4th Weigh-in

I just want to let everybody know that I seriously despise the Wave's "Rock It Off" dvd. That workout is pure evil. I've done it for the 2nd time (the first was last Friday) and now I understand why they waited for me to get 3/4 weeks into the program before doing it. It is a combo of cardio, strength training, and crazy balance work and it makes me want to rethink my workout choice. However, I stepped on the scale this morning and lost exactly 3 pounds from the previous week. That is pretty awesome since I've been at it for several weeks. My weight loss has a tendency to slow down around this time but it just keeps melting off and I really believe it is because of this workout. Best $100 I've ever spent. Period.

Weight Loss Reason #28- I wore a pair of capris that I haven't been able to wear for 2 years.

Weight Loss Reason #29- I'm sooo close to having 15 pounds Ghandi!

Jack and I finally made it back to Palisade Friday night and it felt good to get out of the car after a 7 1/2 hour trip. I was pretty proud of how I handled all the traveling because usually I eat junk all the way there and back. Our good friends Cara and Aaron were here this weekend and we had a great time hanging out and playing the Wii. I showed Cara the Wii Fit and I think she liked it! I've been so fixated on my Wave workout that I completely forgot about the Wii Fit. I did my Wii Fit age yesterday and it came out to 37. So not cool. Then I did all of the yoga poses that I had unlocked. I'm actually sore today because of it! My goal this week is to get on my Wii Fit when Jack takes a nap. Hopefully, it will help rev up my metabolism so I can keep losing weight!


Weight Loss Reason #24- Dave, Jack, and I went to the pool yesterday and people are really starting to comment about my weight loss. I'm really kicking myself for not taking measurements because I have lost a lot of inches.

Weight Loss Reason #25- We had an all day Father's Day Picnic at the park and I skipped the dessert during lunch and dinner!

Weight Loss Reason #26- I want to give all of my plus size clothing to my church thrift shop when I can't wear them anymore. Some are already in the box!

Weight Loss Reason #27- My husband can't keep his hands off me!

Oh the Humidity!

So I've come to the realization that I prefer scorching temperatures over high humidity. I don't think it even got to 80 degrees here today and I wanted to die. I was drenched with sweat after I finished my cardio and ab workouts and then we went to the zoo. My clothes were permanently stuck to my plump body when we got home. I've continued to eat well and tonight my mom is making a recipe out of my Light and Tasty cookbook for my Grandmother's 85th birthday.

My Grandmother is an extremely fit 85. She is still able to live in her own home and take care of a decent size lawn and garden. Her mind is also as sharp as a tack. My Grandmother was not in the best of health 30+ years ago. She had high cholesterol and was also overweight. Her doctor had a good talk with her and that's all it took. She's walked, lifted weights, and ate extremely healthy since I can remember. My Grandmother was using "skim" and "reduced fat" before it was cool to do so and as a result she has out lived both her parents by 30 years. She has had non-Hodgkins lymphoma for over 10 years now and she continues to beat it because she leads such a healthy life-style. My Grandmother is the perfect example of the healthy lifestyle I want to lead. HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA KOSCIELAK!!!

Weight Loss Reason #23- I want to live to be a healthy and fit 85 just like my Grandma Koscielak!!!

Decent Weigh-In

I was a little bit concerned how my weigh-in would go with all the celebrating and traveling I've been doing this week. I was surprised to see when I stepped on my Aunt's scale that I was down 2 1/2 pounds. I may lose more or less on my own scale next week but I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

I am pleased to report that I already squeezed in my daily workout so now Jack and I can enjoy our time with Aunt Susan and Grandma Koscielak. We may even head to the Des Moines zoo today. Should be fun. Hopefully, I can continue to make good choices while I'm here.

Weight Loss Reason #22- I feel empowered continuing my healthy life-style in other situations.

Bad, Bad, Blogger

O.K., so this past weekend didn't go exactly as planned but it didn't go horribly either. Dave and I overslept on Saturday so we didn't make the 3K walk. I was a little bit bummed but we were exhausted and obviously our bodies thought we needed the rest. We had a great day on Saturday and had fun with our friends and family that night. I was very careful and counted my points all day. I had made sure to save my flex points during the week so I could have a few refreshments! Sunday was the Haag Family Picnic in Indianola and there was a ridiculous amount of food. I only took small portions of things that I really wanted. Again, I managed to stay in my point allotment that day.

On Monday, my mom, Jack, and I made the trip to Des Moines to see my Grandma Koscielak and Aunt Susan. I packed healthy sandwiches and low-fat Cheetos for lunch and then we stopped to eat in Lincoln for supper. My sister met us with her boyfriend's son Taylor and her dog Leo. Since Leo could not be left in the car we ate at a Dairy Queen which had an outdoor patio. What?!! You ate at a restaurant other than Subway?!! This is true. However, Dave gave me a freebie since I gave him a freebie on exercise the other day. Don't worry people. I had a grilled chicken salad without any dressing. That's about as healthy as it gets!

I did squeeze in my workout Monday morning before we left and I packed my Wave board and dvds to take to Des Moines. I plan on working out when Jack takes a nap this afternoon. I am taking my exercise program very seriously so there will be no skipping! Also, my grandmother is an excellent cook and she always makes healthy meals. My Aunt, however; has a little bit of a sweet tooth so staying at her house all week may be a little rough. So far so good. I have bi-passed the M&M's, cookies, and other yummy treats. I will be weighing in tomorrow on my Aunt's scale and it appears to coincide with my one at home. Stay tuned to see how I do...

Weight Loss Reason #18- I would like to have a perfect month of working out by not skipping any workouts.

Weight Loss Reason #19- I'm in the zone. There is no way I would have eaten a chicken salad at Dairy Queen if I wasn't!

Weight Loss Reason #20- Traveling is not an excuse for a free-for-all. You can make healthy choices on the road.

Weight Loss Reason #21- My 6th year anniversary is coming up in a few weeks and I really want to wear something sexy and beautiful on our date!

Getting Ready for Pioneer Days

I just finished my 10th Firm Workout and they were completely right. I did see results in 10 workouts! Things are starting to "firm" up and I'm totally stoked! This weekend should be a challenge because it's Pioneer Days in Palisade, which means a lot of really good food is going to be tempting me for the next two days. Dave and I did sign up for the 3K walk tomorrow so that should be a good way to start the weekend!

Weight Loss Reason #16- I will be participating in my first 3K walk!

Weight Loss Reason #17- I want to be around for my son for a long time to come.

2nd Weigh In

I had a decent weight loss this week and lost 3.4 pounds bringing my grand total to 9 pounds lost overall. I was hoping to lose between 10-15 pounds by the end of June and it looks like I'm on my way!

Dave and I decided that we are going to amend our eating out rule and add a "Subway clause." This clause states that we will not be penalized for eating at any official Subway restaurant. I took advantage of this right away and had lunch there with my mom and Jack. It was delicious!

Tonight I made Spaghetti Pie and it was a very filling 7 points. Heidi and Tori came over for supper and loved it too! I love getting compliments on my cooking and I also enjoy telling them that what they ate was low-fat! You can eat healthy and not lose taste. Trust me!

Weight Loss Reason #15- A ten pound loss is just around the corner!

AM Workouts

I can't believe I'm going to admit this...I LOVE working out in the mornings! Yesterday, Mindy and I didn't work out until the evening and I was grouchy and tired all day. This morning it was rough dragging myself out of bed at a quarter to six but it's amazing how much more energy I have because of it! Plus, I get it over with right away in the morning so I don't have to psych myself up all day to work out when the day is almost done. I think I'm an a.m. convert!

My good friend Nanci came to visit Jack and I in Palisade today and I made healthy ground turkey wraps. They're so easy and delicious. Just brown 1 lb of ground turkey and stir in a few tsp of Mrs. Dash southwest chipotle seasoning. Then spread a whole wheat tortilla with light sour cream, add the meat, chopped tomatoes, shredded lettuce, salsa, and you have one yummy low-fat lunch!

Weight Loss Reason #14- I seriously want to weigh less than my husband!!!

Piece of Cake

Yesterday was our big family picnic for Jack's 3rd birthday and once again I forgot to blog! The weather wasn't the best but we had fun anyway! Everyone brought a bunch of great side items and we grilled hot dogs and hamburgers. I was pretty proud of myself because I only had one plate of food. This was pretty hard to do because there were so many yummy dishes that I wanted to sample but I decided to skip them. I also bi-passed the cake and ice cream which was extremely difficult.

Later in the day, we made a trip to McCook so Dave could play volleyball and I ended up having a left-over grilled pork chop and salad at my mom's. When we got back into town we stopped by Dave's parent's house and everyone had more cake and ice cream. Once again, I skipped the cake but it was a lot harder to do the second time around! I can safely say that I stayed within points today! Dave on the other hand, came really close to paying me $100. Fortunately, he had all of his flex points saved up and had some exercise points from playing volleyball. I'll just keep waiting patiently because I know I'll get him eventually!

Weight Loss Reason #12- It feels awesome to make good food choices during difficult eating situations.

Weight Loss Reason #13- I have several summer shirts that I really want to wear. My goal is to be in them by the end of the month!

Oops I Forgot to Blog Friday

I woke up this morning and realized I forgot to blog yesterday. Jack and I went to McCook and spent most of the day with my mom and then we were over at Joe and Sarah's house until late last night. It's amazing how time can get away from you! Yesterday was a good day of eating and I did my exercise DVD in the morning and Dave and I walked in the evening.

Dave was a sweetie and let me sleep in this morning (since I've been getting up at 5:45 to exercise) and I was very grateful. We went to the Motocross in Wauneta this afternoon because Dave had to take pictures for the paper and Jack had a blast. He kept telling us he wanted to ride a motorcycle. I think I may have a heart attack if he ever gets on one of those things! We then came home and I made tuna-artichoke sandwiches. They were awesome and sooo easy!!!

Tomorrow we are having a family get-together at the park for Jack's birthday. There is going to be a lot of unhealthy, yummy treats there but I have been saving my flex points so I think I'll be o.k. Dave and I will also try and go for a walk today and tomorrow to off-set the naughtiness!

Weight Loss Reason #10- People are already starting to notice that I've lost weight!

Weight Loss Reason #11- I wore a shirt today that I haven't been able to wear for almost a year!

Time to Myself

After reading several books to Jack and finishing my daily chores, I'm finally able to sit down and relax. Dave and Jack are both asleep and the house is peacefully quiet. Today was an awesome day because Dave, Jack, and I made a trip to Ogallala to see Jen, Owen, Garrett, Cara, Cam, and Bryce. The boys had a great time playing, going for rides on the mule (a ATV of sorts, not the four legged kind) and just being little dudes. Jen and her mom made a wonderful lunch of mini-pizzas. Everybody got to pick low-fat toppings to put on whole-wheat english muffins and then Jen toasted them in the oven. She also had lots of fresh fruit and a wonderful spinach/strawberry salad. There were also some yummy chocolate chip cookies but Dave and I did manage to stay away from those. Talk about will-power!

Dave and I continue to do well with our diet and exercise plan. We have also been walking 2 miles a night with Jack. Tonight we took Peyton along with us so we each pushed a kiddo in a stroller. It sure made for another good workout! Tomorrow, Mindy and I get to do a cardio/weights and ab dvd. Should be a challenge. It's amazing how I'm already starting to feel things firm up after only a week of exercising. It's great motivation to keep going! I would really like to take 20 pounds off by the end of the summer and I really think I can do it!

Weight Loss Reason #9- I would really like to be able to wear my wedding ring again. I have not been able to wear it since I was pregnant with Jack. I take it out of my jewelery box every once in awhile as motivation to keep pushing through. Maybe by the end of the month it will fit. I'll just have to wait and see...

Solid Start

My workout this morning once again kicked my butt and made me want to upchuck. However, I think it's all worth it because I lost 5.6 today. Not too shabby for someone over 30! Tonight I'm trying a new recipe for supper. It's called spinach meatball subs. I'm pretty excited to eat them. Is it sad that I look forward to eating dinner? As you can tell I lead a pretty exciting life!

Weight Loss Reason #8- I already have more energy just from working out 3 days this week. Amazing!

Riding the Wave

I just want to mention how much it sucks getting back into shape. Why didn't I just stay in shape in the first place? Mindy and I did a cardio workout on the Wave today and there were a couple of times where I seriously thought I was going to throw up. I even felt a little light-headed afterwards when I was taking a shower this morning. That just goes to show you how out of shape I am.

Tomorrow will be the full sculpt DVD and it may kick my butt. I have to remind myself that the first few weeks are the worst but it will get better!

BTW...Tomorrow is weigh-in day. Stay tuned to see how I did....

Weight Loss Reason #7- I want to be able to get through an entire workout without wanting to lose my breakfast!

Starting a New Month

Now is a great time to start a healthy lifestyle. It doesn't happen very often that the 1st is on a Monday. I've wiped the slate of past diet experiences and I'm ready to kick some butt. I completed my first workout with Mindy this morning at 6:00 a.m. and I think it will be a challenge. Balance is definitely a weakness of mine but I have a feeling it will improve after completing this program. I'm going to take my measurements today because the program promises results in 10 workouts. Check back in 2 weeks to see if I lose some serious inches and pounds.

Dave is off to a good start as well. Even though he could hardly move this morning, he still managed to completed Power 90's Cardio workout. Taking money from him may not be as easy as I think!

Tonight I'm going to be trying a new recipe for supper. It is a Walnut Chicken Stir Fry and it looks delicious. Lunch will be left-over chicken salad and I already had a spinach, mushroom, turkey sausage egg-white omelet. Yummy!!!


Weight Loss Reason #6- I would really like to take some pounds off so I have the confidence to start the new school year feeling energized and excited.

Reinstating the "Bet"

I did o.k. at the BBQ but it definitely could have been better. Today was a great day of eating. We made blueberry pancakes with whole wheat flour for breakfast, cashew chicken salad for lunch, and pork ribs for supper. Yes, I said pork ribs. The great thing about weight watchers is all things in moderation!

Dave played volleyball in a tournament yesterday and he played sand volleyball today in McCook. All of the activity has got him realizing that he wants to get into better shape since he can hardly move right now. He told me tonight that he wants to reinstate our bet. For those of you who didn't follow my blog a couple of years ago here's the low down...

The first person to break one of the following 3 rules has to pay the other person $100 for each rule broken.

1. No eating out (This will be a lot easier this time around because I live in the sticks and I don't have a lot of options.)
2. Follow our exercise plan. (If you miss a day you pay the piper. Dave will be doing Power 90, poor chump and I'll be starting the "Wave" with Mindy tomorrow at 6:00 a.m. sharp.)
3. Eating within points. (Dave is lucky to be a dude because he gets more points a day then I do. This one will be a challenge.)

For the record, I totally crushed Dave the last time we did this. He quickly faltered on the eating out and the exercise followed close behind. Finally, he bombed on his daily points. I'm excited to be starting this bet again because it really did motivate us to get into great shape. Plus, I'm thinking of all the new clothes and pampering I can do to myself with 300 bones. You better be ready to bring it Dave-a-ho. :)

Feel free to post predictions on who will win.

Weight Loss Reason #5- $300 bucks is reason enough for me right now!!!

Getting Ready for a BBQ

So I've been eating really light today because tonight we're going to a BBQ. I went to a retirement reception with Jack this afternoon and there were so many different kinds of cupcakes and chocolates that I could have just said "see ya" to my diet. Instead I only had 1 carrot-cake cupcake. Delicious! My goal tonight at the BBQ is to only take items that I really want. Usually, I want to eat everything there is to offer but tonight I'm going to be more selective. Check back tomorrow to see how I did....

Amy Weight Loss Reason #4- I have sooo much more energy when I'm eating healthy and working out. The Wave Workout begins in 2 days!

Temptations

I actually got all of my water in today but I did end up drinking 4 diet cokes. YIKES! Jack and I went to my mom's house to make cupcakes for a retirement party tomorrow. We made them all afternoon and I only had one. I call that a victory because they were the good kind with the hostess-like inside and homemade frosting! My mom was a sweetie and made a WW friendly lunch and Dave made jiffy burgers with lean meat. So it wasn't the meal plan I blogged yesterday but it still was healthy and kept me within points. Tomorrow is a big BBQ at Mindy's so I will definitely have my work cut out for me! Later...

Weight Loss Reason #3- Jack will be 3 in about a week so there is no more excuse as to why I'm still carrying "baby weight."

Getting my Head Straight

O.K., so I could lie and tell you all that I ate wonderfully but to be honest it just didn't happen. My brother Jake is back on leave from Iraq and my mom had us over for Rib Eye steaks, cheesy potatoes, and pasta salad. Why does my mom have to be such a good cook? I will say that I did drink more water than normal and I bi-passed the beers tonight. I definitely could have practiced portion control.

On a positive note, Dave and I got groceries tonight and I stalked up on fresh veggies, fruit, and lean meats. Tomorrow I'm going to wake up early to make turkey sausage sandwiches and we will be having a healthy version of chicken salad sandwiches for lunch. Dinner will be a stir fry loaded with lean meat, broccoli, and mushrooms.

My new workout DVD came in the mail and I had a chance to glance over it. I am going to try the first workout tomorrow to gear up for when Mindy and I start on Monday. That way I can ease into it and get the balance thing figured out so all of my bones remain unbroken. I also took a look at the meal plan but I'm not thinking it will be a good idea for me at this point in time. The first week is a detox- no caffeine, alcohol, sugar, or refined carbs. I've learned from past diets that drastically eliminating things always backfires. I can easily give up sugar and alcohol but carbs and caffeine would send me into a downward spiral. I'm just too addicted to diet coke. However, I do have a goal of only consuming 2 diet cokes tomorrow and the rest of my fluids will be water. Check back tomorrow to see if I meet that goal.

Weight Loss Reason #2- I saw my mom's friend Anita tonight who has recently lost A LOT of weight. She looks fabulous and is practically radiating. I want that feeling!

Starting Over

So once again, I begin my weight loss journey. I can honestly say this last year has been rather crazy. We moved, I started a new job, thought about getting another job, and overall have just been in a state of limbo. Dave and I made the decision to stick it out here in good old Palisade and so I've decided it's time to start and finish this weight problem once and for all. There will be no more excuses. I am now fortunate to have the entire summer off and I'm going to make the most of it.

Summer is a great time to get active. There will be walks in the park, dips in the pool, and a lot of running around after my soon-to-be 3 year old. Another thing I love about summer is all of the fresh produce available. Fortunately for me, my husband planted a bunch of yummy things in our yard and my mother and mother-in-law are both very generous about sharing all the wonderful goodies in their awesome gardens.

So here is my plan of action....

1. Every week I'm going to make a grocery list and Jack and I will head to McCook to stock up on good things to eat. I've raved before about how wonderful my Light and Tasty cookbook is and so I'm going to be dusting it off and putting it to good use. I've also decided that every week I will post my meal plan and if you see something you like, I would be happy to e-mail you recipe in it's entirety.

2. My buddy Mindy and I did really well a couple weeks ago about dragging our butts out of bed at 5:45 a.m. to do our FIRM workout. We seriously kicked butt but kind of let it go to the wayside when school was winding down. We loved the workout so much that we both decided to order another one and this one may kick our butts (or hopefully shrink them.) Just google the FIRM Wave and see how insane we truly are!

3. The final piece of the weight loss puzzle is accountability. I will be weighing in every week so that you, my loyal blog readers can see how I'm doing. I've done well in the past when I've had to report my progress and I will do it again.

My overall goal is going to be 55 pounds and it's going to be tough but I can do it! To prove my dedication, I will once again post a weight loss goal every day. Please keep checking on me because I love to hear from you!!!

Weight Loss Reason #1- My unhealthy lifestyle is really starting to take it's toll. I'm lethargic, grouchy, and have horrible joint pain because I'm carrying so much extra weight. Losing those extra pounds will definitely make a difference!!!