Slimmer This Summer - Week Two Completed

Well, we have come to the end of our second week in the Slimmer This Summer Challenge. Yesterday I weighed in at 188, which is a loss of 1lb. for the week.

However, I succumbed to a piece of The Man's birthday cake last night as well as a 1/2 bowl of his noodles and when I stepped on the scale this morning, it said I gained 3 lbs since yesterday. Obviously the white stuff has got me again in the form of water weight gain. I hate that my body is so susceptible to flour, salt, etc. I have noticed, though, that fruit and whole grains do not affect me in that way at all. For example.. I ate a small bowl of spaghetti earlier in the week. Within an hour I had fallen into a practical coma. This happens whenever I eat refined sugar or white flour. But, I can eat fruit, even bananas, which are loaded with natural sugar and do not feel any adverse effects. I eat a bowl of quick cooking oats every evening and it does not affect me at all except that it keeps me from having Restless. (Don't know why, but it works!)

So, this week, I am going to stay away from all white foods. No potatoes or pasta or anything with refined sugar. I will continue to eat fruits and vegetables regardless of their carb count. And, we will see what happens.

I also haven't worked out in a few days. And I can feel that I need to get back on track with that. I don't feel all that bad about taking a few days off as I did so because my body was just not feeling capable of performing anything strenuous for those days. Old injuries acting up, etc. I did reach my goal of 210 minutes of exercise per week, though.

I am off to visit everyone's blog and check on our group's progress now! Let's kick some serious butt this week!


View my complete Food Diary HERE.

30 Day Shred Day 9 Level 1

I am one day behind in the 30 Day Shred. But, only because I was so busy yesterday with the family and I did get a lot of movement in with the hiking and fishing, etc. I burned just as many calories as I would have with the Shred, so I'm not sweating it at all. I will just continue on today with Day 9 on Level 1.

I have to admit, this workout is HARD for me. Even now, after more than a week into it. Not all of it, just the jumping and raising my right arm above my head. I've done a lot of modifying it to accommodate for my injuries. In the beginning, I really tried not do do that, but you know what? I need to do what is best for my own body and the pain that I was in and am in if I push those injuries too hard is just wrong for me.

The modifications that I have made are that I do wall pushups instead of floor pushups now because my shoulder just cannot handle that much stress at this point. I only do the arm raises above my head until I feel 'that you are pushing too hard' feeling that I know will lead to severe pain that is not a good 'burn', then I do other arm exercises with the weights during the strength training circuits. And no matter what Jillian says about jumping jacks, I have a leg with a steel rod from knee to ankle and after the first 30 or so it lets me know that it is not what it used to be pre-accident, so I run in place during the rest of the jumping jacks. I don't slow down, nor do I take breaks. I just have to modify for my body's abilities. No excuses.

I had a couple days of not 'over eating', but eating over my initial calorie goal of 1200. This is due to bad planning on my part and I am sitting down today and planning out the rest of this week's meals in advance. I find that on days when I am very busy running around instead of being at home, I go too long between meals and snacks and then eat more in one meal than I should because I am ravenous! No more. Planning, planning, planning. Something to work on.

I am extremely over-tired this week as I've been dealing with a lack of sleep due to Restless Leg Syndrome. Or in my case, Restless Body Syndrome. I've been trying to find ways to help it, such as taking Melatonin, Potassium and Magnesium, even doing half an hour of stretching exercises before going to bed. However, so far.... no luck. It's been every night for over a week now and it's really catching up to me. Lack of sleep tends to cause me to be overly emotional, cranky, sad and just plain miserable. I hope that I figure out a way to get some needed rest soon. The Melatonin worked for the first week and I got so much rest, I felt awesome. The second week, it quit working. So now I've upped my dose to 6mg and it's still not working. *sigh* More experiments on that to come.

I also just want to say a group "Great Job, Ladies" to everyone who is in this challenge with me! You are all doing wonderfully and I'll be stopping by your blogs soon to leave my mark!



View my complete Food Diary HERE.

Slimmer This Summer - Day 2

Day 2 is almost complete for the Slimmer This Summer Challenge! I got up and did my 30 Day Shred early today instead of after 9pm like usual. I have to admit, that it did help with my energy level all day. I actually didn't have access to a DVD player, so since I already have level 1 memorized, I just locked myself in a room and went at it hard. It went so much better! I timed my circuits and counted my reps and ended up working out longer and harder than I would have listening to the DVD. Of course, I start level 2 in two days, so I will be back to watching the DVD till I have that level memorized. I am also going to do 20 minutes of stretching exercises before bed. I'm hoping that will help with my Restless Leg (BODY!) Syndrome. On that note, I've begun taking Potassium and Magnesium every day as well as taking 6mg of Melatonin at bedtime.

Today was errand day.. well... one of them. And we ate out at the Chinese Restaurant. I still managed to stay within my calorie range, so I'm pretty happy about that. I think there may have been extra salt in what is listed though, because I feel awfully 'puffy' tonight.

Tomorrow will be another busy day. Grocery shopping - I'm trying to plan the next week or two's meals and snacks to better stay within my ranges. Fishing / Swimming / Hiking with the family and The Man wants to go night fishing after that, just me and him. Dear Lord, give me energy and strength!

Starting Weigh In: Plus Size Bloggers Tracking Challenge: Bye Bye Booties!

My starting weight for this challenge is 191. I was right about the water weight yesterday as this morning I was back down from 193. That was after drinking like 16 8-oz. glasses of water yesterday and getting up four times during the night to pee!

So, anyway... I found yet another challenge. Nothing like keeping my motivation and accountability up, right? Besides, it gives me even more people to encourage, which is what I so totally enjoy !

The goal for this challenge is to lose 15 pounds in 12 weeks. Totally doable, right? Sheesh, the way my weight fluctuates, who knows at this point, right? But, I'm in. That would make my goal weight for this challenge, which ends on August 29th, 176 lbs.

Off we go!

Week Four Completed

I refuse to let this scale beat me! I will not allow it to determine my mood for the rest of the day, week or even minute!

Today I am up 2 pounds. Now, I know that I have been eating right, exercising every day and drinking my water. I've been doing everything right. However, I do feel that PMS-y feeling coming on and since I have been exercising every day, I know that my muscles are storing up water for recovery. Therefore, I am NOT going to worry about these lousy two pounds. There is no way that it is actual fat that I've gained. It's just water and it will go away by my next weigh-in.

That being said. My DD14 and I did my measurements the other day and here are the results:

My Starting Measurements as of May 16th were:

Bust: 38
Chest: 35
Waist: 35.5
Hips 44.5
Thigh: 27.5
Calves: 17.5
Upper Arms: 14

And My Measurements Now are:

Bust: 38
Chest: 35
Waist: 35
Hips: 42.25
Thigh: 27
Calves: 17.5
Upper Arms: 13.5

For a total of 3.25" lost.

Not too shabby. Makes me feel better about those pesky 2 lbs. Grrrr...

So, to recap.. my Starting Weight was 195 and I am at 193 now. By my next weigh-in, TOM should be gone or on his way out the door, so I will look forward to then.

Today I am on Day 7 of Level 1 of the 30 Day Shred. I really needed yesterday's resting period. My shoulder feels a little bit better though after doing some more jumping jacks, push ups and arm raises, we shall see..... I'm going to keep on keeping on, though.

Slimmer This Summer - June 6th - August 28th

If you have been reading my blog or know me from MyFitnessPal.com , you already know that when it comes to motivation, encouragement and support, I'm all about it. While blog hopping today I came across another Blogger Support Group doing a 12 week challenge called Slimmer This Summer.

I am so in!

Here are my goals for these next 84 Days:

• In the next 12 weeks I would like to lose a total of 18 lbs. That would bring my weight down to 173 and averages out to 1.5 lb.s per week.
• In the next 12 weeks I will continue to drink at least 80 oz. of water per day.
  
• In the next 12 weeks I will continue on with working out for a minimum of 30 minutes per day, Monday through Saturday. Sunday will continue to be my Rest Day.
• My beginning measurements are: Waist: 35", Hips: 42.25", Chest: 35", Thigh: 27", Upper Arm: 13.5". My beginning weight is 191 lbs.
  
• During the next 12 weeks I will continue to track my caloric intake, exercise and water consumption at www.MyFitnessPal.com and post it here regularly for those who are not members of My Fitness Pal.
  
• During the next 12 weeks and beyond I will continue to support and encourage others in the Slimmer This Summer Challenge!

Why Take Regular Rest Days?

Today is my Rest Day. I am not going to do any type of high-impact exercising at all. My shoulder is sore and my poor muscles need rest. Now, part of me wants to do my workouts anyway. No pain, no gain, right? However, I've been reading up on the subject and the benefits of taking a day off every week (or even more often than that) are many.

First of all... you deserve it. If you've been working out regularly all week and have done your best to improve your health and fitness you absolutely deserve to take the focus off of your weight and muscles and just BE. We don't want to become so focused on our journey to fitness that we let everything else fall to the back burner. Giving yourself a break once in a while is good for the body and the spirit. Have a lazy day. Have a crazy day. Just spend some time doing anything you feel like doing, even if it's sleeping in, laying around reading a book or hanging out with friends and family. Give yourself a day to just relax and renew.

Secondly, your muscles need it. When you exercise, your muscles actually break down. They need time to repair and replenish the elements lost during your workouts. If you keep exercising and working those muscles non-stop without giving them a break, it can actually do more harm than good. They will just keep breaking down without being able to build back up. Yes, your body does heal while you sleep, however, that is not necessarily enough for your muscles to repair and rebuild muscle and connective tissue. Not allowing enough resting periods for your muscles can lead to increased muscle break down and may lead to over-training and injury.

Third, if you don't give your muscles time to heal your metabolism may slow down. This is definitely not something that a dieter wants to happen. In order for muscles to make a complete recovery, protein stores and energy stores need to be replaced. If your muscles are not given the time to recover, they can become progressively smaller. In the course of a few weeks, in regards to the dieter, this can mean a gradual decline in lean tissue, thus lowering your metabolism. This results in less calories burned overall then the need to decrease your caloric intake which may already be at the lowest end to begin with, or the need to burn more calories through exercise which just keeps you in a vicious cycle and exasperates the problem.

Fourth, You don't want to get burned out. If you have recently begun eating right and implementing daily exercise into your life, you probably have been going all-out. Your motivation is high, you are excited and raring to see results. However, if you are serious about becoming a more fit and healthy person, you need to look at this not as a Diet, but as a Lifestyle Change. You have the rest of your life to worry about. This is not a "Lose 10 Pounds In 3 Days And Keep It Off Forever" diet scam. This is your LIFE. Pace yourself, take it one day at a time and don't lose sight of the big picture. I know many people who are all Gung-Ho during the first couple weeks of their 'diets' just to give up because they have burned themselves out, overwhelmed themselves and didn't see results quickly enough. If you are trying to lose weight, get toned, be healthier in general, remember... you did not gain your weight overnight and it will not come off overnight either. This is a life-long process that will take a while, but the results will be worth it.

If you feel you absolutely HAVE to do something, make it something that is low-key. Try Yoga, stretching or a walk in the park or around the block. Having regular rest days will leave you refreshed and rejuvenated for your next few days of workouts!

30 Day Shred Day 6 Level 1

Today is my sixth day on Level One of 30 Day Shred. It has been a long week, let me tell you! There were some days that my body hurt so bad, that I lived on Ibuprofen and it took a lot of get up and go to get off my butt to do that day's workout. But, I did. And I can feel a difference in my body even if I can't really see any difference yet. My energy level is up, my muscles are sore - but in a good way. Level One is becoming more manageable and I am able to get into the stances more and more. Tomorrow is my day off and I'm 1/2 way looking forward to it and 1/2 way not. I hope that by taking a day off it won't be harder to do when I come back to do it again on Monday!

I've been consistently staying in my calorie range and drinking my water. I've found that my appetite is fluctuating a bit. There are days when I am starving - the ones that I burn the most calories. And then there are days when I struggle to get to my minimum of 1200 calories. However, if I am starving before a workout, I usually am not after the workout. And my tastes have been changing quite a bit as well. I can taste grease and salt much more now and I don't like it at all. I've actually thrown food away that I 'thought' would taste good because I used to eat it regularly since now it tastes too salty or greasy. This is a good thing.

My DD14 and I took my measurements the other night and I am happy to say that I've lost inches over the last two weeks. I will post in more detail on Monday when I do my weigh-in post.

Oh, and guess what? I found a bunch of other Bloggers who are doing the Shred in June, too! Check them all out by clicking on the button below!

A Little About My Injuries

Sometimes I cringe when I hear myself say something about an exercise hurting or saying that there are some things I 'can't' do anymore because of my injuries. Mostly because if you saw me, fully clothed and didn't pay much attention to my limp, you wouldn't really know the extent of the injuries that I've been dealing with for the past 10-plus years.

I really strive to not let them hinder me in any way, but sometimes I have to be VERY careful as to not injure myself any more or re-injure myself by doing things that some people take for granted. I have overcome a lot to be able to get to where I am now and have done things that I probably shouldn't have that have irritated my joints, bones, health in general because, well... I had to.

So, I will attempt to explain a little about the pain I am in every day. Not because I want any type of sympathy. But, because I want others to know that even though you may have 'something' that you feel is holding you back or limiting you, you can overcome, compensate or figure out a way around it in order to become a healthier, happier you.

Arthritis - I was diagnosed with Arthritis when I was 17 years old. It began in my wrists and hands. I have no idea why. I just know that there were periods of time when my hands and wrists would lock up and hurt so bad I went to the dr. and they did x-rays and told me that's what the problem was. I am now almost 36 years old and I have it practically everywhere. It spread rapidly after my 3-wheeler accident to my ankles, feet, knees, hips, back, shoulders, elbows, etc. I know when a storm is coming. I cannot use a can opener. Scissors give me trouble if I need to use them for very long. But, I don't let it incapacitate me. I am sure it can get worse, but I'm hoping that this journey to health and fitness will help.

Open Heart Surgery - I had open heart surgery when I was 24 years old. I had three children by that time, my youngest then was only 18 months old. Apparently, I was born with holes in my heart. (See Atrial Septal Defect) Four of them to be exact. One the size of a quarter and three the size of pencil erasers. I was pretty overweight when I had the surgery and gained afterwards, too. I did go on to have two more children, but it was just too much on me during my last pregnancy and I ended up having my tubes tied once my youngest was born. Honestly, the palpitations have been pretty much under control for the last few years, although even after the surgery for years I had issues with them. I have to maintain a pretty low-key attitude as stress triggers them.

Compressed Discs In My Neck - During the open heart surgery, the anesthesiologist wrenched my neck while putting the tube down my throat and I ended up being almost bed-ridden for almost a year afterwards. I went to a chiropractor for months for compressed discs in my neck before finally getting some relief. I haven't been able to go for quite a while now, so occasionally my neck gets out of whack and causes me severe headaches, numbness in my arms, etc.

Broken Tib & Fib - One year, almost to the day, of my open heart surgery I was in a 3-wheeling accident. I suffered quite a few injuries including a shattered tibia and fibula, back injuries, broken ribs, hips out of place, foot & ankle injuries as well. I had to have a Intramedullary Rod inserted and had severe complications post-surgery. Basically, the impact to my leg was so severe it damaged the tissues of my calf and it wouldn't heal at all. It practically rotted off. My Dr. was a quack and I ended up having to do my own Surgical debridement at home with my own scissors before I could get in to see anyone. Eventually, I got to see a plastic surgeon who did what he could, I guess.. but left me looking like a shark attack victim. I never got to go to Physical Therapy because I didn't have the money or a way to get there, but I did teach myself to walk again on my own. I still have a lot of trouble from these injuries and though I push through the pain, there are some things that give me more trouble than others... such as running and jumping. Therefore, cardio has been tough for me. But, I am still doing it, modifying when I have to so as not to re-injure myself.

Rotator Cuff Injury - About 2 years ago, I suffered a Rotator Cuff Injury to my right shoulder. I did some physical therapy, but was unable to complete it once I lost my insurance. Most of the time, I am good as long as I am very careful. However, it is easy to overexert myself at times and I have a tendency to over-extend while exercising or carrying things I probably shouldn't. I have had to learn to listen more closely to my body and really pay attention to the movements I make with my shoulder.

These are some of the things I deal with every day. However, I am pretty sure that as I continue increasing my strength and fitness level in general, some of the problems will improve. At least, I am hoping so!

30 Day Shred Day 3 Level 1

I have now completed three days on level 1 of Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred. My body is sore in places I didn't know could get sore!

I do my workout in my sons' room and it has to be the hottest room in the house, even with the air conditioner on. I have no idea why. But, by the time my 30 minutes is up and I come out, I am sweating like a pig. Whoever said that women only glow is out of their mind. I SWEAT!

Some of the exercises have been getting a little easier. By easier, I guess I mean that I can do more of them in the 30-second or so circuits now. But, my calves have been screaming and so have my shoulders. The ab-work isn't all that hard for me. Even though you probably couldn't find my abs if you tried right now. I am still able to do crunches correctly.
Now, lunges... that is another story. Wow, do they hurt!

BUT, I am pushing past all that and continuing on. I know that eventually it will start getting easier. Hopefully before I start level 2!

I have been contemplating taking more before pics. The ones I have are pretty 'clothed' compared to some of the before pics I've been looking at. However, I tried on a bikini the other day and was NOT happy with the image in the mirror - and I could only see myself from the waist up! Sigh. I suppose that is the whole purpose, though, right? To be able to see the progression from your scary before pics?

I've been sticking to my diet and water intake goals. Staying under my allotted calories and drinking at least 12 8 oz. glasses of water per day. It seems that my tastes have been changing a bit. I can now detect salt in the smallest amounts and my body just refuses to let it past my lips. Even in things with no added salt. I tried to eat a premade hamburger patty the other day and it tasted so salty that I had to spit it out and throw it away. And it was something I would never have noticed before. I am getting that with the fattier foods and sugarier foods as well. Which is all good. If I don't like the foods that are the worst for me it makes it much easier to not eat them!

I have felt a little weird lately, since I have been so active. When I get up in the morning and throughout the day, I feel ... well... hot. Kind of like I am running a fever, but I'm not. I'm not sure what it is, but I tell myself that it could possibly be my body burning up calories and I'm just not used to it since my body has had such a long restful period for the last few years and didn't need to warm up to do anything! If any of you know what I'm talking about, fill me in, please?

The One-Day Way by Chantel Hobbs - Book Review

The One-Day Way: Today Is All the Time You Need to Lose All the Weight You Want

Chantel Hobbs, wife, mother, motivational speaker and personal trainer is the author of the latest book I have read to review, The One-Day Way. I was very excited to receive this book as I, myself, have recently begun a journey to health and fitness.

If fad diets and complicated weight-loss strategies have left you feeling as if you will never be able to lose weight and get fit, The One-Day Way is a must read. Forget about expensive exercise equipment, restrictive diets that only allow certain types of foods while severely restricting others. Leave all your past diet failures behind and learn The One-Day Way.

In The One-Day Way, Chantel Hobbs teaches you to change your mind-set from concentrating on and being overwhelmed by huge, seemingly unattainable goals to focusing on one day at a time. By doing this, you will find that your journey to becoming a healthier and happier person is much, much easier.

Over the last week, I have practiced learning The One-Day Way in my own fitness journey. By focusing on only one day at a time, not worrying about yesterday and viewing tomorrow as another beginning, I have found that sticking to my diet and exercise regimen has become much easier and more fulfilling. Instead of having weeks, months or years of future goals hanging over my head, I concentrate only on the 24 hour period I am in and strive to become healthier today than I was yesterday.

In The One-Day Way, Chantel provides you with tools to help you such as example meal plans that are easily prepared by anyone, 31 strength training exercises which can be done at home (with photos), cardio suggestions, success stories and more.

By changing your thinking you can change your life. I've lost two pounds in my first week following The One-Day Way and have had much less stress and anxiety concerning diet and exercise. I highly recommend The One-Day Way to anyone who is struggling to become a healthier, happier person in a more positive, productive way.

I received this book for free from WaterBrook Multnomah Publishing Group for this review.