Wrapping up the Week

We're just going to pretend that the Brittany who fussed at her mom for not posting on Wed. and the Brittany who didn't post on Wed. OR Thur. are two different people...okay? I know it...I'm a bad, bad daughter. But my mommy loves me anyway :D.

This week has been...amazing. Really hard, but amazing. It's helped that, with a summer off from work, I'm in a very self-contained environment. I've had a house all to myself and nothing incredibly pressing to do with it, so I've been able to really focus on beating the snot out of Bertha and her bad attitudes. The procrastination that comes naturally to me has been easier to overcome because (a) I don't have any easy excuses and (b) I have the time to fight myself up out of bed or off the couch and still do my workout. It feels almost like God set this time aside for me to have a safe, comfortable environment to learn in. Without other distractions, it's just Him, me, and the workout dvds (well, and sometimes Bertha - but she's getting easier to ignore).

I've got about two weeks of summer vacation left before the school year starts and I'm back at work. I'm hoping and praying that, during the time in-between, these new routines will become so ingrained into my life that I don't have a problem keeping with them once the busyness of two jobs kicks in.

I don't know how to describe what is different this time around...I've both been here before, and never seen this place in my life. I've dropped the amount of weight I've shed this week in the past, plus some. I'm only 5 days in, and while I've never worked out this consistently or intensely, I have "worked out." But this place I've found is totally new. I have absolutely no doubt that this is the last "diet" that I will ever be on...the last time I'll ever have to start over from square one. There's been some fundamental shift in my brain, and I know that, with time and God's grace, my lifestyle is going to be different from here on out.

I'm not saying that I'll suddenly become "the fitness queen" or that I'll never eat ice cream for dinner. It's just that somehow, someway, Bertha's grip on me has suddenly slipped a little. I'm still bombarded with "stinkin' thinkin'" as Flylady puts it, but it's getting easier to put those aside for better ones. It's like God finally wiggled His way into some hidden part of my sub-conscious that I didn't even know was there, and cracked it wide open. And as much as it hurts, boy does it feel good.

Which is exactly how the physical exercise feels, come to think of it. This statement won't sound radical to those who don't know me personally, but if you do, hold on to your hats: I like exercise.

There, I said it! Is anybody else shocked? I know I am. I'm not going to lie...I'm still having to fight Bertha to get my big butt off the couch and do it. But while I'm working - while my muscles are screaming "sit back down, sit back down, sit back down!" and while my arms are doing The Clap so loudly I'm surprised I can hear the instructor - that's when it kicks in that this is right. And afterwords, while I'm trying to put my lungs and stomach back in their proper places, that "I Did It!" moment hits and suddenly everything is right with the world. It's those moments that let me know that I could get used to this. They're addictive, and I find myself looking forward to them even as Bertha whines about how sore I am right now. In fact, they're so addictive that just talking about them has got me motivated to get off my rear and do something. So I'll stop talking your ear off and hit the play button. Our first official check in is just a weekend away, and I want to be ready when it gets here!

This entry is being included in the Fat to Fit Blog Hop. Check out these other blogs to find more people trekking along on their weight-loss journeys!

Day 2 1/2
OK, so I didn't blog yesterday and Brittany fussed at me. So...Day two went well, and it showed on the scales this morning. I have dropped another 2 lbs. Now for the challenge. I am going to pull out of my driveway in a few minutes with 3 boys and we are going camping til Sunday. It is going to be hard to stick to a lower calorie diet while camping. Saturday night is going to be especially hard, as that is our potluck dinner. I do know the exercise will come easy. Setting up camp today will burn quite a few calories, as will the hiking, canoeing and other stuff I plan to do this weekend. I will check in with everyone on Sunday afternoon!

Dragging Through Day Two

Ugh...I had this little mental list of all the things I wanted to tell ya'll about day two...like how I got a new workout dvd, and how I managed a jump rope routine that I thought would kill me...and there was some other stuff, too, I swear! But it's 10:30, and I am Capital T Tired. So instead, I'll just say that I managed just over an hour of exercise, stayed within all of my ranges (except for Carbs. I ate 10 carbs too many. whoops) and told Bertha to shove a sock in it on more than one occasion. It was a good day. A long, exhausting day, but a good one nonetheless. And now, to bed!

Day One

Well, I have just about made it through Day 1 and it has been successful, I believe. I didn't get a workout at all in, although I did two "life" workouts. First I cleaned our swimming pool, which has turned green due to all the rain that got in when I forgot to put the cover on. I couldn't find anywhere what calories I burned doing that, but it had to be some! lol
My second workout came at the school, where I moved some furniture and cleaned out a nasty closet. Again, that should have burned a few calories!
As far as food goes, I was under 1000 calories, and am full at bedtime. I know I should not go that low, but I ate balanced meals all day and due to the lack of a formal workout, I felt it was ok for today. I also woke up late and just ate a morning snack since it was so close to lunch time. That accounts for the extra 250 - 300 calories I will consume on a regular day!
So far so good!

Angela 1
Bertha 0

Day 1 - Let the Battle Begin!

Today was the official start of the 30 in 30 challenge, and I had myself all psyched up and ready to go last night. My plan had been to get up at 6:30, jump straight in the shower, and then knock off my to-do list by noon. Unfortunately, Bertha had other ideas.

2 A.M. found me lying in bed, listening to the thunder and the rain and wondering why, after feeling lethargic all day, I suddenly couldn't sleep. I finally dozed off at around 3, which meant there was no dragging my fat butt out of bed until 9.

That, in and of itself, was a small victory; I'd normally call the day a loss and lounge around in my PJs until my husband got home. But gosh darnit, this was the first day of the challenge, and I was going to show Bertha who was boss. So I crawled out of bed, grabbed my workout clothes, and headed into the bathroom.

Now, we live out in the country, and we have a *little* spider problem. After several close encounters in the shower, we've learned to do a quick once over before stripping down and stepping in, just to make sure we'll be the only bathers. I'd gotten kind of lazy with that, actually; I haven't seen a spider bigger than a pea in weeks, so I don't check as thoroughly as I used to. In fact, I was so used to *not* seeing anything that the flash of something dark on the shower curtain liner didn't really register until I'd already leaned in to turn on the water. When it clicked that there might have been something there, I shook the shower curtain just to be sure.

I really, really wish I had the picture to show you this monster; I took one, of course, but the sd card wasn't in the camera and I didn't realize it until the thing was dead and shriveled.

You'll have to use your imaginations, instead. You know those pretty, wide containers that Bath and Body Works products come in? The ones with the oval bottoms? The spider that fell off of my shower curtain and into the tub was the same size as that oval bottom. No lie. To my undying credit, I did *not* scream like a little girl...though it was a very close thing.

Instead, I grabbed the closest chemical on hand (scrubbing bubbles) and tried to drown the sucker with it. When it was apparent that wasn't working (by its scurrying TOWARD ME) I ran into the other room and grabbed the Raid. I thought it was dead after that, and was hunting something to scoop it out with when it moved again. We repeated the cycle a couple of times - me "killing" it with spray and looking for something to get it out with; it waiting until it thought I was gone to try and run away - until it finally curled up on itself and moved no more. Shriveled up, it was the size of a quarter.

I, being the wimp I am, decided against a shower this morning. Bertha tried to tell me that, since I wasn't taking a shower, I couldn't put on clean exercise clothes, and without those clothes, I couldn't exercise. Her solution was to spend the entire day in bed playing Frontierville.

But I'm trying to kill Bertha, so taking her advice is no longer high on my list of priorities. Instead, I told her that I was going to be alone all day, with only me to smell myself, so what did it matter? I got dressed, ignored her protests, and did my 10 minute kickboxing session.

Things went a lot more smoothly after that. I did end up inflicting my stink on a poor Jehovah's Witness who came to the door, but she was nice about it. I ate three healthy meals and indulged in a piece of homemade cinnamon bread for dessert without going over any of my ranges, and I did all three exercise sessions. Take that, Bertha!

Day 1 Stats:

Nutrition

Calories - 1403
Carbs - 210
Fat - 24
Protein - 68

Exercise

Minutes - 62
Calories burned - 523

Setting Up a Plan

I've been spending the better part of the weekend brainstorming how I want to go about this whole "weight loss" thing; Emily's "30 pounds in 30 days" challenge kicks off bright and early tomorrow morning, and I want to be prepared.

I guess I ought to throw a disclaimer out there that I'm not doing this in the hopes of quick, magical results. 30 pounds is a lot, but it's only half of what I, to be healthy, have to lose...and a much smaller percentage of what I could stand to see go. Aside from that, I'm starting with an advantage in that (a) I've not been doing *anything* previously, and (b) I'm 23. So, while I don't know that I'll hit the 30 pounds, I think I can get close without doing anything extreme to reach it.

I don't want to do some crazy liquid diet or starvation plan to drop the weight. While it would be lovely to not have to work for this, my goal is to be healthy and comfortable in my own skin. I'm smart enough to know that doesn't come overnight, and it doesn't come from some fad diet that hands back all the weight plus some when you start to eat regularly again.

So, while I'm kicking things off with the 30 day challenge, I'm in this for the long term. Here are the guidelines I've set up to help myself get there:

I'll be making conscious decisions about what I put into my body, aiming for a balance of nutrients. Nothing is, strictly speaking, "off limits," but I'll be carefully monitoring my fat, calories, carbs, and protein to makes sure that I'm within healthy ranges. Based on the recommendations of Sparkpeople, I'll be aiming for the following ranges:

Calories: 1320-1670
Carbs: 177-255
Fat: 35-61
Protein: 32-109

I'll track everything I eat, plus all of my exercise, with Sparkpeople's handy trackers. SP will adjust my ranges as my weight changes, so I'll always have a pretty steady guide and a quick way to see my nutritional progress.

As for exercise, I'm going to start with just 1 hour at least 5 days a week. I absolutely loathe exercise, so I'll be breaking it down into three sessions:

1 10 minute session of something awful but kick butt, like Coach Nichole's 10 minute kick-boxing routine. I'll start my day with this, both to give me a jump start and to get it out of the way so I don't waste time dreading it.

1 20 minute Wii Fit Plus session, doing whatever the heck I feel like. This doesn't burn a whole lot, but it does offer a nice mix of low impact aerobics, strength training, and yoga. And it's fun.

1 30 minute belly dancing session. Yes, you read that right - belly dancing. Bertha likes to tell me it's something fat girls like me can't do...but no one sees me but me, and I absolutely love it.

And really, isn't that what this is all about? I've specifically saved the belly dancing session for last in my day because I want it to be a special treat - a fun way to unwind and feel good about myself. Bertha's spewed her rot for so long that I'd come to believe everything she said. Now I'm retraining myself to think differently; to see exercise as reward, not punishment, and to do fun, empowering things whether I "look the part" or not. Why should skinny girls have all the fun? I will reach a healthy weight sooner rather than later, but there's absolutely no reason not to embrace who and what I am in the meantime.

Anyway, that's where I'm at right now. Battle commences at 6:30 A.M. tomorrow morning. Bring it, Bertha!

The Journey Begins

Well, tomorrow we will begin a 30 day journey to lose 30 pounds. This sounds impossible, but with encouragement from our friends, and knowledge that there are 18 others doing this with us, I am going to give it everything I have to give. My first obstacle is coming up this weekend. I am taking the boys camping Thursday and we have a big potluck on Saturday. This is CampTN's "Christmas in July" camp out and our potluck is going to be Christmas dinner, complete with turkey and dressing, mashed potatoes and all the trimmings. My biggest enemy when it comes to losing weight is lack of self control, and boy do I lose any self control I might possess when it comes to buffets. This potluck is going to be one big buffet! I am going to be needing the prayers of those of you following this blog especially on Saturday night. I have borrowed a scripture off of Emily Oldham's blog and I will be relying on this one heavily during the next 30 days. Proverbs 16:3 says "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed." I know that I cannot succeed alone in this 30 day challenge, but if I earnestly give this project to God, I will be victorious. The trick is going to be "committing to the Lord" and not trying to rely on myself, or letting "Bertha" tell me how hungry I am or how miserably I am failing.
I will post that I have 87 lbs to lose, but I am not comfortable enough with myself to post my starting weight. You will have to figure that out when I have achieved my goals and post my ending weight! lol
Thanks for following along with us! I will keep you posted!