Weigh In

Yay! I think its actually working! It's hard to tell on my scale since it's not digital, but it looks like I'm now 145 lbs! Which means I've lost 1-2 lbs in one week! (I've read that loosing 2 lbs a week is considered fast, and people who loose weight too quickly are less likely to keep the weight off when they stop dieting. So, loosing weight slowly, about 1 lb a week, is preferable.)


Just so you know, I've been eating a full meal in the morning, usually 1 1/2 cups of coffee with 2% milk and 1 spoon of sugar, a sandwich of cinnamon/raisin bread with brie and smoked salmon, then about 1/2 cup of cottage cheese and 2 spoons of pineapple. For lunch I have 1 Slimfast shake (strawberry is my fav) and a salad. Dinner is either a Slimfast with some nuts or spinach salad with either mozzarella cubes, walnuts and olives or 1 boiled egg and some avocado. I've been cutting out the drinks with sugar (except coffee) and the daily pasta at lunch (thanks to the family meal at work). And I'm a pastry cook, so cutting out sugar completely is impossible but I try to keep tastings to a minimum.
Tip- I've found that a 6-pack of Slimfast is cheaper at Target, about $6, than it is at drugstores like Walgreens or RiteAid, etc., about $10! Also, these shakes really only fill me up for about 2-3 hours, so something extra is necessary. But they are fast and easy!


Also, for the Fat Girl Slim report:  I've been using it once a day (instead of the recommended twice a day) and have definitely noticed a difference in my skin's texture. It seems smoother, tighter, and firmer. Also, I think I can see a small difference in the areas that had miner cellulite problems. The big problem areas still have noticeable cellulite though. My biggest complaint is that the bottle doesn't last very long. I've been using it only 5 days and I'm already half-way through the bottle! And they say you should use it a full month to see a 'major' change. Although, I am kind of using it over most of my body. But what can I say?! I have serious cellulite needs!
I've also really come to love the tingly sensation that comes with the lotion. I use it in the morning, after my workout and shower, and it makes me feel invigorated and awake! 

As for the exercise rumors, I haven't really noticed a huge boost of energy except for in the mornings. And I can tell you, I really start to feel sluggish around 7 or 8, and I still have about 3-4 hours left on my shift! That's the worst. But mornings are great! And I think the appetite suppressant rumored to go along with exercise only lasts for as long as you are physically in motion, or maybe 30 minutes after. I mean, the last thing on my mind when I'm running around that track, is food. Mainly I think about not tripping over my own feet, how to keep the sweat out of my eyes, and how to get enough air in my lungs. Although I will say I haven't noticed any increase in appetite and that might be pretty impressive in itself considering I'm eating less calories and burning more too. Also, a friend of mine suggested taking vitamins to help keep my energy up. I'm trying not to resort to more coffee, but it's just so gooood! (Self-confessed java addict here.)

There's a great website that my mom actually introduced me to (gotta give props to mom!) that is supposed to help out with weight-loss goals, called SparkPeople.  The site itself can be a little overwhelming with all of it's features, but it's a great one-stop site to find tons of info about diet, exercise, and motivation. It really seems to have a great sense of community and I find the success stories very inspirational. I haven't actually read the book series that this site is based on, but if you have, I'd love to hear your take on it!


So have a great week everybody and keep on truck'n!

Exercise Freaks

Ok. So I hate running. Well, exercise in general, but especially running. I hate it with the fiery passion of a  thousand suns. But, as you may have noticed, one of my goals is to run one mile! It all started with a bad experience in high school (don't you just love those?!).  I had been swimming for two years but when my family moved to Georgia. The state still required that I take one semester of gym, which pretty much consisted of running four days a week. Almost immediately I got horrible shin splints and spent the next three months limping to all my classes. And my coach was no help, telling me to just "run through it." I now know that the key to avoiding this terrible affliction is to stretch like crazy before and after running. (Be the rubber-band...)


Finally, at the end of these torturous three months, on the very last day of class, I ran a complete lap around the track! Naively thinking I had just ran one mile, I was ecstatic! (FYI- one mile is actually a little more than four laps around the standard track.) I felt like I had conquered the world! Like I could run forever and ever! It was the one and only time I've ever experienced that "high' that all those Exercise Freaks talk about. And then... I promptly put my sneakers under my bed and prayed I would never have to see them again.
And here I am dusting off the same sneaks, almost 10 years later, in search of that elusive runners' high (and a cheap form of exercise). I have heard that exercise will give you a sense of euphoria by boosting your endorphins.




Please see Reese Witherspoon in the Legally Blonde clip below if you don't believe me!
(It must be true if Reese says it!)




Again, even when I was swimming an hour a day for two years, I never felt this. Mostly just embarrassment for being the slowest person on the team and that teenage awkwardness that comes with wearing a bathing suit in public.


Having said this, I once had a roommate who just had to run everyday. Even if she was sick! She claimed she would feel better after running. Sweat out the sickness. Although her doctor did tell her to cut back or she would do damage to her internal organs!


So here I am, attempting to fall in love with a sport I hate. Or at least to fall into like with it. And if any of you have some advice on how to fall in love with running or if you just have a good story to tell about how you changed your mind and fell in love with something you hated I would really like to hear about it! In the meantime I'll keep you posted on any mood/appetite/weight changes in this little experiment that is my life. Oh! I also heard that exercise can suppress your appetite. I don't know if this is true but it certainly seems to make food taste better!!