3 More weeks of....

..... i'd like to say nonsense but we all know it's so not. :o) Both these fitness challenges have changed my life and improved my motivation in so many ways. This past weigh in, which was yesterday, was pretty successful as I shaved 2 pounds over the last week and could not be happier. At first I started to over analyze it all by telling myself that i'd gained a pound the week prior so I actually only lost a pound this week. Then my mind set changed immediately to: "No, I lost two whole pounds and it's ALL good!!!" Its a fact that this fitness challenge has not been as successful as the first and I am definitely not going to make my goal. I mean come on, I would have to lose 10 pounds in the next 3 weeks and i'm sorry, but unless I drink nothing but protein shakes for the duration of this challenge, it's not gonna happen. Although, I had 9 pounds to lose over the last 3 weeks of the last challenge and I managed that one ok. Let's not forget though that I had alot more weight to lose and I paid blood, sweat and a whole lot of tears to achieve that goal. So worth it though. Whatever the outcome, I will have so much satisfaction in knowing that I was able to endure and stick to something for a whole 8 weeks. Not sure if i've mentioned this in earlier blogs but before starting my very first challenge, I went over the CATZ website with a fine toothed comb and scoured every single fitness challengers testimony. One just jumped at me and will stay with me for the rest of my life. Her words went something like this: 'If I can't stick to something for 8 weeks then i'm just really pathetic." Well, ladies and maybe gentlemen, I am NOT pathetic. I have stuck with a strict diet and fitness program for 8 whole weeks! SWEET!

Over the last couple of weeks i've been reading lots of health & fitness books as well as going thru the inter net for more info on healthy living. I've come to the conclusion that they ALL have one thing in common. What i've been doing for the past 9.5 months is a lifestyle. Eating clean and exercising is a LIFESTYLE. In order to maintain the shape i'm in I must continue to do this the rest of my life. I stopped and pondered if that would even be possible for me and the reality is that yes, I can. A week before I started this current challenge I went out and had one meal that consisted of alot of carbs, and not the good carbs. I ate bread, tortillas, candy.... You name it,I ate it. By the third day I was so sick and vowed never to do that again. An occasional burger or piece of cheese cake is fine but definitely NOT everyday. Funny thing is, I still buy bread, potatoes, etc., for my family but most times than not they opt for a no bad carb meal. Unless we're out then it's a whole different story. Most of you know my husband's story... He's not been in the best health for about 6 years. Two years ago physicians found a tunor on each side of his thyroid gland. They performed a biopsy and it came back inconclusive. Meaning it could be cancer or not.. Anyway, he has some pretty serious heart issues and his cardiologist decided it best to postpone the surgery to remove the tumors along with part of his thyroid. 2 weeks ago he was cleared for surgery and a week ago an ultrasound showed that one tumor had shrunk to almost in half and the other one, which was larger, had completely disappeared. Praise God! I am a huge believer in the power of prayer and that God works miracles even today but I also know that God also helps those who help themselves. I am willing to bet that the way i've been feeding my husband over the last 9.5 months really has a lot to do with this. After only being on this diet for 6 weeks my doctor was able to completely take me off of my thyroid medications and my levels have been text book since then. I used to think that this no carb diet fad was a little too "crunchy" for my family. Call me crazy, but I'm crunchy now! :o) Out of all the healthy living books and diets that i've read I think i'll be following The Zone method. Its alot like the CATZ diet but just not as restrictive. Really, all the low carb diets are the same with a few modifications. Some say no pineapples, others say no bananas. Some days i'll have a banana, other days i'll have a pineapple... No problem! :o)

On a funner note, I went shopping again in my closet this morning. What a morale booster that was! I may need some new jeans this winter! When I lost the first 25 I went out and bought a pair of Sevens Jeans and a pair of Lucky Jeans that were a bit too snug. I've always wanted a nice pair of really good jeans but refused to buy them until I got into a smaller size. They fit just right at this point but I already know that i'm going to try to lose another 15 pounds after this challenge and a couple new pairs of jeans will be in order. I'm thinking this time i'll be visiting American Eagle Outfitters. ;o)

Oh, For Crying Out Loud!!!!!

So..... i've reached week number four in my second CATZ Fitness Challenge and boy, oh boy, has frustration set in!!!! Apparently, after cutting all fruit and dairy from my diet, I've managed to gain a whole freakin' pound!!!! Why???? Seriously??? I exercise like mad... no really. I think that i'm in the small percentile of people who work out really hard. CATZ 3x a week and I run on the the treadmill for a full hour the rest of the week. I know for a fact that the treadmill thing is a huge deal because not alot of people like to exercise that way. Most runners prefer wide open spaces but I like to watch numbers move, so the treadmill is my buddy. I know that I shouldn't be fixated on the scale but really... you go do an 8 week challenge with a restrictive diet along with an insanely, intense exercise program and tell me how you feel when you gain even an ounce!!!!! Son of a nutcracker!!!! Not only is it physically taxing on your body but it messes with you emotionally as well. It was actually kinda funny when I did weigh in. I threw the biggest hissy fit and then started calming myself down. Now I can laugh about it. I don't think my performance coach knows how close he came to death this morning. I need to make sure he knows Jesus soon, in case I have another disastrous week. For real!!!! I was going to crown him with the scale. Good thing i'm CPR/First Aid certified because after pummeling my dear friend, I would have felt bad and patched him up or at least tried to. For some reason, at some point during the work out the subject of profanity came up. I thought that was ironic!!! I don't use bad language but if i did, things would have been bad and I definitely would have pummeled him with the scale.... in self defense!!!!!  Needless to say, i'm ok now. I'm not feeling great about this week's results, i'm just ok. I'll tell you though, had this happened during my first challenge, I would have quit for sure. Next week will be much better! Next week will be much better! Next week will be much better! Yay!?

Ok, so... since January i've had lots of fun fitting into smaller clothes. High school small?? Yeah.... no. If that were the case you all would be bad friends for not staging an intervention to tell me I have an eating disorder... which I don't. Anyway, i've gone down 4 sizes. That's amazing because I told myself i'd be happy if I got back into a size 10, which by the way is starting to fit too big. My two favorite new stores are The Buckle and American Eagle Outfitters. Totally polar opposite styles huh? It just depends on the day, I guess. Well, the other day Robyn sat me down and told me she's totally excited that I've lost so much weight and that I look: in her words: "totally cute." But that i'm starting to dress like some of her friends. Huh???? So, I have a little job for you.... tell me if what i'm wearing is not age appropriate, ok? I had to remind my husband to do the same. I don't want to be "that" mom. Steve did say that he could pretend he left me and got himself a trophy wife! Cute but not funny!!!

I'm posting some before & after pics... mainly for my won sanity.... today! :o)

Week 2.....

...... was not nearly as successful as week one. In fact, I gained 3 ounces! I will confess that upon stepping off the scale after Friday's weigh in, I was very upset but only for a very short time. 3 ounces is a mere sip of water and probably the result of only having slept 4 hours the night before. I've had friends who have told me that i'm making way too much out of 3 ounces and I know they're right, but for those who know me well... I can be obsessive. My performance coach asked to see my food log and came to the conclusion that i'm eating too much fruit and not enough veggies, my meals aren't really meals either. So, bottom line... I am not eating enough food to continue to fuel my body for the intense workouts I put it thru therefore it's hanging on to what I do eat. Back in the day that would have made no sense but I totally get it now. The question is.... how am I going to de-program myself from the actual CATZ diet which in my opinion, does not really consist of real meals? I mean it's a fair amount of food and it does fill me up, but I think I need to mix it up a little. Yesterday, after talking to an amazing friend who has lost alot of weight and lives a very healthy lifestyle, I went out and bought Jillian Michael's "Making the Cut" book. This book is really for those who have less than 20 pounds to lose. For those who are trying to rid themselves of those pesky last few pounds, gearing up for an event or just trying to get ripped. Anyway, I love her food plans but she has bread, rice and potatoes included!!!! I am soooo brainwashed into thinking that those 3 are the devil!!!! I thought that maybe I should just go ahead with this plan for the next the 30 days sans the carbs, but then I might as well continue with the CATZ diet. See what I mean???? OBSESSIVE, huh? This week will be better. :o) One thing that has me floating on air is that I took her fitness test and found out that I could do 10 military push ups!!!! That's huge... The average amount for a female my age is between 8-17. So, gone are the girly push ups!!! Yay!?