Non-Scale Victory # 8

It's Thursday and it means it's time to "link up"!

It's been a couple of weeks and I'm happy to be back.

I have a few NSV's this time around to share.

1. I'm back...back to blogging....back to exercising...back to eating better.....back to TOPS
2. It was my day home yesterday and I managed to keep on track and not blow it
3. Found a great new song that I love and danced around like a fool in the playroom last night to it after everyone was in bed.

There you have it.  I'm hoping I can report equal success next week.

Do you want to link up too?  It's simple!  Just follow the link below

If you are not using Bloglovin' to follow this blog, you should check it out:



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And finally, I wanted to share that new song with you and hope you enjoy it too!  I am sure I am a bit behind in hearing this song, I usually am a bit slow to jump on ship!

** I just watched the video before I linked it up...I think I love it even more now...plus, a bit of eye candy never hurt anyone!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

It was super nice to be back at my meetings!

One of our members (our only male) has been on a role this year with weight loss and the difference in him was STUNNING!  He has lost about 33lbs this year....almost 75lbs in 4 years.  I can't even imagine that at this point...I mean, I want to be there, but can't seem to find the drive and incentive to get there.

Looking at my book, turns out, I have not been to a TOPS meeting in 4 weeks.  Funny how easy it is to skip out.  It gets to the point where it is just as easy to NOT go as it is to go.  I have been in this situation before with the gym and for some reason, it seems so embarrassing to go.  You don't want to hear people say "wow!  forgot what you looked like, it's been so long!"

Two things stopped me from doing that:

1. I'm the leader and my group counts on me
2. TOPS needs to be a lifetime commitment for me...I already know that.

It was nice to be back and socialize with my group.  I didn't realize how much a part of my life they are and that they know so much about me and my family.

So, I vowed on the weekend that I will get back on track and that starts RIGHT NOW!

I finished a celebratory wedding anniversary blizzard (8 years married today), but I did only buy myself a mini sized.  Enough to get a good fill, but also have it done in one night.

Tomorrow I am going for a good walk with Abby and will do my best to watch what I eat.

As for the scales...well, I knew it wouldn't be great.  I had been getting on the scale at home during my TOPS absence so I had a bit of a feel for where I was.

The last time I weighted in officially was April 23, at 244.75lbs (my lowest weight to date)
This week: 247.00 lbs

A gain of 2.25 lbs

I want to be back down and my next mini goal is 240 lbs.   I know that once I get below that, I won't go over.  That is how I am with the 250lbs mark.  I will NOT allow myself to be that weight again.

Until next time,

Amy

Happy Blogiversary

I'm back from my little hiatus.  I needed it.  I needed time to reflect, to be encouraged by other blogs and to really just figure out where I am headed in this journey.  I havent' blogged, barely commented on the blogs I follow or go to my TOPS meeting.  It's not because I don't care or am disinterested, I just needed time.

I picked my "return" date as May 25, because it is also the 1 year anniversary of this blog.

So, to recap the reasons I started this blog. ( you can read my first post here)

I needed to do something...I needed to be more accountable for my actions (or lack of).  I needed to find a space where people would know my actual weight and not falsely cheer me on with comments like, "you will do better next week"  I need people to be honest, like saying "no wonder you are not losing...you didn't walk all week and ate like a pig"

It's almost the end of May and I have been in no-man's land.  I have lost and gained the same 3-4 pounds over and over again. While that is not a terrible thing, the alternative could be worse...it's not the progress I would like.  I have not changed clothing size or got into a steady routine with new habits.  Apparently though, it is not enough to spurn me into action.

My current weight is approximately 247 lbs, I am guessing because I have not been to TOPS in 3 weeks and my scale at home is not quite the same at the one used at my meetings

 

When I started my blog, my first posted weight was 263.50 lbs

 

That is a loss of 16.50 lbs.

That is not very impressive.

In January of this year, my weight was:  247.50 lbs. 

So I have basically lost NOTHING this year! 

NOTHING!

Amy Ruth!  Are you happy with those results?

 N-O-T-H-I-N-G!!!!!!!!!!

So, what is the plan?

• I am back to TOPS for my weekly weigh in.  Being a productive member and team leader!   
• I will watch what I eat and make a concerted effort to actually log my food and make sensible choices.
• I will exercise EVERYDAY!  For at least 30 minutes!  Rain or shine!
• I will blog at least 3 times a week.  My regular Tuesday report, my non-scale victory link up on Thursdays and my fitness re-cap on Fridays.
• I will comment on every weight loss blog I follow every time someone makes a post.  Even if it is a simple "good job!"  I know how much is means to me that people read my blog and I like to know that people do.  Why would the bloggers I follow not feel the same way! 
• I need to plan my meals better.  I don't plan ahead for dinner some nights and I end up grabbing something on my way home.  I also need to plan lunches better. I worry about everyone else but not me. I suffer for it by being starving when I get home and chowing down on junk.
• I will try and get back to using my "signature" of Until Next Time, Amy. I really liked it and thought it added a personal touch

In case some of my readers are asking themselves how they can help, here are a few ideas:

• Leave me a comment if you have read the post, even a simple happy face will do.
• Be honest with your comments, if you see something that is not helping my cause...call me out on it.  No hard feelings...everyone is friends here and I love and value all of you.
• Give me some blog post suggestions...what can I post about that would interest you?
• Share my blog with others...I want to increase my following, if you follow me, I will follow you!

So there you have it....it's my anniversary and I will NOT be celebrating it with cake! 

Until next time,

Amy

No Blogging Notice

I just wanted to take a quick moment to let everyone know that I am putting my blog on hiatus until May 25.

With Brian being away and my lull, I need a little break to get myself back in line.

This single parent/running a household thing is hard.

It's only a week and a bit, I won't be going to my TOPS meeting before the 25th, but will continue to do my squats.  I am not checking out of my new lifestyle, I just don't have the time to devote to this blog like I want to for the next week or so.

I'm here if anyone needs me and I am continuing to read blogs that I follow.

I love you all and really do appreciate you taking the time out of your day to read about mine.

Non-Scale Victory #7

WOW!

I honestly cannot believe it's Thursday.  For me, this week has zipped by.  I didn't go to work on Tuesday (or Wednesday), plus my husband is away for work, so I have been doing it all solo.

I have been trying to think about some victories. 

For me, the biggest victory would be that I am still doing my 30-Day Squat challenge.  Despite setbacks and my squatting partner being away, I have not given up.

It is usually very easy for me to just say "hell with it"

It's now on to my next struggle of actually getting focused and getting everything else in order...I am still failing miserably with that.

How about you?  Join the link up and inspire others!

30-Day Squat Challenge - Week 1 Review

Disclaimer:  all opinions and actions are mine...not endorsed or approved by any medical or fitness professional.  Consult a professional if you are unsure...you should always do that before you start a new fitness regime.

So, it has been a week since I started the 30-Day Squat Challenge...need a refresher?

 

Here is also a breakdown of participants (as of last week), please help encourage them on


Bonnie (Empress of Pounds)
Dani (TDKchick Staying Skinny)
Miss Ashley (Picking Up The Pieces)
Amy (Diary of a Fat Girl)
Teri
Shelly
Brian
Jennifer
Julie
Sharri
Chris

The challenge started out the day after we returned from Niagara.  It was just what I needed.  Brian joined me and together, we held hands and squatted.  (Cheesy yes, but not very often do we exercise together)  I ran into problems at Day 2.  I am just 4 weeks out of surgery and on Day 2, the largest of my incision sites was giving me grief.  It was very red, sore, itchy and once again, oozing a bit.  Brian told me that perhaps we should take a night off from the squats to see if there was any improvement.  He reasoned (correctly) that the squats are putting a fair bit of force on my lower half.  So, I took day 3 off and then followed that up with my rest day on Day 4.  There was no difference with my navel, so I jumped back in for Day 5. 

There had been a bit of debate as to whether you could/should break the squats up into sets.  I felt that doing them in sets would defeat the purpose of challenging yourself.  Being unsure of how I would make out, I jumped right in for all 50.  It was surprisingly easy.  The next night wasn't much different.  That doesn't mean it didn't get my heart rate up or make my legs feel a bit rubbery, what I mean was that come the last squat...I wasn't forcing myself upright.  I felt it just above my knees each day afterwards.

Since Day 5, I have continued on with the plan.  I am a bit out of breath, but so far, my legs don't hurt like I expected.  It could be that I am not squatting low enough or using proper form, I don't know really.  But the fact of the matter is, I am doing them and it's something.  Beats sitting on the couch and it doesn't take long to complete.  Only a couple minutes, so it can be done during a commercial break.

I will continue to do them in one set until the day comes that I cannot get my legs underneath me and hoist this frame up.

See you in review next week....HAPPY SQUATTING!

The Truth Of Tuesday Night

It's another Tuesday and another Tuesday that I am not going to TOPS.

Hubby got called away to work at the last minute today and Abby wasn't feeling quite up to snuff tonight.  I could have toted the kids down for weigh in, but I chose not to.

A couple reasons.  First, I am still up from our trip to Niagara.  Not as much as I would have been last week, but still enough to disappoint me.  Secondly, I was just thinking today that I needed a break from TOPS for a  couple of weeks.  Not to let loose and go crazy, but more to get myself back in line and focused.

So, I'm going to focus....I am going to walk my little butt off, eat less crap and keep doing my squats.

This post is short and sweet.  Hope you are having a great week!

Pinapple Baby!

So, this post is inspired by Meg over at Unzipping My Fat Suit.  Go check her out....great blog, very inspiring!

I had commented on one her posts about snacks and wondering what sort of things people snack on.  I mentioned that I love fresh pineapple.  She mentioned to me that she is a bit intimated by buying a whole pineapple and asked what is the best way to cut one up.

Now, I am always looking for a blog post subject and I thought....perhaps other people feel the same way.  I know I did when I first bought one. 

For me, pineapple is only something I discovered to be yummy once I became an adult...and we are talking fresh pineapple here...not the canned stuff. 

I know there are special tools to help you cut them or you can buy them already cut, but I have come up with a method that is easy and works great for me.  You don't get the core or the "eyes" still attached to your chunks.

Let's take a look shall we?

 

Firstly, buy yourself a pineapple.  There is probably a trick to picking out a good one, but I don't know it.  I just make sure it's not real soft on the bottom.  Once you bring it home....it won't keep long, so you need to cut it up within a day or so (in my experience anyway)

 

 

The first thing I do is cut off both ends, like this.

 

It should now look a little something like this without the ends and will sit pretty nicely on your cutting board.

 

I then cut it in half right down the middle

 

Continue to cut in half again the other way so you have 4 big chunks

 

 

If you look real close at the middle, you can see a slight circle...this is the "core" and I don't enjoy eating it.  It's hard.  I suppose you could eat it, but I don't like to

 

 

 

Cut each of your 4 large chunks into half again

 

You should now have 8 sections

 

Take a section and cut off the "rind", just enough so you also cut off the little brown eyes inside too

 

You also need to cut out the "core" too.  You will be able to see it and feel it too.  It's denser than the pineapple

 

 

Once all of your 8 pieces are trimmed, you are left with 8 good chunks

 

Cut them into whatever size pieces you want for eating.



 

I now have a bowl full of pineapple, all ready for eating.  Again, you pretty much need to eat it in the same day...but if you picked a good one...it's like eating candy and you won't be able to stop.  If you didn't pick a good one, leave it for your husband to eat! 

 

 

Everything you cut off can go in your compost bin...you know...to make good soil for the veggie garden you are going to plant in a few weeks!

I hope this was helpful.  Once you have done it a few times, it gets easier.  I have tried a number of different ways to cut up pineapple, but this is the easiest way I have found.

Do you have a better way?  How about a way to pick out a good pineapple?

 

Fitness Friday - 04/27 - 05/03

One of these weeks, I will learn and do a better job of tracking my exercise throughout the week and not leave it until Friday night. 

I think I remember most of what I did though

Saturday: Nothing in particular or nothing memorable at least

Sunday:  Off to Niagara we go - we did a good 40 minutes of walking up and down Clifton Hill.  Played around in the water park too.

Monday:  Another day in Niagara.  More water park play and sight seeing.  A bit of mini-golf too!

Tuesday:  Home we go.  After realizing I put on a good 6 lbs while away, I got on the treadmill and attempted to run.  My foot gave me a bit of trouble, so I didn't push it.

Wednesday:  Abby and I went for a good 30 minute walk. She was in the stroller, so I did push around a 40 lb weight.  It was also Day 1 of my 30-Day Squat Challenge (50 squats)

Thursday:  Walked the kids to daycare and school.  Went for a 30 minute walk at work and proceeded on to Day 2 of the challenge (55 squats)

Friday: Walked the kids to school and daycare.  After work, I went grocery shopping and to Costco.

CONFESSION TIME

I should also be on Day 3 of my squat challenge (60 squats), but I have held off tonight.  I am having some problems with one of my incision sites from my surgery.  It has only been bothering me since about Wednesday.   I am not saying that it was the squats, because as of Wednesday, I also went back to my complete normal routine (carrying laundry, picking up the kids, carrying groceries, etc)  But I decided with a heavy heart to skip my squats today to see if it improves.  Personally, I prefer to blame the laundry and insist that from now on, it better be Brian's job!  I do see the surgeon next week so at the very least, I will get some answers then.

The squats were starting to be effective though, as in I could feel them in my lower thighs, just above my knee caps.  I didn't do them in sets, but did all 50 at once.  I wasn't sure if I could at the beginning when I read over the challenge...but that is part of it right?  To challenge yourself.  It wouldn't be much of a challenge if I didn't at least try!  Tomorrow was supposed to be a rest day from the squats, but if I feel things look good, I will try them.

Non-Scale Victory # 6

I must say, when I remembered it was Thursday, I was at a loss as to what NSV I might have had this week.

I mean, since last Tuesday, I sort of went on hiatus from everything.  Forget eating well, forget exercising, just forget it all!!

But I did manage to come up with a few.

Firstly, I went for a walk today at work.  No biggie, considering it was something I had been doing for the past couple of weeks....EXCEPT...today...I did not want to!  One tiny bit!  My week of relapse brought back all of my old habits so quickly, without even realizing it.  So, I made myself get out there.  I switched my loop up and went the opposite way this time, resulting in having to walk up a short hill rather than down it.

This walk did give me time to reflect a bit on some other victories.

Yesterday I said I would get back on track and I did, despite the fact that I was home all day and that usually presents itself as a challenge.  Today is no different.  I am even back to logging food today.

The last one that came to me today while walking was that it's May and I have managed to keep my New Year's Resolution.  You can read about it in full detail over at my other blog.  Basically, I resolved to purchase $10 worth of food for the food bank every 2 weeks.

I have kept true to that and while walking today and seeing people down on their luck at the street corners, I know in my heart I did the right thing and that my small contribution can make a big difference.  I mean, that is $20 worth of food every month that they didn't get last year.

How about you?  Are you participating in the Non-Scale Victory Link Up?  It's easy, just head on over through the link below!

30-Day Squat Challenge - The Beginning

I'm the type of person that says "yes" first and then asked questions....that is how I found myself participating in the 30-Day Squat challenge with Bonnie and Dani.  (you can read about my initial involvement here)

Because I hate to suffer alone, I put a call out to others to join in the challenge.  Some of them have blogs and some don't....here is a list of the participates, some fellow weight loss bloggers, while others are Facebook pals!  Make sure to visit their blog if they have one and root them on!

The Participates:

Bonnie (Empress of Pounds)
Dani (TDKchick Staying Skinny)
Miss Ashley (Picking Up The Pieces)
Amy (Diary of a Fat Girl)
Teri
Shelly
Brian
Jennifer
Julie
Sharri
Chris

If I missed anybody, I apologize and just give me a reminder...I will add  you to the list.  If you still want to join in, it's not too late!

Here are the details again....wish me luck in NOT dying!

I should state for the record....this challenge is not my invention.  My girlfriend Bonnie had it on her blog and I horned in.  There is a Facebook page dedicated to the challenge that you can check out.  Also, I am not a professional in any sort...I don't know if you should do this medically, but your Dr. would give you the "down low" on that!  As for proper "squat" form, do some searches online....you should find some help there! 

I will check next Wednesday and update you on my progress