Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts
Showing posts with label exercise. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Meyers Homestead Hike

May 14th, 2011... In an effort to just start hiking already, we went up to Boulder and did this 5 1/2 mile hike. We wanted summer to be here and wanted to start hiking... well unfortunately it was about 40 degrees, windy, foggy, rainy... pretty much awful. But we are proud to say we did it anyway!

Meyers Homestead Hike 5.14.11

I was freezing before we even got started :(
Meyers Homestead Hike 5.14.11

Do I look cold?
Meyers Homestead Hike 5.14.11

The homestead:
Meyers Homestead Hike 5.14.11

Very pretty trail!
Meyers Homestead Hike 5.14.11

Some handsome hiker I picked up along the way:
Meyers Homestead Hike 5.14.11

My hair was getting wet by this point from all the fog and mist:
Meyers Homestead Hike 5.14.11

The fog descends upon us:
Meyers Homestead Hike 5.14.11

Some pretty flowers we saw:
Meyers Homestead Hike 5.14.11

Meyers Homestead Hike 5.14.11

We hiked about 5 1/2 miles... we think we went a little farther than we were supposed to, oops! But we had a great time and we were proud of ourselves for doing the whole hike despite the uncooperative weather. Hopefully many more hikes ahead of us this summer & fall!


Saturday, June 4, 2011

Snowshoeing w/ Ian

Finally after snowshoeing with my friends (and no Ian!) a few times, Ian thought that looked like fun and he wanted to give it a try too! We went together April 30th... it was my 4th time and his first :) He ended up really liking it!

For those who are local, we were up in Rocky Mountain National Park and started at the Sprague Lake trailhead :)

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

(Ian all geared up and ready to go on a beautiful day!)

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

(The trail! No other foot/snowshoe traffic that day, just a lonely skiier)

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

(Happy Snowshoers)

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

(Ian on the trail)

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

(Our snowshoes- I purchased my white ones but he borrowed his from a friend)

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

On our way back, snow started falling all around us! It was so pretty but much colder and windier... we enjoyed it though!

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

Snowshoeing w/ Ian 4.30.11

We stopped for a few breaks here and there (and of course, to take photos) but we moved along pretty good and did about 2 1/2 miles in 2 hours. I am so happy Ian gave this a try and liked it! We enjoy hiking in the summer so much, and this gives us a great way to get outdoors in the winter.

Monday, May 30, 2011

Official One Year Update

Finally :)

Firstly, my weight has been bouncing between 200 and 203 all month... I only saw 199.8 one day...I'm just sticking with 200lbs for my official one year weight and not celebrating 199 just yet... hopefully by next week!

Here are my comparison photos compared with my last set, which was taken at 8 months post op:

1yr-8mo-Front

(Don't see much difference in the front view. Wearing smaller shorts though!)

1yr-8mo-Side

(Something about the angle is funky, so this doesn't look right... but I do notice that my back and butt look smaller, and I have some muscle perking up in my thigh!)

1yr-8mo-Back

(I see less fat by my armpits, above my elbows, and my stance isn't as wide!)

So those are the small changes.

Now for the big changes, comparing to the beginning!

1yr-Beg-Front

1yr-Beg-Side

1yr-Beg-Back


Measurements

I have lost a total of 77 1/2" off my total body measurements since the beginning. I've updated my stats on the weight loss page if you care to see specific measurements :)


Food

At one year post op, I still eat roughly six times per day and I eat usually 1/2 cup to 1 cup of food per meal. The amount my stomach will hold varies by time of day, what else I've eaten that day, etc. I always have to pay attention. I have only thrown up twice since surgery, both times forced when I ate something that made me feel too full or too sick. For the most part I've done very well at being aware of my fullness level. I can eat fats and sugars, but not really large amounts without feeling upset to my tummy (a milkshake is just too much, and that was one of the times I threw up... I no longer want to ever have one again.)
I can eat surprisingly large amounts of carbs if eaten alone (i.e. a big bowl of popcorn) so I try not to do that very often. If eating ONLY dense protein, such as a chicken breast, I can still only eat about 3-5 ounces. I feel heavy inside when I eat fried foods, so I usually avoid them. I still usually follow the rule of protein first. I can still get full on a protein shake in the mornings. I still do not drink soda (and never plan to), very rarely consume any alcohol. I DO NOT DRINK WITH MEALS and for an hour afterward. I get 60-80 ounces of water per day.

Exercise

My level of exercise varies greatly because of my pain levels. The 'ideal workout schedule' I shared previously doesn't seem like something my body will allow me to adhere to. I am doing Curves 3x per week and doing hikes most weekends, a couple more walks or other cardio thrown in here and there but not as consistently as I would like. Just have to keep trying and hope my pain will eventually subside... the back and hip problems I have give me bad days and better days, no real "good" days right now, but I do think I can try to do a little more than I have been doing.

Clothing Size

I am now wearing 14 or 16 in pants.  In the beginning I was a 26/28 for pants. I am wearing 14 or Large for dresses... I started as size 24 or 26 for dresses. I am now wearing mostly size L in tops (some mediums, some xl), started as a 3X/4X in tops. In the past couple months I have dropped in size for both pants and tops... yet my measurements haven't changed too much, so not sure what that's all about except the fat may be coming from some interesting areas lol.


Current Challenges

Food is difficult. With the amount I can eat now, I can consume as many calories as a normal person now if I don't watch what I'm eating.

Exercise is difficult because of my pain. So in the past, I've exercised more to counteract my food choices, but that is a challenge now.

I have lost 15 lbs in the past six months, which in my opinion is not nearly enough. I believe I can do better.


Game Plan

I think it's time to bite the bullet and put a little more structure into my weight loss efforts. It's hard to feel like I need to do things I have done in the past that I thought I was done with... but I have decided to re-join Weight Watchers. I will be doing it online because I don't think the meetings would be worthwhile to me whatsoever. I plan to still adhere to high protein, low carb as much as possible... but I think a little bit of structure of paying more attention to my food choices, my activities, etc... will be good for me. I have 40 more pounds to lose, and I would like to do so by November.

We are going to Hawaii in November - more on that another time. While that isn't my main reason for choosing November as a time to reach my goal weight, it is certainly a little extra motivation and gives me something to look forward to. It's right at the beginning of Nov so I essentially have all of June, July, August, Sept and October to lose my last 40 pounds. I believe I can do it, but I also know that AFTER the body has already lost this much weight, it's harder. And as I get smaller, it gets harder to lose also. I have challenges with my ability to work out. This is going to take a lot of attention and determination.

I am going to do my best!!

Overall Recap....

WHAT A YEAR THIS HAS BEEN!!!!!!!!!!!  I can't deny SO MUCH HAS CHANGED FOR THE BETTER :) I have some challenges, and things are not totally smooth, but I have made very positive changes in my life and I have no doubt I can finish this journey. I am so much stronger and healthier and I can do so much more now.... it feels great. Thanks for following along :)

Monday, May 9, 2011

SO CLOSE!


Wow! Lost 2.6 lbs in the past week and I am SO CLOSE to "Onederland"!! It's been a while since I lost that much in one week. Interestingly enough, I worked out quite a bit less this past week also. I must be doing pretty well with my food choices!

Last Week's Activity

Monday - Yoga 30 mins, Curves 30 mins
Tues - Walk 20 mins
Weds - Yoga 30 mins, Curves 30 mins
Thurs - None
Fri - Yoga 30 mins, Curves 30 mins
Sat - Nothing official, but walked a lot of stairs at an open house

I am so happy to be so close to Onederland :)

Monday, May 2, 2011

Last Week's Activity and Weigh In!

 So this week I feel like I rocked it! I'm feeling really good about my activity level right now. My back has been kinda sore, but I'm making it through. I didn't give ANY massages last week though, I hope that changes soon.

Monday 4.25.11 ~ Yoga 30 mins, Curves 30 mins, Walk 20 mins

Tuesday 4.26.11 ~ Swimming* 40 mins

Wednesday 4.27.11 ~ Curves 30 mins

Thursday 4.28.11 ~ Leslie Sansone 5 Day Slim Down, Miles 4 & 5 + Cooldown (about 35 minutes)

Friday 4.29.11 ~ Curves 30 min

Saturday 4.30.11 ~ Snowshoeing 2 hours

Sunday 5.1.11 ~ None

*(just a designation for me to remember something personal) :)

I also lost 0.8lb this week. I think I am also building some muscle which is great! I do want to do more yoga this coming week.





Getting so close to Onederland I can taste it!


I've been posting frequently so make sure you scroll down to see other posts you may have missed :)

Monday, April 25, 2011

Last Week's Activity and Weigh In!

Not as much as I wanted per my ideal week schedule I shared, but it's a good start!! Also today I started Curves so I'm looking forward to getting into a better workout schedule.

Monday 4.18.11 ~ Yoga 30 mins

Tuesday 4.19.11 ~ Gave a massage, 60 mins

Wednesday 4.20.11 ~ Yoga 30 mins

Thursday 4.21.11 ~ None

Friday 4.22.11 ~ 20 min walk (super windy ugh!)

Saturday 4.23.11 ~ 2 hours 15 mins Snowshoeing

Sunday 4.24.11 ~ None

And it must be working because I am down a little in weight again!! 205.6 was my lowest, but I was back up to 210 when I went to Chicago, so today I am THRILLED to announce I am at 203.6!

Friday, April 22, 2011

Bunny Dash 5K

On my recent trip to Chicago, I walked a 5K with my best friend and a few of her friends. She really didn't want to do it LOL but I'm glad she did and it felt great to get some exercise while on my vacation.

This 5K was called the Bunny Dash so we decked ourselves out in bunny ears for the occasion :) It was so windy though, they had a hard time staying on! Other than the wind it was a beautiful day. Also, it just so happened this 5K took place in the very park I used to walk in when I lived there.

Bunny Dash 5K

Bunny Dash 5K

Bunny Dash 5K

Bunny Dash 5K

Bunny Dash 5K

Bunny Dash 5K

Stats from my walk:

Bunny Dash 5K

Monday, April 18, 2011

My Ideal Workout Week

I've been talking a lot about the activity I want to get... what I think will keep me healthy and make me feel good. This is the picture I have in my head of what would be ideal...

Mondays
Yoga & Curves

Tuesdays
Swimming

Wednesdsays
Yoga & Curves

Thursdays
Swimming

Fridays
Curves
Cardio at Night/ARC Trainer (Gym Night with Hubby)

Saturdays
Yoga
Hiking, Snowshoeing, Geocaching, or some other Activity

Sundays
Rest

When I look at this is seems like a lot. But I don't really know how to cut it down. Right now I am barely doing anything. Yoga 2-3 times per week, swimming on occasion, other cardio on occasion. I want a regular schedule that I can stick to.

Grandma wants to start up Curves again and I am thinking of joining with her... that would need to be 3X per week. I also want to get my yoga in 3x per week. Then I want my cardio of swimming and ARC trainer when I do gym night with hubby. What to do, what to do!! Can I try this? Can I seriously DO THIS??

Keeping in mind that on top of this, I have the chiropractor each week and that really tired me out. It's usually on Mondays or Wednesdays, so I have to do Yoga and Curves on that same day.

And on top of THAT, I have started giving massages again and will most likely give 2-3 per week, and have that in addition to other exercise on the same day.

This may be really impractical... but I am going to do the best I can do. I need to start logging my weekly activity, so I will draft a blog post each week, keep track in it, and post it at the end of the week :)

Monday, March 28, 2011

Whew

Started off my day with Leslie Sansone... did 2 miles from one of her walking videos and then did her yoga video. Good start to my day!! I didn't eat much yesterday with food being stuck, but did manage to have two good meals in the later part of the day. Now I'm off to the chiropractor... trying to keep up on ALL the right thing for my back! I have a trip to Chicago coming up this weekend and I want to be feeling good. It doesn't help that hubby is sick and I think I'm getting it :( no no no, go away cold!
I am also going to try VERY hard to eat well on my Chicago trip. It's hard because I don't have much in the way of my own food, have a hard time actually eating anywhere near 6 times a day, and most meals are eaten out. But I will make a game of it and do my best. I do plan to enjoy a chili dog while I am out there, but other than that I will be good :) Hoping to get lots of activity too.

I really want to be 199 by May 3rd which is when my 1 year doctor appointment is scheduled... although my one year will actually be May 20th. So as long as I make it by May 20th I'll be happy, but if I could make it by May 3rd I would just be ecstatic. I KNOW I can do it if I just keep up on my exercise and watch my food choices!!

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Frustrated.

I worked out Sunday and Monday, which was great. My hip pain has been almost nonexistent since Sunday which is even MORE great. However since my Monday morning workout I've been having horrible pain in my left side. Not sure what to call it, it's partially my back, partially the front of my hip (but totally different than my other hip pain). All I did on Monday was a Leslie Sansone video, nothing unusual at all. I did one of the things I "knew I could do". And yet here I am, hurt. It's been REALLY bad. I can barely sleep, I have tossed and turned all night Mon night and last night. It hurts to walk around. I do have an appointment with the chiropractor today for an adjustment and a nerve block treatment. I'm really hoping that gets rid of this pain so I can get back to working out tomorrow. PLEASE?!
I was so relieved that my hip pain was better... then this popped right up. Muscles and nerves do crazy things, part of me wondered if something different is pinched and as soon as this lets up, the other pain will come back. But this pain is worse so I just want this to stop, even if my regular hip pain comes right back.
I just want to move. I want to be capable of working out 5 days a week, taking long walks, etc.

As far as the pouch test, we decided to do something a little different. We are having liquids all day, and two small, healthy, high-protein meals at night. Kinda like a VSG version of slim fast I guess :) It's been good the first two days. I've been hungry some, but not really any more than I usually am. It feels good to get a lot of the junk and carbs out of my system.

I've been having one of the Premier Protein shakes in the morning, and later in the day having a shake I make in the blender with 1 scoop of choc protein powder, a few slices of frozen strawberries, and milk or water. I made it with milk on Monday and got sick (maybe have a little problem with milk now?) so I made it with water yesterday and felt fine. Saves calories too I guess. I just added another 1/4 scoop of powder to get a little more protein. One day I had a 2nd carton of premier protein shake, one day I didn't.

Monday in the evening I had a meal of tuna salad and then a meal of apple and peanut butter. Yesterday I had cooked a chicken crock pot dinner, so that was dinner #1 (maybe 4 oz chicken?) and dinner #2 was the other 1/2 apple from the day before with peanut butter. (I don't eat apple and PB every day, but since I only eat 1/2 apple at a time, I tend to finish it the next day).

Let me tell ya, being on liquids sure makes you pee... a LOT! I am still drinking 16 oz of water or more in between meals, plus my meals being liquid all day. But it feels very good, very cleansing.

I think I am finally on track with this and I think 5 days of this will really help me to get refocused on proper low carb, high protein foods.

Now if I can just get moving and not be struck down by pain after simple workouts!!!!!! I am so annoyed!!!

Friday, February 25, 2011

Weigh In and Exercise Talk

Haven't posted a weigh in for a while since nothing much changed. Saw a new number this week so thought I would post it. I believe this weigh in was from Tuesday.



That's a loss of 101.4 lbs now. Things are creeping very slowly these days, but at least they aren't completely stopped. I've "only" lost 5 lbs in the last 2 months, but at least it's something and shows my lifestyle supports maintaining and even losing, instead of gaining. So I consider that a very good thing.

Last week I made an effort to get things moving by trying some classes at my gym. A water aerobics class and a step aerobics class. The water aerobics was not the low impact I was expecting - there was a lot of sprinting in the water, which I'm afraid is the reason my plantar fasciitis has flared up. I had NO foot pain the last SEVERAL months, and now it's back. My knee is also worse, which I think is due to the step aerobics.

I find this incredibly frustrating. My body and my spirit want to do these things. I am capable of them. But now I'm in so much more pain that this entire week I haven't done any workouts because I feel my body needs to recover.

So I guess next week it's back to Leslie Sansone videos, and I will start using the gym for regular swimming and for the ARC trainer again, as well as some weights and stretching. I was really excited about the classes - something new and different, keep my body guessing, lose more weight, thought it would be fun. But losing 100 lbs hasn't given me back a body that doesn't hurt, ya know? I guess I have to face that I can't always do what other people my weight would be able to do. I have things that are damaged and that damage is still there.

A little discouraging... but... I know I can do this. I just have to find things that work for me, even if they aren't necessarily new fun exciting things. :)

Thursday, February 17, 2011

OMG

I went to a step aerobics class at my gym today. I thought it was geared toward beginners. I don't mean the intensity, but the level of how complicated the moves/combos are. It was SO tricky... I felt like an uncoordinated buffoon. It was also super hard for me cardio-wise... but if the moves had been a little easier I could have made it all the way through I think. I just got too tired to keep trying to figure it out, LOL!

I made it through 40 mins of the 1 hour class. I then spent 10 mins on the treadmill to cool down, gradually decreasing my speed, and then spent 10 mins stretching.

All in all it was definitely a fantastic workout!! That's my 3rd great workout this week and I plan to get in two more.

Friday, November 5, 2010

24 Week Update & Hubby's Progress

Hey everybody. Firstly, I'm sorry my update is late, and that also there is no video this week. My family is going through a difficult time and we got some bad news last night. I will elaborate eventually, but I can't just yet. If you are the praying type, I would ask for your prayers for my family. Thank you and I will provide more information soon.

Also thank you for all the kind comments on the last post. I wasn't upset or angry or sad, just kind of perplexed and didn't understand why he would do that :) All is well.


As for this week's update, there have been some pros and some cons.


Cons:

- my lower back and hip pain have been especially bad this week. Possibly due to getting new athletic shoes. When your back is this weak, the simplest changes can throw everything off.

-On Monday night I tried to work out at the gym, but my body was NOT having it. I did the treadmill for 5 mins and gave up because the pain was intolerable. I switched to the ARC trainer and managed 10 mins, but then had to stop. My hip was just killing me and no amount of stretching was helping at ALL.

- Halloween candy is still around, and I'm still eating quite a bit of it. I've kind of had my fill and we are getting rid of it this weekend. Don't need any more.



Pros:

- Even though I couldn't work out as much as I would have liked, I still got some activity - a couple workouts plus a whole day of shopping.

- I cooked real recipes twice this week (actually twice in the same day!) and we ate off those for a few days this week.

- Had a decent loss this week, despite the cons mentioned above.



My weight yesterday was:



217.2 - that's a loss of 2.2 lbs this week. Still not as fast as I had been used to, but I will take it over a plateau any day :) I may not make my -100 lbs mark by the 20th like I wanted to, but I am super pleased things are moving again.



Workouts this Week:

Friday 10/29 - Swimming laps, 23 mins
Monday 11/1 - 5 mins treadmill, 10 mins ARC trainer, stretching (bad pain day)

I worked out Thurs and Fri, but those technically count toward next week's weigh in. At least I am getting a bit better now and able to work out more again. Stupid pain.. leave me alone please.



Some New Foods This Week:

VitaTops Banana Nut

I picked these up because I haven't had a muffin since before surgery. I LOVE muffins, ESPECIALLY with cream cheese. One of these is just the right size for my tummy right now. It's basically just the top of the muffin. They are frozen, so they will keep even if I don't eat them too often. You zap it in the micro for 18 seconds and it's ready to go. (Or you can thaw at room temp for 30 mins.) I put an individual pack of light cream cheese on top of it and YUM! Since it's higher carb and lower protein, I wouldn't do this every day, but it tastes GREAT for once in a while.


Life Cafe Smoothie

Not technically NEW for me, but I haven't shown a photo before. This is a protein smoothie from my gym - this one has strawberries, pineapple, 27g whey protein, skim milk and nonfat yogurt. Delicious. The one in the background is Ian's with all the same stuff but blueberries instead of pineapple. We order the kids size, but with the full amount of protein.


Bean and Cheese Quesadilla

Double Bean Quesadilla. I made this up this week. It has refried beans, seasoned black beans (pre packaged), and cheese. Tasted good, but SO MESSY because of the sauce the black beans come in. Probably won't make it again. It did keep me full for like a gazillion years though.


Turkey Club

Turkey Club from the food court at Super Target. I was grocery shopping and needed to eat (had been out a while already) before I did my shopping... was feeling weak. It was tasty but I had no interest in the bread and it had WAY too much bacon. I pushed most of the bacon off and ate about 2/3 of the turkey and cheese... threw the rest away. Tasty, decent price ($3) and got the job done in a pinch... but not something I'd go out of my way to plan to order.


Taco Chicken Tenders

Taco Chicken Tenders - one of my recipes this week! Chicken tenderloins (1 lb) rinsed and patted dry. Add as much taco seasoning as you like, patting it onto both sides of the chicken so it sticks. Cook it in a skillet over medium-high heat, flipping every 2 minutes til cooked through. (It took like 5-6 mins). Remove from skillet, squeeze half a lime over it all, and serve with some light sour cream. These were very tasty and very moist. A great all-protein meal. From the 4 Ingredient Diabetic Cookbook.

Pizza Burgers
Pizza Burgers - another all-protein recipe I cooked this week. It's from the Biggest Loser Family Cookbook. One major tweak - we didn't bother with hamburger buns. I also purchased premade patties. What I did was sprinkle the seasonings across them all and then take each patty, roll it into a ball and reshape it. I felt it worked well and then they all come out the same size in the end :) Doesn't need to be done, but I had bought these already so I tried it, and I actually liked doing it that way. I will have to post the full recipe later - I used my own concoction of seasonings in my own amount so I didn't really follow it. I used oregano, garlic chips, garlic powder, garlic pepper, a ground pepper blend (instead of red pepper flakes), salt and some Mrs Dash onion & herb seasoning. We grilled up the burgers on the George Foreman grill, adding sliced mozzarella on top and melting it. Topped with some Classico Tomato & Basil marinara sauce and then a dash of parmesan. Delicious!!!!!!! We really enjoyed this meal. We each can eat 1 patty, so we had it two nights in a row.



Some other Tidbits...

A quick little Calcium supplement review. These are both from Celebrate. The one on the left is the chewable calcium supplement. The one on the right is the liquid supplement which includes both multivitamin AND calcium.

Celebrate Calcium Supplements

The chewables are pretty hard to deal with, we feel. My friend hated them so gave them to us, and we pretty much hate them too. Today I tried the liquid - not so bad! The liquid includes multivitamin AND calcium, so I could stop taking my gummy vitamins if I am taking this. You have to take it twice a day though. It tasted totally decent, kind of like a koolaid. You empty the packet into 8 oz of cold water and shake to mix. I poured it in a glass after shaking it in a bottle. Might be ordering these to try for a while as I think it will be a good way to get everything in. But at $45 per 30 day supply, and the fact we BOTH need it, that's pretty pricey. So we'll see.


My hair is still thinning a LOT... Ovation isn't really helping. I decided to get my hair cut a bit shorter to help it look fuller. I am also using a protein spray I got from my stylist, makes your hair appear a bit fuller also. Here is me and my stylist Tarah :)

Haircut with Tarah

And FINALLY.... My husband Ian's 5 month progress photos from Nov 3rd. He has lost 70 lbs and is feeling great!


5 Months all in a row, front view:



5 Months all in a row, side view:



Start vs. 5 Months, Front View:



Start vs 5 Months, Side View:


Start vs 5 Months, Back View:


So proud of him!! He has gone from tight 2X shirts to loose 1X shirts, ready to start getting into some larges. His pants size has gone from 54 to 44!

That's it for this week - sorry so long. I probably won't have a chance to post again until next week's update. I'm expecting a bit of a tough and taxing week. I'm trying to still take good care of myself and keep on my path, but definitely have some bigger fish to fry at the moment. Have a great week everyone.