This summer has been a struggle to work out consistently. But an excuse is an excuse is an excuse and I am not even going to list any here. I have been doing the same workout for the past five weeks (but had to take a week off for a small "vacation") and really focusing on lifting as much as possible right now, exhausting my muscles and building lean muscle mass so I can burn more calories and get a more toned and defined physique later. I can definitely see more muscle definition coming back which is the reason why the scale doesn't show more of a change. I am fine with that because look at my abs! My midsection looks so much better to me than it did in June (as does my tan, haha). I also see a reduction in my hips from the front view. My photographer is age seven so the frontal photo is blurry and the behind photo is not centered, but we did the best we could and it is good enough for now.
Weight Update 6.9.14
TODAY's WEIGHT UPDATE: 150!!!
Can we just all do a cheer together b/c I lost enough weight to lose my back roll! WHOOP!!! Man that feels good!
Only a pound away from the 140s and I am stoked! I've been paying really good attention to what I eat and drink daily and trying to get a workout in every other day but let's be honest, I have not tried hard enough which is the reason I have had a hard time keeping up my two pound per week weight loss. Working out has been the hardest part for me b/c life always happens and gives me a good reason (excuse) to not burn major calories. I'm talking stomach bugs…two in one month, regular errands, green snotty nosed babies who can't go into childcare (or at least should not…), school parties, etc. BUT, I HAVE TO CHOOSE EXERCISE and make it a priority.
New Goals:
- I want to workout everyday. This doesn't have to be at the gym. It can be at home (my new BLD routine), dancing, mowing the yard, jumping on the trampoline or getting it done at the gym.
- I want to stop watching television and sitting still so I made a deal with myself: I will do exercises on the floor the entire time I watch a tv show and hopefully only watch ONE show at night. That means no daytime TV, but I can listen to music on the tv. {I'm obsessed with music stations on my tv.}
Overall Goal:
- I want to be a size 4/6 again. I don't have to be a size 0/2 or XS. That has not been me since my sophomore year of h.s. I have sexy curves and I love them.
- I want to be able to wear my jeans again.
- I want to run nine miles again without walking.
- I want to be in the weight range of 125-130 consistently (healthy weight for my age and height)
This is my goal for myself, because at this point in my life I was the most fit and healthy I have ever been and it felt awesome. Summer 2010. (after two babies)
Dang Little Debbie
I know this can be completely offensive and I apologize in advance if it is, but seriously this just shows how product branding makes a huge impression on what we do and do not buy to feed our bodies. I mean Little Debbie is a lot more appealing on a snack cake than Big Deborah. Oh man how I loved zebra cakes as a kid…I bought them every.single.day in middle school from the vending machine and my mom used to say "all that junk is gonna catch up with you Jenna". She was right. It found me starting at about age 23 and has been a constant battle ever since…dang Little Debbie.
Dang Thin Mints
The past month has NOT been one of weight loss, but instead one of indulgence and maintenance. I look back at the past four weeks and see failure after failure (more on that in a bit). They are defined by all the things I chose to eat that will only make me gain fat and move slow and all the days I missed my workouts.
Thin Mints
Caramel Delights
Chinese fried rice
A burger and fries (with a ton of salt - I can feel myself swelling as I type)
Wine
Thin Mints…Thin Mints…Thin Mints
I got to where I refused to make eye contact with the girl scouts standing outside of Kroger. "DON'T ASK ME!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!!" Why do those sweet little girls have to come knock on your door all cute and dressed in their sashes with their little badges and pigtails. Dang it. I learned I can devour a sleeve of TM in less than an hour if I eat them casually while doing chores around the house.
But during this month I also read a post by Lee Labrada which told me to not allow a "setback" to become a "failure". It is just that, a SETBACK. I stepped on the scale and I did in fact lose half a pound over the past month in spite of all my own sabotage. And do you know what I have to say girlfriends, don't let your setbacks define you. Don't tell yourself to just give into failure and not try anymore this week because of one day, week or a month of missed workouts. Jump right back in immediately. It is a LIFESTYLE. Not a cycle.
Now let's go eat a handful of veggies or berries and do ten burpees. No matter how we did yesterday we will feel better about ourselves today.
Today's weight: 157
Get It Good Girl
I personally trained women for the past three and a half years and it was intensely rewarding. I was pretty good at it and it is hard to explain to you how good it feels to watch a woman transform her body and become fit in front of your eyes through proper eating and regular exercise. It's friggin' awesome. The way she looks at herself, the determination in her eyes when you tell her the routine for the day and the sweat dripping off her red face when it is done are all priceless. I loved it.
However, after finding out I was expecting our third child in Nov 2012 I knew the time had come for me to spend my evenings at home with my family and so at 32 weeks pregnant I led my final boot camp. I still miss it. I miss the friendships that I built under the Texas sun and the support of those women as we powered through our burpees and sprints. It was a sweet time together and every time I get to see one of my campers/friends out and about it makes me get all giddy inside.
All this to say that I can train other women well, but training myself is a whole other ball game. So here I am seven and a half months post childbirth and at the end of my first month of training to lose thirty pounds. When I went to the hospital in labor I weighed in at 190 pounds (I am five foot two inches {at least that is what my license says-hehe}) and so 190 pounds is a lot of weight to carry around town. BUT, I knew it was coming. I gained 52 pounds with my first child, 40 with my second and 50 with my third. It's super easy for me to gain it. I have intense cravings, I never throw up a calorie and I don't workout when I am pregnant. There I said it. Let's be real. I get tired. I'm chasing two big kids and my hips friggin' hurt dang it. {Don't judge me. I'm also hormonal.} Not to mention I have a metabolism that struts along at the speed of a snail. It took me seven months to get myself to this point with my children where I know it is time to get this done. I had lost all the weight from the baby and placenta, water, etc. and was holding steady at 167.5 pounds. In the past month I have lost ten pounds and this morning I weighed in at 157.5. {It is painful to share these numbers with all of you and put myself out there because I have so many friends who have no idea what it feels like to look at the scale and see a number so high. But there are also women out there who know exactly how it feels. There are women out there to know what it feels like to see a much higher number and I want to encourage you! We can all be fit and fast.} I believe fit and fast is how God designed our bodies to be but that is a blog post for the future.
My program is a hodge podge of paleo/south beach/livefit eating with #livefit and my boot camp style of training combined. I have three kids remember? I have to be flexible because you never know when someone is going to be sick or teething or have to work late. I will get more detailed into my daily eating routine and workout schedules in future posts. This one is just to say HOWDY and let you know where I stand…ten pounds lighter than I was one month ago.