Not a St Pattys Day Celebration... But awesome nonetheless

St Pattys Day fell on March 14th this year.  March 14th happens to be Ashley's birthday and she turned 30 this year!  So instead of the normal St Pattys shenanigans we went to a nice dinner & to the casino to see her uncle's band play. We all had a great time!  Here are the pictures to prove it:

WLW - Week #8

Starting Weight:  155 lbs
Today’s Weight:  143.4 lbs
Total Loss:   11.6 lbs

Diet

Things I'm currently obsessed with this week include:  Smart Ones Ice Cream Sundaes, Lightly Salted Popcorn and a Thai Shrimp Salad from Applebees!   The ice cream is really good, totally fulfills my sweet tooth and clocks in at only 130 calories!  The popcorn I am getting at Aldis.  Its in a bag already popped and lightly salted.  You can eat SO MUCH for SO LITTLE calories its crazy.  And it satisfies the craving for a "munchie".  And the Thai Shrimp Salad I ordered on a complete whim.  We were supposed to have dinner at Longhorn and I had researched and figured out what I was having, we got there at 4:30 and it was an hour wait....  So we ended up at Applebees and I ordered from their lite menu.  It was REALLY good!!  Not something I would normally eat at all, but I really really liked it! 

Exercise

I have noticed that I am getting stronger.  Now when I do my kettlebell dvd I'm not sore for days after.  So that's definitely an improvement! 

Lifestyle

I am so relieved that the scale started moving again.  I know that the number of pounds isn't the only factor in all of this, but it makes me feel better when I see that number go down.  I'm going out for Ashley's birthday Saturday night.  Its going to be my first "free day" since I started all of this.  I'm hoping it doesn't throw me too far off track!

Happy Friendship Day

 

Saturday we had tickets to go see Disney on Ice.  Lyla and I went with Becca and her family.  The girls were so excited and of course wore their Elsa dresses! 

 

After the show Becca asked if she could come play at our house.  I said yes, that's fine.  :)

 

Lyla and Becca then declared it "Friendship Day"!  Becca spent the afternoon at our house then Lyla spent the evening at her house.  I love that these two adore each other so much!  How special to find a best friend at such a young age.  It warms my heart to watch them together.  I hope they stay friends for a very long time!

 

 

 

WLW - Week #7

Starting Weight:  155 lbs
Today’s Weight:  145.8lbs
Total Loss:   9.2 lbs

Diet

I had a few hurdles this past week.  They ordered pizza at work on Friday for lunch - but I ate what I brought with me.  Saturday we were running around visiting all day, but I stuck to my guns.  Even at dinner, I ordered what I knew I could eat and keep in my range.  Monday my boss took me to lunch for my review, but I just had a bowl of soup.  It was a challenging week - but I fought to stay on track! 

Exercise

I'm trying to get on a routine with my exercise.  I made up a schedule.  I only have so much time, so I'm doing what I can.  I'm trying to do the treadmill every day if I can find a way to fit it in.  Fridays are the hardest for me, so that has turned into my off day.  On Sundays I am doing the "fat burning" part of my kettle bell dvd.   On Mondays I'm doing the core training and I'm alternating arms and legs on Wednesdays.  I haven't popped in the Jillian Michaels dvd I bought yet.  Maybe this week I will see what its like.

Lifestyle

I have been getting discouraged by the numbers on the scale.  I feel like I am really sacrificing and working so hard and the results just aren't there.  The numbers are not on the scale, but I can feel the changes in my body.  I wish I had done measurements when I started this.  My bras are too big, my jackets are loose, my jeans are big on me.....  I need to pay more attention to these types of things than to the number on the scale.  It will catch up eventually.  And here, for some added inspiration when I need it:

This is a picture of 5 pounds of fat vs 5 pounds of muscles.  Just because they weigh the same, they are NOT the same..... the scale doesn't know everything!

WLW – Week #6

Starting Weight:  155 lbs
Today’s Weight:  145.4 lbs
Total Loss:  9.6 lbs

Diet

I've been keeping with my 1200 calories a day for the most part this week, but I haven't been eating the best foods to do it.  I'm going to work hard to get back on track this week, after tonight, I'm having pizza tonight because I just don't care!  ;)   One thing I did want to comment on is that I have started to notice that my eating healthier is having a really good effect on Lyla.  She is eating a lot of foods that are really healthy and that wouldn't be happening if I weren't trying to eat better.  She was eating edamame with me over the weekend.  And she has been asking for spinach with Italian dressing.  She ate a whole carton of strawberries Saturday!   So there are lots of positives to all this hard work other than just losing weight. 

Exercise

My Amazon shipment came Monday so after work I did my first dvd using kettlebells.  The package came with the dvd and a 3 pound and 5 pound kettlebell.  Monday I did the warm up and then the core exercises.  Then I did the treadmill for 20 minutes.  I really did not think I was doing the exercises correctly, but then yesterday my abs were SO SORE, so I must have been doing something right!  Last night I did the warm up and the upper body exercises.  I am so sore this morning.  My abs aren't back to not hurting yet, now my arms hurt too.  I'm taking tonight off.  I might do the treadmill, we'll see.

Lifestyle

I was really hoping I would have hit the 10 pound weight loss this week.  SO CLOSE!  Hopefully next week I can celebrate the 10 pound milestone!  Mom asked me over the weekend what the goal is.  I'm thinking definitely another 10 pounds then go from there and see what I think.  That would put me at 135 pounds.  I may try to get to 125, we'll see.  I want to be healthy, not skin and bones.

WLW – Week #5

Starting Weight:  155 lbs
Today’s Weight:  146.2 lbs
Total Loss:  8.8 lbs

Diet

I have been sticking to 1200 calories a day.  I thought this week I would share an example of what a 1200 calorie day looks like for me:

Breakfast – 271 Calories

Key Lime Greek Yogurt with 1/3 Cup All Bran Buds mixed in.
½ Cup of Blueberries
2 Cups of Black Coffee

Lunch – 310 Calories

Flatbread Wrap with chicken breast lunchmeat, spinach and Italian dressing.
3 ounces of raw Baby Carrots with 2 Tablespoons of Hummus
1 Halos Mandarin Orange

Dinner – 619 Calories

Now Breakfast and Lunch are usually a lot of the same thing every day, occasionally its different.  But dinner is different every night, here are a couple of examples.  And I almost always have enough calories for some kind of dessert after.  I like having Hershey kisses around, you can count out a few just to have something a little sweet without going over your calorie allotment. 
438 Calories – Ham, Whole Grain Mac N Cheese, Broccoli
470 Calories – Raviolis, Sauce, Garlic Knots, Spinach with Ranch Dressing
478 Calories – Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Corn
600 Calories – 3 Slices of Pizza with Veggie Toppings
560 Calories – Wendys Junior Cheeseburger Deluxe with Value Fries
465 Calories – Stuffed Taco Shells with Sour Cream
520 Calories – Breakfast for Dinner – 3 Slices Turkey Bacon, 3 Eggs Scrambled, 2 Slices of Peanut Butter Toast

Exercise

Just more of the same pretty much.  Still doing the treadmill every other day.  I couldn’t find what I was looking for at any local stores so I ordered it online.  I got a set of kettlebells and two workout dvds.  So once those get here I am going to start doing those on the off days from the treadmill. 

Lifestyle

All of this is becoming much less of a chore and more just normal every day life to me.  I do get stressed out when I have to do something out of the ordinary.  Like last night I went out to dinner and drinks with some friends.  I get where I have no idea what I will have because its not like eating at home where I have total control.  But I just did my best and figure one night won’t wreck everything.  I just don’t want to make a habit of it where I have a bad night once a week or anything because that will wreck everything. 

5 Things Friday - Things I LOVE

In honor of Valentines Day tomorrow, 5 things I LOVE!
And a little disclaimer, these are THINGS.  Obviously I love Gary and Lyla and my family and friends and all that jazz.... but I'm talking about things here, so don't judge me!  ;)

1.  Coffee
My heart hurts for people who don't enjoy at least one cup of coffee every day.  They are really missing out on one of the best things in life!  I think of myself as a morning person, but that morning better include coffee or things are going to get ugly. 

2.  Clean Sheets
There is no better feeling than climbing in to bed the night after you have washed all the sheets and blankets and everything is all nice and fresh!  Weekends when I was the bedding I go to bed early just to enjoy it!

3.  Slippers
I absolutely flat out refuse to tell you how many pairs of slippers I own.  I love them.  And I think when Gary gets a me a new pair for Christmas he thinks I'm going to throw away the old ones.  I don't.  I keep them hidden in my closet.  I hoard slippers. 

4.  Blankets
I also hoard blankets.  I have issues, but we all know that.  I will buy so many blankets but still only ever use my favorite one I keep on the couch.  I'm such a sucker for a nice soft blanket though!  And if its a tan/light brown color.... well look out.  There is no way I'm going to not buy it!

5.  Music
Music is so important to me.  A life without music is not one I would want to live.