Ohh the weather outside is Frightful..

And my bed is so delightful
Need to work out, but I don't wana go!
'Cause it snowed, cause it snowed, cause it snowed!

I planned to work out on Monday, had my clothes laid out and everything. Then I woke up and saw the horrible storm that had snowed overnight. So I skipped the plan to work out and headed to work, got there 2.5 hours late due to traffic! Then planned to work out on Tuesday. Got up, dressed, started driving and found out that the traffic was still really bad, got to work at 7:30 so skipped the workout and just changed into my work clothes. So today I left early and actually got some good cardio in! I did plan to weigh myself on Monday, then Tuesday and never made it. Then I was there today and forgot to weigh in!

I started to feel better and cleared up on the 'bathroom issues' around Saturday. I waited a few days to make sure I was 'solid' then I started to take 3 pills a day yesterday. So far so good.

New Medicine

I was working out pretty steady.....then it started to snow a bit, and I was late a few days, and I was off while my mom had surgery (all went well and she is home now)....blah blah blah....so I haven't really worked out in 2 weeks. I did go to the doctor the day after Thanksgiving (oh, and I ate a ton at Thanksgiving), and she started me back on Metformin. It's a diabetes drug, but I guess it helps lower TSH levels too, and helps loose weight (bonus!!) So i'm supposed to take 4 500 mg pills a day (big huge horse pills) but she said to start with one a day for the first week, then 2 a day the second week, etc.

So the 1st week went great, 1 a day and feeling good. Did notice that I wasn't as hungry. She had said that my apatite would be diminished (something with it controlling my blood sugar and insulin) and that is good because I had been eating like a hog lately.

Start week 2, 2 pills a day on Saturday. On Monday I tossed my cookies on my way to work, then after a blow out in the bathroom I went home and stayed in bed for the day. Thought I had a flu (which I still might have had a touch of) but now it is Wednesday and I still have horrible diarrhea. I finally looked it up on the Internet to day and diarrhea is a side effect that like 52% of people on this drug have! No wonder you loose weight!

My sweet hubby thinks I should call the doctor, but I'm going to wait it out for a bit. I see her at the end of next month, but if it gets too bad before that i'll call.

Maybe I should start watching what I eat...

...At least on the days before I plan to weigh in. This morning I was back to 263! :( But I also had chinese take-out for dinner (salt city!)

One Week complete

So I actually worked out every morning this week! And I weighed myself this morning and I am down 1 pound. I would have liked to see more progress after 5 days in the gym....but I did enjoy my Chinese Take-out for dinner last night and my huge calzone I had for lunch.....we will work on diet in a few weeks.

Sticker Please

So Monday I did 20 min of Cardio. Then yesterday I showed up for my regular session with my trainer and he said "Come here, I have something for you." And he put a smiley face sticker on my water bottle and said it was for showing up Monday. Then I did cardio again for 20 min this morning (3 days in a row had not happened for a long time!) and he came and put another sticker on my water bottle. (I have been peeling them off once I get to my desk and putting them on a piece of paper.) and it is silly, but these little stickers are kinda motivating.

And!!! Yesterday was my daughters Pasta Dinner fundraiser at school. So I had a small plate of spaghetti and meatballs (very small portion, I thought I'd stop on the way home and pick up some Taco Bell or something, plus the hubby needed dinner too since he didn't go to the fundraiser). And there was a bake sale there and I bought 6 brownies, intending to eat a few now and then the rest with some milk once I got home. I ate one after dinner and my daughter had one...and I took the rest home. After the fundraiser we had to stop at a store, and then I went right home (no takeout!) And the hubby and daughter finished off the brownies while I did some housework. Then the hubby made himself some dinner while I took a shower and then went to bed. So NO night time snacking!!!! Pretty proud right now!

Say it aint so!

This weekend we did the 'fall clean-up' yard-work. This included my hubby blowing and mowing the entire back yard while I raked in the front. After I was about 75% done, and he was 100% done, he came to the front to help. He finished the raking while I mowed the front. Then my hip was killing me so I rested. Then I went grocery shopping and my hip hurt so bad I had to lean on the cart to make it around the store. This (coupled with other complications of a more personal nature, including barely being able to clip my toe nails) has spurred me to....once again....start working on loosing weight. (also all my pants are incredibly tight!) So I worked out this morning, Monday with no trainer and weighed myself to see where I am........263! Seriously! I haven't been this fat for a long time.....I was 256 when I started with the trainer 2 years ago. In the past few months I have been barley making it to the gym 2 mornings a week, and I've been eating whatever I want, including cake, cookies, and candy at night with a glass of milk. Also my water intake has gone from 5-6 bottles a day down to 1-2.

The new plan is to try to do some cardio most mornings. And up my water intake. We'll see how this goes for a couple weeks and then work on adding more diet restrictions.

Also, on my last trip to the endocrinologist...she was feeling my thyroid and said "Did you know you have alot of facial hair?" No I hadn't noticed....except for the constant plucking I need to do to keep away the uni brow and Italian grandmother beard! And she said maybe I have PCOS? I know I have PCOS! I knew that 7 years ago. So she sent me to have a bunch of blood-work, to check kidney and liver functions and glucose, and whatever else....And she wants to put me on metformin (which I was on so that I could ovulate to get pregnant). But I guess it helps regulate glucose and helps you lose weight.....so maybe this is what I need. I go back to see her, get all the blood results, and hopefully a magic prescription, in a few weeks. I'm not going to hold my breath though, I thought the thyroid meds were going to help with my weight but that didn't happen at all. I'm just going to try to make it to the gym each morning and see where it goes from there.

Baby steps.....

I worked out this morning...on a Wednesday, with no trainer! Go Me! I did a little over 20 min on the eliptical and burned 250 calories. I weighed my self also.....248. Now we move forward from here. I don't plan to post often....maybe once a week or so, mostly weight updates or if I feel I did especially good or especially bad at something, food, exercise, whatever.

Long time no see!

So....how have you been?

I know I haven't blogged in a few months. I looked back to see what my last entry was...and I was complaining that I was burned out. Guess that was true. We did finish that last weight loss competition. Me and A2 came in 5th. Not a prize money position, but not too bad out of 30+ teams. I know it was my fault, if I had tried a little harder at the end we might have scooted up a few points and won some money.

Anyway, enough about the past.lets talk about now. I have been keeping up my Tues & Thursday morning work outs with D and our trainer. But I have been doing zero extra cardio, no M W F workouts, and definitely no lunch time workouts. I have really been enjoying the extra sleep, and I have been eating anything I feel like. So....needless to say....I have been packing weight back on. I was going to weigh myself this morning so I could have a good starting number, but I ran out of time.

Starting number for What?, you may be asking. Well...my sister got engaged yesterday. So that means there will be a wedding coming up. No plans have been made yet as to when, or if it will big a big shin-dig or a small deal or what. But I know that I do NOT want to be a FAT COW at the wedding. I was fat at my wedding, and I was 9 months pregnant at my other sisters wedding, so I want to be presentable at this one. So before I even know if I will be shopping for a brides maid gown, I'm going on a bride's maid diet! And the hubby said he was going to work on slimming down too, so that will be a great help to me. Let's see how it goes....this time.

Burned out!

I don't know if my allergies are bothering me, or I'm slightly depressed, or if the time change is messing with my internal clock.....but I can NOT get up in the morning!!! I didn't workout Monday or today (Wednesday). I did a good workout yesterday in the morning only.... I have been eating OK, especially at work, salad for lunch everyday with leftovers. And eating healthy snacks...I just don't feel like hitting the gym. I know I should, I still haven't taken off all the vacation weight and I don't know when the next weigh in will be, but I'm sure it will be soon. I have been busy at home, doing yard work and outside playing with the kids (maybe that is helping to make me so tired)....I haven't been blogging because I don't have much to report. I'm just going to workout when I feel like it and not beat myself up when I skip.

Re-Gaining Ground

Like I said in the last post from last week....I was up a little bit from the previous weigh-in, so I didn't turn in a weight last week. I think A2 was down a little, but it wasn't enough to keep us from slipping to 6th place in the ranking!! I'm sure it would have been even worse if I had turned in a weight. So we started in 1st place...then went to 2nd place.....and now 6th place.....That is out of money contention so it is a major issue! :)

I ate OK over the weekend...and I've been totally on workouts yesterday and today. I'm only 1 pound over the previous weight-in now (231) and going to work really hard all week to bring that down further. Before I fell off the wagon (I really need to get a seat-belt) I was at 227. And if I didn't tell you, I gave up chocolate for Lent and haven't had a speck of anything chocolate in over a month.

So Easter is on Sunday....and I have decided that if I get back to 227 or below by Friday at noon, then I can have some chocolate Easter Candy!!! I'm already planning what it will be....I know it will involve at least 1 Carmel Cadbury egg...that's the best thing I can think of so far. We are going to get the Easter basket stuff for the kids tonight, so I will see if there is anything else that looks really worth it. And I also know that I will have no will power once Easter is over, because I will not feel like I am letting down the Lord if I cheat...only myself...and A2...and the hubby who has been such good support.....now that I put it that way I think I can have the will power.....I will have a little chocolate then right back at it! Only a little over a month left of the contest....I can stick to it for the next 5 weeks!!

It's been awhile....(warning, kinda gorey)

Sorry I haven't posted in a while......
I was doing really super good last week....was down to 227 on Wednesday, so 3 pounds down from the weigh-in the week before. Then I was off work on Friday, we went of vacation for the weekend. Took the kids to a big indoor waterpark. Had a blast, and since it was vacation, didn't even try to eat well. It was all room service and take out. But we were also walking constantly and swimming alot, so it probably about evened out. And I'm sure it would have been fine except....
Also since I was on vacation, I got my period, happens every time I leave home for a couple days. So, this was the 1st one since I got the IUD. And the doctor had warned me that my periods would be heavier than I was used to since I went off my BC pills....and she also warned that the IUD can make cramps worse. So I should have been more prepared....but it was pretty bad! I was in alot of pain from cramps, and I was super duper tired. Drove home from vacation Sunday around noon....crawled into bed and stayed there most of the rest of the day/night. Then I was miserable at work Monday (skipped all workouts) Got up to go workout Tuesday morning, texted the trainer that I wasn't going to make it, and went back to bed, skipped everything Wednesday also.
We were supposed to weigh in on Wednesday also, an e-mail came around on Tuesday....I went over yesterday, i was about 2 pounds up from the last weigh in, so I didn't record it and turn it in. My partner A2 e-mailed to see how I was, and I admitted that I ate bad on vacation and skipped my workouts for the 1st half of the week, I feel like I let him down....mostly because I did.
And it wouldn't be so bad if I all did was skip some workouts....but I also use my 'sickness' as an excuse to eat poorly. We got Chinese takeout Sunday night, Burger King Monday for lunch, ate a good dinner Monday night, had Subway Tuesday for Lunch and a good dinner Tuesday night, had soup/ salad/ and a burger from Big Boy yesterday for lunch and Qdoba yesterday for dinner.
So this morning I drug myself to the gym, and I just had a nice salad for lunch. No lunch time workout though, and I don't know if I'll workout tomorrow at all. I'm going to focus on eating good and work in workouts as I feel better. Should be back in the swing next week. And hopefully all the bad stuff I ate will just 'flow through'!

I have NO will power

So....1st off we dropped in the ranking.....2nd place now. The team that is now ahead of us is a girl that doesn't have alot to loose, so just a couple pounds for her is a big percentage drop, and her partner is our maintenance man, and he is kinda heavy and has lost like 30 pounds. He is doing really good.

I have been doing good since last week. Eating mostly good, and if it is something bad, ice cream, I totally work on portion control. But I have been making all my morning and lunch time workouts. So yesterday I weighed in at 229....yes!!! and then this morning at 228 and about 1/8th....it just balanced just above 228. So I was super happy.

I totally planned on working out at lunch, and brought a weight watcher meal to eat......then we had a work emergency....someone had to leave and rush over to a testing facility....and that someone was me. So that shot my workout....but I totally could have come back and ate my planned meal.....but the draw of fast food was too strong.....and I ended up at Wendy's!

Weigh in Today...

There was a weigh in today. I was sick all weekend, and even took Monday off work. While I was in bed resting I was just craving comfort foods, so I made no objecting when the hubby ordered pizza for dinner one night, and I got some frozen 'rib' patties at the store and had those with mac& cheese for dinner another night, in between I was skipping meals in exchange for sleep. and I had a couple bowls of ice cream because the cool creaminess helped my throat.

So I come back to work yesterday, to find an email that we are having a weigh in today! I had no idea what I would weigh and was a little scared. But I weighed in this morning at 230....not so great, but at least it is 2 pounds down from the last official weigh in. A2 weighed in at 5 pounds down from the last weigh in, so as a team we will do OK for the rankings, but I'm totally ready to loose the 1st place spot.

But I think will be a good kick in the pants to work hard and get the 1st place spot back! I keep worrying about why I'm stagnant, but the best way to get the scale moving is to get my butt moving...I need to work out longer and harder, just turn it up a bit. Easier said then done, but still worth trying!!

Back in in 2-3-0's Again!!!

Sung to the tune of....I'm just pissed and not in the mood for singing!!!
I stayed at 229 last week, and then went home for the weekend, and showed up Monday at 231...it's now Wednesday and I'm about 230.5
But I have been working out every morning and lunch, and eating really good, I just hate this non-scenical fluctuation! But I'm just going to keep working on it, keep working on it. Hopefully I'll have another good drop and then when a pound or two come back on, I'll still be in the 220's.

Back in in 2-2-0's Again!!!

Sung to the tune "Back in the USSR"

Yep....I weighed in this morning and I am 229!!!!! ha!!!!
Started this weight loss competition in the 240's (244 to be exact)
Ripped through the 230's
And now I'm in the 220's !!!!

I shouldn't be as happy as I am about this, it's still way way too much for me to weigh. And I have been in the 220's before, but then I mess up and get back in the 230's and 240's!! And I'll have to go back and check to make sure (which is one great thing about keeping this blog) but I think I have said "I'll never get back over 230 again" and that promise didn't hold much water, so I'm not going to say anything like that, I'll just keep working my way down, working my way down.

But I sent e-mails and txt's already today to Thank my Hubby and my partner, A2....and I'll just keep at it.
(3 weeks 'till the Waterpark!)

Man Down!!

OK...so not a man...my water bottle. Yep, the water bottle that started a craze goes down in flames. See, when I first started working out, my trainer told me to get a good water bottle because a key to getting healthy is to drink a crap ton of water....1/2 your body weight in oz's. So if I weigh 240 lbs, I would need 120 oz's of water a day....that's basically a gallon. So I found a great water bottle at Target, it had a dial on the side to help keep track of how much you drink. So I bought it, showed it to the trainer, and he thought it was so cool that he went and bought a couple. then everyone else in the gym saw the trainer with it, so they all bought one. And then the bottles went on sale at Costco for a 3 pak, and now everyone (almost) has that style of bottle!

So today, I was going across the street, and I was carrying too many things, including my bottle. And when I tried to open the door.....water bottle hit the pavement. At first I thought I had just lost the little rubber seal piece, and a friend was helping look for it. But then I realized that the clasp that keeps it closed was broken too...so I hummed a funeral dirge, and threw it in a trash can. Sad.

But I bought a water out of the vending machine, and I'll get a new re-usable bottle when I'm out shopping this weekend!

(Sorry I haven't posted in over a week....I've been on a plateau and a little discouraged. Then it was Valentines...so Hubby and I had a date, and I pretty much didn't cook all weekend, so lots of take-out, and a big heat-shaped-box of Whitman's Sampler! and the Girl Scout Cookies came in, so we have been munching on those...And I think going off the bc pills has my hormones messed up, so I have been really tired and depressed for a few days. But I worked out HARD last Thursday, this Tuesday and yesterday morning's with the trainer...didn't do lunch work out's this week MTW (T i had a 1/2 day and took the girl scouts ice skating, so i am going to count that as a workout, sure made my legs sore) (and MW I spent my lunch walking arounf handing out GS cookies) but I just did lunch today, and went to my meals last night, so the freezer is stocked with healthy dinners...so we are on track....oh! and I gave up Chocolate for Lent!)

We're Number 1 !!!!!

That's all I have to say about that!

No rankings yet!

So the weekend went really well. I did have a small piece of Angel Food cake at the birthday party, and some raw veggies. but the party was at a place called "Pump It Up", it's a warehouse with a bunch of those inflatable bounce houses blown up inside. So the whole time I was bouncing with my kids, and chasing them in the obstacle course and going down the big slide. So I more than burned off the cake.

I weighed in yesterday.....drum roll please.....down 12 pounds total!!! 244 to 232, thats a 4.9% drop!!! And A2 lost another pound since last week too. I was really excited to see the ranking today, but it wasn't posted when I was over there this morning, and I havn't been back over, so I'll have to wait and see how we are doing against the other teams.

My trainer always says that alot of my weight issues have to do with my hormones (and I know the hubby will agree that I can be pretty 'hormonal'!) And I know that my thyroid medication is helping alot. So I thought that it would help even more to get off my birth control pills, it's just another hormone I'm putting in my body every day, plus I hate having to remember to take my pill. But there are no plans for babies anytime soon...so....I got an IUD. That is NOT fun. I left work early yesterday for my appointment, I was so so super nervous. And when I was 'on the table' my knees were shaking the whole time. I could not stop, even when I put my hand on my knee and tried to stead it. And the doctor would say things like "A little pinch now" And it would hurt like crap for a second...."A little cramping now" And it would be aching in my abdomen...and when it was done she said I would have "Some bleeding and cramping" and to just take Motrin. So I drove home, took two 600 mg Motrin I had leftover from my last baby delivery, took a shower and went to bed. I left the hubby in charge of dinner, he ordered pizza, when it came I came out of my room, got a big plate of pizza, bread sticks, wings, and coleslaw, and went back to bed. I think I was sleeping for the night before 8 o'clock.

I did work out this morning, I just took it easy, and i did need to stop a couple times. No bad pains, just some cramping starting and i didn't want to push it. I didn't know how I would feel later, so I decided to skip my lunch workout and take it easy. I've had no issues, so I'll go back to two workouts tomorrow. And hopefully I'll have some rankings tomorrow too!!

I even did the Treadmill today!

So...weigh in went AWESOME!! I'm down 10 pounds since this challenge started. So the hard work IS paying off. I only had one workout yesterday since it was our monthly employee lunch. It was Italian, so I could have eaten horribly, but I had mostly salad, some chicken that was in a cream sauce, some green beans, mushrooms, and 3 tortellini (I wanted more but resisted!) And the hubby and I did get Chinese takeout for dinner, I got MuShu Chicken, so it's meat and shredded veggies, not too bad (no deep frying or batter) and the hubby got kung po chicken. We did get egg rolls too. Then to make up for it I did 350 cals on the elliptical this morning, and actually ran on the treadmill at lunch.

That's right...I RAN! Not because I wanted to, as much as just to see if I could! There were no ellipticals by the time I got up there (there were bikes, but I hate those) So I got on the one open treadmill. I figured I would walk until an elliptical opened up. K was on the treadmill next to me, and he walked a min then ran a min or two.....So after 2 min of walking, I upped my speed from 3.0 to 4.5 and ran (more of a fast jog to be totally truthful) I told myself to do it for one min and then walk again....but after one min I wasn't too tired, so I decided to try for 2. Then my trainer walked past behind me and said something like "Good job Nick"...and that was pretty motivating, so I just kept running. Kinda like Forrest Gump! :) After 5 min I thought that was a pretty round number, so I backed down to 3.0 to walk again. My partner A2,(I really like this partner thing, more than I thought I would) came up next to the treadmill and told me what I good job I was doing. And since that is pretty motivating too, I told him that I would walk another min and then see how long I could run a second time. And I ran for 5 min the second time too!!! It was hard the second time and I was really counting down the seconds, but I did it!! And then I walked for another few min...and then I ran for another min, upping my speed every 10 secs or so, just to see how fast I could go...I got up to 6.0 and that is pretty fast...so I went down for a little cool down walk and was done.

A2 was leaving the gym at the same time as me and we walked down the hall together. He was telling me really good job on running 3 times (so him and the trainer must have been watching) and we chatted for a sec until he turned down another hall.

Pretty proud of myself right now! And Im going to ride this wave for the weekend. Have a kids bday party tonight, no cake for me thanks. We have a weigh in on Monday for our first team ranking, so Im going to try to get some exercise in over the weekend, and be very careful with what I eat! I'll let you know Tuesday when they post the team ranking how I'm doing against everyone else, but right now I'm kicking ass against myself, which is the most important.

Chugging along

So the weekend went GREAT!!! I did NOT eat Taco Bell. I actually ate really well. And on Saturday afternoon we took the kids to an indoor pool for some time swimming, so much better than sitting around at home! I did pick up a Hot-n-Ready Pizza on the way home from the pool, the kids were asking for it. I did eat one slice of pizza when we got home, the hubby ate one too, and the kids ate it for dinner. Later I made Turkey chili for the hubby and I. It was 'healthy' chili....93/7 turkey burger, green peppers, celery, tomatoes, & spices! And it was tasty too.

So far this week I have gotten 2 workout each day, even yesterday when I had a 1/2 day, I got in a quick 20min cardio before I left!! And we went out to dinner last night, but we went to Mongolian BBQ, so I got to pick my own lean meat, filled up on good veggies and watch it cook on the flat top grill.

I really want to know what I weigh, I've gotten a couple comments that I'm 'looking like I've lost weight'. I can't think I look that different in just over a week, but now I'm really curious. Day and a half till I weigh in with the trainer.....going to go strong until then, then I'll report the good news!

Weekend promises!

So it is the end of the 1st week.....and I did awesome!!!! First off we got the partner thing all straighten out. and I was talking to A2 this morning and we are going to try to get our families together soon, maybe over the weekend. I did 2 workouts everyday...averaging about 500-600 calories total per day. A good start, but I'm going to work on ramping that up over the next couple weeks. I worked on getting protein every morning after my workout, either a shake, or egg, or natural peanut butter on a whole wheat english muffin. And I ate a salad or wrap with fruit everyday for lunch. And NO takeout or fast food all week. I cooked dinner every night, lean chicken or pork and lots of veggies! And the hubby ate dinner with me, or went to his brother's to workout.

So now it's the weekend!!! I'm not going to go crazy, but I am going to be just a little less strict. I thawed some veggie lasagna and we will eat that one night. And maybe....we might have one CHEAT meal, like taco bell or something....I'll see how it goes. But if I do, then I won't feel bad for it, and I wont fall off thew wagon..it will be a reward and then right back to work.

I do have to admit to one little slip-up last night. I did eat 3 pieces of leftover Christmas candy...3 little Dove chocolate bites...Carmel filled....I really wanted them...and I ate one...then I ate 2 more...then I felt really guilty. And it was tasty...but not really worth the guilt. So next time I think I want something like that, I'll just know that it's not worth it.

Still going strong

It's 4 days in, and it's going great! I weighed myself this morning and I'm now down 8 pounds!! That's about 3.3%. But the trainer has now banned me from weighing myself again until next Thursday. And in a show of support A2 isn't going to weigh in again until next Thursday too!

Had a great work out today, 250 cal on the elliptical this morning...then a good weigh lifting session, then another 250 at lunch. I made some tasty chicken cutlets last night, just browned in a pan with same PAM, sea salt, fresh ground pepper, paprika, and garlic powder. So lots of added flavor and no added calories or fat! So i cut some into strips and rolled it up in a whole wheat wrap with spinach and tomatoes and a bit of mustard! That and an apple is a tasty healthy lunch that I'm happy eating!

I don't know if I just have a good attitude right now because of how good the whole partner issue worked out, or because the hubby is on board at home, or what. But this is going really good right now!

Switch-a-Roo

I did not appreciate the way B manipulated the situation to get us together as partners, and after only 1 day of 'There she is' I could not take it! I had a long talk with the hubby, and then a talk with the trainer. For all the complaining I do about my trainer, me and D calling him a drill Sargent and a torturer, he is a really good guy! He is hard on me because he knows that I need to loose weight and that I'm stubborn in my ways, and he really wants to push me. So we talked, and he agreed that B is too 'intense' for me and that the 'stress' would not be good for my weight loss, that it might actually hinder it. So we worked out a plan to switch partners. I suggests A2 (the guy that B put his old partner A with) and the trainer thought it was a great idea. A2 has lost over 100 pounds before, and is really kind and motivating. A2 has a wife at home and little twin daughters, alot like my own family of the hubby and 2 kids. (Where as B has a wife who lives out of state, and no kids, therefor no distractions or temptations at home).

I am kinda chicken, and don't do well with confrontation. And the trainer knows this, and good guy that he is, he did all the hard part. He talked to A2 and asked if he would mind switching to be my partner, he was totally cool with it. Then he talked to B, I'm still not actually sure how that went, B let me know that he knew, and said it was ok and that now I'm "going down!" And I feel so much better about the whole situation!

I have been doing great so far....2 work outs everyday, morning and lunch. And last night the hubby wasn't home, and I was so wanted to eat snacks! But I had a healthy dinner, and had a little sugar free pudding cup for a night time snack! I saw A2 in the gym at lunch and he gave me a thumbs up! I've lost 6 pounds so far....that is about 2.5%!!!!

The competition begins!! Again!!!

So I pigged out all weekend. Ate everything that I wanted and everything that I knew I was going to deny myself for the next three months! Nachos, Quarter Pounder, french toast, tortellini with sausage, brownies, chili cheese fries, pop!

Weigh in was this morning. I walked into the gym and B said "there she is" and then B supervised mt weigh in. I got a quick 200 cal on the elliptical. Had a hard boiled egg white for breakfast, planned to eat more but I was busy and the morning flew by. At lunch I changed back into my workout clothes and went back over to the gym. As I crested the stairs B let out a "there she is" and it is already getting old! All the ellipticals and treadmills were being used, (everyone making a good show for the contest) So I jumped on a bike! I hate the bike...I struggled through 66 cal and once an elliptical opened up, I switched....got 210 cal in all at lunch, so 410 for the day. Not too bad, but definitely need to amp that up.

I'm munching on my salad with tuna right now. Instead of bringing in my bad of salad and all the whole veggies, and then cutting them up just before I eat lunch. I have all the fixings in the fridge at home, and I made my salad before I left this morning. This way all the stuff is at home and the hubby can have salad too (he said he was craving it lately!!) and it is quicker for me at lunch time, so it leaves more time to work out!

In case you were wondering....the official weigh in was 244!!! That is horrible...I was almost down to 220 at one point and now I'm only 12 pounds from where I originally started a year and a half ago! But this time I'm doing it up right, and the hubby is on board too!!!

Live from Las Vagas

So, number one......Holy Canoly!!!! I'm in Las Vegas!!!! It's so cool!!!! Cool in the AWESOME way and in the chilly way. (I thought I was escaping the cold Michigan winter to come to the nice warm desert....well it has rained, sometimes sprinkles-sometimes pours, since we got here yesterday)

Number two....you'll never believe what happened on the whole partner for the newest weight loss contest front! I don't even know where to start.....I haven't had a chance to post since last Thursday and that's when the shit started to hit the fan! Hang in ALOT happened in the last few days.

So....Thursday is a normal day, and as far as I know M is partners with P, and I'm just going to stay out of it 'officially' but do it on my own. Then I happen to walk through the lunch room, and M is chatting with my trainer. So I go over and chat with them too. Then P happens to walk by (the coincidences are un-canny!) And P is joking with M that he (P) had a new different partner. (I was silently stunned, I hadn't heard that they called it off, maybe I had a chance to partner up with M again.) So P walks off, and M walks off shortly after. It's me and the trainer, I asked him when/why M&P called it off, then I preceded to tell him the whole back story of how M had asked me to be partners, yada yada, and he didn't want to tell P no. So the trainer tells me to go partner back up with M. I said something like "if he wanted to partner back up then he would have said something a minute ago when we were all talking" (Later when I relayed this story to the hubby he said that I make things so 'high school' and he is exactly right) So the trainer says lets go talk to him right now (did I mention that the trainer really wants me in the contest), and goes off after M, and I trotted along behind him. We have a little conversation with M. He says he isn't sure if P really got a new partner (its apparently a mystery person that P isn't telling to anyone) or if he is just joking. He said he would talk to P and let me know. But if it was off with P then it would be on with me. Sunshine on the horizon!

I was so excited and I wanted to tell someone so I texted the hubby and told him the high points and that I would explain when I got home....and since B is in charge of the whole contest, and had been pestering me to get in....so I texted him and told him that "I MIGHT be in the contest, I was waiting for an answer from a partner" and he asked who he needed to go convince and I told him not to worry about it, the trainer had already talked to them, and not to bother the trainer about it! And he asked if he could ask M about it.....and I wondered why he would think to ask M?

So I'm driving out of the parking lot at the end of the day, and I see B talking to P in the parking lot of the other building. So I called B and asked what they were talking about....and he said they were talking about the contest....then he started to ask about who I was waiting on, etc. And if that didn't pan out then he had a couple people that didn't have partners and he would get me a partner.....and I said I really liked my plan A (being partners with M) and plan B was to just do it outside of the contest. And he said that he would get me a plan B partner. And I said no, I'm bitchy and hard to get along with, I couldn't have a random partner. And he assured me that it would be someone that I knew and was friends with. When I talked to the hubby about all this later he thought that maybe R (how is my sisters bf that works there too) was who B was talking about, and that seemed feasible :) And at some point in the conversation with B, it came out that he knew all about M!?! And I told him he was not supposed to have talked to the trainer, and B told me that about an hour before I texted him, (so right after the trainer and I talked with M) the trainer came and spilled the beans to him about M and everything. (And in retrospect I think they schemed up everything else that happened)

So I talked to the hubby when I got home, and told him that I'm doing this hard core and I needed him to help at home. (And I had all these plans of things to say to get him on my side....but to my happy surprise I didn't need any of them.) He said "What do I get if I win? As in, he was going to have a weight loss contest with me at home! We have done it before, not since before my son was born, but it was always fun. And he said that I went to the gym in the mornings, so he would take time to work out in the evenings...go to the 'gym' in his brother's basement, or the rec center. And I thought that sounded great! (And if nothing else, that fact that my hubby might get a little skinnier and healthier, makes all this drama and crap worth it!)

So Friday morning I top the stairs to the gym, and there is M talking to B and the trainer. So I thought maybe he was there to tell me some good news...but no, he hadn't had a chance to talk to P yet. After M left, me, B, the trainer and another trainer all discussed who P's new mystery partner could be??? Then after normal Friday Bagel time I go over to check in with M....still nothing, hasn't talked to P. Then later that afternoon I go check in with M....still nothing, still hasn't talked to P, said he kept checking but he wasn't in his office. Then M went on break, and I went to P's office. (I just wanted an answer before I left for Vegas) And P was in his office! So we had a little chat....I told him the whole back story. He asked why I wanted to be partners with M and I told him because M was a great motivator and had a great attitude. And he said that is the same reason he wanted to be with him, but he had this other great plan for a partner, but he also didn't want to drop M......so I told him it was up to him (I think I actually was a little ruder about it, something like "Well you sit in this fancy office, so you can make these hard decisions" probably not the best career move in retrospect, I'll try to apologize. I was frustrated.) And he said he would make a decision by the end of the day.....

So it was almost the end of the day, and I didn't have a chance to get back over to the other building, and i wanted to know what was going on!! So texted B and asked if he knew....and he went and checked and I guess M was already gone for the day. So as I was driving out of the parking lot....I decided to pull into the other building. And I went and talked to the trainer, he didn't know any new info. And on my way back out, I ran into P in the hall. So I asked if he had made a decision, and he said yep...he was staying with M! (Crap!!) And he urged me to take the 'other' partner that had stirred this all up, and he told me who it was and his 'plan'...which was just silly to me, knowing all that I know....so I declined. (Can't tell you who the mystery was, P told me to keep it on the down-low, and I know that the trainer may or may not read this occasionally, and posting it on the Internet is NOT keeping it on the down-low....only person I told is the hubby....luv ya babes)

On my drive home on Friday I simultaneously texted B and the trainer and told the P and picked M, so I guess I'm on to Plan B....pretty reluctantly. But I figure if I drop out now then M would know that I was a quitter and would be glad that he didn't have me for a partner....I have to do it and kick ass now!!! I asked B who plan B was (ha, that's so funny now) and he wouldn't tell, said he needed to talk to M&P first and make sure.

So Monday morning, yesterday, (well 2 days ago now since it is after midnight!) I e-mail B and ask who Plan B is......and he feeds me the crap about he needs to make sure with M&P. And i was only working a few hours before leaving for Vegas, and I wanted to know since I would be back to work again until the morning of the weigh in. But I asked a couple times and he wasn't budging. So I texted the trainer and asked him, but I didn't get a response. I left for the airport now knowing. Then later when I was waiting at the terminal B texted me....he said it was official with M&P...so was I ready for Plan B??? I said ready....and then he told me that it was him!!! This was a giant shock because I knew that he was already signed up with a different guy, lets call him A. Then already had a team name picked out and everything 'Gym-me Buff-it' actually kinda cute. (But I'm not having that as my team name, I'll text B tomorrow and tell him he better come up with something for us.) I asked what happened to A, he said that he got another guy to join and be A's partner, so he was free to be a team with me. I was still kinda stunned and didn't respond for awhile! I was trying to piece it together in my mind. I called the hubby and went over it with him. I'm sure that this is what him and the trainer schemed up on Thursday! And I told him I hoped he didn't strain a brain muscle on his plotting. But I guess that's that! I get back from Vegas next week...and the contest begins.

PS, Vegas is 3 hours earlier than Michigan....so this morning, when my body though it was 7:30 and I should be up, it was really 4:30 here...but I was awake and couldn't go back to sleep....so I busted out 325 calories on the elliptical here at the hotel. And then walked about 10,000 miles at the trade show today! and have 2 more days to go!

So I bought a "Salad"....

I had to run out to the bank at lunch. And Quizno's is in the same plaza as the bank, at the opposite end. (and I didn't even get in my truck and drive to the other end, I walked all the way down the sidewalk and then all the way back to my truck!) I thought I would go to Quizno's and get a salad for lunch. And I did get a salad. But this is NOT a healthy salad. I'm not even going to pretend it is. I watched them make it....It is lettuce, with tomatoes and salsa and diced white meat chicken...healthy so far...and a big scoop of guacamole....still ok.....and a big handful of cheese....getting dangerous....and then they give you a little bag of toasted tortilla strips to put on it and a huge cup of dressing. I know, I know....I could have skipped the tortillas and used salad spray that I have in the fridge, but I didn't. I only used 1/2, maybe less, of the dressing, but it is so so thick and creamy. I know it is loaded with fat, I should have skipped it. All of my workout this morning is going just to burn off the dressing from my salad....the 1/2 dressing....I don't know who eats the whole thing!

I'm so proud of myself right now!

If you have noticed I haven't posted my weight lately. I just looked back over the past few weeks, Before Christmas I was 232.....well I came back from New Year's at 240!!! I was very upset with myself. I have been working out every day since then and really putting alot into the workouts too. But I still haven't been eating the best. I've been doing pretty good while I'm at work, but then not so good at dinner, or on the weekends, and I have been snacking at night. I know this. I know it's bad. And then I jump on the scale and wonder why the numbers are not going down! Well they went down just a little, 237 this morning. And my trainer happened to be looking over my shoulder, so he knows that I'm at 237 right now too. I was 237 at the START of the last contest, then I lost 15 pounds, then it started to come back on when I went on the lower dose of my synthroid, and when I was working my ass off, and my ass was still getting bigger, I gave up again!

So today during our workout I happened to mention to D and our trainer that Taco Bell had new commercials about their "Drive Thru Diet!" (Basically they say if you are going to eat fast food anyway, then something from their 'fresco' menu is better than a burger somewhere else.) And the trainers quick answer was something like "Well if you are that weak, then there is no help for you anyway" I'm not too sure about that second part, but i am sure the first part is "If you are that WEAK" That struck a cord.

Then a few minutes ago I was getting ready for lunch. I was mentally gearing up to go in the break room and get my bag of salad and cup of salmon out of the fridge. and I just didn't want it. It didn't sound good, i was not hungry for it, and my mind started to wander. Something like soup and a sandwich sounded better. Maybe I could run out to Quizno's. Where else could I go. And as Taco Bell rolled through my mind, along with the list of other near by places, I heard the trainer's words again....weak....I don't want to be weak. I know I am, but I don't want to be. I had taken the time to go to the store and buy healthy lunch foods and brought them in, and they were just waiting to be eaten.......So I thought it over for a minute, and I went to the break room. I was just going to suffer through my salad, and as I was opening the fridge door I wished I had a sandwich. Something that I could chew...something warm and comforting...not cold salad! Then I looked at my shelf of food. I had it stocked with salad, and blueberries, and hard boiled eggs, and yogurt, and Light, Whole Grain, English Muffins!!! What if I made a sandwich on a muffin!

So that is what I did. I toasted the muffin, and spread the salmon on, and had a smaller salad on the side. And it is good!!! And it is satisfying!!! And I am so proud of myself right now!!

I just need to make these better choices more often. 237 and counting...and I leave for Vegas on Monday!

Lots of changes in the last couple days!

So...I last posted on Tuesday at lunch. Then Tuesday afternoon we had our monthly company meeting, and the new weight loss competition was announced. B is pretty much in charge of it all, and he explained all about the partners and blah blah blah. So right after the meeting I went to talk to M about signing up together. Well! There was another meeting in the morning that M had gone to, and during that meeting one of the men on our Board of Directors, the guys that run our whole company, had asked M to be his partner. M said he still wasn't 100% sure if I even wanted to be his partner, I never gave him a firm answer, and how could he say no to P, the Director. And he apologized, but he is right, and I don't blame him at all. This is a good chance for him to rub elbows with one of the upper management, and I don't want to take that away from him.

So I just decided to go back to not doing the contest at all. Not that I'm giving up, I'm just not signing up! I won't win any money, or loose any either. I came up with a plan to still weigh in and out at the contest dates, and then I can keep track of my own weight loss percentages and compare them to how M & P's percentages are. And if I do better that P, which I plan to try really hard to do, then I'll just tell M that he made the wrong decision! Not in a mean spiteful way, just a busting his balls, playful kinda way! And it will be great motivation for me! I think I like this plan!

And...double bonus!!! I went to the endocrinologist on Wednesday afternoon. And what do ya know....my TSH level is really high! I could have told you that with out doing the blood work! I knew I was freezing cold all the time, I knew I had no energy, couldn't get out of bed in the morning, always wanted a nap. I knew my skin was dry and itchy, and my throat felt tight. (She always asks about constipation, but that is never a problem I notice, and it was the only symptom I didn't have!) So, of course, she upped my synthroid dose. I'm back up to 100, and last time I was on 100 the weight was coming off. So in a few weeks when it starts to regulate in my system i should see some big drops. Especially since I'm going to be trying so hard.

I talked to my trainer on Wednesday morning and asked for some hip exercises. So I can strengthen it up some before Vagas. So yesterday morning before we started working out he had a little 'talking to' with me. The first thing he said is that "This is not going to be an emotional conversation" And I told him I couldn't promise that, because we both know how easily I cry! (I cried for two days over the whole M not being my partner thing, I was so happy that he believed in me and wanted to be my partner, then so let down when he had a different partner. but like I said, I don't blame him, I was just really sad about the situation. Lots of hugs from the hubby helped make it better) So the trainer told me about how the hip is a joint, and you cant do alot of exercises for it, but he gave me some stretches to try, and said the best thing I can do is get some weight off! And I said "I know" and he said he is going to beat me if I say "I know" again without actually doing something about it. And he is totally right. I just posted about how loosing weight a year ago helped my hip a ton.

So....not in the competition.....no partner to depend on.....need to do it for myself, by myself....and don't have the thyroid excuse because I just got a higher dose of meds which should basically turn the metabolism on high gear! I had a great workout yesterday, did good cardio this morning, eating salad with tuna for lunch, and have plans to take the kids sledding tomorrow (carrying kids, up-hill, in deep snow has got to be a great workout!) Now I just need to do it!

My hip is killing me!

So, if I haven't mentioned it before. I have a pain in my hip. Years ago my mom told me it sounded like arthritis, so I just assume that's what it is, even though I have never had it looked at by a doctor, and don't have any plans to in the near future.

It used to flare up and be constantly painful if I did something that required me to walk all day, like a trip to the zoo or something like that. And not just an hour or two of walking, like all day walking, with breaks and rests, but mostly being on my feet. I noticed it originally when me and the hubby went to Chicago for our 1 year anniversary (that was over 6 years ago now!!) and we walked all day, and we were walking back to our hotel and I couldn't walk anymore. We finally got a cab for the last few miles because I couldn't take another step.

And I used to fall because of it too. Like if I was sitting at my desk for an hour and jumped up to get something off the printer, my leg just would not hold my weight and I would fall. Sometimes catching myself on the edge of the desk, sometimes ending up on the floor. And at home when I would sit on the couch with my feet curled up under me, and then when I would get up I would limp the first few steps until my hip loosened up. The hubby would lovingly call me limpy and tell the kids he was getting me a new hip for my birthday.

So...since I started working out over a year ago, my hip has gotten better. It probably has to do with dropping weight....(I know I do nothing but yo-yo lately, but since I started I have kept off over 20 pounds) And also strengthening the muscles in that area. And I have also noticed that when I don't work out regularly, my hip starts to act up more. So I only worked out once from Dec 23rd until Jan 4th!!! And now my hip is killing me! It probably has to do with the weather too, but i can't control that!

So I leave for Vagas 2 weeks from yesterday, and I know I am going to be doing nothing but walking the whole time I'm there. So I need to stick to working out and strengthening up this bum hip of mine so I can do my job when I'm in Vagas! I did cardio yesterday and a full workout today. So I just need to stick with it for the next couple weeks. It will help my hip, and then my hip will be looking that much cuter in my new suit pants!