Motivation=Satisfaction

People always tell you that "motivation is key" when you are trying to do anything that requires any sense of self. I've been struggling with it so much. This week has been brutal. Its (of course) that time of the month. LAME. when its that time, its really hard for me to get any motivation to do ANYTHING.  I thought I was off this morning, but lo and behold I'm not. so one more day that i didn't go. Needless to say, i'm a little disappointed. But I just have a hard time because i get hungry, cramps are killer, and my brain isn't in it--mainly because i can't swim afterwards--which is the main thing i look forward to. 

I was talking to Daniel earlier...its just hard for me to convince myself to go when I can't swim afterwards. Swimming makes me feel 100% better. it helps keep me stretched and so i dont get sore. Its really easy to motivate myself to go to the gym when i can swim, because i look forward to that afterwards. I push myself harder--"if i can get through these next 15 minutes, i can go swim." "If i can burn 20 more calories, I can go swim afterwards"...ect ect ect.  Like I said, swimming makes me happy. When I can't swim, its really hard on me to go. I'm sore afterwards, dont feel good, ect ect. 

Lame.

Another thing i'm struggling with is food. I've been eating with my parents the last week or so...mainly because i barely have the money for food beyond slimfast for daniel--and i save my lean cuisines for work to keep me from going to fast food...so i dont have the money to get chicken breasts (which are freaking expensive, mind you), and other items for meals.  So when they're like "oh we're having pizza, would you like to eat some?" "oh we're making your favorite--spaghetti, wanna eat with us?"  ect ect, its hard to resist, because i'm not making anything and i'm hungry. I'm not blaming it on them, its just...idk what we're gonna do when they get over here. *sigh*  I've also eaten out a lot lately...mainly because my friends want to hang out, and i dont have anything to offer them here...and i know that killssssss in calories. I've tried to do slimfast (no luck, i just cheat which defeats the whole purpose)...same with Special K....counting calories is a bitch. I dont have the patience for that. I've tried calorie count--where you type in what you eat...but omg...it takes freaking forever!!! I'm struggling for the motivation to eat well. I can get myself to the gym fine...but going to the gym doesn't make a difference when you are struggling with eating. 

I'm gonna try something over the next few weeks. Instead of eating in front of the tv--I'm gonna clean off our "catch-all" kitchen table...and try to eat there...take deep breaths in between bites...and before...drink a bottle of water (or half) before each meal or during each meal....ect ect. i've heard it helps.  granted that only helps if you are making a meal. LOL. when you're eating a 100cal bag of pop corn or a bowl of cereal, i guess it really doesn't matter. but its those dinners that count...half the time i dont really eat a lunch...because i'm at work and then when i get home i snack until dinner...or when i am home... i dont really think about it. i sit there starving and so hungry...but can't find anything to eat...so i just dont. which really isnt' the way to go.

i guess i just need help. I dont want to do restrictive. I dont want to count calories. I want to be able to eat what i want. I guess i just need to be better about portions. I need smaller plates. -.- i've always heard thats one way to lose weight is to eat off smaller plates cuz you trick your mind...well...maybe thats what i need right now...mind tricks to help me get past this.

Honesty is the Key

Honesty.

When you're losing weight (or trying avidly), honest is key in helping you get over any adversions. I want to be honest with you guys--its been a crazy last week. Thats why I haven't posted. I've been ridiculous! Its been fun, but its been busy. I went to the gym ONCE this week. I know. thats sad. I couldn't help it! so lets go through my week because ya'll help keep me accountable and stuff. I feel really bad about it, but I mean, it happens. I can't beat myself up over it, just make a promise to not let myself do that again.

so here goes.
Sunday--well... i closed Sunday night, but daniel and I always count sunday as our "day of rest". We usually take Sundays and one other day off during the week on a good week.
Monday--I was with my family all day. Mom and I went to Hancock fabrics to pick out the fabrics for my quilt (which is awesome, btw!), then my mom and I went to lunch with my brother and sister, then i went home to clean for a few real quick before daniel's aunt came by...then went back to my parents to help my mom with my quilt; ate dinner, came home, went to bed.
Tuesday--worked 7a-12p and went to the gym. did 30 minutes on the elliptical...but couldnt swim because it was storming. went home. curled up in a ball. I hate stormy days.
Wednesday--worked 7a-11a, was gonna go to the gym, but daniel got sick and I wanted to come home to take care of him (i know, i know, sappy!!! but i felt so bad. he never gets sick!)
Thursday--went to the thrift store/lunch with daniel's aunt, didn't get home until almost 5--went to my mom's to start some laundry and work on my quilt some more.
Yesterday--worked 4:30-1130p, but i didn't wake up until 8:30...and i had to go finish my laundry, pick up the house, go by the store, ect ect.
Today--I probably could go to the gym--but i have a killer headache and I can't get rid of it. -.- of course. I work 730-1130 tonight. then i have to be back at work at noon tomorrow. so... lets just say i'm gonna start back on Monday.

Its been crazy. This week looks a little less busy...but not much.  Like I said, I wanted to be honest with you guys...HOWEVER. I do want to brag a little because this is just awesome. I have not eaten very well these past couple days...I mean, I haven't eaten bad, per say, but not as good as i should. buttttt the reason i'm bragging is that i'm still at 253.2! lol. i got on the scale this morning and was like "dear god, please dont let me be back up!!!!" and i wasn't! that makes me proud. lol.

so. but anyways. This weeks schedule?? busy, but not as busy as this past week.
Sunday--work 1230p-830p
Monday--work 7a-12p; gym afterwards
Tuesday--OFF; gym hopefully that morning (maybe zumba...who knows); out with dawn for lunch! bstreet!
Wednesday--OFF again; gym sometime that day; cleaning; ect
Thursday--working 7a-11a; gym after
Friday--working 11:30-630; probably skipping the gym that day.
Saturday--working 6a-10a; gym afterwards.

hoping i can keep up with it. Someone please help me stay focused this week! lol

Positive Moods

So guys, I'm down to 253.6 thats a total of 3.4lbs. Thats not bad...not as fast as I'd like, but with work and stuff,  its not gonna go as well as I thought at all times. :) hahaha. I had a good workout yesterday, but I was sooo tired when I got home...it was ridiculous. Today I'm hoping that I can get some laundry done, go to the gym, figure out whats wrong with my cat, and get some stuff done around the house before i have to work tonight. :)

I've got a lot going on...or so it seems that way...i'm so ready to just chill! 6 weeks til I get to go see WICKED in birmingham! :) which means 8 weeks until UTAH! :) i'm so excited. the next couple months are gonna have a lot of things going on for them. I have a feeling I'm gonna be really busy....but thats okay...busy is better than bored. :)

The thing I've been working hardest on is what i eat.  I've had so much temptation, and cravings and killer sweet tooth. lol. and I've been trying so hard to watch it, and everything....it just gets really hard sometimes.

sorry i dont really have much to talk about this morning.  hope you all have a great saturday!

-beth

Sugar Plum Fairy

okay, so...today has gone realllyyy well.  up until the end...but lets go through the day really quick.  so this morning, woke up early enough to get a shower before work, which NEVER happens. So that was one thing that boosted my mood.  Went to work...where it went pretty well. Same ol' , same ol'! When I got off at 1:30, I went to the gym and had a FAN-FREAKING-TASTIC workout. Let me just say--I'm pretty proud of myself. I'm building up some massive endurance on the elliptical. :) I was able to stay on it for 50 minutes. yeah, you heard me. 50. WHAT  UP! lol. burned 500 calories...then i went and swam for 15 minutes. rockin! hoping i can do it again tomorrow. i dont see why i couldn't. lol. my legs feel find at the moment. :) they hurt a bit right after, but, now it feels a bit better. i've been letting them rest a bit. :) 

My eating hasn't been too shabby today either.  I had cereal for breakfast, a slimfast for lunch. yogurt parfait for snack, and a lean cuisine pizza for dinner. :) the only part--the bad part--the reason for my title....its cuz i've had this crazy sweet tooth..and it is UNBEARABLE at times. all you dieters out there--what is the cure for this???? Its not like i can go get ice cream or make cookies or anything....that would RUIN my diet. lol. i know having a little here and there doesn't hurt...but theres no doing that with sweets---one bite turns into a cookie turns into 2 cookies turns into the whole batch. LOL.  i've never craved sweets this bad in my life. its ridiculous...usually brushing my teeth would cure the little cravings but it did NOTHING this time.  lame.

anyways. tips, tricks, any advice on getting rid of these monster cravings for monster cookies?

it would be greatly appreciated. 

Singin' In The Rain

The one song(s) I've been listening to and singing a lot the past few weeks...The Singin' In The Rain/Umbrella mashup from Glee. LOVE IT. lol. Its very fitting today--as it has been raining ALL day. which makes for a really lazy Beth. Not good.

I managed to pick myself up and get my butt to the gym thou....which is good...but only after we had 1) had breakfast, 2) Fixed Daniel's car from where squirrels chewed the wiring..., 3)took laundry to my parents, 4) ate lunch, 5) watched a few Ugly Betty episodes. I'm a loser. LOL. but yeah. so I went to the gym around oh i'd say about 3p, and did the elliptical for 30 minutes. burned 317 calories and did 2.00 miles. I'm pretty proud of that workout. I also did 2 reps of 10 on one of the arm machines....i couldn't do more than that cuz my arms were KILLING ME from my past arm workouts. Wanted to swim today, but my good swimsuit was in the wash. darn. maybe tomorrow. lol. So i went 5/7 days this week--pretty darn good, don't you think?

I've had my differences with food this week, however. I struggle with cravings. One thing I made last night was pancakes. I had gotten the stuff to make it over Christmas, but with my work schedule, I never had the time to make them...so I've been craving them like crazy!!! So I made those for dinner last night and let me just tell you--BEST. PANCAKES. I'VE. EVER. MADE. loved them! And no, I dont regret making them either. Sure, not the best thing to eat when you're trying to lose weight, but once in a while something like that doesn't hurt.  Anytime I've tried to cut out my favorite foods completely, I've failed miserably. So I figure incorporating something i like (but portion sizing) once or twice a month shouldn't hurt too bad. Especially if I can build up the stamina to go a little longer on the elliptical and arc trainers. :) With work, I also burn a lot of calories running back and forth across the store. :)

I am planning on weighing myself again tomorrow morning. :) so we'll see where we're at. Once I drop 20lbs, I'm gonna post before and after pics. I've got my before--but not quite ready for that to be revealed. its quite hideous. LOL. it may just burn your eyes. but up against another pic of me 20lbs less, wouldn't be so bad! lol. but yeah. its been a crazy saturday in the life of Beth, but thats alright. Looking forward to a pretty chill next couple days. Hoping I can hit the gym 7/7 days this week. :) we shall see! :)

off to make dinner. a MUCH healthier meal of green beans, a couple russet potatoes, and chicken. :)

adios!

I'm Sexy and I know It

:) One of my new favorite songs from LMFAO--Sexy and I know It. its such a fun song to work out to (especially when my hubby and I are working out together...cuz then i can sing it to him while i work out. LOL) anyways. so this one is gonna be all about music to work out to. I got an mp3 player last night and I've added a few songs to it (only 39. dang.) and I want more. I've got such a wide variety....songs from my childhood (the OLD Britney Spears, NSYNC, Backstreet Boys....so sue me...) lol. and then i've got songs from today (LMFAO, Adele, Lil Jon, Flo Rida, Maroon 5).....so i mean...i've got several on here...i'm just having issues trying to find more. So what I want from all ya'll today is your top 5 songs that you HAVE to have when you are working out. :) That would be fabulous! Tell me why you like them and why you enjoy working out with them. :)

I always like to have a few slow songs for warm up and cool downs. :)  But yeah...So i've had some issues with finding songs...so what i looked for when choosing the ones i did, I looked for ones that made me feel good (hence old school Britney), ones that made me feel empowered (Adele, Christina), and ones that are just fun (LMFAO, Flo Rida).  Music is my life. I love singing and listening to music. I really wish I had done more with my singing voice in high school instead of wasting it in band. I mean, i dont regret doing band...I wish I had done both. Lately, it seems like all I want to do is sing, or be in another musical which I wont ever get that chance again.  Maybe in another city...but here? It wont happen.  

Anyways back to workout playlists.  I get sidetracked sometimes. ;)   so...i made mine, and i want more music. So...suggestions? Whats your top 5 songs you like to work out with? Why? I wanna know!

peace!

OHHH and btw. weighed in this morning...255.4! 1.6 lbs down since Monday! yay! almost 2lbs this week!

Gym-time Fun

soooo.....today...today has been fun. NOT. well. I mean.. I guess it has been...at parts...but this morning we were short staffed at work and had a surprise visit from our DM. which is always fun and makes life more interesting. lol. but it was also my first full day at work followed by the gym. I worked an 8 hour shift...needless to say, by the end of that shift i was like "do i HAVE to go to the gym?" I even called Daniel to give me some much-needed motivation. Needless to say it was really hard to get myself in there...took a trip to walgreens/redbox to get a water bottle and a movie that I am so thoroughly enjoying atm. but eventually i did get into the gym. 

Did 20 minutes on my favorite machine--the Arc Trainer. absofreakinglutely love this machine. lol burned like...250 calories. :) then went and did laps in the pool...then hot tub and steamroom. I am already feeling that workout. and its only been like... 3 hours...lol. i'm gonna be sore in the morning....don't know if i'll actually make it to the gym tomorrow or not....i work another 8 hour shift tomorrow.....so...i guess it just depends on how sore i am....but i'm just proud of myself for going 3 days in a row already.... Even if I dont go the rest of the week (thou I know i will go at least friday), 3 days is SO much better than the couch i was seeing on a regular basis before this! LOL...i crack myself up sometimes. ;)

but anyways...so motivation is KEY for me. and i guess for anyone. Its really hard for me to be motivated to go work out after I have worked an 8 hour shift. I didn't think it would be this bad..but i guess it is. lol. but we also had a stressful morning at work...so by the time my lunch hit, my vitamins had lost their effect(well, i dont really know that for sure...i just know i was already exhausted...lol).  so by the time i got off i was like "omg. feet. hurting. so. tired. dont. wanna. go. to gym."  *shrug* it happens. i just powered through it. what really kept me going was thinking about relaxing in the pool. i like to float on my back after my workout...and slowly go across the pool. it helps relax me. I also stretch some in the pool which helps with my ankles. They thank me for it. The hot-tub helps too. :) 

Last word--if you haven't ever tried a steam room---try to go in there. its hard at first to breath--but it helps if you take a water bottle in with you. If you sit in there for at least 5 minutes, you will feel so much better! Your skin feels smoother, your sinuses open up, and you feel detoxed because it helps get rid of some of the sodium and toxins from everyday life. :) 

enjoy your weeks! i'm gonna curl up and try to relax some... :)

peace out. 

A Penny for Your Thoughts

Good morning, everyone.

So, I'm feeling a little off today. I mean. I'm not "discouraged" per say, but I just...I'm scared. I feel like I dont know enough. I keep seeing all these things about what to eat and what not to eat...and I'm so picky...and bleh....dinners are the worst. I feel as if I'll never know what to cook and what not to cook, you know? I can't afford a lot of the healthier ingredients...buying fresh stuff gets tedious because i'm scared i wont use them. I dont know enough recipes to do healthier meals. I know what I have been cooking for the past 3 years. Taco Soup. Chicken and Rice. Spaghetti. Chicken Alfredo. Shrimp Alfredo. Beef Tips and Rice. Steak and Potatoes. ect ect. those are all bad dishes when you are trying to loose weight. Especially when you pair it with mashed potatoes, breads, ect. BLEH.

I need ideas. I need to be more open minded. I wish I liked more foods. It would make this a bit easier. Doing slimfast gets tedious because i feel like I'm not getting enough nutrients. I can only substitute it for one meal at a time because it makes me sick or feel wierd if i do more than that. breakfasts are generally the best meal i have a day because i usually do a bowl of cheerios and coffee.  I bought some bananas...i'm enjoying those. I just wish there were more choices out there. idk. i need ideas. and soon! before i lose it!

2012

2012.

The beginning of a new year.


I cannot believe how fast 2011 went, or how fast 2012 will go. They say as you get older, the years fly by faster. I really do believe that is true. When I was young, everything took FOREVER to come, but now that I am older--everything comes and goes so quickly.

So, I started back today. I have a plan. Usually, if I make plans--i do not stray from them. You see, I like structure. I like to be able to plan my days. When I dont plan, i feel so out of place. So I'm thinking thats one thing that has always hindered me in past weight loss attempts. I never planned time for the gym. I just was like "eh, I'll go when i get free time"....well....that "free time" turned into "i dont feel like it". lol. so now i'm planning. I got it easy this week and next week. I'm working 6a-11a today, off tomorrow, working 7-3 the next two days, and closing friday night. then next week i'm off Sunday and Monday...and tues-thurs i work 630a-130p. thats what i mean by structure. repitition of a schedule. I would prefer a "set schedule" but with retail, that doesn't happen. this is as close as i'll get. lol.

I'm so excited! I can't wait to meet the new me this time next year. Thats my goal. I want to be down 100lbs by January 1, 2013. It is definitely doable. I know there will be times when I'll hit a plateau, but that just means i'll have to work a little harder to achieve my goals. Here are my goals for the new year.

Weekly Goal (starting): at least 2lbs; 5 would be great.

I would like to be about 10-20lbs lighter by February 25, and another 5-10 by March 12. I'm not gonna be disappointed if I dont hit those....thats just what I'd like. I've got 7 weeks and 4 days. I think i can do that. :) If i can keep up with my "schedule" and make sure i'm not doing gross fast food anymore. That stuff will kill ya. and I'm SOOO guilty of enjoying fast food a little too much. the convenience is what gets me. lol. but i'm trying new Luna bars...maybe they are more filling than slimfast bars. (They're the new luna protein). I'll be taking a multivitamin....we're good.

OHHH and I ordered myself an mp3 player...I'm so ready for it to get here. Its nothing special...just a Sansa Clip+. No ipod. We've already got an ipod touch. I didn't see the need in paying out the butt for another ipod. lol. i paid 24 bucks for this one and a camera battery charger. it got good reviews. I guess we'll see how it works. lol.

OH I also look forward to posting progression pics after a month or so. Like...on Feb 24, if I hit my goal, I'm gonna take a pic. I've taken my starting pic already...but I wont post that until I have something to post next to  it. :)

here's some "inspiration" thou.  I got it off of one of my friends' facebook pages:

Happy New Year! I'll post again later this week!

-Beth