My P90X Has Arrived! : )

My P90X workout system came from the UPS guy today! I've got a lot of studying to do to figure out the plan, and especially the nutrition plan, and some equipment to buy. I'm hoping to get started tomorrow afternoon.

I'm motivated, excited, and scared. : )

Here I go!

Lessons Learned and Something New I'm Trying

You know, I've found it is fun to update this blog when I'm doing really well. As you can see I haven't updated in awhile, so you can probably guess how I've been doing with weight loss goals lately. Ha Ha. : )

It hasn't been stellar. BUT it has been good for me.

From the beginning of this journey, my biggest goal has been to make lasting change. I've learned a lot about myself over the past few weeks that I think were "Ah Ha" moments that will help me a lot over the long term.

First of all, I learned that success can be dangerous for me. I was so excited to lose that first 31 pounds and to be able to mark off my first goal, but then I got lazy. It wasn't on purpose, but the month of April has been a maintenance month instead of a losing month. As I continue to succeed and to reach goals, I need to be on guard for this tendency.

The other thing I've discovered is the food issue is way harder for me than making myself exercise. The more I'm getting into shape, the easier it is to push myself to workout. I really want to do it now. Not always, but in general I'm excited to get out for my runs. But limiting my eating is much harder. I was talking to my mom about it and she said, "Yeah, it is so much easier to make myself do something (exercise) than it is to keep myself from doing something (overeating)."

Self-discipline just isn't easy and denying appetite is really hard. Eating right is the key to my success here, though. The exercise is going great right now, but I still haven't lost any weight. Exercise alone just isn't enough.

OK, third thing I've figured out. Weight loss is not permanent. In the past, I always thought if I could just get to my goal everything will be wonderful, and I will be skinny for the rest of my life. The problem is it is so easy to regain the weight. I don't want to be fearful of this- that will just lead to gaining it faster, but I do want to be prepared to live a maintenance lifestyle.

Over Easter, I noticed I was gaining weight back. This scared me, so I re-focused and lost the weight I gained over again. When I do reach my ultimate goal and am ready for maintenance, I'm going to keep going like I'm going, with treats occasionally, enjoying life, but I have to be watchful (not obsessive) and say I will never gain back more than 3 pounds before I work to take it off again. Three pounds will be easier to take off and less discouraging than being surprised when I'm all of a sudden 20 pounds heavier again.

So, I haven't lost any weight in April yet. I haven't gained any either. I have gained some valuable insight so that is a good thing. And I think the rest has been good for me, too.

Also, I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE! After a year of wanting to do it, I finally gave into the infomercial and ordered the P90X program from beachbody.com

I am so impatient for it to get here. It promises to get me "ripped in 90 days." We'll see!

My First Goal Accomplished

I weighed in this morning and was so happy to see I lost 1.9 pounds. Using a scale that is so precise works to my benefit on those weeks when I can celebrate a point something loss, but this time I would have liked to be able to say I lost 2 pounds, but I couldn't get that .1 to budge for me. Ha Ha.

This loss was significant because it meant I reached two goals! My first goal was to lose 31 lbs. by March 31st. I'm a few days late, but I've officially lost 31.3 lbs. The reason I wanted to lose 31 lbs. was because it meant I had broken into a new "decade" on the scale. Sorry, but I'm not willing to be so transparent that I tell you the actual number on the scale, but I now weigh ##8.7

I'm feeling so thankful! I was starting to slip with my eating. It was easy to grab a little handful of this or nibble on that and pretend like it doesn't count. I had to regroup this weekend and recommit. It paid off! : )

The beautiful spring weather we are having is really helping in the motivation department!

One goal down, four more to go!!!

Goals:
Run 5K race on May 16th
Run 5 mile race in September
Lose 50 pounds by August 14th
Lose 60 pounds by Christmas and then I celebrate!!!

Here's my current stats:
Pounds lost this week: - 1.9 lbs.
Total Pounds so far: - 31.3 lbs.Yippee!

Thanks for all of the encouragement! If you are writing a fitness blog of your own, let me know so I can add you to my "Fellow Climbers" section on the sidebar.

Temptation

I'm feeling particularly tempted to eat tonight. The sugar free gum just isn't cutting it right now, so I thought journaling might keep me from giving in and keep me out of the kitchen. I need to do the dishes, but I'm afraid if I even walk in there it will all be over. : )

I have another temptation to admit: I WANT TO GIVE INTO AN INFOMERCIAL. : )

Since August, I can't count how many times I've been nursing my baby and ended up watching an infomercial for P90X- a workout program from Beachbody. I've usually got a lot of self-control when it comes to infomercials, they really don't tempt me all that much, and we live by a pretty tight, cash only budget, so I'm not an impulse buyer. But there is something about this one that makes me want to give it a try. I've been thinking about it for months.

Then I found out that a friend of mine did buy it. I saw her at church this weekend and WOW! SHE LOOKED SO GOOD! I've been researching ways to get it cheaper online than from ordering it from the company. I don't know....I might have to save up for it and give it a shot.

So, this was a really random post, huh? It worked though. I think I'm feeling a little more self-control and can skip the night snack I thought I just had to have. I might even try going into the danger zone to get a few dishes done now. : )

How Far Did I Go?

I lost one pound this week. Well, actually .8, but I'm rounding up. I stepped on the scale three times trying to get it to give me the .2 to make a full pound, but the scale wasn't cooperating. Oh well- a loss is a loss, and I'm just glad to see my weight-loss chart going down every week. I'm on a roll and it feels so good.

One of my prayer requests lately has been, "Lord, please re-teach me how to eat." I watch my kids eat. They'll walk away from desert if they are "done." I knew my portion sizes and brain didn't remember what was right and normal any more, so I need to be re-taught by my body's Designer. He has been so faithful in answering that prayer. I feel like I'm understanding myself better, have a good idea of how much food I really need, and am still enjoying some treats, too. I want this weight-loss this time to be permanent and the internal changes to be lasting. That's why I'm going to the Source- My Maker. : )

I wanted to share a great website called www.mapmyrun.com You can chart your walks or runs on their and it will calculate the distance. I love it! I used to have to try to measure it with my car to see how far I'd gone. I have fun plotting new routes and upping my distance. There is also a www.mapmyride.com for bike riders.

OK...Here's my current stats:

Pounds lost this week: - .8 lbs.
Pounds lost in March: - 7.4 lbs.
Total Pounds so far: - 29.4 lbs.
Yippee!

Goals:
Run 5K race on May 16th
Run 5 mile race in September
Lose 50 pounds by August 14th
Lose 60 pounds by Christmas and that's as far as I want to go. : )

My Cheap Home Gym and Celebrating a Great Week!

After only losing 2/10 of a pound last week, I'm celebrating a great loss this week. I was so excited to weigh in on Monday morning and see that I had lost 3 1/2 pounds!

A lot of things went right this past week.
My sore hip and knee felt better, so I was able to fit my Couch to 5K workout back in
I bought new running shoes (on sale of course) and that was a great motivator
My eating choices were really good without having to take a lot of time to think about it. I just focused on the right portions and didn't eat after dinner other than a lot of sugar free gum. It is going to take Costco size boxes of gum to break my night time munchie habit but its working.

I went to the Mall last week to pick up my new shoes and I had to walk through Dillards. Just the smell and seeing all the cute spring clothes and shoes made me want to work even harder. I want shopping and dressing to be fun again. That was another great motivator.

But I know the real secret to my success is my mom is behind the scenes praying for me. Thanks, Mom!

I promised I'd tell you about how I'm getting creative and building my own home gym. Here's what I'm doing to exercise without a gym membership:

I've already told you about:
- Couch to 5K Plan
- Free Watch Instantly Netflix workout videos (especially Pilates for core strength)

But for weight training I'm using:
- Resistance bands from Wal-Mart
- And my newest purchase is Gold's Gym Home Gym System and DVD also from Wal-Mart.

I wasn't sure about the Home Gym at first. I thought it didn't have enough resistance, but I figured out you can add as many as four bands to one handle. It will be awhile before I'm too strong for this and it fits so neatly on the back of my bedroom closet door. The DVD is a little boring and slow, but I won't need to use it for long once I figure out how to do the exercises correctly on my own.

I just walked in the door from my jog. I love the runner's high. : ) I'm so excited and hopeful about this progress. My short-term goal is to reach 31 pounds lost by March 31st and 50 pounds lost by August 14th- my baby's first birthday. Here's how I'm doing so far:

Pounds lost this week: - 3.5
Total Pounds so far: - 28.6
Goals:

• Run 5K race on May 16th
• Run 5 mile race in September
• Lose 31 pounds by March 31st
• Lose 50 pounds by August 14th
• Lose 60 pounds by Christmas and that's as far as I want to go. : )

I'll Take What I Can Get I Guess

Drum roll please...

I lost a whopping 2/10 of a pound this week! I'll take what I can get I guess, and if I'm perfectly honest, this wasn't a stellar week. I nursed my sore hip and knee all week and then ended up with a cold, so my exercise wasn't what I wanted it to be. I'm thankful for any loss and no gain. I'm such a tortoise in this race. But the tortoise won the race, right?

I had a good day today food wise. I'm writing this post and chomping on sugarless gum to keep myself from blowing it at the last minute. Most people I know don't eat when they are sick. That rarely happens to me. When I don't feel good, especially with colds, food feels good.

I just want to get to my goal so badly though, so I've stocked up on the sugar free gum from Costco and that's my snack tonight.

Here's hoping for a better weigh-in next Monday! : )

I'm so ready for some new clothes, too. I don't want to invest in clothes that will be too big soon, but I also want to feel good along the way. I'll have to do some bargain hunting and figure out how to actually make it out of the house with sick kids and my baby's nap schedule. I wish I could Internet shop for clothes! Anyone want to be my personal shopper? I don't pay very well. : )

I still want to do a post on how I'm trying to build a home gym with little money and some creativity. Netflix Watch Instantly movies are still my life saver right now. It is supposed to be 60 degrees this week. Perfect running weather! As soon as I get some new shoes, I'm hitting the asphalt again.

Hope all is going well for my fellow climbers out there!

: )