Update time!

So I realized today (when my friend Kim reminded me-thanks Kim!) that I have a blog. And I haven't been blogging. So here's what has been happening in my "working on being a MILF" world.  I hit a BIG milestone--50lbs LOST! WOOOOOO HOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! Everyone keeps asking me what I am doing. Well here's the big "secret"...... EAT HEALTHY AND EXERCISE! Yup that's it. No crazy fad diets or powders or pills. Just made up my mind to do it and DID IT! I have worked very very hard to get to where I am now. I count my calories religiously. If I eat a BITE of something, I log it. I use an app called "my fitness pal" to keep track of everything I eat every day. I'm not perfect, I have a cheat meal here and there but I don't go crazy. I am really focused on getting to my goal ASAP because once I am there I can incorporate the "fun" foods again, but in moderation. I exercise six days a week. I run outside, go to the gym, do Zumba, something.  I make sure I move at least an hour a day (and when I say move I am sweating my booty off!). I use an armband called Body Media Fit (like the Body Bug they use on Biggest Loser) so I know how many calories I burn a day. That way I know how much to eat. I'm trying to lose 2lbs/week so I need to keep a 1000 calorie deficit each day. Example-if I burn 2500 calories in a day I can eat up to 1500 calories a day. If I stick to this formula, I lose 2lbs/week. So simple yet at times so hard too. I don't always make my goal. But I don't give up and I won't till I'm done!

f****** period.

Being a woman is so unfair at times. Aunt Flo is on her way to town and of course that means massive water retention which interferes with my weight loss and makes me think I've actually gained weight. It also makes me wanna run for chocolate and fast food! Then I calm down and get over it.  So for the next week I won't really know if I'm losing, staying the same or what. GRRRRR!!!!!

Another Catch Up :)

Well I guess I've been busy ignoring my poor little blog and losing weight! Woot woot! I am now down all the baby weight plus some extra for a total of 42lbs lost! YAY! I feel great! I am so excited about this journey I'm on, especially now that I'm in the home stretch :)  It's within reach and I will not stop till I am at my goal....which is to be a healthy, active FIT mama! I don't have a specific number settled on but a range in where I think I'll be happy. My doctor told me he thought 17 more lbs and I will be there but I think maybe a little more. We'll see. (and the number I told him he said is healthy too. just might be hard to get to since I haven't been there in a VERY LONG TIME!)

I notice in my last post I was raving about the elliptical trainer....I have since changed my tune! I started to wear my BMF again (it's like a body bugg) and WOW! That evil machine DOES NOT BURN SHIT FOR CALORIES!!!! So I am back walking outside. I can walk really fast for an hour, go a little over 4 miles and burn 500 calories. I can even JOG some! (for those that know me well, running is something I DO NOT DO!!!!)

I'm pretty proud of myself. Weight loss isn't that difficult. Just takes time, patience and dedication. You really have to want to make a change. And I do. So I am :)

Catch Up Post!

Well once again I have been slacking on my blog. Shame on me! Lots of things going on here. Currently my legs HATE me for starting up an old relationship with the elliptical trainer. Can you say jello? They ache so much I almost don't want to go to sleep 'cause I'm sure it won't feel any better in the morning. Thank goodness for ibuprofen! When I first got on the machine, I thought "There is no way in hell I will make it 6 minutes on this thing let alone 60 minutes! How did I ever do this before?!?!" 15 minutes later I found my stride and stuck it out the entire hour! Go me! I also cannot believe I haven't been using the damn machine sooner. How could I have forgotten what a major calorie burner this baby is?!?! My daily 3 mile walk was burning somewhere in the neighborhood of 240 calories and took me 50 mins. 1 hour on my long lost BFF burns 779 calories! Incredible! It's funny the things you forget.

I've been a little discouraged with my progress lately and it caused me to have a cheat meal. Just one meal though and surprisingly it really didn't do any damage. I know this because I have a problem. A BIG problem. My big problem is I am addicted to the scale. I weigh myself EVERY morning. I know I shouldn't but I simply can't stop. It's like my version of heroin. I just can't quit. I NEED to know what my weight is and see my progress or lack of progress. And I know weight fluctuates daily. It's just so frustrating sometimes! Up one day, down the next and all I want to see is DOWN. I was complaining about it to my hubby when he asked me where I was overall. So I stopped bitching and checked my log. Since Oct 2nd (when I started keeping my log) I have lost 8lbs. I thought, "That's IT??" Then I thought about what today's date is and realized I have lost 8lbs in 3.5 weeks! Major upper! That's a little more than 2lbs/week! I'm so close to my first goal! 2 more lbs and the baby weight is gone! Then 5 more lbs and I will weigh what I did on our wedding day! Then it's seriously GAME ON.

Feelin' good :)

I finally feel like I am back on track! Been eating well and drinking more water and have started walks again. I found a really great (and free) app on my phone that I can enter in what I eat and it tracks my calories for me so that's a big help. Almost all of my bad cravings are gone (except you evil delicious Starbucks and your yummy fall drinks). I looked into some yoga or pilates classes but the monthly fees were a little pricey so I got a couple different dvds to do instead. Much cheaper. I am so ready to be rid of my extra lbs and to shop for a new wardrobe! Weekly weigh in tomorrow!

soup

I'm so happy that fall is finally here. Tired of the hot Vegas summer and ready to move on! Plus I love my fall wardrobe so much more than my summer one :)  Another reason I love fall is SOUP! I know, I know, you can eat soup anytime of year. Not me. There is just something about hot soup in the hot summer that doesn't work for me. Can't do it. Same thing with hot coffee. But I'm getting off track here. I just had the most filling lunch ever and it included soup! Progresso light soups are actually pretty tasty and very LOW in calories. A whole can of italian style vegetable soup is 140 calories! So that plus a yogurt (100 cals) and a sandwich (190) makes a 430 calorie lunch that feels like a 1000 calorie feast! Happy full tummy :)

Got a new game plan!

The kiddos are momentarily occupied so I thought I'd get a quick post in! I have my plan of attack all worked out. I am going to do at least one physical activity (aside from chasing the babies around) every day, with Sunday being my rest day. Monday, Wednesday and Friday the hubs and I will either go on a walk or ride our bikes. Tuesday and Thursday will be lifting weights and Saturday with be either yoga or pilates. Sounds good right? Send me all your positivity to keep it up! Shooting for a loss of 15lbs (or more if I'm really good) by turkey day!

one long post :)

I know I said I was going to try and blog more (which I still plan on!) but now that my little Noah is very mobile it has become harder than I thought it would be. He is constantly into everything, especially if I so much as LOOK at my computer or phone! The only time I get to myself now is when my boys are tucked in for the night. After that I'm cleaning up the house or catching up on my shows....but I WILL try to get a couple entries in here and there. 

Ok so where did I last leave you? It has been a not so great week. I know, I know I was all about the 10 weeks of strictness....yeah I already screwed that one up! Possibly even the same day I blogged! Ooops! I feel like I am full of all these great plans and intentions and then BAM! I let myself slip too easily. I don't know why I do it. I really honestly want to make healthy life changes and stick with them but sometimes my willpower sucks ass, plain and simple. 

I need to get back to the little things. Make a daily mini goal and achieve it. Then have two daily mini goals. And so on. I'm using the hubby's cheat days as an excuse to cheat and I really should not be doing that because he is almost at the end of his journey and into the maintenance phase, while I am pretty much at the beginning. In case you're wondering why hubby is so far ahead, we started out doing this together and then I got pregnant again and had to abandon the diet. Maybe another baby is in order.....KIDDING!!!!

I did hang the swimsuit above my scale so I can see it every day as a motivator. I also bought a really cute dress that doesn't fit (on sale for $20! thanks H&M!) and I want to be able to wear it this June in Mexico to our friends' wedding. It is also hanging up where I will see it every morning. I am trying to keep these things in my mind whenever I feel like overindulging so that maybe they can help stop me. 

I forgot to weigh myself wednesday like I had planned but I'm sure it wasn't good. I was right about retaining water weight from vacation (I was down 3lbs) but the bad days I had probably just added those right back. I think I will weigh myself tomorrow just to see where I am. I can't believe Noah is almost 8 months old and I STILL have baby weight! AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH! So frustrated with myself :(  

On a more positive note, I am so happy the weather is cooling off FINALLY! Walks are back! It just got too damn hot to take the babies on walks during the day and hubby was working nights so I didn't want to walk by myself after dark. Now he's on graves and we can go when he gets home at 10:30am. I am also going to start incorporating some light weight lifting a couple times a week and thinking about pilates too. I have a pilates dvd that I bought and have never done so maybe I'll give it a whirl. Or at least watch it ;)

Football is gonna be tough...

I truly love football. I spend all season in front of the tv for college and pro. LIVE for football season. I realized today how sad this year is gonna be for me. In the past, hubby and I would watch the games with bloody marys, baileys & coffee or red beers and make a HUGE yummy breakfast. Something like potatoes, eggs, pancakes and sausage. Then for the afternoon/evening have some chili or beef stew in the crockpot and bake some cornbread with butter and honey. Not this year though :(

I don't know how I will make it through but I will find a way! I cannot wait to be at my goal so that next football season I can have some naughty days! Damn you delicious high calorie drinks and meals!

Is it Thanksgiving yet?

Back on track!

OK readers (Stacy&Cara...lol), no more messing around! GAME ON! No more excuses.  All the bdays and vacays and stuff are OVER so Hubby and I have both started 10wks of no cheating, eating healthy and exercising. This will bring us to Thanksgiving and let's be honest. There will be no dieting on Thanksgiving. PUMPKIN PIE!!!!!

Napa was a wonderful anniversary trip but the over indulging really got the best of me. Starbucks every morning, eating out every meal and all the wonderful wine tastings....ready???.....8 FREAKIN POUNDS GAINED!!!! WTF??!!??!! I gained more damn weight in 6 days of Napa than 2 weeks of eating pizza everyday in Iowa! How the hell does that make any sense?

Oh well it's over and I enjoyed every bite and sip so now it's time to just deal with it. I don't think I gained 8 true lbs though because the first day I went back to my healthy low cal, low fat diet I immediately dropped 1lb. I think all the sodium from the food & drinks was causing me to hang on to some serious water weight. We shall see next wednesday on my first "back to healthy living weigh in"!!!!

Here's to Cancun!

Sheesh! I didn't realize it had been this long since my last post! Well here goes. The truth is I haven't been a very good blogger lately because I haven't been a very good eater. I have not gained any weight but been maintaining. I DID lose all the vacation weight gain though! I just have been having a hard time with the motivation thing. Nothing is working. Plus we've had so many things going on, which have been my excuses for having naughty meals. So I've decided to once again mentally prepare myself for another strict 8 week segment of healthy eating and exercise AFTER we get back from Napa! This has always worked for me in the past so I'm hoping it will work again. That and the swimsuit I found in my drawer that I have never worn and would really really love to wear in Cancun this June! I am going to hang it up above my scale so I can see it every morning and hope that it works some magic on my brain :)

good day!

Yay! First day since vacation I haven't had an uncontrollable urge to binge! I might finally be getting back on track. Or maybe it's because I didn't leave the house and temptation never crossed my path. Either way.....YAY! I spent my day cleaning and playing with my babies :)  I'm really going to focus this week on losing 2lbs, even if the hubby decides to have a bad day. I WILL NOT JOIN HIM! 4 more weeks till Napa so maybe I can lose my final 2lbs of vacation weight and 6 more? Game on!

I will be good today...I will be good today...

This is my mantra for the day. I am going to get back on track for success. No more ice cream! It's early but so far I am on track! Healthy breakfast, been doing some housework, playing with my babies. Now time to run some errands and stay away from bad snacks while out and about! I will NOT get a mocha coconut frappuchino OR a chocolate chip cookie from starbucks! I WILL get a zero calorie iced passion tea! Every time I feel tempted I need to remember to look at my babies and think about being a healthy active mama for them! They deserve it and I owe it to them and myself!

Snacky snacky

All I seem to want to do lately is snack all day long. Nothing bad like fast food or cookies but I can't seem to stay out of the pantry or refrigerator. Not sure why but it doesn't help me reach my weekly goals. I feel like I have lost the momentum I had going before vacation. And I guess some of my motivation as well. I still have 2lbs of vacation weight to go. I'm a tad disappointed in myself for not having lost all of it already. I'm not in a rush or anything, I want to continue to lose at a slow healthy pace but sheesh! I just need to get back on track already!

OK bad mama, no more...

So it seems I opened a flood gate of naughty snacking when I gave in and had that sundae on Sunday. (ha ha that sounds funny!) Not only did I have that bad day, then as previously reported we had pizza last night. And Ben & Jerry's. And now today I had a full flavor, full fat mocha coconut frappuchino AND chocolate chip cookie. WTF is wrong with me?!?! This crap needs to STOP. No more bad snacks. I think it's time to get the strict frame of mind back on track. It seems to be the only way for me to be successful. No more blaming the hubs or "that time of month"! I didn't have to eat the pizza or ice cream or Starbucks. I honestly wasn't even craving any of it. It was just there. I know I can do this, I've done it before. I need to keep making my small goals and keeping them in the front of my mind. NAPA TRIP! NAPA TRIP! C'mon Clark get with it :)

Bad hubby!

I'm thinking that the hubs is not a good influence lately. He called on his break today to tell me that he ate delicious bad food so he's picking up pizza for dinner tonight. And I said OK??!!?? Where did my willpower formerly made of steel go?? I don't really even want pizza but I know I will eat it. Aaarrrggghhh!

naughty night

Well pooh! I was naughty last night! But I'm not mad at myself for it. Know why? Cause it's not the end of the world. I know that it's just a minor slip and I am right back on track today :)  I had a healthy breakfast and lunch and then came the triple berry sundae at Sam's Club. So I figured might as well have a dinner I'll really enjoy along with that and had Chili's big mouth bites. I enjoyed every bite too. I deserve a treat every now and then and as long as I am good 99% of the time I can have them.

I'm back Stacy :)

All right! Time to stop being a BAD blogger! And a bad dieter as well. I haven't been so strict since getting home so my vacation weight is coming off very very slowly. Been home for almost 4 weeks and have only lost 4 of the 6lbs I gained. I guess a loss is still a loss but I had hoped to have it all off by now and be on track to losing 10 additional pounds before our anniversary trip to Napa. Oh well I will just have to get over that and readjust my goal! My new weigh in day is Wednesday so we'll see where I am at this week and make a new Napa goal at that time! I better not gain 6lbs in Napa though!

arrrggghh vacation!!!!

Well I knew it would happen. Vacation fun got the best of me. Ate & drank whatever I wanted for 2 whole weeks and gained 6lbs! Boo! Oh well. Time to get back on the healthy eating track for another 8 weeks. Why 8 weeks? NAPA!!!! It's our 5yr anniversary trip and I'm not gonna behave there either :)  My 8 week goal is to be rid of the 6 vacation pounds and hopefully 10 extra. That's 2lbs/wk. Kinda a tough goal but I'm going to give it my best shot! I don't feel bad about the vacay weight though cause I knew it would happen....and it's vacation!!!! Who the hell wants to diet on vacation?!?!? Not this chick! (obviously)

5 more to go!

2 more lbs! Grand total of 20 lbs lost! 5 more and the baby weight is GONE! As much as I am looking forward to vacation, I really really hope I don't blow all of this hard work too badly. It's gonna be a challenge that's for sure. I think as long as I don't go CRAZY (bad food wise) and manage to get some exercise in I should be ok. Or at least that's the plan!