Progress!

I went clothes shopping today with plans on getting a pair of workout pants & a new skirt. I grabbed 3 sizes, unsure of where I would fall... None of them fit. I tried on one more size, FOUR sizes smaller than I am used to, and they fit PERFECTLY! Not only did I beat my goal of being down 3 full pants sizes by July 4th, but I lost an additional size on top of that! I am so excited. I even got two new shirts in a smaller size, too!

EVERYTHING IS SMALLER!

Words cannot express how content I am with my progress thus far. I can't wait until my birthday in November, I wonder what an additional few months will do to me! I hope they are as kind as the last two have been!

Motivational Monday!

Happy Monday, everyone! 

Here are some motivational quotes to get the week off on the right foot:

“Keep away from people who try to belittle your ambitions. Small people always do that, but the really great make you feel that you, too, can become great.”
- Mark Twain

Who aims at excellence will be above mediocrity; who aims at mediocrity will be far short of it.
- Burmese Saying

Some men give up their designs when they have almost reached the goal; while others, on the contrary, obtain a victory by exerting, at the last moment, more vigorous efforts than before.
- Polybius

The only way of finding the limits of the possible is by going beyond them into the impossible.
- Arthur C. Clarke

You cannot plow a field by
turning it over in your mind.
- Author Unknown

"The first step to becoming is to will it."  
- Mother Teresa

My new goals for this week are as follows:
150 regular crunches every other day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
50 bicycle crunches every other day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
50 reverse crunches every other day (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
30 Day Shred (Monday, Wednesday, Friday)
4 miles a day on the Nordic Track 5-7 times 
Wake up by 9:30 every day & Go to bed by 1:30 at least 5 times this week (I am a notorious night owl, so I'm trying to break this habit slowly by easing into an early wake up time)
Drink 100 ounces or more of water daily
Take my vitamins & supplements daily
No soda

To take this list one step further, I also made an entire workout itinerary for the week for the rest of my body and even wrote down what workouts I would do each day and for what muscle groups. I am very organized and together this week, so I'm hoping this attitude carries over into the rest of the week! My workout itinerary isn't going to be a part of my goals list, because there are over 15 different exercises to name. The ones I listed on my goals list are the ones I am the most excited to follow through with.

I am aiming a bit higher than I did last week because I am trying to meet my goal of dropping one dress size by July 4th. I don't know how many of these I will be able to accomplish, but I am hoping to meet all of them. Realistically though, I'll be happy if I can stick to 7 out of the 9 goals I have set for myself. 


This morning I took my measurements for the first time in a while. I am proud to say that since beginning my exercise regimen, I have lost 9.5 inches IN MY WAIST alone! I've lost 4 inches total from my arms, too. Grand total for inches lost is 31 inches from all over my body. I am so proud!


I'd also like to report that all my workout pants are too big. They keep slipping off. 3 out of the 5 pairs of workout pants are from 2009, when I had lost over 30 pounds. I am so happy! I have to tie them up with hair ties, hahaha! Andrew will get me 2 new pairs next week, he says. I don't want to get too many new clothes because I am hoping the loss continues.


“You see things and say ‘Why?’ but I dream things and say ‘Why not?’”
- George Bernard Shaw

Measurements.

Found my measuring tape. These measurements were taken at 4:15pm, after eating breakfast, lunch, having a few fruits as snacks, and over two liters of water. The numbers are going to be higher than they would be had I measured in the morning but the results were awesome so here they are......

Drum roll please?!


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Since May 5th, I have officially lost 5 full inches from my waist, 3 from my hips, 3 from my thighs, 4 from my bust, and 2 from my arms.

Oh my goodness!

16 inches gone!  And believe me, they are gone FOREVER!

Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred; Days 10 & 11

I am officially on day 11 of the 30 Day Shred. Instead of moving up to Level 2, I am doing Level 1 twice a day. I tried Level 2 and I am not ready. I’m also stepping up the amount I am walking each day by an additional mile or so to get things moving along a bit quicker. The usual 4 mile use of the Nordic Track (in case you're wondering what version of the NT I use, CLICK HERE) was becoming a breeze, so I upped it to 5 or 6 miles a day. I do not use the arm cables 100% of the time yet, I alternate 5 minutes with them and 5 minutes without them and I’m building up my endurance slowly. I’ll probably start doing 6 minutes on, 4 minutes off in the near future.  Gotta keep my body guessing!

I went for a 3 mile walk today with Xander. It was so nice to get some fresh air! 

I am still doing laps in the pool. It's great exercise and it's fun to race against my kids from one side of the pool to the other. They are becoming great swimmers, especially Jackie! She uses her water wings only half the time now.

In other news.... My friend Laurin told me I look like I’ve lost a few dress sizes last week and I loved hearing that, but didn’t quite believe her. Today I noticed my pants were fitting awfully lose, so I tried to pull them down without unzipping or unbuttoning them. Guess what? I was actually able to pull them down & back up again without unzipping or unbuttoning them! I am in complete shock. I’ve probably lost at least 2 dress sizes! I had a pair of jeans from before I got pregnant that I’ve saved… they still don’t fit, but at this rate they may very well fit by the fall! I am so, so, sooo excited!

I’ve been eating really well this week. I’ve been having salads and fruits and veggies for lunch, and snacking on fruits & veggies as snacks. My breakfast is still basic, just Cheerios with organic skim milk & some fruit. Dinner is usually some sort of pasta product because we’re kind of broke, which stinks. But hey, I eat the least at dinner & I fill up on all the good stuff through out the rest of the day so I am pretty pleased. 

As much as I am against the idea, I really want to purchase a scale so I can do weigh ins every 4 weeks. I can see the change in my clothes and feel it in my body but I want to see how many pounds I've lost! I'm guessing around 25 or so. I am going to be taking my measurements tomorrow, too, so we'll see how that goes. I know the numbers have all gone down, I just can't wait for proof!

I also want to mention that I picked up the book Unlimited: How to Build an Exceptional Life by Jillian Michaels and it's really great. It's not a weight loss or exercise book, it's more like self help. I am usually against self help books because they are all too preachy and make me feel really awkward, but because it was Jillian, I couldn't resist. I am about a hundred pages in. She's got a gift for motivating people, let me tell you. I will review it here upon completion.