The voices in my head

were right. I really should learn to listen to them more often. The good ones not the crazy ones ;)   As you all know my foot has been killing me for a long time. Less known.. my hip/back have been hurting me too but the foot pain over powers that. I finally went to the podiatrist for months and nothing would ever really fix it. So I quit going and just deal with it. All this time the little voices in my head said go to the chiropractor. Well Monday after not even being able to roll over in bed with out crying because my back hurt so bad, I went. At 11:30 that night after working for 8 1/2 hrs on the hard tile/concrete floors at work I realized that not only did my back not hurt, my foot didn't either. It was AWESOME! I wasn't ready to give the back full credit though yet. The next morning I got out of bed and walked normal from the first step and didn't need a walker. As the day progressed it started a tiny ache but no real pain. Today we went to the zoo and walked hills and that made my foot hurt again.   I just got home from the chiropractor for round 2. Guess what.. no foot pain. NONE! I can't believe it. I stood up after my adjustment and walked to the therapy room and realized it didn't hurt anymore.  So lesson learned.. listen to those voices! At least some of them anyways!!!

Just for reference

1 1/2 yrs ago... at 275 lbs and 56.5 inches MORE than I am today.

Before.... and after!

I finally got all my pictures from bootcamp. I can't see drastic changes cause I still look the same to me lol But I'm sure you guys will pick them out better than me!

Here they are.

Before:


After:

The finally measurements were:
224 lbs
Arms: 10
Chest: 38
Waist 33
Abs 40
Hips 40
Thigh 18.5
Lower Thigh: 14
body fat 28.5%


In 12 weeks I lost 17 lbs, 2 inches off my arms, 5 inches off my chest, 7 inches off my waist, 8 inches off my abs, 7 inches off my hips, 4.5 inches off my thighs,3 inches off my lower thigh and 8 % body fat. For a combined total of 36.5 inches!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't see a ton of differences but I can see I lost a lot of back fat/side boob. I can tell my neck/face is thinner. I can see how my arms aren't touching my waist hardly at all anymore or my hips. I don't see too many more than that but I can feel them all in how I feel and how my clothes fit!!

If you see anything I'm not let me know :D

Barefoot is better?

So I am STILL dealing with foot pain. I'm really sick and tired of it. My coworker is going to be having surgery on her foot soon and I hope mine never gets that bad! Today I got back to kickboxing after taking last week off. I have finished bootcamp and am still waiting for my before pictures to post about that all.

Anywho, I talked to the instructor today to see if she would ever be doing another kickboxing class later in the week. probably not but all well. I told her I can't do her step classes anymore because they cause me way too much foot pain. She asked what I had and immediately told me I needed to go barefoot.  Was she kidding me??? Does she realize how bad it hurts to be barefoot all the time?? Any dr will tell you NOT to ever go barefoot with planter fascitis. She said Reebok has done research that actually wearing shoes all the time can actually cause foot injuries by not allowing your foot to fully develop and for the muscles to be stronger.


So... I did some reading online. It sounds like a pretty cool and natural thing that over time we have strayed from because not wearing shoes is kinda gross. And from a shoe lover here.. there are some really cute shoes out there! I found this great article on the 10 reasons you should start running barefoot. I am no runner but the points make sense. http://celestinechua.com/blog/2010/05/10-reasons-to-go-barefoot-running/

1. Connectedness. When I ran with running shoes in the past, I would just feel the cool air and soak in the sights of the sky/trees/stars while running. Running barefoot adds a new dimension to the running experience – I feel a whole level of connectedness to the ground, and as a corollary, the environment I am in.
2. Lighter strides. With running shoes, my feet was completely buffered from the ground. I could never feel my strides, save for the numbing ‘thud’ between my feet and the soles of my shoes/ground whenever I land. This made me take heavy strides subconsciously. With barefoot running, I am definitely running much lighter than before. I’m not pounding on my knees/ankles/feet anymore.
3. Right landing. People who wear running shoes typically land heel first (a.k.a hard heel strikes), which places more stress on the foot. The correct running form should be to land on the front or middle of the foot. Here’s what a Discovery News article says about landing:
   
   

   The difference in the way the foot strikes the ground is important. Lieberman’s study examined the physical stresses on feet with different types of running and found that people with running shoes strike the ground with the mass of the entire leg, nearly 7 percent of the body. That’s more than three times the weight of impact for barefoot running.
   “It’s really about how you hit the ground,” said Lieberman, who specializes in human evolutionary biology. “When you hit the ground, some of your body comes to a dead stop.”
   For runners in cushioned shoes, “it is literally like someone hitting you on the heel with a hammer,” Lieberman said. But, he said that “the way in which barefoot runners run is more or less collision free.”

   Interestingly, I came to the same conclusion during my 1st barefoot run, before reading about it. With running shoes, I would land on my heels and it caused a lot of impact. When I run barefoot, I automatically adjust and land on my forefeet/midfeet. Since I can feel my foot on the ground, I can immediately tell if  I am landing incorrectly with each stride. After my first barefoot run, I had a small blister in the top left corner of my right sole, which I see as a sign that I’m exerting more force than necessary on that area. It’s an indication that I should distribute my weight on other areas when landing.
4. Better posture. Everything is very instinctual and it takes no more than just a few steps for me to get into a comfortable running posture. The contact between the foot and the ground is like an instant feedback if my posture needs correcting and if so, how. In retrospect, my posture and jogging stance felt stiff when I ran with shoes.
5. Freedom & Liberty. Running without shoes made me realize how binding it was to have my feet wrapped up in socks and enclosed in shoes. When running barefoot, I can feel my heel, mid-sole, forefeet and my toes against the ground and brushing against the cooling air with each stride. It’s a liberating experience.
6. Mindfulness. Every step I take, I’m aware. Every time my foot touches the ground, I can feel both the ground and my foot. During my run, I am present, of myself, my posture, my surroundings, my environment.
7. Less stress for your knees/feet/joints. Studies have shown running barefoot brings less stress for your feet, even when compared with expensive running shoes (Nike, Adidas and Reebok included). A new study suggests running shoes may cause damage to knees, hips and ankles. With running shoes, we tend to shift our weight down to our ankles, which lead to higher possibility of ankle sprains. You might have heard how prolonged running causes knee cap pain – I suspect it’s because of the heavy strides we take with running shoes rather than running itself. By running barefoot, that’s less likely to happen since you get a better running posture (Reason #4) and lighter strides (Reason #2), which means lesser weight on your knees/ankles/feet.
8. Gives you stronger feet. All the shoe wearing has made our feet weak and soft. In fact, some of us wear poor-fitted shoes that cramp our toes/feet. Here’s an interesting excerpt from an article “Go Barefoot to Get Stronger“:
   
   

   Through years of wearing shoes, our feet lose their tactile capacity, which is bad enough. But they also fail to develop to their proper size and shape. Tendons and ligaments shorten, muscles weaken, and the risk for foot and ankle injuries increases.
   If it sounds like the ancient Chinese tradition of binding the feet, it kinda is. “It’s identical, but to a lesser degree,” Rooney says. “Shoes crush the foot into abnormal positions and you don’t get the movement the foot is designed for.”

   Going barefoot builds up our foot muscles and makes them stronger, the way they should be.
9. It’s Fun! Do you remember the times when you were young and ran around barefooted? How did that feel? Walking/Running barefooted brought a sense of child-like wonder that was lost since long ago, like dancing in the rain. It made running fun, more fun than it normally is. I ended up running longer than my normal route (3km vs. 2.4km).
10. Saves money. I wish I knew about barefoot running before I bought all the sport shoes – Adidas, Reebok, soccer shoes, Nike Air, Zoom, Zoom+ and what not. Sports apparel have become more fashion accessories and cost more than they should. If I add up all the money I spent on sport shoes over the years, it easily sums up to over one grand. That is a lot of money that could have been saved and used for better purposes.

This site gives suggestions on how to transition from cross trainers to barefoot.. or almost barefoot. http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/go_barefoot_to_get_stronger

I've tried everything the drs  have suggested... and I'm still hurting. So I figure what's the harm in trying? The instructor also suggested I get back to yoga, even though it makes me feet cramp, because I obviously have weak feet and yoga will help strengthen them with out the pounding that comes from high intensity cardio.

These are on my wish list now... in case anyone wants to donate ;)

I made it!

This past Saturday I ran my first 5k ever. Yes ran. Ok I consider it jogging but I did not walk at all. I don't have an official time yet but I completed it in approx 45-47 mins. Which considering my weight and it being my first is awesome!

I am sure I looked quite silly while running but I don't care. It started uphill and ended flat. I ran up that hill jamming to Head Strong by Trapt and singing (I hope to myself) "back off, I'll take you on. I'm headstrong to take on anyone." And I made it up that hill and kept going. I knew I would be fine and I was.

I did not do this race alone. I ran with 2 friends from high school. Camille is a little faster than me and Jen but we pushed through and she was there at the end cheering for us. Me and Jen ran off and on together the whole time and pushed each other to keep going.

I spent a good part of the run with my eyes closed. I'm not sure why but it helped. I jammed to all my good fast music to keep me going. I'm sure I was singing most of the time, I hope not very loud though LOL. I know there were a few times I was doing some mini boxing moves while running too. Crazy what pushes you to keep going but it worked. My body did great. Even though I am not a runner and did not really train for it. My body was ready. I had very little pains except for a few mins of side pain at the half way mark and my calves started burning up the hill. But otherwise I had no problems at all.

We ran along the Jordan Canal the last leg and it was just beautiful and relaxing.  Towards the end we came around the corner and could see the finish line. I have never ran so fast in my life. I put my mp3 player on SandStorm by Darude and kicked it into over drive. Somehow.. .even after running 3 miles my body flew. I was leaping the center divide in the road as I crossed the street and cruised to the finish line. It was an amazing feeling.

I was number 251 but I'm not sure out of how many. But I finished my goals. I did not come in last. I finished it. I ran it all. And I did it in less than an hour!

Afterwards they had a parade that I sat with Camille and her family and watched. I got very emotional after my heart rate had come down and I had a moment to realize what I had just done. I had just run a 5k. Myself. At 225 ish lbs. I ran 3.1 miles. That was one of the best feelings ever.   (Sorry Camille for getting all sappy!) But it just proves that a) you can do absolutely anything you set your mind to) and b) your body knows what it is meant to do and given the chance will do it for you, even if you've abused it with food and weight most of it's life. It's still there for you when you are ready.

This coming Saturday, July 3, I'm running another ;)

The 100's week paid off!

I didn't quite hit my 50 lb mark but I was so close. .4oz away. I'm sure if I had taken my clothes off I'd have hit it LOL. But I did lose 2.75 more inches for a total combined inches of 33. .75 inches of that was off JUST my arms. All those bicep curls, punching, tricep pulls and more paid off that's for sure! That's a huge amount to lose off the arms because they are such a small area and there's not as much to lose as say around the stomach.  I can't wait to hit 50lbs and then some! WEE! I really can't believe I've lost so much. That's almost 1/2 a person!

In even better knews I am officially in the 29% range for my body fat %. That's in the healthy range but I still have a ways to go.   This morning I figured out my BMI. While I am still considered obese I am no longer scary obese. I'm slowly creeping towards that line of just being overweight.  I started at a BMI of 41 and am at a 34 right now. About 20 more lbs and I will be just "overweight".   

3 more days until my 5k. I'm excited but nervous too. My foot has been acting up and I'm not happy with it. Stupid thing. Who needs feet anyways. Today I'm going to do some water aerobics to give it a break and then hit the oh so glorious hot tub to get rid of some other body aches.   I was looking at the map of the 5k and it doesn't look too bad. It's basically from Taylorsville city hall down to the elementary school and then back. I can do that right?

Thought of the day

That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do; not that the nature of the thing itself is changed, but that our power to do is increased.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Sorry for my lack of blogging lately. I have been working a lot and when I'm not working I'm trying to entertain my children entertained so they don't eat each other alive before school starts again. 

Anywho... This quote is so true! When I first started working out it was far from easy! It's still a challenge every day but I do things I would never have thought I could do. Last week was 100's week. YIKES! I never thought I could do 100 bicep curls in row, yes with no breaks. I never thought I could jog more than to the corner, let alone there, up a hill and back (6 times). This weekend I never thought I'd run/jog a 5k. I haven't done it yet but I can promise you I will do it. I am not a runner but it's a new challenge and next time I bet it will be easier! 

My challenge this week from bootcamp is to workout with someone else. So if anyone wants me to work out with them just say the word! I would love to join you.

that was harder than I thought

Today I went through my drawers and closets and pulled out everything.... ok not quite everything... that had a 3x or a 22 or 24 on it and threw it in a box. It was SO hard to do!!! I know these pants fall off of me and the shirts are too big. I know I will NEVER wear that size again but out of everything on this journey THIS was the hardest thing to do. I still have some smaller 3xs in my closet and some 20 pants. Why? I have no clue other than if I get rid of them ALL i will have nothing to wear. Shirts can be a little loose but the pants? Not so much. I'd prefer them  not to fall off in public LOL 


If I figure out why this is so hard I'll let you know. Or if you know why please fill me in! Also.. anyone want some clothes? LOL

Round 1! *clang*

Today was another very challenging workout. I still can't believe I made it all the way through it. None of us could get up off the floor after it was over LOL We had a "sub" trainer today. She's one of the girls that teaches my fav classes at Gold's so I knew I was in for a butt kicking.

Today's work out is called 10 rounds. You go through 10 rounds of exercise. Each round adds a new one.

Round 1
10 push ups

Round 2
10 push ups
10 jumping squats

Round 3
10 push ups
10 jumping squats

10 tricep dips with 1 leg off the floor

Round 4

10 push ups
10 jumping squats
10 tricep dips with 1 leg off the floor
30 sec jumping jacks

Round 5
10 push ups
10 jumping squats
10 tricep dips with 1 leg off the floor
30 sec jumping jacks

20 bicep curls

Round 6

10 push ups
10 jumping squats
10 tricep dips with 1 leg off the floor
30 sec jumping jacks


20 bicep curls
30 seconds running on the step

Round 7
10 push ups
10 jumping squats
10 tricep dips with 1 leg off the floor
30 sec jumping jacks


20 bicep curls
30 seconds running on the step

10 arm lifts (lift straight in front of you and down then out to the sides and down. That's 1 rep)

Round 8
10 push ups
10 jumping squats
10 tricep dips with 1 leg off the floor
30 sec jumping jacks


20 bicep curls
30 seconds running on the step

10 arm lifts (lift straight in front of you and down then out to the sides and down. That's 1 rep)
30 sec jump rope (no rope required)

Round 9
10 push ups
10 jumping squats
10 tricep dips with 1 leg off the floor
30 sec jumping jacks


20 bicep curls
30 seconds running on the step

10 arm lifts (lift straight in front of you and down then out to the sides and down. That's 1 rep)
30 sec jump rope (no rope required)

24 lunges on each leg (no breaks!)

Round 10
10 push ups
10 jumping squats
10 tricep dips with 1 leg off the floor
30 sec jumping jacks


20 bicep curls
30 seconds running on the step

10 arm lifts (lift straight in front of you and down then out to the sides and down. That's 1 rep)
30 sec jump rope (no rope required)

24 lunges on each leg (no breaks!)
50 crunches with legs or knees in the air


This is a huge test of endurance. It would be easier to do with a friend to push you on the the next one and to finish all 10 rounds! If anyone ever wants to do it with me let me know!  I had to write it all down yesterday before I blocked it from my memory though hehe.

Protein bars

So remember how you should eat protein with everything? Well sometimes that's just hard. I know most people anymore are busy and eat on the go a lot. More than we should really. I love protein bars for a quick pick up me and to curb that hunger at 3pm. One thing I learned that I had no idea. Women should not be eating more than about 15g of protein in a serving. Some of those bars/shakes have TONS. Those are for men who are trying to bulk up. Most women would rather tone than bulk up. So if you keep it around 10-15 g you'll be great. Anything more... it will most likely give you some indigestion. Yeah I found that out the hard way by eating a bar with 20 g of protein. Oh man did that suck, especially cause it didn't kick in until I was the only person at work. It was a long few hours! Our bodies don't process protein the same as men, or as quickly, resulting in runs to the bathroom.  So just watch your protein content and calories! Some are over 500 calories. Those are the most important things when using protein bars as a snack. Surprisingly some of them are pretty good.

My weight does not define me!

I hate stereotypes. I really do. I was catching up on my DVR today and watching So You Think You Can Dance and a larger 18 yr old girl got up and danced beautifully. She was not your typical tiny dancer. Mia Micheals was moved to tears because she's also a larger woman who has struggled with weight. She said she got no jobs due to her weight. Are you kidding me?! Mia Micheals couldn't get a job cause she was fat. I hope one day there will be a change in our world, especially because sadly obesity is becoming the norm.

Is it healthy to be overweight? Definitely not. I wouldn't be trying to lose weight if it was. But that doesn't mean people don't try.  It's not easy to lose weight. It took 28 yrs to weigh 275 lbs. It's not going to come off tomorrow. I have had my ups and downs and lost weight, gained it back and then some, lost it again and gained it back and even more. I know that this will be something I have to do the rest of my life to not only LOSE the weight but to keep it off. I will always be working out and watching what I eat. Am I thrilled? No. I wish I could eat whatever I want, whenever I want and not gain a pound. Unfortunately, that's not my reality. But I hate that I (along with many others) are defined by what they look like. Oh she's the fat girl. I want to be Shannon, not the fat chick. And who's to say I can't be amazing? Fat does not make you a lesser person, less talented or less smart. I am no dancer. I love it but I am so not coordinated enough LOL But who's to say I couldn't try. That's all you have to do is try.

Speaking of trying. I just officially registered for my first 5k today. I'm running (or some form of it lol) with a friend from high school. We ironically met in gym class where we had a teacher that LOVED to make you run. We both hated it! Yet 15 yrs later we're doing a 5k. I'm scared, excited and determined to do it. I have 3ish weeks to get ready... I guess I better get my butt in gear LOL I know I won't be first, I don't expect to be, but I am going to try and I will finish it.

Anywho, I really hope that people can move forward some day (soon would be nice) and accept people for who they are and what the bring to the table and not what they look like.

working out with friends

In my opinion there is nothing better! I got to work out with some friends at Zumba last night and I had so much fun. I love sharing something I love with my friends. I'm not sure they loved it as much as I did, but we got an amazing work out! Working out with a friend makes things go by so much faster too! That class was over before I knew it.

If anyone is local and ever wants to hit the gym with me just let me know! I would love to go with you :)

vacation workout

(originally typed on May 23)

We made it to California last night at like 2:30am . Holy tired!! When I finally mustered up the energy to wake up I talked myself into a run/jog/walk. We are in California city aka BFE. As I went out the door tristan begged to come with me. It was so nice to spend time with him and get a work out in too. He makes me do more too. This is where we wandered

We were out there in the desert for close to an hour just enjoying the solitude. Tristan had a blast and would challenge me to race him. Usually it was "hey mom I'll race you to that bush" Which made me laugh because the only thing out there is sage brush LOL But it was fun racing him and he does really well keeping up. I learned that I can run quite fast now. We met a little friend on the way back too. Can you see him?

Quote of the Day

Awesome quote from Steve Young

"The principle is competing against yourself. It's about self-improvement, about being better than you were the day before."

This is something that keeps me going. I don't consider myself highly competitive but I always like to know that I did 1 more rep than I did last time or 1 more mile or even 1 more minute. As long as you are improving yourself each day, who cares what anyone else is doing, how fast they can run, if they can do more or less than you, or even if they look better than you. You are making YOU better and that's what matters the most.

Weigh in from this week after a week long vacation in California. I was very nervous because I didn't eat the best. I ate the best I could though.

Weight: 231
Upper Arm: 11
Chest 40
Waist: 36
Abs: 41
Hips 44
Thigh: 19.5
Lower Thigh : 15
Body Fat: 32%

Total lost: 0lbs (but none gained!)  4 more inches

Total since I started: 10lbs and 23 1/2 inches!

That means in just over 1 yr I have lost 45lbs and 42 1/2 inches!!!! That's just mind boggling to me.

Quote of the Day

You've got to say, I think that if I keep working at this and want it badly enough I can have it. It's called perseverance. Lee Iacocca

Do you want it bad enough?  I know I do! I finally got to a point in my life that enough was enough. I was done being the fat girl. I was done being frustrated with the simple things I couldn't do. I was done not looking cute in my clothes. I was done being unhealthy. Every day I choose to get up and do the best I can to make my body better and live my life to the fullest. 

I slacked off for a few months because I stopped seeing results. I was at the evil plateau that everyone reaches at some point in their weight loss journey. Instead of keeping on going I just stopped. I let life get in the way. Thankfully I was able to not GAIN weight but that's not the case for everyone. Looking back now. I wish I had never stopped, that I had never given up on myself. Now I'm stubborn LOL I know I can do anything. It maybe hard and it may be painful but until your body can't move anymore.. it can do way more than we give it credit for. The other day was proof of that. It takes such little time for your body to get used to these new things you are doing. When I started up with my trainer again in March I could barely do 5 mins on the stair climber and I wanted to DIE! On weds just 2 small months later I did 7 minutes and was talking (while breathing heavy, it wasn't THAT easy)! In March I could barely do 5 prison push ups (which are evil by the way). On Weds, again 2 mths later, I did 15. Your body knows what it's built to do. We just have to retrain it. Thankfully for us it's a quick learner ;)

Today is Day 1...

of my next goal!!! Today I met my goal of losing 45 lbs!!! I'm SO thrilled and I can't wait to lose more!  My next small goal is a little intimidating to me but I know I can do it. I want to get to 200lbs. eep! That's 30 more lbs to go. I hope it won't take as long as the first 45 but I know I will get there. I will still have at least 25-30 more lbs to go after that but baby steps. 1lb at a time!

this made me laugh!

A friend posted it on facebook and it made me giggle.

What do I eat?

I've had several people ask what I'm eating. Pre bootcamp I just followed portion control and watching what I eat and how much. I am a super picky eater and honestly most healthy foods make me want to gag LOL Now I try my best to follow our meal plan, but I still add in different things I like better but are still in calorie range and category.  I eat 6 meals a day. It seems like a lot but my body is getting used to eating that often and every 3 hrs I am starving! Here's a sample of what I eat in a typical good day.

Breakfast:

Carb       toast, cereal or a english muffin
Fruit        apple, peaches or mandarin oranges
Milk        sometimes if I don't want milk I combine it with fruit and have yogurt (dannon lite and fit is yummers and only 80 calories!)

Calories: 250-300

Snack 1
carb                  usually wheat thins, not big on rice cakes
protein              usually a cheese stick
fruit/vegetable   applesauce

Calories: 150 give or take a few

Lunch:

Carb                  whole wheat bread
Lean protein       usually turkey (on occasion I have ham, it's only 10 calories more and I never eat a full serving that's just too much meat for me!)
vegetable           lettuce (any kind will work)
Free foods         low fat mayo, mustard and salsa (not on the sandwich)
Carb                 baked tortilla chips

Calories: about 350

Snack 2:

Fruit:               fruit leather
lean protein     pb crackers or cottage cheese/cheese stick

Calories 100-200 depending on the day

Dinner:

Lean protein    baked chicken  (trust me I get chickened out!)
Carb               baked potato (or yam if you choose)     I can't believe it's not butter spray ROCKS! It's only 5 calories for 5 squirts
Veggie            suggested is broccoli, but if you're like me I don't do broccoli so I eat a salad (not just iceberg) or green beans. Any dark green veggie will do.

Calories: 370 ish

Snack 3

This varies from a cup of yogurt, a low fat pudding cup, a skinny cow ice cream sandwich, or a protein bar.

Calories: 80-150


Total Calories for the day 1400-1600

Hopefully this helps some of you who, like me, struggle with what to eat. It's a daily battle for me but I do my best! I drink water most of the day to avoid those extra calories from juice, milk and soda. Once you figure out the foods you like you can adjust the meals to fit you and still stay in calorie range. Sometimes it just means eating just 12 wheat thins and not the whole box ;)

Two things I learned today

1) Eat protein with everything. If you eat.. have some protein! Whether it's an egg with breakfast, a cheese stick, a handful of nuts or some chicken or turkey!

2) when doing intense cardio training do NOT eat after training for at least an hour. When you are doing working out your body is STILL working burning calories (even while sitting in the comfiest chair trying not to move). As soon as you eat it turns that extra burning session OFF. When you do eat at the one hour mark, make it light and don't forget the protein to feed those muscles!

week 5- Time to kick it up a notch!

This week starts our shredding! I'm so excited to blast the fat right out of my body!! I can do things now that I never thought I could or WOULD be doing a year and a half ago and I still have SO far to go! Our bodies are amazing things!

This week's stats:

Weight: 231
Arm: 11.5
Chest: 40
Waist: 37
Abs: 42
Hips 45
Thigh: 20
Upper Thigh: 15
Body fat: 33%

Total lost this week: 3lbs, 1.25 inches and 1% body fat
Total lost in 5 weeks: 10lbs, 19.25 inches and 3% body fat!!!!!!

I am .2lbs from my first goal. SO close! Next week I plan on not only meeting that goal but surpassing it!

What do YOU want to know?

Alright since I'm still new at this I want to know what you guys want to know about. Whether it's food, workout, whatever. That way when I don't know what to blog about I can answer your questions or talk about something you guys are interested in.

Post your questions, comments or interests in the comments :)


BTW: 1lb from goal!!! WEE! I can totally get used to buying size 18 pants (or smaller!)

I'd like to curl up in a ball and sleep for 3 days!

I am SO tired and even more sore! Today's workout was very difficult to complete after my kettle bell beating.. I mean workout yesterday! This is our last week of heavy lifting the next 8 weeks we will be working on toning up (lower weights but more reps) and shredding (cardio). I'm SO looking forward to the shredding cause I have lots of fat I'd like to drop!!

My most exciting thing to share today. I went to Walmart to get a script for Gman and decided to pick out a new summer outfit like I did last year. I took in several 20's and a few 18's. I was not expecting much. I went in and tried the 18 shorts on first, just to be daring. They fit! I almost shrieked in joy right there in the dressing room LOL I also fit nicely into a 1x top. Still need some toning up top but seeing as I started over a year ago in a border line size 24 pants and a 3x top. I'm beyond thrilled!!! I thought I'd never see a size 18 so quickly!

Stats for this week's weigh in:

Weight: 234
Upper Arm: Still 11.75
Chest 41
Waist 37
Abs 42
Hips 45
Thigh 20
Lower Thigh 15
Body Fat  34%

Total lost this week: 5.5 inches and +1lbs. Down 1.5% body fat

Total lost since bootcamp: 7lbs and 18.25 inches

I'm surprised...

I didn't fall on my face, pass out or throw up today! If you ever want a challenging, difficult and awesome workout. Kettlebells is all I need to say. Holy crap! I really thought I wasn't going to make it through it LOL. I'm pretty sure my trainer was enjoying the torture today. I even told her that today (and maybe tomorrow) I don't really like her LOL That is how difficult they were.

We did circuit training with them which means no breaks. I did figure 8's between the legs,  double chest rows, shoulder presses, the basic kettlebell swing, squats,  uneven rows, and one leg dead lifts. OY! The Kettlebell swing burns about 400 calories  just in the 20 reps you do. The uneven rows were so hard! It's basically in push up form but you LIFT one hand at a time! The one leg dead lifts are similar but you stand and lift one leg behind you as you bend over. I'm really surprsied I didn't land on my face.

I just added this training to my sparkpeople tracker and in 50 mins I burned 1000 calories!!! It's definitely a killer work out!

food.. love it and hate it!

I have a major love hate relationship with food. I LOVE food. Unfortunately it's not always the healthy foods that I love.  That's where the hate comes in, portion control, not always eating what I want whenever I want. But I just have to remind myself  how I got to 275.  I got there by eating whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted and as much as I wanted.

Marianna provides us a weekly menu for bootcamp that makes eating simple. Except for the fact that I want to gag at the thought of eating broccoli and I won't touch fish with a 10ft pole LOL. Eating is my challenge. I could work out for an hour or more every single day and love every minute of it. It's addicting to me and it's something I enjoy! But watching what I eat? OY! I hate it! What's worse? I work in a convenience store. It's a battle every day not to eat a chocolate dunford donut. It's challenge not to grab a snickers bar or a bag of chips. I do my best to bring my lunch/dinner and occasionally breakfast with me. But sometimes life goes so fast I run out of time. Thankfully there are some healthy options and we seem to get more all the time but it's definitely something I really have to think about. I'm pretty sure I tell myself 500 times a day. You don't really need a 500 calorie donut. 99% of the time it works. Thank goodness I get 2 cheat days a week for that other 1%!

What is your food challenge and  how do you overcome it?

Zumba!

This is one of my favorite classes to take for cardio! For anyone that does not know what Zumba is it's an aerobic type dance class to Latin music. It includes cha cha, meringue, salsa, etc along with Reaggaton and hip hop too. It is SO fun that other than all the sweat you'd never know you were burning tons of calories! According to www.sparkpeople.com 1 hr of Zumba burns almost 700 calories!! I love it!

Last night was my first time going in awhile due to boot camp but it was a blast as always and the class was packed! If you ever get a chance to try it you should go at least once! The biggest thing with Zumba is to not worry about what everyone else is doing. Don't worry about who's watching. Let all your inhibitions go and just enjoy the music. It's Latin music.. there is some booty shaking and  hip shaking and body pumps. But they are fab for the core! You will work your abs just shaking those hips!!

Here's a video of one of the dances. They are very repetitive so if you don't pick it up right away don't worry just keep moving and try again the next time it comes around.

They say you should rest for a reason

After doing full body strength training you should always take a day off for your body to heal and to build stronger muscles. Unfortunately I have to work tomorrow so I had to do my bootcamp this morning 2 days in a row. yipes! My muscles were still tired from yesterday which made for even more challenging work out.

Today we used a combination of the bar, a step, free weights and the resistance band.

For those of you without a gym membership.. I am learning every day how many things you can do and get a GREAT work out with resistance bands! If all you invest in is those, some dumb bells and a stability ball for at home, you will be set to work out the entire body! Today we used them primarily to work the booty and inner thigh. You can make your own thigh master in just seconds with one of these. Sitting on the ground or a step..take your band and place under your lower thigh (just above the knee) and loop on handle through the other to make a circle. Wrap the "tail" around underneath and hold on to each side of the bands to avoid bruising.  Open and close your legs adjusting the band as necessary and you now have a thigh master! To change the muscles you use move your feet to lay on the sides and repeat the process.   Next lay on your back and move the band up to your calves and place legs in the air in a v and scissor them open and close. Adjust the resistance by pulling the "loop" tighter by the tail.  Just remember when  buying them.. each color has a different resistance and is harder/easier than another. So don't buy your favorite color ;)

After all this we did bench presses on the floor for what felt like forever. I'm surprised I didn't drop the bar on my head. Single hand chest flys and tricep extensions from chest to straight in the air (make sure just your elbow is bending). Then more killer crunches laying half way off the step so your hips are in the air.   Who needs buns or abs of steel when you have Marianne to push you til you can't move off the floor.

Thought of the Day

My friend posted this on her facebook and it's so true I had to share it!! It took me YEARS to feel like I really deserved all of this!

"You can BE, DO & HAVE anything you want, you just have to believe you will & that you DESERVE it!"

Now that we're caught up.. Week 3 Tues

 Alright we're caught up now and I hope to be able to blog daily so it is fresh in my memory.

Yesterday was a non workout day due to late start Mondays which interfere with kickboxing. So I just took the day off.

Today was a brand new day and a brand new butt kicking! We did more weight training but in new form. We did a few bicep curls with a normal hold and a wide grip. Then we did a circuit training (x2). Circuit training is quick but SO not easy! I got the easiest one to start with and then progressively got harder. Others started hard and went to easy (even though it wasn't easy when your arms are tired!).

Circuit one was a line of dumbbells ranging in size from 8lbs-25lbs. When you start (I started on 8) we did bent rows until  it was time to switch (about a minute). Then you moved to the next lighter weight or in my case.. the next station. Wall squats.. but not moving.. just sitting on the wall in squat form... for 3 rounds. OY! I'm surprised I could still stand up! The 3rd station was leg extensions. Yes after the squats then on to more bent rows. That was round 1. Then we did it again but of course we have to work out the left arm too!

Last part of the work out was the ball. I love the stability ball. I really do but man do my abs HURT! If you want a killer core work out use a ball! We worked every section of abs with a simple ball. Even the butt!

The best thing I can do is show you this video. It's similar to what we did.



To get the tops of those abs which can be difficult. Place one leg on the ball and one foot bent at the knee on the floor. Now take the hand opposite the leg on the ball and do a crunch up. touch the extended leg the other leg and down. The circular motion will really work those abs!!


This week's weigh in:
Weight: 233 4 more lbs gone!! 3lbs from my first goal

Measurements:

Upper Arms: 11.75
Chest: 42
Waist: 38
Abs: 44
Hips: 45
Thigh: 21
Lower Thigh: 15.5
Body Fat: 35.5%

Total inches lost. 6.5 inches and 1% body fat!

Week 2

I've decided Marianne is ruthless. She does not let you slack. She lets you go at your own ablility but she expects you to do the best at your own ability! Pushes you to do just one more push up, or one more sit up. Monday was kickboxing again. Tues was hell.

Tuesday was more weight training. Marianne has us build muscle for the first 4 weeks with a lot of strength training to help burn more calories later on.

This weight training was stuff I had never done before. It is called slow resistance training. Instead of doing your reps as fast as you can you do them 4 counts up, 4 counts down, but few reps. Then you increase the time to 8 up/down, and 10 up/down. Brutal. I'm pretty sure I nearly dropped the bar a few times.

The difference is that the muscles are exhausted - brought to momentary muscle failure - in fewer repetitions (reps) - as low as 5 per set. The result - 50% more strength (muscle) built in 8-10 weeks.

Slow military push ups... torture. I got yelled at for not having enough weight on my bar during squats :| At this point in the game you want the MOST weight you can absolutely do in 4 or 5 reps. I started out at 25lbs and ended up doing 30lbs. Not a lot difference but I could totally tell the difference! I guess I'm stronger than I give myself credit for.

Next up was a killer core work out. I admit I'm not very good at working on my core because it's weak. This was done with partners. I feel bad for the lady I was with.. she was a least double my age and I'm pretty sure she hated me the next day LOL But I was impressed that she lasted just as long as me and worked just as hard. We passed weights back and forth, did sit ups together, and were ready to keel over dead after whittling our waists away.

Weds I had more strength training with my trainer at Gold's. This was thankfully not slow resistance and although difficult because I was sore was a great workout doing basic chest presses, seated rows, leg press, calf extensions and triceps extensions.

Thurs was more hell of slow resistance training and more core training and some band training. Basically Tues lather, rinse and repeat.

Friday was supposed to be my non work out day after 4 days straight. However, I got an unexpected 1 hr workout at work changing a pump nozzle and hose. That should be in the boot camp program! LOL

Tues weigh in: Weight 237 lbs 4lbs GONE!

Measurements
Upper Arm 11.75
Chest 42
Waist 39
Abs 46
Hips 46
Thigh 22
Lower Thigh 16
Body Fat 36.5%

Total inches lost: 7.25 inches!!!

Week 1 Training

I continued with my normal routine of kickboxing at Gold's Gym on Monday. Tues was the first day of Boot Camp. HOLY work out!! Tuesday was a fitness test. We did a series of approximately 15-20 different excercises of each major muscle group to see where we started so we have another form to measure at the end of 12 wks. I can't even begin to name every exercise we did. I'm pretty sure I have a mental block from the trauma LOL. Basically it was as many reps as you could in 1 minute, included bicep curls, chest presses, tricep extensions, push ups, sit ups, leg lifts, etc. Killer!

Weds I spent in the hot tub I was so sore!! I work out regularly... 3-4 times a week but man was I sore!

Thursday was a cardio fitness test. I was still sore from Tues! This was similar to Tues but in cardio form. We checked our heart rate after every 30 second exercise. I did pretty well but was dieing by the end. I have 2 bone spurs in my foot and this was a very painful day for it. I did get through the test though. This test included, jumping jacks, jumping squats, squats, lunges, more sit ups, and more that again I'm pretty sure I have a mental block on.

Thus ended the first week of a major butt whooping!

Day 1

Wellness BootCamp for You

This is where I won my free session. I'm doing a little back tracking since I'm starting this blog late.

April 17th was orientation. I was weighed in and measured.

I weighed in at 241 lbs. 35lbs lost since Jan 09.

Measurements:
Upper Arm 12
Chest 43
Waist 40
Abs 48
Hips 47
Thigh 23
Lower Thigh 17

Jan 1 2009

This is the day that I began my real weight loss journey. I have done it off and on before and then I quit and I gain it all back and then some. I finally got to a point in my life that it was too much and I couldn't do it any longer. On Jan 1 2009 I weighed in at 275 lbs.


In 1 yr I had lost 30lbs and had kept it off. A huge accomplishment, the keeping it off part, for me!! I have just recently restarted actively losing weight and getting closer to my goal each time. My first goal was to lose 45lbs.


In April I attended the healthy women's conference (where I got to meet Ali Vincent, Biggest Loser's 1st female winner!) and entered a drawing for a free bootcamp session knowing I would never win. Much to my surprise, the next morning I received a phone call that I had won! I won a 12 week bootcamp session for FREE! Such an amazing opportunity and that is where I am starting in my journey.