sweat, and a high with the eliptical.....

Thoughts? Let me know.

No weight lost this week

Still at the 5 pound mark this week--no wt lost. Was reviewing my scales, which were purchased after I started working out at the gym. It tracks wt, fat content, etc. It says I've lost a total of 8.4 pounds, so I suppose that's better than the initial 5 pound wt loss that I was stuck at for quite some time.
Fitness goals for this week include to lose 2 pounds, decrease the amount of assist by 10 pounds on the gravitron---so will be doing wide grip at 90 pounds assist, narrow grip at 80., begin shopping for a sports bra, keep up with the 45 minutes of cardio, and focus on my core.
I have neglected my core for quite some time. I'm supposed to be doing some "towel" exercises, which involves me sliding back and forth on some towels while in the push up position. For those of you who know me, I'm a private person and there is NO WAY I'd EVER do that in public. I tell myself that I'll do it when I get home, but am gernally to tired, so it never gets done. Something tells me that if I ever want to lose this baby belly (my "baby" is 4 years old now haha), then I'm going to have to do something....any suggestions? I'd love to hear them!

Thanks for the advice and support :-)

I would like to say "thanks" to my Facebook and Twitter readers, and also to those that respond by email or phonecall as well.
I have received a lot of encouragement in the fitness area as well as learning about success stories of on-line dating of some of my reader.
I have also received tips on sports bras as well :-)

Internet dating?

Many of my friends have sung the praises of internet dating. Heck, even my dad (now deceased) found his last wife on-line like 15 years ago or so and they were happily married until he passed away.
So, to celebrate my singleness this valentines day, I bought myself my own V-day presents so I wouldn't feel left out :-) Hey, at least you get what you want, right? And I have posted my profile on-line. I know so many people who have met somebody this way, surely there is somebody out there for me....
My suspicious, non-trusting personality says it's a little creepy...but I have disguised my location to avoid stalkers and will run background checks on potential dates.
Would love to hear your thoughts and experiences with internet dating.

Saturday, February 13, 2010

cheap source for sports bras that work?

A delicate subject that needs addressing....anybody know where sports bras can be obtained inexpensively? The little stretchy things from wal-mart historically have not worked.
An friend who knows some about fitness pointed me in the direction of under armor---but the prices were like $50/bra!!!!! That's insane.
I'd LOVE to hear your thoughts on this one.

Gym today

I had a nice workout at the gym today. It is becoming easier for me to do the 45 minutes of cardio, which includes some running now, even if only for a minute at a time. When i first started this, I was dog tired and would usually come home and fall asleep. I actually am awake and energized at this point. The bad news is that 45 minute of cardio really carves into lifting time. If I were to do EVERYTHING on my list that the personal trainer has set up for me, I'd be at the gym for about 2.5 hours, and i don't have time for that. I usually end up neglecting my core because I tell myself, "Oh, you can just do that when you get home". And typically that doesn't happen.....
Anybody have any suggestions for preventing tightness of the muscle on the front of your shin? When i walk fast/run, it gets so tight that my feet don't move right. I usually have to stop every ten minutes and stretch it out.
I seriously wonder if I will be able to do a 5K in October? Seems like a lot of work.....and only 8 months to go...
Monday I decrease the amount of assist by ten pounds on the gravitron. I'm thinking that I'm not going to be able to do it....it is still difficult for me to complete, although I do finish. I do 15 reps wide grip then rest my arms while I do 15 reps on the multi-hip machine, then I do 15 more reps wide grip....for a total of 3 set of 15 reps wide grip. I also do narrow grip, too.

Today is my lucky day :-)

I was shopping at Wal-mart today---I know bad place to be for somebody who is trying to be frugal---but I had to buy some coffee as my recycled coffee was too gross. Anyhow, both of my boys have outgrown their socks and there also seems to be a sock-land black hole that exists in my house. I was in the boy's section and there was a clearance rack of jeans. My eldest son's jeans are tattered and my sewing machine is in-op at this moment. Maintaining two wardrobes is a big task. The kids have clothes at their dad's and at my house, so each kid really needs about twice the amount unless everybody does tiny loads of laundry daily and that is wasteful and time consuming. Anyhow, was able to pick up 4 pairs of jeans for $7 each. These are the nice ones with adjustable waist. For those of you that have kids with a slim build, those adjustable waists are nice, but one usually pays a premium price for them.

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Why am I eating this?

OK, so I got home from the gym last night and eat left over stir-fried veggies and chicken. Not too unhealthy. But first, let me explain that my diet
yesterday was less than stellar thanks to my lack of self control and thanks to whoever brought in the homemade peanut butter cookies to work:-)
After I eat the stirfry, I'm still starving. So I wait awhile. I feel like I could have eaten a horse. I end up slicing off two pieces of homemade bread and eating them with butter. Yeah, I know carbs and fat---just what I need!
Even better is that I fell asleep right after eating that!

Monday, February 8, 2010

My pull-up plan

Been working on the gravitron for several weeks now. For those of you who don't know, this is a machine that allows the user to do pull-ups (wide angle or narrow grip) with assitance. One can also do dips. The cool thing about this machine is one can vary the amount of assist. Last week I was down to 100 pound of assist. I figure that if I step down the assist by one level (10 pounds) each week, theorectically I will be able to do pull-ups unassisted in 10 weeks.
So tonight, I stepped down to 90 pounds of assist. I did three sets of 15 reps of wide grip and 3 sets of 15 reps for narrow grip. Between each set, I did a round of hip exercises on the multi-hip machine since it is right next to the gravitron.
I'm going to be sore tomorrow.....
By my calculations, by the week of April 10 (tax week) I should be able to do a pull up unassisted. We'll see.
Did 45 minutes of cardio tonight. I really detest cardio. It's a love-hate relationship. I hate it, but really love that i do it.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

closet system removal

This is the week that the construction workers will punch a hole through the existing house to join the addition to the main structure :-)
This door way will be in my laundry room where an existing closet shelving system is. See earlier post for picture of the shelving unit cleaned out.
So, I have to take it all down, and this scares me, cause I KNOW I won't be able to put it back up. Me and drills don't get a long. I think I'll leave the vertical memebers attached to the wall, except the one where the door will be.
I wish I was born handy. I will have two NEW closets for the boys that will need shelving systems installed....if the boys are lucky...they might get a closet rod and that is it.

weigh-in :-)

OK, so I celebrate milestones, milestones being when I drop down below a 5 or 10 pound mark on the scales. I have consistently been below the 5 pound mark for 3 days now. Yippee!!!!!! Progress has been slow...
I am wearing a pair of size 12 jeans that are baggy on me. Don't have the extra cash to go buy some size 10, but wish that I did so I could see how they fit. Oh well, at least scrubs have a draw string in them, though they are getting big on me, too. This is pretty cool cause I started at a size 16---and down at least 3 sizes....hmmm...and have lost less than 10 pounds....interesting weight loss pattern. Oh, well, I wouldn't care If I weighed a ton if I was a size 8 or maybe a 6 :-)

Thursday, February 4, 2010

getting discouraged....again

I started going to the gym Sept. 20, 2009. It's been a little over 4 months....saw some improvements after 2.5 months, but things aren't moving along as fast as I think they should. My boss started a diet program and she lost 30 pounds (which is my target weight loss) in like 3 months. I think at that point I had lost a whopping 5 pounds....
Wonder when they'll be selling home lipo kits? LOL something you hook up to the vacuum....
Really getting frustrated with my arms. I have the biggest bat-wings/fat arms. My muscles underneath the fat are getting really big, the problem is that the fat is NOT going away----so my arms look even fatter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Getting home in order

Housekeeping is not my forte. I do not desire to spend every spare minute I have cleaning house. Therefore, my house is far from spotless. I've discovered over the past few years that a house is easier to keep clean with fewer things in the house.
Several weekend ago, my ex moved his things out. I have a lot more room, but house is still in disarray due to construction.
I have managed to mostly straighten the kids' room and living room. Progress is being made :-)

back on track at gym...not a graceful gazelle

so, after a crazy period of skiing, bad weather, and being loaned out to an office in a different town, I'm back on track at the gym. Previously I had increased to 45 minutes of cardio as my chiropractor said that if I'm only able to make it to the gym 3 times a week, that I should be doing 45 of cardio instead of 30. What's new is that I've been doing some jogging/running for a portion of the 45 minutes. The trainer at the gym said by alternating in one minute increments hard, intense, and very intense that will confuse the body and increase metabolism. We'll see.....I have to trust her as she is the one with CPT after her name (certified physical trainer). It must be doing something because on my nights that i've been at the gym, i'm so tired that I just fall asleep---which is not a bad thing as I generally don't sleep well.
The funny thing is that I've always been somewhat of a klutz! So to see me on a treadmill is quite funny because I hold on for dear life. There are women there that run/jog and are quite graceful. I look and sound like an elephant--clunk! clunk! clunk! I haven't fallen off the back of the treadmill like some guy did this week....