Workout S.O.S.

I just wanted to share this little bit of info: While I was sifting around on the weight watchers website, they have a tool to calculate your your BMI and also talk about your ideal weight, and they mention something about a 10% goal.

According to weight watchers, my BMI is 35, which is considered obese:

"BMI Ranges: What they mean
Experts generally consider a BMI below 20 to be underweight and a BMI of 20 to 25 to be healthy. BMIs of 25 to 30 are generally considered overweight while a BMI over 30 is generally considered very overweight (obese)."

According to weight watchers, my ideal weight should be between 117 - 146 lbs! WHOA! That seems so little! I would literally have to loose at least 60 more pounds to be in that category! I can't even think of the last time I weighed 150lbs!

"Losing 10% of your body weight is not only the first big step toward your ultimate goal weight, but it can also reduce your risk for many diseases and increase your self-esteem."

I like this idea, because I feel that is what I am currently working on, and I have already seen the huge difference in my body - I haven't even lost a whole 10% yet either! I just need to keep going! When I still weighed 220, my 10% goal would be 22lbs! Currently I have lost 15 - so if I change my goal from 20 to 22, I have 7 more pounds to go!

I guess I'm just finding it difficult to get motivated, and that may also be because I feel so alone in this journey. I know that I have friends to turn to for support, but it's hard when I spend my days bored by myself, and I'm surrounded by yummy snacks at work.... I feel I need more motivation! I haven't been on the elliptical in forever.. *sigh*

I just realized that if I did join curves, I would have to buy work out clothing, and running shoes! It's just more money, and more money to loose weight! A friend online mentioned the Wii fit - I do have a Wii, so I could look into getting the Wii fit, might be a good idea for the winter! But again- more money! Maybe I'm just making excuses. What I should really do is just get my but over to Curves, and talk to them about it.

Another deterrent is that I have all of these other personal issues on my mind that I'm also trying to work out... Maybe I'm in a rut!? I NEED HELP!

All in all - I want to do this! I just need to get off my butt!

To count, or not to count...

That is my question... I have been juggling the idea of joining Weight Watchers for a while now, so that I can learn more about healthy eating (portioning, and healthy choices). I am still at 205lbs which is a total of 15 lbs lost on my own - but my eating habits are still pretty horrible (yet not as bad as they used to be!!). I know for a fact that I am an emotional eater, and sometimes I just indulge. But I think it would be handy to know what my cut off point should be.

I'm not completely clueless about portioning/serving size, good food vs. bad food, but I still don't know everything I feel I should, and a little information never hurt! This is what the website says about their point system incase you are not familiar with it:

"Not all foods are created equal-POINTS® values help you choose

By aiming to meet a daily POINTS Target customized for your needs, you’ll learn to eat the right amount to stay satisfied and still lose weight. POINTS values will help you make the best choices to keep you on track. So you can take your mind off numbers and get back to your life."

Mmmm, omelette's! ...... .... ... So in other words, you still get to eat what you want, but you get to see how many points each of your favorite foods are, and in turn, might start making healthier choices. I also like the idea that I can do it online, and I've seen lots of reference and recipe books for weight watchers as well! Some friends of mine even said that I could look everything up online, and then I wouldn't have to pay to use the program... I'll have to look into that.

Another friend of mine and I have also been thinking about joining Curves, a women's only gym that has a circuit of workout equipment set up for a complete body workout in 30 minutes. This is what their website says:

"Burn up to 500 calories with our 30-minute workout, which combines strength training and cardio for a workout that works your entire body, from head to toe. It works every major muscle group and gives you results that last. You also get the total support of our trainers."

This would be ideal, because staring at the basement walls while running on the elliptical all winter has already started to get boring, and once the snow falls for the next 6 months, I will probably need another way to get some exercise. So it seems I have a few options, it's just a matter of looking more into it, and seeing what I can afford.

Have any of you had any luck with either of these companies/programs? I'd like to hear your feedback!

Weigh in... or out.

I'v been hesitating about posting my weigh in update... because I didn't meet my goal, and I feel really bad about it. Actually, at one point in the month, I was very close, and I thought I would have no problem meeting it... But just this last week, I kind of went downhill. I'v been dealing with some brutal personal issues, and I kind of lost my self control. I know I'm an emotional eater, and I have had a VERY emotional week... And, I haven't been on the elliptical at all this past week as well. So, I'm not very pleased with myself, but I know I will bounce back. I have to look at this as a learning experience.

At least I'm not back at square one. SO! This month, It is my goal (again) to get down to 200lbs! I will be watching very carefully what I eat, and when I work out, and make sure I take every opportunity to walk to and from work! I'm sorry for the depressing blog, but I will prevail! I will post another weight update on (or around) November 1st!

I feel great!

Hello all again! I hope you are having fantastic weekends! I just felt so great this morning when I woke up that I had to write about it! This is just a brief update about my weight loss, but I will do an actual month end update at the end of the month. So far tho, I have lost 15 of the 20 pounds I want to loose for this year. That brings me to 205lbs! My weight loss didn't actually begin until April - so I'm averaging 3-4 pounds a month. Now I'm ready to make it 5lbs a month.

I just needed to tell you about some great things I've noticed... number one - My double chin is... disappearing! WOW! Now - I've always had a double chin, and probably always will, but the massiveness of it is going away! When I touch my neck, I have to reach a little further it seems.. Haha! That sounds funny, but it's a great feeling! Even when I look in the mirror, I can see how my face has changed shape! Not only the shape of my face looks nicer, but my skin actually looks better! My acne is clearing up, and my complexion looks a lot more healthier - glowing almost! Maybe thats because I'm happy too.

Another thing is clothing... my shirts all fit differently! They are getting a little baggy in my mid section, which is where I hold most of my weight! That also means my pants are getting a little baggy - especially around my thighs! Holy, even my boss noticed that my pants are literally starting to hang off me. Awesome! I guess I'll have to start throwing them in the dryer to shrink them back up! I had to buy a belt at the beginning of the month, and I have already had to go in another notch! Excellent!

With any weight loss I've had in the past, I've always noticed that my bras would get a bit big because my boobs would get smaller - but not so far this time. The only thing I've noticed about my bras is that they are fitting better around the ribs, and maybe even a bit loose sometimes. This means less back fat!! But thank god my cup size hasn't changed... HAHA!

Along with clothing fitting better, so are my shoes, especially flats, since they seem to be a bit more narrow! I was noticing last winter that I was even going into size 9 shoes, when I normally wear a size 8. I've pulled out some of my shoes from last year, and they are all fitting well again... too bad summer is almost over and I cant wear some of the cute shoes I have.. Oh well, I can now go shopping for new fall and winter foot wear! WOO HOO! Not to mention, It's so amazing to be able to do things around the house without my ankles or legs aching constantly. Weight gain is so hard on the body... I never want to be in pain like that again! Unless I'm pregnant or something...

I have SO much energy! The other night I was watching TV or something, and I just couldn't sit still. It was like I was all pent up, and had to go for a run! So instead, I went downstairs and dusted off the elliptical. After 15 minutes on one of the easier settings.. that thing literally kicked my butt! But now I'm totally in the groove, and will be doing at least 15 minutes on the elliptical every second night. I used it again last night, and it wasn't as bad. That 15 minutes might become 20 very soon!

I don't want to say that I look at food differently now, but I do put more thought into what, AND where I eat. Ive noticed this past month, that if I eat out anywhere, I normally get an upset stomach from it.. I don't know why. I haven't eaten at a fast food place in so long - this is just sit down places like Boston Pizza, etc. Maybe its not all that different. But even if I were at a fast food place, I probably wouldn't be able to eat there unless they had a salad or something, because the heavy greasy foods make me feel SO GROSS! Not to mention I'll be running to the bathroom 10 minutes later - Yuck!

I've been keeping the meals pretty simple actually. Piece of fruit, granola bar, and maybe a yogurt or something for breakfast. Sandwich or bagel and veggies or fruit for lunch, and then whatever Mikey or myself makes for dinner. And of course, a small snack for dessert... I can't deny myself that! I've noticed a significant change in the portions I'm eating, and how easy it is for me to get full! That may also be part of eating better, more filling foods. I've cut pop almost completely out of my diet - unless I have no choice, or make a glass of my raspberry syrup and ginger ale, Mmmmmm!! Pop actually tends to upset my stomach, maybe its the carbonation. I think thats one reason why I cant really drink beer - my tummy always hurts after.

There are more positive changes that I have been seeing, these are just the more prominent ones. I will tell you all more about them when I write my month end update!

Have a great weekend everyone! And I have the weekend off, so I'll see about posting an update about the garden too... lol

An introduction to skin care, Step Nine & Ten

There are only 2 more steps, so I might as well just get them done and over with!! Then I can get on with other posts!

Step Nine: Protection - This is the secret to eternal young looking skin...

When you think about it, a sunburn is just that - a burn. The sun literally burns our skin - sometimes to a crisp - and it dries up the moisture in our skin, and destroys its cellular makeup. To put it simply, Sunblock (Protection) is EVERYTHING!! I briefly mentioned this in the introduction, but now I will elaborate!

Did you know that sun exposure is the #1 cause of skin cancer, and premature aging? Here are some numbers to put it into perspective: On average, 90% of wrinkles are from external factors, such as sun exposure. The other 10% are from the natural aging process. That is a HUGE difference!

Need a mental picture? Just think about what happens to a grape when it is left out in the sun. Eventually, it will turn into a raisin! The same can be said for our skin. It's not unusual for an 80 year old woman to have the smooth unblemished shoulders of a 30 something. Its proof that skin protected from the sun ages more gracefully.

The purpose of sunblock is to protect your skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays, so when you're selecting a sunblock, be sure that it is broad spectrum - meaning that it will block both UVA and UVB rays. Both rays damage the skin in different ways. A simple way to remember what each ray does is: UVA = Aging, and UVB = Burning.

An SPF number indicates the degree of exposure allowed in the sun before the skin starts to burn. For example: SPF 15 means that you can be out in the sun 15 times longer than without any protection at all - It does not however, mean 15 minutes. Check your local UV index for the time allowed in the sun before you will burn. If the index says 10 minutes, this SPF will allow you to stay in the sun 15 times longer, which is 2 and a half hours before you'll need to re-apply.

A higher SPF or recreational sunblock is recommended for extended exposure, sports, swimming, and other outdoor activities (gardening?!?), because they have been designed to be more sweat, water and rub proof. Also keep in mind that you are not completely protected from UV rays behind glass, even if they have a coating - its still only a percentage. In regards to skincare, you can easily mix a small amount of sunblock into your daily moisturizer, some even have an SPF of 15-30 already added to them. These are usually designed to absorb quickly into the skin, allowing you to wear your makeup without a greasy feel.

Step Ten: Health - aka Diet, Exercise, and Well-being.

Lets get real, skin products are not going to save your skin alone. There are other very important elements to achieve a healthy complexion such as a healthy, well balanced diet, adequate water intake, regular exercise, and sufficient rest. Remember, beauty starts on the inside! Underlying health issues, a change in hormones, and negative lifestyle choices can also affect your skin. Overall, if you feel you have tried everything, and take good care of your self and your skin, but still have trouble with keeping your complexion at its best, it may be in your best interest to consult a professional.

I truly hope this information has helped anyone experiencing problems with their skin, and I would love to hear your feedback. If you have some questions, please ask, and I will try my darnedest to answer!!

Final Overview:

-Everyday, you should be Cleansing, Toning, and Moisturizing the eyes, and face (in that order), once in the morning, and once before bed. This is the BARE MINIMUM!

-Once to twice a week, you should use an Exfoliant or Scrub after cleansing, and a Mask before moisturizing.

- Whenever its comfortable with you, Extractions will help quickly get rid of pimples and blackheads. Be sure to tone or cleanse afterwards to reduce clogging other pores.

- Depending on the application, a Serum or Complex can be used daily, or once a week as a deep moisturizing treatment, usually before or with your moisturizer.

- Don't forget about your Luscious Lips! Try to find a lip friendly scrub to use once a week, and a good lip balm keeps lips looking smooth and supple all day!

For a list of all my skin care blogs - including this one - click here!