I made it ...by the skin of my teeth!!

I MADE IT ONDERLAND!!!!  199.8

Just barley

But I did it!!

I was super happy when I jumped on the scale on Wednesday and was so pumped to write up my post...then unfortunately I got a call from my brother that my Dad  was in the hospital (I'll tell you guys about it in another post, he's doing ok now but it was a scary day) so pretty much my day was consumed with that.

Now that things are pretty much back to normal (for now) I can totally relish in the fact that I AM UNDER 200LBS!!  and that this time it's for good I NEVER want to see that number again.

The month has been a tough one for weight loss for me... basically it took me all freakin month to lose 3 lbs, come on really???   I have taken a good long look at what was happening this month from my food logs to schedules and exercise to try and figure out what the heck was going on. I mean I did start going to the gym and I spend so much time there the hubs may start to think I'm having an affair with a tread mill you'd think I have abs of steel by now! But what I think it comes down to is running, or the lack of it. I am totally working butt off, I've been going to the gym 5 days a week for at least an hour and doing lots of classes but they are mostly weights and core training and I think my body just really needs that cardio to drop the weight. So though I've been led slightly astray by all the glitz and glamour of all those hot sweaty men classes I have to get back to what works and that's running plain and simple.  I will keep doing a few classes like Aqua and BodyPump but I will have to make running a staple and go back to 3 times a week...uggg.

Sweatin' with the youngins'

This is a great start to the weekend!! TaTa and I workin up a sweat.

Loseit < Myfitnesspal

When I started this journey not the first 500 times but this last time I knew it was going to be a forever kinda thing and though I have used Weight Watchers and did well on it. I just couldn't commit to the cost, money is tight. So I scoped out some games weight loss apps on my iPhone and decided on the Loseit! app.  It was pretty user friendly,  no frills, and did the job,  and have lost my first 20lbs using it.  But then I heard about myfitnesspal from a few friends and how much they liked it.  I downloaded it and kinda checked it out but it seemed a little overwhelming at first so it sat there on my phone collecting dust like that shake weight in the corner...lol I really don't have one of those , or do I ???
But fast forward a few weeks into my new gym workouts and while I was working with my Trainer Soben (I bought 3 introduction workout with a trainer to get me pumped)  she asked my if I used any calorie counter or app to track my food and I told her about Loseit!  She then told my about myfitnesspal  (there it was again) and the difference of the two and asked my to just give it a try for one week.

I have to admit I am a convert!  It took a day or two to get used to it but I love it. Here are the two main differences.

1.) Both count calories and basic nutrients, but myfitnesspal keeps track of more of them such as sodium, fat, fiber, and cholesterol.  And it also give you a goal to stay under based on what info YOU put into the app. and tells you if you go over.

2.) myfitnesspal has a HUGE food database almost everything I have looked for is in there even things from smaller lesser known restaurants.  When I would use the Loseit! app I would have a hard time finding things and would have to enter it all manually and sometimes even guess at it.  Both have a bar code scanner but I hardly use it with myfitnesspal because it has almost everything I'm looking for.

So I have now permanently switched over and love it.  Oh and another great feature is they have it set up so you can follow your friends and keep each other motivated. I love that so if any of you all are on it or plan on being on it here is my username AlmaCan1 lets's hook up.

Weigh-in #17

Today's weight is 202.4 just a small loss, and I'll take it as TOM has stopped by again ( at least he waited the customary month this time) and of course I still haven't made it to see the Doctor yet... Yes I am a major procrastinator.

But I have made it to the gym 5 days in a row ( like how I changed the subject there ) so hopefully next weeks weigh in will be killer!

H 2 Oh My!

I have fallen in love...  Channing Tatum  professed his undying love for me  I found aqua aerobics (about the same thing right??)  My gym has soooo many classes I though I would start giving them a try to find out what I like and what won't totally kill  embarrass me.  So of course I start with something that puts me in a bathing suit around all these hot sweaty buff men (the pool is near the "beef cake room" or the weight area as others call it lol) ya that's not embarrassing in the least!

I went in Saturday for the morning Aqua class and though I wasn't the youngest one there in all my 37 year old glory it was close lol... So I totally though it was going to be some easy peasy class but let me tell you those oldies but goodies could kick some aqua butt!!! At points I even had to stop to take a breath  who knew you could sweat in a pool? or do a push-up  yea go figure, and my abs and legs were screaming by the end.  But I loved it  not quite as much as Tatum and they offer it 4 days a week so I think I'm going to stick with Saturdays and also do the Wednesday class that way I'll have some free days to do my own thing and try out a few other classes.

Oh on a different note Drama Queen is back safe and sound from Texas and is already bugging about the gym good thing I'm not bored yet :)  She has also informed my that we will be going everyday so I can lose more pounds...that's my girl!

You go girl!

Big vs. Little

I finally got a gym membership again....

So I looked into a few gyms, some were cheaper and smaller but that's what I had before.  It was a basic gym with just equipment and I think I just lost motivation.   I've always liked the idea of classes but have never actually tried one when I did have a gym membership with a bigger gym that offered them.  Then there was a gym in between that had equipment and class yay!...Oh wait, what was that ?NO KIDS CLUB! ARE YOU SERIOUS!!  You must not have met my charming, adorable, 5 year old who thinks the gym is better than Disneyland thank god I have that little voice yelling at me to go to the gym.  So that was a big N-O.   After looking and Internet stalking  I decided to check out 24 Hour Fitness, yes I know a big chain but it is actually the closest one to me so I might actually go and this is no ordinary gym...it's like a gym on steroids.   I walked in and instantly  fell in L-O-V-E!  The place is huge has a ton of equipment, a pool, spa, sauna, steam room, classes upon classes, and they are actually open 24 hours so I can go in the morning before work I know 3:45am should be illegal you can kill me now.  And the best part that totally sold me on it was this....

The Kids Club.... Drama Queen is gonna flip when she she's this (she is still at Papa's and won't be home till Sunday)  and as a bonus I will always be at the gym because she will keep asking until I give in just like her dad lol  and go.  Yes it's a little more than I as wanting to pay and, I did pay the extra $20 a month for unlimited Kids Club visits, but it's doable and there is just so much it has to offer that it will take a long time before I get bored I will actually go.

Weigh - In Wednesday #16

The scale was a bit up today and I take full responsibility and I'm actually ok with it...

This week's weight is 202.8 so I'm up a pound.

 I was totally hoping to bust through to Onederland this week but I kinda derailed that.  I did go to the gym every day and even did a double wammy yesterday, but it wasn't quite enough to counter act the late night Jack in the Box run after the concert (which really wasn't to bad 2 tacos and a small Oreo cookie shake but at 2am I guess it wasn't the wisest choice).  Then yesterday I did go to the gym at 3:45am and did a quick 45 min run before work, then after I stayed over at one of my good friends house for girls night.  We started of by taking a 2 mile walk up the biggest hill I'd ever seen then finishing with a quick jog trough the park thank god that was flat sort of. But afterward she made a freaking delish sundried tomato pasta dish complete with garlic bread and lots and lots of wine!  I started to feel a guilty but damn it I just did 2 work outs today I was going to enjoy it.  I have to let myself have a little wiggle room and I'm still gonna hit the gym hard the rest of the week so I know it will come off. . . and yes it was worth it.

There's always room for J-Lo

So this weekend was so much fun!!! It actually started off on Thursday morning no I didn't win the lotto and I still had to go to work Papa came to pick up the Drama Queen to spend 10 days in Texas with him and Grammie Maria.  I have the best parents in the world which my kids totally benifit from seeing as they then have the best Grandparents in the world lol.  

So with being pretty much kid free I decided to kick it off with a new do' 

What do you think?  It is much shorter than anticipated but I love it and it looks sooo much better than that raggedy pony I've been sportin'.

Then my Bestie Krys called me up and surprised me with Enrique Iglesias & JLo concert tickets for Saturday AWESOME!!!  The show was so great Enrique is totally HOT and damn J Lo can bust a move and is pretty hot herself I think I just found my girl crush  and PitBull was there a did a few songs, talk about HOT holy crap!!!

Outside the Honda Center
Krys, Holly, and me.

Then to round out the weekend I got a new gym membership.  I've had one forever and never went then in Jan. I decided to cut my losses and cancel it I mean I wasn't going and I was downsizing trying to save money and pay off some bills.  Well then wouldn't you know it, this healthy fitness thing actually took.  I did really well just running outside and doing Wii fitness games, but then I don't know what happened I went to sleep one night and woke up in the Sahara it got fricken HOT!!!  I tried to feel motivated, tried to run, I just had no motivation.  Then skip forward to the day I got my haircut and the lady next to me was talking about the gym across the street and a seed was planted.

I thought and thought about it,  talked to the hubs, looked into our money woes and then the hubs said something awesome... "Honey your worth it, just do it."  Awww now I remembered why I married you  how sweet. So I did!!  But more on that in the next post....(gotta leave you wanting more right?)

You scream I scream

Just a quick post about something amazing... I think these LSC (life style changes) are finally catching on and becoming a habit!!

I'm sure most of you know I have a MAJOR sweet tooth and pretty much have to have dessert everyday.  Every time I would start a diet I would swear of sweets ya like that worked, then a few weeks down the line would binge like crazy on anything I could get my hands on be it a box of cookies or a tub of ice cream or both.  So when starting this "new" healthy life I had to figure out a way to incorporate my sugar addiction,  I decided I would just give in but on a way smaller scale.  So yes I still have dessert but I keep it with in reason like 2-3 cookies instead of as box, a small brownie and not the pan a scoop of ice cream not the carton.  I will admit it was hard at first and sometime still is but I am getting way better at it and sometimes it even come naturally. 

A before and after of choices. On the left is the now, one regular scoop  and the giant red mug
is what I used to eat filled to the top and packed in.

I'mmmm Baaack....

Sorry it's been so quiet around these parts but that wedding I've been going on about was this past weekend, and boy did it take up more time and energy than I anticipated.  I actually took my laptop with me figuring I would be able to get a few posts in, but hell to the no!!!  It was non stop from the moment we stepped out of the car until we blew that pop stand.  Thank god they are family otherwise I'd have blown a fuse.  I'm not sure why maybe it's my awesome attitude or my all knowing demeanor but some how I turned from wedding photographer to wedding coordinator in 2.4 seconds flat.  Oh well at least it's over and it was a very beautiful and touching wedding (I'll share a few pics when I get them all uploaded 2300 pics take a while lol)

Heading to the wedding

 Oh but just a word to those unmarried folk, your photographer does not want to sit around and watch you and your guests partying hard when all that's left is to take pics of the garter and bouquet toss...get that shit over with so they can go home then party yours butts off...just sayin.

Well after the wedding, which was in Petaluma (about an hour north of San Fransisco) the hubs and I woke up early and totally skipped the brunch we didn't want to get wrangled in to clean up and headed off to Muir Woods to relax and enjoy some us time.  It was very beautiful and cold, yup you heard me right it was freaking cold.  I actually had to stop at Old Navy and pick up a pair of sweat pants and a sweatshirt, and a totally cute chevron print skirt, and a pair of awesome rock star skinny jeans. I don't think it ever hit above 75F I must say it was heaven especially when the temps at home a mere 7 hours away were in the 105+ range. After settling in to the hotel I berated the hubs until he finally relented to go on a hike ( I'm not sure if I have ever mentioned it before but the hubs HATES any kind of exercise, actually he only hates it if it involves him lol.  He is in construction and is pretty much doing physical labor all day every day so he justifies that as not having to do anything at home).  But I guess I annoyed him enough to get him moving and so glad I did it was awesome those old redwoods are so majestic it's unreal.    Oh and I didn't tell him until we were almost done but I put us on the path with the longest hike about 2 miles haha.

Monday was home day OMG 7 hours in the car was killer all I wanted to do was snack and not even because I was hungry it was a total bored thing.  I'm so glad I prepared for that and packed healthy"ish" snacks like rice cakes, trail mix (yes it had chocolate in it come on it was a road trip) some granola bars and Diet Dr Pepper.  That pretty much got me through the trip though we did make one special stop Dewar's Candy Shop in Bakersfield.  They have these fabulous taffies filled with peanut butter and you an only get them there (or they ship but it costs and arm and a leg).  So I did have a few of those then tossed the rest to the back so I couldn't reach them ;).

Overall I did pretty good for the 4 days we were gone drive thru meals consisted of Starbucks Skinny Latte and a Spinach Feta Wraps & Carl's Jr Turkey Burgers.  When we did eat at a restaurant (which wasn't to often due to saving money and time) I stuck with salads *dressing on the side and grilled chicken breast with veggies.  I know I know it was a "vacation" and I totally could have let myself slide a bit but I was still on such a high from the skinny jeans it just kept me motivated to stay on track.

Not that this post isn't long enough but it is weigh-in Wednesday and I was a little nervous but hopped on anyway.........

201.8   HELL YA!!!! I hit the -20lbs mark.  I was down less than a pound but I'm am over the moon!!

Now to hit Onederland.

Weigh-In Wednesday #14

I think I may have to change careers and become a mover.

This morning I was still down 3lbs and going strong.  So I am now 202.6 less than a pound away from my -20lbs goal and only 3lbs away from hitting Onederland!!!  I totally have to give the move credit since I still haven't got back into the running and exercise routine.  I'm so motivated by the weight loss and the fact that I put on a pair of jeans that I haven't worn in over 18 months and they fit like a glove. 

*The last time I wore these jeans I had just done the HCG crash diet before going to Disney World as a chaperon for TaTa's Band trip and lost 25 pounds in 6 weeks, it was hell living on nasty drops and 500 calories a day, not working out cause you would die from the lack of energy and being a total crabby beotch the whole time.   I vow never to do a crazy diet again besides I gained it all back in less than 3 months.  Though this time around it is much slower I am happy and eating what I want ( within moderation) and feel energized and strong from working out if I ever get back into the grove of it.

My skinny jeans :)