Today I am working on......

With the recent big winter storm, broken toe, and Ben going to the urgent care(wicked spider bite was infected), my work out routine has been postponed. I also have been eating a lot of take out for dinners as we prepare for Dan to deploy. But, even with all this.......... I am trying to focus on the main goal. I think it is important to not beat myself up for not being perfect. Atleast I am still focused and trying right???? So for today this is what I am working on......

• Eating b-fast as soon as I wake up to get my metabolism going
• Eating every 2 - 3 hours
• With each meal eat some type of protein combined with healthy carb
• Cutting out fried foods, mayo, and butter
• Working on fist size portions and stop eating when I am full
• Making time for me (Me time)

And today, I scheduled my next training appointment's for Wednesday and Friday.

Tonight, I focus on keeping my toes and mind healthy by going to get a pedicure! I have not had one of these in a long time. I think it's important to take a break from life every once in awhile. Tonight is that night. Dan is taking Ben to the gym daycare while I go have a little girl time. Weeeeeeeee

Learn something new every day

Yesterday that something new was told to me by my trainer. This was very informative to me. Did you all know this?


Target Heart Rate -

(I did know this) If you stay below it while working out you might as well be sitting at home on the couch. Your body is not getting a true work out unless you hit your target heart rate.

(I did not know this) If you stay above your target heart rate for most of the work out, then you are burning off water not fat and defeating the whole purpose of working out! You are dehydrating yourself. WOW! And the whole purpose is to build muscle. Because, every pound of muscle gained helps burn fat quicker.

So for instance people that run marathons and are very skinny but still have loose skin...well this is the reason. So, I am going to really work on staying in my target heart rate!

My new favorite frozen lunch meal

I have been trying different frozen meals for lunches this past week. When I went to the grocery store frozen section, I decided that I would try some new frozen meals. In the past the frozen "diet" meals taste pretty bland to me. I like foods with spices and taste. And I don't want to be starving after I just ate lunch.

Immediately when I saw this little puppy in the freezer the name called out to me. I love the taste of lemongrass and coconut. Surprisingly, this meal filled me up and tasted really good. I highly recommend it. The food facts are below:

Nutrition Facts:
Serving Size: 1 entree (283g)
Servings Per Container: 1
Amount per Serving
%Daily Value
Calories 300
Calories from Fat 70
Total Fat 8g
12%
Saturated Fat 4g
20%
Trans Fat 0g
Cholesterol 10mg
3%
Sodium 680mg
28%
Total Carbohydrate 38g
13%
Dietary Fiber 7g
28%
Sugars 6g
Protein 18g
36%
Vitamin A
40%
Vitamin C
20%
Calcium
6%
Iron
10%

Yes, the sodium grams are pretty high. Just watch your intake for the rest of the day when eating this. I thought it was pretty healthy....we'll see if my trainer agrees.......

First meeting with trainer

What a great way to end my day. I just had my first meeting with a trainer at the gym. Not only will I get help with working out, but I will also get help with what food to eat and how much. I couldn't have received a better Hearts day present from my hubby!! Thank you Thank you Dan!
Also something great is that the trainer, is letting Dan train for free with me until he deploys. Super nice huh?!?!

Here are a few things that I learned.

• When eating use palm of hand portion sizes. Eat 4-6 times a day. Combine carb and protein with each meal. Include good fats with your meal. Avoid saturated fats.
• I was given a master food list of suggested foods. I will copy the list to the puter for you all to see. It also had a list of fats to avoid. Included in that list was butter, mayo, fried foods, and whole fat dairy products.
• Water Intake - drink 1 to 1 and a 1/2 gallons of water a day. More if consuming caffeine or diuretic products.
• Stay focused

Fats allowed:

Avocado, Sunflower seeds, Pumpkin seeds, cold water fish, natural peanut butter, low fat cheese, low fat salad dressings, low sodium nuts, olives, olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, flaxseed oil.

****So this work out and meeting with the trainer totally got me motivated to really get going...FOR REALS! And Dan is totally on board with me. So Dan decided that he is going to try and go 400 days without soda or caffeine. That is the length of his deployment. I said that I was going to join him on that. Especially since recently soda has really been bothering my stomach. And I also read a new study put out today that said, diet sodas were actually making people fatter!!! Agh! I am also kicking sugar for right now. I have been eating WAY too much sugar recently. So we will see how it goes!!

******So it's for real people...here I am your motivator.....ask me any questions and I will ask my trainer for ya!!! And for those of you that needed a kick in the pants...consider this your kick!

Tips and Tricks to really shed the pounds

So first let me say, I am in no way an expert on weight loss. If I was I would not be overweight.....or maybe it's that I lack self control...who knows? All I know is that in the past when I have really bit down and shed some weight, I was doing mulitple things to help the process. And here is that list just for you!

1. Make sure you immediately eat breakfast when waking up. This gets your metabolism going right away. I always had the tendency to put off eating. That led to famished, starving, and overeating.

2. Try not to obsess about food or constantly think about it. Yes, this can be very hard...especially during the holidays..... and whenever you turn on a television.....and when driving down the street.......you get the point. But the experts say that those who are on the thinner side tend to not see food as an immediate need. (I really need to work on this) Know that you will eat, you are not going to starve. (Yah, I really need to work on this)

3. WATER WATER WATER - You hear the stories of people dying from drinking too much water...this will 99% of the time not happen to you. Experts say that most people are dehydrating themself. I say try and get in atleast 64 oz a day and more if you are working out. I always have a water bottle filled up and within reach. I slowly sip through out the day. You know the rule right? If you feel thirsty then you are most likely already to the point of dehydrating your body.

4. I really limit my fast food. If you are serious about weight loss then Taco Bell or that type of fast food should not be in your weekly menu of food. If you are the type that can just have 1 bean burrito for lunch and be good then kudos to you. I on the other hand choose the soda and burritos with sour cream. So I just know for myself I have to stay away from fast food when being serious about losing weight.

5. Now, how to avoid the fast food.....always have your pantry and fridge filled with food that is good for you AND you will eat. You could have the healthiest food in your kitchen and not eat it once because it tastes gross. Make sure you find what works for you. For me it is fresh fruit, and veggies, quick, frozen and ready to steam veggies, whole wheat bread, brown rice, whole wheat spaghetti, healthiest spaghetti sauce possible, different flavored hummus, granola bars, soups, chili, tuna, canned chicken, frozen chicken, deli meats, peanut butter, fresh lettuce, pre bagged salads, string cheeses........these are some of the foods that are in my kitchen when I am eating healthy. Might sound normal. The key is what is not in my kitchen. No chips, candy, or ice cream. Some people say everything is fine in moderation. For me that is just not the case. If it's there, I will eat it and choose it over the healthier choices. So I just choose to keep it out of sight and out of mind. As the weight is coming off and I am on a good schedule with healthy eating and working out, then I might add in 1 cheat day a week. OR slowly bring in 1 low fat dessert like skinny cow or sugar free treats. Another great choice is the 100 calorie packs. Just eating one bag is my down fall though.....

6. Have a goal in mind of what you want to accomplish. Try not to get overwhlemed if you have a lot of weight to lose. According to the BMI(Body Mass index) chart I need to lose a whopping 70 pounds to be in healthy range. I can not look at the whole number and expect to reach it tomorrow. I really have to think 1-2 pounds of weight loss a week and I will be happy. Or even how I feel makes me happy. If I have more energy and do not feel like just sitting. That is a really big sign for me. It tells me I am eating food that is fueling my body for energy not weighing it down.

7. 3 meals a day, 3 snacks a day - plan it out ahead of time and you gain control of what you will eat and what you will not eat.

8. Exercise - you can not realistically expect to lose weight if you are not getting exercise in your daily routine. Whether it be walking, heavy housecleaning, elliptical, swimming, hiking a hill, or just staying off your couch for multiple hours at a time.......you have to exercise.

Okay enough for now. I just had this on my mind and thought I'd share it.

Bottom line is - I know for me what works and what doesn't. It's not just about one thing, it's combining multiple things and working them into your daily routine. Even though it is multiple things, small changes can make a big difference. For instance - when I take out soda and fast food from my daily schedule, I immediately notice a difference. So just find what works for you and stick to it and you will see those pounds start to shed.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Getting back in to the exercise routine

So yesterday was my first day back to the gym in....... I don't know how long!!!! I love Gold's Gym because Dan and I can work out together, and Ben can have his fun too at the playroom. We went last night and I had a good work out. It's like my body was starving for exercise.

First, Dan and I went to the Cardio cinema. The movie that was playing was Spiderman. The movie is a great distraction. I didn't hardly feel like I was working out. I warmed up on the elliptical for 10 minutes. Then I went over to the bike. Only lasted on that for 2 minutes. And then I went to the treadmill. Only lasted for 10 minutes. Then back to the treadmill for another 5 minutes. I guess it ended up being a circuit training work out. Work out, switch, work out, switch. It is suppossed to help you burn fat quicker. Of course I did not plan this.

Even though my body was starving for exercise, my body was feeling super heavy. It's like my body and spirit were not on the same page. Does that make sense? For many reasons I could have said, I will work out another day. My left foot has been KILLING me. I think I have a bone spur or something? It started a few weeks ago during vacation. I tried to ignore it and then I noticed myself limping. I bought those special gel inserts for my shoes. That didn't help. I might get it checked out soon if it doesn't go away. Anyhoo - the main point is that I could have said oh my foot hurts, I need new work out shoes before working out, or I ate too big of a lunch and I can't workout. Could have said all those reasons.....but I didn't. And for that I was proud of myself. It's about pushing yourself a little more each day in different ways. Today was just about getting back on that exercise horse...even if it was shorter than anticipated.

Well, after the cardio....... Dan and I went to the weight lifting area. I am a "firm"(no pun intended) believer in strength training. I notice a difference especially in my arms, back, and gluteus maximus when I strength train. Today I really wanted to focus on my arms and my back. I have really noticed those two things the most with not working out. I have started to get Oprah arms again. And my hump between my shoulder blades is back. And my posture is just down the tubes right now. Alright now that I have given you WAY too much information about me......

Do any of you have some good exercise moves for arms or back? Or do you have any good advice about how to stay motivated even when you just want to stay home?????

PS My exciting news of the day? I returned from el bano to find Dan talking to a personal trainer. I spoiled his surprise for my V-Day present. He was setting me up with a personal trainer for my Valentine's present!!!!! I had been hinting that I really could use some extra help with techniques and a healthy diet routine. (Heather - I dropped the line that James was so sweet to get you that for Christmas...hint hint hint....so thank you James...)

I'm back with the new year

Hello to all that are along for this crazy ride called weight loss. It is so tough isn't it? Well, not as tough as doing it alone. So let's work together and try and motivate one another.

What I have been up(or down) to............
I have been on a teeter totter with my weight loss since I last blogged. I moved from Hawaii to Utah. Made a stop in between to Cali. And road trip food is SO not my friend. Then found out that Dan was deploying to Iraq and lost my appetite. Dan went to a 3 week training in California to prepare for deployment and in that time period, I lost 15 pounds. I just plain and simple lost my appetite. I still ate.....just not nearly the amount I had been eating. Then Dan came back and we enjoyed the holidays, moved places, and took a 3 week road trip to Az and Cali. As you can imagine, all the weight I had lost....... slowly crept back up on me. Now I am home, and ready to get my body healthy.

I have had enough sugary foods and soda to last me a lifetime. I am seriously deprived of green veggies and fresh fruit. And if I see another poptart or potato chip, I misht lose it. I am SO ready to eat healthy portions of food. And don't even get me started on lack of exercise!!!!

So here we go......who's with me???????