Wednesday, December 30, 2009

And the pounds came back the very next day...

Frick n' frack. I am up two pounds. Delayed reaction from the extra food I've been shoveling in my mouth. I just figured out a plan to get rid of all the chocolate that has entered my house over Christmas...NO MORE! I haven't binged on it or anything, but a few pieces here and there do add up. Just having it around, I can feel myself gravitating towards it. And I have realized something interesting. If it is crap chocolate, I want to eat more of it, but if it's high-quality dark chocolate, one is usually enough. Makes sense I guess.

I am really happy with how much I've worked out these past weeks. I missed the 23rd and the 28th, that's it! I will work out tomorrow, and- barring any hangovers- the first as well. New Year's is my last day of potential excess. I am boozing it up...using diet soda, but still. At the party I am going to there's no dinner, but a bunch of appies instead. Eeep. It's so hard to keep track of how much I've eaten with appies!

Despite the two extra lbs on the scale, I am feeling pret-ty fine these days. I have noticed a general slimming down in the abdominal area from the lovely Shred. And dare I say...a small bit of definition at the top of my abs?!!? Yeep! There's still wayyy too much blubber there to see real abs, but it's getting better! I bought some clothes today with x-mas gift cards, and looking in the three-way I was like...is that really me??! I look...kinda thin! I've gone from a plus-size 16 top at this store to a regular 11. This is...four sizes! Neat. :) I was a plus- 14 bottom and now I can get into some 9s at this store. I will always be a larger size on top, thanks to "the girls."

I still want to lose some more though. Work on some of those "puffier" areas...lol.

I have to say a big THANK YOU to my lovely commenters. I have been a bit neglectful responding, as I usually like to do. Please don't stop even though I'm bein' bad! :) Your words of encouragement and praise mean so much to me and always put a smile on my face.

I hope everyone has a very Happy New Year! XXOO

Monday, December 28, 2009

Monday...yeahhh

Today is weigh-in day. Can I get a hallelujah? Well, save it, bub 'cause there ain't no celebrating here. That's right, no loss for this week. SHOCKER. I didn't go crazy with the eating over the holidays, but I did eat more than usual. Plus, I already lost 6 lbs this month, so to expect much more is a bit...well...silly. I HAVE worked out every day since the 23rd. So that's...five days in a row. Take THAT turkey and stuffing!

Speaking of turkey, I may have overeaten today. I KNOW, and it's not even a friggin holiday! Fuuuuck. My breakfast was fine, and then I had some turkey on whole wheat for lunch, not bad except maybe I also added some yummy stuffing and a dab of low-fat mayo and a wee piece of cheese. Lol...yeah that was necessary. In my defence, I'd like to put forward that I added the cheese BEFORE I discovered the stuffing under a bunch of crap in the fridge. I didn't want to just chuck the cheese then. That would be wasteful! Then I was at my sister's and there's this HUGE platter of x-mas cookies on the counter. I am hungry, and dinner is a couple hours away, so I have three friggin stupid cookies. Now all these things may not add up to a bad day, but then I had dinner out for a friend's b-day, and I had a chicken sandwich and more fries than I should have (though there were still lots left on the plate), and then THEN there was ice cream cake! AHHHHH! The pieces were ginormo and even though mine was cut in half, it was still big. And I ate it. All. FUCK. So yeah, that's not great. It's 11 pm and I am STILL FULL from that dinner.

So my goal here is to get back to some normal eating, and try to up the workouts a bit. Today I did level 2 on the Biggest Loser Boot Camp. It's harder than level 1, I'll give ya that! The worst part was the tricep dips. The dude spends an eternity on triceps, and holy crapsticks are they sore now! I might do it again tomorrow after doing level 1, too. That would make a 35 min. work out, plus warm up and cool down for 45 min. Not bad.

When I was at the mall with my lovely niece, I found some new pants. It was quite hilarious 'cause I tried one pair on, and the girl said, oh you have to get those really small. They stretch. Oh, ok, so I think I'll try the 8. She said, oh no, you'd better get the 6. SIX?!?! Lol, yeah, so I bought the six. Pretty crazy. The other pair I bought was an 8. They are tight, but not crazily so. I tried on one pair of 10s that were too big, as well. Hmmm. Could it be that I am down another size? That would be SO COOL!

I think I could have done better this week, but I know I ate way less than I did last year. By this time last year, I had eaten at least one whole box of chocolates! I have had two of my chocolates so far. TWO. :)

Couple pics from my holidays...


Me at my mom's house Christmas day


Rewind to X-mas Eve...yum perfume. Beckham...go figure!

Hope you all had great holidays! Love ya peeps. :)

Saturday, December 26, 2009

Aftermath...not so bad, actually!

Happy Boxing Day! I hope everyone had a fantastic Christmas. :) The holiday season continues for me with a gathering at my MILs house. That means more food! Yayyy. Yesterday was actually pretty good for me. I went in determined not to snack my way into a ton of extra calories, and I think I succeeded. I did have a couple treats here and there, of course. I'm not insane! I had a small Nanaimo bar...mmmm. Then I tried an appie potsticker thing 'cause dinner was pushed back and I was so hungry. Pretty good. I had my dinner and tried to keep the portions normal. Piece of turkey, small blob of mashed potatoes, some carrots and corn. I had a small bun and some stuffing, too. Stuffing is my downfall. I luuuurve it. When I was done, I was a bit full, but not too bad. Dessert was Cherry Cream Cheese Cake- a family tradition. Had a small piece of that. Later I had a wee piece of fudge. I drank only water all night, too. Didn't eat any chips or cookies or any of the other stuff that was out. I did do the gum chewing thing. I think it helped.

The scale is up a teeny bit from two days ago, which isn't surprising. I did work out Christmas day, and I will work out later today as well. I got the Biggest Loser Bootcamp DVD from hubby. :) I liked the workout- well, level 1 at least. It seems a bit easy, but I did get out of breath, and felt my muscles got a workout. I may try level 2 today, or go back to Jillian.

I am going to continue my moderate approach to food today the the MILs. It's harder for this kind of function, since there will be no real meal served, just lots of appetizers. Eeep.

Still feeling good and strong here people! I almost forgot to mention...I received a ton of CHOCOLATE for Christmas. Poor hubby bought me some before I mentioned I didn't want to see any of it under the tree for me this year. Poor guy! He said he'd give it away to someone else. My MIL also gave me chocolate. Yikes. I am happy to say I have not eaten ONE piece. HA! Take that chocolate! I think I'll have Jason hide it on me and dole out one piece at a time. That should work. When faced with an open box of delicious chocolate, it's VERY hard to eat just one piece. I have to say though, right now I don't want anything really sugary. Hmmm. Weird. Must be that I've eaten more crap the last couple days than usual.

I'll let you know how today went tomorrow!

Thursday, December 24, 2009

Merry Christmas Eve!

Hey y'all. :) I can't believe Christmas is nigh...so fast this day came! I've been trying to Shred my ass this whole month, but both Amber and I have realized that this was the stupidest month to pick for a challenge. Not to say I am not totally happy with the results so far, I loooove the new muscle and strength I have, not to mention I am a teeny tiny hair away from 170 right now! But, it's really hard to get a workout in EVERY day during social events and shopping and all the stuff that comes with the holidays. I didn't Shred yesterday. I was home for so little time the entire day, it just didn't happen. I did walk to the mall to get my haircut though. I've got some pics to show ya at the end here.

So yesterday was BUSY. Started with the hair, then off to visit my good friend Lara. She used me as guinea pig to try her low-fat spinach and artichoke dip. OMG...amazingly good. I had about 7 chips with it. I came home and started to get ready for my night out, then ate 1/2 a sandwich for dinner and had a couple drinks- rye and diet coke- for the road. I had one more drink at the bar. I hate the empty calories, but I rarely drink, so suck it. :P

My friend Trevor and I went to see my friend Ross play at a bar in downtown Vancouver. They were awesome, as usual. The whole bar was into them, and they got the dance floor filled pretty quickly. The next band, the headliners, were a bunch of douchebags, I hate to say. They just...sucked. Trev and I bailed pretty early. We decided since we parked at the River Rock Casino to take the SkyTrain, we might as well do some gambling! I am happy to say, I am no longer a roulette virgin. I KNOW. Can't believe I've never tried it! It was fun. I lost my $20, and Trevor was up $65 when we left. Damn him. :P

Ross and Trevor
Such great guys, these old pals o' mine. :)


The three of us. We go back 23 (Ross) and 30 (Trevor) years!


Thanks to Trevor for pointing out we've known each other since Kindygarten. Rosser didn't join us until Gr. 6, so not quite as long. These boys were seriously awesome in their Adidas (short!) shorts with the socks pulled up to the knees. Lol, I miss that look...NOT. Ross has certainly changed with the tattoos and heavy metal stuff. You can see his mask there around his neck. He had it made for the show. That's just the crazy-ass way he rolls!

I weighed myself this morning and was very happy to see 171 on the scale. This month has just rocked for me! Now, the trick is to keep it off for the rest of the damn month. I love the downward trend I am on right now. My weigh-in is Monday, and if I can't post the 171, I will be PISSED. At myself. Big time.

Ok, gonna go Shred now. I will also work out tomorrow (yes, Christmas)!And Boxing Day, and the next day! That's my plan, and I'm sticking to it.

And here's my new do ('cause I know you care).

Very lonnng bangs.

Here they are a bit more tidy.

Gotta try it with the glasses!

I don't know if I'll be able to blog tomorrow, so I will wish all you fabulous peeps in bloggerland a very, very Merry (healthy) Christmas! Love ya!

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

Weigh-In Update

Today I managed to remember to weigh myself before breakfast. Yeah, great start to the day remembering simple things! Whooo!

But, I am happy to say I am down TWO lbs, not one. :) It could be as much as three, but with my craptastic scale, it's really hard to tell. Maybe if I got down with a magnifying glass or somethin'. Looking at my weight loss tracker on the side there, it's interesting to see that I've lost 6 lbs in the last 3 weeks. Haven't seen that kind of action since the summer! I am hoping I will hit my first goal weight by the end of 2009. How cool would that be? I just have to reign in the eating the next few days. Did I mention my gum strategy? Lol, yes, I plan on having a big wad o' gum in my mouth before dinner on the 25th. I am thinking that will stop me from stuffing chips, peanuts and various forms of chocolate confections in my mouth. Here's hoping!

Today I will bike and Shred. Hellooo Jillian, what pain do you have for me today?

It's going to be a low-key day for me- cleaning, wrapping presents, and working out. That's it! Tomorrow I am thinking of getting a hair cut...maybe some long bangs? Hmm. Then I am heading out to my friend Ross's show. More heavy metal assault for my ears. :) This time not only will he be covered in blood, but he will also be wearing this new crazy spiky mask thing he had made. Oh, there will be pictures!

Ok, gonna take my 173 lbs self and get some shit done!

Laterz.

Monday, December 21, 2009

BLAH!

I am rolling in the guilt here people. I have failed to Shred. Again. For anyone keeping track this makes three in the 20 days or so. This time I decided that my stupid, good-for-nothing, freeloading knee was just too sore to punish it with Jillian's moves today. I've tried to take it easy on 'em lately, and I've also been trying to stretch more, thanks to Karen's advice. I don't know what else to do, except maybe rest one day and see how it goes tomorrow. I still feel terrible for not doing it. Friggin' no Shredding guilt. Hate it!

I am so proud of my friend Coley for Shredding her ass along with me. :) You rock sista! Also, Amber has been doing great...yes, that's right Amber...GREAT! Tiffany has rocked Jillian before, and is now doing a different video, Banish Fat Boost Metabolism, that sounds like it'd just about kill me.

I really did want to do this Shred every day for 30 days, but I also have to listen to my body. I will Shred tomorrow, and as many days after that as I can. If I miss one, ok. I will also do my best to bike before and after.

I kinda screwed up my weigh-in today. I forgot to do it first thing, and went and had breakfast and a bunch of water. Most of y'all would agree, that's not ideal! I like to be totally empty and close to naked on that scale. Hey, I'll take every advantage I can get! I think I was a pound down. I will weigh again tomorrow, and confirm that. 'Cause I know your day just won't go right until you know for sure. :P

I will say this for Jillian's DVD, it's given me some muscle definition I didn't have before, and my abs are feeling STRONG. Thanks Jill, but I still don't forgive you for killing me slowly, no scratch that, for making me want to die quickly every time I work out with you.

Sunday, December 20, 2009

Day..um...18?

I took the plunge yesterday. That's right, *cue dramatic music* I did the Shred level THREE! It's a mix for me this level. Some moves are like, meh, not bad, and others are like HOLY CRAP ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! A couple things I just can't do. No way man. Walking push ups? Wha? Then this plank on dumbbells with raised leg thigamabobby. Hells no! So yeah, girly style for me for now. Still, this DVD continues to kick my sorry ass daily. Yesterday I wasn't home much, so I only biked before the Shred. Today, no bikey at all. :( We were out all day and I didn't work out until nearly 9pm. Still, red-faced and jelly-limbed after the workout is always good, right?

We had dinner at my friend Karen's place last night, and OMG does she make the BEST friggin chocolate chip cookies EVER. So I ate..hmm...four. Warm from the oven, gooey chocolate (the good kind too, Godiva chips for us- spolied!). So not super happy 'bout that, but I didn't snack all day and had just my three meals, so that's ok at least. Today wasn't fab either. I had a nice, healthy low-cal breakfast with a bowl of oatmeal, but then we hit the theater. The show we wanted was sold out, so we had to see the later show. While we waited for that one, we hit the mall. Lunch was pizza. Bad choice, missy! Then I had a bit of popcorn (really, not a lot) and a serving of those yummy swedish berries (11 is 140 cals). I tried to make up for that shit-fest of eating with a dinner of healthy choice chicken noodle soup and a few crackers with a salad. If that meal was 300 calories, I'd be surprised! Of course, now I am hungry. Damn. I am aiming for some normal, healthy meals from now until Christmas. I may not post a loss for this holiday, but I sure as hell don't want to gain!

Tomorrow I face the dreaded Shred level 3 again...and of course, a lil' bike action thrown in. At some point I have to get my ass out into the world and finsish Christmas shopping. FML. I hate not knowing what to get people!!

Hope everyone is having a holly jolly start to Christmas week!

Friday, December 18, 2009

Shred Day 16- good, Shred Day 17- not so much

Greetings all! I am writing to you from the slightly less frigid venue of my classroom (thanks to the mild 10˚ Celsius we gots going on here- that's 50 for you 'Mericans). Shouldn't I be teaching, you ask? Why yes, probably! But, my class has voted to have "free time" vs. playing games or watching a movie. Lame! I will use this time to blog, of course.

I managed to bike and shred again last night, despite being uber tired and headachey. Doing a work out I hate with a headache (which I still have, btw...lingering bastard)...wow...suckfest! I pushed myself to bike before and I pushed even harder to do it after. Funny, but I biked 20 minutes total, and about 6 k, which is more than I was doing when biking 1/2 hr! Go figure.

***

Alrighty we've fast-forwarded a few hours here. It's now after 10 p.m. and I am completely exhaustified from shopping all day! I went out to the stores after work (about 2), then home around 5, out again for dinner, then to the mall for 3 hours. Man, that SUCKED. To top it off, we weren't home until nearly 9:30, so NO SHRED! AHHHHH! Ok, I feel bad. Bad. Bad. Bad. However, I do feel like my knees needed a break. I have been trying to take it easy on 'em, but a rest will be good, I think. I will bike and shred tomorrow.

I managed to shop a lil' for moi as well...hee hee. I tried on a bunch of skirts in 10s, and they fit PERFECTLY. So much so I was worried about stretching and further weight loss. The helpful, lovely salesgirl offered to get me the 8. EIGHT!? Ha! As if. She brought it back for me, and yup, totally fit. Well, a wee bit tight in the waist, but toatlly doable! Then I tried on a sweater in large...and thought hmm, I wonder about the medium. I tried the medium, hmm..seems pretty similar to the large. Fuck this, I'm trying the small! Lol, yup it fit too. No idea what these designers were thinkin' here, but whatever. It's a bit snug right now, but it will stretch a bit, and I'll have room to lose. Then I bought a very cute shirt in a medium. Nice.

Ok, so I have a clothes obession! I can't help it. Being able to shop at the "regular" stores is so awesome! Of course, reality check, some stores I can only fit their XL sizes.

In other news...

I AM ON VACATION!!!!

Be jealous. :)

Have a great weekend, peeps. Catch you in a couple days. Unless I get bored. :P

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Shred 1/2 way there!

I can't belieeeeeve that I've been shredding for 15 days. It feels like much, much LONGER. Lol...this workout is not easy for me people. Yeah, ok, level 2 is getting easier, but still HARD, ya know?

So I'm sure you are wondering if anything has changed in two weeks. Well, even if you are not, I'm tellin' you anyway. :P

That was then............This is now

Chest: 42.5..................42 (-.5)
Ribcage: 35.5..............34.75 (-.75)
Waist: 33.5..................33 (-.5)
Hips: 40.......................40 (nada)
Upper Thigh: 24.5.......24 (-.5)
Upper Arm: 12.5..........12 (-.5)

Weight: 178..................175 (-3)

Ok, I guess that is SOME loss there! I wasn't sure what to expect, to tell ya the truth. I know I FEEL smaller, more toned...fitter. I even noticed it's easier to run up and down the stairs. Nice, eh? Considering I'm running late 99.9% of the time, it's helpful!. Ok so let's see what I got here...pretty much a .5 inch loss all around. Not fabulous, but I'll take it! Funny my ribcage shrunk the most. I was hoping for more off the waist, but meh, what can you do?

I am VERY proud to tell you that I did exactly what I said I'd do. I rode the bike for 10 minutes before the Shred and 10 minutes after the Shred. It was not fun, and I realllly didn't want to do the end bike ride FO SHO...but I did it. I really think I need to do MORE to lose this stupid last bit of weight. I know it's always the hardest the closer you get to goal weight, so gotta do it, right?

I did eat another friggin cookie today though. Those little bastards are EVERYWHERE now! It was good, so I feel it was worth it. I didn't have any snacks today to make up for the cookie eating today and yesterday, and I ate a modest dinner of leftover stew. Damn, but that man makes good stew! Tomorrow is bringing another cookie-laden event (see, flippin EVERYWHERE!). My grade 10 English class is doing a Poetry Café. So excited! We're decorating my room up with tableclothes and candles, rigging the overhead projector to act as a spotlight an everthang! We've invited some staff and students are welcome, too. I really hope the kids will bring their A Game here! If they don't I'll just fail 'em...bwahahahaha! I have that power. Be afraid, children.

Hopefully, I will be able to do the biking again tomorrow...eeep!

Later y'all.

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Day 14...nearly halfway!

It was hot chocolate and cookies day today with our holiday gift exchange at school. The girls were fabulous as usual. These kids could organize anything in 10 seconds flat! I leave the room in chaos, and come back and have a gift table, desks covered in tablecloths and chairs all arranged. You think they'd come organize my house? Hmmm. We had way more than enough cookies, which kind of sucked. I had three very small cookies. And a wee cup o' hot chocolate. It was a lot of fun, I must say. The only black spot was one teenage doofus brought a container of Oxy pads as a gift. We were to buy gifts with a close to 10 dollar value that a boy or girl would like. But ACNE CLEANSER??!? Really?? This is what you think someone would ENJOY getting as a gift? I hope it was plain ignorance, and not willful malice behind it. The boy who got it was incredibly gracious about it though.

I made one of the girls go out in the hall with the leftover cookies to get rid of them. I think they lasted 8 seconds out there. Just as long as they weren't in MY room anymore!

Now, onto the exercise portion of my day. I said I was going to bike after shredding today, and YES I DID. Yeahh! Ok, it was only 11 minutes, but it's a start! The problem was my knees. They are getting sore. :( I was walking up the stairs today and they started to ache. Boooo! I tried to take it easy on them whilst shredding by not going down so far down in the lunges. On the bike, they ached too. ARGH. It would KILL me to not be able to finish my 30 frickin days!

Speaking of the Shred...my co-worker came up to me today and said she couldn't find the DVD at the mall, and when she asked about it, the clerk said, "Why is everyone asking for that lately?" Hee hee! I'd like to take some credit for that one! Now about that stock option...

So I am still planning on trying to up my weight loss for my b-day. It's funny how many people are looking at me like I'm a bit nuts when I say I want to lose 15 more lbs. One friend was like, 170 is good, you should stop there. Um. No. :P Another friend expressed concern that 160 would be too thin! Hahaha! That's pretty funny. Honestly, yes, I think 15 lbs will make a difference in my body, but I am so frickin tall that it really won't be a HUGE difference. My weight is fairly evenly distributed, and it seems to leave me in the same way- all over. Just wish more belly fat would go...NOW. That's my biggest body beef. I'm sure I'm not alone in that one!

I know my body is changing, though, I think largely because of the Shred. The husband was eyeing me earlier. I asked if I looked any different, and he said, "Yes, your face is skinny! And your legs look thinner, too." Nice, eh? Tomorrow I'll see what the measurements bring! I am also taking pics, which I will post at the end.

I know, you are a-tingle with anticipation. :)

Monday, December 14, 2009

Shred Day 13...not so much the biggest loser.

Hey y'all. So I survived "making cookies day". I did eat a half a cookie. I was with about 6 very enthusiastic novice bakers, and the girls had made some cookies HUGE and some small, so the huge ones didn't cook quite all the way. We just chopped up the mushy ones and ate them. :) So not too bad considering we made over 80 of those suckers.

Dinner was a yummy stew made by my lovely husband. It was amazingggg to walk in the door and feel the house all warm and smell it cooking. It's healthy too, mostly veggies and a broth base (not gravy). I can't eat much of it- it's so filling, but I'll hit it again as leftovers.

Alas, I cannot, as expected, post a loss for this week. Le Sigh. Amber says it's 'cause I had the Keg...lol...could be the big chunk o' cow. I dunno. I FEEL like I'm not eating too much, and I am shredding daily, obviously. I could eat less, I suppose, but I hate to get into that mode where I feel deprived....and "diety".

My friend Cory was just telling me he has a b-day goal to lose about 15 lbs. His birthday is 2 days after mine. Now I am wondering if I should make a goal as well. Hmm. 10 lbs? Maybe just give me that impetus to lose a little faster here. Thanks for the inspiration, yet again, Cory! It would be cool to be 165 on my 36th birthday. Gawd...36 now I feel old...damn!

I figure if I just do my normal thing, I'll lose five lbs by then. Sooo, this means I will have to either a) up my exercise, b) eat less....or c) some craptastical combo of both. I don't relish doing both. Ick. Might be necessary though. I feel like I am not eating a whole lot now, though! Ugh...let's see. Cereal in the morning, meal replacement bar at lunch (I KNOW it's crap, but seriously won't be anything else, and it's calorie controlled and packed full of vitamins :P), reasonable dinner with a close eye on portion control. My snacks are applesauce and 8 almonds or so, or a banana or orange or something like that. My "splurge" is either a 30 cal square of chocolate, or a 90 cal fat free ice cream bar and the ice-cream is maybe 2 times a week. Not sure what else to do there. Exercise is tough too. I am shredding, and that takes A LOT out of me. I could bike too, I suppose. Hmm. Maybe will try that tomorrow.

Ok, gotta go wrap my secret santa gift for school tomorrow!

Wish me luck driving in the snow in the morning....something I do VERY rarely. Blahh!

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Shred Day 12

Bonsoir! I hope everyone had a fabuloso weekend. I have successfully shredded both days off. Not that I WANTED to or anything. Dreaded every second. Still brutal, but getting easier. I am even trying, TRYING to do the real push-ups now. Woot. Amber is doing well with her Shred, too. Her computer is down, so if you are missin' her (and I know you are!), she'll be back this week, hopefully!

On Saturday after tutoring, I hit the mall. It would have been cool to get some Christmas shopping done, but no. What did I do? I bought more clothes for ME. It's a sickness. To my credit, I had no idea what anyone wanted. Don't worry though, I will get it all done.

BUT, the best thing here....yup, another NSV. :) I went into a new store- with trepidation in my heart, feeling like a huge imposter and that at any second people would spot me and shout "get out fat girl, get out!". It was one of those places with lots of trendy clothes for the teen girlies. No size beyond large, of course. Big girls need not come in here! I saw a cute t-shirt and thought, what the heck, might as well try their large. Figured it would be wayyy too tight. First thing I see when I get into the teeny closet of a change room- no mirror. Seriously? I gotta leave the room to see what it looks like? I could only imagine what the three anorexic teens sitting out there would say (after I was gone, of course) when I came out stuffed into this t-shirt. Awesome. I put on the shirt, and surprise! I fit! I was even brave enough to leave the room...lol. So you can check out the pic...the best part is the back.

Purty Right?

The other pics are to show my other NSV. I HAVE COLLAR BONES! They've been there for a while now, but I couldn't believe how prominent they are. Considering these things used to be buried under fat, it's pretty cool. :)

Yeah, the shirt's a wee bit low cut. May wear somethin under it (sorry guys). :P


Last one with glasses. :)


Tomorrow is weigh-in and I don't think I will be posting a loss. My pattern is to hold on to the weight for a few weeks after a big loss. That's ok....it will come off. I'll be doing my 1/2 way measuring and all that on Wednesday. I don't think I'm going to lose big inches here, but man, am I feeling stronger and more toned!

Until tomorrow then!

Thursday, December 10, 2009

Shred Day 9

It was a near miss, folks, but I did manage my ninth day of torture...ahem, I mean, Shred. I should have just come home and done it, but I waited until after dinner. Normally this wouldn't be any problemo for me, but this eve my mother took me to dinner. At the Keg. OMG. Twice in two weeks!?!? I can't turn down delicious, delicious steak though. Mmmm. Sounds good, right?

The bad is that I was so fulla cow I had a really hard time working out. Plus, I was sleeeepy...and possibly getting sick...and the sun was in my eyes....and my dog ate my homework (oops, sorry, we are in the modern age- my computer crashed). But, I know that Amber would fuckin get on a plane and kick my ass from here 'till Sunday if I didn't. :)

I don't want to jinx anything, but I think it may have been a teensy weensy little bit easier? Shhh! Don't tell Jillian I told you! She'll make me do that stipid plank until my shoulders squeal like little piggies. That's the other thing! My shoulders were only slightly sore this time! Yeahhh.

I was going to switch to level 3 after ten days of this badassery, but I got in shit for saying that. My friend Cory said I'd be selling myself short if I moved on before this level got easier. Yeah, yeah fine. :P Be right, why doncha? *sigh* that means I may spend a lil' bit longer on level 2.

Tomorrow will be a challenge for working out. I have to tutor after work, and then go grocery shopping. Somewhere in there I must eat dinner. Then...digest said dinner enough shred and not barf my cookies all over my livingroom. Hmm.

Well, wish me luck! Oh, and next week I will be involved in TWO events that involve cookies and hot chocolate. Right onnnnn. C'mon willpower, we've gots some work to do!

Laterz

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Shred week one is OVAH!

I wish I could say level 2 day 3 was any easier. I REALLLLY do. Nope. Still kicking my ass. Three weeks to go. Three...long...weeks.

The cool thing is that I am really noticing some more muscle coming in. It's like discovering new continents...fledgling wee continents just barely jutting jutting out from the thinning flab. How wondrous this new territory is! I can really see why people get into body building. I could watch that fledgling grow into a massive super-continent! Yeahhh! Oh, wait. No. I think female body builders are ick. Just that creepy combo of masculine and feminine. No thanks, lady Arnie, I am not. I don't want Madonna arms either. Wowzers, woman, cover those things up before you scare the children! All ropy and sinewy. Blech!

I am proud to say I have inspired yet another person to buy the 30 Day Shred DVD. I gotta go invest in some stock or somethin. Serious now. And bonus, I got an invite to kick said person's butt if she doesn't open it before end of December! Whoo! License to kick ass! Lol, not that I really want to, 'cause she is a sweet person. :) But watch out, Lisa, I'm comin' for ya if I don't hear some cellophane crinklin soon!

Oh! And most EXCELLENT news! My friend had her baby! She and her wee boy are doing just fine. :) He's really strong for a preemie and is breathing on his own with a lil' help from a c-pap machine. He was 4 lbs 6 oz and 17 inches long. So happyyyyy!!

Thus ends another fabulously shredded day.

Later y'all.

Monday, December 7, 2009

Day 6: Now with less whining, promise!

Ok, yeah, so level two kicked my ass again today. I so look forward to the day that I can say IT is easy. Ahh one fine day. Until then, I am not going to whine about how hard it is anymore. Suck it up, buttercup!! I am so feeling this in my shoulders, though. Man, I can't wait to see the changes in a few weeks! Something's gotta change considering how intense it is.

In other news, it is WEIGH IN DAY.

I am happy to report that I am down FOUR more lbs for new low of...

175!!


Yeah, baby! I don't know if it is the shredding, or if it was just that time of the month my body wants to let go of weight. Either way, I will TAKE IT!

Update on my friend, she went into surgery for a c-section today. :( I haven't heard anything about how she or baby is doing. I hate not knowing!!

Hope y'all had a great Monday. I did!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Day 5: I hate Jillian Michaels:

Oh. God. Kill me. Level 2 is a bitch. I was right to fear it. Why does Jillian hate me so? WHY? Did I anger her in some way? Why would she want to do this to me??

Yes, it was HARD. I was huffing and puffing and red, red, RED in the face. My wrists hurt from that evil bastard PLANK shit she has us doing for six hundred years. Knowing I have to do that shit again tomorrow does not warm the cockles of my heart.

Now that I am done whining like a wee girl, can I just say a big THANK YOU for all the lovely compliments on my last post! You guys are so kind! I am lucky to have such nice people reading my blog, gotta say. :)

I am hoping I will have good news for you after tomorrow's weigh in. :) I did a low-cal dinner this eve- hoping to boost the results a bit. It was cinnamon maple oatmeal, banana, 30 cal dark choc. square and a teaspoon of peanut butter again. MMM! So I'm thinking about 1000 calories for the day. I am not doing these low-cal days a lot, just once and a while. I will eat normally tomorrow. I don't want my bod to think it's starving!

On a less happy note, I just found out my pregnant friend, the one I visited in the summer, is in the hospital with preeclampsia- that's high blood pressure if you are like me and don't know what that is! She is on total bed rest and can't even sit up. The baby may have to be delivered within the week. Her due date is in late Jan. :( I hate that she lives far away- 4 hrs roughly to drive. I want to go see her! So yeah, worried friend now. I am hoping to call her tomorrow and see how she's doing.

Now you are allll caught up! I gotta get my ass out there in blogging land and read your blogs! So far behind!

Wish me luck with Day 6 and that bitch level 2. Lord have mercy on my poor bod.

Saturday, December 5, 2009

Back on the Shred....and a little side-by-side action

Shred Day 3 finally happened on Friday, and I did Day 4 today. PHEW! And I have to say, level 1 is getting.

Almost...

how can I put it?

EASY

Sounds crazy, but true. I need to move onto the next level. Tomorrow. I will do it! Yes! I don't fear level 2...noooo. The plank looks easy, simple...no problemo! (Um, you may be picking up on this, but there's a LOT of false bravado going on here).

Ok, so I put up a new pic on good ol' Crackbook the other day, and I scrolled through and hit upon the pic on the left there. OMG I look like a CHIPMUNK! Lookit the cheeks! Lol, so this was a bit of a shocker at how much my face has changed. Wish the pics were more similar, but I think you get the point. :)

Left: Summer '07 205 lbs Right: Fall '09 177 lbs

Thanks to my awesome friend Troy in Chicagoland for doin' that for me!

The other cool thing today in the category of NSVs was at a clothing store today. I was trying on this tunic length plaid shirt with a slight gathering under the bust, and I was commenting that it could look like a maternity top. The saleslady said, "Oh no, you're too skinny. No one would ever think you are pregnant!" Um...wha? Me? Skinny? HAHAHAHA! Ok, take some more crack lady. Still, maybe she was plying my ego with flattery as to gain a sale, but...ya know...I'll take the compliment. I know I am nowhere NEAR skinny, but it's kinda cool hearing the "s" word thrown my way, notheless. :)

Tomorrow...more shredding action on LEVEL TWOOOOO!! AHHH! I also get to go for coffee with my new friend in weight-loss, Cory, and hear all about my sis's trip to Mexico.

Oh, and did I mention the hungries are back? DAMMIT. I want to eat the house again. Not gonna though. I want to see 175 on that damn scale on Monday!

Later all....stay tuned for the wreckage that will be me tomorrow after level 2!

Thursday, December 3, 2009

FOILED!

Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. Dammit. I. Am. So. Pissed. I am currently enjoying a LOVELY reaction to my frickin H1N1 shot. Body aches and chills! Yayyy! Since I can barely get my ass off the couch to pee, let alone work out...Day 3 is not happening today. I can't BELIEVE I am already derailed on the third f-ind day!

I did Day 2, no problems. I didn't get to use my brand spankin' new 8 lb weights, but a good workout nonetheless. Now...nada. DAMMIT! Last night I also went for a low-cal dinner to make up for that Keg dinner. I had oatmeal with sliced banana, and then went KARAZY and put one piece of chocolate (chopped) in it. OMG sooo good! With the banana, about 400 cals. Today, scale had me down another pound!

I had to leave early today 'cause I started feeling weird and worried about it getting worse before I could get home. Yup, it got worse. All I can do is hope tomorrow I am back in the pink.

***

So I wrote that last part few hours ago, and thank GOODNESS I am feeling better! Man, that was not fun!

Hope the scale doesn't punish me for my Shred-less-ness.

Day 3 will happen...just a lil' late. :)

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Shred: Day One

So that was Day One? Not so bad, actually. Lol...come see me on day 19. I may be in tears. Yup, Shred was a success, even though I had to work out after work, which I HATE. But, sacrifices had to be made so I could go to the Keg for a b-day dinner. Steak: goooood. Yam fries: goood. Birthday cheesecake: reallllly goooood. How I feel now: not so goooood. I ate too much. I haven't done that in a while, so I'm not gonna go kicking myself over it (ok, maybe a small, baby kick). I am not relishing the idea of going to bed with a lump of food in my tummy. Ick. 

I promised some weights and measures, so here they are. UGH...don't really want to post them, but...here goes.

Chest: 42.5
Ribcage: 35.5
Waist: 33.5
Hips: 40
Upper Thigh: 24.5
Upper Arm: 12.5

Weight: 178 (before Keg steak dinner..now who knows?!?)

I will also take some before pics so we will have some comparisons for 1/2 way. 

Hope my fellow shredders enjoyed their time with Jillian today! 

Oh, interesting side note: I am using  only 5 lb free weights now after starting with a mix of 2.5 and 5. Tomorrow, I will see if I can get some 7.5 or so to use for some exercises. Yeah, buff girl on her way! 

Catch ya tomorrow, peeps!