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!