Thursday, July 30, 2009

Good, Better, Best!

GOOD...

This past week since my last update has had its highs and lows. I had gotten down to 142, but seemed kinda stuck there. Three more pounds and I could be in the 30's. Three more pounds!! So I thought I'd crack down this week. Phase 2 of the 3-part workout started Tuesday so I figured I would make sure to really eat healthily and knock out those three pounds. Unfortunately, it became hormonally necessary for me to consume copious amounts of chocolate. The routine for the last few days has been, wake up, eat a healthy breakfast, eat a healthy lunch, steal a chocolate from Jamie's birthday stash, eat a healthy snack, eat a healthy dinner....and then fall apart completely and eat whatever sweets I can access. I am a weak, weak woman. I also skipped my morning workout for the first time on Tuesday. But it worked out ok. I usually plan to take a 30 minute nap right after work to give me some energy for the evening (ah the bliss of being young and childless). Tuesday I slept 30 minutes later and worked out when I got home. So I got more sleep in the morning and worked out after work instead of my usual schedule. It's all good.

I skipped again today, completely accidentally. I woke up to an alarm that didn't quite sound like mine and realized it was Jamie's. I'd completely forgotten to set mine and overslept. It was kind of blissful. And I hit it hard yesterday - ate healthy, worked out in the morning, power walked after work - so I wasn't too concerned about a morning off. Plus, phase 2 is HARD! Anyway, when I did drag myself out of bed and over to the bathroom scale, I found...wait for it...I'm officially in the 130's!! Woot woot!! If my scale had decimals (which it doesn't because it's one of those crappy ones with the wheel thing instead of a digital read-out), it would probably say 139.7, but I was definitely below the 140 line. Woo hoo!!

BETTER...

A couple months ago I bought a pair of pants at Banana Republic that were a little bit too tight. They were on clearance, I loved them and they didn't have the next size up. And I wanted to lose weight anyway (I know, you shouldn't buy clothes that don't fit because you plan on fitting into them soon and all but I liked them). I'm wearing them today. And they fit beautifully! Mazel tov!!

BEST...

MOMREKA!! (that's "mom found it" for those of you who don't speak, um, whatever that is). In December, while at my parents' house for Christmas, I did a load of laundry and stupidly left my wedding rings in the pocket of a sweatshirt I washed. When the load was done, the wedding band was there, but the engagement ring was no where to be found. My whole family searched high and low. We checked the washing machine trap, we searched through the laundry, we tore my room apart, we checked the trap again, we looked in the trash cans and in all the nooks and crannies of the house, we checked the trap a third time...no where. It was gone. In January, my dad once again checked the trap. Still not there. I was sure it had been washed out to sea and I shed many tears for it.

But, lo and behold, my mom randomly checked the trap again yesterday and THERE IT WAS!! In all its sparkly cleaness! Perhaps a bit misshapen (though I haven't seen it yet, so that might just be from my finger), but shiny and waiting to be reunited with its partner on my left hand again. I could not have gotten any better news! I can't wait to have it back on my finger and look married again!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Challenge, Extended...

Well, Shannon's and my post on our less-than-perfect silhouettes has led my mom to extend a family challenge: $10 a person to enter and whoever has lost the most weight by our trip to Wisconsin gets the pot.


Challenge, accepted...

Me and Shannon jumped on board and all three of us ladies brought our husbands into it, too, though I don't know if George and Dad are truly enthusiastic about this competition or if, like Jamie, they don't even know their wife has committed them to it (hey if I win there's an extra $10 in the pot for me!).

Here's where I stand right now (though I loathe to publish this on the internet): I weigh 147 pounds - or did when I started - and hate the way I look in a bathing suit. I am 25, I've had no babies, I have no excuse. Never mind, hold on, I work at a desk job. 8 hours a day of sitting. All. Day. Long. It makes my hips wider just thinking about it. Secretary spread much? Yes, I think so. So there's my excuse. I feel justified.

Here's my goals: Ideally, I would like to get under 135 pounds. That's a 13 pound weight loss. If I can get under 140, I'll be happy. Under 135, totally content. And anywhere in the 132 and under range would have me purely ecstatic. More importantly, Jamie and I are hoping to spend Labor Day weekend in Hilton Head. I do not plan on leaving the beach while the sun's up. Just me, a good book, and the sand and waves from sunup to sundown. And I want to go on that beach vacation with any bathing suit I choose and feel good about. Not look like I'm ready to walk the Victoria's Secret runway (though I'll take that!!), just be secure and confident with how I look.

And most importantly, I want to be healthy and strong so that Jamie and I can start planning a family, and I can feel confident going in that I've done everything in my power to prepare my body for a healthy pregnancy - for both me and (hopefully) the future little one.

The Plan: I've bought a book and a DVD to help me eat healthier and work out consistently. I've started a calorie tracking notebook to make sure I consume the right amount of the right kinds of food. Every morning I get up and do my dvd workout and in the evenings, I just make sure to do something active, even if it's a leisurely walk with Jamie. The tendency for us is to get home at 5:30 and veg out until bed. I also keep track of how much water I drink and try to get to bed on time, two small things that are supposed to make me feel better and lose weight. And lastly, I've cut caffeine out completely. Oh how I miss it...

The hardest part so far has been the meals. I actually like them. But I LOVE carbs. I want bread with every meal and pasta at least once a week and a bowl of cereal once or twice a day - usually big ones. I miss these things, but I'm enjoying the fish, chicken and eggs that have mostly made up my meals so far. The workout's not so bad but I do find my muscles are sore and/or weak the rest of the day, which stinks. Just me getting stronger!! Or something like that.

So far, so good because I'm down 3 pounds and it's only day 5. I've consistently kept my calories within the recommended limit and I've consumed a full lake's worth of water! I do miss my morning caffeine, but I think I'm sleeping better without consuming any.

Can I make it 25 more days and reach my goals? I don't know, but I'm feeling good so far. Weak and sore, but good. And it's always good to have a little healthy competition to inspire me! So Mom, Shannon - BRING IT ON!!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Flabby Fat and Lazy!!

Ok so I'm going to piggyback off of my sister's post here and say it's officially time for the Hotalens to start getting back in shape. Question: What happens when you take two college soccer players, throw 'em off the field, get 'em hitched, and plop them into desk jobs? Answer: they gain 20 pounds and painfully pasty skin. So that's where we are - two former athletes who still want to eat like we're running 4 miles a day or so and are suffering the consequences.

We're not so thrilled with our less-than-toned selves (and I have no pregnancies to blame it on, unlike my sister) so it's time to do something about it. Jamie and I started a Biggest Loser challenge a month or so ago thinking we could both lose 15-20 pounds by eating healthier and adding some exercise into our routines. Unfortunately, taking a short jog in the morning and walking each evening and counting calories has resulted in both of us losing about 2 pounds in the past 4 or 5 weeks. Not exactly what we were hoping for. So it's time to kick it into high gear! Tonight I'm hitting Wal-Mart and finding me some books/dvds to make the next 30 days get skinny days! I'll let you know what I find and, 30 days from now, how it worked for us.

Family, when you see Jamie and I in Wisconsin in August, hopefully there will be a lot less of us to see!!

My goal is to get to a weight BEFORE we have kids that I'll want to get back to AFTER we have kids!! I don't want to start working out after my first baby is born saying, "Well if I could just lose the baby weight PLUS that 15 pounds I never lost before getting pregnant, I'll be happy!"

In the coming weeks, look for a thrilling post called, "Body Image: Why are we NEVER Satisfied?" HAHA



Hello Skinny Hotalens. You are greatly missed. Please come back.