Week 3- 2/13- 19

WHAT I ATE:
M- m1 9am- 2 EW, 1 WE scrambled; 1/3 cup oatmeal cooked with 1TB each of splenda and crunchy pb
m2 11:45am- RTD; banana
m3 2:15pm- 2 cups LT Progresso Santa Fe chicken soup
m4 4:30pm- 1 cup LF string cheese; 1 cup green grapes
m5 6:30pm- 2 EW scrambled with 1 slice LF sharp cheddar cheese, 3 slices turkey bacon on 1 LT WW English muffin
96oz h2o

Tu- m1 9am- 2 EW, 1 WE scrambled on 2 pieces WW toast with 2 oz LF sharp cheddar cheese
m2 11:45am- RTD; banana
m3 2pm- turkey w/ 1 slice LF provolone cheese on 2 slices WW toast; 1 cup cauliflower
m4 4pm- 1 cup LF CC with 1 FF blackberry yogurt
m5 6pm- @5-6oz lean grilled steak; 1 cup steamed broccoli; @1/8 cup pepperoni pizza; *Free Treat- 3 chocolate covered strawberries; 1 Dove Dark Chocolate heart
96ozh20

W- m1 9am- 2 EW scrambled with 1 slice LF sharp cheddar cheese, 3 slices turkey bacon on 1 LT WW English muffin
m2 11:30am- RTD; 1/2 mango
m3 2:15pm-grilled chicken w/ 1/2 cup baby spinach w/ 1oz LF brie cheese w/ 1/2 apple wrapped in 1 MG (multi-grain) tortilla
m4 4:15pm- 1 cup FF plain Greek yogurt w/ 1 cup fresh blueberries and 1TB splenda
m5 6:30pm- turkey meatballs w/ marinara sauce w/ 1 cup WW spaghetti; 1/4 cup piece garlic bread; salad (romaine lettuce, baby spinach, carrots, cucumber) w/ 1/2 TB ital. dressing
1 Dove Dark Chocolate heart
96oz h2o

Th- m1 9am- 1/3 cup oatmeal w/ 1 cup plain FF Greek yogurt w/ 1TB each of crunch pb & splenda
m2 11:30am- RTD; mango
m3 2:15pm- leftover turkey meatballs w/ sauce & WW spaghetti; 1 cup salad (no dressing)
m4 4:15pm- @4oz deli turkey; 1cup cubed cantaloupe
m5 6:45pm- leftover turkey meatballs w/ sauce & WW spaghetti; 1 cup salad w/ 1/2TB lite Ital. dress.
1 Dove Dark Chocolate heart
96oz h2o

F- m1 9am- @1 1/4 Kashi cereal w/ 1% milk; 2 EW scrambled
m2 11:30am- RTD; 1 cup cubed cantaloupe
m3 2:15pm- turkey sandwich on 2 slices WW toast with 1 slice LF provolone &; 1/2 avacado; 1 cup baby carrots
m4 4:15pm- 3 LT wasa crackers w/2 LC (laughing cow) LT (light) garlic & herb wedges of cheese; 2 boiled EW
m5 @7:45pm- 1/2 serving of spicy peanut Asian noodles with 1 whole seared chicken breast from Noodles & Com.
1 Dove Dark Chocolate heart
96oz h20

Sa- m1 8:30am- 1 cup Kashi cereal w/ 1%  milk; RTD
m2 10:45am- RTD; apple
m3 1pm- turkey w/ 1 slice LF provolone cheese w/ 1/2 avacado on 2 slices WW toast; salad w/ lite Ital. dressing
m4 3:30pm- 2oz LF sharp cheddar cheese; 1 pear
m5- 6p- frozen Kashi meal- Roasted Garlic Chicken Farfalle
http://www.kashi.com/products/kashi_frozen_entrees_roasted_garlic_chicken_farfalle
1 Dove Dark Chocolate heart
96oz h20

Su- *Free Day:)


HOW I MOVED:
M- 9:30-10:15pm UBWO- chest- machine flyes, db incline press; shoulders- upright cable row, front raises; back-one arm db rows, seated cable rows; triceps- french press, db kickbacks; biceps-cable curls, stand. alt. db curls

Tu- 9:10-9:35pm HIIT on treadmill (25 minutes)- 1.38 miles, 7 min total running, 3.0 incline, HS 5.0
abs- leg ups 3 x12, crunches 1 x 40 then 2 x 25; alt. one leg ups 3 x 10; standing oblique twist w. 9lb med. ball 3 x 15

W- 45 min. somewhere between 8 & 10pm LBWO- quads- db squats, sitting machine press; hamstrings- leg curls, SL db dead lift; calfs- standing angled db calf raise, machine extention; abs- cable crunch, crunches w/ 9pb medicine ball
1 hr Zumba on Wii

Th-  25 min. somewhere between 8 & 10pm  HIIT on treadmill (25 minutes)- 1.44 miles, 7 min. total running, 3.0 incline, HS 5.0

F- 6:20-7pm UBWO- chest- machine flyes, db incline press; shoulders- upright cable row, front raises; back-one arm db rows, seated cable rows; triceps- french press, db kickbacks; biceps-cable curls, stand. alt. db curls

Sa- 2-2:25pm HIIT on treadmill (25 minutes)- 1.52miles, 8 min. total running, 3.0 incline, HS 5.3


HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT ALL:

Ok so I totally rocked this week!  I made it through Valentine's day without cheating big time and made it a whole week without cheating and missing a workout.  And it totally paid off- I made my hefty goal and cannot even tell you how excited I felt when I saw that number on the scale at my weigh-in Sunday morning.  I felt great.  The running workout were so very hard this week for some reason and I wanted to quit or just not do them so many times and I'm so glad I did.  I can honestly say I gave it 110% in the workouts.  I'm also real proud that I didn't cheat and snack on things throughout the week.
I decided I would allow myself 1 Dove Dark Chocolate heart a day.

It's only 37 calories and it fills my sweet cravings very easily.  Speaking of cravings I've definitely noticed my cravings are starting to curb quite a bit.  I feel so energized and motivated and I'm realizing that this really will be the time that I finish and lose the weight and won't give up.  I know next week and the couple weeks after that will be tricky since my brother and his sweet family will be here for 13 days on vacation.  But I'm preparing myself well and I know I will be just fine and stick to the plan.  And you better believe I will be living it up on my Free Days:)  I got this, people... I got this!!!

ENDING WEIGHT:
211.0
3.8lb loss
11.4lbs lost overall


GOALS FOR NEXT WEEK:
1. no snacking!
2. workouts first thing in the morning
3. no free meals- only free day on Sunday
4. 3 days of at least 30 min. extra cardio
5. successfully complete C25K first week training plan

Week 2 2/6- 12

WHAT I ATE:
M- m1 8:30am- 2 EW, 1 WE scrambled; 1/2 cup oatmeal cooked with 1TB each of splenda and crunchy pb
m2 11am- RTD; apple
m3 1pm- tropical tuna sandwich on WW (tuna, mustard, cinnamon, crushed pinapple, sweet relish); 3 celery stalks
m4 4:45pm- 1 cup LF CC mixed with 1 FF raspberry yogurt
m5 7pm- @ 1 1/2 cups brown rice; Santa Fe chicken (lime grilled chicken topped with green chilies, salsa and LF sharp cheddar cheese) over baked corn tortilla strips; 1 Dove dark chocolate heart:)
96oz h2o

Tu- m1 8am- RTD; banana
m2 9:30am- 2 EW, 1 WE scrambled on 2 pieces WW toast with 2 oz LF sharp cheddar cheese
m3 12:45pm- grilled lime chicken topped with salsa; baked tortilla strips with salsa
m4 4pm- 1 LF string cheese; @1 cup fresh strawberries
m5 6:45pm- 1/2 size apple pecan chicken salad from Wendy's; handful french fries
96oz h2o

W- m1 8:45am- 1/3 cup oatmeal mixed with 1 cup FF plain Greek yogurt and 1 1\2TB crunchy pb and Splenda
m2 11am- RTD; cutie orange
m3 1pm- tropical tuna sandich on WW; 1 cup baby carrots
m4 4:15pm- RTD; banana
m5 7pm- fresco steak soft taco and @1/4 fresco chicken soft taco from Taco Bell
96oz h2o

Th- m1 9am- 1 cup special k cereal w/ 1% milk; 1 cup 1 % milk w/ @1TB Nesquick; 2 sliced cooked lean ham
m2 11am- slim fast protein shake; 1 cup green grapes
m3 1:15pm- santa fe chicken wrap (grilled santa fe chicken with 1oz LF sharp cheddar cheese & 1/2 cup salsa on multigrain tortilla); 1 cup raw cauliflower
m4 4pm- 1 cup FF plain Greek yogurt with 1 cup fresh raspberries & splenda
m5 6:45pm- *Free Meal 1- chips & salsa, cheese enchilada, 1 beef flauta with guacamole, rice & refried beans, few french fries, 1/2 grilled cheese
96oz h2o

F- m1 8am- 1/2 huge pear; slim fast protein shake
m2 9:30am- 1/3 cup oatmeal with 1TB nutella; 2 EW, 1 WE scrambled
m3 12:45pm- turkey sandwich on 2 slices WW toast with 1 slice LF provolone & 1/2 avacado; 1/2 fresh cucumber
m4 4:15pm- 7 LF triscuits w/2 LC (laughing cow) LT (light) garlic & herb wedges of cheese; 2 boiled EW; @3/4 cup fresh pineapple
m5 @7pm- *Free Meal 2- buttered popcorn; peanut M&M's
96oz h20

Sa- m1 9:30am- veggie omelette (3 EW, 1 WE, 1 slice lean ham, 1/2 bell pepper, green onions 2oz LF sharp cheddar cheese); @1 cup fresh pineapple
m2 11:30am- slimfast protein shake; @1/2 apple
m3 2pm- grilled chicken salad from BK
m4 4:15pm- RTD; 1 cup green grapes
m5- Off the bandwagon:(
48oz h20

Su- Off the bandwagon


HOW I MOVED:
M- 9:15-9:55am LBWO- quads- seated machine leg press, db squats; hamstrings- db lunges, SL bb dead lift; calfs- machine calf extention, one legged db raise; abs- leg ups 3 x 10, crunches 3 x 25, alternating one leg ups 3 x 10, standing oblique twist with 8 lb medicine ball 3 x 15
10:30-11am- wii Just Dance on "Just Sweat" mode

Tu- 6:35-7am HIIT on treadmill (23 minutes)- 1.34 miles, 6 min total running, 3.0 incline, HS 5.5

W- 9:50-10:30pm UBWO- chest- db press, db flyes; shoulders- db press db lat raises; back- wg lat pull downs, cg pull downs; triceps- rope press down, chair dip x 12; biceps- concentrated db curls, hammer curls

Th- 8:45-9:05pm HIIT on treadmill (23 minutes)- 1.39 miles, 7 min. total running, 3.0 incline, HS 5.3
9:40-10:10pm 30min of Zumba on wii

F- 6:20-6:55am LBWO- quads- leg extention, db squat; hamstrings- db lunges, db SL dead lift; calfs- machine extention, onelegged db calf raise; abs- leg ups 3 x 10, crunches 3 x 25, alt SL  leg ups 3 x 10, standing oblique twist w/ 9lb medicine ball 3 x 15
4:30-5pm 30 min. Zumba on wii


HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT ALL:
This week was about a 7 out of 10 I'd say.  Definitely not as good as last week.
I jumped the gun and got my reward a day early confident that I would finish strong and earn it.  Unfortunately that wasn't the case.  So now WHEN I get a clean 6 day week next week this will have to be my reward and I won't get a new one.  Oh well.  Anyway, I snacked way too much on little things here and there and then all the eating out this week killed me.  I was proud of myself for eating a salad most of the time at the fast food restaurants but I could have 86ed the eating a few fries here and there.  As far as Saturday goes that was just a hard day.  There really was absolutely no time to work out since we spent all day getting a new van and going to the temple which is a huge priority over working out for me. And since that took a huge chunk of time it was so late by the time we got home I originally decided to just not eat at all because I thought it would be too bad to eat that late.  Well I should have just eaten something healthy because I ended up being so hungry I binged.  I felt disgusting and disgusted with myself afterward.  I woke up determined to eat healthy on Sunday to make up for the binge but the I gave into the Krispy Kremes calling my name and it all went downhill from there.  So to learn from this I am going to try to just stick with the one free day a week instead of having the option of 1 free day or 2 free meals a week- at least for the remainder of this BFL program.  And also, I am going to stock up on some Kashi frozen meals to have as back ups on nights I can't cook and my family gets fast food.  I was totally bummed that I only lost 1.2lbs overall this week (especially because my midweek weigh-in was 2.2lbs!) but I'm glad I still had a lost and I'm totally motivated to have a great, clean eating week next week.  I am proud that I had 3 days where I did at least 30 min. extra cardio this week.  I LOVE Zumba and think that will be easy to stick to.  Next week get ready 'cause I'm gonna rock you!!

ENDING WEIGHT:
214.8
1.2lb loss
7.8lbs lost overall


GOALS FOR NEXT WEEK:
1. no snacking!
2. workouts first thing in the morning
3. no free meals- only free day on Sunday
4. 5 days of at least 30 min. extra cardio
5. increase running time to 9 min. total running

Things that help...

As I was watching Biggest Loser while I ate lunch today I said to my self: "self- you should share on your fitness blog some things that really help you out in the fitness area of life."  So here are just a few things I adore that help me out in my fitness area of life:

The Enell sports bra.  It is VITAL to me working out.  It is seriously the difference to me LOATHING working out to LOVING working out.  I cannot even tell you how much confidence and ease a good support to the girls is.  It's pricey but I think I would honestly pay more, it is that good.

I love veggies but I am not a huge salad fan.  I love fresh veggies the most- just raw or in a sandwich.  Being that I have to eat about 97, 364 servings of veggies a day, not liking salad makes it kind of difficult.  So here's a secret I use to make sure to get my servings of veggies I need each day.  Are you ready?  Come closer.  Okay.  Salsa.  That's right.  Salsa.  I buy a bulk size and I go through that baby in like 2 weeks.  I LOVE salsa.  I put it on eggs, on chicken, on a baked potato- you name it.  (If you add cheese, I'm in heaven- but that's completely beside the point).  So there you go... not only is salsa DEE-LICIOUS!, but it's also healthy and serves as a serving of veggies:)  You're welcome.

Next, I've mentioned it previously but I just have to mention it again because it's such a strong motivator to me.  Netflix now has all the episodes of Biggest Loser on it.  Whenever I have downtime, which is about 32 minutes a day if I'm lucky, I like to turn on an episode and watch people sweat, see their ups and downs and I'm instantly motivated to become a Biggest Loser myself.  It's so convenient and so worth the $8 a month to not have to deal with all those damn commercials!  What did people do before technology?

And last but certainly not least, my beloved ipod. I mean seriously... I honestly don't know how people can handle working out without one.  The few times that I've had to go without because my husband didn't charge it up where HELL!  It's so motivating to me and it just adds another layer of happiness to exercise for me.

So there you have it.  A few of my tricks and tools I adore in the fitness realm.  What do you adore and can't live without in the exercise world?

Santa Fe Chicken

I created this little doozey of a dish last night and was asked to share the recipe then "pin" it.  So I will oblige:)

First you soak your boneless skinless chicken breasts in lime juice then lightly coat with low sodium taco seasoning. Then you coat your grill with EVOO and get it pretty dang hot and grill up those lime flavored chickens!

After they're all grilled up and cooked all the way through put them on a baking sheet covered with foil and sprayed with cooking spray (easy clean-up).  Top with green chilies (I only topped mine with green chilies because my family are a bunch of boobs and don't love green chilies like I do).

After that top with salsa.

After that top with cheese.  Mine has LF sharp cheddar and the other's are just regular shredded cheddar cheese.

After that pop in an over that had been pre-heated to 400 degrees for about 15 minutes-ish.  Take them out, place on top of baked tortilla strips (cut up corn tortillas and bake in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes) and serve with rice- brown rice if you're going for all out healthy.  Then enjoy- because, how could you not?!

Week 1 1/31- 2/5

First of all, this is so fitting for me this week.  I'm so sick of having to start a new program all the time.  So this is the last time I'll have to re-start my health and fitness because I'M NOT GIVING UP!

Next, since I didn't do this at the beginning of the week, I need to post this info so I can better track my progress.

BEFORE STATS:
Weight- 222.4
Size- 18 in pants, XL in shirts
Measurements- chest 47.5, right arm 14.75, waist 47, hip 48, right thigh 25.5, right calf 17.5


BEFORE PICS:

taken 2.14.12

Now for Week 1 info.  And this is how I plan on recording each week's progress.


WHAT I ATE:
M- m1 8am-  RTD (EAS Ready To Drink AdvantEDGE Carb Control protein shake); 1/2 grapefruit
m2 9:30am- 2 EW (egg whites), 1 WE (whole egg) scrambled; 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal with 1TB crunchy PB (peanut butter) and spelnda
m3 12:30pm- Subway- 6" turkey & provolone on Ital. herbs & cheese bread with bell pepper, cucumber, black olives, light mayo and mustard
m4- 3:30pm- 1 cup LF (low-fat) CC (cottage cheese) mixed with 1 container FF (fat-free) blueberry yogurt
m5- 6:30om- Italian cheese baked chicken; @1/2 cup macaroni pasta with marinara; salad with Romaine lettuce, carrots, cucumber & celery with Ital. garlic & herb dressing
96oz h2o

Tu- m1 8am- banana; RTD
m2 9:45am- 2 EW, 1 WE scrambled on 2 slices WW (whole wheat) toast with 1TB LF sharp cheddar cheese
m3 1:30pm- turkey sandwich on 2 slices WW toast with 1 slide LF provolone and 1/2 sliced avacado; @1 cup baby carrots
m4 3:15pm- 1 apple; 1 LF string cheese
m5 7pm- beef, broccoli & carrot stir fry with spaghetti noodles
*Free Treat- @1 1/2 cups Edy's Rocky Road ice cream
96oz h2o

W- m1 8:15am- RTD; pear
m2 10am- 2 EW, 1 WE scrambled; 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal w 1 TB Nutella & splenda- so good!
m3 1pm- turkey sandwich on 2 slices WW toast with 1 slide LF provolone and 1/2 sliced avacado; 3/4 cucumber
m4 3:30om- 1 cup plain FF Greek yogurt mixed with 1 cup fresh blueberries & splenda
m5 6:15pm- 1 Fresca steak soft taco from Taco Bell
96oz h2o

Th- m1 9am- veggie omelette- 3 EW, 1 WE, 1 slice lean ham, green onions, 1/2 bell pepper @1TB each of LF sharp cheddar cheese & reg cheddar cheese; 1/2 grapefruit
m2 11am- RTD; cutie orange
m3 1pm- turkey sandwich on 2 slices WW toast with 1 slide LF provolone and 1/2 sliced avacado; 3 stalks of celery sticks
m4 4pm- 3 boiled EW; 3/4 cup red grapes
m5 6:30pm- @5oz lean grilled steak, 1 small baked potato with @1TB each of margarine and sour cream; 1 cup steamed broccoli with a sprinkle of parmesan cheese
96oz h2o

F- m1 8am- RTD; banana
m2 10am- 1/3 cup cooked oatmeal mixed with 3/4 cup FF plain Greek yogurt and @1 1/2TB crunchy pb- yum, yum!!
m3 1:30pm-  turkey sandwich on 2 slices WW toast with 1 slide LF provolone and 1/2 sliced avacado; @1 cup baby carrots
m4 3:30pm- RTD; apple
m5 6:30pm- orchard chicken salad from Target- grilled chicken, romaine lettuce, slivered almonds, craisins with poppyseed dressing
96oz h2o

Sa- m1 9:15am- @1 1/2 cups Special K cereal with 1% milk; 1 cup 1% milk with 1TB Nesquick; 2 boiled EW
m2 11:30am- 2oz LF cheddar cheese; 1/2 grapefruit
m3 2pm- 6" turkey, provolone sub on WG (whole grain oat) with spinach, cucumbers, bell peppers, black olives, lite mayo & mustard
m4 4:30pm- RTD; cutie orange
m5 7:30pm- other half of Subway sub; 1 Little Ceasar's breadstick
96oz h2o

Su- *Free Day



HOW I MOVED:
M- 6:35-7:35am UBWO (upper body work-out as laid out in BFL [Body-for-LIFE] program)- chest- db (dumb-bell) press, db flies; shoulders- db press, db lateral raise; back- lat pull down, close grip pull down; triceps- press down, chair dips x 9... didn't have time to do biceps

Tu- 6:20-6:30am finished UBWO- biceps- concentrated db curls, hammer curls
6:30-6:50am HIIT (high intensity interval training as laid out in BFL program) on treadmill- 1.14 miles, 4 min. total running, incline 3.0, HS (highest speed) 5.2

W- 6:30-7:15am LBWO (lower body work out as laid out in the BFL program)- quads; leg extention, db squats; hamstrings- SL (straight leg) BB (barbell) deadlift, db lunges; calves- machine calf press, one leg db calf raise; abs- this ab routine http://www.oxygenmag.com/Fat-Loss/Slideshows/Mini-Abs-Routine-Major-Results.aspx#slide-1 leg ups- 3 x 12, 8, 10; oblique crunches 3 x 12; alternating leg lift 3 x 10 half way; standing oblique twist 3 x 12
4-5pm Just Dance on wii

Th- 8:10-8:40pm HIIT on treadmill- 1.15 miles, 5 min total running, incline 3.0, HS 5.3

F- 6:30-7:05am UBWO- same as Monday only biceps were included on this one

Sa- 8:20-8:40am HIIT on treadmill- 1.24 miles (? not exactly sure because the damn emergency stop got pulled in the middle of my workout on accident!), 6 min total running, incline 3.0, HS 5.4
8:40-8:55am abs routine same as Wednesday

HOW I FEEL ABOUT IT ALL:
First of all, I've never been this out of shape my entire life!  At the beginning of this week I was at my heaviest weight (minus pregnancies but not by much) I've ever been in my entire life.  My fat clothes were starting to get tight and I felt ugly and disgusting.  I can honestly say that after that first morning workout I felt my motivation come back and my fire was lit.  This week was truly very easy for me in that I hardly felt tempted to cheat on my diet.  I cannot remember the last time I started a weight loss program that I didn't struggle the first week and not cheat once or not miss one work-out.  I feel great about my work this week and the 6.4 lb weight loss this week was icing on the cake.  I truly, honestly feel, for the first time in a long time, that I will stick with it this time and not give up and will complete my goals.  Signing up for the races was huge for me.  I also kept it pretty simple with my eating plan which made it so easier to stick with.

  I think I ate a turkey, avacado sandwich every day this week for lunch.  I do not plan on doing that all the time, but for this week it worked great.
Another thing that helped me with the motivation is the reward system I set up for myself (thanks to advice from my friend Rhiannon).  I got myself a nice big calendar that I can write down my workout programs for the day and that I can put my sticker on when I complete the workout and stick to the diet.  I know it sounds silly, but just like it's so exciting to put the little rocks on the "lbs lost" side, it is so exciting for me to put stickers on the days that I do well.

For getting 6 consecutive stickers this week my reward was a new nail polish.  It was a whopping $1.99 but it was so exciting to buy it and put it on because I felt like I worked for it and truly earned it.

Something else that kicked up my motivation burn was watching Biggest Loser on Netflix.  I've always loved that show and it's always been a big motivator to me.  To be able to watch it at my convenience without commercials is genius.  It really does get me excited to move and lose!
I would say this week was pretty much awesome.  I woke up today and after seeing my loss on the scale this morning I was on cloud 9.  I felt pretty today.  For the first time in a long time.  I still have so very far to go but I'm well on my way and I honestly feel like I will go all the way this time, for the first time in my life!

ENDING WEIGHT:
216.0
6.4lbs lost
6.4lbs lost overall


GOALS FOR NEXT WEEK:
1.  prep food for the week on Monday
2.  all workouts first thing in the morning
3.  increase running to 8 min total running
4.  30 min of extra cardio 4 x this week
5.  continue with no soda

Here We Go Again

I actually started my new weight-loss plan on Monday and I debated back and forth of whether or not to do a fitness blog.  As you can see, I decided to do it. But I think it will be simpler.  As in I've decided to not count calories at this time, I won't make it necessary to work out only first thing in the morning, I will allow myself more breathing room with a cheat meal and cheat treat, and so forth.  If I overwhelm myself I won't stick to it.  I've also pre-registered for 4 races so far this year and all are non-refundable which I think will help me stick to the routine since I don't want to lose out on that money for nothing.  I started on Monday after a long debate of even attempting to try to lose weight again.  I struggled because I just did not want to make another attempt and fail again.  And I was really lacking in motivation.  I know I need to lose weight and that I am not happy about where I am at right now physically (AT ALL!) but I just wasn't motivated as I usually am when I start a program.  But I finally decided it's something I NEED, MUST do if I want to truly be happy and content.  So Monday morning came and after going to the gym first thing in the morning my fire started to ignite.  It's only been 4 days since then but my fire of motivation is in full blaze!  I have not cheated once (I had ice cream but that was my planned cheat treat for the week) and am not even craving the crap I usually eat.  I've gotten some great tips from my friend who's a fitness guru that have helped motivate me as well.  She told me to do some sort of rewards system and that really got me excited.  So on the right where I have "Progress" posted is where you can see the rewards system I'm using.

I also found this cool idea on Pinterest of using decorative rocks as a visual of your weight-loss.  Since I'm a very visual person I knew this would help motivate me.  So on my Thursday morning weigh-in when I lost 4 lbs (wahoo!) I was SO excited to put my 4 little rocks into the "Pounds Lost" jar.  Small things bring about great things:)

I am also keeping an exercise and food journal as well.  Like I mentioned before, I won't be counting calories but I will still record what I eat and at what time as well as my workouts.  My whole fitness plan is posted on the right as well.  I plan on posting what I ate and what workouts I did for the week at the end of the week.  I will also post any recipes or motivational thoughts and stuff like that.  I will not focus on perfection this time, but progress.  I can do this.