February 27, 2010

I've just finished week eight in the Ten in 10 Healthy Challenge. I knew this was going to be a hard week, but it was even harder than I had anticipated. It was a weird week.

Since Bry left on Monday, I've been very preoccupied with thinking about him and wondering how everything is going for him. At the same time, I was trying to focus and finish up a couple of big projects that need to be done before Meem, TallGuy and LittleOne come to visit us next week. Since I didn't make my weekly shopping trip on Sunday and was trying to utilize my time wisely during the work week while HayHay was at school, I slipped up on my meal planning.

So, unfortunately, this darn thing didn't budge this week. I had a Dr.'s appointment. on Friday morning and, as usual, their scale was three pounds higher than mine, but I write that off as my shoes and clothes.

That being said, I refuse to obsess about it or get discouraged. I know where I slipped up and I'll just have to do better next week.

My biggest problem this past week was not having a stocked frig. I didn't have what I normally like to eat for lunch so I ended up not eating enough which caused me to end up hungry before dinner and that's when I start in on the snacking.

I don't know whether it was the salted peanut butter pretzels or the one night of indulgence in sharp cheddar cheese, the KFC night or possibly the night we split a bottle of champagne, but probably a combination of all of those things contributed to me not shedding an ounce this week.

Luckily, I still managed to get up early and get in a good workout every morning. If I hadn't, I'm sure I would have gained a little.

Since we're having company next week, it's going to be a little tricky for me to not allow myself to be on “vacation rules”. I'm going to have to plan our meals ahead and make sure I have healthy choices for myself.

If you're participating in this challenge or if you set some goals for yourself for a healthier 2010, I'd love to hear how you're doing and how you're staying motivated.

Have a great weekend! 🙂

~LilSis

February 20, 2010

Here we are again. I promised to check in every Saturday with a brief update on my progress with the Ten in 10 Healthy Challenge. This will be my seventh update and we only have three more to go. If I reach my goal weight When I hit my goal, I'm treating myself to a new swimsuit, so that's one thing that's really keeping me motivated.

The past week was a bit like a roller coaster. After only being home from Texas for two days, we had a gorgeous three day weekend which included an all day Brunch on Sunday with Bloody Marys and Mimosas.

Luckily, I can resist cinnamon rolls, donuts, and croissants, but my weakness lies with the pigs in a blanket and the Mexican Crustless Quiche that I brought which had an entire pound of bacon in it. 🙂

Once Monday rolled around, it became a continuation of the all day Sunday party. Luckily, I got in a long walk early in the morning because we ended up having a lot of friends off work so we all got together again for salami, cheese, crackers, and more Bloody Marys.

(Needless to say, I didn't keep up  on my food log this week. Starting that again tomorrow.)

By the time Tuesday arrived, I was ready to get back into the gym. Tuesday and Wednesday I did some major cardio workouts and included weight training on Tuesday. On Friday, I was in my ‘kick butt' yoga class. I feel like a new person when I leave that class!

Long, story short, with all my indulgences, I did manage to lose a pound this week, so I'm happy! Next week is probably going to be a critical week for me. I'm guessing that these last four pounds are going to be pretty hard to blast off of my fanny. I'm going to have to crank it up a notch this week.

As for today, I'm going to enjoy “my weekend rules”. 🙂

~LilSis

February 13, 2010

Time flies when you're having fun, right? 🙂

It doesn't really seem like it's been six weeks since I started the Ten in 10 Healthy Challenge. It's been a really good thing for me; I've been more focused and more motivated than ever before. Those nasty ten pounds that crept onto my body during my time in “the boot” last Spring have refused to budge until now! (Oops! I think I said that I wouldn't mention that again.)

Here are some positive things that happened this past week:

• I was able to spend a lot of quality time with my family while in Texas.

• I got to see my BFF, K on my visit. (We've been BFF's since 7th grade.)

• I was able to get in good workouts while on my trip. (Which I don't always make a high priority on my visits.)

• I managed to maintain my weight, despite a great meal at each of my three favorite Mexican restaurants and two amazing dinners at my new favorite Greek spot in Dallas.

I worked out really hard every day after returning home from my trip so I'd be lying if I said that I wasn't a little disappointed to not to see the scale go down a pound or two when I weighed in yesterday. I'm not going to beat myself up about it, though, because I'm just grateful that it didn't go up.

Not that it has anything to do with this challenge but the best part of this past week was having some ‘one on one' time with my oldest son, BigT. I don't think I've mentioned it here on BigSisLilSis yet, but he leaves in nine days for Great Lakes Naval Base in Illinois to begin his Basic Training. I won't be able to speak to him or see him for two months so I'm really grateful that I was able to make the trip to spend some quality time with him before he ships out. We're proud of ya, BigT!

And a HUGE thanks goes to BigSis for taking such good care of him and letting him stay with her during this interim period!

~LilSis

February 6, 2010

This week's update is going to be short and sweet because I'm in Texas visiting my family and I'm trying to make the most of my time with them.  Just a quick update:

I wasn't able to weigh in yesterday but I feel like I've maintained my weight or maybe lost a little this week. We have already had Mexican Food twice and are meeting up with friends today for lunch at another favorite Mexican restaurant but I'm trying to make better choices for my entree and just cut back on the chip eating. I had already decided that I was going to allow myself a treat, or two, while here as long as I could keep up the daily workouts.

I've had a great time exercising this week. First, I visited the Y with BigT and convinced him to ride an Espresso bike next to me so we could chat. Then one day BigSis took me to her health club as a guest and we got in a great cardio workout on several new machines.

I'd have to say, though, that the most fun I had working out this week was yesterday when we all took turns doing different exercises on BigSis' WiiFit Plus.

I've never been crazy about video games because I don't like sitting still for very long, but the WiiFit really does make exercising a lot of fun! I haven't laughed that hard in a long time. 🙂

We already have the WiiFit at my house but I'm going to order the WiiFit Plus as soon as I can! These new exercises will make you laugh and get your heart pumping!

I hope everyone had a great week and have a fun-filled Super Bowl Weekend!

~LilSis

January 30, 2010

The Ten in '10 Healthy Challenge officially began on January 2, 2010 so in just a couple of days it will be a month since I started the challenge. I weighed in yesterday and I've lost a total of 6 pounds in the four weeks so I'm feeling pretty good. Not a lot has changed since my update last week, I'm just really trying hard to stay focused and keep myself motivated.

Here are a few things that have really helped me stay on track.

• Writing down my weekly workout plan and keeping my food log every day.

• Getting up earlier, having breakfast earlier and doing my workout first thing in the morning.

• Planning meals for the week and doing all the grocery shopping on Sunday.

• Always keeping healthy snacks on hand! (I've actually had to start hiding a few things so the guys don't gobble them up.)

This past week, I started getting a little bored with the same elliptical machine that I had been using and I knew I wasn't getting as good a workout as I could so I broke out of my comfort zone and tried a new machine. If you happen to see one of these Matrix Elliptical Cross Trainers at your gym, hop on it and see what you think.

This machine will kick your fanny, but I absolutely love it! 🙂

You have all sorts of different programs to chose from, but so far I like the Fat Burner a lot and the Glute Training is my favorite.  It feels like a stair climber but is much easier on the knees.

This machine really boosted my cardio workout this week!

I think what I learned last week is that if you're getting bored with your workout, then just change things up! I know if I'm getting bored, then the bottom line is that I'm not getting a great workout. Since I'm in the gym five days out of the week, I always go for a really long walk by the beach on Saturday just for a change of scenery.

This next week is probably going to be my toughest challenge yet. I'm leaving on Tuesday to go to Texas and I'll be there for a week visiting family and friends. Typically during my week long visits, we go to our favorite Mexican food restaurants a few times.

I'll definitely give myself a treat or two, but it's going to take a lot of willpower to not overindulge. If I'm not careful, I could easily gain back six pounds in a week of eating tacos, nachos, tortilla soup, chips, salsa, and freshly made guacamole. And, of course, the meal isn't complete without a really cold Dos Equis. 🙂

~LilSis

January 23, 2010

Week three in the Ten in 10 Challenge was a good week for me. I feel good; and basically that's what this challenge is all about; making 2010 a healthy and happy year. Here are a few things I learned this past week.

• Before this challenge started, I had a pretty good workout routine, but never had it in writing. Some days I would walk and some days I would go to the gym, but always at different times of the day; whenever I could squeeze it in. Now, I've discovered that I really like having my weekly exercise plan written down. I know what I'm doing that morning and I know what time I'm doing it. And, it was pretty easy to stick to it. I just had to organize my work schedule around my exercise schedule. (Luckily, I'm able to do that right now.)

• It's really interesting to try different yoga classes and experience different instructors' styles. In my class at the Y on Monday, the instructor taught us how to incorporate the use of a tall rattan pole into our practice. Last week, he used straps. Not knowing what to expect in his class makes it more fun! Then on Friday, I was a little disappointed when I saw a sub come into the classroom. I was thinking to myself, is she going to be any good? (Be careful what you think to yourself.) I could barely keep up! She was harder and faster than our normal instructor. I thoroughly got my fanny kicked that day!

• I'm really happy about getting back into the routine of making my meal plan for the week, writing it down and doing all the shopping on Sunday. It's made life a little less hectic when it comes time for dinner. And, I really like keeping my food log. I wasn't sure if I could stick to it, but this little fitbook is really making it fun and easy to do. I love being able to give myself a happy face when I've had a healthy meal.

• My family really loves brussel sprouts! I've tried a different recipe each week and they love them! Yay! Another green veggie to add to our weekly menu. I had a little obsession about having to eat something green with every meal.

• I finally found a White Turkey Chili Recipe that my guys love. I'll share the recipe with you later this week.

• I actually can survive on the “no beer during the week” rule.

I feel like I lost at least a pound this week, but chose not to get on the scale yesterday. I know myself well enough to know that during this time of the month, the scale is usually up three pounds. (Sorry if that's too much info.) I didn't want to get discouraged, so I'll get back on the silly scale next Friday.

I've tried really hard to keep negativity away from me this week. I had a little unwanted drama try to creep in this week, but I finally had to set a boundary and tell that person that I can't talk to them right now. I have to surround myself with positive people and positive energy this year. We've got a lot of changes going on with our business and I'm  trying to launch something new which is requiring a lot of time learning some things outside of my comfort zone. In order to be as productive as possible, I've decided that I just don't have time for negative people in my life.

I hope everyone had a happy, successful week! I'm looking forward to week four and to reading all the updates from other participants. Even if you aren't doing a weekly update on your blog, I'd love to hear from you. So, leave me a comment and let me know about your week!

~LilSis

January 16, 2010

I hope everyone had a great week! It just flew by for me.  I feel like I had a healthy, productive week even if I did slip up a couple of times. We went out on Tuesday for a friend's birthday and enjoyed a few cocktails, then on Wednesday we had friends pop over to say a belated Happy Birthday to SirHoney which led to me staying up way too late that night.

On a positive note, I was able to accomplish almost everything that I had on my list.

• I had great cardio workouts for all but one day. (Which was the morning after I stayed up too late.)

• I started off the week with a great Yoga class at the Y that focuses more on stretching and I finished off the week with a really hard Power Yoga class at 24 Hr Fitness.

• I managed to stick to our weekly menu plan and even made a healthy choice the one time I went out to lunch during the week. (Even though I was craving Mexican food.)

• I was finally able to get HayHay to show me how to operate the new TV and Wii so I took a new Fit Test and set my weight loss goal on the WiiFit to help me monitor my progress. (One nice surprise, the Wii shows my weight 3 pounds lighter than my digital scale.)

• I haven't had one. single. beer. all. week! (Did I ever mention how much I love beer? This is a tough one for me, but I'm sticking to the “no beer during the week” rule.)

• I lost two pounds this week. Seven more to go.

I received my fitbook in the mail this week so I was able to start recording all my goals, workouts, and food all in one place. I have never had any desire to follow any kind of diet program where I had to count calories or points. I just know myself well enough to know that I won't stick to it.

But, after these past two weeks of recording what I ate, I've discovered that it has helped me be more accountable to myself and my commitment to cut down on my snacking and mindless eating. Here's my food log from yesterday. I love how you can rate each meal with the happy face or sad face. 🙂

I only did crunches once last week and was sore for DAYS, but this week, they're on the calendar for three days. Here's my workout plan for next week.

My goals for next week are:

• Go to bed early EVERY night. It's amazing how much better I feel in the morning when I actually get 7 or 8 hours of sleep.

• Plan meals for the week, do the shopping on Sunday and stick to the plan.

• Start every morning with a positive attitude and stay away from any negative influences.

This Challenge isn't just about losing weight; it's about feeling healthier and happier with myself, making better choices in all aspects of my life and keeping a positive attitude about 2010 being a great year! Have you ever heard that a home is said to be lucky and will have a prosperous year if a plant blooms on New Years Day? Look what I found on my Jade plant on New Years Day.

When we first moved to our home almost eight years ago, I moved this sad little Jade plant to my front courtyard because I heard that a Jade plant symbolizes prosperity and good luck. I've nursed this Jade ever since and it's grown to be quite large but has never bloomed until now.

If the Chinese superstition proves to be true then we should be looking forward to a prosperous year! (Believe me when I say that we need for that to happen.)

Have a great week everyone!

~LilSis

January 2, 2010

Goodbye 2009. Hello 2010!

I don't know about you, but I'm ready to put 2009 behind us and I'm looking forward to 2010 being a happy, healthy year! I don't want to waste time talking about how stressful 2009 was for us; instead I want to focus on lots of positive energy to kick off this New Year! Being that 2010 is the beginning of a new decade, I think this is the perfect time to make some changes.

We all have good intentions when it comes to making our New Years Resolutions but how many times have you started out super, duper excited yet within a very short period of time, you lose focus? It's happened to me before, but this year I'm feeling really motivated and determined to achieve my goals.

When first read about the Ten in 10 challenge that was started by Lori of The Recipe Girl; I knew right away that I wanted to participate. If you read The Recipe Girl or follow RecipeGirl on Twitter, I'm sure you've already heard about the Ten in 10 challenge. It's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it? Ten in 10! I decided that my overall goal is going to be to lose ten pounds in ten weeks in 2010! 🙂

This challenge was officially kicked off yesterday and you can read the details of the Ten in 10 challenge to find out how you can join. Anyone can participate and there is no deadline to sign up so you can hop on board at any time.

I’m working on a few new ‘work related' projects that are going to require a lot of focus and time. In order to get everything accomplished that I want to get done, I'm going to have to work harder and smarter. I'm going to try to get to bed earlier so I can get up earlier and instead of working in my office for a few hours before my workout, I'll be doing my daily workout first thing in the morning. That way I'll start my day off right and won't get irritated if something comes up that prevents me from exercising. If I don't have that time for myself to relieve some stress, I'm in an entirely different mood for the rest of the day.

Since I’m already on a pretty regular exercise routine and have still managed to hit a plateau that I can’t seem to get past, I know that there are several specific things that I need to do in order to reach my overall goal.

Losing a pound a week doesn't sound like an unrealistic goal, but I know it's not going to be easy. It's time to get serious and crank it up a notch.

Here are my goals:

• Go to bed earlier so I can get up earlier.

• Plan healthier meals for the whole week and do all grocery shopping on Sunday.

• I've never done this before, but I'm going to write down everything I eat.

• Work out first thing every morning, Monday through Saturday.

• Add 30 minutes of weight training two days a week after one hour of cardio.

• Go to Yoga class three days a week. (I feel so much better when I do this.)

• Walk or ride bike for 30 minutes after dinner at least two or three nights a week.

• Restrict “weekday” cocktails.

• Have a piece of fruit for afternoon snack instead of cheese and crackers.

• Weigh in every Friday and track progress on WiiFit.

• Try to squeeze in one of the Jillian Michaels workouts once a week.

• Add 15 minutes or so of WiiFit Hula Hoop a day or two a week. (It's a great workout, but also a lot of fun!)

For me, this challenge isn't just about losing the weight; it's about eating leaner, exercising more, managing stress, and just basically feeling stronger and healthier.

I’m hoping that by participating in this challenge, I'll connect with some of the other participants who have similar goals and we can help each other stay motivated and on track to achieve our goals for 2010. I'm really excited about this and would love to see some of our readers join this challenge.

~LilSis