Weight: 157.2 (almost to my goal of under 155 before June 4th!!!)
Exercise: Going to the gym tonight to work upper body with my hubby!
I'm baaaaaaaaack! Don't worry, I haven't quit the quest to lose weight just because I haven't been blogging. I've just sort of run out of things to say. I figure you'd rather me post when I have something to say rather than post and just babble about nothing!
A couple of things are on my mind today. First off...did you watch the Biggest Loser? I am normally not that into that show, but I have to admit that this season sure did get my attention. I only caught the past few weeks' episodes, but that was enough to motivate me. Seriously, if these people can lose 100+ pounds in 5 months, I can certainly lose 20ish pounds in about that same time, right? That's what got me thinking. On the finale, one of the contestants said something to the effect of if you change the way you think, you can do it. It's so true. I'm even more motivated to get my act in gear after watching that show!
So...speaking of getting my act in gear...that certainly doesn't mean that I don't screw up every now and again. I have a confession to make. I confessed to my friend yesterday and here I am, owning up to my mistake to you guys as yet another way of keeping myself accountable. Well, my husband was out of town all week in Buffalo, NY...and the saying is when the cat's away, the mouse will play, right? I'm not going to lie...when he's not here, I tend to get more cravings and less willpower. What'd I do, you ask? I bought a bag of Krispy Kreme mini cruller doughnuts...and I ate probably two thirds of it. I will say, however, despite the guilt I felt from pigging out on those...I loved every minute of it! haha!
The other thing on my mind is...bathing suit season. Bleh. Anyone else not a fan of shopping for a bathing suit? First, I'm not a fan of discovering that none of my "old" suits fit me anymore. Thankfully I do have that one excuse I can use...I did have a baby and my body is just "different" now. At any rate, I think I found one that I really like, but we'll see.
Well, that's it from me today! Just don't think that I've given up if I don't blog...and you don't give up either! It's time to get healthy so we can stop focusing on losing weight and trying to get healthy and just finally enjoy our lives!
Friday, May 27, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Why?
I've heard from many different sources that we shouldn't eat for a couple of hours before bed. Haven't you heard that? But do you even know why? I didn't until I read the book, Ultrametabolism. I find this quite interesting, so I thought I'd share this excerpt with you!
There are some specific ways the sumo diet causes ordinary people to gain extraordinary amounts of weight. The first is that sumo wrestlers never eat breakfast. They wake up, and the first thing they do is start exercising vigorously. This combination of skipping breakfast and then training really hard for five hours means that by the time they get to eat, they are starving. As a consequence, they overeat—they eat much more food than they need to feel full.
To optimize our health and weight loss, we need to eat breakfast, to spread our food intake evenly throughout the day, and not to eat for at least two hours before bed. A recent study found that almost 3,000 people who lost an average of 70 pounds and kept it off for six years ate breakfast regularly. Only 4 percent of people who never ate breakfast kept the weight off. The only difference between the two groups was that the group who lost weight ate breakfast and the other group did not. They both consumed the same number of calories and the same types of food.
It turns out that it’s not only the type of calories you consume that is important in losing weight and maintaining weight loss, but the time of day you eat as well. Another important point is that sumo wrestlers go to sleep almost immediately after they eat. Sleeping immediately after you eat is a sure way to pile on the pounds. When we are sleeping, we are in a healing and repair mode, a storage and growth mode. Those of you who have teenagers know that they wake up taller in the morning than when they went to sleep. This is because they produce more growth hormone while they are asleep. You produce more growth hormone when you sleep, too. The problem is that once we finish growing up, we grow out!
The body slows down its metabolism during sleep, and any undigested food left in your system is stored for later use. How is it stored for later use? Usually as fat. If you can avoid eating for two to three hours before bedtime, you give your body the time it needs to digest the food. That way, when you go to sleep you are not storing the calories you just consumed as fat. Instead, you burn them to keep your bodily functions active while awake.
Hyman M.D., Mark (2006). Ultrametabolism (p. 56). Scribner. Kindle Edition.
The Biology Behind the Sumo Diet
There are some specific ways the sumo diet causes ordinary people to gain extraordinary amounts of weight. The first is that sumo wrestlers never eat breakfast. They wake up, and the first thing they do is start exercising vigorously. This combination of skipping breakfast and then training really hard for five hours means that by the time they get to eat, they are starving. As a consequence, they overeat—they eat much more food than they need to feel full.
To optimize our health and weight loss, we need to eat breakfast, to spread our food intake evenly throughout the day, and not to eat for at least two hours before bed. A recent study found that almost 3,000 people who lost an average of 70 pounds and kept it off for six years ate breakfast regularly. Only 4 percent of people who never ate breakfast kept the weight off. The only difference between the two groups was that the group who lost weight ate breakfast and the other group did not. They both consumed the same number of calories and the same types of food.
It turns out that it’s not only the type of calories you consume that is important in losing weight and maintaining weight loss, but the time of day you eat as well. Another important point is that sumo wrestlers go to sleep almost immediately after they eat. Sleeping immediately after you eat is a sure way to pile on the pounds. When we are sleeping, we are in a healing and repair mode, a storage and growth mode. Those of you who have teenagers know that they wake up taller in the morning than when they went to sleep. This is because they produce more growth hormone while they are asleep. You produce more growth hormone when you sleep, too. The problem is that once we finish growing up, we grow out!
The body slows down its metabolism during sleep, and any undigested food left in your system is stored for later use. How is it stored for later use? Usually as fat. If you can avoid eating for two to three hours before bedtime, you give your body the time it needs to digest the food. That way, when you go to sleep you are not storing the calories you just consumed as fat. Instead, you burn them to keep your bodily functions active while awake.
Hyman M.D., Mark (2006). Ultrametabolism (p. 56). Scribner. Kindle Edition.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Weight: 158.4 (after coffee and breakfast...so likely I weighed a little less than that this morning!)
Exercise: Nada. I've decided to take today off to hopefully recover more from this cold so that I can work my butt off at the gym tomorrow...spin class and then weights with my husband in the evening!
Here's what I've been thinking about today:
I found a picture from 2005 of me and my neice when she was approximately 8 months old. It's the cutest picture of us! When I looked at it, though, I immediately noticed how thin and healthy I looked. That was 6 years and about 18 pounds ago. Why is it that at that time I remember being self-conscious about my weight?! I look at this picture and think, I was at a perfect weight! I was fit! I had muscle and little fat! Why in the world would I be focused on my weight at a time like that?
So here's the question. Do we EVER feel happy with ourselves? I have to wonder. So here's my promise to myself: I promise that when I hit my final goal weight of 140 that I will stand in front of the mirror and tell myself that I am happy with the way I look. I also promise to work hard to keep myself at that weight once I finally attain it, and finally make "losing weight" and "getting fit" less of an obsession in my life and focus on what really counts: God, my husband, my daughter and my family.
Below is the photo I found. I dare you to find a photo of yourself at your "ideal" weight (be realistic, now!) and put it somewhere that you can see it often and use it as a motivator. I also dare you to get yourself to your final goal and finally be HAPPY with yourself! Life shouldn't revolve around losing weight and getting fit. Just my opinion!
Exercise: Nada. I've decided to take today off to hopefully recover more from this cold so that I can work my butt off at the gym tomorrow...spin class and then weights with my husband in the evening!
Here's what I've been thinking about today:
I found a picture from 2005 of me and my neice when she was approximately 8 months old. It's the cutest picture of us! When I looked at it, though, I immediately noticed how thin and healthy I looked. That was 6 years and about 18 pounds ago. Why is it that at that time I remember being self-conscious about my weight?! I look at this picture and think, I was at a perfect weight! I was fit! I had muscle and little fat! Why in the world would I be focused on my weight at a time like that?
So here's the question. Do we EVER feel happy with ourselves? I have to wonder. So here's my promise to myself: I promise that when I hit my final goal weight of 140 that I will stand in front of the mirror and tell myself that I am happy with the way I look. I also promise to work hard to keep myself at that weight once I finally attain it, and finally make "losing weight" and "getting fit" less of an obsession in my life and focus on what really counts: God, my husband, my daughter and my family.
Below is the photo I found. I dare you to find a photo of yourself at your "ideal" weight (be realistic, now!) and put it somewhere that you can see it often and use it as a motivator. I also dare you to get yourself to your final goal and finally be HAPPY with yourself! Life shouldn't revolve around losing weight and getting fit. Just my opinion!
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Weight: 159.something (don't remember...sorry!)
Exercise: Does laying around all day count?
Where have I been, you wonder? Well, I've been sick with a nasty cold since last Wednesday...so I've just been staying under the radar. I've gone to spin a couple of times despite feeling yucky, and I've tried to eat relatively healthy while sick, but sometimes that's hard when nothing "sounds good" or only certain things seem like they might taste good.
I can't wait to start getting back to "normal" (or whatever that is!) and get back to keeping track of what I'm eating and everything. I definitely notice a difference in how accountable I am when I'm not keeping track of what I'm putting in my body. For example, today for lunch I had a chicken sandwich...and Doritos. Hm! Doritos! Not so healthy. But I used the excuse of "I don't feel good." That excuse is only good for so long!
Anyway, I just wanted you all to know that I am still here. It's just hard to want to write on this blog while I'm feeling yucky and my daughter is feeling yucky and I'm having to take care of both of us. I do, however, have a goal of getting to under 155 by June 4th (yes, mom, I'm using the day you get here as my goal date!!!)...and I know I have my work cut out for me, so here's hoping this cold is gone in the next day or two so I can get to it!
Exercise: Does laying around all day count?
Where have I been, you wonder? Well, I've been sick with a nasty cold since last Wednesday...so I've just been staying under the radar. I've gone to spin a couple of times despite feeling yucky, and I've tried to eat relatively healthy while sick, but sometimes that's hard when nothing "sounds good" or only certain things seem like they might taste good.
I can't wait to start getting back to "normal" (or whatever that is!) and get back to keeping track of what I'm eating and everything. I definitely notice a difference in how accountable I am when I'm not keeping track of what I'm putting in my body. For example, today for lunch I had a chicken sandwich...and Doritos. Hm! Doritos! Not so healthy. But I used the excuse of "I don't feel good." That excuse is only good for so long!
Anyway, I just wanted you all to know that I am still here. It's just hard to want to write on this blog while I'm feeling yucky and my daughter is feeling yucky and I'm having to take care of both of us. I do, however, have a goal of getting to under 155 by June 4th (yes, mom, I'm using the day you get here as my goal date!!!)...and I know I have my work cut out for me, so here's hoping this cold is gone in the next day or two so I can get to it!
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Weight: 157.8
Exercises: Nada!
Well, I wanted to post yesterday but apparently the site was down for posting...so here I am! Yes, my weight is actually 157.8! Yesterday I was 158.8, I believe. I have to admit, though, that I don't think the weight loss is entirely due to my healthy eating...I came down with a cold the other day and that coupled with the medicine I'm taking equals a very low appetite.
Well, I really wanted to post yesterday because I had some exciting news related to my weight loss. Kaelyn is getting dedicated at our church tomorrow (which is extremely exciting news in and of itself!!!), so yesterday I decided to try on some of my clothes to see if any of my nicer clothes fit. Well, I tried on one pair of slacks in particular that were tight right before I got pregnant with Kaelyn and they fit great! I was so excited. I even ran down our stairs and then up the stairs to David's office to show him because I was so excited!
Because of the awesomeness (mm hm...I said it!) of those pants fitting, I have an extremely short goal for myself this weekend. What's the goal, you ask? To watch what I eat today so that I can still fit into those pants comfortably tomorrow! I think that's pretty attainable, don't you?
One last thing. I posted last week that I was sort of reevaluating how I eat, etc, and that I was reading the book UltraMetabolism. Well, that book was really good. I learned a lot of good information and I'm definitely taking some of it into consideration. I'm not, however, completely changing the way I eat. I am implementing some of the things the doctor talks about, but I just don't have the energy to completely go to whole foods. As I post more blogs, I'll tell you about some of the things he talks about. But for now I'm keeping it simple because I've just got too much to do!
Have a great weekend!
Exercises: Nada!
Well, I wanted to post yesterday but apparently the site was down for posting...so here I am! Yes, my weight is actually 157.8! Yesterday I was 158.8, I believe. I have to admit, though, that I don't think the weight loss is entirely due to my healthy eating...I came down with a cold the other day and that coupled with the medicine I'm taking equals a very low appetite.
Well, I really wanted to post yesterday because I had some exciting news related to my weight loss. Kaelyn is getting dedicated at our church tomorrow (which is extremely exciting news in and of itself!!!), so yesterday I decided to try on some of my clothes to see if any of my nicer clothes fit. Well, I tried on one pair of slacks in particular that were tight right before I got pregnant with Kaelyn and they fit great! I was so excited. I even ran down our stairs and then up the stairs to David's office to show him because I was so excited!
Because of the awesomeness (mm hm...I said it!) of those pants fitting, I have an extremely short goal for myself this weekend. What's the goal, you ask? To watch what I eat today so that I can still fit into those pants comfortably tomorrow! I think that's pretty attainable, don't you?
One last thing. I posted last week that I was sort of reevaluating how I eat, etc, and that I was reading the book UltraMetabolism. Well, that book was really good. I learned a lot of good information and I'm definitely taking some of it into consideration. I'm not, however, completely changing the way I eat. I am implementing some of the things the doctor talks about, but I just don't have the energy to completely go to whole foods. As I post more blogs, I'll tell you about some of the things he talks about. But for now I'm keeping it simple because I've just got too much to do!
Have a great weekend!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Weight: 160.6
Exercise: Not much today - probably just walk the dog. Worked out yesterday so I'm recovering today.
Well, you may have noticed that I've taken a little break from posting. I'm just reevaluating how I'm eating at the moment, so I've stopped keeping track of my weight as much over the last several days. Not only that but I've also had some problems with staying focused on eating well the past several days. Have you ever noticed that one meal can send you on a downward spiral of eating badly? It's like if I don't even taste bad for me stuff then I don't miss it as much...but the second I let myself have a "treat," all of a sudden I'm back to craving the bad stuff.
David gave me a Kindle for mother's day and I'm absolutely loving it. I researched some books on weight loss and eating healthy and decided to get this book called Ultrametabolism by Mark Hyman, MD. It's a very interesting book. He talks about why our metabolisms do what they do, how they are affected by the foods we put into our bodies and stuff like that. He also is a big promoter of eating whole, natural foods. I'm not saying I'm going to follow 100% of what he recommends, but I'm seriously considering changing some of the things I'm doing with my eating. If you're looking for an interesting book about how our bodies work, I definitely recommend this one. I normally can't read anything other than fiction books, but this book has me totally enthralled. Then again I'm also way more interested in understanding weight loss than I've ever been...knowing the why and how is really helping me focus on trying to get healthy.
I'll be back to posting like normal here pretty soon. I'm not giving up! Oh, one last thing. I decided to get my body fat tested at the gym yesterday. You know I'm still in it to win it if I'm divulging this kind of information to you! I came up at 27.5% body fat. Honestly, I thought I'd be at 30%, so in a way I was pleasantly surprised. I was told by the woman at the gym that I should aim to be in between 20-25% body fat. My goal for right now is to get to 24%. I'm going to retest in about 2 months...so we'll see what happens!
Exercise: Not much today - probably just walk the dog. Worked out yesterday so I'm recovering today.
Well, you may have noticed that I've taken a little break from posting. I'm just reevaluating how I'm eating at the moment, so I've stopped keeping track of my weight as much over the last several days. Not only that but I've also had some problems with staying focused on eating well the past several days. Have you ever noticed that one meal can send you on a downward spiral of eating badly? It's like if I don't even taste bad for me stuff then I don't miss it as much...but the second I let myself have a "treat," all of a sudden I'm back to craving the bad stuff.
David gave me a Kindle for mother's day and I'm absolutely loving it. I researched some books on weight loss and eating healthy and decided to get this book called Ultrametabolism by Mark Hyman, MD. It's a very interesting book. He talks about why our metabolisms do what they do, how they are affected by the foods we put into our bodies and stuff like that. He also is a big promoter of eating whole, natural foods. I'm not saying I'm going to follow 100% of what he recommends, but I'm seriously considering changing some of the things I'm doing with my eating. If you're looking for an interesting book about how our bodies work, I definitely recommend this one. I normally can't read anything other than fiction books, but this book has me totally enthralled. Then again I'm also way more interested in understanding weight loss than I've ever been...knowing the why and how is really helping me focus on trying to get healthy.
I'll be back to posting like normal here pretty soon. I'm not giving up! Oh, one last thing. I decided to get my body fat tested at the gym yesterday. You know I'm still in it to win it if I'm divulging this kind of information to you! I came up at 27.5% body fat. Honestly, I thought I'd be at 30%, so in a way I was pleasantly surprised. I was told by the woman at the gym that I should aim to be in between 20-25% body fat. My goal for right now is to get to 24%. I'm going to retest in about 2 months...so we'll see what happens!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Healthy Dessert Recipes Needed!
Hey y'all! Happy Monday to ya.
So here's the deal. Now a month into my healthy eating regimen, I'm starting to get more and more cravings for sweets and not-so-good-for-me foods. I've heard that you can bake stuff with applesauce instead of oil or something like that, but have never taken the plunge to bake healthy stuff. I've always had the mentality that if I'm going to bake something, I'm going to go all the way with it and let it be as unhealthy as it should be!
Time to start thinking differently. If I can't avoid sweets and desserts, maybe I should try making my own healthy versions and allow myself to have some sometimes instead of avoiding them altogether.
So...this is where you come in! What healthy desserts do you make, and will you share your recipes with me?
So here's the deal. Now a month into my healthy eating regimen, I'm starting to get more and more cravings for sweets and not-so-good-for-me foods. I've heard that you can bake stuff with applesauce instead of oil or something like that, but have never taken the plunge to bake healthy stuff. I've always had the mentality that if I'm going to bake something, I'm going to go all the way with it and let it be as unhealthy as it should be!
Time to start thinking differently. If I can't avoid sweets and desserts, maybe I should try making my own healthy versions and allow myself to have some sometimes instead of avoiding them altogether.
So...this is where you come in! What healthy desserts do you make, and will you share your recipes with me?
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