Have YOU ever thought about an IRONMAN?

Today was my 3rd personal training session with Ass Kicker. Once again, he killed me. This time we did all of the work around the dreaded rowing machine. I used to love this machine, the relationship has since turned sour. It kicks my ass every time, especially when Ass Kicker is in charge.

I can't even tell you all of the workout moves we did today, but he pretty much worked everything on me with some high intensity cardio mixed in. Overall a great workout. Maybe one of my favorites thus far.

We also took my body fat percentage. UM YIKES! I am pretty sure it is up a point from when Preston and I had it done when we first joined the gym. Basically I need to lose 11 pounds, while still adding on muscle. This equates to a painfully slow process. How am I going to do this?  I also confirmed that if I do nothing my body burns 1300 calories.

On a positive note I won the last Work Weight Loss Challenge {along with 2 other people}. I ended up losing almost 6 "lake and beer" pounds. We are currently in round 2 that will last 5 weeks. This time I set a goal of 2.4lbs. Slow and steady wins the race.

So here's a question for you. Have you ever thought about doing an Ironman? If you haven't read this book "You Are An Ironman" by Jacques Steinberg. I haven't been able to put it down. And it has me contemplating an Ironman even before I have attempted a marathon let alone anything longer than a 5K if you don't count the sprint triathlon. Yes you are hearing me right, this book makes me want to do an IRON-freaking-MAN. Please feel free to tell me I am insane crazy {and that I should attempt a 10k or 10 miler first then a 1/2 or full marathon before even speaking of the word again}.     

I am sure this will pass. Just as these have:

• Vegan/Glutton Free Eating: who knew how hard this actually is! I am trying to keep from eating meat. I had my first veggie burger today at a restaurant. Pretty darn good.
• Puzzle: Preston and I started a puzzle at least a month ago and it's still not finished.
• Bracelet Making: I did make about 5 of them. So not a complete failure. 

Work Weight Loss Challenge Update

We only have 2 weeks left in the Work Weight Loss Challenge! I am doing great. Especially since I started the "Live-It" way of eating. I am below my stated goal weight which tells me that I took the easy way out and didn't set a goal that would push me. At the end of the challenge I have to be at or below 135.2lbs. Currently I am at 134.6lbs. Assuming I stick to my eating plan, this will be a cake in the park and part of the pot will be mine!!

I am betting that I will have to share the pot with 2, maybe 3, other people. I am only expecting to get back around $30 thus winning $15. If this is what it takes for me to lose weight, winning $15, then so be it. Sign me up!

Today I was a little challenged by my "diet." I believe my problem was I let myself go to long before I ate lunch. By then, I was starving and wanted to pig out. Luckily I had enough self control to eat my delicious lunch {Amy's Bean Soup} and nothing else. The day I can have fruit, might be the happiest day of my life!!! What a treat that will be!!

Did you know that Olive Oil is not that good for you!? I honestly had no idea. I thought it was the best oil option out there. Turns out when it is heated {like when you use it to stir fry} the heat completely changes the composition of the oil and makes it bad for you. I just read this in the Forks Over Knives book and on some blogs. But after Googling it, it seems that there are two distinct sides. Just to be safe I am going to try cooking with hydrogenated unrefined coconut oil.  

Fighting Like Hell

The weight that I have progressily put on over the summer because I lived at the lake and fell in love with this wonderful drink...

Mixed with this...

is so freakin hard to get off. It's so frustrating that I let myself put on the extra 7-10 pounds. I knew I was gaining weight, but I decided to ignore it. Well when your pants start to fit tight you can't really ignore it anymore. When I gain weight I tend to become very introverted. I don't want to go anywhere. I just want to stay at home and clean the house.  I have no idea why I get the urge to clean.

I am fighting like hell to reach 133. But fighting sucks. It's hard. Take this week for example. P and I went grocery shopping, planned our meals and have cooked dinner every night since Sunday. I ran the Race for the Cure 5k on Sunday. Went to the gym and lifted on Monday. Then Tuesday came. The first weigh in our work weight loss group. I actually gained. Okay I know why I gained (family in town = dinner, drinks, breakfast).

Ever since Tuesday I have had a hard time fighting. On Tuesday I told myself I was too sore to run. On Wednesday I told myself I was too tired to go to the gym. Today, I was so hungry I told myself it was okay to get Chick-fil-A. WTF! I am my worst enemy!!

So how do you get motivated? Obviously I have not figured this out. I know I am a competitive person and like to win so I gathered the gals at the office and started the weight loss challenge. But at the moment it's not enough. When I wake up on the morning and try to find cloths to wear I get frustrated cause they are all tight. But that's not enough. 

I want to be one of those people whose day fills out of whack if they don't go to the gym. I want to crave sweet. I want to see results. I.don't.want.to.fail. My only option is to keep fighting like hell.  

Work Weight Loss Challenge

The Work weight Loss Challenge has officially started! Sadly, most of us at work put on the pounds that we ended up losing in the last challenge. For me, going to the lake every weekend and eating unhealthy camp food, drinking beer and the most amazing mixed drink on the planet (Diet Dr. Pepper and Cocoanut Rum) I put on some weight. Like more than I would like to admit. Now that summer is basically over and the boat will be winterized soon, it's time to get back into the gym on a more regular basis and start eating healthy.

{The Plan} 

• Grocery shop once a week
• The goal is to eliminate wasted food. 
• Buy only what we need for the week.
• Cut back on spending.
• Plan weekly meals
• For me the key to eating healthy is having a plan and not winging it in the kitchen.
• This will also make grocery shopping easier. 
• Some may find this odd, but Preston and I do not eat the same dinner. When he is eating healthy, he tends to eat more eggs, pasta and red meat. I actually enjoy eating this way, I no longer feel like I have to eat meals that Preston likes and vise versa. Added bonus, Preston does not rely on me to cook! He is totally self-sufficient. 
• Stick to a workout regimen
• Now that I finished my last planned race, I feel like I can focus on a more balance workout to include lifting.
• I have decided to try the The New rules of Lifting for Women workout.
• One cheat meal per week
• This means one cheat meal, not an entire day.

To win the Challenge I must lose 5lbs in six weeks. I originally thought this would be easy, but I am up 1lb and had to put in my $5 into the pot. Not a good start! Now I must lose 6lbs in 5 weeks. It's time to get focused! 

Weight Lifting- A Man's World?

I am intimidated by big muscley men in the gym. As a result I don't go near the weight machines and I most definitely stay away from the free weights.  In fact I wouldn't know what to do in that part of the gym.

I'm not a total newb (name that TV show) when it comes to weight lifting. I did finish P90X, but I had Tony guiding me through every workout. My results with P90X were great (they would have been better if I would have focused on my diet). But I want to be more toned and in order to get toned I have to either do P90X again or start lifting more at the gym.

Right now I am loving the atmosphere of the gym. I also like the idea of getting out of the house. So for now I am abandoning P90X and Insanity. But I have made a promise with myself that I will finish the entire Insanity program sometime in the new future! 

Ashley and I now have our own personal trainer! Well actually he is Ashley's co-worker. But he is so knowledgeable and loves to teach that it feels like we have a trainer.  We lift with him, his fiance and his brother.

I am starting to understand the addiction side of lifting and the benefits of lifting with at lease one other person. I love the fact that you feed off of each others energy. If you go harder, they go harder. It's all about competition, but with yourself. 

Today we lifted back and biceps. My favorite part of the workout was the rope excercise (I felt like a biggest loser contestant) : 

And hitting this (I forgot how much I enjoy boxing) : 

 
The goal is to lift with the group 2-3 times a week and do cardio (run or swim) the other 2-3 days. My "trainer" says I should be toned by Vegas! And by toned I don't mean this...

Or this...

 
All I have to do is make sure I stick to my diet. 

Bring it people... summer is almost here!!! 

Starting Weight (2/28/11): 134.6lbs

Current Weight: 129.4lbs

Total Weight Loss: -5.2lbs

Goal Weight: 120lbs

Note: Won the Work Weight-Loss Challenge! 

   

Stupid Logic

Does anybody else do this? Work their butts off working out and then eat like crap for the rest of the day? 

A co-worker and I were talking today and she brought this up. Not because this is what she does, no she is a workout superstar! She completed the Jullian Michaels hard core online fitness program, then P90X, then Turbo Fire and now she is on Insanity! I am telling you, she has a drive like no one else! Oh ya did I mention she has a full time job, a very active son, husband and is a Beachbody Coach who has an extremely clean house with dinner on the table every night! 


The conversation I had with my friend should have knocked me upside the head the moment it was over. It wasn't until after tonight's workout that I realized h-e-l-l-0, this is exactly what I am doing!!!! I am going to the gym working out hard while eating like crap all day and then getting upset when the scale goes up and I have to pay my $5 in the Work Weight-loss pot. 

Talk about stupid logic. I had myself convinced that if I went to the gym at least 3 times a week I would not have to focus on what I was eating and yet I would miraculously lose weight and keep it off. If only...    

So here's the deal-yo.
1) I will eat clean for the next 6 days starting right now! 
2) I will weigh myself in the morning and record how much I lose in these 6 days to remind myself that eating clean is worth it. 
3) I will allow myself a free pass on Friday night (did I mention that I have BUNCO Friday night with the girlies?).
4) I will go grocery shopping tomorrow, plan my meals and not eat out.

WOW!

I haven't talked much about the Work Weight Loss Challenge this go round. I think mostly because I haven't intensely focused on eating clean or exercising. 

To be completely honest I haven't worked out since I stopped Insanity a couple months ago. I have had good intentions to work out, but I haven't been able to put my good intentions into action. Almost every night, while I lie in bed, I think about the gym and how fun rewarding it would be to run on the treadmill or swim. Most nights I even dream that I am swimming. But the next day I can't make myself go. Does this ever happen to anyone else? You want to workout, you dream about working out, you almost crave working out, but you can't get your lazy self to go to the gym or push play. Talk about frustrating! 

And to make matters worse, this one ate my only pair of shoes!! 

So naturally all I can think about is how bad I want to work out. And if I only had shoes I would go to the gym right this very second. Maybe I can find a new pair of shoes on Black Friday. Then I won't have any more excuses.

So I guess because I have felt a little guilty for not working out I haven't wanted to talk about the Challenge at work. Today was the final weigh-in. In order for me to win I had to weigh 130.6. I can't tell you the last times I weighed 130.anything. I know I have gotten down to this weight, but I haven't been able to stay at it for very long. In fact just a month or so ago I was having a hard time getting below 132. It was to my great surprise this morning that I weighed 129.2!!!!! 

WOW!!

I cannot tell you how good it feels to be below 130. My goal weight is actually within reach. Just think what will happen if I add exercise to the mix. 

Another co-worker and I split the pot and now I have a little extra spending money for Black Friday shopping! I think my first purchase better be shoes.

Great things are on the horizon, I can feel it!

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

 

WHERE IS THE HAPPY MEDIUM?!?!?!

Not eating clean is so not cool. I have put junk and more junk into my body since last Wednesday, after I won my share of the Work Weight Loss Challenge. YUCK!

I am going to start eating clean on Wednesday (I know why, not tomorrow? Tomorrow we are putting on an event at work which will involve catered in Salsa Brava. So yes I am waiting until Wednesday, wouldn't you?), the same day as day one of our 3rd round of the our Work Weight Loss Challenge. I am ready to start eating healthy again! Plus I have eaten everything under the sun so I shouldn't be craving anything crazy because I have already eaten it!!

This brings me to the second topic: WHERE IS THE HAPPY MEDIUM?!?!?!?! There has to be a happy medium... right?? It is ridiculous to eat crazy healthy and clean for 10 days and then completely throw it out the window on day 11. I vow to myself to find the answer...

Tomorrow I am going to paint the dinning room. I bought the paint and supplies, took down the drapery and taped it off. Stay tuned for before and after pictures!!

I DID IT!!!!

I won the Work Weight Loss Challenge!!! Actually Sheila and I split the winnings. 

This morning when I stepped on the scale I about had a heart attack when I saw the following...

I wasn't expecting to see this number. I just assumed I would see 132.9 lbs exactly. I actually had to step on the scale again, because my first thought was I didn't meet my goal. Once I realized  131.8 lbs is below 132.9 lbs a rush of emotions came over me. My first thought was I actually did it! I stuck with something for 5 weeks and saw it to the end. My next realization was I actually got below 133 lbs! I had somehow convinced myself that I would hit a plateau once I got to 133 lbs. Ridicules right?!   

 I am so happy I cut out all carbs Monday and Tuesday. I think it really helped. I also made sure to drink plenty of water. I love Smart Water. If you ask me Smart Water taste better than any other bottled water, especially Arrow Head. Arrow Head is the worst! 

The next Challenge isn't going to start until the 27th. The goal from now until then is to continue to eat clean and hopefully get to 130 lbs!

Is it Wednesday Yet?

Will this be me in the morning...

Or this..

This morning I was down 1 pound! I have eaten super duper clean these past two days and I have been working out to the Beachbody program Turbo Jam.

I have a really good chance of winning the Work Weight Loss  Competition!! Actually I am sure I will be splitting the winnings with one other person.  

Wishin & Hopin

I only have one full day left until the final work weigh-in. I honestly have no idea if I am going to make it. What I do know is I am doing EVERYTHING in my power to win the competition. I have been eating spectacular minus my cheat meal and Starbucks treat. Today and tomorrow I am cutting out all bread and grain. I am also drinking a ton of water. My back feels better so I have started to workout again.

I am trying to decide if I am going to weight myself in the morning... I need to lose 1.1 pound by Wednesday. I can't decide if weighing tomorrow will help or hurt me. Right now I am leaning towards weighing in. Mostly because I hate surprises and I'm a need to know type person! 

In the words of The Nard Dog...

NAILED IT!

I met this weeks weight goal! This means I don't have to pay $5 into the pot! Actually nobody had to. Yahoo!

I weighed in at 133.2 lbs. To win the competition, I have to weigh 132.9 lbs on the 13th. Easy peasy!!

Right now there is $65 in the pot. More than likely I will be slitting the winnings with at least one other person maybe even the whole group.  



Mr. Michi

I am the type of person who requires games, wagers and consequences to complete a project or reach a goal. I literally have to be bribed into doing something. It's not that I don't want to do it, but I need that extra push or bribe to motivate me. Funny story, my Freshman year of high school I was trying to decide it I should play softball for Falcon or volleyball at Calhan. I wasn't the best volleyball player, but on the other hand playing softball for another school was a little intimidating. My dad bribed me with a new car stereo to play volleyball. He must have known (before I even figured it out) that I run off of bribes. 

Does anyone else click this way? I now a couple of people that once they declare they are going to do something they do it till the end giving it their all, no questions asked. Oh how I wish it was this easy for me. I declare I am going to (insert current flavor of the month here) and whala it's done!  Ha, ya right! 

Here are some of the games I have going on right now.

In order to motivate myself, and more importantly to get Preston involved, I came up with the Poop Game. The rules are each week poop has to be picked up by Thursday. If it is your week and you forget you owe the other person $20. So far I have payed Preston $40 and he has payed me $20.

As you recall, I came up with the grand idea of starting the Weight Loss Competition Game at work to help motivate me to shed the last couple of pounds (a couple has now turned into 10). As you recall I lost and ended up putting $25 or $30 into the pot. We started round two last week. I am hoping to have better results this go around!

In order to complete the tasks that I put off forever and ever, but really need to do like go to the dentist a friend at work and I came up with the Points Game. Each month we make a list of tasks, to do items, appointments, etc. that we want to complete and assign a point to them (1-5). By the stated date each of us has to of accululated "x" number of points. It we both reach the goal then we get to go out to dinner together. If one person does not reach the stated point goal then they have to pay for the entire dinner and the winner gets to pick the restaurant. So far we both have made our goals. In fact, this month I have to accumulate 23 points. I reached the goal last weekend with about 3 weeks to spare. I tell ya, lists really work for me

The other projects that I have going on that I do not have a game associated with are complete Insanity, finish Little Bee and start the Photography Class on Thursday. 

Because I am absolutely crazy I convinced another coworker to do the Barbie Decker Eat Clean Challenge with me. So for the next 10 days we can only eat food items from the top 2 tiers of Michi's Ladder. This means no alcohol, pop or Starbucks along with candy and other bad foods. Click here to view Michi's Ladder. The list is actually pretty restrictive. We are allowing one cheat meal. If we eat something not on tiear 1 or 2 there is a consequence that is too embarrassing to even post on here. I am pretty sure you will know if I mess up!

And I'm Back...

From the earlier posts you would have thought that I was on track and a title like "And I'm Back" didn't apply to working out and eating right. But I had a little breakdown today. Let's recap.

Today is Wednesday. Every Wednesday a couple of us at the office report our weight for our little weight loss contest. Yesterday I weighed 132.6. Which meant that this morning I only had to lose .2 pounds to be safe. I thought no big deal. I worked out Monday and Tuesday. Plus I ate well and counted my calories. I honestly thought I had it in the bag.

Yes all of this build up can only mean one thing, I actually gained .4 pounds! UGH!! Talk about disappointment and frustration and $5 more dollars of mine in that damn pot.

For most of the day I wallowed in anger and pondered where I went wrong. I was ready to give up, throw in the towel, drink my wine that has been in the fridge for over a week, cook the corn on the cob that I bought yesterday and douse it in butter and pepper and let the others win the money in the pot (which is now up to $60, $20 of which is mine!). I even had a lovely dinner tonight that included a couple of beers, filet glazed with an amazing sauce and chocolate cake. Yes I ate all of it without thinking twice. 

Then I came home and watched this...

And I felt stupid! How could I give up so easily? I'm not the type to let others win. If they want it they have to fight for it! I am going at this with everything that I have.

If you're having trouble fining motivation watch this video. YOU are the only one holding yourself back.  

A Little Office Competition

I was so nervous for this morning I woke up at 6am barley able to stay in bed and sleep. Today is Wednesday... weight-in day. At work a couple of us gals started a little office weight loss competition. We each set a goal of how much we each wanted to lose in 5 weeks, put some money in the pot and weigh-in every Wednesday. To add a little excitement to the game we decided that at each weigh-in you must be equal or less in weight than your previous weigh-in. If you are over you pay $5 into the pot. At the end of the 5 weeks whoever reaches their goal wins the money. Monday morning I was up 1.4lbs from my previous weigh-in. By Tuesday I had lost 2.4lbs and this morning I was down a total of 3lbs from Monday! How in the world did I do this? I have no idea! Here is what I ate Monday and Tuesday.


MONDAY
- Banana Chocolate Shakeology and cup of Coffee for Breakfast
- Water, Luna Bar for Snack
- Famous Dave's with Preston for Lunch (Pulled Pork NO Bun, Green Beans, Iced Tea)
- Gum, Grapes for Snack
- Banana Chocolate Shakeology for Dinner
- McDonald's Banana Strawberry Smoothie for Snack

TUESDAY
- Banana Chocolate Shakeology and cup of Coffee for Breakfast
- Subway Veggie Sandwich, Bakes Lays and Diet Coke for Lunch
- Luna Bar for Snack Gum Couple pieces of Milk Chocolate (couldn't resist)
- Whole Wheat Pasta with Veggies and Spaghetti Sauce for Dinner
- Mixed Nuts (NO Salt) for Snack A couple bites of Preston's Graham Crackers with Chocolate goodness to stay sane
- Luna Bar for Snack


Shakeology is my "go to" meal replacement drink. I can always count on Shakeology to satisfy my chocolate fix and fill me up. Luna Bars and gum are what I rely on to keep me away from candy bars and other crap that can be found in my office in between meals. For example, just a couple of cubes outside of my office is this GINORMOUS glass jar filled with all types of candy including the my favorite M&M's. Next Wednesday I have to be equal to or less than 132.4lbs. Week by week this competition is getting harder!

This weekend we are going camping near Cripple Creek. I love this camping site (I should probably say I have only camped here once before). We are always in great company and our dogs love to roam free. I am a little worried about my diet, but as long as I can stay away from the Oreos I think I will do fine. Did you know that Preston and I absolutely despised camping until this summer? I can't really put my finger on what changed, but it is by far possibly the very best way to spend a weekend besides boating of course. It's kinda like a mini vacation.

Thoughts

First things first. I sent my iPhone to a "repair" shop in Ft. Collins to get the screen and LCD plate fixed (I broke it last week). The "Tech" guy was super nice and emailed me multiple times and has kept me updated, until now. It turned sketch when he asked for my phone password. He said they needed it to run one last test. So I gave it to him. Then he emailed and said the LCD plate is not working due to the impact and that I should try and take it to Apple. I emailed back and said ok will do. That was Tuesday. I haven't heard from him since. I emailed him again yesterday and nothing... His emails have the company name, address and phone number plus the company has a website so it all seems legit to me. I am giving him one more day and then I am sicking Preston on his ass! I really don't think the "Tech" guy is stealing my phone, but I would like it back sometime this week!

On another note, I have been a gym rat lately. I ran on the treadmill Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. I have lost 2.8 pounds since my breakdown the other night. Today I planned on taking the day off, but due to Preston golfing and eating some bad food at work (we had Panera and Biaggi's catered in for an event we had today) I decided I needed to work some of it off. Luckily Ashley planned on going as well and she let me borrow her swimming gear. I ended up swimming 1 mile without stopping!!! I didn't officially time myself, but Ashley and I think I swam it in 30 to 35 minutes!! Pretty excited about this, not gonna lie!