I think I know what happened.....

After spending all day in shock of my pictures. Knowing how little the scale said I loss and yet the inches totaled more than the pounds loss. -6.7 lbs = -9.5 inches...... But how?????

I have lost 6 lbs before and never have had the change in the way my clothes fit. I mean I started wearing different jeans because the other ones wouldn't stay up.  The work outs made all the difference.  While the scales only showed 6.7 pounds loss, my body must have swapped some fat weight for muscle weight.

Working out every day for 3 weeks when you haven't been working out at all makes all the difference.  While the diet is a very important component I would not have seen the results I did if I hadn't had to work outs as well.

For the first time in a very long time I am so excited to continue eating healthy and working out!! I am so excited to see my progress continue and I can't wait to share it all with you!

21 Days Done!!! Before and After pics and mesurements

I DID IT!!!! HOLY CRAP I DID IT!!!  My goal was to complete the 21 day fix. I assigned no weight loss goal to this, I just wanted to finish what I started and i did. While there were a couple cheats here and there I completed the full 21 day fix. Working out EVERYDAY! Drinking my Shakeology EVERYDAY! Having to meal prep up to two times a week.

Some things I noticed during the process was I was getting stronger. The first week I used no weights, 2nd week I used light weights and this last week I used the combo of light and heavy as they advise and thought I may even need slightly heavier weights for certain exercises.

The scale only shows a total loss of 6.7 lbs. That is about 2 lbs a week.  However 5 of these pounds were lost in my first week.  I was excited when the first week resulted in a 5 lbs loss but then when the next two weeks only totaled 1.7. I was seriously bummed.  I was starting to wonder, I felt like I just was not getting the results I wanted and yet I was putting in a ton of work.  I was getting frustrated starting thinking maybe this wasn't working. But in week 3 I started to notice my clothing fitting differently and was excited to feel that difference but very confused as to what was causing it because the scale wasn't showing any progress.  And here is where the importance of before pictures and measurements come into play.  If it wasn't for this I would not be as excited as I am.  Honestly I would probably not even be happy with my results.

I put on the same shorts, shirt and even sports bra as I wore for my before pictures and here is the reason you are all on this post to see the after pictures.



                                                      Before                        21 Days later

I lost a total of 9.5 inches!

     Before                     21 Days later

Chest:  47 3/4 in           46 1/4

Waist:  43 1/2 in            40 1/2

Hips:   49 1/2 in            47 3/4

R Bi:   14 1/2                13 1/2

L Bi:   14 3/4                 14 1/4

R Th:  25 3/4                25 

L Th:  24 1/4                24 

R Cal: 15                     14 1/2

L Cal: 15 1/4                15

Another thing I witnessed was the effect this had on my heart.  Before I started the 21 Day fix my Resting heart rate was between 85-87 BPM and now just 20 days later I am at a resting heart rate of 74. It is really strange to be able to witness your heart get stronger and healthier.

I am still so shocked by the fact that these pictures only reflect 6.7 lbs of weight loss.  I am very happy with my results and was excited to share them.  I can't wait to see what the next round of the 21 day fix brings!!  If this is something your interested in trying let me know and we can work together to achieve our goals!

Keep on going

We've all been there you decide to reward yourself with a treat or cheat meal because you've been rocking your diet.  Then one meal turns into the day and that day turns into a week. For me when this happens I start feeling guilty then to try to help me feel better I eat more. Then I get depressed and the cycle continues and it turns into a cheat week or even month.  Today is day 20 of the 21 day fix.  While I haven't been perfect I've worked very hard.  This last week I had A WEEK!! Sick kids, hubby having to work late, Only 4-5 hrs of sleep each night.  By the time Friday rolled around this is the breakfast I choose from work.

Yes that is a breakfast sandwich and a doughnut. I was done, I was stressed, I was spent.  I sent this pic to my hubby and said well this was breakfast, we need to change our dinner plans. LOL!! We had a carb in our dinner plans but with all the carbs on this plate I couldn't have any more.  And you get right back on track.

Here is my lunch and Dinner from the same day.  This is something I've literally NEVER been able to do.  I have always been unable to do this.  If I had a cheat meal it ALWAYS turned into a cheat day, week, month.....  I've have not once EVER had just one cheat meal.  I have managed to do this a couple times during this round of the 21 day fix.  I have go off plan a bit enjoyed a treat and gotten right back at it.  While this is something I have struggled with for 10 years I was able to take real control over the last 3 weeks.  I know that how hard it is to do, it used to seem impossible to me and yet it can be done.  Tomorrow is day 21 and I get to share my results and they are surprising! 

What if this takes over a year???

I know we are only two days into week three but the scale and I are not getting along right now.  A couple dinners a little off plan last weekend and I am still paying for it.  This is normally where I get frustrated and quit, because I can maintain my weight eating basically what ever I want and now I've been eating healthy for 2 full weeks starting our 3rd and still feel like I am playing catch up.  Having hubby do this with me has made such a difference.  I vented my frustrations and he told me he also was up a couple pounds and isn't quite back to his highest loss yet either.  Made me feel like I wasn't crazy or alone in this process. I see and hear of many other people who have lost over 10 lbs in 3 weeks doing there diets. They are all on a different path than I am and I don't think any of them are working out with their diet plans.  I could let myself get jealous and frustrated and quit or I can keep moving forward.

My Mom said today, in response to my venting, that even if we only lose 1 pound a week that is 52 lbs in a year and we need to plan for the long haul.  I have more than 52 lbs to lose. What if this takes over a year?  It seems daunting to think about it taking that long but I know the time will pass anyway.  Hubby has less weight to lose but as we are on week 3 I feel like I am getting the hang of the meal prep and planning. That has always been my biggest struggle, that and cooking.  Now I am cooking all the time. Our fruits and veggies used to spoil and now I have to buy them twice a week because we eat them all. Progress is being made in many ways and I am choosing to focus on the changes I am seeing, even though the scale may not show them.

On to week 3!!

The work outs have been great!  I've been able to accomplish more and I've started using weights. Now the food this week was something else. Hubby and I have been rocking breakfast and lunch but come to dinner time we haven't done as well this week. We lacked the meal planning we had the week before and so weight loss has slowed down to a halt for me.  Together we've lose 13 lbs so far!!!  It is right back on track tomorrow. I spent all day shopping and meal planning and prepping again. Getting better at it this time there was hardly any mess this time. LOL!

And after another week of tracking I can confirm that my resting heart rate has improved!!  When I first got my fitbit Charge HR my resting HR was 85 BPM and that isn't that great.  But since working out and changing my eating habits my new resting HR is now down to 77 BPM.  Proof that my heart is getting healthier already.  

As I said this weekend was hard on the eating we didn't do so well and the most interesting thing that happened is my moods. Foods that I've turned for years to to make me "happy" have been having the opposite effect. I told hubby we've cheated a little over the last couple days and my mood has tanked shortly after, I feel depressed, lazy and cranky.  And it isn't the just the dieting talking because I am not even thinking about the diet aspect of anything just sitting here watching a show enjoying myself and then it hits me!  It makes me cranky to think that the foods I've been eating for years could have been making me cranky. LOL!! But in all seriousness while I know lots of the food that is out there is bad for you. We went out to dinner and I felt I made good healthy choices yet I felt the same way even still seating at our table. I was feeling so healthy and "clean" and it only took a few cheat meals to take that feeling away.  I am happy to report that I am not in my normal Oh well time to give up. Even with ZERO weight loss this week after working out everyday and sticking to our diet all week, well until Friday. But as of Friday the scale was still the same as last Monday. So I am planning on skipping weigh in tomorrow and will take do weigh in and measurements next Monday after my first round of the 21 day fix is complete. :-)

If you are on my Facebook page you're aware that I have been working on a blog post about the secret formula for weight loss and health. It is getting long so i've decided to break it up into a couple blog post so be on the look out!! 

Week 2 Day 4...A Disney Mile

This photo might not look like anything special to anyone. 1 mile in 15:59 is not fast. Lots of people can walk 15 min miles and to know that I sweated this one out might even make some of them laugh.  It is just one mile. This one mile is not my fastest mile, this is not my 100th mile, or the last mile of a half marathon. So what makes it special to me?

For the last few days I've been wanting to run.  I am shocked at what working out at home for a half hour a day has done to my motivation and the way I am feeling.  Yesterday I missed my work out due to an unexpected night w/ hubby. I told hubby that I was thinking about getting on the treadmill before my work out to kind of make up for the one I missed. And the thought and itch to run never left my brain.  I laced up my running shoes and thought I'll just warm up with some intervals for 15 mins. I have not even jogged for 16 months, that was the Run a Muk 2015 and I walked that 5K except for the last 1/10th of a mile, once we could see the finish line.  The time before that was The Tinkerbell Half Marathon in May 2015.  I had no idea what to expect getting on the treadmill today.  Would I be back to square one where 1 mile was taking me around 25 mins? As I watched the time on the treadmill, I kept on pushing it. At 15:59 I hit 1 mile and hit stop and smiled. The minimum speed requirement to run a RunDisney run is 16 min miles. After all this time I was able to pull out a Disney Mile.  And I am pretty darn pleased with that.

Week 2 Day 1...Weigh in.

Current weight loss -5.1 lbs

Yep you read that right I lose 5.1 lbs this last week and that included our night out on Saturday.  I couldn't be any happier with that result!  So this seems to be working like really well!

I had the day off and spent it with lots of cleaning, meal prep and cooking. So we are set for lunches again for next week. Todays work out went so much better than last Monday. Last Monday I thought i was going to die and was sore right away.  For those who don't know how the 21 day fix works we do the same exercises each week so what I did last Monday is the same thing I did today.  I started using light weights this week and I was able to push myself more and do more. YAY for that too!!  Tomorrow is get up early and work out, not my favorite thing but on my work days it is so much better to be done before work.  

Short post today but I wanted to checkin with my weigh in. :-)

Week One DONE!!!

Week One is complete!! With the exception of our dinner out last night I have stuck to the eating plan, even with our trip out for Mexican today I felt pretty confident in my choices. I did see some weight gain on the scale this morning from our AH-MAZING meal last night, but it was less than a pound.  I've heard some say that the weight gain from the cheat day or meal wouldn't show up until 2 days later so we will see what tomorrows weight in brings.

How do I feel after week one?  It is hard to explain but I am feeling better. I mean I am still not strong and my beginner work outs still are kicking my butt and I am sore.  But the crankiness is starting to leave me. Is it weird to say I feel healthier after only a week? Cause I feel like I am cleaner on the inside. LOL!! I know that doesn't make any since but that is kind of the only way I can explain it. And I have an interesting tidbit thanks to my fitbit.  I want to have another week of tracking to see if it is accurate but with my heart rate tracking fitbit I am literally watching my heart already getting healthier in only 7 short days my resting heart rate has gone down.  Like I said I am going to track it again this week and see this pattern I've noticed continues.

On to the food of the week. I didn't take pictures of everything, I should have for you guys. But I have pictures of some of the new and favorite things. :-) This first picture is the best new thing we made and that was Fresh Salsa to enjoy with our taco salads. It was SO good and went all toward our veggie quota for the day. It was so good hubby requested it again for Taco salad night this week.

                                             

Steak, Broccoli & baked sweet potato

My favorite breakfast, Strawberries, two scrambled eggs and half a min began or english muffing w/ peanut butter. 

This was a good first attempt but needed more seasoning

Now Shakeology is part of my daily meal plan.  It counts as a protein but it is also our daily vitamin too. It is a protein shake so if you are not a fan of protein shakes and that was me. It takes a little getting used to.  Now granted I've tried this before with other companies and I have been so nauseated by their protein shakes I could not continue.  I made it the whole week having ones of these everyday.  While I can't say for sure yet what effect they are having I know they are getting allot of good vitamins into my system. And I can't help but wonder if the whole "feeling clean inside" has something to do with this. I've done many diets and after weeks of Weight Watchers I don't ever remember actually feeling healthier and "cleaner".  On to next week! We'll see what the weigh in ends up being I am hoping for 4 lbs. psssttt don't tell...... but I was at -4.5 on Saturday morning but I am just hoping for 4 after Daniel's and Mexican seasoning today.

Day 6: Weekend mode

Something interesting happened. We had a very full day of plans this Saturday. I was having a LuLaRoe party at my friends house who is a consultant (earned $85 in free stuff too!), then right over to the in laws to watch the Hawks play, then out to one of our favorite places to eat Dinner (Daniel's a local steak house).  My youngest was up pretty late last night with this new cold bug he caught so I was planning on sleeping in until 9AM then getting up getting my car cleaned out and ready to go. I was in complete weekend mode.  I woke up and in about 15 minuets realized I had not planned on working out at all. O_O  I had shut off that side of my brain that quick.  I realized quickly that I no longer have the time I thought I had. I was instantly annoyed that I had to work out and seriously considered just skipping a day because well "it's only one day" But I didn't I got up and did my work out and felt really good about getting it done. I started thinking about how I am really starting to feel better after 6 days of working out every day and eating right. Then Dinner happened......

Oh my goodness Dinner was amazing!! On the 21 day fix you can swap out one of your carbs for a treat 3 times a week. I haven't done that at all this week so I figured I would use it for this this.  I didn't eat all my dinner and I noticed I got full allot faster than I would have even a few weeks ago. I did splurge, I had dessert.  Knowing to make all the steak and potatoes and yummy as they do there is allot of added butter and I didn't special order it, I just enjoyed it. We only go to this place once to twice a year because it is a little on the pricy side.  I am worried about weigh in on Monday and it is funny cause after this morning I was realized how good I was starting to feel after eating healthy and exercising. This one meal made me want to say lets take a break from the whole diet thing a little longer. Hubby on the other hand said he has been feeling better and enjoyed his dinner tonight but is looking forward to getting right back at the eating plan tomorrow. I told him not me I am like well now lets order pizza. I am so thankful that he is doing this with me to such a extreme degree because who knows if I would have taken a longer break but with him by my side step by step this time I know tomorrow we will be back on track.

Tomorrow is meal prep day and I plan on showing some pictures of the yummy meals I got to eat this week. :-)

Day 4, a migraine and why I can't quit

I woke up several times early morning like 4-6 with my head pounding.  I'd doze back up just to be woken back up by the throbbing in my brain. It was so bad I couldn't get my kids to school this morning. I finally got up at 7:30 and took some tylenol and the head ache didn't dull until 9AM. Even after 9AM I could still feel the headache and that is when I know I have a migraine. I can't get it to go away and sometimes it last all day. Once I got up I decided to try to drown it with water and drank SO much water today.  All day along with the migraine I had the biggest craving for my diet pop.  ALL DAY LONG!  Every thing I did made me want one. I normally have one while I am cooking or cleaning and have them with meals. It was about half way through the day I realized the cause of my migraine was probably sugar, aspartame and caffeine withdrawals.  I am going through withdrawals like any junky would.  I love my diet pop and really don't want to give it up at all. I miss it so much.  Heck I love a good regular cola too and I knew all I would have to do is down an ice cold coke and my migraine would magically disappear. I came close a couple times to just giving in for the sake of the pain in my head but I didn't.

I opted for the Flat Abs Fix instead of the Pilates Fix, I remember really hating it that last time I did this for a week. And as I've stated I always follow the moderator to make sure I am not over doing it as I am SO out of shape. and they kept saying the easiest way to do some of these were with your legs straight up. One problem I can't do that. If I am laying on my back my legs will not physically go straight up in the air. I am pretty sure my gut in my way is why.  My Mom tried the Full body cardio fix tonight and she made herself physically ill and a migraine kicked in. And there is one of the reasons I can't stop or quit.  Our families are trying to get healthy and desperately NEED to get healthy for actual heath reasons. Health has to stay a priority no matter how much it hurts.

Day 3, still cranky and so sore!!

I knew the crankiness was coming but oh my goodness today it hit hard.  I was off from work and I got to sleep the extra half hour, I got to go shopping while the kids were in school and for a Mom that is like going to the spa. LOL! While shopping I got super cranky. I actually went to grab my pop and candy I normally get while I am shopping especially when I am going to multiple stores.  And I realized quickly that I couldn't do that. I was tired, unmotivated, emotional and cranky.  I did my Lower Fix which is leg day and I was afraid to sit down afterwards because I was afraid that I wouldn't be able to get back up. Hubby is still being evasive about how much weight he has lost. I told him his body has no yo yo dieting in it's programing and because he has never dieted before his body won't go into starvation mode so I expect to see him over 5 lbs if not 10 the first week. I told him my body will normal give up about 3 but not 4 lbs the first week, then it realizes I am dieting and freaks out and next to nothing will happen until after week 4. He told me I needed to be more positive and I told him I am just letting him know what has happened in the history of forever.

Earlier that night I was in the kitchen getting dinner ready while he did his work out. Some of the moves he was doing with the Core De Force program are insane! He said he is sore in muscles he never knew he had. I know that feeling. He is working so hard to stay on this program with me. While filling out his nightly check list for his portions and meals for tomorrow he was saying how he is trying to follow this as close as he can. He then must have slipped and said especially for you...followed by a quick changing of subjects back to his food.  I love that he is being so diligent to help keep me on track. Gosh I love that man and he sure loves me.

Day 2 and the attack of the ice cream cake...

This morning was so much more difficult getting up. All the excuses were ringing loud and clear cause hubby is doing his work out tonight and I could just do it at the same time. But since I slept in my work out clothes that tiny whisper over the yelling excuses, said you're already dress just get it done.  And I got up and pushed play.  I was feeling pretty good this morning but slowly as the afternoon approached I felt the crankiness creep in.  I thought I had at least one more day before the moodiness of dieting kicked in. But then the attack of the ice cream cake happened. I went into some training at work and I walked into a party. And they had M&M's plain and peanut, Swedish fish and the they were dishing up ice cream cake. And it was the good kind, you know the kind that is ALL ice-cream with a cookie crumble middle w/ chocolate sauce. And they were like here's a slice and I stood there grasping my baggy of measured out blueberries. 😫 I turned down the perfect ice cream cake and wanted to cry. And there was no longer crankiness building up inside it had exploded all over the place.

All the thoughts and reasons why one M&M or a little bit of Ice cream cake wouldn't be to bad was going thru my head.  But even with my bad mood I stuck to the plan tonight. I am still sore from yesterdays Total Body Cardio Fix and my legs are still killing me. I don't know how I am going to manage Lower Fix tomorrow.  This morning was Upper Fix and I was so tried and I am so out of shape I haven't even been using weights this week. I plan to add them in next week.

Day 1, before pics and measurements

Well something that has never happened in the history of forever for me happened today.  I got up early as planned and worked out this morning before the boys got up. O_O  I am not going to lie I was a more than a little shocked. And it wasn't like I woke up early or my kids got me up early. My alarms were going off, I was hitting snooze and  did not want to get up.  Normally when I plan to get up early to work out I say forget it I have plenty of time to work out in the evening and I would do good for a while, doing my work outs at night but then we would decide to go out or need to go shopping and I would miss a day and think it's only way day. And normally that is how the downslide starts. I hit my snooze button knowing I had exactly a half hour until the boys needed to get up and I really didn't want to get up.  I told myself to grab the computer and log on and push play.  I got up already dressed in my work out clothes and it worked. I got up and did my work out!! Hubby and I both stuck to our meal plans and have tomorrow all ready to go as well.

Here are my starting stats:

Before Pictures:

And my measurements: 

Chest:  47 3/4 in

Waist:  43 1/2 in

Hips:   49 1/2 in

R Bi:   14 1/2

L Bi:   14 3/4

R Th:  25 3/4

L Th:  24 1/4

R Cal: 15

L Cal: 15 1/4

Meal prep and sleeping in my work out clothes

Happy Day before the healthy eating begins!  I have not worked this hard the day before a changing my diet EVER!! My feet hurt. I am sore from being on my feet all day shopping and meal prepping. Note to self I will not be doing both during the same day again!

Today for some reason the stores were insane!!!! I mean, yes it is Sunday and stores are normally busy on Sunday but this was exceptionally crazy!  My grocery store was sold out of Spaghetti squash, cilantro and zucchini.  There was hardly any room to move around in the produce section. Apparently everyone has the same idea and wanted to wait to get healthy until the 2nd weekend of January or they all stuck with it the first week and are continuing this week. The employees at both Costco and the grocery story were even confused by the how busy they are. I made a meal plan and a list and stuck to it! I went to 3 stores (4 if you count the pet store) and was away from home for 4 hours!

Then began the meal prep. I cut up all our whole carrots, celery, peppers, strawberries. Then I make baked/steamed chicken w/ baked veggies and brown rice for a couple days of lunches for hubby and I.  Hubby gets more carbs per day than I do so he is eating two carbs and lunch instead of one so he has sweet potatoes in his dish as well. 

Over the last few days I've been stressed about having to get my work outs done in the mornings. Could I do them at night? Yes, but hubby is going to do his at nights and I really do prefer to just have my work outs be done first thing.  The problem as you all know is I am NOT a morning person. So I decided that maybe sleeping in my work out clothes will help with the whole just roll out of bed and get it done.  I'll let you know if that helps at all. :-)  Talk to you soon!

You promise????

 I am feeling the need to do my typical binge before the diet begins. I keep on thinking about things I want to eat before the health bet starts.  We had finished our Costco trip and I dropped off hubby and the kids before heading to the regular grocery store. On my way, I called hubby to ask if he had any special request since this was the last grocery trip before we start buying healthier food. He, not being a crazy dieter like me, said nah I don't need any of it anyways.  I blurted out: Are we really going to do it this time?  He said honey we need too.  To which I replied we've needed to for years but are we really going to stick to this? Are you really going to help me by sticking to this too? He said yes to which I asked if he promised to really help me get thru this.  His response was a reminder I needed but something I am not looking forward too. He responded by saying yes I promise but this means I will be telling you no, refusing to pick up dinner on the way home, or putting food back that you might try to sneak into the cart.  Yes these are things I do and we normally go off our diet by the infamous: Can you just pick something up for dinner on the way home?

Can you just pick up something for dinner have been the last words for every diet I've tried in the last 10 years.  It happens so easy when I am tired and on my way home from work. The kids have homework to do, laundry needs done and we didn't do dishes last night. It starts with just pick up Taco Time that's not to bad, that can be healthy.  Then the next day I will use that as an excuse to either eat out again or maybe to have a treat. With in 48 hrs my diet is gone and because I diet alone for everyone else it is now business as normal.  

These changes coming are not just to how we eat for the rest of our lives but how we live our lives and that scares me.  But I have to be honest that I am just getting ready of the lazy.  I have time to do these things but it is my precious sit on my butt doing nothing time.  I am not sure why I am so possessive of this time that is not producing and not bringing anything positive to my family.  It isn't like sitting watching TV makes me more well rested to take care of my family.  While spending this time meal prepping and exercising instead, might not make me more rested being healthy will help me be able to take better care of my family.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!  For lots of people 2016 wasn't the best year.  We had allot of change come our way this year: new house and new school. But they have been great changes.  Moving was one of the most difficult changes I've ever done and I've said I'll never do it again. LOL!  Packing up my hubby's and my whole married life and moving it from our first home was hard.  Many nights I would just cry out of the fear of the change coming.  Honestly if God hadn't sent someone to our door to buy the house before we even listed it I am not sure I would have listed it.  I don't like change I like things that are familiar, things I can prepare for.  That being said I love our new house and it is perfect for us. We have the space and separation of kid and grown up space like we've always wanted.  All the stress and work that came with the move was worth it. 

The change I am going to make this year will be much harder than moving.  I've been trying to lose weight for years and haven't been successful in over 10 years.  I have managed to lose a maximum of 10 pounds but no more and I gain it back pretty quickly.  I am looking for longterm success, I am planning on bad days, days where I want to quit, days where I mess up and feel like all is lost. But I am planning on dealing with the bad days, the feeling of wanting to quit the days I make a mistake and keep moving forward toward my goal. This year I will take the bad with the good. This year I will not find myself wallowing in what I think is a failure, I will pick myself back up and keep taking steps toward my goal.  This year will be full of tenacity. I want to truly see what I am capable of. And prove to myself that I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. In 2017 I will see my goals achieved.