Weigh In Time....Rethinking Lots...

Well it's Wednesday and you know what that means, right? You get to take a peak at the scales and see how much weight you lost this week! You also get to visit me and see what I did right and what I did wrong! Fortunately, I did some things right cuz I have lost 1 pound this week.

Last week -- 192.2
This week -- 191.2

Certainly not what I should have done to meet my goal of losing 10 pounds in 7 weeks, but it is better than I expected.

Honestly, I am surprised! For some reason I have been having a real struggle with chocolate this week and usually I don't....must be hormones or something. Could be stress, as I have been catching myself snacking alot because I have been facing some stressful situations. BUT.....I am under control again! I put the snacks away! I got a big bag of chocolate kisses from one of my best friends from high school and I was not VERY tempted to eat the whole bag. I think if I would have gotten it a couple of days ago I would have just sat down on the couch and eaten the WHOLE BAG. Tonight it sits on the kitchen counter and I don't even want it....well maybe I want it, but I'm not going to eat it!!! I have a goal and I WILL BE SUCCESSFUL!!!

I have been exercising like I'm supposed to which is helping me lose weight and cut down on my stress. Monday night I started working out with my new Wii game that dh gave me for Christmas, Jillian Michael's Ultimate Workout! OMG, it is killing me! The workout is typical of Jillian....see if she can cause you to die while exercising! I am stillsore from my workout last night and it's been nearly 24 hours since I worked out! I would say it is definitely a good workout!! I have set it up to do a month long Resolution, which has me working out 4 days a week. Since my goal is to workout at least 6 days a week I will probably do something a little less intense the other 2 days! My muscles will probably thank me!

I set a goal of eating at least 5 servings of fruits/veggies this challenge and I have been doing great with it. I have really been mindful of getting enough fruits/veggies this week. That is probably what has enabled me to lose the 1 pound I lost! I also set the goal of keeping my house cleaned up and organized. I have done surprisingly well with this. I am not a great housekeeper...and I don't like to be bothered by the mundane tasks of cleaning up, but I have been doing much better this week! My dh has even noticed that the house is cleaner and more organized. YAY!!

I started the Game On Diet Plan again with my friends this morning, so that has helped me stay focused today. I have eaten well and frequently. I set goals to meet for the game that I will meet in addition to the goals I set up with the Challenge for the Sisterhood. We have a great group of women doing the game and we will have fun and lose weight together!!

Thea over at the Sisterhood gave us all a homework assignment to Think about ME. Think about the things that got us to the point where we are now. Think about what it will take to get us where we want to go. This has been a tough assignment for me MENTALLY! I have been putting it off because I don't really WANT to deal with it....but I REALLY DO WANT TO DO IT!! I want this weight to come off and I want to be a better ME...for myself and my family!
I will get my homework done, because I NEED TO KNOW WHAT IT WILL TAKE TO FIX MY ISSUES!!

So...how's your New Year going?? I would have to say that this one is shaping up to be better than last one ended and that is the ultimate goal, right?!!

I'm Almost Back!!!

The past week I have been moving from a house that we have lived in for the past 6 years, while dealing with the FLU!!! Fun -- NOT!! I went to the doctor and got Tamiflu!! Thank you, God!! They gave it to me so I could knock it faster....but I still had to MOVE!!! So needless to say I am and have been EXHAUSTED!! I am almost back to normal, health wise. We are completely moved in the new place, and completely moved out of the old one (including turning in the keys). Now to start unpacking....I have the kitchen (mostly done) and now to start on the rest of the house. Tomorrow I am going to get the video games set up and That Other Kid's room done. I need to find the AC adapter for my computer and get the Wii hooked up! I haven't FORMALLY exercised in a week and I am missing it. I'm ready to get back to it, but I just wanted to let everyone know I am moved and ready to get back to my 'normal'!! Last week as I was moving Christy sent me this link -- and I wanted to get it up on my blog!! I gained a couple of pounds this week, but I'm still down my 30 pounds so I get to keep the badge!!

Thanks, Christy!! It made me cry....

WiiActive Challenge

I'm down to only having 4 more days of the 30 Day Challenge on the Wii Active that the Sisterhood is currently working through. Last night (Workout Day 16) was by FAR the most difficult and challenging day I have done in the challenge. With the exception of maybe 5 of the 19 exercises, all of the exercises were INTENSE LEG EXERCISES! My knees and quads were absolutely killing me!! I moved up from the medium intensity to the HARD intensity a week and a half ago or so, and last night I was really wishing I HADN'T!!

Toward the end of this intense workout they had me RUN FOR SIX MINUTES! By this time my legs were feeling like they were not going to hold me up any longer and I just wanted to lie on the floor and cry, but I kept going....but I was not running the way they wanted me to. She kept telling me to "pick up the pace", "you can do better than that", and etc. I was actually SCREAMING at my TV. I rarely do that, but I was so sore and hurting THAT much! The next exercise was a 60 second SQUAT HOLD! Are you kidding me?? I tried to do it but could only go a few seconds at a time, so she kept yelling at me about that, too!

I'm still so sore today, that I can barely walk around the house! They told me that tonight's workout would be less intense and would work my upper body. If I find out they are lying to me I don't think I will be able to do the workout tonight!

So have you done the Day 16 workout? Did you feel like you were "going to die"???

Weigh In Wednesday on Thursday!!

Yesterday was a crazy, mixed up day and I never made it over to the gym for my weekly weigh in with the Sisterhood. I can't remember the last time I missed a weigh in on Wednesday but the way things have been going the past couple of weeks it was inevitable that it would eventually happen. I took dh to his new contract job leaving our house at 6:30 a.m. and came home to catch up on some sleep. I slept until 10:45 and then left to hang out at the park with some other desperate homeschooling moms (it's been raining here for 7 days straight and we all had little children who needed to burn energy!)till 2:30. After leaving the park we grabbed a quick lunch, sold some CD's that had been collecting dust in my house for years, then went to karate! From there we came home to change clothes and the cat's sandbox!! ugh!! Then we went to run a couple more errands before picking dh up from work at 8 p.m.!! We got home, showered, got ready for bed....and collapsed!!

I did manage to exercise last night -- although I didn't start till nearly 11 p.m.! I am really LOVING working out with the Wii Active!! It's something different every night and challenging enough to get my heart beating and my body sweating! I have also added the Jillian Micheal's 30 Day Shred to my workout regimen, although I have missed several days of it. I'm on level 2 and it's kicking my b*tt every night! However, it feels good to workout and sweat and burn off more poundage!

So....anyway! My numbers...

Starting this challenge -- 199.9
Last week -- 202.10

Today -- 199.9

So I'm right back where I started from but I did manage to lose what weight I gained the previous week, so I'm happy about that! I think it must have been water weight or hormones or something weird!! Whatever it was I'm happy to be back UNDER 200 again, where I belong!! So I'm donating 3 pounds of food to the local food bank with a happy dance!! **** ~~~~~

Hope ya'll did well this week and if you didn't -- don't sweat it!! Just adjust what you did this past week so that you continue to go down!!

This Month's Pictures

You may or may not remember but I have taking pictures of myself to watch the process of my weight loss in a visual format and today is picture takin' day. I have gotten to the point where I actually look forward to this bit of visual stimulation. It helps me SEE what I have done in the past month. For me this almost as important as seeing the numbers on the scale going down. So without further delay....

this is last month -- August 11














and this is today -- September 11













I can actually see these pants sagging at the b*tt and legs! And is it me or does my b*tt actually look smaller in today's picture?? When I first started working out I couldn't wear these pants comfortably. The shirt is still snug around the stomach but it's not as much as it was several months ago. I am amazed at the amount of stretch my clothes had to do just so I could wear them!

Anywho...I just thought I would show you the progress I've made...although I still have much more to go I'm seeing some real results! In other news, tonight was my "rest" night in the Wii Active 30 Day Challenge so I did the WiiFit Hula for the first time in about 2 weeks...boy did I lose a lot of momentum! I also have been working out using Jillian's 30 Day Shred and tonight was the first night of Level 2! Man that is a killer....I still struggle to keep up with some of the cardio workouts and I did a good part of tonight's workout following Anita (for beginners) but it felt good to push myself and sweat!! Now my muscles are sore and tired and I need to go take a shower and go to bed...maybe it'll only be 12:30 tonight instead of my "as of late" 1:00 a.m.!!

30 Day Challenge --- Wii Active

Yesterday started another new challenge with the Sisters. I'm excited about all these challenges because they will keep me moving in the right direction -- DOWN!! I will be continuing on my track of good health and I will be helping others at the same time with the Weight Watchers Lose For Good Challenge. I'm also going to start the Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred tonight. This will be the third time I have done it, so let's see how many of the routines I can do with "hard-core Natalie"?!! Anyone want to join me in the torture??!

Anyhooo...last night I was running behind my "normal" workout schedule and didn't get started till VERY late. I was already extremely tired and my quadricepts were sore from the practice routine I did SATURDAY night. What's up with that?? With all that in mind I figured I better set my challenge up for "easy routine". Plus everyone else that I had heard from earlier in the day said it "kicked their butts" and if it kicked their butts being at least 10 years younger and way less weight I better just start off slow, ya know? So, I did the easy setting and other than all that freakin' running I did well and wasn't really all that sweaty and tired! So I guess I'm in better physical condition than I thought I was! I absolutely HATE RUNNING, though and they kept telling me I was going "too slow"! It was awful! and my "girls" were bouncing around like they were unsupported! So time to double up the support system, I guess!

So, bottom line is I'm going to LOVE this new challenge and I'm excited that they give me "assigned" days of rest! So that will allow me to do some different routines or even take an occasional night off from the Wii. I will continue to do the 30 Day Shred DVD because I know myself too well. If I take time off from everything I will just sit on the couch, blog, watch tv, and EAT! Not a good combination for a girl who still has 60 pounds to lose!

So all in all, I say I'm looking forward to this challenge and all that it will mean for my overall health! And get this....last night dh was watching me do the Wii Active and he said that it actually looked like something he might enjoy. What a great way to be healthy together!


Edited** Wow I just noticed that this is my 400th post! Wow have I been doing this that long?? Um, maybe I need to celebrate, huh??

30 Day Challenge Profile

Name: AnnG

Age: 44

Hometown: Dallas, Texas suburbs

Family: DH, That Kid (19 a Freshman at DBU) and That Other Kid (5 1/2 starting homeschool kindergarten next week!)

1) Complete the following sentence – “When I look in the mirror I see… someone who needs to lose weight and get back into shape.

2) What exercise do you take? What’s your current level of fitness? I'm working out with my WiiFit, workout DVD's with Jillian Michaels, and now Wii Active. I also occasionally go to the gym and use the eliptical machines or treadmill. I would say that over the past 5 months my level of fitness has gone from "couch potato to pretty stinkin' good!"

3) How do you relax? read blogs and play with my little boy

4) Do you watch your weight? Very closely NOW! Before March 25 I watched it continually climb upward all the while, sucking down cokes and eating junk food without getting any exercise!

5) What’s your favorite body part? thighs (when they are in shape)

6) What’s your least favorite body part? stomach

7) What’s your favorite way to workout? I love to bike, but don't have a bike right now, so my favorite way to workout right now is with the WiiFit and Active.

8) Its time to work out, we’re most likely to find you decked out in? hubby's old shorts, and ratty t-shirt

9) You’re due to workout, but it’s pouring rain. What do you do? open the blinds and watch the rain come down while I work out with my Wii!

10) What’s the one item you wouldn’t be without when working out? Water and Fan (well that's 2 but they are both equally important to me)

11) What do you hope to get from the 30 Day Challenge? continue to increase my level of fitness and lose more weight

12) What are you apprehensive about going in? making sure I can continue do some WiiFit occasionally so I don't lose all the momentum from the Hula Spins that I have gained.

13) How will you reward yourself after the challenge? Hopefully by then I will be able to wear a smaller size of pants so I will get to have new clothes!

14) Complete the following sentence – “I’m Active for …”
my health!

Workout Update

Thought I would give ya'll a workout update since I haven't posted in a couple of days. Not that it will be too exciting for you, but it's something, right??

Last night I did my "normal" workout -- 30 minutes of working out with 10 Minute Session DVD and then I did my WiiFit Hula and set a new record that was pretty fun...both sides were the same number -- my grand total was 3350 spins, with equal spins on the right and left side of 1675! I've never seen that before and thought it was pretty funny! Then tonight I did the same routine again, and set another new record with the WiiFit with 3365 spins! I can hardly believe I am doing so many spins on this thing -- when I started this 3 months ago I couldn't even do 100 spins!! Wow!! What a difference 3 months make -- 20 pounds lost, many inches lost and I have some real aerobic stamina!

I'm thinking of purchasing a different Wii Game -- Active. I've heard good things about it, but don't really want to drop $50 for a new game, till I've heard some more about it. So if you have it or have something to say about it, please share with me!

On a side note -- my best friend from high school found me on FaceBook. She was also my brides maid from my wedding (almost 25 years ago), and I've been trying to find her for a number of years! I can't wait to catch up with her and find out what she's been doing with her life the past 20 years!! Gotta love FaceBook for the opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make some new ones!! On that note, if you are on Facebook and are looking for more friends feel free to send me a friend request (just tell me a little about you or your blog) and we'll become even better friends!

Hope ya'll are having a wonderful summer night -- keep in mind this week that Saturday is the 4th of July and the day to celebrate the wonderful country of the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA -- still the greatest country in the world!