Busting My Butt!

I'm Baaaaccckkk

2010-11-16T23:30:00.000-05:00

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

2010-03-27T11:00:00.000-04:00

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

2010-02-03T12:30:00.001-05:00

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

2009-10-25T22:00:00.000-04:00

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

2009-07-25T00:00:00.003-04:00

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

2009-03-25T09:36:00.002-04:00

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!

2009-02-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

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!

Size 16 Baby!!!

2009-02-05T22:30:00.002-05:00

Tonight, I went shopping for some new clothes with the money I earned from the LSS yard sale & I was completely shocked when I tried on some Lee jeans. I took 2 sizes into the fitting room.....18s & 16s because Lees tend to run small on me. I decided to start with the 16s first.....I figured I might as well get it out of the way, thinking that they probably wouldn't fit. But surprise.....they did! And needless to say, 2 pairs of size 16s came home with me :)

I'm still stuck at the same weight since the last time I updated, only fluctuating a pound here & there, back & forth, back & forth. But then again, I still haven't gotten completely back into the groove of working out again :( THAT is going to change! I know I need to work out in order to keep losing weight. And I really do enjoy going to the gym......it's just been hard finding the time for some reason. Or it's been too dang cold out that I don't even want to go out to the car to go to the gym! But I have to stop making excuses! NO MORE EXCUSES! Hear me??? NONE! This is my commitment to myself! And I refuse to give up!

Keep movin'

It Was Bound To Happen

2009-01-16T09:15:00.001-05:00

Yep, it was bound to happen.....I had a gain :( Since I haven't been able to exercise for the past 2 months, I was really trying to be more careful watching what I ate. And I thought I was doing good, but the weight just seemed to creep back on :( In the past few weeks, I gained 2.8 pounds back :( I know that's really not too bad, but it's still disappointing!

But, the good news is, I just got permission from my Physical Therapist yesterday to start exercising again :) She told me to just start out slow & not to do any upper body weights yet. WOOHOO! Gym, here I come!!! :) Tonight I have to work, but as soon as I get off, I'll be hitting the bike & treadmill! I probably won't be able to do the elliptical with the arms for a while & won't be running on the treadmill (swinging my left arm still hurts quite a bit), but anything right now will be a huge plus & make me feel so much better....not just physically, but mentally as well! I've been a little depressed since I haven't been able to exercise :( And I've been sitting around the house way too much! Time to get off my butt & get back on track!

Keep on movin'

Benita

New Year, New Me!

2009-01-03T14:00:00.000-05:00

I am proud to say that I am starting out 2009 weighing 60 pounds lighter than I was this time last year! And this year, I plan on continuing my journey to lose another 51 or more pounds, hopefully by summer. It's not going to be easy, though with the health problems I'm currently enduring, but I refuse to give up! Quitting is no longer a word in my vocabulary!

Although I haven't been able to exercise in about a month, I'm still watching what I eat & still managing to lose some weight, although it's coming off a lot slower without exercising right now. I go to a neurosurgeon on January 6th, so I'm hoping to get some answers then. I can't wait to get back into the gym & back on the elliptical & treadmill! Believe it or not, I truly miss working out! So once I get the all clear from my doctor, you can bet I'll be back to busting my butt once again :)

I did the layout above a few months ago about the 12 week biggest loser weight loss competition that I did. I tell ya, it feels so good to be 60 pounds lighter! It took me about 8 months to lose that 60 pounds, but it was so worth it!

Till next time, keep on movin' & Happy New Year :)

Benita

Half Way There!

2008-12-10T12:30:00.002-05:00

As of today, I am more than halfway to my weight loss goal :) I'm officially down 56.2 pounds & 55.4 pounds away from my long term goal. Yay me!!!

Unfortunately, I'm not working out nearly as much as I was because of my shoulder, not to mention I've just been so busy with the holidays fast approaching.....can you believe that Christmas is only 15 days away?!?!

My doctor told me that he doesn't want me doing anything with my upper body for quite a while :( I go to see an Orthopedic Surgeon tomorrow (my appointment got moved up.....yay!) & I'll find out then if he's going to give me a cortizone shot in my shoulder or what. I'm scared to death of getting the shot (I HATE NEEDLES!), but if it's going to help, then I know I have to get it done because I'm just tired of the pain!

That's all for now. Hope you have a wonderful week & keep on movin'!

Benita

7 Months, 1 Day!

2008-11-25T14:17:00.003-05:00

ETA: I had to update this post as I did hit the 50 pound mark.....one day late, but who am I to complain??? Yesterday marked my 7 month 'anniversary' of going to the gym. And in those 7 months (and 1 day, lol), I've lost a total of 51.2 pounds! 51.2!!!!! I had to get on the scale 3 times this morning just to make sure I was seeing the numbers right!

For those of you that follow my other blog, On Eagle's Wings, I wrote about a roadblock that I hit this past week when I started getting some pain in my left shoulder, arm & hand. My doctor now has me on Prednisone & also Skelaxin. If that doesn't work, then he wants me to go through physical therapy & also get an MRI done. Because of the pain I'm having, I haven't been to the gym in over a week & I've also missed 3 days of work :( But luckily, my boss has been very understanding & supportive! Since I haven't been able to work-out, I've been really watching what I've been eating, moreso now than before, so I think that has really helped me this past week & a half.

That's all for now.....here's hoping I'll have another loss to report next time!

Happy Thanksgiving,
Benita

Struggling

2008-11-17T11:45:00.001-05:00

These past couple of weeks I've been really struggling with my weight. I'm not losing it as fast as I was & that in itself is kinda depressing :( From October 31st until now, I've only lost 2 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks. And I just can't seem to hit that 50 pound lost mark yet! ARGH! I'm so close, though.....only 2.6 pounds to go! At this rate, I'll be happy to hit it by the end of November :)

I knew that the holiday months were going to be harder, but we still have a week & a half until Thanksgiving! And I haven't started any baking.......YET! I'll probably hold off on the baking until the middle of December & I don't plan on making nearly as many Christmas Cookies as I have in the past. Every year, I send my Mom a can of cookies & fudge, so that's the only reason why I'm even going to do any baking this year. Maybe I should just mail them all to her??? Yeah, right.....like that'll happen! NOT! LOL

I went to my doctor last week & he was amazed at how much I've lost. According to their scales, I've lost 48 pounds since I saw him in April right before we joined the gym :) He asked me how I was doing it & when I told him we just joined a gym & cut back on our portion sizes, he was really happy for me! But unfortunately, I still haven't lost enough weight to get off of my blood pressure medication yet :( That is something that I cannot wait to be able to do! Maybe when I go back next April for my annual physical, I can get off of it for good!

In case you didn't notice, Toni removed herself from the blog :( She's going through some really tough times right now & I completely understand why she had to make that decision, but I'm still going to miss her on this blog! I hope & pray that when the time is right, she will be back. Toni, I love you & I'm always here for you.....don't forget that! {{{Toni}}}

Until next time, in which hopefully I'll be able to yell that I hit the 50 pound mark :)

Benita

45.4 POUNDS GONE!

2008-10-31T09:30:00.001-04:00

As of today, Halloween, I have lost 5.4 pounds since October 1st for a total of 45.4 pounds in just a little over 6 months! I still have 66.2 pounds to go to reach my ultimate goal, but as I get closer & closer to that half-way mark, I'm getting more & more excited :) I also just did my measurements & from September 25th to now, I've lost a total of 10 inches! 10!!! WOOHOO!!!

But for some reason, this month was hard & I didn't lose as much weight as I was hoping to, but I'm still happy with over 5 pounds. This was my first full month of working at the gym & it was harder to get in there to work-out & trying to fit it in my schedule. But that's no excuse! And I refuse to let it be an excuse!

Jim & I are going to sit down & work out a schedule for going to the gym at least 5 days a week. Tuesdays are out right now because I work from 1:00-5:00 & then bowl at 6:30 till about 10:00-10:30. I may also start working on Mondays from 4:00 till 7:00, so we're going to be working out after I get off work that day. Then on Wednesday, since we usually get done with bowling around 6:00-6:30, we go to the gym afterwards. Thursdays are my dance class days & I won't give that up! Fridays are hard because I work until 8:00, so that may be the other day we take off from the gym. We've been doing pretty good about going on Saturdays & Sundays, so I hope we can stick with that. I just know that I have to keep making exercise a priority in my life because it is! Wish me luck!

Happy Halloween!
Benita

Benita, you're not alone!

2008-10-24T10:06:00.002-04:00

I am having a tough time right now, hence my lack of posts...it's not so much the exercise that's giving me a problem - I have been going to the gym several days a week after school - it's the food I have issues with. As some of you know, I have had problems with emotional eating for many years...I thought I had a handle on it but recently it's been creeping up on me again. I went to see my doctor a couple of weeks ago and she has changed the medication I take (for depression/anxiety), so hopefully in another couple of weeks it will kick in more and help somewhat. I may have to get back to therapy but we'll see how the new meds go first. I guess if this whole process were easy I would have been successful at it years ago, right?? As for my numbers, I'm holding steady at a 19-lb loss, but haven't lost anything this past month. It's better than a gain, I suppose, and at least I'm becoming more aware of the emotional problems...sigh...

Thank you everyone for your support!!

Not A Very Good Month

2008-10-24T09:30:00.002-04:00

October just hasn't been a good month for me for some reason. I don't know if it's because the weather is getting colder, the skies are cloudier or what. But so far this month, I've only lost 3 pounds :( for a total of 43 pounds lost since I started this journey 6 months ago. But ya know what? I'm okay with that. Really, I am. I haven't been able to work out as much as I'd like with working at the gym now, so I know that has a lot to do with it. But I am going to change that! I'll admit, it's hard to workout after working at the gym.....when my shift is done, I just wanna go home & relax. But I know now that I can't do that & this month has proved that.

Things will definitely change come November. Tonight, they're having a Halloween Party for all the member's children which means the gym is going to be packed with kids everywhere, so I doubt that I'll be able to even exercise tonight. Then next week, we're going home to visit my family, but we'll be staying in a hotel that has gym equipment & you can bet I'll be using it! :)

If you read my other blog, I posted the results of our Biggest Loser competition with before & after pictures of Jim & I. It was a lot of fun, but we're still not sure if we're going to join it again. They're going to be doing a 6 week course starting next Thursday, but since we'll be out of town, we'll miss the first week anyway. So we'll see.....we're still thinking about it. It would be nice to have that support during the holidays, though as we all know that's when people tend to gain weight. All those holiday meals, homemade cookies, fudge.....yummm :) It's definitely going to be very hard to resist those this year! I still plan on baking, but not the BIG batches of cookies like I made in previous years.

Someone needs to beg Toni for an update :) I know she's been busy also, but we need to keep her on track & support her. Yoohoo.....Toni.....are you out there??? :)

Till next time,

Benita

Exercise Log

2008-10-01T13:15:00.002-04:00

I forgot to post my exercise log in August, but here is September's log:

September 1: Day off.

September 2: 15 minutes bike, 15 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes treadmill (1.86 miles in 30 minutes ).

September 3: 15 minutes bike, 15 minutes elliptical w/o arms, 25 minutes treadmill, 10 minutes elliptical w/arms, 60 minutes weight machines (upper, lower & abs).

September 4: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves Class, 30 minutes abs, 10 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes treadmill (1.90 miles, ran for 5 minutes @ 1 minute intervals ).

September 5: Took the day off for my birthday, but I have a feeling I'm going to regret it

September 6: Day off from gym, but walked around Arts & Apples for 4 hours.

September 7: 15 minutes bike, 15 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes treadmill (1.90 miles, ran for 6 minutes @ 2 minute intervals, incline @ 6.0 for 5 minutes), 60 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs), 30 minutes free weights (arms).

September 8: 15 minutes bike, 15 minutes elliptical w/arms, 20 minutes treadmill (ran for 5 mins. @ 1 min. intervals), 45 minutes weight machines (lower body & abs).

September 9: 15 minutes elliptical w/o arms, 10 minutes elliptical w/arms, 25 minutes treadmill (incline at 6.0 for 8 minutes), 10 minutes abs.

September 10: 30 minutes dancing around the house while doing housework.

September 11: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves class, 15 minutes abs, 15 minutes elliptical w/arms.

September 12: 60 minute walk.

September 13: 5 minutes elliptical w/arms, 60 minutes treadmill (3.64 miles, incline @ 8.0 for 6 minutes and @ 10.0 for 4 minutes, 430.0 calories burned ), 75 minutes weight machines (lower body & abs).

September 14: 60 minutes treadmill (3.71 miles, incline at 10.0 for 5 minutes, ran for 5 minutes @ 1 minute intervals), 15 minutes abs, 15 minutes free weights.

September 15: 15 minutes bike, 45 minutes treadmill (2.75 miles, 8.0 incline for 10 minutes, ran for 1 minute), 60 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs), 20 minutes free weights, 10 minutes throwing 8 lb. medicine ball back & forth with DH .

September 16: 15 minutes elliptical, 35 minutes treadmill (2.11 miles).

September 17: Day off.

September 18: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves Class, 60 minutes weight machines (lower body & abs), 60 minutes Strong Back (Yoga moves) Class.

September 19: 45 minutes treadmill (incline at 8.0 for 15 minutes).

September 20: 15 minutes bike, 50 minutes treadmill (3.05 miles), 25 minutes abs.

September 21: 20 minutes bike, 40 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs), 30 minutes free weights.

September 22: 15 minutes elliptical w/arms, 45 minutes treadmill, 75 minutes weight machines (lower body & abs).

September 23: Day off from gym, but bowled.

September 24: 25 minutes treadmill, 60 minutes Defined Assets Class (lots of different things involved in this class.....aerobics, step, free weights, tubing, balls, body bars, etc.....definitely a work-out! Phew! I'm pooped!)

September 25: 60 Groovin' Moves Class, 45 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs).

September 26: 20 minutes treadmill, 45 minutes weight machines (lower body).

September 27: Day off.....cleaned out garage & basement.

September 28: 60 minutes treadmill (3.80 miles ), 15 minutes abs.

September 29: 20 minutes bike, 30 minutes treadmill, 10 minutes stair master, 45 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs), 15 minutes free weights.

September 30: Day off from gym.....had to work & then bowl.

Minutes exercised: 2,250

Today, I also just started the 30 Day Shred DVD by Jillian Michaels. Boy, does she kick your butt! And as of this morning, I've lost 8.4 pounds in September for a total of 40 pounds gone! :) 40!!! I'm on Cloud 9 right now!

Keep movin',

Benita

Slow week for me...

2008-09-29T09:53:00.002-04:00

At my weigh in last week I was down 0.6lbs, which just about balances out my gain from the weigh-in before that! LOL! This next one should be better, though, because I increased my days at the gym last week. I had a really good workout yesterday morning, nice and early while the gym was quiet. A good start to a Sunday, right? Have a great week!

Disappointing Day, BUT

2008-09-26T09:45:00.001-04:00

This week's weigh-in isn't good :( I ended up gaining .2 of a pound this past week. I just know that popcorn at the movies on Sunday did it to me again! When will I learn???

BUT......I just did my monthly measurements & I've lost another 4 1/2 inches this past month!!! WOOOOHOOOO!!!! :)

I'll get over this road block.....I WILL!!! I refuse to quit! The word quit isn't even in my dictionary anymore :)

Till next week (and hopefully a better week!),
Benita

36 POUNDS GONE!!!

2008-09-19T11:00:00.002-04:00

I couldn't believe it when I got on the scale this morning.....I am now down a total of 36 pounds! 36!!! I've lost 3.2 pounds this past week :) So here's hoping that I did indeed break my plateau & hopefully, for good!

The other day, I received an email to do a 'virtual belly flattener' where they take up to 50 pounds off of a picture that you submit. I submitted the above picture taken of me last month & this is the results.....what I hope to look like another 50 pounds from now:

Talk about motivation!!! I printed the photo & have it hanging on my fridge :) The only thing I didn't like about the picture is how flat my butt is, lol.

You can do your own virtual belly flattener by going to this site:

Virtual Belly Flattener

Have fun & I'd love to see your results.

In other news, I had a job interview yesterday at our gym & just got a call this morning that I got the job :) I start next week & although it's only a couple of days a week that I'll be working, I think it'll be a LOT of fun!

Have a wonderful weekend & keep movin'!

Benita

One of those weeks for me...

2008-09-17T22:20:00.002-04:00

I was up 0.8lbs this week - ugh! It's OK, though - at least I can put it down to not getting to the gym as much as I should have :) I'd feel worse about it if I had worked my butt off all week long! LOL!

So...I'm back on track, better so far this week. I'm still getting used to being so much busier with work, school, house, etc., but I'll get there! I'm in this for the long haul! I refuse to go back to shopping at Lane Bryant!

Just A Little Loss

2008-09-12T13:30:00.000-04:00

Not much of a loss this week.....only .4 of a pound. But it's still a loss, right? I guess that birthday dinner didn't help afterall. And then on Tuesday night at bowling, one of my teammates brought in a birthday cake for me so I'm sure that didn't help much, either. But it was SO good :) And sometimes, we need a little treat once in a while.

So, to date, I'm down 32.8 lbs. Hopefully next week I'll have a bigger loss to report.

Until then,
Benita

Update from me :)

2008-09-07T11:47:00.002-04:00

No weigh-in at WW for me this past week due to Labor Day, but I did hop on the scale at home and am down another 0.6lbs, making my total 17.1lbs down :) I'll take it!! I went to the gym 5 days this week, and 2 of them were to work out with my trainer ("getting my butt kicked", as I tell Iain). Man, was I sore the following day - but it was a good kind of sore!

Weekly Weigh-In

2008-09-05T12:01:00.002-04:00

This past week has been a hard one for me, having to deal with the anniversary of losing my sister & brother-in-law 4 years ago on the 29th of August. But somehow, even with all the depression I've been going through, I still managed to lose 1.6 lbs. this past week for a total of 32.4 pounds gone. But I'll probably gain that 1.6 lbs. back & then some tonight as it's my birthday today & I'll be going out to dinner. I told my dh that I didn't want a cake this year.....that would have really thrown me off track! Plus I just haven't been in the mood for sweets that much anymore, which is a good thing :)

Have a great weekend!
Benita

Slowly but surely...

2008-08-26T19:55:00.004-04:00

the weight is coming off. I've lost another 1.5lbs! My total so far is 16.2lbs lost! YEAH!! Thank you everyone for your continued support. It means a lot to both of us! :)

I have finally added another photo to the slide show too!

30 Pound Mark!!!

2008-08-26T12:00:00.004-04:00

I just can't contain my excitement any longer :) Yesterday was my 4 month mark since I started this journey of losing weight, but I completely forgot to weigh myself in the morning because our dd had some friends down all weekend to go to the NIN concert & it threw my dates off track, not to mention losing a LOT of sleep in the process (having 5 teenagers can do that to you!). But it was so worth it when I jumped on the scale this morning! I've lost another 2.2 lbs. since Friday & hit the 30 lb. mark! WOOHOO!!! In 4 months, I've lost a total of 30.8 lbs. & lowered my BMI by 4.2%! And, to top it all of, I measured myself today & in 1 month, I've lost another 4 inches for a total of at least 8 1/2+ inches (I never measured myself when I first started, so I'm going by my 1 month measurements). I also added some new front & side pictures to my slideshow over there --->

I thought I would also share the amazing job my dh is doing. He's lost a total of 25 pounds in 4 months & you can really tell it in his stomach by these pictures. He's losing his 'love handles' ;)

Thank-you for sharing in the excitement with me & for supporting Toni & I along the way! I know I still have a very long way to go, but we're doing this & we WILL win this battle!

Keep movin',
Benita

Under A Pound

2008-08-22T09:30:00.002-04:00

This was a hard week for me weight wise. Last Saturday, we went to the drive-in & once again, I overdid it on the popcorn :( What is it about movie theater popcorn that I just can't resist???

I was struggling with my weight all week & had even gained 3 pounds back at one point. OUCH! But I managed to get those 3 lbs. back off my body along with another .6 lbs. this week. It's not a big loss, but still a loss nonetheless & that's what matters!

At the Biggest Loser meeting last night, I had lost 2 lbs. according to their scale for a total of 10.2 pounds lost in 4 weeks :) Jim is doing really good as well.....he's down 12 pounds in 4 weeks!

Monday, the 25th, is picture day along with my monthly weigh-in & measurements, so I'll be updating my slideshow with my 4 month pictures then. Now we just need to beg Toni to put some new pictures on her slideshow ;)

Have a wonderful weekend & keep movin'!
Benita

Another BIG Loss :)

2008-08-15T11:00:00.002-04:00

I can hardly believe it myself! If it wasn't for the scale showing me the numbers, I probably wouldn't believe it. And I even weighed myself 3 times to make sure I was seeing it right, lol. I lost another 4.4 lbs. this week! WOOHOO!!!!! I am now down a total of 28 lbs.! 28!!! That's the weight of 2 of my bowling balls :) When I think about carrying these 2 bowling balls around with me everyday, wow! There's no way I would want to do that! But just 3 1/2 months ago, I was! Just like the name of my bowling ball.....I'm in the ZONE :)

I have really stepped up my workouts these past 2 weeks, just pushing myself a little harder, raising the incline more on the treadmill, the intensity more on the bike & yesterday, I did 100 minutes of cardio! 100! Usually I'm happy with just 60 minutes of cardio, but for some reason, I just didn't want to stop yesterday :) I started out doing 25 minutes on the bike, then 45 minutes on the treadmill, another 25 minutes on the elliptical & finished it up with 5 minutes on the Stair Master. Phew! I'm exhausted by just writing that now, lol. I'm not sure if I'll be able to do 100 minutes everytime I go to the gym, but I'm going to try to do that at least once a week from now on.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend. I'll be at the gym :)

Benita

A big milestone for me :)

2008-08-12T22:12:00.003-04:00

No weigh-in for me yesterday. As some of you may have read on my "Moved to the Mountains" blog, I am starting a part-time job as a paraprofessional at my son's elementary school so I was at orientation all morning yesterday! My first day is next Monday, so today I decided to make the most of Iain being home, and I went out shopping. Having been a SAHM for 11 years, I really don't possess many clothes that are stain-free or unfaded :) Comes with the territory, I guess!

BUT here's the big thing: after years of shopping almost exclusively at Lane Bryant...I went to Macy's today and bought several pairs of pants in sizes 14 and 16!! YEAH!! I don't remember the last time I was able to buy some clothes in the "regular" part of a store. Wow! The feeling I had today was better than seeing any number on the scale...now I can really see what a difference the gym makes...as well as losing weight, my shape is really changing!

I know, I need to post a new photo. I'll get Nattie or Iain to take one tomorrow :) Thank you everyone for all the support you're giving to Benita and me! You guys ROCK!

A Very BIG Loss!!!

2008-08-08T09:00:00.003-04:00

If you remember my post from last Friday, I didn't have a good weigh-in at all last week. But this week was HUGE! If you count what I weighed last Friday (after the popcorn & movie), I have lost 6.6 pounds this week!!! :) But if you go by my weigh-in last Thursday (the last day of July), I've lost 4.6 pounds, which is the actual number I'm going by since I didn't count my weight gain on Friday. Still with me? :) 4.6 pounds!!! Gone in 1 week! That makes 23.6 pounds lost to date & only 88 more to go to reach my long-term goal!

Plus, on top of all that, last night was our Biggest Loser Weight Loss Competition meeting & when they weighed me there, I was down 5.2 pounds from last week's weigh-in :) I wasn't the biggest loser this week as another lady lost 9 lbs. & a guy had lost 10, but 5.2 is still amazing!

Until next week, keep movin' & never give up :)
Benita

Feeling better today :)

2008-08-05T19:56:00.002-04:00

I went and had an awesome workout at the gym yesterday - my trainer was saying lots of people find it difficult to keep their routine when the kiddos are home and trips, etc. are happening. I know now that seeing the trainer twice a week is one of those things that is really going to help me on this journey. If I'm alone doing reps on a weight machine, I might stop at 10 or 11 reps, but the trainer will push me to do 15, and as he said, "it's those last few that are really going to make the difference" :)

This morning I dropped the kiddos off at art camp and headed directly to the gym. I worked out for an hour on the treadmill and then did 30 minutes of weights. Yeah me! Same plan for tomorrow and Thursday too...

Well....it was bound to happen sometime...

2008-08-04T13:22:00.002-04:00

Yep, I gained this week. I gained 1.5lbs! I guess the weeks of not exercising quite as much have caught up with me :( I got on the scale at home yesterday and suspected that the WW scale would show a gain, and I was right.

These are the most difficult days for me...previously if I was on WW and I'd get to a week with a gain, that would be the end for me. I'd tell myself I was not going to be successful with my weight loss, and I'd quit.

Not this time, though. I just have to keep on going! I'm back to seeing my trainer this afternoon, and the kids are at art camp all week so every morning after I drop them off I'll be hitting the gym! Wish me luck for a better week ahead - I'll need it!!

A New Month

2008-08-01T13:00:00.001-04:00

I'm not going to be counting my weigh-in this morning, but let me explain why. Since yesterday was the last day in July, I decided to weigh myself & I was down another pound. But then last night, we lost power AGAIN so we couldn't go to the gym. Instead, we went to see the movie Step Brothers (which was hilarious, btw, but I wouldn't recommend it for anyone under, say, 16). Well, if you know me, you'll know that I canNOT resist popcorn at the movies! And I'm ashamed to say that I ate a BUNCH of it last night! So when I got on the scale this morning, it wasn't good AT ALL! I ended up weighing 2 pounds more than I did just yesterday :( But I'm not going to let it get me down! I'm not going to let it set me back! I'm going to get back up on my feet, dust myself off & start fresh! Afterall, it's a new month today :) And I think I did pretty darn good in July, if I don't say so myself. I lost a total of 6.4 lbs. in July (and yes, I AM counting that 1 pound from yesterday) & exercised for a total of 2,263 minutes (see exercise log below)! Not too shabby, huh?

Last night, Jim & I joined The Biggest Loser :) Not the show (although I wish it was!), but a local weightloss competition that runs for 12 weeks. It only cost $29 per person to join & at the end of the 12 weeks, the top 3 'biggest losers' will win money from the prize pot ($25 of each entry fee goes into the pot). I'm hoping that this will help boost my weightloss even more.....it can't hurt, right? If you gain a pound during any given week, you have to add $1 to the pot for each pound gained. That right there is definitely incentive to not gain any weight! The only part that stinks is that the meetings aren't until 7:00 p.m. in the evening & you have to be weighed with your clothes on, lol. So when they weighed me last night, I was actually 3 lbs. more than my weigh-in yesterday morning. It also didn't help that Jim & I had just eaten dinner beforehand. Ah well......I still think it'll be fun & hopefully very rewarding :)

Now onto my monthly exercise log:

July 1: 70 minutes Groovin' Moves Class, 5 minutes stair master, 15 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes weight machines (abs & upper body).
July 2: Rest Day.
July 3: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves Class, 70 minutes weight machines (abs & lower body), 20 minutes treadmill (up to 5.0 incline), 5 minutes stair master, 20 minutes elliptical.
July 4: 45 minute walk with the dogs.
July 5: 10 minutes bike, 26 minutes treadmill (up to 4.0 speed), 24 minutes elliptical, 45 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs).
July 6: 3 hours low activity (walking around Gibraltor Trade Center), 45 minutes swimming....10 laps racing with my dh .
July 7: 45 minutes elliptical (a new record ), 20 minutes abs.
July 8: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves class, 45 minutes abs & upper body, 20 minutes elliptical.
July 9: 45 minute walk with dh & the dogs (about 2 miles), day off from the gym.
July 10: 60 minute Groovin' Moves class, 20 minutes elliptical, 25 minutes treadmill, 18 minutes bike, 45 minutes weight machines (lower body & abs), 10 minutes playing basketball.
July 11: Day off....was too depressed to go to the gym, but I know if I would have, I would have felt better. Live & learn, I guess
July 12: 10 minutes bike, 20 minutes treadmill, 5 minutes stair master, 15 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs).
July 13: Zero, Zilch, Nada Another depressing day
July 14: 10 minutes bike, 10 minutes elliptical w/arms, 5 minutes stair master, 25 minutes elliptical w/o arms, 10 minutes treadmill, 45 minutes weight machines (lower body & abs).
July 15: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves class, 10 minutes abs, 20 minutes elliptical. July 16: 80 minutes swimming (24 laps).
July 17: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves class, 35 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs), 15 minutes elliptical.
July 18: Day off - DD's 18th birthday
July 19: Another day off as DD's friends decided to stay longer.
July 20: 120 minutes light activity (walking around the Royal Oak Antique & Garage Sale), 40 minutes swimming (12 laps).
July 21: 15 minutes bike, 20 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes weight machines (abs & lower body).
July 22: 70 minutes Groovin' Moves Class, 10 minutes weight machines (abs), 15 minutes elliptical.
July 23: Day off.
July 24: 10 minutes bike, 20 minutes elliptical, 15 minutes treadmill, 40 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs).
July 25: 5 minutes bike, 25 minutes elliptical, 40 minutes weight machines (lower body & abs).
July 26: Day off.
July 27: 30 minutes swimming (12 laps).
July 28: Day off.....had to pick up dd.
July 29: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves Class, 45 minutes weight machines (upper, lower & abs), 15 minutes elliptical w/arms
July 30: 10 minutes bike, 10 minutes elliptical w/arms, 20 minutes elliptical w/o arms, 15 minutes treadmill, 5 minutes stairmaster, 15 minutes abs, 15 minutes basketball (beat dh again ).
July 31: Unplanned day off. Lost power AGAIN!

Minutes exercised: 2263

Have a wonderful weekend & keep on exercising!
Benita

14.2lbs and counting...

2008-07-28T22:03:00.003-04:00

I didn't make the 15-lb mark yet, but I still lost a pound which is pretty good considering my eating and (lack of) exercise habits in Hawaii! LOL! So now I'm at 14.2lbs lost. Next stop - the 15lb milestone! I'll post a new picture this week too :) And have you read the last entry about Benita's amazing progress? You go, Benita! Yeah!!

WOOO-HOOOO!!!!!

2008-07-25T10:00:00.003-04:00

Did anyone hear me yelling this morning in my bathroom??? :) If not, you're lucky because I think all of my neighbors heard me, lol. I was in total shock this morning when I jumped on the scale! And right now, I'm still smiling from ear to ear :) :) :) This past week, I have lost 2.4 lbs.!!! 2.4 people!!! Now I am 18.0 lbs. lighter than I was when I started exactly 3 months ago today! And yes, I really did scream! Even my dogs came into the bathroom to see what was going on, lol.

Okay, so I realize that may not seem like much to some people.....heck, I've read stories where some people lose 18 lbs. in a month. And yes, I probably could lose this weight faster if I would make more drastic changes in my eating habits, but sadly, I'm a very picky eater :( I don't eat salads, I don't eat veggies, heck, I don't eat any kind of meat except for bacon! I admit it.....I still enjoy my potato chips every once in a while. I still enjoy my homemade Mac & Cheese occassionally. And pizza.....well, let's just say I'll never give that up! ;)

When I started this journey 3 months ago today, I really had NO idea what to expect or how fast I would lose weight or if I would even lose any weight at all! So to me, 18 lbs. is a BIG deal! HUGE!!! That averages out to 6 lbs. a month! And if I can do this, then ANYONE can do this!!! ANYONE!!!

Thank-you so much for all the wonderful, positive comments you leave.....they really do mean the world to both Toni & I! I'll also be adding new pictures to my slide show later on today, so watch for those.

Have a wonderful weekend :)

Benita

I DID IT!!!

2008-07-19T13:30:00.000-04:00

I hit my first short-term goal of losing 15 lbs.!!! I lost another 1.0 lb. this past week for a total of 15.6 lbs. gone for good! That's more than the weight of one of my bowling balls! I still haven't decided what to do as an reward yet. Jim & I are planning on doing some shopping today, so maybe I'll buy myself a new shirt or something. I really like the idea of getting a manicure or pedicure, too :) I also thought I would share some of the pages in my weight-loss album that I'm doing. I originally started this album over a year ago, but then never followed through with it. But this time.....this time is different! This album will have a happy ending :) The 2 pages above are my stats & goals pages. Each month, I add a new tag with a sideview picture of myself & put my current stats on the back of the tag.
These 2 pages are just some journaling I did as to why I want to lose weight.
Each month, I'm doing a new page with a new picture of myself along with what I've accomplished that month & how I feel. I used stickles on the flowers on the paper to make them stand out more. The Primas are the new ones that Michael's sells.

Here is the latest page. I also used stickles on this page. The journaling is behind the photo on this layout. I also used the Fiskars Threading Water Punch on this page.

Till next week,
Benita

Better week this week

2008-07-14T14:19:00.002-04:00

Today I weighed in at Weight Watchers and was down 1.4lbs...this was a big surprise to me since I didn't have a particularly good week exercise-wise. That makes my total 13.2lbs! Yeah! Next for me is that 15-lb milestone :)

I won't be weighing in at WW next Monday - we're leaving for Hawaii tomorrow and won't be back until Wednesday next week. I'm hoping that that time we'll spend swimming and walking will offset those Mai Tais by the pool! LOL!! See you when I get back!

Still A Loss

2008-07-12T10:30:00.002-04:00

I completely forgot to update yesterday after doing my weekly weigh-in. It wasn't a big loss this week, but still a loss nonetheless......another 0.8 lbs. gone for a total of 14.6 lbs. :) I'm hoping that next week, I'll make it to that 15 lb. mark!

Yesterday was a pretty depressing day for me, which is probably why I didn't update until now :( Jim & I found a house that we absolutely love, but we're not sure if we can afford it or not. The really good thing about it, it's in a newer subdivision right behind the one we live in now, so it would be SO easy to move & the area is perfect for us :) I told myself I wouldn't get my hopes up, but that's already happened, which is why I was depressed. I didn't even go to the gym yesterday & ate way more than I should have :( Someone smack my hands, please ;)

But today is a new day! A fresh start! I know that I'm going to have those off days along the way, but I'm not going to fail! I refuse to fail!

Off to the gym :)
Benita

Monday weigh-in

2008-07-07T17:37:00.001-04:00

I was down just 0.8 today. Ugh! I know, it's still a loss, but numbers with a "0."at the start of them are not nearly as motivating as losses over 1 or 2 lbs! LOL! But - I'll take it. My total now is 11.8lbs :)

A VERY Happy 4th Weigh-In!

2008-07-04T10:45:00.000-04:00

I had no clue what to expect this morning when I got on the scale. Earlier in the week, I weighed myself & had actually gained a little bit of weight back :( So once again, I was a little afraid to get on the scale, but I did it & yep, this is a VERY Happy 4th of July for me :) I'm down another 1.2 lbs. for a total of 13.8 lbs. to date :) When I reach 15 lbs. lost, I'm going to have to do something to really celebrate! Any ideas out there?

I never thought I would be able to lose weight before. I thought I was destined to be fat! Heck, I never thought I would enjoy exercising before, either! Sure, there are some days when I just can't get 'into' working out, but I push myself to do it anyway because I've made this a part of my life now. And it really is fun to exercise if you make it fun! I'm currently trying to do at least an hour of cardio between the treadmill, elliptical, bike & stair master each time I go to the gym. And now I've even started doing some of the classes there as well.

Thank-you for all the comments you've left. Whether you know it or not, those comments help even more to keep Toni & I motivated :) And I think Toni will agree with me on this.....if we can do this, anyone can do it!

Hope you have a wonderful 4th of July!
Benita

June Workout Progress

2008-06-30T23:00:00.001-04:00

Well, I didn't reach all of my goals this month, but I'm okay with that :) I didn't get up to 60 minutes on the treadmill because I found out that I actually like the elliptical more ;) And tonight, I got up to 42 minutes on the elliptical! I also conquered the stair monster this month & got up to 8 minutes on that a few days ago. I only lost 4.2 lbs. this month, but I think I set my expectations a little too high anyway. Now onto July.....I can't believe that June is over already! Wow! Here's my June workout progress:

Goals for June: Get up to 60 minutes on the treadmill & over 3 miles; get up to 30 minutes on the elliptical; conquer the stair 'monster' (as Carol calls it); lose 9.4 lbs.

June 1: 15 minutes on weight machines, 20 minutes on treadmill, 20 minutes on elliptical.
June 2: 15 minutes on weight machines, 30 minutes on elliptical (I already met one of my goals for this month :) ).
June 3: 30 minutes on weight machines, 20 minutes on treadmill, 20 minutes on elliptical, 1/2 mile (5 laps) around track (10 minutes).
June 4: 30 minutes on Wii Fit aerobics, 25 minutes walking the mutts, 20 minutes on treadmill, 20 minutes on elliptical, 20 minutes on weight machines.
June 5: 14 minutes on bike, 30 minutes on elliptical, 30 minutes on weight machines, 16 minutes on treadmill.
June 6: 20 minutes on treadmill, 20 minutes on elliptical, 30 minutes in pool & did 8 laps.
June 7: Day off, but we did walk around a new outside mall.
June 8: 36 minutes on treadmill, 45 minutes on weight machines, 5 minutes on elliptical with arms, 4 minutes on stair master at level 3, 10 minutes on elliptical w/o arms.
June 9: No electricity; gym closed :(
June 10: 20 minutes treadmill (got up to 4.0 incline for 1/2 mile), 28 minutes elliptical, 30 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs).
June 11: 35 minutes on treadmill (incline 3.0-4.0 for 15 minutes), 45 minutes on weight machines (lower body & abs), 25 minutes on elliptical.
June 12: 20 minutes treadmill, 21 minutes elliptical, 10 minutes abs.
June 13: Rest day.
June 14: 30 minutes on weight machines (upper body & abs), 37 minutes on treadmill, 18 minutes on elliptical.
June 15: Going to Nascar Race, so I'll be doing a LOT of walking :)
June 16: 15 minutes in a step class (I sucked at it :( ), 30 minutes on weight machines, 30 minutes elliptical, 15 minutes treadmill.
June 17: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves class, 10 minutes abs, 11 minutes elliptical.
June 18: Rest day.
June 19: 31 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes weight machines, 20 minutes elliptical, 31 minutes Wii Fit aerobics & balancing.
June 20: 16 minutes on treadmill, 15 minutes on elliptical (5 with arms, 10 without), 30 minutes on weight machines, 20 minutes playing basketball with my dh & I beat him 11-9 :thumbup2:
June 21: Rest day.
June 22: Day off as I got to babysit my granddaughter :) I tried taking her to the gym to go in the pool, but they wouldn't let me bring her in :(
June 23: 10 minutes bike, 40 minutes elliptical, 15 minutes abs, 20 minutes playing basketball with DH, 2 minutes on Precor AMT.
June 24: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves Dance Class, 30 minutes abs & upper body weights, 18 minutes elliptical.
June 25: Day off....had errands that were calling my name.
June 26: 60 minutes Groovin' Moves Dance Class, 20 minutes elliptical, 10 minutes bike, 30 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes abs & lower body weight machines, 40 minutes swimming.
June 27: Day Off - Spent time with the family.
June 28: 45 minutes weight machines (upper body & abs), 22 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical, 8 minutes stair master :)
June 29: 25 minutes treadmill, 30 minutes elliptical, 5 minutes stair master, 15 minutes abs.
June 30: 42 minutes elliptical, 45 minutes abs & lower body.

Minutes exercised: 1890 minutes

Goals for July: Lose 5 lbs., continue going to the gym 5-6 days a week, increase my intensity on the treadmill, bike & elliptical, try out more classes at the gym, continue to follow WW.

Keep Movin',
Benita

A loss even after a vacation!

2008-06-30T11:57:00.002-04:00

I was dreading weighing in today since I had been on vacation last week and my exercise plans for that week didn't quite come to fruition (translation: I wanted to just lie in bed! LOL!). But I knew I had to bite the bullet and weigh in anyway so that I could stay on track. I'd been pretty good since my return, though, and returned to my gym routine. Also, the food that MJ had cooked us at the beach house was very healthy, so I think that must have helped to balance out all the other food I ate that week :)

I was still surprised when I weighed in with a 2.2lb loss since my last weigh-in 2 weeks ago! Yeah! That makes my total 11lbs so far :) Woo hoo! Now...all I need to do is get MJ to come and cook all my meals for me when Iain, the kiddos and I go to Hawaii in 2 weeks... :)

I Am So Psyched!!!

2008-06-27T09:30:00.002-04:00

I just weighed myself this morning & I'm down another 1.4 lbs. for a total of 12.6 lbs. to date in 2 months :) And not only that, I had Jim take my measurements last night. I took them a month ago, but now I wish I would have taken them 2 months ago when I started. I've lost 1" on my waist, 1 1/2" on my hips & 1" on my chest :) Yep, I am definitely psyched right now!!! I really do think that following WW has helped me a lot!

And, if you look over to the side over there ---->
you will see a slide show of new pictures of me :) It took a LOT of guts for me to post side views, but that's where I think you can really see the difference in my stomach. It was actually Toni's idea to do the slide shows, which I think is a great idea, so I'll be adding a new picture every month. Just ignore the messy hair as the pictures are taken either before I work out or after ;) Okay Toni, where's your slide show at??? :)

Signed,
A Very Happy Benita :)

Weekly Weigh-In (A Day Late)

2008-06-21T10:06:00.002-04:00

Yesterday when I woke up, I completely forgot to weigh myself as somehow during the week, I had lost track of the days. And by the time I remembered to weigh myself, I had already eaten breakfast, so I knew that the number wouldn't be good. So I jumped on the scale first thing this morning (after using the potty, that is, lol) & I'm down another 1.0 lb.! My total weight loss is now 11.2 lbs......gone forever! Never to return to this body! Completely vanished :)

I also went shopping for some new exercise clothes this week & got into a size XL! That's a MAJOR accomplishment for me! I haven't worn anything in an XL for YEARS!

On the 25th of this month (Wednesday), I'll be having Jim take some new pictures as I'll hit my 2 month mark. I still don't really see much of a difference when I look at myself in the mirror, but just knowing how much better I'm feeling is what matters!

Have a wonderful weekend :)
Benita

Down 0.8 this week

2008-06-16T17:43:00.004-04:00

For a total of 8.8lbs so far - slow and steady :) I'll take it, though - especially since I wasn't as rigid as I should have been with my tracking last week. This coming week I have my 5-day trip to California, so it'll be a little harder, but Sue and I are going to try and walk at least a few mornings together before we start all our fun activities...I also picked up a resistance band to take with me to use for a few days instead of weights...so I'm on the right track, aren't I?

Yesterday at the gym I actually ran on the treadmill for one minute out of every 5 minutes. I thought I was going to pass out! LOL! But I did it! Another thing that felt good was that I went and bought a couple pairs of pants today and I fit into the smaller of the 2 sizes I took into the changing rooms! Yeah!

Here's to another good week ahead :)

And, hey - just think - this means that Benita and I have lost a total of 19lbs together! Yahoo!

Thoughts on tomorrow's weigh-in...

2008-06-15T16:02:00.003-04:00

Some weeks I really look forward to Mondays, some weeks - not so much. This week is a "not so much". I've done pretty well with my eating, although I did dip into some of my additional Flex Points - which I don't normally do. And I had a pretty busy week with Iain being away, me trying to keep the kids somewhat occupied, and a heavy last week of school. I made it to the gym 3 days and will go later this afternoon.

I really need to pick up a soft tape measure and do some arm and leg measurements. My shirts are fitting much better in the arms, and hubby noticed my pants looked baggier this morning, so I think that even if the scale isn't a big difference tomorrow, I am definitely losing inches. I should take the numbers, though, because I think that will help me on the not-so-fast weigh-in weeks.

What do you think, Benita? Are you up for doing some body measurements so that we can measure inches as well as pounds? :)

Weekly Weigh-In :)

2008-06-13T11:00:00.001-04:00

I am very happy to report that this week's weigh-in was a success :) I lost another 1.8 lbs. for a total of 10.2 lbs. so far! Now, if I can just be good on Sunday when I go to the Nascar Race at MIS & not overeat! I know we'll be walking around a lot, so that'll be good exercise.

Thank-you so much for all the support, encouragement & tips from my last weigh-in. Toni & I truly appreciate all the comments you leave :)

Have a safe & wonderful weekend!
Benita

Weigh-in day...

2008-06-09T12:10:00.002-04:00

Well, today was my weigh-in day. I was down another 0.4lbs, making a total of 8lbs so far. This week's loss isn't a big one, but I'll take it since I went to a party at my neighbor's on Saturday night and...well...let's just say that I overdid it a little (or a lot)! I paid the price on Sunday - LOL! But now we're in another week and I'm determined that next week's weigh in will be better. Have a great week and thank you for your continued support for the two of us :)

A Downer Day :(

2008-06-06T11:37:00.002-04:00

Well, I weighed in this morning & sadly, I didn't lose any weight this past week :( Not even .1! But I haven't gained any weight back, either. So I guess I need to try to look at that in a positive light, even though it's hard. I've been pushing myself so hard at the gym this past week & to not lose anything.....it just seems like a complete downer! And I'll admit.....I cried as I read the scale :( But I'm okay now.....I think.

Now I just need to figure out what I'm doing wrong. Maybe I'm doing too much on the weights (as I do them almost everyday that I'm at the gym) & maybe I'm just building some muscle. Maybe I'm still eating too much. I know I ate way too much at my granddaugthter's birthday party & also when I took my son out for dinner on his birthday. So this week, I'm going to be more careful about what I eat & how much I eat! I know I can do this! I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I guess I didn't realize how hard it would be, either :(

Have a great weekend!
Benita

Weigh-in day :)

2008-06-02T11:43:00.001-04:00

Got weighed at Weight Watchers this morning and that healthy eating and exercise is really paying off...I lost just over 2lbs to make a total of 7lbs! Woo hoo!! A great start to the week!

May Exercise Progress

2008-06-01T11:15:00.000-04:00

Here is a listing of my May workout schedule. I decided that I'll post it here at the end of every month to have a 'record' of my progress. I joined a Lose Weight in '08 Exercise Challenge on the 2 Peas NSBR Board & it's really helped to keep me on track!

My MAY fitness goals: To lose 8 lbs. & get up to 4.0 mph on the treadmill.

May 1: 40 minutes on the treadmill, 5 minutes on bike, 14 laps in the pool (30 minutes)!
May 2: 20 minutes on recumbent bike, 25 minutes on treadmill, 30 minutes on weight machines.
May 3: Day off....had a yard sale.
May 4: 2 miles on the treadmill in 36 minutes, 5 minutes on the bike, 30 minutes on weight machines.
May 5: 22 minutes on bike, 10 minutes on treadmill, 30 minutes on weights, walked around the gym track 4 times (10 minutes).
May 6: Day off.
May 7: Only got in 25 minutes of cardio (10 on treadmill, 15 on bike) as it was a busy day.
May 8: Day off.
May 9: 15 minutes on bike, 20 minutes on treadmill, 30 minutes on weights, 5 laps around the track (1/2 mile- 15 minutes) plus I went to the Mega Meet today & walked around there several times (180 minutes).
May 10: Day off.
May 11: 2 miles on treadmill in 34.49 minutes , 1/2 hour on weights.
May 12: 15 minutes on bike, 1 mile on treadmill in 17.11 minutes, 15 minutes on weights, walked 1/2 mile around track (15 minutes).
May 13: Day off.
May 14: 25 minutes on treadmill, 5 minutes on bike, walked 1/2 mile around track (15 minutes), worked with trainer on weight machines (45 minutes).
May 15: 30 minutes on treadmill, 15 minutes on weight machines, 3 laps around the track (10 minutes), 10 minutes on bike.
May 16: 20 minutes treadmill, 15 minutes bike, 30 minutes on weight machines, 2 laps around the track(5 minutes).
May 17: Day off, but walked around the mall (120 minutes).
May 18: 2 miles on treadmill in 32.58 minutes @ 3.8 mph, 15 minutes on bike, 20 minutes on weight machines.
May 19: 5 minutes on bike, 30 minutes on treadmill.
May 20: Day off.
May 21: 10 minutes on bike, 2 miles on treadmill in 33.13 minutes, 40 minutes in healthy lifestyles class & I'm pooped!
May 22: 10 minutes on bike, 15 minutes on treadmill....too exhausted to do more after doing a yard sale all day!
May 23: Day off....did a yard sale & I was too pooped to work out.
May 24: 5 minutes on bike, 2 miles (34 minutes) on treadmill & I got the speed up to 4.0 for 1/2 a mile , 15 minutes on weight machines & 45 minutes on Wii Fit.
May 25: 45 minutes on Wii Fit & a lot of walking around as we did some shopping (120 minutes).
May 26: 20 minutes on treadmill, 5 minutes on bike, 30 minutes on weight machines & 20 minutes on elliptical!!! Another first for me!
May 27: Day off.
May 28: 30 minutes (1.77 miles) on treadmill, 10 minutes on Elliptical, 30 minutes on weight machines.
May 29: 30 minutes on weight machines, 20 minutes non-stop on elliptical, 20 minutes on treadmill, 5 1/2 minutes on bike.
May 30: 42 minutes (2 1/2 miles) on treadmill, 30 minutes on weight machines, 20 minutes on elliptical.
May 31: 30 minutes on Wii Fit Aerobics.

Minutes exercised: 1796.81

I'm very proud to say that I met both of my goals this month.....I lost 8.4 lbs. & got my speed up to 4.0 on the treadmill (although I don't do that speed all the time yet).

My goals for June are:

1. Get up to 60 minutes on the treadmill.
2. Get up to 30 minutes on the elliptical.
3. Conquer the Stair 'Monster' :)
4. Lose 9.4 lbs.

Have a Happy Workout :)
Benita

More tunes :)

2008-05-31T09:54:00.002-04:00

Okay, I am here this morning because I am procrastinating about writing a paper on DNA for school :) But it is more fun to look through my iTunes list for suggestions for workout tunes! Here are a few more:

Madonna - "4 Minutes"
Matchbox Twenty - "How Far We've Come"
Matchbox Twenty - "Real World"
MIKA - "Love Today"
New Order - "Bizarre Love Triangle"
Pink - "Get the Party Started"
Pet Shop Boys - "Left To My Own Devices"
Rob Thomas - "This is How a Heart Breaks"

I'll be heading to the gym later today...weigh-in day is Monday, so that's an incentive to keep going on the weekends :) Have a terrific weekend!

Weekly Weigh-In

2008-05-30T12:00:00.001-04:00

Like Toni said, thank-you for all of the iTunes selections.....I've been busy downloading songs all week :) Keep them coming.....we need more tunes!

Today was my weekly weigh-in day & I'm happy to report that I'm down another 2.2 lbs.! I have now lost a total of 8.4 lbs. in 5 weeks! One of my short-term goals is to lose a total of 36.6 lbs. by the end of August for when I go to Pennsylvania to visit my family. I have 28.2 lbs. to go to reach that goal, which means I need to up my weight loss a little bit & try to lose 9.4 lbs. a month over the next 3 months. It's not going to be easy, by any means, but I'm determined to give it my best shot!

My horoscope for today fits me perfectly: "Think big and live large instead of cramming your dreams into a space the size of a yogurt container. Having confidence in your efforts is infinitely preferable to doubting your blessings." Think BIG! Big goals, big dreams! Have confidence! Something I'm not very good at doing, but that is changing each & every day! I can do this! I WILL do this! Every day that I workout, I feel so much better about myself. My energy level is increasing as my body is decreasing :) I know I still have a long way to go, but I didn't put this weight on overnight & unfortunately, it won't come off overnight, either. Like I've told my husband, we got fat together & we're going to get skinny together :)

Thanks again for all the support! Have a great weekend!
Benita

Good week so far!

2008-05-29T15:32:00.002-04:00

Firstly, thanks for all the iTunes selections so far...we will have lots to check out this weekend!

I've had a good week since my training session on Monday. Tuesday I took the dog on a nice long walk, Wednesday I went to the gym for an hour and also walked Tasha, and this morning I saw my trainer again to work on upper body and cardio. Need I say I'm pooped??? Just 4 days till my next weigh-in, though (WW here was closed Monday for the holiday), so I need to keep it up!

Here are some more upbeat iTunes from my list:

Frankie Goes To Hollywood - "Born to Run"
George Michael - "Faith"
Gin Blossoms - "Hey Jealousy"
Hothouse Flowers - "Don't Go"
Jennifer Lopez - "Let's Get Loud"
The Knack - "My Sharona"
Los Lonely Boys - "Crazy Dream"

Enjoy! And keep those suggestions coming!

Music to work out to.... (A through E) :)

2008-05-27T01:11:00.004-04:00

Benita posted on her other blog today looking for recommendations for good workout music. Do you have some good ones to add? Here are some of my favorites from iTunes:

ABBA - "Does Your Mother Know?"
Aerosmith - "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)"
Backstreet Boys - "Larger Than Life"
Barenaked Ladies - "One Week"
Billy Joel - "Tell Her About It"
Bon Jovi - "Livin' on a Prayer"
Bruce Springsteen - "Glory Days"
Communards - "Never Can Say Goodbye"
Duran Duran - "Rio"
Elton John - "Philadelphia Freedom" and "The Bitch is Back"
Enrique Iglesias - "Bailamos"
Erasure - "A Little Respect"
Eurythmics - "When Tomorrow Comes"

Back tomorrow with a few more!

Here are a few that I just downloaded on my Ipod today:

Free Your Mind - En Vogue (thanks Tracy!)
Walking On Sunshine - Katrina & The Waves (thanks Tracy!)
U & Ur Hand - Pink (thanks Tracy!)
It's Raining Men - The Weather Girls
Super Freak - Rick James
I Wonder If I Take You Home - Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam
Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance) - C+C Music Factory
Jump Around - House Of Pain
Pump Up The Jam - Technotronic
C'Mon N' Ride It (The Train) - Quad City DJ's
Good Vibrations - Loleatta Holloway
Finally - Ce Ce Peniston
Hung Up, Sorry & Jump - Madonna (thanks Linda!)
Take Your Time - The S.O.S. Band
And The Beat Goes On - Whispers
No Parking (On The Dance Floor) - Midnight Star
The Groove Line - Heat Wave
Lovergirl - Teena Marie

Can you tell I'm stuck in the 80's & 90's? :) Keep the songs comin'.....I still need more!

Nothing like...

2008-05-26T12:46:00.002-04:00

getting your butt kicked by a trainer early in the morning on a holiday :) I am so proud of myself! I got up and was at the gym by 7.30am on a holiday! I worked really hard and everyone was still in bed when I got home! LOL! Food-wise, my weekend was off the rails a bit, I know I really have to use that WW points tracker. But I'm back on it today!

Weekly Weigh-In - Benita

2008-05-23T22:45:00.000-04:00

Today was my weekly weigh-in & I'm happy to report that I've lost another 2 lbs. for a total of 6.2 lbs. to date :) The weight's not coming off as fast as I'd like it to, but at least it's coming off! I didn't go to the gym today since I did a yardsale the past 2 days & I was just exhausted from that. But I'm already planning on hitting the gym tomorrow, which is usually my day off.

I still need to take measurements of my waist, legs & arms as I never did that in the beginning & I know that sometimes when you're not dropping the pounds, you're still losing the inches. And I've already noticed that some of my jeans are just a little bit loser & I no longer have to lay on my bed & suck my stomach in to zip them up ;)

Have a great Memorial Day weekend!

Thank you!

2008-05-22T16:21:00.003-04:00

Thank you for your support - it really means a lot to both of us :)

I've had a pretty good couple of days...yesterday (Wednesday) I changed my routine a little and did an exercise video at home. It's one by Kathy Smith...I really like her style. Then this morning I had a session with my trainer - we worked on my upper body, and man - I'm feeling it now, but it's a good feeling! He said I'm making some really good progress with my endurance - that's what I like to hear!

Toni

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I, as well, would like to thank-you all for your support. We both now that we have a long way to go, but we're also both very motivated & know that we can do this!

My week has been pretty good as well. Wednesday, I did 10 minutes on the bike, 33.13 (2 miles) on the treadmill & I also did a 40 minute healthy lifestyles class that kicked my butt! Today, I did a yardsale all day & was exhausted from that, but I still managed to do 10 minutes on the bike & 15 minutes on the treadmill. Tomorrow is weigh-in day for me, so keep your fingers crossed for me that it's a good one :)

Benita

Here we are!

2008-05-20T15:23:00.001-04:00

Hi everyone! This is going to be the blog where Benita and I will write about our weight loss journey and the trials and tribulations along the way. Wish us luck!