Changes All Around

Okay so I feel like it has been ages since I've been on here and I guess in the blogging world it has been!  I promise I have a pretty good excuse, but I'll get to that in a bit.  So all of you know that I was working my way into a size 6 for an October wedding.  Unfortunately I am having to alter my goals after realizing that it will be impossible for me to be down to that size in just a matter of months.  Don't get me wrong I'm not giving up, but at six months pregnant it might not be very healthy to be as skinny as I would like to be.

A bit of humor :)

That's right.  I'm Pregnant!  Now as happy as I am I'm not getting super excited just yet because we are barely into this a month and I have told myself I cannot get completely excited until my birthday in July after I have moved into the second trimester.  According to the timeline we are due in the beginning of January.  The funny thing about all of this is that my husband and I decided on April 16 that we were going to start trying to get pregnant next month, expecting it to take months due to some problems I've had in the past, but lo and behold... we were already pregnant!  So I guess it is a good thing we talked about it!  I had even bought a predictor kit to start using next month LOL!  You should have seen my face when that test was positive!  I had only taken it for practice... you know kicks and giggles... and I almost didn't look at so convinced I was it would say "not pregnant" but when I finally got out of the shower and I saw that word PREGNANT staring back at me I was like, "No... we haven't even tried yet..." I swear you could have just knocked me over on my freshly cleaned rear-end and I wouldn't have known the difference!

All celebration aside, I did have an instance of panic last week with some cramping and spotting the day I found out so this is why I'm trying not to be too ecstatic about all of this, and I probably shouldn't be making the announcement yet, but I needed to explain why I have been AWOL the past week or so.  Thus I ask that if you pray you pray for the health of my baby :)

How does this effect my diet and work out plan you ask?  Well things will change but I still plan to continue working out and eating healthy!  Remember my ultimate goal was to be healthy and in my mind Healthy Mom = Healthy Baby.  I'm going to be increasing my daily caloric intake by about 500 calories (which puts me at 1800 a day) and making sure each calorie counts for both of us!  I'm also going to be concentrating on more low impact work-outs like yoga, stretching, and such in an effort to take it easy while remaining active.  My friends Jaren and Candace told me to look up Total Body Sculpt with Gilad (Spelling?) so I'm going to do some researching this week to see what I can find!  I'm not allowed to really be super active just yet until I get some test results back from last week but let me tell you - I am MISSING IT!!  I already feel like an elephant just from missing a week of working out!

So I WON'T be doing some of these but I'll be working toward it :)

So if any of you out there have any tips/advice/wisdom for me I would appreciate it!  I'm always open for wisdom and advice but ultimately, just like anyone, I chose the bits and pieces that will work best for my family and me, and incorporate those into my life!  I'm also looking for some good, healthy recipes to try so if you have any of those please feel free to send them my way!  I'm about to start making myself eat fruit (which I do NOT like) so if you have any ideas of how to make it more appetizing that would be pretty awesome!

I'm also thinking about changing the name of my blog to: Ginger With A Bulge...  I'm still going to continue my journey through the world of exercise and eating healthy I'm just bringing someone else along with me :)  So though you may be hearing about some baby stuff... i.e.  I'm exhausted and just want to lay down and sleep... or that I, thank goodness, don't have morning sickness but I am stricken with nausea between 5:30pm and 6:30pm most nights... this is still going to be more about getting healthy than anything else!

So in closing ~ Pregnancy is obviously not the only thing in life that can change our future goals up a bit!  What challenges are you guys going through that may have caused a change of plans for you?  This is one of the many reasons that being flexible is a great and healthy personality trait to have!  Don't be so set in your ways that you can't joy the blessing that come your way while you are working toward your ultimate goals!

Thanks for all of your support and well wishes in advance :)  Just please keep us in your prayers!  I've waited for this for so long I don't think I have come to terms with it yet, but I will soon!  I'll be talking to you guys again soon!

Don't forget to keep in touch through Texas_Ginger23@yahoo.com!

Goals

Hey everybody!  I know its been a few days since I have posted anything but I thought I would give you all a break!  I hope everyone is doing well with their goals so far!  My first goal point is coming up in May so I'm pretty excited though a little nervous.  I had my mid-point weigh in for the biggest loser contest at work and according to their scales I have lost 15lbs.  I'm pretty happy with that - now I just need to get my fanny back in gear so I keep up the good work!

I'm back on track this Monday morning and I have made a few more goals for myself.  First is that I am not allowed any cheat meals for two weeks.  It appears that if I let myself go a little bit I tend to let myself go a lot and that is not good!  Its not normally this way but it appears when I'm not feeling so good I tend to let myself off waaaayyyy too easy so from now on its no slip-ups!  Also I'm planning to do better in my workouts this week!  Last week I redid my week 5 of P90X.  Week five is interesting because you introduce a few new workouts to the routine.  Well Monday's routine kicked my butt... or rather my shoulders and triceps!!

My friend Jaren had come over to workout on Monday and boy was I glad because that workout was a lot tougher than I imagined!  I couldn't move my arms or shoulders for two days after doing that workout and I am not joking when I say that at one point I was trying to do a push-up and flat out fell on my face because my arms couldn't hold me up.  Not so sexy - so tonight I'm hoping to do a little better and if that only means not face-planting in the carpet I'm content!  I'll have some help tonight from my brother-in-law as well so hopefully I'll be able to make it through!

I also found this really great recipe last week off of skinnytaste.com.  The recipe says it is a salad dressing but it can also be made into a dip and it is super yummy!  If you have ever eaten at Los Cucos and liked their green salsa you will fall head over heals for this stuff!  I'll include the link below!  Trust me you want to make this :)

http://www.skinnytaste.com/2012/04/zesty-avocado-cilantro-buttermilk.html

So I've had some people ask me about how to set realistic goals lately and I thought I would take a few minutes and share my point of view on the subject.  First of all let me say that when you are my size and you want to lose a large amount of weight it can sometimes feel impossible no matter how motivated you are.  You are constantly remember the last few times you tried to lose the weight and it didn't work etc so accepting that I will get down to that size 6 can be a tough thing to do.  This is why you set small manageable goals for yourself.

Remember losing 2lbs a week is considered healthy.  If you lose more than that in the first month of eating right and exercising remember that you are also losing water weight at first so don't expect yourself to keep losing that extra weight throughout the program!  You can't expect yourself to lose 20lbs a month and not be disappointed when it doesn't happen.  So if you are just starting to get into a program and you haven't gotten the eating right thing down to a science set a goal to lose 1lb a week until you can step up your program.


So when setting your goals make sure that you are specific.  Really give yourself something to work for!  Make sure the goal is measurable.  Either by measuring tape or by the scale.  Always make them attainable! Don't set unrealistic goals!  Everyone is different and you need a goal that is unique and reachable for you!  Put a time frame on your goals!  Don't just say, "I want to lose 50lbs" say, "I want to lose 50lbs by my next birthday!"  You can make weekly goals, monthly goals, quarterly goals - whatever works for you!  I need short term goals to track my progress and make sure I'm on track but do what works for you!

Just remember, don't expect so much that you set yourself up for disappointment.  It is much easier to stay motivated if you are seeing positive progress and feel like you are doing a good job than always feeling like you'll never get into that size 6 because you aren't meeting your goals faithfully.  If you are eating healthy foods and portions and you are burning off your calories you will lose the weight!

Don't forget!  Our main goal is to be healthier!  Make sure you are setting healthy, achievable goals so that you stick with the program and have something to celebrate at each weigh-in date!!

If you have any questions, are just looking for some motivation, or just need someone to vent to I'm here!  Feel free to fill up my inbox at texas_ginger23@yahoo.com

Oh and I have over 1500 views... thanks everyone for taking the time to read my thoughts!  You guys are great!  Have a great week and I'll talk to you all soon!

The Right Kind of Motivation

I have a confession to make.  I'm sure some of you will be disappointed in me, while others will be irritated, and still some others will probably say to yourselves, "See, knew she wouldn't make it."  Think what you will, I have to live with myself not you!  The confession is that (no I didn't have liposuction this weekend!  I wish!) I gorged myself on about a gagillion-katrillion calories this weekend.  I know, I know... after posting all those before and after pictures and feeling so great I went and did this right!  Self-sabotage... actually not really.  Let me explain!

First of all let me remind you that I have been having problems hitting my calorie count each day which means that my metabolism is probably slowing down in its rebellious teenage fashion.  Therefore having a meal once a week that sends me over won't kill me because I am in a way psyching out my body to think that it can start burning more calories.  This allows me a "cheat meal" once a week.  Friday night was my "cheat night" and I had Los Cucos... my FAVORITE mexican food restaurant.   I had chips and salsa, water, and 3/4 of a cheese enchilada dinner.  This is a positive because normally I would have finished the dish and had tres leches for desert.  I then went and saw Mirror Mirror with my hubby (which I totally recommend by the way) and we ended up going out to a dance hall.  This is where things start going downhill.

For those of you who do not know me... I'm not really a big drinker.  As a matter of fact I did not actually drink enough to become intoxicated until I was 24 years old.  Its never been something that is important to me nor a form of entertainment so when I do drink I usually have just enough so that things get really funny and I quit.  Well I haven't had anything to drink since Halloween so when we went out Friday night I wanted to test the waters... unfortunately (and I do mean this) I skipped the beach and jumped right into the middle of the gulf without a life vest!  Honestly, why anyone would want to feel that way is beyond me!  I will not get into the gory details just bear in mind I was carried to the car (my husband drove) and crawled up to my second floor apartment, and yes, I remember EVERYTHING!  Needless to say I will NEVER, EVER, NEVER, EVER do that again!  EVER... NEVER.  So just guestimating I'm pretty sure that was like 10,000 calories in alcohol.

This of course means that Saturday night when I was weak in my recovery and I met my family at Ryan's for dinner before the rodeo I said, "Forget all this good girl stuff!  I am tired and worn out and I want lots and lots of carbs!"  Apparently the part of my brain that slaps me silly when I think of mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, fried okra, and yeast rolls was not in working order so I went to town... OMG was it good... and OMG was I so sick when I finished!  I suppose my stomach has done some shrinking over the past month because what I would normally eat without a problem made me feel about 15 months pregnant.  Luckily between the horrible feeling of being that stuffed and my accountability partner Jaren being present I managed to walk around the carnival without having anything to eat!  Thank goodness because I'm pretty sure my stomach would have literally ripped open right then and there.

Sunday... a day to start over and be a good girl!  The good angel should have been stronger by then, especially with the worry that Jaren would literally kill me in my sleep if I went off the count, but alas... I wanted a hamburger... and my wonderful husband brought me home the most wonderful, magnificent, bestest hamburger in the whole wide world... not to mention the most perfect fries.  (I can seriously feel the deathly vibes coming from Jaren right now... *ducks head in shame* Oh and Jaren... You are not allowed to beat up my husband for delivering the goods!)  It doesn't end there though because when I went to my in-laws it was decided in a two person vote... one of the votes being mine... that we would have pizza for dinner.  On a positive note I chose to have one slice of cheese pizza with a salad... unfortunately I let my salad be fluff for ranch dressing.

So there it is... My weekend confession!  I was weak, I gave in to my "right now" wants instead of holding out for my future goals.  The good thing is... I'm already back on track.  I had my low calorie breakfast, I have my new water bottle sitting right next to me and I'm striving to get my daily hydration quota and I've got a work-out date with Jaren tonight!  Its been decided that I would start over my P90X week this week since I didn't do so great last week... which is fine with me because I still like working out!  My mid-point weigh in is this week so I'm hoping my weekend gorge-fest isn't going to interfere with that on Wednesday, but like I tell my kids in group.  We all make choices.  Some are healthy and some are un-healthy but they all have consequences.  When we make healthy choices we have healthy consequences when we make un-healthy choices our consequences follow.  I'm willing to own up to my choices and suffer the consequences.

Now... where does the title of today's blog play into all of this you are wondering?  Well, I've been thinking a lot about all of the different personalities that surround me on a daily basis.  Not just my own but those of my family and friends.  Most of us are working toward our own weight loss goals and are getting motivation from all around us, but is it the right motivation for us, as unique individuals?

For example... a few years ago I paid several hundred dollars to start a weight loss program that was pretty stringent.  Yeah you could eat whatever you wanted... sort of... but it was very, very strict.  I made it two weeks and lost 7lbs but then something happened that caused me to quit.  You see I used to work for Child Protective Services in Dallas and every year the units get a Fair Day where we got the day off to hang out at the Texas State Fair.  The only problem is that I was a week and a half into my diet at this point and it was raining that day... This mean that we literally spent four hours straight sitting in the food court at the fair.  FOUR HOURS of smelling funnel cakes, french fries, fried butter, sausage on a stick, nachos etc., etc.  Did I cheat?  NO!  I brought grapes and cantaloupe in containers and drank water while I was there, and for someone who doesn't like fruit, I was pretty darn proud of myself.  The problem is that when I got home that night I was out of things to eat and I wanted something sweet like no ones business so I made the choice to have a Swiss Cake Roll.  Just one mind you not the whole package.  Well when I went for my check-in at the diet place the little girl all but had a heart attack when I told her about the Swiss Cake Roll and went on and on about how I needed to do a water flush and how I couldn't do that if I wanted to succeed.  FAIL!  I was so ticked off!  I had busted my butt for two weeks eating fruit daily, when I can't stand it, and forgoing every other temptation at home, not to mention the fair, and she was going to rip me a new for a SWISS CAKE ROLL.  I didn't go back.  Why? NOT THE WAY TO MOTIVATE ME.

This process is hard for me.  It is something I have to really focus on to get it right and I'm proud of myself for the minor things I get right because where it might seem like second nature to you its a battle for me!  So this made me think of all of you out there kicking butt as well and all of the things we have to work hard at, sometimes being the only one you know going through it, and how we need to hear the motivation that really gets us going.  How do we know what that is?  Well I have a couple of theories.  I truly think that we should know what type of personality and communication style we have so we better understand what we need from those around us and to also take the time find out the same about our accountability partners so that we can also motivate them in the right ways.

There are some fun and easy ways to figure out this information!  Have you ever done the Shape Personality test?  I know a lot of you have, and if so you are ahead of the game!  If not I'm going to include a link!  Before you click on the link though you have to pick a shape... don't ask me why just pick one of the following shapes ~

Square --- Rectangle --- Triangle --- Circle --- Squiggle

Once you have chosen the shape click on the link below and read about the shape you picked.  Does it describe you?  I'm a Square with Circle as a back-up.  Don't forget no one is only one shape!  You will have a primary and a secondary :)

http://www.etals.com/pershape.html

This second thing I think is really important is figuring out what your communication style is!  If you know what type of personality you have and how you communicate than you should know what type of motivation works for you!  I did an activity in a training recently that I thought I would share with you!  I used it to identify my WORK communication style but we will use it to figure out our at HOME style because weight loss and working out occurs outside of the office!  So below is a quick activity to use when trying to figure out your style :)

Once have circled all of the words that describe you at HOME then draw a line horizontally across the paper under the words Careful, Thorough, Assertive, and Persistent.  Draw a vertical line, from top to bottom, between the words Diplomatic and Pushy.  Count up how many words you have in each square.  Once done, circle the number 1,2,3,4 that has the most selected words and read the communication style that correlates with your number. 

Did the square you ended up with describe your communication style?  I know mine did!  I am an AMIABLE closely followed by a DRIVER.  How do your personality and your communication style work together in your life?  Once you have nailed down these two things you should be able to understand a little bit more what type of motivation and support works for you!  Do you need someone to push you?  Do you need someone to celebrate the little victories and support you through your failures with a gentle hand?  What works best for you based on wheat you now know?

The trick is getting your accountability partner and your support group to understand what you need to hear!  If you are extra sensitive and you probably don't need someone yelling at you like a drill-sergeant.  If you are a super leader who doesn't spend a lot of energy on emotions then you might want someone kicking your butt all the way down the field!!  We are all unique and all need different things to get us going!  Take some time and figure out what you need from those around you then have a pow-wow and figure out how you can be best supportive of your work out buddies!  Having the right form of motivation coming your way can make or break your willpower!  We can only be strong on our own to a point so make sure when you need that extra boost it comes in the form you need it too!  

You may think this is silly and doesn't have anything to do with a Ginger's Battle of the Bulge but honestly it has A LOT to do with it!  I'm having to really identify these parts of me so that I can express to my support team what I need when I ask for their help!  Luckily I have a whole array of supporters so I know who to go to if I need some Get your hiney up off that couch and sweat it off before I kick it support (Jaren) or if I need some good ole' fashion I love you the way you are and you can do this support (Kennith) maybe some I know you can do anything you put your mind to support (Mom) and some Wow you are doing so awesome and look great support (Greenmyers).  I am a very blessed and supported girl :)

Okay, I'll shut my ginger trap and let you guys get back to it!  I hope you have fun with the activities!  I'm the biggest dork and love doing this kind of thing so I thought I would share!  Plus its fun to do them with family and friends and have those "See!  I always knew you were a square!" moments :)

Remember - if you need to some extra support, have questions, or just need a place to vent I'm at 

Texas_Ginger23@yahoo.com 

Have a great Monday guys!  

One Month Weigh In

Its been a month!  A long month of eating less and better and working off those unnecessary butt inches that follow me around everywhere I go.  One month is a big deal for a lot of reasons.  One it is said that it takes three to four weeks to create a new habit.  This means that I have made it through the conditioning phase of my eat right and exercise plan!  Is it any easier... actually yeah.  The counting calories is definitely more natural and automatic and even though I'm not a math wiz its working for me!  Exercising... still doing it!  This is the longest period of time in my entire life (no joke) that I have stuck with any kind of exercise program (this of course does not include the morning get out of bed sit-up, or the morning walk to the bathroom, leg shaving lunge, or stairmaster time to and from the apartment).  I'm actually a little impressed with myself.  I'm sure you guys know what I'm talking about!

Tried to get Gidget's Cardio Routine on video last night but
this pup is one camera shy work out buddy!

In a month I have gone from seeking the instant gratification three bites of a swiss cake roll can give me to the instant gratification of self-pride when I make the healthy choice!  Not to mention I love that feeling of saying no when someone offers me something I know I shouldn't have and they go, "Wow, you are so disciplined!  I wish I was that disciplined!!"  When really what I want to do is grab the cookie out of there hand and munch on it like the cookie monster while snatching the rest of them off the cookie sheet, hide in the corner and scarf them down while casting paranoid glances around the room like I have some kind of diet PTSD.  No my eyes aren't twitchy... the smell of cookie in the air just dries them out...

Anyway.... Moving on!  Yay for me I did P90X Legs and Back last night and though I think I came close to passing out twice and had to use my husband as a brace at one point I did the best I have ever done!!  BRING IT YOU SNEAKY LUNGES!!!!   I upped my weight on the resistance bands and completed more reps than before in the other categories.  I blame my breaks and having to use my husband to remain upright as the price for not having worked out in a week... (remember do as I say NOT as I do :)  I have however made sure that even though I haven't worked out I maintained my 1000 calorie a day deficit in order to keep up with my goal of losing 2lbs a week.

After working out last night I had Kennith take my 1-month photos but I'm pretty sure I should have had him take them in the morning cause I swear I look better when I first wake up (not the area above my collar bone just the rest of me).  Its like after using my muscles for an hour they pretty much said, "Pictures?  Really?  Fine but I'm not holding it together!  The sag is going to show!!!!  : P "  So I'm not so happy with the pics but hopefully you can tell a difference!!  I also weighed in this morning and was pretty darn happy!

So how are you guys doing on the results end?  What is working for you? Any concerns you have about your workout or "diet" program?  My main concerns right now are honestly not eating enough calories and then my water intake.  Definitely need to improve on that!  I'm supposed to be eating about 1230 calories a day and have only been averaging 1000 so I'm hoping my body isn't being horrible and holding onto the fat thinking its starving.

Smart Body Buddy

You would think my body would be smarty and say, "HEY!!!  Check out the 55 extra pounds of flab we are having to haul around!!!  Hey joints!  Wouldn't you feel better if we eliminated some of the fluff???  Yeah?  Super we'll jump right on that!  Oh, and Sarah ~ thank you so much for not eating those extremely yummy but extremely fatty foods to such and extreme that we have to work quadruple over time to compensate for it!  As a bonus we'll cut an extra 15% body fat this month!!  Great working with you!  Keep up the good work!  Oh and hey just for old times sake... Enjoy that yummylicious meal from chick-fil-a and that huge slice of Tres Leches cake... we'll handle it free of charge!!!"   That is what I call teamwork!!!

Actual Body Buddy

Naturally however my body seems to be acting like a hormonal teenager instead... "What? So you decided all on your own without consulting me that you wanted to change the way things are done around here?  You want me to clean my room?  Get rid of all fat you call "garbage?"  Well guess what that is MY stuff and you can't make me!  I'll just hide it if you try to come in here and get rid of it while I'm not paying attention!  What do you know anyway?  You just want me to work harder AND take away my allowance at the same time!  I HATE YOU!!"  This is why bootcamp is good for rebellious bodies and teenagers :)

So onto the results!!  Here are the Day One and One Month Results :)




First Day                                      One Month                                                                             

Weight: 198lbs                               Weight: 182.4                                                                                     

Left Bicep - 12 inches                                                                                      Left Bicep - 12 1/2 inches

Right Bicep - 12 inches                                                                                    Right Bicep - 12 1/2 inches 

Left Thigh - 27 1/2 inches                                                                                Left Thigh - 26 1/2 inches

Right Thigh - 27 1/2 inches                                                                              Right Thigh - 26 1/2 inches

Bust - 43 inches                                                                                              Bust - 41 1/2 inches

Below Bust - 38 inches                                                                                    Below Bust - 36 inches

Waist - 39 inches                                                                                            Waist - 35 inches

Hips - 47 inches                                                                                              Hips - 45 1/2 inches

Neck - 15 inches                                                                                             Neck - 14 1/2 inches

Can't wait to hear from you guys!!  Also if you have any questions, comments, or victories you want to share but don't want plastered on facebook feel free to email me!!  I have a couple of email "pen-pals" right not that I chat back and forth with daily!  So if you need to vent to someone about a whats going on in your life (even if its not weight related) feel free to email me any time!  I have an email account set up just for blog followers :)  I'm not an expert but I can dish out some free advice and support!

Texas_Ginger23@yahoo.com

Keep up the hard work everyone!  The results are going to be worth it!!

Office Mania

I met my husband on New Years Eve 2011 and we were engaged April 10, 2011 so needless to say it didn't take us long to decide we wanted to spend the rest of our lives together.  As one would guess this quick decision also led to other quick actions like getting a job in a matter of weeks here in Conroe, Texas.  I have no doubt that God had his hand in me getting my current position because of how well all of the pieces fell into place.  There was only one problem.  I was hired on in the late Spring and the summer time is the slowest part of the year for us because we work in the schools.  I (with no exaggeration) gained 30lbs in two months after starting this job.  I went from running after a two year old and being fairly active to sitting in chair 8 hours a day and eating what I now know are 1500 calorie meals for lunch.  Bad combination!  I even went to the doctor several times thinking I had a medical problem that explained my rapid weight gain but alas... it was just me and my bad habits.

Not Quite Right

So needless to say with summer creeping up on me I am feeling the stress of potential weight gain taking over and I decided to research some office exercises to help keep the pounds at bay!  Exercising during the day doesn't just benefit your diet plan it also reduces office stress and improves mobility.  Now I know what you guys are thinking, "I don't have an office to myself and I am NOT going to look like and idiot doing push-ups in the reception area!!"  First of all... I don't blame you!  Second I'm not about to suggest you do that!  I found some simple moves you can do at your desk, some more discreet than others of course, but all do-able without too much notice being drawn to you!  Plus this is about you remember?  And even if someone makes a comment about what you are doing who cares?  You are the one burning off those calories while they are standing around gawking, which means you are kicking butt and getting fit while they are letting those inches get comfy on their waist lines!


I of course didn't come up with these moves on my own though I have done all of them outside of the office!  If you don't like these moves just google office workouts and find something that suits your mobility and ability and post it up in front of your desk so you don't forget!  Everyone has down time at some point in the day (at least most of us) so don't waist the time drooling on your keyboard burn some calories!  Its also been said that working out just a few minutes during the day can be more effective of keeping your metabolism up than working out for an hour after work!  Imagine that!!

I found this workout at http://exercise.about.com/cs/exerciseworkouts/l/blofficeworkout.htm

Equipment Needed A chair and a water bottle or light-medium dumbbell. Stretches for Your Wrists and ArmsWrist  Stretch: Extend arm in front, palm up and grab the fingers with other hand. Gently pull the fingers towards you to stretch the forearm, holding for 20-30 seconds. Repeat on the other side. Wrist & Forearm: Press hands together in front of chest, elbows bent and parallel to the floor. Gently bend wrists to the right and left for 10 reps. Lower Back Stretch: Sit tall and place the left arm behind left hip. Gently twist to the left, using the right hand to deepen the stretch, holding for 20-30 seconds.  Repeat on the other side.    Lower Body Exercises Hip Flexion: Sit tall with the abs in and lift the left foot off the floor a few inches, knee bent. Hold for 2 seconds, lower and repeat for 16 reps.  Repeat on the other side. Leg Extension: Sit tall with the abs in and extend the left leg until it's level with hip, squeezing the quadriceps. Hold for 2 seconds, lower and repeat for 16 reps.  Repeat on the other side. Inner Thigh: Place towel, firm water bottle or an empty coffee cup between the knees as you sit up tall with the abs in.  Squeeze the bottle or cup, release halfway and squeeze again, completing 16 reps of slow pulses.     Chair Exercises Chair Squat: While sitting, lift up until your hips are just hovering over the chair, arms out for balance.  Hold for 2-3 seconds, stand all the way up and repeat for 16 reps. Dips: Make sure chair is stable and place hands next to hips. Move hips in front of chair and bend the elbows, lowering the body until the elbows are at 90 degrees. Push back up and repeat for 16 reps. One-Leg Squat:  Make sure the chair is stable and take one foot slightly in front of the other.  Use the hands for leverage as you push up into a one-legged squat, hovering just over the chair and keeping the other leg on the floor for balance.  Lower and repeat, only coming a few inches off the chair for 12 reps.  Repeat on the other side.   Upper Body Exercises Front Raise to Triceps Press: Sit tall with the abs in and hold a full water bottle in the left hand.  Lift the bottle up to shoulder level, pause, and then continue lifting all the way up over the head.  When the arm is next to the ear, bend the elbow, taking the water bottle behind you and contracting the triceps.  Straighten the arm and lower down, repeating for 12 reps on each arm. Bicep Curl: Hold water bottle in right hand and, with abs in and spine straight, curl bottle towards shoulder for 16 reps. Repeat other side.     Ab Exercises Side Bends: Hold a water bottle with both hands and stretch it up over the head, arms straight. Gently bend towards the left as far as you can, contracting the abs. Come back to center and repeat to the right. Complete 10 reps (bending to the right and left is one rep). Ab Twists: Hold the water bottle at chest level and, keeping the knees and hips forward, gently twist to the left as far as you comfortably can, feeling the abs contract. Twist back to center and move to the left for a total of 10 reps. Don't force it or you may end up with a back injury.

What I DON'T Want To See!

Now please don't embarrass the both of us and use your roller chair to do this and bust it on the floor!  Common sense says to find a stationary object or lock the wheels in some manner!  I am releasing myself of any liability of you landing on your behind due to your chair taking a vacation during a dip... just saying!

Also if your office has stairs somewhere in the building utilize them in anyway that you can!  Making small healthy choices is just another change you can be proud of in your routine!  Skip the elevator and walk up or while on break see how many flights you can go up and down!  It doesn't take much to get the blood flowing!!

Remember don't just use your desk as a snack haven!  Use it as a tool to lose those inches!  Oh and make sure those snacks aren't Little Debbies!  In know its tempting but there are some really great 100 calorie packs out there to nibble on during the day!  Plus if you are one of those normal people who like fruit (icky icky yuck!!) then take advantage of the seasonal stuff right now! (Just don't ask me what it is cause I don't know!)

Find what works for you and let me know what it is so I can try it out for myself!  Don't let the office defeat you!!!  (insert cheer... go, fight, win ~ sounds good ~ obviously I am NOT the peppy type :)

Hah!!! Its not me its my Brain!!

So I was scanning the news articles on msn.com when I stumbled across this one!  Not that I am trying to make excuses for myself but this makes total sense to me!  I have never in my life used an illegal drug, which is something that I am very proud of, but I have always felt that I have an "addiction" to food (at least certain kinds.)  You see I have a huge bowl of candy sitting on my bar and I very rarely ever touch it but man you tempt me with a snack cake or heaven forbid a fast food burger and fries and I find it hard put to deny myself!  Then of course I spend the rest of the week beating myself up because I gave in...  I'm pretty tough on myself and I HATE getting in trouble!  Even if I'm the one giving myself the lecture :)

Also for those of you who don't know I am a Drug Prevention Specialist.  Basically I go around to different schools in the area and teach a life skills curriculum  to students in hopes of preventing future drug abuse.  Drug prevention/treatment is something I am very passionate about as I have seen the results of drug use not only in previous professions but also within my own family.  I'm not just passionate about prevention illicit drug use either but also tobacco use!  Ask my Mom, I have been using every devious way I can think of to get her to stop smoking for years!  I haven't given up yet!  I have a feeling that grand kids will help especially when I break the news that I don't want my kids seeing anyone they know smoking at all :)

You see we learn from a very young age and attitude of "tolerance" for some things.  If you are raised around people who smoke and do drugs then you will therefore probably think that smoking and doing drugs is okay - despite what others try to tell you.  If you grow up in a home with domestic violence you will probably think that is the way things are and that it is okay to act that way.  It goes back to the whole nature vs nurture argument.

For instance my friend Jaren was raised to eat healthy food and healthy portions.  In my family we weren't made to eat anything we didn't like which I cannot complain about I just wish I had been more willing to try different foods.  My brother John is the adventurous eater of the family and will usually try anything once...me not so much!  So now I am having to retrain myself not only to eat different portions but to also eat different foods...foods I don't really care for which makes it all the much harder.  So struggling all the time with the cravings and then forcing myself to try "healthier" foods can grind a little bit on the will power.  I know, I understand, and I sympathize with anyone out there with the same problems.

Back to the article!  So I thought I would share this link so that the rest of you can also see that its not YOU its your BRAIN!!!!  You are not weak!  You are not alone!!!  You can defeat the desires of your brain!!!  There are some pretty great tips in here I'm going to try out,  but one that isn't mentioned in here is WATER!  I know that I need to drink more water in general but if you drink the amount of water that you should during the day you won't have as many cravings because you will be full!  Also if you are drinking enough water your body recognizes this and releases the water it is holding so you sluff off your water weight on a regular basis!!  Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate!!!  If you don't like the taste of water find a low calorie additive to help with the taste - or use fresh fruit!

Good luck with the cravings and remember its kind of like a game!!  You need a good offense as well as defense!  Plan ahead to beat the cravings and then use the tools you already have in place to beat the cravings and score points for the home team!!!



http://todayhealth.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/08/11058654-first-bite-warning-foods-that-make-you-do-bad-things?lite 

Holidays, Migraines, and Scales

Holidays.  I LOVE holidays!  I am the biggest little kid when it comes to holidays!  I still want stockings and Easter baskets and I better get a birthday party because in my opinion birthdays are the most important days of the year!!  Unfortunately as we all know holidays aren't just about gifts and non-edible items... they are about food.  Not just food but GOOD food.  Wonderful food.  The BEST food!  This means that every time a holiday comes around I give myself a bit of a free pass to eat the BEST food as much as I want.  Unfortunately this caused a dent in my goal this weekend because I will admit to all of you that due to a migraine and a holiday I let myself GOOOOOOOOO.....

I was doing so good last week!  I even had the power to deny a little bitty cookie at lunch one day because I knew I was going to have a hamburger on Sunday for Easter.  Unfortunately I had more to contend with this weekend that I thought.  Saturday my husband and I went to shoot pictures at a wedding.  (My husband is a photographer on the side.)  Everything was great except the fact that I had a migraine creeping into the corners of my eyes and taking over my brain.  I ate a slice of bread hoping that would help but no the pain just kept on coming so I gave in hoping "real food" would help and had some bbq, baked beans, and small butter potato halves.  I gazillion calories later and I feel bad for having gone off track and my head has started pounding along with the reception music.  FINALLY we get to leave the wedding and my head feels like it has been battered by the All-Star hitters of the Astros.  My wonderful husband that I don't deserve decided to detour and get my migraine medication filled and on the way in a moment of My head is killing me and I don't care a flip about calories or the resulting addition of inches to my already ginormous bottom I inform him that I wan Tres Leches cake... and a big one at that!  So while waiting for my prescription to be filled my husband takes us to the grocery store where he purchases me and 1/8 of a sheetcake of yummy Tres Leches and a Coke Zero.  I know what you are thinking, isn't that the same thing as getting a super sized meal at McDonald's with a Diet Coke?  Maybe but Coke Zero is the BEST.  So we get the life saving meds and head home.

What I should have been doing on Easter!

Upon arriving I walk into the house, into the bedroom, strip and get in bed, and somehow manage to tell him I want a 1/4 of that cake.  Now don't blame him for giving into my "wants" because honestly if I'm hurting that bad and I have my mind set one something I might just rip your arm off if you deny me so he was only going along out of a sense of self-preservation.  You see this Ginger can be pretty brutal at times...okay a lot of times...don't judge that is one of the things I am working on! (sort of)  So I'm cuddled in bed can barely see and can't keep a coherent thought in my head due to the pain and I am gorging myself on Tres Leches cake...at that point I wasn't even remorseful.  Then I lay down and go to sleep - Body Media Fit be darned!

The next day I wake up... finish the swing I painted for my Moms-In-Law and enter the house to a stack of french toast sitting on the table.  I give up... Its Easter...I'm giving myself a break.  Only I don't give myself a tiny break... No I give myself a three pieced of french toast, one hamburger, one hotdog, one serving of mac and cheese, two servings of mashed potatoes and baked beans, and a huge slice of tres leches cake kind of break.  I didn't even bother trying to figure out the calories and other than the grown-up Easter egg hunt, a fight with his means that when I stepped on the scale that night instead of seeing a drop of two pounds I saw an increase of two pounds.  This was when the remorse kicked in :(  I blame no one but myself but let me tell you... This Ginger is really good at personal guilt trips so I spent the rest of the night kicking myself in the butt (which I'm sure had gained 2 inches!!!).  Then of course AFTER I eat my weight in food my mom shows me all of the cute pictures she had taken during the Easter egg hunt.  And I don't feel near as skinny on film as I do in the mirror!  I will be printing some of these out for motivation!

My artful rendition of my Greenmyer family... pets and all :)

Yesterday I woke up with an allergy attack and a headache and stayed in bed most of the day just barely managing to get up and attend my group in the afternoon.  Thus of course I missed my workout yesterday.  Grrrrrrrr!!!  I did however try to stay within my calorie range.

So today since I am feeling 5% better than I was yesterday I am determined to make up for what I did this past weekend!  Thank goodness we don't have another holiday for a few weeks!!  I have a couple more weeks to get down to 178lbs but it would be great if I could make it 175lbs!!  I started my morning with a Smart Ones breakfast of Pancakes and Turkey Sausage which was actually pretty darn good and that was only 280 calories and tonight I'm going to get my behind kicked by P90X!!

Says it all!

So just remember there are times when we can give ourselves a break and relax just a little bit.  Just don't do what I do and blow a weeks worth of work on a hamburger/hotdog combo!  We should NEVER eat of 2000 calories a day, and as my friend Jaren says the food that I want right now will be waiting there for me once I reach my goal.  One thing I can say about this Easter is that in all of my prepping and making of Easter buckets for the family I didn't buy one single piece of candy!  I filled all of my eggs with non-edible toys and tried to be as "healthy" as possible on that front.

Well, I hope you guys did better than me this weekend and if not then guess what!  Its a new day and time to start again!  I am so proud of all of you!  I love reading about how you are staying with your workout programs even when its easier to skip a day or two!!  I can't wait until we are all standing at the finish line in our super cute "skinny clothes" looking all awesome and gorgeous!

I'll chat with you guys later and let you know how the next phase of P90X is kicking my rear-end!  Oh and don't forget to throw out/donate all of that left-over Easter candy!!  That is such and easy temptation to get rid-of!  Bring it to the office or send it with the hubby to work!!  Share the love handles!!

Let me know how your Easter was ~  I'm of FB under Sarah Michelle Rose-Greenmyer or at Texas_Ginger23@yahoo.com

Pressure & Pizza

Have you ever noticed the amount of reading material available to you in the four feet of check out line in Walmart?  As I stood simmering in the check-out line the other day I had ample opportunity to take notice of the selection available to us.  Naturally most of the magazines were geared toward women.  I didn't pay much attention until I focused on the cover of Woman's World Magazine.  In big bold flashy letters I read, "LOSE 9BLS IN 2 DAYS" with a thin, smiling woman holding a scale looking as if everything in the world was wonderful.  I started reading other headlines at that point and was honestly amazed at how many of them had to do with woman losing weight, toning up, slimming down, taking of unwanted hair, adding wanted hair, improving your sex life, attracting good men, dumping bad men, organizing your house, organizing your life, cooking low-fat, cooking no fat, cooking delectable cookies and cakes for everyday of the year!!!  Who knew we needed so much help?

When you set a weight loss goal and you give it your all to achieve there is of course a measure of pressure that comes with the territory.  You pressure yourself to achieve your personal expectations and you pressure yourself to meet the expectations of others.  Its just a part of the process and can be a good thing as long as it is used properly.  The problem comes when you start falling prey to the social pressures bombarding us everyday.  It is so easy to turn on the tv, pick up a magazine, or listen to the radio, and feel like you have to do more to improve yourself, change who you are so that you will be more "acceptable" in the world around you.  How many times do we hear the phrase "Quick Weight Loss" in a day, or a week?  I have fallen prey to this phrase several times.  I even spent $500 a few years ago on one of the "quick weight loss" programs and made it a whole 2 weeks before I couldn't do it anymore.  Granted I did lose 14lbs in two weeks but the plan was so strict it was impossible to live by.  It was then I started Weight Watchers and until Thanksgiving rolled around that year I did pretty good.

The fact of the matter is you are already good enough.  You are BEAUTIFUL and SMART and FUNNY.  We should never stop growing and improving ourselves in all areas of our life, but it is imperative that you understand that the person you are on the inside is what really matters.  Do I want you to be healthy? Do I want you to have confidence in your appearance?  Do I want you to feel sexy when you walk out your door?  YES, YES, and YES!!  More importantly however I want you to know you are worth more than the infomercials, magazines, and radio ads want you to believe.  Your compassion, your dedication to your family, your sense of humor, your morals, and your beliefs all make up a person who is more than a number on a scale or a smaller waistline.  Don't forget that you are only improving upon a foundation that is already there, a good foundation laid out over years of learning to be strong.  Focus on more than your physical self.  Pay attention to the other parts of your life!  Spend more time with family and friends to enrich your social life, explore your faith, try to learn a new little something once a day to keep your brain working, and then add in your body!  Work on the whole you, not just your figure, because YOU ARE WORTH IT!!!

So in saying that I should report to you that I skipped my Kenpo X workout today (some of you are shaking your held and tsking at me already...) in lou of going to the park with my husband and my puppy Gidget.  It was quite the interesting experience.  We would walk the trail for a bit and then Gidget and I would run while Kennith would cut across the corners and meet us.  Gidget however is not the best walking buddy.  If we are not jogging she is yanking you all over the place trying to smell every blade of grass or to say hello to any living creature within 30 feet.  If you are jogging she is either chewing her leash in an attempt to walk herself, dodging back and forth in front of you, or, by far the funniest, she tries to look up at you while running sideways making it look like she is jumping sideways down the trail like a bunny rabbit on crack.  I'm hoping that a few more times around the track and she will figure out the whole running with a partner thing.  If not I may be typing about a broken leg next week!!

Luckily for me I still burned enough calories today to make my 1000 calorie deficit sooooo... I rewarded myself with some PIZZA!!!  I know you are probably thinking that I totally cheated but really I didn't, and I swear I have never eaten pizza at a slower pace in all of my life.  I ordered a medium pizza from Dominos (there pizza had fewer calories than Pizza Hut) with feta cheese as the only topping and it came out to 195 calories a slice.  So three slices later I was full, had my pizza craving satisfied, and was still inside my daily calorie allotment.  I even passed on the Ranch Dressing and topped it off with my favorite Coke Zero!  I know it wasn't the best use of my calories but oh was it sooooo so WONDERFUL!

You see I believe treating yourself is very important!  I'm just finding ways to do it without sabotaging what I have already accomplished and you can do the same!  Remember you are worth it and you have someone cheering you on!  Someone who cares about the WHOLE YOU!

By the way I have really enjoyed hearing from all of you!  It really makes my day to know that you are taking time out of your busy day to read through my ramblings!  Not to mention having the extra support is always welcome!  So keep the comments coming and let me know how you are taking care of the whole you and how you are treating yourself for a job well done!

In the spirit of P90X -

  DECIDE~COMMIT~SUCCEED