Sunday, July 27, 2014

Feeling Hot Hot Hot!

In my last post, I was telling you that I had hit a dreaded plateau in my journey.  I am happy to report that I worked through it, pushed hard, didn't give up and busted through it!  I lost 3 pounds that week!  Woo!!

This weekend, my sweet husband and I headed up to Chicago to watch the Tottenham Hotspurs play the Chicago Fire Soccer Club.  My husband is a pretty big Spurs fan so this was something he was really excited about.  I'm not a huge soccer fan, but I was really excited to head out of town and spend some fun time with him and a couple of friends.  We had a really great time and I learned a lot about soccer! I can see me maybe getting into watching soccer with the man.


Since we knew that we were going to go have a good time and neither of us wanted to stress too much about weight-loss, we decided to go ahead and weigh in on Saturday morning instead of our usual Monday morning.  Well, I am happy to report that I am down over 70 pounds!  Woo!  And, my awesome, hot husband is .8 pounds away from his goal! I am super proud of him!!

This is back in January after just a couple of weeks in our journey.
This was at the game on Saturday! Doesn't he look fantastic!

Since I felt so good after I stepped on that scale, I thought I would give something a try.  I went into the garage and pulled out 2 items of clothing that I wasn't able to fit into last time I tried stuff on.  One was a jean skirt and one was a pair of skinny jeans.  The jean skirt I wore when I lost so much weight after M was born.  The skinny jeans I bought and literally wore one time.  I just didn't feel comfortable in them.  I didn't feel thin or skinny enough.  So, anyway, I got them out of the box and came in and tried them on.  Guess what?!?!  They fit!!  And even better, they looked GOOD!!!  I actually ended up taking the skirt to Chicago and wearing it for the game.  I can not wait to wear those skinny jeans either...I have the perfect pair of shoes to wear with them!!

I went to RPM Saturday morning after I weighed in and tried on the clothes.  As I was spinning I figured something out!  I know that I tell you all about how much I love to lift and how important I think lifting, and lifting heavy is.  Well, I have PROOF!


This is a picture of me that was put in the paper in 2010 after I had lost a lot of weight.  I lost weight then by following the Weight Watchers program (I wasn't a member, just followed it).  I worked out, but I didn't lift like I am now.  I mainly focused on cardio and that was it.  I looked pretty good, I know that I did, but obviously, it didn't stick.  I was weighing about 170-180 pounds when this pic was taken (I can't remember the exact weight).  Around this time was when I bought the jean skirt that I just found out fit.

Well, I still weigh about 30 pounds MORE than I did then and that skirt is fitting me fantastically!  That is all because of the weights, I know it is! Do you get that? I am in the same size I was 4 years ago and I was 30 pounds LIGHTER than I am now!  WOW!  Can we just say...bring on the weights!

You can kind of see the skirt in this pic.  We both feel SO much better!!

I hope that you have a great week!  Just keep going.  You can do it!

Faith. Courage. Strength. Change.


Tuesday, July 15, 2014

The Dreaded "P" Word

If you have ever tried to lose weight, get healthy, or just take better care of yourself, most likely you have encountered the dreaded "p" word...PLATEAU. Ugh.  Plateaus seriously suck for motivation.  At least they do for me. In case you aren't familiar with a plateau, let me inform you.  A plateau means that the scale isn't moving.  You are doing everything right, and there is very little to no weight loss.  Now, I know that I have said many times that the number isn't all that important to me and while that is true, it can get super frustrating when that number doesn't go down at all.  Or worse, when it goes up!  This is especially true when you KNOW that you have done everything you need to do to make that number go down.

I do lift weights, and I lift heavy which means that I am building some major muscle while I am losing fat.  And we have all heard the old saying, "muscle weighs more than fat."  But, psychologically, that is really difficult to remember when I stand on that scale and the number is the same or higher than it was the week before.  And when that happens for a couple of weeks in a row...well, let's just say that little voice in the back of my head wondering why I am doing all of this gets VERY LOUD!

I Googled "Weight Loss Plateau" and was supplied with an extremely long list of ways to break through a plateau.  There were suggestions ranging from cutting my calories down even more to adding in a bunch more calories (guess which one of those suggestions I was more in favor of!!!). The suggestion that I thought made the most sense was the one that said to change up your workout routine.


  • Do your resistance training before your cardio. You'll use up your glycogen stores doing the weight training and when you move on to cardio, your body will use your fat stores as a fuel source. http://www.wikihow.com/Break-a-Weight-Loss-Plateau
  • So, today I did a version of that.  I didn't do cardio before I hit the weights like I usually do.  My plan had been to hit the weights first and then get in my cardio.  What I didn't plan on was how much fun I would be having while lifting that I ran out of time to get the cardio in!!  Luckily, my oldest has basketball camp this afternoon and the other 2 want to ride their bikes in the parking lot.  So, I am going to do a cardio circuit workout while they are riding.  Then, I will go to Spin tonight.  No matter what order I'm doing it in, I will be burning MAJOR calories!!  This plateau that I am will be hitting the bricks this week.  I am going to push through.  I have watched enough "The Biggest Loser" to know that a plateau is just a week or two in a journey, not an end point.  I will come out on the other side stronger, wiser, healthier, and just more of a bad-ass.  I've got this!

    What do YOU do when you hit a plateau?  Any tips?

    Faith. Courage. Strength. Change.

    Tuesday, July 1, 2014

    Life Gets In The Way Sometimes

    I had no idea that it has been almost a month since I last blogged.  I apologize to my massive amount of readers.  The past month has really just been insane for our family.  We got everyone finished with school, and then it started.  The week of June 6th, we had Vacation Bible School at our church, which all three kids are involved with and I help with.  Following each day, we had 2 hours of swim lessons for the girls.  We would finally either go to the gym or go home about 3 o'clock.  If we went to the gym, we didn't get home until about 4:30 and then would often turn right around and head back to the gym for Spin Class.

    The next week, we had a form of VBS at the church where the kids go/have gone to Pre-school.  The girls participate in it and M is in child care there throughout the day because I help with that VBS too.  We had another 2 hours of swim lessons each day after this VBS as well.  Add the gym, work I had to do for VBS, trying to get everyone fed, and it made for a tired mama!

    After that week, we headed down to my parents' house for the week and had a wonderful time, but my access to the internet was pretty limited.  My folks live in the middle of a corn field and do not have the greatest service.

    So, since we have been home, I have been playing catch up and am just now getting a chance to sit down to blog!  Hopefully you all (or the one of you!) :) understand that as I know that we are all busy and trying to survive the summer!!

    So, catching up a tad is probably in order.  While I was so busy, I didn't get a lot of weight-lifting in.  That is mainly because I just didn't have time and I was so busy, I knew I couldn't be sore from lifting.  But mainly, I just didn't have time!  What that leaves me with then is a LOT of cardio!  I did Spin classes 4 times each week during VBS just to get my calorie burn in.  While I was at my mom and dad's I wasn't able to get to the gym, but I walked every day but one and that was so great!  Like I said, my parents live in the middle of the country and it was so wonderful to walk with nature and just enjoy being outside.  I walked at least 3 miles each time.

    There is that part of me that has always wanted to be a runner.  I have tried and failed so many times.  It would get so frustrating.  It has taken me about 20 years to finally figure out that MAYBE God just didn't make me a runner, because he certainly did not give me the knees for it!  I have always joked that I can walk faster than I can run anyway!  The last 5K (3.1 miles) that I "ran" (that means run/walk, because I have never been able to run a whole 3.1 miles!) I did in 45 minutes and 2 seconds.  I have been working hard to get my time under that with just walking.  I didn't know if I would be able to do it or not.  But, while I was down at my folks, I timed myself and I did it!!  I did a 5K in 43 minutes and 25 seconds!!  I was so thrilled!  Can't wait to actually do a race.  I know I will be doing the Bumblerun in E's hometown in September and the Purdue 5K in October.  I may see if I can find some other ones along the way too. Bottom line, I can walk a 5K faster than I can run one! Woo!

    I did get back in the weight room this week and it felt awesome!  I am SO sore though!  Ouch!  My booty is screaming from squats and lunges, but is that going to stop me?  Uh, NO!!!  I am going back to Spinning tonight for my second class in 2 days.

    This video has been going around Facebook and I finally had a chance to watch it and I HIGHLY suggest that you do as well.  I have always disliked the term "Like A Girl" and I LOVE how this video turns it on it's head.  It is a must see!!


    Since I haven't posted in a while, I figured I would let you know how I am doing and give you some pics on how I am looking.  I have lost 63.4 pounds in 25 weeks and I feel so strong and healthy.  I am fitting into clothes that I haven't worn in a long time and was able to buy a new pair of jeans in a size smaller than I thought I would.  I have muscles showing in places that I haven't seen them in a long time.  It is an awesome feeling and I love it and want more of it!!!

    Here is a pic that my sweet daughter L took of me and my muscles.


    I'm LOVING that cut in my shoulders that is starting to come through.  I'm going to keep at it though, because I want the rest of the cuts that go with them!!

    It is a lot of hard work.  I am LOVING this hard work, but make no mistake.  It is HARD work.  I didn't decide to do this on a whim.  I thought a lot about it.  I prayed A LOT about it.  I talked with a lot of people about it.  I just want to be clear about what I am doing here.  I have said this many times, but this is not a quick fix for me.  This is my life.  There is no pill.  There is no magic drink.  There is no short cut.  It is all hard work, dedication, prayer, and the decision EVERY single day to change my life.  This is what it is.


    Faith. Courage. Strength. Change.