My First 30 Minute Long Run

I had a great run this morning. It was my first 30 minute run of the training season. I get serious about my training in October. I am looking forward to training this year, I know that this is going to be my year!

I start a 12 week Health Challenge on Monday! I will post new pictures and weight tomorrow. I spent August preparing for it. I started at 200 and I am hoping to be at 190 to start the Challenge.

Here's to a healthy new me!

DietBet

Here is the link for the DietBet that starts in 2 1/2 weeks.. . .

http://dbet.me/rECzvu

I feel fierce!

This week has been stellar so far. Chris has been home since Tuesday and I have still stayed on track with both my diet and PT program. I am expecting a nice loss. I hope to be down to 192/191 by Monday. But seriously halfway through the week and I am fierce!

Monday Weigh In

Starting weight: 242
Today: 237.8
Weekly Loss: -4.2
Total Loss: -4.2

Last week I averaged 1453 calories.

Dietbet has really helped me be accountable and focused. I like having a little community to encourage and do this with. Also there are weekly challenges to help keep me focused. Last week was drinking water, this week is 30 min./day exercise. 

Couldn't be happier with my loss. Onwards! Slow and steady. 

Week in Review

I had a solidly "OK" week. I went way over on my carbs a lot, but managed to stay within reason with my calories. (Chris was home this weekend.) We went to a gun store near Seattle on Saturday and ate Arby's for dinner on our way home. (Oh how I love a Beef n Cheddar!) Yesterday, pepperoni pizza was my downfall. I still managed to pull out a 1 pound loss for the week though, so I am happy.

It just got REAL up in here ya'll!!! I joined up with Karla on DietBet! It seems like a great motivator AND since money is involved, my focus and determination are greatly increased! I signed up for the "Slim Down for Summer" challenge and my goal is to get down to 188.5 by September 18th.

My goals for the week are to exercise everyday and keep my diet within my MACROS everyday! Whether the exercise is on the treadmill or doing a HIIT workout, or whatever, I want to do something everyday. Chris is home most of this week as well, so I really need to buckle down with my diet. I do a great job when he is gone, but not so much when he is home. I did my meal prep yesterday so have some really healthy options to take to work for lunch. I am already planning my meals for next week and they are going to be super yummy!

I hit the treadmill this morning before work and went nearly 2 miles. It's crazy how fast you lose your conditioning when you fall off the fitness wagon. Since Hanna does not like to eat breakfast right after she wakes up, it gives me the perfect excuse to exercise before I feed the dogs and horses. The plan is to hit the treadmill Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then do HIIT on Tuesday and Thursday.

BRING IT ON!

Down 2.2!!! & Tip of the week

A great start for me. Down 2.2 this morning! I went a bit over at 1600 calories, but drank at least 70oz of water yesterday.

I am now 239.8. . . and officially 10 pounds away from the 220s (my goal for China.)

I'm Back! And back is beautiful!

I. AM. HERE.

I. AM. READY!

This morning I was 242.8 and that is my starting line. I plan on losing at least 15 pounds before I go to China in just under 2 months.

I am just ready. I will be doing  "Motivational Mondays," "Wordless Wed." and "Fridays tip of the week." I'll also post me weekly calories and weigh ins.

I joined Dietbet. I did this 4 years ago and it helped me stay accountable. I love logging in everyday and it's like WW, it's a community, lots of support. Also if I meet my goal, lose 4% (10lbs in 4 weeks) I get $.  It costs $35 to join and if you meet your goal, you get it back plus a little extra (last time it was +$4.)

Here's the link if you want to check it out:  http://dbet.me/FWfU0Z

For my motivation photo, I have a "before" and "before" for you. The photo on your left is 4 years ago (192 lbs), the photo on your right is my today (242) +50lbs. I am so so ready to drop 10 lbs and start this off right! Then another 10, and another and another. . . .and another.

Let's do this!

So far so good...

I have managed to either do a HIIT workout or "run" on the treadmill everyday this week and my food choices have been pretty good.

I "ran" this morning. (the word run is open for interpretation) I always walk the first 5 minutes on the treadmill and then up the speed to 5.0. I easily went 1 mile this morning and if I had more time I could have gone farther. Next week it will be time to set my alarm 15 minutes earlier on my treadmill mornings and try for 2 miles.

I am still having issues with my old treadmill, so am really looking around for a new one. I think I have decided on one...

It is pretty pricey, but has all the bells and whistles I could ever want!
     -Live Interactive Training
     -Google Maps (I can program it to mimic any route on google maps)
     -On-Demand Workouts

I will do a mid-week weigh in tomorrow, to help me stay on track over the weekend. (Chris will be home) I feel like this week is going pretty well, the scale will tell....

The Rough Week in Review

So, it really was a rough week, but I somehow managed to lose 1 pound. I did not PT and since it was Chris' birthday over the weekend, I ate what I wanted (within reason) at the family dinner.

Chris is up in Seattle attending a training class, so it should be easier to stick to my routine this week. I did my HIIT workout this morning and will TRY to walk a mile on the treadmill tonight. BUT truth be told I have a ton of chores to do tonight since I did NOTHING over the weekend. (Laundry, meal prep, clean house...)

I am thankful for the 1 pound loss, but would like to see a higher loss next week.

Not gonna lie...

It's been a rough week so far. I got injections in my lower thumb joint (arthritis) on Wednesday and took Thursday off work. I got ZERO exercise in both those days, plus my food choices were less than stellar.

I did walk 1 mile on the treadmill this morning, and am back on the nutrition wagon today. This weekend it is Chris' birthday, so we are going down to Camas for a family BBQ to celebrate. I hope I can make good choices...

Next week Chris is up in Seattle for training, so I should be able to focus entirely on my diet and exercise all week long.  I will be doing my meal prep on Sunday: salmon and chicken recipes. One thing is for sure, I really miss Twinkies!!!!

I weigh-in Monday morning. I am hoping for a loss in spite of my lack of exercise.

Week in Review

This week has gone pretty well. I am still having difficulties with those pesky carbs. I lost 5 pounds this week, which is good, BUT, we all know the first 5 pounds come off very easily. The next 5 take a little more effort then the real struggle begins.

I did my beginner HIIT workout 3 times last week and did not make it to the treadmill, but did keep active all weekend long. I will say that I need a new treadmill. The one I have now is more than 10 years old, no longer inclines and the motor is starting to "jump" occasionally when I am on it. I hope to get a new one by November so I can start training for the Capital City Marathon. In the meantime, I will adjust. (Anyone want to do the Half or Marathon with me in May 2020?)

Meal prepping once a week has really helped me get control of what I am eating. I make 8 lunch/dinners and put them in Tupperware. I also boil a dozen eggs and measure out my snacks into little zip lock baggies. I pack my lunch the night before and just grab whatever I want. I have also recently added Equate Protein Shakes to my diet. They actually taste really good and are a nice punch for my sweet tooth! Each shake has 160 calories, 4g carbs and a whopping 30g of protein!

I want to report on the Quest Protein Chips as well: YUM!!!! The ranch flavored chips are really, really good. I haven't tried the BBQ flavor yet, but they are in my lunch bag. Each bag is 1 serving and has 140 Calories, 5g carbs and 19g protein. Now if I could only find a yummy lemon bar with those kinds of numbers!

Onward and downward!

So far, so good

The counting macros is going pretty well. I weighed in this morning at 197, -3 pounds! I have decided that I will weigh in Mondays and track my progress Monday to Monday.

Here is what I have discovered about counting macros:

1. Calories mean nothing
     I have never been good at counting calories, so counting macros has really been interesting. I have been under calories all week long, but those pesky carbs are still too high.

2. Protein is HARD.
     I need to get 169 grams daily and I am not even close. I usually fall somewhere between 70-90 grams. I need almost twice that much. Protein foods are also very filling. I am just not hungry.

3. Carbs are the bane of my existence.
     No matter how carefully I examine nutrition labels, my carb count gets out of control quickly! I try to pick foods that have a low carb count, but those things are everywhere!

I will weigh in again next Monday and give a proper summary for my first week. I managed to do my Beginner HIIT workouts 3 times this week and will shoot for 4 times next week. This weekend I plan to walk on the treadmill instead of the HIIT. I also have a riding lesson on Saturday, so will be pretty active.

Meal prep planned for Sunday:
Balsamic Fig Chicken with roasted potatoes and broccoli
Apricot Glazed pork chops with ginger rice and green beans
Pork cutlets with apple, spinach and sunflower seed salad.

I am also adding a few protein shakes to the mix. Equate High Performance Protein Shake has pretty good numbers: 160 Calories, 30g Protein and only 4g Carbs! I also miss chips, yummy crunchy empty calorie, full of carbs, chips. I found Quest Tortilla Style Protein Chips: 140 Calories, 19g Protein and only 5g Carbs! I ordered the Ranch flavored ones from my Walmart Grocery Pick Up app and will let you know how they taste...

Week 1

So, this is the official start of my new "diet." I can eat anything I like (within reason) as long as it fits within my macros: 74 grams of Carbs, 69 grams of fats and 168 grams of protein. My goal is to also stay under 1600 calories, but secondary to counting my macros. After counting my macros for most of last week, as practice, I found out that it is going to be super hard to keep it at 74 grams of carbs. I didn't realize just how carb heavy my normal diet is! Here is a link to a macros calculator, if you are curious to see what your suggested macros are!

I spent most of Sunday, meal prepping. I made 10 meals and put them in Tupperware in the fridge. There are no excuses for not eating healthier now! I also bought a large bag of beef jerky and split it up into 2 oz snack baggies. I boiled some eggs for quick and easy snacks, full of protein along with snack sizes of cottage cheese. I am trying to set myself up for success.

My first weigh-in day will be this Friday. May the odds be ever in my favor.

Part 2:
Watching my diet, aka counting my macros, is just part of the equation. I need to exercise. I will be doing 1 month of Beginner HIIT Workouts. It can be found on Amazon Prime Video:

It's only 10-20 minutes, I can do them while the dogs eat breakfast and use feeding the horses as a cool down. Yay for working out in the comfort of your own living room!

Who wants to join my 12 week Fitness Challenge?

Starting From Scratch

The 2 plus months since the Half Marathon, I have GAINED ALL my weight back plus some. I am sitting at 200 pounds! ARG! I won't be running the Autumn Leaves 50 this year as I cannot get myself into shape in only 80 days (2.5 months).

I have enlisted the help of a personal trainer, Jessica Martinez, to help me stay on track. I will post pictures later tonight (Heaven help me, 200 pounds!) to document the start of this journey. I DO plan on running the Capitol City Marathon next year, and think that I will run it every year.... make it a tradition. I would like to lose about 70 pounds between now and then, but we will see, healthy is more than a number on a scale. Right now I just want to eat "cleaner" and get into an easy exercise routine that I can maintain all year long. I spend ALL of my time outside with my horses during the summer and need to get in some short daily runs/cardio/weight training on a regular basis.

I have logged back in to My Fitness Pal to keep track of what I eat. Instead of counting calories, I am counting macros. The MFP app has a handy nutrition button to click that keeps track of your macros. I think it will help me a lot! I will be posting weekly progress reports here as well as any "special" workouts that I complete. I will also post monthly pictures so I can actually SEE my progress.

August:
Goal weight: 195
Treadmill run 3 miles (no time)

Let's do this!