Valentine's Day and my Friday

I have seen a lot of people stressing over today. All the tempting chocolates and goodies to be devoured. Luckily, Valentine's Day has never been a big deal to me. My husband won't be bringing home any box of chocolates to tempt me with. I'm not Anti-Valentine's Day or anything. I love the colors (red and pink) everywhere I look and all of the cute things people do for each other. I love that there are flowers everywhere you go. I also have fun with the crafts ideas that the kids and I can do together. I just don't really take part in the celebration. Tonight, the husband and I are skipping the ball they have for his company and will enjoy our evening eating a healthy dinner (strawberry spinach salad with grilled chicken and blue cheese) and watching one of our favorite movies together after the kids go to bed. I'll squeeze a run in there somewhere.  We still have fun with today. We joke about each hug and kiss being a "Valentine's Kiss" and a "Valentine's Hug." It's just a relaxing and peaceful time for us. Now next month when St. Patty's Day comes around.. that's when you'll hear me whining about all the things I must have. Irish Cream Cupcakes being on the top of the must have list. I may just be trying out this Recipe for them.

For those of you who are battling with something today, just hang in there. It's okay to have a treat and enjoy yourself, as long as you do so with control. Because I have learned that over depriving yourself of the things you love, can only lead to big mess ups later on. I'm sure you all know the quote by Julia Child, "Everything in moderation... including moderation."  And eat a heart shaped Reese's cup for me. Tomorrow is my weigh in at the gym and I'm keeping things clean today. I want to blow her mind when I go in weighing less than last week even after Valentine's Day. :)


Today is my Friday! The whole family gets a four day weekend. That's 4 days of sleeping in past 5:00am and staying up later than 10! That's a weekend with some hockey games to watch and time to spend together. I will also be buying my bike this weekend. I'm so excited to get that baby and start riding around town with it. I've managed to get my run to an acceptable speed for the running part of the triathlon. I will now be focusing more on the biking (which will be a 20k ride). Then I will begin to focus on the swimming, because this will take me the most time. And then, I'll start adding them all together. Have I mentioned how excited I am about this thing? More excited about who I'm doing it with, my SIL. She's freakin' awesome and it will be so fun to have this awesome thing to do together. I do believe I have reached max on my allowed use of the word "awesome" for one blog post.

Also, I got a little impatient and took some measurements this week (even though I said I would wait until I finished phase 1 of NROL4W)... and I've lost some inches. Not a huge amount (.5 inch here, .25 there).. but I'm very happy about it. Glad I decided to give this workout a try. Hoping to have really good results to share with you all in 4 more weeks.

One more thing before I end this blog. I'm waiting on my big box of Vitatops to arrive. I finally ordered myself a box, with 4 different flavors. I'm excited to try them all out. I've had the double chocolate one and really enjoyed it. It'll be my daily treat that keeps the sugar monster at bay.

Happy Valentine's Day. :)

Don't do it alone...

I think one of the biggest factors that has led to me reaching many of the goals I set and pushing towards my next set of goals, is that I didn't start this weight loss saga and healthy lifestyle change alone. I started with my mom. We sat down and planned out our goals, shared our weights and measurements with each other, and joined MFP together. Each day, she is someone I can confide in. If I'm having a day where all I want to do is eat and eat, I can talk to her about it. 10 times out of 10, it's not because I'm hungry, there is something else bothering me. I've been able to share in my victories and failures. It's nice not to hide anything and just have someone to be open up about. It has also created accountability. When working on the same goal with someone, you want to have success to share more than failure. You want to be a good influence on the other person. We have found healthy ways to eat the foods we love and talk about what we are eating each day. There have been times when one of us would have to say, "Now come on, you can eat better than that" and just as many times where we have said, "Great job, today!"
Days where getting to the gym and working out seems like the biggest obstacle in your life, that extra push from your weight loss buddy is what makes all of the difference.
I still have my mom in my corner and we are still working hard together. But I have recently joined a program offered at my gym (I've mentioned it in a few previous posts). One thing the programs requires is that I do a weekly check in. I go do a weigh in and have it put and saved into my file there. We talk about the good and the bad for the week and the things I'd like to see happen the following week. This weekly 15 minute meeting I have with this lady on Fridays holds great power over me. I don't want to disappoint her. I want to go in with good things to talk about and see good things happening to my body. She is an amazing cheerleader. Each week, when we see a change (however small) she will jump up and dance with me. At first, it was just her dancing, but now.. I enjoy to get jiggy with it with her. Because each victory (however small) does deserve a dance! For those weeks where the cravings are hitting me hard, I just think about Friday. Do I want to give in to those cravings and have it show up on Friday and have to tell her about it? No way. Nothing out there can taste as good as having my 5 minute dance with my buddy on Friday feels. This week, I'm sick. First time I've been sick in a long time and I'm probably being a bigger baby about it because of that. The kids finally decided to share those lovely germs that they've collected from the kids in school and daycare. I find that those times where I am sick, I tend to crave sugar more than usual. But I keep holding onto Friday and it keeps those sweets at bay. A few months from now, when we do a new fitness evaluation and measurements, I want to have GREAT changes to document. I want to be on her wall of fame!
I'm also working at training for a Triathlon. I have still done my workouts and training this week (besides being sick) because I don't want to let down my Triathlon buddy.

So, whatever your goal, find that buddy that is going to help you... and then go reach those goals!

Hello, February!

February is looking to be a great month!  Why? 

1. I have a computer again. For the majority of January, I did not. The computer crashed and I was getting by using my phone or jumping on my mom's computer when we went over to visit. But now, here I am, sitting in my own house and typing on the computer. I can blog again!

2. We have a new puppy! He gets along great with our older dog, adores the children, and just melts our heart. His name is Rufus and he's AWESOME! ^ That's his happy face. ;)  He's only been around for just a short time but I'm completely in love with him!

3. I've been doing really well in the gym. I started the NROL4W (New Rules of Lifting for Women) and I really like it! In fact, I'm a little sore today from yesterday's workout. It's been a while since I've had such a fulfilling workout. 

4. I'm getting a bike this month. I've been saving up, shopping around, trying out bikes, and working hard to narrow it down to the one I want. I've gotten it down to two. I'm going to do a test drive this weekend and finally pick my bike up. That's one step closer to the triathlon that I'll be doing later this year (yes, that's still happening). 

I finally got things rolling with that program at my gym. I can even start working with a personal trainer for free, if I decide. But she does group workouts and I'm really enjoying myself with the NROL4W, so I may hold off on that. I go in every Friday for a weekly weigh in. Then in a few months, I go in for another evaluation to check progress. 

I had several tests and had a fitness evaluation to get an idea of how fit I am and where I need to work on. These are the results (sorry it's sideways, can't figure out how to make it rotate): 

I'm a little surprised in how low the Aerobic Fitness scored, I expected better there. I also did poorly in the flexibility. These are two things I've been working on a lot lately. But check out the Biceps Strength score! Very pleased with that. Also, my Body fat is really reducing, so while it's not great right now, it's way better than it was several months ago.  So this is my starting point for the year. I want to improve in each of these areas. It works with my goals for the year. Which I have finally sat down and thought about. 

I've been creating a Vision Board. When I'm finished, I'll share it with you guys.  

I'm starting to train for the Triathlon. I've been doing the running but now I'll be throwing in some swimming and biking. I will also be doing a Mud Run this summer! It's a 5K obstacle run and I'm very excited about it! My biggest goal this year is to get outdoors more. I'm going to be more active during the day (not just my gym time) and go out some more.  I've been doing my runs outside. I bundle up and go for the run. I come back feeling really refreshed and awake (winter will do that). 

Right now this is what my week looks like: 

Mon- Gym (NROL4W)

Tue- Running

Wed- Gym (NROL4W)

Thur- Running

Fri- Gym (NROL4W)

Sat- Running

Sun- Yoga and rest

I'll have to change up my schedule a bit to fit in biking and swimming here soon. 

Hope you are all doing well! I'm happy to be back. :)

Give it time.

It's no secret that this time of year is difficult for those of us working on losing weight. Log onto MFP and you see just how many people are struggling. Temptation is everywhere. You can't walk into a store without seeing the well designed displays of chocolates and goodies calling your name.  Commercials are more teasing than usual. Everyone is baking and passing around joy in the shape of a cookie. There is an abundance of parties (and corresponding treats for said parties). People are sharing their meal and dessert plans on facebook and anywhere else they can post it. A girl (or boy) can't leave her house, watch TV, or look online without seeing food. It's everywhere this time of year. Especially the sweets. Oh, those freakin sweets!

It can be a rough time for anyone. Throw in the desire to lose weight (not put it back on), a HUGE sweet tooth, and a former eating disorder... it can almost drive a girl crazy. I had a dream last night that I was stuffing my face with cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, and chocolate covered nuts. I couldn't stop (I didn't want to). All of the things I've said "no" to this week were haunting me in my dreams! I woke up craving those items like you wouldn't believe. I was ready to drive to the nearest cinnabun and get the biggest one I could find. I was already preparing myself for my next failure and the day had just started. But instead, I did as I always do, I went to the gym. (Thank goodness it has become a habit.. because I was struggling with it today). When I got there, I was still thinking about what I was going to shove down my throat today. I was convinced that I was going to fall off the wagon today. I was starting to obsess over it. The thing is, once I started running, the obsession went away. I began to think more clearly. Each lap that I ran, the more in control I was feeling. "You'll hate yourself if you go along with it."  My voice of reason was coming out as I ran. "Saturday is treat day.. you can have ONE of those things.. and you can wait until then to get it." So much so, that I decided to push myself further and run more than usual. I ran for 35 minutes straight. Afterwards, I felt empowered. I didn't need those stinking treats anymore.. I didn't want them. I didn't want the way they were going to make me feel afterwards. I finished the rest of my workout and went home. I ate exactly what I planned out for the day. I feel so pleased that I didn't let that moment of weakness take me down with it. This is what happened around Thanksgiving and it made me feel so sick with myself afterwards. The difference this time? I didn't run out of my way to get that fix. I stuck with my plan. I kept telling myself "wait." Until eventually my reason and self control came back. So if you're battling with your own demon this week, give yourself time to fight back. Find something to take your mind off of it until you have the strength to say no. Heck, go workout! Worked for me.
I know this hasn't fixed my problem permanently, there are still many days before Christmas and many more temptations to avoid. But I made it past this one. One thing at a time. One little step/one little victory at a time.
Good luck!
A little inspiration:

All Caught Up

I've been MIA for a little while. I needed some time away from the computer so I could focus on catching up with everything. There was lots of baking, parties, shopping, and wrapping needing to be done (and that dreaded trip to the Post Office). Not to mention all of the other typical things that need to be done daily. The list kept growing and I wasn't marking stuff off as fast as I would have liked. So my little break allowed me to get on top of things. I'm officially done with my Christmas shopping, cards, and baking. I have sent off everything. It's such a huge relief. I'm usually the person that likes to get things done early, so still having things I needed to do a week before Christmas was driving me nuts.
I've had a few small victories this last week:
* I've still managed to stick to my usual gym routine. I've been making my way to the gym each day and doing my thing. I could have easily talked myself out of it saying, "I'm too busy" but decided to make it a priority and treated it like a daily appointment that I could 't miss. It's a bit empowering.
* During my Christmas baking frenzy, I only ate ONE cookie! (snickerdoodle if you're wondering). It was definitely tempting but I decided before I started baking what one goodie I wanted and then I stuck to it! It helps having my husband home. It gives me the accountability I need in those super tempting times.
*I made lighter/healthier versions of all of my goodies. I felt better giving them to others knowing that they were healthier versions.
*I didn't let the plethora of parties and gatherings we've been to or had this week allow me to make bad food choices over and over. I save up calories and enjoy myself within reason.
* I received my first goodies package in the mail yesterday. It was full of sweets (cookies, chocolates, and other candies and sweets). I haven't gotten into it yet! I'm waiting for treat day this Saturday to sample a few.  Yesterday was hard, I kept looking at them and wanting to eat them all. But somehow I talked myself out of it and today I'm not really craving any of it.

I've still been sticking to Strong lifts 5x5. I'm not really seeing any results yet. But I have been able to increase my weights on everything. I'm moving up slower than I expected in weight but it's more important to me that I can do them all in proper form. As a beginner, it's taking me a bit longer.
I can now squat with 75lbs, bench with 35lbs, deadlift with 50lbs, overhead press with 40lbs, and barbells with 50lbs. I know this doesn't seem like much but it's more than I could do a month ago and I'm pleased with it. Small progress. Maybe when I increase my weights more I will start seeing progress.
I'm seeing changes really slowly on the scale. But I'm trying not to let that affect me. The scale is not the defining factor of my progress! (or so I keep trying to convince myself). It's not easy to get over a scale addiction, especially when I'm not seeing progress in other ways at the time being. But I'm not gaining, so that's good. A small  victory, even. Getting through all these temptations around this time of the year and not gaining is a great thing.  I think when the new year starts, I'll reevaluate and see if I need to make some more changes. But for now, I'm just going to get through Christmas and both of my kids' birthdays.

I'll end with two positive thoughts. My son has graduated from pull-ups to regular big boy underwear! It's an exciting time. My daughter was wonderful at their Christmas concert at school. I've got two awesome kiddos. :)

Initiate Happy Dance

Last night we went to a hockey game. The first one that we've been to in a long time. Our team won and everyone had a great time. I'm not sure if I had more fun watching the game or watching my kids watch the game. They were so into it. My daughter was dancing, clapping, and shouting the cheers. My son would have liked to see more fights (proven by his jeers to "FIGHT!") but couldn't stop watching. Not to mention, I was able to enjoy the whole night snuggled up with my hunny. #goodtimes

The hockey team wasn't the only victors last night. I had my own little victory as well. I didn't eat ANY food at the hockey game! Everyone around me was eating good stuff like hotdogs (kids), pretzels with cheese (mom and sis), or enjoying a beer (husband). I didn't get any for myself. Just sat there rooting for my team and enjoying some ice cold water with my favorite people. I had made a promise to myself (after my fall off the wagon last week) that I would not have any treat/cheat meals until I lost all the weight I put on and felt I had my self control back. So to be there surrounded by all that temptation and standing my ground was a big deal to me. I'm getting my control back! I was thinking reasonably and thinking about my health/progress instead of letting my stomach do the thinking. And my lack of yummies didn't make the night any less fun or special.
So when I woke up this morning, still riding my victory high, I decided that I would finally check my weight. I've been avoiding the scale since last Sunday when I saw a 10lb increase caused by my binge attack. I know that I didn't gain a real 10 pounds in those 4 days but hated that new number I was seeing. So, I've been eating well, exercising, and drinking plenty of water this week hoping to erase that number. It happened today! When I stepped on the scale this morning, not only was I back to my pre-binge weight, but I had a slight loss (only .2 but still very pleasing). Now I finally feel like I'm back on track. I keep saying I will stop letting the scale affect me so much but it's easier said than done.

I finished my first week of Stronglifts 5x5 this week. My muscles definitely got a good workout. I'm enjoying my rest day today. I still don't have any progress to report but just an update that I do like the program and will be sticking with it.

Enjoy your Sunday! :)

Vitamix, baby!

Yesterday was a pretty typical Friday. It was a good yet uneventful day. That was until we had an unexpected knock at the door that evening. It was the UPS man and he came bringing gifts. One of the packages I received wasn't wrapped and I was able to see what it was. A Vitamix Blender!!

(Swoons) Isn't it beautiful?!?! 

I quickly called my (very amazing) mother-in-law to let her know that it arrived. She decided since it wasn't wrapped and I knew what it was, that it'd be a good "family" gift that I could start using now instead of waiting until Christmas. SCORE! (This is when I began my happy dance). 

I've been wanting one of these bad boys for a long time now. So, she didn't have to tell me more than once that I could start using it now. 

After ripping open the box and carefully pulling out the newest addition to my kitchen, I began reading the instruction manual. (Ok, not the exciting part but I wasn't taken any chances of misusing it). After familiarizing myself with the machine and how it works, I quickly skimmed through the recipe book that came with it for a recipe that I had the ingredients for. My very first recipe using my Vitamix Blender was... (drum roll).... 

Orange Sorbet. Simple yet awesome. I served it for dessert. My 2 year old really loved it! And the machine worked better than I expected. I threw in peeled oranges (whole), honey, and lots of ice and it blended it together like a boss! So easy! Best part about my new favorite appliance (shhh.. don't tell my Stand Mixer) is that it cleans itself! Yep! Just rinse it out, fill it half way up with warm water, throw in a few drops of soap, and turn it on. It works as it's own dishwasher! Then you rinse it out one more time and let it dry! It took me all of 5 minutes to make orange sorbet and clean up. 

I spent the rest of my night after the kids were in bed, looking through the recipe book. So many things to try, so little time. I have come up with a list of a few must makes for the following week:

Hummus, Peanut Butter, Almond Milk, and Broccoli and Cheddar soup. 

The machine works so fast that it actually creates heat and can make quick soups! It can blend items down to make milk out of almonds or my own nut butters. I can make cold items like my own ice cream, shakes, smoothies, or sorbets. I can grind my own flours or knead doughs. The possibilities are just endless. And I plan on testing this thing out like crazy! It came with a large book of recipes and I see it as a personal challenge to try them all out. 

Today marks the start of the first weekend I get to spend with my husband in many months. We've got a relaxing and fun weekend planned. Some Christmas shopping, hockey game, COOKING, and putting up Christmas lights and decorations. Most importantly, the family just being together. :)

I hope that you all have as nice of a weekend. HAPPY DECEMBER!! 

*Be ready for my next gazillion posts to have something about a new food/drink/frozen item that my blender made me.*