Footzone Day at Circuits in the Park

The Group this morning; this was post workout! You ladies ROCK!

The Swag

Thank you Footzone for the gifts!!

Me and Colleen (one of the managers at The Footzone)

This was post workout; Doesn't my hair look good?!

Lexi's Birthday



Jason, Lexi and Me

Yesterday was my precious little (not so little anymore) Lexi's birthday. She chose Johnny Carino's for her birthday dinner. Great! Pasta and bread. That's a lethal combo. I pre-planned by going to their website and looking up all the nutrition information. When I got to the restaurant, even though I desperately wanted to give into the bread and I did have one bite, this was my dinner. It was right at 330 calories before the bite of bread. :)



Minestrone Soup and Side House Salad

Lessons Learned The Hard Way

I know I said I was not going to weigh anymore, but I just had to know where I am now. Just before Spring Break when everything was going south with our vehicles I began to really struggle with my food choices. Then we went on vacation. Yikes! We came home to more stuff and by then I was completely out of control. I have a very special make up. I put weight on very fast, unusually fast. Jason calls me a freak of nature. LOL!  I was on a fast downward spiral and had to do something drastic to stop it. I started the cleanse right after Mother’s Day. I did it for 6 days and slowly brought food back into the picture. Because I went so nuts, I went up two sizes. I weighed because I just had to know what kind of damage I had done. Ugh! It is not as bad as it could have been, but it is worse than I thought. Therefore, I am back to needing to lose 56 lbs to reach my goal weight. Such a bummer!

When I called this a journey, I was not joking. As much as I hate that I put some weight back on, I am thankful for the lesson. It has taught me so much. I do not think I would have handled reaching my goal weight, then learning this. That would have been awful. Because I have more to lose than I thought, I have a new target date. I plan to be at my goal weight/size by December 8^th. My first short term goal is to have 16 lbs off by July 21st. This should be attainable as long as I measure everything against the “plan” and my body cooperates. There are NO more excuses.

I will look back at that time as a speed bump. There is no need to look back at it, only to look forward.

The Foot Zone

Run.Walk.Thrive.

I am so excited to announce my new sponsorship/partnership with The Foot Zone in Bend, Oregon. They have agreed to sponsor me through the rest of my weight loss and beyond. They are an amazing group of dedicated people who love to help people like you and me get out and get moving. One of the managers will be joining us for our Circuits in the Park this Thursday. She won't be just showing up, she's going to work out with us! Come out, get your workout in early and get some coupons while you're at it.

I'm really excited about this partnership. We have so many great ideas, one of which is weight loss clinics held at the store. There will be more information to come so stay tuned.

If you're needing shoes or anything that will help you in your workouts go see The Foot Zone, today!

Followers

Today I'm asking for a favor from you. I would LOVE to know how many people read this blog. I'm trying to get to 100, but may already have that. If you read this blog would you mind clicking follow, either through Facebook or Google. Thank you so much for helping me out. :)

Taking You Back. . .

Here is one of my first blog posts. Just a reminder of why I started this journey. Making these lists helped me tremendously. You can see that my reasons for "dieting" went from very negative to positive. To accomplish any dream or goal you have to stay positive.

October 15, 2010

I’ve been pondering lately, why this diet is working this time. I mean, I know why it’s working. I’m eating the correct calorie amounts, I’m exercising more than I ever have, I’m focusing on my protein-carbohydrate ratios, I’m drinking the correct amounts of water, and so on and so forth. What I want to know is why am I sticking to it this time? What is it about this time? I want to know because so many people are starting to ask me what I’m doing. So many people want THE answer. They need to lose weight and everything they’ve tried hasn’t worked. Since this worked for me then it just has to work for them. The truth is any of us can lose weight. Any of us can do it by doing just about any diet out there. What is it in me, this time, that’s making me push forward and see this thing through to the end? What is it in me, this time that will maintain the weight loss?

When I start to answer those questions I sound like all the people I’ve heard that have lost weight or coach people in weight loss. The thing is all the answers are true. Such as, find something that works for you and stick with it. Exercise has been the key. Burn as much as you’re eating. If you mess up, don’t look back. Look forward and keep going. Put one foot in front of the other. Try to eat more fruits and vegetables. I could keep going. All of these things I have found to be true; especially the part about putting one foot in front of the other. There are days when I feel like I have to talk myself through the entire day. For example, I’ll say, “Okay Sandy. Choose something healthy for breakfast and you’ll be so proud.” So I do. Then I crave bad things until lunch. At lunch I’ll say, “Okay Sandy, let’s make a good choice for lunch.” I’ll do that & then crave bad things until snack and the day goes on like that until I go to bed. Then the next day I’ll wake up and find that it’s easy. I have great days and bad days. I have great weeks and bad weeks.

As I process all of this my conclusion, as of today, is my mindset is different. Everyone says it’s great to do it for your family, but you need to do it for you. I guess I’ve never truly understood that. As I think about what’s different this time I’d have to say that I’m doing it for me. Don’t get me wrong, I have many motivators. One of which is my children. My daughters are looking at me as an example of what a woman is like. They shouldn’t be worried about whether their mom is going to die early because of her weight. It shouldn’t even be a thought in their mind. These motivators are powerful, but they are not THE reason for my weight loss this time.

I started thinking of all the reasons I’ve started diets in the past. Here are some of those reasons. . .

My husband deserves to have a sexy wife. Not a fat one. I need to go on a diet for him.

My children shouldn’t be ashamed of me when their friends meet me. I need to go on a diet.

I will surely die tomorrow if I don’t go on a diet. I need to lose weight now!! (While there is truth here, your diet shouldn’t be fear based.)

My parents are disappointed in me. They had hoped for so much more. I’d better lose weight so they can be proud of me.

My siblings are ashamed to introduce me as their big sister. They don’t respect me or look up to me. I’d better lose weight so they can be proud and look to me as a leader.

When the men in my sister’s life meet me they decide not to date her because what if she’ll end up looking like me. I need to go on a diet so she can get married.

My mom is on another diet and wants me to go on it with her. I’d better because otherwise I will disappoint her and I’ve already done that so much.

I need to look like the women on TV or in the movies. My life would be so much better if I looked like them. I’d better go on a diet.

I am sinning. God is sending down His wrath on us because of my sin. If I go on a diet He will show mercy.

I am not the Christian woman all these people think I am. I am a sinner because of my weight. I can’t tell people about Jesus because, well, look at me. In fact, my sin is very visible. I’d better go on a diet so that I can tell people about Jesus.

I’m not being elevated to worship leader because I don’t look like all the other girls. I am anointed to lead worship, but I’ll never be elevated to that level until I look right. I’d better go on a diet so that the leaders in the church will raise me up.

I could go on and on but I’m not going to because they get more & more ridiculous.

I came to the realization that the reason I’m doing it this time, and its working, is because I want to. I’m tired of being tired. I’m tired of looking at pictures of myself and not seeing me. I’m tired of letting life run on by while I wait for that infamous some day. I’m tired of watching my kids play and I’m too big to be active with them. I’m tired of sex even being too hard. (Sorry if that’s too much, but it’s the truth.) I’m tired of not being taken seriously. For some reason in this society if you’re heavy, you must not know anything or you’re just not together enough; which is silly because over 60% of Americans are overweight. Not to jump on that band wagon, I just think that this time I was finally sick and tired.

This time it’s working because I want it to.

This time it’s working because I want to be healthy.

This time it’s working because I want to be active.

This time it’s working because I want to be the best I can be.

This time it’s working because I want to feel as if I can accomplish anything I put my mind to.

This time it’s working because I know I can do it.

This time it’s working because I know I’m strong enough to see it through to the end.

This time it’s working because I can see myself finishing. I can see myself keeping it off.

This time it’s working because I want to be a leader.

I Have THE Key!

I have the key to weight loss. . . drum roll please. . . there is no key! WHAT?! I know, right?! For all the people out there saying I can't do it. It's not the right time of life. I'm too busy. I can't focus right now. I have too much stress, etc, etc. To all that I say, blah!

I believe everyone has the desire to do better, be better, have better. We all want to feel good. We all want to look good. NIKE had it right when they coined the phrase, JUST DO IT! If you wait for every circumstance in your life to be just right or for the stars to align or for whatever it is you think needs to happen before you can start taking care of yourself, then you will never do it. Every Monday will roll around and you will either begin another diet or you will hate yourself by Tuesday for not starting another diet.

I say get off the roller coaster and take control of this area of your life, no matter the circumstances. You have the DESIRE to do it. That's the first step. Now take the second step, make a plan. (See yesterday's blog.) You will find and maintain DISCIPLINE in the plan. Find some good old fashioned stubbornness, or my new favorite word Tenacity (It just sounds positive doesn't it?), and decide you are doing it this time; then see it through. This is where the DETERMINATION comes in. Determine you are doing it this time. Get mad! Get stubborn! Decide you are worth it and change your life!

You won't be sorry. I promise! So just do it!

Is That Part of the Plan?

For the first time in our adult lives we made a plan for one of our dreams. Jason's dream was to be a cop. He went back to school to get his degree in Criminal Justice and work towards a career in law enforcement. Jason and I are dreamers. We've had big dreams and little dreams. We even moved to another state because of the "dream". We were always missing the key piece, the action plan. I guess we thought somehow everything would miraculously come together. Now that we're older and life has taught us a few things, we made a goal and took the first step to getting there. That step turned into the next step and so on and so forth. Along the way there have been a lot of obstacles. Lots of doubts and fears. But with each step we took we stayed focused on the goal.

In the past few weeks I've been working, with my brother Martin, on a business idea. Each time something has come up or I have started to have more "great ideas", he has directed me back to the plan. It's been such a great tool to keep me focused. I cannot become too sidetracked if I bring everything back to the plan.

As I was thinking about this concept last night, it occurred to me, this translates perfectly to weight loss. My successes came when I stayed on plan and remained disciplined. My failures came when I allowed myself to sway away from the plan.

Once you decide what your plan is, stick to it. Every temptation that comes your way needs to be weighed and measured against the plan. A benefit is it will make you concious of everything you do. If it's not in the plan then it's not allowed in your life. If it doesn't help you get where you want to go then it gets kicked to the curb. (You don't have permission to kick your spouse to the curb because he/she brings home donuts, though.) LOL!

Before you start your weight loss program. Work up a plan and set goals. I'll give mine as an example.

My Objective:

To be at my healthy weight and or size by my next birthday, October 7th.

My Plan:

• Eat around 1300 calories per day
• Log my food daily
• Do an hour of circuit training 4 days a week
• Do at least an hour of aerobic activity on Saturdays
• bicycle ride
• run
• swim with the kids
• hike
• Eat mostly a plant based diet (I want to get the majority of my calories from things grown from the Earth)
• Do at least an additional half an hour of aerobic activity two times during the week
• Get plenty of rest
• Drink at least 64 oz of water per day
• Free day on Saturdays (Stay within a 3000 calorie limit, but eat what I've been craving.)

My First Goal:

Lose at least 16 lbs by July 14th.

Now the work begins. Everything gets measured against my plan. If it doesn't help me reach my goal it doesn't get added to my life or put in my mouth. :)

What are your plans? Are they to get healthier or to maintain a healthy lifestyle? Are they to lose weight? Are they to get in shape or to be more fit? Create an action plan. Take it seriously! Measure everything against it.

Why Circuit Training?

Before we begin our circuits in the park I thought I would give you some information on why they are one of the most effective ways to exercise.

The following excerpt is from www.webmd.com.

Take a Shortcut to Fitness With Circuit Training

Get strength and cardio benefits in 30 minutes a day

By Carol Sorgen

 

Westcott cites the "classic" Cooper Clinic study done in 1982, which studied the effects of doing a circuit workout three times a week. The study had 77 participants, who were divided into three groups.
"One group did not train at all," Westcott says. "One group just did the weights. And the third group jogged in between the weight sessions."
Not surprisingly, the group that didn't train saw no improvement in its cardiovascular fitness. The weights group improved cardio fitness by 12%. And the weights-and-jogging group improved 17%. (The weights group also improved strength by 17% and the weights-and-jogging group improved strength by 22%.)
According to Westcott, a circuit workout improves both strength and endurance, and jump-starts metabolism.
"When those women leave the gym, they are still burning a third more calories than they did in the workout -- and this goes on for hours!" he says. "Once you build muscle, muscle burns more calories [than fat], so you continue to burn more."
Although weight training has traditionally been a male pastime (think Ah-nold), it's important for women, who tend to lose muscle mass at the rate of 1% per year in their late 30s and 40s. This muscle often gets replaced by fat. But you need muscles to cushion joints and help protect against osteoporosis, among other benefits. That's not to mention the trimmer, tighter appearance you'll gain by toning up.
Circuit training works because it's short and sweet and people actually do it. (Many gyms, as well as a chain called Health Inspirations, offer circuit training to both sexes.) "It's brief, it's basic, it's consistent; no frills, over quickly" is how Westcott puts it.

This next excerpt is from www.fitnessmagazine.com:

By Liz Neporent

Why We Love Circuit Training

• Circuit training is a great boredom buster: Moving quickly from one exercise to the next means your mind doesn't have time to wander or tune out.
• An all-strength circuit burns 30 percent more calories (about nine per minute!) than a typical weight workout and offers more cardio benefits.
• A circuit that combines cardio and strength moves will blast fat and sculpt muscle. It can also burn up to 10 calories a minute.

Circuits in the Park

Okay everyone. . . this is the announcement you've been waiting for. We will begin our circuits in the park next Monday, May 21st at 6 AM. We meet in the Pine Nursery Park by the East most baseball field bleachers. You will need 5 lb dumbbells (unless you know you can handle a heavier weight), a jump rope and a mat. We will work out Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays. You don't need to RSVP. We start promptly at 6 AM and workout until 7 AM. I'm beyond excited to laugh and cry with you this summer as we work toward a healthier, stronger body!!! See you next Monday.