Pump It Up

Monday night we went hiking, I decided to push a little deeper and then I had Laura's son on my back for a couple of switch backs. He's 40 pounds :)

My little buddy and I hiking and then a beautiful scenary! :)

I really want to accomplish my -15 lbs by Saturday so I told Laura and she agreed to pump it up with our workouts. Today we had a pretty intense cardio/strength training circuit. 

After our workout and cool down walk around the neighborhood.

Definately a protein powder night!

Today's meals have been great and I've been drinking a ton of water because I'm menstruating. It's so important to drink water so your body doesn't retain it during that "time of the month". 

Laura will be helping me with taking my measurements once I hit the -15 lbs. I wish I would have started taking pictures and everything before hand, but it's okay. :)  

Face is slowly changing. :)

Please, excuse my messy bathroom.

 Today has been a really good day. I can't wait for tomorrow's workout. More arm workouts to tone up. :) 

I ended my day with a nice relaxing evening on the couch (yes, I get to be lazy because of the amount of work I put in). My sister, Aislinn sent me this picture from her back yard. Made me miss my granny so much more, but it's a huge symbol of what is going on in my life and so many other's lives as well. 

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Please, if you're working on your self and your health, DON'T GIVE UP!!!! 
   

Recap!

So, I didn't work out for 3 days. Wasn't too proud of that. I had some emotional/dramatic events take place at the end of the week and I really just got lost in my own head and emotions. I definately felt overwhelmed. 

One of the days I also didn't eat like I should have. I did more snacking. Given, all the food in my house is healthy, I should have stuck to a set schedule like I usually do. 

I was supposed to post my weight yesterday, but I think the picture got deleted, so I'm going to weigh in tomorrow morning and post the numbers then. :) Then I'll continue to weigh in on Saturdays. 

Saturday, I went on a hike with Laura and her family near Bonner. The view was amazing and we even saw some big horn sheep. 

4-27-2013

   
Isn't that a great picture? Click HERE for Laura's photography FB page. Click HERE for her professional website. Go Colyer Photography!

Here are some more pictures of the hike on Saturday. 

Overlooking the mill.

Laura with Lilly & Brayden

Lilly & I. Excuse our crazy hair, it was a bit windy!

Before my workout, my sister Aislinn and I went to a bunch of yard sales! I found a NICE juicer for $8.00 YAY! Then a TON of workout clothes and clothes smaller so I don't have to go out and buy brand new clothes during this process. 

Then last night I went out with my friend, Jordan. Here is a pic of when I got ready to go downtown. Also, another picture of some changes in my face since my weight loss journey began. 

Pretty happy. Seeing changes in my face. :)

Left side: New Years Eve. Right side: 2 weeks ago. 

 Here are some pictures of today's hike. After our hike Laura had me do some squats  (30, I think) 6 sets of lungs (round trip) and she and I worked my arms with weights and my resistance band! It was my first time using my resistance band and boy does it give you a good burn! I'm excited to use it more! :) 

Before workout :)

Lilly & Sophia checking out the scenary.

Content.

Making our way back down the mountain.

After Laura got done kicking my rear today! :)

 After my workout I came home and made dinner! I only ate half of one pita pizza, the other half is for lunch tomorrow :) 

Preping! :) Chicken cooked with garlic, parsley, crushed black pepper and lemon juice. 2 Tablespoons of ragu sauce (I need to find a healthier substitution), diced tomato, cut lean turkey slices, cheese, and fresh cilantro.

Baking!! :)

Top: Preping food :) Bottom row: before baking, baked, final product.

Final Product :)

 I think this sums up the last four days! Check in tomorrow for my weigh in! :) Crossing my fingers I am on track :)

Give Yourself Credit

I took a break from working out today. Had errands to run and people to spend time with. 

It was my co-workers birthday and I'm grateful I work in an environment that encourages healthy eating. Instead of pizza and cake, we had fresh fruits and healthy muffins! :) Temptation wasn't even an option today! 

I went to Costco & Walmart for food for the next couple of weeks and I do admit, clean eating is pretty spendy...compared to what I was spending before. 

Anyway...I wanted to make a comment on a type of progress I took notice of today. I went into the bathroom to find a bobby pin and out of the corner of my eye I saw my reflection and LITERALLY did a double take. My shoulders are more pronounced and I can slightly see my collar bones. The best part? My face looks thinner. I'm finally seeing results. :) I just stood there and looked at my shoulders and face in disbelief. All of my hard work is right in front of me instead of memories and sore muscles. 

I want everyone out there to remember to take it day by day. I hope that on Saturday when I weigh in I'll be another 1 lbs less...AT LEAST anyway. I'll take whatever I get, really, but if I can do 1 lbs a week for the next couple of weeks I'd be so grateful. I know pulling big numbers isn't in the cards all the time so I'm going to just give it all I have and accept whatever is on that scale.   

Emotional Day...Cry, Don't Eat.

I just had another reminder about why exactly I am doing this...

January 2012, my Nana (grandma) was diagnosed with colon cancer, and just days later, my Uncle Marvin was also diagnosed with colon cancer. Both of them, stage 3 or 4. My nana told me "doesn't matter what stage it is, i'm going to beat it...so we will just call it 'cancer' that's it."

My nana is a texting queen now (since I moved away from home) and she told me that this past Mnoday she went into a doctors appointment for a check up because of the amount of pain she is having.

Last Mother's Day, she had surgery which removed the cancer and had her have a bag for bathroom purposes until Father's Day. (weird...I know..her surgey dates..)

So, since almost a year ago, she has been in a lot of pain. She is currently waiting for the phone call from the doctor about the colonscopy and gall bladder scans that were taken on Monday.

Am I scared of cancer? Yes.

Do I want to be healthy to reduce my risks? Yes.

Did I ever think my nana (who is healthy) would get cancer? No.

I get the fact that cancer can happen to anyone, but if I put in more time toward my health, I could add more years on to my life.

Losing my nana is my biggest fear...and someday I don't want my kids or grandkids having this same fear. The fear that makes you cry at work because the thought of your loved ones being in pain and being sick is terrifying.

Asking for prayers for my Nana and family.

"L"ove Yourself!

Today, cookies and other sweets didn't win. Clean eating won! :) Stuck to the snacks and food I brought to work and drank LOTS of water! :) YAY. 

Today, Laura and I started our workout at the bottom of the "L" in Missoula and we hiked to the "L" then wrapped around the mountain and went down The Hidden Trail and ended up at my house! We believe it right around 4.3 miles or so. LOTS OF CARDIO! :) Hiking has become my get away :) 

Here are so fun pictures. I'm keeping it pretty short today because I'm exhausted and am falling asleep typing!  Excuse my crazy facial expressions...

PROUD

After my fiasco with the three cookies today at work; I was feeling really defeated. I decided to throw on my nikes and hike. I told myself to just give it my all. I found myself talking outloud to motivate me. 

"You want results? This is how!"
"You can do this, you've done it before"

When I reached the first switch back, I decided to do 30 squats and stretch (the second stretch of the hill is always the worst). 

I RAN the second switch back! It felt amazing! I knew that the only way to feel "okay" about the whole cookie issue is if I made up for it in my workout...and I did. Two weeks ago, I would have never been able to run up the second switch back. 

WHOO HOO! Check out the pictures! :)  

At the bottom.

Half way up the second stretch. Ran up, took a break, snapped the picture, & then hit the trail again!

EEEKKK!

So proud of myself

This marks the top!!! :) Took it to send to Laura!

  

Stupid Cookies, Hormones, & STRESS.

Having a desk job is so stressful! Sitting down for so long during the day and dealing with everyone else's problems is so challenging.

Today, I woke up with this fantastic attitude, got ready, and took time on my hair and makeup (this is rare of lately).

I knew I had a plate full of work on my desk before I got to work and about 10:30 I was feeling a little discouraged. I pushed through all my work and got it done before my 1pm meeting, but slighly before 1, I started getting a headache (I was already up to 4 bottles of water for the day) and just got a bit cranky.

Raquel, a nice student and part time worker, from Brazil brought homemade cookies in....Chocolate chip, oatmeal cookies to be exact.

It's almost 4 and I've had 3 of them. I don't know what happened. I'm sitting here almost beating myself up about it. They were delicious and I haven't had many sweets lately, so I was trying to talk it down...

I know "that time of month" is coming up, so these feelings of irritability, stress, chocolate additction are all coming back. Hahaha.

So, I decided to blog about it to keep myself accountable. By putting it out in the open, I know that tonight I will have to burn off the calories. I'm going to do a big workout.

I know I need to be prepared for the time where I might gain a little weight instead of lose it, but I'm not ready for that just yet. I've done so well the past couple of weeks.

I'll blog after my workout...

Sometimes You Have a Bad Day

Well, I didn't workout today. Instead, I cleaned my entire house. For breakfast I had 1/3 cup egg whites with one whole egg (eating just egg whites all the time gets boring...no matter how much you jazz them up), I added lean turkey, tomato, and reduced fat cheese to the eggs. On the side I had two veggie patties and one kiwi. It was protein packed and delicious. 

I was so busy cleaning house all afternoon I didn't realize what time it was until roughly 5pm so I decided to wait until dinner (bad idea).  

For dinner I made quartered roasted red potatoes with pita pizzas and green beans (from the can)...I think I was getting lazy. 

I ate more potatoes than I should have and the green beans just felt bad...(not fresh...isn't the same!). 

For dessert I had a little packet of the Skinny Cow Clusters (120 calories per packet). The chocolate was a nice treat. 

Today, I could have done the following to make it a better day:

Go for a walk before the snow hit! 
Eat every 2-3 hours like I have been to boost my metabolism
Drink more water
Added a salad to my dinner so I wouldn't have had so many potatoes


But, because I know we all have bad days, I plan on KILLING IT on a workout tomorrow to make up for today. I just need to stay focused even on days that are a little "off". I'm just glad I didn't have bad stuff in my house...makes eating healthy a little easier. 

I hope everyone is staying warm and out of the snow!         

Two Weeks!

Yesterday marked exactly two weeks that I've eaten clean, worked out, and logged all of my successes and struggles. :) It really went by fast. Usually, when I get on health kicks my flame dies out around the first weekend. Not the case this time! :) It's more of a mind change really, I don't see it as a struggle or battle within me to make the right choices. I know what I have to do, so nothing is stopping me. 

Laura, her husband, Jason, her four kiddos and I walked the Kim William's Trail from the university down to the skate park, roughly 2.7 miles! Then we took the kiddos to the duck park...what entertainment! Hahaha! 

After our hike I went over for tilapia (which was delicious--first time having it). For dessert we had her healthi-fied peach cobbler! :) Check out this peach cobbler recipe! Click HERE!

I'm not sure what today's workout will be. My body is still pretty sore from Friday's workout! I'm off to clean house...

Recipes

Healthy Peach Cobbler  

(thanks Laura!) 

 

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39% fewer calories - 57% less fat - 95% less sat fat than the original recipe.
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prep time: 15 min
start to finish: 1 hr 30 min
makes: 6 servings
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1 cup Bisquick Heart Smart mix
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup fat free or low fat milk
3 tablespoons canola oil
3/4 cup sugar
1 can (29 oz) peach slices in light syrup, drained
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Vanilla reduced fat ice cream, if desired
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1. Heat oven to 375 F.  In ungreased 8-inch square glass baking dish, stir Bisquick mix and cinnamon. Stir in milk and oil with wire wisk or fork until blended.
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2. In medium bowl, mix sugar, peaches, and lemon juice.  Spoon over batter in baking dish.
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3. Bake 50 to 55 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand about 20 minutes before serving. Serve warm with ice cream.
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Nutritional Information:
1 Serving: Calories 280 (Calories from Fat 70); Total Fat 8g (Sat Fat 1/2g, Trans Fat 0g); Sodium 190mg; Total Carbohydrates 49g (Fiber 2g, Sugars 35g); Protein 3g.

The Numbers....April 20, 2013

I'm practically having anxiety as I type right now. I'm a very quiet person when it comes to my weight, and for so long I've been embarrassed to even "hint" at what I could weigh. I know that if I want to be held accountable and reminded of my weekly progress and even inspired to work harder, putting these numbers up every week is what I need to do. 

I told myself that if people following my blog are taking the time to read everything, I better put it ALL out there. 
 

I weighed in on April 6, with an empty bladder, so every Saturday that's when I weigh in.

I was just keeping track of the numbers on my "notes" on my phone. The following week, I weighed in again and the number was going down a bit! :) 

Here is this morning's number....from the scale itself. 

I hope you can see the numbers...it says 233.8. Next week I'll take a better pic of the scale. 

 

 

 

I see these numbers and I'm so ashamed, ashamed that I let my weight get this bad...I know at one point I just decided to ignore it. I chose to blame it on my PCOS. I know getting PCOS was a large part in the weight gain, but I shouldn't have allowed the illness to take over. I should have tried harder to prevent the weight from adding on. 

But, instead of beating myself up, I'm going to continue to work as hard as ever and make those numbers keep going down each week. I'm glad I decided to do this at 21, instead of 40 or 50. 

Thank you all who have encouraged, supported, and wrote amazing messages on here and on Facebook through this very vulnerable time. I appreciate you all! :)  

You're Feeling those Soup Cans Now, Aren't Ya?

I want to start off this blog post saying how extremely proud of our nation I am. My heart has been breaking all week due to the Boston Marathon Bombing and to watch live on television the perpetrator be caught made my evening.

So after work (I got off at 2:30...YAY!) the weather was a bit icky raining off and on with lots of wind. I decided to hang out and relax (while watching the live news coverage in Boston) until about 5:30. Laura and I had planned to get together and workout, but around 5, we both weren't feeling it. I chose the excuse of the weather, and she was just ready to say "the heck with it" just cause. I told her to not worry about coming over and that I would do some things on my own. (Ten minutes later, I still was on my couch). I haven't taken more than one day off at a time since I started so I was a bit scared. Then around 6:30 Laura message me on Facebook asking  if I was sure. She kept me accountable on the one day in the past 13 days that I've felt like I could just put it off. 

15 minutes later she was at my house, showing me how to do pushups on my counter tops, we went outside in a light sprinkle of rain (surprisingly it made it a perfect workout) we did squats, MULTIPLE sets of lunges across my lawn, and different kettle bell routines. 

Because I only have a 20 lbs kettle bell, doing curls was a bit of a challenge. Then Laura asked if I had any canned soup or vegetables. After questioning her sanity and grabbing them, my arms were on FIRE! Today I learned that it doesn't matter how heavy your weights are, it's the method, clarity of the movements, constant reps, and perfect form that builds and works those muscles! 

I know Laura saw the pain in my face because as you can tell by my unique title of the blog, the words "you're feeling those soup cans now, aren't ya?" came out of her mouth and I honestly can say I haven't laughed that hard in a really long time. 

The best part about our workouts is we laugh. She makes sure I have proper form and do ALL of my reps, but we also have fun with it. After a good 30-45 minutes in the yard doing targeted workouts, we went for cool down walk by the golf course down the road from my house! We walked and walked and walked and walked and talked. 

Having someone with the same goals makes it so much easier. Yes, I'm putting in the work, but knowing I have someone allows me to lean if I need. Tonight, I needed that lift and reminder to not give up, even when I've had a rough week. So, Laura, you ROCK! 

I finished my turkey burger with lettuce and tomato (NO BUN)  and now I'm working on my protein powder shake so my muscles won't be SUPER SORE tomorrow. :)

Tomorrow, I will be posting my numbers...yes....my weight...where I started 2 weeks ago and where I'm at currently. I'm preparing myself mentally...but I know this is part of the process.  

Inspiration

 

This is so true!

Thank you Chelsea Soper for the motivation this morning on Instagram. This is now my screen saver on my computer & on my phone. You're an amazing friend to support and encourage me daily. XOXO.