HELLO.... HEllo....hello!

ECHO.... 

                  ECho....

                                          echo!

Yeah I'm still around. Still kicking... and kicking life around just as ever before!

Just when you think the impossible is just that, IMPOSSIBLE, it becomes reality.  And my reality is chaotic. It's like the energizer bunny, except on steroids. (Does anyone even remember the Energizer bunny?) It really just keeps going and going.... Well, you get the picture!

Anyway.... So much to share, both funny and sad things. Great things and not so great things. and of course tips and tricks that I have picked up or I have left behind closed doors and forgotten about them.....

I am going to be blogging more, because i think it is a necessity for my progress to have a written commitment of what I want to accomplish, and I also hold myself more accountable because I have to post publicly what my struggles are my weaknesses are.

Here is to starting again. I hope to never have to say that again because I will never stop (In my perfect world, right?)

-Maria

Day #8-Update

It feels like these days are dragging!!! But I have some updates that makes me excited!
I have so far lost 4 pounds.
AND a  few inches around the waist

Current Weight 199 LBS                   Starting Weight 203
Measurements :                                  S Measurements:
Bust: 45.5                                          Bust: 45.5
Waist: 45                                           Waist: 49.5
Hips: 49                                             Hips: 50
Thighs: 27                                          Thighs: 28
Arms: 14.5                                         Arms 14.5

Not bad!

As this week has gone by, I have realized a lot of my bad habits. One of the biggest one is my "commission " I charge the kids. I usually take a bite or sip of whatever I make them, I call it my commission. It started as me checking the temperature, or if it was a Capri sun, to make sure they didn't spill it as they grabbed it. As I have been making their lunches, they don't eat the same things I eat during this diet, it has been so hard not to take a piece of cheese and eat it, or taking a bite of things. I don't think I would have ever noticed that before. That is a lot of hidden calories right there that I was consuming, things I didn't need to survive. It's just weird to notice these things.

For the remainder of this week, I'm going to try something new. I am going to make sure that after every meal I take at least two hours before I can sit down. It's something my mom used to tell me all the time. You make sure you sit down to eat, or else if you end up standing to eat, you will eat much faster, which you don't want to do that. As soon as you are done eating, find things to do that don't involve sitting. Now that I don't work at a desk anymore, I can actually do that. There is a lot I can do around the house that can help me do this.

I'm getting antsy and want to start the workouts now!!! Can't wait!

Day #4- Feeling Good

I'm starting to feel much better!!!

I feel energized and motivated. Although the scale hasn't moved much, I love how I feel. I always had in my head that eating healthy was, well. Let me let Cathy tell you:

The mentality of it is just crazy. When I get hungry, I do think of my favorite foods, which right now I will not ( and can't) have. It's sad to see now in full view what my relationship with food is like. I don't eat to fuel. I eat to satisfy. That is a bad black hole to be in. Mind you, I do believe to go ahead and partake of those cravings, but it definitely needs to be balanced.

The #1 thing I didn't realize, is how many calories I was eating. My life is on the go, all the time. It's really ridiculous. So, stopping to get a bite at a drive-thru happened a lot. I thought, oh just a small dollar menu item will do. Not that I correlate the price with the calories, but for some reason, I thought more of the size. Each (small) double burger is easily 400 calories. I sometimes ordered two of these. 800 calories. That didn't even include if I got a drink, or fries. YUCK!

The other trap I fell in, was : "If I made it myself, then it must be more healthy than a fast food meal." It WAS cheaper, but the health value was just as bad. Example: Frozen Pizza. Each slice is easily 300-350 calories each. I ate close to 3 (sometimes 4) slices, plus what ever drink i had. That's at least 1200 calories in this one meal!

I'm disappointed in my self for not caring at looking at labels. It really is an eye opener to see this now. I wish I cared sooner. But I am glad that I am doing something about this now.

I am feeling a big push to do this. I want to live as long as I can, but in good Health. There are so many theories on Cancer, and other Heart related diseases that are based purely on Nutrition and Physical Fitness. My mom, having died at such a young age, has instilled fear in me. My dad, having Heart related diseases has added onto that fear. I know what it is like to lose a parent, and I do not want my kids to go through that, at least not yet.

Day #2- There is HOPE!

The skeptical in me says there is no way. But, the results are pretty obvious!

My weigh in yesterday was 203 lbs, today was 200 lbs!

(Note: for best accuracy, always weight yourself at the same time of day, your weight fluctuates different times of day!)

Impossible you say? I must be using diet pills you might ask? The answer is absolutely NOT.

I haven't seen my scale say 200 in a long time! So this was exciting for me to see :) Not only that, but it gives me hope that I can ACTUALLY

accomplish this seemingly impossible task.

Now, it is very simple. I have been looking for a way to change my lifestyle without it being stressful. I am not good with stress, because... I gain weight. That would be counter productive!

I also was looking for something that would educate me, and not just say 'here is a menu of foods you have never heard of. It works, good luck."

Really? I have found so many of these, and honestly, the "shopping list" they provide you with is so overwhelming, not to mention the cost.

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I asked friends on facebook of workouts that I could do from home that wouldn't take much of my time. Because, lets be honest:

One, I don't like to exercise, hence a big reason why I have let myself get to this point.

Two, I am so busy, with being mommy, working and now adding school to that list!

Three, I am lazy. Yes, that L word is pretty much the biggest culprit in my life.

A friend of mine, Amber, gave me the address of www.pinkmethod.com

I'm not here to advertise for them, but if the program works I will be definitely recommending them!

I like the program because it is real. There are no pills, no monthly subscription requirements, and the material was pretty inexpensive.

They send you a Journal, and the work out DVDs. In the journal, there are Two Parts. The first part has 6 chapters of educational information on foods, and how the program works, and why certain foods were chosen.

The second part of the Journal is where you actually get to keep track of everything, including what you ate, goals, and recipes used.

Not only that, but it is a "fill in the blank" so that it is entirely guided. I LOVE THAT! Sometimes when you do something new, you get lost. I feel with this I will always know where I am and where I am going.

(I don't like to use the word diet, but for the purpose of this post, I will....)

The diet has a couple of parts to it as well. To start the program, you go through what they call the "Pink Reset". You do this first before starting any of the workout DVDs. The goal is to eat well, lose the first 10 lbs so you begin your workouts being lighter. This usually takes 7 days, but they recommended people over a certain amount of weight/height to take longer. In my case, the chart recommended to be on this diet for 14 days.

After this first goal is met, you change the diet to what is called Pink Primary. Both of these diets are well put together, reasonable meal items, and are both purposeful. The Reset, in my mind, is there to reset the way you think. Both about yourself and food. It gives you a chance to get results fast. Then, once you got some weight off, the next meal plan helps you with the energy needed for the workout, and muscle building.

The workouts have 3 levels. The first one you do for 3 weeks, it is a 20 minute work out. Level 2, is also 3 weeks and has a 30 minute workout. The third level is 3 weeks, and has a 40 minute workout. The way in which you do these, with the meal plans plus the resting periods makes complete sense how it helps you shed those pounds, but the intensity increases so that you aren't doing the same workout over and over again.

There is so much about this program that I haven't mentioned here yet. I am totally sold because it is real. It is educational, and at the end of the 9 weeks, it tells you how to maintain your weight. The journal is sassy, and tells you about the "sexy you". In a way, when you accomplish a goal, you feel good about yourself. Its not just about the way you look. A lot of this process is how you feel. And I feel that I can actually get this done and not be so tired, and look pretty decent at the same time :)

New beginning- Day #1

It's been a while since I have blogged about my journey to a healthy ME. A lot has changed since the last post. I changed jobs, and work schedule and am also now going to school again. Now anyone who has done any of these things one at a time now how it can be stressful. Well, knowing me, I tend to do things the hard way in life and have done these changes simultaneously.

The repercussion of these changes were pretty hard on my body. Freshman 15 anyone? I stopped eating as healthy as I was before and the stress alone did not help. I have been so exhausted I have been unable to get any normal day things accomplished. Dishes, laundry, vacuum... You know, those annoying tasks that if you don't do often, it becomes chaos. Well it has been chaos at the Andersen home lately.

About 3 weeks ago, I decided I was tired of being sick and tired. Tired of looking in the mirror and not liking what I saw. Tired of being to tired and overwhelmed of my tasks not getting finished, or started for that matter. Tired of not doing anything about it. My husband and I decided we will be making a change. Together, we got our house organized. We uncluttered and made it possible for our big family to be successful in this small apartment we are in. Then, we decided that we will take matters into our own hands and do something abut our health.

Our journey begins today, I will be journaling my success. There is no room for failure, because I am set to do this, because I need to. My family needs me to. Three weeks ago I weighed 208 lbs. Pounds I gained from vacation in October and of course the holiday food season. If we look back, before I stopped blogging I was at 196 lbs, and if I remember correctly,I was down to 192 at one point.

For measuring and comparison purposes I will be updating my weight often for at lest the next 9 weeks.

Here is my beginning stats as of today:

Weight: 203 lbs

Since weight doesn't tell you the whole story of weight loss, I am also keeping track of measurements:

Bust: 45.5 inches

Waist: 49.5 inches

Hips: 50 inches

Thighs: 28 inches

Biceps: 14.5 inches

Because size of clothing matters to me, here is that also

Pant size:18(tight fit)

Shirt size: XL-1X

I'm considering pictures so I can have a before and after shot for comparison, which I will probably share, eventually :)

My goal is to weigh at a range about

130-140 lbs.

I'm excited for a new me! Here is to a ne beginning!

kicking UP a notch

I always have such a hard time starting out these posts. I have SOO much to say and I dont want to make it overwhelming when it doesnt need to be! So I will try to keep these short and sweet!

Thank you all who have emailed me or personally given me your input and your own success stories! I will be posting along a few ideas out there that I will be trying out!

So, I totally LOVE my results from the little things that I have changed. With that, I am going to kick it UP a notch because I want MORE! (who doesn't?)

So my weight update:

I have lost 9 pounds so far! I am one away from my first goal.

I haven't posted as of yet what my weight was when I started out....
I'm afraid to say it out loud, but I think that IF it is said, then MAYBE it wont be such a horrible number (at least it feels that way in my mind). But thats ALL it is. A number. IF numbers were truely scary, then most kids would not want to watch Sesame Street AND would cry horrified when they heard :"Brought to you by the number 9." Right? RIGHT????

Ok, here is the break down:

2004 (High School): 125 lbs

2005 End of 1st yr. College: 135 lbs

2006 Post Baby #1 weight: 185 lbs (ouch!)

2008 Post Baby #2 weight: 198 lbs (double ouch!)

2010 Post Baby #3 weight: 215 lbs (kaBOOM!)

(Technically that was new years day 2011 :D)

2011 Before this blog started: 205lbs

CURRENT WEIGHT: 196 lbs

Keep in mind, maybe thats not a BIG number. But for my stature, it is definately NOT healthy.
According to a BMI calculator I used, this current weight is still OBESE... with at LEAST 46 pounds to go to be borderline "overweight", and 76 pounds to be "NORMAL"

Reality check. After having kids, there is no way that weighing 120 pounds is "NORMAL" for my height. My body is NOT the same. I do not fall for the cookie cutter programs, and I dont think anyone else should either. BUT, it is a good standard to go by.

My goal: to eventually weigh 140-150

What am I doing now? starting today:

I have come to the point where I need to mix things up. I have decided to double my daily water intake. This is ok for me, because I was NOT getting the recommended 8-12 glasses a day (Keep in mind that your water intake should be over an entire day and not all at once. Drinking large amounts of water in a short period of time can result in water intoxication thereby flushing out necessary electrolytes. So yes, it is possible to drink too much water too...)

Im waking up earlier in the day, and going to bed earlier at night. This may sound obvious, but I have kids that are sleepers like mom and dad and they do not get up early, so I get to sleep in, and they go to bed early so I stay up to get things done :) getting up earlier will help my metabloism, AND (crossing fingers!) I am hoping to do these 10 minute workouts I have on my instant queue on Netflix before starting the day. This, hopefully, will give me the energy I need and of course will help tone muscle!

One more thing: Im going to start recording everynight what I ate and keep track of it on http://www.sparkpeople.com/

It is free and it is a great tool where you can actually see what is bad for you (things you would never know were actually bad for you!) My Mother in law has been using this tool and has lost over 50 lbs. SuPeR AMAZING!

I think that anything is POSSIBLE one step at a time. I will get fit and healthy. I will NO longer feel that I'm ok the way things are.

My request to you: When you feel the need to change, change no more than 3 things at a time, and slowly add on another 3 things to change. It is too hard to do a HUGE revamp and turn your life upside down. I did that. And all it accomplished was anger and defeat. I just quit trying every time. If you can drop 10 lbs, then why not another 10lbs, your already did it? small quantities will give you HUGE results!

Happy pinching everyone! Keep sending me your feedback, I love hearing from you!

Health and Nutrition

I am NOT a dieter.

I LOOVE food.

Really. I love that I know that I can eat whatever I want, when I want it.

My physical appearance reflects this mentality...

This has made me feel pretty bad. Not only do I feel like I don't look good, but I also have little to no energy (that may also be because of my three little ones+working...)

Having a Pizza delivery place on your speed dial or saved on your favorites on your phone's browser is NOT the way to go.. It seems to be

obvious, BUT it is so easy to fall in that trap.

Take us for an example:

1. the kids love it

2. mom and dad love it

3. easy dinner ready made delivered to door hot (heavenly!)

4. did i mention how delicious it is?

5. it is overly marketed, T.V., online, radio...

and MOST importantly, we thought it was EASY...

Now, dont get me wrong. We did not eat pizza every day... However, this is just one vice out of many...

We have made small improvements since starting this blog, what a difference it has made! We have already been loosing weight and saved quite a bit of money!

The first thing I can tell you is that MENTALITY is everything. Dont think about being on a DIET. Think about those cute clothes you will be wearing soon because you are eating differently!

When I first sat down to see what menus to plan and shopping lists, it was a nightmare! I searched online for healthy menus. I found some that I was totally and willing to follow EVERY step of the way, but looking at it, I knew our kids would not have the same opinion... (I could just hear in my head "ewe, what is that mom?")

So, ok, I thought I will make them a separate meal for them.... I printed out calendars with Mom and dad's menu, and kids menus...Like I said, a total nightmare. I literally cried, and wanted to pull my hair out after staring for hours at my computer monitor and the ridiculous looking menu plan.

Guess what was running through my head at this point...

GIVE UP, MARIA..........................................

You CAN'T do this

After this, Justin walks in the kitchen. Saw my frustration and how ridiculously frustrating it was to me. He said: "It doesn't need to be this complicated".

I laughed, and said, yes it does, look at this. If we want to change, this is what needs to happen.

Well, hate to admit that he was absolutely right.

WHY does it need to be complicated?

So I threw the calendars away. I wrote out a grocery list of things we normally purchase. Then I crossed out things that we could live without. For example, soda pop (sniff sniff!), chips, those hostess cake snacks... you get the idea.

We replaced those things with crackers, granola bars, baby carrots, broccoli, string cheese and such.We eliminated the junk and brought in fresh snacks.

We also are testing out using ground turkey instead of ground beef, a healthier option. My opinion??? It is actually a great substitute! We have so far made delicious turkey burgers and hamburger helper, the only trick is you need to make sure it is well seasoned, since compared to beef, it is nearly tasteless. We will probably substitute 25% of our meals with ground turkey.

Since starting this blog, I have lost 7 pounds!!! And my secret? Was to do something different. I chose different and healthier foods to buy. I didn't even go crazy and get every thing low fat/ fat free, or "diet". I changed what I did and not what someone else did... And the best thing about it, I don't go hungry and I still eat what I want, without really going out of my way to make a huge effort!

It was simple and uncomplicated to just make a change. I truly believe, if you aren't happy with your results, its time to change your actions!

This is just the beginning of our journey of Pinching our Fat. As we try new things, we will update our success and failures!

If you have your own success stories, or have any word of caution about Health and Nutrition, send me your story at celesteandersen@gmail.com to be shared!