I lost 12 pounds in 2 weeks my own way

~Life Changes~

2009-05-18T06:37:00.000-07:00

This has been the easiest thing for me! I decided to stop eating red meats like beef, etc and now I only eat chicken, turkey, lean ham (lean meats only)
I had read that beef in particular is hard for our bodies to digest, thus making some of us gain weight. I was buying very lean beef before, but decided to cut it out. And it wasn't hard either. You know these days they make every alternative you can think of. you can still have a veggie burger to replace the beloved hamburger, you can eat turkey hot dogs, turkey bacon, etc etc! I have not felt deprived at all! I Haven't drank soda in forever now and that was one of the best things I think I've ever done for myself. I feel so much cleaner inside without all the fizzie in my stomach! I get my caffeine from tea sweetened with splenda now and I'm never tired during the day anymore! I still eat 3 meals a day along with healthy snacks, so I don't feel deprived at all! it's great! and without dietary supplements. I've not had to take any pills at all. I just cut out red meat, and drink water and tea and I've lost 4 more pounds! I've actually been doing this for the past 4 months now. This is something I can stick with for life.

Happy Thanksgiving :D

2008-11-11T19:48:00.000-08:00

And remember: Portion control
you can still eat everything you want that makes this holiday special, just make sure you measure it out first.

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The Fat Flush Diet Tested~

2008-08-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

I have a Formal Ball coming up in 2 weeks now, so for the last week to look my trimmest, I've been trying a new approach.

I rented a book from the library a week ago called The Fat Flush Diet , modified it some to my liking, and have been on a modified version ever since.

The basic idea is portioned meals, eating 6 times a day, high protein foods, and cranberry water juice (100% NO SUGAR ADDED)

I didn't think the juice would be so good, but it really feels like a treat in itself to be able to drink it! you drink it to clean out your kidneys so they can work properly, boost your metabolism, and lose weight and/or inches.

In my case, I've lost about 1 pound maybe a little more in 1 1/2 weeks. For me, this is good since I don't have much to lose anyway (about 5 pounds) I have not only lost a pound in a week, I also am trimming inches around my waist which I couldn't be happier about.

For me, this will be more like a life change. I plan to stay on this regiment as long as I can. It's easy, I'm never hungry, and I feel better after I eat my healthier foods.

For instance, I have cut bread out completely. I make a turkey wrap for lunch with a low fat tortilla wrap, lettuce, and Smart Balance mayonaise. It leaves me feeling FULL believe it or not and I usually also eat watermelon along with it. DELICIOUS!

This diet keeps me so full, the last 2 days I actually forgot to eat lunch!!! (which is not good by the way, but is encouraging that I am staying that full for that long)

I also had a lovehandle that has disappeared just since I started this diet last week!

This diet is not really a diet to me, but a life change. And I'm happy to make it!

Princess for a Day

2008-07-17T09:25:00.000-07:00

I am SOOO exited about the ball this year. After all, I'm over 20 pounds lighter! So I decided to go all out and look like a princess for the ball this year. I bought a beautiful pink cinderella style ballgown on amazon.com and tried it on as soon as I got it in the mail 4 days later! it fit perfectly and I feel like a completely different person when I'm wearing it. I just wish I could wear it all the time, lol! I was thinking of getting a tiara to finish my princess look, but I'm rethinking that. I was actually thinking about putting some small pink flowers in my hair instead (inspired by my favorite movie, Enchanted!). If I can find the right flowers, that's what I'll do.

see a picture of my princess ball gown here!

Mostly, I'm looking forward to the professional photo that will be taken at the ball in my dress, as the thinner me :) a picture that I'll be proud to hang on my wall.
I never hung the picture up of last year's ball because I thought I looked so chunky in the picture, I was too embarrased that I ever looked like that. Now I feel great about myself and my accomplishment and can't wait to go!!!

What I've been doing this week!

2008-07-03T07:42:00.000-07:00

You may not know this, but I love to dance! I have been dancing since I was 4 years old. So, it's not an odd thing for me to try to encorporate it into my life, usually in some form of exercise.

So I've picked up something new I've been doing. I went on youtube monday and looked for some dances that I wanted to learn and found one that I like very much which I will share with you! I watched it over and over again, step by step the first day to learn it. I watched it for 2 hours going through every little motion and I still learned only half the dance, but by the next day and another 2 hour practice I had pretty much mastered the whole thing, not to mention that in all the fun, I lost another pound!

Dancing may not be for you, but I do suggest you find things that you enjoy doing to make exercise fun so you are more focused on having fun than the actual exercise.

This is the dance that I've learned and have actually been sweatin' to today :)

A Challenge

2008-06-22T09:20:00.001-07:00

If you have read my other blogs, you would know that I was recently diagnosed with migraines. With that comes medication, which in turn means possible side effects. They prescribed Elavil for me and the main side effect I have noticed is a ravenous appetite. Have I gained weight because of this? The answer is no. But being aware of a medications side effects can be detrimental to your wellbeing. I had read up on Elavil as soon as it was prescribed and knew that it was a side effect, so I began to be proactive.

I have been substituting 1-2 meals a day for a Slim Fast Optima shake along with a measured portion for my 3rd meal, and healthy snacks (watermelon, etc)

I also make sure I walk at least 4-5 days a week to keep my metabolism going. I have been on Elavil now for about 3-4 months and this method has been easy to encorporate into my lifestyle since I was already exercising, eating right, etc.

And notice I said I WALK. Sometimes I do run, but I've found that walking is just as effective. I keep a fast pace and usually walk at least 30-40 minutes.

I weigh 121 pounds and walking at 2 miles per hour for about 30 minutes, I burn 69 calories.

To find out how many calories you burn walking, click here.

My Current Routine

2008-05-05T11:05:00.000-07:00

I have been holding steady at 121, which is a loss of about 2 pounds since I started power walking 5 days a week, for at least 30 minutes per day.

Since it's finally watermelon season again, I have been eating them whenever I'm hungry, and watching my portions and calories at other times and have done quite well. I still do the 8 minute ab routine, which I like to do after my walks when I still have my heart working and my muscles warm.

At this point of course I am thin and not losing much weight, but maintaining what I have lost and toning up a lot. Everyone has been able to tell a difference which of course makes me very happy :)

More Results

2008-04-23T08:55:00.000-07:00

It seems I've been getting quicker results by power walking, basically walking as fast as you can, swinging my arms, and sometimes I even hold bottles of water for weights, but I have actually started to lose weight again as a result.

We go on about a 40 minute brisk walk, stretch out afterwards, and then I go home and will do my 8 minute abs.

Before we were doing the 8 minute abs and 8 minute buns for about 30 minutes, 5 times a week which was making me feel good and feel toned, but no weight loss. I just held my weight steady. But combining that with walking, cutting calories, and doing the 8 minute abs has helped me to start shedding pounds again.

I highly recommend finding someone where you can schedule times to do this. It just makes it so much easier when you have someone to talk to during your workout and ends up not feeling like a workout. It becomes fun. And that's what we want!

%Feel Good Party%

2008-04-09T12:23:00.000-07:00

Hey ya'll!
I've been so happy that I've stuck with the exercises for the last about 2 weeks that I'm throwing myself a blog party!

Great News!

2008-04-03T18:03:00.000-07:00

After being stuck at 123 (which of course I won't ever complain about)
after exercising for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week with my neighbor and drinking slim fast shakes to substitute 1 meal a day, I have lost 1 more pound, taking me to 122!

yippee!!

Now I am again measuring my portions to make sure it stays that way!

I gained all my weight back....

2008-04-01T08:34:00.000-07:00

hehe
just kidding folks!
I am still 123 and anticipate to lose more, now that I have been exercising every day with my neighbor.

just had to APRIL FOOLS YA!

Down to the Grind!

2008-03-27T08:29:00.000-07:00

I finally found someone to hold me accountable for the exercise portion for my quest to get back to my pre baby body! And if you can find someone that is willing to exercise with you, this is by far the best way to do it because then you can hold each other accountable.

We have a set time every day that we will exercise together and we are doing the 8 minute absroutine. (which also includes 8 minute thighs, buns, etc) And don't think that it's a walk in the park! I am sore as we speak from it! but see usually when I'm sore, that means I don't feel like exercising for several days, which ends up becoming... NEVER! but now that I have someone to exercise with, there's not getting out of it. And that's a good thing. 5 days a week we meet up for 30 minutes and do two 8 minute routines. We have been doing 8 minute abs and 8 minute thighs this week, and we get Saturday's and Sunday's off to recover until the next week.

Can't wait to see what we will look like! I already feel firmer and it's only been a week since we begun. If you want to try it too, you can get a good price on the exercise tape here.

Happy St. Pat's Day!

2008-03-17T04:29:00.000-07:00

Hope ya'll have a fun one :)

I am holding steady still at 123. Recently had to buy a new scale.
If I had to do a review on digital scales, I would give them a big fat "F"
I ended up taking my digital one back to the store cuz it wasn't working and opted for the good old fashioned dial scale.
:) And so far so good! The digital scale goes through a lot of batteries, though I hardly used it at all and it had a feature where it shut off when you were through weighing yourself. When I took it back to the store, I was told that my digital scale was discontinued. Gee, I wonder why!

Watermelon season again!

2008-03-10T02:57:00.001-07:00

Well I hope you can find this important diet fruit at your local grocer, or wal-mart for that matter.

Last time I went shopping, much to my surprise I saw 2 huge bins of miniature seedless watermelons! I was soo happy! I owe a lot of my diet success after all from the watermelon (mostly consisting of water) making me feel full so I wouldn't indulge on something fattening.

I bought 2. They are $4.00 each here, but a small price to pay for a smaller waist :)
They have both been eaten at this point and I have to go shopping again today. Yes, I will be buying more. I will buy them everytime I go shopping until they don't sell watermelons anymore. That's how important they are to my diet.

Watermelon is uber filling, and is a great thing to have anytime you are craving sweets. It's delicious and it satisfies. Canteloupe is another good one if you like them, but my favorite is watermelon. And by the way, if you think they must not be good since it's so early, think again. I ate 2 of them and they were both delicious. Just be careful to pick out the good ones. No bruises n' such.

Low calorie fruits are your friend. Eat as much as you want, you will burn more calories digesting the fruit than the fruit has, thus burning fat.

Back from vacation! A story from beyond :)

2008-03-03T02:52:00.000-08:00

Heys folks! We are officially back from our trip. We had a great time... LOTS of exercise! One day, we walked all around Washington D.C. I don't know how many miles, but believe me, it was a lot!!! We saw the spy museum, the Lincoln Memorial, WWII Memorial and reflection pool, the Art museums, and even went to Mcdonalds in China town (which I don't recommend)

In case you have never been there, the Mcdonalds in chinatown is kinda unique. there are no chairs to sit in while you eat!!! they make you stand up I guess to discourage hanger arounds, as there are signs all over the establishment that say "No staying any longer than 30 minutes" Sheese! I better hurry and eat then! I just have never seen this type of thing before. I wanted to take a picture cuz it was just so strange, but I wouldn't dare because of the people that may hurt me if I did :)

Yea, I know! I ate at Mcdonalds, but like I said, we walked a lot that day and I guarantee I burned it all off.

Just so you know though, I did weigh myself when vacation was through and I haven't gained any weight. Yippee!!!

And here is a picture from my vacation:

a view of the monuments from the Metro Train

To My Readers:

2008-02-22T07:05:00.000-08:00

We are officially on vacation. No, that does not mean I'm gonna be a pig! :)
we have plans to do lots of walking site seeing, and making smart choices when we do go out to eat. Most of the time we will still be eating at home.

take care and we will return soon!

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Dr. appointment

2008-02-14T02:12:00.000-08:00

Well, I had my dr.'s apointment and guess what?
I weighed in at 123 pounds on the doctor's scale (yippee!)
Only problem was, I was so nervous about weighing in the first place, the nurse was wondering why my blood pressure was high.

I told her I was really fine, that I was just nervous about the scale. The scale can be a scary experience. I think now though, we have become really great friends :)

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Tip of the day:

Don't eat too much candy today, yall, but if it so happens you do, just make sure it's in the morning. That way you have all day to burn it off.

Exercising like crazy!!!

2008-02-04T07:51:00.001-08:00

I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, and right now have been exercising this past week just every second that I get!

I've been working hard to try to even out my love handles, so have been doing a ton of cardio (mostly jumping jacks) and as many sit ups as I can, and push ups.

I feel stronger and have had more energy than usual. To aid me in my quest, I have also started drinking Slim fast optima shakes.

I have not dropped any pounds (still at 122) but 122 is a good weight and right now I am just focusing on toning.

I have also noticed from all the exercising that I have been doing, my skin looks more glowing, alive. Who would have though?

Motivation

2008-01-30T11:41:00.000-08:00

I haven't been to the doctor in a while. Frankly, I hate going and don't like taking pills every day, so I try to avoid it at all costs. (Also, last time I was at the doctor I weighed in at an embarassing 141 pounds)

I have been exercising regularly with my husband. Finally he has gotten in on it and it helps me so much to have someone to push me. So I do whatever he tells me to, which he has me do what they do in the military so it's great (and tiring!) Sometimes I wonder if I can get out of bed the next day he works me so hard!!! Obviously, I think everyone realizes that when you are on your own it presents extra work on your part, and when you have someone that can hold you accountable it just makes it a whole lot easier.

So now I have a doctor's appointment coming up and want to be in tip top shape so they will brag on me :) so I am trying to step up my regiment even more so they will be ever so impressed.

Right now, I am weighing in at 122 pounds, I know that doesn't sound like a lot probably to most but since having kids I hold the weight differently and believe it or not, still have work to do.

In high school, I weighed 125 pounds size 5- all muscle. After my first child I lost weight to 119 and looked too thin and wore a size 3. Things change and after child #2 I am 122 pounds, with most all my weight settled in my hips, so I may weigh less technically than I did in high school, but I am a size 7. Weird huh?

And that is why I have switched gears from just focusing mainly on dieting, to focusing mostly on activity level, and making sure I do lots of cardio (jumping jacks, etc) and lots of military sit ups.

Since my core is where I need to lose my excess weight, this is what I am focusing on in my exercise routine. I will keep you posted as to if I succeed or not. Wish me luck!

My Exercise Routine

2008-01-08T07:52:00.001-08:00

I must admit, it has been a while since I have exercised regularly. I spend a lot of time on the internet and realize that it would benefit me to make a schedule for myself.

So I have planned before starting my days, to exercise first.

For me, exercise has to be fun, so these are a few things that I like to exercise to:

Darrins dance grooves

Carmon Electra's Fit to Strip

Today, I did 30 minutes with darrin henson perfecting my dance routines done by britney spears and n'sync, then I did 30 minutes working my core with Carmon Electra.

Neither of these workouts is a joke!!! They are fun, but they do work you!
Now, If I can do a little of this every day, I should be looking good in no time!

After Holidays regroup!

2008-01-07T07:58:00.001-08:00

Allright! So I didn't gain any weight, but you just feel fatter after the holidays, don't you? Well, I do! so I will go through with you step by step my plan to look and feel thinner for 2008.

I started TODAY, and this is what I did.

First off, I tell myself over and over again... "If I can get past the first 3 days, I can do this!"

Then, I got back into the habit of measuring my portions.
For breakfast: Raisin Bran.
I measure out 1 cup of 2% milk and 1 cup of raisin bran.
Doesn't sound like a lot but fills you up!!!
See, I think a lot of us grew up on the "finish your plate" kind of mantality, and it sets us up to over eat when we get older because I for one always feel like I have to finish my plate as not to waste food.

And so when I measure my portions out, it's like my mind triggers my "full" feeling, even if I didn't eat as much as I usually do. I think a lot of it is in our minds.

So I did that, and since I feel like I need a little extra help, I started back on my once a day Nanoslim (diet pill). I took it after I ate my raisin bran this morning.

For lunch will be my traditional grilled chicken, and dinner will be a grilled chicken salad.

And for drinks, well over the holidays I got to drinking soda again, so out goes the soda!!! in with more water!

Watch for updates! and if you have any other good ideas for dieting, please leave your comments! Thanks!

My Christmas Plan

2007-12-21T04:05:00.000-08:00

I have pretty well reached and exceeded my origional goal of weight loss, and am now maintaining what I have lost. For christmas, we are doing something different. Insead of a ham, we though we would do something like a party tray. Less cooking for me, more time burning calories opening presents (haha, just kidding!)

I bought some low fat bread and roast beef along with some swiss cheese and lettuce and am going to be making sandwiches, in which I will then cut into little triangles and stick a party favor knife pick in the center of each one to make it look cute :)

I will be limiting my portions, and drinking lots of water (as usual). Also I notice I look so much better when I am well hydrated.

I will not be denying myself any special holiday drinks, although I will not give in to refills! :)

I won't deny myself anything this holiday, the important thing is just to remember portion control.

So, what's your holiday plan?

We have to change this!

2007-12-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

Habits are the hardest thing, believe me, I know! Well I have had this one particular habit since I was a teenager of comparing myself to movie stars as lots of us do. For inspiration, or just to hate someone, either way in the end we loose because we are constantly comparing to someone else. Something that is either airbrushed or altered (look at the tabloids compared to the fresh faced covers of magazines and you should get my point). Anyone can look good when there are personnel there to create it.

You can even get in trouble comparing to YOURSELF! That's right, the "old you". I do it all the time, and I have gotten so many eye rolls from my husband I fear his eyes may fall out!

:) It is a constant battle, but we must be willing to fight! Don't give up, don't give in! You are just as good as everyone else!I am happy at my new weight (in case you didn't know I'm at (122), but I have recently taken steps to change my own way of thinking.

First, I stopped going to gossip sites. I don't read the latest on Britney Spears anymore. I feel she is a terrible influence on me and I want all bad ifluences out of my life.

My hotmail account used to open up to the latest news and gossip about the "hottest stars", well there is an option to change it where it automatically opens to your inbox when you log in, so I did this as well.

It has been a week since I started going cold turkey on all rediculous media and who's fat, and whos not gossip and I can tell you that it's working great for me! Up until I decided to write this post, I hadn't even thought about my weight, or anyone elses image for that matter.

Bottom line, I have discovered way more important things that need my attention, and everything else is a hinderance and waste of time.

Slowly but Surely...

2007-12-10T03:05:00.000-08:00

I find myself holding steady at 122 pounds. I am still eating healthy, and try never to skip out on my raisin bran, eating it sometimes twice a day. Why do I eat so much raisin bran? my question to you would be, "Why stop something when it's working so well?" Granted, I am not losing 5 pounds a week anymore, but if I did, I would wither away to bones, and that is NOT my goal.

Really, I have already reached and surpassed my goal, and I couldn't be more happy with 122 pounds reading on the scale.

When I started my diet, I was at my highest weight (without being pregnant) at 141 pounds. So if I did the math correctly, I have so far lost 19 pounds. Woohooo!

So, make sure you read my past blog posts where I have listed everything I did to lose this stubborn weight, and good luck to you!

Oh, and by the way, another goal of mine has been reached... I weigh less than my 17 year old sister. :)

Six Pack Abs - 3 Mistakes That Will Keep You Flabby

2007-12-06T11:01:00.001-08:00

Author: Tom Gifford

Article:
If you are training for six pack abs then there are a few things
you need to be aware of that will be absolutely vital to your
success.

First, you should understand the differences between developing
six pack abs and losing body fat. Getting six pack abs is a all
about having extremely low levels of body fat. For men, the
optimal body fat percentage is around 8% and for women it is
around 15%. Training and eating to get body fat levels this low
is much different than someone who just starts a diet and wants
to lose 20-30lbs.

If you are just trying to lose a lot of weight, then making
small changes to your diet will help you make a lot of progress
very fast. For example, if you were to only drink water,
unsweetened iced tea, and green tea, then you will not be
consuming any calories from beverages. For someone who just
wants to lose weight, a small modification such as this can make
a big difference.

For someone who wants to get six pack abs, the process is much
more detailed. These are two common mistakes that people make
when trying to developing six pack abs.

Six Pack Abs Mistake #1: They try to do too many crunches and ab
exercises.

While crunches and other ab exercises will help to build a
stronger core, they will not help you get down to a low level of
body fat. Trying to use endless reps of ab exercises simply does
not build enough muscle or work your body hard enough to burn
significant calories.

The myth of "spot" reduction is where a lot of people get caught
up. The concept of spot reduction basically states that if you
want to lose fat in a certain part of the body you should work
the muscle underneath it. Our bodies do not store fat in one
specific place, therefore you cannot lose fat in one specific
place either.

You simply will never see a person with a ripped six pack and
flabby love handles. If spot reduction actually worked this is
what would happen. In the real world however, you need to
concentrate on losing fat all over your body in order to develop
a toned and sexy six pack.

Six Pack Abs Mistake #2: Trying to use infomercial ab gimmicks

When you see an advertisement for an "miracle" piece of ab
equipment, the people who are using them usually have great
bodies, low body fat, and a great six pack. However I can
guarantee you one thing, and that is they did not get that way
to using one single piece of abdominal exercise equipment.

Like we just talked about with why lots of crunches do not help
you get six pack abs, the same holds true for any ab crunch
machine or anything else you see on an advertisement.

This all goes back to the false concept that working the abs
with lots of exercises will directly lead to a six pack. All the
people with the best abs got them by training their whole body
and making very smart food choices. Not by using some ab crunch
gimmick for "two easy payments of $29.95." Six Pack Abs Mistake
#3: Eating too many calories.

Sounds overly simplistic doesn't it?

This is one of the most important core concepts that is crucial
to understanding how to lose body fat and develop six pack abs.
So many people try to eat healthy and still have trouble losing
weight. Sometimes they think they have something physiologically
wrong with them and their bodies simply cannot lose weight.

Before you fall into this trap and start seeking "miracle" quick
fixes, you need to know that not being able to lose body fat is
simply a matter of taking in too many calories. If you try
keeping a food journal for a week and counting the calories you
consume you will be amazed at the insight it will give you.

Even if you eat 400 extra calories a day from little snacks here
and there (which is not difficult at all), you will be taking in
an extra 2,800 calories per week. For some people, taking in an
extra 500-1000 calories per day can easily come from foods that
are extremely calorie dense but do not help you feel full. Such
foods include bagels, donuts, muffins, potato chips, soda, any
kind of fast food, and more.

So before you think that getting six pack abs or simply losing
body fat is impossible for you, try taking a few days to really
track what you are eating. You will be surprised that losing
weight can really be as simple as cutting out small calories
dense foods from your diet.

A wise man once said that having sexy six pack abs feels better
than the best tasting food in the world. Remember this concept
and start taking action today. Good luck!

About the author:
Interested in learning more? If so, there is good news for you.
My name it Tom Gifford, Certified Personal Trainer, and I would
like to extend to you a personal invitation to stop by my
website at http://www.TheGreatCardioMyth.com and check out the
first two chapters of my brand new book! You will get lots of
great tips you can start implementing today. Looking forward to
seeing you there!