100 pound milestone!

Current Weight: 232.5
Total weight loss = 100.5 pounds!

WOW, I did it - I lost 100 pounds. It feels so good to know that I went from my heaviest weight and lowest point mentally to this amazing feeling in my life now. Now, I am by no means finished here! I'm not even in wonderland yet (in the 100 pounds range). I have work to do, and I have to keep it at a slow and steady pace. My primary goal at the moment is not to lose a huge amount of weight actually - I am in the process of trying to get pregnant you see, and my body needs to learn to maintain now in order to be ready for a 9 month change! I'm so exhilarated to have reached this goal before becoming pregnant, and feel so ready to take on the next phase.

Here are some of my goals to keep me going every day...
I will keep exercising like a mad-woman!
I won't over-indulge in food and junk!
I will keep a healthy and low budget meal plan for my family.
I won't over-eat due to stress!
I will find outlets for my emotions!
I won't forget to stretch!
I will run a 5K in 2012!
I won't let pain get in my way!
I will love myself!
I won't criticize myself if I make a mistake!
I will keep on fighting!

Photo of Me (on the left) and my Workout Buddy Candice

Here are some of the ways I hope to keep going in my exercise...
The gym: I of course don't see any reason I'd ever give up my passion for exercise, and that passion is strong when it comes to my group classes. Zumba, Body Combat, and Body Pump are 3 of the main ways I burn calories and keep my body moving for an hour or more each day!

Everyday life: I have a 3 year old, so let's face it I'm always on my feet! I take walks, many, many walks to the park, the library, or just around our town. I work in the yard, chase the dog, and kick a ball around! We go hiking, or trail walking often. Special days include trips to the Zoo or OMSI, or any other amazing children's activities we have in our great Pacific NW! We love farmer's markets, and work in our church gardens. I'm always cleaning something in our house, climbing the stairs, or just plan scrubbing! I rarely stop, and that's all before I make it the gym in the evening!

The Future: I hope to be pregnant soon, and that comes with complications to weight loss and extreme exercise. Of course with a normal pregnancy you can do just about the same routine as before, but as many of you know I won't be having a normal pregnancy. Due to my previous pregnancy I will be watched very closely, as well as have a low impact rule applied to me for exercise. My plan already includes adding in water Zumba once a week, and with my increased weight loss since the doc since last saw me I'm hoping I will be able to keep up on a moderate level of Body pump (weight lifting) and some Zumba and Combat. If all else fails, I'll just sit on a bike, walk on a treadmill, and use the elliptical as much as I can to keep active and healthy!

BRING ON THE NEXT STEP OF WEIGHT LOSS!

Accountability

Well I haven't been posting on here as much as I use to, and mostly it's due to staying focused on the gym and family life. But, I do need to still keep my accountability to everyone who is watching. I'm at the lowest weight I've been since starting college, and feel great. But, I'm not done! So I need to keep on focusing on new techniques and ways to make the pounds come off. I don't have any answers to this yet, but welcome suggestions. I do, however, want to update you on what's been going on with me lately.

Gym life -
Monday through Friday I am in the gym anywhere between 1 hour to 3 hours each day, depending on the day. I have some awesome new shoes that I got for my birthday that are great for the workouts I am primarily doing (cross training). I also got the Zumba for the Wii game for those days when I can't make it to the gym (vacations or Saturdays). My workouts include, Zumba, Body Pump, Body Combat, and frequently some elliptical and sit-ups. In order to keep treating any knee and shoulder pains I have to do stretching 3 times a day and really keep my body flexible and out of any stiffness that I encounter a lot after a workout.

Diet Life -
Well, food around here isn't the best. We decreased our food budget almost by half to save money and I did so with couponing. But, the down side to this is that stores do not coupon produce. So, the amount of fresh foods has decreased in our diet lately. I use a lot of frozen veggies though to supplement, and have added vitamins to make sure we do not lose out on an nutrients. I have also been taking a potasium pill once a day to help with water retention and muscle cramping.

Goals -
With the use of a lot of pantry items and freezer foods now my goal is to cook almost 100% from scratch (likely 90%) and keep our sodium levels low. I'm hoping to grow some of my own vegetables too, but unfortunately I won't get to do a whole garden as I'd hoped to do. I am also trying to lose about 1 pounds a week for the summer. This is a super realistic goal for me, considering all the BBQs we have and possibility of eating out that happens in the summer time.

I am hoping to become pregnant by the end of the summer, so at that time this blog will become about maintaining weight and eating a low sodium diet, along with low impact exercises. If I do not become pregnant by the Fall then I will change the weight goals and continue to lose weight.

One little word

Though I have posted this on my other blog I felt the need to add it here too since so much of this is focused on weight loss. Read my new goals and see what's in store for 2011.
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Ali Edwards has been one of the most inspiring people in my life. Although I do not know her personally I do feel a close relationship with her through her scrapbooking, blogs, and personal testimonies of struggles and defeats. This year I will be joining her in choosing 1 word that will help me shape what this coming year will look like. I have several large goals for 2011, and feel the need to make them public and document them. Of course in my little organized brain I also feel the need to make it all work together; otherwise I could easily veer off course. So, my one little word for 2011 is simplify.

Simplify is defined as to make less complex. This year I can not wait to reach my goals, to loose weight, clear out all the junk in my basement, have a baby, and mostly to be more focused on what matters. The words Simplify and minimize have been roaming around my head a lot, so I went with Simplify when I looked up the definition - seems to be the directions I am in. Can't wait to see what it brings to me! I plan to simplify my weight loss – count calories more frequently and keep a workout schedule that is easy and efficient. In order to simplify my life for a new baby I must purge clutter out our lives; including cleaning our basement from corner to corner and opening our outdoor space to play time for Julia.

The first step I plan to take in this journey for 2011 is to declare my devotion to God by being baptized this January with my husband. I know many of my friends who are not Christians do not see the usefulness of this step in life, and some day I hope that they come to understand it, but for me I want to shout it out to everyone every day that my life has changed and become more rewarding because I’ve allowed Jesus into my heart. At the same time as making this huge declaration I will also be participating in a Biggest Loser contest at my gym. Now I may not win this (although I will certainly try my hardest), I will give myself an edge to my weight loss and fitness lifestyle that will eventually give way to a much simpler life. And, if I do win I pocket $500. My goal in my weight loss is to lose a minimum of 30 pounds by the end of spring time in order to feel like I am at a healthy starting point to begin the process of having another child. As many close to me know this could be a huge event in our lives, filled with possible bed rest, minor surgery, and even another pre-term baby. But, like I’ve declared, I have all the faith in God’s hands, and a gift of a child comes from the lord, and so if it is his will I will go through any or all of it! But, it is also my will to make the process easier and simpler. Do you see where I’m going with this word? Simple is just easy! I don’t want to clutter my life with complex, with doubts, or any fears. I want to be filled with hope, excitement, and enjoyment in all that is given to me.

I have other “resolutions” for this coming year as well, but these 3 pack a pretty huge punch and will be focused on a lot! For all of you reading this, I hope that you will follow me through this journey and continue your own. Pick a word for yourself and make a decision to keep it going all the way through December. Don’t let fears and insecurities take over, though they will roar their ugly faces from time to time, just remember that it’s a whole year of time to make a change. I made a change in myself for 2010, now it’s time to do even more work for 2011.

Considering Pregnancy?

I recently was thinking about why I’m on this journey, and for the most part it’s due to wanting to just lose the weight and get healthy but the small picture in this is I want to have another baby! I want to not be a high risk case because of my weight, and I want to not gain 50 lbs during and after my pregnancy. There are so many reasons all women who are looking to becoming pregnant should focus on their fitness levels and eating habits before the blessed beginnings of pregnancy.

Here are some alarming facts about obesity and pregnancy. A child is more likely to become overweight is the mother was prior to becoming pregnant, and the more over weight the mother was the greater the chance the child would become overweight as well. Now, I know what I’m thinking, my child has a huge chance, except for the fact that I’ve already made the changes in our lives not to let that happen. (Plus the fact her father was a bean pole most of his life and she was a preemie.) But, what about those of you who haven’t made that change in your life to insure your children don’t become overweight by the age of 7?

Planning ahead for your pregnancy is such a great step in making sure your family will be healthy and active as they grow. If you’re already at a good weight, just keep it up and watch what you eat. You really only need to increase your calories by 300-400 each day to grow your baby healthily and maintain your weight. Add ankle weights for your walks, or just do some light weight lifting with your cardio workouts. If you are still working towards getting to a healthy weight then keep up the hard work. Eat a low calorie diet and exercise every day as much as you can work into your schedule.

Once you are pregnant and are maintaining a healthy weight you will you will feel better, it will help you keep your weight gain during pregnancy within a safe range, it will contribute to a greater sense of well-being, and it can reduce your postpartum recovery time. This last one is so important to me. I think it’s so important to be able to recover from the trauma your body goes through and for me the depression that can follow.

The journey we are on is so important, and if you are working towards a future pregnancy then it can be even more important for you. Keep up your hard work and dedication, and remember the end results will all be worth the effort you put in.