Weddings & Weightloss

 [this photo sums up the night! :)]

Two weekends ago, Brian’s sister got married! It was an awesome weekend and an awesome wedding! I had a blast hanging out with Brian’s niece/nephew and many cousins! I don’t know, I have such a small family that it’s fun being accepted into a much larger one. And talking about being accepted, Megan (Brian’s sis) actually put me in several of the wedding photos. Maybe I’m reading into it too much, but you don’t just put some random girl in your wedding photos. WHICH is why being included in them made me feel pretty awesome. It’s nice to be considered family...and not some random girlfriend. :P

Okay, moving forward to a different topic. Last Monday, I hopped on the scale and closed my eyes. I was completely dreading its response, because every time we are gone for a weekend all our hard work goes down the shitter. However, most likely due to all the tennis playing between events AND crazy ass dancing at the reception I seem to have lost more weight. Go me!! I’m going to go ahead and let things get real honest and give you a peek into my weightloss journey. Why? Because many of us have some sort of “weight loss/get healthy” story and I think it’s nice to share and know you’re not alone. So...

[see, bone-y chicah.  This is from senior prom, 2003.  Yes, I wore camo to my prom...ha]

I was always thin. Not because I didn’t eat. I mean I was picky, but that had nothing to do with it. I’m guessing it had to do with genetics (mom is thin, brother is a stick!) and just being an active kid. Then I got older, moved out and had a horrible diet like many college kids...oh and add the beer/booze. Ha, All that + less activities + a handful of break ups (why do girls result to eating then??) + slowing metabolism = chubby girl. My highest weight came after college when I first moved away AWAY from home. It was horrible. I was used to being able to eat whatever the hell I wanted without any visible consequences. The food fairy’s had finally had enough. I think my worst was in 2008/09 and I was 168-170. Gah. I’m only 5’4”, so that was just not good.

[Left: August 2008 around my highest weight;  Right:  July 2012, eating healthy stirfry and "Glamping"!]

Finally, I joined Weight Watchers Online and it worked! I lost about 18-20 lbs and kept it off for about a year or so. Then I gained some back, for the next few years I sort of hovered around 150, give or take a couple lbs. Then this year I thought enough is enough and I’ve finally reached ONE of my goals. I weigh under 140 lbs. 139.5 to be exact, ha! It feels really good and is actually pretty motivating. My final goal weight is 130, but really at this point (since I am in my healthy BMI) I just want to tone up the flab! And I know I'm not "skinny", but I don't think I ever want to be super thin like I used to.  I feel like I look healthy, and it suits me just fine!


Anyway, just sharing. :) I have a pretty extensive “Fitness” folder on pinterest if you are needing ideas or motivation for yourself!

So what’s your story? Have any great workout routines or moves you want to share?? :)

xo,kass

Health Report: Workout DVDs

I am sad to report that I’m not doing the greatest on my healthy eating and exercise. It’s so hard this time of year, but that’s no excuse. I used to go to the gym regularly, but I fell out of that habit and now just don’t really enjoy it. I do have a few at home DVDs that I really enjoy using, but I have to do just that...USE THEM! I am starting to get better about though, so here are a few of my favorites and one recommended to me by a good friend [who dropped 50lbs!].

10 Minute Solution: Pilates
I’ve had this dvd for a couple years and it continues to be tough[probably because I never stick with it]. Truth: Pilates is not easy, especially if you aren't in shape! What I love about this dvd is that there are 5 separate 10 minute workouts that target specific areas. It’s perfect for a busy schedule. The dvd also gives you the option to choose 3 to play consecutively, so that you then have a 30 minute workout. It’s pretty fast paced, but I think a beginner could still follow along.

Jillian Michael’s 6 week Six Pack
Now this is one that kicks your ass. Jillian Michaels is tough, but she produces results. I can’t say for sure if the title of this dvd is true, because I haven’t stuck with it that long. However, I think it could be true, because this dvd works you to your limit. The first couple times I went through it I couldn’t quite keep up and there were a couple moves that continue to be very tough for me. I would say this is not for beginners. You should have some familiarity with work out dvds before you even think of picking up this bad boy. I really plan on keeping up with this one, but doing the same dvd everyday bores the heck out of me, so I will often play music over the dvd after I have a grip on the moves. Just a friendly tip for you! :)

Dance Fitness for Beginners with MaDonna Grimes: African Beat - Latin Heat
I haven’t used this dvd as much, but it’s fun. The title says beginners, but I might say it’s more suited for advanced beginners or intermediates. I followed along with little trouble, but I have a pretty strong history in dance. The other two dvds I listed incorporate strength training, whereas this is just cardio. Which is fine, I like to do this one when my muscles are sore or if I just feel like a pick me up! If you don’t like working out or you think it’s boring this would be a good dvd for you!

Health Report

For the past couple years now, I have been making efforts to be healthier and more active. I officially started this 2 years ago with Weight Watchers Online. I’m going to go ahead and get a little personal now and be completely honest. At my worse I weighed between 165-170 lbs. and I’m only 5’4”. Not good, not good. Of course I didn’t like the way my body looked, but more importantly I wasn’t healthy. With WW I very quickly [but not easily] took off about 10 lbs. and kept it off for a good year or so with the things I had learned. Earlier this year I decided it was time to get serious again and I am happy to report that I am down to 140-145lbs - which is in my healthy weight range, go me!. Unfortunately, my focus has been lacking lately at the worst possible time - HOLIDAY SEASON! I thought it would be beneficial to myself [and hopefully others out there] to do a little biweekly post on health, weight loss and my personal experiences.

Today, I thought I would just talk about tracking calories and a couple sites to help out! First off, tracking calories has been essential to my weight loss, at least in the beginning. I haven’t been doing much of it lately, but I’m starting up again today! When you track your food intake it really puts everything into perspective. It’s right there in front of your face how much crap your eating...or how bad it is for you. It was a major wake up call for me. It shouldn’t have been really, but I guess I just never thought about sodium, calories, and such. I also think it’s just as important to track calories burned, aka. your activity.

Like I said above I started with Weight Watchers, but let’s be honest I’m always broke and cheap, so I did that for a few months and then moved on to some free options.

Sparkpeople.com 

 This is a great community website. I don’t love the interface, but it works. It also has lots of articles packed full of information and tips. When you sign up you will put in your weight, weight loss goals and other information and it will spit out a calorie plan for you. I haven’t used this site in awhile, but I definitely recommend it for when you are just starting out. It has all these goals you track and “stages” that help you build healthy habits. My “healthy habits” are not so great lately, so I think I will be revisiting this site.


Myfitnesspal.com 

This is the site I am currently using, mainly b/c it has a super sweet [and simple] app for my android. There aren’t articles and all in information like SP.com, but there are some good user forums. Basically, this is a calorie counting site/app and it’s my favorite I’ve found so far!

Do you use any online resources to stay on the healthy track?