Weight Loss: Tools & Resources

After my latest weight loss themed post I've gained a lot of new readers and a lot of people in similar positions reach out to me for tips, ideas and encouragement. It means more than y'all know to hear that I'm motivating you! Believe me, it's the other way around!!

So I don't have all the ideas because like you I'm still learning too, but here's a few of my favorite gadgets, gizmos, apps, and resources:

FitBit - This little bracelet is super helpful to track how active or in some cases not active you are during the day. You can follow friends and challenge each other to get up and move more which is extra fun if you're competitive like me! One thing to remember with this, if you're doing heavy lifting or a gym workout, you may not get nearly as many steps as your friend that's an avid runner. Don't let that get you down, any activity is good activity!

Polar FT4 Heart Rate Monitor -This is my FAVORITE work out tool. You wear the monitor just under your chest and the watch on your arm then get on with your workout. During your workout you can track your heart rate (perfect for those HIIT workouts or those that are focused more on weight training then cardio) and the best part is seeing how many calories your body burned at the end. I push myself so much harder with this little do-dad.

 
MyFitnessPal Site & App - Great resource for tracking your food and water intake, your activity and also to stay accountable. I follow and am followed by a few friends on here which makes me more inclined to track and less inclined to eat that doughnut I really want!

Map My Walk & Map My Run - Walk your pup often? Going on runs at night but want to track your distance? This free app is great for tracking distance, pace and time. My favorite feature is that every mile you go you get an update on your distance, time and pace.

Community - Don't try to go at this alone. Weight loss, fitness and changing your lifestyle is NOT easy. Find friends who are going after similar goals or maybe join a workout class at your gym and start connecting with people that way! I love the community I've built with this blog and it's always helpful to have someone to share recipes and ideas with!

Family Support - Get your spouse, family, close friends and those who you call "family" on board with your goals. It's much easier to make healthy decisions when you've expressed your goals and your family wants to help you get there. It's also easier to explain to your hubby why there aren't anymore chips or unhealthy snacks in the pantry! :)

Journal - Write stuff down. Share your thoughts and keep track of how you're feeling. I use my blog as a journal but you can go to Target and get a $3 notebook if that's more comfortable!

Food Scale - Find one of these bad boys on amazon and start weighing your food. Every wonder what 4 oz. of Chicken really is? Food scales speed up and take the guessing out of food prep.

Tupperwear - Going to prep your meals? You need good Tupperware that will hold up to lots of washes! I have 8-10 Tupperware style containers I use for food prep. It's nice to have enough that you can prep for a whole weak and still have some left over.

Egg Genie - You may notice you've been eating a lot of eggs, or perhaps you're like me and just love hard boiled eggs but hate boiling them. Enter Egg Genie. My mother-in-law got this handy gadget for me as a bridal shower gift a couple of years ago and I use it all the time! There is seriously no easier way to boil eggs!

Water Bottle - You should always be drinking LOTS of water and the best way to do that is to find and stick with a water bottle you love. Personally, I love the Starbucks drink tumblers with a straw. I seem to drink way more water with a straw than if I'm using a bottle. Invest in a great water bottle (or 6 if you're like me) and drink up!

Weight Loss: December Goals

 

Well it's officially my favorite month of the year and I've started my annual "days until Christmas" countdown. There's 24 if you're wondering, so you had better start shopping, wrapping and decorating!

With my favorite month comes weekends jam packed with holiday parties, baking days, trips to Zoolights and fun meals with friends and family. It's going to be a tough month to navigate with my new clean eating lifestyle, but thank goodness for 80/20 and allowing myself cheat days! I won't be perfect and I likely won't see the best results possible but it's important to enjoy holiday seasons. 

Here are my December goals: 

• Drink one gallon of water or more per day
• Work out at least three times per week
• Stay off the scale and only weigh weekly
• Keep indulgences down to a minimum and avoid excess sweets
• Lose 5lbs by New Years Eve
• Continue logging my meals in MyFitnessPal

You'll notice my workout goal is only set for three times a week. We're going to be having fun this month and will likely be tough to fit in a 5 day workout regimen. During the slower weeks I'll push for 4-5 but I want to set myself up for success not failure!

What are your goals for December? How are you going to stay on track despite parties, Christmas candy and oodles of baked goods? 

Weight Loss: Proof the Scale Doesn't Matter

Today I'm officially on week 3 of my Fitness by Felicia exercise and nutrition plan. I have loved it so far and appreciate that she agrees this is a lifestyle, not a diet. There is no "one time fix" for my weight and fitness. It is something I'll have to be conscious about and watch for the rest of my life and I'm ok with that! I'm feeling stronger each time I go to the gym, I've conquered my fear of the weight room and most importantly I'm feeling happy with myself again. 

Now about the scale...We hear it all the time-- the number doesn't matter it's all about how you feel. But if you've ever struggled with weight loss or lost weight at all you know it's much easier to say the scale doesn't matter than to actually believe it.

Well, I've been converted to one of those non-scale chicks. No joke, I am done with the scale (almost). I mean I'll always have a scale, but I'm done with this daily or every other day visit to the dreaded scale-monster and I have proof that shows it is NOT about the number we see.

I'd be lying if I said I just woke up this morning and thought - "you know I'm done with the scale". Nope didn't happen like that at all. Here's how it really happened. Last week I texted my cousin Jenni who hosts You vs. You and was beyond discouraged. I had eaten healthy with little to no slip ups and worked my butt of yet the scale wasn't changing! She reminded me to remember how I feel and drink lots of water. I trusted her and left the scale alone and waited impatiently for my Saturday update pictures.

This is extremely scary to post and I'm not proud of the first photo but I'm proud of myself for making the change back to a healthier me. This is a photo collage of me two weeks ago and then this past weekend. Please excuse the smiley faces put over my actual face, my cousin posted this on her page and wanted to keep it anonymous which is great since they look much better than my tired, "lets get this over with" face. Also, I promise to get better with consistent poses!

Do you see the difference in the side view and back? Keep in mind my scale only moved by an ounce or two! This goes to show that building lean muscle and burning fat is what matters, not the number that pops up on the scale.

Ignore the scale people! Remember how you feel when you leave the gym and when you eat healthy. Fuel your body with the nutrients it deserves and get moving!

Weight Loss: Comparing

"Comparison is the thief of joy." - Theodore Roosevelt

It's been almost a month since I shared my weight loss journey and I still get a slight sense of panic when I think about people knowing my story. Where I've come, what I've gained back and where I have left to go. I have no idea why I feel slightly ashamed and embarrassed. Why on earth should or would anyone (even myself) be ashamed of hard work and a bit of a slip up. At the end of the day I am still healthier than I was when I started this journey 7 years ago but lately I've been letting myself spend too much time comparing my journey to others.

Comparing can be an evil thing, it can occupy negative space in your mind and get in the way of your goals. I think we've all been there, you're at the gym working out when next thing you know in walks a girl or even a guy who is super fit and you think "good lord what am I doing here, I can never look like that" or "gosh I wish I looked like that" and then realize how far you have to go. I've done it PLENTY of times and while I'm making a commitment to myself to stop comparing I know I'll do it in the future, it's human and it happens.

What I've started to realize these past few days is that we're all on a different journey and it is just silly to compare your start to someone else's middle or end. We don't know their goals and while it may look like they are super fit, they're likely struggling with their own self doubt and they worked hard to get there.

This self doubt has kept me from the free weight room at my gym for years. Literally I've been a member there for over 3 years and I honestly don't think I had entered that room until this week. I usually stick to the weight machine and leave that room for the "fit people". Again, how dumb am I to think that being in that room means your fit and that those of us who are working to get there are "not aloud".

Thanks to a fitness and nutrition plan I purchased from a fitness coach on Instagram, I was forced to go into the "fit people weight room". The first day was tough, mostly because I was mentaly afraid to go in and spent a lot of time thinking "gosh these people look amazing, I bet they wonder what the hell I'm doing in here". It sucked to feel like that so I vowed on my way home to remember my journey, how far I've come and that I'm doing this for ME and my health which is all that matters. That same evening a dear friend and family member posted this on Facebook, I swear it was like a sign.

So today I spent most of my 80 minute workout in the weight room. I owned it, I was confident and I did the workout I needed to do. It felt AMAZING and it is ridiculous of me to think that anyone else cares what I'm doing in there. I'm certainly not the strongest, but I'm getting stronger each day and you have start somewhere right?

#NailedIt

 So lets end this negative self talk. STOP comparing your body, your fitness, and your abilities to someone else. We all have struggles, we all want to be a better version of ourselves and we all spend far too much time comparing what we have to what someone else has. Embrace what you've got and choose to be happy. Don't you know, happiness isn't size specific!

Goals: November

November is one of my favorite months. Not only because it is part of Fall but because in my mind it officially kicks off the "holidays". And for those of us on a mission to slim down or get healthy, the holidays can be a scary time. I'm confident that I can get through the next 60 or so days and stay on track. I have goals and I'm determined to get there. I will enjoy Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years and all of the treats in between but I will do it in moderation.

To keep myself focused this month despite work travel, two family Thanksgiving celebrations and a work Thanksgiving celebration I have set a few goals.

1. Lose 5 pounds by December 1st
2. Work out at least 3 days per week with a goal of 5
3. Eat clean 80% off the time
4. Recognize all that I have to be thankful for (more to share on that later)
5. Try 4 new healthy recipes
6. Increase time on stair climber to 25 minutes in order to prepare for Big Climb

I'll check back in at the end of the month and share how I did as well as new goals for December!

What are your goals this month? How do you stay accountable during the holidays?
 

Weight Loss: Goals

Photo Cred: www.strollalongfitness.com

Goals are a required component to obtain long-term success, whether you're striving for something personally or professionally. It's nearly impossibly to get where you are trying to go without clearly defining where exactly that is. When it comes to weight loss or fitness, set goals that are both short term and long term. Want to lose 70 pounds? Well if that is all you focus on you'll find yourself discouraged and likely give up. Instead focus on losing 5-10 pounds at a time. Bite off little chunks at a time and you'll find greater success.

When you set your goals, make sure they're specific, realistic and attainable. For example I really want to lose 25 pounds but to say I'm going to do that by November 15th would be unattainable and unhealthy. Instead I am setting measurable goals, and with those goals come rewards. Weight loss and fitness aren't easy and they take a lot of determination that should be rewarded a long the way.

The other important thing about goals and even weight loss is that you must take one day at a time. There are going to be days when I overindulge. There will be days when I don't get in a workout because of one excuse or another, but instead of dwelling on those road bumps I am promising myself to get back up the next morning and start over. The beauty of our lives is that every day we get a new beginning. Don't let one bad day, one "bad" meal, or one missed workout throw you off your path. It's important to always remember why you started!

I recently shared my weight loss journey so now it's time to share my goals. While you're likely use to goals in the form of pounds lost, my goals are not solely focused on what the scale has to say. While this is a good measure of weight loss, it is not always accurate and can be discouraging. You can lose inches and tone up without losing much weight. In fact you can lose a lot of inches before the number on the scale ever budges! I don't know about you but I'd rather my clothes fit me well and for my body to tone up, than to see a certain number on the scale. Besides, even at my goal weight I was on the heavy end of my "suggested weight" and BMI, so I can agree that it is not all about the number.

"It’s true, the scale can only give you a numerical reflection of your relationship with gravity. That’s it. It cannot measure beauty, talent, purpose, life force, possibility, strength, or love. Don’t give the scale more power than it has earned. Take note of the number, then get off the scale and live your life. You are beautiful!” ― Steve Maraboli, Life, the Truth, and Being Free

Here are my goals for the next few weeks:

1. Eat clean 80% of the time
2. Cut out alcohol other than 1-2 glasses of wine per week
3. Try new, healthy meals
4. Work out 3 days per week for the first few weeks then eventually work up to 4-6 days a week
5. Lose 8 pounds by Thanksgiving

What are some of your personal fitness goals? How do you reward yourself after meeting those goals?

My Weight Loss Journey

I've been contemplating this post for a few weeks now. A post about my weight loss, my weight gain, and a personal challenge to myself. It terrifies me to talk about my weight loss but I'm hopeful that my story will inspire yours, so here goes nothing.

For those of you that have known me for many years, you know that I have had quite the weight loss story and journey. For those of you that haven't known me that long or are a new reader, here's a quick look into where I've been, how far I've come and how far I have left to go.

For much, if not all of my childhood I was overweight. This caused for a lot of bullying and torment from classmates and also created a severe lack of confidence. Most days I would get off of the school bus in tears or dread having to get back on the bus. I loved school but as we all know, kids are cruel and unfortunately I was an easy target. Thankfully I had the greatest parents and extended family that would always tell me that I was better than the tormenting and that I could be and do anything I wanted to. I truly don't know how I would have made it through those tough days without their support.

During my sophomore year in high school I decided to join Weight Watchers. I was desperate for a change and needed the support and guidance so weight watchers was a great place to go. The silly thing is I was nervous to tell any of my friends because for whatever reason it felt embarrassing. Why would we ever be embarrassed about trying to get healthy? Thanks to weight watchers I lost 104lbs and kept it off for almost two years. This weight loss helped me feel comfortable in my own skin and have confidence in myself.

Weight watchers was great at teaching portion control and creating a community to lean on and be accountable to, but unfortunately they didn't teach healthy habits. Without having these healthy habits I easily put weight back on. In early 2011 after ending a long term tumultuous relationship, I found myself 40lbs heavier, but most importantly unhappy with myself. After wallowing in a bit of self pity-- because that was the easy thing to do, I came to a realization that has changed my outlook on weight loss.

For me, weight loss and keeping weight off would not be successful using the newest diet, diet pills, wrap or quick fix. I needed to make a lifestyle change, something that I could keep up and continue even after I dropped the weight. While I wish I could be one of those girls who could eat a quart of ice cream and not gain an ounce, that just wasn't in the cards for me.

After finally realizing that my diet and exercise were something I would have to watch for the rest of my life, I joined a local CrossFit gym and started eating "clean" 80-90% of the time. By clean I mean low fat, low sugar, lean proteins and lots of leafy greens and fruits. When you face the point where you know this is something you'll do for the rest of your life it is easier to accept and stick to. There just isn't another option for me if I want to live a healthy, active and confident life.

I later met my now husband and continued to lose weight by exercising and eating healthy. I lost the 40lbs I had previously gained and about 15 more. In fact, I was finally at my goal weight!! I cannot even begin to describe the feeling I had the morning I stepped on that scale and saw my goal weight, a number I never thought I would hit. The feeling was amazing but what was strange was when I looked in the mirror, I DIDN'T see the change. If you've ever struggled with your weight, but then lost a large amount, you'll know what I mean. It is like you know you're thinner and more in shape but for some reason psychologically you still see the same overweight person in the mirror... More on that to come in a future post.

Anyways, I kept that weight off for nearly two years while my husband and I went on adventures, planned a wedding and got married. As many of you married ladies and gentleman might know, there's a bit of "wedding weight" or "newlywed comfort" that happens in your first year. Well mix a pinch of "wedding weight" with a scoop of work travel to places like NYC and The Land of All Things Queso (Austin, TX.), finishing a bachelors degree, and moving twice, you'll get 25 whole pounds. Yep, 25lbs that sneak up on you and stare at you in the mirror every morning or when you put on those jeans that are WAY too tight to even THINK about wearing in public. Can you say "hello muffin top"?!

Can I get an amen?!

 So that is where I am currently, and why I want to share my journey with you all. I have 25lbs to lose in order to get back to my happy place, to feel 100% confident in my skin and in control. I hope my journey can serve as inspiration for those of you thinking about losing weight or for those who are having to lose some they've previously lost before. The good news is I know from experience that it is 100% possible, but you have to want it and you have to be willing to work for it. I would be lying if I told you there wouldn't be bad days when all you want to do is order the biggest ice cream sundae on the menu, when you really don't want to go to the gym, or when you just want to give up completely, but WE CAN DO THIS!

I can't promise daily updates or weekly recaps, but I am promising to keep you updated, to share my tips and tricks, my success and failures, and my before and afters. In fact here's a few for you to start.

This photo was taken not long after hitting my goal weight. Can't wait to look and feel that way again!

This was the eye opener for me. Time to get to work!

I'm hopeful that sharing this very personal journey will help me stay accountable and alert to my daily activities and indulgences. I'll be tracking my food on MyFitnessPal and my activity using FitBit. Here's to the long journey ahead, it won't be easy but it will be SO worth it!