Saturday, April 30, 2011

This is just funny

Check out this article I saw on MSN. It's about crazy fitness things that celebs have endorsed that are no good! It is pretty funny. Some of the things on there I've never even heard of!



Despicable Celebrity Weight Loss Endorsements

Friday, April 29, 2011

People make the strangest excuses

Janelle was telling me a story yesterday about 2 ladies she was talking to at the gym. She was training someone and just started talking to these other ladies that happen to be in the gym at the same time. 


I guess these ladies are a little older than her and I; so 30's, maybe 40's. Heck, maybe older. I'm not sure who they are. Janelle says I would know them if I saw them. 


So, these ladies are complaining about working out, how hard they are working, and not losing any weight. Janelle, as a trainer, asks the obvious; "What are  you eating?" They have a little conversation about who knows what and they are just really pessimistic about everything she is saying. 


Janelle then mentions me. She asks if they have seen me with her and says that I've lost a lot of weight. I guess the know who I am. (I mean really, as much time as we spend at the gym, I'm sure a lot of people know who I am.) Janelle gives them some info about me and what her and her husband have me doing. You know; workouts, meal plans, multivitamins, water, sleep, etc.


One of the ladies then says, "How old is she?" Janelle tells them I'm 28, and then the lady says, "Well she's young. She has a high metabolism. I can't lose weight. I'm too old." 


I think Janelle basically told them there was nothing she could do for them if that was the attitude they were going to have. She did tell them that I've been working my butt off for a year and a half and putting in a lot of hard work and sticking to workouts and meal plans and all that kind of crap.


Here was my response to Janelle after that, "If my metabolism was so high, how in the eff did I end up so friggin' overweight?" I know that's kind of a loaded question and I know the answer to it, but I don't think I would have been as overweight if my metabolism was as high as these ladies made it out to be! I guess me and my high metabolism were just sitting around eating 5000 or more calories a day!


Here's my other thoughts on it. These ladies just don't want to put in the work. I don't buy that "I'm too old" bs. I read a lot of blogs of people that say they are in their 40's and 50's and they have all lost quite a bit of weight. Do you know why the have lost weight? They have put in a lot of work, effort, and energy. The stopped making excuses, and made the needed changes, just like me. 


I can't believe that Janelle even talked to them and that once she did they blew her off. I mean, a personal trainer giving you free advise? Who would still act like they know more than her in that situation? Apparently 2 ladies who still want to make excuses. 

Thursday, April 28, 2011

I thought these things would happen....

The other day one of my best friends and I were talking about weight loss, eating, working out, etc. It wasn't a very serious conversation, because we can't be serious around each other so there was a lot of joking going on as this was all happening. 


Anyway, she was telling me that when she puts on a little weight it goes right to her belly and hips. I was making fun of her because I wasn't sure what "weight" she had put on. Then she told me that when she loses weight it goes away in her belly, hips, and chest first. 


I had to stop her there, because I hear that a lot. I hear people say they always lose it from their chest right away. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I was hoping for the weight to drop from my chest. I wanted it to get small and get small fast! That didn't happen at all! I'm still a little bitter about that! 


There are plenty of ladies out there that were upset about their shrinking chests and I'm upset about my non shrinking chest! I have lost only one cup size. They do look smaller, but not small enough! 


I was telling my friend about this issue that I'm having with the chest and she was cracking up. She has long since made fun of me for my chest size and often in the past tried to use them as a cup holder for her beers....no joke, and she's not the only one. 


I told her the other thing that I wanted to happen with weight loss was for my skin to clear up. I've heard so many other people say that once they lost weight it helped their skin clear up. I'm not gonna lie, I was looking forward to that happening. I've always had bad skin. I have to work really hard to keep it clear. Mine did not clear up and in fact, I think it's getting worse!


I told her the two things I wanted, "Damnit! I want small, perky boobs and nice skin. Not the skin of a greasy teenager!" Neither of these things have happened and they were on the top of my "want" list for this weigh loss. Maybe I'll have to go see a dermatologist and I know I'll see a plastic surgeon about the boobs. I'm not coming this far to not get what I want!  

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

It doesn't happen in a minute

I ran into an old friend last night. He told me that I looked good. My only response was, "I've lost a lot of weight." He asked how I did it and I explained, quickly, what I was doing. I told him I've been working on this for about a year and a half. His response, "It's about time people realize that this shit takes time. You can't just do say, I'm going to do P90X for 3 months and be super fit forever. You have to go slow and maintain."


Now, I hear Zach and Janelle say that all the time, and I think it's true, but when you see someone else (who isn't a personal trainer) it really sinks in. I'm glad I ran into this guy because he helped me get back on track. Obviously, he doesn't know that he has helped me get back on track, but he did. 


I was hitting a wall. I'm still doing everything that I'm supposed to, but I was just getting frustrated for the first time in 16 months. 


I'm doing this on my own (obviously with the help of Zach and Janelle and the support of friends and family though). I thought about surgery, but I don't think I ever could have done it. I would have had to make more changes that I was willing to make. I also think that I need this to be a long process so I remember what a difficult task it was to get to a healthy weight. This way, when I think that I want to eat a bunch of junk and not workout, I'll remember where I started and I never want to get back to that! I've had a lot of time to think about things, try new things, and change things through this whole process. 


I'm not saying that my way is better than any other way, it's just the way that works for me and I'm glad it's what I'm doing. Everyone else had to make their own decisions and I'm sure they have all come to the best decisions for themselves. 


Also, to me I feel more impressed with myself that I'm sucking it up and doing this hard work. I feel like this is one of the more challenging things I've dealt with in my life and I'm pretty proud of myself for doing this. 

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Face

Lately more people have been noticing the weight loss. I understand that it's pretty dramatic these days, but I think it's really because my face has really changed. I've even noticed the change. 


So, I think it's odd because I didn't think my face had that much to lose; kinda like my hands and feet, which are also shrinking. I was looking at a picture from the end of January, and my face was really puffy. Then I was looking at a picture from the other day and my face looked, well skinny, and I think my neck is thinner. I think it's pretty awesome. 



January 2011
April 2011
Last weekend....April 2011





Monday, April 25, 2011

What a weekend.

A friend that I haven't seen in over a year came to town over the weekend. Needless to say, I have obviously lost a lot of weight since I last saw her. She knows that I've been working on this. She was still living here when I started this whole weight loss thing and she reads this blog, so I'm sure she's smiling ear to ear right now. 


Anyway, when I walked into the bar and we saw each other, it was pretty awesome. She was shocked. I know she was. She was full of compliments. My favorites of the night being, "I've seen pictures, but they don't do you justice," and, "I hate to tell you this, but the knockers aren't as big as they used to be. They still look ok, just not as big." 


I was pretty excited by both of her compliments. I'm glad that the change is more impressive in person and I want everyone I meet to tell me that boobs are smaller than they once were! As far as I'm concerned, they aren't shrinking fast enough. It was nice to hear that there is a noticeable difference though. 


Anyway, we had a fun filled night. I bailed around 12:30 AM. I told our group that I was going home. I didn't really go home then. I had every intention of going home, but I stopped at a bar closer to my house to meet up with another friend for a minute and a funny/odd thing happened. 


I was waiting for my other friend to show up so I sat at the bar and realized that it was time for some calories. I ordered a drink (I know, not the best way to get calories, but it doesn't happen often) and this guy sat down next to me. I could really go into a long explanation of why it was odd that he sat by me, but I'll just give you the highlights. 


My friend shows up, sits down, and orders a drink. A guy sitting next to her starts talking to her and asks who I am. Then he points to his friend on the other side of me and asks if I've met him. 


So, I start talking to him. I realized that it was his intention the whole time to talk to me so I decided to play along even though I had no energy to make small talk. It was the most boring, god awful, conversation ever. This poor guy was really shy and I had to keep asking him questions just to get him to talk. 


He did creep me out though. I know this sounds cocky, but he was trying to tell me that he thought I was pretty, but all he could say was, "I saw you when you walked in. I watched you walk in." Ok, that's cool. The place was packed so I'm not sure how he was able to even see me walk in. Then he said, "Do you hang out at B-dubs? I've seen you there too. I've watched you there." Ok, that was really creepy. I knew what he was getting at, but what was I supposed to say; "Oh thanks for seeing me?" 


Here's why I told that story, because that's not my typical information I would share on here; I'm pretty sure that would not have happened before the meal plans, weight loss, workouts, etc. I'm not opposed to anyone wanting to hit on me or tell me I'm pretty, but that was just too much for me. 

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Here we go with the update!

So, I'm not making excuses, but it's not been the best month for losing weight. I've not had an overall gain, but with another (unexpected) trip to Nebraska things got kinda messed up. I guess I'm not good away from a meal plan and believe me when I say I've been kicking my own ass because of it. 


Since last month I have managed to lose 8.75 inches. That makes me happy. My total inches lost is 60 inches. That also makes me happy. I know that I'm still making progress because my pant size has also gone down again. I put on a pair of 10's the other day and they fit. I didn't even have to suck in to get them buttoned. That was pretty awesome. 


So, I've now lost a total of 83 pounds. I'm not going to complain about it. I know what my last month has been like. I busted my ass while here, but that trip killed my progress. I could have been more diligent, but I had too many other things on my mind. I did the best that I could for what I had to work with - truck stops, fast food, little bars in little towns. I did eat every 3 hours like I'm supposed to, but I guess I had too much. 


Anyway, that's my monthly update and I'm hoping next month has a better weight total. Actually, I know next month will have a better weight total. 

Saturday, April 23, 2011

My gym is like a circus

The gym has been so interesting lately. I'm telling ya, if you ever find yourself in my neck of the woods, come to the gym with me. You will not be disappointed. 

Yesterday there were a bunch of high school boys working out and it was kinda sad because it was clear that they were athletes that had awful coaches because they had no clue how to workout. I knew more than they did. They just kept floating around the gym doing the strangest things. At one point, one boy would get on the ground on his hands and knees, making his back like a table top. Then another boy would put his feet up on the boys back and try to do push-ups. I'm not really even sure how to explain it. It was the oddest thing I've ever seen. 

There was also a girl tagging along with two guys. She had no clue what she was doing, but she sure thought she looked cute. She kept checking her hair in the mirror and adjusting her clothes.  One boy was paying more attention to her, so I decided that they were a couple. The other boy seemed annoyed, so I decided that he was the guy who hated his friends girlfriend. I made up a little story about them and told Janelle what I thought was going on. 

I imagine that she is one of those girlfriends who has to go everywhere with her boyfriend. She doesn't trust him, so she makes sure to tag along everywhere he goes. She says that she wants to workout and he can't tell her no so she goes along with them to the gym. Now these guys can't get anything done and this girl if requiring a lot of attention. 

After I told Janelle what I thought was going on she was like, "wow you just came up with all of that right now?" I told her that I did. She should know by now that I have an active imagination!

At one point I did look over at her and she was holding some 10 pound weights and just swinging them around. I'm not even sure what she was doing. She was also orange. She tanned way too much. 

I was in a rut at the gym lately. I didn't want to go, I was getting bored, I was tired of what we were doing, and then the past few days have been amazing. I think that I'm more motivated when I know I'm going to have some good people watching. I need to people watch.  It entertains me and makes my time at the gym go faster. I hope this streak of odd people at the gym continues. I have to get more motivation! 


Friday, April 22, 2011

Just when I think things are getting dull around the gym

      I was thinking the other day that things have been pretty boring at the gym lately. All of my usual characters that I watch have been really well behaved lately, until yesterday. I'm not going to lie; I was pretty excited when Hat Guy started spouting off at the mouth and that's not even the best thing that happened. Janelle witnessed the best sister fight ever and I'm sad I missed it. 


     Let me just set the stage for ya: I was waiting for Janelle and doing some cardio when I get this text message from Janelle who was in the locker room changing. 


    "I'm scared to come out. There is a ghetto fight going on in here," and it was quickly followed by this text message, "OMG! I'm not kidding. I am running out so fast. Call the cops if I'm not out of here in a few." 


     I almost ran up to the locker room just to see a good fight, but Janelle was already charging down the hall with that you-will-never-believe-what-I-just-saw look on her face. After she settled herself down a little she says this, "So these sisters were screaming at each other."


     I cut her off because I knew exactly who she was talking about. I saw these girls when I was coming into the gym and they were hard core white trash. (I hope I didn't just offend anyone by referring to people as white trash. If I did....my bad.)


    So Janelle's story is as follows: These sisters are in the dressing room and they are yelling at each other. One of them is pregnant and apparently wants everyone to know about it. Not only that, she wants everyone to know that she was raped and that's why she's pregnant. The other sister is trying to get her to shut up and is reminding her that she said she didn't want anyone to know that she was raped so she probably shouldn't be screaming that in a big public area. The pregnant girl tells her so what because no one is in there. The non pregnant sister says that there is a girl in the dressing room (referring to Janelle). The pregnant girl says who cares and then wants to know why her mom is kicking her out of the house because she didn't do anything. Apparently they were screaming and cussing at each other and just accusing each other of all kinds of things. (Side note: if that girl was really raped, that sucks. I feel kinda bad for her, but she should have reported it and not be screaming in a public place all of her drama.) 


    After that whole story was shared we had to go over to the coed side of the gym to use the squat rack. My favorite guy, Hat Guy, was also over there. You can read all about him here and here. (That's right, he's so entertaining that he's had two blogs dedicated to the joy and shock that he brings into my life.)


    Anyway, Hat Guy walks up to this other guy that is using the Smith machine and starts telling a story about using the Smith machine as a leg press earlier that day. His story is as follows, and I apologize for all the f-bombs this guy drops, but you just need to read it as I heard it, and you have to read it with a super loud voice because this guy can never talk in a normal, quiet voice.  


     "I was over here earlier doing some leg press work and I had 4 big fucking plates stacked on each side of this machine. I was grunting and working hard doing my workout and this punk ass kid comes over and tells me to quiet down."
     Other dude that he's talking to, "Was it someone who works here."
     "Fuck yea man, some punk ass kid."
     "Dark hair?"
     "Yea."
     "He's a manager."
     "I don't give a fuck who he is. I'll tell them all to fuck off. I'm thinking, you try to push up these 8 plates. This shit is fucking heavy. This guy said that there were women complaining about the noise I was making. I don't give a fuck. You can't be quite while you're trying to lift that heavy. I bet he couldn't lift all that. That little punk. This is gym. It's not the fucking library. We don't have to be quiet here. This is a loud place. Put on some damn head phones."
     "Good for you man. Someone needs to tell them what to do around here."


     I was in shock the entire time I was listening to this him tell this story I was staring at Janelle mouthing, "Oh my god."


     Those two events happening in one trip to the gym was almost more than I could handle. I think I was on such overload and not able to concentrate on my regular workout. I totally pulled a muscle in my leg. I think I was over stimulated from all the excitement. Now I have to sit around and ice my leg all day and night to make it better. Hopefully it will be better soon!


     
    

Thursday, April 21, 2011

I'm so self centered and I love it.

   If you don't want to read about me talking about myself and how many compliment I've been getting, you should probably not read this. (Just a little heads up for ya)


    I've been working with some teachers that I haven't seen for a while. I keep getting awesome compliments. I still don't always know how to handle them, because I don't want to be outright vain when they tell me that they notice the changes. I still just say thank you and move on. Sometimes I tell them that I am working really hard and I'm glad that people notice the changes. 


   Really, I want to tell them that I do look damn good, I've been working my ass off, and they should be complimenting me. Ok, I do say that to some people, but they know I'm joking. 


    The other day a group of teachers stopped me and asked me how much weight I had lost. I told them I was getting closer and closer to 100 pounds every day. They told me that I looked great. I thanked them for noticing and that getting all the compliments makes me realize that it is noticeable. I finally feel like all my hard work is paying off. 


    Later the principal was asking me if I was still losing weight and told me that I was looking great. I told her the same thing. I said I was getting closer and closer to 100 pounds lost and her eyes got so big, like that look of disbelief. I think she was really in a mild shock. Her reaction was awesome. Really, 100 pounds is a lot. 


    After that another teacher walked past me and said, "Every time I see you it's like you've lost another 100 pounds." I told her I was still on the first 100 and it was really exciting for me. We talked for a minute about what I was doing to lose all this weight. We both had meetings to get to so our conversation was cut short, but she really wanted to know more about what I was doing. 


    That was just one day too. It was awesome. It was a nice boost for the day. I'm becoming more relaxed when people make a nice comment. At first I wasn't sure how to handle them, but now I'm getting more accustom to hearing these things and it's easier to respond and not sound like I'm unappreciative of kind words coming my way. 


     

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

Get your sleep on

    When I started my whole weight loss thing, meal plans, and workouts Zach told me that I had to get 8 hours of sleep each night. That was my favorite part of his plan, because I love to sleep! I told him 8 hours was no problem and I would work hard to make it happen. 


    Everyone says that you need enough sleep to reset your brain and whatnot. I totally agree. Think about how crappy you feel when you don't get enough sleep. I found this article today on CNN and I think it's worth the read. 


Sleep deprivation spurs hunger

Here is a tiny paragraph from the article:


After sleeping for only four hours, people tend to eat more calories on the following day than when they get a good night's sleep, the study found. This was especially true of women, who consumed an average of 329 more calories when sleep deprived than when well rested. By contrast, men consumed just 263 more.


     My initial thoughts after reading that were, "Holy crap!" Then of course I made note of the fact that men eat few calories...of course. 


     The article points out sleeping problems that can be caused by excess weight and that people who don't get enough sleep will often crave foods higher in fat. It's a good read. If you have time, you should totally click the link and check it out. 

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

A good yoga DVD.

     I was talking about yoga the other day and some people were asking what 10 minute program I use.  I use a beginners DVD from yogaworks. I really like it. 


    
     Here's what's so good about this DVD; the don't just assume that you know all the different yoga poses and stretches. I could never find a program I liked because they would say it was for beginners, but then they would just start calling out poses and expect that I knew how to do them. It's really effing hard to pay attention to the TV to see what's going on when your body is in no position to look at the screen. 


    This program has an option to go through the different poses and it explains why you do the pose and what kind of posture you should have. 


    Here's what I don't like about this DVD; all the damn yoga lingo and imagery. They tell you things like, "plant yourself like a tree" "stretch like tree limbs" "root yourself". I just can't stand that kind of speaking. I know it goes along with the whole yoga image, but it makes me violently angry! Also, the dude that leads the morning workout moans really loud. It's like nails on a chalk board. I've learned to tune it out. 


    I do highly recommend this DVD though. It's like $10 too, so it's a good buy. 

Monday, April 18, 2011

People say the darndest things.

    So, this is really about one of my friends, and it's an odd story. Ok, this girl is tall (like 5'7" or 8", which is tall to me because I'm only 5'2") and she is thin. Over the past year or so she has put on some weight (like 20 pounds), but she only gains in her belly and hips. I don't think she looks bad, but she is unhappy with the extra weight. 


     She recently got married and people always ask her when she is going to have a baby. She is so not ready for babies either. Apparently because of the little bit of weight in her belly people (from her work) keep asking her if she is pregnant. Seriously, they ask her if she is pregnant. Who does that? Each time she says, "No, I'm just getting fat. Thanks." 


    Now, who in their right mind would ask someone if they were having a baby? Aren't you supposed to wait for someone to tell you that are pregnant? 


    Now she has decided that she's had enough and she's going to join the gym. Yesterday she went to the gym with Janelle, Ashley, and I and it was awesome. 


    This girl is very animated. She is really energetic and will really try anything. I went to her house at 8:30 A.M. to pick her up. She had apparently only been up for 12 minutes because I have sent her a text 12 minutes prior to make sure she was still going with me. When I got to her house she ran out, barefoot, holding her shoes, purse, phone, water, etc. She jumps in the car and says, "I'm going to the gym. I might still be drunk, but I'm going to the gym!" 


    When we started working out, she kept asking how many times we had to do everything. When we kept telling her yes and she would mutter under her breath asking herself what she had gotten herself into. I will say, she tried everything. We even held her had for some things, no kidding, we held her hand. She was a trooper. I'm sure she is super soar right now. 


   She did join the gym. She joined before we did the workout which was a good thing because I'm sure she would have decided not to join after the workout. She'll be a good addition to our workout group.  She can't go with us all the time because of different work schedules, but she wants to take classes like spinning and what-not. 


    Personally, I think we are the most hilarious group of girls ever when we are at the gym together. We laugh so freakin' much. We also push each other a lot. I think we deserve a reality show so everyone else can see how much fun we have working out. 

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Well....you run now, so get used to it.

     Janelle made me run. I was not happy about it. Not only did she make me run, but we were outside and it was rainy and crappy. 


    Ok, it wasn't like crazy running miles or anything, but I hate running in any form. Between running back and forth like a crazy person we also had to do jump. You know, the plyo crap again. 


     Ashley and I were not happy and I think we made it abundantly clear. Ok, so really we were whining and laughing all at the same time. I do think we made Janelle crazy and she was happy to see us go!


     So, I gave the running a try. Janelle said it was more like jogging, but I'm not a runner. I've never run in my life. If we were swimming that would be another story. 


    Janelle just kept yelling at me when I would tell her that I wasn't a runner. She would look at me and scream, "Well, get used to it, you're a runner now!"


    She also had to explain that there was a whole form and method to running. I had no idea. I had to tell her to slow down on the explaining because there were too many directions she was giving me at once. 


     Overall, it was hilarious. I don't think Janelle appreciated Ashley and I whining and trying to get out of it. 


     I wanted to take pictures because I thought we looked hilarious, but Ashley said no. 

Saturday, April 16, 2011

It's time to get back to the yoga....

    I've let the yoga fall by the wayside lately. Don't get me wrong, if it was part of my regular workout I would never skip it. I was trying to incorporate some yoga in the morning before I got ready for work. It was like a 10 minute wake up yoga thing. I do like it, but I just can't get back in the habit of doing it. 


    I was doing the yoga really consistently before going to Nebraska in March and since I've been back from that trip I can't get back in the groove. I tell myself that I will get up and just do it. It's only 10 minutes. But that little devil on my shoulder keeps reminding me how much I hate yoga. I will find anything else to do other than yoga. I will even clean my bathroom and vacuum just to get out of it! 


    I did notice the benefits of the yoga while I was consistent. I lost a crap ton of inches one month while I was doing it every day. It was crazy how many inches I lost! I also did feel more energetic, and I hate to admit that. 


     I'm still fighting my stereotypes of people that do yoga and that's why I still can't into it. If you would like, here are some links to other blogs I've written about my dislike of yoga. 


How can I breath through my eyes?


Hopefully I can get my butt in gear and start doing this yoga business in the mornings again!

Friday, April 15, 2011

Just pictures...

      So, lately Janelle and I have been taking pictures of each other at the gym. We really do have fun at the gym, and I was hoping you could tell from the pictures, but you really can't. We pretty much look miserable and tired. I've also had to eat my snack at they gym lately...which alway makes me mad because I can't stand it when people eat at the gym. 


Watching TV
After watching TV at the end of the workout. 
I hate snack time at the gym. I was kinda
upset that she grabbed the camera!
I would have taken a picture of
Janelle laying on the floor, but I couldn't
 get up  to get to the camera.
After doing Jumpy things. 
Eating at the gym...again. 
Pull up fun time. 
My pull ups don't look anything like Janelle's. 





Thursday, April 14, 2011

...You have to be Sarah...

      So, I mentioned the other day that I had to go back to Nebraska for some sad family things. I wanted to elaborate a little more about it the other day, but I wasn't in the mood. Thank all of you for the nice comments the other day. I'm going to say a  few things about my grandma and then get back to what this blog is really about. 


     My grandma was 90 and she was the best grandma a kid could ever ask for. She was married for 65 years to my grandpa, who also passed away when he was 90. She had 8 kids, 25 grandkids, and 40 great grandkids. All of her kids got married and most of her grandkids are married, hell even some of the great grandkids are old enough to be married, but aren't. She was a classy lady that everyone loved. She will be missed. 


     So, thanks for letting me get that off my chest. Now I'm going to tell you about some of the interactions I had with my family while I was there. I do have a huge family. I'm at the younger end of the family too, so a lot of my cousins were teenagers or adults when I was born. I know all of them, but not that well. I only see my cousins, aunts, uncles, etc. once a year; sometimes even less. 


     My sisters and I were standing in my aunts kitchen and one of my other uncles (who I haven't seen in about 3 years) was looking at all of us and said hello then left the room. We all moved into another room and he looked at me and said, "Now you're Sarah. I know you have to be Sarah through process of elimination. We just didn't recognize you." I smiled and told him and his wife that I'd lost almost 100 pounds in the past year and that's why he didn't recognize me. 


     My uncle and aunt were so happy to hear that they couldn't stop smiling. We talked to about 10 minutes about what I was doing, how I was doing it, and what prompted me to do all of this. 


     One of my other aunts walked up and hugged me and told me I looked great. My cousins, especially the one's I talk to on Facebook, all had great compliments for me too. It made me feel really good. 


     I knew that people were going to make comments because I really haven't seen the majority of them since our last reunion 3 years ago. It was a sad reason to have to see all of them, but it was nice to see them and it was nice to hear the compliments. 


     

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

New things

     Zach is changing the workouts. We are doing more plyos, you know...jumping. I'm not a jumper. Yesterday we had to do some crazy thing where we just jump as far as we can. I thought it looked ridiculous. I wanted nothing to do with it. I told Janelle I was not going to do them and I wanted to do something different. 


     Actually I told her that I was just going to watch her do them and I was going to just sit there and eat my snack. 


     I did do some of the plyo stuff. I did the rocket jump thingys. Ashely and I call them the frog jumps. We have done them often in the past. 


     I'm not looking forward to all this jumping. Janelle explained the workouts for the rest of the week and I'm dreading it. I think I might have to run. I hate running. I even wrote an entire blog on my lack of desire to run. 


      I have a feeling I'm going to be whiny brat during this new phase of working out. 


     Oh! I did get an awesome compliment at the gym yesterday. We were doing squats and some guy told me that I have good form. He wasn't even trying to be a creep; he said he was a physical therapist and paid attention to form when people were lifting around him. So, that was super exciting. 

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Back from Nebraska....again.

      I went on an emergency trip to Nebraska. It was totally unexpected and I didn't have the time to get my food and workouts planned out. 


      Honestly, my grandma that I just went to see for her 90th passed away unexpectedly so I literally hopped in a car on Friday and drove on Friday and Saturday to get there for the wake/prayer service on Sunday. We left on Monday and we drove straight through the whole 13 hours. There was no way I could miss any of that. My grandma was freakin' awesome. 


     Anyway, eating wasn't bad while I was there. I packed a bunch of snacks. Ok really, I threw a bunch of granola bars, craisins, 100 calorie packs, and chex mix into a bag an put it in the car. The problem was drinking. Old habits die hard. I was stressed. So I know I had too many calories on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. 


     Both hotels we stayed in said they had "gyms" in them. That was a joke. There was nothing in either. Actually, they had really out dated equipment that didn't work. I had to make things up on the spot and do whatever I could without any equipment. 


      But....I did take my resistance band with me in the car and I used it from time to time when I was bored on the car ride. If you don't have resistance bands you should go get some. 


      I'm going to have to step it up again this week to make up for lost time. Here's to getting back on track...let's hope these unexpected trips stop popping up on me. 



Friday, April 8, 2011

Bod Pod fun time.

       So, I guess I need to explain what a Bod Pod is. It measures your body fat and lean mass. That's really it. I hated the first one, but I've loved every one after that because of the changes in numbers and percents and whatnot. 


      Here is a link to another post I've done about the Bod Pod. That's the easiest way I know how to explain it. If you can find one near you, you should definitely get one. 



       I will be away for a few days. I don't think I'll get to do any posts. I have to head back to Nebraska for some family things. I'll be back in a few days. 




Thursday, April 7, 2011

A lot can change in 2 months.

       Holy smokes; my Bod Pod was crazy. I didn't really believe it. My Bod Pod lady, Dawn, had to call me later and explain everything to me. 


      So, I usually go every 3 months, but like I keep saying, I had to go yesterday to see where I was and make some adjustments for the next month. Anyway, in a nut shell...I've lost roughly 20 pounds of fat, but my lean weight went up about 10 pounds, so it off sets that fat loss. 


      Still, 20 pounds of fat gone? Nice. That also changes my goal weight. I still have to see what it's supposed to be now and I'm waiting for Zach to tell me. But I'm closer to my goal than I was 2 months ago. 


      After Bod Pod fun time Janelle and I hit up our favorite Out Let mall. Of course we spent the most time in the Nike store. Later we played my new favorite game, and Janelle's, which is where Janelle grabs random dresses and makes me try them on. I literally got stuck in one of the dresses. Janelle had to peel it off of me. I wish I had a picture of that moment in time. 


       Ok, back to Bod  Pod. I'm going to scan all of my Bod Pod's and post them soon. I'm still working up the nerve to say and admit how much I used to weigh and how much I weigh now.  I think when I hit my 100 pounds lost goal I will suck it up and admit it. No reason not to. 









Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Good day; good workouts.

            Yesterday was a good day for workouts. We did an awesome shoulder and back workout in the morning and then took Janelle’s dogs for a walk later in the afternoon. I really don’t have much to say about it, except that I busted my ass. I lift heavy. I lift really heavy and I had to up my weights yesterday because we were doing less reps. Don’t worry; I won’t get bulky. That’s nearly impossible unless I start taking steroids. I’m so not taking steroids anytime…ever.

            Today I’m having a Bod Pod done. You know, my body fat thing that I do. It hasn’t been 3 months since my last one, but I need to have one because I have to adjust my calories to help me through all these extra workouts.

            If you’re at all concerned, you shouldn’t be. I have good people around me that are licensed to do these things and I’m not just making this crap up as I go along. If it wasn’t for Zach and Janelle being trainers and nutrition people, I would be lost.

            Also, since I’ll be down by my Bod Pod place I’ll also get to stop at my favorite out let stores. I need some new clothes. Janelle actually yelled at me the other day and told me to get some new clothes because I’m starting to look like a homeless person that is wearing whatever random ill fitting clothes that I can find. I told her I would go ahead and take that as a compliment.

            Let’s hope the Bod Pod is a good one!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

I thought I'd heard it all.

            So, if you’ve followed my blog for a while you know that I make fun of the gym that I go to. You also know that I really go to two different gyms, depending on which one I’m closer to during the day. The all ladies gym is wonderful and I never make fun of it. The one that I make fun of and brings me hours of entertainment is the co-ed gym. I was there yesterday morning. I’m not usually there in the morning during the week, but since it’s spring break…

            I hear the damndest things there and yesterday was no exception. Let me set the scene for you. I was standing on the scale doing some quick math in my head to see where I was at weight loss wise and I turned to see Janelle walking toward me. She starts to ask me what the scale said but is cut off by an announcement from the loud speaker.

            “Attention all members, please do not trim your nails or shave in the spa area. Also please do not shave or trim your nails in the sauna. It is not sanitary. If you are caught doing these things your membership will be revoked.”

            Janelle and I just stared at each other and she looked like she was going to vomit and I’m sure I looked the same. She was finally able to ask me in disgust who would even think to do that at the gym or in public at all. I had no words for her. I just walked to the treadmill and tried to change the subject and complain about the crappy rain keeping us from walking at the reserve. Then Janelle said, “I think I see a blog post about this in your near future.” I told her that she was absolutely right.

            Let me remind you of the other crazy things I’ve heard while at this gym. Every time I hear something there I think it’s the strangest thing ever, but the keep managing to top themselves.

1.      The time the “trainer” told the member that she could eat whatever she wanted as long as she drank a glass of water when she was done.
2.      The “trainer” that said the only way to lose weight and build muscle is to do cardio, use the machines and only the machines to weight train, and then finish up with more cardio. (I still want to know what I should do since I use free weights and machines. Is there a different method for those of us that prefer free weights?)
3.      The time I heard someone say that they only eat 20 carbs per week. (How is this person not dead?)

Those are just a few of the other crazy things I’ve heard over the past few years in that place. It’s a strange, strange gym, but it brings me hours of entertainment.

            Oh, and thanks for all the encouragement about getting close to this mini goal I have for May 12 to be at 100 pounds lost!

Monday, April 4, 2011

Nice weather leads to bad decisions!

           Ok, nice weather doesn’t really lead to bad decisions, but it’s making everything more difficult. The weather is getting nicer and people want to have cookouts and late night parties. I love both of those things and any kind of outdoor hanging out. I don’t love that there are many temptations that get in the way of my meal plan/workouts.

            I’ve not been doing badly, because I’m still losing weight, but I’ve also made bad excuses for having a beer or beers. I know that right now I should not be doing these things, but it’s like spring fever for me! The other night I had a few too many beers. I made the decision to have some drinks instead of my regular dinner. Not the best choice, but I don’t do it often.

            So here’s where I stand on all of this. This is basically like my philosophy what I’m doing. My meal plan works for me and the working out has never been a problem. I like my plan of a certain number of calories for each meal and having my meals at certain intervals though out the day. I have had nothing but success with this plan. It does take a lot of hard work and dedication. I’ve had to give up a lot of my bad habits, but I know it’s worth it in the end. A few nights in the past month I have let my desire to socialize and party get the better of me. (Side note: when I say party I mean some beers or whiskey. I used to drink a lot. Now when I can have a drink it really only takes like one or two and I’m drunk. No joke. I’m a pretty cheap date these days.) I have worked extra hard the next day after each of these nights and I felt really awful about my lack of self control. I know that it is my fault and no one else’s for my decision to have some beers which was obviously extra calories.

            I do think it’s ok to have a fun night from time to time, but right now it’s not ok for me. I’m in the losing weight phase of this process right now, so having slip ups is not an option. With that said, someday I will be in the maintaining phase of this process and I will be able to have a little more freedom with my food choices. Some people may not agree with that and think that you can never have a “cheat day” but I think everyone needs a day where they can indulge in some of their favorites. For the most part I call that day Thanksgiving, but there are a few other times in the year when I will throw caution to the wind and have what I want or drink what I want. I accept the repercussions of my actions.

Bottom line; no one is perfect, even me. Everyone falls off the horse from time to time. I’ve not binged and gained weight, I’m just a little upset about my poor decision making lately. I need to get my self control back, but this is the hardest time of year because of all the functions that people have all spring and summer. I’m going to have to buckle down and get through it. I was fine last summer so I’m going to have to channel the girl from last summer to find that will power. 

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Here's the plan for the week.

          This is more of my list of workouts that I will be doing for the week. I really just need to get it down in front of me to see what I’m trying to get done this week. I’ve celebrated my Spring Break a little too hard so far, so I’m playing catch up on the workouts already. Now when I say I’m playing catch up I really mean I’ve done my regular workouts but not all the extras I’ve wanted to. I shouldn’t be hard on myself; it’s only Sunday morning and Spring Break started on Friday.

            Today: Regular workout and afternoon walk at the Reserve.

            Monday: A.M. Cardio (Monday is usually a regular day off from the gym)

            Tuesday: Regular workout and afternoon walk at the Reserve

            Wednesday: Bod Pod and shopping; possibly cardio in the P.M.

            Thursday: Regular workout and afternoon cardio

            Friday: Regular workout and afternoon cardio

            Saturday: Ok, I haven’t really thought about next Saturday and Sunday but I’m sure I will be doubled up somewhere

            Sunday: Please see above!

            So, it’s going to be a busy week. I still have to remember my other obligations like tutoring and whatnot. I’ll just have to workout all around those things! I’m really looking forward to my Bod Pod. I need to make some last minute changes for the next month to get me to my goal of 100 pounds lost by May 11. Wish me luck, it might be brutal.


Saturday, April 2, 2011

Workout time!

       Yesterday didn't  go exactly as planned. I still did my workout and extra cardio, but I had to do it at one time. I wanted to get to the gym twice, but I had some things come up that I had to attend to. I dropped my diamond earring down the drain and I had to have someone come over to get it out. I was not willing to let that earring be lost forever!


       While I'm on the topic of yesterday I'll tell you how much that workout sucked too. It was pull-up day. So I had 100 pull-ups, wide pull down,  close pull down, and then assisted pull-ups. After that I did my cardio. I'm not going to lie, it sucked and I had to do it by myself. Janelle and I could not get there at the same time like we usually do. Pull-up day is awful when you alone. 


      Today I am super sore. I can hardly type this! I still have no clue what today's workout is. I'll find out a little later. I just hope it's not as bad as yesterday. Ideally, I would like to get in two separate workouts today, but I already know that's not going to happen. I have other obligations today so I'll have to double up on the workouts while I'm at the gym today. 


     Oh yea, since I've kicked my ass into high gear for the past 10 days I've lost 5 pounds which is amazing to me. It makes all this extra workout business worth it! Here's to hoping it's a good workout weekend!