Tomorrow is the start of my second 20 week challenge! I appreciate your prayers as I try to honor God by living a healthier life.
I have actually already began the food journal, the prayer journal and the Bible reading. It will be nice to be able to have desserts and beverages other than water again. I am SO looking forward to this!
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Celebrating and Planning
I spent last weekend hanging out with a couple of my sisters and we decided to have a day of celebration for our first 20 week challenge. We went to lunch at Applebee's! Hannah and I got a couple of burgers and fries with soda to drink.
And... I told you I would post my plan for the new 20 Week Challenge. Here it is!
We also had a good laugh at our VERY awkward waiter. Poor kid was trying SO HARD to be cool.
Then for dinner we had pizza, salad, and ice cream for dessert! It was wonderful.
After that we went back to our previous challenges which we will keep until the end of January.
And... I told you I would post my plan for the new 20 Week Challenge. Here it is!
Melissa’s
20 Week Challenge - Spring 2012
THE WHY:
®
Because my body is my temple. I
want to honor the Lord with ALL of who I am.
®
Because I want to prepare myself to do
God’s will, WHATEVER that may be. I don’t want to limit God’s calling for
my life because I’m out of shape and overweight.
® Because I
want to accomplish other lifestyle changes and that will be easier if I have
more discipline and energy from eating healthier foods and exercising.
THE GOAL: To lose a pound a week for
twenty weeks.
THE PLAN:
® At
the starting point, I will give myself certain challenges that will be in
effect throughout the entire 20 Week Challenge.
® At
each checkpoint, I will add additional challenges that will be in effect for
the duration.
® I
will not beat myself up over failures, but will move forward while seeking
God’s help with each challenge and temptation.
THE REWARD: A new dress for
my cousin’s wedding on June 23!
Date:
|
Feb 1
|
March 7
|
April 11
|
May 16
|
June 20
|
Goal Weight:
|
|||||
Weight:
|
|||||
Waist:
|
|||||
Bust:
|
|
||||
Hips:
|
|||||
Thigh:
|
|||||
Upper Arm:
|
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BMI:
|
THE CHALLENGES:
- Keep
a food journal. Record what you eat
and drink as well as approximate portion sizes .
- Exercise
6 days a week. Strength Training on
M, W, F. Aerobics on T, Th, Sa.
- No
fast food.
- One dessert a week. (Unlike the last challenge, chocolate is now a snack, not a dessert.)
- Read
at least one chapter of the Bible every day when you wake up.
- Keep
a prayer journal. Write in it at
least once a week.
Starting
March 7:
- Keep
a prayer journal. Write in it at
least twice a week.
- Memorize
at least one Bible verse each week.
Recite it while exercising and before eating.
- Drink
only water, tea, coffee, milk, or nutrition drinks. No juice, soda, shakes, chocolate milk.
Starting
April 11:
- Keep
a prayer journal. Write in it at
least three times a week.
- Before
each meal or snack, take fifteen minutes to clean.
- Plan
each week’s meals and snacks. At
least one meal a week should be a new recipe.
Starting
May 16:
- Keep
a prayer journal. Write in it every day.
- Spend
an hour a week in spiritual meditation.
- Drink
only water.
- No
desserts.
Thursday, January 19, 2012
20 Weeks: Then and Now
A lot can happen in 20 Weeks. A lot more than I had hoped for.
On September 1st, 2011 I weighed 329 lbs.
This morning, January 19, 2012, extactly 20 weeks later, I weigh 293.2 lbs.
That is a loss of 9 lbs since the last checkpoint (the goal was 5) and a total weight loss of 35.8 lbs! My BMI has gone from 47.2 to 42.1. I'm still categorized as morbidly obese, but I'm much closer to being healthy than I was before.
This is what I looked like 20 weeks ago.
And here I am today!
Okay, so I still have a ways to go, but I'm really happy to see some progress.
I feel a lot better, too! I have a lot more energy, and getting up and moving is a lot more enjoyable.
P.S. I was able to go the whole 5 weeks without eating any desserts! Okay, I did cheat a little... I licked the spoon while I was making birthday cake, and I definitely decided at one point that chocolate chip pancakes counted as breakfast, not dessert. Other than that, I stuck to it! I didn't even have any chocolate (other than the chocolate chip pancakes, of course!) And... I'm going to keep going with my current challenges (including no desserts) until the beginning of February when I begin my new 20 Week Challenge.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!
On September 1st, 2011 I weighed 329 lbs.
This morning, January 19, 2012, extactly 20 weeks later, I weigh 293.2 lbs.
That is a loss of 9 lbs since the last checkpoint (the goal was 5) and a total weight loss of 35.8 lbs! My BMI has gone from 47.2 to 42.1. I'm still categorized as morbidly obese, but I'm much closer to being healthy than I was before.
This is what I looked like 20 weeks ago.
And here I am today!
Okay, so I still have a ways to go, but I'm really happy to see some progress.
I feel a lot better, too! I have a lot more energy, and getting up and moving is a lot more enjoyable.
P.S. I was able to go the whole 5 weeks without eating any desserts! Okay, I did cheat a little... I licked the spoon while I was making birthday cake, and I definitely decided at one point that chocolate chip pancakes counted as breakfast, not dessert. Other than that, I stuck to it! I didn't even have any chocolate (other than the chocolate chip pancakes, of course!) And... I'm going to keep going with my current challenges (including no desserts) until the beginning of February when I begin my new 20 Week Challenge.
Praise God, from whom all blessings flow!
Wednesday, January 18, 2012
Ice Skating is a Workout!
Over the weekend I went to Indiana to visit some friends. On Saturday we wanted to do something fun that we hadn't done together before, so we went ice skating.
This was the first time I had been ice skating in 13 years, and I wasn't any good back then either, so it made me nervous thinking about doing something so unfamiliar. I woke up Saturday morning and I was still very sore from my lower body workout the day before, but I was determined to get out there and do my best. Normally when I'm doing something that I'm not very good at, I let myself get overwhelmed and self-conscious; this time, I wasn't about to let that happen. My friends gave me some pointers and a lot of encouragement. Even though I fell down several times, I managed to go around the ring quite a bit! And I had fun!
Here is a picture of me all bundled up in the shop where we rented the skates.
This was the first time I had been ice skating in 13 years, and I wasn't any good back then either, so it made me nervous thinking about doing something so unfamiliar. I woke up Saturday morning and I was still very sore from my lower body workout the day before, but I was determined to get out there and do my best. Normally when I'm doing something that I'm not very good at, I let myself get overwhelmed and self-conscious; this time, I wasn't about to let that happen. My friends gave me some pointers and a lot of encouragement. Even though I fell down several times, I managed to go around the ring quite a bit! And I had fun!
Here is a picture of me all bundled up in the shop where we rented the skates.
See the smile on my face while I'm on the ice? Learning to skate was not easy, but I'm so glad I let myself have a good time!
Here are some of the bruises I acquired. Don't worry, they aren't as painful as they look. I'm rather proud of them, actually.
After the lower body workout and the ice skating, my muscles had had enough. On Sunday, I was so sore I had a hard time moving. My friend told me that it's a pretty common occurrence to have pain when you are just starting. She encouraged me to give it some time, keep using and stretching the muscles, and the stiffness and pain would work itself out. She was right! On Monday I felt much better and by Tuesday, there wasn't any more pain, just some manageable soreness.
This has been another good fitness week. On Monday I went to the gym again and did an upper body workout. Yesterday I stayed home and did some latin dancing. This morning I went and did a lower body workout. I've discovered that I am starting to rather enjoy the soreness. It's not as sharp as it was on Sunday, just a mild ache when I move. Having the gentle soreness makes it feel really good when I stretch and it makes me more aware of which muscles I am using when I move.
I have decided to follow the plan in Body for Life which recommends doing strength training on M,W,F and aerobics on T,Th,Sa, and taking Sunday as a day off. So far I'm enjoying it.
Tomorrow is the final checkpoint of the 20 Week Challenge. Hannah and I have decided to extend our challenges a little; we're going to keep our current challenges going until the end of January and make it a full 5 months. Then, in February, I'm starting a new 20 Week Challenge. I'm going to alter it a little from the first one. I am still going to build the challenges at each checkpoint like I did this time, but I am going to have different challenges. I'm still working on what those challenges will be. I know for certain that I'm going to allow myself to celebrate my birthday and Easter with a dessert. I'll let you know once I've selected my new challenges for the next 20 Week Challenge.
Stay tuned for the results! Tomorrow I'll be weighing myself, taking measurements, and posting some before/after pictures!
Thursday, January 12, 2012
My New Gym Membership
Today I got a gym membership! Yay! Even better, I have already used it!
This is great because I borrowed the book Body for Life: 12 Weeks to Mental and Physical Strength by Bill Phillips from some friends, and it had some very useful information about how strength training can aid in weight loss. It also outlined how to go about using strength training equipment to work out different sets of muscles. I've been thinking I'd like to try out what I learned from the book, but this was nearly impossible without using any weight training equipment.
Even cooler, my friend, Jeanne, signed up as well! So now, two of my sisters and brothers-in-law and a good friend of mine all have memberships at Fitness19. That's a great support group!
So, since Jeanne and I were already planning on hanging out tonight, and because we were anxious to get started, we decided to go work out together! After getting our memberships we straightaway went home and changed clothes and went to the gym. It was very intimidating at first. In fact, I have had a lot of anxiety when trying to work out in a gym before... mostly caused by my insecurities and paranoia. Tonight as we drove up to the gym we saw that it was packed! This made me nervous right away, but I was determined to follow through, so I tried not to think about it. Once we were inside, Jeanne and I split up as she wanted to do some aerobics on the elliptical and I wanted to try some strength training exercises from the book. So as she got started working out I sat down and formulated a plan. I used the formula prescribed by the book; I wrote down the area of the body the exercise focused on, the name of the exercise, the number of reps per set, and the intensity level I was trying to achieve with each set. The author also recommended writing down the amount of weight used for each set, but not knowing what I was going for, I decided I would start with the lowest possible weights for each exercise and make each set more challenging as I went along. Once I had the plan figured out and written down, then came the hard part. I had to weave through the crowded gym, trying to find the right equipment for the exercise I wanted to start with. I had a picture in the book, so I knew kind of what it looked like, but I wasn't 100% sure. So many insecurities kept going through my mind... "Everyone in here looks so fit. What if the equipment is already in use? What if I use the equipment incorrectly? What if I break some gym etiquette that I'm unaware of? Will I look like a fool since I'm obviously a beginner?" But I buckled down and found the right equipment and got started. Once I was in action it wasn't nearly so bad. I could just focus on two things: the plan that I had written down and making sure I was doing the exercises correctly.
As recommended in the book, I took notes on the weights that I used, and if I was able to reach the intensity I was aiming for. Since I didn't really achieve a very high intensity level this time, I know know I can use heavier weights next time around. I focused on upper body exercises tonight. I worked out my chest, my back and my shoulders. By the time I was done with those three, Jeanne had finished her workout. It had taken me a while to get started because of the planning and figuring out each exercise and equipment. I skipped the biceps and triceps workout for today so that Jeanne wouldn't have to wait around for me. In the future, I'll plan each workout before going to the gym so I can make good use of my time while I'm there.
I feel happy with how I started. I overcame a huge fear and felt good while doing it. Jeanne and I are planning on going back in the morning. This time I'd like to try some lower body exercises.
P.S. The other areas of the challenge are also going relatively well. Avoiding desserts is still trying at times. It was hard this week because I decided to make a carrot cake for my sister's birthday, knowing I wouldn't be able to have a piece. I admit I licked the spoon though! I haven't really been focused on the eating schedule, so I know I've been eating more than I should, but I'm going to try to get back on track with that this coming week. A plus I have discovered this week is that I have FAR fewer fast food cravings than I did before. It is much easier to avoid thinking about fast food because I've conditioned myself to not have it as an option. This means that I've been preparing more food at home lately. This week I took some hamburger helper (not super healthy, I know) and added spinach and bell peppers to it to give it a little bit of nutrition. I also made some chicken lo mein that wasn't too bad! I'm learning. I'm hoping in the future to be able to make more things from scratch.
 |
| Click here to go to Fitness19 website |
My sister told me that today was the last day of a special deal at Fitness19. Because I signed up on my sister's account, I got some extra discounts as well! I only had to pay $49 for the start-up fee (instead of $99) and instead of being charged $20 a month, they will only be charging me $14 a month! And childcare is included in that cost!
 |
| Click here to see Body for Life on Amazon |
Even cooler, my friend, Jeanne, signed up as well! So now, two of my sisters and brothers-in-law and a good friend of mine all have memberships at Fitness19. That's a great support group!
So, since Jeanne and I were already planning on hanging out tonight, and because we were anxious to get started, we decided to go work out together! After getting our memberships we straightaway went home and changed clothes and went to the gym. It was very intimidating at first. In fact, I have had a lot of anxiety when trying to work out in a gym before... mostly caused by my insecurities and paranoia. Tonight as we drove up to the gym we saw that it was packed! This made me nervous right away, but I was determined to follow through, so I tried not to think about it. Once we were inside, Jeanne and I split up as she wanted to do some aerobics on the elliptical and I wanted to try some strength training exercises from the book. So as she got started working out I sat down and formulated a plan. I used the formula prescribed by the book; I wrote down the area of the body the exercise focused on, the name of the exercise, the number of reps per set, and the intensity level I was trying to achieve with each set. The author also recommended writing down the amount of weight used for each set, but not knowing what I was going for, I decided I would start with the lowest possible weights for each exercise and make each set more challenging as I went along. Once I had the plan figured out and written down, then came the hard part. I had to weave through the crowded gym, trying to find the right equipment for the exercise I wanted to start with. I had a picture in the book, so I knew kind of what it looked like, but I wasn't 100% sure. So many insecurities kept going through my mind... "Everyone in here looks so fit. What if the equipment is already in use? What if I use the equipment incorrectly? What if I break some gym etiquette that I'm unaware of? Will I look like a fool since I'm obviously a beginner?" But I buckled down and found the right equipment and got started. Once I was in action it wasn't nearly so bad. I could just focus on two things: the plan that I had written down and making sure I was doing the exercises correctly.
As recommended in the book, I took notes on the weights that I used, and if I was able to reach the intensity I was aiming for. Since I didn't really achieve a very high intensity level this time, I know know I can use heavier weights next time around. I focused on upper body exercises tonight. I worked out my chest, my back and my shoulders. By the time I was done with those three, Jeanne had finished her workout. It had taken me a while to get started because of the planning and figuring out each exercise and equipment. I skipped the biceps and triceps workout for today so that Jeanne wouldn't have to wait around for me. In the future, I'll plan each workout before going to the gym so I can make good use of my time while I'm there.
I feel happy with how I started. I overcame a huge fear and felt good while doing it. Jeanne and I are planning on going back in the morning. This time I'd like to try some lower body exercises.
P.S. The other areas of the challenge are also going relatively well. Avoiding desserts is still trying at times. It was hard this week because I decided to make a carrot cake for my sister's birthday, knowing I wouldn't be able to have a piece. I admit I licked the spoon though! I haven't really been focused on the eating schedule, so I know I've been eating more than I should, but I'm going to try to get back on track with that this coming week. A plus I have discovered this week is that I have FAR fewer fast food cravings than I did before. It is much easier to avoid thinking about fast food because I've conditioned myself to not have it as an option. This means that I've been preparing more food at home lately. This week I took some hamburger helper (not super healthy, I know) and added spinach and bell peppers to it to give it a little bit of nutrition. I also made some chicken lo mein that wasn't too bad! I'm learning. I'm hoping in the future to be able to make more things from scratch.
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