Finding Motivation

I'm pretty sure that anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE Zumba! I've actually thrown around the idea of becoming a certified Zumba instructor, however it's expensive and the next training in MN is full. The next opportunity that I've heard of isn't until October, so we'll see. About 2 months ago, I bought a Groupon to a place called Dancer's Studio. The Zumba instructor that I have at Shoreview Community Center (Renee) also teaches there, so I had to grab the amazing deal! Two weeks ago, Renee told all of us that her last day teaching will be June 10 because she's moving to Duluth for the Physical Therapy program. Of course I was so bummed because Renee is an amazing teacher!

Anyway, I hadn't used my Groupon because I had conflicts both nights she teaches, but those have ended. So last night I decided I wanted to get to Zumba tonight and start taking advantage of my 11 classes. I get home from work today and I have a horrible headache and I'm feeling weak because I have no appetite. But then I remember how good I feel when I'm doing Zumba so I force a small dinner down and I get over to St. Paul. I'm SO glad I did! The space there is so much bigger than SCC and I had so much room to move around and it was kind of dark so I could shake it up a little more without feeling self-conscious.

I'm still toying with the idea of getting certified and I have Renee to thank for that. I enjoy Zumba so much and I see how much fun she has teaching it. Maybe when I get closer to my goal, I'll feel more comfortable having every single person in a big room watching ME and what I'm shaking :)

2 more down, 8 more to go!

Yep, I'm down 2 more pounds! I have only 8 pounds left to my first short term goal and that is amazing! A month ago I had 19 pounds to my first short term goal, it's amazing how far (I feel) I've come in just a month!

No worries for those of you who are concerned I'm losing too much too fast: By the time I reach my first short term goal, I'll have been at this for a week shy of 2 months. I'm shooting for 8-10 pounds a month, which is the recommended 2-3 pounds per week.

I'm very excited about my lunch today: Tuna wrap on a whole wheat tortilla with baby spinach, reduced fat shredded cheddar cheese and mustard with 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese. I did mix my tuna with mayo, which I know, I know, gross. However, I used the Reduced Fat Mayo with Olive Oil. It cuts the calories in half and actually tastes better. I used to saturate my tuna in mayo, but this time I just used 3 tbsp for a very large can of tuna. It was dryer than I'm used to, but I add mustard to the wrap and it makes a big difference.

And did I mention how BEAUTIFUL it is outside?? I already went to the gym this morning but I did it because I really wanted to get Nemo outside this afternoon. I haven't mastered running with him yet so we just take leisurely strolls.

Happy Spring!

Exercise Before Exercise?

When I used to work out with my mom at Shoreview Community Center, I would see people run/bike/roller blade to SCC, then go inside and do weights or another work out, then leave the same way they arrived. I thought they were nuts! Why would you work out BEFORE you workout?? Well.... I did that today :) I did an interval walk/run to the gym, did my strength training, and did a moderately paced walk back. It's only about 0.35 miles from my house so it's not far at all. Not to mention I got to enjoy the beautiful sun!

Something I've really been enjoying for dinner are the Morning Star Spicy Black Bean Burgers. I'll cook one of those up in a skillet and put it on a wheat bun with some mustard. Occasionally I'll have a slice of provolone cheese if I'm lacking in calcium for the day. Today I cooked up some mixed vegetables with a little olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. DELISH! I'm so glad I discovered frozen vegetables! I don't make them every night as my veggie serving and it makes it so much easier to keep them and not waste them.

Good day overall. Now I'm going to enjoy a Skinny Cow Chocolate Truffle Ice Cream Bar, yum!

Why Would I Workout Without Great Tunes?

Part of what I want to put on this blog is things that I have found helpful and things that motivate me.

Some of my favorite things for snacks right now are:

*Chobani Greek Yogurt in Raspberry and Blueberry

*Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb cheese wedges (35 calories in 1 wedge) with either a serving of Triscuts (6 crackers) or Multi-grain Wheat Thins (15 crackers)

*Skinny Cow single serving ice cream in Chocolate Fudge Brownie

*Orville Redenbacher's 100 Calorie Popcorn mini-bag

Now onto my most recent workout playlist:

*La Bamba-Wyclef Jean (from Zumba)

*Mambo Italiano-Wiseguy Orchestra (from Zumba)

*Give Me Everything-Pitbull

*Club Can't Handle Me-Flo Rida

*Que Te Pica-Notch (from Zumba)

*I Know You Want Me-Pitbull

*Blow-Kesha

*Party Rock Anthem-LMFAO

*Telephone-Lady Gaga & Beyonce

*I Gotta Feeling-Black Eyed Peas

*On The Floor-Jennifer Lopez

*Rock Ya Body-MVP w/Stagga Lee

*Yeah 3X-Chris Brown (yeah, I know, I know, but it's a great running song)

*Woohoo-Christina Augilera

*Evacuate the Dancefloor-Cascada

*Poker Face-Lady Gaga

*DJ Got Us Falling in Love-Usher

*Dynamite-Taio Cruz

*Fire Burning-Sean Kingston

*Not Myself Tonight-Christina Augilera

*Safety Dance-Glee Cast

*The Time (Dirty Bit)-Black Eyed Peas

*Thriller/Heads Will Roll-Glee Cast

*Born This Way-Lady Gaga

*Single Ladies-Beyonce

*Hey Mama-Black Eyed Peas

*All Night-Janet Jackson

*Yeah-Usher

*Tilt Ya Head Back-Nelly

*Bottle Pop-Pussycat Dolls

*Break Your Heart-Taio Cruz

*Price Tag-Jessie J

*In My Head-Jason Derulo

*The Way You Make Me Feel-Michael Jackson

*I Just Wanna Love You-Jay-Z

More food-type posts to come!

The Project is Back On!

Yes, "Project Slim Down For Baby" is back on! I slacked off quite a bit over the last 2 months and rediscovered my motivation to lose weight and eat better.

On March 17, one of my best friends, Millie, had a baby boy, Jack. On March 24, my brother and his girlfriend had my nephew, Xavier. I already have baby fever, but the pull has become even stronger since I've been spending time with these 2 adorable little guys. With Bobby and I working opposite schedules Monday-Friday, I decided to get back into the game and get serious.

On April 9, I joined Snap Fitness near my house. It's a 3 minute drive, which makes it perfect. A week later, I saw my new OB/GYN. We talked about my goals and how I want to lose some weight before I get pregnant. I have a short term goal and long term goal. I need to reach my short term goal before getting pregnant. After expressing my concerns about not fitting in all of my vegetables and fruits, she referred me to a nutritionist. I also met with a trainer last week who started me on a strength training plan, which is exactly what I need to start burning more calories during my day. Yesterday was the meeting with the nutritionist and it was SO helpful!

I've learned a lot in the last 3 weeks about fitness and diet. Now that I'm equipped with the right tools, I am totally confident that I can succeed in achieving my goals! I have already lost 9 pounds since I did my starting weigh-in on April 14! I'm doing this for myself and my unborn child. But I'm also doing this to inspire my friends who are the same way I used to be: not thinking I could do it, being afraid to ask for help, not knowing WHERE to get help.

For those of you who have been following this blog before, you know I'm all about being open and accountable. I plan to share my meals, recipes, weight loss and other useful information that I come across.

One website I have found to be HUGELY beneficial is www.myfitnesspal.com. I entered in my current weight, age, height, gender, goal weight, daily activity level and how many days a week I exercise. From there it gives me a guideline of how many calories I should take in per day. Right now it's telling me 1410, unless I work out and "earn" calories, but my nutritionist said to shoot for 1500 if possible. I can also choose what other elements I monitor. Right now, I'm keeping track of calories, fat, protein, calcium and fiber. Now, even though I can "earn" calories to eat by working out, I almost never (meaning never except once) eat all those calories back. What's the point of working out then? It's really cool for me to see the caloric deficit that I have from working out, and at the end of each day it tells me how long it would take me to get to my goal weight if I ate like that day, every day.

Here are some stats and goals:
Starting Weight: 229 lbs
Current Weight: 220 lbs (5/2/11)
Short Term Goals:
210 lbs by 5/31/11
200 lbs by 6/30/11
190 lbs by 7/31/11
Long Term Goal: 160 lbs

And, if I can achieve all of these goals, I'll be on the path to trying for a baby in no time!

Getting back on track

Starting weight: 228 lbs

Friday December 31: 225 lbs

Friday January 7: 223 lbs

Thursday February 3: 219 lbs

I got a little off track over the last few weeks. I was still working out 3-4 days a week and trying to eat right, but the eating part was getting out of hand. I was going out a lot, I had a confirmation retreat where I didn't have control over what was served, and I started to feel gross. So this week, I made it a point to get myself back on track. It's amazing the difference I feel between eating out a lot and cooking my own meals. I still feel like I'm dragging every morning before work but in general, I feel healthy. I'm almost down a total of 10 pounds which is awesome. I really make an effort to get in at least 3 workouts a week when I have a lot of stuff crammed in, and when I have a less busy week, I try to get in 5 workouts. It really feels good to just be back in this!

GOOD NEWS!

In case you didn't catch the slight reveal in a previous entry, BOBBY GOT A JOB!! One year and 3 days after he lost his previous job, he got offered a position with People Inc. He'll be working in a brand new chemical dependency facility in Minneapolis. The hours are not in any way ideal for a marriage, but we really need this job and he needs to gain experience to put towards his ultimate career. He starts on February 14, so we'll have lots of time before then to spend together. It's an awesome opportunity and I couldn't be happier!