My First (Un)Official Weigh-In (short post)

Well, between the flu and Pneumonia having a dance off inside my body this week I have not worked out once! I have hardly eaten anything healthy, let along eat at all. I could not have picked a better week to BEGIN AGAIN!  Let's just say it hasn't been pretty. I have been one sick girl.

Friday's are me new weigh in Days, so I did get up and weigh in today just to give myself a starting point. Though it is not a number I like or a number I wanted to see, it is better than I thought it would be.
Here is my first official Weigh in of 2013...

While that is not where I want to be, I did expect for it to be higher. I wanted to post before pics today, but I think I might scare all of you away with how atrocious I look right now from being sick and in bed the majority of the week.  I am ready to get my strength back and start working on my health again! 

Here's to healthy living in 2013!!

Allison

My First Road Block

THE FLU!!!

Yep, I managed to get it this year. This is the very first time I have ever had the Flu, and I do not wish it on my worst enemy. (Well, maybe on my worst enemy)  :)

When it Rains It pours, right. It seems lately there is always something keeping from getting into a routine or healthy lifestyle. I have a million excuses in case you ever need to borrow one. SERIOUSLY, I could write a book on excuses.

I tend to have an "All or Nothing" outlook on life. If I screw up I need to START OVER. Here are some examples of the way I think:

* I cannot start a DIET until Monday since it is the first day of the week.
* Well, I ruined my healthy eating today by eating that piece of candy, might as well eat whatever I want the rest of the day.
* When I start my diet and when I start to work out I am going to Rock at it!
* It's the weekend... I can eat whatever I want and I will start over on Monday.
* I wish I looked like HER.
* My work schedule is too Crazy!

Right now I just would like to get back on track, but it seems there is always something in the way of it. For instance, I have the FLU right now. While I know that is not an excuse or something I can control, I am tired of not being able to jump in and get started on myself again. I feel gross, uncomfortable, and unhealthy right now. I have so many positives in my life, and I need to sit back and take it all in. This is so much more than a fight to be skinny... it is about my life. I tend to ignore the bad in my life. I avoid it like the plague... I run in the other direction. I have let other things in my life spin out-of-control as well, and this year I want to pull it all back together.

I am routined person, and I think that is okay, but I have to learn to live healthily and put myself and my life first. I do have an intense work schedule, and I am having an issue getting used to it and getting to the gym regularly as well.  I had to cancel my personal training sessions because it was getting way to expensive, and I felt it was necessary financially for me at this time. I have joined a new gym that is much more affordable with the same type of training.

After this Terrible FLU leaves my body I am getting back on the wagon. Any suggestions will be helpful.  :)


Allie

Let's Try This Again

I know, I know... I've been here before.

I actually "started over" again around this same time last year. I guess the New Year makes us all want to renew, change, and refresh. This year has been a whirlwind of change for me. It was a great year, and I have learned so much about myself.  I am about to encounter even more changes, and I decided I wanted and needed some accountability along the way. That is where the BLOG comes in. I think it is therapeutic and stressful for me all at once, but I want to give it a go again. I gained so much during my few blogging years.

To update you all, I still live in Beautiful Winston Salem, NC, and I am about to move to the downtown area. I am super excited, and cannot wait to show you all pictures of my new place. I am now the Executive Director for a Long Term Facility for geriatrics patients with dementia, an though it is the toughest thing I have ever done it is also the most rewarding. I absolutely love what I do. My job keeps me very busy, which can be great, but it also be a big pain in the booty when it comes to having any kind of outside life... including exercising!  I have actually done OK this year, but I am far from my goal. I started working out with a personal trainer, and it is amazing what motivation that brings.  Knowing I have an appointment with him makes a world of difference. Through training I have met some wonderful, life long friends who have been there each step of the way. I lost 15 pounds and started developing some major definition in my arms, abs etc. I was stoked to say the least!! I also started doing Zumba three nights a week with an amazing group of people. Here is a little taste of where I had come...

Some of you may remember some of these pictures from a few years back when I actually blogged on a regular basis.  I had come a long way!!  (Side note - I am far from the last picture now)
I thought, "I am on a roll... nothing can stop me!" Life has a funny way of throwing curve balls at you when you least expect it. I went through a tough break up (again... long story for another day), was in rough shape mentally and emotionally due to work related BS.  But I think it was just what I needed to help get me back on track. I have taken many steps to begin changing my life for the better, and I cannot wait to share with you all of those fun things down the road. I did, however, begin to ignore my health. I began over-eating and over-indulging again along with just occasionally working out, and I have kept up this trend until now. It is time to change it. Much of my recent inspiration came from Keelie over at REAL FAT. She was an inspiration to me in the past, and she too has "started over."  Reading her blog again gave me enough push to try again. This time with a different outlook... The Scale does not make me who I am!!!  I want to lose weight for me and me alone; I want to be healthy because I choose to; I want to share it with you because I cannot do it all alone! I will be turning 30 this year, and I want to be proud of how far I have come by that time. I have many things to work on - self love included.

I want this Blog to be more than a "Weight loss Journey... I Want to Wear a Bikini Blog."  I want it to be about MY COMPLICATED LIFE!  I want to invite you join me, critique me, love me, encourage me. I know I will need it. I will be taking recent Before Pics and posting them this week.

HERE WE GO! Thank you to all of you who have stuck with me and will be with me this go round! Here are a few Pics from my 2012 Life:  Real time pics to follow soon!!!

I have now lost some muscle definition and gained about 20 pounds back. (I do not know my current weight because I am Scared to get on the scale)  But, this is where it all begins! I am READY... are YOU?

A Little Bit of Everything

I have been living in a whirlwind for the past few days, therefore blogging has been put on the back burner somewhat. I have been reading, but I have had no time or energy for writing. This weekend has been interesting in the food/diet/exercise department. I have made some poor decisions, and needless to say I have been SCARED OF THE SCALE! I am trying not to be too hard on myself because while I made some poor decisions they could have been much worse when it really comes down to it. I also made some very healthy and wise decisions over the weekend. For example...

I said no to these in the break room Friday morning at work.

And I said no to these lovely treats today at the grocery store.

But I did cheat today and eat this.

(Yes, this is non-fat yogurt, but I filled that baby up and I even put M&Ms on it. There is nothing better than cold M&Ms. I am not quite sure how many calories this was, but it was A LOT. I do not think I want to know. It tasted delightful, and really, if I am going to cheat at all I could have chosen much worse treats to satisfy my cravings.  Side note: I did not eat it all, so that was good)  :)

This weekend was filled with dinner's out, but I ate very well both times. I also had a wonderful meal tonight for the Giants/Niners game. (my boyfriend spoils me, and makes the most amazing food)

What the boys ate...

Pork Baby back ribs. 

What my friend and I ate... (she is also trying to make healthy choices)

Mixed veggies and blacked chicken with Mango Salsa! It was to die for!!!!

I also got an excellent work out in today with the chatty Jillian Michael's. Her work outs rock, but she talks way too much. This video kicked my butt! I literally fell asleep afterwards due to exhaustion.  This was my choice for today... 50 minutes of pure hell!!!!

After writing this post I guess I did not do too bad after all. The one thing I neglected was the scale. I felt heavy and I just could not make myself get on it. I will let you all know what it reads tomorrow morning. I am a little nervous. But one thing I have been thinking about over this past week is that this has got to be about more than the number. It has got to be about my health, my life, and my well-being. 

Here is a picture of my last weigh in, so it will be interesting to see what tomorrow holds for me. But I want to really focus on creating a healthy life-style and making healthy decisions. This is more than just losing weight.

Here is where I was on Friday...

Not to shabby.

Goals for this week:

* Work Out HARD at least 4 times this week.

* Document all of my eating to help keep myself on track.

* 140 by the next weigh in

This post has been a little bit of everything, and a little all-over-the-place. Thanks for reading, and thanks for supporting! Here's to a new week!

Allison

Back in the Gym (144.8)

I FINALLY went back to the gym today. It kicked my bootie, but it was worth it. I needed to sweat a little. I meant to take a "Proof I went to the Gym Picture," but I left my camera in the car, so I took a sweaty picture of me when I got back in my car after the track and sauna. Here you go...

Yep, that's me!  Nasty, sweaty, and tired after a 2.5 mile run and 15 minutes sweating it out in the sauna. After the gym I headed to one of my favorite places - PANERA BREAD! I met my wonderful friend Alicia there for dinner. She is also trying to lose weight, so it helps to have someone to talk to about the woes and thrills of the infamous "weight loss journey." Having accountability is key for me! I ate a delicious cafe classic salad with grilled chicken. It was delish!!!

Doesn't it look delightful????  :)

I did lose a little today, so that was encouraging! I also did well with the rest of my eating for the day, however I did have a fight with this little guy...

This bowl of evilness sits on my co-worker's desk. I loath it and love it all in one. I did a few pieces of this today, but I did not binge. Don't get me wrong; I thought about binging. I thought about stealing every last little drop of candy in that bowl and savoring every moment of it. But the awesome part is that I didn't. I only ate a few pieces throughout the day. I am hoping to stay away from it tomorrow completely. I bought some sugar free candy and gum to keep in my desk. I am hoping this will keep me from indulging in the chocolaty deliciousness of snickers, milk way, and twix!  We will see.  

I hope everyone had a great Tuesday. I will check in tomorrow.

Allison

Here's the "Skinny" on My Weekend

This weekend was very eventful. Friday Night was J's birthday so we went out to dinner and to see a local band with some of our good friends. I was a little nervous about it considering historically the weekends are where I gain the most weight. Over all, I did rather well. I ate half of a very large grilled chicken salad with vinaigrette dressing. I had one glass of wine with dinner, and one light beer later. I was surprised at the self control I had. Here are a few pics from the festivities...

We had loads of fun, but boy was a tired and ready to get home to bed. Saturday was a pretty relaxing day. We ventured out for the NC State vs Wake Forest basketball game with some friends, but the rest of the day was spent on the couch relaxing. One of my Saturday weaknesses was none other than Welch's Fruit Snacks.

 I crave these, and I keep them in the house so I will not be tempted to eat other junk that I REALLY want. Saturday was interesting though. I ate a TON of these. I could not get enough. But that was pretty much all I ate. Needless to say, my stomach was torn up. I know, I know... this was not healthy! I mean, they are Fat Free people, and very few calories, and made with "real" fruit... but still!  I was just in a snack food mood. I could not make myself eat a meal, and this lasted up until Sunday evening. I finally ate a lean Pork tenderloin and some mixed veggies. It was delicious. Now, when I weighed in on Sunday I was down to 143.8, but as of this morning I was back up to 145.0. :(   Overall, I am proud of my weekend. 

My Week has started off with a bang!!  I have drank about 6 bottles of water, along with some green tea, and a coke zero here or there. ;)  I had teriyaki grilled chicken and broccoli for lunch, and baked BBQ chicken with green peppers and onions for dinner. It was simple, yummy, and filling. 

Talk about portion control. After looking at this picture, my portion looks so small!!!  But I was satisfied, and that is what counts. While I wish I could change my ticker to 143, I am happy that I am gaining back my old willpower to fight through my cravings to binge and to quit. Now I am off to watch the new series Alcatraz!!! I have been waiting all season for this show!  Talk with you tomorrow, and hopefully I will have some great news!

Allison

I PASSED!!!!!!!

I passed the infamous number!!!!  This morning when I weighed in I could not believe that I saw 145.2!!! WOW.  :)  I was so excited I starting dancing in my bathroom. I have lost a lot of weight this week, which is great, but I know that it is my first true week. I know my body is being cleansed, rejuvenated, and energized. I also know that I should not always expect to lose weight like this. I have really stuck to a straight-laced, strict diet and exercise regiment this week, and all this has really helped. Here is a glimpse into my day, and into my diet...

* I wake up at 4:45 every work day. I try to get a Jillian Michael's video in at this time, but I am not always in the mood. :)
* I get ready, pack my lunch and head to work by 6:30.
* I work in a fast paced medical facility where I am on my feet and dealing with people, shipment, stock, and paperwork all day. I do have a desk, and I do sit at it from time-to-time, but for the majority of the day I am moving. I am very thankful for this, but it does wear me out at times.
* I snack around 11:00 each day on a piece of fruit, and then I usually eat a small salad with a lean protein at lunch around 1:00.
* I am normally out of my office by 4:00.
* I hit the gym up for a class or a 3 mile run around 4:30, and then I end with about 15 minutes in the sauna. This feels so refreshing after a long work day. My body feels relaxed and cleansed.
* I usually eat dinner around 6:30. It normally consists of lean chicken, pork, or beef accompanied by a green vegetable.
* I am in bed by 9:30 so I can be up and ready to do it all over again the next day.

What I did not include is the constant changes to this schedule. Every Monday is Girl's Night. We meet  at different restaurant or bar each Monday to discuss life's struggles and drama over a glass of wine. I do not usually make it to the gym on Monday's due to this. And it seems like every week I end up making commitments after work or the gym that make my schedule change. At times, this makes balancing my personal life, work life, and everything else in-between very difficult. I have noticed that this week has been on schedule for the most part. The only glitch has been the necessary house renovating tasks.  (that is a work out in and of itself)


I have not stuck to my work out schedule this week AT ALL. I have still lost weight, but exercise is so important to me. I make that a huge goal for next week - GET MY BUTT IN THE GYM!!!

I will try to check in tomorrow!

I hope you all have a lovely night.


Allison

The Infamous 146.6!!!!

This morning's weigh in was a great success. I guess home renovations really kicked my butt yesterday. Here are my morning weigh in results...

146.6

This number and I have had rounds before. I get to 146.6, and I either stay there, or I gain weight. Getting past this number will be a HUGE accomplishment. The next big number hurtle is 138. This is where I stayed all summer. The scale, nor my body would move!!!  This time I plan to make it past both numbers!!!

Allison