Weighed & measured. Down 1 inch in my chest, 1 inch on lower hip (I take 2 hip measurements, one at the top on the love handle area, and one lower just above the pelvic bone).

Fitting in fitness time has been really tough the last few days, so all I can really do is try – and if I can’t, keep trying.

Yesterday I did fantastic on food consumption. I had a cup or two of watermelon and some coffee, a cup of carrots, about a cup of trail mix, a cup or two of steamed mixed vegetables (squashes and beans and things), more water, and a 1″ slice of chocolate cake, because a girl NEEDS chocolate sometimes. I was perfectly satisfied all day with that. The scale was happy, so I’m happy – and I don’t have a problem doing that again today.

Joey is a total Godsend during this – my frustration level yesterday with finding time to fit it in and keep my willpower was at an all time high. He totally talked me down off my ledge and motivated me to “Get’er done” today. And so I did. Thanks, Joey!

Day 6

Up at 6am, because I could not realistically get up any earlier than that. I am a non-functioning human being before 6am!

I check e-mail, wake up with a cup or two of coffee, and get the kids ready and off to school. I had a 9am appointment that I had forgotten about, so I had exactly 30 minutes between returning from driving the kids to school and leaving for my 9am appointment. Thankfully, a friend texted me and asked if I had time to walk with her this morning EXACTLY at the only time I did have. Talk about divine intervention!

We speed walked for a little more than 30 minutes and I jumped in the car for my 9am. Thankfully my appointment was at the dentist and she wore a mask so she wasn’t too offended by my post-workout body perfume.

An hour later, I returned home and flipped on my DVD player to do as instructed – stretching and Level 1 floor exercises from Joey’s Ultimate Leg, Butt, Hip & Thigh Makeover. For some reason, I don’t recall it hurting as much last week as it did today! I definitely felt it. I may feel it even more later – but for now, I have a few short hours to get some work done before the rest of the day’s activities kick in – picking up the kids, homework, dinner, volleyball practice and a game.

By the time I get home tonight, I will be zapped of all energy and knew that I had to fit my daily exercise in this morning, somehow! I’m glad it all “worked out”!

About a month ago, a friend had great success with the corticosteroid injection for her lower back. I decided I’d give it a try. I made appointments, had a new MRI, and was told that it was possible that a transforaminal injection would help me. Ohhhh it helped me alright – for one whole day! One! Day!

For one day, I felt like a normal person. For one day, I rolled out of bed instead of cricked, cracked broke your momma’s back got out of bed. I put my shorts on! Without leaning against a wall! I carried a watermelon, too! I look back on that day, 3 weeks ago now, and I want that again. Now that I know it CAN happen, even with 50% of my L5-S1 disk gone, and neuroforaminal stenosis causing me much distress, I am determined (again!) to strengthen my core and lose those few (cough…25..cough) extra pounds that have crept back on over the last few years.

I’ll share my progress thus far – as I am already on day 5. I have been consulting with my client/friend, Joey Atlas, and he has been giving me advice on how to proceed, gently, to increase my core strength and make the changes I need so desperately for decreased pain and increased flexibility and mobility.

I’m a busy mom and self-employed to boot – so though my schedule is more flexible than others, I still have a lot of hurdles and last minute changes, appointments and commitments going on. I am committed to block out at LEAST an hour a day to do this. It’s more important than ever before!

Day 1

I started out day 1 with Chapters 1-14 (floor exercises only) from Joey’s Ultimate Leg, Butt, Hip and Thigh Makeover DVD, and followed it with about 20 minutes on the treadmill.

Day 2

Finished out the ULBHTM video, I think it goes to chapter 26 or 28. These are standing exercises for the most part, squats, lunges, stepping up/down etc. that didn’t seem so tough, but boy from Day 3 on, I felt it. It was not pleasant, but Joey encouraged me and let me know that means that my muscles are already starting to change!

I also walked 30 minutes on the treadmill (I keep it over 3mph, 3% incline the majority of the time).

Day 3

Saturday, Joey recommended his Abs of Stone, Core of Steel DVD. I made it through that one okay, some of the exercises were tough because this one targets an area that is very tender for me. I took it easy, as he suggested, and can feel some tightening but not so much that I am sore.

My daughter and I went out walking on Day 3, we took a route that is hilly – I was really feeling Day 2′s burn in my thighs and we wound up at about 3 miles – just under an hour walk.

Day 4

Sunday – oh my. Church in the morning, then I went and washed the river bugs off my van (and broke a sweat, so that counts!), and we went furniture shopping. 10 stores later, everyone is hungry and we stopped at Noodle’s for a meal. I tried to choose wisely – and went with a Mediterranean pasta with balsamic vinegar, olive oil, spinach and tomato – and added a grilled chicken breast. It is really hard for me to eat out. Better if I don’t. Next time, I think I’ll pass and drink water while everyone else eats. We ran the kids to and fro, then my hubby joined me on the same walk I took with my daughter the day before. Another 3 miles in, excruciatingly painful at times with the burn in my thighs, but they felt better after the walk.

Day 5

Today, Joey recommended an upper body workout. I only have this 8 Minute Arm DVD so I went with that. I have to laugh at trainers who think big broad striped bodysuits are cool. LOL! At least it makes the workout entertaining!

I watched the Bachelor Pad on my laptop while I walked on the treadmill – a good 40 minute walk today. Now my goal is to watch my water intake and get it back up to where it needs to be, and munch on veggies and mixed nuts this afternoon. Tonight I plan on making grilled chicken and veggies so I know I’ll have a better day as far as food consumption goes.

OH yea, I did take measurements (chest, waist, hips in 2 spots, left thigh and bicep) so I’ll update on those changes as well.

I have created a Facebook Page, please join me over there! I would love to hear about your progress, too. Where weight loss is concerned – I have learned that there IS strength in numbers!

Here’s my facebook page: Pounds2Go on Facebook

See you soon!

Of course I was immediately dreaming of a personal trainer game, and guess what? THEY’VE MADE ONE! Wii Fit – with a gazillion fitness activities, including huuuuuuuuuula hoops! Rock on!

Totally getting this….

This post is from Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature Blog.

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We Wii!!

reason number two.

So I’m going to have some of this, get over it, and get back to you next week.

This post is from Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature Blog.

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Two Reasons Why Not.

On the upside, I lost another inch in my hips and 1.8 lbs. last week. (That’s 2 inches total in my hips, 1 in my waist and 4.6 lbs. in 3 weeks.)

All that, and I’m retaining water. And chocolate.

That is all.

This post is from Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature Blog.

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4 out of 28 days, I suck.

My dear friend Taba (gardeners : visit her site.) asked me to take a pic of my new not-gray haircolor. I colored it Saturday morning with some Ion colors from Sally Beauty Supply- mixing 3 parts of their liquid Color Brilliance golden brown with 1 part darkest brown. I honestly didn’t care what color it turned out to be, as long as it was not-gray. It is definitely not-gray, and I actually dig it. I am sure I’ll be coming back to search my own dang archives to figure out what I used and what it looked like!

So, since she asked, and if I told ANYone else that I know that I took a new pic of myself they’d all be like “ooh lemme see, I wanna see!” here it is, and there you go. (And if you want to see what I looked like when I was a youngin’, click here.)

I did measure and weigh in this morning, my measurements are all the same except for my thighs, which went down 1/2-inch (YAY for vanishing thunder thighs!) and my weight, which is down 1.7lbs from last Monday. Progress, sweet progress. So, to reward myself for such good results, I walked for 30 minutes at 3.5mph at an incline today. Yeowch. LOL

Time to dig back into the design queue – so much to get done this week so I can get back out into the studio next week!

This post is from Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature Blog.

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Mememmeeeeeee

Whew – it’s been quite a week, and I’m happy to be on the upswing of dealing with some very deep and emotional personal struggles with my health and fitness. Fortunately, we all have the power to change the things about ourselves that aren’t what they should be. We just need to reach down deep and find that place that’s broken, and start working a little bit every day toward fixing it.

Funny, I would love nothing more than to keep the last couple of posts up on top, because the moment it drops down out of sight I worry that it will also drop out of mind. This struggle is my own – and for anyone who thinks I’m blaming someone else for “how I turned out”, I am not. The way I deal with food is my reaction to circumstances that I had no control over as a child. Being teased, going through a divorce, struggling with family issues that were no one’s fault, but everyone’s undoing. It seems this is a common situation, and many of you have shared your own struggles and I can’t thank you enough for making me feel “normal”. I am not the only one, YOU are not the only one.

I began my week last week with a couple of goals. First, to get to 2 miles on my treadmill within 20 minutes. I’m not a runner by any stretch of the imagination, and I know it’s going to take time to get there. That’s ok – it’s a goal. I’ll get there eventually. If I increase my distance even by 1/10th of a mile each day, or each week – I will be 1/10th of a mile closer to that goal. Always move forward, that’s my only guideline. My other goal was to track my exercise and food again and track my measurements and weight weekly (though I also check my weight daily since I have a 1/10th scale and it helps me stay on track through the week). I would just like to show a decrease – no matter how slight – every week. No big goal there, just down from previous week.

A little sweat equity will keep me going, I think.

So for this week, I’m on the right track. I’m up to 1.24mi in 20 minutes and down everywhere else…

Weight: -1.1 lbs.
Chest: n/c
Waist: -1 inch
Hips: -1 inch

I took my thigh measurement this week, so I’ll start tracking it as well (Yo, thunder thigh’s the name, remember).

Now I’ve gotta get to work – I have 10 more blog designs to whip up before the 14th, when I’ll get back out to the studio for a couple of weeks of intense painting sessions!

This post is from Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature Blog.

Visit my portfolio and browse my original paintings and photography!

Sweat Equity

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The all to common “love a person for who they are” phrase is beaten into everyone’s minds now more than ever. It is now used as an excuse, that it’s okay to be fat. What you are on the outside does not make who you are on the inside, but I’m here to tell you – it absolutely does. If you can’t look in the mirror without disgust, then there’s a problem. If your spouse keeps telling you they love you exactly as you are and your lifespan is very obviously going to be cut short by at least 20 years since you can’t walk across a room without catching your breath – then there’s a problem. There’s a problem with the perception that being overweight is okay – and there’s a problem with conveying that you’re okay with seeing someone you love dearly so desperately unfit and unhealthy.

All my life, every single day, I’ve had this problem. I can recall from a young age hearing the words “if you don’t stop eating like that you’re going to look just like your Aunt …. ” the obese aunt. I remember going to bed at night and hearing the sounds of crinkling cookie wrappers – my parents downstairs having their nightly snack, which we didn’t get. That only made me want it more. I dove into buckets and packages and containers when my parents weren’t looking. I ate when I was frustrated, I ate because I was famished, I ate, and ate – and the one thing I did learn about food was that if it tastes good, eat it. If it’s really good, hide it and eat it in private – whatever you do, don’t share it.

I was without a boyfriend, of course, since thunder thighs really weren’t cool. I compensated my insecurities in high school with humor. Sarcasm gave me the opportunity to put other people down lower than I felt myself. Of course I only did that in private, because I was only privately hating everyone who looked at me the wrong way.

I grew to enjoy being on the outside, because the less involved I was with people, the less I hated them. I didn’t want to be angry all the time, especially since that just made me turn to food.

When I met my husband while I was in high school, I weighed what I weigh today. Exactly, as a matter of fact.

I wasn’t happy then, and I’m not happy now.

It’s been 19 years now, full of ups and downs. I’ve tried every diet I could tolerate. I have taken pills and successfully lost weight – and successfully gained it back. I have purchased kits and subscriptions and my eyes still drool when I see instructions or magazines that claim to be able to help you drop 10 pounds in the next 2 days. My health has suffered, my bones have suffered, and my mind is in a haze. Not one single day has ever passed when I haven’t thought about my weight and wanted to see something better when I looked in the mirror. Not one single day has ever gone by without the thought “I am fat” entering my mind. I’ve felt good – and when I feel good I do feel a little success, and those words of encouragement make me soar inside. Still, though, I see fat – and I know I have a long way to go to achieve my goals.

That photo above is an overlay of the past few years for me. When Mark left for Iraq in 2004 – I was at my absolute all time high, 233 pounds. I couldn’t walk from one side of my house to the other without panting. It took me weeks to get to the point where I could even go 2mph on my treadmill – let alone walk a full mile. The stress of his tour was a blessing and a curse – as I dropped weight like crazy, I was eating horribly and not learning a damn thing about health. All I wanted was for that fat to go away before he came home.

Thankfully – it hasn’t returned. This past winter, though, has made me feel like if I don’t get serious – and stay serious, it is most definitely going to creep its way back on, and I will turn into a miserable, unhealthy and depressed person.

I have the same problems that everyone else has.

Motivation: Forcing myself to get on the treadmill and exercise.
Time: Forcing myself to stay on for more than 10 minutes. Prepare meals from organic foods.
Desire: I do not like pain or sweat. I have to learn to look at it differently.

I also want what we all want – not to go it alone. To be one in a household of four who gives a crap about health and fitness isn’t good enough, and it is the primary reason for my bouts with failure as well as success. When other people care – I care. When they don’t, I don’t. Perhaps this is a hazard of being a woman and mother – we just want everyone else to be happy – and if that involved a giant pan of brownies with a side of ice cream, so be it.

It’s not right. It’s not healthy, and that’s not what I want to teach my children. I feel like a health-nut/Nazi sometimes with my obsession to learn about foods and try to tell/teach people. I want everyone to want better for themselves, and it’s frustrating that people just, well, don’t care enough. I’m stuck in the mud, it seems, waiting for someone to pull me out and show me how to do it. How can I do what I need to do without allowing the negative influences and temptations to pull me off course? How can anyone?

I want more. I want better. Better health than what I see and hear from my own parents and in-laws. I want longevity. Life. I am tired and frustrated when I hear that someone is sick and then seconds later how they’ve eaten a horrible meal that they perceive to be healthy. I want to know how to shut my mouth when I’m faced with that situation, and I want to know when it’s the right time to share my concerns with those people.

Most of all, though, I want to set an example for my children. I want to teach them what the school system won’t about nutrition, and I want them to think about food as fuel – and choose their fuel wisely.

It’s been a long haul. Where I am now is better than where I was, but where I want to go is still a ways off in the distance.

Hopefully, with a little help, encouragement, motivation – and maybe even knowing some of you know what I mean and will stand beside me, I’ll fight this battle a little stronger than before, and close that gap a little bit more every day.

This post is from Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature Blog.

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The Struggle of a Lifetime

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Of all the weight loss products in the market, the best one according to the consumers opinion is adipex. Another famous concoction is hoodia diet pill. A large group still favors no medication and herbal remedies like green tea though.

I made this yesterday morning and it’s good enough to have again today, and share, too. Here are the ingredients:

3/4 c. Eggbeaters
1 bag Pictsweet Deluxe Steamer Veggies – Spring vegetables with asparagus
1 lg. pinch reduced fat mexican blend shredded cheese

Directions:

Start the veggies steaming in the microwave for 5 minutes. When about 2 minutes remain, spray a non-stick pan with (olive oil) cooking spray and start scrambling 3/4 c. eggbeaters. Once the veggies are ready, cut a tiny hole in the bag and drain the juices. When it’s drained, open up the bag and dump it into the eggbeaters, finish cooking it together. When it’s just about finished, add a pinch of shredded cheese and mix it up.

I’m all about an easy & fast breakfast.

Here’s the nutrition info:

Calories: 290
Fat: 5g
Carbs: 23.5g
Protein: 25g

Seriously – it couldn’t be better, ore more filling! I also had a half turkey sandwich with grapes for lunch, and 8 oz. of chicken breast with about 2 cups of broccoli and broccoflower for dinner – and dropped 1.10 lbs. just yesterday. I even splurged with a bit of fat free blue bunny frozen yogurt, too. I’m being much more strict again – this winter has been horrible on my hips. It’s time to put down the brownies and turn off the oven! (At least for today. And maybe tomorrow, too – but I make no promises once the PMS monster hits.)

This post is from Leanne Wildermuth : Artist by Nature Blog.

Visit my portfolio and browse my original paintings and photography!

Nummy Breakfast

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Browse the archive of posts filed under Health n’ Weight.