The 40lb difference

It's incredible what 40 lbs can do for your body. My resting heart rate has decreased about 10 bpm, my body has WAY less aches and pains, and I am less out of breath walking up flights of stairs. To be honest the best thing about the 40 lb difference is that I am so much more confident in myself. This confidence boost has perfectly coincided with the start of student teaching. I was able to go shopping for 'teacher clothes' and fit into sizes that I haven't been able to fit into for years!

If you're going through this journey with me, just keep pushing! It's amazing how your own body can motivate you once you start seeing results. 

~Ability is what you're capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.

-Lou Holtz

Those NSVs or Non-Scale Victories

Anyone who has ever followed any type of weight loss program knows that there will be a point where you will stall. In the past those stalls have been devastating for me. If I had a week with no loss or if it went up I automatically felt like a failure. As an emotional eater this threw me right back in the cycle of depression, eating, and gaining back all the weight. This time as I approach a stall I know I need to put away that evil scale and focus on those non-scale victories. A NSV can be anything from getting a compliment at work to fitting in your clothes better. These victories can be GREAT motivation when the scale isn't. After all this journey is about much more than losing weight, it's about getting healthy. If you are struggling with a stall or anticipate one coming up in the future I strongly encourage you to focus on those NSVs with me, and if you can try putting the scale away for a few weeks.

My NSV this week came from going to the gym when I knew I didn't have much time before I had to go to work. I didn't have enough time to do my planned C25K workout so I decided to attempt to run a mile and time it. I have had a goal to run a mile without stopping for a while now. I have been about to do it in the past, but it was always at a speed where I felt like I was doing more of a bouncy walk than a run. I  never remember having a timed mile of under 15 minutes. To my amazement not only was I able to run a mile, but I was able to do it in 13:37. A new personal record for me! How many morbidly obese people can run a mile in 13 minutes ;-) I am very proud of this victory. I am now able to cross off #1 on my fitness goals page. #2 is running a mile under 10 minutes, which is something I hope to accomplish by the time I hit my goal weight.

~Don't be afraid to push yourself, you may be surprised about what you can accomplish.

'Core & More' Fitness Class

Welp, I actually did it! I went to (and survived) a group fitness class... A REAL class with REAL fit people. There were even 4 varsity volleyball players in there and of course they had to be wearing their super short tight shorts things. I'm pretty sure not even an inch of those girls jiggled one bit... With that being said I did feel awfully out of place in the beginning. There were huge mirrors covering the walls and I almost turned right around when I realized I would have to watch myself bounce around like an uncoordinated idiot.  Luckily I found my place in the newbie corner and started feeling much more comfortable after that :-)

The class was about 50 minutes around and starts with 30 minutes of aerobic 'warm ups' followed by a 20 minute toning session. I felt like I did pretty well during the first part. There was music being played as I found that as long as I kept to the beat I was able to keep up and not fall over myself. The last 20 minutes were HARD! I did modified versions of all the exercises and still died a little each time the lovely words "One more time" came out of that beautiful woman's mouth. Seriously she was drop dead gorgeous. Talk about motivation! Overall I really enjoyed myself but am not looking forward to the soreness tomorrow morning. It seems my body is taking longer to recover with less calories. Next class is Wednesday night! Wish me luck!

Week 6 updates

Weight Update:
I went to the doctor's Wednesday for my 6 week check-up. Apparently they couldn't be happier with my progress! I'm about 35lbs down from my high weight and am feeling great. I have more energy and my joints are feeling better. Also I am now cleared to workout as much and as hard as I want. As excited as I am to get back in the pool I'm still feeling pretty self-conscious about getting in a bathing suit (if it even fits!)

Nutrition Update:
My appointment with my nutritionist went great as well! She is such an amazing woman and I honestly love meeting with her. She is SO supportive and is really invested in her patients. Since I have been doing so well she has advanced my diet early! The stage 3 diet which I have been on for the last few weeks has consisted of foods that are soft enough to be squished with a fork. It also included a minimal amount of crackers and toast. When I told her that I hadn't had any problems and that I felt like I was eating too many crackers (what my husband now calls the world's longest lasting box of wheat thins) she asked me if I felt like I was ready to  semi-advance to stage 4! The stage 4 diet is what is considered to be the 'life-long' bariatric diet. On it you can basically test any food, but need to make smart choices and stay away from things with super high fat and sugar. I'm not completely on this stage yet because she wants me to stay away from pasta, bread, and other starchy carbohydrates, but it means I can have raw fruits, veggies, and nuts! I have to be careful how many veggies I eat though because if I filled my tummy with them all day I would never meet my protein goals. The order of importance goes hydration first (64oz), protein (75-80g), then everything else. I am still struggling a bit with my hydration goals but it has been much easier to hit my protein now that I am off the all liquid diet.

Fitness Update:
I have started another couch to 5K program! I actually ran my first 5k last fall but it was a mixture of pride and disappointment. I was able to run the whole thing but was so far behind that they started taking the signs down before I finished. I am really looking forward to doing another 5k with less weight on my body and more consistent training before hand! I have already found a race in April that I would like to sign up for. Maybe I can convince my husband to run too?! I have been tracking all my running on http://www.dailymile.com . If anybody else uses this site I would love to friend you!

On top of the C25K program I have started to do some light weights and have signed up for a 'core and more' fitness class. The class seems pretty intimidating, but I really think I can learn a lot. I can figure out my arms and legs but the core is still a mystery to me. Also, with my history of back problems I feel like my body can really benefit from it! I have read countless articles about how important weight training can be with weight loss. This could have been one of the main things I was missing in all my past attempts! Not only can lean muscle mass help you burn more calories just sitting around, but it could help fill in any potential lose skin that can result from dramatic weight loss. (I'm terrified of lose skin!) Plus, strong is the new sexy right? ;-)

God Bless!

2014: A New Year a New Lifestyle

As this year rolls around I find myself thinking about all my past failed new years resolutions. I am determined that this year will finally be my year of change; my year of successes. This 'project' of heath and fitness has turned into so much more. It is not just a project because projects have endings. I want so much for this to be lifelong and I plan on working my ass off (literally!) to make it so. I have been so encouraged by everyone around me and had so much more support than I could ever have imagined. This year as I write out my health and fitness goals, I am not doing so expecting to fail. I am so blessed and couldn't thank you all enough. 

2014

1. Hit my 100lb loss mark. (67 to go!) 

2. Run a mile without stopping

3. Run a mile under 10 minutes 

4. 365 miles for 365 days

5. Run 5 miles without stopping

6. Race another 5K

7. Race my first 10K  

8. Complete Jillian Michaels 30-day shred

9. Backpack Pictured Rocks

Here's to a new year and a new lifestyle! God bless! 

Crustless Pumpkin Pie!

After missing out on the 'traditional' Thanksgiving dinner this year I started to become pretty nostalgic over my beloved pumpkin pie. I soon started on the lookout for a health friendly version. I was so excited when I stumbled upon this recipe. This pie is crust-less and sugar free, yet still tastes delicious! Enjoy :)

Crustless, Sugar Free, Pumpkin Pie

1 (15oz) Can pumpkin puree

1 (12oz) Can evaporated Skim milk

3/4 Cup egg white

3 Teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 Teaspoon Vanilla 

2/3 Cup Splenda Granular 

Pam Cooking Spray 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F

Combine all ingredients. Spray 9" pie plate with Pam. Pour mixture into pie plate. Bake at 400 for 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 325F and continue baking for an additional 45 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Slice into 8 pieces 

Per One Slice: Cal 62.3, Carb 8.9g, Fat 0.2g, Protein 6.2g

Recipe From www.food.com 

First Post-Op 'Workout'

My doctor didn't say much about exercising (except for I need to walk around every hour or so) So I have pretty much been taking it easy. Today I decided that I was feeling so good that I could give the treadmill a try. I took it VERY easy because I didn't want to push myself too far too fast and I know I am not supposed to be doing much more than a walk at this point. Well here it is! My first post-op 'workout'. I am really looking forward to being approved for more!