Changes

Because of all the changes taking place in my life, I have decided to combine my blogs into one.  So that means I am moving this blog's postings to Life Changes.  I look forward to seeing you there.

Back in the Saddle Again

Easter...what a glorious day of celebrating our Lord's Resurrection! We had a beautiful worship service and a magnificent sunny day to spend with family. And boy did we celebrate with family...

We had:
eggs
french toast
bagels with homemade flavored cream cheeses, lox, capers, red onions
spinach pie
breakfast casseroles
chocolate dipped strawberries
dates with goat cheese wrapped in bacon
fruit salad
ham
sausages
lemon pies
cookies
cupcakes
jelly beans
orange juice
grape juice
champagne
wine
V8 juice
coffee
and that is just for brunch

We then came home and I made Easter dinner for family...

We had:
ham
chicken shish kabobs
fresh fruit salad
orange glazed asparagus
cheesy potatoes
deviled eggs
rolls
Texas cake
(The potatoes and ham were brought by a family member)

I am admitting that I did okay, but still ate some things I shouldn't have. So I put on several pounds. (I always put on water weight when I eat ham.) I knew going into this weekend that I would cheat some and gave myself permission. But on Monday I was back to the grind and started all over. Some things had to be given away or I knew that I wouldn't have the self control I needed to stay away from them. I will do my surge training this morning as well as strength training tonight. I am "Back in the saddle again"...

Tomorrow I will post about good fats and the low fat problem.

Keeping On...

Last night was another weigh in and this week I didn't lose anything. Of course I was discouraged, but I shouldn't be, I worked out very hard and ate very well this past week. I also have to remember that I am building muscle. Muscle weighs more than fat...remember that Gina...remember that.

After an intense workout last night and boosting up my surge training today, I am encouraged once again. I feel better over all and am very happy with my progress.

I found out today, that I need to go back on my thyroid medication, so this will be interesting to see if I start losing weight a little quicker. A slow thyroid causes such problems in our bodies. :-(

So for the moment, I am keeping on...

Changes

It has been nine weeks since starting the Biggest Loser program. I can't believe it is nine weeks already. We only go through June 4th.

This week we were asked to email some of the changes we have noticed since starting the program.

Here are some of the changes I have noticed.

So far I have lost 23 pounds and 22 inches.

I can walk up a flight of stairs without running out of breath.

I am sleeping like I did when I was a child.

I have gone down two dress sizes.

My blood pressure has lowered.

No more heartburn.

People are noticing that I am looking thinner.

I have lots more weight to lose, but with the changes that I am seeing, it is giving me the strength and will power to keep going.

It's Happening!

This past week was the fourth week and we had another weigh-in. We were also measured. I have lost a total of 7 lbs. in four weeks (this does not include the weight I lost when I had pneumonia). Out of fifteen contestants (one dropped out), I took the top spot for inches lost......

Dat ta da!!!! Sixteen inches in one month!!! That's what I said, sixteen! I absolutely couldn't believe this, in fact, I had the woman who was measuring me do it again and sure enough, it was a whopping 16 inches over all.

I credit this to the boot camp style calisthenics and the surge training that I do every day. Also, I am really watching what I put in my mouth. I wanted to write down a sample of what I eat.

This is my food intake for a day, but please note that this changes daily.

Breakfast: Steel cut oats, 1/4 cup organic whole milk and one packet of Truvia (sweetener made from the stevia plant)

Mid Morning Snack: Medium orange, one ounce of organic 83% cocoa dark chocolate

Lunch: Tuna wrap made with whole wheat tortilla, tuna, 1/2 pickle, shredded carrots, 1/2 spring mix lettuce, chopped tomato and 1 tsp. Italian Dressing

Mid Afternoon Snack: Handful of grapes

Dinner: Salad with lettuce, cucumbers, tomatoes, avocados, walnuts, shredded white cheese, 2 tbs. organic dressing, grilled chicken, roasted asparagus with lemon and olive oil

Evening Snack: Handful of pecans and fruit of some kind.

As you can see, it is a lot of food. Everything is as natural or organic as possible. Chicken and eggs are organic and free range, meat is grass feed and hormone, antibiotic free. I had a week or so of sugar detox, but after that I have not had any sugar cravings. (We are allowed the one ounce of dark chocolate as long as we eat it late morning or early afternoon). Also, I can have as much fruit and veggies that I want, so some days may be filled with them.

I am really enjoying this!

Sugar, the Evil Food

I had always thought that sugar in low doses, was not too bad for you. Well, I found out just how wrong I was.

Sugar is bad! Period!

In 1980 it was said that "every can of Coke has 9 teaspoons of sugar." Now, twenty years later, every can of coke has 13 teaspoons of sugar. Sugar is also in most of our prepackaged foods, which makes up the bulk of the Standard North American diet.

Did you know that the average American consumes 53 teaspoons of sugar per day? That equals a 5lb bag of sugar every ten days. Sugar is in our pasta sauces, tomato sauces, ketchup, lunch meats, canned soups, condiments and even table salt. White foods, such as white bread, white rice and pasta may not list sugar in their ingredients, but as soon as it hits the digestive tract it turns into sugar within minutes and even thought the government recommends "whole grains", whole wheat bread typically has "whole wheat" added to white flour, which in its simplest form is sugar.

Sugar is addictive and cheap, so guess what manufacturers add to every box of prepackaged food it puts into our grocery stores? That's right sugar.

Don't be fooled, even though natural and organic brands (Organic sugar, honey, maple syrup and cane juice) may be somewhat better, it still has the same negative effect on your body as white sugar.

10 reasons to avoid sugar and refined grains:

1. Sugar is the primary dietary cause of the obesity epidemic.
2. Sugar causes hormonal and metabolic imbalance.


3. Sugar is your fast track to diabetes.


4. Sugar increases the acidity of the body. (All diseases thrive in acidic environments).


5. Sugar is the primary reason for high cholesterol.


6. Sugar causes inflammation.


7. Sugar leads to heart disease.


8. Sugar is an anti-nutrient.


9. Sugar is a known toxin.


10. Sugar promotes cancer.

Scary to say the least. Now, please do not go out and get Equal, Splenda or Sweet and Low, they are far worse for you than sugar.

Surge Training

I am learning so much by being involved with the Biggest Loser program. One day a week we meet together and exercise, have a lecture either about eating or exercising and a devotional. We also get together with our individual teams and pray for one another. It really helps to have others who traveling this journey with me.

This week we learned how to do surge training. It is a type of aerobic exercise with a twist. It has been found that surge training is much more effective that traditional aerobic exercise. Initially you are burning less calories than the traditional type, but over the next three days you are burning so many more calories even when you are working out.

With traditional aerobic exercise you may walk, jog, bike, swim, dance, use the treadmill or elliptical machine for 20, 30, 40 or 50 minutes. With surge training you warm up for 5 min. then you go as fast as you can for 10 seconds, then you go back to a moderate speed for 50 seconds, then as fast as you can for another 10 seconds, then 50 seconds of moderate speed and so on for ten times. After that you cool down for 5 minutes. Then after a few weeks and you are comfortable doing this, you increase the 10 seconds to 15 and reduce the 50 seconds to 45.

I found it is much easier on the bike than treadmill.

I will let you know if I lose more weight doing this than normal.

Exercise, Exercise, Exercise

We weighed in and the result is, drum roll please.... 2 lbs. I was hoping for more, but am satisfied with this. I realise that this is a good and healthy weight loss, so I am happy.

The one thing I want to pass on to everyone is the nonsense idea that it is possible to lose weight without working out. It's not. It's plain and simple. You may lose a bit for a while but statistics show that those who exercise regularly lose twice as much weight as lose who don't. All those fad diets and weight loss programs that say you can lose weight by taking a certain pill or drink a little of this potion is a scam. Those who exercise 30 minutes a day and watch their food intake will see a slow and steady weight reduction.

We laughingly called the Dr. Burlin Jillian, because he was pushing us beyond our comfort levels for an hour. It was good, but I am already sore, so tomorrow will be a bear once again. We are required to do our floor exercises every other day and then 30 minutes of aerobics the opposite days. The one thing they are very strict about is taking Sundays off, we are not to workout on the Lord's day.

So start exercising!!!!

BMR

This first thing I needed to do for my biggest loser homework, was figure out my BMR or basal metabolic rate. This is the amount of energy my body needs to function. With the following formula I was able to calculate the number of calories I can eat every day and maintain my current weight.

This formula is for women, if you are a man and would like the men's formula, just leave a comment and I will post it.

655 + (4.3 x weight in pounds) + (4.7 x height in inches) - (4.7 x age in years) = ____calories

Next calculate your activity level.

• If you are sedentary : BMR x 20 percent
• If you are lightly active : BMR x 30 percent
• If you are moderately active (You exercise most days a week.) : BMR x 40 percent
• If you are very active (You exercise intensely on a daily basis or for prolonged periods.) : BMR x 50 percent
• If you are extra active (You do hard training or are in athletic training.) : BMR x 60 percent

Add this number to your BMR (above calorie number)_____ = Your number: ____ Total Calories to maintain weight.

In order to lose weight, you must create a calorie deficit. It is easier to cut back your calorie intake a little bit at a time. Every 3,500 calories is equivalent to one pound. If you cut back 500 calories a day, you should lose one pound per week. If you exercise to burn off 500 calories you should lose one pound per week. The best way is to do a combination of both. So to lose one pound per week you should cut back 250 calories and burn off 250 calories a day.

A healthy weight lose is .5 - 2 pounds per week.

It Is Finally Here Again

The very first week was cancelled because of weather. So this week will be the very first week instead. I have been trying to it on my own, but to tell you the truth, I need accountability and not from my very fit, very thin, can eat anything he wants including desert every night and cookies for lunch and three snacks a day, husband.

All this week I have made a fruit and protein shake for breakfast. I like these and would drink two if I could get away with it. They are very good for me in moderation.

I am going to walk today...I have to...because I keep putting off the excerise portion of this venture. I went to the doctor's for a check up and she is not very happy with the wheezing in my chest, but says it's okay to workout. I am loaded up on inhalers and other meds and there is no excuse.

Okay, so here we go again.

Update: I walked/ran for 20 minutes today. Phewww...the running part killed me. :-)

It Is Finally Here

I begin Thursday night. The Biggest Loser program at our church. I am excited, nervous, wanting to quit (even though I haven't started as of yet), and so ready to change myself. How can I have all these emotions at the same time? Crazy, I know...

I thought I would chronicle the process. So here it goes...

These are the things that I need to bring to the first meeting:
a mat,
light weight hand held weights,
work-out apparel (clothes that will let you breath,or any kind that you feel comfortable in (wicking is best)),
bottle of water ,
towel if you sweat (YES I DO!!! Just sitting makes me sweat!)
plan on eating something light (with protein and carbs) one to two hours prior to exercise (4:30 - 5:30 p.m.),
we will be working out the very first night and there after, do bring some small amt. protein ( like almonds) for after workout.
notebook

The first night is going to look like this:
Weigh-in ,
Prayer-
Pictures - team pictures (with team shirts on that say Fit 4 Christ) and individual.
Video taping will be done that night as well. (EWWWW!!!)
Devotional - we will be going over the first chapter in the book "What Have You Got to Lose" by Stephen Arterburn
Accountable partners-
All about measurements- how to take them and will do them on each other
Business- T-shirts pass out, money to be collected (small amount to cover measuring tapes and T-shirts)
Work-out - all contestants in the same room for one hour .
Speaker - who will speak on " Emotional Eating", 1/2 hour.
Prayer-

Here is a link for the daily plate, a website where we can calculate our food intake and exercise.

The books we will be using are: What Have You Got To Lose, by Stephen Arterburn and Maximized Living by Dr. B.J. Hardick, Kimberly Roberto, and Dr. Ben Lerner (This book is somewhat controversial)

(I am a little excited, because even though I haven't started the program yet, I have lost 11 lbs. since my interview. Yea, pneumonia will do that.)