Hanging Tough

I'm not going to lie, my darling blog readers, it's been a rough week. I was off to a good start on Easter because we grilled instead of eating a traditional high-fatty meal and Emily and I also did a P90 workout together. Then came Monday. Having a week off was not good for me because I was really tired and had a hard time getting back into the swing of things. I decided to make Monday my workout day off because I was so exhausted. Then it happened. I was laying on the couch exhausted from the week and the Easter candy jumped off the fridge and into my mouth! I didn't have a chance to fight back. So for the first time in over 90 days I fell off the points band wagon. The rest of the week I made healthy choices but I just didn't count my points as vigilantly as I had in the past. Also, my monthly visitor came on Tuesday and I've been fighting hellish cramps. I eeked through a Tue and Wed workout but was too exhausted on Thursday to even attempt one. Last night I got back on the exercise band-wagon. It must have helped because I ended up losing .3 for the week. I'll take it since I didn't gain.

Today, was a lazy day and I have yet to workout. I'm heading to West Side tonight to go bowling for Big Brothers Big Sisters. That means I'm going to have to complete my P90 Sweat workout after 10:00 tonight. Then I have to do both the sweat and scupt DVDs tomorrow to make up for skipping on Thursday or I owe my sister 100 fat ones. YIKES! Stay tuned to see if I end up paying the piper...

Amy Reason #89- I still lost during a stressful week.

Amy Reason #90- I really want to lose all the "baby weight" before I get pregnant again.

Amy Reason #91- This is week 5 of P90.

Amy Reason #92- My new pants I just bought are starting to feel baggy.

Amy Reason #93- I really want to look decent in capris this summer.

Amy Reason #94- I've lost every week since I've started this challenge, even if it was only .1 or .3

Amy Reason #95- Some days are easier than others and some days are a complete disaster. It's how you bounce back from a bad day that keeps you on your healthy weight loss path.

Amy

A New Weight Range

I feel a lot better about today's weigh-in than the past two I've had. I lost 3.5 this week which dropped me into that elusive 180 pound range. I had been so close to leaving the 190's ever since my birthday and it was driving me absolutely insane. Now I'm comfortably sitting at 187.3. Here's how I look at this new number...

Amy Reason # 84- I'm .3 away from what I weighed at my first checkup when I was newly pregnant with Jack.

Amy Reason #85- I'm 7 pounds away from what I weighed the day I found out I was pregnant (almost 2 1/2 years ago.)

Amy Reason #86- I'm also 7 pounds away from actually weighing what my driver's license says.

Amy Reason #87- This is the lowest weight I've been since having Jack.

Amy Reason #88- I'm 2 pounds lighter than where I ended the last challenge.

It's also important to mention that I'm .3 away from reaching the halfway mark. I realize I've come a long way but it's also hard to get excited because I still have my work cut out for me. There are days where it's easy to make healthy choices and than there are days where I want to eat everything in site. I would like to mention that the support and encouraging comments from my blog readers have really helped me stay focused. You guys keep me from making a Burger King run in the morning or from eating myself sick at El Torro. I hope that when I finally reach my goal I can show that even after years of yo-you dieting anyone can make healthy lifestyle changes and reap the benefits from them. I love you all.

Amy

Staying Positive

After a disappointing weigh-in last Saturday I was really hoping to knock it out of the park this week. Unfortunately, that was not the case. I did manage to lose .7 which is more than a 1/2 a pound but it was still a big letdown. I guess you can say I've hit a plateau. I was a naughty monkey on Saturday and ate some chips and salsa from El Torro that Dave had picked up during lunch time. I burned a lot more flex points on those babies than I wanted to so this will have to be a very conservative week for me. I am still within points though so that is a small victory. I also managed to eat sensibly later that evening and got right back on track Sunday morning. In the past I would have done the exact opposite so I guess that shows how much I've grown since starting this blog. My exercise program continues to go on as scheduled. Last week was rough switching to Phase 3/4 but I can really feel a difference in my body. I get stronger every day and that makes me feel empowered. Gone are the couch potato days of my past. I look forward to summer and being outside with Jack. He loves the outdoors and is beginning to rub off on me. It will be nice to be able to wear shorts and sleeveless tops without feeling self-conscious.

I am on Spring Break this week so I'll be able to exercise when Jack is taking his afternoon nap. Then I will be able to enjoy my evenings with my family. Being home will be a challenge because I have a tendency to munch on whatever is around when I'm bored. The goal is to stay busy and get some spring cleaning done. Stay tuned to see how I do this week...

Amy Reason #75- I survived a week of P90 Phase 3/4, 8 weeks straight of exercise!

Amy Reason #76- A bad meal DID NOT turn into another, and another, and another....

Amy Reason #77- Dave said I have cheekbones again!

Amy Reason #78- Lounge pants that were tight over Christmas now hang off my butt.

Amy Reason #79- I will be visiting with a lot of friends this week and I look forward to the challenge of continuing to eat healthy.

Amy Reason #80- I can chase Jack around the house and not get winded.

Amy Reason #81- A Kindergartner told me I had muscles (this was also the same kiddo who thought I was pregnant several months ago!)

Amy Reason #82- I'm excited for my family to come visit this weekend and see how much weight I've lost!

Amy Reason #83- I found a great low fat pizza at HyVee that was a nice treat for lunch yesterday.

Vrbas Out

Breaking Even

It is with much disappointment that I blog my weight loss for the week. A wimpy 0.1 pounds. I honestly don't know where I went wrong. I even weighed myself 4 different times today hoping that the scale would change but sadly it did not. I can say that I've stayed within my point allowance and I exercised 6 days this week. My only guess is that I didn't drink near enough water and I wasn't taking my VIBE supplements. You can bet your happy 'hiney I won't be doing that again. This was a tough week mentally for me. There were multiple times where I seriously wanted to go eat at El Torro or go to the movies and dive into a tub of popcorn slathered in butter. Those temptations never happened because I really wanted to have a good loss on the scale. Oh well, life goes on.

Next week I will be jumping into Phase 3/4 of P90. I will probably be one whiny, sore chick but I know it will be worth it. I would like to mention that I went shopping today and I can officially say I'm no longer a plus size. I went a little crazy with the credit card but I'm feeling good about my new body and I wanted to wear clothes to work that fit and don't make me look frumpy. So even though I didn't lose pounds this week, I can rest assured knowing that my clothes are fitting differently and people are starting to notice. Hopefully, I'll redeem myself next week.

Amy Reason #68- No longer a plus size. I actually fit into a large top, not an extra-large!

Amy Reason #69- People at work are starting to notice.

Amy Reason #70- I have exercised for 7 straight weeks.

Amy Reason #71- I'm soooo close to the 180's.

Amy Reason #72- I want to wear the black dress that I wore during my rehearsal dinner for my 5 year anniversary.

Amy Reason #73- I'm really close to my mani/pedi reward.

Amy Reason #74- I've made it longer than the last challenge and I'm 2 pounds away from where I ended the last time.

MARCHing Onward

The start of March looks like a good one because I lost 2 pounds exactly. A lot more than I thought I was going to lose this week. One thing I am still having difficulty with is the water consumption. I don't know why that's so hard for me. I just love diet coke! I know that for every pop I drink I'm suppose to drink 3x that amount in water to counteract the caffeine and carbonation . I think I may buy some flavored water at Sam's and stalk the fridge. I believe the reason I drink so much pop is because it's easy to just grab one when I walk by the fridge. I need to do the same thing with the water.

Amy Reason #66- The further I go the better I feel.

Amy Reason #67- People are beginning to notice.

Dave's being a sweetie and making my favorite sausage/egg white English muffins from the Biggest Loser cookbook so I better get 'em while their hot!

Amy

Staying the Course

I finished my fifth P90 workout today and I still have one to do tomorrow. I think it's going to be tough working out 6 days a week. Dave said he's going to start the program on Monday so I may continue Phase 1 for another week. I found an old diet journal the other day from 2000 and I have the exact same measurements now that I did then even though I'm 15 pounds heavier. I guess that's a benefit of working out. I honestly think I will feel like a million bucks if I can take off another 20 pounds. I'm afraid that this next 20 is not going to come off as easy as the first 20 did. We'll just have to wait and see.

Amy Reason #64- I wore a size 14 pants today when I had been wearing a 16W.

Amy Reason #65- I'm addicted to the WW little ice cream cups. The chocolate brownie is my absolute fav and it's only 2 points!

Tomorrow is a weigh-in and I'm a little worried I may not lose at all this week. Stay tuned....

Amy

Major Soreness

So Emily and I started P90 on Monday and I am one sore chick right now. P90 is a lot heavier on the arms and the calves than Turbo Jam was. That means every time I take a step pain shoots up my legs. And I don't even think about raising my arms over my head. Forget about it. All I have to say is this better make me look damn good in a bathing suit this summer or I'm going to track Tony Horton down like a dog. (He's the sadist who evented this freakin' program.)

Tonight I made Melissa Fiesta Casserole which is one my all-time favorite recipes she gave me. I guess this is Staab week because I also made her Beef-n-Beer Skillet last night. Both recipes are super yummy. Thanks Melissa! Do you have any new ones that I should try?

Amy Reason #61- I want to finish P90 for the first time ever.

Amy Reason #62- Capris and shorts season are around the corner.

Amy Reason #63- I want to pack my plus size clothes away once and for all. I only need to lose 5 more pounds and they're history.

Amy