Photos by Request

This picture was taken March 2011 right before my little guy turned one. I really don't like this picture but it was the closest before picture I could find. Maybe I will post my office pre-photo sometime, too. 

This second picture was taken last night. I know I am not technically finished with 8WW yet, but I've been getting harassed for photos. :) I am 7.5 weeks into my 8 weeks in this photo. I've lost over 16 pounds since the first picture with my boys. Yay!

Alotta Tabata!

Yesterday's Tabata workout with Amy is one of my favorites! After a quick warm up on the elliptical, I only had five exercises to do: Squats, Lunges, Sprints, Sit Ups, and Kettlebell Swings. I had to do each exercise for only a few seconds with a break in between each set. After doing all 5 exercises, I was done! (Only 40 minutes!) Amy assured me that this is pretty hard to do and I am feeling my muscles today for sure. The hardest part of those exercises was the sprinting on the elliptical. Ick! I was wheezing when I was done but knowing that I didn't have to do it very long helped a lot.

My massages are now over for 8WW. I know I will have more in the future but it was so nice to think that I got an hour massage every week (and I needed it!)  I've decided that I've been meditating more than I gave myself credit for. I used my soaking in the bathtub as my way to relax for the evening and forget about everything else for awhile. 

So today is a good day. Now if could only figure out a way to satisfy my almond paste craving...

The Home Stretch

Well, I am in Week 8 already and this is becoming a very challenging week. I didn't think this week would be hard, but since I know the end is in sight and that I've already lost 16 pounds, keeping my brain focused is almost overwhelming. 

I keep thinking things like, "There can't be too much harm in eating extra fruit today" or "I think I better skip today's workout because I got a massage and don't want to have sore muscles". The voices in my head are taking over! 

Also, my Ultrameal Shakes are becoming less than appealing. I don't really think they taste bad, but when I am told that I MUST do something I tend to become a little stubborn and don't want to do it. 

However, given the voices in my head and the boring UltraMeal Shakes, I am doing well and looking forward to getting my end results next week. Setting a new goal of losing two more pounds this week is helping me stay in line with the whole program.

Also, check out this article about Nicole from Season 4 on NBC's Biggest Loser. Guess what? She does 8 Weeks to Wellness in Philadelphia when she needs some lifestyle changes too!

Balancing Life

I thought today would be a good day to talk about balancing all the demands of life. I was very excited to go to work today. The weather is beautiful, I woke up before the boys without an alarm clock, and had an open house to go to for a patient's business today. 

Then the puking-of-pancakes commenced in my kitchen. Our oldest son, Ben, has some kind of tummy bug. This means I am working from home today and will be missing my workout with Amy. I quickly tried to come up with another plan for getting my 8WW workout in. I thought I could attend her evening class but then realized that Wes has the next 8WW Orientation Session tonight and that my parents are in the class, so no babysitters. 

It gets tricky sometimes, especially as a mom, to fit in all the things we want to get done in a day and put our health goals as a top priority. It seems that most mothers I know will always put everyone else in their lives ahead of themselves and usually don't think twice about it.

Wes makes it a goal in each 8WW Orientation to say that these 8 weeks are all about you, and that you need to take care of your health in order to take care of everyone else. When I heard this, I thought, "Sure--that's easy for you to say. You aren't the one shopping for groceries, watching the kids while you workout, and fixing all the meals". 

I am now eating my own words. I've put the rest of house on "hold" through these 8 weeks and it has really made a difference. I am getting to the point where I feel healthier and want to do everything I can to be active with the boys and cook healthy all of the time. AND feeling thinner, clothes fitting better, and having an improved cardiovascular system is making me happier and more active at home, too.

So...it's Tuesday-Weigh Day and I don't have a scale that works so I can't report my updates. I am getting excited to get my bloodwork and BIA done again soon. I can't believe I am in week 7 already. Time flies when you're having fun not on Week One!

200 Pies and A Hissing Goose

Well, after posting that I didn't lose any weight this past week, I decided to weigh-in again on Friday. I was down another 3lbs like I thought I should be. SO...the new total is 14 pounds of fat GONE!

I've been working on an event in Des Moines called Penny's Pieathlon. We are raising money for local cancer organizations and national foundations, too. Today was the big triathlon and health expo. To make our event more exciting, we decided that a PIEathlon needed a fourth event--pie eating.

Our local grocery store, Hy-Vee, donated 20 gallons of ice cream and 200 pies. It was my job to cut, scoop, and serve all of them to the participants and spectators. We raised a lot of money this way, but the hardest part was not eating any of it. :)

I left the house at 5:30am and returned home to make my father-in-law a birthday cake. His request was a chocolate cake with white frosting. I made the cake from scratch, didn't even lick the beaters, and decided to purchase the frosting from Hy-Vee instead. It is my free day, but I decided that Subway sounded pretty good and not too terribly bad for me. Not that a 6-inch loaf of bread is ever healthy, but better than pie, cake, and ice cream.

SOOOO...I am pretty excited that I dug up some will power deep within the depths of my brain and even managed to run, jog, trot a couple of miles. Oh, and I got chased by a mother goose who hissed at me so much I had to turn around and run back up the hill I just ran down. :)

Progress and the Panchero's Man

Today was weigh-in day and yet again, no change on the scale. I think that my weekend and free day is throwing me off too much. My lowest weight days seem to be Thursday, Friday, and Saturday which tells me that I need to be a little better over the weekends. I am sticking to the nutrition part very well, but I tend to skip UltraMeals on my free day which I think is contributing to my plateau.

HOWEVER...I just about jumped over the counter at Panchero's to hug the guy that bobbed my burrito (yes, that is the real terminology for making a burrito at our favorite fast food restaurant). I paid with credit card and he asked to see ID. I showed him my driver's license which prompted him to say, "You look great. You are a lot thinner now." I didn't tell him that I was pregnant in my photo, but I was still pretty excited. 

I feel so much better, am already buying smaller clothes sizes, and can't wait to keep on shrinking my body fat numbers. I have a few weeks left and my goals remain the same. Short term: MEDITATE and record in my log book. Long term: Get my body fat percent to a healthy range for me. AND fit into my high school prom dress. (I will be sure to post pictures if that ever happens. :)

Restaurant Update: Applebee's

I had a lime-seasoned chicken breast with salsa and steamed veggies for lunch. Very good and 8WW approved.

Half Way Day!

It's Half Way Day! Well, it was yesterday but I didn't get a chance to blog. So far...12 pounds gone and I don't know how many inches. I feel good, my pants fit, and people are commenting on my cheekbones. (I think this pretty funny. Of all things that I am working on, cheekbones wasn't part of my goal list. My other set of cheeks was close to the top of my list though!)

I celebrated tonight with the Vaughn Special. Vaughn is an 8WW alumni and more importantly, my dad. He had AWESOME success with 8WW and managed to find a way to get a McDonald's dish of ice cream in to his meals frequently. So tonight I had my favorite Arby's salad and a dish of ice cream from McD's. 

Other Random Thoughts:

Are you someone that craves peanut M&M's? If so, I really like the dark chocolate edamame that comes in a square container from Trader Joe's. This is not 8WW approved, but I only ate 3.

I am up to running/jogging for 25 minutes and now starting to think about running a 5K sometime in the near future. That's quite an accomplishment for me--just thinking about it is hard work!

If Amy asks you if you would like a break from running cardio in the office neighborhood-think twice. I ended up doing 200yd sprints around the office building--12 times.  

I definitely was snoring and drooling during my massage tonight. It was SOOOO wonderful! 

Finally, I heard a good quote today:

" A man's health can be judged by which he takes two at a time- pills or stairs."  Joan Welsh

Noticeable Changes

This week has been my favorite week of 8WW because people are commenting on how different I look. Most people say that my cheekbones are back.  It's nice to hear that I am looking different already. I wasn't thinking that I would be seeing noticeable changes 4 weeks in to the program.

Most importantly, I feel different & better. My clothes fit better and I generally feel much healthier now that I am eating better and exercising. 

This past weekend I ate at Ruby Tuesdays. Here's what you can have there...

1) Petite Sirloin

2) Blackened Tilapia with Mango Salsa

3) Barbecue Chicken

The nice thing is that they have lots of side dishes and a salad bar that can fill you up. I hate roasted spaghetti squash and grilled green beans for my sides, but you could also do a salad bar trip with lots of veggies and balsamic vinegar dressing and still count it. There were a couple of other sides that would work, too. 

AND if you go during lunch, you can even sneak in ONE biscuit and still have it count! 

Tomorrow is weigh-in day and I am wondering if I am going to regret any of my free day choices. I certainly enjoyed them, but I hope I am down at least one more pound this week. I'll keep you posted!