10 day Check-In and a Birthday Party Derailment

I didn't get the time to check in on Saturday because it was my oldest child's birthday. We partied hardy all day long. Also, I totally ate like crap. Whoops! It's hard to take your child out for Chinese food (the birthday lunch of choice) and be the sole person in charge of baking and decorating an entire cake without consuming too many low-nutrient calories. Also, with it being Memorial Day weekend, we were busy with barbeques and lots of family activities. Add it all up, and I didn't do so great at staying below my calorie limit for a few days there. Let's just say that today is a new day, okay?


Here's the offending birthday cake:

So here is my weekly check-in, 3 days late.



Yeah, I'm a crazy person and made a spread sheet. Unlike some aspects of my life, I like my data nice and organized. Because last week was the first time I took my measurements, that part of the data seems really redundant today, but it'll all look cooler next week, I hope. I'm pretty happy with the overall results I've made in the last 10 days, despite the setbacks I've had. I actually got down to 203 lbs back on Thursday, but eating junk caused me to retain some water weight over the weekend, so I'm just glad to be back down to where I was 5 days ago.

I'm only 3.1 pounds away from reaching my first mini-goal of weighing less than 200 lbs, and I hope to reach that goal within the next 2 weeks. Overall, I'm really happy with the progress I'm making. I am able to fit into some pants  and shorts that I haven't worn in a couple of years. I do have to note one big reason I didn't fit into them last summer is because I was 9 months pregnant. But still, it's good to fit into some of my old summer wardrobe.

This is the last week of school for my children, so I need to make sure I work in ways to keep walking and exercising once I don't have the urgent need of getting kids to school. I'm hoping to start walking with friends in the mornings/evenings with some friends and let my kids tag along too. So if you want to walk with me, let me know! Or if you already expressed an interest, I'll be contacting you. I've been doing about 2 - 3 miles per day, and I'd like to make it a steady 3 miles or more throughout the summer.

I've been upping my protein snacks in the afternoons, and I can tell it's really helped me curb the crazy hunger before dinner time. So thanks to everyone who suggested yummy high-protein snacks to me. I think as a new weekly mini-goal I'm going to focus on drinking at least 8 glasses of water every single day. The weather is starting to get warm here in Utah, and I really don't want to dehydrate myself with all the walking I do. Also, I've noticed that sometimes after a work-out I'll think I'm hungry, but really all I need is a big glass of cold water. So water is my mantra this week. I've even bought some zero calorie water enhancer to add to my water occasionally for those times when my kids are drinking juice and I'm feeling deprived. I realize that all the artificial stuff in water enhancer isn't great for me, but I honestly don't use it too often and it does offer a nice break from regular old flavorless water. I know that I can enhance my water more in more healthy ways by adding slices of fruit or a sprig of mint. Maybe I'll try to do that this week some time too. Do you have any other tips to help me increase my water consumption? If so, let me know. Thanks to everyone for your kind and encouraging words. It really does help me, more than you'll know!

1 Month Mark, Saturday Check-In and Fatigue

It's weekly check-in time!  I decided to start measuring some body parts today so that I can track any progress/inches lost. This is the part where all the healthier folks can look at my stats and think "Eww! Gross! How did she ever let herself get this way?!" I know, right?! I must be crazy to constantly be putting my weight and measurements on the interwebs for all the world to critique. Oh well... it's all about accountability, folks. So here it goes:

Weight
Starting weight: 225 lbs
Last Saturday's weight: 208.6 lbs
Today's weight: 206.6 lbs
This week's weight loss: 2.0 lbs
Total weight loss: 18.4 lbs
Pounds to mini goal: 6.7 lbs

Measurements:
Upper Chest: 41.5 inches
Bust: 49 inches
Waist: 41.5 inches
Hips: 48 inches
Upper Arm: 13 inches
Thigh: 23.75 inches
Neck: 14.25 inches

 Whew! Now that that's over with, let's get real here folks. I've been at this fitness business for 32 days now, so just over 1 month. I've lost 2 lbs in the last week. My weight kind of moves up and down a bit from day to day, but the overall trend is still downward, which is good. I'm quite happy with a 2 lbs weight loss in one week. Slow and steady wins the race!

In a lot of ways, things are getting easier for me, but can I just say that it's been a bit of a rough week for me in the energy department. Mr. Baby has been having several rough nights in a row (not really sure why) and that coupled with the fact that I've had family come into town to stay with us means I pulled too many late nights cleaning, prepping, chatting and catching up with folks I haven't seen in a year and a half, and feeding baby. I've only been averaging 4-5 hours of sleep each night, and none of it is uninterrupted, so it's left me feeling really draggy this week.

The weather has cleared up around here, after raining all last week, so I've hit the pavement hard and been walking 2-4 miles each day-- usually taking kids to or from school. The first few days this week before the fatigue set in, I was booking it! I was power-walking 4.5 mph both ways, pushing 100 lbs of kids in the stroller! No, I don't have a 100 lb child. The combined weight of my 3 youngest is close to 100 lbs. Anyway, I was going strong. Then, as the week went on and my sleep deficit got greater and greater, I noticed that I was slogging along. Especially in the afternoons when I would pick my oldest up from school, I was really dragging. It felt like I was walking through sand just to get to school and back. Also, I've been ravenous the last few days. I've done pretty well and still stayed under my daily calorie goals, but some afternoons a huge bowl of anything sounds so good.

I've decided to set another mini-goal for myself this week and try to eat more protein as my afternoon snack in hopes that it will give me the fuel I need to get through the rest of my day without feeling the need to nap. Because napping isn't an option for this busy mom of 4. Are you kidding? My house would be destroyed and my children would be all Lord of the Flies on their own. It would not be pretty.

I suppose I could try to set a goal to get more sleep at night, when the rest of the world sleeps. But although I can control what time I go to bed, I have no control of how many times my children (or cat) need assistance in the night, or what time my early early rising baby will get up. Usually it's some time just before 5:00 am, and then he's up until almost 7, at which point it's time to get the other little people up for the day too. So yeah, maybe I'll shoot to be in bed by 11:00 pm each night, but I guarantee nothing in the total hours of decent sleep department. Realism has become a good friend of mine. It's not always a kind friend, but it is a consistent one.

So yeah, for now I'll focus on some higher protein foods to help fuel me through the afternoon. Do any of you have some great suggestions on protein-powered snack choices? Let me know! And I'll try to post on Monday or Tuesday with some options I've found too. Because sharing is caring, folks. Sharing is caring.

P.S. - We are getting some family photos taken this afternoon, and I'll try to upload some later on. I haven't noticed a huge difference in my appearance yet, but my husband says he's starting to see some changes. We'll see!

Bow-ties with Chicken and White Sauce

 

(This was Sam's plate. I ate about half of that.) 

Thanks to everyone who has sent me links to websites with healthy recipes. I'm excited to try out some new recipes on my family. Tonight I was stumped as to what to make for dinner. I feel like I've been in a dinner rut, where I keep making the same few things week after week. Also, I need to go shopping. Like, bad! I hate dragging 4 kids to the store on my own, so I decided to raid my own cupboards and create something with the items I had on hand. This can sometimes be dicey because my children are children, which means they are picky eaters. I rarely make a meal that all 4 of them enjoy. Luckily for me, things panned out this time! All my kids ate this stuff up, and every single one of them wanted seconds. Success! I decided I need to document how I made it so that I can recreate it some time again. At it comes in at approximately 400 calories for a 1 cup serving, which isn't too shabby. 

Bow-ties with Chicken and White Sauce

Ingredients:

8 oz. of pasta. I chose bow-ties (obviously) because I had half a box sitting in my cupboard. 

water - to boil the pasta in

2 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves - cubed (you could add in a 3rd one, but mine were Costco sized)

Seasonings of your choice for the chicken. I used garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and Itialian seasoning

2 T butter

2 T flour

1 tsp minced garlic (I used the jarred stuff, but I'm sure fresh would be heavenly)

1 2/3 cup milk

2 T fresh basil, chopped

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chicken bouillon (optional)

Boil your pasta in the water until it's al-dente. Meanwhile, place your cubed chicken breast in a skillet and season it however you like. I used some garlic powder, onion powder, black pepper and Italian seasoning on it. Just eyeball it, you know what you like! Cook that chicken over medium high heat in the skillet until it is cooked through. 

While the chicken and noodles are cooking, let's make the sauce. This dinner is multitasking at it's finest! In a medium sauce pan, melt the 2 T of butter. Add in the garlic and stir it around a bit and enjoy the fragrance. Mmmm! Then add in the 2 T of flour. Whisk it all around so it doesn't burn, and cook it until it begins to brown just a bit. Then s-l-o-w-l-y add in  a cup of milk. I used skim and it didn't detract from the taste at all. Bring the sauce up to a boil, and add in the mined basil, black pepper and salt. If you think the sauce is too thick, feel free to add more milk to it a little at a time. I ended up adding another 2/3 cup of milk to get my the consistency I wanted. Taste test the sauce. If you think it's lacking something, add in 1/2 tsp of chicken bouillon. That's totally optional.

By now your noodles and chicken (that you've both been stirring intermittently) are now done. Drain your noodles, throw the chicken in the pot, add the sauce and voila! Dinner of yumminess is served. 

This dish would pair nicely with a green salad, but I told you I need to go shopping, so our was served with leftover peas. I ended up mixing my peas in with my helping of pasta and it was delish. Or, if you are my kid, you can just throw the peas on the floor. 'Cuz that's how we roll around here. The peas, I mean. Anyway, the meal was tasty and very satisfying. Bon appetit!

The 6 Stages of Weight Loss

I found this awesome explanation about the 6 stages of weight loss on a forum on myfitnesspal.com. I feel the need to explain it here so that I have it to remember and encourage me as I move along my journey. Most weight loss journeys tend to follow the same trends, and a lot of people give up or get discouraged when they hit a stage where they feel their weight loss isn't progressing, or even seems to be regressing. It's important to push through those plateaus and realize that they are just a part of the process.

So here is what weight loss will typically look like:

Stage 1: Let's Do This!
You've just begun and you are PUMPED! You're ready to make the change, lose the weight and become a whole new you. The first few weeks of weight loss, things are going great. You are eating right, exercising more, and after the first week or so, you are feeling less hungry and more energized. You might be seeing losses of 4 to even 10 lbs each week! This is amazing! At this rate, you'll be skinny in two months, right?! Hold on there champ... Most folks tend to see lots of weight loss in the first 2-3 weeks because they are losing all their excess water weight. Did you know that many people hold onto 5 lbs or water weight or more? This is the first dip in weight that you'll see when you begin a new fitness plan. The second most common reason for this huge dip in weight as you being your journey is due to the stores of fat that are right next to your blood vessels. This is where the most recent pounds that you've acquired are being stored. As you exercise and burn calories, these newest pounds will seem to melt away! This is great news, and often time this rapid weight loss seen in the first few weeks is the motivation that overweight people need to keep going. It's validating to get some quick, measurable results.

Stage 2: Am I Doing Something Wrong?
Around the 3 to 4 week mark, you'll notice that your weight loss appears to be slowing down. You may wonder what's going on! Am I eating more than I think? Why isn't the scale moving?! Ugh! Your body took a hit as you began to eat less and exercise more. Well, the shock has worn off, but your body isn't sure yet if these new lifestyle changes are permanent. It's gotten used to your new metabolic rate. In compensation for all those calories burned, and fewer calories consumed, your body has decided to hang on to some of that fat that you have. Your body is thinking: "What if we are starving or something?  Hang on! Hang on tight and DON'T LET GO!" You might not see the scale budge for a few weeks. But don't freak out! It's still working! And remember that as you burn fat and exercise you are building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat does, so you might not see the numbers on the scale go down, but you ARE improving your health. Plus, muscle is better at burning fat too. Muscles = Awesome! Don't we all want to be more toned? Anyway, the point is, don't get hung up on the numbers on your scale. Instead, focus on Non-Scale Victories (NSV). Expect this weight plateau and press through it. Don't give up!

Stage 3: Keep on Truckin'
You're about 2 months into this journey and you are used to the routine of eating better and exercising more. Your body is finally realizing that you mean business. This isn't just a quick fix, you are in it to WIN it! You'll start to see your weight begin to do down again, but it won't be as dramatic as it was initially. Your weight loss will probably be closer to 1 -2 lbs per week. And this is good! You probably put the pounds on gradually over a period of time, and it's healthiest to lose weight this way too. Quick, crash weight losses often result in regaining that weight again. And you don't want that! You'll start to feel more toned, and notice that your clothes are feeling more and more loose. You'll notice that your endurance is improving and you can exercise longer and harder than when you began. If you measure other parts of your body (your arms, legs, waist, hips, etc) you'll see the inches going down too. You're making slow but steady progress.

Stage 4: Another Wall
You've been at this fitness journey for about 4 months now, and you are in your routine. You are pretty happy with the way your journey is going, but the shininess of it all has worn off. You may feel tired of always having to work out. Maybe you miss being able to eat all your favorite things without wondering how many calories they are, and how hard you'll have to exercise to make up for it if you choose to eat that piece of cake. The novelty of the process is gone, and you feel a little deprived. Lots of people tend to give up at this point. They think "I've already made some progress and that's good enough for me, so I'm going to just stop right here. There are plenty of things that taste better than skinny feels!" Well that's true, and I don't personally believe that anyone should deny themselves chocolate for the rest of eternity. But the wall you're hitting here is more of mental block than a physical one. Things are feeling a little stale, probably because they are. Try finding some new, fun ways to exercise. Branch out of your regular healthy foods and look for new fruits, veggies and recipes to try to keep things fresh and encouraging. Talk with other people and let them hold you accountable. You don't want to give up now, even if you think you do! Beat the mind game, imagine your pride at reaching that ideal goal weight and press through.

Stage 5: Your Ship Comes In
You've kept at this health "thingy" for 5 or 6 or 7 months now, and you've got those last pesky 10 or so pounds to lose. Your body actually wants to hang onto those last 10 or so pounds. Because, what if there's a famine!? You're going to really have to change up your routine to tone up and lose those last few pounds. Try new toning exercises and hit them hard. Focus on different muscle groups each day, so that you can rest the muscles you worked the day before. Hit it hard and don't keep doing the "same-old, same-old" routine or you won't really progress. And add in some rest days here and there too. If you over-exert and strain your muscles then you're doing more harm then good. Plus, muscles will keep burning fat, even at rest. The last few pounds may take 3 to even 6 months to shed. It sounds discouraging, but don't let it get you down. Instead, realize how far you've come and keep pushing yourself.

The thing to remember with weight loss is, the less you weigh the slower you should lose the weight:
If you have over 70 lbs to lose, you can start off losing 2 lbs a week.
If you need to lose between 40 - 70 lbs, it's better to lose at a rate of 1.5 lbs/week.
If you need to lose 20 - 40 lbs, you're best off losing it at 1lb/week.
And if you have less than 20 lbs to go it's going to be slow going at about a half a pound a week.
You can't keep eating at a 500 - 600 calorie deficit when you only have 12 lbs to go. Your body needs those calories as fuel, and you don't want to put your body into "starvation mode." You want to consume enough calories to avoid headaches, keep your muscles fueled, and keep your skin elastic. Also, make sure to eat back some of your exercise calories too. Stay under your calorie goal, but keep your body healthy and happy. It might take a while, but you WILL reach that goal weight.

Stage 6: Maintaining the New You!
You don't want to slip back into old habits and eat away the world like you did before. You still need to exercise regularly and eat well to keep the weight off long-term. It can be difficult to keep at it when you've no longer got a goal to work towards (as far as losing is concerned). Make the changes in your lifestyle that need to happen in order for this new you to stick. Be active doing what you love. Eat the foods you love that fuel your body in healthy ways, but keep portion control in mind. It's normal for most people's weight to oscillate up or down 2 -5 lbs (especially us women who deal with menstruation). Eww! TMI Rach! Well... it's true and every woman knows it! Try not to weigh yourself every single day. Maybe check your weight every week or so. If you notice it going up more than you'd like, exercise more and eat a little better. If it's dipping to low, add some more healthy calories into the mix. Most of all by happy in your new fit life!


Back to me now. I'm personally beginning stage 2 of this journey and I was a little miffed to see the scale going up (a bit) and not down over the last couple of days. It was making me grumpy until I remembered this article, so I decided to sit down and re-compose it for myself as a reminder to keep pressing forward and focus on fitness. I hope it helps some of you too!

Mini-Goal #1

Wow, you guys are awesome! I got such amazing feedback from friends and family members. I really appreciate the support and encouraging words. Thanks to everyone who offered to work out with me, shared awesome recipe sites, and linked workout routines for me to try. I'm going to be checking them all out, and I'll be contacting y'all to walk/exercise with you. Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU!

When I started my weight-loss plan 25 days ago, I had a mini-goal in mind. See, my 10 year anniversary is coming up this August. Crazy, huh?! I'm officially old if I've been married for a whole decade. Anyway, my husband is a sweetheart and has planned an overnight getaway for us to enjoy for our anniversary weekend. And my mother, who is an angel on earth, has graciously offered to come watch our 4 busy children for us while we get away kid-free for the first time EVER. Yes, it's true. The only overnight time I've spent away from my children has been when I'm in the hospital after having a baby, and even then I'm not kid-free because I've had a newborn to meet and care for. That's 7 years without a kid-free night. See why I'm sleep deprived?! Needless to say, this little overnight stay is a big deal for my husband and I.

Where does my mini-goal come into play with all of this, you ask? Well, I decided that I wanted to lose at least 25 lbs before my anniversary. That would put my weight below the 200 lb mark for the first time since I had my second child back in 2009. That would give me 4 months, or roughly 17 weeks, to lose 25 lbs from the time I started mid-April to my anniversary in Mid-August. At about a pound and a half of weight loss per week, that would put me right on track for my goal.

Well, I'm happy to say that I'm off to a good start. I'm down to 208.6 lbs as of today, which means I still have another 9 or so lbs to go before I reach my mini-goal. And I still have 13 and a half weeks left before my goal deadline. If I keep focused I can totally do this! Of course, if I reach my mini-goal before my anniversary (which I'm really hoping to do now) that means every thing else lost before the big day is "bonus" and extra steps towards a healthier, more self-confident me. Seventy five (or more) pounds is a lot of weight to tackle all at once, so I figure I can keep breaking down my weight-loss into smaller, more manageable mini-goals. Then, as I reach each mini-goal, I can celebrate in some fun way. Maybe some fun new workout clothes, or clothing in a new, smaller size as I get to that point. What do you think? Any good suggestions for some fun, small and inexpensive rewards as I reach my mini-goals? Let me know in the comments. Oh, and I've updated the moderation so you don't need to be logged in with a blogger account to leave a comment on anymore. That means you can post anonymously if you are more comfortable with that.

Happy fitness, everyone!

It's Time to Begin (Isn't It?)

And now you're singing Imagine Dragons. You're welcome!

Seriously though, I want to start a blog to document my weight loss journey. And this is it.

Hi, I'm Rachel. I'm 31 years old, 5 foot 6 inches, a mother to 4 beautiful children, wife to the most fantastic man on the planet, and I'm obese. Ouch, that hurt to write. But it's true. My BMI plants me firmly in the obese category. And 3 weeks ago, I was solidly in the "Severely Obese" (Obese Class II) category with a BMI of over 35! Gross, right?! I know. There's lots of me to go around. And around and around and around. And I'm tired of that. I'm tired of not liking who I see in the mirror anymore. I'm tired of not fitting into clothing right. And my wake-up call came a month ago when the size 16 pants I was wearing were getting too tight to button. I was NOT going to move up a size! It was time to stop making excuses and start losing the extra pounds I've been packing around for years.

My goal is not to get "skinny." Let me be clear about that. I've never been skinny in my life. I don't even know if I would look good if I were skinny. But even back when I was in my early twenties and had a healthy BMI, I still wasn't skinny. I've always had a big bust and a "not-washboard" stomach. I wore a size 10. Not exactly model material. But I was healthy and fit. And for the most part, I was happy with myself and my body. My goal through this weight loss journey is to get back to healthy again. I don't want my kids to be embarrassed because "Whoa Mommy! You're fat!" Yes, they have said that on more than one occasion. I want my children to have me as a good example of eating well, exercising and taking care of our bodies. I believe that the Lord gave us our bodies and that makes our bodies temples. It's time for me to start treating my body like the temple that it is.

So Rach, you used to be fit and 145 lbs. What happened? Well, life and laziness happened. After I got out of college I took a desk job working 40+ hours a week. I went from walking all over the campus of BYU, hiking "the hill" multiple times a day, to sitting on my rear most of the time. Then I go pregnant with my first child and although I gained only 30 lbs, I didn't lose it all after she was born. I lost some of it, but as I dealt with the sleep deprivation that comes with a colicky baby and waking up at 4 am to get into work an 8 hour shift before my husband went off to school, I turned to carbs and sugar to keep me awake. I used food (and not healthy food) to fuel me with the energy I lacked from getting little sleep. With each pregnancy, the cycle has repeated and I've gained more and more and more weight. But sleep deprivation wasn't my only problem.

When my oldest was 4 I quit my job to stay at home with the kids. It was the right decision for our family, but it led to a couple years of underemployment for my husband, and our finances have been tight. Turns out I am an emotional eater too. When I don't have control over the trials around me, I turn to food to fill a need. Totally unhealthy, right? But lots of people try to eat away their stress. Eating releases hormones that help us feel happy, even when our bodies are getting more and more unhealthy.

Then, I just resigned to it. I had 2 surprise pregnancies in a row, and between being pregnant and breastfeeding, it was difficult for me to lose weight. During the first few months of my babies' lives I feel RAVENOUS. Breastfeeding literally drains me. And none of my babies have been good sleepers, so the the sleep deprivation I mentioned earlier has only gotten more pronounced and chronic. But in early April when I stepped on the scale and it showed that I weighed 225 lbs (gross!) I decided it was time. No more excuses. Get moving, eat less, and lose some weight woman! Now, my youngest is 9 months old, my milk supply is firmly established for breastfeeding, and the little guy is eating solids now too. I can't use my baby as an excuse. The weather is warming up and my friend gave me a double stroller for free. I can't use cold weather or too many kids as an excuse. It's time to make changes.

Three weeks ago I started using myfitnesspal.com to count calories. I have a goal to lose 1.5 lbs each week. I'm also trying to walk as often as possible: to drop my kids off at school, go to the park or the corner grocery store or just to take a walk around the neighborhood. I'm trying to eat "cleaner" but I'm not giving up any foods. Let's be honest, life would suck without chocolate. I believe "all things in moderation" is the way to lose weight, and keep it off. I'm not interested in diet pills or supplements or weight loss products I have to special order. I have a lot of friends and neighbors doing the "Take Shape for Life" program (Medifast). I'm glad it works so well for them, and don't think it's a bad program, but I'm not interested. I don't have the money, and don't think that eating 1000 calories/day or less or pre-packaged foods is the right answer for me. I still need to be able to enjoy my food or I won't be able to stick with it. My current goals are to eat 1640 calories or less per day, exercise at least 4 times per week for 30 minutes each, and drink more water. I'm still breastfeeding too, which burns some calories as well.

Here are some stats:

Starting Weight (Heaviest Weight): April 16th 2014:   225 lbs
Current Weight: May 9th:   210.3 lbs

Me at my heaviest:

 Ugh! I hate photographs and always hide behind the camera because I don't like how I look.

If you've made it this far, THANK YOU! I could use some friends as motivation. I need some people to be accountable to. Please follow my blog. Comment! I love comments. I need comments. Share tips and tricks with me. Share your favorite healthy recipes. Share your favorite toning exercises. Share your own struggles or triumphs. Or you could even berate me and call me a fatty and shame me. That works too. If you are on myfitnesspal.com, add me as a friend. My user name is Sunshine7684. Stick around and encourage me as I get back to fit.