I'm Baaaaccckkk

No, I haven't fallen off the face of the earth.....yet, that is :) I've just been extremely busy with working & life, so I put this blog on the back burner for a while....just like I put myself on the back burner. But.....I'm baaaccckkk :)

When I went to PA to visit my family at the end of August, I told my sister & Dad that unfortunately, I've been struggling with losing more weight because for one, I'm battling one of the wonderful changes of womenhood called menopause. I also started taking HRT a few months ago & of course, one of the side effects is weight gain :( But my sister said to me "that's just an excuse!" When she first said that, I just kinda ignored it because I know what my body is going through right now. But then the other day, it hit me.....she's right! It IS just an excuse! I shouldn't let menopause stop me from continuing on my weight loss journey! I'm going to face it head on!

I know I've set goals for myself in the past.....some of them I've made, some of them I haven't. And in the past 11 months (since my Mom passed away), I've gained back some weight :( I haven't been pushing myself as hard as I used to.....I'm not going to the gym as often as I used to......I'm not being as careful about what I put in my mouth anymore, either. But that is all going to change.....right here, right now! And tonight was a start to that change! I went to the gym & worked out for 1 hour & 25 minutes! And damn it, it felt GOOD!!!

So here it is, in writing, my new goal: By next summer (June 21, 2011), I will be down another 40 pounds! That gives me just over 7 months to lose those 40 pounds in! It's definitely doable.....I just have to push myself & DO IT! And I WILL!!!

Keep movin' & keep pushin' off the pounds!
Benita

My Magic Bullet

Okay, first of all, get your mind out of the gutter! I know that as soon as you read the title to this post, that's where it went! I'm not referring to a new sex toy.....trust me. I'm referring to this Magic Bullet:

Probably the best invention since sliced bread! I've been wanting one of these things ever since they first came out, but the price was always out of my budget.....weren't they like over $100 at first? Now that they are only $49.99 (which is still a little pricey to me), I decided to buy one & got 20% off of it using a coupon at Bed, Bath & Beyond. If you're into drinking smoothies or protein shakes, then this is a definite must! My protein shakes turn out so much thicker over doing them in my regular blender. And I like the fact that it comes with extra cups so I don't have to worry if the main one isn't clean at the time. Plus it makes just enough for one person. I also love using it for making omelets....I just put the eggs in the cup, add a tiny bit of milk & blend for a few seconds. The omelets come out so much fluffier! YUM! If you don't have one of these Magic Bullets in your kitchen, I highly recommend getting one! You won't regret it!

On the weight loss front, I was doing really good getting back into my workouts.....that is, until I ended up hurting my left shoulder.....again :( I was reading an article online that said that women tend not to lift heavy enough weights, so I decided to pump mine up a little. Well, apparently, I pumped it up a little too much :( So after almost 2 weeks of pain (hoping it would just go away on it's own, but didn't), back to the doctor I went. He wrote me a prescription to go back to physical therapy. I wasn't too happy about it at first, but I knew I needed to do it. I decided to find a different PT this time, though as I just wasn't very comfortable with the last one. And boy, am I ever glad I did find a new one! This PT is SO much better.....and should I mention cute, too! LOL But seriously.....I feel like I'm getting a much better treatment this time. First, he puts heat on my neck & shoulder areas, then he gives me the best massage followed by some stretching & then exercises. I've only gone 3 times so far & I can already tell that it's helping. Unfortunately, he doesn't want me lifting any weights or doing any cardio where I have to use my arms right now :( He said I can do the treadmill & the elliptical without the arms, plus I can still do weights on my lower body, but that's it. Darn it! Why is it that when you try to get healthier, something always seems to get in the way?

Luckily, I have been very careful with my eating lately. Almost everyday, for breakfast & lunch, I've been eating a bowl of Special K cereal instead of waffles & other junk that I would normally eat. I feel that the Special K makes me feel fuller longer & therefore, I've been eating less snacks throughout the day as well. So it's been a win-win situation. And, I have finally started losing again :) Slowly, but steadily losing.

Until next time....keep movin', but do it safely!
Benita

Slacking

As hard as it is for me to admit this, I've been slacking.....a LOT! BUT, I do have a reason.

On December 7th, 2009, my best friend, my Mom, passed away :( It was a day that I tried to prepare myself for, but wasn't prepared for at all! I got the call from Linda at 4:00 am telling me that Mom went into cardiac arrest & they weren't able to revive her. The day before, she was complaining of stomach pains, so the nursing home took her to the hospital. The doctor said she had an infection in her bowels, treated her with antibiotics & wanted to keep her overnight for observation. I prayed & prayed that night for God to watch over her.....I guess he answered my prayers by taking her to be with him so she would be out of pain, finally.

Her death has really been hitting me hard, which is why I've been slacking & just really not caring that much about my weight. And because of that, I've gained some weight back. I'm sure a lot of it has to do with the stress I've been under, not to mention the fact that I've been eating everything & anything to try to 'comfort' me a little.

But 2 weeks ago, I started to get a little worried. I guess you could say it was the fact that I had to lay on my bed to zip up my jeans! SCARY! I realized that my Mom wouldn't have wanted me to give up. She was so proud of me for the weight I had already lost & that meant the world to me! All I ever wanted was for my Mom to be proud of me! That very day, I got myself back into the gym & worked my butt off! I felt like a kid riding a bike.....you never forget how to ride once you learn, right? Right.....except when you haven't done something for a while, your body lets you know it! 2 days later, I was so sore, but I didn't let that stop me. I've been hitting the gym pretty regularly again & it feels so good to be back!

Now....to get off that weight I've gained back & to continue losing until I reach my goal! Ah yes.....the fun part! I'm setting a new guideline for myself.....to reach my goal by the end of 2010. Wish me luck.....I may need it!

Keep movin'
Benita

A Year & A Half

As of today, it's officially a year & a half, 18 months, since I started my weight loss journey. In that year & a half, I've become healthier, I have more energy & I'm 70+ pounds lighter :)

I'll be honest.....I haven't been exercising like I should be. The summer was just really crazy & although that shouldn't be an excuse, I'm making it one ;) And because of that, I haven't really lost much more weight....okay, I haven't lost any more weight.....but you know what.....I'm okay with that. Because I have been able to maintain & that right there is an accomplishment in itself!

I know that one of the reasons why it's harder for me to lose weight right now is because I'm currently going through menopause :( I went to see a new doctor last month & he comfirmed it.....I'm no longer peri-menopausal.....I'm officially menopausal! Just more proof that now I need to work even harder at losing weight! Yippee! LOL Mother Nature may be messing with me, but I can't let her win! I WON'T let her win!

Jim & I are going to start hitting the gym regularly again, starting this week! There, I put it in print so now I have to keep my word :) I know I always feel so much better after a work-out.....it just seems like the hardest part is actually going to the gym. But once I'm there, I'm so glad I went. Weird, huh?

I apologize for not updating my blog more often, but like I said, my summer has been crazy. I hope I still have my regular readers. If you're out there, leave a comment so I know you're still there :) And I promise to continue on this journey & update this blog once a month. Thanks so much for supporting me along the way :)

Keep movin',

Benita

15 Months

It's been exactly 15 months since I first started busting my butt to lose weight. I was really hoping to be closer to my goal by now, but I'll admit it.....I've been struggling. And mostly, by choice. I guess I got to a point where I just got tired of going to the gym everyday. And to top it off, the weather has been absolutely gorgeous so I'd rather go for walks in the evening instead of being in the gym.

To date, I'm down right around 71 pounds (give or take a pound), which I'm not complaining about by any means. For me, that's a HUGE accomplishment! But I've really been fighting myself & the food urges. The weekends seem to be the worst! Why is that??? I can be really good all week long, but once Friday night gets here, all I wanna do is EAT! The good thing is, although I'm not losing weight as fast as I was before, I am still slowly losing & I've been able to maintain it pretty good. Since my last update (4 months ago.....bad me!), I've dropped another size in jeans.....I'm now in a size 14 & they're starting to get a little big on me :)

The other day, I asked Jim how he would feel if I didn't lose anymore weight & stayed where I am today. He said he loved me even when I was at my heaviest :) But then I told him that I need to ask myself that question.....will I be happy with myself where I am now? Sometimes I think yes, I would be. But other times, I feel like I have to finish what I started. I've come way too far to give up now! So, with that said, this blog will continue & I promise to update it more frequently (at least once a month) until I reach my goal. And once I get there, no matter how long it takes, you, my faithful blog readers, will be the first to know!

Keep movin' & keep motivating each other!

Benita

11 Months Ago

It was exactly 11 months ago today that I started my journey to a healthier me. And when I weighed myself this morning, I lost another .6 of a pound, bringing my total loss to 63.2 pounds :) That averages out to 5.75 pounds per month. I've had a few setbacks along the way.....the injury to my shoulder back in November, finding out that I have bulging discs in my neck & now, the possibility of having osteoarthritis. I go back to my Rheumatologist on April 2nd, so hopefully I'll get the answers then. She doesn't think I have Rheumatoid Arthritis, so that's good news! I just hope that I've finally conquered my plateau & I'm back to finally losing again!

I realize that I'm not losing the weight very fast, but like they say......slow & steady wins the race, right? ;) I don't want to lose it too fast because I know that's not very healthy for you.....plus, they say you're more apted to gain the weight back when you lose it too fast. 1-2 pounds a week is ideal for me. I also realize that I'd probably lose it a little faster if I changed more of my eating habits. But I told myself when I started this, that there were some things that I wasn't willing to give up......pizza, for one. Nope, no way I'll give that up ;) And I feel that you still need to have those things you love.....you shouldn't have to completely deprive yourself.....you just have to be more careful about eating them. I'll admit.....I even had a Reeses Peanut Butter Egg the other day :) Hey, it was calling my name & who am I to argue with Easter candy? LOL

Yesterday, I did the Les Mills Body Pump Class at the gym & wow, what a work-out that was! I used muscles that I didn't even know existed! I'm a little sore this morning, but thankfully, not too bad.....mainly just my neck & shoulders from when we put the bar of weights on them to do squats. Squats is one thing I can't stand doing, along with push-ups.....but I'm proud to say that I did both yesterday during this class :) I did have fun & can't wait to take the class again!

Till next time.....keep movin'!

Benita

Updated My Ticker!

I'm so happy that I was finally able to update my weight loss ticker today :) Over the holidays, I gained a few pounds back with not being able to work out due to my shoulder injury (okay, so it was due to eating too many cookies & fudge, too!). But this morning, I got on the scale & I lost all the weight that I gained back (2.8 pounds) plus another .8 of a pound on top of it! Yay me! I'm officially down 61.8 pounds now :) 49.8 pounds to go to my long-term goal!

One of the ladies at my PT appointment asked me yesterday how I lost the weight & I told her, just exercising & cutting back my portion sizes. That's pretty much all I've done. I was doing some protein shakes when we did the Biggest Loser competition & I still drink them occassionally, but I decided I wanted to do this & still be able to eat real food....not stuff that tastes like cardboard. I like my waffles, pancakes & french toast for breakfast, so I still eat them....I just don't eat as much as I used to! Plus I've cut way back on how much butter & syrup I use. And pizza is one thing I will NEVER give up! ;) Now, I just have 1 or 2 slices instead of the 3-4 I used to eat. When you start losing weight, your stomach does shrink & you truly can't eat as much as you used to.

Happy Valentine's Day!

B