2000 calories!!!

Oh my I have eaten like a crazy person today. Bella is out of school for a few days so I guess I feel like I am on vacation. We went to get biscuits this morning, then went to Chatt with my mom and the kids so we went to our favorite place...Bea's....if anyone knows about this place you know that they have the BEST fried chicken in the world! So of course I ate a piece, and pinto beans, and little potatoes in some kind of sauce. Then to finish all that off, Bella wanted Krispy Kreme since we were in Chattanooga. Now I couldn't let her eat a doughnut by herself could I?

Now I know I shouldn't have eaten all that but I did. The old Lori would have said "oh well, I will just start again on Monday" and then I would have proceeded to eat myself into oblivion for the rest of the weekend. But I am a new Lori, I realize that I am not on a diet. I am totally changing my lifestyle. Will I eat "bad" some days during my new lifestyle?...YES! Will I decided that I will make better choices tomorrow or for the next meal....YES! It is ok to eat badly every once and awhile. It is not OK to make bad choices at every meal.

Now, an update on my weigh ins. Last week I lost 1.5 pounds and about the same in inches and then this week I only lost .2 pounds...BUT I gained 2 lbs of muscle and lost 2 lbs of fat! I also lost 2.5 inches and almost an inch of that was my hips which is where every woman wants to lose weight! When I looked at the scale before going to the Y this week I wanted to cry. My scale measures a little higher than theirs so I thought I had actually gained weight but once I got in there and they did measurements I felt a lot better. That being said, if you are out there and reading this and are discouraged by the numbers on the scale. Do some measurements! It will make your outlook a lot better. Now, I am in a competition so I want to lose weight but I am ok with gaining muscle. I can already wear clothes that I used to wear when I was 15lbs lighter so I know that my body is changing even if the numbers on the scale are not what I want.

I will say one last thing. I was really beginning to get frustrated with not losing more weight. I am eating 1200-1500 calories a day and exercising and burning ALOT of calories a day (sometimes 1000), so I feel like I should be losing more but once I stop and think and realize that my measurements are showing that I am losing even if the scale doesn't I calm down a little.

So stinkin hungry!

The past few days I have been so hungry! I have been working on my healthier lifestyle for about a month now and I have amazingly had very few struggles with food. This week though I want to eat ALL THE TIME! I am just trying to figure out the best healthy options when I get so hungry I want to eat my arm (hey I would lose weight that way wouldn't I....) Yesterday I ate a piece of cheese, then a cracker, then an apple, then a cracker with peanut butter on it. I also ate chips for lunch which was not a good idea because it was just empty calories and that choice was probably what put me in the "hungry" cycle yesterday. Oh well I will make better choices another day and do better. Tomorrow is weigh in....pray for me =)

Moving Forward

For those of you who don't know....I am in a contest that the YMCA and MIX 104.1 puts on every year. There are 10 contestants and whoever loses the most weight (it is actually a percentage that takes in consideration more than just weight I believe) wins prizes. For me though, I won when I was chosen to be a part of the program. I get to go to the Y for free for about 2 months (that saves me almost $140!) and Seth can go too which is an added bonus because I am more motivated to go work out when he is off if he goes with me! I also get personal training sessions 2 times a week. This is why I wanted to be a part of the program. I have NO IDEA how to really get into shape. I have NEVER EVER been active in any way. I rode a bike as a kid but I never participated in sports...but hey I lettered in Choir so that has to count for something right? =)

I started off doing this because when I was Bella's age I began to gain weight and have been overweight ever since and I want to be a good example for her. I do not want her to go through what I did as a child, teenager, or adult. I am sure she will have other struggles but I want to do everything in my power to give her the tools she needs to live a healthy life and to maintain a healthy weight. I believe that starts with me getting healthy. I have been really careful not to call this a diet, I always say "mommy is doing this so I can be more healthy and active." Now that I am 3 weeks into the program, I am doing this for me! I am becoming a little addicted to working out. I absolutely love to dance in zumba class, kick in turbo, and be tortured by my trainer twice a week.

Tonight I was feeling a little sorry for myself because Seth is gone for the next 4 days so I made myself my favorite thing ever...cheese Fondue. Granted I made about 1/4 of what I usually make for Seth and I so I wasn't being all that bad but oh my goodness it made me so sick! I tried a sip of Bella's tea at dinner and it was disgusting. I helped Seth made brownies and Christmas Crack as we call it and I wanted to throw up from the smell. No I am not pregnant! For the past week I have discovered when I eat unhealthy I feel absolutely horrible. It is truthfully a little bittersweet for me.

Food was my escape, food made me happy, I would get depressed if I really wanted a Pepsi and I didn't have one in the house. It has been that way for over 20 years! Now, I am going to have to discover other things that make me happy. Of course, my family makes me happy, but when Seth sits down and eats 5 oreos a night (which he has every right to that boy runs almost 20 miles a week most of the time!) I am going to have to find something else to make me happy. I have discovered that exercise helps, but I can't do that at 9:00 at night! Maybe I will just write on here when I want a Pepsi and Butterfinger =)

Now I have written goals on this blog before but here are some new ones.

1. I will drink 12 cups of water today (I work out 6 days a week for at least an hour...usually more so I think I probably need more than the regular 8).

2. I want to be to my "ideal size" by my 10 year wedding anniversary at the end of July. Now my ideal size might not be my "ideal weight" as far as medical standards go but I will weigh less than I have in close to 20 years by then!

3. I will park and walk to get Bella at least 3 times a week (which her and the boys LOVE!)

4. After the contest is over I will continue to work out at least 3 times a week, hopefully 4!

5. I will be able to keep up with my kids when we go to Disney for the week at the end of March =)

Back at it again

This morning I started working out again. Over the summer I have had a foot problem (stupid plantar fascitis) and have had to take it easy. It is still hurting but I have decided that I am just going to have to get over it and work through the pain.

We are going to Disney World in March and I am determined to be in at least a little better shape so that I can really enjoy my 4 days of 15 hour days at the parks =) We haven't told the kids we are going yet so keep that a secret =)

Jax has had a runny nose so I couldn't take him to the Y nursery this morning so I just did Zumba on the Wii...of course for the last five minutes I was holding a 22 pound baby while trying to Zumba with one arm so that was interesting =)

Today is Sawyer's 3rd birthday!!!! I am getting healthy for me but the added benefit is that I will be able to do so much more with my children. Bella is not the most active child. She likes to play outside but most of the time is happy to sit on the couch and watch TV (which of course I limited but I'm just saying does not have to be active to be happy) Now I have two very active boys growing up so I need to be healthy enough to keep up with them. So once again I am trying to be healthier...I am not going to beat myself up if I stumble I will just try again the next day.

This blog is so that I can just vent my feelings. I am going to be blogging a little more about my life, my walk with God, and some thing I have went through in the past. I am trying to not be on Facebook as much but I find that I enjoy writing about my life so I figured this would be a way for me to do that without being on Facebook. I don't care if anyone reads this...it just makes me feel better to type it all out =)

Finally on Track!!

I finally feel like I am getting on track. I have been having problems with my blog so I didn't update this last week but as of last Thursday I had lost 9 pounds since starting to really watch everything 2 weeks ago! I am exercising 4-5 times a week and trying to eat better.

I have discovered I love Zumba! I went to class twice last week and hope to get to go a few times this week too. I also got Zumba for Wii which is not as fun but works when I can't get to the Y for class. I do the Biggest Loser game about 3 times a week and I weigh in using that game every Thursday. They actually have a weigh in just like the show and you vote people off the game! Hopefully I won't get voted off my own game =)

It is going to be harder for me to get my work outs in because the kids are going to want to go to the pool everyday so I am going to try to start getting up before they wake up to work out then. We will see how that goes....I really like to sleep! I will update tomorrow my progress or failure. I have a feeling I won't do as well this week since I lost 9 lbs over the last 2 weeks.

Doing so Much Better!

So excited! I feel as if I am actually doing better getting my eating and exercise under control. I got the Biggest Loser game for Wii or "Loser Game" as Sawyer calls it. It is a lot of fun! That way if the kids are sick and I can't go to the Y and work out I can work out at home. It's not the same routine everyday like it would be if I just did a work out DVD. I think I am also going to get the Zumba game too just to have variety. Also the kids love to exercise with me which is just an added bonus.

Over the weekend I have been really careful about my eating and tomorrow I am going to start tracking my eating with Weight Watchers again. As Seth ate his oreos tonight while we watched TV, I drank a flavored water and ate some sugar free Jello to satisfy my need for food. Everytime I thought about those chips in the pantry I pictured myself in the pretty dress I want to wear when I I renew my vows next July (and yes I do already have it picked out!) The dress I want actually comes in my current size but of course I will look much better in any dress if I am down 5 sizes =)

Frustrated

I am so very frustrated. I really want to be able to start working out; but my children are ALWAYS sick. We have literally had about a 2 week span in the last 6 months (since Jax was born) where all 3 kids were well at one time. I know that I could do videos at home (which is probably what I am going to have to do) but I would much rather take zumba or go watch TV and run on the elliptical (sp?) at the Y. I have felt like my kids were well enough to go maybe 5 times in the past few months and I have went all of those 5 times. I am not an overprotective parent by any means but I do not want to take my sick children to the nursery at the Y and expose other children to their germs (you can thank me later!)

Anyways, I have a Thyroid problem and I can tell my levels are off because my hair is falling out like crazy and it is almost impossible for me to lose weight unless I work out. I am trying to do much better on the eating side (drinking water, following my weight watcher points, etc.) but I am not losing an ounce. I will admit to eating pizza and nachos once a week when I take the kids to the bouncy place at the mall but not enough to gain back any weight I have lost that week. Ok that is my vent for the day. Maybe by Thursday on my weigh in day I will have some good news!!