The Exercise Tournament

 

I stole this from my Friend Jenny.  She did it last year or was it the year before? ANYWHO!!!

Here's how it will work:
Sign ups are open until Sunday January 2nd midnight.
I’d like to get the money by January 11th if you could.
$4 will enter you for the exercise challenge drawing

The Dates:
tournament will run from Sunday January 2nd until midnight Saturday February 26th.
Our weeks will run Sunday to Saturday.
Each Sunday I will post who is still competing here on my blog.

The challenge {should you choose to accept it}:
to work out 4 times for 30 minutes a week.

To win the challenge:
You will need to email me on Saturday to let me know you have fulfilled your minimum requirement of 30 minutes 4 times a week.
I won’t be keeping a total count of minutes, all I need to know is if you are in or out.
This will be an "on your honor" log.
There are no exercise police coming to check up on you so please be fair.
Everyone who fulfills the required 4 times a week for 30 minutes will continue on to the next week.

No excuses, no whining, etc.. etc..

If you don't meet the requirements, you are out.

All of those left at the end of the 8 weeks will have their names put into a drawing & the name drawn will win the money. If I do not receive an email from you by Saturday February 26th you will be considered out.

Hope this will be motivation for everyone after eating all those cookies.You can post a comment here to let me know you'd like to join, facebook me or send me an email.

if you don’t want me to post your name you can come up with a “username” !! Let me know if you have any questions. Hope you will join us!  All our welcome so invite your friends!  Its more fun to workout as a group!

heavy holidays

So the last time I posted I had 4 weeks to lose 5 pounds. Well as of last Tuesday the 21st of December I had 2 weeks to lose 9 pounds.  UGH.  I had some happy holiday moments and gained 2.2 pound 2 weeks in a row.  DAMN those Christmas Cookies.  I just couldn’t stop.

The 21st was the first time I weigh myself I have to weigh in on the 4th for my final count for this phase.  Now that Christmas is over I have been trying to be good.  lots of protein and water.  Also 3 surprise book camp sessions that have been ass kicking.  You have to love the Next level boot camp sessions. 

I have accepted that I will be giving up my $$ next week. there is no healthy way for me to lose that much weight by then.  The kicker is then I have to weigh in again on either Wednesday or Thursday.  Because I am doing the biggest loser at work.  I will have 12 weeks to lose 5% or pay the events committee $20bucks.  Of course what  I don’t know is 5% of what weight.

I have 36 days till I have to wear a bathing suite for 2 days and have photos taken in it.  we are going back to the indoor waterpark.  of course everyone is saying you have lost 50 pounds you should be excited. but I am not I still have more to lose and I feel that people will be more judging of my looks then if I had not lost the weight.

I do plan to work hard these next 36 days, push myself and eat right.  I hope to get the most of these coming weeks as possible.  maybe tomorrow I will try on my bathing suit and take a “before photo”

Tomorrow is New years eve.  I would like to do the following in 2011:

weigh less than 180

Run and finish a 5K within 33 minutes of less.

Take a nice beach vacation and have a nice photo of me at the beach

be a size 8

4 weeks 5 pounds

I have 4 weeks left and 5 pounds to lose to get my money back.  I have 4 week left and 6-12 pounds to get to my target 2011 starting weight.  I want to say that I have lost between 55-63 this year.  I want to get to under 200 pounds.

If I hit my goal for this phase I will be at 207.  If I do the 5% challenge in January for 12 weeks that will get me to 196 in March.  I want to get there before then. I want to get to 180.

Its kind of sad that I need to get to 150 to not be considered overweight.  WTF really 150 That can not be even reasonable. If I could get to 180 I could focus on strength and other ways to feel successful.

The thing is I am always focused on what I want to get to and by when So today at work I reworked my weigh loss spreadsheet.  Instead of it tracking my goal weigh of –2 a week I am focusing on 10 pounds at a time.

So today I was at 212..My goal right now shows 210 it will stay at 210 until I hit <210.  Once I get to 209.9 or lower, my goal will change 200.  I will just keep going like that. 

For this month I need to be stricter with my food until the holidays are over.  I need to keep my food journal up to date. I need to push myself at bootcamp and I need to workout at home.

I can do this!

Measurements

 

So I had high expectations for todays measurements.  I had lost 8 then I had that 3 pound gain for me to close out the month down 5 pounds.  This is the month I got back into size 12 jeans…so here it is.

Area	Nov	Dec	Difference
Neck	14	14	0
Chest	43	42	-1
Waist	40.5	38	-1.5
Hips	46.25	45	-1.25
Thighs	24.5	25	+.5
Calves	18.5	17.5	-1
Biceps	15.5	15.5	0

 

Yes I lost 3.25 inches.  I expected to be like last month…add to it I have not feel like I have been that good this week.  I feel like I cheated too much.  I guess we will see on tuesday.  Last week I was just over 213.

Another week down

So either my 3.2 gain was a lot of water or I am really good at losing weight.  I some how lost 2.2 over the thanksgiving holiday.  For some reason I can not find my drive that I had about 2-3 weeks ago.  I am sneaking this and that.  Ugh it annoys me but I don’t stop.  Now david is plowing and I can not go to Next level as much.  I need to start now and be on my best behavior.

Tomorrow I take my inches….

Grew up and Gave up

I have not been here to update my blog …I just have not given myself the time.  So I am sitting here watching the biggest loser and I reminded myself to update my blog.  As I opened the new entry one of the contestants was weighing in and said..”I grew up and I Gave up” WOW. Nail on the head.  I did that.  I went to college and focused on school. I got engaged and focused on the wedding.  I got married and focused on building a house.  We built a house and made a home.  Then I became pregnant and lost my job. Then I got a new demanding job.  I tried to balance motherhood, wife, worker, and life.  I never made time for me.  I grew up and took on adult challenges and gave up on me.  

Now I fight to maintenance a balance in my life.  Work, Gym, Mom, eat right, wife, friend, Sister.  I jam a 30 hour day into a 24.  And it would be easier if I didn’t go to the gym but I know how I feel when I am not at this weight.  I know I want to see how far I can go on this journey. 

My hubby starts his new hours next week. And I plan to cut back my workouts to 3 times a week at Next Level Performance.  I will try to do workouts at home but here I am on the computer and not working out.  I did run to target tonight and Hannafords so that killed a lot of time on me.  I need to focus on eating clean.

That brings me to recapping the last few weeks.  So after my back to back 2.6 losses per week, Last week I lost .4.  I was okay with that.  I didn’t workout as much and I didn’t write my food down.  There was some emotional eating and cheating.  This last week there was a lot more cheating because of my and ty’s bdays.  So I gained a killer 3.2 and that put back down to below 50 pounds.  But I am going to climb back up.

I do worry that it was so easy to gain that much with what cheating I did do.  Now this week I have thanksgiving.  I am cooking so that will allow me to stay in control I will know that nobody is putting sticks and stick of butter in things.    Good luck this week to everyone.

Contest

Check out this contest:

http://www.fannetasticfood.com/2010/11/11/win-a-quakers-amazing-morning-kit/

 

Very exciting stuff

Success 50.8 baby

I can not believe I did it  another week at 2.6 pounds lost.  How sweet is that.  Since I only needed 1.8 to hit the 50 pound mark you can understand my excitement when I saw that extra .8 loss on the scale.  I am so happy. I am trying to be good and eat strict.  I feel like that goal to be at 200 by January is obtainable again.  8 weeks and 13 pounds.  I need to remind myself of how I feel right now when I go to put junk in my mouth or decided not to go to boot camp!  Its so good to see that number getting down…I am really looking forward to see that 1—!

Measurements updates

 

Here they are my new measurements:

Area	Oct	Nov	Difference
Neck	15.5	14	-1.5
Chest	44.5	43	-1.5
Waist	41.5	40.5	-1.0
Hips	49	46.25	-2.75
Thighs	25.5	24.5	-1.0
Calves	18.5	18.5	0
Biceps	16	15.5	-.5

8.25 inches lost….I am very happy with that I think that is a good amount for someone who has been kicking her butt for the last 6 months.  So if you think it’s a low number keep it to yourself this is a positive place!

I really thought my waist would have been more since my jeans are so loose. 

Time to check that off as successful!  On Oct 4th I had a hoped to hit my 20 bet goal by Dec1.  That is 4 weeks away…or 2 pounds a week…I am going to try but like I said yesterday I am focusing on a little over 1 a week so I can get to the 200 by January. 

Now the next focus is the 1.8 for the 50 pound mark.  With all the Halloween candy I can not let my guard down, I need to stay strong.  I need to work to stay focused….

Steps forward!

This was a big week for me..after messing around for the last 5 weeks I am BACK!  I started writing down my food again and you know it makes a huge difference.  After bouncing back and forth between 222 and 218 I went down 2.6 this week.  that puts me 1.8 from 50 pounds.

I am very motivated now.  I did miss Tuesdays workout but I was sick and did not eat all day.  Today I feel so much better and I just pushed myself at bootcamp tonight. 

So here is my focus:

Tomorrow I will take my measurements and review my October 4th goals (if I sent any)

lose the 1.8 to hit the 50 pound mark (213.8)

Hit the 211 target – my pre-pregnancy weight

hit my 207 target for my bet at work

hit 200 to start the year off right.

I really want to start 2011 off at or under 200.  That gives me 9 weeks and 15 pounds.  That is at least 1 pound a week plus.  I need to do this for myself but the holidays are here.  I need to hold tight and do my best this is going to be a great ride.

Pushing thru another week

I am trying to push thru this week..Push thru the back pain and just push myself harder than i did last week.  Push thru the cravings, push thru the emotional eating.  Stay on target, do what i can to advance my success this year.  I am still at 45 pounds lost for the year because this week i lost 2.4.  I have alot against me this week..its off week at next level so we only have 2 workouts with Steve. Todays was crazy I am going to be sore tomorrow.  Also this weekend is girls weekend and once again i am sure i will have my period.  And to top that off the food there is amazing……I will be good I will do good!

update

Ugh i feel like crap..part from eatting bad and part from not working out.  Tuesdays weigh in i was up almost 3.  I went to bootcamp 4 times this week but i have just not been good about eating.  I read a blog from rachel cosgrove and it said she was eating healthy but not eating to burn fat…yeah that was me.  I was eating to much of the healthy stuff with some additional cheating.  I am not sure what will show up on the scale this week. I really feel bloated and blah.  I am so tired and so overwelmed.  I am hoping to get better mind set today…

Moving down again

Well after last weeks weigh in being a gain….I was down 3 today!! sweet! I am in such a good mood from it  i really need to stop letting the weigh in day number run my life.  Last week i was in my funk until the weekend.  Then i had a better attitude but my eat still was not idea.  I decided to finally take my measurements so i can compare them monthly.

Neck 15.5

Chest 44.5

Waist 41.5

Hips 49

Thighs 25.5

Calves 18.5

Biceps 16

also today we started another challenge at work!  $20.00 you set your goal by 4 January.  So i really want to be down 18 pounds (9+%) by my birthday but I didnt think i could do that…i really should be able to do that by January but we have so many holidays.  I have decided to set my goal at 5% but sure as hell hope i there by 1 December.  This weekend we are camping, so alot of walking and hiking.  I am hoping for another good weigh in I am 4 pounds off my target to reach the 200 goal.

Fat disorder

There are years of my life that i dont really remember.  I did things, we went out, went camping, ect.  But I hid.  I never took photos of myself.  I thought I was happy but I knew I wasn’t.  I hated being fat and because of it I missed out on things.  I have no idea how much i weigh then  I see photos and I drives me nuts. it so nasty.  I know during that time period i wasn’t depressed as it reads in the dictionary but i was hold back, playing life safe and putting up a good front.  Its amazing how easy it is for your weigh to drive your happiness.  But realizing that the numbers on the scale runs my life, shows how sick I am and how I am still sick. 

Today i weigh in and i was up 1.8 pounds.  Now i know that i did eat some bad things and i know that i did not drink enough and its that time of the month.  I am sure if i were to weigh myself  again tomorrow I would see a different number.  But I can not weigh in again tomorrow because i have already over come that part of this fat disorder.  I use to weigh myself everyday…sometimes more than once.   But the weight gain all 1.8 really messed up my day.  I am in a funk and pissed that i am further from my goal.  Basically I know i will not meet my goal of being at 200 by my bday.  21 pounds in 8 weeks..I don’t expect it to happen.  But stranger things have happened.

So in an effort to get out of this funk  I have a new focus to get to my pre-pregnancy weight by the 25th of October.  That would be about 10 pounds in 4 weeks.  So that is just as bad but I am trying to focus.

I need to get tighter on my nutrient and learn to not let the numbers on the scale drive my life.

decisions

24 hours a day and 36 hours of commitments.  When I am at work I feel like i need to be with my kids..when I leave work i feel like I should be working overtime.  When I am home i feel like i should be working out.  When i am working out i feel like i should be cleaning the house.  So what do you do? 

210 Burpies

My post MWBV plan is to make it to Next level athletic performance at least 3 times a week.  Its not as easy when its fiscal year end at work.  While i have not been doing too much YE work i have had a lot budget crap.  Thankfully that has kept me in my office and away from the cubes and cubes of food.  But working late had not helped me make it to Next level.  This week have been very intense workouts that I really needed.  I went on Monday and then again on Thursday.  Friday I got my period and was very tired  i really considered not going but I have to put myself first and i need to hit that 3times a week mark.

I almost turned around and walked out when i arrived.  There it was on the board my nightmare……Ladder 20 down burpies and KB Swings.  so you do 20 burpies and 20 KB Swings, then 19 burpies and 19 KB swings……down to 1.  It sucks  all 210 of them.      Steve and Cassie say “you get out of the work out what you put into it”  I had to finish.. The last time we had this workout i slipped a disc in my back and i only made it to 13 before i had to do squat jumps.  I had to do this to show myself what progress i had made over the last 4 months.

At one point i could not get my breathing under control – i thought i was going to hyperventilate.  I had side splitting pain on my right side, of course it was sore from the night before.

45 minutes later i was the only one left trying to complete this self imposed touchier.  Cassie told me not think about the pain, to think about what i have left.  She counted as i finished that last 3 sets…Finally i was done ..then i realized that i had pain in my hand.  I had at some point ripped the callous off my hand..Now that is a beast of a workout!

Today all i want is fried food. I was like a fried chicken wrap.  But why do 210 burpies to end up eat fried chicken?  So while i am sore and tired today i am thankful that I completed the burpies to keep me on track today.  I am going to reward myself another way not with food maybe a pedi or scrapbook a page or 2.   19 pounds and less then 9 weeks to my goal.

Motivated

For the last few weeks I really have not had any motivation, i was working out 2 times a week and eating healthy but i was also sneaking a lot.  It really shows in my weight loss…1 pound, .4 pounds and stayed the same.  Then I had to step up, I needed to lose 1.8 pounds by today to win my bet at work.  So i went to Next level 2 times last week, worked out once at home, hiked while camping up a nasty hill and ate right.  This morning i weight in at 219.6  (3.2 pound loss).    It really renewed my strength, will power and motivation.  I am 9 weeks from my birthday, 9 weeks from my goal deadline and 19.6 pounds away.  I need to do this.  Its time to stay focused, stay on track.

Tonight is the biggest loser premier, its gut wrenching to watch.  I feel so bad for the contestants that are not Moving onto the ranch but at the same time I know it can be done at home.   You have to just do it, you have to make the right decision.  The right decision some times its every minute, every minute you have to decide what to and what not to put into you mouth.   Some days this is easy and some days its not. 

So yes today i had 2 pieces of candy…but i am not dwelling on it I am moving on.  I think about what i did right, like i drank alot of water today!!  In 8.2 pounds i will be back to my pre-pregnancy weight..that is motivation!

44.6 for the year!

Mission Complete

We did it!  We completed the 12 weeks of the MVBW!  It was a lot of fun!  My final weigh in was 222.4 for a 2.8 final weigh in!  I lost over 10% and just over 25 pounds.  I hope they post photos and videos on the website!!  now i am just waiting on the email from steve about joining Next level!

An extra gift for the finale…

I can not believe mother nature showed up right before the finale.  I am so bloated i have tried everything today, eating no sodium, drinking lots of water, taking vitamin B complex..  I am hoping for a good weigh in i would hate to weigh in the last week and have a crappy number.  I weigh in at work today for a 2 pound loss, it put me at 224.2.  MVBW i was at 225.2 last week so I really dont know what to expect.  I can not believe its on the live news what was i thinking doing this?  Now i need to figure out what i should do.  I kind of think i need to keep going for 3 months…I need to get to 200 for my mental state….time to think think think……

The last push…

Last week’s weigh in at mvbw was a great one i was down 3.2 pounds.  i was very happy with that.  I really upped my protein that week and i worked out at next level every chance i could get. 

Since Wednesday, i worked out at next level on Thursday and tonight.  Friday i was running around packing for camping and Sunday the kids were nuts.  I tried to walk when i could while camping…..Saturday i think i did good!  We climbed Bald mountain . 

I had Emma strapped to my back both up and down.  Ironically Emma weighs just about what i lost this summer on MVBW.  I dont want to weigh that much again.  It felt good when i could set her down!  It was a good cardio workout but it wasn’t as intense as bootcamp.  My heart rate was up and i was sweating but my muscle were not burning. 

I am really loving this level of fitness i am in.  The finale weigh in is less than 48 hours away. It will be on the live at 5 news which is kind of stressful.  I need to figure out what to do next.  The cost at next level is high but i did a cost compairson to other trainers and i think its on track.  But i have to drive 20 minutes each way and when winter gets here its going to be hard.  So i am just not sure what to do at this point. i am hoping for a fairy godmother…

Think thin, weigh in thin!

8 Days and counting

One week from tomorrow is the final weigh in.  I am hoping for good numbers this week and next but I am more of a consistent loser!! lol  I need to work hard this week, we are camping and i am hoping to do some major hiking.  Lets just hope the weather changes!!!  No cheating for the next 8 days.  I am a bit hungry right now.  but i am thinking about going to bed.  My official weigh in this week at work has me down 1.6 for the week.  i hope i can stay str ong after mvbw is over,  I need to figure out where i am going to workout.  i just can not afford Next level performance right now.  My tenative plan is:

• Work out at the gym at work 2 times a week and the rest of the time at home. 
• Look into getting a trainer from YMCA and maybe taking a class there or at Clinton via BOCES.
• Eat right and workout
• Get below 200 and go back to Next level in the spring to become toned and stronger

To win my 20.00 bet at work i have to lose 5.2 pounds in the next 5 weeks.  More updates to come

Morning push

My offical weigh in this week (I use works numbers) was 227.4;  I am down 36 pounds for the year

This week i realized that I still have 16 pounds to go before i reach the weight i was when i got pregnant with Emma.  I actually thought i was 220 when i got pregnant but i was 211.  I will get there this is quiet a journey i am on.  Come back from vacation and working out again has been intense.  Last week was all core work.  This week was all arm strength with crazy cardio.  Our happy hour friday work out was a ladder that contained burpies.  I am very sore this morning, but thats good!  I will not get to workout till tonight, we have a birthday party today.  I have to be good there is only 1.5 weeks left in the MVBW competition. 

I made an interesting breakfast this morning.  I just can not eat eggs anymore on my no carb days.  So i am having a protein drink made with Prograde protein, skim milk, blueberries and coffee.  Mix all, stir and drink!  Its my version of iced coffee from DD!

Mohawk Valley’s biggest Winner

Here is my progress this summer.  This is from the introduction of the MVBW team on June 1st.  The Team

 

My profile, 8 weeks in:  MVBW

welcome........

to my life battle. where to start? I have always been heavy its has always been a battle for me. By some miracle..okay a growth spurt, i lost a lot of weigh around 11th grade and managed to feel good about myself . I weigh in at about 150.

College came and it the freshmen 15 per semester. by the time i graduated college i was about 80 pounds heavier than high school. I walked down that asle as a fat bride ..about 235. Over the next few years i hid from my fat by eating more. I slowly moved up about 20 more pounds.

After my son was born i lost my job and a bit of depression pushed me up higher. I remember signing up for weigh watchers and weighing in at 273 pounds. Seeing that number was like a gun shot to the chest. In about 4 months time i was able to get down to 240. For the rest of 2007 i hopped around in the 240s.

2008 was a changing moment for me. I woke up new years and I was sick of everything: Sick of how i felt, sick of how looked, what clothes i had. That moment was enhanced by that weight loss competition at work. By June of 2008 i was down 46 pounds to 201! Life was great. I have some great photos from that summer of me! By fall I was pregnant, and to avoid morning sickness i was eating carbs like mad.

I was 280 something when i gave birth in July 2009...that summer i was able to get down to 249 but gained it back during the holidays.

So here i was on january 1st 2010..263 pounds, Nasty. I started working out and watching what i was eating. I ended up losing about 18 pounds by June 1 - or 1 pound a week. Then i was selected by the local tv station to work with a trainer all summer and lose weight. MVBW - could this be what i needed?

Well we are 7 weeks in out of 12. I have lost about 15 pounds i feel really good and very energized. I feel like i could reach my goal. I plan to document my journey here.

So here it is July 27th and this morning i weigh in at 229.8

These are my goals:

• By the End of MVBW (8/25) i would like to be around 220-215.
  

• I want to be below 200 by my birthday (Nov 21)
  

• I want to be at 170-160 by Memorial Day 2011. Ideally i would love to be at 163 so i can say i lost 100 pounds.

I know this will not be easy but i will use this as my place to say what i need to, inspire myself by my prior achievements and reward myself. Please feel free to follow along it will not always be pretty or politically correct.

I know that there is a hot mama inside....now to get her out of hiding!