Fit Friday

Here's my post for Fit Friday...

GET OUT THERE AND GET MOVING!!!

What did you do or are you going to do to get some activity in today or this weekend?

We are going camping at a local state park and will be hitting the trails tomorrow.

So, just get out there and move!!
~Crystal

Thoughtful Thursday...I'M BACK!!!!

Okay, here it goes...it's going to be negative for a little bit so I can get to the positive.

I AM A FAILURE!  A complete and utter failure.  All the progress I've made the past year is gone! 

I FINALLY went to a WW meeting today, got on the scale and needless to say it was not good!  I am up 13 lbs from my last weigh in on February 9th of this year!  That means that I am back to where I was when I started this blog last year...245.6 lbs!

Who's to blame?  I AM!!  I did this to myself through a series of bad choices and excuses. 

Where did it all go wrong?  Well, I have to say that it all went wrong when I stopped attending weekly WW meetings.  I never realized how much they help me.  While it's not for everyone I have found that I need them.  I also stopped going to the gym.  Mostly because my trainer got a different job, but another reason is because I felt so self conscious when I went there.  Then a series of unfortunate incidents that I won't drudge up all the details on here got in my way.

What made me go back?  I ran into my WW leader this past Saturday and of course she shopping in the fitness clothing part of the store.  She said she wouldn't be at the meeting this Saturday because she's participating in a 1/2 marathon.  I told her I'd see her the next Saturday then.  We all get used to a routine and I was used to having her as my leader.  She told me I didn't have to wait on her to come back.  And luck of all lucks I didn't have to go anywhere or do anything after work today and was able to go to her Thursday meeting.  I have to say I'm glad I went because it really focused on a lot of things that we all need to work through (another post for tomorrow). 

What's keeping me from totally giving in and throwing in the towel?  I KNOW I CAN DO THIS!  I've proved that it can be done by taking off the 13 lbs before and I know I can do it again plus more. 

Why do I post it all for the whole world to see?  Because there are so many people just like me out there that are struggling just as much if not more than I am.  I think that maybe something I am going through or something that I write will help someone out there. 

So, what's next?  Start over...don't give up...keep on truckin'!  I can't keep being negative and look at is as a failure anymore.  I have to look at it as a minor setback and just try as hard as I can to not let it happen again and if it does not be so hard on myself.  This never was meant to be a quick fix, there are no quick fixes.  I need to dig further into why I've put all this weight back on.

In conclusion, if anyone is even reading this, I have got to get back to making myself a priority and making my health a priority. 
~Crystal

Long time no blog

I know it's been a while since I've blogged and I know I promised regular blog posts, but I have failed you all. I am planning on posting again later today with a better explanation and a list of excuses. Thank you for your understanding!
~Crystal

Tips on Tuesday

I don't have any wonderful over the top tips today (actually it's Wednesday I couldn't think of what to write yesterday).  But I did run across a recipe that I though was worth trying out.  I found this on one of the many weight loss blogs that I read and it was for Yummy Berry Cheesecake Smoothie.  I though, I love cheesecake and would love to drink anything that tasted like a cheesecake.  So, I gave it a go.

Very few things needed 

Yummy delicious berry smoothie

The only thing I would do differently is add a packet of Splenda or other non-calorie sweetener to it.  It needed just a hint of more sweetness.  I'm always up to try something once.

What's something new that you've tried lately?

~Crystal

Motivational Monday

Yes, it's Monday.  Ho, hum day Monday!  We all could have used more weekend, but we have to face the fact that Monday comes around every week. 

How do you face Monday? 

Do you say, "The diet starts today"?  Do you look at it as a fresh start?  Or do you just absolutely dread Mondays?

Well, I say yes to all three. 

There is never enough weekend, and the fact that I ate bad over the weekend causes me to say that the diet starts back up on Monday, therefore I look at it as a fresh start and then I also dread it.

So much for motivational, right?!

Well, there has to be an end to the mentality that the diet starts on Monday.  In reality the diet never should have stopped.  You can eat what you like, but do so in moderation so that you don't ruin what you've worked so hard to achieve. 

Look to Monday as a fresh start, but look at it as a fresh start to the next step in your journey not as a starting over point.

Those are my motivational words on this Monday.
~Crystal

Sensational Sunday

I've been MIA again lately...the busyness of life is getting in the way of me getting back on track the way I need to.  I expect almost too much from myself and when I don't succeed I feel defeated.

I was going back over some notes I've been taking at church and not to make this blog a spiritual thing, but I found something that related to life in general not just church life.  "If you don't expect anything, you get nothing."

This is so true!  If we expect to fail, we will fail.  If we expect to achieve, we will achieve. 

I've been coasting along not really trying and it's showing.  As of this post I have put almost all of the weight that I've lost over the last year back on.  I can look at this and feel defeated and give up or I can look at it and chose to move past it.  I am choosing to move past and move beyond it.  I WILL NOT let it get me down or keep me from losing focus. 

I'm sorry to anyone that has looked to me for motivation, but sometimes we all stumble and fall.  We just have to pull ourselves up by the proverbial bootstraps and move on.

I'm choosing to move on!  Come move on with me!
~Crystal

Thoughtful Thursday

As part of my new blogging schedule and themed posts, here on my thoughts on this Thursday...

As I sit here pondering what to type my thoughts wonder to why it is that I'm doing this whole weight loss thing and blogging about it. 

For one thing I HATE the way I look/feel.  I know we should be happy with ourselves, but I have been taking a good hard look at myself in the proverbial mirror and I do not like what I see.  Not only am I very much overweight, it just isn't pleasant to look at.  Then my mind starts to wonder to how I got like this.  I know it wasn't overnight, I'm no dummy!  I try to rack my brain and figure out how I have stayed like this.  Is it a lack of motivation, a lack of will-power, a lack of caring? 

WHO KNOWS!! 

All I can do is look at what I need to do to change the way I look/feel.  Thus, the reason I started this blog.  And while I haven't been doing what I should/need to do, I am doing my best to get back on track and get back to a more consistent and normal routine when it comes to exercise and eating right. 

So...those are my thoughts on this Thursday.
~Crystal

Works For Me Wednesday

Or should I say..."What doesn't work for me Wednesday"? 

Hello all!  Or should I just say hello to those of you who actually still read this blog.  I am so far behind and so much has happened in the last few months.  Lots of stresses have taken place and I won't go into all of them here. 

I seems to have fallen into some of the same habits/routines that I fell into from before I started this blog.  And let me tell you the excuses are flying around here like crazy...I don't have time to exercise, I hate tracking, I've been under so much stress, those chips looked so good. 

I'm not really sure of my exact weight, but it's creeping back up.  I just got it in my mind today that I was going to start writing in a journal about the struggles I'm having and I thought, "Duh!!  Go blog about it!"

So, here I am humbly crawling back to the computer to try and regain the motivation to get back on this weight loss journey. 

I have taken some small steps into getting back into the swing of things.  I have gone cold turkey again off the Diet Coke.  It was around this time last year that I did it and I know I can do it again.  I have started having a more substantial breakfast to get me through work at the preschool without wanting to snack on what the kids are snacking on.  I started taking my vitamins again in order to start feeling better.  I am looking to planning my lunches for when I get home from work. 

While I haven't put on all the weight that I lost last year, I am starting to notice an uptick in the scale.  So...here I go again!  My goal though is to do a post a day and they will be themed posts.  Like today's post is "Works For Me Wednesday."  Here's the rundown of the new blog schedule:
Motivational Monday
Tips on Tuesday
Works For Me Wednesday
Thoughtful Thursday
Fit Friday
Sensational Saturday
I'll be taking Sundays off from blogging because they are just too hectic.

So, that is the new and improved plan for now.  I hope to stick with it and re-motivate whoever reads this blog and be re-motivated by all of you.
~Crystal

Last weeks weigh-in

I missed posting this last week so I am posting it today. 

Starting weight: 245.6
Last weeks weight: (Actually 12/29/11) 236
Current weight: 237.2
Gain/loss: +1.2
Total gain/loss: -8.4
Pounds to 5%: 4.6
Pounds to 10%: 16.6
Pounds to short term goal: 38.2
Pounds to long term goal: 77.2

I had a bit of a gain and actually need to own up to the fact that the last three weigh-ins I have gained a total of 4.4 pounds.  I was so proud of myself for not gaining all that I had lost back, but it's slowly creeping back on, but I still am down almost 30 inches.  Doesn't make sense.  Hopefully next weeks weigh-in will be better.
~Crystal

Working out is hard to do!

If exercise was easy, everyone would do it...right?  Well, when you have about 50% fat and you are about 100 lbs overweight working out isn't the easiest thing in the world.  So, back in November I got a gym membership to Anytime Fitness and started working out with a trainer for six months to get me a jump start on getting in shape. I have to say I do feel stronger.  There are some days where it would be so easy to send a text and say I can't make it, but that would be a cop out and I'm committed to at least 6 months of doing this.

Meet my trainer, Jason.

He goes to my church and is very motivating and makes me feel

guilty about what I eat/do as far as losing the weight goes. 

After working out...seriously tired/sweaty/gross

He pushes me and has made me do things I didn't think I could ever do, like boxing.

Notice my beat red face

While I can't do this for long periods of time I'm glad he pushes me to try.

As I was writing this I realized I haven't been totally 100% following what he says for me to do.  And while I have noticed I'm stronger than I used to be and am toning.  I NEED to get with it now and get totally focused on these workouts and give them my all.  I NEED to do that in every aspect of this process.  Although I feel self conscious and like the fat chick in the gym, I need to set all that aside and think of where I could be besides the gym.  I'm trying to make a difference in myself and make time for myself and if I get stared at or looked down upon so be it, at least I'm trying.
~Crystal

Fall Classic

Another event we did as a family was the Fall Classic.  It is a 1 mile fun run/walk and a 10K.  Needless to say Craig was signed up for the 10K and the kids and I did the 1 mile.  Again, it was at Hawthorne Park, which is very hilly and a lot of trails.  The kids did great!  I did okay and Craig was about to pass out by the end, but he did wonderful!

Noah and Shara-Lyn before the 1 mile 

And they're off 

And I'm off 

Good finish for Noah 

With Shara-Lyn not too far behind 

And me lagging behind 

There goes Craig for his 10K 

Lap one complete 

Now on to the trail running 

More trail running along the water 

Great finish time!

Our family

I can honestly say a year ago I never would have guessed that we would be participating in these events together.  I would have stood on the sidelines and just took the photos.  It feels good to participate too, even if I don't get the best times.  Just that I'm out there doing it is all that matters!

~Crystal

Accidents happen

Well, yesterday I was in a car accident. I was on my way to work and bam!! I went on a wild ride ending up turn the opposite direction and in another lane. Thankfully no one was hurt although I am a little sore and am going to go to the doctor to make sure that I don't hurt myself working out. I wasn't able to eat much yesterday because my nerves were on edge and my stomach was in knots. I hope to get a clean bill of health at the doctor and return to exercise tomorrow.
~Crystal

Goose Poop 5K Challenge

Just so you don't think I've been completely lazy during the non-blogging months I wanted to post about a race/obstacle course a friend of mine and I did back the first weekend in November.  It was the inaugural Goose Poop 5K Challenge, named for the amount of goose poop that you can find in the park where the event was being held.  It was a 3.1 mile course that went through Hawthorne Park and included various degrees of hills on the trails of the parks and on the course there were obstacles to go through/over/under or if you couldn't or didn't want to, you could go around them.  There were rubber bands stretched across two trees to go through/over/under, there were tubes to crawl through, there were straw bales to jump over, there was even two cars that you had to climb up and over, there was fire to jump over and at the end there was a barrel maze ending in a crawl through cardboard boxes.  It was a challenge and while I can't say I had the greatest finish time I had a great time with a great friend.

My friend Shannon and I 

Climbing over two cars with the help of the ISU men's basketball team

On the course 

One of the rows of fire we had to jump over

Walking the course 

The end of the course

Shannon and I with our medals

Me with a goose (fake)

With my medal

This was a difficult course/race, but I was glad to have finished with a great friend and I can't wait to do it again next year and hopefully get a better time!

It was time to face the scale

There was no more hiding from or avoiding the fact that I needed an official weigh in.  So, on Thursday I headed out to Weight Watchers to weigh in and face the dreaded scale to see how bad I have been.  It honestly wasn't as bad as I had thought.  But first let me go back and say I have only weighed in officially at WW once since the end of September.  I felt like I had been staying pretty consistent with my eating and with not gaining a whole lot.  The scales don't lie and when I stepped on I can't say I was happy with what I saw, but it could have been a lot worse. So, here are the stats:

Starting weight: 245.6
Last weeks weight: (Actually 11/10/11) 233.6
Current weight: 236.0
Gain/loss: +2.4
Total gain/loss: -9.6
Pounds to 5%: 3.4
Pounds to 10%: 15.4
Pounds to short term goal: 37
Pounds to long term goal: 76
So, I am ending the year better than how I ended last year.  I at least haven't put on all that I've lost, I've become more active, I've made some better choices sometimes when it comes to food.  All this to me is progress and puts me better off than I would have been if I hadn't been doing anything at all this year. 

I have also tweaked the stats a little bit.  I've added a 5%, mostly because I need to get it back out of hock.  I also wanted to explain my short term/long term goals.  The short term goal for me is to get to 199, back into the 100s, the long term goal is 160 lbs.  That is where I think I'll feel happy about myself.  Is that where I should be?  Who knows!  For me that seems like a reasonable goal and one to work towards.  I'm not going to strictly focus on that goal just for the simple fact that it seems like such a big number and if I strictly focus on that number I'll overwhelm myself.  The only reason I'm including it in the stats is to see it go down and down and down. 

So, there it is in black and white and until next Thursday we'll see where the scale goes.
~Crystal

Long time no post...

Well, here it is the close of 2011 and 2012 is in sight. I haven't posted anything since September and I apologize for that.  I am back to redeem myself and recommit myself.  Here are some things that have led to my lack of posting/motivation/general slacking.

• My job
• It's been so hard to make time for myself after working, then going home and taking care of the things to be done around the house and then taking the kids everywhere they need to go
• Halloween
• Stupid candy!
• Kids activities
• It seems like these days I am taking the kids here or there and focusing on them and have lost the focus on myself
• Thanksgiving
• Enough said!
• Grandpa passed away
• My grandfather passed away earlier this month
• Trip to Florida
• Vacations stink when you're trying to watch what you eat especially when you have a mother-in-law that will cook anything the kids want anytime
• Christmas
• Again, enough said!!

Now, as I said, it's the end of 2011 and I have made some strides to get myself back on the wagon.

1. I've signed up for a gym membership at Anytime Fitness
2. I signed up with a trainer and will be working with him twice a week, a post to follow about this
3. I went back to Weight Watchers yesterday to face the scale, a post on that will be coming up
4. I have recommitted to the GHG (good health guidelines)
5. I have recommitted to cut off the Diet Coke and drink more water, while I will still have my coffee I am removing the Diet Coke to cut down on the excess bloating that comes along with drinking soda
6. I am recommitting to posting more regularly on this blog whether I'm too busy or not.  I have to use this as an outlet for what I'm going through as well as a tool to keep myself honest with me and all who read it.

So, for now that is what I'm doing to make myself a priority and to get back on track.  I hope I haven't lost too many followers and hope you all forgive me for falling off the wagon.  I'm back, I may be bruised and battered, but I'm here and I'm refocused.  Here's to a new me in 2012!!

~Crystal