April 29, 2010 Recap

Calories Burned: 2882
Calories Consumed: 1761
Calorie Deficit: 1121
Steps: 7083

Being sick stinks. I was totally exhausted yesterday, napped, but forced myself out for a walk in the evening. I really really want to run tonight. REALLY. I will see how I'm feeling once that time comes...maybe I should nap first and take more vitamin C.

I'm starting to gear up for a regular giveaway, and realized that it wasn't necessarily easy to comment on the page. I've changed it to allow comments from everyone, so next giveaway should be a bit easier.

I don't have a lot of exciting things to say today since I feel crummy.....so until tomorrow friends....

April 28, 2010~Recap

First, Congratulations to Sarah Rose for winning the giveaway yesterday! Be looking for more to come, I have a few things I will give away.

Yesterday was a good day

Calories Burned: 3688
Calories Consumed: 1774
Calorie Deficit: 1914 YES!
Total Steps: 14592

I went to the gym around 8pm and did my C25K running program for week 3, I repeated it after the first round because I felt I needed a better workout. That equates (in intervals) to 18 mins of running and 28 minutes of walking. I stretched immediately after the run because I had some soreness in my hips, and then headed to the machines for upper and lower body workout. I left the gym at 9:30 with a total calorie burn of 819. Let me tell you how great that feels!

I'm starting to feel as if I'm getting sick. My daughter is sick, and I've got this little naggy chest thing going on....so Emergen-C here I come. Hopefully I can avoid it so I can stay with my running program.

I've been recruited to help start a weight loss club at the gym with the fitness coordinator. I'm looking forward to being a member contact for other members to relate to. It'll be a fun adventure!

Not sure the fitness plan for this evening, we'll see how I'm feeling. It also depends what time I'm actually able to get to the gym. It may be a light day for me, because I'm feeling pretty exhausted (not sure if it's the sick part or the workout part from last night). Either way, if I can at least work in a nice long walk, I'd be happy with that.

April 27th Recap

Quote of the day:
"Your goals, minus your doubts, equal your reality." Ralph Marston

Having a sick child in the house poses a bit of a challenge when it comes to routine. I struggle with allowing things to change my routine. I have a difficult time rolling with the punches, especially since this is a new adventure just a few short months ago. Yesterday, I did pretty well, however considering I didn't even get to the gym at all. I am not sure today will allow a visit either, but somehow I have to at least get in my run whether outside with the kids in the stroller or late night at the gym.

Yesterday's Caloric Stats:

Calorie Burn: 3257
Calorie Intake: 2071
Deficit: 1186

My intake was higher than I'd like it to be after a few Starburst, 2 Tbs of Nerds, and a mini pack of gummy lifesavers. Something I've always struggled with is having that sweetness to end the day. So, I've realized I need to plan for an alternative. I had been having decaf coffee with a tiny bit of International Delight Light sweetener just for that tiny bit of sweetness, but have been forgetting to make the coffee. So, that will be my alternative plan for this evening. I also have to be good about having something to eat every couple of hours to avoid extreme hunger which leads to overeating.

GIVEAWAY~April 28, 2010

Enter to win by posting in the comments section of this post.

A 5oz bar of Raspberry Truffle, Shea Butter soap

Indulge in the sweet pleasure of chocolate and raspberries! Smooth chocolate truffles filled with delightfully sweet raspberries, raspberry liquer, and whipping cream. Dusted with cocoa powder for a tempting treat! You'd never know it was soap (but please don't try eating it)! ;)

Shea Butter soap produces a nice creamy lather, which provides moisture as it softens. Shea butter has many vitamins, minerals, and many believe that shea butter has skin healing properties.


Ingredients: Coconut Oil, Palm Oil, Safflower Oil, Glycerine (kosher, of vegetable origin), Shea Butter (refined naturally crushed), Purified Water, Sodium Hydroxide (saponifying agent), Sorbitol (moisturizer), Sorbitan Oleate (emulsifier) and Soybean Protein (conditioner) and Titanium Dioxide (mineral whitener). Fragrance oil.

CONTEST ENDS AT MIDNIGHT TONIGHT Winner will be notified via the comments section tomorrow morning.

April 26, 2010~Overview & Stats

A little history: I've struggled with weight progressively since I was about 20, putting on little by little each year until I reached and all-time high of 252 pounds in 2008. Now, part of that was pregnancy weight, but it was still TOO high. In 2005 I was 191 pounds when I conceived my first child, gained 50 pounds during pregnancy, and got down to 203 when I conceived #2 in 2007. Gained another 50+ with #2 and ended up with Postpartum depression after delivering him. I'd lost about 30 pounds after delivering him, but yo-yo'ed as I dealt with the depression. My all-time high, non-pregnant weight was 227 pounds. I was wearing a size 20 for the first time in my life and could no longer buy clothes at the 'regular' stores.



In June of last year, I started a diet plan that allowed me to shed 35 pounds quickly, but without lifestyle changes 20 pounds of that came back in a hurry during the holiday season.

I started my journey in January. I decided I was going to workout, and workout as much as I could. I joined my local gym and got right into working out. I knew, in order to make sufficient changes, that things wouldn't be "perfect" at first. Meaning, I knew that if I jumped in head-first and changed my diet and exercise too fast, I'd find myself in the same boat I had been all these years. My sights would be fixed on losing weight, but that would fade after a few short weeks.

For 3 months, I focused on working out, losing about 3 pounds total in that 3 month period. Just 3 weeks ago, April 5th, I decided it was time to incorporate the nutrition portion. I've been calculating deficits and focusing on getting to the gym at least 5 days a week for 2 hours each time. In the first 2 weeks, I was down 5.2 pounds to 207.1. I have yet to weigh in this week due to my oldest being sick and unable to weigh in on my normal day and time....so next week I will report my losses.

My workouts vary a bit to keep me interested and getting a variety of different things in to condition my body for fat loss. I am also training to do my first 5k June 12th. My other plans include a July 4th 5k and an October 1/2 marathon. My schedule is as follows:

Monday: sculpting (either in a class or on my own), Couch to 5K running program found here: http://www.coolrunning.com/engine/2/2_3/181.shtml. If I have additional time before I have to get the kids from the childcare, I will add some elliptical.

Tuesday: spin for 60 mins, swim 45 minutes

Wednesday: sculpt, couch to 5k (C25K)

Thursday: spin, swim

Friday: sculpt, C25K

Saturday: light walks with the family

Sunday: day off

This week is a little different as my oldest has pink eye and I can't take her to the gym, so I'm going in the evenings after dinner. Yesterday I did my C25K twice. The program runs about 30 minutes, with walking/running intervals. So, I spent an hour at the gym on the track. It is a huge reality of how far I have to go to get my body used to running and aim for that 1/2 marathon. My plan is to be finished with the C25K plan in 6 weeks, and then begin a 12 week 1/2 marathon training to be ready to run in October, injury-free. Slow and easy.

Monday's Calorie Info (26th, I will always post the day after the title date but stats and info is for THAT day):

Calories Burned: 3153
Calories Consumed: 2743
Calorie Deficit: 410
Steps taken: 12577
Duration of Physical Activity: 1 hour 38 minutes


Last recorded weight 1 week ago: 207.1

My normal calorie deficit is 3 times that amount at minimum, but a friend is moving and we had coffee and cookies late in the day. Back at the normal routine today.

Starting Stats at 222 Pounds in June:
Chest Start (in.):
49.5"
Waist Start (in.):
47.5"
Hips Start (in.):
46.0"
ThighL Start (in.):
27.3"
ThighR Start (in.):
28.8"
ArmL Start (in.):
14.3"
ArmR Start (in.):
14.8"



Starting Inches January 2010, 212 pounds:
Chest Start (in.):
46.0"
Waist Start (in.):
45.5"
Hips Start (in.):
44.5"
ThighL Start (in.):
26.5"
ThighR Start (in.):
27.5"
ArmL Start (in.):
13.5"
ArmR Start (in.):
13.8"

Today's Measurements, April 27, 2010, 207.1 pounds (last recorded weight)
Current Chest:
45.0"
Current Waist:
42.5"
Current Hips:
43.0"
Current ThighL:
26.5"
Current ThighR:
26.8"
Current ArmL:
12.8"
Current ArmR:
13.3"


Chest Change:
4.5"

Waist Change:
5.0"

Hips Change:
3.0"

ThighL Change:
.8"

ThighR Change:
2.1"

ArmL Change:
1.6"

ArmR Change:
1.6"




Total Inches Lost
18.5


Until tomorrow.......which will be shorter, I promise.

bodybugg®

After yo-yo dieting, this and that diet, I finally had enough and asked for a bodybugg for Christmas. This cool little gadget, for those of you unfamiliar with it, is a techno-savvy calorie monitor. I first saw this thing on the Biggest Loser a few years ago, and after becoming a HUGE fan of the show, I decided "what better way to see what's really going on that to track calories in calories out."



The science behind the bodybugg (for those who are curious):

The bodybugg® is the most accurate device on the market today for measuring calorie expenditure outside of a clinical setting.

It utilizes a patented process for interpreting calorie burn called "sensor fusion" developed by BodyMedia, Inc. This process involves collecting a range of body-data using multiple physiological sensors instead of a single sensor, which is what other calorie estimation devices such as pedometers and heart rate monitors rely on. It's this multi-sensor approach that enables bodybugg® to "see" the wearer's context (whether they are sitting, sleeping, jogging, walking, etc.) that makes bodybugg® such a reliably accurate device for calorie expenditure estimation.
The Physiological Sensors

Here is a list of the sensors in the bodybugg® followed by a short description of how they contribute to energy expenditure estimation.

1. Accelerometer - The accelerometer in bodybugg® is a tri-axis micro-electro-mechanical sensor (MEMS) device that measures motion. This motion can be mapped to forces (g-force) exerted on the body. By taking gravity and motion into account along with the other sensor data, the wearer's body context and true level of physical exertion can be accurately predicted.
2. Heat Flux - The bodybugg® also contains a proprietary heat flux sensor located on the side that measures the amount of heat being dissipated by the body via a thermally resistant material. In short, this sensor measures how much heat the wearer's body is giving off. Heat flux is an important parameter because the body tends to heat up the faster it burns calories.
3. Galvanic Skin Response - Better known as GSR, this sensor is comprised of two "hypo-allergenic" stainless steel electrodes on the back of the armband that measure skin conductivity. Skin conductivity is how much an electrical current can pass between two points on the surface of the skin and is affected by sweat due to physical exertion as well as emotional stimuli such as psychological stress.
4. Skin Temperature - Skin temperature is measured by using a highly accurate thermistor-based sensor located on the back of the bodybugg®. Looking at continuous measurement of skin temperature in conjunction with data collected from the other sensors can reveal the body's core temperature trends which are affected by the level of a person's physical exertion or lack thereof.

The data these 4 sensors collect, in conjunction with the wearer's specific body parameters (age, gender, height, weight) enable the most accurate estimation of energy expenditure on the market today outside of a clinical setting.

Okay, so the science behind it is truly fascinating, but the features are pretty cool. I had to buy the display watch to go with it because it offers me real-time displays that show me not only the time, but my current calorie burn total, my activity duration, steps taken, yesterday's calorie burn, the target calorie burn, as well as a trip monitor you can reset to see how many calories you burn in a particular time frame. This is the funnest gadget I've owned in a very long time.



The bodybugg® sells, right now, for $179 and the display watch for $99. You can buy them online at What's really cool is you can now purchase colored armbands with funky face plates that house the bodybugg® unit itself. You can buy older versions of the bugg without the display watch on ebay, used. Check there for good deals too.

Keep an eye on my posts for a tracking of my calories...thanks to this awesome gadget!