Dear Scales, Please Show Me the Weight Loss!!!!

Yup, it is totally devastating working your buns off only to see that they really haven't gone anywhere. That's how I am feeling right now. Most people reach a plateau after 20 lbs and I have hit mine at 6.5 lbs! I work out 5 days a week varying between cardio, like the elliptical and circuit training. I am eating the dreaded breakfast, a bigger lunch, and a light supper. Pop and my favorite sweet-tea has been tossed aside for water, Crystal Light, and some diet pop. I have lost an inch in my calves, half inch in my waist, and I see muscular definition coming alive in my arms. Yet, I step on that scale it has gone nowhere! When you want so badly to lose 30-40 lbs, not seeing that scale change really makes this journey seem so harrowing and depressing.

I have grown to notice that I am not creating enough muscle confusion that is needed to spring weight-loss into overdrive. I really need to devise a plan that will create the proper workout to achieve the ultimate fat burning and muscle building to reach my goal weight. This will require research and organization. I walk in the gym every morning at 6 AM attacking it without a plan of attack. This does not work in war, nor does it work in the gym-life, we must make a workout plan. We need to know the sequencing of muscle groups and know what will lead us to the greatest results.

My aim over the next couple of weeks is to devise this plan and execute it. Then I will report the results with you all. If you have any ideas or know links for research feel free to share in the comment box. I want nothing more than to report back that the scales are finally showing the weight loss. I hope life is treating you all well and that your personal journeys are leading where you want to go. Best Wishes and God Bless!

The Look at Her and Look at Me Complex

I went to the gym for my usual early morning workout and took my place in my lil 30 minute circuit training area..After 15 minutes of grunting (internally)and sweating in every area possible, in walked a skinny girl; I mean skinny-b*t*h-skinny...If you are an overweight woman you know what I mean. Many of us "thick b*t*hes" when put in a situation where someone many pounds smaller than us is placed in comparison to us, we automatically refer to them as "the skinny b*t*h" Inappropriate? Why yes it is, however, many women of the thinner-nature will also refer to us thick-nature gals as "fat b*t*h", so I am guessing the playing field is pretty level at this point. As I drove home from work today I was milling this over in my head. I had told this very story to co-workers, using the very words that I used above...and now I am wondering why this is a necessary action.
Well, so far the best I have come up with is this little theory. I think overweight women call the skinny women b*t*hes because we want so bad to be them and it can be so hard to see that we can. That we look at them and think it has to be easy and so nice to eat what you want and not look like me. We do not know if they at home working out non-stop or eating 500 calories to be that way. Is it great genes? Maybe, or it could be that they have found what works for them or that they struggle everyday to hang on to their bodies. I think when skinny women call overweight people names that they do this out of fear. Out of a fear that they could no longer be the size four and be like me and wear a size 14 someday. I think overweight people are the reminder that size does fluctuate and that they could one day be overweight too. They look at fat people and think "man all they do is eat all day, sit on the couch, and don't care about their appearances". What they don't know is many of us go to the gym every single day, eat very little, and stare in the mirror while only wearing bras and panties crying over who is looking back at them. The majority of us overweight people just want to look normal, to fit in, and feel desired. When we see ourselves and are disgusted, then we only assume that others are too.
I guess when it is all said and done, we really need to stop looking at others trying to see a reflection of ourselves. The mirror only reflects you at that moment, you as you are. Whether we appreciate the person looking back, it is still you. Overweight women should not size themselves up with smaller women. We shouldn't compare our arms and our thighs to each other. Their body isn't ours, we are each made individually and the mold was immediately broken. Skinny girls need not look at overweight people and fear being us, there is nothing to fear, because being overweight isn't the end of life but a journey in life. A journey that can be traveled and learned from. Being overweight is not a horrible thing, especially if you are healthy and are comfortable with who you are and how your clothes fit. When we as women can stop comparing ourselves to others or having expectations of how others should look, we will all find a new peace and comfort in who we are as individuals. We are all beautiful and no matter our size there is someone to love us and desire us for who we are. Best Wishes and God Bless

6LBS and Counting

I weigh in every single day...I am adamant of waking up, heading to both the Wii scale and my regular scale and getting the daily numbers. Finally, I have hit 6lbs lost. My goal is to be down 10 by the time my family and I head to Disney and the beach. I will be no-way feeling sexy in my flowered long-skirted bathing suit, but I will be able to remind myself that I am down 10 lbs and that I will only need another 20-30lbs to lose before I hit Ideal Body Weight!!! Taking this journey to reach my IBW is one that is rewarding but it is also one that takes so much desire and dedication. You have to tell yourself to get up and get moving, even at 5:40 AM. Tonight, Chris wanted to head to the gym, but after staying the night at my parents' without electricity and air-conditioning, I had barely slept today. But, he kept asking and finally, I said let's do it!!! I couldn't let that weaker voice win, I had to pull myself out of the hole I was trying to bury myself in and go. We went at 10:00 PM and was back by 11:00. I completed the Circuit Training again tonight. I really think doing that several days a week will bring on some progress. I can feel the changes and my weaker muscles such as my hamstrings and quads are starting to gain some strength. Of course, my body is sore and my joints are achy but I have to push through, there is no time to give in. It's all about finding that stronger you that lives inside and comes out at the most important times, getting into a healthier lifestyle is one of those times. Your future depends on how you treat your body, your lifespan can be determined on how you choose to live life. Being an over-weight couch potato will not help you see that 100th birthday. Now, if living to 100 is not a goal for you at least work towards living a life with as little health complications as possible. Give your body every fighting chance to get you through with as little medications and Dr. visits as possible. Make life something you get to participate in and not just something you are surviving. We are given this gift of time on Earth and we should make the very best of it all and enjoy it. Being healthy will help you keep the joy in your life. I hope everyone is enjoying their weekend and that you all are getting Your Move On!!!! Best Wishes and God Bless.

Pound-by-Pound....

Again this morning Chris and I made it to the gym for another 6AM workout. It felt good going even after a mere 5 hrs of sleep...I really have to get that sleep thing worked out, anyways.... Prior to writing this post, I completed some sets of hand-weights, some ball/wall squats, and walking in place. I use a set of 3 lb weights, of which doesn't sound like much, but it doesn't take a heavy weight to see results. Like so many challenges in life, you just have to pound away at the weight you are trying to shed. Chipping away the small outer pieces first, then as that begins to break down, bigger pieces will fall off. It is always a slow start the first week or two, then the results will roll in for a while. Of course, we will hit bigger pieces that need more pounding to break free and we plateau. When you hit the wall don't give up, it's just your body readjusting and you just have to go to bigger tools. This journey isn't just a trip to the park; it's more like starting out in the park, hitting the desert, climbing some mountains, and finally hitting calm waters beach-side somewhere, with a whole new outlook on ourselves and the world around us. Know that no matter how hard you try, you will have bad days, but try even harder and the good ones will follow. The results will come, there is no doubt about it. Over the following months of this journey we will work together and find what works for each of us, what mode of transportation will carry us to our destination. Everybody is different, therefore how we make it to the end location will be different. I hope life is treating you well and we will speak again. Best Wishes and God Bless.

Early Morning Workouts....UGH:)

Today was our first early morning workout. We got up at 5:40 AM and was at the gym by 6:00 and we worked out about 45 minutes. We focused on cardio so Chris and I used the eliptical and I also used the recumbent bike. The bike doesn't really strengthen or tone like the eliptical but it is still burning some calories. I felt really good after the workout and even at 8:00 PM, I am not tired or ready to head to bed. I truly think early morning workouts are best for me because life always seems to get in the way if I wait until the evening to go to the gym. Things constantly pop-up and before I know its 8-9:00 and I am totally not feeling a workout when I really just want to veg for a little while. I tend to be wound tight and I require some relaxing to unwind and prep for sleep. I am not blessed with the ability to lay down and be asleep before my head hits the pillow, like some man that I know;) However, come morning time I am pretty ready to bounce out of bed and get the day started, knowing this means more energy to spend on a workout. As you can tell by the photo, we go to Planet Fitness here in Louisville. It is a pleasant place to go and not overly crowded and I don't feel intimidated or feel like everyone is noticing the chunky chic walking in. They have a great amount of elipticals, treadmills, arc trainers, bikes, workout stations, and weights. I have the more expensive package which allows me to bring unlimited guests, red light therapy and hydro massage. I pay $19.99 a month and I think once I get there on a more regular basis, it will be worth it. I am going to dedicate 2-3 mornings a week and a weekend day to the gym. When at home I use the Wii Fit, Jillian Michael's DVD, and youtube for other workouts, of which we will discuss in future blogs. I weigh in everyday, I think this really keeps my focus and if I have a bad day it shows; which refocuses me. I always weigh in the morning, undressed, and before I eat or drink anything. Our weight can fluctuate as much as 2-3 lbs in a 24 hr time due to the changes in our bodies, such as water retention associated with PMS. If you weigh yourself at the same time everyday you are more likely to see your truest weight. I really enjoy the times I am losing and seeing the Oz melt away. Take this morning for instance, I was 8 Oz less than yesterday and the day before I was 9 Oz less than the day before that. Seeing the numbers drop turns into a game of sorts. But beware, you will have days that the scale moves the opposite direction, use that time to get back into the game and refocus. I am working hard and staying on track as much as I can. I will waiver and have bad days, but that is part of the journey and is what builds us into stronger people. Don't forget to get your Move On!!! Best Wishes and God Bless!

Two Weeks and Counting

Tomorrow makes 14 days straight of exercise and I am down 5lbs!!! My short-term goal is to reach 20lbs and my long-term will be 35-40...So my journey has just begun. I am beginning a morning gym routine tomorrow, Chris says he may join me, but we shall see what he says when that alarm goes off at 5:30 AM!!!! It would be nice to have an exercise partner, but in the end reaching my Ideal Body Weight is what it's all about. With reaching my Ideal Body Weight my body will function better, the stress on my bad joints will be relieved, and some serious "love my own body" will be back...I know people try to say be comfortable with the size you are, don't try to hide it, be proud....I wish I could, because that is really what we ALL should do no matter what our size is, but I have a hard time with it..Summer time really brings out the discuss of how I look. I put on shorts and my very short legs shows my weight, they are thick and pale and there is barely any definition from my knees to my calves, not to mention the cankles I just about have:( To me, this is what I hate the most about my body..I know some may think you are writing a blog, shouldn't you be teaching us to love ourselves? Well, it is hard to for me to teach something I have not yet achieved myself.. The truth be told even when I lose weight, my legs will still look bigger due to my short stature. My height will never change and since my goal weight is not the medically suggested 90-110lbs, I may not look perfect. But, as I go through this journey with all of you, part of my lesson to be learned is to love myself no matter what size I am; to discover that achieving health is the most important goal to have and not to look like a swimsuit model. I know curves are beautiful, I see women with curves all of the time and think how gorgeous they look. I must achieve the understanding that I too can look good with my God-given curves. I cannot wait to feel the since of freedom of putting on an outfit and not feel like I need a shrug to cover my arms or to wear pants so my legs don't show...I will say Free at Last, Free at Last!!!! God Bless and Best Wishes!

The Beginning

Today I am starting this Blog and marking this as an official beginning of a journey to bring all of the necessary components to make me a happy and healthy person. When we decide to take the journey of losing weight, we usually only focus on eating better and physical exercise..All the while we are still being weighed down by daily stresses, painful pasts, and uncertain futures. These struggles only add to the challenges that we face trying to get to a healthier body weight. I named this Blog Walk-A-Weigh, What's Weighing You Down because sometimes we have to throw our hands up and walk away, literally!!! When our lives are so chaotic or we are stressing over something, just get up and walk away..Take that time to think about what is weighing you down. I don't just mean the physical weight we have around our middles but the monkey on our backs that we are lugging around and adding to the reasons we are overweight. At the same time your body is benefiting from this mini-me-time that you are providing yourself. Now, I am not saying walking is the only key and I will share all of the keys that I am using to open my own doors to health with everyone here. Like everything else certain exercises and other health suggestions won't work the same for everybody, but we give you something to try. What I can say is that everyone can benefit from working on themselves from the inside out. We cannot expect to take a magic pill or do a million set ups to lose weight and all will be well with the world. Rarely is a person overweight due to just loving food, we use food to love ourselves, to fill in empty spaces, or to comfort us during painful times. We may also choose not to eat enough out of fear of gaining weight, which in turns backfires and gives us bigger backsides. I am guilty of the later. I do not like to eat breakfast, I prefer two meals a day and I have the metabolism to show for it!! I also did not, up until recently, exercise regularly. When you mix those up with a lifetime of heartbreaks and filling undesirable you end up with my BMI of 36! Together we will embark this journey of self-discovery and save ourselves from the vicious weight-loss cycle we have gotten to know oh-to-well. I am looking forward to doing this with all of you and please share your stories here as well. Best Wishes and God Bless