Keep on going

The challenge is over, we will find out the winners this weekend. Funny during the challenge I could not get below 166. today I am 162. Si I lost 3 lbs before the challenge and four after and neither was counted during...the competitor in me is a little pissed. But I am happy to be meeting my personal goal. I will post "after" pictures next week.

Coming along nicely

After my work out Tuesday (6 mile walk/run) I weighed in at 166...I suspect water weight was lost. Past two days I am hanging steady at 167 lbs Measurements Waist=36 bust=39 hips=41 upper legs=24.5 upper arms=12.5 lower arms=9 =total of 15 inches lost. Started concentrating on supplements this week they are really helping. I am using hard candy to conquer sugar cravings...everything is A-OK. HEY SARA>>> WHERE ARE YOU?
Annie

One week after midway measurements

Annie here.

OK so I am 168 steadily now and our before and after pictures are up. We have 5 more weeks to go. This weekend is a breaking the plateau seminar...yay more motivation. Lost 4 inches in my waist and one or more everywhere else. Need to knock off a few lbs this week but schedule is super busy, already had to forego workouts 2x this week. All in all everything is going great. Food and workouts have become a habit now. Sara and I got sweeet haircuts today. We are getting ready for the big reveal. Both Sara and I were a wee bit disappointed with our midway pics...we really felt we were a bit further than the pictures show. Maybe because we are feeling so great. It is a sssssslllllllllllllllloooooooooooowwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww process but we are hanging tough....maybe need to kick it up another notch next week. Well, I need my beauty sleep and I am gearing up to write my essay.

Ferklempt

Annie Here,

OK so I worked out Friday
Regular dog walk on Saturday 4 miles
Sunday off (but moved furniture all day so much exercise anyway)
Monday got off work very early and worked out 2 hours at the gym. Tried a new body Jam Class. Had to leave 20 minutes into it. I could not get the steps and it was too much use of my arms and neck.
Tuesday Blew off work out to attend a wine tasting and to network. Good thing too because Tuesday I could not move my neck. Maintained my calories.
Today neck still hurts, I will resume exercise tomorrow.
This morning weighed 171...did not stay below 170 for long...monthlies are coming soon....i suspect water weight. Am not sleeping like I should...seems to be a definite factor in keeping the weight off. Doing well on calories but sneaked 1 m&m, 1 small tootsie roll, one piece of gum, and one malt ball this week. Still craving sugar. It is my hardest craving to deny.
I weigh in on Saturday...we shall see.

More Pics

Annie here-

Just added a few more before pictures so next week we can compare the new mid way pictures with these to really see our progress.

Wahoo!

I made it to 169 today officially
10 lbs since new years
9 lbs since this blog
and 6 lbs since the challenge
Unfortunately I lost my most weight (water weight) at the beginning which do not count for the challenge. Instead of the scale I look forward to a big change in body fat percentage and a big loss in inches. My tummy is the hardest to get rid of.

Today 1 hour of water aerobics, 1/2 hour elliptical, abs, and more leg resistance exercises. I had to wear a different bathing suit to water aerobics because my other one got too big. I fit into my smallest pants in my closet at the present moment. Some shirts are getting too big and some of the way too small ones are fitting nicely. It is almost time to take out my skinny clothes that I have been saving for years.

This challenge is making me very motivated to make more changes in my life and pursue all the thing I love again, art, singing, acting, friends. Communication and relationships are coming easier for me these days, because I am not so stressed, pain is alleviated a bit, and I am not so hyper or crabby.

This week I am markedly stronger, have more stamina, and my heart rate is finally dropping a bit. Today I am a bit sore , I plan to do just cardio and abs tomorrow...oh yea and yoga in the morning.

-Annie

more or less

This is Sara.

Doing much better on the calorie intake. I am getting around 800 or so while at work and I feel better. Plus I lost the water weight I was packing around for a bit there and down 4 four pounds. Its pretty nice. I feel good and strong.

As a little something to look forward to we are planning an evening with ladies and man types in mid-May, myself and a few others are flying in an artist from L.A to play the gig and I'm excited about out new take on our fitness and bodies. There are going to be some serious hot mamma's out that night. Like a Boise version of Sex in the City...in all seriousness it can really get like that around here.

Again, 6 days a week in the gym has been no trouble at all. Its just another part of my day that I look forward to and feel great afterward. There was a time when it felt as though I was only capable of making it to the gym is spurts and starts...this time I some how relaxed into it and now I don't feel right without it. I damn near went on Sunday too.

I did expect my relations with others to some how change but nothing really so far. I am more confident, no doubt that has an effect, but it even took the man in my life 4 weeks to say anything. The only affirmation I have heard beside that is from Annie. I am not bothered by it though, between Annie and my loose clothes I know that there is a difference.

Our second round of measurements are coming up soon. The 25th for me. I have not taken any measurements since day one so I am curious what they will be. If there will be more or less difference than I am expecting...

Feeling less doughy

Well it is Tuesday, Had a good workout last night. craved sweets all weekend. Gave in to some of the cravings (frozen yogurt)I am back on track today. I had one glass of milk on Sunday and became bloated and gassy....really bad. Now I am sure cutting out most dairy was the right thing to do. It is tough keeping at 1500 calories a day. I can't wait until I lose my weight and am on maintenance where I can up the calories a bit.. My body is really changing...cool!

Life is great at home, everything is on an even keel and is well balanced. I am happy. 1 and 1/2 weeks til our next weigh in. Next week I will hit it full throttle. This week I will up my work outs a bit as well. Last night I was able to increase all of my weights. Suprisingly I have never been super sore through this whole challenge. I am likin' it.
Annie

This is Sara.

Eating enough calories was again a problem the last couple of days. Its mostly a problem of not being well prepared. When I have the time and the money I generally anticipate my eating needs. But I am not all that prepared this week and just paid off the last of my debt (whoo! hoo! but I am now broke until payday.)

I am also feeling more greedy about gym time. Take for instance last night. I get to the gym at 6pm, hit the bike for a 5min warm up. Jump on the high step for about 15min...then notice the BodyPump class out of the corner of my eye. I eventually just stopped...got off the high step, and wandered (late) into the pump class. I assembled a bar and dome discs I thought wouldn't be too heavy and joined in. This class is all free weights and I have been interested for a while in taking it.

It was about a 45 minute class or more and I came out wanting to do some running and maybe some cable machines. Problem was I had a date with a friend at 8pm. I sorely wished I hadn't obligated myself. My body was telling me to run my brains out and I needed to go because a friend was on her way to the bar to wait for me. Ah! and a bar of all places! It seemed the exact opposite of what I was seeking that moment. So, I came to the firm decision that I would give my self 2.5 - 3 hours at least three times a week to workout with out any obligation to be elsewhere. There is plenty of reading that I can do at the gym for classes etc and as I mentioned before I haven't really noticed the gym taking any time from me. Even though I am there for at least and hour and a half 6 days of the week...I have just folded it into my life and don't have any intentions of letting stop anytime soon. In fact I think if someone started to get in the way of it, I might feel my claws come out.

(Is the Blogger spell check broken? I know I make more tying errors!)

Annie, I don't see your image. It may just be my browser but thought I would mention it.

Annie Less Fannie

Saturday got up early and took the dog to the dog park, shopped at the co-op, some thriftstores, the record exchange, and Walmart. I had my weekly cup of small decaf with cappaccino added from stinker. We did not get home until 5 then we took care of some business around the house, ate a healthy dinner and watched 3 episodes of the Sopranos. Hubby dropped the phone in the hot tub, tried unsuccessfully all night to fix it...poor hubby.

Went to bed early. Shoulders have been getting more pain with working out. My cold and my monthly friend are finally over so now back on with life. What is so weird is I always lose a few lbs on the weekend when I give my body a rest. I am starting to see the muscles in my legs, I haven't seen a hint of them for years.

Hubby and I tried a new church on Sunday we both enjoyed it and plan on taking mom next week. They have many opportunities to help in the community. A friend of mine goes there so it will be fun to see her there. After the fitness challenge I plan on looking into a small bible study group,(I have always wanted to read the bible all the way through and understand what I am reading),studying scriptwriting, dabbling in theater again, art.....I actually started sketching in my sketchbook this weekend. My mom gave me a new one for Christmas that I love and hope to fill it up by next year.

Sunday morn weighed 170...life is good, love my man and my puppy. Challenge keeps me focused on the important things in life and so does my relationship with God. This weekend I am starting to feel healthier and more aware. I will be in the gym tomorrow.

Shopped for the month, prepackaged daily snacks and got loads of healthy breakfast foods to keep at the office. Filled up my water bottles and I am ready for the week. Hopefully this will be the week I get into the 60's.

This is Sara.

Yeaterday was an awesome day! The best I have had in a long time. Woke up at the butt-crack of dawn to see Obama in person at my University. It was packed! That means 12,000-ish people inside and still people waiting outside. Thats one fifth the popolation of our three city metro area!

Then went to breakfast for some eggs benedict at Addies with the same crew I went to Obama with. Spent three hours at work helping our interns and our department test some devices.

Afterwards I hit the gym, dropped in some good tunes and ran for the longest stretch of time yet. It was unbelieveable how easy it was, how relaxed I felt, and in-sync my breathing was. Spent another 30 minutes at another machine for my legs and more cardio and then a sequence of free weights. I felt great, showered, and it was off to a fairwell party downtown.

At Opa we smoked a hooka with some sweet tobacco, drank cocktails, and had a good time. I was starved so I ate a big plate of curry fish and veges. We decided to head to the Neurolux for some dance party from there. I almost opted out on account of getting up so early. But, knowing I generally have a good time if I just tag along and see what happens I decide to go.

Good thing too. A friend of ours was DJing and he dropped the best set I have ever heard at the lux. All new material that kept the place in a lather. A complete change from his usual and it was a serious break through. We all so much fun. In fact a few people got up to leave only to get to the door and decide to stay when thet heard the next track.

We closed the place down, headed for pizza and then crashed for the night. It was great!

And so far, I have not really had any problems making my work outs a part of my day. In fact, I really wanted to go today too but thought I had better take a day off since I am training now 6 days a week.

Bloaty and hungry and tired

Got my monthly friend on Tuesday and Stayed out late Tuesday night. Don't get me wrong, I had a total blast but I normally go to bed at around 9:00 or 10:00. The everyday workouts have me up much too late. 5 or 6 hours of sleep with these calories and workout schedule is not working for me. Wednesday I was falling asleep at my desk, did not go home for lunch and slept in my desk chair with the lights out in my office for 45 minutes. Yesterday I canceled working out at the gym because I had so much to do at home. I got some sleep but was still falling asleep at my desk. Tonight I worked out with hubby and afterwards was starving...for the first time since the challenge I really ate too much. It was all good food, fruit ,veggie, fish, whole wheat pasta, just too much. It is 11:00 and I am still not winding down. I definitely need to work out earlier in the evening being done by 7 or 8 at the latest so I have time to eat and digest before bedtime.

I went to the chiropractor and he said I was about 10x better than when he last saw me. Much more flexible, not as tense, and the adjustments came easier. He stated he was proud of the choices I was making and able to feel a difference in my body when doing the adjustment. I plan on going 1x per month.

Something weird I am noticing, my mouth is always super dry and I have a bitter taste in my mouth all the time and nothing seems to take it away. I wish I knew why? It actually disturbs my sleep at night and I have to keep water by the bed.

Did elliptical cardio tonight, resistance training whole body, stablizing exercises and plenty of abs.

Night Night y'all

-Annie

next

This is Sara.

So, I have noticed a couple of things:

1. Don't eat just before you work out. I was trying to get in the habit of having some food-based energy before working out because I kept burning out in the middle of my workouts. So tonight I ate a plate full of pasta thinking that before I could change, get to the gym, checkin on my credits at the salon and get on the machines I would have settled the food enough. That was not the case. I ended up bloated with a cramp in my side. So I did a 30 min interval-run and 20 min on the steps.

2. When you start working out you can see the areas of fatty build up alot better. The areas where the fat is thinner burns off pretty quick. The front of my hip bones are showing in a cute way and my calves are starting to look alot tighter along with areas in my back. But then, there are areas made more pornounced where the fat is hanging on like squirrel about to get chased out of a tree! These areas are very pronounced now, I can see exectly where they start and end whereas before everything just flowed from one part to the next.

3. Radio DJs piss me off. I listen to a lot of dub step, tech trance, grime, etc. One of the best places to find these genres in large quantities is Internet radio. So I get a mix every couple of days, dump it on the iPod and have 4-6 hours of non-stop cutting edge delight. And it just so happens that the tempo is a perfect running speed.

Unfortunately you have to deal with the DJ popping in now and then. Don't get me wrong, most of them have sexy British accents and when they are already established producers (like Plastician for instance) their ego isn't over-compensating. They are cool, confident, chill and only speak when they have to and when they have something to say. But the dub step and d'n'b scene is full of these ya-hoo ego junkies that can't contain themselves from swallowing the mic, cutting the mix just so they are the only noise on the line, or saying obnoxious things like "Bounce! Bounce! yeah baby this track is hot! Out-ta jimmy joe. Out-ta' billy bob! Thats right!"

So every now and then the lucky person next to me gets to hear me speaking out loud in head-phone voice things like: "Ah for Christ's sake shut up!", "Will you drop the freakin' track already!!" and "Come on!" If I wanted annoying talk radio and DJs wailing bullshit in my ear I can turn on any local radio station and get that. Besides, they are messing up my rhythm and a sweet mix.

So, thats it. No more weight has come off yet. I think I will ignore the scale for another week or so.

well well then!

This is Sara.

Okay, I was telling Annie that I knew I had lost 4 lbs judging by the scale but that I was having a hard time seeing it in the mirror. I look at myself all the time so it makes it difficult to see the changes that come off, like watching snow melt at 33 degrees. Now that I have seen the pics I can see a difference. We'll post more after our 2nd weigh-in next month.

Lets see, in terms of how I feel...well...I am a little bored. Not with the work outs though. I actually look forward to those in a stingy sort of way. But with the rest. I have gone in and out of that feeling ever since I started this job. Granted, as far as work goes the job is pretty cool. But I can't be as prolific in the scene as I was just a year and a half ago with this job. It was actually a huge sacrifice for me.

Other than that, I think that I have gotten my calories up a bit. Still not enough but close. No sugar in the coffee still but I have been getting a certain chocolate craving that I indulged at work with a couple of those bite size bits. So there was plenty of sugar in the food today.

Now I am off to run my little heart out with some tasty new tunes from some British dance radio I love so much.

PS Blogtastic

I was so excited about today that I remembered these three extra large pair of cute undies I bought at Victoria Secret over the holidays and have had them in the bag in my foyee to return because I looked repulsive in them and they did not even slightly fit. They are the little boy short kind and one bikini. I just tried one on and it actually looks kinda cute. I think I will keep them and in a few weeks I may just look fabulous in them....then in a few weeks after they shrink, I will have a new challenge. I am glad at this point that I saved some nice skinny clothes to help through the transition. I am cutting off the price tags now! Yay again!
_Annie

Sara you need to tell me "I told you so".

Yes you told me I would not lose any weight until after the second week and here it is Monday after the second week and I have lost 7 lbs and inches. You were right KUDOS! Sorry I am so stubborn:) now I will be mentally ready for the next plateau. I love ya girl!! and thanks again for doing this with me.
-Annie

Wowzers!

True morning weight 171...wowzers, i'm on my way. My goal is to be below 170 by the end of the week.
Ate great today. water-1c. Ezekiel raisin branish type cereal with 1/2 c almond milk (satisfying) for lunch large veggie salad w/ lowfat dressing and a hot green tea-water-Banana before workout-water-total 600 cal

good thing I kept the calories low the first half of the day because hubby picked me up a rather large Parillo Grill burrito BBQ chicken, with black beans, veggie salsa, corn, and brown rice, in a tortilla, for after workout dinner so here is my best guess on calories
BBQ sauce 100c
chicken 150c
salsa 50c
corn 100c
Black Beans 150c
brown rice 200c
tortilla 200c
=950c+600c=1550c which is still in my calorie range YAY!!!

After 4 days of being sick I did not push too hard today...plus miss monthly is probably coming for a visit tomorrow.
Sara did Pilates which I was supposed to attend but flaked out due to stuff at home. But Sara and I did 45 minutes of cardio and a full session of resistance training for the whole body including core. Watch out bitches because Sara is lookin' hot she could already win the challenge. My body is changing quite a bit as well but I have much farther to go. I am just so excited about the increased energy, clearer thinking, no midday slump, and less pain (still no painkillers in 2 weeks THIS ALONE IS A MIRACLE FOR ME) that the losing weight and toning is just a bonus. Today I fit into one smaller pant size.

Since eliminating dairy I am way less bloated. Since practically cutting out simple sugars and caffeine...much better mood and energy. It is true what they have been telling us for years it is ALL about diet and exercise. Water, sleep, vitamins and a balanced happy life is also part of it but I am sure you get the idea.

I am being hindered a bit by neck and shoulder pain along with fear of another hernia but I think as long as I do not push myself too hard I will get over it and build strength. Tonight I feel I may have pulled the tummy a little...it hurts.
Overall I give the day an A.
til tomorrow
-Annie

Detox!

I am home with the creepy crawlies today. Called in sick. I am going to look at it as my body is detoxing and purging itself so it can get strong and healthy. The past two days the workouts have been excellent. I have been tired, weak and crabby for part of the week and behold it was because I was getting sick not because of the challenge. As soon as I am better I will be back in the gym and stronger than EVER! In the meantime I will take my supplements eat right and do some gentle exercises at home. Hot baths, warm clothes, tons of liquids, and zycam every 4 hours. I must say this bug is not as nasty as I would normally encounter which leads me to believe that this program is working great and it is only the second week. My house is spotless, my hubby is happy, and I can cuddle in bed for a few days with some good books while watching the snow outside. Life is good.

Sara, let me know if you need your camera back right away. I am sorry I missed you at the gym last night.I got a massage last night from a really sweet lady that I hit it off with. She asked if I would like to go for coffee sometime. I think this is great because I want to start attracting more fun, healthy, positive, and interesting people to start new friendships....(just like my girl Sara) This girl was my age with no kids so we may have some stuff in common. I pray she doesn't get sick from giving me a massage.

Had fish, veggies and cous cous for dinner with a salad.
I am going to have some frozen yogurt tonight to relieve my sore throat. I will still be in my calories but taking in some sugar. Everything is OK in moderation.

Sara, sorry your picture is from the back view...when I tried to put in the front view, it showed up HUGE...I will try to figure it out later and post more pics when I am feeling better. I would also like to post some at our halfway mark. Here's to feeling great even when I am sick!

-Annie

totally fried on that one

This is Sara.

Damn! Annie, I should just give you my camera the next time we work out. Here I am all comfy on the couch and my camera is at work...again. I'll give it to you so that I don't keep sapping your motivation! Sorry for being a bum about it!!

As far as the rest, keep your spirits up. We are not even through the 2nd week yet and you are doing great with the goals. Your intake is good and you are busting your butt! That is exactly what we are supposed to be doing. You are totally on the mark. You are paying attention to your posture, your diet, your mind state, and your health. The rest will come.

For me, I completely crashed at RPM today! I've been waiting all week for that class and there I was all low-blood sugar and kicking myself. I thought I was going to pass out in mid stride...which would have been pretty dangerous given that my feet were strapped in so I could pull from the bend. All that momentum...I probably would have broken my leg. I never thought I would have problems eating enough and it is actually a pretty serious thing.

Once I settled down I went ahead and did my usual free weights, planks, abs, and lunges. I am also working on stretching more, as Annie and I found out the other day, she is twice as flexible as I am. I barely touch my toes without a burn. Then I promptly went home and filled my belly with some spinach-ricotta and chicken ravioli. Garlic, Herb, and Parmesan cheese with garlic oil for a sauce. And a glass of wine.

Today I ate a banana and an organic cheddar vege pot pie. 4 cups of coffee with Stevia for sweetness and organic half and half.

-oh yeah, the dreams. I forgot that I would talk about them. For the most part I sleep hard and sprawled out, spread eagle, and face down. (Sometimes I wake up on my belly with a pillow on my back...no clue how that happens.) But the dreams i remember are vivid and have been more positive than remember them being. In the way that the word "dreams" always makes me think of its meaning. That's a nice thing. My dreams are very sensitive to the things in my daily life, my emotions, my desires, anything I feel is missing, things I fear, etc. So when they are good, I take it as a nod.

Discouraging talk

I read through all the blogs and noticed that most of what I have written sounds negative and discouraged. I have had many benefits along the way such as more restful sleep, more energy throughout the day, and less pain. Internally I feel better and externally frustrated. I have notices bags under my eyes. The days have been wonderful , fun and invigorating, but I am still coming back to the same image in the mirror.
-Annie

Is the glass half full or empty

Worked out with Sara in Friday...almost on the verge of blowing it off. We stretched lifted weights and did cardio on the bike and treadmill. I have been running my heart rate a little high so I will slow it down a bit next week. The workout was excellent and so was the conversation with Sara. The buddy system really works and is helping me in this challenge. Sara, the only thing I need are our before pictures for motivation. January 1st I weighed 179, the beginning of our challenge 178, the beginning of the fitness challenge 176 with tennies on. The pictures are all I have to keep me going because I have not lost one pound on the fitness challenge this week. I have hit some sort of plateau. The only thing I have to go by is looking at how my body is changing...and I can't tell that either so I am getting discouraged. I know you keep telling me to wait two weeks, but this blog is to dump how I am feeling. I am feeling hungry and tired with sore muscles.

I am with Sara on how this challenge is making me examine my life closer. Saturday I took a break from all exercise. Yesterday I took a 4 mile walk with my husband and dog in the fresh snow before sunrise. I was wonderful and invigorating. We came home and cleaned the whole house until it was spotless and relaxed all evening. Today we are getting ahead on stuff we have to take care of for the week. I am going to workout today at the gym and finish it off with a massage.

I have reduced my calories to 1500-1600 per day. I am very unhappy with my weight and am wondering if I will be able to lose it and keep it off. I wonder if there is something deeper making me hold on to it. Since the beginning I have been very strict still:
No caffeine
barely any sugar
Limited dairy
no butter
eat throughout the day
taking needed supplements
drinking water
getting plenty of sleep
no alcohol
not cheating
exercising very regularly
limiting stress
keeping up with family friends, and limiting stress
I honestly think that everything is great in my life except for my weight and pain I have within my body. I have been doing really good but I am still having a hard time being proud of myself, I somehow feel like I am not doing enough or that I am weak.
-Annie

take on the world

This is Sara.

I find it important to note how interesting it is that working out makes you feel like you can take on the world. After I finish my work out, I jump in my car and throw on some Dub Step, I take my time driving home and end up thinking about my goals, my current state of everything, and the world. I guess you could say that I simply feel more alive.

Lately I have have been spending a lot of time thinking about what is really important to me. Of all the things I have voluntarily and involuntarily put my self through to get where I am now seem so delicately timed and forged out of moves I made without fully knowing why. I feel good.

Take, for instance, this moment right now. I am sitting in a Sushi spot called Superb Sushi in downtown Boise. The owners, Bret and his wife, are down-to-earth friendly people who make an incredible sushi dishes. They have their indoor patio lit intimately, with some tasty tunes playing. Some low bass dub. Really well done. I chose the special, fatty-tuna nigiri imported from Japan, a cup of Jasmine tea, and a "Life is Good" roll. The "Life is good" roll is shrimp tempura and eel topped with fresh salmon and avocado with their sauces that are rich and subtle. A small seaweed salad on the side with tobiko. I can easily say that their fresh salmon is the silkiest and most flavorful in town. In fact other major cities I have been to still haven't topped it.

Later I am headed over to a small house party hosted by a friend and then off to drinks with a few others. I have money in the bank, school starts up again next week,
I had a break through at work, my daily life is very low stress, my friends are great, and I am healthy and happy.

Not to mention I also have an incredible boyfriend who is well liked in his own social circle, he is independent and has respect for himself and his goals too. To give you a taste of his emotional maturity: Once, he wrecked surprisingly hard on his road bike right in front of me. I asked him if he was okay as he rolled over. His response was "No, not really, I just ate shit." He laughed a little. Later, as he was pulling small stones from his arm, I told him I was surprised he didn't lash out like so many men, kicking the car he just wrecked, or at least yell a long string of obscenities. He blinked at me and laughed, "Oh, that's because I'm not a child." I took a huge sigh of relief.

So, as these things roll through my brain and I'm warm and loose from the workout, I am able to re-align the little things in my life that I want more or less of. The important things come bubbling up to the surface. I realize the things I don't care about and don't contribute to my happiness in the long or short run. That sort of thing.

My social interactions are much more relaxed too. High from workouts, with no physical tensions to speak of, my interaction is slow and easy with people. Big smiles and good conversations.

This is what they are talking about when you hear exercise works just as well as Prozac and other anti-depressants. Only Prozac is more expensive, fails in 50% of the cases, and wont give you a tight ass.

blah!

Had kind of a shitty day at work, tried to blow off the stress. Did my yoga as usual. Sticking with my calories. Today was the first day I am feeling unmotivated...don't want to work out...want to eat something unhealthy. Probably because I was bored at work and feeling that certain things at work are very unjust. Also I have only been seeing the scale go up not one hint of it going down. I am still sore and it doesn't seem like there is enough hours in the day to exercise, cook, work, shop, be a good wife, and hang out with friends. Here is today's scedule.
6:00 am yoga
6;30 am get ready for work pack my bills,get stuff ready for the gym tonight, do a quick cleanup of the house, get food ready, exercise the dog, no time for a shower.
7:45 leave or work
8:00 am work
11:30 am lunch at roosevelt market, do my bills at lunch
12:30 pm back to work
5:10 pm get off work go to sports authority to buy a $50.00 heart monitor (that was the cheapest one)
5:50 pm get home go through mail, say hi to hubby who was home sick all day, run to Fred Meyer to buy a quick dinner for hubby (no time to cook) buy a few things for myself including 2 sports bras...spend $95.00 for hardly anything, vent to my husband about my shitty day at work....realize I want to apply for this city job and realize today is the deadline....ask my husband if he can pull up the web site for me....realize the dog has not gone for a walk in two days because hubby was sick. Decide to forego the gym for a 3-4 mile walk in the dark and the cold so dog can get exercise too.
6:45 pm get home put groceries away, help hubby with dinner, dress to walk in the cold, put in tape to record american idol, write my blog.
7:15pm leave for my walk.
est:
8:30-9:00 get home from walk
cook my own dinner,
eat while watch american idol so I don't go to bed on a full stomach
apply for job if possible
hot bath to unwind

May get to bed by midnight....but there are wet clothes in the dryer
maybe I might lose at least 1 lb by tomorrow.....one can only hope.
today sucked and I am in pain (shoulders and Neck)
sorry for cancelling dinner Sara now you know why.......oh and my calories for today are 1700
-Annie

bloggity blog blog

Went to the gym for my second training and learned a few more things. I started thinking for a brief second that a trainer may be able to help me because I do not know the perfect form to use when I exercise or lift weights....so I inquired about hiring a trainer on a "Per session basis"....they only have package deals for a "special member rate" which range from the thousands of dollars to the least expensive at $495.00.CRAZY I will research my own technique. I am a bit down today because I have been sticking to the plan and working my butt off and I am gaining weight and feeling bloaty. Overall my energy is fantastic and I have a calm and serene demeanor. The trainer stated my meal plan and exercise plan I made for myself is right on and to continue what I am doing. Today I will do yoga-40 min cardio-20 min stretching- and some core exercises. I will stop writing my meals here because I am keeping a hand written journal, but I will log the calories or any food issues I have here.Monday I booked a massage so that is incentive to work hard for the rest of the week.

Thanks Sara for doing this with me! I love to see you shining face. It is nice to meet our goals together. You will be one lean mean fighting machine after this I guarantee. I am going to take on the day!
-Annie

the problem seems to be the machines...

This is Sara.

So today I consumed a lunch of 440 calories. 5 cups of coffee and come 5pm I still wasn't hungry. Grabbing a handful of pretzels I headed out the door to cash a check and rummage for my phone at the house.

I got to the gym and met with Drew. My personal fitness assessors and advice guy. A personal trainer. This is part of the challenge.

So, this cute guy, clearly around my age, sits down with me and takes a look at my stats sheet. I explain to him that I would like to take a couple of percentage points of my body fat, coming in at 21.08%. My weight is 134lbs and apparently around 105 of those are muscle. Okay, not bad, not bad. But then I have all these little places are that squishy for no reason other than I am not 18 and work in an office. I let him know that I don't really care if my weight changes just as long as the jiggly parts stay in my breasts and not on my hips.

He asks me what level I work out now.

"Well, I took the RPM cycling class yesterday and I would say that is the type of workout I like. I need a good hour of hard core."

He tells me that is great, the class I took yesterday is actually one of the more aggressive classes they offer. I couldn't help but think: 'I get that, and I think it is great but man...Krav Maga was a nuclear bomb in comparison.'

None the less I was in the market to work hard and get my time's worth in my workout. He likes that. Then goes on to ask me what I typically do for workout when not in the classes. I tell him, "...the Elipticals and the weight machines, but they are so boring when I workout alone that I'm open to other regimes."

He explains to me that the machines are really great for the average hit the gym, put in your 20-60 minutes and off you go. Good cardio, keeps you in the right posture, etc. However if i want to really get cut I should do more work on the cable designs and the free weights.

So we skip the machines, to my relief, and head straight for center stage. First he shows me "the plank." Starting from flat on your belly but up on your elbows, is a lot harder than it seems. You lift your body, keeping everything very straight, such that you are suspended by only your toes and your elbows, with your hands flat. Trying that for thirty seconds my whole body felt like it was attached to a paint shaker.

Then there is the fitness ball. Or yoga ball to some. He then had me do the same maneuver with my elbows on the ball instead of the floor.

That was what he said I, and most people, need to do more of. Balance, stabilizing, and utilizing the fast twitch muscles.

Later he had me doing squats on a sort of half-ball that is flat on one side. You flip the thing, half ball side down, and carefully get yourself standing on the platform/flat side. It isn't hard to stand on surprisingly, then you squat, bending both knees. What I found surprising was the use of the muscles around my ankles...or rather the uncontrolled activation of those muscles. I wasn't in any real risk of losing my balance but a group of muscles I couldn't seem to find (to stop their shaking) were suddenly alive and kicking.

I later found more of those in my sides, my stomach, and arms. So I am hooked, a new challenge, a missing link, something real to work on and a valid reason to switch things up. And thank god the machines are not the answer for me! So its going to be crunches on the yoga ball, planks and side planks, the classic Jane-Fonda butt lift my mom's workout tape showed me when I was really little, and lots more stabilizing exercises with free weights and funny half-balls.

On my way out I bumped into Annie. I was really stoked to see her and I realized last night she is the reason I am doing this in the first place. See, I like working out and often do even when it its not always consistent. But then a friend called me up, Annie, and said "Hey wanna' do this with me? Lets keep each other motivated." It was a no-duh for a couple reasons. The biggest being its so win-win. I get to work my buns off with someone who likes to do the same and ALSO support someone I really care about who really wants this for herself. So I am helping myself and helping someone else who is returning that same love. How sweet is that?! Perpetual motion isn't even that cool.

Oh yeah, we also discussed the calorie thing. And yeah, I am not eating enough. No surprise there. So after the meeting and chatting with Annie I hopped in the car headed to the Boise Co-Op. I was loading up on tasty items for the week: pears, oranges, pasta, cereal, bananas, soup, cheese, bread, lettuce, peppers, tomatoes, red onion, a new kind of wine, garlic, mineral water, soy milk (really think cow milk is nasty and only drink it when I am cooking with it. Think about it...its a different species breast milk. Eww. I just can't even swallow a mouthful of it anymore...but I will eat cheese and such.), and some chocolate made with 60% cocoa.

I need to be eating something every 3 hours, so I dropped off the fruit and some bottled water at work and came home to eat more calories. Pasta, salad, and garlic bread. I couldn't finish so I think I am going to have to try for more food per three hours...no way I can eat a whole bunch in one sitting unless it was super concentrated with calories like meals at mainstream restaurants.

My legs are less sore than I thought they would be. I also switched out to a smaller yoga ball at work so that my arms are parallel with the floor when I sit at my desk. The 65cm was too big and I kept leaning down to get to my key board. It worked out nice though because a co-worker inherited my larger one and hopefully we have a convert.

better than most

This is Sara. Today was a better day than most. And Holy-Ass-Whoping-Wonderfulness at the gym today!

I took a cycling class with Annie. It wasn't spinning, it was more like mountain biking...and pretty well had my butt handed to me. It was great. I love a good solid hour of hard core push. Its then that I realize just how much aggression I have inside. And not the aggression you might think of, I don't walk around feeling like I want to punch people. I just like to be driven that way, I respond to it physically.

That of course left me exhausted and exhilerated. No joke about the anti-depressive effects. I don't think I am depressed but I could feel the mental "pick me up" instantly.

I also felt raging hunger, so I ate pasta leftovers from last night and celebrated the kick off with a friend for a cocktail. All in all though I don't think that I am cosuming enough calories. I think I probably consumed 6 to 8 hundred today, 1000 max. All I had to eat was an organic vege whole wheat pot pie, a handful of pretzels, a couple cups of coffee, that pasta and a weak vodka cran. That is fine now and then if I am not working out but not going to be good to burn energy at the rate that I burned it tonight. I will more likely pass out.

I drank 2 liters of water today. Not too bad, most of it I consume at night. Oh, and I forgot to mention that I took a box of Stevia packets to work to substitute the sugar I put in my coffee. If you don't know about Stevia you should look it up. No neuro-toxins like Egual, Sweet and Low, etc. Those suckers are true blue poison. Stevia is from a plant and pulverized. Make sure you use the "non-bitter" type, and yeah its a little different than sugar, but not much. Watch the quantity though: one half a little packet is as sweet to me as 3 teaspoons of regular cane sugar!

And now I am ready to sleep like a baby...and wake up limping tomorrow. That kind of sore is a good feeling.

On my way!

Sunday I was sore from the small workout I did on Saturday that just proves how darn out of shape I really am. I did great on calories Saturday only consuming a total of 1675. Sunday I ate 1750 calories. My trainer told me to shoot for 1650-1850range as a goal. On Sunday I weighed 178 despite my efforts. Trainer said to expect this at first with exercise because you will retain fluids in the areas that you are creating tiny tears in your muscles. Discouraging....but I am looking past weight at this time. Shopped at the co-op for the week and got everything I need. I am able to ignore sugar temptations this week so far.

This morning I woke up and did my Pain Free Yoga program and I felt great afterwards.
Water
tea
For breakfast 1c of ezekiel cereal with almond milk.
water
tea
pear
=500 calories so far today
I will fill you in on the rest of the day this evening after I meet with Sara for a bicycling class at the gym.
-Annie

I know one thing I would change...

This is Sara. And for the sake of my mother...Sara is your daughter, we spoke about this blog on the phone. Glad you are taking an interest! My parents are supportive as hell. I am super lucky.

There is one thing for sure that I'll change knowing that I am going to live to 100. Lets start with today. I just did my budget for the next 6 months. This is what it boils down to: in 6 months I will be debt free minus student loans and my car. That is a really good thing. But in the mean time, I get to some how live on 50 to 75 dollars a week. Now, that includes food and gas etc. That IS after my bills are paid which is good. They are not joking when they say "live like a student". So my life is going to be programming, work and working out for the next 6 months. Well hooray for that.

Which brings me to the 100 year question. Okay, I have another 80 ish years left... so no bullshit at places I work. Only things that boost my skill set and the company, I hate the other crap and hate being in it. No more. Its a waste of resoureces.

And something has been sucking the fun out of me too. Maybe its just an energy thing that will be fixed through working out. But man! I am so freakin' bored most of the time. And thst is not like me...really. That must be the reason for all the books I've devoured in the last couple weeks. So energy...need energy. Need to not participate in soul-sucking activities.

Travel. Need to travel. Lots of travel. And a fast paced environment. I need a cell phone ringing off the hook, I need problems to solve quickly that involved people who can rely on those decisions. I need a sexy business suit and a show to work on. I need to hate tv again.

One of my girl friends thinks I have some research to do on another life. But she was not surprised. And thank god for this fitness challenge because working out gets out the aggression and the boredom, not to down play the happy tight rear.

I need a place that is in the north end again too, a place that I can ride home with the ladies in a skirt and heels elegantly wasted and giggling. A place for a fire pit and place to do my welding that I can't do here.


(For me, change is something that seems to boil out of me before I am really sure why I am doing it. I trust that process. Sort of like sleep walking to safety when your dreams tell you the house is going to burn down.)

So, needless to say, I am glad that Annie brought up this challenge. I think it has dug out some things that are quite lacking in my life. And believe me when I tell you that I never in my life imagined that I would ever be bored.

Food today:

A nice break fast with organic eggs, red peper, red jalepenos, tomatoes, cheese, red and yukon gold potatoes with garlic, paprika, salt and pepper. A cup of Thomas Hammer coffee (okay, more like three) with stevia for sugar substitute and some organic creamer.

For dinner I made cheese tortellini with an alfredo and marinara mix sauce with red pepper, green onions, more red jalepeos, and garlic bread. It was really great. If there is one thing that I have figured out over the last year is that home cooking and doing it well is worth it.

For exercise...just sex. Twice. Its legitimate exercise so I'll note it now and then. I am also curious how working out is going to affect my sex life. Better, no change, will I turn into a monkey? Who knows, my guess is that it will get better.

meh.

Day #1

Thinking about the hundred year question....Hmmmm. I usually try to live in the moment but as far as relationships go, I would definitely be excited to spend the next 60 years of life with my hubby. It is both of our goals to be as healthy as possible I would never want to be a burden to him and that is why I am taking action now. I certainly would not want to lose him prematurely either. We are both on track financially. By staying healthy you can work longer and make more money for the things you would like to do. I am connected to my community and feel like I have a meaningful job and meaningful relationships. I am getting better all the time at keeping stress at bay and maintaining balance in my life. For me I need to conquer my sugar addiction, mindless eating, and I definitely need to build strength and stamina. Then all I will have left is to stop biting my fingernails and cut back on the swearing...ha ha ha. I am not perfect and will continually strive to better myself to my dying day. There is a LOT of work to do. But maybe if I have 100 years who knows what could happen.

Today I weighed in at my challenge at 176 with my shoes on.
I worked out for 45 minutes

Water

Breakfast: Hot tea and a rice krispy treat (before the weigh in) Of course I did not want to pass up my last chance to have refined sugar.

water

Lunch: Big veggie salad, 1/2c whole wheat goldfish crackers, 2 small fat flush sprouted tortillas with organic chicken breast, lettuce, onions, and cranberry mustard.

water

Dinner: Naked turkey burger, unsweetened organic blueberry applesauce, Mixed zucchini

water

banana

2 chocolate calcium, vitamin d wafers

total cal=1675 *right on target

-Annie

100 years huh?

This is Sara.

So, I am not much for motivational speakers (in fact parts of the "speech" were actually intellectually excruciating) but the kick-off speaker for the Golds Gym challenger this year did bring up a good question: How would you change your life if you knew that you were going to live to 100 years old?

Now at first, because of the participatory stand up, sit down, and shout outs common to most all motivational moments, I didn't really think too much about this question. Yeah, yeah, live to 100...I'm hungry. But then he put up a slide that had more than exercise, chiropractic adjustments (what? He was a Chiropractor...so what did i expect.), and of course a personal trainer. The other items were Relationships, Work, Time, Goals, etc. I hadn't initially thought about those. But really, if you knew you had some extra decades to count on how would it change things for you, but how?

Exercising and eating right are way up there. Think about this: What if you ate pesticide and processed food like substances for 80 years. McDonald's once a week, that extra piece of cake, those daily diet coke neuro-toxin cocktails, or the three beers you have after work all the time. 80 years...80 years of it. That's pretty gross. Or 80 years of the work, come home, and sit, watching TV, or on the computer. 80 years of sitting on your ass.

Okay, so there is that. Then there is: If I have so long...what kind of relationship am I interested in? That is a long time to spend with one person so the choice seems a little more serious. And there are a couple choices there too. You can be single, choosing your partners one at a time over your life, taking time to get to know them and get to know your self with them. Or you can find "the one." Or you can just stay single and live just for you. So, there is more thought to put into that one for me.

Then, you have work. Which means 80 years or maybe 60 that you are likely to spend. I immediately felt more picky about the type of work that I want. About where I want to be in the next few years in terms of position, type of work, financial goals, and you get the idea.

How about school? I suddenly felt simultaneously a relaxed, all the time in the world, sort of feeling to take my time with subjects and a "ah man! That means I would have time for political science, study abroad, teaching, and maybe discover something new in a favorite field!"

As you can see it could on like his for a while. Certain big things don't seem so big and certain small things seem much bigger. That was a nice feeling.

And now it is time for the fitness challenge to officially start.

Today I had a half turkey sandwich (local turkey, with cheese, no fancy dressings) and a ceaser salad, 5 cups of coffee, a bowl of organic vege soup in tomatoe, and two peices of whole grian organic wheat toast with brummel and brown butter. And of course I am sipping a glass of wine. Oh...and 6 cigarettes. I am counting down those as well. I drank about 2.5 liters of water which included a large bottle of mineral water.

Skip it:)

Today was so bad that I am not even going to blog about it.
worst tidbit#1 I had two pieces of key lime pie
best tidbit#2 I am still off coffee
tomorrow night is the kick of motivational speaker for the contest
Friday night I plan on having a sushi dinner and meet with the trainer
Saturday is weigh in and the fight is ON!!!!!!!
I will blog about it all after I meet with the trainer. Until then I will eat whatever I want.
tomorrow morning I meet with the orthopedic about my shoulders and neck
tomorrow afternoon thyroid ultrasound and possible biopsy
today I weigh 176
I am proud I lost two pounds this week even though I didn't really try. All the dog walking must have really helped.
-Annie

WOAH!

_Annie here

nothing for breakfast

2 eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and french toast for lunch meeting with collegue...oh and decaf hot tea.

dinner skinny pork chops, broccoli, cauliflower, sweet potatos

binge eating AGAIN "To somehow satisfy the fact that I am going to be "Deprived" for the next three months. I know this is the wrong way to think. I am hoping the stamina and willpower will come with the start date and the habit will be formed over the next three months to keep it going.

This is the same way I quit smoking. I allowed myself to smoke guilt free until the start date and then quit cold turkey and have been off the cigs for about 3 years. Hope the same technique works again.

I have had a migraine since 5:00pm...could be sugar rush, caffeine withdrawls, SAD, or thyroid worries, who knows.
Hot bath and off to bed.

-A

This is Sara. Food today was not too exciting. Just a grilled cheese with vege tomatoe soup and then for dinner I used the same groceries to make a tuna melt and a bowl of plain tomatoe soup. And of course a glass of wine.

Still not too active. I spent the entire day at work and then came home to read my new book on the history of mathematics, write in this blog and finish this damned install.

Thyroid Trouble

Found out today that the Dr. thinks I need to suppress my thyroid a bit more. They upped my dose of thyroid meds because of blood test results and a new nodule. On Thursday I get an ultrasound and possibly a biopsy of the new nodule.

I pigged out at lunch

cup of corn chowder

1/2 tuna on whole wheat

BBQ chips

1 lindor ball

for dinner spicey noodles with beef (Thai food)

choc rice dream before bed.

Stress eating today, I was bored at work and felt lathargic all day...I have no pep

Still off the coffee, replaced it with green tea. Everybody at work is sick all around me. I have survived so far without getting it.

Next I am going to try to limit dairy by eating eggs and yogurt only. No cheese, butter, milk, or cream. I still feel revved up for the contest...but in my head it does not begin until the 12th when I weigh in. Until then I am enjoying food that will be off limits...but not to excess.

For now a hot bath and some reading before bed. I should be asleep by 11 which is past my bedtime.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzz -Annie

A New Day

Started off fresh today with a 45 minute vigorous walk at 6:00 am. I wish it was light out, it would make it so much better. It is scary alone in the dark and cold. Now I will have a bowl of cereal with almond milk and a piece of fruit for mid morning snack. 

-Annie

oops!

Annie. Sorry about the pics!! I was distracted. I will have them up soon. -sara

the second part

This is Sara. I decided that my surprise 1590 calorie meal the other night would be the beginning of the better eating habits. I hit the Co-Op, my usual healthy haunt, and picked up the weekend's worth of food. All organic and as much local as possible. Turns out there was plenty of local food, I love that.

I picked up eggs, red potatoes, tomatoes, green onions, red onions, red pepper, oat bread, tomato and vege soup, cheese, half and half, and a really cute pair of readers. 1.00 magnification. The groceries cost me about 20 bones.

That was enough for four breakfasts and some tuna sandwiches with soup. They were all really great as usual.

Outside of a couple rounds of sex, I wasn't especially active the last two days. Mostly sitting around reading Six Easy Pieces and now working on a Gentoo install. I have easily consumed a liter of water per day and consumed at least two glasses of alcohol per night as well. Yesterday I had two mojitos and 2 glasses of wine. And tonight I am sipping wine.

Along with the water and the daily glass of booze (usually just a glass before I sleep unless I hit the bar like last night) I consume a lot of coffee. I would say at least 6-10 cups a day. Its a diuretic so I watch the concentration of my urine pretty closely. If it starts to take on a darker yellow I drink some more water to compensate.

Another thing, and this may seem ridiculous to most, but I smoke. Yeah, usually under ten a day unless I am socializing. That being the segue to the second layer of this Fitness Challenge. My boss and I have a bet going. For every inch that he loses I will cut back on my smoking adequate enough to quit by the end of this 3 months. I doubt that I will not smoke the occasional cigar with my boyfriend and other guy friends again but I will be happy if i can get off the cigarettes, and get off them without hitting depression like the time I quit for another bet.

What I think is hilarious is listening to people who hear me talk healthy eating, healthy life styles, and quality of life in relation to daily stress tell me, "Ha! And you smoke? Why do you bother?" A surprised cough came out of me the first couple of times I heard it. I have never made rationalization for my smoking. I am addicted plain and simple. But my response is usually something along these lines: "Oh, I get it. If I smoke I might as well just not exercise or eat well then. Is that what you are saying? Because it seems to me I had better at least be doing those things."

Regardless, I will up hold the bet. I can't see a reason not to. Win win. A guy gets to drop some pounds and feel better and I get to let go and feel better.

Monday will be a new day

Had terrible tummy trouble last night. Could be 24 hour flu or reaction to nsaid anti-inflammatory I took for pain last night. Skipped church and all exercise today felt tired and slept and read all day. Body felt like it really needed sleep. Hubby home all day, we got along great. Peaceful and rejeuvinating.

food: 

water

2c decaf

egg beaters, 1 piece wheat toast, blueberry yogurt, mini sausages

water

choc chip cookies, smart puffs, milk

veggie soup with avocado

water

rice dream

water

weight =176

-Annie

Hey Where's the Beef???

Hey Sara...Wheres our pictures? I need them for motivation. I just ate a handful of paul newman mini chocolate chip cookies...see I told you I was a sugar addict. 

My mother is writing me a daily poem for motivation. It is so cute.

til tomorrow

Annie

G'morning this is Annie again,

I did not do yoga today but opted instead for a vigorous walk with the dog at the dog park. My hubby and I stopped at Moxie (I got tea) and headed out to the top. I was breathing heavy but feeling good. I will do Yoga tonight before bed.

Stopped at the co-op for some healthy fare to get ready for the week. Got plenty of organic fruits and vegetables along with some fish, yogurt, and healthy snacks. 

I plan on having some uninterrupted me-time today. Hot bath, reading, and watching a good movie. (no stress here). I am going to have my mexican food leftovers from last night so I don't waste it for lunch.(I guess yesterday was NOT my last gross meal :) But I think that this is the last unhealthy thing I have in the house. For dinner a big salad with some quinoai maybe a banana or smart puffs for a snack.

Hubby has band practice at 3:00 so I will have the place to myself...I will not even answer the phone....Pure bliss. I am allowing myself 1 hour for housework and will retire by 9:00pm.

By the way FYI...I am 43 years old am experiencing hormonal changes. My autoimmune problems are Hashimoto's thyroid disease (they just found a new nodule on my thyroid), endometriosis (had it removed 3x still have it on my intestines), and arthritis in my neck. I have 3 bone spurs (shoulders and neck) and 3 disc bulges (back and neck). In chronic pain most of the time have had a total of 4 steroid injections for pain. Have stopped taking all narcotic pain killers and am working on stopping anti- inflammatory medications.I have been abusing myself for years. Here is the rundown:

1.  Bad Habits:

*20 year smoker- I have been quit completely for three years

*Sugar addict

*Love coffee

*Ate anything I wanted without giving it a thought

2. Stress on the body: 

*Puppeteer for five years (hunched over in a costume)

*Physical comedy in theater and lip synch acts (pratfalls)

*Cake decorating for years

*Sculpting (filing, hammering, sanding, welding, etc....)

*Insomniac

*Started college full time at 36 immediately after my father died.(the grief alone was a     killer)

*Perfectionist ideas. (Wanted to graduate magna cum laude even though I have             dyslexia)

*Over acheiver

*Lack of exercise from exhaustion and malnutrition

A little at a time I am trying to correct all the damage that I have done to myself. I have filled you in on all the gorey details so we can see how the changes I make in my life impact my health. My accomplishments thus far regarding a healthier lifestyle are that I have quit smoking, cut out coffee, working on eliminating stress, going to sleep early, drinking more water, cutting out junk food and increasing physical exercise. Welcome to my journey. I hope I didn't bore you to death today.

I will write more tomorrow.

By the way, today I weigh 175 

Annie

late again..

This is an example of my life...I intend to do everything but can't get it done. this is why I find it hard to find time for exercise. It is 11:22 pm  and I still want to watch a movie. Went out to dinner with friends for a "last splurge" Guess what we had mexican too!! El Gallo Giro in Kuna. I ate half my food, got beef fajitas with an ice tea. All of us shared a deep fried ice cream (Does it really need to be fried?) and who the heck ever thought of it???

I have made some changes this week. No more coffee. I fill my thermos with green tea in the morning and sip it throughout the day. Been having fruit for breakfast and a healthy lunch. Last night for dinner we had blackened broiled tilapia, cauliflower and broccoli, whole wheat crackers with hummus, and a large veggie filled salad Yum. I felt great all day and even better walking at lunch.

Today: Green tea and fruit for breakfast, cauliflower & curry soup with green salad for lunch.....and well you know all about my dinner and I also snuck in a chocolate chip cookie. Walked the dog for 15 minutes otherwise no exercise.

Best thing is I weighed in at 177 today. I am gearing up for the challenge...but for me it does not "Officially" begin until weigh in on the 12th. Today was my last completely gross meal. Tomorrow I will start the day with yoga and see how it goes. I have a ton of stuff to read this weekend to get me more informed and motivated. Deep breath oooooaaaaaHHHH. Brreeaaattthhhhhhe.

until tomorrow,

Annie

This is Sara. And Holy Crap.

I took a long lunch today to pick up a welding setup my boyfriend bought for me for X-mas. We'll just call him Pete. SO, on the way there Pete and I decide to hit a quick bite, I was so hungry I was cranky and it was top priority. So we head to On The Border. I generally don't like major restaurant chains, and I generally don't like mexican food. They both make me feel heavy and greasy afterward, but we were in the West End and local culture has an inverse relationship to westward travel here in Boise. So be it.

I scanned the menu, everything looked good to me and my stomache. Then I got hung up on something. They advertize what they call their "Smart" menu and claim: All these meals are less than 800 calories. Golly, only 800 per meal huh? Then I'll take 3! Right. This number seemed rediculously high to me. 800 calories?! Are you serious? This is something to brag about? I showed this to Pete then scanned the restaurant. America was quite present.

So I decided to mosey on toward the fish selections. Ah! Fish tacos! That looks great. And how in the hell could they be more than 800 calories? It was fish, lettuce, chipoltle, and taco shells.

Well, when they got to me I realized the fish was battered and deep fried. The chipoltle was a mayo mix and the taco shells were actually flour tortillas. Okay I said, I'll just munch on the fish and there is now way I could eat all three of those monsters!

One thing blatant about at least my town is the size of the portions every where. A "small" soda is at least 20 ounces, even though it should be 12 or 8 which are the technical adult servings of any beverage. And that is the way it is for all food everywhere now. So normally 1/3 of a "standard portion" is enough to hold me for a good 4 or 5 hours. Often the kids portion is perfect.

I eat a little over a third of the meal before I am stuffed. Here is why I am so glad I only ate a third:

Later on I checked out the web site my friend and I are using to tell how many calories our food is when we are curious. (www.calorieking.com) This meal came up under "fish tacos" at "On The Border" as a whopping 1590 calories!!! --keep in mind the adult recommended caloric intake is 2000 a day. And really that should be less if you are sedentary. So add a dessert and in one sitting you are done for the day!

It is gross. Very very gross. And to think that the majority of Americans eat this way ALL THE TIME. NPR today called it "processed food like substances " as opposed to "real food."

P.S.

I 100% agree on all counts with Sara about what I DO NOT want this fitness challenge to be. Made me laugh how alike we are on these thoughts.

A late start

Here I sit at 7 am writing my first blog ever.  I will go by the name of Annie for the sake of wanting to stay anonymous.

Last night was fun giggling and getting ready for our challenge. At first I tried on a one piece and it actually did not look too bad (my husband even said the same). I have gotten used to being my size. I went and immediately put on a two piece so all could be revealed. This was much more like it...not flattering at all. REALITY! I weigh 178 lbs My starting measurements are 41"-38"-44". 

To tell the truth measurements are not really important to me. It is all about being healthy. Heart disease and obesity run in my family. I already have two autoimmune diseases and arthritis etc... from not practicing healthy habits. I will go into that in more detail later. Anyway, I need to change my habits and make them part of every day life. My long term goals are as follows.

1. Eat healthy and chemical free (mostly whole and organic foods)

2. Make exercise an important part of my life

3. Stay social and connected to the community

4. Drink more water

5. Eliminate all unneccesary stress

I am off to work for now but will continue this evening.

-Annie

the ramp up

Ah, day one-ish. I'm Sara, name changed to protect my anonymity...well more that if I told you my real name I would be less likely to bare-all.

My friend and I spent the early hours of the evening sort of dancing around and giggling in our bathing suits. When I arrived at the house she had managed to pull the swim suit on, tuck the length of the top up into the bra, push the bottoms super low, and pooch out her belly in a sort of "Ta-da!" kind of way. I bust into laughter and changed quickly into my own two piece. i was sure to make it fit as awkwardly as possible. Which it did anyhow because it was an athletic suit...the most awkwardly tight suits you can find. Like strapping one whole butt cheek into the entirely of a man's teeny speedo. I always feel thin until I put on that baby.

We both poked and prodded and laughed at our own pudgy parts and started taking our official "before" photos for the Gold's Gym, three month, fitness challenge. It starts on the 10th of this month and ends sometime in March. Then the measurements. Mine are as follows:

weight: 136lbs
waist: 28"
hips: 39"
love handles: 34" Note: this is the area below the waist and above the hips that I want to drop so we made special inclusion of its measurement.
bust: 34"
upper arm: 10" They don't call em' "stay puffs" for nothing!
thigh: 21.5"
calves: 12.5"
neck: 12.5" Why not, I am curious if it changes in size.

So, not bad but not where I want to be. Here is where I want to be:

weight: 126lbs
hips: 36"
love handles: 30"
bust: 34"
upper arms: 11"
calves: 12.5"
neck: 12.5"

In pondering this new endeavor I started to think about my history with working out. I was a very, very, very active child. Track, ballet, hiking, climbing, girl scouts, YMCA camps, swim team, you name it I was there and winning ribbons. Until I hit puberty. Then I was just "blessed with a high metabolism." Then I started smoking and the active side turned to teenage angst and giggling about boys. The most active I got was sprinting home just before daylight in time to sneak back in the house before my parents woke up.

The next highest level of activity was spurred a few years ago from a break up. For whatever reason I found running on the ellipticals and fist fighting guys twice my size in Krav Maga until I nearly passed out, a much better outlet then burning the bastard's house down. Since then, anytime I start to feel pudgy or depressed I go straight to the gym. Now we're being told that physical activity is just as effective as Prosac and I believe it. By the time I graduated with my first degree I was a hungry size four. Then I got a "real" job and an amazing boyfriend and put of few of the babies back on. So here we go again. And this time you can track it if you like. It wont get more real than this and no camera men will be spoon feeding you drama that you don't need.


Now here are a few things that I refuse to do:

No fad diets. I will not *NOT* drink fruit for two weeks, or eat only protein, or take laxatives, or what ever incredibly insane things people try. I will not run everyday because its boring and well...I hate running.

I will not wear coordinated workout outfits or make up at the gym...its gross.

I will not obsess over the pounds I lose. Since muscle weighs more than fat and I have little of either, I expect that despite my desire for 126 lbs I will likely break even or only drop a few.

I will not spend more than 50 bones a week to eat, and I will not be eating junk food (which I don't eat anyhow.)

I WILL be doing the following:

I will be eating strictly organic foods in smaller portions to offset the higher cost of commercially grow foods and to lower my caloric intake. I am a college student that is paying of the last bit of debt I owe and the money will be tight.

I will spend 6 days a week doing exercise of some kind with 4 of those being heavy work outs with aerobics, swimming, ellipticals, and bikes. The other days will be at least yoga for 45 minutes.

I will also be giving you, along with my friend, the play by play of how this effects not just our bodies but our mindsets, our relationships, our jobs, and our friendships and priorities. And we'll see about that contest, even if it is just to promote the Gold's Gym trainers and protein shakes (eveident in the previous winners) we'll be busting our asses without that.

-sara