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

Counting

Me (Left) at 156lbs... Can't Wait!

Those who have known me for longer than a month will surely tell you that I look at things much differently than I used to.  No longer do I just reach in the refrigerator and half-hazardously pull something out to eat, and don't even think you'll catch me baking a whole bag of cheese sticks for lunch!  (They are baked right?  Doesn't that make them healthy?)  I'm like the first grader who comes home from school everyday excited because he has learned something new and extraordinary and feels the need to share it with everyone...over...and over...and over again.  So here is my apology to all of you who see me on a daily, or heck, even weekly basis.  I'm annoying I know.  The only thing I can say is that I have always been annoying its just that I have found a new topic to be annoying about.

Up until three weeks ago I would go in my kitchen and pull out a box of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese and a can of Wolf Brand Chili and mix them together to make Chili Mac.  Now I did not come up with this on my own I stole it from my very in shape little brother whom I love dearly.  Don't knock it until you try it folks... its addicting!  It was only in the past two weeks that I have actually taken the time to look at the nutritional information on each of these ingredients.  A small can of Wolf Brand Chili has 500 calories.  500!!!!!!  A box of macaroni has three servings of about 259 calories per serving and each box contains three servings if I'm not mistaken.  That means I was eating 1277 calories in one sitting (yep every single one because this girl would eat the WHOLE BOX)!  My daily allowance right now is 1230 calories.  Not to mention my love affair with ranch dressing!  I can eat it on just about anything!  Why even bother eating pizza without ranch?  Salad?  Lettuce was made to give ranch fluff!!  I would squeeze ranch into a dessert bowl to eat with a meal and probably manage to eat at least 1/4 cup bite by bite...that's 280 calories just in ranch!!!!

This about sums it up!!

My point is ~ I am having to make myself look at these labels and use my very limited math skills to count up these calories so that I can reach a goal.  I understand that not everyone has the same goal and isn't interested in how many calories a Pillsbury Crescent Roll has (100 btw) but I have to be or the hour I just spent sweating my overly large butt off in my living room didn't mean anything.  I would love to go back to eating three helpings at dinner and don't even get me started on how much I would pay to have a Chick-Fil-A 4 count chicken strip combo with a large waffle fry and four Chick-Fil-A sauces... I can't because with a little research I found out that meal that I was eating several times a week totals 1560 calories.  You see I'm not obsessed with food... I'm obsessed with eating the foods and the amount of those foods that is going to get me into a size 6 by October 13, 2012.  Honestly its not always easy and I crave foods just like you, and I love bad things just like you, but I have to use the math because the math is going to get me where I want to be.

We had some of our favorite people over for dinner tonight and it was great.  Jaren and I worked out and completed the Core Synergistic workout while the boys cooked and our family cheered us all on.  The good news is that even though the workout kicked my butt (which is looking better by the way) it wasn't anything like the whooping I got the first go round!  These four people who support me and cheer me on are great because even though four of the six of us aren't working their tails off they still show up and eat "healthy" food so that Jaren and I are able to work-out and eat a low calorie meal during our social night.  They even listen to me ramble about how I could reach my ankle this go round and how I'm eating cheerios for desert because it is more filling than ice-cream for less calories.

The next pant size down!!

I miss a lot of things.  I miss fast food, I miss tres leches cake, I miss donuts, kolaches, cookies, cookie dough, cobbler, french fries, and good gosh almighty do I miss hamburgers!!  There are however somethings I don't miss like the four inches on my waist, the lack of energy during the day, the frustration of not being able to button my pants, not being able to touch the floor during a hamstring stretch, being someone who complains about my weight but doesn't do anything about it.  While sitting at the table tonight feeling sorry for myself because all we had was regular ranch dressing I asked the question, "Well what is life without ranch dressing?"  Jaren, without pause, answered, "Its life...without ranch."  That's what it is guys.  Its life ~ and we don't need "ranch dressing" to make it through the day.



So forgive me for my sudden interest in math, forgive me if I only eat one helping, and forgive me if I try to share my new-found knowledge with you and I come across as pushy.  If I ask you to work out with me its not because I think you need to its because I'm going to be doing it anyway and want the chance to hang out with you.  I'm doing this to improve myself not to change you, that's your choice ~ I've already made mine.

The Importance of Play

Play energizes us and enlivens us. It eases our burdens. It renews our natural sense of optimism and opens us up to new possibilities.

Stuart Brown, MD
Contemporary American psychiatrist

Gidget thinks she needs to help Kennith drive!

This weekend I got to play.  I got to stand outside in the sun, watch my puppy romp around in the tall grass, stand in a creek in my boots, sludge through the mood, ride a four wheeler, and shoot my pistol.  My body aches, I tweaked my right shoulder splitting wood, and my shoulders look 98% lobster and 2% human but I played and I played hard.  Now, I totally get how chopping down trees and being eaten by giant Texas mosquitoes might not be everyone's idea of a good time, but for me it was just what the doctor ordered (minus the giant welts from mosquito bites in a place I shan't mention but sit on daily).  

I think that sometimes we are so intent upon a goal or getting through our daily lives that we forget to take a break and just play!  I know some of you are probably mumbling how working out is fun but come on even if I enjoy doing P90X it is not "fun" it is hard work and a necessity for me to reach my goal.  Take some time and give yourself a chance to go out and do something that you truly enjoy doing.  Maybe its playing with your kids, maybe its shopping (even if you can only window shop right now), check out a movie, or share a drink ~preferable a low calorie one ~ with friends!  Cut loose!  Give yourself some credit for working your hind end off...literally :)

Checking out the other shoppers at Academy

One thing you should remember though is that food isn't a reward and you don't have to blow all of your hard work on your play date!  Yesterday I had my cereal before we left home so when my husband stopped at Sonic and we were met by my brother and sister-in-law I didn't feel the need to scarf down a breakfast burrito!  Then I made sure I brought a variety of 100 calorie snacks with me in case I got hungry and boy were those Fruity Cheerios yummy!  Then at lunch on the way back to Sonic I stopped by Subway and got me a 6in Turkey Breast on Wheat sandwich and wasn't even that jealous of the Oreo Blast my brother-in-law was enjoying.  (Because I knew how many of those little demon calories were lurking in that little foam cup waiting to latch onto my currently shrinking hips!!)  And Lord bless the creators of Coke Zero!  I don't know what I would do without that vice!!! (takes sip)  So don't think that you can't let yourself go for a few hours because you might kill all of that hard work you have done throughout the week!  Go into it prepared and don't give yourself the opportunity to make a bad decision - trust me battling it out with your cravings can be tough but that pride that comes when you win is a pretty darn good feeling! 

In my grunge attire ready to play outside!

So in addition to playing yesterday I also got to wear my new "toy" the Body Media Fit CORE armband.  Guys... this thing is so freaking AWESOME!!!  One, I can barely even tell I'm wearing anything which is pretty amazing in itself but two, as a visual learner, this device is perfect for me!  So I wore it all day yesterday and to be completely honest I worked my butt off trying to burn enough calories that I didn't have to go home and do Kenpo X.  I know, I know, that's cheating but I actually burned over the amount of calories I was supposed too so I guess this time I passed.  Okay so I took it off last night and synced it to my computer and then input the food I had eaten and not only did it come back with a bar graph of my total results it breaks each category up and gives me a graph for each one.  

So Cute!  He never wears a baseball cap!

For example, I did 1:44minutes of exercise yesterday.  It also tells me that I did most of that exercise between the hours of 4pm and 6pm which is when I was cutting down trees at my in-laws house.   It also breaks down how many hours you actually sleep, not only how many steps you took, but when you take most of them, and when you burned the most calories.  I am so impressed and happy with this purchase!  I think it is going to be a great tool over the next several months!  I have posted my results on Facebook if you want to check them out!

Alright so enough gushing about the armband!  Tonight starts my fourth week of P90X and a change in workout plans.  Instead of Shoulders and Back tonight it is Yoga X!  Hopefully I will have a lot more coordination and balance this go round and won't get stuck in the plow position!  I have also decided that if I am delusional enough to try the Crane I will first make sure my coffee table is not within six feet of my face!  I'm also trying to convince my sister-in-law to try it out with me but she is adamant she isn't going to do it... you know who I'm talking about...you should just give in and show up!!  (I'm not above begging, brow beating, threatening, or bribing... just saying)  

Enough out of me for now!  What do you like to do for fun?  How are you going to treat yourself this week even if its just a hot shower or bubble bath!  Don't feel the need to reward yourself with food!  Think outside the box and come up with some new incentives or ideas to not only congratulate yourself for a job well done but also to give yourself a much needed break from the necessary things we do everyday!  Talk to you guys soon!

Oh and an update on the medication situation!  I have a new prescription and it seems to not fill me with a primal rage to massacre anyone within a 15ft radius!!  So happy about this!  Now I can leave the apartment without worrying about 25years to Life!!!

Rocking the Armband and Shooting my Ruger!

 Don't forget I'm on FB and at Texas_Ginger23@yahoo.com.  If you want to join my FB I'm under Sarah Michelle Rose-Greenmyer!  Just let me know you follow the blog so I won't think you are some kind of crazy stalker!  :)

Early Weigh In

As you know I said I wasn't going to weigh or measure myself until April 12 the one month mark of my journey, but based upon the doctor's advice I decided to make an early weigh in today.  Kennith and I, the dorks that we are, had a double doctors appointment yesterday.  Kennith was in for a second appointment for his mystery illness and I figured since I was going to be there anyway I might as well get my say!  I had to explain to the doctor that the new medicine I was switched to is making me very angry... like rip people's throats out angry... and I don't really feel like that is a healthy side effect.  Luckily she agreed!  So once again switching medications ~ the only downfall to this would of course be that a side effect of this new prescription is weight gain :(  Hopefully this isn't going to happen!

Well during my portion of the appointment the doctor mentioned that I should be weighing myself once a week because my calorie intake is going to change with my change in weight.  As a newbie to the whole world of weight loss this concept has skipped my mind.  So though I turned my back to the scale in the doctor's office and asked not to be told my weight I determined I would weigh myself this morning to check my progress.

I ended up sleeping very late today (and oh how it was so wonderful!!) so I actually didn't weigh in until later this afternoon but I was happily surprised by the results!!!  Below are the first day measurements and today's measurements of about three weeks into the workout plan!

First Day                                                                                                          Today's Weigh In

Weight: 198lbs                                                                                                  Weight: 185.4lbs

Left Bicep - 12 inches                                                                                      Left Bicep - 13 inches

Right Bicep - 12 inches                                                                                    Right Bicep - 13 inches 

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

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

Bust - 43 inches                                                                                              Bust - 40 1/2 inches

Below Bust - 38 inches                                                                                    Below Bust - 35 inches

Waist - 39 inches                                                                                            Waist - 35 inches

Hips - 47 inches                                                                                              Hips - 45 1/2 inches

Neck - 15 inches                                                                                             Neck - 14 1/2 inches

Success!!!  Improvement!!!   Results!!!  

First time I've been able to wear this shirt since I bought it!!!

Not to mention I'm also back into my 13 jeans which makes me feel pretty darn good!  This means I'm on my way to the ultimate goal!  I'm a little bit ahead of my May 25 goal which is good but I now that the results should slow down overtime so I am celebrating this victory but staying realistic about the ultimate goal. I have adopted a new tool to do this based upon the doctor's recommendation and I thought I would share my new toy with you!  

It is called Body Media Fit and it is a monitor that you wear about 23 hours a day and, based on your bodies chemistry, records all of the calories you burn, your sleep patterns, and how many steps you take during the day.  You then you sync it to your computer inputting the calories you eat during the day and it graphs it all so that you can see what you need to change and improve to burn the highest possible calories = lose the most weight.  It is clinically proven to increase weight loss by 3x's.  So I have mine charging right now and I'll be putting it on tomorrow to try it out!!  Check it out at www.bodymedia.com (though I found it cheaper at best buy).  

Body Media Fit - Core

Next week my P90X work out routine changes and adds Core Synergistic which should be rather interesting as it whooped my behind the first time I tried it! I'm stronger now though if the extra inch on my arms means what I hope it means!  I'm trying to recruit new workout buddies into my routine because it is easier to workout with a partner even if its just for the comedic relief!  So if you are in the area and you are interested in working out PLEASE let me know!  Its all about doing your best and forgetting the rest!!  

Ready For Work-Out Buddy Try-Outs!!!

I'm also looking into the next workout program I'll be starting once my 90 days are done.  I found several on the Beachbody.com website and I thought I would let you guys cast a vote to help me decide.  The leading candidates are...

TurboFire

http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/turbofire.do

Slim in 6 Workout

http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/slim_in_6.do

Hip Hop Abs

http://www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/hip_hop_abs.do

I'm a little concerned that two of these are pretty high cardio and that is my weakness but I figure I won't get better at it if I don't do it!  I'm really going back and forth between the TurboFire and the Hip Hop Abs because I like to dance... which one do you think?  Choices, Choices!!  Oh and I get to go play outside tomorrow!!  YAY!! Shooting and playing in the woods and the creek!  What girl doesn't want a Sunday of that?

Let me know what you think!!  texas_ginger23@yahoo.com or on FB!