Weigh-In ... Fighting Comfort

Today's Weight:  171.5

Loss/Gain:  +1.0

With TOM arriving this past week and me still looking for my weight-loss mojo I'm not surprised by the gain.

I have done well with the Body Revolution workouts, but a 30-minute DVD doesn't burn the extra calories I'm not supposed to be eating anyway I'm used to burning from an hour of cardio at the gym.

The week of TOM is not a good week to get all introspective, because it usually brings out ugly feelings of failure and "I can't do this", etc. etc.  So, I'll just say that I really admire people who put their mind to losing weight and just get it done.  I've never been like that and I'm amazed by those who do.  

I've written this post over and over again and I've decided I'm not going to try and pull apart everything that is wrong with what I'm doing.  

I do know that I was thinking of asking my kids to help me stay on track this summer (I know they'd love the job of being Mom's food police), but I realized that I have to do this for me and my health, not just because someone else told me what to do.  

There are other areas of my life wherein I'm fighting what has always been old and comfy, because I'm realizing they are ways that lead to frustration.  It's not easy, because even if the "old and comfy" is full of bad attitudes I have found myself feeling justified in my way of thinking.  Kind of like in my healthiness journey.  

So, the fight continues...along with the amazement at how so many areas of struggle in our lives are interconnected.  Perfection is not my goal, but I will continue " to press toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."  Philippians 3:14

Thanks for checking in!  Have a great weekend!

Only 30 Minutes

TOM arrived two days ago and that combined with the soreness from the Body Revolution workouts made me feel like I could skip my exercise this morning.

And I could.  It wouldn't be bad to miss one.

Sometimes the body needs a break, especially when cramping and sore, and I've been okay doing that sometimes.

But not today.  I did allow myself to sleep in a bit longer, but after I got up and finished my devotional time I went upstairs and changed clothes to exercise.

Today I reminded myself, "It's only 30 minutes."  There's no driving to and from the gym, no waking the kids to go to the park.  Just me and my computer and my weights here in the living room...for 30 minutes.

So, I did it and when I was finished I could definitely agree with Jillian Michaels that yes, I'm glad I got it done.

Whew! and Yay!

Good morning!  Just thought I'd share that...

This Body Revolution is kicking my butt...

          .... and my shoulders

          .... and my triceps

          .... and my legs ...  you get the picture.   :)

After cardio workout this morning...whew!

And last night I made my family bratwursts for dinner, and cooked one of these for me!

Ever tried them?  I think Lori eats something like this once in a while.  They were delicious and here's what I saved by substituting this for a brat: 

            Bratwurst   260 calories each   

Chicken Sausage   100 calories each

-----------------------------------------------

        My meat was 160 calories less! (and less fat, but I can't remember the numbers..)

Plus, I didn't use a bun, so that saved me another 100 calories.  These were so good I'm going to make them for the entire family next time.  Hubby had one as a snack and liked it fine.  

Yay!

I hope you're having a good week.  I'm off to shower so I can go to the craft store and to get my hair trimmed - a perfect morning if you ask me.  :)

Comfort Zones

Hello!  I hope you all had a nice weekend.  My household did...starting with a fun craft night Friday, then enjoying some visiting with friends, good church services and absolutely no healthy eating or exercise...

hhhmm..... 

Which brings me to today's post.  I am "trying" to get back on the wagon with my eating.  Actually, it's more like I'm trying to stay on the wagon for more than a day or two, or ever more than a few hours at a time.  

Same old story, different day. 

For those that are new readers this is exactly why it's taking me so long to reach my goal.  I don't stay on track consistently to see regular, steady weight loss.  Obviously, I've stayed on track enough to lose 60 pounds over three years, but you understand what I'm saying.

This morning I read Liz's post over at Prior Fat Girl titled "Comfortable" and realized that's still exactly my problem.  I don't just have an issue with discipline, I have an issue with being outside my comfort zones. 

" Yea, um....Eating healthy all the time is what my other healthy, thin friends do.  I am still chubby girl eating chubby girl portions and foods.  Healthy + Leah really haven't ever lasted very long...remember??" 

I mentioned zones above, because I also had to face something difficult today in Workout 3 of Body Revolution and it was not comfortable.   I know it was only 30 minutes, but I failed in parts and that is not comfortable. 

Running was getting comfortable, walking is definitely comfortable, even pushing myself hard on cardio machines is comfortable for me.  Doing plank ups are WAY out of my comfort zone.   (See below - you go from a plank to your forearms and then back up.  Um, well, you're supposed to anyway..)

"Excuse me, Jillian...um, my friend, Stephanie, yea...she's the one who does this crazy stuff.  Not me.  I'm Leah, the walker turned jogger who is simply excited she finished a 10K.  I am not the fit, strong lady you're trying to push me to be."

Just as I was thinking that about the workout Jillian spouts out with something like "This isn't going to be comfortable!!!! I don't want you to be comfortable!!  I want to push you outside your comfort zone...blah.blah."    Okay...I get it.  LOL  

Seriously, though...

Getting out of my comfort zones must've been exactly what I needed to hear today because I read about it with regards to food and then dealt with it in my exercise - all before noon.

I know we are not perfect.  I know that this is MY new ending and I must make my way there in a manner that works best for me.  However, I know that one of my greatest faults is still munching away unnecessarily and tossing aside healthier choices (Oh, I buy healthier options, so there's no excuse there.) and in the past I would shy away from any exercise that forced me to fail before I got stronger.  

Maybe today will be the day it all flips and I'll suddenly get going in the direction I need to.  I don't know.  All I know is this is where I'm at right now and it's what I'm going to deal with.  It's what I have to deal with to get to a healthier weight.

Because I'm determined to finish this, even if it makes me a little uncomfortable. 

Weigh-In ... Project Summer

Today's Weight:  170.5

Loss/Gain:  +1.0 lb

Well, I am down about 1.5 lbs from after our vacation, but apparently I'm up a pound from my last official weight posted.  hhmm...  oh well. 

I am trying to get my food mojo back.  Eating for weight loss, reminding myself that I need to finish what I've started, etc. etc.  Not always so easy, and especially not so after being on vacation where my mind always seems to switch into "I can eat whatever I want, because I'm in a hotel." mode.  

The past few days I've gotten back to tracking all my food, so I'm using those tools necessary to get back into weight loss mode.  

This brings me to what I am sort of calling, "Project Summer"...

With my kids out of school I have had to figure out what I'm going to do for exercise that allows me to be around for them.  They are old enough to leave alone for a couple of hours, but I don't want to do that unless absolutely necessary.  So, I decided to figure out something to do near my home versus my school time workouts at the gym. 

I'm also having trouble with pain in the hip flexor area when I run, so I needed to figure out something else beside running every day. 

Enter Jillian Michael's Body Revolution.

I have begun the 12-week workout plan and I'm making the 30-minute DVDs my morning exercise.   It includes six days a week - four days intervals, and two days of cardio. 

Two of my local friends are doing it and said it gets really hard after these first couple of weeks.  I start week 3 next week.  It's been quite the workout.  

Cardio is great and I've loved my gym workouts, but this toning and interval training with Jillian is going to be very beneficial to my fitness.  Plus, I can do it in my living room.  I'm hoping that the strengthening in my legs will help alleviate the hip flexor pain I've been having when I run.

My kids would like to take walks in the evenings or go to the gym a couple times a week, so we'll fit that in as we can, but it will be extra exercise for me, not replacing my DVD workouts. 

OH, and ... I am not following the Body Revolution eating plan, but I would like to get myself disciplined enough to keep my calories around where she suggests for quick(er) weight loss.  THAT's my biggest problem, so we'll see.  

Starting today, I'll include updates on my workouts every Friday with my weigh-ins.  

I'd say the Navy Ball I will need a new dress for in August is my greatest motivation, but unfortunately I haven't mastered the "I won't eat it because I am working towards a goal" thing.  It's sad, but I settle to easily for the immediate satisfaction of a treat, even when that little voice in my head says "Do you really need that?!?"  That's something I know really needs work to finish up what I've started.  

So, my project summer....

• Follow through with Body Revolution.
• Keep calorie intake in weight loss range.
• Work on reminding myself that the satisfaction of reaching my final weight loss goal will be better than the immediate satisfaction of __________ (whatever treat/meal is in front of me).

Thanks for checking in!  Have a nice weekend!

p.s.  After missing my morning workout yesterday I ended up going for a walk/jog with a friend in the evening.  We completed an hour of brisk walking with a little jogging thrown in, because she's just beginning running.  Unfortunately, the jogging bothered my hip...even that little bit.  But I felt good getting some form of exercise in for the day.  :) 

Another Lesson Learned

This morning I skipped my cardio DVD because I was going to take the kids to the gym before going swimming. This would've been fine except I had to stop in for my allergy shot first and the lady told me not to do strenuous exercise for at least two hours after the shot. Oops...Apparently I didn't read my paperwork close enough, so I missed that. Lesson learned : Try and get that morning workout in no matter what in case your adjusted plans don't end up happening. :)

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

While perusing blogs the other evening I clicked my way over to SkinnyTaste.com.  I felt like I hit a gold mine of healthy, yet tasty meals.  I bought the ingredients for two of her meals and last night I made the first one. 

Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp 

Here's another shrimp dish with the sweetness of coconut milk which compliments the spiciness of the red curry paste in this simple dish. Serve this over jasmine rice for a complete meal. If you've never used fish sauce before, don't let the smell fool you. It blends with the other flavors and really adds to this dish.

Red Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

Gina's Weight Watcher Recipes

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/4th • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts Calories: 135 • Fat: 4.4 g • Protein: 18.5 g • Carb: 4.7 g • Fiber: 0.9 g Ingredients:  

• 1 tsp oil
• 4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
• 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 6 oz light coconut milk
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• salt to taste

Directions: 

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add scallion whites and red curry paste and sauté one minute. Add shrimp and garlic, season with salt and cookabout 2-3 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and mix well. Simmer about 2-3 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through. Remove from heat, mix in scallion greens and cilantro. Serve over rice and enjoy!

My family loved this recipe!  It was so easy to prepare and full of flavor.  I would've added more curry paste, but my kids liked it the way it was.  Instead, I added Sriracha to my food and that brought the added spice that I love about Thai food.  

This will definitely be added to my collection of dinner recipes.  I will add sautéed vegetables next time for more filling, so we aren't tempted to eat too much rice.  :) 

Oh, and I just realized that I think I used regular coconut milk instead of "light" coconut milk.  hhmm...that's probably where she cuts the extra calories out.  Oh well.  We ate decent portions and that makes a difference in calories as well.

Note:  Both photos are of my food and dinner was served on a salad plate, in case you're thinking a huge plate of food is not a "decent" portion.  LOL 

Walking, Walking and More Walking

Ahh...Home Sweet Home!  

We enjoyed a couple of days visit in the DC area the past few days.

One day we drove over to Baltimore to see my husband who is spending ten days on the USS San Antonio.  The ship is part of the 1812 Sailabration going on right now. 

There was lots of driving, lots of walking and lots of fun!

I did use the cardio equipment at the gym two out of the three nights, but I also ate crap.  There was plenty of fruit involved, but plenty of overeating and greasiness too.  Whew boy!  The scale isn't up much today, which is probably due to all of the exercise I got on our trip (and that my "overeating" now isn't what it used to be, but still...), but I am so ready to get back to some fresher eating.  My body informed me of that yesterday afternoon.  *smirk*

I have to say, while the kids and I were walking from the capitol to the Metro station I shared with them that I don't know if I could've handled all of the walking we'd been doing three years ago.  We put in some miles walking to dinner from our hotel one night, walking to and from Metro stations, walking to lunch around the capitol, etc.  You get the point.

A heavier Leah would've been willing to do all the walking, but I sure would've been hurting later and I would've been huffing and puffing all the time.  Instead we walked briskly everywhere we went, I wasn't huffing one bit and I felt strong and healthy.

This fit and strong feeling was a great addition to the already exciting and fun trip we had.  Thanks be to God for helping me get to where I am today.

Also, I want to give a shout-out to my wonderful kids who kept up with all the walking and didn't complain one bit.  They were such well-behaved troopers and I was proud to be their mom this weekend.

Weigh-In ... BRB and NSV

There is no weigh-in for me today, because I'm currently out of town. Prior to being out of town I looked up the hotel and saw there was a fitness center, so you know what I did? I brought workout clothes! I did 30 minutes today and then swam with the kids for a bit. I think I'll have time to do this every evening. My New Ending exercising on vacation...a non-scale victory. :) Thanks for checking in and I'll be back with my regular weigh-ins next week. p.s. BRB=Be Right Back. :)

What If...

I found this on Pinterest a while back and found it so inspiring...

Have a good day!

Foam Rolling Lesson

Hello!  As we begin Summer Break I have to share a slightly funny/sad experience I had over the weekend.

***

In an attempt to loosen my hip flexor and relieve post-running pain I used a foam roller and tried to do this...

But ended up doing this...

Yes, as I tried a few different positions I found online for rolling out the hip flexor  I was was frustrated with the pain.  However, I knew that massaging out sore muscles doesn't usually feel good, so I kept going.  I had read to start massaging for 10 seconds at a time and work up to 30 seconds.

Rolling on the front wasn't so bad, but when I rolled around to where I felt was closer to the pain it was awful.  With the pain I was having I only lasted the 10 seconds and was in tears when it was done.

Well, duh!!!

Sunday morning in the shower I found the bruise on my hip that looked much, much worse than today's picture. I didn't know whether to laugh or cry at the idea that I injured myself while trying to massage with the foam roller.

It did explain one thing...the most pain I was having was most likely because I was only rolling directly over my hip bone, with only a layer of fat between..no muscle.

DOH!

Yes, folks even though I've had to lighten my hair with a bottle as I've gotten older, I'm a natural-born blonde.  Days like this it shows terribly.

Ahem, so please don't forget....
Self massaging with the foam roller is only for use on actual muscle, not bone covered by some fat.

Trust me, I've now learned this the hard way.

Weigh-In ... Nice, 14 & Peer Pressure

Today's Weight:  169.5
Loss/Gain:  -1.5 lbs

When I texted my husband this morning that I lost the 1.5 pounds I gained during TOM his reply was "Nice."

Yes, it is nice.  It's nice to know that I can have busy weeks and still see my weight go down.

It's also nice to see that in addition to the L I'm seeing in my new shirts I'm also seeing a 14 in the bottoms now as well.  Whee!

Wednesday night I wore a size 14 skirt to church that I bought on clearance last fall in hopes it would fit soon.  I couldn't even begin to move the zipper up when I bought it.  :)  In fact, I almost took a picture so I could show you how much it didn't fit when I bought it, but that was a bit immodest.   It was bad.

It zips up nicely now and I can even sit down in the skirt.  (Yes, didn't your mother ever tell you to sit in the outfit your trying on to make sure it really fits?!?  LOL )  

At Target last night I also tried on some size 14 capris and they fit too.  They aren't as comfy and loose as the 16s, but they do fit.

It truly is 'nice'.

Oh, and one more thing...I'll have to write more on this later, but I have a friend who has started running here.  She is about my size and I sent her my before picture so she'd see that if I can do this anyone can.  She was a bit amazed, and hopefully encouraged.

Sharing a bit of where I've come from to my new friends in this town has really helped me want to stay more on track myself, both in eating and exercise.  Now I have people who are like "Hey, Leah's doing this.  I can too!"  It's like positive peer pressure...knowing they are watching makes me think twice about overdoing it sometimes; but, like I said, more on that subject later.

In the meantime, have a wonderful Friday everyone!  Thanks for checking in!

Ahh....Catching Up

Yesterday I was finally able to catch up on our laundry.  Like I said in my post on Tuesday it's been so crazy around here that things were falling to the wayside.  It was driving me crazy.  

On top of that, due to a work commitment, my husband will not be able to attend a function with us next week and I was pretty upset about it.  Welcome back to military life.  

Although, he was gone a lot while in school too..so welcome back to our 'real life', I guess..  :)  I knew this was going to happen, but we'd been planning this one thing for a while and he just found out recently he couldn't join us.  I think on top of how busy we've been that was the last straw.  I was emotionally spent trying to keep up with everything and then I crumbled a bit.  

So, Tuesday I knew I had to let something slide a little to catch up on my household and allow me some emotional space to deal with him being gone again.  Allowing myself to not stress about workouts or perfectly healthy meals took a load off my mind.  I missed the exercise very much, which also stressed me out until I told myself, "IT'S OKAY, LEAH!"

I felt much better yesterday and today I was able to get to the gym after taking the kids to school.  

Speaking of the trip to the gym...someone mentioned I needed to be flexible with my workouts.  I actually was, getting some DVD workouts in last week later in the days, but it's been THAT busy where I didn't even have the extra 30 minutes for that without letting something else slide..like the laundry and clutter and practicing at home for the event next week.

When I decided to let the exercise slide for a day or so and got caught up on the laundry and other household stuff I felt much better and now have time to exercise.  whee!  

It's funny how all of this requires balance and when we keep our priorities in order and allow ourselves to flex away from the "normal" schedule once in a while it's okay.  We adjust and then get back with the program as soon as we can.   It's always easier to tell someone else that than to do it myself.  But when I did..

...aaahhhh..... 

I hope you're all having a good week and I'll check back in tomorrow with my weigh-in.  

p.s.  We also have a mouse in the kitchen/laundry room...ARGH.  He's a sneaky one and the hardest one we've ever had to catch, which I WILL catch because he's been seen in and out of my pantry.  darn thing!  I have like four sticky traps out and some D-Con out too...mice & rats...they are only cute in Ratatouille!! LOL

Deciding It's Okay

Hello! After trying to figure out how to put this, I've decided...

Short Story: I am not going to stress myself out about continuing down the weight loss road until after Father's Day - due to all I have going on right now. I will exercise and just do my best not to gain.  

Long Story: Exercise and eating better have really become a part of who I am.  In fact, the busy mornings I've had the past week or so have thrown my workout schedule off and it's been getting to me.  Its gotten to me for two major reasons....

           (A)  I've had a routine of going to work out right after dropping my kids off at school and then coming home to shower before heading on with other commitments each day.  However, in the past week or so I've had school volunteering commitments and doctor visits during that early time and it's pushed my workouts to later in the day, which sometimes means not at all.  My evenings have been full, almost every single evening, for the past month bouncing between two different projects, so there's no time for the workouts then either. 

           (B)  When I don't have time for an hour-long intense cardio workout that means I'm not burning the same amount of calories I'm used to consuming, so I gained a little.  In other words, I can't fudge the extra calories/treats, because I'm not working out as intensely right now to make up for them. 

Being that I've been planning on what I'm going to do this summer with regards to my workouts and what I want to do to finish up my weight loss and get to goal this has really gotten me down at different moments.  

So, after thinking and praying about it....I decided...

School is over on Friday. 

My doctor's visits are done, for now.

One of my major projects that requires so much practicing will be over June 17th.

And then I'm pretty sure I'll be able to get back into the swing of things. 

I don't plan on letting all my good eating and exercise habits go out the window during the next two weeks, but I kind of needed to make a conscious decision to allow myself to not fret about losing more weight or getting back into my normal (read: more intense) workouts until this next week or so is over.  

I had to tell myself it is okay.  This is my life.  There are times my life is going to be busy and I will make it through.  

Summertime is coming.  

I have 30 pounds to lose to reach my goal, and a plan to help me get a chunk of that off this summer. 

I have been having issues with my hip flexor and I have a workout plan I've already kind of started to help me get stronger and figure out what I need to do to help this issue clear up so I can run regularly again. 

But it can wait.

I have some commitments that will be memories I will cherish forever if I will allow myself the time necessary to focus on them.  They aren't taking over my life, they are blips on the huge screen of our family history, but I don't want to miss them because I just had to get that workout in, or that diet plan followed.

And it's okay.  

My Mantras

Diane got me thinking with a recent post on mantras and I thought I'd share my comment with you. She asked her readers to share their mantras and I said:

 Three come to mind:
 1. Never give up. (no matter how long it takes)
 2. Running for those who can't. (because there was a time in my life I never thought I could do anything so physical, so all my running and harder workouts are my living testimony and hopefully an encouragement to others.)
 3. MY New Ending (My blog title is also becoming a mantra of sorts, because it reminds me that I'm not the lady I once was and every good choice I make leads me another day forward in my new ending in life -an ending I never dreamed would be me. It's also in caps, because it's my journey, not anyone else's)

 I'd like to add...


Faith+Works=Success ... I think I've written about that before, so I won't explain more than to say it came to me after knowing I can believe God will help me in my loss, but I have to do the work too. See James 2:26. 

Feel free to share with me any mantras that keep you moving in the right direction.

A Run

After having not run in over a week I went for a run last evening.  It felt so good to be running.  The sun was going down and there was a slight breeze, so even though it was still about 75 out it seemed cool.

ahhhh....

Weigh-In ... L is for Large

Today's Weight:  171.0

Loss/Gain: + 1.5 lbs

Thank you TOM.  "It's" arrival (read: craving and eating extra chocolate and drinking less water) and a very busy week with shorter workouts does not result in weight loss.  

Last night I wanted to come on here and rant and rave and get out feelings, but I was too tired.  I haven't run in a week and was missing it terribly last night.  It's probably a good thing I was exhausted, because I kept telling myself that I would wake up feeling much better in the morning.  And I do.  

In fact, I've decided that instead of dwelling on the monthly gain I see about 90% of TOM weeks I will share a nice NSV.  

I think it's safe to say I'm officially into single-letter sizes.  

Yes, L is popping up on the tags of the clothes I buy recently, and I'm enjoying it immensely.  I've been getting to a point where a lot of my clothes are just too big and wearing big, baggy clothes can be very vexing sometimes.  (Interesting how one can feel "fat" just because the clothes are bunching up, or hang too loosely..)  

So, here and there I've begun to update my wardrobe with a few pieces that make me proud and ready to keep working on my weight.  It works.  

Wearing something that fits me better reminds me that I have come a long way and I am capable of continuing down the scale, TOMs or not.  :) 

Thanks for checking in and have a good weekend!  

p.s.  Okay, I have to say....Did I mention I've had a crazy, busy week?? We have one more week of school and then hopefully I'll be able to share some posts that have been bouncing around my head.  One thing I have been meaning to tell you is I was up and exercising Memorial Day morning before we started getting ready for the barbecue at our house.  My New Ending .... exercising on a holiday.  Add that to "L" and it's a good week after all.  :)