Weigh-In … Fighting Comfort

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Leah@MyNewEnding
Today’s Weight:  171.5
Loss/Gain:  +1.0
With TOM arriving this past week and me still looking for my weight-loss mojo I’m not surprised by the gain.
I have done well with the Body Revolution workouts, but a 30-minute DVD doesn’t burn the extra calories I’m not supposed to be eating anyway I’m used to burning from an hour of cardio at the gym.
The week of TOM is not a good week to get all introspective, because it usually brings out ugly feelings of failure and “I can’t do this”, etc. etc.  So, I’ll just say that I really admire people who put their mind to losing weight and just get it done.  I’ve never been like that and I’m amazed by those who do.  
I’ve written this post over and over again and I’ve decided I’m not going to try and pull apart everything that is wrong with what I’m doing.  
I do know that I was thinking of asking my kids to help me stay on track this summer (I know they’d love the job of being Mom’s food police), but I realized that I have to do this for me and my health, not just because someone else told me what to do.  
There are other areas of my life wherein I’m fighting what has always been old and comfy, because I’m realizing they are ways that lead to frustration.  It’s not easy, because even if the “old and comfy” is full of bad attitudes I have found myself feeling justified in my way of thinking.  Kind of like in my healthiness journey.  
So, the fight continues…along with the amazement at how so many areas of struggle in our lives are interconnected.  Perfection is not my goal, but I will continue ” to press toward the goal for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 3:14
Thanks for checking in!  Have a great weekend!
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Only 30 Minutes

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Leah@MyNewEnding

TOM arrived two days ago and that combined with the soreness from the Body Revolution workouts made me feel like I could skip my exercise this morning.

And I could.  It wouldn’t be bad to miss one.

Sometimes the body needs a break, especially when cramping and sore, and I’ve been okay doing that sometimes.

But not today.  I did allow myself to sleep in a bit longer, but after I got up and finished my devotional time I went upstairs and changed clothes to exercise.

Today I reminded myself, “It’s only 30 minutes.”  There’s no driving to and from the gym, no waking the kids to go to the park.  Just me and my computer and my weights here in the living room…for 30 minutes.

So, I did it and when I was finished I could definitely agree with Jillian Michaels that yes, I’m glad I got it done.

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Whew! and Yay!

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Leah@MyNewEnding
Good morning!  Just thought I’d share that…
This Body Revolution is kicking my butt…
          …. and my shoulders
          …. and my triceps
          …. and my legs …  you get the picture.   🙂
After cardio workout this morning…whew!
And last night I made my family bratwursts for dinner, and cooked one of these for me!
Ever tried them?  I think Lori eats something like this once in a while.  They were delicious and here’s what I saved by substituting this for a brat: 
            Bratwurst   260 calories each   
Chicken Sausage   100 calories each
———————————————–
        My meat was 160 calories less! (and less fat, but I can’t remember the numbers..)

Plus, I didn’t use a bun, so that saved me another 100 calories.  These were so good I’m going to make them for the entire family next time.  Hubby had one as a snack and liked it fine.  
Yay!
I hope you’re having a good week.  I’m off to shower so I can go to the craft store and to get my hair trimmed – a perfect morning if you ask me.  🙂
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Comfort Zones

Posted on June 25, 2012 by Leah@MyNewEnding
Hello!  I hope you all had a nice weekend.  My household did…starting with a fun craft night Friday, then enjoying some visiting with friends, good church services and absolutely no healthy eating or exercise…
hhhmm….. 
Which brings me to today’s post.  I am “trying” to get back on the wagon with my eating.  Actually, it’s more like I’m trying to stay on the wagon for more than a day or two, or ever more than a few hours at a time.  
Same old story, different day. 
For those that are new readers this is exactly why it’s taking me so long to reach my goal.  I don’t stay on track consistently to see regular, steady weight loss.  Obviously, I’ve stayed on track enough to lose 60 pounds over three years, but you understand what I’m saying.
This morning I read Liz’s post over at Prior Fat Girl titled “Comfortable” and realized that’s still exactly my problem.  I don’t just have an issue with discipline, I have an issue with being outside my comfort zones. 
” Yea, um….Eating healthy all the time is what my other healthy, thin friends do.  I am still chubby girl eating chubby girl portions and foods.  Healthy + Leah really haven’t ever lasted very long…remember??” 
I mentioned zones above, because I also had to face something difficult today in Workout 3 of Body Revolution and it was not comfortable.   I know it was only 30 minutes, but I failed in parts and that is not comfortable. 
Running was getting comfortable, walking is definitely comfortable, even pushing myself hard on cardio machines is comfortable for me.  Doing plank ups are WAY out of my comfort zone.   (See below – you go from a plank to your forearms and then back up.  Um, well, you’re supposed to anyway..)
“Excuse me, Jillian…um, my friend, Stephanie, yea…she’s the one who does this crazy stuff.  Not me.  I’m Leah, the walker turned jogger who is simply excited she finished a 10K.  I am not the fit, strong lady you’re trying to push me to be.”
Just as I was thinking that about the workout Jillian spouts out with something like “This isn’t going to be comfortable!!!! I don’t want you to be comfortable!!  I want to push you outside your comfort zone…blah.blah.”    Okay…I get it.  LOL  
Seriously, though…
Getting out of my comfort zones must’ve been exactly what I needed to hear today because I read about it with regards to food and then dealt with it in my exercise – all before noon.
I know we are not perfect.  I know that this is MY new ending and I must make my way there in a manner that works best for me.  However, I know that one of my greatest faults is still munching away unnecessarily and tossing aside healthier choices (Oh, I buy healthier options, so there’s no excuse there.) and in the past I would shy away from any exercise that forced me to fail before I got stronger.  
Maybe today will be the day it all flips and I’ll suddenly get going in the direction I need to.  I don’t know.  All I know is this is where I’m at right now and it’s what I’m going to deal with.  It’s what I have to deal with to get to a healthier weight.
Because I’m determined to finish this, even if it makes me a little uncomfortable. 
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Weigh-In … Project Summer

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Leah@MyNewEnding
Today’s Weight:  170.5
Loss/Gain:  +1.0 lb
Well, I am down about 1.5 lbs from after our vacation, but apparently I’m up a pound from my last official weight posted.  hhmm…  oh well. 
I am trying to get my food mojo back.  Eating for weight loss, reminding myself that I need to finish what I’ve started, etc. etc.  Not always so easy, and especially not so after being on vacation where my mind always seems to switch into “I can eat whatever I want, because I’m in a hotel.” mode.  
The past few days I’ve gotten back to tracking all my food, so I’m using those tools necessary to get back into weight loss mode.  
This brings me to what I am sort of calling, “Project Summer”…
With my kids out of school I have had to figure out what I’m going to do for exercise that allows me to be around for them.  They are old enough to leave alone for a couple of hours, but I don’t want to do that unless absolutely necessary.  So, I decided to figure out something to do near my home versus my school time workouts at the gym. 
I’m also having trouble with pain in the hip flexor area when I run, so I needed to figure out something else beside running every day. 
I have begun the 12-week workout plan and I’m making the 30-minute DVDs my morning exercise.   It includes six days a week – four days intervals, and two days of cardio. 
Two of my local friends are doing it and said it gets really hard after these first couple of weeks.  I start week 3 next week.  It’s been quite the workout.  
Cardio is great and I’ve loved my gym workouts, but this toning and interval training with Jillian is going to be very beneficial to my fitness.  Plus, I can do it in my living room.  I’m hoping that the strengthening in my legs will help alleviate the hip flexor pain I’ve been having when I run.
My kids would like to take walks in the evenings or go to the gym a couple times a week, so we’ll fit that in as we can, but it will be extra exercise for me, not replacing my DVD workouts. 
OH, and … I am not following the Body Revolution eating plan, but I would like to get myself disciplined enough to keep my calories around where she suggests for quick(er) weight loss.  THAT’s my biggest problem, so we’ll see.  
Starting today, I’ll include updates on my workouts every Friday with my weigh-ins.  
I’d say the Navy Ball I will need a new dress for in August is my greatest motivation, but unfortunately I haven’t mastered the “I won’t eat it because I am working towards a goal” thing.  It’s sad, but I settle to easily for the immediate satisfaction of a treat, even when that little voice in my head says “Do you really need that?!?”  That’s something I know really needs work to finish up what I’ve started.  
So, my project summer….

  • Follow through with Body Revolution.
  • Keep calorie intake in weight loss range.
  • Work on reminding myself that the satisfaction of reaching my final weight loss goal will be better than the immediate satisfaction of __________ (whatever treat/meal is in front of me).
Thanks for checking in!  Have a nice weekend!
p.s.  After missing my morning workout yesterday I ended up going for a walk/jog with a friend in the evening.  We completed an hour of brisk walking with a little jogging thrown in, because she’s just beginning running.  Unfortunately, the jogging bothered my hip…even that little bit.  But I felt good getting some form of exercise in for the day.  🙂 
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Another Lesson Learned

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Leah@MyNewEnding

This morning I skipped my cardio DVD because I was going to take the kids to the gym before going swimming. This would’ve been fine except I had to stop in for my allergy shot first and the lady told me not to do strenuous exercise for at least two hours after the shot. Oops…Apparently I didn’t read my paperwork close enough, so I missed that. Lesson learned : Try and get that morning workout in no matter what in case your adjusted plans don’t end up happening. 🙂

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Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Leah@MyNewEnding
While perusing blogs the other evening I clicked my way over to SkinnyTaste.com.  I felt like I hit a gold mine of healthy, yet tasty meals.  I bought the ingredients for two of her meals and last night I made the first one. 
Here’s another shrimp dish with the sweetness of coconut milk which compliments the spiciness of the red curry paste in this simple dish. Serve this over jasmine rice for a complete meal. If you’ve never used fish sauce before, don’t let the smell fool you. It blends with the other flavors and really adds to this dish.


Red Thai Coconut Curry Shrimp

Gina’s Weight Watcher Recipes

Servings: 4 • Serving Size: 1/4th • Old Points: 3 pts • Points+: 3 pts Calories: 135 • Fat: 4.4 g • Protein: 18.5 g • Carb: 4.7 g • Fiber: 0.9 g Ingredients:  

  • 1 tsp oil
  • 4 scallions, whites and greens separated, chopped
  • 1 tbsp Thai red curry paste
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 lb shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 6 oz light coconut milk
  • 2 tsp fish sauce
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
  • salt to taste

Directions: 

    In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil on medium-high. Add scallion whites and red curry paste and sauté one minute. Add shrimp and garlic, season with salt and cookabout 2-3 minutes. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and mix well. Simmer about 2-3 minutes, until shrimp is cooked through. Remove from heat, mix in scallion greens and cilantro. Serve over rice and enjoy!

    My family loved this recipe!  It was so easy to prepare and full of flavor.  I would’ve added more curry paste, but my kids liked it the way it was.  Instead, I added Sriracha to my food and that brought the added spice that I love about Thai food.  

    This will definitely be added to my collection of dinner recipes.  I will add sautéed vegetables next time for more filling, so we aren’t tempted to eat too much rice.  🙂 

    Oh, and I just realized that I think I used regular coconut milk instead of “light” coconut milk.  hhmm…that’s probably where she cuts the extra calories out.  Oh well.  We ate decent portions and that makes a difference in calories as well.

    Note:  Both photos are of my food and dinner was served on a salad plate, in case you’re thinking a huge plate of food is not a “decent” portion.  LOL 
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    Walking, Walking and More Walking

    Posted on June 18, 2012 by Leah@MyNewEnding
    Ahh…Home Sweet Home!  
    We enjoyed a couple of days visit in the DC area the past few days.
    One day we drove over to Baltimore to see my husband who is spending ten days on the USS San Antonio.  The ship is part of the 1812 Sailabration going on right now. 

    There was lots of driving, lots of walking and lots of fun!

    I did use the cardio equipment at the gym two out of the three nights, but I also ate crap.  There was plenty of fruit involved, but plenty of overeating and greasiness too.  Whew boy!  The scale isn’t up much today, which is probably due to all of the exercise I got on our trip (and that my “overeating” now isn’t what it used to be, but still…), but I am so ready to get back to some fresher eating.  My body informed me of that yesterday afternoon.  *smirk*

    I have to say, while the kids and I were walking from the capitol to the Metro station I shared with them that I don’t know if I could’ve handled all of the walking we’d been doing three years ago.  We put in some miles walking to dinner from our hotel one night, walking to and from Metro stations, walking to lunch around the capitol, etc.  You get the point.

    A heavier Leah would’ve been willing to do all the walking, but I sure would’ve been hurting later and I would’ve been huffing and puffing all the time.  Instead we walked briskly everywhere we went, I wasn’t huffing one bit and I felt strong and healthy.

    This fit and strong feeling was a great addition to the already exciting and fun trip we had.  Thanks be to God for helping me get to where I am today.

    Also, I want to give a shout-out to my wonderful kids who kept up with all the walking and didn’t complain one bit.  They were such well-behaved troopers and I was proud to be their mom this weekend.

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    Weigh-In … BRB and NSV

    Posted on June 15, 2012 by Leah@MyNewEnding

    There is no weigh-in for me today, because I’m currently out of town. Prior to being out of town I looked up the hotel and saw there was a fitness center, so you know what I did? I brought workout clothes! I did 30 minutes today and then swam with the kids for a bit. I think I’ll have time to do this every evening. My New Ending exercising on vacation…a non-scale victory. 🙂 Thanks for checking in and I’ll be back with my regular weigh-ins next week. p.s. BRB=Be Right Back. 🙂

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    What If…

    Posted on June 14, 2012 by Leah@MyNewEnding

    I found this on Pinterest a while back and found it so inspiring…

    Have a good day!

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