Yes! Finally!

All my detoxing and fasting last week has finally paid off! Yes, I've been super good this week too. I've lost another three pounds! It took a while to show up. . . and of course who knows what the scale will say tomorrow, but I'll take it and like it!

Tomorrow, we weigh in for the "maintain don't gain" challenge at work. It was designed to keep us from putting on those extra holiday pounds. Well, I know I haven't gained and hopefully those scales at work will show that I've lost three pounds, like my home scale says.

I was so good today because I didn't want to take any chances. . . bran cereal for breakfast, hummus and broccoli for lunch, asparagus and brown rice for dinner and an apple between each meal. Yes, I even drank lots of water today. That's always my biggest challenge.

Oh, and I just spent an hour with Jillian Michaels. Did cardio kickboxing and some circuit training. I'm ready for the big weigh in!

And bonus, just realized that another season of the Biggest Loser has begun. Yes! We can do it together. So far, I'm down 13 pounds. I'm determined to reach my goal of 20 pounds. It's getting closer all the time. Now my problem is that my dress pants are way too big and I have to wear dresses every day to work! Guess I'll have to go shopping!

Yes, I'm in!

It's almost like an exclusive club right now. Got into Body Pump class. Not so easy to do with all the New Year's resolution people showing up suddenly. It's like those clubs where people stand around waiting to get in or turned away. Yeah, it happens every year. They'll be done in 4-6 weeks, tops!

Did you notice there are way more infomercials this time of year for diet programs and exercise equipment. So, which one's the best? Well, if you stick to any of them you're going to lose weight. You just have to pick one that you can stick to forever. That's what it takes. You can't just do it till you reach your goal. That's why I refuse to diet. I'm just changing the way I eat. Yes, I have bad days. Then I have really good ones to make up for it. That's how I've maintained my ten-pound weight loss. So, now that I want to lose more, I just have to have more good days than bad.

Oh, and kicking up the workouts helps too. I really can't imagine only working out during the holidays, or just the beginning of the New Year, or even just in the summer months for swimsuit season. It's gotta be a lifestyle. No Excuses! Then again, I'm OK with those people dropping off after 4-6 weeks or so of their New Year's resolution. They're taking up too much space at the gym!

I did give the instructor a hard time for turning me away last week for Body Pump class. I told him I held him responsible and I took it personally. It really did throw my entire week off. If I don't work out Monday, it's so easy to get into a pattern.

Today, I had a totally good body day. . . bran cereal for breakfast, hummus, asparagus, carrots for lunch, strawberries for snack, sauteed spinach with onions and garlic and brown rice for dinner. Can you actually detox and drink wine? No? OK, well at least it was all low fat and healthy.

things to do when you're snowbound

If you're a fan of outdoor sports, you're all set when mother nature dumps a crap load of that white stuff. Otherwise, get creative. I headed to the gym yesterday morning just as the storm was beginning. I know that's not creative, but finding room in the class was. I got there early, set up my board, then called into a conference call to plan for power outages for the storm. Yeah, that's my job. Dumped out of the call just in time to pump!

Then, it was home with movies and food. I ate really healthy Saturday. All fresh fruits, veggies, hummus, and brown rice. Got bored and had some wine. Could have been worse.

I have been known to go jogging in the snow, but that 's kinda hard with a four-year-old. Yeah, we could have played outside but he's not feeling that well anyway and I really don't like outdoor sports, except running on occasion.

I know shoveling is good exercise, but I just can't bring myself to do it. It takes me forever! The guy I hired plowed my yard, shoveled my path and front steps and was gone in about 25 minutes. I couldn't believe it. I went outside, and he did a good job. He must have had a helper. That's why I leave it to someone else!

Today, my healthy veggie detox-diet went out the window. I needed some comfort food. I made a spice-rubbed beef tenderloin with cranberry horseradish sauce and mashed red potatoes with leeks and bleu cheese. I used skim milk and very little butter in the potatoes. Usually I use a ton of butter, heavy cream and sour cream. It was all very yummy. I gave some left-overs to my daughter, put some in the freezer, and made up lunches for a couple of co-workers. Don't want to eat it all and also don't want it to go to waste. . . or waist!


I got out my Jillian Michaels DVD and did that today. Those are really good workouts, actually. Works abs, arms, but, etc. Plus, I didn't have to head out in the messy weather. Feeling pretty good now!

My goal this week is to make it to three Body Pump classes, which means getting there really early. Also a couple of good runs. These next few weeks will be hell at the gym until the New Year's get-fitters get over it and go back to their old habits. They're usually gone by late Feb. or early March. Till then, just have to deal!

Well, I made it through the holidays without gaining my ten pounds back. Now it's back to weight-loss mode. My abs are my focal point now. Want to get those Jillian Michaels abs!

Happy New Year! Won't you join me?

Go Away Fair Weather Exercisers!

You can always tell when the holidays are here. Those people can't seem to make it to the gym every other day of the year and are too busy shopping before Christmas. But today, the old guilt set in. I went to Body Pump, like I always do at lunch on Monday. It was full and I was turned away. I couldn't believe it. I'm a regular for God sake! Do they know who I am? Those people have no right to show up and take my space! My entire week was thrown off track! I mean really, I had last week off and still make it there for Body Pump three times! Doesn't that earn me a spot?

I fumed for a while and then drove home and changed and went for a run outside. After all, it was really nice out and I could be months before I can do that again without slipping on deadly ice and knocking myself out. I will hold this against the Body Pump instructor for a long time though. I don't care how hot he looked in his crushed velvet Santa shorts last week!

I've been on the "Detox Diet" since Christmas. I figured the week between Christmas and New Years presented an opportunity. I could keep from ending the holiday season with a weight gain. I caved tonight just a little. You see, I'm having a colonoscopy Wednesday and will have to go nearly two days without solid food. I decided to splurge on some wine and some wholegrain toast with peanut butter. OK. It was a little splurge. It's been bran cereal, fruit, veggies, hummus, and brown rice for three days! I've really been so good and missing BP today really sucks! I can't make it again until Sat. if then.

OK, the colonoscopy. Normally they don't recommend till age 50, but my maternal grandmother died in her 40's of colon cancer so I wanted to be proactive. You should all take care to be preventive as well. Trust me, no one wants to do this, but it could save your life. I've got way too much living left to do and too much to leave behind.

Holiday parties and snow, oh my!

Three Christmas parties and a Christmas concert in two days. I'm exhausted not to mention all those munchies! Last week was a bad body week. I only got in two work outs! I headed out to go running yesterday, but it was sooooo cold and the park was all icy. I could just see me laying there with my head split open after slipping. I did slip while running outside last year and I really had the wind knocked out of me. I wasn't taking any chances. I did get to sport my new winter running hat and gloves that I got as a Christmas present from a friend. I was the coolest looking person in the park. Oh wait, I was the only person in the park.

Well, let's see. Only three parties this week. Yikes! I'd better watch it or my ten pounds will be back quicker than the Grinch can steal the rare Who Roast Beast!

I did have lots of fun at all the parties and the food was great. I don't think I ate too much. Today, I'm just sitting around watching Christmas movies on Lifetime and eating the Sweet potato, black bean, and turkey chili I made. Sundays are the best!

Tomorrow, I'm at least making body pump class before I blow the whole week!

Is wrapping presents exercise?

I kind of had a slacker week. I didn't blog, much, and I only got in three workouts! I'm shooting for a better week, but not feeling so good so we'll see.

Previously I mentioned that shopping should be a sport, but I have another one. . . wrapping presents. It really is a lot of work. You've gotta relocate all the presents to the wrapping room, find the tape, all the paper, bags, ribbons, bows, tags, etc. By the time you've done that, you've cleaned out a closet or two because you can't just dig all that stuff out and leave a year's worth of junk all over the place. Then you sit down with the presents and figure out who gets what and wrap. At this point, I'm completely exhausted because it took me so long to find everything. I just bought a bunch of fancy gift boxes and I still have plenty of gift bags. Those are the best. They sure take the work out of wrapping.

Oh, let's not forget decorating the house. . . same drill. Gotta find everything. I remember a long time ago hearing someone talk about hiring someone to decorate for the holidays and thinking it would take all the fun out. I've changed my attitude. I'll all for it. It's just not that much fun when you have all the responsibilities of life.

There are so many parties this week/weekend. . . four in fact, that I just don't know how I'll get in all my workouts and eat healthy too. I did make Body Pump today, but felt like crap because I think I'm getting a cold.

Come to think of it, that Smart Lipo is sounding better all the time! Oh wait, there's the oozing fat thing after. Oh well. . . tis the season to eat, drink, and be merry, right?

Head to stomach: Thanksgiving is over! Get over it!

My stomach was growling all day. I went back to my healthy eating, well except for the french fries I stole from my son, but those don't count since they weren't mine. My stomach is used to eating much more after the Thanksgiving four-day food frenzy! It's probably not a good idea to eat a fiber one bar and a bean burrito in one day. Between the growling and gurgling my stomach could have played the symphony!

Good news though, the scale is still the same and oh news flash, It's Not All About the Scale! I've been running more lately. . . mainly to make up for all the eating. Yeah, leading up to and following Thanksgiving, I've been kicking it up. So, I put on a skirt this morning and it was way too big! Then I put on some fairly new linen pants, too big too! I'm talking clown pants big. You look like you're playing dress up big. They were not an option. I had to pull out a skirt I haven't worn in a while that is a size smaller. Yup. The scale is the same, but the running is really trimming off the inches. I did not measure myself, so I can't say how many inches, but at lease one size down. Maybe more.