My Trip to the Big D

So Tuesday I flew out to Dallas for work. We managed to fit a little fun in after our conference everyday. I will admit I was scared how my weight-loss goals would go on this trip. I did not hit my goal before I left for Dallas, which was to be down 15 lbs from my start weight. I had a little over a pound to go.

 

My fun part of the trip was composed of:

 

Good food with good co-workers. We had Spaghetti Warehouse, Iron Cactus, and Colt's Bar-B-

Que. It was all good. I even had Tres Leche one night. I tried to eat healthy throughout the day and then splurge within reason at night. Come on, I was not at home and wanted to enjoy the local food places.

 

If it was not for all of the following though I would have been concerned.

We did a whole lot of walking in the couple of days that I was there. The last day we were there the expected high was 106 degrees! Oh my and we busted our butt walking that day trying to catch a train that left us. I am so glad I had my Fitbit to document our steps and miles.

 

I woke up every morning to this:

I woke up at 5:00 to workout two of the three mornings. I did about 20 minutes on the bicycle, then lifted weights with 50 jumping jacks between each set, and finished it out on the treadmill for a couple of minutes.

 

My goal was to work off what I was enjoying for dinner each night. I did not splurge the whole day, just enjoyed my dinner. I made sure not to overeat, especially because I had to walk back to the hotel.

 

So my weigh-in...... I lost two pounds! Yes! Finally I have broke the 15 lb mark.

 

Today, I decided while my out-of-commission honey was sleeping in I would go for a little wogging (jogging and walking). I had not gotten a run in for 2 weeks in and it was my best time yet, down by about 2-3 minutes for the mile and a half. I know the time is not great, but I have grown so much as a runner and I am proud of myself.

 

Stay tuned for some recipes.

 

Love,

Jamielynn

 

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Highs & Lows

So my weigh-in did not go as anticipated. I wanted to be down 2.6 lbs this week in time for my trip coming up. I had anticipated to be down by some because of the fact that I do a couple of what I call check-in weigh-ins. I know it is horrible to constantly weigh yourself, but I promise I limit myself.

Anyways, I weighed myself and there was no loss. I know I am doing well on working out because my Fitbit  is helping to hold me accountable. I just am going to be careful with my splurge points this next week.

On a high note though my clothes are starting to be loose and some of my smaller sizes are starting to fit me! I have to remind myself of the positive. When I started this journey I had 60 lbs I wanted to lose, now I only have a little over 46 lbs to go.

My OBGYN is great and gave me such wonderful encouragement when I started this journey. She said lose 20 lbs, see how you look and feel afterwards, She told me that the BMI Index is not always what is healthy for all individuals. Her words made me feel better. Even at my smallest I was a size 8-10 and weighed 170 lbs. The BMI Index made me feel like I would never be successful, her words made me feel like I could do nothing but be successful.

 

On to the good stuff. I showed you last week one of my two favorite breakfast items. Here is my other favorite breakfast item.

Overnight Oats: 1/2 cup Old Fashioned Oatmeal, 1 cup Milk, 1 package Stevia. Shake and place in fridge overnight. The next morning I add 2 tablespoons Milled Flax Seed and 1 cup of Berries. This is a really satisfying breakfast. I hope to try it with peaches one day this week.

 

Yesterday while I was grocery shopping I was trying to find a healthy snack to take on my trip next week. We all have heard the saying, Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. I have learned this the hard way, when we go out to eat I plan what I might get. If you have a plan then it is so much easier to be successful. I wanted to plan a snack for my trip and really wanted the Cocoa Roasted Almonds that my niece eats, but could not find them in individual packages at Kroger. I know that by taking individual portions I am setting my self up for success. So, after going between several aisles and ruling out several options due to the fact that they will not travel well I decided on the following:

 

They are only 2 points original Weight Watchers and the sugar content in them are pretty low if you are a whole foods dieter.  The Coconut one has 7g of sugar which I thought was not bad since any chocolate bar would have at least that. I selected the flax one because the sugar fit into the whole foods diet and flax is a food known to help cholesterol. I tried both of them and they are yummy. My plan is to used them as either snacks or breakfast if needed.

 

 Yesterday, I not only did my 30 Day Shred but also did a jog/walk with the hubby. I am not fast at all, not even near fast. But I enjoyed it, I feel alive after despite the sore muscles. I took today off because it has been crazy. I plan to do the 30 Day Shred everyday until my trip since this heat makes it hard to run. I can remember the first day I did 30 Day Shred and the pain I felt. Everyday I complete it the workout gets easier. I have to remember to keep at it like it is my job. Thanks SkinnyMeg for that piece of advice. It reminds me that I do not get the opportunity to go back to bed instead of go to work, I have to get my butt up out of the bed. Time for me to get my butt up and get active.

 

Much Love,

Jamielynn

 

Fitbit Love

My end of the school year happy was waiting for me Friday when I got home. That is right as a teacher I get an end of the school year gift, only because I have a great husband who spoils me.

Here it is......

A Fitbit.

I was very apprehensive at first, but I am starting to love it. I can simply tap the screen to see my steps, distance, and my calories burned. Right now it is sticking its tongue out at me because I am not being active.

I can sync it to my phone.

This is a shot from Saturday. I worked hard that day. I not only did the 30 Day Shred but also got in some yard work. I was able to log each one in the activity tab so that it could accurately tell me how many calories I was burning. I log my 30 Day Shred as circuit training and because I push mowed (that is right suckers, I push mowed that baby, well part of it) I logged activity with moving or pushing heavy items.

 

You can do so much with the Fitbit. I use it to track my water consumption, weight, and am trying to start tracking my calories via it. I have not decided if I will swap from counting points to counting calories anytime soon, but I like the easy option. I so far LOVE the Fitbit and I am so glad that my husband decided to show his support for my health journey by getting it for me.

 

If you have any questions about the Fitbit do not hesitate to ask me. I fortunately had someone that was using one and they helped me. They love theirs so much they are swapping to the bracelet.

 

Much Love,

Jamielynn

New Leaf

Sorry, I was gone for so long. I love technology, but it is not always my favorite thing, If it is not easy for me I often give up and overcome because of my crazy schedule.
 

Anyways... I have been busy in the past year. I have moved and started fixing things up, I will post my diy things next time, I need to hunt down the camera.
 

If you know me well you know I am always into something. This school year I started a mission to defunk the house of chemicals. We are trying to get rid of the processed junk out of the house and eat healthier. I am not perfect at it by no means, but I am attempting.
 

I am on my eighth week of changing my diet and upping my workouts, I have lost 12lbs so far. I started this journey and then found out I have high cholesterol. Total shocker considering I am pretty healthy overall, not perfect healthy. The cholesterol test gave me a nice kick in the butt.
 

Right now I am working on trying to build up my stamina for running. I alternate between sprinting and walking. I am also doing Jillian Michael's 30-Day Shred. Some days I swear Jillian hates me, but I keep coming back again for her to kick my butt.
 

I am trying to count points for my food intake, I do better with points versus calories. I am always in a hurry so I need whatever works best.
 

Here is a picture of my breakfast:

 

It is so yummy. Greek yogurt, fresh strawberries, flax (helps cholesterol), chopped almonds, and local honey. This breakfast is like a grown-up version of a yogurt parfait. It is my one of my two go to breakfast items.

 

I am doing Summer School so I packed my lunchbox with my breakfast and some snacks.

 

Do not hate, my sweet MIL got me the bowls from Tuesday Morning. I packed my berry yogurt parfait, carrots, lite Goddess dressing, and a yummy local peach into my fabulous Thirty-One lunchbox. I love it.

My hubby purchased this for me as a gift. It is great because it is large and roomy.

 

One more thing about my food is the awesome dressing I found. I am a ranch girl, always have been. Let me just tell you that I LOVE this dressing because it is so yummy, so not diet tasting. I eat it on my salads, dip veggies in it, and enjoy it on the side of my chicken tenders also.

Sorry, it would not flip properly, but you get the idea of what dressing I am eating. I would recommend it, I like hummus though and it has some similarities.

 

Lastly, if you are looking for some motivation with your weight loss or health journey check out these links.

 

Skinny Meg: She is so funny, I found her blog via Mama Laughlin. Love reading both these blogs to keep me inspired, they are real women and they keep everything real.

 

I will try not to stay gone so long next time.

 

Love,

Jamielynn