218.2

Amazingly enough I am still at it. Unfortunately I have only lost a pound in the last three weeks but there is a reason for that....

I went to see this little boy...
and his momma and daddy....
and I ate lots of food that I would NOT normally eat....
and I gained four, almost five, pounds. Amazingly I was able to drop those pounds in a few days. Im sure the most of it was water weight but It slowed down my weight loss progress. It was SOOOOO worth it. I need to blog about my trip....but I haven't had time. I promise Ill get to that on my other blog.

Remember my goal of getting into these pants before I went to Michigan?

Well it worked. The pants you see me in above are these pants. I am now wondering if I should go try on some sixteens. Its always good to have a size smaller in your closet. It motivates me and I can try them on here and there to just "see" if they fit.

I was very disappointed in my new 100 dollar Zumba videos. They are not comparable to the old ones. I am trying to embrace them but its hard. Maybe I just don't do well with change when it comes to Zumba (wink). I was gifted a video by Bob (the biggest looser trainer) and they kick my little.....I mean BIG booty. I LOVE them and want to go get more. I have never felt so sore in my life....and just from doing tons of lunges. LOL Its probably good to break up your work out anyway. I was doing Zumba ALL the time.

So another pound down. I'm excited about that. If you look close in the new pictures you can see that I have quite a few rolls around my middle still. I am pretty sure those will start disappearing even more during the next twenty pounds. I am VERY excited to get rid of my muffin top. (yucky)

I have a very personal question. Now that I have Incorporated more veggies into my diet I am suffering from a side effect that is not very (ahem) lady like.............GAS! Does anyone have any advise? I cant stop eating my veggies but I also cant be having this side effect at work. HELP ME!!!!!!!

I'm finding my skinny more and more every day!!!

100 down 69 to go!!!

I have OFFICIALLY lost 100 pounds. That's two of my son Skyler...that's 20 five pound bags of sugar...that's about 20 five gallon jugs of milk...its as much as a small person. I'm so sad that I had all that weight on my body...but I'm so happy Ive come this far.

I tried to find the earliest scale picture that I had and it seems as though I didn't start taking pictures of the scale right away. Here is the earliest scale picture I have. I must note that on my last doctors appointment after Tyrus was born I looked at my chart and I weighed in at 319.So if my weigh in was 219 approximately two years ago (Tyrus is nearly two) then this number below would officially put me at a 100 pound loss.

Now I didn't start officially "trying" to loose weight until one year ago (May 2nd to be exact). The picture below was right around that time. Since May of last year I have lost 62.8 pounds. That's about five pounds a month which is absolutely perfect for me. I know I get very frustrated because it seems like it comes off so slowly...but patience is the key in weight loss along with persistence.

I have gone from this picture of obesity...

to this picture of health.

Its been a whirlwind of a year. Its really hard to stay consistent and loose weight. There are lots of stumbling blocks along the way...there are lots of people that tell me...."You need to stop being so obsessed with calories and just live a little." The reality for me is I had to become obsessed about my bad health to find good health. I feel kinda funny posting this because I know 100 pounds gone is a huge victory but I still have 69 to go and then I have to find a way to maintain. This will probably take me another year.

How did I do it? Again, just for those that don't know, I did it by eating 1400 calories per day and completely skipping deserts and junk food and of course exercise nearly every day. I don't think that everyone has to do this but for me it was essential for me to not treat myself with food or reward myself with food. Instead I rewarded myself with new Zumba videos or a new pair of socks or a new pair of work out pants. Food for me became necessary for survival...not pleasure.

Here are my measurements in May of last year:

My buttock: 60.5 inches (now 50.5)

My waist: 49.5 inches (now 42.5)

Upper arm: 17 inches (now 14)

Wrist: 7 inches (now same)

Calf: 22 inches (now 19.5)

Bust: 50.5 inches (now 45)

See how far Ive come? See how far I have to go? Time for more Zumba.

Hello!!

Good morning friends!!! I have finally lost a pound. This picture was taken a week ago so I think I might have lost a little more but I was to chicken to get on the scale this morning in case it showed a different number. I didn't want to be disappointed all day long. This is probably the hardest pound I have ever lost. It seemed to NEVER want to come off.

I sometimes (wink wink) wear different colored socks.

I am still very much enjoying my Zumba videos; however, when I visited the Zumba site the other day I discovered that they had revamped the videos and they were all new. I was so excited I almost peed my pants. I must admit, the old videos are still really fun but the thought of some new fresh ones really caught my interest.

So in order to afford these 100 dollar videos...I sold my Piccolo. My sweet piccolo that I purchased with my own money when I was a teenager. Its a great exchange though and I don't regret it. This sweet instrument went to an older Latino man who plays the flute and who I know will love it and play it way more then I ever did.

My best friend sent me this picture last night. She congratulated me at how far I had come. Look at me!!!! I look so uncomfortable. I had to post a more recent picture below this one. Things have changed dramatically. I am 4.4 pounds away from my 100 pound mark.

Here is a video of the new Zumba videos...and here is a video of Shakira's new video "Waka Waka." Its amazing and what makes me most excited is that the new Zumba videos have incorporated her Waka Waka dance into the workout. Check them out. They will get you excited!!!

Zumba FREAK!!!!!!

It is no secret that for the past several months I have fallen in love with Zumba. It is the first time I have actually purchased a work out program and used it more then once. I went to the Zumba web site today and low and behold....they have all NEW CD's. I have been desperate for new workouts but I didnt want to stop doing Zumba. Here is the question I have. I dont go to the gym so I dont pay a membership...so do you think its a good investment to order the new CD's or would you all just use the old ones over and over and over again. LOL I kinda figure that If I was going to the gym I would have spent a whole lot more money then I have on Zumba anyway so its kinda worth it but I wanted to get your take.

Im still hanging out at 224.8. Like I stated before, I had gained weight and went all the way up to 229 so its wonderful to be back down here again.

Weight loss overnight!!

Yesterday I knew something was happening. I felt these weird sensations of my stomach caving in. I know that sounds weird but its normal for me. I can actually feel my body loosing weight. Sure enough, this morning I woke up to a HUGE weight loss.

My work out was a little later last night then usual. I didn't get done until just after ten so. Because I did it so late for some reason I was really really hungry when I went to bed and even hungrier when I woke up. I'm not sure why I was so hungry because I had a big dinner which consisted of a whole breast of BBQ chicken pees and corn and a little bit of mac and cheese. I don't usually eat mac and cheese but it looked so good so I at a heaping spoonful of it. So the extreme hunger is unexplainable to me.

Whatever my body is doing is fine with me because its working. I contribute all of it to the exercise though because I eat my grape jelly toast about twice a day. Probably I shouldn't do that but it does keep me from eating other things I shouldn't and I truly love it for some reason. (that and my chocolate coffee)

So as of today that's a 94.4 weight loss in total. I have 5.6 pounds before I hit my 100 weight loss goal. What should I do to celebrate? I really want a tattoo (a small one) but we will see if that pans out.

My Zumba videos were getting old for awhile there. I wasn't sure what I was going to do when I got tired of them. I decided to take a different approach on them...instead of getting board with them I decided to make them my friend. Yes I do the same videos all the time but I just let that go and decided that I HAD to do them even if I got bored of them because they work. Ive switched it up a little and about once a week instead of Zumba Ill ride the stationary bike. The other night I rode four miles which is HUGE for me.

I'm so proud of myself. I'm so close to being out of the 200's. I wonder if Ill make it into those new jeans before I go to Rebekah's house? We will see!!!!

What I love most right now....

Do you know what I love the most right now about loosing weight? My neck!! Weird Hugh? Let me show you why.

For years now I have seriously resembled a turtle in his shell, because you know what turtles in their shells have right? NO NECK!!!

Check it out...


Do you see any necks? NOPE!! That's because the fat took over my neck and I didn't have one.

Check it out again...


The good news is that I think enough of my fat has melted away and I once again have a neck.

See...


Check out my neck...not my nostrils...LOL. Just kidding. This picture is a joke but It gave me a laugh.


Do you see that ring around my neck in this picture?


That ring is my class ring. I love it so much but have not been able to wear it for nearly ten years. I can actually ALMOST fit it on my ring finger. In order to inspire me to continue to do better I have it around my neck. I'm so excited to sport it again. Ill be sure to show it to all of you as soon as I can.

Challenge and measurments!

I have become a machine every day. My new lifestyle has become such a habit that I don't have to think twice about most things. Exercising is a bit of an obsession, and I do my cardio almost every night taking off about every fourth night to give my body a rest. The Zumba is now very easy for me and I find myself trying to perfect my technique to get every ounce of cardio out of my work out.

My days are very long. I wake up at five o'clock just so that I have enough time to get me and my two boys out of the house and to work by seven. I try very hard to plan my foods and bring snacks. I purchased a new George Foreman and as a result have been living the good life eating yummy lemon pepper chicken every day for lunch. If you don't have a George Foreman you NEED to get one especially if you are dieting. Its such a no brainer to put some chicken on it and WALLA, you have a healthy lunch. I work ten hours a day, get home at about six twenty, visit with the boys, feed everyone (including myself) dinner...then there is bath time...chocolate milk time for Skyler...and then bed. By the time all the boys needs are met and they are actually in bed, its about eight thirty or nine. Its then and only then that I can roll my carpet up in the living room....put on my work-out shoes....prepare my big glass of cold water...and finally Zumba for 45 minutes.

Generally at about eight o'clock I do NOT feel like doing anything even close to exercising....but I know its worth it and when I am done I will feel amazing, and I'm always right.

Our bodies really are machines. Ive been doing this weight loss thing long enough that I have figured out what works for me. After I moved almost three weeks ago I was out of my routine. I actually gained three pounds and not until today did I actually get back down to 227.4. (WHOOP WHOOP!!!) So I did waste a lot of time but I realized that the exercising puts my metabolism in some kind of hyper speed and makes me loose weight so much easier. It makes the late nights so much easier when you see results.

I posted a picture of me (taken today) up top. Down below I will post my measurements. I'm so glad I have kept track of these. Its pretty amazing to see the results of all my discipline.

I have challenged myself though. I should probably announce this on my other blog but I'm going to announce it here first. (drum roll) I am going to see Tyrus (my birth son) in May. I will share more about my excitment on my other blog. Remember how I told you about those size 17 jeans hanging in my closet? I am challenging myself to get into them by May. I dont know if I can do it. I tried them on this morning and was able to button them but they are just way to small still. I want to fit into them SOOOO bad.

Here are my measurements:

May 22nd 2010

butt: 60.5 inches
waist: 49.5 inches
Upper arm: 17 inches
Calf: 22 inches
Bust: 50.5 inches

November 3rd 2010

Buttock/56
Waist/46
Upper arm/15 in
Calves/18 in
Bust/48.5 in

(Today) March 23rd 2011

upper arm 15
waste 43
butt 52
calf 18
bust 45.5