Procrastinator Turbo5000

Hi everyone who might still be reading this...desperately hoping for some closure! I am truly a procrastinator and I have embraced it, if you know me, you've probably embraced it too! Let my try to take you back to the photoshoot, and filming days.

The weigh in: it was filmed, hah! Joanna was there, which was awesome cause it made it WAY more fun, and less embarassing! I lost 9 pounds!!! Also we were measured again. I don't have my inches in front of me, but I think it was 2 inches off the waist and 3 inches off the hips...1/2 inch from arms, and 2 inches off thighs!!

The day before I was talking about how I was dissapointed cause I hadn't lost THAT much weight. Afterall, I gained 10 pounds this year...so It felt like I was just getting back to normal. And then I put on my wedding dress. and that was a tangible measure of my progress, cause I REMEMBER how it felt to be in that dress. and it didn't fit anymore! (mostly in the boob area...thanks a lot Zone Dancing)...but also in the waist, and it wasn't as tight over my hips. And that was a real measure of my progress, cause I had lost weight and felt awesome and beautiful at the wedding. But the dress didn't even fit! It would have had to be altered! That really made me feel like I had made progress. and even though I weighed the same as I did a year ago, I didn't look the same, my body really had changed! (if you're noticing my use of the past tense...i'll explain in a bit!)

Photoshoot: Me in platform heels with huge, curly, blonde, beauty queen hair. First we took pictures in our workout gear, same as the before pictures. Then it was time for the outfits. I ended up wearing jeans, and one of Mindy's tank tops. Mindy is like half the size of me, height and weight. So I was a midrift bearing fashion monstrocity. Add a choker and chunky shoes and I walked right out of the 90's. Then I wore my new dress from the Limited....size 6! Woo! and then it was time for the bikini...I felt completely rediculous walking around in a bikini and platform heels. Also, it's horrible to be the only one in a bikini in a room full of fully clothed people. but I did it, and i'm proud of it!

The interview: This happened the next day. It was filmed in HD and I was wearing more make up than I ever have in my entire lift. Honesly I can't even remember what I said. I was trying to be honest, and I was trying not to laugh, cause they were asking me SUCH leading questions. Also if I said something good, they'd make me repeat it over and over...which made me feel super awkward.

B-Roll: This was by far the MOST awkward, and the part I was looking forward to the most! This was me in front of a mirror, "admiring my new body", spinning around, dropping my fat pants to reveal my new figure, holding a measuring tape around my waist....and doing moves from the DVD's over and over. It was everything I thought it would be!

In conclusion, I'm so glad I did this. I lost weight, and changed my body shape. Even more importantly I finished something I started! Hah! However, the extreme diet and 2-3 hours of exercise a day just wasn't realistic for me after we finished. I'm sad to report that i've gained 5 pounds since! Yarg! for a net loss of only 4 pounds! the inches really have stayed off though, I wear a smaller size pants and dress size. I have lost some definition in my abs, but overall I still look slimmer.

I've set a new fitness goal....to run the Bay to Breakers race in SF in May. this is a huge goal for me, because i'm not a runner. i'm really looking forward to begining training in January, after the holidays. For me, this won't be a weight loss thing. I'm doing this to prove to myself that I can, and to try to become a "runner".

Since this was Rachel's idea, and Joanna is in on it too....hopefully we can each write blogs on our experiences with becoming runners! Results Not Typical continues!!!

Also, I never took after pictures, cause I was so DONE with having my picture taken...and the instant it was over I ate lots of food, and my stomach was sticking out! HAHA! If I ever get a copy of the official after pictures, i'll post em for all to see! Cause I looked GOOOOD!

The Final Weigh In OR "You lost a dog"

The last two days have been...well I don't know what to call them yet because I haven't processed it all so I'm going to save my final thoughts for when my brain can produce words. Until then, I will leave you with my final stats because, frankly, they kick ass.


As a reminder, here is where I started:
Weight: 161 lbs
Waist: 35.25"
Hips: 39"
Thigh: 24"
Arm: 12.5"


Final Stats:
Weight: 148 lbs
Waist: 32"
Hips: 36"
Thigh: 22.75"
Arm: 11.5"

Boo.Yah.

I told Tara, the girl touching up our make up at the infomercial shoot today that I had lost 13 pounds and she said "wow, that's like losing a dog" (hence the title). I didn't even know I had 13 pounds to lose. I haven't been below 150 in seven or eight years. And don't forget about those inches, which I think is the real victory, 'cause who cares how much you weigh as long as that muffin top is gone. I look good, I feel good and I ate a brownie for the first time in over a month today! It was a goooooood brownie and I deserved it and I loved it and then I went to the gym. Alright, I can feel a ramble coming on so I shall stop myself for now. Also, I repeat...boo yah.

Fit Fest '09 or Practical Knowledge

As part of this whole experience we Zone Dancing ladies got to go to this year's Fit Fest, a two day convention for fitness professionals to update their credentials, learn new workouts, network, etc. It was so much fun. I got to work out all day with some of the best people in the business, try things that aren't even out on the market yet, and learn a lot about fitness and weight loss.

In this particular blog I am going to share with you what I learned from Dr. Len Kravitz about maximizing your caloric burn (sprinkled with a little wisdom from Mindy and my own experience.) You may have a lot of this before but if you're interested in losing weight, this might help.

Ready?

Get this.

To lose weight, burn more calories and eat fewer calories.

I know, right. But exercise all you want but if you don't reduce your calorie intake you're going to plateau. I just found out that on the Biggest Loser the female contestants are on a 1200 calorie diet and have a daily calorie burn of 6000 (the men are at 8000, not sure of the intake.) If you don't have 8 hours a day to spend in the gym and your goal isn't to lose 200 pounds in 17 weeks then obviously you don' t have to do anything quite so extreme. But don't you think that if people who's weight has spiraled out of control and who may have never exercised a day in their life can do that, that you can reduce your intake by a couple hundred calories and work out an hour a day? What can you cut out? Soda, juice, cream in your coffee (stop drinking your calories)? Less bread, more veggies? Have one serving instead of two? The first week might suck, but give it a few and some of this stuff will really stick.

According to Dr Kravitz, you don't start burning off the fat that gives you a muffin top until a solid hour into moderate exercise. Before that you're burning fat out of your muscles and blood stream. BUT, have no fear. If you don't feel like exercising for 2 or 3 hours a day to shrink your butt, that's where calorie restriction comes in because your muscles and blood will pull fat from your saddlebags to replace what you used up (as long as you didn't replace it with half a pizza before it could use up what you've already stored away.)


Alright, on to the exercise.


7 Calorie Torching Workouts:

1) TEMPO TRAINING
- Continuous aerobic exercise at 14-17 RPE (Rate of Perceived Exertion out of 20) for 30 to 60 minutes (basically go at the hardest pace you can maintain for your goal time or your MAX STEADY STATE)

2) METABOLIC BASE TRAINING
- Continuous aerobic exercise at a light to moderate intensity (brisk walk/jog 11-14 RPE) for 60 to 80 minutes

3) SPLIT TRAINING
- 2 to 4 High Intensity sets for 15 to 20 minutes separated by 5 minutes of active rest

4) INTERVAL TRAINING
- Alternate 3 minutes of nearly all out effort (16 to 18 RPE) with 3 minutes of low intensity (10 to 11 RPE)

5) SUPRAMAXIMAL INTERVAL TRAINING
- Alternate 15 to 10 intervals of 1 minute at absolute max (19-20 RPE) with 2 to 5 minutes active rest

6) CIRCUIT TRAINING
- Do 5 circuits of 10 reps (1 second concentric and eccentric contraction with a pretty comfortable weight) each of as many stations as you can think of (biceps, triceps, lunges, squats, abs, back, etc etc) and sprint from station to station (this would be much more fun with a partner)

7) FARTLEK PLUS
- "fartlek" means "speed play" in Swedish (really)
- Basically mix it up, go from anaerobic to aerobic at random intervals doing different types of exercises (walk, run, sprint, jump, etc.) Have fun with it.

So here's what you're going to do...

- Do low to moderate exercise fo 20 to 60 minutes every day. That could be as simple as a brisk walk or dancing around your living room.

- Mix in some high intensity/short duration exercise days....interval training is soooooo good.

- Multi mode training: mix it up, don't get bored, test your body. If you're not having fun, you probably won't do it. If you hate running but like swimming then swim and throw in a treadmill day for a challenge. If you hate swimming but love dancing take a dance class. (I love kicking stuff really hard, so some days I do that and other days I run so that kicking stuff really hard is easier and more fun.) This will also help combat the dreaded plateau.

- Shrink your portions.

- Eat food from the source (meat, veggies, fruit)

- Surround yourself with people that are supportive. Someone in your life just might try to sabotage you. Don't let them.

- Stick it out for 6 weeks. It takes about 4 to 6 weeks to form a new habit. Give it the chance to get there. Week 1 will suck. You'll be hungry and sore. By week 3 you'll be looking forward to your sweat session and you'll realize that you don't need those gummy bears to make it to dinner.

- And finally, some more Mindy wisdom... Be content. Celebrate your victories each day and don't punish yourself for not fitting into your skinny jeans. Be patient (and throw out those skinny jeans).

Note: If you're interested in the science behind a lot of this stuff, check out Dr. Kravitz's website. It's pretty cool.

Panic Time!

So there are about 2 weeks left until the after pictures. I'm freaking out! I realize that I HAVE lost weight and inches, and that without this program, I might never have had the motivation. BUT I can't shake the feeling that I'm not doing enough, and that it's not enough of a change! I really want to step it up these last 2 weeks and concentrate on areas that I know I will see results in, like my abs and arms. I've realized that i'm going a little crazy in the food department, and I really need to reel it in if I expect to have results.
I need to
1) eat more regularly, and not let myself get so hungry that I eat 3 containers of yogurt instead of dinner!
2) Bring my food to work all portioned out, so there's not a bag of frozen mango chunks sitting in the work freezer, calling to me all day! and so I don't go on a crazy broccoli and mustard binge! Is that gross or what?!
3) bring snacks with me on the ambulance, so if we're out on the streets all day, I won't get back to quarters like a ravenous wolverine (and go crazy on broccoli and mustard).
4) Make sure to stick to the diet on my days off and not snack all day (snacking on fruit and veggies, but still)

Now I realize that eating yogurt for dinner, or half a bag of mango chunks, or an entire galon bag of broccoli dipped in mustard isn't as bad as eating bags of cookies, or gummies, or ice cream...but it still made me feel out of controll and I didn't like it!!

So goals for the next 2 weeks are: reel it in and stop being crazy with food, and step up my ab and arm excersizes!!

P.S. I'm not posting halfway pictures or stats, cause it takes the fun out of the dramatic reveal!

I could drink the s**t out of some dessert tea right now.

Our night started with a BBQ where we couldn't eat anything. So we came home to do our homework (do 2 of the videos we were given on friday)! It quickly degraded into muting the video and dancing like idiots in the living room to my chicks rock playlist!!!

So we taped it, so you can all see our sugar deprived and hunger fueled dancing! Then Joanna made this awesome video!

Then we got excited about desert tea (i'm easily excited), and I ran out of the house like an idiot and locked us out! We laughed until we cried and peed ourselves (just a little bit), then laughed some more. So we wandered the streets of Capitola for an hour in search of dessert tea and warmth, until Spencer got home from work!!!

And it was the best dessert tea in the world (only it smelled better than it tasted).

The End

Why are boobs always the first to go??

Seriously! My strapless bra doesn't fit anymore! So on the eve of the halfway point, I am wearing street clothes for the first time in almost 2 weeks! While I was foraging in my closet, how could I ignore, the rack of uniform pants that don't fit me? So all alone in my house, preparing myself for the worst...listening to my "chicks rock" playlist for moral support, I tried on my pants....VICTORY!!!!!!! My pants fit!!!!!!!!!! They are still a little tight in the hips and thighs (and lets be honest, they always were) but more importantly I can zip them up!!!! and NO MUFFIN TOP!!!!!! This is a huge triumph for me cause I had more than a little breakdown about a month ago, when I had to go crying to my hubby to ask him for some of his pants to wear to work (we have the same job)! Whew!! This feels GREAT!

Thank you to all my infomercial ladies for the energy you give me at group class, it makes me keep going!

Tomorrow is day 14 (if I have calculated right) and I will be posting halfway point pictures and stats!!!

Progress Report

My shoulders look bomb.


That is all.

A Salmon Recipe! Or, I'm sick of Chicken

This recipe is modified from Cooking Light Magazine. I made it have less fat, and I added some yummy stuff like mandarin oranges, green onions and water chestnuts. Also the original uses cabbage slaw, but my hubby won't eat that, so I use broccoli slaw. I realize that you all might not have a cupboard full of Asian ingredients, and If you don't feel like investing in some, just use any low fat Asian sesame salad dressing (I think you all know my favorite brand....Kraft makes a pretty good one called Reduced Fat Asian Sesame). Leftovers make a yummy lunch wrap. flake the salmon and serve it in a low calorie tortilla (like la tortilla factory) with slaw and spinach.

Orange Salmon with Spicy Asian Slaw
Salmon:
4 (4oz) skin on salmon filets
Pepper to taste
1/2 cup Orange juice (or juice of 1 orange)
Cooking Spray

Slaw:
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp seasoned rice vinegar
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp bottled minced ginger
2 tsp chili ginger sauce (like Sriatcha)
1/2 tsp honey
1 bag broccoli slaw
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1 (11oz) can mandrin oranges, rinsed and drained
1 (80z) can sliced water chestnuts, rinsed and drained

1) Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Rinse salmon and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with pepper to taste. Spray pan with cooking spray. Place salmon skin side down in pan, cook 4 minutes. Flip salmon over, cook 3 minutes. After the 3 minutes, pour the orange juice over salmon and continue to cook until the liquid reduces. Remove pan from heat.

2) To prepare the slaw, combine first 7 ingredients in a salad bowl, whisk together. Add Broccoli slaw, cilantro, onion, oranges, and water chestnuts. Toss gently to combine.

Serving size: 1 salmon fillet with 1/4 of the Slaw
Calories: 295
Fat: 14g (from salmon, so it's good fat!!)
Protein:22g

The Infomercial Hermit

I've had blogger's block (is that a thing?) for a few days because my days are all nearly exactly the same. I sleep, I eat, I think wistfully of my next meal and how far away it is, I work out, and I (very occasionally) work. My looming weight loss deadline has made me forgo social events because so many of them center around food and alcohol. Why torment myself by surrounding myself with things I can't have? Katie mentioned that she has not worn anything but workout clothes and her EMT uniform for a week. Since my work uniform IS workout clothes (yay 24 hour fitness), I've pretty much ONLY worn workout clothes. I did get to wear jeans two, count em, two times in the last seven days. Once out for a friends 21st birthday....mmmm, water...and once out to the Greek Festival where I pretended to hate gyros and spanakopita (also known as SpankaTopia, if you're in the know.) After those two torture sessions I've pretty much decided to lay low until this is done and focus on getting my butt kicked into a firmer, cuter shape by Mindy and eating spinach. I'm very lucky that two of my friends are in this with me so that we can be social while eating spinach. As for the rest of my social network, I shall see you in three weeks. And hopefully, by the end of this, when I go out with my friends I won't even want those things that I can't have anymore.

Almost a week in!

and the first week is always the hardest!! I've worked out now for 6 days in a row, which I can safely say I have never done in my life!! It's not as hard as I thought it would be. I mean, each workout is hard and I have to push myself through it but getting myself there everyday is not as hard as I thought it would be. I have never done it before because I've always psyched myself out before I even go and then find excuses. But now that I've made the commitment to go whether I want to or not, I find that it's not as daunting as I always imagined. It's just part of my routine and I feel so much better after doing it! I feel like I'm finally starting to learn how to live healthy.

I've been following the diet really well all week but I found the weekend a lot harder. Not so much because I was tempted by bad food as I was just running around all weekend and that makes it a lot harder to plan meals. My cousin came into town and we were all over the place and I didn't have much time to stick to the planned diet exactly. So i stuck to some of the meals and then with the others I just tried to stay within my calorie range and be mindful of what I was eating. It was harder than I thought it would be. I'm trying to put it behind me and not beat myself up for not being perfect! I don't want to be so hard on myself that I lose motivation!! Focus on the positive and be proud of myself for what I've accomplished and what I'm doing!! Almost a quarter of the way toward my goal!!

And tonight is my Advanced Baking class!! from 5:00-10:00! I will make sure I bring my dinner so I'm not so hungry that I can't resist all the desserts!! This is the true test!! ;)

Determination

Mindy gave me one of her workout videos to do at work, when I can't make it to the group session. Here I am, thinking SWEET! free workout video, I love those! I do videos at work all the time, I use my little 5lb weights, grab my yoga mat for the ab section, and break a light sweat on my upper lip...no shower needed! I previewed Mindy's video last night, just to get an idea of what kind of equipment I'd need and what kind of space (my quarters at work is no bigger than my dorm room in college...). I was tired just watching it!

I'm still pretty run down from being up all night on Friday and getting held over for 2 hours and 45 minutes! but I'm SO proud of myself for making it to the Saturday AM group workout. It was lots of running! and I was exhausted! but just 1 week ago, I totally would have used being up all night as an excuse to not work out, and laze around the house all day. I was definitely lazy on Saturday, but it was after 45 minutes of a Mindy workout! again I'm SO PROUD of myself!!!!

So today i'm back at work, and we had a rough morning, I didn't get to eat Breakfast until 11:30...and I woke up at 4:45....yeah, most of the time I LOVE my job, but these last 2 shifts have totally sucked. So old me would have just quit, and not worked out....but instead, I took a nap...a 4 hour nap :) (again with the loving my job!) and got up and did Mindy's video....HOLY CRAP, it was every bit as hard as it looked last night, and then some! I was sweating, out of breath, and praying to the EMS gods that I wouldn't get a call and have to put my uniform on!!!! But it was worth it! I feel great right now! SO SORE, but great!

I don't think i've ever dedicated myself to anything like this, I'm totally a quitter! but i've stuck to the diet (with some adjustments, i'm sorry but i'm just not eating Ramen noodles), and worked out every day even though i'm sore, and tired, and HUNGRY! but it's paying off! i've lost 5lbs and I feel great! I think this thing might just work!

Little Victories

So it is day 5 and had I been attempting this journey on my own this is right about where I would give up, have some ice cream and sleep through my morning workout.

The Real Me: "Wow, Day 5 and no emerging six pack? Eff this. Pass the (insert simple sugar food item here.)"

The Realistic Me: "It's only Day 5, stupid."

The Real Me: "What? I can't hear you over these delicious...mmm...slurp...chocolate covered gummy bears topping my ice cream sundae."

The Realistic Me: "Dumbass."

It's only day 5...of course my body isn't drastically different. Yet that would usually be enough to kill my momentum. Unrealistic expectations have constantly been my downfall. But no more! Since our thought of the day is "everything is a gift" I am choosing to notice the positive (which is something I need to practice more of no matter what I'm trying to accomplish) and celebrate a little victory.

So though I may not have a six pack yet, when I do it will be much more noticeable because after only 5 days my posture is noticeably better. We have done a lot of sculpting and strengthening of our back muscles and my shoulders are starting to pull back. It's glorious! As a massage therapist I lost count of how many people came in with upper back pain. Most of them were surprised when I told them that what they actually needed was to strengthen their back muscles and relax their pectorals (and for many, of course, to lose weight.) "Wow, that makes a lot of sense! Now, can you spend all the time on my upper back." Sigh. But even with this knowledge, I suffered the same issues and did almost nothing about it and it showed in my posture and my muscle tension patterns. But now, only 5 days in, with a little hard work I'm starting to correct years of bad habits and poor self care. Eff yeah.

One snack at a time

As I sit here watching Deric eating lime tortilla chips and salsa I realize that today has been the hardest day so far. It is the first day that I've felt run down from the exercise (we had the toughest workout so far this morning) and the lack of food. Though I was by far my hungriest on Day 2 I still felt good. Definitely really hungry, but good. In fact the past three days I've had a ton of energy and the hunger, though really irritating, was just a reminder that I was challenging myself and succeeding. Today it's just a recipe for crankiness and snack envy. I would give anything for a gummi bear or a lime chip or some french bread with artichoke dip (drool.) Just hook the carbs to my veins. But I know if I start snacking now, I'll never stop and it's only day four. So I'll power through and just keep my mouth closed for fear that something other than a grape will fall into it. Tomorrow is another day.

Missed out

Today I had to work, so I missed the strip workout (kind of glad, but still would have been fun). Instead I did workout videos at work, while my partner slept! I didn't nap today, so tonight might kill me! but apparently I have suicide sprints to look forward to tomorrow at 9AM. I haven't done those since JV basketball!!!
Also I was satisfied for like more than an hour, from the delicious sandwich that was my lunch!! Oh man, it was good! 2 whole slices of bread!
So I did CPR 3 times today, after a core workout yesterday, and an ab video today....my abs, back, thighs, and triceps are SO SORE. Thankfully I'm a stickler for the rules and insisted on switching out every 2 minutes...but still!! That is too much action for 1 day, I don't like sweating at work!

P.S. I just got back from a call at a "naturist" lodge, and I didn't see one naked person! hah! they all had clothes on!

In Honor of Salad Dressing

I just wanted to say that I've been hungry since after dinner last night, through breakfast, through spin class, and still after my mid morning snack...this is gonna be hard! The hunger is like a gnawing constant reminder of my goals though, so I hope I learn to like it!!

Also I talked to Rachel last night for like 30 minutes about salad dressing! Hahaha! I love salad dressing, because it's the best part of the salad. I am always on the lookout for delicious dressing with less than 100 calories per serving (2 tbsp in most cases) and less than 5 grams of fat. Here are my top 5 dressings of all time!

1) The new sesame dressing we got for the program!!...I have no idea where they got it though! 50 calories and 3g fat. I took a picture of it for you (It's blurry! It's not your eyes, it's my camera), so scour your grocery store shelves! I have a feeling it's from a health food store (Whole foods, New leaf...If it's not in the Dressing section, try the Asian Foods isle, or the Marinates isle!) Don't stop till you find it! you'll happily eat salad for every meal!

2) Trader joes Spicy Thai Peanut Vinaigrette (in the refrigerated section)...I put this on everything, broccoli slaw, marinate chicken, salads, Faux pad thai, made with Tofu Shiratake noodles (more on these later).

3) Trader Joes Creamy Cilantro Dressing (refrigerated section) Put this on taco salad!! yum yum!

4) Trader Joe's Raspberry Gorgonzola Vinaigrette (refrigerated section) This sounds so decadent and bad for you, but it's not!! Make a fancy salad and serve this with thinly sliced lean beef...Make this and impress your friends!

5) Trader Joe's (noticing a trend here? these folks know what they're doing!) Organic Blue Cheese Dressing (refrigerated section!). This has 90 calories and 9 grams of fat (it will make your skirt fly up!) I like to thin it out a little with Balsamic Vinegar, and add some pepper, and maybe some gresh garlic...Oh man, you'll love it!

Check these out people!! They are delicious! One more tip...be wary of dressings that don't require refrigeration...they can be scary and taste like chemicals!

Preview of Tofu Shiratake Noodles: They are an asian noodle substitute that have only 40 calories per bag and 3 grams of CARBS, you heard me right!

First workout and I almost lost my very small lunch...

Okay, apparently I have let myself get REALLY out of shape!!! The first workout wasn't even the full hour because she was giving us all the info for our upcoming month and I still barely made it!! We got introduced to the program we are testing, it's called Zone Dancing and it includes the diet we are on, a dance based workout that utilizes a "Zone Sculptor" which is a resistance ring that hinges on one side and gives resistance when you pull the two sides of the ring apart. You can put the ring around your thighs so that when you are exercising you have resistance on your legs or you can pull on it with your arms while you are doing other exercises.

We mostly worked our legs by doing a lot of squats and pulling on the Sculptor!! I thought I could handle squats with all the ones I have done at 24Hour but last night we were doing them continuously!! Mindy is a great motivator and we would just move from one exercise to the next without breaks!! But she kept you laughing and smiling throughout the workout so it helped to push through!!! But by the end of the workout I was sure I was going to throw up!! I'm sure I had a horrible look on my face and was maybe a little green and I was right in Mindy's line of sight!! I was trying to continue with the exercises and I'm sure at that point I had horrible form!! I desperately didn't want to be the girl who threw up on the first day so I was doing my best to hold it together!! I have let myself get so out of shape!! So finally when the stretches came I couldn't even hold the positions!! I didn't want to be at any awkward angles!! Then she started to talk about how this workout was easy compared to what's ahead!! Hopefully I will be more in shape at that time and won't feel the need to lose the precious few calories I get for the day. ;) I made it through workout number one and I go back today!! I'm going to be in amazing shape by the end of this!!! I can't wait!

"I Don't Cook" OR "Day 1"

Things I learned today:
How to bake a chicken breast ( I know, I know...but it's a pretty big deal for me)
I really don't like scrambled eggs
I also don't like greek yogurt

Things I still need to learn:
How to NOT grab things straight out of the oven with my bare hands
How to make an over-medium egg
How to live off of a LOT less food than I'm used to

I'm sooooo hungry. Right about now I'd be toasting up myself a couple pieces of bread and lathering on the peanut butter and honey as a bedtime snack. Alas, that is not in the diet plan and I followed the meal plan today like a champ so I can't give up now.

Breakfast was nothing short of gross. As stated above I don't like scrambled eggs and adding a bunch of spinach that just, as Katie described it, gave me "squeaky" teeth did NOT help. On the next egg day I shall try something different. Also, eating an egg and a half and half a banana just made me more hungry, and I'm not even a fan of breakfast.

I spent the next hour and a half learning how to and then baking a chicken breast for my next two meals and then made myself go to Spin at 24 to give myself something to think about other than food. The moment I restrict my eating, I start obsessing over all things food related. But I guess if every time I get fixated on how hungry I am I go to the gym then I'll kick exta ass at the final weigh in.


Lunch was a much, much better. My first attempt at chicken was a success. It wasn't too dry and I wasn't starving for at least a half hour after I finished. Yay me!!



Then there was the wait to go to the first workout where I drank more water than maybe ever before just to make my stomach feel a little more full (the half a cup of strawberries, though delicious, not really filling.) Temptations were few until Deric brought home a tantalizing gyro but fortunately I was on my way out the door to go get my ass kicked by Mindy. And boy did she. Lunges, squats, more squats and then a few more just for good measure. Bending down to pick up the babies at work tomorrow might be a bit tough but so far there is minimal soreness. I'm looking forward to tomorrow, even if that means I have to lumber around Mindy's deck tomorrow plieing (probably not a word) like a wounded ostrich. Yes we start the ballet portion tomorrow. Yes I'm glad there will be no cameras.

Anyway, dinner was also delicious (salad doesn't count as cooking for me) and filling for at least 15 minutes. I skipped "desert" because greek yogurt just isn't doing it for me. Maybe I'll get used to it but it tastes a bit like whipped up feta. Deric tried to convince me to cheat by having regular good old fashioned cows milk yogurt but I thought it would be bad juju to cheat on the very first day. I can start that nonsense tomorrow.

Day 1

This picture is a combo of my dinner and my evening snack! Yum Yum Yum!! This salad dressing is the best thing I've ever tasted, and it only has 25 calories per 1 Tbsp!

Today we exercised for the first time! This product (I've already forgotten the name!!) is so amazing! My inner thighs and ass are killing me! They split the body into 3 zones. Today we worked on zone 1 (upper body), and zone 3 (lower body). Tomorrow is zone 2 (core). My legs are dying, arms, not so much! Mindy, trainer extraordinaire, says this program is largely Ballet based, maybe i'll develop some poise and grace!! There is also cardio stripping (yikes), hip hop (uh oh), and salsa (yikes, yikes, yikes!!). Thankfully the other girls don't seem to be any more coordinated than I am!

Speaking of the other girls...Spencer calls our group of girlfriends "the coven" or "the sisterhood"...as in, the coven is coming over, I'm outta here! This group of infomercial peeps feels like another sisterhood, we're all in it together...and it was a very supportive environment!

Mindy started the class off by saying, " I'll get you skinny, it will be your job to keep it that way!". She said it with such conviction that I believe her! and I believe in this program!! (haha sell it!)

Mindy's tip of the day is Fidget! As in keep moving all throughout the day

My calories for the day: 885 (that doesn't seem like a lot...but I didn't feel hungry until after our workout, so that's good!)

Rae's stats!! and one day in!

I went to take my before pictures and have my measurements done and I was pleasantly surprised! (with the experience, not my measurements, I gained weight this week!! ;D ) On my way up there I had visions of "shake for breakfast and shake for lunch" and of being uncomfortable with having my picture taken without the many layers of clothes I use to hide my body. But I got there and the energy was great and so was the food!! I walked into a room filled with women laughing, drinking wine and bonding over this crazy experience we are about to embark on together! Everyone was encouraging especially our trainer Mindy! We got our pictures taken, wearing sports bras and shorts, on a white backdrop with glaringly bright lights by a cute photographer, (just to add insult to injury!) which should have been horribly embarrassing but ended up just being funny. Then the food food was divided up and it was great!! It was all food I would buy for myself normally!! Greek yogurt, great fruit like pineapple and strawberries, different vegetables, pasta, whole wheat bread, peanut butter, chicken and ground turkey, I could go on and on! We are eating good food! The only thing is that for the first week the portions are very small but the plan is set up to where you eat every couple of hours to keep your blood sugar from dropping and to help keep you full. I feel pretty good so far today, I'm a little hungry but I had gotten used to eating way too much so that's to be expected!

We do our first workout tonight and get to learn more about the exercise product and routine we are testing. We'll let you know how it goes!

Rae's Stats:

Height: 5'4
Weight: 161 (I was at 156, what was I thinking labor day weekend!)
Waist (belly button): 40.5
Hip (at hip bones): 43
Thigh (largest part): 25
Arm: 13

Katie's Stats!

Time to be brave! Here are my before stats! And a before picture that Spencer took! (on the right side of the picture is the feather duster that Spencer bought, and never uses!!)
Height: 5'11''
Weight: 167lbs
Waist (at belly button): 35in
Hips (at hip bones): 41in
Thigh (largest part):25in
Upper arm: 12in

We got our food today! So far the menu looks doable (I'll blog about the meals, so you can get an idea of what I've eaten for the day). The plan was pretty much what I expected:
1) eat small meals every few hours
2) cut back on starchy carbs
3) no sugar
4) no booze
5) watch the salt
6) watch the fat.

We're eating lots of veggies and chicken, some fruit, and some whole grains. So this is pretty much what I eat normally, but without the treats and booze here and there :)
We even got bread and cheese and pasta...HOWEVER...our meal plan emphasizes not eating carbs after 1:30pm (so can I just not eat them at all? or eat a slice of wheat bread instead of pasta, which I don't like anyway?)....and they have us eating weird things like pasta with peanut butter...so.....I'm already planning adjustments to the menu. I definitely have some questions for our guru/trainer, Mindy. P.S. when Spencer (my hubby) was helping me put away the food, he said, "this is practically the same stuff you bring home from the store!" So it's not too much of a stretch.
I'll write more about this later, but my dieting in the past has been largely based on restricting. I'd like to follow their plan, to prove it to myself that I can lose weight by eating more normally.
Tomorrow is the first day of our workout regime.... we have been told is going to be "dance based", which scares me!! I can only hope to stake out a good spot in the back, and not step on anyone! I definitely lack rhythm, and the ability to follow dance moves!! Also we will be seeing and using the product for the first time!
Incidentally, tomorrow is also the first day of my month long Fit Camp (from 9am-10am, M-W-F), which I signed up for before I found out about the infomercial...I have a feeling I'm going to be one sore cookie by the end of the week! And for the record the infomercial peeps told us to continue with our normal exercise routines...so I'm not cheating!

The Weigh In

Oh my. It was everything I thought it would be (measurements, scales, pictures) and yet nothing I thought it would be (wine, camaraderie, cute photographer.) I arrived 10 minutes early, 'cause that's what I do, but sat in my car until 2 minutes early so as not to be rude and once again entered the home of Mindy and Bruce. There was a flurry of activity as Mindy and Co. were working frantically to pack up the $2000 dollars worth of groceries they bought us for our first week. I and my fellow 4 o'clock weigh ins were immediately offered a glass of wine which we of course gratefully accepted, lamenting that tonight would be our last glass(es) for a month.

After some wine, chatting, and of course giggling as more women arrived and more wine was poured it was my turn to be measured (waist, hips, thighs and arms) and weighed by Mindy. Mostly painless (thank you, vino.) Then came the pictures. Really, in retrospect, it wasn't that bad. I've certainly done more humiliating things in my life...and plenty of it has been captured on film. Still, stepping in front of a camera in unforgiving lighting in a sports bra and shorts is not an easy thing for me. Keeping in mind that this is a "before" picture which is supposed to showcase my flaws, it is nearly impossible for me not to suck in my gut, especially when awkwardly posing in front of an pretty adorable (in a 19 year old sort of way) photographer. Luckily for the infomercial world it's impossible to suck in love handles so it should still make an acceptably awful photo. All I can think though, is that the "after" shots better be worth it.

I left with a weeks worth of groceries and a meal plan that I think will be pretty easy for me to follow, now that a few people have told me how to bake chicken. I also left even more excited after spending some time with Mindy and my fellow guinea pigs. I am however really glad that all the before stuff is done so now I can focus on getting results (and free stuff.)

Since this is a weight loss challenge I must now, somewhat reluctantly, post my "before" stats:
Height: 5'9"
Weight: 161 lbs (thank you Labor Day Weekend gluttony)
Waist: 35.25"
Hips: 39"
Thigh: 24"
Arm: 12.5"

I'm looking forward to dieting?

So this weekend has been so chock full of "lasts" (last hamburger, ice cream,cheese, gummies, and booze!) that i'm actually looking forward to, and CRAVING healthy food!! I'm dreaming of big, green, crunchy salads and fresh fruit!! I just wanted to put that out there before I start complaining about dieting, so I'd have something to look back at to remind myself that there was a time I was sick of dairy products and candy...
Tomorrow is the before picture and weigh in....do I even need to say i'm excited? Cause I am :) Also I'm debating on whether to post my before stats...or not? I feel like it might motivate me and keep me honest...but also I think it will make a bigger impact if I wait until the end to post how much I lost...hmmm
Anyways, here goes nothing!!!

Fit Club, where the cool kids are

I have always been someone who struggles with my weight, I was never one of those girls who was naturally thin even as a child. As soon as puberty hit at a young age I got curves and I had a hard time fitting into "juinors" clothes and shopping in the same places my friends were. This led to me hiding my body in boys clothes or ill fitting girls clothes for most of my teenage years. It also didn't help that I was never in sports and I really liked my soda! In high school I developed a thyroid condition that made my weight fluctuate to the extreme. I never dieted or did anything to lose the weight but was constantly up and down, thin, heavy, thin, heavy.

As an adult I learned to eat healthier and that helped with my ups and downs but without my thyroid in check and not exercising I still wasn't where I wanted to be. I always looked at being fit like a wonderful dream, I didn't really view it as something I could be. I was always like, some girls are fit and some aren't and that's just the way it is, like some people are born with green eyes and some blue. I never came to the realization that anyone could be one of those "fit" people if they wanted to be. So I just let my thyroid decide if I was to be thin or heavy this year.

Then I decided to turn away from a career of working with teenagers and follow my dream of becoming a Pastry Chef! (not the best career choice for one who struggles with their weight!) I'm now going to school for Culinary Arts and I'm a Confection Chef! I work with sugar, chocolate and butter every day!! I gained more weight than ever in my first semester of baking school and it helped me to realize I had to take charge of my weight or it would get the better of me! I don't want to spend the rest of my life uncomfortable and overweight! So at the beginning of this year my Dr. was finally able to get my thyroid medication right and I decided that this would be a good time to get into shape and this year I made a commitment to make it happen. I've lost about 10 to 15 lbs so far and though I was exercising more I still wasn't getting enough exercise in. It was about this time that Joanna, Katie and I decided to commit to getting in shape by the holidays and to support each other in our efforts. As soon as we decided to make it happen this opportunity came along, the timing couldn't have been better! I'm a little nervous about how I'm going to feel the first week because I've never really been in shape before, but for the most part I'm just really excited that I'm going to to finally get to be one of those "fit" people! I will be so proud of myself and I'm going to start living life feeling good!!

Right Place, Right Time...

Ahh, the crazy things life throws your way sometimes, pots of gold at the end of rainbows, riding on unicorns among the stars, and getting chosen for any type of reality TV. Wait, What? This is probably the category of "likeliness" I would put getting chosen to be one of the cheesy testimonials on an infomercial. Every time I have ever seen any type of reality TV (including infomercials) I have thought, "how do these people even find out about this?" I guess it's just being at the right place at the right time and this time that was us! (well Joanna was at the right place! because, unlike me, she wasn't being lazy and got her booty to the gym that day! Thank you JoRuss!) So now all of you lucky readers get to come along on our adventure into infomercial stardom!! Or really just laugh with us as we go through the trials of weight loss guinea pigs!! I'm excited!!- I say that now, just wait until I'm so sore I can't stand and I'm up to my ears in spinach!! We'll see what I feel then, stay tuned to find out!!

What's it gonna take?

Something I've learned and forgotten and relearned about myself many times is that I need a very specific and tangible goal to accomplish anything at all. I need milestones and measurements of success to motivate me to action. Graduating college, going to massage school, each summer at camp, etc etc all have an end in sight, a moment that signifies successful completion. (I realize that this may be why I find it nearly impossible to choose a career that would keep me satisfied and motivated for more than a year let alone decades.)

This has also been true in my life of fitness and weight loss. The best shape I have ever been in was about 7 years ago when I was training for my blackbelt (obvious motivator.) The years before and after that, however, and pretty much for my entire adult life I have been maintaining my weight at a level that, though nothing to be ashamed of, is a constant reminder of just how lazy and unmotivated I can be. I know what it takes to lose those last 10 pounds. I have not plateaued and been frustrated by a lack of results. I just haven't done it. Yes I work out and yes I try to eat healthy but to really achieve those results I covet I need something big. I need another black belt, so to speak.

So what's it gonna take? I didn't see it coming, but apparently the motivation this time is going to come in the form of an infomercial. The strong desire not to disappoint Mindy Mylrea, a looming deadline (Oct. 6th) for the "after" shot, and the group effort with Katie and Rachel will hopefully whip my ass into shape over the next month. I don't doubt that I will be able to accomplish what she asks, because I have no problem chasing that carrot (though I imagine I will be sick of carrots by the end) when the finish line is in sight. At least I hope I have it in me. And then when I reach that milestone I can find the motivation to create a new one to achieve, whether it be success in fitness or just in life.

And if nothing else, watching Katie's head explode with excitement when she is finally in an infomercial will make this all worth it.

So excited I can't wait till Tuesday!

Tuesday is the day we take our "before" pictures, get measured and weighed and pick up our food! I have jam packed my weekend with activities to distract myself cause I'm so excited I've been having trouble sleeping!

For those of you who don't know me well, it has been a secret (or not so secret) dream of mine to be in an infomercial(I absolutely LOVE them and am fascinated by them and think they are hilarious!) Now, I always envisioned I would be the guy who was inept and could not possibly slice a tomato, make a smoothie, or mop a floor until I bought the product they were advertising....unfortunately that is not the case for this infomercial. but who cares?! I still get to be in one!!

Joanna, Rachel and I signed up to be in a group of 20 women ages 20-50 who want to lose 10-15 lbs in 5 weeks (and seriously, I've been trying to lose "those last 10 lbs for about 2 years now...). The deal is, we have to follow their eating plan, and workout for 1 hour each day with a trainer, all while still doing our regular exersize that we normally do. They are even providing our food for the first week! So this is basically 5 weeks with a personal trainer, which people pay good money for! All we have to do is sign our life away, and talk about our experience on camera!

Since i'm so crazy about infomercials, I plan on being completely crazy this month. I want to have a dramatic transformation so they'll have no choice but to use my testimonial!!

Tune in here for pictures, updates, stories, blood, sweat and tears and an inside look at the infomercial experience of a lifetime!