LET's TRY THIS AGAIN
Well I've made up my mind that I CAN and WILL do this.  Have you ever gotten to the point where you're just miserable with yourself (not your life) just yourself.  I used to get so aggravated with my son in school because I knew he had the brain and potential to do good - he just didn't want to.  Well I know I can do this - but it's ME standing in my own way.  No one or nothing miraculously can make me skinny.  I've got to do may part - one step at a time.  So I actually started yesterday with my healthy eating.  Today hasn't been that bad, but nighttime hasn't arrived.   That's always my biggest hurdle - night time snacking.  I hope when I get home, I have the motivation to work out.  But if not, my first goal is to eat healthy for one solid week, then add the exercising.

Breakfast (7am)
It was pretty good.  Spinach Omelet w/Shrimp
(2) scrambled eggs with raw spinach, topped with left over blackened shrimp and green onions with just 1/2 tspn shredded cheese. and black seedless grapes.  According to My Fitness Pal 391 calories

Snack (10am)

Ham / Turkey Roll up

Sliced deli ham, sliced deli turkey w/raw spinach

Lunch (12:30pm)

Leftover Supper 

Steamed Brocolli, Minute Rice Medley w/blackened shrimp, 2 deviled eggs. Per My Fitness Pal 365 calories

Supper (6pm)

Chicken Salad

Baked chicken tenderloin with a little italian bread crumbs, raw spinach, chopped salad blend, cucumber, black beans, green onions, boiled egg, thousand island dressing and black grapes

                                                                                   

Giving it one more try....

Best to keep trying than to give up all together.  More determined and motivated than ever.  I keep looking back at the few pictures I took when I lost weight last year, DETERMINED I will at least get back to that size.  Starting slowly, taking it one day at a time..  Just frustrating when I think of where I could be at had I not given up...but that's no body's fault but my own. 

Trying to get back into the daily routine of exercising - slowly, the endurance will come as I progress.  And learning to control portions again - the healthier foods will be added once I get back on track with the portion control.

Setting my mini goals again each week -  First goal - to exercise everyday this week, whether it be for 10 minutes, just get in the habit of doing it!  Eating all meals at home! 


This is the picture I keep referring back to!!

DAY 2 - EXCITED.....

Day 2 -
 Day 1 was very successful.... I ate healthy all day, AND done the required exercises.  I even started the couch to 5k program... It was easier than I thought! Hopefully I can do it the 3 days per week as it says to.  I have a 5k in 9 weeks. So we'll see!  I was a little tired and went to bed at 8:30pm, and I never go to bed that early!!   On the days I'm not doing the Couch to 5k, I will be doing my elliptical and weights.  The burpees were a little rough this morning, and my butt was twitching doing the squats - so I guess that is a good thing if its sore.

Breakfast - two scrambled eggs, grilled cheese, and 1/2 cup pineapple chunks!

BACK ON THE BANDWAGON...

Yes, I fell off the bandwagon for a few months (4)to be exact.  And I've been cursing myself daily.  Nobody's fault but my own.  But I'm more determined now than ever.   I started a 30 day squat challenge and 30 day burpee challenge today.  My mini goal is to do it at least for 5 days as it says to and NO SALT for five days.  

I've registered for another Color Run 5k with my niece in April.  So hopefully I will do better than last time. But none the less, it should be lots of fun!!!

I've started back eating healthier and measuring all my foods again. 
Today for breakfast:
           whole wheat waffle, with 1 tbspn peanut butter, topped with 2 hard fried eggs, and 1/2 cup pineapple chunks.

 

For 10am snack - 3 slices deli sliced black forest ham, 3 sharp cheddar wedges.

For lunch - chopped Asian salad blend, with two breaded chicken patties (yes it was breaded, but that was all I had), 2 tbspn olive garden Italian dressing, and shard cheddar cheese cubes, and cucumber slices.   along with 1/2 cup pineapple chunks.

 

My aunt posted this picture on facebook, ANd I was pure ashamed and disgusted with myself.  SO now this picture is posted everywhere, to remind me what I'm working so hard to change.

Supper was DELICIOUS!! Baked Sweet potato w/cinnamon and butter, with vegetable medley blend w/cabbage and chicken tenderloins added

 

New Challenges...

and new determination!  Thankfully I'm still trucking along.  Still eating healthy (or at least 90% of the time) Yes there are days that I go overboard, but I've learned that one day every now and then is not going to get me off my journey. 

I'm not going to lie - I'm liking the new me. It's great feeling going into a store and seeing cute clothes and knowing that a size 14 (and even some 12's) are going to fit you!  That has gave me the motivation to up my exercising - still doing my cardio five days a week, but to add more strength training.  No not weights at the gym, but I do hope to get enough courage to join a gym one day.  But for now I work out with my resistance bands, do my squats and use small 8lb hand weights.  Sure it doesn't look like much... but my goal is to get in a routine for 30 days.  After all consistency does pay off.

We have a family vacation July 20th - 27th. and I hope to lose 5lbs by then.  Currently at 197!! Oh I'd love to lose more... but I'm trying to be realistic!

My advice to anyone wanting to change their lifestyle - GET THE MINDSET THAT YOU ARE WORTH THIS CHANGE AND DOING IT FOR YOURSELF - sure we all see skinny ladies and think oh I'd love to look like that.  But the feeling you get when you see your body change right before your eyes is amazing, when you realize all YOUR hard work is paying off. 

Squats - I do them literally through out the day - in the mornings before I get dressed, when I go to the bathroom at work.... very seldomly do I do them all at once

Standing crunches - stand tall w/ resistance band stretched behind your back (or just your arms behind your head) and raise your knee up to the side and bend until knees & elbow meet.  Believe me it really works on the love handles (aka muffin top)

Front rows & Pole rockies - Yes I made those names up, wasn't sure what they were called.  But hey they are toning my arms and getting rid of the back fat so they work! Take resistance band and wrap around pole (I have spiral stairs so works fine, probably could hook around door knob)
       Front rows - wrap band around pole stretch far back and hold your core (stomach in) and row like in olypics row boat ) both arms at same time
       Pole rockies - wrap band around pole BUT turn around (back facing the the pole and band) and now stretch band out in front of you... this helps the back fat!

Crunches w/resistance band - lying on the floor, hook the band around your feet and do crunches, I try to raise up until I'm sitting in a V and hold for 5-10 seconds. Sure hoping this helps flatten the tummy a little

FINISHED FIRST EVER 5K --- and survived!!

SO excited - I ran (or should I say power walked) my first 5k - The Color Run!! It was so much fun and made great memories with my 14yr old niece!  I have to admit I was scared a little, afraid that I wouldn't be able to finish.  You see - running has never been my friend!  But I was estatic when we finished 3.1 miles in 38 minutes.  Not bad for old hefty girl that didn't prepare!! 

2ND WIND.... MOTIVATION HAS RETURNED!

I must admit the last two weeks I have been slacking on the exercising.  Yes I was still riding the elliptical 3 nights a week, but for only 15-20 minutes, one night only 9 minutes.. PITIFUL!  But I've gotten my motivation back FINALLY..... I'm doing my strength training in the mornings, working out with the resistance bands.  Trying to flatten this belly of mine and get rid of the love handles!  I'm back to riding my elliptical for 40-60minutes five nights a week!!

I've still been on track as far as my eating habits go.  As you can tell from the pictures of my meals, it seems like once I get stuck on eating a certain item, I eat it all week (I've been trying to update my MEAL posts weekly).

I must be really motivated or just crazy - I registered last night for my first 5K, the Color Run in Orange Beach!  My niece is going to run/WALK it with me. So hopefully I don't pass out and embarrass her too bad! 

I'm still doing my exercises in the bathrooms (I know I'm crazy, but hey gotta work it in whenever you can).  I was doing squats, but now I've taken my dumbbells and put under the sink to work my arms and standing crunches for the next month. So we'll see how that work.  If I've learned anything in this journey, it's that consistency pays off.  Even though you get discouraged and don't see results immediately, if you keep at it, eventually the results will just make an appearance one day!  Afterall we didn't gain it overnight, so we can't expect to lose it overnight (That is my motto)