Weekly Weigh-in

Weighing In Today:  136.4 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  2.2 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  24.9 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  21.4 lbs.

      Woot!  Guys, I'm FINALLY in normal BMI range! Huzzah! I'm so excited.  This week has been interesting for my workouts.  The Bikini Body Mommy workouts have been good, but not enough for me.  I added doing Wii Fit Run for 30 minutes, however, once you lose enough weight, doing the same exercise doesn't burn the same amount of calories.  Which means, I needed to start working harder.  I decided to add Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred on my strength training days.  My C25K always increases my running time and so I wasn't worried about that.  I still really like the Bikini Body Mommy workouts.  They can definitely work me.  (Four minute walking lunges KILL.)  However, they just aren't long enough to make me feel like I'm pushing my body to get where it can go.  The workouts themselves are only about 8 to 20 minutes total.  I do think that it will be a great program for after pregnancy to work back into getting back in shape.  Obviously, I didn't do too much of any working out after Anna was born.  Mostly because you can't really find any workout programs that a good for recovering mommies that don't take a long time.  Even half an hour seems like a long time when you have to feed your infant every few hours.

      Anyway, to get back on track, I'm very happy with how well my weight loss has been going.  Remember when I talked about my rewards and not being sure what to do for my 140 lbs. reward?  Well, after talking with a few people who have gone in early to the Aquarium, I'm going to put that on the back burner for a bit and just move up the other rewards.  The Aquarium opens on the 25th, but there is still a lot that is unfinished.  I'd rather wait until it's fully completed.  So stay tuned for the next couple of rewards to get posted.

Weekly Weigh-in

Weighing In Today:  138.6 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  .9 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  22.7 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  23.6 lbs.

 

      Not to surprising considering the mega weight loss from last week.  I'm not too troubled by it.  After all, I'm still about half way to my goal.  This last weekend was kinda crazy so I'm looking forward to another week of hitting it hard and losing more weight.  It's St. Patrick's Day and I love to celebrate with some Shepherd's Pie and a treat.  I still plan on it, but my portions will be scaled back and I'll also be making sure I've worked out enough to cover my bases.  Really, my main goal for the week is to get more sleep.  Ty and I both haven't been sleeping well and waking up too early.  It's awful and I'm exhausted all day.  With today being laundry day I doubt I'll get much rest.  Ugh. 

Weekly Weigh-in

Weighing In Today:  139.5 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  3.6 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  21.8 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  24.5 lbs.

      Say WHA????  When I saw my newest weight on the scale this morning, that's what I kept thinking over and over.  "What? What?....What?"  I mean don't get me wrong.  I'm not complaining by any means, I'm just really surprised.  I did get my hair cut for Locks of Love on Saturday and it was a good 10 inches of hair that is now missing from my scalp.  How much does hair weigh? I'm sticking with my goal to only weigh myself once a week, but I was really tempted to weigh myself before and after the haircut.  Haha.  I should have brought a scale with me to see how much that chunk of hair weighed.  Not that that's where all of my weight loss came from.  I, obviously, did a lot of work this week.  It's possible that I underestimated the intensity of my Bikini Body Mommy workouts. I counted them as light/moderate, but they were kinda intense this week.  I'm just never sure where to gauge that, ya know?  Oh well.  I'm not going to over-analyze this anymore.  It is what it is and it's awesome, so there you have it.  :)

      The really crazy part about all of this is that I just earned a reward last week and earned another one this week.  Okay!! I like rewards.  :)  This one is tricky because I had originally planned to get music added to my iTunes, but I needed to get music for doing my running.  Then, I decided to replace the music with a family trip to the Aquarium that's about to open up really close to us.  Well, it'll open in a couple of weeks, but I debating switching the Aquarium reward with the next reward, which is to get a new purse.  I will probably reach the next goal by the time the Aquarium opens or shortly after and we probably don't want to go right when it opens anyway.   What do you guys think?

Weekly Weigh-in & Week 8 Pictures

Weighing In Today:  143.1 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  1.9 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  18.2 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  28.1 lbs.

      Wahoo! Another two (basically) pounds bites the dust.  Definitely makes me feel better.  I'm just about over this cold and that is another thing for me to celebrate.  I'm feeling so great right now.  My progress is just kind of awesome and my body is looking pretty dang good.  The bloating is dying down as I've been taking action against it.  Probiotics are definitely a good key to this, but I've been eating 1-2 Tbsp. of Sauerkraut a day to help keep my digestive system in gear.  There are a lot of natural probiotics like sauerkraut that you can take, like yogurt, but this is just much more effective and I actually don't mind it like a lot of people do.  I guess that's the German in me.  Haha.  If you are having a similar issue, I highly recommend giving this a try.  Your body will thank you.  All of us women know that bloating can affect weight and the way our body looks.  This has been something I've been dealing with even when I'm not experiencing lady time and let me tell you, it's not awesome.

      Anyway, enough of that! How about some pictures and measurements!

Week 1

Week4

Week 8

      Okay, I'm still not totally in love with how I look in a bathing suit, but I for dang sure look way better than I used to!  It is so motivating to see this progress and know that I'm doing so well.  And let's just talk about those measurements for a second.  I mean come on!!  This round definitely beats the last one for sure.  I'm so proud of myself and I love the confidence I'm building in myself.  I no longer go to the gym and freak out if someone else is there because I know I can hold my own.  Playing with Anna is easier and I don't feel, literally, weighed down by my body.  Saturday we went to the park and I needed to grab something from the car.  I ran.  And didn't die! It was awesome. This is making me a better person.  A better wife.  A better mother.  I can't wait to see what the next 4 weeks bring.

150 Weight Reward: Gel Manicure

       I reached the 150 goal awhile ago, but haven't posted about it until now because I really hadn't gotten around to it yet.  I wanted to get a get manicure because I had heard how much longer they lasted and thought it would make a good reward.  Knowing it would be expensive, I checked for a cheaper option.  There are at home kits you can find at Walmart and I found a lovely red color in the clearance section.  Thursday, I finally had some time to myself to be able to do this.  It was easy enough, but I think I might upgrade to going into a salon and getting the professional version.   A day later, I already noticed a few chips and while I still really like the color, I'd rather it lasted as long as it's suppose to.

Weekly Weigh-in

Weighing In Today:  145 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  .6 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  16.3 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  30 lbs.

      I'm really behind in posting this.  It's been kind of a crazy week.  Anna started getting sick the day before her birthday and then I started getting sick a few days later.  I'm still sick in fact.  Mostly just a stuffy nose now, that doesn't affect anything, but the sound of my voice.  We're all doing much better now, but at the beginning of the week I wasn't to excited to weigh in.  I didn't go overly crazy, but I knew that my appetite had a changed a little.  Once again, I was really bloated.  Being regular is something I've really struggled with since the miscarriage and surgery.  Even with probiotics.  I'll have to share what I've been doing to fix that issue in my next weigh in post because I want to see if it helped make the difference in my weight.

      Anyway, I wasn't expecting to have lost anything this week, so half a pounds was pleasing.  Especially since now I've met my next goal.  Hooray!  And I only have about 30 pounds left to lose.  That's really great news!  I'm really excited to get to 135 because that was my high school weight and being only 10 pounds away from that is really exciting.  We'll see how everything goes, but I'm happy with my work and where I'm at so it'll will be amazing to see how I progress from here.

Weekly Weigh-In

Weighing In Today:  145.6 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  2.9 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  15.7 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  30.6 lbs.

      I think every week, I get a new surprise with my weight loss and this was absolutely no exception! I feel so amazing! It's been awesome transforming my body so far.  I actually weighed myself  on both my .1 scale and .5 scale, just to see where I am in relation to the last time I lost weight.  The old scale said 140.5 lbs.  As much as I'd like to go by that scale, it's obviously off, but it's good to know that I'm pretty close to my last goal if I was going by that weight.  And to be honest, 140 was what I weighed when I got married.  So really, since I know that was the scale I used at the time, I know that I actually reached my wedding weight!  Kinda crazy.  This round is different from the last one and I have to say that I'm liking this one better.

      Also, in case ya didn't know, today is my BIRTHDAY!!!  Woot!  I'm loving how I feel today and that I'm doing so well on this journey called life.  I have a beautiful family with my amazing husband and sweet daughter.  I'm working hard to improve myself and it's totally paying off.  Yesterday was Anna's birthday and I managed to stay away from sweets.  Today, however, will be different.  I haven't had chocolate in six weeks.  The first four were intentional, but the last two just sort of worked out that way.  I must say that I'm ready to break that fast!  I'll have a cupcake and some ice cream, so I'll not be going crazy, but will definitely be satisfying my need for that devilish food. I can't wait!

Weekly Weigh-In

Weighing In Today:  148.5 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  2.5 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  12.8 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  33.5 lbs.

      Oh man!  This week had me nervous.  This was the first week that I wasn't doing the restrictive diet and had a bit more leeway in what I could eat.  I had pizza, waffles, and spaghetti this weekend.  I also worked out hard and made those the only high calorie meals for the days that I ate them.  I love that all of my hard work has been paying off.  This weekend is Valentine's Day, Anna's Birthday, and a week from today is my birthday.  Yikes!!  I haven't had chocolate in five weeks you guys and even though I've been avoiding temptation, it will be coming around soon.  I'm planning on making cupcakes and mini cupcakes for our birthdays so that portions aren't out of control.  We'll see how it goes.  Wish me luck!

Weekly Weigh-In & Week 4 Pictures

Weighing In Today:  151 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  1.6 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  10.3 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  36 lbs.

(You might have noticed, or may not, that I actually marked my progress on my chart an extra pound more in loss.  Whoops!  I didn't notice until today and fixed it.)

      I made it to 10 pounds!!!! Woot!! I made my goal! I will admit that I was hoping to be under 150, but I'm just so happy that I made it to the 10 pound goal that I'm shutting down any other negativity.  This is the most weight I've lost doing the strict diet.  Speaking of which.  That diet is OVER!!!  Huzzah!  I'm so happy to finally taste bread and occasionally some sugary treats.  I don't plan on going crazy.  Mostly, I'm really just looking forward to Anna's and my birthdays.  It will be great and I can't wait.  This diet has been good for me to do and I'm glad I did it.  It helps to teach me that self control that I need to have.  However, it's not something that I could maintain full time.  I enjoy lots of different yummy foods and I like having the option to have them or not. 

       Anyway, I'm pretty excited for my progress and my measurements and pictures are no exception.  Check it out!

Starting Stats:                                         Week 4 Stats:

Chest:  30.5"                                             30.5"

Bust:  37.25"                                             36.5"

Upper Left Arm:  13.5"                             13"

Upper Right Arm:  13"                              13"

Lower Left Arm:  10.25"                           10"

Lower Right Arm:  10.5"                           10.25"

Waist:  32"                                                 31"

Mid Waist:  40"                                         36.5"

Hips:  41"                                                  34.5"

Left Thigh:  25.5"                                       23.75"

Right Thigh:  25.5"                                     24.5"

Left Knee:  16.5"                                       16.25"

Right Knee:  16.75"                                   16.25"

Week 1 Pictures

 Week 4 Pictures

       I'm really happy with how my progress is going so far.  It'll be spectacular when other people really start to notice as well.  One of the quotes I have on my wall is "It take 4 weeks for you to see your body changing, it takes 8 weeks for friends and family, and it takes 12 weeks for the rest of the world.  Keep Going."  I definitely noticed some changes from 4 weeks ago.  I think you can see in the pictures my middle section looks better, but I'm definitely looking forward to what week 8 will bring!

155 Weight Reward: Ice Castles

      Ever since I found out about the Ice Castles a month ago, I've really wanted to go and check it out.  Making it a reward for losing weight was definitely good motivation to work hard.  It's about an hour drive away in Midway.  Once we started getting into city limits you could tell that was German/Swiss inspired.  Even the church buildings were followed that design.

      How cool is that?! I looked up Midway later and it is in fact all about the Swiss culture. I will definitely come back for some of the events they have going on in the year. It reminded me of Leavenworth and made me feel like I had a little piece of home. 

      There were two lines for the Ice Castles. One for people who needed to purchase tickets and one for those who bought online. Really glad we bought online before because that line was much shorter. The downside was that we went on a Saturday and so it was still really busy, so we were still waiting to get in for about 20 minutes or so. It was FREEZING! 

      When we finally got in, it was amazing to see what these people had created. You got an idea for it from the outside, but being inside really made the experience whole. Anna was just excited to be outside and running around and she kinda made her claim on an in between area where the snow was softer and she kept falling and getting snow all over her sweatpants. It was cute and I would have let her just go for it, but there were too many people and she was getting in people's way. Once it started getting darker, you could start to see the lights under the ice. So cool! Definitely the best part. 

      There was a lot more to see, but we were cold, hungry, and it was too crowded to enjoy any more than we did. We came home and ate quick meals. We decided that next year we will come on a weekday and then go out for dinner afterward. In all, though, we marked this visit as a success. We got out of the house and did something we've never done before. In the winter, that's definitely a success. 

Weekly Weigh-In

Weighing In Today:  152.6 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  2.8 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  8.7 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  37.6 lbs.

      Guys! OMG!!! I'm so ecstatic!  I was NOT expecting this much of a weight loss at all.  Honestly, I was still feeling pretty bloated and it turned out that it wasn't just the red monster causing it.  I found out that I have hemorrhoids, through not so fun or comfortable experiences.  I have been feeling better now that I know how to take care of that, but was concerned that my body just isn't looking like I've done as much work as I really have.  Well, I'll be quiet now!  Haha.  I think I need to give my post-pregnancy-mommy-belly-body a break.  It's been through a lot.  Looking back at my last weight loss experience, I only lost about 7 pounds after starting the 30 day diet.  This time around, I've been really hoping to lose 10, but I would have settled for at least 8.  Nailed it! This is the last week of the diet (Woot!) and at the rate I'm going, I'm sure I'll be able to get to 10.  Who knows? Maybe I'll even get passed 10 pounds.  Right now, I feel like that's totally possible.  

      Working out has been going really well.  The Bikini Body Mommy workouts challenge me in great ways and I feel stronger for doing them.  Luckily, they are still short enough that I don't feel like I'm spending all my time working out when I have other things I need to get done.  My cardio workouts on the treadmill are going much better since I downloaded music to run to.  It's incredibly motivating to do a quick walk or run to "Sexy Chick" by David Guetta.  I pretend I'm walking through a crowd and I'm totally getting checked out.  Yeah, that feels good.  That's what I want.  For my body to be "checked out worthy".  (Not that I need a bunch of creepies watching me walk around, but you know what I mean.) Since music was one of my rewards, specifically for reaching 140 lbs., I needed to figure out a different reward for that achievement.  As we were driving home from the Ice Castles, which I'll post about tomorrow, we past a billboard for the Aquarium that's moving closer to us soon.  It's on my list of places to go this year and I thought that it would make a great goal.  I'm really excited!! I'm hoping that it will be open by the time I reach that goal.  For now, I'm excited about the possibility of getting my newest reward next week.  Gel Manicure.  Here's hoping!

Weekly Weigh-In

Weighing In Today:  155.4 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  2.5 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  5.9 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  40.4 lbs.

       I've been anxious about this weigh in most of the week.  I was debating what to do in situations like this before I started everything.  Where I would hit a weight that started with goal, but still above in the decimal amount.  Should I be strict and not give myself the reward unless my weight is at the goal ".0" or under?  Or count it as long as my weight number starts with the goal?  The last time I did my big weight loss I was using a .5lbs. scale.  Now that I'm using a .1lbs. scale I had to choose to be specific.  So I decided that I would have to weight for the scale to show the goal with a .0 behind it or under the goal in order to get the reward.  This week lady time came a little earlier than expected and that made me anxious that I would be to bloated to show my work.  When I weighed myself this morning and saw that yes I had lost a good amount of weight, but was still shy of my goal by .4lbs. I was kind of bummed.  My goal for getting to 155 is for our family to visit the Ice Castles in Midway.  Since I heard about them I've really wanted to go.  They are only open until mid February so I felt like losing the weight would be a good incentive to get moving so I could go.  

      After I weighed myself, I told Ty my predicament and he said to take the reward and chalk up not hitting the goal to being bloated.  Don't have to twist my arm!  Truthfully, I was hoping that he'd say that.  And really, I need to give myself some slack because I did just lose almost 6 lbs.! When I started, my initial weight was 161.3.  If I had started at 160 then I would have surpassed my goal.  Also, next week, I will for sure be under 155, so basically, I'm just taking the reward a little early.  I think I will take this one and then the rest will be as I planned.  I'm really excited.  I may have to figure out a different goal for the one where I get new music, because when I do my running cardio, I've been listening to my Dance Cardio station on Pandora.  Well, I don't have the data for that and it really is the best way for me to stay motivated during a run.  I have a free CD that I downloaded the last time I lost weight, but it wasn't doing much for me.  I'm going to listen to my Pandora today and make a list of all the songs I want to get and buy them before tomorrow's run. 

      One last little tidbit for you.  Ummmmm, 155!!!! I haven't been 155 since before I was pregnant with Anna when I was doing my big weight loss the last time.  In fact, according to the weight loss chart from that go around I was at 154.5 on March 7, 2011.  Since I know that that scale is off by around 2 lbs., then I was probably at the same weight I am now, THREE YEARS AGO.  Since having Anna, the lowest I've been was around 157 when I was losing weight, just before the miscarriage.  Getting past that number means so much more than just looking better.  The miscarriage was hard on my body and emotionally, I've had moments of depression that I've struggled with.  Getting past that 157 marker, for me symbolizes moving past the miscarriage and to the body that I was striving for before it happened.  I still want to have more children and hope to get pregnant soon (even if that cuts this weight loss journey short), but I'm ready for my body to heal and be where it needs to so that I can carry another little one healthily. 

I Hate Grocery Shopping

      When you are restricting yourself of certain foods, particularly anything processed, the grocery store then become your nemesis. Anytime I've done this diet, this time included, I will walk into a store (usually Walmart) and right there, BAM! They shove something that comes in either a bag or a box that is either full of sugar or salt with enticing advertising on said bag or box right into your face.  I seriously want to punch the people who decide to put that stuff there in the face.  As I walk through the aisles, it's really not any different.  Temptations are EVERYWHERE.  I haven't found a health food store close enough or I'd be on that in a minute.  Though I think a Whole Foods is opening up close to here in the Summer.  Huzzah! Except for it being quite expensive.  That parts a downer.  Honestly, who makes up these cruddy rules?! It really should be easier to afford to eat healthy.  Though, I have to admit that because we are so picky and limiting what we can (and will) eat, our grocery bill isn't as large.  All things considered, this diet isn't so bad, but I'm really excited to be done with it.  I would be lying if I said that I didn't think about having something chocolate every single day.  Getting my body in shape has really been motivating.  So every time I think of having that piece of chocolate I think of what my body will look like when I've rocked this transformation out.  Yeah, that might make me a little more excited.  I still hate the grocery store right now though.

Weekly Weigh-In

Weighing In Today:  157.9 lbs.

Weight Loss for the Week:  3.4 lbs.

Total Weight Loss:  3.4 lbs.

Weight Left to Make Goal:  42.9 lbs.

      Huzzah!  I've been looking forward to this day all week.  I was really hoping that my newest weight would start with 157.  It wasn't mentioned in either of my previous posts, but I'm actually using my scale that uses a .1 lb. difference, rather than my old one that goes by .5 lb.  I like it better because I feel like it keeps me better accountable and is more accurate.  For kicks, I did weigh myself on the old scale and it said that I'm at 156 lbs.  A 2 lb. difference doesn't seem like much, but like I said, I want to keep myself accountable and because it only goes by .5 lb. it's possible that the difference is more.  Anyway, I'm very excited about this progress.  I'm hoping for just as amazing results next week, but not expecting it.  I don't want to be disappointed with any possible "Biggest Loser second week" kind of weigh-ins.  

      When starting this, I had to make a commitment to myself.  A commitment to only weigh myself once.  So, I took my scale out of the bathroom, where I normally keep it.  Before this, I would seriously weigh myself more than once a day hoping the numbers would go down even just a little.  This is NOT healthy! Even though all week I would wonder (maybe a little obsessively) what my weight was, I'm so glad I kept my word to myself and didn't try to sneak a check.  I think this will be a great way to build trust with myself.  That sounds weird, but I really don't trust myself to make good and healthy decisions subconsciously.  After this is all over, I want to trust that I can lose the weight and do a better job of keeping it off than I did last time. 

      I said before that I'm following the Bikini Body Mommy workout routine.  She has been doing videos of her workouts and that has been really helpful.  She, also, does a "Sunday Skinny" every week and this week she talked about body image.  One thing she said was that she hoped that we didn't start following her for the weight loss, but rather for gaining strength because the weight loss will come with that.  I understood why she was saying that.  She has kids and wants to set a good example and not have them worry about body image.  That this was about becoming healthy, not just changing what we look like.  I get it, I do.  But I'm going to be superficial here and say, I started this for the weight loss first and foremost.  I'm not worried about becoming strong, I feel like I already knew that as I work out and transform my body, I'll gain the strength and endurance I want to do the things with my family that I really want to do.  However, I also want to look good doing it.  I love spending time with my husband's family, but I'm gonna put it plan for ya.  I'm the chubby bunny of the bunch.  I HATE it.  We take family pictures every year and every year I want to cry because once again there will be evidence that I'm the odd one out.  The youngest brother is getting married this year and his wife-to-be is gorgeous and also athletic and skinny.  I know that I'm a beautiful woman, but it's hard to see through the layers of chub.  So yes.  I'm in it to lose weight and look awesome (and strong!) because I don't want to hide away from the camera.  I want to have evidence that I lived and looked good doing it.

Week 1 Weigh In and Before Pictures

      Today was the official DAY 1 of my diet and body transformation.  Anyone else start a diet today? I'm actually really happy with how today went.  There was really only a small window of time where I was really wanting chocolate, but that was because it was definitely time for a snack.  Dinner was a bit of a hassle because I forgot to pre make the brown rice like I had planned.  It turned out alright though and we managed a doable dinner.  I weighed myself, took my measurements, and my before pictures today.  Guys, putting this stuff on here, I making myself incredibly vulnerable here.  I know that you are all my friends, but it doesn't change the fact that I don't like even my friends to see me this way.  I like people to see me as my best self.  Obviously, I'm not there physically, otherwise I wouldn't be doing this.  So here we go.  Let the accountability begin.

Starting Stats

Weight: 161.3 lbs.

BMI:  29.5

Chest:  30.5"

Bust:  37.25"

Upper Left Arm:  13.5"

Upper Right Arm:  13"

Lower Left Arm:  10.25"

Lower Right Arm:  10.5'

Waist:  32"

Mid Waist:  40"

Hips:  41"

Left Thigh:  25.5"

Right Thigh:  25.5"

Left Knee:  16.5"

Right Knee:  16.75"

Before Pictures

      As I mentioned in my post yesterday, I'm doing the Bikini Body Mommy Challenge workouts.  I'm not ready to share myself in a bikini (and probably won't ever be that comfortable), but my swimsuit definitely reveals my figure enough to let me know I need a change.  Especially since people will see me in a swimsuit this summer.  By the time I'm finished with this transformation, hopefully, my figure and my swimsuit will be better.

Weight Loss Challenge Redux

      Here we are again!  Remember that time I lost 40 pounds?  It was awesome.  I think I'll do it again.  :)  Because after that time I lost 40 pounds, there was that time I became pregnant and gained weight and couldn't lose it because the stress of being a new mommy got to me.  I started back losing weight again last Summer.  Then I hit a road block.  Happily, I found out I was pregnant.  Then, sadly I found out that it was an ectopic pregnancy that ruptured and I had to have emergency surgery, which ended up being a removal of my left fallopian tube (ovary is fine and intact) and a liter of blood.  A surgery that ended up saving my life, but changed it forever.  Afterwards, working out and healthy eating went on the back burner.  I gained a bit of weight back and now I'm really ready to get rid of it and the rest of the weight I've been carrying around for too long.

     I've already put together a plan and rewards for each 5 pound weight goal.  Starting tomorrow, I'm going to do the 30 day diet again.  The meal plan is made.  Actually, I made a plan for January and February.  I want to go back to my typical menu plan, which is basically healthy meals Monday through Thursday and Friday through Sunday are more fun dinners.  I'll, also, be counting counting calories with My Fitness Pal.  I really need the extra help with knowing where my food is going.  Workouts, I'm going to be following the Bikini Body Mommy workout plan, which starts tomorrow.  I have backup workouts that I can do if anything feels too much for me, but I will plan on giving everything a try before I decide anything. 

      This time around I'll be starting about 10 pounds lighter, but my goal weight is 10 pounds less as well.  I'm excited.  I really want to make it and make it work.  I'm not going to be posting everything I'm eating or every workout I do like I did before.  I feel like My Fitness Pal is pretty good about that since there is a social aspect to it.  I'm looking forward to getting motivation and encouragement  there as well.  What I will be posting on this blog, is weigh-ins, recipe tutorials, reward achievements, and filling you in on how I'm doing along the way.  I also will be showing my progress pictures.  Confession, I've had a migraine today so I haven't taken my before pictures or done my measurements yet.  I plan on doing that tomorrow and will hopefully get that up in the next few days.

      Wish me luck all!  I'm excited about doing this journey again.  It's gonna be amazing!

End Scene

     So in case you haven't notice, I haven't really been blogging anything about meals or exercise in quite some time.  I hate to say that I gave up, but essentially that's what I did.  At least during pregnancy.  I just put so much pressure on myself and really, I'm doing okay.  I wish I had more energy right now because the idea of making meals most days is just tiring.  Other than that, I feel mentally good.  At some point, this blog will come back into play.  I still want to reach the best weight possible for myself and I think, after the baby is born and some time has passed, I'll get back into the swing of things.  I still have goals for my health and weight.  With pregnancy and soon-to-be new baby those goals will have to move to a lower spot on my priority list.  However, the won't be lost and gone forever.  They'll return, but only when I feel the most ready.

Monday the 12th

Breakfast - Organic Flax Cereal w/ Milk



Lunch - Open faces PB&J, Multigrain Tortilla Chips, & a Tangelo



Dinner - Brown Sugar Muffins w/ Syrup. I got really distracted w/ phone calls and when I was finished it was so late. When I sat on the couch, I realized how tired I was and almost fell asleep. Luckily, Ty is an amazing husband and made these for dinner. Though, they may not be healthy they were certainly MUCH appreciated.



- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Carrier Rd,Richland,United States

Sunday the 11th

Breakfast - Scrambled Eggs w/ Cheese, Gala Apple & Extra Crunchy Peanut Butter



Lunch - Turkey Sandwich (Orowheat Whole Grain & Flax Bread, Mayo, Mustard, & Turkey) put in a sandwich maker to heat the turkey, Almonds, & Fiber One Brownie






Dinner - Spaghetti & Buttered Bread



Snack - Granola Bar



Water - 2 (and a little bit) Liters

Another Round

     Since loosing the rest of my weight and getting pregnant, I've been absent from this blog a long time.  I must confess I've missed it a little.  Something I had thought about for awhile before I met my goal, was to continue taking pictures of food and keep up the accountability so I could stay on track.  Before getting pregnant, I thought I would take a few months to maintain my goal weight and then readjust to my goals so that I could lose another 15 pounds and for once in my life be at my ideal weight for my height.  Well, of course, plans certainly changed rather quickly considering loosing weight wasn't an option.  During, my first trimester I experienced morning sickness and that helped keep the weight gain at bay.  Once it was over, though, the weight has slowly crept back on.  Don't think I'm trying to stop it.  I fully understand that I need to gain weight to keep myself and my baby happy and healthy.  My biggest concern is with what I'm eating and eating too much and gaining weight too quickly so that it's above and beyond the healthy amount. I think that when pregnant women are told they shouldn't diet, they should instead be told, "Don't diet to lose weight, diet to stay healthy."  Some might need further clarification, but I think that takes the voodoo out of the word "dieting".  I want to pregnancy diet, not trim-the-fat diet.

     So here's my plan:

-  Take a picture of everything I consume.

-  Post pictures on the Diet Blog for every day.*

-  On Monday thru Friday do Yoga routine from Yoga DVD.  Saturday and Sunday go for walks.  Two miles the second trimester and one to one and a half miles the third.  Might do more weight lifting and calisthenics as desired and needed.

-  Keep track of calories on My Daily Plate.  I've already adjusted the calories to 300 more than I would need to maintain my goal weight and in my third trimester I'll readjust it to 500 more.**

     I don't plan on doing any particular diet, but I would LOVE and appreciate any recipes you might want to share that are especially good and healthy during pregnancy.  After listening to a podcast on Pregtastic, which I highly recommend by the way, with the author of "I'm Pregnant, Now What Do I Eat", I'm considering going to Barnes and Noble and picking up a copy.  It starts with great information about having a good diet during pregnancy and then also gives recipes.  The author, is an OBGYN, teamed up with her chef hubby and put together recipes that are packed with pregnancy super foods.

     I already started taking pictures today, and it feels very natural and I'm excited to give myself that accountability again, since I haven't been doing to well as of late.  Encouragement and words of wisdom are welcome.  Remember, I'm new to this and will probably make mistakes, but that's how we learn.

* Before, I was doing posts by meal.  This time I'll be posting by day.  Also, I won't be posting the calories and I'm still not sure I want to post my weigh-ins, but I'm considering it.

** As far as I have been able to gather, this is the most appropriate way to add calories to your diet.  If you have facts that suggest otherwise, please share.  :)