It's Halloween! Oh crap, I am in for it!

Yea for Halloween!!! BOO to the Diet sabotaging candy and food!! Okay, so today might be my undoing, seriously. Not only is it Halloween, which means candy, treats, and just junk, BUT my neighborhood is ALSO having a block party! THAT means even if I am good all day, and I don't sneak candy from the bucket at the door(highly unlikely!), I STILL have to get through tonight at the block party! I am doomed! I have been trying this week to be good, and I fear tonight will be my big fat ending.
So in preparation for this DOOM that I am trying to avoid, I went to the gym this morning and ended up doing a 75 minute run, AND I did free weights when I got home! But just so you all can appreciate HOW hard it is for me to get to the gym sometimes, I included a photo of Jackson with his typical "I hate the exercise place!" face. He gives me crap every time I go to the gym! It sucks!

Doesn't THAT look fun?!

My current Favorite

OK, so I freely admit that I know nothing about Calories. I am barely starting to understand this vast sea of knowledge. So because of that, I am not sure how many calories are in my current favorite lunch. But lets be honest- I am not sure I would care. Anyway, I am currently loving my spinach salads! Whether with hard boiled egg whites, tomatoes, and carrots; OR with strawberries, red bell peppers, and pecans; OR well, any other combination really... I am loving them! They are just tasting so good...(for now! Anyone who knows me knows that I have food "phases" ha ha). I LOVE to pile the spinach high and just sprinkle the "pretty" stuff on top. It is kind of fun. Just wanted to share! Oh and IF you have any yummy spinach salad recipes... SEND 'EM MY WAY!!!

Shout Out To Mari

Happy Birthday Girl! and may all your healthy goals be accomplished! Love you, and hope you have the best birthday ever! Even if you can't do a push up.

Weekly Update...

Ummmmm...

Yeah.

Current Weight: 157.4 lbs

I feel good

... until I look in a mirror. I am just not sure how my "mental" image of myself could be so far off. Oh well, you can't have it all! - I will just have to avoid mirrors! ha ha

Memories...

So...

Right now I'm obviously trying to shed YEARS of weight off me. I'm happy with how it's going, I'm losing weight and my clothing size is going down. People tell me that I look great; I love this. It's a whole new life-style and this is the way I need to live from now on. But I have to admit that every once in a while, I miss my "old" life-style. Just a little, not a lot, but a little.

Like right now...

You know what I miss the most? The late night "I-finally-got-the-kids-in-bed-and-I-deserve-a treat" snack while I watch a little TiVo. It was so glorious!! In fact, there is a unbelievably yummy coffee cake staring me down as we speak... I just want to cut myself a good sized slice and watch a little Ugly Betty, is that so wrong?? So, I'm trying to resist this temptation and just watch TV without a snack. BUT I know that if I try to watch TiVo tonight in this kitchen, I will cave. So, instead, I'm distracting myself with this blog post while I'm waiting for the appetite suppressant and sleeping pill to kick in and help me sleep away the tempations.

Wait... that doesn't sound any healthier, does it???
Hmmmmm....

whoa!

OK, so you know how sometimes when your walking around at the gym, you catch a glimpse of yourself in those full length, full wall, mirrors...(as if anyone NEEDS to see themselves in their full sweaty glory...) Well, today as I was walking out- I got a glimpse of my hind quarters... and it was a WHOA moment! I mean I have always had a fabulous A**- large, round, and perky, but today I swear it multiplied... IT WAS HUGE! Even for me! So yea.... I had a WHOA/WHAT THE H*** moment. Just thought I would share. I know crystal can appreciate... not because she has her own arse, but because she knows all about the size of mine! BTW where did I get this thing? Crystal and Mari are flat bottom diva's..... oh yea and don't even get me started on the wall mirrors! I hate those things...

Back to Reality!

Okay, so that was the BEST vacation I've ever had in my life!!!! I slept, I played and I ate... oh boy did I eat!! The food was amazing... and I had to try ALL of it! Sooooo, of course, when I did my weigh-in this morning, I was very nervous. I walked ALOT last week, but I never did get up to go to the gym. And all the food we ate was really healthy... I just ate a lot of it! All in all, I was happy when I weighed myself this morning... only about a pound heavier than last week.

But now, it's back to reality... I'll be seeing a lot of you in a few weeks and I'm looking to lose about 8 pounds by Thanksgiving. I'll keep you posted!

Current Weight: 157.4 lbs

Mari's Cardio Comeback!

I hate to admit that I have slipped. Big time. I have become a total slug. I am determined to get my cardio back where it needs to be. Instead of my sparatic schedule I am going to set a goal for the next 4 weeks- starting today. Cardio 3x week & one other work out day whether it be weights, yoga, etc. My goal is to be able to run 3miles in 24min (my race pace) & just to get back into shape of course. Wish me luck!

Weekly Update...

First of all, let me just tell you how excited I am today!! I'm leaving later today to go on my first vacation WITHOUT my children... I'm really excited, but nervous and a little worried to leave them. In fact, I think that nervousness has been a little problem for my weightloss this week...

I was fine on my POINTS, and then Mom brought out the comfort food last night! Pasta (w/ lots of yummy cheese) and apple pie ala mode.... it was divine! My resolve was a little weak last night (as it was most of the week, to be honest) and I endulged.

I actually feel really guilty about it, but that was last week and today is this week! Hopefully, this week, with the billions of miles I'll be walking AND going to the gym, I'll do better...

Current weight: 156.4 lbs.

Everything is bigger in TX

Okay so I just thought it was funny... the first time we drove by LifeTime fitness here we thought it must be a corporate office or something. It is HUGE! Anyway, now that Lily is 3 months and old enough for the child care center, THIS is where I workout!
http://www.lifetimefitness.com/clubs/index.cfm?strWebAction=new_locations

I know crazy, huh!?! It has 4 full size basketball courts, volley ball courts, a 50 ft rock wall, the BIGGEST cardio area I have ever seen, 2 huge studios for classes, a private yoga/ Pilate's spa thing, oh yea and a salon, spa, 2 pools with slides, lane pools, hot tubs, soccer fields, a huge child care center, a healthy cafe, and locker rooms nicer than any gym I have ever seen!

It is a fun place to work out!

confessions

SO I actually have been doing really well on my goals, no seriously I have! I actually have been going above and beyond most of the time. For example: I have not only been doing a daily workout, a lot of days I get in 2 or 3! Like Monday I did 90min circuit, then I did 30min core, and that night my friend and I went walking for over an hour! So not every day is quite that crazy but I have been working hard ever since MY official Oct. start date. I also started cutting my daily calories down just about 1800 (I shouldn't do less because I am nursing so much!). That was not part of my original goals but I am just learning how to do it. I have been eating great and working consistent and most importantly staying positive. I am impressed by how strong my body is, and how hard I can get it to work. I know it is gross, but I am starting to really appreciate how amazing it is that my body can make so much breast milk- seriously.

However, not all has been perfect... yesterday I kind of went on a pasta binge putting me over my daily calories- (of course I did do a 60 min spin class and run for 30 min). AND today, oh today... Well I have done NOTHING- no calorie awareness, no working out, not one darn thing. In my own defense, I didn't get to bed until after 12- then was up at 3:30 with lily, and I couldn't fall back asleep because I kept thinking I was going to sleep past Jackson's surgery time. Well, next we actually left the house at 5 am- were in the hospital until noon. Came home, had one very tired baby and one very sick boy- and I am afraid I just kept grabbing garbage to try and fake the energy it takes to take care of small sick kids. It really isn't an excuse- if I am going to get this together I need to be good consistently -even when I am tired. So that is my confession. AND I am feeling sorry it happened.
Also know that I am really excited to go to my circuit class and core class tomorrow and even more excited for my evening walk! (thanks Amanda!) SO on that thought- yea for tomorrow! and my renewed commitment to my goals.
Lauren

Gone Baby Gone!!!!

I'm so excited today! As of this mornings weight-in.... I no longer am carrying any Justin baby weight! I'm really excited since this is the first time I've been at this weight since I was preganant with Aubrie... And it means that I'm basically at the half-way mark in this whole thing!

So I'm 28 lbs down total, and I'm shooting for another 30 -32 lbs... sounds like a lot, but I'm encourage by my progress so far and by how supportive everyone is around me. Examples... Lauren and Patrick helping me with the Advocare products, or Ammon letting me know that he had set time aside to take me to the gym while I'm visiting NYC next week, or Carlo telling Amms that he planned on cooking healthy meals at home most days for me so I can keep up my new lifestyle... it really does go on and on. Thank you all so much!

Last week was great! My points were great... I actually had 20 left over at the end of the week, and no, that wasn't planned, I just got really really busy. I didn't get to exercise (4 exams, a HUGE accounting project, ect.) BUT, at Lauren and Patrick's encouragement, I started taking the Advocare products everyday... UMMM, I LOVE CATALYST!! It was awesome! and I know it helped me burn the extra calories this week!

Current Weight: 156.6 lbs.

One more week to go before NYC! I'm shooting to hit 155 by Monday next week...

Did Somebody say Mari!?!

I have officially been called out! Alright, Alright so I haven't posted....I have GOOD REASON! (view previous post-working 75hours wk & doing headbands is no exaggeration). HOWEEEEEEEEEEEEEVER.....I haven't been slacking! You may have read when my husband chose to sell me out last week saying i haven't been working on my push-up, I am here to defend my honor! As the video below CLEARLY shows otherwise..as you can see, my skill has vastly improved!! Before viewing, please pay close attention to the definition in my triceps..its phenominal! I apologize for the no-posting-only-commenting routine that I have fallen into, i promise I will be better!

Enjoy!


That being said...OCTOBER GOAL FOR MARI is coming soon!
...........And for those of you who were patient, I have decided to throw in a little
added bonus!

wasn't it worth the wait?

Mari has Disappeared

I have been waiting and waiting... but alas I believe it has finally happened. Mari realizing the shame that is attached to this blog... oh my chubbiness.... has finally fled the scene. This is WHY she doesn't post anymore. It can't be the fact that she has absolutely NO upper body strength, making her push up goal almost impossible. Or the fact that she would rather be working 75 hours a week and also running a headband boutique thingy. No, no It is because she can't have her perfect image attached to this "holy fatness!" blog (I imagine this being said with a Scottish accent). Its OK, Mari- we KNOW how fat and jelly embarrass you- no posts necessary. I also want to say Thank you for at least trying to hide your shame... kind of.