Progress! Finally!

I have not posted anything for a long time because this journey has been so much tougher than I had anticipated.  There have been many setbacks for me from binging to laziness, but the last two weeks have been successful!  This morning the scale finally tipped in my favour at 118.8 pounds.  The success has come from switching up my routine, thank you Jillian Michaels!  I didn't think that 20 minutes could possibly be enough to shed some extra body fat, but it has helped tremendously and I love it.  I usually still do something else as well in the evening, like playing a Wii dance game or doing a cardio kickboxing video, something fun.  I have not taken my measurements for this post, but I can tell you that rock solid abs are emerging and previously tight pants are looser!  Sometimes when I do the laundry and fold my clothes I still can't believe they belong to me.  For so many years I felt terrible every time I folded my pants because they were so BIG!  I can't even describe the satisfaction I feel that I have made it from an overweight couch potato to a healthy, fit person who can't stop moving!  It used to be hard for me to work up the ambition to go outside and play with Hannah.  Now I love going out for bike rides with her!  In the beginning my motivation was to be skinny.  It is now to see just how fit I can get.  How hard can I work?  How far can I push myself?  I feel great not only to have managed to lose the extra weight, that was the "easy" part (well, not easy, but easiest).  The greatest accomplishment this time (having lost some weight in previous attempts) is keeping it off for nearly a year and a half. 

My plan was to work as hard as I could doing P90X all the time again, but I found it hard to stay focused doing the same thing over and over again.  I still do one of these videos probably a couple of times per week, but I'm finding that I'm having more fun and working harder because I've been going different stuff and it's paying off.  With only 1.8 pounds left to reach my goal weight, I can see that it's going to take a lot more squats to reach my goal hip measurement, but like I said in the beginning, that one is flexible.  

Insanity!!!!!

Alright, I have no news to post.  Well, no really interesting news, like I've lost mega pounds and tons of inches, BUT I am working hard, people!  Yesterday was Chest and Back day, and as on all back days, there were lots of pull ups on the agenda.  I suck at pull ups and have to do the assisted variety.  Dave was being his usual couch potato self and was watching me work super hard and gave me this input: "Maybe you should switch legs.  I don't want you to have one super big leg."  Helpful husband, isn't he?  However, it shows just how much I rely on my leg to get me over the bar, especially with the wide grip pull ups.  I am proud to say, however, that I can do 4 or so chin ups all by myself, thanks all of the work I've put into my biceps and back.  Today was plyometrics day on the P90X calendar.  Plyometrics is basically jump training and it really gets your heart rate up.  I opted to do Core cardio and Balance from Shaun T's Insanity program as well as Cardio Abs from same.  The whole Insanity program is quite plyometric and I wanted some ab work.  The love handles are not lovely.  Oh my goodness, what a great workout!  The Insanity program is a HIIT program.  This stands for High Intensity Interval Training.  You work at your max level for a few minutes, until your hear rate is really high, and then rest for 30-45 seconds and bring it down and repeat for about 40 minutes.  The cardio abs video is only about 20 minutes, though, so my total exercise time today was about an hour.  I was surprised at how well I kept up because I haven't done any of his videos in quite some time and I haven't gone out for a run since it started snowing.  Cold seems to bring out my lazy.  Tonight I am feeling good and healthy and fit.  Not yet superfit, but definitely closer.  I'm glad for this, even though I'm slightly disappointed that the numbers on the scale didn't move this week.  May be that the scallop fry on the weekend was not a good idea...who am I kidding, of course it was, lol.   

Slow and Steady might win the race, but I prefer speed

Alright, week one is complete and I am not impressed at all with my progress.  I lost only one pound and 1/2 of an inch.  That sucks.  I know, I know that this is the kind of results that last for the long term and if I keep working it will keep getting better, but I like to see more results quicker.  I guess I have only myself to blame, really.  I overindulged on the weekend with loads of white rice, chips, cake, cookies, pizza with not whole wheat crust...Now that I see it all written down, it's a wonder I lost that one pound.  I freaked out a little earlier in the week because I had actually put on three pounds.  Turns out it was a combination of timing (cycle), salt intake and lack of water.  So, here are the stats for this week, and a new goal to reach by next Monday:

Weight: 122 lbs
Bust: 32"   (Yay, it's the same)!
Waist: 26"  -1/2"
Hips: no change, boo.

Goals for next week:
Weight: 120 lbs
-1.5"   Inches off.  From anywhere.

Wish me luck!

Cookie Monsters make my plan difficult...

I would like to be the kind of wife/mother that my mum is.  When I was growing up, and even now, there was always something fresh in the cookie jar or on the cake pedestal.  I try to keep up because my Dave and Hannah love to have this kind of stuff around as much as I did.  And really, it's not a problem as soon as the cookies are baked.  However, I love cookie dough.  I can't stay out of it.  And so today, on day two of my journey, I had a date with the cookie dough.  Probably two cookie's worth of it, down the hatch before I could even think "Stop!  Bad girl!"  Oh well, the rest of the day is mine, and so is tomorrow because surely the cookie monsters I live with won't down the whole batch before then.

OK, negatives aside, workout plan is going well.  Yesterday was Plyo day, and I didn't find it as hard as I did the last time I went through the P90X series!  Yay for that.  My strength and cardio are definitely improved.  Today was shoulders and arms day and that went well, too.  I've upped my weights since last time and am feeling good about how much I'm moving.  Usually I'd have been for a walk already as well, but today is not a nice day and I don't want to go outside.  Not fair really to the boys, I know, because I can still get moving in the house, and they really can't so much, but they'll deal.  They can play outside together.  I will make up for not going this afternoon with some Kenpo X.  For those of you who aren't familiar, Kenpo X is like a cardio kickboxing class.  LOVE IT!!!

Step One

This is my first ever blog.  It is an experiment, and I'm really not sure if anybody will be interested in my diet and exercise habits, but I feel like if I have people to share this journey with, I will have a greater chance of reaching my goals.  So today, I will share where I'm starting, where I want to be and how I intend to get there.  In the days to come I will tell you about my successes, my struggles, my setbacks and my time spent exercising.

Here are my stats as of today:
Height-5'3"
Weight-123 lbs
Bust-32"
Waist- 26.5"
Hips- 36.5"  OUCH!

Here are my goals:
Weight- 117 lbs
Bust- I'd like this measurement to stay the same, but I know it won't.  I always lose there and end up with boy boobies, but that's a price I'll have to pay, I guess.
Waist- 25"
Hips- 33"  This is definitely my problem area, and I'm not sure if I can get to this measurement without making the rest of me too thin, so this is a flexible goal.

There are a few things I feel like I should lay out here, some guidelines for myself.  I will not risk my health to reach these goals.  I want to be a healthy, energetic mother and wife, these things are my priorities.  Should I get close to these goals and it becomes clear that reaching them will put me at risk or make me less than I can be for my family, I will call it quits.  I intend to eat lots, I will not starve to reach my goals.  I will not let my daily tasks slip in order to reach these goals.  I will take breaks to let my body recover.  I will always try to keep in mind that my God created me and lives in me, therefor what I do to myself must be pleasing to Him.  Keeping this in perspective will help me to stay on track without going overboard.   

Here is my plan:
I am going to do the P90X routine, and log my calories daily.  I use caloriecount.about.com to do this and I find it VERY helpful.  I also spend time outside every day walking our dogs and walking Hannah to school and back and on weekends walking dogs for the shelter.  On days when I feel I just don't want to listen to Tony Horton I will substitute another workout such as Ripped! with Jari Love or Insanity with Shaun T. or my Jillian Michaels workout.  Please share your goals and successes with me too, to keep me motivated by commenting on the blog.  Wish me luck!