5 pounds down, 4 days in

I have tried something new that my friend is using and selling. It's called Plexus Slim. Its not a cleanse, a meal replacement shake, or a diet per se. Its a supplement you take once a day before a meal. It tastes great (u mix it with water), and it is made of all natural ingredients. It gives u more energy (although I don't really notice that) and it curbs your appetite and cravings (I DO notice that!)  In fact, I started it Sunday morning, and its only Wed night and I am already down 5 pounds! My husband is taking it too and only down 2 or 3 , so he is complaining that my weight is yo-yo 'ish. Hey, if its going down, and quickly(!) I'm not complaining! I feel good and no bad side effects, so its interesting. If you want some let me know and I'll give u the website and my friend's code to put in when u order it. Its about $100 for a 30day supply. I am looking forward to seeing how well and how long this works.
Although on a similar note (weight), I will always admit that I was never comfortable wearing those black stretchy workout pants that so many people wear, until about a year ago when I decided that 'you know what, almost no one looks perfect in those things so I can quit being so hard on myself and just wear them anyway even though I don't thing I look perfect in them, no one else does either!'  So today, when I put them on I was reminded again by the mirror that my thighs touch in the middle and I don't like that....well, while at the gym today I noticed  every lady I looked at who was wearing them (even trainers) had the same issue (thighs get wider right there in the middle of your legs). So maybe its not really a huge issue. Maybe its just being a woman (not a 19 year old teenager, because let's face it, lots of them don't have that issue).  Oh well, I will take what I can get and be happy with it no matter what. It sort of stinks that the aging process is beginning to show more sagging and cellulite, but what can you really do? you can't get younger!!!!!


I guess I sort of rabbit-trailed there for a minute, I will keep u posted on the Plexus Slim.

When can I stop?

When can I stop?
That's the question I want to ask.
When can I stop working out? At what age is it ok to not workout all the time? I really want to know.
When I was a teenager I thought I would work out till I was 30 then just coast in middle-agedness (is that a word?). When I told my husband this in my early thirties, he just laughed at me like I was crazy. He was right. And so are all my friends at the gym. When I asked them this today, they reminded me that as I get older my metabolism will slow down and I'll have to work out more, eat better, and I will also feel worse (sore muscles, aches, pains, and all).
They are right (although I don't claim the sore body part), but they are right, our bodies are built to typically change with age and that means if we are trying to maintain something we will have to work harder at it as we age.
This news stinks!
I don't like it.
I want to stop... yea, right! On the one hand I would love to stop. Meaning, more time to do other things. But on the realistic hand I know that if I stop... I will gain weight and keep gaining weight, just like I did after high school. I was 120 in school. I peaked the scale at 150 my freshman year of college (hey, I thought it was only supposed to be the 'freshman 15' ???!!!), which then caught my attention and I brought it down, and up, and down (notice the yo-yo pattern beginning here), till I got married at 128. Then I was basically 130,135,140,145,150,155 over the next several years. See what happens. When I don't work out consistently and regularily I gain a pound at a time till about every 12-18 months I've gained 5 pounds. I can't keep going at this pace the rest of my life, so I've GOT to workout. But I seriously want to know when do I EVER get to stop? Because, deep down, I really wouldn't mind stopping. If for nothing else, just to get that time back to do other things.
Maybe this isn't the kind of post fitness fanatics want to read. You probably just want gung-ho, super-motivational stuff to keep YOU going. Problem is... right now I'm having a hard time just keeping ME going.

Maybe I just need something new. (No Jen, I don't want to press 'play'. But who knows, maybe I should. I guess it would be something NEW. Honestly though , its just hard for me to get motivated to do different at-home routines than the ones I already know from my collection).
I'm loving riding my bike, but I know its not enough of a workout to do much for me. At least not in comparison to running or classes or weights. So even though it may be fun, its actually too easy to count as exercise for me in my book. Maybe I want new classes at the gym, maybe I should try some, or use my free pass at my husband's gym and do classes there. I don't know, I just need something, because I'm just not 'feeling the love' for my workouts lately, if you know what I mean. Don't get me wrong, I love my teachers, and my gym friends. Its just me. On the inside, some switch has gotten turned and I'm having a real hard time getting it switched back. Then I think of people I know who never work out and look perfectly fine and I get mad (and ok, a little jealous) that they don't have to spend time working out, yet they look great and are in good health. Wrong, probably. But I'm being honest here. Or maybe I'm just whining, I don't know. But since I'm probably not really accomplishing anything with this post I'm going to end it. Comment for me if you have any ideas on how to change this mindset I'm in right now or any other helpful ideas for anything! thanks :)

bike rides

hello blog land, the weather here has been gorgeous lately so I have taken my bike out on the turnpike trail for a couple rides. T's been at school, so I took W with me in the bike cart and pulled her behind me. She has been having fun watching the cows and horses go by as we ride. For mother's day I said I wanted to go for a family bike ride, so I wanted to scope out sections of the trail to see if any of them had a flat part that the kids could ride on (I know W will not be able to do a lot of the big hills yet without walking up them or whining the whole time). So I found a section over by Grace that is about 1.5 mi long that is very scenic through a marsh area (lot of wildlife for the kids to enjoy) that I think we can all do together as a family (without the bike cart-everyone on their own bikes), so as long as it doesn't rain on mother's day that is our plan.
I had lots of fun riding. I REALLY love bike riding.It's also been nice to get outside and get some scenery changes instead of just staring at my tv in my house while on the amt or treadmill. Yet, still able to get some exercise. I know its not as intensive whole-body-wise as running or even my classes at the gym, but it is definately a leg and glute workout when pulling 50pounds behind me on the cart. Especially when it seems that those 90 mile an hour winds are ALWAYS blowing in my face instead of against my back! That wind is insane! At one point I couldn't even catch up (on the bike mind you!) to a RUNNER until I rounded a corner and the wind wasn't blowing straight into me. I swear I think that cart acts as a parachute sometimes catching all the wind! Anyway, still lots of fun, having a good time out in the fresh air! We stopped yesterday and tried to feed a baby calf with its mommy (no-go they wouldn't come close enough to the fence) it was still fun though. W loved it.

sore and happy

Oh I am so sore. I think its a culmination of working arms/back/shoulders for 3 days in a row. I am so sore. But you know, it feels good in a sick sort of way. Although it is also making me tired and I'd love to curl up and take a nap right now. I just might, however, I really want to go get my nails done-they are all chipped and cracking off so they are certainly overdue for a fill. I joined my friend Chris at his gym today for a spin class. My first ever. It was great but certainly hard. I was sweating all over the machine and myself. Then afterwards the same teacher (who was very good and motivating) was teaching pump so we went to that too. Problem was even though I take pump classes every week at my gym, she does more reps than my instructors, so for the first 20 minutes or so I had my weight too heavy...I'm feeling it now! I need a massage!!!!!! ooohhh, that would feel so good. I wish that was on my agenda today, but its not. Before class started we went into what is called the Cinema Cardio room. It had a huge movie screen with a movie playing in the dark and rows of treadmills and ellipticals. I ran on that for almost a mile. It was really cool. Since its dark and u are watching the movie, u pretty much forget that u are working out, and its awesome. No distractions with anything around u (bc its dark and u can't see!) I loved it. His gym is REALLY cool. Clean. New. Hip. Lots of classes and equipment. All in all, very awesome! I wish my gym was like this. However, I LOVE my instructors and my gym buddies so I could never switch gyms unless we all switched together (ha ha) instructors too. And since that isn't likely to happen, my lifetime membership at my gym will just continue. It just goes to show u that the people really make an experience great for you. Even though my gym is dirty and old, I love my peeps there, so I won't leave. I did enjoy my experience though at this new gym. Certainly a great workout. Honestly, though, I think the main reason I am so sore and tired is a culmination of the last 3 days, NOT just from today. So kuddos to everyone involved in giving me great workouts this week! woohoo!

I'm BAAACKKK! yahoo!

I guess I need to give u some history before I can share my great news of my comeback, so here goes...

Last Friday, I cried myself to sleep.

After having a very unsuccessful time of trying on all my summer shorts and capris, that did NOT fit! Very upsetting. I've been fooling myself that everything was ok with my fitness level and weight because those jeans I bought this winter still fit, albeit a bit tighter, but they still fit, so I was fooling myself that I wasn't gaining weight and all was ok. Well, its not ok. All my other jeans, that are a bit smaller don't fit at all, so I have to wake up from this delusion and face the facts that I am gaining weight because I am eating crap. Too many sugary snacks, ice cream, and cookies. I still work out, but not as intensely as I used to during the great year of 2007 ( my awesome year when I got to 135 pounds and was NOT on a diet, it was simply that I ate good food and not crap, and worked out like a maniac).

So that did it. I got mad. I only see REAL results when I get mad. I haven't been mad lately because as you've seen from my previous posts I've been pretty happy just coasting. Sure I wanted to lose a few pounds but I wasn't upset enough about it (because those expensive jeans still fit) in order to make any serious effort. My husband is right, I'm a yo-yo in my fitness regime and therefore a yo-yo in my weight. Nothing extreme like 100 pounds, but within 15 pounds either way. Doesn't sound like too much when u watch Biggest Loser, but for me 5 pounds is a jean size, so 15 is actually pretty significant. Its the difference between wearing clothes in my closet, or not even fitting in them because they are so disgustingly tight its pathetic. I personally hate it when my pants get so tight in the thighs that there is a little 'window' u can see through right at your crotch (because my inner thighs are sticking out and thus touching) ugh! yuck! I HATE that! Other people probably have other areas that bother them more, but since I gain weight in my thighs and butt first, those are the areas that piss me off when I see them grow. So as u can tell, I am MAD! And fortunately, that means good things for me...

Saturday I woke up and I made a change. A change in attitude. A change in my mind. A definate new motivation. So, I say... I'MMMMM BBAAAACCCKKKKK!!!!!!!!

The following is my intake and cal burn for the last few days. (u can scroll quick if u don't care-its sort of just for me to keep me accountable. I didn't look up all the cal counts on the foods yet, and I may not. When I did that in the past it became a bit too controlled. I just want to make wise choices to put good things in my mouth, and when I do make a decision to eat something unhealthy I want to do it in moderation so that there is no regret.)

Sat:
880 calories burned: fun run, treadmill run, AMT
2 cups cheerios/skim milk
1 C strawberries
2 slices english muffin bread (YUM) with 1T butter (about 240cal combined)
3 carrots
2 small croissant turkey,sprouts,pickle,1slice salami sandwiches (I know,croissants are the worst bread choice, but I really like them).
dinner out:3 C tabouli
5 grilled shrimp
2 fried shrimp
1 baked potatoe with chives,cheese,& butter

Sun.
423 calories used on bike and short run, plus did 30minutes with the weighted hula hoop
1C cheerios w/ skim milk
banana
1 C raspberries
2 sandwiches(like yesterday)
1C tabouli (brought some home from the restaurant)
2 grape tomatoes
1 string cheese
1/2 cinn roll (100 cal)--I nibbled on the girls' that I made them-shouldn't have-wasn't worth it.
1 t butter
2C spagetti squash w/salt/pepper

Monday
540 calories used on treadmill and AMT
1C cheerios w/skim milk
banana
1C tabouli
1/2C strawberries
1 mini snickers(after I ate it I craved more sugar-yuck, so I ate more berries instead :)
4 hard boiled egg whites
2C grapes
porkloin/roasted
6 carrots
1 potato with butter and salt/roasted

Tues:
1250 calories on AMT and gym classes, plus digging in yard to make garden
1C cheerios with milk
2 bananas
2C strawberries
2 sloppy joes
salad + olive garden italian dressing(big cal on the dressing, but this is the only dressing that I use a lot of, usually I just eat my salads without dressing)
apple
2 oranges
3 celery
15 cheese crackers(organic) 130cal (this was my snack/treat bc I was starting to crave something, so I counted out the serving size of 15 crackers instead of eating the whole bag which I have been known to do in the past.)

So there you have it. Not 100% perfect (fried shrimp, dressing, butter), but lots of really good healthy stuff (egg whites, fruits and veggies). I wanted to have zero sugary snacks for at least 3 days straight to break the craving that sugar does in your body, I caved with the snickers and the bites of cinn roll, but I don't feel bad, its still pretty good and I made wise choices to go for the berries when I wanted sweet things, and maintained portion control on my cracker snack. So I feel I am doing good and headed on the right path. If I stay motivated (and mad ha ha) my eating habits will change (like they did before) and I'll only desire the good food, and the mozzerella sticks and ice cream won't even be tempting me anymore. That's my goal, to get back to a complete change in food intake. I know exercise is important, but as anyone who works out a lot like me knows... what really dictates your body shape and size is what u put into it. That is my main goal to focus on that. I did have great gym workouts and I feel the intensity returning to my workouts, so that is good too.

By the way, I don't think I mentioned it, but when I was trying on the clothes that were too tight I got on the scale afterwards and sure enough I had gained 5 pounds and was now at 150-ugh that makes me mad!!!!!
After 3 days of refocusing my food intake to healthy things I am already back to 145. Now my goal is to work towards my 2007 weight of 135 again. Help me on my journey, will ya? :)

Baking with Rene'

Here's the story... we are about to get a winter storm. We've known about this for days. I've not been too concerned because 1. people always overreact. 2. the weathermen are not always right. 3. I have a 4-wheel drive vehicle so if I HAVE to go somewhere I'm not too concerned. and 4. I grew up in Michigan so I'm used to driving in snow and it doesn't bother me. However... now I wonder if maybe I should have been a little more prepared (I mean my husband has even been running around for the past two days getting a generator hooked up to our house so that we can have power if the power lines fail like they did in '07 (we were in Hawaii at the time, but evidently our house had been without power for 5-7 days while we were gone-something I certainly don't want to deal now since we are here).
So, today, as the forecast calls for the freezing rain to start this afternoon, I start thinking (while lifting weights in my pump class at the gym, mind you) that if it really is going to be a ice/snow storm that I'll need to bake (for those of you who don't know me, I ALWAYS bake when the weather is rainy, chilly, snowy, or sometimes even just overcast). So while lifting weights I am concocting new cookie recipes in my head. Here is what I came up with: cranberries and walnuts, cranberries/pecans/wht choc chips, choc chip, and choc chip with walnuts. So, while everyone else is at the store buying water, batteries, and propane canisters... what am I buying? cookie ingredients! Yes, I am insane probably ;) But at least my sweet tooth will be satisfied as I'm hunkered down for the weekend :)
Now that just means I need to work out extra hard, so treadmill, here I come!

funny picture

I went and got some pictures taken with the girls this weekend. While I was there I posed for a few funny pictures myself, which not only made the girls laugh(part of the plan), but also the photographer (ha ha). Anyway, when we were done they put together this little composite and added the tag line "Milk makes the body grow", I thought that was so funny I had to show you! It is kinda funny isn't it? Especially since I still don't have any biceps, even though I REALLY do keep trying to get them to GROW! LOL

trying to maintain and continue

Well, I haven't officially weighed myself...but my clothes fit great and I can tell I was bigger before by the way they are fitting. So that feels awesome! I wore my other pair of purple shorts today to the gym and it felt SO GOOD to finally be able to wear them again after like 10 months of not fitting in them! Plus they are really comfy and stretchy and cute so I like them, but honestly the best part is just knowing that they didn't fit before, and they do NOW! yippee!!!! Had a great workout at the gym today, but I am feeling a bit tired so I'm going to try to take a nap because we have a late night meeting tonight at church and I know its going to be hard to stay awake.
And I have to admit... I baked cookies and ate a bunch of them. I know, not the best thing to do before I get this back on a "maintenance" level instead of still a weight-loss level, but I did it, and its done, so I just have to eat less calories for the rest of the day to make up for it.

Day 9

Today is supposedly the end of the cleanse/fast, but since yesterday and today I didn't do any cleanse drinks (bc I don't have any), its just sort of blended into my "continue to work at it and maintain season". In an effort to do that, I started the day with a 200 cal burn on the treadmill, had a isagenix shake for bfast, went to the gym and had one of the best workouts I've had in a long time (sure I was tired after each set, but I felt like I could still stand-lately I've been feeling like if I don't sit between sets I'll pass out-so it felt great to feel energized again!). Burned 750 calories there. Then munched a few brazil nuts and one snack tab otw to sam's club. When I got home I wound up doing 300 more calories on the treadmill because... I ate 140 calories worth of frozen thin mint cookies. (not my best moment, but at least I made up for it). And here's the deal... the girls brought home cookies from grandma's Monday and they have been sitting on the counter and I keep seeing them (they look pretty good), so finally I tore off a tiny piece to try it. It wasn't as good as I'd hoped but now I had cookie taste in my mouth and wanted more so I pulled out the frozen ones, ate them, then promptly got on the treadmill to burn them off! Definately was not worth it. They didn't even taste that great. And.... once they were in my mouth they DIDN'T satisfy me, so I kept craving something else. Fortunately I knew what was happening so I didn't eat anything else, I got on the treadmill instead. But that's what happens, that food doesn't provide any filling sensation or completeness so u just wind up craving and wanting more , and thus eating more. WHEREAS, if I had eaten a fresh orange, or celery stick it would have satisfied and I'd be done. I need to not cave into those stupid cookies. I KNOW to eat the healthy, fiber-rich , good-for-me food, so I just have to make sure I DO!
Anyway, decided to eat dinner with the family instead of a shake so I ate a bunch of steamed broccoli (good for me) and a little bit of chicken casserole (but I only ate the noodles really bc I gave all the chicken to my daughter, bc honestly I really don't like much meat). So the casserole wasn't the healthiest but I only ate a little, and the broccoli was incredibly healthy so I'd say it was a good day. Don't know my weight, but I do know those purple shorts fit me and I'm VERY happy! Its funny bc I was talking to a friend at the gym who has several pair of those same shorts (we both love them), and I mentioned that I could finally wear them again now that I was 140, but couldn't when I was 150 because my butt would almost hang out. And she said she was 148 right now and had no problem wearing them (and didn't-they looked great), but the difference between us was that I gain in the butt and thighs, so immediately my pants won't fit when I gain weight. But she gains in her stomach, so even though she had gained, her pants weren't a problem for her. Isn't that funny how we are all so different in our body shapes and stuff. Because technically her and I are about the same height so when our weight is the same you'd think we'd be identical, but we're not. God made us each unique and that's why we've all got different stories to tell and mountains to climb :)

Tomorrow I am planning on eating shakes&tabs all day bc tomorrow night I'm making my yummy(although not perfectly healthy) chicken pot pie again. I figure if I know I'm going out or eating something I can maintain by eating extra sensibly during the day to sort of bank my calories as Jen says. We've got a busy week with church meetings, dentist appt, work, girls' pictures and a bball game, so we'll have to see how this all plays out :)

I'll tell u one thing for sure... I AM MOTIVATED. I FEEL GREAT. I AM HAPPY. I AM FOCUSED. These are all good things so I plan to be able to stay on track because of them.

day 8 recap

Well, day 8 didn't go as well as I'd hoped.
Here is what was supposed to happen...
I was supposed to repeat the "cleanse days" of day 1&2 on day 8 & 9. But I don't have any more cleanse drink left (remember this was left over product, I didn't buy a whole new set and since I'd tried to do the cleanse before and not finished it-last yr I think-I had already used one of the bottles). So my plan was to drink the shakes, eat the "snack" tabs and almonds, and either skip the meal or eat sensibly.
Toss that all out the window (eek).
Started off ok drinking my shake b4 I left for work.These shakes aren't portable though unless u take the powder separately to mix bc once they are mixed u have to drink it immediately or the enzymes are lost. So instead of hassling with bringing it, I just grabbed a slimfast shake to take with me for lunch at the office. I also planned on eating my snack tabs every hour and a half (they recommend that. I think getting 'something' in your tummy helps keep your metabolism up so your body doesn't go into starvation mode and slow down its metabolism). Well, anyway, wasn't hungry at work, was too stressed and too busy to do it so I didn't eat anything there except that slimfast drink. Came home and intended to make a dinner, but Dan was starving and didn't want to wait the hour for it to cook, so we went to the chinese buffet (eek). I did eat sauteed green peas and mushrooms but that would be about the only thing considered low-calorie on my plate unless spring rolls, eggrolls, wontons, and fried shrimp (&sweet/sour sauce) count! Evidently not! So not only did I not do the plan well today, but I ate probably 1000 calories for dinner (yikes!)
The only good news is I woke up early today to get in a good pre-gym workout. AND.... last night b4 bed I tried on the two pair of infamous purple shorts... and they BOTH fit! So I'm wearing one of them today to the gym. Maybe I'll snap a picture and post it later. I know one meal won't ruin everything. So I am back at it today working hard and watching what I eat. I want to continue to lose and then maintain this weight. I don't want to go right back to 145-150 and have this past 9 days just be a waste. I'll keep u posted.

Day 7

Woke up today and weighed myself. Still at 140, (almost 141), so still have a 9-10 pound loss. Today though was the first day I ate a meal at a restaurant since starting the cleanse. We went to a pizza place after church. I chose a salad and I also ate 2 pieces of mushroom&green olive pizza. I DID however refrain from eating even ONE deep fried mushroom! Oooohhh that was hard too! They looked really good, but my husband and mother in law both said the breading wasn't very good, so that made me feel a bit better. But it would have been so much easier if they hadn't even been ON the table! ugh! I did tell my daughter b4 we went there that we would not be ordering mozzerella sticks (she threw a fit of course), but I know I love theirs, and it would have been anguish not to eat them. Unfortunately, my father in law didn't know my struggle and he ordered the mushrooms (oops).
I figure what I ate was about 750 calories (and I'm erring on the side of caution, rounding higher just in case. Hopefully it was lower). I'll drink a shake tonight so I think it will be ok, because honestly, my intake hasn't been 400-600 cal meals this week. Probably closer to 300-400 since all I've eaten is a giant salad once, and those tomato cucumber sandwiches the other days. (plus I changed it from 2 string cheeses on a sandwich to only one, so save about 100 calories). I'm ok I think. I'll tell u what... my hubby likes my body 10 pounds lighter-woohoo! and that's what makes me happy too!!!!! Now its time to (lose 5 more pounds) and maintain.
I can do it.
I will do it.
I have done it before (for 9 months), I will do it again! but longer or FOREVER this time!
I'm ready for some kick butt gym classes. At church today they were jumping and dancing and I wanted to do our frog jumps from the gym (u jump straight up and bring your heels up to try to touch you butt as your knees go out the the sides). However I couldn't because I was wearing a skirt and it probably wasn't the "right" type of jumping for the situation (ha ha), but my mind was there-I wanted EXERCISE! Watch out Shelley (my instructor), the Rene' you remember from the beginning is bbbbaaaaccccckkkkkkk! woooooohhhhhooooooooo!! Can u tell I am excited?!

Tried on my favorite brown J.Crew cords from 2007 and they are skin tight still (bummer), but I think I am VERY close to wearing my purple shorts again that I posted about on my first blog last summer (and unfortunately gained weight after I bought them so I quit wearing them!)
Its fun to wear stuff that's been in your closet "unwearable" for so long!

I will admit though, I think I am getting a bit cranky. My patience level seems to be a bit shorter with the girls these past two days. (I know that sometimes happens with me when I don't have real food, so I don't want to take this to an extreme because my weightloss is not more important than my family). I told Dan last night "I just want to eat. I'm not hungry, I just want the taste and sensation of eating!" He said I was weird, but its true. Today helped. Being able to eat a good yummy salad out of the house in the company of people. It felt good. I just wished the pizza had tasted better so it would have been more "worth it". (I ate my salad first so my pizza was not super hot-bummer). Anyway, I've got a lot of computer stuff to do so I'll write more later.

Day 6

Wow, this decreased caloric intake is beginning to take a toll on my energy level. I am really worn out today. Not really tired, just exhausted, like everything is hard to do. Hard to stand and brush my teeth(got to sit), hard to pour a glass of water(have to lean on the counter to do so), definately hard to workout .I tried to do my 21 minute treadmill program this morning that includes about half running, a quarter walking, and a quarter incline walking. Oh my word! I could barely do it today. Maybe it was because I didn't have time to warm up(I just started running, which I normally don't do), or maybe it was because I exerted 1200 calories on YESTERDAY'S workout, or maybe its from the decreased fuel going into my body. Or all three!
Anyway, I'm still holding strong on the cleanse/fast-doing my 400-600 cal meal and drinking my shakes, but I am certainly starting to miss eating. Not so much a craving for anything specific, in fact most things don't sound good right now. I just want to chew and eat something. To get that taste sensation in my mouth. That's what I miss! I am pushing through though because I'm not going to cave and go through all this and then blow my results and get nothing out of it! I want this to be a definate start to my weightloss program.
Which by the way when I got on the scale this morning I had lost another pound. So I am down from 150 to 140 right now-woohoo! That's only 5 pounds away from my "2007 goal weight" :)

Plus last night I tried on some pants that used to fit back then... and they did. They were a little tighter than before (5 pounds obviously), but I could wear them if I wanted to. But I really prefer to wait for that next 5 pounds-plus they are mostly shorts, so I don't need them now anyway.

Anyway, that is the post for today. 10 pounds total so far, but it is beginning to be a bit of a struggle. Tomorrow will be my first eating out meal (after church), since I started last Monday, but I think I can handle it with a great salad. I'll keep u posted for the next few days to tell u how it goes.

Run & not grow weary

But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength.
They will soar high on wings like eagles.
They will run and not grow weary.
They will walk and not faint.
[Isaiah 40:31]

Isn't this awesome?!
You can overcome.
You can do it!
Put your trust in Him and He will give u the strength.

When I was running 15k's and half marathons, I would try to write these words on my forearm or my hand. Because as I was running I would inevitably get to a point of being so exhausted I would want to give up. But I would remember these words and I would repeat them over and over in my head. Just like a gas pedal in the car, my steps would increase, and my stride would lengthen and I would feel better, in fact I would feel great, and I would just continue on. It's amazing how strong the Word of God is. Its not just for church. Its for our life. If your life is being lived without it... try some, you might find that you like it :)

Day #5

Not much time for details, I'll post those later, but let me share the awesome news I have...
I've lost 9 pounds so far! and counting 13 measuring points, I've lost 13 inches so far which includes a half inch in each thigh, 2.25 inches in my abdomen, 1.5 inches in my butt, and 2 inches in my waist! (the important regions I say) ;) I put on a pair of jeans that were snug in my thighs Sunday (but fit good everywhere else), and today they feel great in my thighs (can even pinch an inch of extra fabric while wearing them!), and are slightly baggy on my butt! I love baggy pants (when they used to be tight or didn't fit! Its the greatest feeling!)
Also, burned 1200 calories today while watching Biggest Loser on DVR with my friend Jen. What a great day!

Day #4 of the fast/cleanse

Things are going great. Today was another shake day. Had one for bfast and dinner. Had the same sandwich as yesterday for lunch. Also ate a couple of those Isagenix "snack" tabs and raw plain brazil nuts (I'm supposed to use almonds, but the only ones I have right now are salted and I don't think all that sodium would benefit the cleanse). As of this afternoon it looks like I've already lost 7 pounds so I am down from 150 to 143. Yippee! I will admit there have been a few moments when I looked or thought about a handful of doritos or m&m's and slightly contemplated it, but said "no, I'm doing this cleanse full-blast this time and I'm not going to screw it up like I have before". I know that if on day 10 I start eating all the foods I was eating b4 the cleanse it won't benefit me. But for me you see, its mainly mental. If I can get started on the right mental track with results (the cleanse) then I make better choices and hence stay on track with better eating, therefore maintaining my weight instead of going right back to where I was before. That's why this cleanse helps, because if u stick with it for 9 days (removing those foods) your body finally stops craving them, and they don't yell your name anymore. I'm not saying I'm never eating cookies again (NOT) but, I will do it in moderation instead of going overboard when that sugar is making me crave them. When u don't eat sugar a lot, then u don't crave it as much. (Its true, and I have learned this from experience).

Anyway, eating went well today. Workouts were great too. However, I do need to clarify that my energy level (during workouts only-not during the rest of the day) is lower than normal (because I don't have as many intake calories fueling my body). So my goal today was to do a big workout on the treadmill or elliptical (AMT) at home, then head to the gym and run, then do Shelley's pump class. THEN, I was going to go tonight and do Jen's bootcamp and pump class at the east gym. This was all because I got no workout in yesterday due to the water issues.
HOWEVER, I did some computer work before getting started today so I only had 20 min to workout before getting the girls off to school. As soon as I got on the AMT (see older posts for description of this machine), I could tell my energy was not there. I normally do level 12, I only had it on level 2 this morning and I was totally trying to figure out how I could do the machine while at the same time leaning on it to support me so I didn't have to stand up because it was draining my energy so much. I know its bc right now my body doesn't have enough fuel for intense workouts even though I am still trying to do them, so I'm not all bummed out that my body didn't perform. I know the reason. Its a temporary one and its part of a greater good(losing weight), so its ok. But its still a bummer when mentally I am SO READY to get a great hard workout in, and then my body doesn't bring it and I don't do as much as I really want to.
But anyway, then I went to the gym and did the AMT there for another 25 minutes before class (instead of running----easier on my stamina), and I did feel pretty good. Then I went to Shelley's pump class. It was great. In fact, on a normal day when I have enough fuel to fuel my body, I would have rocked that class hard and gotten an amazing workout. We did all the moves I love and everything was awesome... except my body couldn't keep up with my mind, so I had to keep catching myself from falling over. Do you think anyone would mind if I put a chair near my spot so between exercises I could sit down for 10 seconds? Because that's really what I needed. If I could just sit for a second and conserve energy instead of using it to stand up, I could make it better. Sounds ridiculous, but that's exactly how I feel out there. I WANT to do it, but I just need a little boost (a chair) to help me focus all energy on the workout and none on just breathing/standing/maintaining organ function/etc. Just the important stuff ya know-ha.
Anyway, class was great. Even though I didn't give it 120% I still gave it 100% and got a great calorie burn. Then this evening I knew I didn't have the stamina for bootcamp, so I only went to the pump class with Jen, but it was awesome too! Since her pump doesn't have any jumping around, I did really really well and gave it the full 120%. My body felt great as did my mind.
So in conclusion, its still going well, got a great 3 workouts in today, ate great, feel great, and am really excited the upcoming results of this 9 days.

day #3 looking good

Day number 3 is here. Its been a good day. Today is a "shake day" this means I'm supposed to drink two isagenix shakes, eat one 400-600 cal meal (preferably for lunch), and in between drink lots of water and eat those lovely (aweful!!) "snack" tabs.
Well, here's the recap. I drank my shake in the morning. Then didn't get a workout in as planned because our water was being turned off bc we didn't pay the bill ( no just kidding, a line froze and we had to turn it off to stop the pond being formed in our yard). Anyway, I got notice of this and had 10 minutes to jump in the shower b4 there would be no water. So, consequently, no workout for me. Then I went to the office and drank about one big bottle of water throughout the day (not enough) and ate about 7 celery sticks (about 20 calories). I meant to eat a light healthy lunch but didn't make it back home till dinner time, so instead of drinking the shake I ate the rest of my lunch which totalled about 300 calories. Its a yummy tomato,cucumber, mozzerella sandwich I make. I also put sprouts on it and toast the 100 calorie bread for a bit of a crunch. Its very yummy! Anyway, that rounds out a really good calorie intake day. However, no calories used exercising, I'll have to make up for that tomorrow!

By the way I got a new pair of Rock Revival jeans from zappos.com yesterday and wore them today... I love them!!!!!! They may be my most favorite jeans, except for my black ones which I REALLY love, but I feel they are a little dressy for everyday-wear. So I usually just wear those to "go out". Anyway really excited about these jeans because...
they are long enough
they fit
they don't feel tight on my thighs-they feel perfect
and most importantly... they don't gap at the back of the waist so I don't have to have them altered in any way.
Isn't this awesome!? Can u tell I'm happy with this purchase, and overrall my general outlook because....
I am turning that corner again (finally! welcome back the Rene' of 2007... I am ready and waiting for you!!!) (So is my husband probably-hee hee!)

day two cleanse/fast

Well, its 4:35pm on day two of my Isagenix cleanse/fast. Everything is going pretty well but I have a headache right now which is sometimes a side-affect. I'm try to drink more water to get rid of it. I am looking forward to tomorrow when I get to eat a real meal (one 400-600 cal meal per day) along with the shakes (instead of the aweful cleanse liquid). I'm already dreaming about a nice healthy salad, or a tomatoe/cucumber/mozzerella sandwich, hmmmm hmmm good. The scale says I've already lost 5 pounds (I know probably just water, but it still gives me the emotional incentive that I need). Last time I did this wholeheartedly, I lost 10 pounds in 9 days, but then gorged the 10th day because I was SO missing food, that I gained 5, so still had a net loss of 5. If I lose 5 I will be pleased. I just need a kick start, to change my attitude and therefore my committment level. See for me, its 95% mental. If I can just get my mind wrapped around it and commit to it, then I can do it. Today I went to the gym and was scared of bootcamp when I saw that I lost my breath during the warm up of the TONING class! I seriously comtemplated leaving after the first class giving myself the excuse that 1) I had a lot of work to do at the office and could use the extra time there, and 2)while cleansing /fasting u are actually supposed to reduce your exercise bc your body doesn't have enough energy to sustain it. However, our teacher said bootcamp would be the step only (and that is my favorite type of bootcamp).Plus since it wasn't just an open floor (with no props whatsoever) I wasn't as scared. I love most of the exercises we do incorporating the step. And even though I love the results of the "open floor" segments she does... they kick my butt!!!!!!!! and today with less stamina I didn't know if I could make it. I'm happy to say that I only lowered the intensity on 2 or 3 40second intervals, and I did full-fledged bootcamp the other 30 minutes! Although I will admit, I did NOT give it 120% which is what I prefer to do. But I gave it just as much as the majority of the class so it was still a very rewarding class. Glad I stayed instead of copping an excuse {especially since my friend Jen reminded me that I said we were gonna "kick butt" in class today} see my internal motivation is already kicking in gear and I'm only in day 2! :)
So there you have it, day two. I'll talk more later.

day one-cleanse/fast

Watching last week's BL and NOT snacking while watching :)
First day of my cleanse going pretty good. Usually day two afternoon starts the real hard part so I'll keep u posted. Got lots of work to do at both the office and home, so not sure how much time I'll have for updates, but I'll try :)

kick start

I'm gonna start another blog to write about this stuff (someday when I have extra time- ha ha), so I can keep my kiddo updates and health/wellness posts separate, but until then, I'm going to post it here.
So here goes, tomorrow I start my Isagenix cleanse. I haven't done a successful one since 2007 (the infamous year when I lost 20 pounds, 15 of which I have gained back, hence the reason for the cleanse and kick start). I know how it feels to have my desires change, so I am kick starting my body with (hopefully) a quick (and not so easy) weight loss jump, so that when I see those pounds gone on the scale it helps me mentally to change my wants (food-wise). This is what happened before, when I saw success, I no longer desired the m&m's because the smaller clothes felt better than the candy tasted. But 95% of my health focus is mental, so I know for me, I've got to get that positive mental boost before I can STICK WITH the rest of it (exercise and eating sensibly). So here goes, it starts tomorrow. Our church is doing a fast this week, so I thought I'd start my cleanse at the same time and my fast could be the cleanse (because essentially these cleanses ARE fasts-you eat virtually nothing except yucky tasting "snack" tabs, shakes (which aren't TOO bad), and horrific tasting cleanse liquid.) Makes you wanna run out and get some doesn't it? :) Well, I didn't buy it this time, its stuff I paid a fortune for 2 years ago (and is technically expired, but I hope it will work anyway), so I am going to use it up, hopefully achieve my desired results and then move forward with a stronger conviction to eat healthfully , and therefore continue to lose weight to my desired goal. And you know what, I would LOVE a pair of those jeans that have the sparkly crystal crosses on the back pockets... but I just don't want to put sparkles on my big behind right now! I figure when my booty gets smaller those crosses will look much cuter, so that's my goal too, get back to 135, so I can buy a pair of those jeans :) Got to have incentive right? :) wish me luck , and I will keep u posted on my success!

35 sports bras

Just threw my fourth workout outfit into the laundry basket from today. I'd say there's a reason I own 35 sports bras, and its a darn good thing I love doing laundry :)