Monday, October 30, 2006

Fat Loss Monitor

I was watching fit tv the other day. They were showing a few personal trainners in a well known gym franchise trainning these people to get fit before a class reunion. Anyway, aside from weighing them, they also used a body fat analyzer. I thought, neat, I need one of those.

I was thinking back to my previous weigh loss attempt with a year of weigh trainning. Even though I was smaller my scale barely moved one pound a month. Maybe if i'd had one of those analyzers I would have known even though the scale wasn't budging, I was really gainning muscle and loosing fat.

So I looked around and found one on Amazon for only 26.00 USD. This is the same one they were using on Fit-Tv. If its good enough for their personal trainers its good enough for me. Its called the Omron HBF-306C Fat Loss Monitor incase anyones interested. Its always good to have another way to gage progress besides the scale and measuring tape. So i'm very excited to have picked this up.

Next week when I get it in i'll do another weigh in along with my body fat composition.

First Official Weigh-In!

Well I finally got the nerve to officially weigh.
I started at 226 I now weigh in at 219. That is a 7 pound loss in 2 weeks! *cheers* So my portion controlling along with body flex is working. I've also lost about 4 inches...so so far so good.

Friday, October 27, 2006

First day using Body Flex

I picked up the old tapes on amazon that don't use the gym bar from 1993. I have to say, wow..I completely feel this work out, it had me huffing and puffing and I felt great after it was over. I think between Oxycise and Body Flex, I difianately like how I felt more after Body Flex. I'm tired yet I feel energized at the sametime.

Also, I was just getting a headache as I started and once the routine was over, so was the headache. Anything that makes me take less aspirin is a good thing to me.

I did slide and take some measurements, but I really wanted to wait 7 days from starting these breathing programs so i'm going to retake them on monday. I can tell you I have lost some weight and inches, so my portion controlling seems to be working.

I'm eating what I want, not what some diet is telling me I have to eat so im happy.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

OMG! Chronic Headaches

I suffer from chronic tension headaches. It starts in my neck, shoulders then moves up to my head. From there is changes from a tension headache to a migraine. I get these every single day. At first I took anywhere from 6 -8 aspirins per day. I know way to many. But this was the only thing that gave me relief.

I later discovered Omega3 fish oils. This is a natural blood thinner and antiinfammatory. Basically the samething asprin does but it won't kill my liver. Omega3 did an amazing job of getting rid of the tension that crept up in my shoulders and neck and just made me miserable daily. I still got the headache but thank god the tension part was gone.

After taking Omega3 I was able to cut my aspirin intake down to 2-3 a day. Still to many but a long way from 6-8 doses in a 24 hour period.

I imagine you all say what has any of this to do with my diet. Well I started trying a new herbal remedy this week to see if it helped with my headache. Then I realized my headache was lessened to the point I could take just 1 aspirin. So I was like wow I think its working.

Then something happened today. I had a big headache so I was about to go take my dose of aspirin for the day but I stopped to get the mail first. Well it was my body flex tapes. So anxious to check it out before I ran to pick up my husband, I popped it in.. Tried it out for maybe 5 minutes then I left. And then it dawned on me.. my headache was going away! And now I know why just this past week my headaches have been better. I started Oxycise this week.

I started taking the herbal drug last week, no difference but I thought i'd take it long enough to build it up in my system in hopes that it works. But since I did Oxycise this, I noticed my headaches werent' nearly so bad.. but doing Body Flex today my headache completely went a way.

This is a huge huge deal for me. I'm just sitting here waiting for the next one so I can test this out, but if the deep breathing helps my headaches.. then, aside from weightloss..I just found a reason to stick with the program and this has me very excited!

I completely hate taking drugs. Deep breathing for 15 minutes to keep from getting a headache is a life saver. I just pray this is really whats helping me but I believe this is it..

Drawing close to 2 weeks!

Well, i'm drawing close to the two week mark. This consisted of 2 days on the treadmill for 20 minutes and 20 minutes on the easy shaper the first week.

Week two, consists of nothing but Oxycise, 15 minutes for 3 days, but I plan to do it all five days of this week.

I'm still debating if I will weigh. Scales are evil, they either make you feel really good about your progress or down in the dumps at your failures. Frankly i'm a bit chicken to do measurements also... I feel really good about what i'm trying to do and I just don't want anything to discourage me before I give it all a fair chance.

I may measure and weigh next week or I might just measure. I'm still waiting for my Body Flex cd's and tapes to come in so i can see if I like that better then the Oxycise.

Anyone thinking of trying Body Flex, Home Shopping Network has the set on clearance for 7.18 regulary 39.85. I believe I paid 35.00 for my original set that I lost the tape for (and never did the workout) so that is a great deal. Grab one, they won't last long at that price. You get the 30 day return policy so if it doesn't work for you, send it back. But at 7 bucks, that is a great deal, to good to pass up.

Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Soda, is Evil!

So I talked to Steve, the personal trainner guy who's link you'll find to the right of my page. I told him I downed a 2 liter sprite every single day without fail. This added 800 calories on top of whatever I ate for the day.

He said wow! Thats a 80 pound weight gain in a year.

Now I knew it was probably soda that made me stay heavy because I really don't pack the food away often. I mean I have my moments as I'm sure everyone does. But day in and out, I eat very little. Hearing him say that my soda is what put 80 pounds on me was eye opening.

Remember I'm 5'4 and I weigh 226 subtract 80 from that and you get 146 which is pretty close to what I should weigh. Heck I can live with 146 or even 150 considering what I know now about weight trainning. At 150 I wouldn't be the same chubby teen I was in high school. I'd be smaller and look pretty fit.

For those that are drinking regular soda. Track how much your drinking in a day/week and add up the calories. Same with jucies that use sugar. You actually may not be to bad, as far as your eating goes...it could all be in what your drinking.

Atkins Diet

No, I'm not on it. I once tried it..well maybe twice. I mean, who doesn't like a diet that lets them have butter and cheese? The very first time I tried Atkins I dropped 20 pounds in 2 weeks. I was pretty geeked after that. But then the weight loss slowed way down and I lost interest.

For those that can stick with it, yes its a great diet. I for one don't see myself being that limited on carb intake the rest of my life. I've said in other posts, im cutting back on unnessary calorie intake but other then modifying some of the things I eat, i'm pretty much just controlling portions and seeing how that works out for me.

I'm 40 years old, at least for about another 5 weeks. I have been on all sorts of crazy diets dating back to a teenager in high school. I've starved myself, worked out like crazy and then that moment comes where you slipped for a month, gained ten pounds and you say screw it! I'll just stay a fat person and eat whatever I want.

Its time to sit back and think. What can you truly live with for the rest of your life. I couldn't live with atkins personally, but many can and kudos to them!

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Why do we sabotage ourselves?

I was reading another board where someone mentioned all they have to do to keep the weight off is body flex for 15 minutes 4-5 times a week, yet she and many others still managed to fall off the wagon. Why is it we do this to ourselves. We see results, or we get on the scale and see 10 pounds gainned and we throw the towl back in.

15 minutes a day to permanate weight loss. Are we indeed just lazy? From personal experience I know im lazy. But i'm not sure if its lazyiness, or loss of interest or disappointment that i'll never beat the weight thing that hopping on the scale and seeing ten extra pounds just does me in.

2 years ago you couldn't have paid me to remember to take a supplement everyday. Now I take Omega3 without fail and have for the last 8 months or so because it made a huge difference in how I felt.

I am hoping I will see Body Flex the same way.. A supplement that not only helps me loose weight, but just make me over all feel better..

We shall see..

Monday, October 23, 2006

Oxycise

Well while im waiting for my new Body Flex tapes to come in I happened to already have Oxycise from a couple years ago. I had the level one work out as well as the tape that teaches you how to breath. So instead of doing nothing, I did my first 15 minute Oxycise tape today.

Today is one of those, that time of the month so i feel like crap anyway, so i can't comment on how I feel after doing it. I can say I smoke, and my smokes tasted like crap after doing the work out which is a good thing. I know the Body flex is suppose to help you stop smoking and now I can see why.

The two programs are very simular but the breathing is different for both. Oxycise seems more gentle but for some reason I find body flex easier. Not to say Oxycise isn't easy, I just find for me, it seemed easier. I'll know for sure once the tapes come in and I can do the whole 15 minute work out.

If you hate moving as far as jumping around, running/walking on treadmills, or following some plastic blonde bimbo with a freaky smile on her face telling you ..you can do it! I'd suggest trying Blody Flex or Oxycise. Everyone can breath..if your 400 pounds and can barely move..this is a great way to start your weightloss journey. The best part is these two programs are suppose to burn more fat and calories then all other traditional exercises.

The excercises may get boring after while. But hell they all do in my opinion. But I can honestly say I don't hate doing these..I think its something I can stick with. I mean whats easier then breathing for 15 minutes a day. I suppose the true test will be next monday when I do measurements.

So next monday will be Oxycises chance.. and hopefully if the tapes are here, the monday after that will be Blody flex's chance to make a believer of me.

Here's hoping.

Sunday, October 22, 2006

I gave Body Flex a try

Why not! I had it here sitting collecting dust from a year ago. I really followed her instructions and while I laughed at some of the faces she made.. I have to say Wow! After we were finished I felt really good, full of energy. The way you feel after you do traditional exercises once the worn out feeling passes and your full of energy. Except with body flex, I skipped over the worn out feeling.

I'm going to continue this. I've also ordered her old tapes since my tape is more instructional and I want the full work out tape. Last night I poured over tons of reviews on Body Flex on Amazon.com website and 85% of them were very positive. That many people can't be wrong and its a real eye opener to what burning fat really means.

I will keep a weekly tab once I get the real tapes on a week to week basis and go from there. But over all I love how it made me feel, it only takes 15 minutes and its certaintly something I can stick with because I didn't hate it like I hate walking on a treadmill or riding a bike in place.

Friday, October 20, 2006

The Diet Obsession Wagon

I want off...
Seriously! Why is it everytime one is determine to diet that is what they live and breath for months and months? Every waking moment is of what I'm going to eat, don't cheat..am I loosing, is it working? I'm tired of it..

The sad truth is...you come to a point you fall off your obsession. So why do it to begin with? I can't believe it took me 20 years of my life to come to this point. I'm going to eat. I'm going to eat what I like regardless if I should or shouldn't have it. The key that is different for me this time is two things..

Do I need it? Example: Butter... Recipe called for 2 tbsp and the calories were 200 for the butter. The food I was making yeilds 5 servings. Thus that butter was adding 40 extra calories to what I was going to eat..

Portion controlling..

Hunger pangs.. instead of saying uh oh.. im hungry, I now drink 16oz of water and wait 20 minutes. If i'm still hungry after that I will eat. I'm finding that sometimes i'm not hungry at all.. my body is thirsty. I read part of a book that said that your body begs for water in the same way it does food but we often mistake hunger pangs as needing food, when in fact we needed water.

I use to think I couldn't eat every 3-4 hours but as long as I have something quick I can throw together really quick, i'm finding its not hard at all. In fact I was thinking to myself that wow, 1400 calories is really a nice amount of food. As long as I continue to eat every 3 to 4 hours, hungry or not.. i'm not binging.. body is getting plenty of food and i'm now controlling the calories that come into it.

Take yesterday.. it was late night and I wasn't hungry but I only had eaten 1035 calories for the day. So I ate anyway. Its important to keep the calorie count up. If you starve yourself on 1200 a day..the moment you hit goal..(if you last that long on 1200 caloies..) You'll find once you begin to raise your calorie intake, you probably will start gaining again.

I wanted to eat between 1500-1600 calories.. but I keep falling short of that goal...but I think its ok since I go to bed not hungry, which is the most important thing to me.

I guess you can say my new obsession is portion sizes now.. and how I was adding unnecessary calories to my foods that I didn't need.

You need to eat to loose weight.

Sounds a lot like you need to spend money to make it.

Thursday, October 19, 2006

Bodyflex Anyone?

I bought the bodyflex gymbar and tape off QVC two years ago. I believe I did it only one time. If you've read my Road to Weightloss thread, you know I hate cardio exercises and that i'm doing the very minium because im trying to have a plan I know I can stick with.

My diet consists of mostly portion controls and eating more often then before. I also cut out fried foods and adding butter, which adds quite a few calories.

Anyway, I saw my bodyflex set while looking through my excercise things and I started reading the reviews over. I think i'm going to give it a try for a week and see if it really works.

Anyone else tried it? Post your results..

Starting Measurements

I actually started my so called diet last saturday. That was six days ago. Unfortunately, I didn't take measurements, so i'm doing that now. Its best to have both weight and measurements... Going a two week span with no weightloss and the frustration that could bring, might be off set by a loss of measurements.

Weight, as of 10/14/2006
226 pounds
Measurements as of 10/19/2006
Chest 47
upper abs 41
Waist 45
lower abs 46.5
Hips 45
L Thigh 25
R Thigh 25.5
L Arm 14 1/4
R Arm 14 1/4
Neck 15 1/2

Nothing like laying out the embaressing measurements for all to see. I'm not sure i'll weigh this week. I'm a little afraid to see if any of my current eating and portion controlling is working.

I'm currently digging through the house trying to find my old journal. I'm curious how my measurements 2 years ago stack up against them today at the same weight.

My goal is to add weight trainning later. But i'd like to see the scale move into the 180-190 range. Before when I did weight training my scale moved 9 pounds in a year. Even though I loss inches, I sabotaged myself, thinking I wasn't really loosing.

Weight trainning is wonderful for sucking it all in. I was 191 in a size 16. In highschool I was a size 16 at 160 pounds. So yes.. Weights can get you into smaller sizes way faster. Anyone leery of it, should give it a try. You'll be amazed at how it makes you look.

Not The Typical Diet Menu

Since i'm logging what I eat, i'm posting it here. I will continue to update and add to it til the end of the month. You may notice there is not alot of green in my diet and there probably never will be. I do take 2 maxium green suppliments. 2 Ultimate Omega3 suppliments, along with a few other suppliments. Hopefully this is enough to make up for the green I don't eat.

10/16/2006
Ham sandwich, 1tps light mayo, 2 slices light bread, slice chesse 350-400 calories
Snack Ritz crackers 60 calories
Hamburger Helper1 cup 330
Hamburger helper1 cup 330
2 8oz cranberry juice light 80 calories
2 8oz ruby red light 80 calories
Crystal light16oz 10 calories
whip cream 25 calories WW carrot cake 80?
Total 1390

October 17th
Did about 17 minutes on treadmill About 18 minutes on easy shaper.
1 cup special k half cup milk 150 calories.
1 cup hamburger helper 330
1 ham and cheese sandwich 350-400 calories
8oz cranberry juice 40 calories
8oz ruby red grapefruit 40 calories
48oz water so far..
16oz crystal light 10 calories
6 town house crackers 60 calories
Rasin Bran and 1 cup of milk 290
Carrot cake and cool whip 105
Total 1435

10/18/2006
Treadmill 20 minutes 1 mile 130 calories burned
3 pieces bacon 390
1 egg no oil 70 calories
8oz ruby red grapefruit juice 40
30 oz water so far
4oz turkey thigh 190 calories
2/3 cup julineen potatoes 100 calories no butter save 40 calories per portion.
1 cup coco 100 calories
Ham and Cheese sandwhich 300-400
16oz cranberry 80 calories
carrot cake cool whip 105
1475

10/19/2006
Im really sore today. Also I just felt the onset of shin splits yesterday. Thinking of laying off the treadmill today and maybe doing an exercise tape.I'm even thinking of breaking out the body flex tape. Does that really work? I'm skeptical, but you can't ignore all the reviews that are more for it then against it.

You'll notice my menus tend to repeat. I usually save dinner from the previous night and have it for lunch the next day. My ham sandwich is something quick to eat to give me the calories.I use 2 oz of ham and a teaspoon of light mayo instead of a tablepoon. Also light bread, which makes two slices equal to what one slice of regular comes to in calories.

1 ham sandwich, no cheese this time. 160 calories for 2oz of meat.
2 slices of light bread 80 calories
2/3 cup J potatoes 100 calories
4oz turkey 190 calories
8oz cranberry juice 40 calories
8 oz cranberry light 40 calories
8 oz ruby red grapfruit juice 40 calories
1/2 cup rice 100 calories
1 teaspoon can't believe its not butter 5 calories
4 oz turkey thigh 190 calories
Weight Watchers Carrot cake 80 calories
1 teaspoon coolwhip light 10 calories
3 oz chicken 100 calories
2 slices white bread 80 calories
I tbs light mayo 45 calories

1260

10/20/2006
chicken sandwich 175 calories
ham sandwich 215 calories
1 serving yogurt 90 calories
16oz cranberry light 80 calories
Jambayla 1 cup serving size 320
32oz water
16oz crystal light 10


Its the weekend, i've been slacking on cooking but trying to squeeze in food every few hours, I may just cook something anyway to get my calories up there.

Why I'm giving it another go..

His name is Steve, you'll find his link to the right of the page. He's a personal trainner who makes these fantastic video blogs on how to loose weight.

For instance, one of his video blogs mentioned the slim fast diet. The old ads of have a shake for breakfast, lunch and a sensible dinner. I think we all remember that ad. Well Steve goes on to point out that you could do the same thing with Sneakers bars. One for breakfast, one for lunch and a sensible dinner and you'd still loose weight.

This wonderful guy with his 1 minute video blog changed my entire outlook on how I thought about diets. He has over 50 blogs and they are very eye opening, I would encourage you guys to click on the link and visit his Body Performance site and check out Steve TV and the forums.

Is Quznois the Better Choice?

I've found you either hate them or really love them. I've yet to see anyone inbetween. Many may not know that Quznois will not publish any nutritional information on their website. Many won't eat there because of it. Many want to be able to make choices based on what that information gives them.

Come on people. I eat at Quznois maybe twice a year, usually within the same week because their subs are addictive to me. By the second one that week I say, ok going to give me a heart attack, I can't eat here anymore. Do I really need nutritional facts to tell me their subs are so loaded with triple meat and double cheese that one sandwich is probably my entire calories for the day?

Why won't they publish this info? Its simple. One look at a fact stating that sandwhich you want is in excess of 1500+ calories, will loose them way more business then the folks that won't eat there because they don't print the info freely.

I heard of a gal that went in weighing 121 eating two subs a week for a few weeks only to have shot up nearly 20 pounds.

Knowning this.. eat it at your own risk. Luckily they are so expensive, really helps me stay away from there.

MY Tools

I’ve been at this for about a week now. So far my tools are..
Measuring cup that also measures oz for liquids.

A food scale for weighing portions

My Easy Shaper by fittness quest

My Treadmill

My handweights

As of right now im not using my weights. I know if I use them I will start to tone up and it will be easier to burn fat. First I want to see if my insane eating style will actually work for me.
I have various work out tapes, from taebo to belly dancing. I might try the belly dancing. Taebo is something I know I won’t stick to so i’m going for what I will actually be willing to do this time around.

The Crazy Road to Weight Loss

I have come to realize recently that I cannot diet. Nor can I exercise an hour a day because I completely hate it. Now im not saying I wouldn’t, I have done this in the past for a year or so.. and I hated doing it. I’m sorry, exercise bores the snot out of me and im tired of pretending that while I might stick to it for a year, maybe two.. that I will stick to it the rest of my life. Not gonna happen so why pretend?

Probably my only saving grace is that I do like to weight train. Thank god i’m not a complete loss in the exercise department. So my goal is to cardio 20 minutes a day. Hey, that is something I can realistically do the rest of my life and I refuse to let my body get use to me working out 5 hours a day only so that the minute I cut it in half it says, uh oh..time to add up some pounds!
I also am not a health nut. I’m sorry, im going to be honest. How many people have tried a diet and said.. this isn’t bad. I can do this, I can get use to this? I’m one of those people. For me, what that translate to is, ok Syn, talk yourself into believing you can eat this way the rest of your life. I’ve decided I can’t. I’m not going to pretend anymore, im not going on anyone elses diets and making them richer.

I realize after thinking over things.. I eat far less at 226 then I did in highschool at 155ish. I use to bike ride as most kids did in the summer til I hit maybe 16 and thought I was to old for it. But other then going to school, I think the majority of my excercise came from going to malls with my friends. I still remember me and my best friend going and we told our parents to pick us up in 5 hours. Five hours! I can’t stay in a mall 5 minutes now before I want to run home.

I also realized that like most Americans, I am largely addicted to soda. I can down a 2 liter a day of regular Sprite. Thats 800 calories! So as of last friday October 13th, I jugged down my last soda. Not even doing diet soda, I just hate them.

I have divided up my drinks in various ways. Crystal Light ready made Ruby Red is my drink of choice. The whole bottle is 10 calories (2 servings) and I drink about 2 of those a day. Very good stuff if you guys have never tried it. I also drink about 40oz of water, 16oz of cranberry juice light at 80 calories. I drink the cranberry for the detox benefits. And I drink 8oz of the real ruby red light 40 calories, just for the simple fact it actually makes me feel good. So I have went from about 800 calories to 180 calories on just what I drink.

I plan to keep a log of what I eat. If your expecting Tofu and carrots, wrong place. I eat stuff like hamburger helper, ham and cheese sandwiches and I eat every 3.5-4 hours, never giving myself a chance to get hungry. I guess only time will tell if this diet will actually work for me.
If you look over to your right under previous posts, this is where all my new blog entries will land. Feel free to browse as I add and post whats working for you.