Ready, Set, GO!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR! It's been a couple of months since I've posted, so here's a quick update: I'm down 65 pounds and surpassed my goal of being below 200 by Christmas. I am VERY excited about that.

Since most of you probably made New Year's resolutions, here are mine:

Lose the remaining 55 lbs by May 12
Streamline my blog
Continue to become a better me

Now, for the REAL point of this post. I've received a plethora of emails, texts, phone calls, and DMs, all from friends asking, "How did you do it?" And, since SO many people make it their New Year's resolution to lose weight, I thought I would reiterate a few things that have helped me along the way.

First, I will make this VERY clear... YOU have to WANT to lose weight and be healthy. There is no one else that can make this decision except for you. You have to do it for you, and not for anyone else. That's how I started, and that's how I've continued. I made the decision to do it, and as I saw the changes, I've been too excited to stop!

TIP 1: I began this journey by purchasing a scale. The first weigh-in was a tear jerker, mostly because I knew that I had a long road to travel. Don't look at the overall weight loss goal. Make smaller goals inside of the larger ones. If you need to lose 50 lbs, make a goal of 2 lbs a week.

TIP 2: Next, I looked at my expensive, pocket-sized computer known as an iPhone, and decided to put it to use. The apps I downloaded were Lose It!, Fitness Pro, and iTreadmill. Each of these apps does something different, but the one used most often was and still is Lose It!. It tracks calorie intake, calories burned, and provides a graph that tracks your weight. Utilize the technology that you have, you won't regret it. 

TIP 3: For me, I completely eliminated all things tempting from my diet. I know that I have the tendency to over-indulge in my favorite things. I'm not a sweets lover, but a carbs lover. I love pasta, bread, and cheese. So, I eliminated them, unless I found a healthy version. I also measured every morsel that entered the Black Hole attached to my face. Over time, I have re-introduced those things, because I have a better understanding of portion control. Which, leads me to the next tip.

TIP 4: PAY ATTENTION TO NUTRITION LABELS!!!!! I can't stress this enough. Packages of Ramen Noodles? Yeah, they're TWO servings, not one. If you eat the whole package, you're actually consuming 380 cals, not 190. Also, that's 1600mg of sodium. WHOA!!!! If you're not going to count calories, I would highly recommend measuring your food. You will be surprised how much you're actually eating.

TIP 5: Exercise. Period. I don't care if you walk to the mailbox and back 10 times, if you really want to burn fat, you have to get up and MOVE. I have access to a gym, but if you don't, there are SO many at home options to choose from. And, yes, there are going to be plenty of days you'll whine because you don't want to go.

TIP 6: Advertise what you're doing. I announced it to everyone, no matter how ridiculous I felt. I posted it on Facebook and Twitter. I told coworkers, friends, family, and even strangers. When people know what you're up to, they can help hold you accountable, which you'll need. Trust me. My Facebook peeps have yelled at me electronically on more that one occasion to get my butt up and out the door. It works!

TIP 7: Don't obsess over the numbers on the scale. This one is hard, but important. Nothing is more frustrating than working your butt off all week, only to see no difference in the numbers. That is why you should not depend solely on the scale, but take your measurements as well. Keep a journal, and write them down.

TIP 8: If you do find that your weight has plateaued (and it probably will), then it's time to fool your body. Our body's don't like change. If you do the same workout for weeks without any changes, your body will begin to maintain. The same applies to your diet. If you eat more on Monday, then eat a little less on Tuesday.

TIP 9: Do what works for you. I did my homework when I started, because I wanted to know what actually worked. I didn't believe in the miracle pills, because I tried them in the past. Evaluate the amount of time you have to devote to exercise, even if you have to break it up into 20 minute workouts 3 times a day, it's what works for YOU.

TIP 10: Water. I don't need to preach on this one. You know what you're supposed to do, now do it!! Also, your body uses more energy (calories) when it has to digest ice cold water. So, bottoms up!!

I want to thank each of you for all of the support and encouragement you've provided thus far. I know I wouldn't be this light physically, mentally, or emotionally, without you. I'm excited for 2011 and everything it has to offer. If at any point during your journey you have questions about something I've done, please ask! If you want to follow me on Twitter, I'm fitbound11. Good luck, and Happy New Year!

Ready, Set, GO!

Saggy Panties and Wedding Gowns

A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I celebrated our five year anniversary. Around this time, I was bouncing through the house, and had an idea. I wonder, will my dress still fit?

I couldn't resist. I HAD to try it on. I ran through the house to my bedroom, and dug to the back of my closet. I was like a small child at Christmas, tearing into that really, really, big box under the tree. I slipped in the dress, reached behind me, and zipped it up. And I laughed. Uncontrollably. As did my husband.

Now, just in case you can't tell, the dress is huge. I discovered that I can slip out of the entire bodice of the dress, without unzipping it. (Please excuse my ponytail and lack of makeup, I had just finished housework). After our laugh, my husband made the comment that most women no longer fit into their dresses, and mine is falling off. How awesome is THAT?!

The picture above is a closeup of my shoulder. It shows the distance between, my shoulder and the strap. Obviously, I was enjoying my new discovery.

A few days before the wedding gown discovery, I discovered something else. Saggy undies. Yup. While looking at my profile in the mirror, I looked down and noticed something; my underwear no longer made contact with my butt. HA! And when I say saggy, I mean there was 3-4 inches hanging. I've had to buy smaller shirts, pants, bras, and even shoes. Why on Earth did I not think about underwear? Once again, my husband was there to make jokes... and inform me that my undies were unacceptable. Agreed.

I'm at the point of my journey that I'm having a lot of fun. I'm still adjusting to the compliments, and people asking "where did you go?". I still change clothes several times each morning trying to find something in my closet that isn't ridiculously large. I still grunt, sweat, and ache with each workout. I still try to push my body further than it's been pushed before. And, most importantly, I still can't wait to look in the mirror when I've reached the end of my life changing journey.

Taking The Good With The Bad

Last Friday, a thoughtful man (insert sarcasm) totaled my car for me. This has been a HUGE stress on me. I have cried approximately 51 times because of this. I'm an analyzer by nature. I think about every statement, and action... and then I break it down. So, my head has been going CRAZY this week. As it stands, I still haven't been offered a rental, and no settlement has been reached. This is all because the man who hit me refuses to give his statement to the insurance company, and we now have to wait on the police report. Awesome! What does this have to do with weight loss? Stress is a killer on the body!

Everyone reacts differently to stress. Some eat until they are so full, they can't remember why they were stressed to begin with. Others quit eating, or eat so little that they drop LOTS of weight. Neither way is ideal, for obvious reasons. How does my body react? I'm not hungry when I'm stressed, but it seems when I do eat, my body hangs on to EVERY SINGLE CALORIE.

I have bounced all over the scale this week. Now... before you fuss, I know that you should really only weigh yourself once a week. But, I was curious to see what this stress was doing. I've gone up, I've gone down.. and repeat. So, I'm going to NOT over-analyze the week. I've made less than ideal meal choices, but have worked out as much as possible. Because, "Exercise gives you endorphins. Endorphins make you happy. Happy people just don't shoot their husbands, they just don't." -Legally Blonde

Motivation

There's a lot of discussion about motivation. This is what I hear most often from people: "I just don't have any motivation." Really? There's not one single thing that you can think of to motivate you? NOTHING?

I sat down trying to figure out the key to MY motivation? Is it my daughter? My husband? My health? My vanity? What actually made me start this journey? Then I remembered this: My daughter's 4th birthday pictures. When I saw them, I wanted to cry. What happened to me? At what point did I just give up? I'm not sure, but I knew one thing had to change, and that was ME.



So, after a lot of tears, I got moving. The pictures below are a couple of weeks old, so I've lost even more. But, I am SO very proud of myself. For me, getting started was hard. Once you start, though, you become a freight train. You SEE the progress. You FEEL the progress. And, you don't want to stop. My husband (the photographer) is a lot taller than me, so these aren't the best pics to show how much I've lost. Hopefully, you can see the difference from the first picture. I know I feel 50+ pounds lighter! I often joke about my obsession with weight loss and exercise. I just love it! For me, seeing and feeling the changes in body are the motivation that keep me going. Is it easy? Of course not! But, the pros definitely exceed the cons. I think that everyone has it in them. They just truly have to WANT it, and make it a priority. If it isn't a priority, you'll never reach your desired goal. Don't let lack of motivation be your excuse or your way of life.

Sayonara!!!

FINALLY! I have been trying to get to 50 lbs for the last week. I hit 49, and then nothing. I was peeved. Really? 49? I can't have that ONE more pound? Of course not. This week, I was on a mission. Come Hell or high water, I was losing that extra pound. And, so I did. =)

Yesterday, I actually pushed myself harder than I've pushed in a long time. I made myself do 3 extra miles on the elliptical, and as a result, burned more calories than I had consumed for the day. I was burning into the previous day's caloric intake. Hmm... probably not the wisest decision. But, I ate a large healthy dinner when I left the gym.

So, today I sit at a 52 pound weight loss. I'm not finished yet, but I think I just topped the first mountain... and the view from here is incredible.

Motivate Me!

I have recently started "following" (sounds creepy, I know) a group of women that each have a blog. Their blogs are about their daily lives as women, mothers, and wives. But, they are mostly about living a healthy lifestyle. These 6 women known as the "Big 6," have thousands of followers, all of which are from many different walks of life. These women set out to inspire, to be honest about their daily struggles, to tell it how it is.

This made me think... Where would I be without my online support group? Would I have lost 49 pounds without them? Maybe. Probably not. As someone who's addicted to social networking sites, I love that I can post when I'm frustrated, or don't feel like going to the gym, and my friends tell me to get out there and do it! Sometimes, we all need a little extra motivation. I LOVE THIS! I can always count on others that are in a similar situation of trying to improve their bodies, to encourage, motivate, and once again, tell me how it is.

I challenge myself on a daily basis to make the best choices to meet my weight loss goals. I challenge you to do the same. Because, together, we can kick butt and finally reach the finish line...one mile (or pound) at a time.

Can You Make That A Large?

I have resorted to raiding other people's closets. Let me explain.

All of my clothes are too big. This isn't a complaint...just something I didn't think about when I began this journey. In the last five months, I've gone through three wardrobes. In the last two months, I've purged my closet of three large trash bags of clothes. I've also had to replace shoes, because apparently my feet shrank! This causes mixed feelings for a couple of reasons. I am THRILLED that they no longer fit. It means I am moving down another size, but it causes a little apprehension as well. What am I going to wear?

As I get smaller, and my clothes appear to grow, I look sloppier and sloppier. For those of you that don't know, I work in a professional office setting. I don't have the option of wearing jeans or sweats to work. I have no uniform. It's me, the department store, and whatever business attire I can find. If someone could donate a few thousand dollars to the "Ang's Clothing Fund," it would be greatly appreciated. Just to give you an idea of what I deal with, I changed clothes four times this morning. Clothes that were a bit "snug" last winter, are now so large, I wouldn't be caught dead in them, much less in my office.

Here's how the raiding has gone: I call friends and ask if they have clothes I can borrow. Many are more than willing to rid their closets of items they no longer wear, or no longer fit. I get free clothes, and they get a cleaner closet.

Recently I was asking my mother if she had any gym clothes I could borrow. My mom and I work out together as much as possible, so she's losing weight as well. She pulled some adorable pants out, and handed them to me. I looked at the size: LARGE. Um, yeah... I don't think so. I can't fit into those!! But, I tried them on. They fit!! I was shocked and ecstatic all in the same breath. To go from a 2X to a Large in 5 months is so overwhelming for me. I'm happy, feel great, and ready for more (or less, depending on how you look at it).