Join Me For Another 10 Weeks! This is the first week of ten weeks starting October 22, 2012

Hi folks! I'm at it again. I'm going for another 20 pound loss in ten weeks. I've recently had another baby, a little girl, she is now five months old and I'm ready to drop some weight.





Saturday, August 20, 2011

Down About 13 Pounds Now

Hello there!

Good new again. According to the scale I dropped another pound for a total lost of 12.8 pounds.

I completed my week of work-outs except for the ten miler tonight of course.

We only have two more weeks left in August before Labor Day. Can you believe it? I'm thinking about homeschooling the kids starting this coming Monday. I've been cleaning up and organizing the room and the materials and I think I may just launch on Monday.

That way, I'll have a few weeks to get a routine started before all the swimming, flag football, and other activities begin on the day after Labor Day.

I hope you're all doing well and enjoying these last few days of summer.

Have a good weekend!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Exciting News

Exciting news friends!

I hopped on the scale today. After fourteen days of being at the same weight, I was beginning to expect the same number.

But Who Hee!

A two pound drop!

I was pathetically excited. It's so overdue, but I was still happy. Now I'm up to 11.8 pounds lost.

Lately I've had this idea that the reason the weight loss is going so slow is because my body is restructuring itself.

And that takes time.

My physique is looking more athletic. Bumps and bulges seem to be thinning out and floating to the the spots where I want them to be.

I've actually received a few compliments from people where they give me this incredulous look and say, "You look great."

I say thanks even though I don't quite feel incredible yet. But I do feel great.

August is a tough month for me because I am slowly ramping up my mileage in preparation for this half marathon. I'm working out six days a week. I ran nine miles last Saturday. I plan on doing ten miles this Saturday, then eleven the next and then thirteen the Saturday after that.

But what's exciting for me is that...I am doing it.

I'm halfway through August, and I've been meeting my goals. I've added some fun sprint action two days a week and focus on my glutes twice a week with the high incline on the treadmill. I'm managing getting to the gym five days a week and running six days a week.

So, isn't that good news?

Now I could wake up tomorrow and the scale could take back a pound that it gave me. But that's just fluctuations and will happen before the weight settles down.

Or I could lose more?

Ok...I won't push it.

I just feel so good having this extra energy.

So good in fact that I've started "grooving" to music again in the kitchen while preparing food.

Now isn't that a nice picture to leave you all with? Ha!

Life is good. Hope you're all having a good week.

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Friday, August 12, 2011

No More Complaining

Hi Friends!

Happy Weekend!

Just wanted to let you all know how my week went.

My eating has been around 1,400 calories every day with 45 to 60 minute weight lifting work-outs. I also have been incorporating cardio as I have been training for a half marathon. I have done sprints twice this week. I also tried something new that I read about.

I put the treadmill on the highest incline, 15, and walked for half a mile at about 2.5. I felt that in my glutes. I'm actually excited about this exercise because of the focus on that area.

I have remained at the same weight for 11 days, which boggles me. I can't possibly have plateaued at the weight that I'm at. So, I'm just patiently waiting for the weight to drop.

In the meantime, I can tell that my legs are looking awesome with all the emphasis on running, sprinting and the leg work-outs that I'm giving them. In fact, I'm feeling more confident about how I look despite an unresponsive scale.

And, you're right, SunshineMeg. Once I get in the gym, do my work-out, I feel better.

To be honest, I've made some athletic goals for after the half marathon. But meeting those goals requires that I lose a certain amount of body fat. So, I think one of the reasons I feel so peeved about slow weight loss is that I may have to put off for a later date that "other" goal.

But I honestly won't know if I can meet that goal until several weeks from now. I know I'm being vague here. So, we'll just have to see.

But I did want to say that I'm not as upset as I had been about slow weight loss. I guess I've reconciled with myself that for whatever reason, it's taking longer. Also, I know that there are a lot more important things in this world to worry about than the success of my perfect weight loss plan.

Take the dying children in Somalia as an example. That just breaks my heart.

It puts a lot of things back into an attitude of gratitude for simply food. Water. Health care.

So, I'm going to try stop complaining about slow weight loss.

Besides there is a flip side.

I'm not gaining weight. And I feel confident that what I am eating is super healthy and that it won't put unnecessary fat on me.

I feel strong and muscular.

Well, on that note, I need to go and do a bunch of errands.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

UpDate

Hello friends!

It's been a few days since I've blogged, but I have been busy.

Not only have did I get in all the work-outs I wanted to get in last week (six days of running and five days weight lifting), I've also been signing the kids up for fall activities like swimming lessons, karate, flag football, gymnastics, boys choir, piano and violin lessons.

Plus I'm figuring out their home school schedule.

I have been reading up on some some body building magazines to double check to make sure I am "doing it right" with my diet and exercise program.

I deduced that 1,400 calories is adequate. But I've decided to incorporate HIIT work-outs. High intensity interval training. And doing cardio that focuses on my glutes like raising the incline to the highest it can go on the treadmill and running that. (I haven't done that yet)

When I run to the gym I will do sprints. I did that tonight and that felt decent. I am still training for my half marathon, but I will "sprinkle" my week with three days of HIIT work-outs. And then two days of the week when I run my long runs, I will try it with an incline.

Also...I have been doing the same weight lifting routine for two or three years. So, I'm going to switch in some different exercises that work my muscles from a different angle to see if that will help rev up my metabolism too.

It's strange. Tonight I felt down again looking at the mirror. I wonder if my metabolism is slowing down because I'm not eating enough. I wonder, "what if I only lose one pound a week?". Then, I wonder, "Why am I doing all this anyway?"

It's like I can see the future...and I sometimes just think, "wow, months and months of this. Will it never end?"

But I've lived the alternative.

Out of shape. No hope. Low energy. Unhappy.

The food that I eat now is so healthy that I am nourished, happy and satisfied at 1,400 because not one of those calories is wasted.

I've noticed that I think more clearly. I have more energy.

Even though my weight isn't where I want it, I feel good about my appearance.

I have hope.

So, I suppose even if I don't hit that two pound a week average, I will keep at it.

I am really shooting for a two pound drop by this Saturday. Right now I am at 10. 2 pounds down. So, I want to see a 12 pound drop.

We'll see if it happens.

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Happy Thursday...Morning Glory is 9 months Today

Hello friends!



Thanks for stopping by. Thought I'd post a few pictures of our children.


Caught three of them "doing dishes."


I wonder if they'll still be volunteering to help in ten years?


Left is Stavesacre, 3 1/2, Morning Glory, nine months, Iris Anna, 7.

Darling Rose, 16, "folding towels".


Having tea.


Yesterday Morning Glory fell asleep next to ballerina dresses and dust pans. No, I don't know why there are dust pans here. The kids might have been playing with them.


With his thumb in his mouth.

Other than that, I was at a ten pound loss yesterday and today it fluxed back up to a 9.8 pound loss. The week has been going great. I've ran four days in a row and worked out at the gym four times as well. I intend to get in two more days of running for six altogether this week. I plan to run eight miles on Saturday. I have been feeling stronger. It's such a great feeling.


Wanted to thank you for your encouragement.


Have a good Friday!


Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Facing the Gym Mirrors...

Hello.

So. I've been struggling with the whole gym mirror lately.

You know... there are mirrors everywhere in the gym. And for good reasons. They're there so that you can make sure you are lifting the dumbbell the right way and practicing the proper form. All very important things to ensure you get the most out of your work-outs.

But for some reason, I find myself feeling slight depressed when I encounter all of the gym mirrors...which is not suppose to happen when you go to the gym.

Working out at the gym is suppose to make you feel good because of all those endorphins that are bumping around you when you work out.

So, not only do I concentrate on my form while working out at the gym...I also find myself analyzing my body in the gym mirror.

Are you with me folks?

I could spend the entire day at my house and not look at my body as often as I would when I go to the gym to do a 45 minute work-out.

In a way it's almost counter productive to have such negative feelings because of those silly mirrors.

I can totally see exactly how much work I have left to do to achieve the body I want.

AND it feels a little overwhelming at times.

Well, I won't stop going to the gym because of it.

I wish I could just lose all this extra weight...

In a snap!

Ha! Don't we all?

So, until that weight come off like I want it to, here I am stuck looking at myself in those gym mirrors.

I will admit that I have noticed some changes in my body since I've dropped nine pounds. And I can see it in the mirrors.

Those darn mirrors.

Maybe one day I'll enjoy seeing myself in those mirrors. And the sight will encourage me rather than discourage me.

Seems to me that losing weight actually takes courage.

Facing the mirrors takes some courage.

Courage to believe in myself.

That just because I don't see it yet doesn't mean I won't ever see it.

It all takes time.

Well, I hope you're all having a good one. I managed to lose about a pound in the last few days.

Talk later!

Sincerely,
Sunshine Mama