Hi friends,
It's 4:30am and I woke up and can't get back to sleep. Why? I'll get to that in a minute. This is a problem because I have to start my work day in a few hours and I could really use a couple more (maybe one more) hour of shut-eye. Well, it won't be the first time I've functioned while sleep deprived. Ugh.
So far, I've done a good job of writing about everything I'm doing right but have neglected to mention many of my shortcomings. As the title of this entry says, no body's perfect. If I was, I would already be the svelte 115 lb woman I'm envisioning.
Like most people, I have a few downfalls, or weaknesses that sabotage my weight loss efforts. Near the top of the list would be my fondness for alcoholic beverages. I enjoy a glass or two, or three, etc. of wine in the evenings before, during and after dinner. Usually white but sometimes red. If it's red I tell myself it's good for my cardiovascular system and go with that excuse. It's not uncommon for me to polish off an entire bottle myself during the course of an evening, which sounds terrible until you realize a bottle is like 4-5 glasses. Okay, it's still not great.
I also love beer. All kinds as long is it's nice and cold. When I'm out with friends that usually what I'll drink. I also like martinis. And margaritas. I'm obviously not picky. So, now that I've confessed my sins I'll tell you why alcohol is not the best thing to consume for someone trying to lose weight (large amounts are not good for anybody obviously).
When you drink alcohol your body uses it for fuel instead of food. It's a very efficient energy source. That means the calories you've taken in in the form of food don't get used up, but stored as fat instead. BAD! Alcohol is also dehydrating. Make sure you drink extra water during and after drinking alcohol. I've also noticed it messes up my sleep. I don't get a sound sleep at night, and sometimes, like today, I wake up early and can't fall back to sleep. The next day I feel sluggish and tired and a lot less likely to want to work out or eat right: BAD!!
That bring me to Mary Lou's Daily Weight Loss Tip:
TIP #4:
Try to eliminate or at least cut back on your alcohol consumption. If you drink beer, drink "light" beer. Michelob Ultra is a good one. Drink extra water during and after drinking alcohol. If you slip up and overindulge (oops!), don't get too down on yourself, just try harder the next time.
Well, some of us have to work in a couple hours. Probably will not get my workout in today. I did dust off my bike and took a spin around the neighborhood yesterday. I also went for a jog and walked the dog. So I got that goin' for me!
Yours in Health,
Mary Lou
About Me
- Mary Lou
- I try to get the most out of life. I think of myself as happy and upbeat and I love to make people laugh. I laugh at myself, a lot. I am engaged to be married to my best friend and soulmate. That sounds cliche, but it's true. I have three wonderful kids, two cats and a golden retriever who is like another kid. I have two stepkids whom one day I hope will come to accept me as a person who loves their dad very very much.
Friday, May 29, 2009
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Do what works!
First of all, I want to thank those of you (all four so far, I believe!) who are reading/following my blog! I hope it is at least mildly entertaining and at best helpful to you on your weight loss journey. As for me, it is so fulfilling to get my thoughts out there and to share with you my struggles and successes. If you enjoy reading my blog and know of other you think will enjoy it to, please pass the link on!
Yesterday I tried a new workout. It is so easy to get stuck in a workout rut and do the same thing over and over. For a long time I was doing 30 min on the treadmill and 20-25 on the elliptical. I was losing weight, but eventually, my body got so used to using the same muscles groups. It is so important to change up your routine and to continue challenging different muscle groups. You have to understand, I am extremely picky when it comes to my workouts. If I use a DVD, I either love it or hate it and know within the first 5 minutes. If I go to a class, I either love the instructor or I don't and if it's the latter, will not go back. The point is, you have to try different things to find what's right for YOU!
So, yesterday I tried our new 10lb medicine ball w/instructional DVD. I had never used a medicine ball before and thought I'd give it a shot. It was a fairly decent upper body workout. My arms and shoulders are definitely sore today (I commented to Rich this morning that I felt like I had been lifting a 10lb ball, tee, hee). I wish it had done more for my core like the DVD claimed it was supposed to but I'm thinking it will take more practice with it to develop the proper form. It lasted about 45 min. and I felt like I need more, so I did 20 minutes on the elliptical to finish off. Then, I did some stretching. VERY important to stretch those muscles after a workout! The only thing I did not like about the DVD, and in fact, found very annoying was the background music, if you can call it that. It was basically the same 4 beats played over and over. I started laughing when my kids came down and started doing "beat box" noises to it and they messed me up!!
So, here is Mary Lou's Daily Tip #3:
Tip #3: Vary your workouts to avoid boredom and to challenge different muscle groups. Find what works for YOU. Everyone is different. Don't be afraid to try different things, step out of your comfort zone. If you don't like it, at least you tried. If you do, hey! You found a new way to exercise!
Above all, like the Nike ads say, "Just Do It"!!
Yours in Health,
Mary Lou
Yesterday I tried a new workout. It is so easy to get stuck in a workout rut and do the same thing over and over. For a long time I was doing 30 min on the treadmill and 20-25 on the elliptical. I was losing weight, but eventually, my body got so used to using the same muscles groups. It is so important to change up your routine and to continue challenging different muscle groups. You have to understand, I am extremely picky when it comes to my workouts. If I use a DVD, I either love it or hate it and know within the first 5 minutes. If I go to a class, I either love the instructor or I don't and if it's the latter, will not go back. The point is, you have to try different things to find what's right for YOU!
So, yesterday I tried our new 10lb medicine ball w/instructional DVD. I had never used a medicine ball before and thought I'd give it a shot. It was a fairly decent upper body workout. My arms and shoulders are definitely sore today (I commented to Rich this morning that I felt like I had been lifting a 10lb ball, tee, hee). I wish it had done more for my core like the DVD claimed it was supposed to but I'm thinking it will take more practice with it to develop the proper form. It lasted about 45 min. and I felt like I need more, so I did 20 minutes on the elliptical to finish off. Then, I did some stretching. VERY important to stretch those muscles after a workout! The only thing I did not like about the DVD, and in fact, found very annoying was the background music, if you can call it that. It was basically the same 4 beats played over and over. I started laughing when my kids came down and started doing "beat box" noises to it and they messed me up!!
So, here is Mary Lou's Daily Tip #3:
Tip #3: Vary your workouts to avoid boredom and to challenge different muscle groups. Find what works for YOU. Everyone is different. Don't be afraid to try different things, step out of your comfort zone. If you don't like it, at least you tried. If you do, hey! You found a new way to exercise!
Above all, like the Nike ads say, "Just Do It"!!
Yours in Health,
Mary Lou
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Small changes can make a big difference!
Day #3
It is sunny and warm out today. Rich and I took the dog (golden retriever named, Lexi) for her daily afternoon walk and her tongue was hanging out and she was panting heavily. Fortunately, I don't have all that fur covering my body so I was enjoying the warmth from the sun. It is much too nice to work out in the basement so I'm thinking about dusting off my bike and going for a ride. I used to be a big bike rider, but over the years, like so many things, that fell by the wayside. Biking is great exercise and a great way to enjoy the outdoors. I am going to make a concerted effort to do it more. It would help if I can talk Rich into doing it with me so it is something we can enjoy together. I think he has a dilapidated 10 speed around here somewhere.
I've decided to try to get as much activity as I can each day. For example, on the days I work, I like to just eat a quick lunch and then take a brisk walk around the beautiful walking trail on the grounds of the hospital. I am lucky we have that feature. Even doing things like shooting hoops with my son or jumping on the trampoline, or running around the yard with my dog. Anything to get the body moving and the blood pumping, plus it's fun!!
One thing that made a huge difference for me in my weight loss is cutting back my portions. I am grateful for Rich for making meals so often, however, he would portion out the same amount for both of us. And I, of course would eat however much was put in front of me. Now, it doesn't take a genius to figure out a 5'1'' woman does not need the same quantity of food as a 5'10" man. As soon as I cut back my portion sizes (almost in half) I noticed it was easier for me to lose weight. I have heard one trick is to use smaller plates so it tricks you into thinking you're eating more. I don't really have to do that, but it may be helpful to others.
That brings me to Mary Lou's daily weight loss tip:
Tip #2: Instead of eating three large meals a day, eat 5-6 smaller ones. You should never go more than 3 hours between eating something. A typical day for me (when I'm being "good"), is a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit in the morning, a small snack before lunch (like yogurt or protein bar), a salad with some sort of lean meat (chicken or tuna) for lunch, an afternoon snack like a piece of string cheese and some almonds (protein is good because you stay full longer) and a healthy dinner. This does two things: it keeps your metabolism going at a steady rate all day and also will keep you from getting too hungry and over eating. If I know I'm going to be out running around all day, I'll pack a protein bar or a banana in my purse to tied me over until my next meal. And don't forget to drink your water! (see Tip #1).
I'm going to try my best to get a workout in tonight since it's too nice and sunny out to be in the basement. Gonna plant some flowers instead!
Wow, it's 2pm already, I'd better get going!
Yours in health,
Mary Lou
It is sunny and warm out today. Rich and I took the dog (golden retriever named, Lexi) for her daily afternoon walk and her tongue was hanging out and she was panting heavily. Fortunately, I don't have all that fur covering my body so I was enjoying the warmth from the sun. It is much too nice to work out in the basement so I'm thinking about dusting off my bike and going for a ride. I used to be a big bike rider, but over the years, like so many things, that fell by the wayside. Biking is great exercise and a great way to enjoy the outdoors. I am going to make a concerted effort to do it more. It would help if I can talk Rich into doing it with me so it is something we can enjoy together. I think he has a dilapidated 10 speed around here somewhere.
I've decided to try to get as much activity as I can each day. For example, on the days I work, I like to just eat a quick lunch and then take a brisk walk around the beautiful walking trail on the grounds of the hospital. I am lucky we have that feature. Even doing things like shooting hoops with my son or jumping on the trampoline, or running around the yard with my dog. Anything to get the body moving and the blood pumping, plus it's fun!!
One thing that made a huge difference for me in my weight loss is cutting back my portions. I am grateful for Rich for making meals so often, however, he would portion out the same amount for both of us. And I, of course would eat however much was put in front of me. Now, it doesn't take a genius to figure out a 5'1'' woman does not need the same quantity of food as a 5'10" man. As soon as I cut back my portion sizes (almost in half) I noticed it was easier for me to lose weight. I have heard one trick is to use smaller plates so it tricks you into thinking you're eating more. I don't really have to do that, but it may be helpful to others.
That brings me to Mary Lou's daily weight loss tip:
Tip #2: Instead of eating three large meals a day, eat 5-6 smaller ones. You should never go more than 3 hours between eating something. A typical day for me (when I'm being "good"), is a bowl of oatmeal and some fruit in the morning, a small snack before lunch (like yogurt or protein bar), a salad with some sort of lean meat (chicken or tuna) for lunch, an afternoon snack like a piece of string cheese and some almonds (protein is good because you stay full longer) and a healthy dinner. This does two things: it keeps your metabolism going at a steady rate all day and also will keep you from getting too hungry and over eating. If I know I'm going to be out running around all day, I'll pack a protein bar or a banana in my purse to tied me over until my next meal. And don't forget to drink your water! (see Tip #1).
I'm going to try my best to get a workout in tonight since it's too nice and sunny out to be in the basement. Gonna plant some flowers instead!
Wow, it's 2pm already, I'd better get going!
Yours in health,
Mary Lou
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
I didn't want to, but I did it anyway.
Very often, the last thing in the world I feel like doing is exercising. There are so many other things I could be doing that require much less effort: watching TV, sitting on the computer, napping. However, none of those activities are going to help me one little bit in reaching my weight loss goal.
The thing about exercise is that, I dread doing it, but once I get started, it feels GREAT! Then I think, why don't I do this more often? The other thing is, the more you do it, the more apt you are to do it again, and become more consistent.
So, I dusted off the treadmill and the elliptical and did 30 minutes on the treadmill, walking/jogging using the incline off and on. Then I did 25 min on the elliptical on a light workout program. I say light, because it was the first of 3 levels, but it kicked my butt. I was sweating like a pig, although I have to say I liked seeing the sweat dripping off my body onto the machine. It sounds disgusting, but to me it means I'm working hard.
I was gonna do some stretching and ab work after like I usually do, but my girlfriend called and I opted to gab instead.
I thought I'd share some good getting in shape tips after every blog to help others who are trying to do this too. They are things that have worked well for me and hopefully will work for others. Some you have probably heard before, but may be worth reinforcing:
Tip #1: Drink plenty of water! Always have water with you wherever you go and just drink it all day long. I never go anywhere in my car without a water bottle. Drink during your workouts and after. If you are peeing constantly, that is a GOOD thing! It means your body is able to flush toxins out of your system. Toxins and free radicals are constantly building up in your body. Each and every one of the billions of cells need water to function properly and to keep your electrolytes balanced. I can not say enough about the importance of drinking water (sports drinks and decaffeinated bevs count too). Personally, I wish beer counted too but it does NOT!
Thanks for visiting! Comments are welcome.
Mary Lou
The thing about exercise is that, I dread doing it, but once I get started, it feels GREAT! Then I think, why don't I do this more often? The other thing is, the more you do it, the more apt you are to do it again, and become more consistent.
So, I dusted off the treadmill and the elliptical and did 30 minutes on the treadmill, walking/jogging using the incline off and on. Then I did 25 min on the elliptical on a light workout program. I say light, because it was the first of 3 levels, but it kicked my butt. I was sweating like a pig, although I have to say I liked seeing the sweat dripping off my body onto the machine. It sounds disgusting, but to me it means I'm working hard.
I was gonna do some stretching and ab work after like I usually do, but my girlfriend called and I opted to gab instead.
I thought I'd share some good getting in shape tips after every blog to help others who are trying to do this too. They are things that have worked well for me and hopefully will work for others. Some you have probably heard before, but may be worth reinforcing:
Tip #1: Drink plenty of water! Always have water with you wherever you go and just drink it all day long. I never go anywhere in my car without a water bottle. Drink during your workouts and after. If you are peeing constantly, that is a GOOD thing! It means your body is able to flush toxins out of your system. Toxins and free radicals are constantly building up in your body. Each and every one of the billions of cells need water to function properly and to keep your electrolytes balanced. I can not say enough about the importance of drinking water (sports drinks and decaffeinated bevs count too). Personally, I wish beer counted too but it does NOT!
Thanks for visiting! Comments are welcome.
Mary Lou
Day one of my new life!
Yesterday, I turned 43 years old. My goal for my 40th birthday had been to get down to my goal weight of 110-115lbs. Three years later, that hasn't happened. I'm getting tired of just waiting for the weight to fall off and the reality of the hard work and constant dedication that this is going to require is hitting me in the face. I so desperately want this and know how much better I will feel about myself when I accomplish my weight loss goal, but what is it going to take to motivate me?
I had been thin all through HS and college. In fact, in college, I was taking a full load of classes and working 2-3 part time jobs. I was a very thin 106 lbs. Since I'm only 5'1'', that weight looked great on me. Once I started my Medical Technology program at Southwest General Hosp., for a year all I did was eat, sleep, and study. The weight slowy crept on. When I got married in 1991, I weighed 120 lbs. Still not a bad weight but more than I would have liked. Then I started having babies. It took me one year to lose the baby weight after kid #1, then I got pregnant again. It took me another 1 1/2 years to lose the wieght from baby #2, then I got I got pregnant again. By then, I was a stay at home mom running round after kids and taking care of everyone but myself. I tried off and on to lose weight without any real success.
Finally, after 5 years off on again-off again dieting/exercise, I got serious. I found two workout buddies and started going to the rec center 2-3 times/week plus working out at home. I started running and was up to 4 miles in 45 minutes. After a year, I was in awesome shape. I was down to 120 pounds again and looked fantastic. However, I had reached a plateau and couldn't lose the last 5 no matter what I did. During this time, my marriage started to fall apart and during the breakup of my marriage, I went on the "divorce diet" and stopped eating and sleeping very much. I got down to 116 pounds and felt great.
Then, I went back to work and stopped exercising, was happy and in love and guess what? I started the inevitable weight gain. I could absolutely kick myself for letting that happen. After all that hard work to just let it slip away like that kills me! Last year I reached my highest weight ever of 158 lbs.!! I was huge! Rich and I started to gradually purchase workout equipment for the basement and we both started working out and eating better. I was able to lose about 16lbs. Now I'm getting lazy again.
My job is extremely demanding and it wears me out. This is just one of many excused I've used for why I haven't gotten back in shape. I am getting married in 60 short days. I desperately wanted to be down to 120 lbs by then. That is not going to happen. I would love to just lose as much as I possibly can so I can feel good about myself and how I look for my wedding day, and thereafter as well.
Many people don't realize that any diet and exercise program doesn't start in the gym. It starts in your head. You have to be emotionally and mentally programmed for weight loss. This is no time for negativity. You have to prepare yourself mentally before any physical routine begins. Thus, the reason for this blog. I know in my heart I can do this. I have proven it before. I have to have confidence in my strength and my spirit that I am worth it.
Thank you for coming with me on this journey.
I had been thin all through HS and college. In fact, in college, I was taking a full load of classes and working 2-3 part time jobs. I was a very thin 106 lbs. Since I'm only 5'1'', that weight looked great on me. Once I started my Medical Technology program at Southwest General Hosp., for a year all I did was eat, sleep, and study. The weight slowy crept on. When I got married in 1991, I weighed 120 lbs. Still not a bad weight but more than I would have liked. Then I started having babies. It took me one year to lose the baby weight after kid #1, then I got pregnant again. It took me another 1 1/2 years to lose the wieght from baby #2, then I got I got pregnant again. By then, I was a stay at home mom running round after kids and taking care of everyone but myself. I tried off and on to lose weight without any real success.
Finally, after 5 years off on again-off again dieting/exercise, I got serious. I found two workout buddies and started going to the rec center 2-3 times/week plus working out at home. I started running and was up to 4 miles in 45 minutes. After a year, I was in awesome shape. I was down to 120 pounds again and looked fantastic. However, I had reached a plateau and couldn't lose the last 5 no matter what I did. During this time, my marriage started to fall apart and during the breakup of my marriage, I went on the "divorce diet" and stopped eating and sleeping very much. I got down to 116 pounds and felt great.
Then, I went back to work and stopped exercising, was happy and in love and guess what? I started the inevitable weight gain. I could absolutely kick myself for letting that happen. After all that hard work to just let it slip away like that kills me! Last year I reached my highest weight ever of 158 lbs.!! I was huge! Rich and I started to gradually purchase workout equipment for the basement and we both started working out and eating better. I was able to lose about 16lbs. Now I'm getting lazy again.
My job is extremely demanding and it wears me out. This is just one of many excused I've used for why I haven't gotten back in shape. I am getting married in 60 short days. I desperately wanted to be down to 120 lbs by then. That is not going to happen. I would love to just lose as much as I possibly can so I can feel good about myself and how I look for my wedding day, and thereafter as well.
Many people don't realize that any diet and exercise program doesn't start in the gym. It starts in your head. You have to be emotionally and mentally programmed for weight loss. This is no time for negativity. You have to prepare yourself mentally before any physical routine begins. Thus, the reason for this blog. I know in my heart I can do this. I have proven it before. I have to have confidence in my strength and my spirit that I am worth it.
Thank you for coming with me on this journey.
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