Fluffy Girl

The Weigh-In that I've Been Waiting For.

2012-02-01T12:41:00.000-08:00

If you read my last weigh-in post from last week, you could notice how I was a little upset about the number I saw on the scale.

I gained last week and I was upset but realized it is part of the weight loss journey. I pouted for about 10 minutes and then went on with my day.

I didn't go and binge. I didn't give up. Instead, I kept eating healthy and going to the gym throughout this week.

Monday, was a great workout for me. I went to my dad's high school and worked out their. I started on the elliptical machine for 25 minutes but I really didn't like the elliptical style he has in his weight-room compared to the one I work out on at my regular gym.

I then proceeded to run on the treadmill.(I would just like to say that I have been kicking ass on the treadmill lately). I ran a mile increasing the speed and incline constantly. After I was done running the mile, I decided to do some interval sprints and jogging for another mile plus.

After that I really wanted to get some lifting in because I stopped lifting awhile ago and wanted to shock my muscles again. Just as I started to lift my sister came over to me wearing a weighted vest. It was 25lbs. She gave it to me to put on.

Wearing a 25lb vest during some weight lifting. NBD.

Now, 25 pounds may not seem like a lot. Let me tell you, you're dead wrong. I was doing squats, bench, and RDL's with this baby on and I was amazed at how it really affected me.

That's only 25lbs too. I lost almost two of those vests. I was carrying that on me and no wonder I was having trouble breathing going up a flight of stairs.(I am sorry for that body, please forgive me.) But getting back on track, my workout was the bomb. I ended up burning 1000 plus calories, so it was totally awesome.

Now, getting to the goods. Weigh-in. I stepped on the scale and I am officially in the 180's!! *Throw confetti in the air*

I lost 2.4 pounds today, which puts me at 189.8 pounds. A total loss of about 41 pounds total since starting at 231 pounds.

I am jacked! I don't even know the last time I was 180 some pounds, but I am finally in it and I cant wait to keep this going. It was a long road to get to the 180's but I am not stopping here.

Believe in yourself and you can accomplish your weight loss goals. Just remember to have some patience.

W.I.D.T.H. (One of the many reasons)

2012-01-30T11:10:00.000-08:00

Over at Jack Sh*t he does a thing called W.I.D.T.H. (Why I Do This Here). I finally decided to post one of the many reason why I am doing this weight loss thang.

I have never had a boyfriend. Ever. That's not a bad thing but I am 22 years old now and I wouldn't mind having a smokin hot boyfriend in the near future. Can I get an amen?

I've always had a lot of guy friends. I've had crushes like every other girl. But no one would ever want to date a "fat" girl right? We can hang out and shoot the shit and watch the basketball game but that's about it.

I got sick and tired of that. I hated being a third wheel when I was hanging out with people. It sucks seeing all of your friends have a boyfriend or girlfriend.

I realized though, that having a boyfriend won't make me happy and solve all my problems. I need to make myself more confident. I need to get healthy for ME. I needed to lose weight for ME!

When I go to the gym now, I see a lot of the guys eying me up. That wasn't always the case when I first started losing weight and going to the gym. People would stare but it wasn't because I was good looking, they were probably wondering why this 230 pound girl was on the treadmill, sweating her ass off and hopefully she won't have a heart attack next to me while I'm running. Believe me, there were times when I thought I might.

I have worked my ass off for the past 2 years. I have lost 40 pounds. That might not seem like a lot, but 40 pounds makes a difference. I wear smaller clothes, I have more confidence, I am healthier, I don't feel like shit everyday, I don't look bloated in pictures and I am starting to live life more.

Basically, down the road I want to have a hott husband (yes I did use 2 T's in hott). I am not trying to say all I am looking for is a hottie with a body. Of course not! This man has to be a gentleman, he has to get a long with my family and friends, a sense of humor, have the same/similar morals and above all treat me right.(I wouldn't mind someone who cooks food for me and gives me back massages either.)

Unfortunately, Channing Tatum is married. He is definitely eye candy that I will never get sick of though. My other eye candy is Vin Diesel. He is so sexy and that deep voice he has makes me lose it. But getting back to it, I want to be able to wake up to someone who wants to be healthy like me and take pride in what they look like and stay physically fit.

I have lost 40 pounds and I have some more to lose. I just need a man in the future who will want to lead an active lifestyle with me. And if he so happens to look like Channing Tatum or Vin Diesel that's a plus.

Friday Morning Weigh-In.

2012-01-27T06:04:00.000-08:00

I weighed In this morning at 192.2. That is a gain of 1.8 pounds. I am a little upset because I thought I was going to be in the 180's this week. This week has been hectic, trying to get back in to the whole school thing. Also, I haven't been sleeping well lately. But, last night I went to bed at 8 pm and woke up at 7:30am. It felt fantastic to sleep for once and feel good when I woke up.

I really don't have anything else to say. I gained. I don't know why. It happens and I'll just have to keep on going.

Wordless Wednesday: Make Them Nervous, Ladies.

2012-01-25T07:48:00.000-08:00

FMM: Short Answers

2012-01-23T10:54:00.000-08:00

Mac or PC? I have a PC but want to get into Mac
Do you paint your own nails? Yes- but not very good.
Beach or mountains? Beach all day loooong! I love to tan.
What’s the title of the book you’re currently reading? 365 Thank You's
Do you dance? Like a white girl.
CNN or Fox News? Fox News.
Do you ride a bicycle? No, I haven't ridden a bike in a long time.
Do you get a yearly flu shot? Nope. I have a bomb ass immune system!
Best movie you’ve seen in 2012? I finally watched Public Enemies for the first time and thought it was really good.
Do you prefer to workout at home or at the gym? If I didn't live in WI and my garage wasn't an icebox I would workout at home all the time. But I choose to go to the gym to see people and be in a warm climate.
Last airport you were in? Milwaukee.
Married or single? Single. Hoping that changes this year.
iPhone or Android? Drrrrrrrrroooid.
Do you prefer to be in pictures or taking pictures? I like both.
Favorite brand of sneakers? God, I LOVE sneakers. Right now I would say Nike but I am a hardcore Adidas fan.
Do you like snow? Yes and no. I live in WI so it gets old after awhile.
Do you have/want to have kids? I want kids but not for a long time.
Summer or Winter? Sweet Summer time.
Do you know how to swim? Yeah, I'm no Michael Phelps though.
Do you prefer to shop in store or online? Both. I like shopping for shoes online and for clothes I like going to the store.

Just a kick ass workout.

2012-01-20T15:29:00.000-08:00

Just another workout.

Thursdays Thoughts.

2012-01-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

This morning I weighed in and lost 0.8 lbs. I was hoping for at least a pound loss but i'll take it. I currently weigh 190.4 lbs. It is unbelievable to see 190 on the scale. It seemed like getting out of the 200's took forever and I remember the first time I saw a 1 as the front number on the scale. It was the best feeling ever!

My workouts have been good. I've been killin it at the gym. The elliptical is by far my favorite piece of equipment and I've really taking a liking to doing interval sprints on the treadmill.

My food has been good. Eating tons of fruits, veggies and whole grains. I been guzzling water down like a boss. This is my last week before I start up school and then it's back to the grind.

I will start trying to take pics again and take measurement of my body. I can see a bit of a change right now, but I know having pictures for down the road will help a lot.

NSV: I've noticed that my jeans are feeling loose on me. I am currently a size 14.

Brag: Burned 1300+ calories in a workout this week. Also, I have lost officially 40 pounds since my journey has started. (I started at 231 pounds about 2 yrs ago)

FMM: Weight Loss Tips (from my perspective)

2012-01-16T11:04:00.000-08:00

Here are some of my weight loss tips that have helped me over the past couple of months. Note, I am not a professional. These are what I have observed while I am trying to lose some more Lbs. It is only my opinion. You can take it or leave it.

TIPS:
1. Eat Breakfast! The most important meal of the day and its my favorite meal of the day. Breakfast gets your metabolism kicking and it makes your stomach happy.

2. Make working out a priority. Get some sort of exercise each day. It doesn't have to be a balls to the wall workout. Go on a walk or do yoga.

3. Make a killer playlist. When I workout I NEED music to get me in the mood to run or go HAM on the elliptical. They say listening to music doesn't do anything for a workout, but I disagree. I think your playlist is key to having a great workout. If you need song suggestions just let me know and I will gladly give your some of my songs/playlists.

4. Eat more fruits/veggies/whole grain foods. Seriously, just do it. I eat so much fruits and veggies now. I feel great and obviously they are good for you.

5. Eat when your hungry, not bored and know when to stop. This is one of the biggest obstacles that I have had to learn. I use to eat because I was bored and didn't know what else to do with myself. Now, I eat when I am legit hungry and need some sort of fuel in my body. I go for fruits and veggies or some sort of healthy snack too. Not potato chips and candy. Also, learn to feel when your full. Food takes about 20 minutes to digest. Let your body digest the food and if your still hungry then have a little bit more.

6. DRINK MORE WATER! Drink water like it's your job.

7. Never deny yourself of something you're craving. Just be smart about how much you eat.

8. Read labels, know what a serving consists of and what is in it ( protein, carbs, sugar, fat, )

9. Moderation, moderation, moderation.

Thursday Weigh-In and Ramblings.

2012-01-12T09:51:00.000-08:00

Today when I stepped on the scale I new I would lose. I worked out hard at the gym and each day it showed by the amount of sweat dripping of my body. There is nothing like the feeling of working out and leaving the gym full of sweat. You may look and smell gross but it is totally worth making the fat in your body cry.

I weighed in at 191.2. So close to getting out of the 190's. GAHHHHHHH! #firstworldpains (twitter geek talk)

Something that really stuck with me this week that I wanted to share with my viewers, was that a man, whom I see a lot at the gym but have never talked to. Ever. Stopped me as I was walking into the cardio room. He had just finished working out and stopped me. He smiled at me and said, "Hey, have a great workout". I know that isn't much but it meant a lot to me. I see this man almost every day and he sees me as well. He sees that I make time to come and bust my ass on the elliptical, arc trainer, treadmill and bikes. He sees me put in the hour plus workouts. He knows that I want to be healthy.

Basically what I am saying is if you have seen someone over and over every time you go to the gym. Say "hi" or "have a great workout". You don't have to sit and get their whole life story but just those few words can really impact someone.

They impacted me.

Wordless Wednesday.

2012-01-11T14:34:00.000-08:00

Image from http://livefitter.tumblr.com

Friend Makin Monday: Gettin to know Me!

2012-01-09T19:19:00.000-08:00

1) What is one of your favorite ways to spend a Saturday?
Sleeping in, enjoying coffee, watching my DVRed shows and going to work out.

2) List your top three favorite TV shows.
Modern Family, Chelsea Lately and Mike & Molly.

3) Would you rather be in pictures or take them?
I love being in pictures but I don't mind taking them as well.

4) Why do you blog?
I started blogging because I felt like this would be really helpful for me throughout my weight loss. I felt like I could also inspire others to make a change in their lifestyle as well. Plus I am getting to meet some pretty cool people through blogging.

5) Share five websites that you visit regularly…
Twitter @MollyMFNitka
Pinterest Add me if you want!
YouTube
MSN
FaceBook

6) If you could have lunch with one person from your Twitter list who would it be?
There are so many people that I want to meet in person. I don't think I can pick one so I'll give you a couple. @CajunBrittinATX @344pounds @Sweating_it_off @theantijared @Tweddiem2

7) List a few of your favorite snacks.
Air Popped Pop corn
Nuts (Get your mind outta the gutter!)
String Cheese
Apple/Oranges/Grapes

8 ) Do you have a pet? If so, what kind?
I have 2 cats. Don't really know what kind.

9) Which three material possessions would you struggle to live without?
Phone, ipod, My sick kicks (shoes).

10) What’s your favorite drink?
Arnold Palmers. With or w/o alcohol.

11) Do you enjoy cooking?
I enjoy cooking. Some days I wonder why I am not in culinary school.

12) Do you have children?
Negative, I beat teen pregnancy! Some day for sure though.. way down the road.

13) What are your favorite hobbies?
Pinning! Playing basketball, shopping, photography, finding new songs/artists on itunes, watching movies.

14) Would you consider yourself to be shy or outgoing?
It depends the people I am with. A little of both but I'd say more the shy part.

15) If you could change one thing about yourself, what would you change?
Be taller.

16) Who is your favorite actor/actress?
I've had a major crush on Vin Diesel since the 6th grade. Channing Tatum = Yum. Melissa McCarthy- Um, helloooo Bridesmaids!

I'd tap that.

17) What’s the coolest thing you’ve done this week?
Burned 1000+ calories in a workout.

18) Do you live near your family or far from them?
Still live with my rents. Does that answer your question? I cannot wait to GTFO!

19) List three of your talents.
Free-Throw Champion, ceramics maker, Twitter extraordinare.

20) What is your greatest attribute?
If I say I am going to accomplish something, I will. Do not doubt me.

Foodtography

2012-01-06T19:51:00.000-08:00

I drank a shit ton of water.

Over roasted Chix Breast on Wheat w/ tons of veggies. NOM

Inspired by The Fotographing Fat Kid

2.6 pounds. GTFO!

2012-01-05T12:32:00.000-08:00

I weighed in this morning at 192.6

I was happy to see that I had lost 2.2 pounds since my last weigh-in after Christmas. I gained weight over the holiday just like everyone does. I believe most of mine was water weight. I had a lot of alcohol and not enough water.

I've been pretty good with my eating. Consistently eating good foods, protein, veggies, whole wheat breads.

I've been drinking lots and lots and lots of water. It's so good for you- so drink up!

I'm on the new tea kick right now. I've been reading into the benefits of tea and I wanna see if it can help with my weight loss at all. Right now I'm sipping on Cinnamon apple spice tea. The aroma is amazing and it tastes pretty good too.

Im hoping that next week is the week I see the scale say 190 or less. If it does I seriously might cry.

My workout yesterday was the bomb diggity. I killed in on the elliptical for 40 minutes and then did intervals on the treadmill. I switched up the incline and the speed so I was getting my heart going pretty good.

Overall, it was a decent week. I'm hoping this next week will be a good one and those 2.6 can get out of my effing body!

Wordless Wednesday: Cauliflour Poppers

2012-01-04T12:53:00.000-08:00

First NSV of 2012.

2012-01-02T08:32:00.000-08:00

XL belt to L belt. Holla!

New Year. Same Goal.

2011-12-30T12:33:00.000-08:00

Some people make cute lists for things they want to accomplish as the new year approaches. As long as I can remember, my new year's resolution has been to lose weight. Even when I was young, that is what I would say to myself. This is the year I change. This is the year I start to work out and eat better.

Just like millions of people do every year, they make their resolution to lose weight. They tell them self they'll go get a gym membership and workout every day and make better food choices.

That's great that people want to make a change, but they need to put forth the effort to see the results. Your not going to see changes within a week. It takes about a month for you to see some sort of change in your body.

I have been on my weight loss journey for 2 years and I have still not hit my goal weight. I have done amazing things with my body that I never in a million years thought I could ever accomplish.

I have ran numerous 5k's.

I have ran a 10k.

I did a Mud Run for the first time.

I wrote a "lame" post that got the attention of many well known bloggers including Tony.

I have had also had times where I wanted to just give up on myself. Throw in the towel and say eff it.

But I refuse to give up.

I refuse to be considered "overweight". Just because the scale shows a certain number on it does not define you. I am still considered over weight, but let me tell you I am in better shape than a lot of people who are considered "skinny".

I DON'T WANT TO BE ~~SKINNY~~. I WANT TO BE HEALTHY.

So my resolution is the same that it has been for a long time. Lose weight.

I have about 20-30 more pounds I would like to lose. When I hit my goal weight in 2012, we will talk about new goals I want to accomplish.

Happy New year.

I knew it was coming.

2011-12-29T07:28:00.000-08:00

Weigh-In day always makes me a little nervous. I know it's a stupid scale but it is a way to help you see the progress from the week of hard work you put out.

It started out on Christmas Eve. My local gym that I go to workout out at was only open on Christmas Eve til 1 pm and then it was closed on Christmas Day. No problem, I get in a good work out Christmas Eve and then my rest day will be Christmas Day. So I head to the gym to find that all the ellipticals are taken, all the treadmills are taken. Grrrr. So being a little mad I decided to just hop on the arc trainer for 30 minutes.

As I'm on the arc trainer I forgot that my ear phones had gotten messed up from the day before and that the music I was trying to listen to wasn't coming through my ear phones clearly. It sounded like I was under water trying to listen to the song. Not. Cool. Music is a big part of my workout, if I don't have it I get bored and I can't even imagine working out with no music. So I suck it up and keep on the arc trainer, while I listen or at least try to listen to what ever nonsense was coming out of my head phones.

Then a woman comes and sit down in one of the bikes in front of me. That was not a big deal, the big deal is that she smelled like she had literally shit her pants and rolled around in it and then worked out. It was THE worst smell possible. I sucked it up and made it off of the arc trainer with out dying of oxygen deprivation and spotted an open elliptical.

I made a bee line towards it and got on it. I was going to do 30 minutes on the elliptical. I started and was about 10 minutes in when my music just was being a little bish and decided it didn't want to work at all. I kept going and by 15 minutes I was over it and decided I could only go 20 minutes and then peace out.

This was legitimately one of the worst workouts I've had. But it was still a workout.

Then over Christmas Eve and Christmas Day I grazed a lot with the food. There was a lot of good food, we did have healthy stuff like tons of veggies but I knew I had done some damage.

The result of my Weigh-In showed. I gained 2.6 pounds. Not surprised but there's nothing I can do now but keep on going.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T18:47:00.000-08:00

I had a goal of being a 190 pounds by Christmas. I didn't reach it. I am 2.2 pounds away from being 190. I have not been 190 pounds since probably my early high school years. I am not mad at myself for not reaching my goal. I am proud that I have gotten this far. I am not doing anything crazy. Just eating less and better foods and working out for an hour. It as simple as that. I am not denying myself any foods. If I want a cookie, I'll eat it. But I wont go crazy and eat like 8 cookies. Moderation is key and i'm getting better at it.

I want to wish all my followers and fellow bloggers a Merry Christmas and happy holiday. Enjoy the time with the loved ones in your life. Be grateful for everything that you have been given. Splurge a little during Christmas but in moderation. Let's get ready to show 2012 what we're all about!

A NSV.

2011-12-18T20:08:00.000-08:00

So I've been doing pretty good about going to the gym 5-6 times a week for about an hour. This past friday, I told myself that I should run a mile for a warm up and then I was going to go HAM on the elliptical. Well, at the YMCA where I work out there are four ellipticals. Three of the four were being used. I thought to myself, please let no one come in to take the last one, which so happened to be my fav. I was on the treadmill running at about a 6.5 mph, which for me is incredible. I was not out of breath while running it. I felt good, the legs felt good. I felt awesome. So as I was running an old man came in to walk on a treadmill. He was on there while I was running. I got done running my mile and started my cool down.

As I started my cool down he got off the treadmill and headed for my elliptical. You gotta be effing kidding me! All the ellipticals were taken and I didn't really want to do anything else that day. So I improvised. I stayed on the treadmill and ran for 4 more miles. I incorporated some interval running into it as well. I was on the elliptical for over an hour. But I ran the 5 miles in 57:15. Never in my life did I think I would first off run, on a treadmill and especially for over an hour. I honestly amaze myself sometimes and that is one of the best parts of being on a weight loss journey. Proving to yourself that you can accomplish something that you never thought would be possible. Anything is possible.

When I got off the treadmill I felt like a champ. And I had the sweat covering my face and drenched on my t- shirt to prove it. Get out there and amaze yourself.

190 by Christmas.

2011-12-11T10:15:00.000-08:00

Its sunday and I just wanted to get a post in before I go tan, workout and study for finals. This week is my last week and then bring on Christmas break! Hell yeah! Since New Years will be fastly approaching, I have been thinking about what goals I want to try and accomplish this coming new year. My first goal though, is to be 190 pounds or lower by Christmas. I really feel like I will be able to accomplish it. I have been going to the gym 5 times a week and eating very well.

I also want to start taking pictures of stuff I eat just like Nathan does. I really enjoy those posts because they let me take a look at what other different foods he is eating and still losing weight. Plus I also enjoy his sarcastic humor that he puts in those blog posts. Secondly, I want to start taking pictures of myself at each weight-in like Tyler does over at 344pounds. I did that earlier in my weight loss journey but just stopped doing it for some reason. Lastly, I am going to start keeping tack of my weight loss on my blog, as do most bloggers except for me. So, there you have it. Some short term goals that I will hopefully accomplish and get to doing.

Have a great sunday and GO PACKERS!

I'm on a Roll.

2011-12-08T17:25:00.000-08:00

For the past 2 months I have not blogged. For the past 2 months I have been trying to figure out why I haven't been losing weight consistently. I joined Weight Watcher and thought the pounds would melt off. I was wrong. I tried eating every 3 hours to keep my metabolism going. I worked out for almost 2 hours some days thinking that by burning more calories, the weight would fall off. I was wrong. None of those things worked for me. I became so frustrated and upset at myself. Why wasn't I losing weight? There was a point where I thought maybe this was my body telling me it doesn't want to lose anymore weight. But I knew that wasn't possible. It had to be something that I was doing, that wasn't clicking.

I went to Australia the second week of November. While I was there I didn't work out, ate pretty decent and walked a lot. I also laid down a lot because of the time zone changes and because I was laying on a beach catching some rays.. but I digress. The week I came back from Australia was a recovery week from me, just trying to get back on the right sleeping pattern and back to reality. I didn't work out at all that week either and something clicked in my head. Since I wasn't working out, I didn't need to eat that much and ate healthy foods. Throughout that week, I ate when I felt hungry and drank a lot of water. The next week I decided to get my bum ass back to the gym, not because I needed to but wanted to.

I decided to step on the scale and see the damage that had been done from vacation and a week of not working out. The result was 3 pounds lost since the last time I stepped on the scale. I was shocked. So here is why I told you the above previous stuff. For the past 3-4 weeks I have been on a roll. I have been going to the gym and working out 5-6 times a week. I only go for a maximum of an hour. No more 2 hr killing myself shit. The thing that I have been doing is eating right. I eat healthy option food and only eat when I'm hungry. I have noticed that I have become a lot sooner than usual and that I just stop eating and go off to do other things. I have been drinking so much water, I should probably be living in water. But I don't deprive myself of anything. I had some cookies the other night. On thanksgiving I had two pieces of pie. If I deprive myself of something I want, I will binge. I also eat lots and lots of vegetables too.

I have lost 11 pounds so far. I am on a roll. The best thing though that I heard is from one of the ladies that works at the local YMCA where I work out. She's seen me every day that I go and workout there. Today she said to me, "Wow, you're really serious about this working out stuff aren't you?'', and I replied "Oh yeah!" and then she preceded to call me a "rock star". And to be honest you guys, I feel like a rock star. I finally found a routine that I can stick to and lose the pounds. Find what routine works for you and stick to it. If it doesn't work then try something else until you can figure out what the piece to your weight loss is.

Mud Run Recap.

2011-10-30T20:16:00.000-07:00

Two Saturdays ago I ran a 5 mile Mud Run. It. Was. AWESOME! My mom and my aunt got some people together for a group to do the run. The mud run ran in heats, our heat was to start at 12:30. It was perfect because it was in the 60's and sunny. We wanted to wear something that made us look like a team so the idea was to wear pink. I took it to the next level- Hawaii shirt I found in my brother closet!

like my socks?

Our group for the Dirty Dog Mud Run: Pink Fire&Ice

The race had a great atmosphere, lots of people showed up just to watch people make a fool of themselves and get muddy, there was a radio station there playing music and of course lots of beer :) At any get together in Wisconsin, beer/alcohol is always there as well. When our heat started my sister and I started jogging ahead of the rest of the group because we wanted to run most of it. all through the course there were different obstacles that you had to run under, over, slide down, jump over ect. It was like boot camp minus the person yelling profanities in your face.

The first major obstacle was running up this huge hill and then getting to slide down into a mud pool. My sister and I had a disposable camera, funny thing I almost forgot how to use one of those. She wanted to have me take a picture of her coming down the slide so I took the camera and hopped on down the slide... this is what happens when you take a picture of yourself sliding down a huge hill..

Epic.

After the slide we started running with two other women that were in our group. We had a good pace going.

We came upon our next mud pool..Guess what happened.

I rolled around in it.

Next we came upon more barriers to climb over and we had to run up this hill again, but this part of the hill was, I kid you not almost at a 90 degree angle. After more jogging we came to a station where we had to army crawl under this thing and then we had to jump over these tube like things. I'm sorry if this doesn't make any sense, but what you should know is that it was realllllly fun.

Just a random pic we decided to take.

At the 3 mile marker they had a hydration station where you could get water and/or Beer. Which do you think I chose? If you said beer, you would be correct!

The next 2 miles went by rather fast. We rolled around in more mud and we had to crawl on our hands and knees through this muddy, hoola hoop type of obstacle. I tore up my knees on rocks. Totally worth it thought!

It hurt so good!

Just chillin in the mud.

We finished the race in just over an hour. It was the most fun I've had running 5miles. If you get a chance to do one with a group of people, DO IT! Your going to get muddy but you'll have some of the best laughs of your life. Plus, I got another FREE beer.

Id say it was a successful mud run.

So muddy.

The group :)

By the way, I've never wanted to take a shower as much as I did after this race.

Weight Watchers.

2011-09-19T15:10:00.000-07:00

I decided to try Weight Watchers. There are a couple reason why.

1- I've seen tons of commercials for it over the past year.
2- I know a lot of people through blogging have done it and are big supporters of it (i.e. Tony )
3- Vanessa Hudgens looks ahhhhhmazing.
4- I've always wanted to try it.

So, last thursday I joined WW online. I like the website and how it has so many different sources to help you out. It is hard though trying to get used to to the points system- I'm still trying to get that down but I like how it keeps track of your points kind of like when you keep track of calories when you count them.

I also like that you can keep a blog on the community that it has. So now, not only do I have one blog but two. It's nice that you can add people to your profile like facebook and build relationships with them. Honestly, when trying to lose weight you need all the support you can get. It's not easy and sometime it not fun.

My friend Sydney (twitter @sydneykuspa) has done weight watchers before and she seems to really like it. I told her that I was joining and her reply to me was " Weight Watchers is like a game". I like games and I like to win. So hopefully I end up playing this game called losing weight and winning against it. #twinning

Let the games begin.

Will Run for Beer, My 5 miler Recap.

2011-07-31T12:36:00.000-07:00

I got up at the ass crack of dawn this morning to get ready for my 5 mile race in Cudahy, WI. I ate my usual pre- race breakfast of oatmeal with a spoonfull of peanut butter and drank some coffee so I could clear out my system, if you know what I mean. My sister and I were running the race but my dad came a long to support us. We got to the park at about 7:10 am and had 50 minutes to spare. We got our race bibs, looked over the course and walked around a little bit.

As it got closer to race time more and more people were showing up and it was getting more hot and humid. My sister and I lined up to get a good spot to start. The announcer started the countdown and BOOM we were off. I wanted to find a good pace for the first mile and work off of that. I knew I wasn't going to be able to keep up with my sister so I just told her to go. For the first 1.8 miles I ran a long side an older man that looked like he was in his 60s or 70s. We both had a good pace going.

The first water stop was at 1.8 and the weather was really getting to me already. I only took water and walked up the hill that lead into the park which is where we were going to be running. As the hill started to decline that's when I started running again. Running through the wooded trails of the park was nice because it was a lot cooler from the shade of the trees. It was also nice to look at the scenery as I ran.

During miles 2-3 I really struggled for some reason. I think I was running at a faster pace than I usually do. There were a couple places during these miles where it was a bit hilly but nothing to crazy. I kept up with this lady through those miles but at mile 3.8 which was the water station I lost her and had to find someone else to stalk. This time i took water and gatorade. I new I needed something more than water to keep me going til the end.

I chugged them both down and started running behind another lady. I saw the mile 4 marker and thought, your in the home stretch, keep this pace and you'll be good. At about mile 4.5 My legs felt like there were sandbags attached to them. I really wanted to walk but I didn't want to stop. Then there was this little baby hill I had to go up, so i decided I would walk up that. I got over the hill and kept walking a bit when an older lady started running next to me and said, "Let's go". I know that might not seem like a big deal but let me tell you, when you feel like you cant go anymore and you just wanna walk, its so awesome to see a fellow runner cheer you on. I started jogging with her for a bit and then as we turned the corner, she had to stop and walk. I kept running becuase I new I was so close to being done.

I turned into the park and saw the straight away to the finish. There was a man in front of me but he was running the 10 mile race so he veered off while I ran through the finish. When I looked up and saw the time that I was about to finish in, it surprised me because I thought that I was way over an hour. I saw 56:58 on the timer and I couldn't believe I ran it in that amount of time.


finishing my 5 miles

After the race they had banana's, water, cookies, cake and my favorite... BEER!


Miller Lite keg <3


Will run for beer. New motto.


My sister, Megan and I Post race.

Over all, the race was a great way to start the day off. 5 miles was tougher than I thought but I would totally do it again in a heartbeat. I wish the had more 5 mile races instead of 10k's. I also think that Beer should be served after every race :p

Happy Sunday everyone! Get out and enjoy the day.

5 miler on sunday.

2011-07-28T18:49:00.000-07:00

So, like I said in my 2nd vlog I am beginning to run again. I haven't been running a lot since my 10k in May. I've basically been on the elliptical for cardio ever since then. At first I loved the elliptical, pumping out atleast an hour on it. But then each day, it got a little more boring.

I went running on tuesday and it felt sooooooo good to run. The weather also helped me out because it was perfect running weather. Slight breeze, sunny, not humid at all. I was browsing the web when I came across a 5 mile run that isn't too far from where I live. Here is the link 5 miler. What I really liked about the course that I am going to be running is that it is good for beginners and people who are trying to get ready for a half. Plus the course is flat and I will be running through a park and along Lake Michigan in Milwaukee.

I am a little nervous though, do you think it was too soon to sign up for 5 miles? I ran 3+ the other day so two more cant hurt right? I am excited to get my running mojo back. Anyone running 5ks, 10ks, halfs or fulls anytime soon?

Vlog #2 Check it out!

2011-07-27T08:30:00.000-07:00

Im serious, hit me up with what you guys eat Pre and Post workout or running! I want some ideas. Tweet me, Facebook me, Email me, Leave a comment or do all of them.

Vegas Recap

2011-07-11T14:19:00.000-07:00

I got back from Las Vegas early after noon on saturday. It felt good to be finally back into my comfort zone. I'm not saying that I wasn't comfortable in Vegas but they didn't have the best food choices to choose from. Also, I thought I was going to be able to work out every morning like in Orlando last year but it cost $25 PER DAY to use the gym them had. No thanks. We did a lot of sight seeing again in Las Vegas and what's good about Vegas is that you have to walk. A lot. Which I didn't mind because I knew I was still moving instead of sitting.

We went to the World Famous Gold and Silver Pawn Shop which is famous because it is known as Pawn Stars on TV. One of my favorite shows. Here are some pics!


My purchase from the Pawn Shop

We walked around the NSCA convention and picked up a lot of new products to sample. One of the products I am excited to try is by Muscle Milk. Its oatmeal that has Muscle Milk whey powder in it. In one serving there is 30 grams of protein! I hope it tastes good.

The rest of our vacation consisted of shopping, walking, swimming/ tanning and eating fancy foods and drinking expensive wine. I did not have a problem with that. Here are some more pics to show.

My sister is about to shank me.

VIP treatment, taking a limo to the hotel.


Walking around The Strip the first day.

*Side note: I was wearing a t-shirt that said "I'm not fat, I'm fluffy" and I kid you not I got complimented and even asked to take a picture by people because they thought it was the best thing.

My sis and I.

Being Silly.

Last night in Las Vegas and headed to the NSCA Banquet.


My sis, Mattan and I. His dad is the President of the NSCA.


My dad and I. <3

I think by taking a lot of pictures this time around, I really am seeing what my hard work is doing. I think I look good and I feel even better. I realize I still have work to do in order to lose about 20 more pounds but I am really pleased with myself this far. I know I say this all the time, but when you are losing weight- take pictures! It will show how much your body has changed and how much you progress.

Going back to Las Vegas weighing less!

2011-06-30T20:22:00.000-07:00

This year we are going back to Las Vegas for a vacation. I have been there 2 times before. Both of those time I was pushing at being my heaviest weight. Here are some pics to show you.


I believe those are a size 18 shorts


I think I weighed about 225 here. Not flattering at all.


First year we went. I believe I was in the 220's.


T shirt was a men's large. Shorts were a size 18.

Now here are some pics of last years vacation in Orlando, FL. This is after I lost weight.


Getting my black on B)


Lil bro, Sis and I going to din.


Me at my lowest weight. 196.

Take pictures when you lose weight. You may not see a difference in the mirror but when you have pictures you can look back and see how far you've come.

I'll be in Las Vegas from July 5-9. I get to gamble for the first time! Woohooo! I'm going to come back a winner and not a loser.

First Vlog, oh snap!

2011-06-12T17:00:00.000-07:00

Enjoy this because it took longer to do then I thought!
Here is the link to it on Youtube

I see changes.

2011-06-05T19:20:00.000-07:00


Brother's wedding Sept of 2010


Brother's wedding June 4, 2011

I see changes in myself even though the scale does not show them. I just got to keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully more changes will come. Never give up.

New focus and a big thank you.

2011-05-10T10:32:00.000-07:00

For the past 6 to 8 months I have been maintaining my weight. I have been comfortable being 198 Lbs for some time but I really want to start focusing on losing weight again. I mean, I am very happy that I have maintained for this long without going back to gaining a lot of weight. I really want to get out of the 190's. My goal weight is about 175 pounds. The reason for that is because then I will be considered "normal" in the eyes of the BMI chart. I don't want to see overweight or obese anymore. I know some of you may think that just because the BMI chart says that you shouldn't believe it. Well, I'm sick of seeing those words. I have seen them my whole life. I want to be done with that and never consider myself either obese or overweight again.

In a month my second oldest brother is getting married. Obviously, I'm a bridesmaid and I want to lose about 5-8 pounds before his wedding on June 4th. Then in October, my cousin is getting married out in Colorado and I asked me to be a bridesmaid in her wedding as well. I want to be in the 180's by then. I know it is possible. I have been trying to focus on working out, getting my HR up and eating better while watching portions. I think portion control is my weak spot when it comes to weight loss. It's a struggle but I just need to keep working at it.

Overall, I am very happy with what I have accomplished in over a year since starting my life changing journey. I have inspired people to start running, lose weight, eat better and just take better care of themselves. It's an honor to be apart of others LCJ and I want to continue to thank all the blogger's out there that have came into my life and inspired me to keep going. I also want to thank my many friends and family members who've encouraged me to never give up and always believe in myself. You know who you are and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Recap of my first 10k run

2011-05-02T20:56:00.000-07:00

On saturday afternoon my mom and I set out to La Crosse, WI to run my first 10k. The 10k I was running was a relay marathon. That means that a team of 4 people run about 6.2 miles each to complete a full 26.2 marathon. I did the relay with my sister, cousin and one of my sister's friends from school. When we got up to La Crosse, we drove the course so we would know our hand off stations for the chip and where we needed to be and run to. As we drove through my section of the course I was getting excited but then I would get nervous. I had never ran more than four miles. I started to second guess myself, thinking what the hell was I doing. Then I found out that my part of the course wasn't 6.2 it was 6.8 miles long. Almost 7 miles! Damn. My cousin's leg of the race was also over 6.2 miles, she ran about 6.95 miles. That is nothing to her because she has ran much longer distances before.

I didn't get much sleep the night before because I was very anxious to just get running. I got up at around 7:30 in the morning and just made sure I had everything ready. I got my breakfast and drank my coffee to wake me up for my run. My sister started the relay at 7am. She got done running a little before 8am and she passed the chip on to my cousin. When my sister got done, my mom and her came to get me at the hotel. She was encouraging me when they got to the hotel because this was also her first 10k.

We went to meet cheer my cousin on as she was finishing her leg of the course. We met up with Amy, the other girl who was running as well because my cousin was passing the chip off to her. We were waiting outside and it was a tad bit chilly. It was cloudy, windy and about 38 degrees.


Myself, My sister Megan and Amy

I had about 3 layers of clothes on because it was cold just waiting outside. My eyes were watering from the chilly wind that was blowing and my nose was running. Good thing I brought a ton of kleenex and put it in my pocket.

Freezing my butt off!

We finally spotted my cousin and we went to where the next passing of the chip would be. My cousin, Addy ran 6.95 miles in under an hour. That's freaking awesome! Amy was the next runner and she was off. We hopped back in the car and went to my drop off area so I could start mentally preparing myself for the run.


Family pic. My sis, cousin and myself.

We got to my drop off area and we were waiting in the car, trying to keep warm. An hour pasted and we spotted Amy coming to the end of her leg. I was starting to get butterflies in my stomach. I was actually going to run 6.8 miles! I started jumping around like crazy and was getting my ipod set onto 10K mode. Amy got to me and I whipped off the anklet that the chip was on, strapped it on my leg and was off.

Here we go!

I starting running and for the first mile kept up with this lady. She was going at a pace that was a little faster for me but I kept up. I think my first mile was about 8 something and I just told myself to keep running no matter what. The first 3 miles wasn't too bad. They had water stations about every 2 miles and they offered water or gatorade. I was nervous to take the gatorade at first because I thought it would give me side cramps. I decided to try it and it really gave me a boost until the next water station.

At mile 4 I was feeling pretty good but all of a sudden my left quad started feeling tight. I thought to myself please don't cramp up quad. Just work with me. It would feel tight on and off but for the rest of the race I new I couldn't go to fast without doing something to it. I stayed at the pace I was at and it felt good. I started to get a runner's high, my feet just keep moving and my legs felt good.

Into mile 4

My sister, mom and cousin stopped at a corner to cheer me on and to take a pic. It was nice to get cheered on. That's one thing I noticed about this 10k. So many people cheer you on. Runner's passing you cheer you on, neighbors outside are clapping for you and telling you that you can do it. People at the water stations are wishing you good luck. It's a good feeling especially when you feel like you can go anymore, someone says to you to keep going and that pushes you onto the next mile.

The last 3 miles were around the neighborhood of the UW-La Crosse, WI campus. It was nice to look at the houses and scenery while jamming out to my awesome playlist I made. I hit the 6 mile marker and was so happy. My baby toe on my right foot was starting to hurt. I actually though it might be bleeding but I kept on running. As I got closure to the finish line, the rest of the team came out to meet me and run into the finish line together. I thought I didn't have anything left but I ended up sprinting through the finish.

Running through that finish line, I felt a sense of accomplishment. Just two years ago if you were to ask me if I would every run for fun or do a 5k or a 10k, I would have laughed in your face and said no. I am learning that it is ok to push yourself when you think your body can't do it. I am believing more and more in myself and my ability to run. Not only did I run 6.2 miles, I ran farther. My unofficial time was about 1 hour and 15 minutes. Our total team time was under 4 hours. That was great for our team.

My legs felt like jello and I ripped my shoe off to see if my baby toe was gone. Luckily for me it was still there with a major blister on it. I chugged a bottle of water and went to get some food. They had so much food their because it was donated by a local food store. Everything I ate tasted sooo good!


Team Body by Nitka... Notice I am holding a brat.

Overall, this race proved to me that I can run farther than 3.1 miles. I can run almost 7 miles and who knows how far I may go next... 13.1? I believe I am going to run another 10k in the summer at a little shindig called Summerfest in Milwaukee, WI. Google it and maybe I'll run it with you ;) It was great to run this race with friends and family also. You don't always have to run by yourself. Find someone to do a race with and have fun while doing it. If you don't think you can run, trust me you can. I hated running and now I'm running more in my life than I ever have.

Getting in the zone for my first 10k..YIKES!

2011-04-27T10:00:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, May 1st I will be running my very first 10k. I am excited and yet very nervous. I have been training for it but not as well as I wanted to. I got to a point in training where I just got sick of running. Now that it is race week, I 'm having all these voices run through my head. "You should of done this and that". "What if I can't make it all 6 miles". "What if my ipod doesn't have enough battery?" What if I have to walk?" I don't know why I'm thinking of all these little things but I try to keep reminding myself that this is my first 10k and that all I want to do is finish.

This race is actually a marathon relay that I am doing with 3 others. We will each run about 6.2 miles. I was chosen to be the one who crosses the finish line and I think that will be so awesome. I have ran in numerous 5k's over the past year and I am getting that same feeling I got when I ran my very first 5k. I would love to hear comments and advice from you guys about my 10k. How do you calm yourself down and get pre-racing gitters out? I could use some encouragement, so don't be shy.

La Crosse, WI Fitness Festival

The link above is where you can get more information about the marathon relay that I am running.

Oh, and by the way- I cannot wait to put one of these bad boy's on my car next to my 5k sticker

A Journey Through Pictures.

2011-03-04T10:42:00.000-08:00

Let go of the past and go for the future. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you imagined. - Henry David Thoreau

Change is possible...I've got the pictures to prove it.

Word-Less Wednesday. My gym in my garage.

2011-03-02T14:29:00.000-08:00

Is it "lame"?

2011-02-24T10:45:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was searching for my Wordless Wednesday picture online since my picture from my Droid wasn't cooperating. I was looking up the sticker or decal 3.1 which is what a 5k is. Lots of people have 13.1 or 26.2 stickers on their cars to show off that they had made the sacrifice to run those miles. So, as I was searching through Goggle, I came across a web-page that caught my eye. I skimmed through the post that this person had wrote because it was on the running decals for cars. I got to the end where he proceeds to say that putting a 3.1 decal sticker on your car is lame.

My jaw literally dropped. Now, I know for some people that 3.1 miles is nothing to them. But to me and to numerous people on twitter, that is a stepping stone in our health journey. I mean, last year I was obese and HATED running. Yesterday, I decided that I was going to RUN, OUTSIDE, for the first time this year. I ran 3 plus miles through my neighborhood in about 34 minutes. Think about it, I went running because I wanted to, because I can run now, because I enjoy it. It may not be 13.1 or 26.2 miles but its a start. Some people never get up and go running just because they can, some people never even run a mile or a 5k in their entire life. I am doing something that a lot of people never choose to do.

So, my question to my fellow bloggers is, is it "lame" to buy a 3.1 sticker and put it on my car? Don't be shy, tell the truth, you will not hurt my feelings. I just want to know if people will look at it and be like, wow, or people will look at it and laugh.

Should I buy a 3.1 sticker? Btw, this is the link to the person's page again... lame

Word-less Wed.

2011-02-23T18:56:00.000-08:00

Tuesday = CARDIO KICKBOXING!!!

2011-02-22T10:35:00.000-08:00

So my friend Heebs has told me about this cardio kickboxing class for the longest time. She raves about it, how she can't wait to go to that class and how she feels so much better after she gets done working out from it. She has taken the class three times already and asked me if I wanted to do it with her this semester. So, I decided to see what all the fuss was about and signed up to take the class.

The class is every Tuesday and is an hour long. I didn't know what I was getting myself into because you had to buy boxing gloves. I was excited to get to actually punch things. The instructor, Maria, also teaches self defense. So it is a very helpful class, especially with me going into Criminal Justice for my major. I need to be able to defend myself if I am ever in danger.

After the first class, I was addicted. Every class I have come home sweating and feeling so good. It's nice to put this in my workout routine because I get sick of running or going on the elliptical. I would suggest to people who want to put something new into your workout, try a class like this or just try something new in general. Working out doesn't have to be repetitive and boring. It should be fun!

So tonight, I get to go kick some ass with my pink boxing gloves...be jealous.

Don't mess with me and my pink gloves :p

Where have I been?

2011-02-16T15:19:00.000-08:00

You can yell at me all you want. You should yell at me- I haven't blogged in well over a month. The reason- just plain lazy. I haven't been the same in the past months. I haven't felt like I need to work out or I need to eat better. But I still eat well and when I feel full I stop eating. A big thing I have started to notice is that I have been doing some binge eating. I eat something, that I usually don't eat like cookies or chips and I just can't stop eating them. I don't know what happend to my self control, but it is not as strong as it used to be.

I have a new workout routine now. I used to do a circuit workout 3 times a week and then some type of cardio the other days. I'm over the circuit because I did it for a year straight and I want to do something new. So I am now doing a weight lifting routine 3 times a week and cardio the other 2-3. I really, really enjoy weight lifting. I used to power lift in HS and I enjoyed that also. I have been slacking on my cardio. I know that's where most of my calories burned comes from too. I just cannot get myself to run for more than 20-30 minutes on a treadmill. I like using the ellipticals, most of the time which I do interval hill workouts on. The weather here in Wisconsin is starting to warm up a bit and I cannot wait til we get in the 50's. I like running outside more than running on a treadmill.

I don't know what but I haven't lost any weight. I'm still hoovering in the 198 region. I understand that I am doing less cardio but still I was hoping to lose a pound hear or there. I think it is coming down what I put in my mouth and the portion sizes. Does anyone have any advice? Has this happened to you before?

One hell of a year- Let's do it again in 2011.

2010-12-31T13:45:00.000-08:00

So like most of us, I cannot believe how fast 2010 went by. I can honestly say though, that 2010 was the year that changed my life- for the better. I remember always telling myself that I will start losing weight today but then by the end of the day I was stuffing my face with food. In 2010 though, I stuck to it. I worked out almost everyday, I ate healthy food. I saw changes in not only my body, but also on the scale and myself. I have met some incredibly awesome people through this journey. One day I hope I can meet some of them and thank them for the motivation they have given me when I needed it most.

My New Year's Resolution is to keep working out hard and keep eating healthy. I want to keep inspiring people to change their old habits into new, healthier habits. I want to run a 10k and possibly and half marathon. I want to reach my goal weight of 170lbs. Most of all, I want to be happy with myself- I want to be able to look in the mirror and say, "damn I look good".

So, here's to a great 2010 and an even better 2011. Make a change this year- get healthy!

One Year.

2010-12-26T12:02:00.000-08:00

December has come and gone pretty fast. I started my weight loss journey a year ago and I can't believe how much I have gained from this experience. I started out at 231 and I am now around 195. Losing weight has been one of the best decisions I have made for myself in my entire life. I feel so much better physically and mentally. I used to be shy and not very outgoing- I now have better self confidence in myself and I like to go out and have fun. Going shopping was something I hated to do. I couldnt fit into any of clothes I wanted and I wore a size XL- XXL in clothes and a size 18 pants. I now wear a size Medium to Large in shirts and I wear a size 14 pants.I love to shop now because I look at myself and feel good at what I see in the mirror.

One of the biggest obstacles I wanted to over come was running. I hated to run. I decided in July that I was going to run a 5k. I ran it and I decided from then on that I was going to run a 5k every month from now on and I have :) Recently, I have decided to run a half marathon this summer with my cousins. I can't believe that I am going to run 13.1 miles people. That's crazy!

Losing weight is hard if you don't have people cheering you on. From blogging and being on Facebook and Twitter I have met so many kick-ass people that are there to lean on for support. They understand what your going through, they understand your struggles, they're there when you achieve, when you feel like giving up they're there telling you to keep fighting. Honestly, I don't think I could have come this far without the help and support from other bloggers like Tara, Mike, Mel, Jess, Vinny, Rinn, and the man that helped me start this journey Tyler. They have been such a great inspiration to me throughout the year. I truely am grateful to have become good friends with the amazing people. I thank you guys and gals for keeping me in check and being great role models for me. <3

For someone who is just starting out their weight loss journey, I would encourage your to read their stories and see what these bloggers started at and where they are now. Add them on your blog roles, surf the internet for other bloggers and become friends with them. If you have facebook or twitter follow people and keep in touch with them. You can keep each other in check- kind of like a workout partner.

One year is down and a new one is soon to start. I am excited to see what 2011 has in store for me. What are you going to do in 2011? Are you going to get up and start exercising or are you going to wait another year. Make this the year you change your life.


Me at my heaviest weight 231


My first 5k- finished in 30 mins

First Medium T-shirt. Ever.

Welcome to onederland :)

21st birthday

Just keep swimming...or running

2010-11-30T12:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, ok I am back! I will not lie- I missed all my bloggers but I did manage to keep up with people on Twitter. It's almost been a month since the last time I blogged and let me tell you how frustrated I was. I just needed to get away. I ended up putting my scale in a closet and haven't stepped on it since. I hate the feeling I would get when I stepped on that stupid device and how shitty it made me feel for the rest of the day. For those of you who don't know- I have been on a fucking plateau for 4 almost 5 months now. It sucks. It sucks monkey butt. I was so mad at my body for not doing what I wanted that I took a week off and didn't exercise and ate pretty much what I wanted. At first it felt good but as the week progressed I hated the feeling of laziness. So that following monday I got back on the horse and started working out and eating right again. I am still in the 190's weight wise and I really want to be in the 180's by Christmas-I know I've said that a million times but I REALLLLLY want that-seriously that would be the best Christmas present ever.

I am trying a new lifting program for the next 4 weeks. No more circuit, this program is more of building muscle. I am also going back to HIIT for running. Lately, I have been in love with biking at my local YMCA. So I will be doing some intervals on the bike to get the HR going as well. I would like to also share with you guys and gals that I have been keeping up my promise of running atleast one 5k a month. In November I ran two turkey trot's. One in La Crosse, WI with my sister and one in Pewaukee, WI Thanksgiving morning. I can honestly say that running 5k's really has kept me in the mood to go to the gym and workout. My saving grace I guess you could say.

Pre Turkey Trot in La Crosse, WI w/ my sister


Post Turkey Trot- Love the T shirt we got!


Pre Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Morning...at 730am. My sister, cousins and I

After the race and ready to nom nom nom on Turkey :)

Break time

2010-11-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

For the past 3-4 months I have been hovering around 195-196. I changed up my workouts and I was told by a metabolic and body composition coordinator to consume around 2,000 calories a day. For some reason my body, at least on the scale has not shown any degree of change. I am not going to lie to you, seeing other people's accomplishments, when it comes to losing weight is great but it also is rubbing me in the wrong way. How can this person lose weight every damn week and I have trouble losing a pound in 2-3 weeks. I work hard, I eat right, I drink lots of water. I try to make good and healthy decisions everyday. Don't get me wrong-losing almost 40 pounds in 8 months is awesome. I want to lose more though and for some reason my body likes staying right where it is. I feel like my hard work is not paying off. I know that exercising and eating right in itself is great for me but I want to SEE it. So for right now I am taking a break on my blogging. I will still be on twitter tweeting (MollyMFNitka) and my Facebook (FluffyGirl). I think when I hit certain goals I will blog about it, let's say when I hit 190. But right now, I need to figure out why I haven't lost weight. I realize people plateau. But let's get serious, a plateau for 4 months, something needs to change.

It's not good-bye, it's I'll see ya soon.

Oh hey 21st birthday..Be good to me

2010-10-19T07:37:00.000-07:00

The 21st birthday. What every underage person cannot wait for. I didn't go out last night at midnight because its only tuesday. Today I woke up to a shit ton of Facebook notifications and Tweets. One of the best feelings in the world is knowing other people take the time to wish you a happy birthday.

Today I am going to workout and later tonight I am going out to dinner with my family and a close friend of mine. I'm going to then go out after dinner and get a couple drinks with my mom and another friend. This weekend on the other hand, I'm going to Whitewater, WI. My friends are taking me out to the bars and I hopefully will survive. I'm hoping I don't gain to much weight this weekend. I know with the going out to dinner, cake and drinks adds up. But I figured you only turn 21 once- so go big or go home right?

So, I figured out a neat idea to keep me focused. If you wish me a happy birthday on facebook, twitter or on here- I will add 10 minutes to my workout. So- Happy Birthday to me!

5k numero tres with a noob.

2010-10-12T18:52:00.000-07:00

On saturday morning my friend Heebs and I ran the Panther Prowl 5k run down in Milwaukee. It was a beautiful morning, the high was supposed to be 78 but go into the upper 80's as the day progressed. Heebs came over around 8:30 and we were planning our attack on where to go and park. We figured it out and we were on the road by 9:15. The sun was shining, it was warm and the sky was blue. We found a parking structure on the UWM campus and parked in there FO FREE! We ~~stalked~~ followed a group of people who looked like they were runners to the start/finish line. We both had to really pee so we went into the library and made a pit stop.

We came back outside and stood around talking and people watching for about 20 mintues. The funny thing about me and my girl Heebs is that when we see something/someone- we look at each other and think the same thing. There were some real winners at this race. But I digress..

The announcer told us to line up near where we thought we should be in line. I thought I should be in front where the 5 minute milers are...lol it's a joke people. We headed back to where the 10 minute milers were, and there was a shit ton of people there. We did a little warm up stretching and then at 10am the countdown began. We were off! for most of the first mile we ran on the concrete road. It was pretty flat but I almost jacked my ankel up in a pot hole- That would have been awesome, not. We headed into a park which was beautiful. There was a lot of shade that kept us cool as we were going into mile number 2.

We were at about 2.5 miles when Heebs was having some trouble so I told her we were going to catch these two girls in front of us. We paced ourselves and I knew that we had a hill coming up before the home stretch. We turned the corner and I flew up the hill passing people left and right. Heebs was behind me and she was going as fast as she could. I kept telling her, "We're going to catch those girls!". We turned another corner and we could see the finish line. We got to about 50 feet from the finish-line and I pushed her to sprint and finish strong and that's exactly what we did.We beat one of the girls, so we were pretty happy about that. Our time was 33:52. Not bad for a first time racer.

After the race we stretched and got some food. Overall, this race was my favorite. I loved running through the park and I got to run with one of my best friends, plus it was a gorgeous day!

Pre-5k

Reppin that # 800

RAWR!

Post 5k. We dominated.

Trainer Joey.

2010-10-08T18:18:00.000-07:00

Today I got to workout with a trainer, named joey at Fitness Together. My dad knows the owner and she needed people to work with this trainer before he was "legit". I was supposed to go yesterday to do a full body workout but, do to technical difficulties and getting lost/not finding the place, I didn't get to workout with him yesterday. But today, I did find the place, woot!n

I got into the gym and there were three trainers working with clients. Joey came up to me and introduced himself. He said he wasn't going to be done with his client until 12:45 so at 12:30 I was to warm up. I jumped on the treadmill and did some face paced walking for about 15 minutes. Then I cranked it up and ran for about 10 more minutes. I had a good sweat going.

He asked me what I wanted to do today and I said kickboxing. I have done it before but not really as a work out. He got me some boxing gloves and we started working out. Most of the workout was high intensity, a lot of reps and him telling me to "hit it harder!". Every time he said that I wanted to laugh and say, "that's what she said". But I kept it in my brain. He was a very talkative trainer, which was good because I didn't want some gorilla juice head type of trainer that says two words every 10 minutes. He actually went to the same college as I did so that was a topic of interest for him to talk about. He was also an avid Michael Jackson lover. Joey also liked to serenade me during the workout...unfortunately he isn't my type. I was hoping for a gorilla juice head ;)

At the end of the workout I was dripping sweat and I smelt horrible. It was a good feeling though, because I haven't had that kind of intensity in awhile. We stretched at the end and he gave me an apple for the ride home. I ate the shit outta that apple, nom nom nom! I think I'm going to try and get another session with him for a full body workout. As for tomorrow, I'm going to do some running. I got a 5k on Sunday. My third one-I never though I would be signing up for 5k's every month. Crazy what happens when you lose a couple pounds.

What are you doing this weekend?

#DDGBD week 6.

2010-09-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

Goals for this upcoming week...

1. workout 5 times
2. Drink more h20
3. Write down everything I eat

My brag- I went out with some friends for the first time in months.

I need to work on- Self control. I thought I was getting better at it but its been creeping on me lately.

Top Priority-My 21st birthday is coming up in October. I would love to be in the 180's by then.

When I'm doubtful, I look back at how far I've come.

2010-09-23T17:35:00.000-07:00

So I was facebook creeping and I came across this picture of me at my sister's 21st birthday.

My jaw dropped when I saw this picture. I cannot believe how I let myself get to this point. I said outloud, "I look bloated".

Looking now at the pictures from my brother's wedding this past weekend, I look and feel like a whole different person.

This was when I was getting my make-up put on.

Waiting to get my hurr did.

Me and my sis before the ceremony

My lil bro, who clearly is not "little", my sis, me and my dad- Big mike

I have doubted myself lately. I doubt myself and think that I am not going to lose anymore weight and get down to my goal weight of 170. I doubt myself that my eating habits will not stay healthy, I doubt myself on a lot of things... but looking at pictures, which truly do say a thousand words, I believe I can do anything. I have come a long way since last December. I chose to live a completely different lifestyle, which has changed me and my life. I don't doubt that I made one of the best decisions in my life and I know I will continue to live this way for the rest of my life. You may struggle, a lot, and think that what your doing may not be helping or changing you. I did. But don't doubt yourself, because everyday you chose to make healthy decisions, is a day that you are changing your life for the better.

I'm back.

2010-09-22T15:32:00.000-07:00

So lately I haven't written a post. I have been super busy with life...school, working, working out, my brother's wedding. Yeah, you get it. I've been feeling really blah lately. I'm so tired and I don't have the "mojo" to get my ass in gear. Basically, I'm struggling. I'm sick of doing my circuit workouts and all I wanna do is run or go on the elliptical. I think I may be going back to just doing reps for lifting. I have noticed that that my muscles have shrunk but that's because when you lose weight you also lose muscle.

My sleeping pattern has been shit lately. If there is one thing I need in life, it's the right amount of rest/sleep. If I can't get atleast 8 hours of sleep. I feel like shit and I am one cranky mofo. So, my goal is to start going to bed before midnight and getting at least 8 hours of sleep.

My next 5k is in October. Its on 10/10/10, cute right. It is down in Milwaukee by the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee campus and along the lakefront. I am excited to travel down there to run, I heard running by the lake is a beautiful sight. I am really excited because I am running it with my friend Heebs. Heebs doesn't like running but I told her, after this I won't force you to run with me ever again.

So, that's what's been going on in my life right now. I feel so out of it because I haven't read a lot of blogs for the past week. I'm hoping to get back into the groove of things and start blogging again regularly. Send positive vibes my way to get my ass out of this damn slump I've been in. Thanks!

Another 5k.

2010-09-12T15:22:00.000-07:00

So this morning my sister and I ran another 5k. It was at a local park in our city called Frame Park. The event was called the Dream Mile. On the way to the race my sister said we're going to run it in 28:59. I just shook my head- as long as I was under 30 minutes I was going to be one happy ~~camper~~ runner.We got there about a half an hour early. We went to the bathroom, because I didn't want to pee my pants while running. We asked a lady what the course was like, she said it was a lap and a loop. What ever that meant. I looked at my sister and was like, whatever i'm just going to follow the crowd. It was a cool morning, the sun was out and it was about 55-60 degrees. There was a pretty good turn out for runners and walkers.

At 8:30 we lined up for the shot gun start. My sister and I were at the back of the line and as soon as the gun went off, we were passing people like it was our J-O-B. The whole course was pretty flat and easy to run. There were a couple inclines here and there but no hills. The pace that we were running at was pretty fast 7:30-8 minute pace. My sister was keeping track and I was just jamming out to my music and keeping up with her. Everything felt really smooth running. We got to the last half mile and we picked up the pace some more. I was trying to catch a girl in front of me but she kept on moving up a little bit more than I could catch her at. My heart rate was pumping and I saw the finish line time at 27:50 and at first I thought holy shit! But then I was like GET YOUR ASS MOVING! I sprinted the last couple of meters and my official time was 28:01! A two minute PR. I felt great after I stopped running, my legs didn't feel heavy like my first 5k and I wasn't as out of breath as before. basically, I felt fucking awesome!

My next 5k is in October down in Milwaukee at UWM. It's called the Panter Prowl and I am excited because one of my friends decided to run it with me. I can't wait to see how this next one turns out :)

The Versatile Blogger.

2010-09-06T19:06:00.000-07:00

So two days ago I got an award. The Versatile Blogger Award from Brigette Mittler over at Poohpees World.

The award states that I must do the following...

1. Thank the person who gave you the award.

2. Share seven things about yourself.
3. Nominate fifteen newly discovered blogs.
4. Let your nominees know about the award.

So, Thank you Brigette for finding my blog and giving me this award!

Here are 7 things about ME

1. I live in Wisconsin- the beer and cheese state.

2. I ran my first 5k 2 weekends ago in 30:07

3. I have one tattoo, stars on my wrist.

4. I am going to school for dental hygiene

5. My favorite actor is Vin Diesel

6. I was a state free-throw champion in 5ht grade.

7. I used to weigh 231 Lbs but not any more! I'm down to 193 and my goal is 170

8. I love athletic shoes, Adidas and Nike.

9. My favorite TV shows were/are Lost, The office, Jersey shore, Teen Mom, and Modern Family.

10. I am a Libra, Oct 19.

Now I get to share this award with others! I don't know if I'll get 15 but I'll try!

1.http://www.redstar5.com/blog/

2.http://never320again.wordpress.com/

3.http://www.35andshrinking.com/

4.http://ringaroundrinn.wordpress.com/

5.http://www.theroadfrom316.com/

6.http://sweatinguntilhappy.blogspot.com/

7.http://meledwards.com/

8.http://monday315.com/

9.http://mommaskinnyjeans.blogspot.com/

10.http://www.265andfalling.com/

#DDGBD week tres.

2010-09-06T07:33:00.000-07:00

Starting weight 196

Current weight 193 ( just stepped on the scale)

One thing I am proud of this week: Running for an hour and two minutes-NON STOP.

One thing I need to improve on: No starch for 2 weeks.

Hope everyone has a safe and wonderful Labor Day!

An hour of running.

2010-09-04T18:50:00.000-07:00

Today I got back to working out. Yesterday I took the day off to rest my body. I just wasn't feeling good at all and I didn't want to push myself. I have been running a lot for the last month and I really am enjoying it. I was going to do my circuit today but didn't feel like doing it, so instead I decided on running. I told myself that I would run for 45 mins and that would be a good workout.

The weather here today was a bit chilly. A cold front came through and for the past two days its been long sleeve t-shirts and jeans- that kind of weather. Now, I'm not complaining because just 3 days ago it was humid as hell and I was complaining of it being too hot. I digress... So I bundled myself up, got my ipod gear on, laced up my shoes and was off. As soon as I started running, I noticed that I seemed to be running faster than normal. I was running for the first two laps at a ten minute pace. Not bad. When the third, fourth and fifth lap(s) came around, my mile was down to 8.5-9.5 minute miles. I was trucking and feeling good.

The weather was awesome. The sun was shining and the breeze felt good. I wasn't sweating as much as usual and it was nice. Usually I get sweat in my eyes and it burns. Not fun. My feet felt good, my shins were golden and the rest of my body was feeling good also. I hit the 45 minute mark and I was like, I can go for an hour. I kept running and it was crazy awesome! My feet/legs just kept going and going. They didn't want to stop and I had no problem with that. I noticed around lap 7 going up the last big hill my quads were getting a little tight but I still kept running. I hit an hour and noticed that I was in the home front to finish at my house, I decided not to stop because I was so close. I kept running. I ran for one hour and two minutes! That is the first time I have ran, NON-STOP for an hour plus. I couldn't believe it because I hated running, then I started running and enjoyed it and just finished my first 5k a week ago. Now, I ran for an hour. Holy shit, what is wrong with me right? I thought it was impossible for me to run. I thought it was impossible for me to like running. I thought it was impossible for me to run a 5k. I thought it was impossible for me to run for over an hour-non stop. Put your mind toward something and nothing will be impossible.

I think that I am going to sign up for another 5k in two weeks at a local park not far from my house. I figure since it's close enough, I might as well take advantage of it. How is running going for you? Do you like it/enjoy it/hate it? Do you prefer long or short distance?

#DDGBD week dos.

2010-08-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

My positive Picture :)

Current weight 195.2

A goal I added on to my other ones was to run a 5k every month

One thing i'm proud of for the week is, Running my first 5k in 30:07! Holla.

One thing I am going to improve on is eating enough so I am full. Then I won't binge throughout the day.

First 5k- Completed. It was awesome!

2010-08-28T09:44:00.000-07:00

Today I did it! I ran, that's right, RAN my first 5k! No walking. All running. I woke up excited. Got my breakfast in and some water. Put on my awesome T-shirt that my sister made. I Made sure my ipod wasn't acting dumb- for the past couple of weeks it just froze while I ran and I was hoping it wouldn't do it today. Put on my sock and shoes and was ready to head to the race.

Yeah, the sun was really bright out this morning. Shoulda worn my stunna shades. Team Fluffy woohoo! So we headed down to the church where the race was located. It was about a 5-10 minute walk from my house. As we got closer to the church I started getting butterflies in my stomach. I havent had that feeling in a long time. It was exciting for me because I miss competing in sports. We got to the check in table and I got my first 5k t-shirt and race number.

I was ready to go at that point. I was like, Wow- I'm actually doing this! The weather was beautiful. The sun was shining, there was not one cloud in the sky. It was in the mid 70's and a slight breeze. We were hanging out for a bit and talking. And all of a sudden I was at the starting line. Holy Schnikes!!!

Racers take your mark! And we were off.

The first 1.5 miles we were running at a 9.5-10 minutes pace. It felt good, my legs felt good, my breathing was good- Everything felt in place. The last mile I was starting to feel my legs we getting a little tired. I was still pacing myself for a good time. There was a girl in front of us who was sucking wind but she was further up. I was trying to catch her the whole second half of the race but never did. It's cool- she was my target that kept me going. What I really enjoy about this race was that it was the first one they have hosted here. There was about 25-30 runners total. A decent turn out for a first time race. The course wasn't too bad- There was a decent hill but other than that it was a flat parking lot. Everyone was cheering everyone else on- That's what I loved. No matter if it was your first race or your 500th race- People were clapping, yelling and encouraging you to keep on going. That's awesome.

So back to the race- We were on the home stretch to finishing the race. My sister looked at the clock they had and it was at 28 minutes. She's like, let's go you can make it in 30! There was a guy who had a microphone and he would say when someone was coming to finish so everyone would cheer them on. I dont remember what he exactly said, but I remember him yelling in the mic at me and we ended up pushing ourselves faster and fast until we were in the straight away and my sister screamed, GO MOLLY, RUN THROUGH THE FINISH! I dont know how- my legs were full of lactic acid by then but I SPRINTED through the finish line. My muscle were burning but after I made it through, words can't describe how awesome a feeling it was to accomplish the race in 30:07!

Race time = 30:07. Not bad for my first race.

My butt was cramping.

Stretching my legs..haha they feel like jello still.

My sister was so jacked that I finished in 30 minutes. Honestly, I thought if I finished in 35 minutes that would have been great. But, I pushed myself and didn't give up. I wanted to stop running a couple of times but I knew I had to keep going. All along the way I had a great group of fans. My mom and dad of course were there but I found out that my older brother Matt and his fiance, Melissa were coming to watch. I was really appreciative of that.

My cheering section. You guys rock <3

The sign my sis made. We look pretty good for being all sweaty and what not.

After the race we went to get a bottle of water and powerbar that they were handing out. I talked to an older lady who has been running for awhile. She told me her goal was to run a 5k every month. I like that idea- I may have to "run" with it also. They were figuring out official times and then they were going to hand out awards. Guess who took home 3rd place...This Girl :)

I like trophies :D

My sister ended up getting a medal as well for her age group. So we both ended up taking home some hardware to brag about.

Overall, it was an awesome race. I officially got my first 5k done with an out of the way. This was a great experience and I already think I have my second race lined up. I want to dedicate this race to all of my fellow blogger's who have inspired me to lose weight and to try running. You guys know who you are- Your awesome and I love you for all the advice you have given me over the past 6 months. I also want to thank my sister for helping me out with my running and actually running with me. She could have ran faster than me numerous times but didn't. She paced me and she encouraged me to keep running and stay with her. Thanks Megan. Your a peach. xoxo

Any Last words of Wisdom.

2010-08-26T16:20:00.000-07:00

My first 5k is on saturday morning! I am excited, nervous, anxious, etc for this race. So many emotions. You may ask why? Well, to tell you the true- I remember saying out loud, "I will never run for fun". I remember being 231 pounds and thinking, why do people run? It's so boring. Plus running isn't fun. Running is something that skinny people do. I remember walking to class in college and going up a flight of stairs made me lose my breath. I remember thinking to myself, how did I let myself get so big. Looking back at pictures from 6 months ago, I can't believe I thought I was in good shape. I wasn't. Running for the past 3 weeks has been so awesome for me mentally/emotionally. Never would I have thought that I would be signing up to RUN a 5k. Never would I thought I would ENJOY running. Never would I think I would weigh under 200 pounds. Things change. You change. People always say something is impossible. It's impossible to lose weight. It's impossible for me to work out with a schedule like this. It's impossible for me to eat right. Nothing is Impossible. You make something impossible- when it can actually be possible. To all of you who think you will never like running. I was there. I had that in my head all growing up. Until 3 weeks ago- I got my ass of that stupid elliptical and actually went for a run. I enjoyed how calming it was, how I got to be by myself, I got to think about different things and I went where my feet took me. Running has changed me. It may take a while for others to find out they like to run- it took me 20 years. But I finally found it and it has been awesome.

I got two more days until the first 5k of my life. I know many of you have ran 5k's before. What is one thing you would like me to know about the race. It can be anything- I want to hear from you. Any last words of wisdom for this noob?

Drop Dead Gorgeous by December

2010-08-22T16:50:00.000-07:00

So Jess over at half of jess decided to come up with this crazy, cool idea called Drop Dead Gorgeous by December. Check out her link, there's a lot of awesome stuff that goes with it. She gave us a list of things to do for the first part of it and here they are.

1. Post a pic of yourself with a positive sign

2. My current weight = 194.7

3.Goal(s) from now until december

Run a lot more, especially outside before all the snow falls
Drink more water every day
Try to incorporate more vegetables throughout the day
Look myself in the mirror and point out something positive
Try something new be it food, exercises, ect
Become a Pen Pal - Any takers?
Realize how far I have come in almost a year

4.One thing you are proud of for the week
Running 10 miles this week- not bad for a beginner

5.One thing I can improve upon for next week
STRETCH!

What will you accomplish before this year is over? There is still time, get up and DO IT!

Running.

2010-08-18T19:23:00.000-07:00

I started running last week in order to get ready for my FIRST 5k on August 28. I also wanted to do/try something new instead of just doing the ellpitical all the time. Let me tell you how scared I was to just run. I have hated running ever since I started playing sports. I could never get my breathing down and I was always so slow. It honestly scared me to run. Recently my sister made me a running schedule for the 5k so I wouldn't suck totally in my first race. The first day my sister and I ran together. We were going to only run on lap, which is a mile and then walk another lap. When I started running, it was so simple for me. It kinda took me by surprise how I wasnt struggling to get my breathing under control. We were even having a little conversation here and there, which back 6 months ago would never have happend. We ran the lap and she asked me if I could keep going..."HELL YEAH!" I said. We ran another half of lap before we stopped. She didnt want me doing too much too soon. We ran for 15 mintues straight and it didnt even seem that long. My sister was impressed with how well I did and actually so was I.

The past week I have been running everyday and I enjoy it a lot. Running feels so good right now. I jam out to music and I have time to think about a lot of things. I love the feeling after I get done running, I feel so accomplished. Six months ago, I was out of breath walking up stairs. I weighed 231 pounds and I was in the worst shape ever in my life. Today I am 34 pounds lighter, I weight under 200 pounds (197 baby!) and I am running and loving it.

Do you enjoy running? How much do you run? Why do you enjoy running?

Deep fried what?!

2010-08-11T19:44:00.000-07:00

Ask anyone who lives in Wisconsin or is from the beer and cheese state about the Wisconsin State Fair and you will not believe some of the stuff they say. Most people come to the fair to try numerous different food(s) that only come around once a year. But your probably wondering, what food is worth a trip to West Allis, WI? How about anything you can think of on a stick, chocolate covered bacon, anything you can find to deep fry and the infamous cream puff. My best friend Andi and I went to this once a year occasion, which usually marks that the end of summer is near. When we went we had in mind what we wanted to find and try. It was kind of like a treasure hunt. All I wanted was some $.25 milk and a cream puff. Andi wanted to try deep fried cream cheese, deep fried PB&J and root beer milk.

So, most of you right now are probably thinking. What the hell?! Rootbeer milk? Deep Fried cream cheese?! Holy shit. Here are some pictures to prove that I am not pulling your leg.

Our first stop in this adventure was the $.25 glass of milk. Of course WI being the dairy state and infact where REAL HAPPY COWS come from, the fair always have a shit ton of cows. They milk the cows daily and use the milk to make different flavors. The flavors are chocolate, strawberry, cherry vanilla, and root beer. I tried the root beer and strawberry for the first time and they were both delicious.

Yes, three cups of different flavored milk. Total cost $.75

We next wondered through the fair to find the new iteam this year. Deep.Fried.Cream Cheese. I new I was not going to try this, just because the thought of it made my heart hurt. But my friend loves cream cheese and what could be better than having it deep fried.

I just wanted to hold it. Did I mention it came with a small cup of ranch dressing...

The first nibble of the heart attack on a stick...

Don't let that face fool you, she enjoyed it.

After I let the 3 cups of the most tasty, creamy, ice cold, refreshing milk settle, we decided to go hunt for my cream puff.

Yes, you can watch them make cream puffs. It's kinda a big deal.

This is something you want in and around your mouth...

Worth every calorie..don't worry I burned them off the next day.

After I was done eating that once a year cream puff, we walked around for a bit and people watched. We then went to find the deep fried peanut butter and jelly for andi. Andi tried it last year and she loved it, so she got it again.

She's really excited to eat this.

I was forced to try it. As you see Peer Pressure really works on me. I'll have to admit- It was good.

So, as you see there are many weird and yet tasty foods on a stick at this fair. I'm pretty sure the Food Network could come here and do a week long show with all the stuff we have. Hope you enjoyed the pictures to prove how crazy us Wisconsinites are.

It's Official.

2010-08-09T14:19:00.000-07:00

Yes, I finally did it! I signed up for my first 5k EVER! Thanks to everyone who commented on my last post, you all gave me a lot of encouragement to JUST DO IT! The race is Aug 28th. That doesn't give me to much to train but I just want to run one for the hell of it and to know what it feels like. If all goes well, then I will sign up for another one on sept 4th.

Today, I started running in preparation for my first 5k. Let me tell you, it felt so good to run. I used to hate running. Like I would rather swim with sharks than run. I just never really enjoyed it. When I started blogging, a lot of the people that I talked to started doing 5ks which turned into 10ks which turned into half marathons. They looked so happy after they were done racing. I wanted that. I wanted to feel a sense of accomplishment when I cross that finish line. ~~I want to enjoy running~~, I want to love running.

August 28th = The start of something new and awesome!

First possible 5k.

2010-08-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

So, alot of the amazing people I blog with run. I started running during the first couple months of my weight loss journey but now since I stay home and do my workouts in the garage, I go on the elliptical. Sometimes I'll take a jog around the block but for the most part, I haven't really just ran in a while. As I've been reading blogs and looking at pictures they post before and after races, it looks like they are having so much fun. I miss being competitive ever since high school. Sports were my life. I want to get that competitive nature back and I can do that by racing.

My sister has been bugging me all summer on trying to find a 5k to run before the end of summer. Yet, I've put it on the back burner because of number of excuses. I think I have found a my first 5k to run. It's at a huge church just down the street from my house. I ~~think~~ know this is my first 5k. I am nervous to sign up because of how much I haven't run. I think I might just do it to get the nervousness out of the way. What do you guy and gals think?

My first 5k

Any words of wisdom?

Operation B-e-a-utiful.

2010-08-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

Today as I was getting ready to workout, I was reading Mary's blog. I loved it so much because it reminded me of one of the reason I knew I HAD to lose weight. Last year at my job I was with a group of girls. We were getting ready for swimming. I was standing waiting for the rest of the girls to get ready, while I talked to a smaller group of girls who was already done and ready to hit the pool. One of the girls literally looked at me and asked "Are you pregnant?"... I was so embarressed. I tried to make it into a joke by saying something else and it just made all of the girls laugh. That moment has stuck with me in the back of my head ever since.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago, I was outside with two girls playing a game of mancala. One of the girls started talking about her weight and grabbed the excess skin on her stomach and said the she was fat. This girl is 12 years old and is no where near fat. I looked at her and told both of them that they are beautiful the way they are and I grabbed the excess skin around my stomach and said that I was working on getting rid of it. They both told me that I was skinny and beautiful and that I didn't need to lose weight. I was wearing sunglasses, thank God because I teared up a bit. That only happened about a month ago, but that has stuck in the back of my head also.

I believe today girls need good role models to tell them that they don't need to be a size 0 to be pretty. They need role models to tell them to play sports, to try new things, be adventurous, dress appropriately for their age and to just enjoy their childhood. Too many time they are calling each other Fat and talking behind each others backs. When I go to work, I try to be the best role model possible for these girls because some of them don't have one at home. I try to encourage them to step out of their comfort zone and try new things, to play with the boys and to just try and make them enjoy this stage of their lives. You only get one childhood, make the most of if.

Now, back to Mary's blog. Operation beautiful. You take a post-it and write something positive about yourself and take a picture and post it on your blog. As I was on the elliptical this morning, I was trying to figure out what I wanted to write on it. Something that people would look at and be like, that's an awesome post-it. Here it is...

STRONG is the new Beautiful. Do you agree?

Coffee and its benefits to losing weight.

2010-08-05T08:23:00.000-07:00

So like a lot of other people, I love a good cup of coffee in the morning. It just puts me in a good mood. Coffee has a lot of benefits to drinking it, but did you also know that it helps in weight loss? I looked up some articles online and here is something I found. Read it. Share it with others. Maybe this will help you in your weight loss.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article856751.ece

http://www.articlesbase.com/weight-loss-articles/drinking-coffee-for-health-and-weight-loss-65694.html

Back to the state of Beer and Cheese.

2010-08-01T19:19:00.000-07:00

Wow, I havent been on the internet in awhile- a week to be exact. The reason, I went on vacation with my friend, heebs and her parents. We drove from Wisconsin to North Carolina. We stayed in Sunset Beach, which was kind of close to Myrtle Beach. This vacation was what I needed to just sit back and get some well deserved R&R. I did manage to work out a bit. We got a pass for the fitness room and worked out 4 of days we were there. They didn't have too much to chose from in there fitness room, so I stuck to my elliptical. I went on it for 50 mins each time at a good incline. After we were done, we would just go lay by the pool until 3 and then head back to the condo to get ready for dinner. It was the good life. Easy to get used to but hard to leave from. The hardest challenge for me on vacation was eating, especially when we went out to dinner. Since we were down south, a lot of foods were fried. I also noticed that I drank a lot of diet coke at dinner. As we got to the end of the trip I tried getting water with my meals. I just really missed cooking my own meals by the end of the trip. It was really hard being out of my routine and comfort zone but I managed to get through.

It's funny, the thing I missed most while on vacation was my blogging friends. I wanted so bad to talk to them and hear their words of wisdom to give me. I have become accustom to talking with these people everyday and then for a week I couldn't. I also noticed that when we would be on the road and stopped at a place to eat, I would get a weird feeling after I was done eating at a restaurant. It was like I felt dirty or something. Back home, I rarely eat out or try to not eat at certain restaurants. Before I lost weight, I would eat out a lot with friends and wouldn't care what I ordered or how much I ate or if I felt full I would still eat. I noticed that if I was full, I stopped eating. That's a big deal for someone who has been reteaching them self to eat for four months. I'll admit, I did make poor decisions some night eating out, I'm not going to cry over it. I know that this week, come monday- I'm going to work hard and get back into my RAWR mode. I got to get back to losing weight instead of just maintaining. Tomorrow, I get back to work, I get back on track, I get back to eating good and start losing weight.

Here are some pics from the trip, enjoy!

Me at the UNC basketball Museum, so cool!

We got to go into Duke's Gym...be jealous.

Duke's Chapel, we would have gone in but there were weddings going on.

What's up Sunset Beach! Getting out tan on.

Virginia Tech's mascot...the hoakie- Don't know his name but we look pretty B.A.

Woke up the last morning to leave and watched a beautiful sunset rise. Good way to end vacation.

If you had to chose one which would you chose... UNC or Duke?

Me- UNC all the way! (That's right Eric, UNC ;) )

Disney. New Supplement testing. Back to work.

2010-07-19T15:26:00.000-07:00

I got home yesterday around 10am. I had been up since 2am-slept on the flight on the way home but was still tired. I ended up going to church then came home and made some breakfast-which was healthy compared to the stuff on vacation I was eating and then went to take a nap. I woke up at 6pm. I thought I was going to go on the elliptical but man was I tired. I know, excuses excuses right. Dont worry guys and gals, today I worked out for 2.5 hours and burned 2000+ cals. It felt good to do a legit workout again! I also tried a new supplement I got at the convention. It's called No Shotgun- It's a pre-workout drink. I really thought it helped my workout. I didn't feel tired, the reason-caffeine but it also has other stuff in it to help. The taste is a little blah, but I managed to drink it.

As for Orlando, it was a good trip. The weather was hot, a little rain here and there but otherwise it was Florida weather in the summer. We did a lot of walking around, which was good because that means calories burned. I got two 55min workouts in with my sister at the hotel. I did the elliptical on level 12. I got a good sweat going and it felt good to start out the day dripping sweat. We went to only two places in Disney, Downtown Disney and Epcot. Epcot was really cool. I really enjoyed the ride in the Epcot ball.

Me, my sister and my lil bro (he's 6'4'')

We also took pictures with a couple of characters...

Chip N Dale!

A cat from the Arista-Cats. Forgot the name-Sorry Kitty Cat.

Mulan! I spotted her and we didn't have to wait in a line to take a pic. She wanted us to pose like that, btw.

And, finally Mr. Schmee.

I enjoyed going to all the countries. It was neat to see how many people from around the world really come to Disney. It's crazy! We went to ESPN to eat dinner and they were doing a live show- The two announcers asked where we were from. We replied "Wisconsin!" They immediately said, " Oh, the land of beer and cheese." haha. So true. They also asked us about Brett Farve (Barf) We told them, we dislike him and he's a traitor. Across from us, were Chicago Cubs fans..BOO! There is nothing worse than a Cubs fan, that's a fact.

The guy asking my brother for his answer to a question.

The T-shirt we won for a correct answer. WooHooo!

Overall, the trip was a success. I didn't over-do it on food and I got to workout. I enjoyed myself a lot and hopefully, someday I will get to go to the other Disney parks that I didn't get to see. The last night, we dressed up for a little dinner shindig.

The siblings. Btw, I'm wearing my new size 14 shorts :D

It's back to work tomorrow morning, bright and early. Got to make that money- Then on friday it's off to North Carolina with my friend Heebs and her rents. Have any of you gone on vacation? Do you watch your calories and exercise or do you not care? Any good workouts you have in mind for when I'm on vacation?

The motto of the trip: Just.Keep.Moving.

2010-07-16T18:03:00.000-07:00

What's up everyone! Hello from Orlando- I managed to steal my dad's laptop and WIFI in the hotel room. It's been fun down here but just wanted to do a little blogging on my down time. I have been working out every morning with my sister here at the hotel. I've done the elliptical for 55 mins and on level 12. Both times I have burned over 1000 calories! I have been trying to eat "healthy" and make good choices, like eating chicken and drinking water. I splurged a little tonight and got some cookies and cream low fat yogurt in a dish. It tasted like ice cream and was delicious! We have done a lot of walking around which is a plus-burning more calories! Today all we did was sit by the pool and tan- that's what I'm talking about. I got a tad bit burnt but it will def turn into a tan. Hope all of you have had a great week, I wanna give a special shout out to Tara for joining me and many other's in the great place of One-der-land! Congrats Tara and keep working hard :)

I get back to Wisconsin early on Sunday. I hear it's supposed to be in the 90's and sunny so I may hold off blogging until later that night or Monday. See ya then!

Vacation time.

2010-07-13T19:17:00.000-07:00

So I've been packing for the last three hours. Going through my list to see if I have everything and if I need to add anything to my already fully packed suitcase. I am very excited to be going to Orlando, FL. The reason for this vacation is because my dad, who is on the Board of Directors in the NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) will be speaking and receiving an award down there. It is also our first time to Disney. As a kid, my family didn't go on family vacations. It kind of makes me sad because all of my friends always go on vacations and then there's me, stuck at home during the summers. When people ask me if I have ever been to Disney, I reply "No" and there face instantly turns to shocked.

I have been talking to friends and they have really jacked me up for this trip. They said no matter what age you are, you will love Disney. That makes me so happy because I feel like I would have had a better time when I was younger, but to hear that I will have a great time at 20 years old-This place really must be awesome.

The last couple of days I have kind of been nervous/anxious about this trip. I am really excited to go but I also am nervous about eating and exercising. I realize I am on vacation and I should be able to enjoy myself but I don't want to over indulge. The past couple of weeks have been tough for me mentally and somewhat physically. I have been feeling really tired and my weigh-in's are not going well. I ended up losing a pound last week but the week before I gained two. I don't know if I am gaining muscle or what but I would just like to get back on track to losing at least two pounds per week. I know as of now I am maintaining my weight-which I cannot complain too much about. But I was really hoping to be down to my goal weight of 170 Lbs by my brother's wedding which is September 18.

Our flight leaves at 6 am tomorrow. I will be up bright and early- I am ready to go to the "Happiest place on Earth". I will be back on Sunday and I will for sure take lots of pictures to share with you when I get back.

Trying to stay focused.

2010-07-11T18:29:00.000-07:00

I'm sorry for not having been blogging regularly. Like I have said numerous times before I'm really busy as is everyone else. I feel lately like I have had no time to relax and that I'm like the energizer bunny. I like being busy, but lately I've just wanted to do NOTHING. I Just want to lay on the couch and watch the 100's of tv shows I DVRed. I have not literally sat down and watched tv in awhile. I just want to sit down for a night and watch a show or a movie on my couch and relax. Life is hectic and busy. But I'm 20 years old- I feel like I'm 40 with the schedule I have.

I have been not feeling the same lately. I haven't lost a pound in 3 weeks. It sucks. Hard work should pay off right? I always thought so, but when your trying to lose weight, your body can do whatever it wants. You just have to sit and wait for the results to happen. And that may take longer then expected. I feel like I have hit a road block right now. I'm working out 1-2 hours a day.5-6 days a week. I'm eating pretty well. Drinking a shit ton of water. But nothing seems to be going the way it should. This week Wednesday I am going to Orlando. My dad is speaking at a conference down there. I feel like this trip though will not be relaxing but more about how many sites can we see in a day, which is fine because I'm all for HollyWood Studios and Disney. I have never been there and heard its fun no matter what age you are. But I would be just fine if all we did was lay by the pool. Have any of you guys and gals gone through this in your weight loss journey? How did you over come it? Help a sista out.

My new outfit!

2010-07-06T08:22:00.000-07:00

So- on Sunday I wanted to wear shorts to fireworks because it was hot as balls outside. I went into my closet to pick out a pair to put on... Little did I know NONE of them fit. In fact the were all HUGE on me. I pulled out each pair, tried them on and then laughed at how big they actually were on me. I showed my mom and she was like O-M-G. Last night I went shopping with my girl Heebs. We went to Old Navy and I was pulling tons of clothes off the racks in Mediums and Larges. What I really wanted was a good, tight pair of jeans because all of the ones I have are baggy. I was shopping for a size 14 pair of jeans! Never have I worn a size 14- it gave me goosebumps. After the hundreds of clothes I tried on here is the outfit I got out of it.

New shirt- I liked the color because it makes me look even more tan than I already am ;)

I bought a cardigan because I have always wanted one.

size 19, 18, 16 and now 14! This is for you Tara

The back of my new favorite size 14 pair of jeans :D

Weigh-in, 4th of july fun and fireworks.

2010-07-05T09:28:00.000-07:00

Did you all miss me? I was busy this whole week/weekend and didn't have time to blog. I am back in action though. Well, where do I start. After having a not so great weekend 2 weeks ago, I stepped on the scale confident that I lost weight. To my surprise, I supposedly gain 2 pounds. hmmm. It's weird because I look at myself and I don't think I weigh as much as I do. Other people I know have asked me about my weight loss and they ask, "Well, what do you weigh now?" and I reply "About 195". They look at me like I am crazy. They don't believe that I weigh that much. It's awesome but in a way, I always know that I weigh more. I didn't let the weigh- in kill my mood. Our Town had there picnik and parade on saturday and my dad runs the parade. My mom, sister and I went down early for the parade. It was good seeing all the little kids on there bikes and scooters throwing out candy. It made me remember those days when I was little.

After the parade was over we met up with my 2 brothers, a friend of theirs and my dad. We all decided to take a swing at marshmallow golf. For all of you who don't know what that is, instead of swinging at a golf ball you swing at a marshmallow and see how far it goes. It's harder then it looks-if your bored go try it. I did that for about 45 mins until the mother of all competitions was announced. The coveted egg toss. It's for people 18 yrs or older. My sister and I were partners- basically you throw an egg at each other and if your egg cracks your out. The two last teams standing wins. Guess, what everyone- My sister and I took 2nd place! About time we took home some hard ware from this competition.

This is my sister and I kissing our lucky egg :)

The hardware we got for taking 2nd place- yeah buddy!

After all the fun and the picnic was over we went back to the house. My dad and I just laid in the pool soaking up some sun. It was really hot that day which was nice for me because it was the first time I got to lay out so far this summer. We were in the pool until about 3 o'clock and then at about 5 o'clock we started grilling. I grilled some chicken and put some onions and red bell peppers on the grill also. It was delicious. That night I ended up going to bed at 9 o'clock. Yeah- I kid you not. I felt like I was 80 years old. But I needed the sleep.

I woke up on sunday around 7:30. I made breakfast and worked out early. My friends, heebs, sydney and becky came over to swim/tan. At about 3 we noticed how burnt we really were and got out of the pool. Sydney and becky left for Summerfest in Milwaukee while me and heebs went to her house to make homemade pizza's. They turned out really good. We were at Heebs house waiting for 2 other girls to come over so we could go see fireworks.

The fireworks were at the Waukesha Expo Center in Waukesha, WI. It was the first time I had gone to this one and I was excited to see how they compared to other fireworks. We got there early so we could get good seats

Here's the crew, Me, Ash, Becca and Heebs. Classy lookin girls.

My and my girl Heebs- Love her!

Me and Ash :)

At 9:30 they started the fireworks...

The fireworks were great. Overall, my 4th of July weekend was awesome! I got to spend time with my friends and family that I love. I'm hoping to get back on to losing weight. I don't know if I am gaining some muscle or what- But I am confident that I will get through this. Hope everyone had a great 4th!

Man, I feel good!

2010-06-28T13:16:00.000-07:00

So, I got back on track today. I did my workout. I was feeling soo much better because I actually got sleep last night- 11 hours to be exact. About damn time. I can breathe out of my nose and taste food again, hallelujah! My workout lasted 2.5 hours. At times I wanted to quit but new it was for the best. Here are some pics

My shirt is full of sweat, btw.

I burned a shit ton of calories...anyone wanna take a guess at how many I burned?

Got your guess...

Here it is..

I'd say this was a perfect start to my week and getting back on track. What did you guys do today for a workout?

Get back on track.

2010-06-27T19:10:00.000-07:00

So as you all know, or atleast if you read my last blog- I was sick all week and still am. I still have a nasty cough that sounds like I am dieing and my nose is still full of wonderful multi-colored mucus. I haven't gotten a good nights sleep in a week, so I am grumpy and during the day I have no energy. Yeah, I know I bet you all are pulling our the worlds smallest violin and playing me a song. I'm sorry for bitching and moaning but man I just want to be able to breathe out of my nose and taste the food I eat.

So my weekend was not all that bad. On Friday after work, I went to play Bingo at Potawatomi in Milwaukee with Heebs and my friend Adam. Adam is in the Air Force and is stationed out in Wyoming. He only has a certain amount of time home until he has to head back. It was fun to just talk with each other because we all grew close in high school. Bingo did not go our way, none of us won but three people at the other side of our table did. It would have been nice to win a couple hundred bucks but there is always next time.

On saturday morning, my friend Heebs and I went to give blood. I used to give platelets regualarly but now with working 40 hours a week and trying to workout after, donating is not the top priority unfortunately.It was not my idea to go give blood, but as I was in the interview cubical an older women was talking to me. She asked me the same questions as usual like..

"Can you spell your last name for me?"
"What's your D.O.B?"
"How tall are you?"
She then asked me...
"How much do you weigh?"
I replied proudly, "196 pounds"
The woman looked at me and said "You do NOT weigh that"
Me- " Yes, I do"
The women looked shocked and said " really? You do NOT look like you weigh 196 pounds"
Me- "Thank you, you do not know how good that makes me feel"
The women then says, " You must have a lot of muscle"

That conversation is something that will always stick with me. After that awesome comment the lady made she did my mini physical. She had to prick my finger to see what my iron level was. It was high enough to donate. She noticed that I was blood type A-. She looked at me and said, "Your blood that you donate today, its going to be going to a baby." I was shocked, I know going and giving blood is a gift that most people don't even know-it saves lives. Knowing that my blood was going to help a baby survive was one of the greatest feelings I have ever had, besides being under 200 pounds. I literally and I kid you not, I got goosebumps.

So, she took me out to my chair where I donated. I was done within ten minutes. My friend Heebs couldn't donate because her iron was too low. As we left the Blood Center, I realized I came in not caring about giving blood and I left knowing that I helped a baby survive. GO GIVE BLOOD!

That night I went up to Sun Prairie, WI with my friend Abbey and we puppy sat my brother and his fiance's dog, Lucy. It was fun, because it was the first time I got to see my brother's apartment. We ended up just hanging out watching Super Bad and having a couple beers. I played catch with Lucy until I got tired of throwing the damn ball. They have a balcony, so Abbey and I sat on the balcony and just talked while we watched the storm roll in. We went to bed and then ended up having to get up at 6 am, ugh, because Abbey had to work at 8am. It's only about an hr drive but when its 615am no one is on the highway so I was cruisin at 80 mph. Thank Jesus no Po-Po were out to pull me over.

This was taken at Easter of this year. Me and Lucy, she's much bigger now.

Today, I got to go to a Brewers Game with my girls, Becca and Heebs. It was a one o'clock game so we went out to breakfast before the game. I had one beer before we went into Miller Park. It started out cloudy and muggy and then it turned into sunny and humid. We had great seats and the game was fun. The Brewers were hitting very well and we ended up beating the Seattle Mariners. After I got dropped off at my house, around 345 I came into my room and passed out until 630.

Me, Becca and Heebs at the Brewers game

The view from our Loge Seats. Thank God we were in the shade otherwise I would have been sweating my ass off!

The thing about this weekend was that I didn't workout friday, saturday or today (sunday). That is the first time in 4 months where I didn't work out all weekend. I feel "dirty" in a way. I mean, after a while its ingrained in your brain to workout. I also, didn't eat as well as I wanted to this weekend. I was on the run a lot and just didn't prepare anything. Yeah, I know it's my fault and I learned the hard way for sure. I just feel out of my routine. I need to get back on track. Tomorrow is the start of a new week, a better week.

who gets sick in the summer...this girl

2010-06-26T07:30:00.000-07:00

Stepped on the scale this morning and was really nervous- I got sick this week starting on tuesday. It started as a sore throat. It wasn't bad but it didn't feel good at all. That night I got no sleep and it didnt help having to wake up at 6am. As the week progressed I started getting a stuffy nose which turned into me not being able to breathe at all. On top of that, I work with kids for 10 hours a day. I yell...alot at them and by thursday I was losing my voice. The voice that I did have left sounded like a man. awesome. Honestly, who gets sick in the summer? I do.

Back to the scale. I was very nervous because this week just felt off for me. I worked out and I ate pretty well but when your sick you lose motivation. I know I could have done more but man, I was dog tired. All I wanted to do was sleep and sleep and sleep. I literally FORCED myself this week to workout. I can't complain though because this is what the scale showed me...

I gained .2 pounds. It sucks to gain weight but I know I can lose that easily. I can tell you that my cold/flu is going away. I still have a nasty cough and I don't sounds like a man anymore. Yay! Well, I hope your week went better than mine. This weekend I am going up to Madison to puppy sit with a friend for my brother and his fiance. Then on Sunday I get to go to a Brewers game with a couple of people. Hopefully this weekend is better and I hope you all have a happy and healthy weekend. Btw, take vitamin C so you don't get sick and sound like a man ;)

I won an Award- Woot Woot!

2010-06-21T14:51:00.000-07:00

So, today I was doing my usual monday workout routine. I added a couple things onto, it was nice outside-a little humid but not too bad. I ended up working out for 2 hours later and 1800 calories later I came back inside dripping sweat and smelling like roses. I logged onto my computer and checked my blog. I saw that I got another comment on my blog from last saturday. So- I click on it to see who it is and it's my good friend Vinny. In his comment he says that he gave me an award. An award? Like a trophy or a certificate...MVP!? No, not that kind of award, a blogger award.

This is my first blogger award! I am very excited to be given this- It makes me feel that all my blogging is actaully worth something to someone. Plus, it was a great way to start the week off :D

Along with the award you have to give 7 others the award as well
Tricia at Fight Fat Phobia
Kristen at Eat, Shrink and Smile
Tyler at 344 Pounds
Tara at 263 and counting
http://theantijared.blogspot.com/
Kaia

Also, I have to tell you fellow bloggers 7 things about myself that you don't know...are you ready?

1. I live in the same house my ma grew up in
2. I have 3 cats- Ninja, goofy and ginga cat
3. I am a Libra
4. I was a State Hoop Shoot Free-Throw Champion in 5th grade...that's wassup
5. I was named Most Valuable Senior Athlete Senior year in high school
6. I have 4 other siblings- One sister and 3 brothers
7. My favorite actor since 6th grade is Vin Diesel <3

Congrats to all the Winners! Have a great week :)

Saturday Morning Weigh-In

2010-06-19T13:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I stepped on the scale and read 196.2, I cannot be more happy with how the past month has gone. My total loss of weight has been 34 pounds. I cannot tell you how awesome I feel physically,mentally and emotionally. I knew losing weight is good but I didn't think it would have such a huge impact on me. I am excited to hit the 40 pound barrier in a couple of weeks. I have notice my body has changed all over- in my face, legs, stomache plus I have noticed that my biceps, triceps and calves are more defined.

My new swim suit :)

Today we opened our pool. Finally. It's been pretty good weather here in WI- Next week its supposed to be in the 90's. Guess who's going to be tanning in that bad boy all week-Me.

So this was my first week of work, as I said before I was quite nervous about it because for the past two years work has been a place where I would just eat horribly food then come home and just lay in front of the tv. Well, this first week of work went absolutely fantastic. I learned that I can eat right at work and then go home and have energy to work out. It's a great feeling to know that I can do it and so can you guys and gals!

So much more energy.

2010-06-15T18:58:00.000-07:00

So today I started my first day of work. I am a couselor at our local YMCA for Summer Rec. Basically I get paid to play games with kids...not to bad of a job I must say. I've worked there for three summers now. Today, I noticed some things that surprised me. For the past two years, I've gone into the pool with the kids maybe once or twice because I obviously looked horrible in a swim suit and didn't want to be judge by anyone in the pool area. Today, I gladly got into my swim suit and swam with the kids. I didn't feel embarrassed- I felt confident.

For the past two years, I was lazy. I didn't want to play games with the kids, I wanted to just sit and watch. If I did play I could only play for 10 minutes before I would be to tired and go sit down. What kind of example was I setting for the kids? Not a good one that's for sure. Today, I played capture the flag for a good 45 minutes with a group of kids. I was running around like I was a kid again- I was having a blast and the kids were loving that I was running around with them. Let me tell you, I was full of sweat but it was a good feeling. I was ready to keep on playing for another hour.

One of the biggest concerns I had was eating during the day at work. A lot of the snacks we give the kids are somewhat "healthy". The get candy on certain days if their good which is in the cabinets, there are vending machines full of crappy food, the juice we give the kids is full of sugar. I ate horribly at work. I would pack a lunch full of food that I totally didn't need to eat. Then I would go find some candy and shove that in my mouth. Empty calories. I knew I was full too but my hand just kept shoving food in my mouth. Today, after months of re-teaching myself how to eat food and STOP eating when I'm full- I packed a good lunch. I ate it and I was satisfied. I brought an apple for snack time. I brought a liter of water and drank that throughout the day. I was successful. I didn't eat crap- I ate food that had nutritional value.

The past two years, I would work 10 hour days. I would come home and feel beat- find something in the house to eat and just lay on the couch and watch TV. Or if I had a really hard day at work, I would come home and eat and then go to bed. No exercise. Today, I came home- ate my oatmeal ( I <3 oatmeal ) drank my 24oz of water and then worked out for an hour. I wasn't tired, I felt good-energized. After I got done working out, I felt even better. Never would I have thought that losing 30+ pounds would have changed me physically so much. I love how I feel and I will keep on being active.

Motivation.

2010-06-09T19:01:00.000-07:00

Sorry I haven't posted anything lately. I started training for my job at the YMCA. I am a summer rec counselor and training is done every year- we get paid to do it so I can't complain. I've been having to get up earlier then usual this week and I hate waking up early..I am not a morning person. I hate when I have to talk to people right when I wake up. I seriously need an hour before I can talk to someone without sounding like a bitch-to put it bluntly. Training goes from 8:30 to 3:00, kind of like a school day. Eight hours sitting in a chair-Not fun. I've been really pleased with myself, they brought food like donuts, pastries and other junk food and I have not ate any of it. Although I did have 2 pieces of pizza on the first day but I made damn sure that I worked those babies off when I got home.

It's been hard getting home at 3:30 and then forcing myself to workout. I usually try to let myself relax for a bit and then go workout but yesterday all I wanted to do was sleep. I then remembered that picture of myself at ~~231 pounds~~ and got my ass up and hit the elliptical hard. A lot of time the reason why people don't work out or stop working out is lack of motivation. I'll admit, I have those days too where all I wanna do is come home and sit in front of the tv. But then I realize that is what got me to being fat in the first place. Honestly, how long can you use that excuse before you weigh 300, 400, 500 pounds. Motivation is something that you have to find in yourself. If I wasn't motivated to lose weight, I wouldn't be 199 pounds today, I would be 250 pounds or heavier.

So, for all you people out there that read blogs or are looking for a way to lose weight, there is no secret, there is no magic potion. You have to WANT to lose weight. You have to MOTIVATE yourself, no one else can do it. Sure they can give you words of encouragement, but their not the ones in your body. Motivation is key, if you don't have it- you won't lose weight. Get Some.

Welcome, to Onederland

2010-06-05T08:35:00.000-07:00

I've been waiting for this moment for a long time. Stepping on a scale and finally seeing a 1 in front instead of a 2 is such an amazing feeling. Starting out at 231 pounds, I thought to myself, it will take me forever to finally weigh 199 pounds. Well, it doesnt happen over night that's for sure. But it took about 4 months...which actually went by rather fast. I have learned and noticed a lot over the past 4 months of my weight loss journey..

Exercise is KEY ( cardio to be exact )
Eating right and in good portions
Eat when I'm hungry, stop when I feel full
Just because your fat, doesn't mean you can't get healthy
My back problem that I had is now gone
Pictures are really worth a 1000 words- good and bad, Shows progress
I finally enjoy going shopping
I need to find clothes in smaller sizes *cough* MEDIUM
I know what it's like to push yourself even when you don't want to workout
Listen to your body and love your body
I've learned that hard work and dedication really do get you somewhere
Letting people know your trying to lose weight helped keep me accountable
I have awesome blood pressure
H20 is my best friend
Blogging has helped me get through this journey and I have met some great people
I have lost weight in all areas of my body
It's ok to splurge
Compliments are wonderful
You will have successes and failures along the way, don't let the failures keep you down
I have a lot more energy and I feel great
I enjoy cooking my own meal using fresh produce
I will NEVER go back to being 231 pounds. NEVER.

I know this sounds cliche but I never thought I was going to weigh under 200 pounds again. But when you stay motivated and dedicated to getting to a certain goal, it can happen. You have to make working out a priority in your life or you wont see the results that you want. The ride to getting to Onederland has been bumpy. There have been times when I jump up and down, scream, smile, laugh and cry. I've wanted to quit a lot but stayed with it. Losing weight is a mind game- you can't let one bad weigh-in stop you. Just keep on going, you'll get there eventually and it's so worth it.

Welcome to Onederland...Hope you enjoy your stay.

WWC-weekend warrior challeng #1

2010-06-03T11:27:00.000-07:00

I've read numerous blogs over the past couple of months and I've seen the WWC. This weeks WWC is hosted by jeremy. The object is to pick 2-3 goals that you want to accomplish over the weekend and then you write about the successes and failures of them. I work out about 6 times a week and I give myself usually a day to rest- but I do workout on the weekends. So, here are my three things I am going to accomplish.

1. Drink a gallon of water each day
2. Burn 1400 calories on the ellipitical
3. SPLURGE- 1 scoop of any flavored ice cream

#3 may be the hardest one- don't know if I'll be able to do it ;)

I encourage everyone to take part in this- the weather is getting better outside and this would be a perfect way to take advantage of it and work out.

rain can't stop me.

2010-06-02T19:52:00.000-07:00

For the champion of the universe challenge this is what I did my circuit workout plus some elliptical. I also ran up and down my street for NRD- It was raining so I didn't really run as much as I wanted. Here are some pics

Calories burned for Champion of the Universe...not too shabby

Boo it's raining...that's not going to stop me from running though.

Look at the lovely, sweaty person after working out ;)

Faint rainbow makes it all better.

Champion of the Universe & NRD

2010-06-02T08:14:00.000-07:00

Bloggers- Will you be competing in the Champion of the Universe Challenge and or National Running Day? For the challenge you can do any workout you want, after you are done working out post a picture of your sweaty self to your blog or the 344 forum. Post how many calories you burned, the winner is the person who burned the most calories. They will also get to use this as their avatar until the next challenge....

You may be wondering about the NRD-National Running Day. Get out and go run. Check out Tara's blog and or http://seattlerunnergirl.wordpress.com/ To win some pretty sweet prizes! Good Luck to all.

Change- For the better.

2010-06-01T18:36:00.000-07:00

So as I was reading Tara's blog http://263andcounting.com/ I saw that she was going down in sizes in both pants and shirts. I know how she feels about going shopping and literally crying because of how much progress is going on with your body. I went to Old Navy and I usually got shirts in an XL and pants in an 18 or 20. A month or so ago I went shopping with my friend, Heebs and we went to Old Navy. They started putting out summer clothing and there were tons of V-neck shirts that were sooo cute. (I LOVE V-necks) I grabbed 5 shirts in XL and a pair of Bermuda shorts in a size 20. I got into the the dressing room and put on a t shirt- WHAT?! It's too BIG? I checked the size to see if I had accidentally grabbed a XXL. Nope it was an XL- I couldn't believe it. I thought maybe someone had tried it on and stretched it out so I tried another shirt. STILL TOO BIG! I then tried the pair of shorts on and they didn't even stay up when I put them on my waist. I couldn't believe it. I went back and picked out a shirt in a Large and a size 16 in the shorts. I went back to try both on. The shirt fit perfectly. I stared in the mirror and just smiled- I really just wanted to scream with joy but everyone would probably think I was crazy. I tried the shorts and and they also fit good-actually they were a little lose but I knew another size down would be too tight. It was the best shopping experience I have ever gone through.

This is the outfit I bought- It's when I new all my hard work was paying off, and shit I think I look pretty damn good.

I recently went through my closet and tried on some of my clothes... remember this pic

I tried that shirt on and this is what it looked like..

Here's another one...

This shirt is huge on me now. I just laughed when I put it on- still in shock that I wore a XL and it fit me pretty good.
I then went through more shirts and I gave 6 away to Good Will and I'm hoping my mom can shrink a sweater.After that therapy session on how hard work pays off I went to do my elliptical workout with some ladder drills, take a guess at how many cals I burned-ok did you guess a number...here it is

Ok- for all of you who don't know, we are doing a Champion of the Universe challenge tomorrow. You can do any work out you want. After your done working out take a picture of your sweaty self and post it on your blog or the 344 Forum-under Champion of the universe. The person who burns the most cals will be the Champion and will get to use this as their avatar until the next challenge.

Will it be you?

A weekend in Hudson, WI

2010-05-31T16:14:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend my mom, sister and I went up to Hudson, WI to visit my brother's fiance, Jen and her mother. We went up to do wedding stuff. My brother Cal, is getting married in September. (That is actually another reason why I wanted to lose weight but that's another blog I will post later.) We got there last on friday night but we still somehow managed to drink 7 bottles of wine bewteen the 5 of us. Not to bad. On saturday morning, we got up early and headed into Minnesota for a farmers market. This farmer's market was hopping. We have a farmers market here in Waukesha-but not as big and crowded as this one was. It was unbeleievable to see all the different things being sold there for such a low price. My mom bought a huge bundle of spinache for one stinking dollar! At the grocery store you pay like five bucks for a little bag of the stuff.

After that we went running different errands at all the different stores to find stuff to make center pieces for the tables at the wedding. We found what we needed and bought the stuff. After that we went to go try the food that could possibly be served at the wedding. We got to taste test three different entres and we ened up picking champagne chicken-delicious.

We also went to a Trader Joe's where we picked up 7 more bottles of three buck chuck. Yeah, were alcoholics, but we needed something to drink while we were making the center pieces. We got back to the house and ended up making salad for dinner. We ended up making all of the center pieces-which by the way look so awesome.

Jen made a bonfire and we watched the sun set off into the distance. We were out in the country and we saw the stars pop out as the dark sky started to come up. It's so much easier to see the stars in the country unlike at my house where we have the city lights. We sat by the fire, talked, laughed, enjoyed more wine and just relaxed. I ended up not having a scale to weigh-in on saturday morning BUT this morning I stepped on the scale for the heck of it and all I could do was :D I can't wait for this Saturday's weigh-in. (Possibly going into onderland this weekend)

Happy Memorial Day- Hope everyone is enjoying their monday off! Thank you to the men and women who are serving our country, you guys are the best!

results

2010-05-27T14:54:00.000-07:00

1:15 minutes spent on the elliptical

1473 calories burned...not bad

How did you guys do? Who is the Champion of the Universe?

Champion of the Universe- Is it you?

2010-05-27T08:45:00.000-07:00

So I was on twitter this morning and my fellow blogger Vinny tweeted that he needed some motivation to go to the gym today. So I challenged him to go to the gym and see how many calories he could burn. He has to take a picture of the number of calories he burned on whatever machine(s) he works out on. Any body else think they can win this challenge? If you want to take part remember to take pictures to prove that you worked out. Do work people! I will check back later tonight and see who is the "Champion of the Universe" at burning cals.

Is it you?

http://seattlerunnergirl.com/

2010-05-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

http://seattlerunnergirl.com/

http://263andcounting.com/

Check out these blogs and you might be able to win FREE STUFF!

5k walk, Hot weather and TOM.

2010-05-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

So this past weekend I had a 5k walk for NAMI- National Alliance on Mental Illness.It was held at Frame Park in Waukesha, Wisconsin. The weather was sunny and in the 80's. It was for my good friend Heebs. She suffers from anxiety, I think I too suffered from an acute form of anxiety my freshman year of college. I never really told anyone but when she told me she was seeing a psychiatrist, it kind of shocked me. But she is doing very well now.

This was a picture of part of the group, Me, abbey, heebs and ashley. The walk was at beautiful Frame Park in Waukesha, WI.

This is the whole group "Hakuna Matata"- Heebs and I made those awesome T shirts :) We got a lot of compliments on them. I also got complimented on my weight loss by a mom that I know. Once again it is nice to hear words of encouragement come from others.

On Sunday, the weather here in Wisconsin was HOT, 90 degrees hot to be exact. So, I did what I do best and I layed out for 3 hours. Today, once again it was in the upper 80's and I layed out for another 2 hours. My back needs some aloe vera that's for sure. I worked out on both sunday and today and man was it hard. The sun sucked a lot of my energy out of me and my body was for sure telling me I was stupid for working out in this hot weather. My t-shirt were soaked in sweat, seriously sweat was dripping off of my shirts people. I think I lost about 5 pounds in sweat both days- I carry around my best friend TOM; he's my water bottle. I filled him up about 10 times the past two days. I<3 TOM.

This is Tom. I don't know what I would do without him...probably get dehydrated.

For all of you who don't know- my house was built by my grandfather, there is no ~~air conditioning~~ in it. That's how I've grown up for 20 and I've hated it. My mom refuses for some reason to get it installed so instead we have a number of fans blowing in our house. We also have a big ass fan that looks like R2D2 from star wars that keeps only one area of our house cool. We do have a pool though and I joke around with my friends that, that is our "air conditioning". Let's just say I spend a lot of time outside in my pool rather then in my house.

Stop and smell the roses.

2010-05-21T09:20:00.000-07:00

As I stopped by 263andcounting to take a look at her new blog post, I read about her tipping point. What made her want to actually start losing weight and become healthier. I read her post and there was a picture she put up that makes her cry every time she looks at it. I stopped and thought to myself, I also have a picture that litterally made me go "Wow, I need to get my ass in gear". Here it is...

This was a picture taken at a house party in Whitewater, WI back in December of 2009. The lovely girl next to me was my roommate Kelli. I didn't go out that much when I went to Whitewater mainly because of my weight. I didn't want to be the fat girl in a room filled with girls who look like abercrombie and fitch models. Not that I wanted to look like that, but you get my drift. I hated trying to figure out what I was going to wear because nothing looked good on me. This was also a hard time for me because I was on accutane and I believed that I was suffering from depression. This time in my life sucked-but I didn't let keep me down. I new I wanted to be more then the happy fat girl, which you can't tell me is a great role to play. I didn't want to be the only fat one in my family, I didn't want to be the fat girl who goes back to a high school reunion even fatter. No one that is fat is truly happy and if you are- you deserve an Oscar.

Yesterday, I put on a two piece swim suit for the first time since last summer. I literally looked at myself in the mirror for 20 mins. I could not believe the transformation my body has gone through. There were so many emotions running through my mind. It's hard for me to fathom how much losing 30 pounds has changed my body physically and emotionally. I will never go back to being like the picture above. NEVER.

For the first time in my life, I am excited to wear a two piece swim suit this summer. This swim suit that I am wearing above, I haven't worn it in 3 years because of how much weight I gained. Summer, watch out cuz I'm ready for you. Are you ready for me? TGIF- what are you doing this weekend?

200.

2010-05-15T10:36:00.000-07:00

Well, the day finally came. It took longer than expected but it came. I reached 200 pounds this morning! I can't remember the last time I weighed this much. Probably somewhere along freshman year in high school- that seems like forever ago. I have lost a total of 30 pounds right now, that's pretty awesome. I have noticed that my pants are getting loose and that my t-shirts seem huge on me. Guess that means I need to go shopping ;) I also have noticed that my face has the double chin and that my love handles are slowly but surely going away.Any ways, to getting to 200 there were a lot of struggles and there were times when I gained weight and wanted to give up. But its all mind games when it comes to losing weight. You just gotta be like the little toy train and keep on chugging. Hard work and dedication pays off, it takes some time but in the end it all worth it. Especially when your friends see you and tell you how great you look-that's the motivation that keeps me going. I can't wait for the scale to read in the 100's... so excited with what this journey has done to me. You can do it too!

This is what 200 pounds looks like :)

Feeling good.

2010-05-10T18:54:00.000-07:00

So I got back on track today- I didn't do any cardio yesterday because I didn't have that "rawr" in me. Instead my family and I went out to dinner for mother's day at Casa del Rio. It's this quaint little Mexican place in downtown Waukesha, Wisconsin. I had chimichangas- which were so good. When we got home my parents had gotten an ice cream cake so we all had a piece of that. Just to let you guys know, ice cream cake is the BEST. Today, I got my ass back in gear because I actually had energy unlike last week. I still have some of the cold left but nothing that kept me from working out. I did my usual workout, circuit training, elliptical and ladder drills. Total number of calories burned = 1900. Not bad I must say.

Another great thing that came about this past weekend that actually surprised me, was that my dad bought me two t shirts from Kansas because he had an NSCA conference meeting there. I got the shirts when he got home, and I looked at them and they were smaller then usual-size medium. I'm not going to lie- I was scared to try these t-shirts on. The reason is because I have never been anything but a size large or larger and I guess I was scared that if I didn't fit into it I would disappoint myself. To my surprise I fit into them- I was so happy! I just couldn't believe it, I can't tell you how much I've wanted to fit into a size medium, its a like a milestone in my journey. Some of you might think its stupid but when you put on a shirt or pants that are smaller = best feeling ever. I'm working hard to get to 200 this week. I've hoovered around 202 for the past 3 weeks and I want to see 200 on the scale this coming saturday. Got any words or encouragement? I could sure use some.

So these are my first size medium t shirts. Hell Yeah!

sick.

2010-05-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

Well this week didn't go as planned. Monday I got a sore throat and by Tuesday it turned into a sinus infection. I got little to no sleep because I couldn't breathe at all. My energy level was at zero and I didn't work out because I felt so horrible. I went to walmart where I got some drugs and they have helped significantly. I managed to work out yesterday but by the time I was done I was wiped. I did have a weight in this morning and I stayed at 202. I can't complain-my body was telling me it was hurting and I just had to rest and sleep. I do have to say that I have been getting compliments on how I look and it makes me smile. I recently put up a new profile picture on my facebook. I also got to go shopping this week and I bought some new shirts. I cant wait to show them off :)

This is my best friend Andi and I. It is currently my facebook profile picture.

In the word of Mr. Christopher "Big Black" Boykins- DO WORK

2010-04-29T16:27:00.000-07:00

Today I had one of the best workouts I have ever. I didnt do anything new, I just did every longer and harder. I had a circuit which takes me about 45-50 minutes to do. After that I went on the elliptical. Now I usually go on for about 20 minutes but today I was feeling rather B.A. So I decided to go on for 35 minutes. Yeah, I felt the burn and it was awesome. By the time I was done with the elliptical I took off my sweatshirt and my whole t-shirt was soaked in sweat...I smelled like roses-not.

After that I did these ladder drills, dripping in my sweaty t shirt and shorts. Man, it was funny looking at the people drive past my house while I did these drills in my driveway. It's like they have never seen a sight like that before in there life. I did the drills growing up in basketball practice and I always enjoyed them. There pretty much for speed, agility and quickness. My favorite drill out of all of them is called the Icky Shuffle..if you don't know what that is, Google it, youtube it- it's pretty fun to do and I'm not trying to be cocky but I sure am good at this one. I can say that I totally have noticed an improvement in my speed since starting these drills...My dad is a gym teacher and of of his quotes he always uses is "fast kids in front, fat kids in back", don't think just because were big, we aren't fast- that's right folks, big girls can be fast. Don't underestimate the power of Fluffy people.

Here are some pics from today's kick ass workout...

Notice that my t shirt is all wet...that's sweat- DO WORK

It started soaking through my sweatshirt.

The result of my kick ass work out. Def worth all the sweat ;)

Hump Day

2010-04-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

Hello fellow bloggers and readers!

Today is my off day- kinda to just give my body some time to recover. I also give platelets every 2 weeks and today I gave platelets. It takes about 2 hours for them to take a double unit from me. I watch a dvd and that usually makes the time go faster but today it felt like it was taking forever. I thought to myself maybe I should just give blood next time because that only takes about ten minutes. When I got home I was talking to my ma and she was telling me that while listening to the radio, a little girl was talking about how she had luekemia and that people who donated platelets had helped save her life. I think God is talking to me folks. I set up my next appointment for platelets right away after hearing that story.

After I got done talking to my ma I sat down and was reading through our local newspaper. I always enjoy reading my horoscope and seeing if it really fits me. Here is what my horoscope said today and I quote " Libra, Your physical strength is featured, and you can do more without strain and stress. You'll be motivated to achieve vibrant health. You will exercise vigorously and, once finished, feel gloriously alive." Once again, God is talking to me. Little things like that make you want to keep on going. Look up your horoscope, what does it say about you?

One last thing- I got a pair of new kicks today also. The new Air Max's- most comfortable shoe I have EVER worn. Happy Hump Day :)

P.S. If you have time in your day, go donate blood- You can be someones hero!

Just keep goin

2010-04-24T11:48:00.000-07:00

Well I weighed myself this morning. Still not at the 200 pound mark but I still lost some weight. As much as I want to be under 200 I know its still a great accomplishment that I have lost over 25 pounds. I feel so much more healthy and I enjoy working out now- its no longer a chore but a time in the day where I can let loose. I know I will get under 200 soon and I just have to take each day as it comes. Enjoy life- don't let it pass you by.

15 reasons why I enjoy running, workouts and eating decisions

2010-04-22T09:29:00.000-07:00

As I said before I am new to this blogging deal. As I have added bloggers to my list I have noticed that many of them are friends with each other and when I see what they comment on each others blogs its more like family. I think it's really cool that people band together so well when they are fighting for the same cause. I came across a blog that was on 263andcounting and this lady blogs a lot more then me. I need to get into the habit of trying to blog at least 4 times a week. She wrote down the 15 reason why she enjoyed basically becoming healthier. So here is my 15 reasons...

1. I feel a sense of accomplishment
2. I love the feeling of having a T-shirt full of sweat- it means I "Do Work"
3. I have inspired people, some of whom I don't even know
4. I love hearing, "Wow, you look great"
5.Seeing my stomach shrink, good bye love handles
6.I appreciate food for what it actually tastes like
7.I'm buying smaller clothes- shopping is fun now :)
8. My self-confidence has shot up tremendously
9.I can't wait for the summer and not feeling embarrassed in my 2 piece swim suit
10.I'm looking forward to the future
11.I feel like I am in control of my life
12.The 2 hours I spend working out relieves so much on my mind
13. Man, I'm going to look good in that brides maid dress
14.Cant wait to run my first 5k this summer
15. I feel that I am in the best shape that I have ever been in my life

What are the reason that you enjoy being a healthy person? Stop being sick and tired of being sick and tired-Today's a new day, get up and move! Happy Earth Day!

Just thought this was kind of funny...

Success!

2010-04-12T09:00:00.000-07:00

For all of you who don't know, I weigh myself every saturday morning. I call it the "weigh in". Last week I had gained three pounds. It was a horrible feeling but I didn't let it get the best of me. I worked hard this past week. It was different too because I had to juggle going to school, work and working out. But I did it and I realized how motivated you have to be. I woke up saturday morning and I pulled out the scale. I stepped on and I was feeling pretty good about myself. It took a couple of seconds for the scale to read what my weight was, but when the numbers popped up- I was in shock. The scale read 202. WOW. I had lost six pounds in a week, the most I have ever lost. It was such a good feeling to work hard through a week and the outcome is just awesome. I am hoping to reach the 200 or under mark this week. I don't think a lot of people really understand how excited I am to weigh under 200 pounds. I can;t remember the last time I stepped on a scale and it read in the 100's. I have lost 28 pounds so far and I intend to keep losing it.

Like I said before, losing weight is all mental. Yea, I gained weight- but that didn't stop me from continuing to work out hard. It pushed me to work out harder and harder each day because I have a goal to reach and if I gain weight in a week, I know I will be able to lose it. I'm not going to lie, it sucks to gain weight but when you lose it- that is the best feeling. I've been noticing that my clothes, which I usually wear a large in T-shirts or nicer clothes- they're now getting big on me. I may have to go shopping soon :) I have also noticed that my self esteem has gone up and I'm loving life more. Losing weight has so many benefits, I wish I would have taken my health in account sooner. That's life though, you live and you learn. I hope all of you have a great week! Get out and enjoy life.

The top pic of me is when I weighed 208, the bottom is me at 202. Do Work.

busy busy busy

2010-04-07T19:47:00.000-07:00

Sorry for not posting anything lately but man I've been busy. How was everyone's Easter? Mine was very relaxing. It was very nice weather here in Wisconsin, it was in the 60's. As I we went down closer to the lake- it got a tad bit colder. My brother Cal and his fiance Jenn came down from Madison for brunch. They brought their new puppy Lucy. Her and my cat, Ginger were playing around in the yard. It was so funny to watch a puppy and a grown cat play. I went down to my uncle's house in Milwaukee. He took me my parents, brothers and two of my brothers fiance to brunch at a yacht club. It was a buffet and it was very good. I got an omelet with onions, ham, tomatoes and some cheese- it was so good. I didn't over eat like I usually do at buffet style meals. I for once had self control. It was a stepping stone for me I think. I felt full, so I stopped eating- I usually eat through the painful stomach ache but this time it was different.

The past couple of days I've been working at my local YMCA. I work there in the summer doing summer rec but I really need to make some money-so I've been working staycation. Basically, babysitting a lot of kids. The kids I would have to say are more well behaved in staycation than summer rec but you still get those one or two kids that just don't listen. The hardest thing about working early is that I've been having to workout earlier in the day than I have before. I know when I get off of work I won't want to workout-so I workout before work. I actually liked working out earlier because I felt more energized. I've also noticed that when I drink a cup of coffee before a workout- I really have a lot more energy and I feel like I get a better workout in. I would recommend it for people who workout later at night and are just not feeling like going to exercise. That's one of the hardest things for me in the summer, when I start working 40 hours a week- I am so tired that I don't want to work out, I just want to sleep. But you really have to push yourself to get a workout in.

I like being busy because then I'm not just sitting around being bored. When I keep myself busy, it's easier not to think about munching on food. Usually when I'm bored I eat and that was a big way that I put on weight. I've learned that chewing on gum or eating a mint can trick your mind into thinking that your eating something and that hunger goes away. I chew on gum all the time now and after I get done eating I pop in a mint to stop the cravings of food. Little things like that really help me along in my journey of losing weight and I hope they can help you too.

Today was a great day

2010-04-01T18:47:00.000-07:00

Today could not have been better. I woke up and it was already 60 degrees outside. For all of you who don't know, I live in Wisconsin. We can go through all four season within one day. I'm not kidding. For it to be 80 degrees at this time of the year is unbelievable. I had to go to speech class this morning and all during class all I could think about was this wonderful weather and how I wanted to be outside and not stuck in this class. My speech class is the biggest joke/waste of time for me and the others in it. I kid you not, a elementary school student could pass this class. The worst part about this class, was all I did was look at the clock every couple minutes. Of course doing that made the time go even slower. I hate when that happens. Our teacher was feeling nice so she let us out 15 minutes early. Thanks June-your a peach.

After class I went to a luncheon with my friend Heebs. It was for NAMI (National Alliance for Mental Illness) which is a great organization. No my friend is not a crazy, she has been having some problems with anxiety, it happens, we all can get it. I know I have had anxiety on numerous occosions because I worry about a lot of stupid little things. But she has gotten better with dealing with things that make her feel anxious.Like her boyfriend says, its a part of you-it doesn't define you. We had the luncheon at a restaurant called Thunder Bay Grill. They served us soup and salad, I usually am not that big of a fan but the salad bar was delicious plus it was free. "Shit, they say the best things in life are free". (Kanye West) They are having a walk at a local park to fundraise for the organization in May. My friend is making a team, which is called Hakuna Matata- it means no worries ;) I am on the team and excited to walk not only for my friend but for a cause that many people look past which shouldn't be.

I got home and I was supposed to go to the YMCA and run. But the weather tempted me to stay home and do my circuit in the garage. I did my circuit and I felt so good when I was working out. I had so much energy and I was getting my heart rate up and it didnt even feel like I was working that hard. I then went on the elliptical for 20 minutes and was "doing work" on it. I then got out a ladder, which helps with speed, quickness and agility. My dad used to have us do these drills all the time for basketball. I loved doing them because I showed everyone that big girls have fast feet too. At the end of my workout I was full of sweat, my shirt was soaked and I just felt so good. Being outside, working hard in the fresh air just made my day. My cat was outside working out with me too. I noticed while I was walking around my mom's garden how many of the flower buds are starting to shoot up. There were two flowers that had actually bloomed already, it was nice to see color in a garden that is full of brown. It's funny how something so small and simple makes you feel so much better.

I ended up staying outside to shoot hoops until the sun started to set. Plus, I smelled really bad and needed to get in the shower. As I looked at my heart rate monitor, I checked out to see how many calories I burned. You wanna know how many? 1,944! I can truly say that I was one of the best workouts I have ever done because I not only burned a lot of calories but the workout felt effortless. Keep working hard- It pays off.