Muffintop Meltdown {v.4}

Progress, Points & Free Workouts
 
 
 
Progress Report:

Weight Lost This Week: 3 pounds

Total Weight Lost: 8 pounds

Inches Lost This Week: 4 inches

Total Inches Lost: 10.5 inches

Points Earned:

This Week: 97

Points Balance: 283!

Today, I thought I'd share a bit of how I'm burning extra calories each day, and how you can take advantage of some excellent free workout programs.

1.  Pilates: Pilates is my ninja workout strategy.  In order to have better form and strength in all of your other exercises, you need to have good core muscles.  Your core pulls everything else in tighter.  I recently had a chance to participate in a small group Pilates class with an awesome instructor, who taught me a few tricks that have improved my pilates workouts immensely.  Of course I'm going to share one with you: while you are lying on your back doing a pilates workout, imagine you have a large bowl filled with water resting between your hips/on your pelvis.  If your pelvis is tilted back or forward too much, that water is going to go everywhere, your goal is to prevent that from happening.  This helps you to keep your hips and pelvis in the right position to utilize your abdominal muscles fully…I was absolutely amazed at the difference this makes.  I use this free Pilates video by Denise Austin on Hulu.  It will work every inch of your body, targeting muscles you didn't even know you had!

2.  Strength Training/Toning: A lot of women I know are afraid to do lifting, thinking that it will cause their muscles to be bulky.  This just isn't true!  You don't have to lift heavy weights, but adding toning/strength building workouts to your routine will give you more muscle which burns more calories at rest than fat.  Did you catch that?  More muscle=more calories burned with less effort.  I have one set of 3 lb. hand-weights, that is it.  You don't even have to have that to get started, in fact, for the first couple of weeks that I started working out, I used only my body's natural resistance, and was still sore!  I try to do at least 2 sessions a week, but plan on increasing it as I get stronger.  I will eventually add heavier weights when the current ones get too easy.  My favorite free toning workouts are about 20 minutes each and focus on different body workouts, not to mention these ladies are in fantastic (motivating) shape: Envy Girls: Arms, Buns, Legs, Body.

3.  Cardio:  Cardio is the biggest challenge during the winter…mostly because my number one choice for cardio is distance running.  I have to huge setbacks right now with running, first: I don't own a jogging stroller, and second: I don't run in the dark.  If you are blessed with an in-home elliptical machine or treadmill…you have no excuse! Ha!  Because I don't have the best opportunity for cardio, yet I have vowed no excuses this year, I had to find a solution.  So, there are a couple things I do: first, the Body workout listed above by the Envy Girls is a great choice…it is a superset workout, so your heart does get pumping.  I own Shawn T's Hip Hop Abs DVD so that is one way I can get a 45 minute cardio workout done.  I also count brisk walking, especially pushing my daughter in her stroller for a mile or two.  A couple of other good cardio workouts I like: Self: Dance Your Way Slim, Bikini Ready, Fast! and Slim & Sleek Fast. 

Another thing you can try is a basic calisthenics workout (think P.E. exercises from your school days), like this one:

{source}

One last note…I believe that exercise is very important, but I've learned that eating is even more important!  So even if you can only get in 1-2 exercise sessions a week, as long as you stick to eating well, you will continue to see a loss!

**I am not a certified expert on nutrition or exercise, so please, do your homework/research, and as always consult your physician before making major lifestyle changes that include diet/exercise!**

This Week:

I'm proud of these choices:

Birthday Brownie Bites: I made chocolate fudge brownies for Jerry's birthday with applesauce and egg whites, eliminating virtually all of the fat…best part, they were DELICIOUS and still fudgy/chewy!  {Okay, I admit they weren't entirely innocent, cause I added a few Reese's pieces to them! :)} 

Consistent workouts: I've been really staying focused and on target with my almost daily exercise routines.  I look forward to getting sweaty, and I'm starting to see my form and strength improve!

I'd like to work more on:

Water consumption: I slacked a bit this week.

Eating breakfast within the first hour of waking up, preferably before my first cup of coffee.

Doing my physical therapy exercises a minimum of once per day.

Cutting down to 1 cup of coffee a day {am I kidding myself here?}.

I totally cheated when:

I have been a little more tired so I've been chugging coffee like its beer at a frat party.  I'm pretty sure chugging either is not a very healthy habit.

My One-For-One this week is: Water instead of my 2nd and 3rd cups of coffee!!

How did you do this week?  I'd love to follow your success!  Feel free to link up below!

Missed the last update? V.3, V.2, V.1

Muffintop Meltdown {v.3}

Progress, Points & Hypothyroidism
 
 
 

Progress Report:

Weight Lost This Week: 3 pounds

Total Weight Lost: 5 pounds

Inches Lost This Week: 3 inches

Total Inches Lost: 6.5 inches

Points Earned:

This Week: 76

Points Balance: 186

Weight loss really IS harder when you have hypothyroidism!

But don't despair, I've been doing a little research and these are a few things that may actually help you if you struggle, like I do, with this frustrating metabolic disorder:

1.  Cut back/eliminate starchy/simple carbs from your diet:  I must admit, although I have been very good about cutting out white foods (refined sugar, flours, potatoes, etc.) in favor of whole grains, I didn't think about starchy vegetables such as sweet potatoes & corn!  Also, steering clear of any product that has "enriched" white or wheat flour as the first ingredient….which basically means, stripped of all its goodness!  So, what should you eat?  Imagine your plate as a pie chart, half the plate should be low-starch vegetables, a quarter of the plate should be a lean protein, and the last quarter should be divided into two parts - half low-glycemic index fruit, and the other half whole grains.  Don't give up low-fat dairy completely either, just keep it within the 1-2 servings a day!  One last tip, breaking your meals into 5-6 mini-meals (300 calories or less) will do a lot to help regulate your metabolism throughout the day!

2.  Increase water intake/water therapy {I know, I've said it before!}: there are a couple of articles I have read that talk about water therapy, which is basically starting your day with a flush of water before anything else.  What I have read is that you should drink 1.5 liters of water upon waking, before brushing your teeth, or doing anything else, then wait 45 minutes before eating anything.  I haven't found any scientific evidence or really trustworthy sites, so I'm not necessarily endorsing this.  I do think that there is something to be said about increased water intake…I've heard that you should drink a minimum of HALF your body weight in ounces every day.  That is currently my goal…I may increase it to try more of a "therapeutic" approach, but for now, my goal is to get in my 80oz a day.

3.  Sadly, you WILL have to work harder than other people to lose weight:  I was really offended when I visited my Endocrinologist a few months back, and expressed my frustration at my lack of weight loss.  I had been working out 3-5 times a week for about 45-60 minutes at a time, plus eating generally healthy (this was before the holidays hit peeps).  She basically told me that I should try to add an additional 30-60 minutes of running/jogging or other cardio on top of what I was already doing!!!  I was like, "has she lost her mind? Does she not see my toddler sitting in her stroller in front of her face?"  The more I've looked into it, I'm convinced that, until you get to your goal weight, you are simply going to have to swallow the very hard pill of truth, which is you do have to work harder than someone else without hypothyroidism.  Be encouraged though, the more weight you do lose, and the harder you work, the easier it will be to keep the weight off.  Once you do reach your goal, and you stay consistent, you'll be able to let off a little bit and maintain your weight.

**I am not a certified expert on nutrition or exercise, so please, do your homework/research, and as always consult your physician before making major lifestyle changes that include diet/exercise!**

This Week:

I'm proud of these choices:

Portion Control:  I've been really focused on measuring out my portions and eating smaller meals more frequently.  So, I'll have 5-6 small meals rather than three big ones. 

Sleep:  I've gone to bed early a few nights in the last week, and because I feel more rested, I'm more motivated.

I'd like to work more on:

Consistency of workouts, a minimum of every other day.

Eating breakfast within the first hour of waking up, preferably before my first cup of coffee.

Doing my physical therapy exercises a minimum of once per day.

Cutting down to 1 cup of coffee a day {am I kidding myself here?}.

I totally cheated when:

My TOTM {timeofthemonth} came a day early, and I haven't worked out very much in the last week.    Actually I've only worked out twice in the past week, so thankfully my eating choices have been good enough to still give me a loss for the week.  I can see how I totally justify cramps/etc. as a valid excuse for not sticking to the routine, but I've vowed no excuses, so I'm not going to let this happen again.

Side note: For those of you who know I'm TTC, I was a little bummed finding out I wasn't pregnant this cycle, but hey, it was only our first attempt…lol.  And the upside is  that now I have the green light for doing Medifast in February while I'm away in Texas.

My One-For-One this week is: Soy creamer instead of half-and-half in my coffee.  I can't believe how this little change will save me quite a bit of fat/saturated fat each day!

How did you do this week?  I'd love to follow your success!  Feel free to link up below!

Missed the last update? V.2, V.1

 

Muffintop Meltdown {v.2}

Let's talk progress, points and one-for-one!!

 
 
 

Progress Report:

Total Weight Lost: 2 pounds

Total Inches Lost: 3.5 inches

I had a chance to sit down with the hubs to discuss my proposed point reward system.  Besides talking numbers in terms of weight lost or inches lost, the only other numbers I'm interested in are the ones that get me something I really want as a reward (besides the satisfaction of meeting my goals!)  For me, this means CASH money.  

Each day I collect points for doing something toward my goal:

At the end of each week I tally up the points, and at the end of the month I tally up those.  I can turn in my points at any time, but in order to get the bigger amounts I have to save my points. 

Did somebody say KA-CHING?!  Yeah, I want that cash, and it has so far been super motivating.

This Week:

I'm proud of these choices:

Grocery Shopping:  I didn't buy CHEESE OR BUTTER!  And since Jerry is away this week, I went ahead and loaded up on my modified vegetarian kinds of foods.  This is a HUGE win for me!

Tuesday Morning:  After a very rough night with Zion (only 4ish hours of sleep) I still headed out the door determined not to miss a free Pilates class that my Mops group was hosting!

I'd like to work more on:

Determining the difference between when I am thirsty or hungry.

Getting more consistent sleep .

Cutting down to 1 cup of coffee a day.

I totally cheated when:

I was surprised by how sad I got when Jerry left for his business trip this week, and proceeded  to justify eating a giant peanut-butter-chocolate chip milkshake to make myself feel better.  (I justified this by: hey, this ice cream needs to get out of our house…and I don't want to waste it!)

My One-For-One this week will be:  Yogurt/Applesauce/Herbs for Fats/Oils/Butter, as much as I'm able to substitute that is my goal!

How did you do this week?  I'd love to follow your success!  Feel free to link up below!

 

Trying It Now: BeautyMint

I am in no way being sponsored to write this post, just sharing my recent find and what I think of it so far.  


Have you heard of BeautyMint?  (If not, I am sure you've at least heard of JewelMint, StyleMint, or ShoeMint?)  Basically, it is the Skin-Care line created in partnership with a "Beverly Hills Celebrity Dermatologist" and Jessica Simpson.

I decided to try it out.  Until I hit 30, I cared relatively little about my skin.  Sad, but true.  Now, I am looking in the mirror and seeing fine lines…noticeable ones.  My husband has great skin, and is going to age better (it is in his genes!)  So I've been really adamant on getting a good regimen going.


What I've tried before:
ProActiv - I have adult acne outbreaks, especially since being off birth control.  Thank you hormones!  So I used ProActiv for a while, too long even.  Don't do it!  It is very damaging and harsh to the skin!
I've used the MaryKay Timewise System.  I used to be a consultant.  I'd be willing to try it again if I don't like BeautyMint.
I also sampled the Somme Institute's MDT5…and that stuff…Ahhhhh-Mazing.  But it is out of my budgetary reach right now.  (*tear*)
So I finally responded to one of the "deals" in an email and got my first box of BeautyMint (a 5 Piece Set.)  I've been using it for almost a week.  I have some good things to say, but the jury is still out.

The highlight of using it so far is that I've always had flaky, dry skin in the creases of my nose, and it is COMPLETELY gone.  I'm amazed.  I've seriously used prescription strength lotion from the dermatologist I see here in NYC with no relief…and in one week…gone.  
On the other side, I have been having some breakouts…so not sure if that is just my skin purging itself of the impurities or what.  
I'll let you know later in the month whether I decide to keep using it or try something different. 
Do you have a skincare line that you love?  Would love more options!


 

Muffintop Meltdown {v.1}

Before I get REAL about my muffintop…lol…

The WINNER of the Tommee Tippee Explora Truly Spill Proof Sippy Cup 2-Pack {whew! what a mouth full!} is KRISTINA who blogs at From City Corporate to Suburbs Mama!

Okay friends…this is where I put it all out there…oh how I have changed since birthing my little girl!  These will be my official before pictures.
 
 
  Let's talk about my GOALs for the Muffintop Meltdown:
Goal Weight: 130 lbs.Ideal Weight: 125 lbs.Goal Measurements:  Chest: 34"Waist: 28"Hips/Butt: 38"Arms: 9"Thighs: 22"Muffintop: GONE!
My plan to accomplish these goals:
Fitness:  Pilates, Running & Free Weights
I am starting with every other day bare-minimum workouts…the last several times I've tried to start an exercise program I've been injured…so this time, I'm doing the painstakingly slow build up to daily exercise.  I have done one Pilates session this week, and though it felt SUPER easy {almost lame} I was sore the next day.  As I gain consistency I will focus more on intensity and frequency, but for now, I just need to start moving and keep moving.
Eating:  One-for-One, Medifast, Juicing, H2O Therapy
I am focusing in January on trading 1 bad habit for 1 healthy substitute.  I call this my "One-for-One" plan.  I'm currently contemplating fully giving up caffeine {and by contemplating I mean holding onto it and screaming at the thought of letting it go}.  I have already begun H2O therapy…which is basically drinking copious amounts of water to reduce retention.  Water is also critical for me because I have hypothyroidism which throws my whole metabolism into disarray.  It is SUPER hard to lose weight and keep it off with this condition.  If I am not yet pregnant by February I will start Medifast for 1 month, possibly 2 to kick start my metabolism and help me to get used to small portions several times a day.  I plan to come out of the Medifast ready to become a partial vegetarian {basically primarily vegetarian, save for low-fat dairy, eggs & fish}.  Along with this diet change, I'm hoping to incorporate one day of juice fasting per week {this may not be possible if I'm pregnant, we'll see}.
Motivation:  Point-Reward System, Visual Reminders, Biggest Loser
I am getting my husband involved in my goals, and he is a great coach.  I've set up a point system with cash rewards, yet to be fully approved, so I will share that next week sometime.  I also have visual charts and pictures set up in my room to chart my progress and motivate me.  I've got a few more fun activities planned to motivate me as well.  Plus, I'm watching the Biggest Loser and will be pumped by the amount of weight they are taking off and their determination.
Next Weigh-In/Measurement Day is 1/12/12
Want to participate?  I'd love to have you join forces with me.  Grab the button below and link up with your weight-loss goal blog post, and I will follow your journey!

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