Chalean

I had to re-start my ChaLEAN EXTREME program because of traveling then getting sick. I'm glad I didn't try to work through the sickness because this work out is KICK ASS.
I'm sweating so bad after day #2.
I'm still doing my bootcamp so don't have any real rest days. I'm trying real hard to work the two programs together and not really over work myself.

I'm a bit frustrated though because I have stopped losing inches in my waist. The last inch I lost was in my hips about 6 weeks ago. I've been working so hard on this exercise hoping it would make my measurements change. I read so many posts of people being frustrated with the scale but getting results with the tape measure. I'm the opposite and I so want the tape measure results!!!
I don't care if I don't lose another pound if I can lose 4 more inches in my waist bringing me down to 26.

I do feel better now than I have in a long LONG time and I do credit this to my exercising. I think I truly do feel younger!!

personal plan continued

Today I'm addressing food.
What exactly do I eat to lose weight?
First some background:

I started with Atkins about 10 years ago. I did the induction diet which only allowed about 20 carbohydrates a day to put you in ketosis for 2 weeks, then you gradually increase your carbs. I went hard core and would make sure I got LESS than the 20 carbs every day. I didn't eat many vegetables and got this basically through eating only meat, cheese, and eggs. I got bored with the diet and went off it but didn't change my personal eating habits. Whenever I started gaining too much weight I would go low carb again for a few days. I have since learned that was a real dumb way to try to lose weight.

Fast forward about 7 years:
I'm unexpectedly pregnant at 39. Now I'm eating for 2 again and actually enjoy not having to worry about my weight gain. Get to my third trimester and they have this awful test for gestational diabetes...you have to drink this sickly they say it's sweet but it just gags me orange drink. The nurse is actually concerned that I will puke as I attempt to swallow this stuff. I don't get sick and I sit around and wait for them to draw the blood....I failed the test but just barely....I have to go back and do it AGAIN for a 3 hour test.
OMG the horror. I went back, drank the stuff and failed again. I have gestational diabetes and they set me up to go to a nutrition class. At the time I was heart broken and felt like I was failing this little life within me. My poor husband didn't understand what the big deal was but all I could do was cry, I was crushed.
The nutritionist told us to eat "carb smart" we were to eat 3 meals and 3 snacks every day. The 3 meals were to have 30 carbs each and the snacks were to have 15 carbs each. I was so glad for my atkins background where I had a good idea of what foods had what carbs in them (except for veggies and fruits, I had ignored them before). I was working about 60 hrs a week at cook out as a manager. HOW does one eat healthy at Cook-out????? I didn't but I tried. They ended up putting me on insulin for the end of my pregnancy and I was going to the dr twice a week, once for a stress type test where they hooked me up to monitors and once for my regular appointment.

Now to today: My husband kept trying to gently tell me "honey you are getting fat"
OK he may not have chose those terms...I did.
He did say I needed to get into shape. He was trying to get me to exercise because I avoided it like the plague.
The day after christmas is the day I began this blog so won't go big on that, You can easily just read my first post and follow from there.

Between having used Atkins in the past and the nutritionists recommendations during pregnancy I gained the tools I needed for todays diet. I bought "The Insulin Resistance Diet Plan" book and started reading and taking notes in my head. I started researching online and then it really clicked. I NEED VEGGIES.
I started eating fresh or frozen veggies and unprocessed meats.
I started eating oatmeal for breakfast.
I started eating a salad with hard boiled egg and tuna on it several times a week.
Now that is the core of my "Diet"
Oatmeal for breakfast with maybe an apple or banana if I'm still hungry.
A salad with light italian dressing and plenty of protein for lunch or dinner.
A huge bowl of veggies (favorites are broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, or a mix) with diced chicken on top and smothered with melted sharp cheese.

I hate to cook so I don't eat a huge variety. For those of you who love to cook. Just shop around the edges of the grocery store (this is where all the unprocessed foods are), and go to town. No limits on fruits and veggies. Only lean beef, though personally I don't care much for beef, chicken breast, fish (canned tuna is good), and dairy. With dairy I like to go with skim milk but I don't go low fat on anything else. I just prefer whole flavor better.
And of course watch snacking. I love sugary snacks. Many people love the salty snacks. Just cut these down until you are eating them in "moderation". The key is not to deprive yourself but to teach yourself what moderation really is. I try to now eat only 3 sweets a week, rather than 3 a day like in the past.

I forgot to address potatos, corn, and peas: These I do not consider veggies but rather starches. They also need to be eaten in moderation. I don't eat much potato any more. The others I put in my soups but don't eat them regularly either. I say treat these ones exactly like you do snacks. Only eat them maybe 3 times a week rather than every day, and make them small portions, not a main part of your meals. This may be hard to do for the "meat and potatoes" type people.

overview of my personal weight loss plan

Change your mindset....you aren't on a DIET. "Diet" is a nasty four letter word that should leave your vocabulary. You want to change your lifestyle....why?????
Because your current lifestyle is the reason you put on the weight to begin with and you really don't want to enter a cycle of yo-yo dieting. Your body really hates that and is worth better.

First you need to make small changes for yourself.
1) Drink 64 oz of water every single day (many have to work up to this but it's easy once you start)

2) Get 8 hrs sleep every night. Yes this one is very hard for busy people but really work on accomplishing this. Your body metabolizes differently at night and that's when the most weight loss happens...have you ever noticed that you are lighter first thing in the morning than later in the day? Go to bed early if you have to. I go to bed with my son every night to assure myself 8 hours.

3) cut out soft drinks...if you drink regular go to diet then even cut that out. Diet drinks can cause cravings that are real hard to ignore.

4) Don't cut out snacks right away.....Reduce them instead. Take a look at your current habits. How much sweet do you really eat? How much salt do you really eat? cut these in half for 1 week....then cut them in half again the next week until you are happy with where you stand with your snacks.

5) make a plan!!! What will you do when you feel that you "blew it", "fell off the wagon", or otherwise go off your new lifestyle. Be guaranteed......it will happen. Be sure you don't allow yourself to go on an all out binge! Enjoy what it is that took you off your plan then tell yourself that ok, now you're back at it. NO WASTING AN ENTIRE DAY!!

6) Don't neglect physical activity. Yep EXERCISE!!! That used to be a nasty word to me also but I have grown to truly love exercise (If you don't believe me read my first blog here, I try to portray my loathing of exercise). I started with 20 minutes a day every single day. I didn't want to take a day off because I knew it would be harder for me to do it the following day. I started with Richard Simmons Sweatin To The Oldies DVD's. I love the first one best!!! I have since moved up to 30 minutes of cardio every day and I'm working on my strength training plan. I will soon be restarting the ChaLEAN program which has strength training 3 days and 1 endurance day along with cardio, core, and flexibility training.

Start small but not too small. Be sure that your activity does raise your heartrate, make yourself pant some. I love DVD's, some people love the gym...others love outdoor activities, Find something YOU love.

lastly, don't be afraid to look for support.
diaperswappers and sparkpeople are my best support systems. when I get bored and want to binge i read blogs on sparkpeople or diaperswappers weight loss message boards to post and read.

Burn 2

Well I felt much better about using the resistance bands today. I did each exercise using the tutorial DVD first. I made it through Burn 2 today and boy can I feel my muscles. I'm using the lightest resistance band for all the exercises as I get used to the program and as I get used to using bands. I know I will only improve from here. I don't think I'll get the full benefits of the work-out this first time around but that's ok. I'll just have to go a second round to improve even more. This is a lifetime change so I don't have to worry about getting everything perfect right from the start, though that goes against my personality lol.

I started the sparkpeople sweatsuit to swimsuit bootcamp challenge yesterday as well. It is also using the resistance bands so that's giving me even more practice with the bands. Today's work-out was to work the lower body and to do 30 minutes of cardio. I broke up this work-out throughout the early part of the day. I did the cardio in 10 minute intervals and the lower body work out was only 8 minutes.

Tomorrow is going to be upper body with the ss bootcamp challenge and a cardio with the CLX program. I'll be able to use the CLX cardio to count for the cardio on the bootcamp as well. I hope my upper body isn't too worn out and it doesn't hurt me doing that right after Burn 2, but I really want to keep up with both programs. I think I'm going to watch the video for the bootcamp now. Maybe I can do that early and just concentrate on cardio tomorrow.

CLX day 1

Well I did my first day of CLX (Chalean extreme) and felt completely inadequate. Not because the weight was too heavy or anything but because I'm very unfamiliar with using bands. I love working with my free weights and tried to save some money by getting bands instead. I really need to do the DVD with the bands again. I was hoping that following the one woman with the bands would be enough for me but they just don't put the camera on her enough for me to actually follow her. I sure hope this learning curve doesn't take too long because I feel that it is detracting from my actual work out.

I did take before pictures. I did not torture myself through all 10 that they advise. 3 was enough for me. I just imagine that I already lost 5 inches in my waist and still my belly looks sooooo hmmmm, not where I want it to be. I'm trying to be nice to myself here. I took the pictures in my swim suit and those things just don't hide any flaws. I hope I'll be able to share the before pictures when I'm completed with the program and my after pictures show a fabulous finish.

I'm spending a portion of today trying to learn how to use the bands. I think I'm going to do shred level 1 using the bands. Mostly because A) I need some cardio and B) I am very familiar with the shred program.