trends and reality

Oy, so the Super Bowl & birthday party combination did me in on Sunday -- gained 2 1/2 pounds, and five days later, I've only lost half of it.  Frustrating!

However, looking at the trends does help keep things in perspective.  Here's the handy graph from the Hacker Diet's site looking at my weight since January 1 this year:

I love this site. ;)  The little tick marks on the left are for each pound, the white dots are the actual weight that day, and the red line is the trend.  You can see how losing weight pulls the trend line down - and for the most part this year, I've been doing that!  But then you see the jump at the end of the graph with the Super Bowl nonsense and too many treats at an event I attended on Tuesday night. However, as dramatic as the weight gain was, it didn't really ruin the trend.  It just put a stop to it for a couple of days, and now we're slowly pulling that line down again.

I must admit my frustration at the timing however.  My birthday is one week away, and if I had kept up that one-pound-a-week weight loss, I would've hit a big goal on my big day.  Now I'm two pounds away.  Ugh.

Watching shows like "Biggest Loser" make it seem like only losing two pounds in a week is a failure, but for real life, it's not like that.  Weight loss is a continuous struggle, and a two pound weight loss in a week is a thing to celebrate!  I've managed to injure my shoulder/tricep with too much dancing (oops!), so I'm also trying to take a step back from that and add in more rest time than I did last month.  Still aiming for those 20 workouts a month though!

And one last bit of perspective for me: my weight today, even with that Super Bowl bounce, is still lower than it's been in over 4 1/2 years.  PROGRESS!

Trader Joe's Crunchy Curls

Trader Joe's Crunchy Curls are a delightful and unexpected snack!  I tried these on a whim over a year ago, and these are definitely my go-to snack these days.  They're vegan!  They're gluten-free!  They've got FOUR grams of fiber in a serving!  No sugar!  What else could you want? ;)

The portion size feels generous (I always have to weigh it because I tend to overestimate and not pour a full serving).  These curls are so crunchy, and have a pleasing if a bit bland flavor.  You don't taste lentils per se - it's more of the potato flavor that comes through (reminds me of plain popchips).  I love that there's four grams of fiber in a serving, plus the bonus of 3 grams of protein.  I can't think of many other salty snacks that can provide that.  Bonus points: my kid LOVES these. ;)

Highly recommended!

Nutrition Facts for 1 ounce - approximately 31 curls
Calories 130
Total Fat 4.5 g
Saturated Fat 0.5 g
Trans Fat 0
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 380 mg
Carb 18 g
Fiber 4 g
Sugars 0 g
Protein 3 g

Goals - January report

January is done! Let's review the goals:

1. Lose an average of one pound a week - met!  Down 5.2 pounds for the month according to the scale - and the more important version is the "trend" numbers (averages things out so one spike or drop doesn't throw everything off).  I use the old school Hacker's Diet web site to analyze the trends, and for the past month, I lost 1.1 pounds per week, 4.4 pounds for the month. (For the past year, my trend is 0.5 pounds a week - slow and steady, or something?) ;)
2. Work out at least 20 times a month - met!  29 workouts this month, including two 90 minute classes and two days with two workouts each day.  Of course, that means four days I didn't work out at all, which is fine.  I wish two of those days hadn't been back to back, but husband had to work late and that takes priority!  
3. Cook one new (and healthy!) recipe a month - met!  I made goat cheese (it was not that great) earlier this month, and on Saturday I made herbed pork tenderloin and roasted balsamic and thyme mushrooms (both tasty and will make again).  Yay!  Not sure what I'm going to make this month yet.
4. Make an effort to eat clean and healthy the majority of the time - met, mostly ;)  An on-going challenge, of course.  I did cave on the french fries, after one of those 90 minute workouts - In-n-Out, and honestly, it wasn't as good as I had hoped.  Otherwise, I feel like I'm eating pretty well overall.  

I'm happy that I'm meeting my goals, but I must admit that I'm frustrated that I'm not smashing the weight loss goal.  With all those workouts, I'd expect the scale to move a little faster in the right direction -- or at least for my clothes to fit better.  Frustratingly, I'm still wearing the same jeans I wore a year ago.  Lame.  I've got some sore muscles today, so maybe that's contributing to the weight side of things, but I'd like to drop into a smaller size soon. ;)

I'm expecting some challenges in February with my birthday celebration and a Super Bowl party and several kids parties and Valentines party and blah blah blah.  Hopefully I can still squeak out a pound a week!

Goals, mid-January progress

Halfway through the first month of the year, let's take a look at those goals! ;)

1. Lose an average of one pound a week - I'm a little ahead of this one (YAY!), and hopefully we'll keep on trucking with this.
2. Work out at least 20 times a month - 14 workouts so far!  I'm terrible at working out at home though, and haven't done that once yet.  But I have had a couple of more active outings with my son, so that's a bonus!
3. Cook one new (and healthy!) recipe a month - I made goat cheese from scratch today!  Not sure if that's particularly healthy, but it was new to me and it was just three ingredients (goat's milk, citric acid, salt).  Not sure it's worth the effort and expense, but I'll probably do it again. ;)  I've also improvised two dinners this month that turned out pretty good.
4. Make an effort to eat clean and healthy the majority of the time - I'm on track with this one.  I have had a tough time a few days this month, and haven't given into the fast food temptation (even though I've REALLY wanted french fries a couple of times!).  Part of it is because I'm focusing on the clean eating - so even though I want fries, I really don't want McDonald's fries with the "natural beef flavor" and other odd ingredients.  I'd be happy to have In-N-Out or Five Guys, but there aren't any drive-thrus nearby for those, so I haven't had the fries. ;)  

So there we go!  I missed workouts two nights in a row this week due to husband needing to unexpectedly work late a few times, and a couple of nights, I really didn't want to go, but I dragged myself and I'm glad the scale is reflecting it.  I really hate missing workouts two days in a row - today I won't be able to go to a class, but I did yesterday and I am really hoping it works out for me to make it to one tomorrow night.  

Hope your goals are motivating you, too!

U-Jam Fitness

How have I never posted about this?  U-Jam Fitness is my cardio exercise of choice.  I stumbled upon it in the summer of 2011 and got hooked.  It's a dance workout - "world beats with urban flair" - and one major reason I am addicted to this over Zumba is that the choreography is consistent, regardless of instructor.  If the song is Jennifer Lopez's "Papi", the routine will be the same no matter who is teaching the class.  As a kid, I took lots of dance lessons so I truly appreciate being able to learn and master the choreography for each song.

I had to stop working out about a third of the way into my pregnancy, and it took a long time to recover afterwards... but thankfully, last spring U-Jam came out with a home DVD workout (which I helped back via their kickstarter-style fundraising project).  I love this DVD, and it got me back into the motions.  I rejoined 24 Hour Fitness a few months ago because they have a TON of U-Jam classes, and have been attending a bunch of them. ;)  I've had a streak going of 12 days in a row of attending a U-Jam class at the gym, but alas that streak is coming to an end today because husband has to work late. ;)  Doh!

As with any group exercise class, some instructors are better than others (and I definitely have my favorites!) - but U-Jam consistently is a great workout, especially once you learn the choreography! :)

2016 goals

Yay for a new year and new beginnings, right? :D  I over-indulged last night, but the scale will become my friend again soon, I hope.

Let's look at the goals.  I had set some big goals last year but I think I'm going to scrap them for 2016.  Here are my new and improved goals for 2016:

1. Lose an average of one pound a week.
   I would like this to be more than one pound a week, but I'm trying to be realistic and sustainable, too.  If I end 2016 at 52 pounds lower than I am today, that would be me at my lowest weight since high school.  Mind-boggling!
2. Work out at least 20 times a month.
   This averages out to five times a week, which is ambitious.  I'd love to keep hitting as many of my beloved dance workout classes as I can!  I will also count a workout at home if I do a DVD here.  
3. Cook one new (and healthy!) recipe a month.
   Before kiddo, a long time ago I did a very ambitious new recipe every week, and that was a blast (though stressful at times to squeeze it in!).  Life with kiddo is different, so let's aim for one new recipe a month.
4. Make an effort to eat clean and healthy the majority of the time.
   I've already scaled back the dining out, and honestly can't remember the last time I've had fast food.  I still rely on a few boxed items in our meals, so hopefully I can find easier ways to keep our cooking at home more healthy and clean.

So there we are.  I want to set up goals that aren't just about the number on the scale, and I also want to have goals that will also benefit the rest of my family.  I'm really going to keep myself accountable and post monthly updates to these goals.

I also still would really love to get away for a few days at a health spa.  I'm continuing to research these places and would like opinions if you've visited any of them!

• Canyon Ranch in Arizona
• Cal-a-Vie in southern California
• The Ranch in Malibu, California - or perhaps their shortened 4 day program?
• Premier Fitness Camp in southern California
• Biggest Loser Resort in southern California
• Miraval in Arizona
• Extreme Weight Loss: Destination Boot Camp in Colorado

Best wishes for a healthy 2016!

2015 year in review

2015 is coming to a close, so let's look at those big goals:

Goal 1: 16 pounds gone - weight 1 week after delivering baby -- DONE!   
Goal 2: 31 pounds gone - weight before getting pregnant -- DONE!!
Goal 3: 40 pounds gone... on my way to this one!
Goal 4: 50 pounds gone
Goal 5: 60 pounds gone 
Goal 6: 70 pounds gone 
Goal 7: 80 pounds gone 
Goal 8: 90 pounds gone 
Goal 9: 100 pounds gone 
Goal 10: 103 pounds gone 

I need to set more non-scale-based goals for 2016, but that's for my next post.  Overall, I'm thrilled to be below my pre-pregnancy weight to close out the year, finally.  I wish I had hit this goal three years ago, but hey, better late than never, right? ;)

Goal #2 Accomplished and pondering a big reward

Goal 1: 16 pounds gone - weight 1 week after delivering baby -- DONE!   
Goal 2: 31 pounds gone - weight before getting pregnant -- DONE!!
Goal 3: 40 pounds gone 
Goal 4: 50 pounds gone
Goal 5: 60 pounds gone 
Goal 6: 70 pounds gone 
Goal 7: 80 pounds gone 
Goal 8: 90 pounds gone 
Goal 9: 100 pounds gone 
Goal 10: 103 pounds gone 

I've been at this second goal - or beyond - for a couple of weeks now, but I've been so nervous that I'm going to slide back over that weight again with the holidays!  Ugh!  I'm trying hard to make sure that I don't fail... ;)

I'm pondering a big reward for hitting this big goal - and a big birthday coming up in two months.  I'm considering going to a destination spa or weight loss resort for a few nights (perhaps up to a week?).  I've been looking into places such as:

• Canyon Ranch in Arizona
• Premier Fitness Camp in southern California
• Biggest Loser Resort in southern California
• Miraval in Arizona
• Cal-a-Vie in souther California
• The Ranch in Malibu, California - or perhaps their shortened 4 day program?

There are other spas and resorts, of course, but I'm looking mostly at places in California and Arizona to cut down on travel time.  Green Mountain at Fox Run in Vermont looks incredible though...

Have any of you ever gone to one of these incredible places, or have a friend who has done so?  I am so curious.  The prices are staggering, so that's holding me back from booking anything.  I would love to hear from anyone who's visited!

Here's to happy and healthy holidays for all! :)

sloooowly but surely

So.  Currently below pre-pregnancy weight by a half pound - I was under it by a pound and a half before this weekend... doh.  I'm not doing the massive "YAY BIG GOAL MET" dance yet with Thanksgiving lurking two nights away.  ;)  But I am trying to be smart about things, and intend to work out extra on the day before and day after.  I also don't intend to take any leftovers home (if offered)!  I wouldn't mind picking up a turkey (either whole or breast) if I find one on a good sale, but I'm not running to multiple grocery stores before Saturday ;)  (I bought enough to get us through until then earlier this week!)

I'm frustrated because even though I'm down almost 30 pounds from a year ago, I'm still wearing the same jeans!  Shouldn't I be down a size or two?  They do loosen up as the day goes on, but they're snug when I put them on so I haven't tried anything smaller yet.  (And as any fat lady can tell you, I have a ton of jeans in many various sizes...)

Hoping to be down a pound perhaps by the end of the month?  Dream big, my friends! :D

working it out

Still moving down the scale, albeit slowly.  I actually saw my pre-pregnancy weight one day last week, but it was fleeting as Halloween festivities added some of that weight back.  I would love be solidly below that weight before Thanksgiving, but frankly... just making it through the next two months without gaining weight would be a big accomplishment.  I need to be realistic!

I haven't felt well yesterday or today, but I still dragged myself to workouts each day.  I just didn't have my heart in them (and it didn't help that this morning's class was oddly filled with elderly women with no rhythm - though I'm happy for them that they're exercising, I wish they would've gotten together in one area so those of us who actually wanted to dance could've had room!  I was so nervous I was going to kick a great-grandma!).

I'm really struggling with emotional eating these days.  Feeling very stressed, and my usual 'release' for that is to eat, especially things that are high in fat.  I don't get that rush of adrenaline after working out, which everyone says is great when you're stressed.  I didn't want to do the classes yesterday or today, but I know it's better to move than to eat. ;)  It's just frustrating that I really still want to eat, and I have to find better ways to cope with this stuff.  Suggestions welcomed. ;)

still going!

Today I hit another "new low" weight-wise, so that's exciting ;)  The roller coaster continues, but at least right now I'm on the right track (just in time for the weekend and the start of Halloween festivities!).  I'm going to a bunch of the dance workouts (typically 5-7 a week) so that's helping, I hope.  I really, really want to post a big happy "next goal met!" post in the next couple of weeks! :D

19.2 pounds of fat!

Currently I'm 5.1 pounds from pre-pregnancy weight.  Yep, gained a pound or two over the past week and keep struggling to lose it again.  Doh.

On Saturday, I got another body composition scan done.  In the past three months, I've lost exactly 10 pounds - including 19.2 pounds of fat. OMG!!  I gained 3.0 pounds of muscle, and also 6.2 pounds of water.  The water part is very confusing to me (and to the trainer at the gym).  I know muscle holds more water than fat does, but 6.2 pounds is 3/4 of a gallon!  Weird.  (I didn't eat or drink or exercise for 4 hours before either scan.)  So I wonder if I have some weird inflammation issue going on, or something else.

But maaaaan... that 19.2 pounds of fat gone number was awesome. ;)  Here's to the next 19.2 (and the next, and the next...)

still dancing

And I'm within five pounds of my pre-pregnancy weight!

I'm loving that I'm getting back into my dance fitness classes.  I even had another double dance day on Thursday. ;)  I think I might be overdoing it a smidge though, as my shoulders are sore for the past day so I am trying to not over-exert in the classes.  I am having fun though. ;)

Diet is, as always, an on-going challenge.  Going to a friend's house for sushi tonight, and he asked me to bring dessert.  So I bought a small fruit tart.  It should be enough to serve everyone one normal size serving, but it's not a big ol' chocolate cake or a dozen cookies where I could eat a bunch and not even notice.  I'm hoping the damage isn't too bad, and that I can continue losing weight and hit that big goal later this month!

double dance!

Hooray!  Though I did gain three pounds while I was out of town last weekend, I have lost that weight already!  YAY!  Back to that new low (by 0.1 pounds, but hey...) ;)

My other big excitement was yesterday, I made it to two dance fitness classes in one day!  I haven't done that in about four years.  Awesome :)  Today, I'm happily sore in my upper body - and I still made it to another class tonight.  I look forward to another class tomorrow.

I'm really trying to prioritze working out these days. It's tough, with a preschooler and a husband. ;)  I do get to drop off my son at preschool usually one morning a week and have two hours to myself, so I made it to the gym on my drop-off day last week and hope to do so again next week.  Unfortunately, my son still refuses to stay at the kids' club at the gym, so I can only work out when husband can watch our son.  That also usually involves me making dinner ahead of time, which isn't fun, but hey, weight loss isn't fun. ;)

If any of you are on myfitnesspal.com, please let me know - I'd love to have more friends on there to help motivate!

A new low!

OK, so it's a new low for the past 3 1/2 years, but hey... YAY!  ;)

I did gain back a few pounds while I was visiting family, but thankfully I've worked that off and lost another pound and a half too.  So of course, let's go out of town again next weekend! ;)  I still need to lose an average of two pounds a week to hit a big goal by my birthday (in 5 months), which I think is going to be impossible.  But if I keep at it, I should be at my pre-pregnancy weight (goal #2!) in a month!  Let's DO THIS!

Trader Joe's Whole Grain Plus Bread

I love this bread :)

I discovered this at Trader Joe's perhaps a year ago, and it's what we eat daily.  This "Trader Joe's Whole Grain {Plus} Bread" is "made with 11 whole grains {plus} flax seeds"

Shockingly, I couldn't find much about this bread online - perhaps the funky character in the title of the bread breaks the internet (it crashed by browser trying to make this post) ;)

Around here, it's sold for $2.49, which I think is a great deal.  I believe it's delivered to the store frozen, as I have on occasion seen moisture in the bag at the store.

Here's the nutrition info and ingredients -->

I love that it's 100 calories a slice and I understand all the ingredients.  Compare that to the frightening ingredients in Wonder Bread -- or even Oroweat's 100% Whole Wheat Bread (which includes such greats as "Calcium Propionate (Preservative)", "Calcium Sulfate" and "DATEM") and you'll understand why I'm a big fan of this bread. ;)  It's relatively low in sugar, and a "good source of fiber" with 3 grams in a slice.  Four grams of protein too!

My son also likes this bread, and we both eat a slice for a half-sandwich at lunch most days.  It is still 100 calories a slice, so I limit it to one slice for each of us to keep our calories balanced.

One thing to be aware of with this bread is that it's not filled with preservatives, so you need to be mindful of the expiration date on the wrapper.  I've never seen one longer than a week from date of purchase (and sometimes Trader Joe's isn't great about rotating product so be sure it's not already expired!).  I tend to put the bag in the fridge the day before the date on the package if we haven't finished it.

Love this bread! :)

Nutrition Facts for 1 slice
Calories 100
Total Fat 2 g
Saturated Fat 0 g
Trans Fat 0
Cholesterol 0 mg
Sodium 160 mg
Carb 18 g
Fiber 3 g
Sugars 2 g
Protein 4 g

Aie! Up and down and up and down...

Aie!  I can't believe it's been a month since I last posted.  Sheesh.

So, I was back in the swing of things with going to the dance fitness classes three times a week... and then I hurt my knee (the day after a class)... and then I hurt my back (unknown how)... and blah blah blah...

Shockingly, I am currently at my lowest weight in 3 1/2 years.  I was a pound higher than this a few weeks ago, but gained 5 pounds in 3 days with birthdays and such and it took me three weeks to lose that back... and next week I'm going to be traveling to visit family for six days, so this doesn't bode well.  I really, really hope I don't go completely off the rails, but I know this is going to be a stressful trip and healthy eating isn't going to be top of mind.

My various injuries seem to be better now, thankfully, but I'm still going to skip the classes until after my trip.  Hopefully I can resume after my trip, and keep going on this weight loss journey...  :)

Bulu Box weigh loss boxes

Back in April, I bought a Groupon for Bulu Box 3 month subscription. From their web site - "Bulu Box is the first health, nutrition and weight loss discovery box designed to help you feel your best. Each month, you’ll get a custom box filled with a new mix of 4 to 5 premium samples from top brands to try. Every sample is sufficient enough to decide if the product is right for you."

They charge $10 per box (including shipping), but the Groupon was for 3 boxes for $7 total, so I decided to give it a try.  Unfortunately, I'm really dissatisfied with this product.  Here are the photos from their web site along with the items included (per their web site) in each of the three boxes I received:

	July Runa Guayusa Tea Simple Being Simple Diet Movit Energy Gummies Earth's Care Anti-Itch Cream Fusion Jerky
	June Skinny Me Tea RESCUE Pastilles UrgentRX Upset Stomach Relief To-Go Movit Energy Gummies Balance Bare Bar
	May Shapeology Burn Blend SPORTea® Hot Tea Apothederm Stretch Mark Cream SK Energy Shot Ovega-3 DHA + EPA

So the June and July boxes have a repeat item (the MovIt Energy Gummies), and I didn't get the Balance Bare Bar in the June box.  Overall, many of the items are high-caffeine, and I have a sensitivity to that (which I learned via an ER visit!), so I couldn't try over half of these items.  A couple had ginger too, which is my wacky allergy as well.  Nothing from these boxes truly appealed to me.  I most certainly didn't get a $7 value from them --- and holy heck would I be upset if I had paid $30 for these!

Disappointing - I do not recommend this product.

goal #1 met again!

Whee!  Back on track!  Hit goal #1 again two days ago, and I am seriously hoping that this trend continues.  I've made it to dance fitness classes four times in the past eight days, so that's super awesome.

Yay! ;)

goal #1 not met

Doh.  Backslid a lot a month ago, and I am now slogging back towards that goal #1 weight.  I'm less than a pound away, but man, it is truly frustrating to take one step forward and then two steps back.  Here's hoping the rest of summer sees the scale go in the right direction!