weigh down wednesday :: a rewards system

One thing that I think is important in any big endeavor is a rewards system.

Seriously, stuff is just easier to do when you have a little something to look forward to.

And I'm not talking about a HUGE something like a vacation or a car or anything.

Just one of life's little pleasures that you normally wouldn't buy for yourself.

Or, if it makes you happy, something that you do buy often, that screams TREAT to you.

I'm actually behind in my rewards for this whole weight loss journey.

I've only bought one and I really should have four under my belt for meeting goals.

One great thing about a rewards system is that you can make your goals as big or little as you want, just be sure to reward yourself accordingly.

For my first major goal of meeting 20lbs lost I got a new phone case that I had been eyeing.

It was $30, which I normally wouldn't spend on a phone case, unless it was my birthday or Christmas, but it felt more than worth it for me. 

I'd been really wanting the case for a couple of months and it's something that I get a ton of use out of.

My other goals/rewards are a bit smaller, because I feel like the more weight you've lost the slower it comes off.

My original plan was to get myself a little something for every 5lbs lost after 20lbs, but that hasn't happened.

Hmmm....I wonder if there is a correlation between my lack of rewards and my lack of motivation as of late?

So, it's time for me to get back on the reward train.

I think my big reward for getting back to my wedding weight will be a tattoo that I've wanted for awhile.

It seems fitting that a big goal get a big reward.

As Tom and Donna say, sometimes you just have to.....

 

xoxo.

jen

weigh down wednesday :: weighing in

This is an often debated issue.

One that I believe has no right or wrong answer.

It all comes to down to what works best for a particular person.

The issue I'm talking about is :: how often to weigh in.

via

I've personally done different things.

I've weighed myself once a week.

I've weighed myself daily.

And I've forgone weighing myself completely.

via

For me, weighing myself daily is not only best in keeping track of weight loss,

but it also helps immensely in keeping me on the straight and narrow.

Now I know that weight can fluctuate daily.

There are many factors that can lead to either a stalemate or even a slight gain.

And I take that into consideration everyday.

via

All of that aside, I find that the daily weigh in helps most when I start slipping on my diet for a few days.

If I can easily lose a few pounds in a week, then I can just as easily (or easier) gain a few in that same amount of time.

The number on the scale is often what I need to give myself a swift kick in the rear in getting back into my healthy eating habits.

If I don't have that visual reminder everyday, then it's really easy for me to under calculate my "cheats" on one day (or two) and convince myself that I really didn't do "that bad", so I can treat myself an extra day (or two).

Thinking like that is bad news for my waistline.

And I know myself well enough to know that I will think that way EXACTLY,

unless I have the proof in front of me.

And to me it's just easier.

I can tweak everyday accordingly.

And I feel like I get to celebrate my accomplishments more often.

It's a win, win for me!!

via

What is your preferred method of weighing in?

Why does it work for you?

xoxo.

jen

weigh down wednesday :: thursday addition

Here I am, closing in on my first MAJOR goal.

I have now lost 35lbs and am right at 10lbs away from my wedding weight!!

My goal is to ultimately be at that weight in time for my 9th anniversary at the end of October.

Oh yes! I *can* do it!

via

One thing I've realized as the numbers on the scale recede, is that my body has unfortunately reshaped itself.

And NOT in a good way.

Having two kiddos (by c-section) in the last 6 years seems to have ruined my tummy.

And things have just shifted.

I've got pouches and pooches and saggies where I've never had them before, even when I was heavier.

But, alas! It was well worth the body change to have those two stinkers!

via

So, I'll just need to work that much harder to get things tighter as the weight falls off. 

I'm planning on beginning to exercise sometime in the not too distant future.

I haven't started working out at this point because the weight has been coming off pretty steadily with just a diet change.

BUT, I'm not stupid and I know that eventually when I get to the point where I'm happy with my weight I will need to add in some form of exercise to help maintain as I add in a bit more to my daily calorie needs.

Plus, I don't just want to be thin(ner). I want to be fit.

And that isn't going to happen without the dreaded exercise.

via

So now I just have to decide what I'm going to do.

I've thought about a Couch 2 5 K program, although the thought honestly scares me, as the last time I tried that (4 years ago?) I sprained both of my knees in week 3. OUCH!

There's also the 30 Day Shred, which I did pretty regularly at the end of last year. 

And IT WORKS!!

Then there's normal gym stuff, like the elliptical or stationary bike.

 via

Whatever it is, as a busy mama (who is just going to get busier this fall), it needs to be something that gives me bang for my buck.

Hmmm....lots to think about.

Until next week!

xoxo

jen.

weigh down wednesday :: motivation

Okay, time for me to fess up.

I've had a rough couple of weeks.

No, I haven't fallen completely off of the weight loss wagon.

BUT, I haven't been giving it my all either.

I've still managed to lose a few pounds, yet I know I could have lost more.

My "free" days are becoming more and more frequent.

Time to nip that in the bud.

Even though I know I've lost a huge chunk of weight, I'm not done yet.

So, it's time to take this trotting horse back to a full on gallop.

In an effort to motivate myself, I have turned, yet again, to Pinterest.

I have a health and wellness board that totally gives me a little extra push when I need it.

It's amazing how far a picture of an in shape person and a few motivating words can push me.

via 

via

via

See what I mean?

Now I know that I'll never be thin as the girls in those pictures, nor do I want to be,

but the point gets across.

Another motivating factor is that I have recently fit into jeans that I've haven't worn in over four years        (the last time I had weight loss success).

And I have more in my closet that I'm *this close* to fitting into.

And, boy do I want to fit into them SOON!

via

What motivates you?

xoxo.

jen

weigh down wednesday :: what works

Welcome to part 2 of what I guess is my weight loss series.

Last week I gave you a history of my battle(s) of the bulge.

This week I will fill you in on what does and does not work (at least for me).

As someone who has tried just about every "fad" diet out there I can tell you that yes, those diets work.

But only for as long as you're following them 100% completely.

As soon as you start to deviate, the pounds will come back, and often with a vengeance.

Also, most of these diets are just plain dumb, unhealthy and unrealistic.

I've done it all.

Detoxes. The Grapefruit Diet. The Cabbage Soup Diet. Atkins. South Beach. Diet Pills. And more.

How did they work?

Well, I lost weight, but I felt deprived, irritable, run down, and more often than not couldn't make it past a few weeks.

Then I went back to more former eating habits (or worse after feeling deprived) and gained weight back.

Added to that, my run with diet pills, which included ephedra, left me barely eating and experiencing super scary heart palpitations.

What fun!

The diet system that has worked the absolute best for me in the past was Jenny Craig.

I felt satisfied. I didn't have to cut out any food group. And best of all, most of the grunt work was done for me.

I ended up losing quite a bit of weight in a few short months, but then, of course, got pregnant. ;)

Fast forward to March of this year.

The hubs and I were seriously discussing making room in our finances for me to do the "other" Jenny Craig program. NutriSystem.

The plus side was that it was cheaper than Jenny, but the downside was that I had heard that the food wasn't very good.

After looking at the website and determining that most of the food was of the "shelf-stable" variety (gross!), and that you had to buy a one month supply at a time, I decided that this wasn't the program for me.

So, taking my previous knowledge/experience of Jenny, I decided to tailor my own program.

 For the past 3+ months my diet has mainly consisted of pre-packaged food, such as Lean Cuisine, Healthy Choice and Smart Ones meals.

And yes, I know that there are preservatives and excess sodium and not a lot of veggies, etc. in these meals, but I decided that for the time being, while reteaching my body portion control, that it was worth the rest of that stuff to have the ease of not worrying about measuring and preparing my food.

I eat between 1200 and 1300 calories a day.

Three "frozen" meals and several pre-portioned snacks.

I also add in my own fruits and veggies.

Pretty much daily I have a big salad with lower calorie, measured out dressing.

And I have 1 (or 2) cheat days a week.

This has led me to have a 31.5 pound weight loss since March 26th.

All with no exercising. Yet.

This is not something I plan on keeping up forever.

It is just the easiest, most result producing thing I can do right now.

I still cook for my family, so it's nice to be able to just pop my meals in the microwave and not have to worry about measuring out every last thing I use to prepare my meals to make sure that I stay within my calorie limit for the day.

As I get closer to my goal weight I will start to prepare more of my own (healthier) food.

I will also start to ease my way into a real exercise program, since I'll eventually be eating more calories and will need to balance the calories taken in with calories expelled.

Seriously, it's that simple.

Calories in vs. calories out.

It's science.

:)

weigh down wednesday - a history

Hello there! Long time no write!

Today I'm writing the first post of what I hope will become a weekly series.

Bear with me, this post didn't turn out the way I had originally intended.
It ended up being a bit of history, and felt almost like a therapy session.
Sorry for the rambling in advance. :)

The focus? Weight loss.
Most of us, at some point in time, have struggled with our weight.
Personally, this has been on off and on roller coaster ride since puberty.
As a teenager, hormones/emotions mixed with a bad diet and a sedentary lifestyle cemented the fact that I spent my adolescent years unhappy with my body.
Of course, there were times when I would go on some crazy crash diet and lose a few pounds, but being that those diets couldn't be kept up long term, I quickly gained those pounds back, and then some.
I went into my adult years at my thinnest, but the blissful "newlywed" stage of my life led to lots of takeout and overeating. Quickly the weight piled back on.
A year and a half after getting married I was given the (wonderful!) opportunity to go on the Jenny Craig weight loss program. Over the next 3+ months I lost a bunch of weight (5lbs away from my wedding weight) and started exercising (yay, swimming!) regularly. Then, I got pregnant.
The first part of my pregnancy I had some morning sickness. But that morning sickness was basically just nausea that would go away when I would eat. So eat I did, quickly falling into the "I'm pregnant, I can eat WHATEVER I want" mind-frame.  All in all, I ended up gaining about 70lbs while pregnant, although, in my defense, a LOT of that was water weight due to pre-eclampsia.
In the following two years my weight fluctuated a lot. At one point I was only 10lbs away from my pre-pregnancy weight. Then I hit a slump, I went through a "quarter life crisis" in the months leading up to turning 25 and since I had never learned another way of coping outside of "eating my emotions", the weight piled on yet again. This time it got out of control. At not even 26 years old I  hit my highest weight of all time (outside of full blown pregnancy). I was severely unhappy with myself and I feel like that affected my relationships with others, especially those closest to me.
Over the next year I lost a decent amount of weight without really trying. I started a full time job, where I was on my feet all day, which I think helped tremendously. But being that I had gained SO much weight, I was still FAR from any kind of "goal" weight.
Then, SURPRISE!!, a month before I turned 27 I  found out I was pregnant again. I remember being TERRIFIED, since I was no where near where I had started when I got pregnant the first time around. I was so fearful of gaining a vast amount off weight. This time around things were a bit different though. I was still working on my feet full time, PLUS I was SO SICK!! There were times when I could barely eat at all. And it wasn't for just my first trimester (the "normal" sick time for preggos), my all day long sickness lasted my WHOLE pregnancy. In the end I only gained 7 pounds, and that was all in my final month. My baby weighed more than that!!
After he was born I lost some and then gained some. And then, when he was 10 months old I finally buckled down and started a diet plan that has proven to work for me. This was started the last week of March 2012. And, I'm SUPER proud to say that since then I have lost 30+ pounds and am now less than 15lbs away from my wedding weight. I am bound and determined to hit that weight by our 9th wedding anniversary, which is 4 months away. After I hit that MAJOR milestone, I don't plan on stopping. I turn 30 in October of 2013 and I know, with hard work and determination I can have the figure and health that I've always wanted by then.

via

Stay tuned for a look at how the last three months have gone.
What have I been doing?
What am I planning on doing in the future?
It will all be answered in the coming weeks.

shred it

In an effort to regain my pre(pre)-baby body and make myself healthier, I have started a new exercise regimen.

Let me tell you, I have tried (and failed) to get an exercise program going since I was cleared for it, 6 weeks after Baby LL was born.

Having a new baby, a part-time job, a 5 year old to take to and pick up from school, plus all of the home stuff that comes with having a family, has made sticking with something hard.

I don't always feel like going to the gym at 9pm or 4am.

Taking a long walk with Baby LL in a stroller after dropping Kid A off doesn't always work, as job schedules and weather conditions can interfere.

Enter Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred.

 

 

For a very affordable $5 I bought the digital copy of this "video" and in less than 25 minutes a day, I get a workout in that not only raises my heart rate, but also works my muscles to the point of burning and shaking.

30 Day Shred has 3 different levels or workouts.

Level 1 being the easiest, and Level 3 being the most challenging.

And let me tell you, Level 1 is by no means "easy".

For the first week or so of doing this workout I would be physically shaking and weak for up to an hour after finishing.

So far I've been doing this for a little more than a month, approximately 10-14 days on each level,  and I'm seeing some great results.

In that short amount of time I've lost a total of 12 1/4 inches.

4 1/2 off my mid-section.

3 1/2 off my hips and butt.

4 1/4 off my thighs.

All of this without ANY change in my diet.

I've also noticed muscles peeking out in my arms and legs.

Being able to do this in my home in such a short period of time has been AWESOME, and I've kept it up an average of 6-7 days each week.

Now that I've made it more than 30 days, I'm going to start bumping up the exercise a bit and do a little fine tuning to my diet.

Hopefully this will help me sail through the holidays with a loss of inches, rather than a gain.

I'll be back in another month or so with an update of my progress.

What are some ways you've been able to fit exercise into a busy schedule?

how to get your kid to walk a marathon....

I recently signed A up for marathonKIDS.

It's a FREE, nationwide program that encourages kids to not only eat healthier, but also walk a marathon 

(26.2 miles) over the span of 6 months, 1/4 - 1/2 a mile at a time.

The program is provided to public and private schools,

as well as homeschool families and independent families who just want to do it.

We got her food and mileage log yesterday and I am super excited for her to begin filling it out.

The way the log works is she gets to color in 1/4 of a circle for every 1/4 mile that she walks/runs.

There are also 26 items in the food log for her to check off, such as:

I ate broccoli today.

I drank water instead of soda today.

I ate watermelon today.

Etc.

The goal is to get kids to eat 5 servings of fruits and veggies 26.2 days out of the month.

I am definitely looking forward to tackling this journey alongside of A.

I think it will be a fun, and productive, adventure for the both of us.

And, as an extra incentive, those who finish will get a special, FREE "Finisher" shirt at the end of the marathon period.

If you haven't received word of this through your child's school, check out the website for registration info and details about the Kick Off Celebration near you.

I'll be updating you of our progress over the  next 6 months!

Happy Marathoning!!