Took my measurements tonight...

I've lost 11.5 inches from all over my body in THREE WEEKS. I don't think I've been this psyched about anything in ages! I normally will only measure myself once a month, but my son found the measuring tape and was  wrapping it around my arm so for the hell of it, I took the measurement of my arms, was shocked, continued to take measurements elsewhere.

I only took measurements for my bust, hips, thighs, arms, and waist.

11.5 inches in 3 weeks.

Wow.

I'm not brave enough to post the actual numbers up here for everyone to see, but maybe in time. I have a long way to go. The goal is to lose 50 pounds by May of 2012, but it does go further than that. I am hoping to lose around 75-100 pounds total in the course of 2 years. We'll see how that goes. Maybe in a few months I will share my weight & my measurements, but not now.

If I can lose 11.5 inches in 3 weeks, I wonder what I could do in say, 2 months?!

The benefits of walking.

Walking is going to be the main form of exercise I will talk about here since walking is available to everyone. You don’t need to have an athlete’s body nor do you have to have an expensive gym membership to walk, it’s something everyone can do! No excuses!

While it is recommended that you should get in an hour of walking daily, it may not be possible for everyone at the beginning. The best method is to start slow. Maybe take a 10 minute walk each day just to ease into it, you can always increase the amount you walk by a few minutes each day. Before you know it, you’ll finally be hitting that hour or more mark! 

When I started using the Nordic Track, I could barely do 7 minutes. Now I am doing sometimes as much as 2 hours a day! It is definitely possible to reach your fitness goals as long as you don’t give up and you keep pushing yourself. 

Did you know that walking dramatically lowers your cholesterol, your risk of heart attack, breast cancer, colon cancer, and type 2 Diabetes? It's true! Still need more reasons to go walking? 

If you spend just 2 hours a week walking your cognitive function will also improve. 

One study showed that people who suffer from depression can benefit greatly from walking. The group walked half an hour a day 4 or more times a week for 1 month. Almost half of them agreed they felt less depressed at the end of the month. People who are depressed & sedentary also tend to get sick more frequently, so the amount of colds you will get each year will be cut down as well!

Those are JUST A FEW of the benefits to walking, there are many, many more.

If you feel like you can’t go walking because the weather isn’t perfect, you can always invest in a treadmill, elliptical, or a skiing machine like the Nordic Track that I am using. I am averaging anywhere from 4 miles a night to as many as 10! It is definitely possible for ANYONE to be able to claim the same thing with just a bit of effort! 

"But I don't have the time to walk with school, work, and being a parent. It's just not possible!" Stop making excuses. Instead of trying to find the time to walk, MAKE the time to walk! How much time do you spend on facebook or blogger each day? How much time do you spend sitting in front of the TV? How much time do you spend on the phone, chatting, texting, whatever? How much time do you spend wishing you looked and felt better? If you prioritize, you will see that you have plenty of time for walking. It is definitely worth the effort! MAKE THE TIME! Even if all you do is take the worst parking spot in the lot, or use the stairs instead of the elevator, you're walking.

Here is a special calculator to find out how many calories you’re burning while walking. Calories burned and distance calculator!

Helpful tips for weight loss.

To get things off to a good start, I’ve decided to supply a lit of the most helpful hints & tips I’ve seen in my rather extensive research into what will help me lose weight.

1. The easiest bit of advice I can give anyone is to stand at least once or twice and hour, preferrably for a minimum of ten minutes. Doing this will burn calories and speed up your metabolism. Anyone can do this!
2. Your brain takes up to 15 minutes to realize your stomach is full.Trick it by drinking 1-2 8 oz glasses of water about ten minutes before. When it comes time to eat, take no more than a portion the size of your fist.
3. Chew food slowly and thoroughly! Do not rush eating, ever. I have begun counting my chews and make sure to chew everything 15-20 times before swallowing.
4. Never starve yourself. Make sure to eat 4-5 small meals/healthy snacks a day. I know that in my case, I am overweight not from being inactive or from overeating, but because I tend to eat only once a day. Eating once a day or starving yourself is the absolute worst thing you could do.
5. If possible, try adopting a vegetarian diet.
6. Never put salt on anything. Watch your sodium intake! 1,500 milligrams per day or less if possible is suggested.
7. Invest in smaller plates. The smaller your plate, the less you can fit on it! You will also trick yourself into thinking you ate more if you put a smaller serving on a smaller plate.
8. Mint is known to be an appetite suppressor. Try keeping a pack of minty gum around. Or brush your teeth whenever you're hungry.
9. Team up with a friend and keep each other motivated. People tend to lose more weight when they have support.You could turn it into a contest, forcing both of you try try even harder.
10. Think positive! If you miss a day of exercise, it’s not the end of the world. If you had too much for dessert, don’t let it bring you down! Keeping a positive attitude will help you stay motivated and on track. You need to have a good mindest in order to obtain your goals.
11. Don’t slouch. Not only do you look chunkier when you’re hunched over, but you're not putting the proper strain on your muscles. Sitting or standing erect is much better for your body and will burn more calories.
12. When you do go for walks, it can’t hurt to slap on a set of ankle weights or wrist weights.
13. Challenge yourself. Avoid escalators and elevators, take the stairs! Better yet, take 2 at a time.
14. Keep a food diary for a week. Put EVERYTHING in it. You may be shocked by your eating habits and maybe even learn to control them if you keep the diary up!
15. Breakfast is definitely the most important meal of the day. "After fasting all night, breakfast can kick-start your energy level. If you choose healthful, slow-burning foods, like whole grains and fruits, you should be able to control your appetite until midday. Overeating throughout the day is also less likely. Studies show that people who skip breakfast tend to make up for the calories later in the day, often with unhealthy, high-fat and high-calorie convenience foods." taken from this link.
16. Add some extra spice to everything you eat. Spicy foods cause your circulation to go into overdrive, your temperature goes up , and you burn more calories.
17. Make a list of realistic short term and long term goals for your weight loss plan. Review them frequently and try to stick to the plan as closely as possible! Making small, easily obtainable goals will help keep you motivated!
18. Do not eat within 3-5 hours of going to bed.
19. It pays to be a neat freak. Cleaning counts as exercise and can burn tons of calories if you're doing it properly.
20. Keep an exercise log. For instance, I have a Nordic Track and I made up a list of my calories burned, miles walked, and total time. I try to improve on the previous night’s workout each day, even if only by a tenth of a mile or for an extra minute or two. Keep challenging yourself.
21. When you have a really bad craving for something sweet, drink 8 oz of water, and give yourself ten additional minutes. Odds are the craving will pass, but if you have to give in, just give yourself a taste and make sure to savor it.

I am sure I will add much more to this list over time!