Weigh In Wednesday 5/28/14

With the short school week and holiday weekend, I celebrated a little more than I should have. I was somewhat mindful of my caloric intake and exercised a lot less that I wanted to. Fortunately, the numbers still reflect my hard work. 

5/21/14 weight: 262.2

5/21/14 BMI: 39.9

Current weight: 257.7

Current BMI: 39.2

WEEKLY LBS. LOST: 4.5

Weekly % of body weight lost: 1.72%

Weekly BMI decrease: 0.7

Starting Weight: 305.5

Starting BMI: 46.4

TOTAL LBS. LOST: 48.3

Total % of body weight lost: 15.65%

May's "Bike Your Ass Off" Challenge: 165/200 miles complete! as of 5/27/14 

35 miles to go!

Day 17 of NEW 90 Day Challenge!

5/12 starting weight 269.8

Current Weight 257.5

Challenge Weight Loss: 12.1

% Loss: 4.5%

Weigh In Wednesday 5/21/14

BMI IS OUT OF THE 40'S!!! 

Going to crush the "Bike Your Ass Off" Challenge!

5/7/14 weight: 264.3

5/7/14 BMI: 40.2

Current weight: 262.2

Current BMI: 39.9

WEEKLY LBS. LOST: 2.1

Weekly % of body weight lost: 0.8%

Weekly BMI decrease: 0.3

Starting Weight: 305.5

Starting BMI: 46.4

TOTAL LBS. LOST: 43.3

Total % of body weight lost: 14.2%

May's "Bike Your Ass Off" Challenge: 143/200 miles complete!

Day 9 of NEW 90 Day Challenge!

Weigh In Wednesday 5/14/14

I know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that this week's weight was sabotaged by yours truly. Over Mother's Day weekend, I overindulged on foods I had no business eating in the first place. I accept it. I own it. I learn from it. I move on.

HOPEFULLY BY NEXT WEEK I WILL MOVE MY BMI OUT OF THE 40s!!!

5/7/14 weight: 266.1

5/7/14 BMI: 40.5

Current weight: 264.3

Current BMI: 40.2

WEEKLY LBS. LOST: 1.8

Weekly % of body weight lost: 0.7%

Weekly BMI decrease: 0.3

Starting Weight: 305.5

Starting BMI: 46.4

TOTAL LBS. LOST: 41.2

Total % of body weight lost: 13.5%

May's "Bike Your Ass Off" Challenge: 81.4/200 miles complete

Day 3 of NEW 90 Day Challenge!

You are what you eat!

You are what you eat!

I'm sure you've heard this phrase a million times from a million different people. I know I have. However, this morning, I have finally (and unfortunately) have come to terms with the full meaning of those words and the truth they possess.

It all started on Friday. My day went as usual. I had breakfast, went to the gym, went home, and had lunch. Dinner was good too. I fell into an old habit and had a few beers, putting me outside of my calorie budget. Saturday morning I went for a walk/run and had a good breakfast. I skipped lunch because I knew we were going out for dinner. That's where I made my first mistake. By time we got to where we were going, I was so hungry that "fat girl" mode kicked in and I wanted everything on the menu. It started with a cocktail and potato skins, followed by a beer and chicken wings with french fries and coleslaw, finished up with another beer. Sunday (Mother's Day) started out pretty good. Went for 1.5 mile walk/run and had a good breakfast. Went out with my sister and the three kids. Started out great, but then one of them had a meltdown and we had to leave Walmart. We ended up at the grocery store, buying subs and a few other items needed for the day and week, including two bags of potato chips. By time we got home, I was starving! I had half of a sub on wheat bread, no mayo, etc., good choices. While putting the groceries away, I tore into the potato chips and began to gobble them by the handful. RED ALERT! Originally, sister and I planned for salads with grilled shrimp for dinner, but by the time we were done in the pool with the kids, that changed to pizza. Stuffed crust, meat lovers pizza... not one slice... not two slices, but three slices. AND MORE COCKTAILS! To end the weekend, we had dessert. Not just any dessert, but banana splits... with all the toppings. 

I was so full when I went to bed. That should have been the first indication that I was not going to have a good night/morning. To make a long story short, I ended up with gas, indigestion, and heartburn. I was awakened early in the morning with the urge to vomit. I did end up vomiting and then the diarrhea started. I was in and out of the bathroom for a couple of hours before everything stopped. I was able to go back to sleep. Once I woke up again, I had a headache. I had to fight through to get the kids off to school and get myself to the gym.

Monday is usually my "balls-to-the-wall" day in the gym! On a regular Monday, I get in and hit it with no issues along the way. Today was a totally different story. I almost talked myself out of going to the gym. Red flag #1. I felt so fatigued, sluggish, and just all around blah. I took me a good bit of time to get into the routine. I wasn't motivated. I wasn't pushing. I was just going through the motions of what I was doing. Biking 10 miles, for example, usually takes me 40 minutes. Today it took me over an hour. I finally finished my workout and still felt like crap. Ugh.

At this point, you may be wondering what the point of this story is. It's simple. You are what you eat. After 3 months of healthy eating and working out, it took one day to throw my body out of whack. I put bad stuff in and got nothing but bad in return. Healthy eating is the most important thing you must do in order to get in shape. You've got to fuel the machine to get the results. The better the fuel, the better the engine will run and you will get a lot more out of it. Needless to say, I won't be making this mistake ever again!

In fitness and in health,

Fat2FitMama

Challenge Post 1 - What I've learned about FOOD and DRINK

I'm sure I have skeptics wondering how I managed a 40 pound loss in 90 days without the use of "magic pills", wraps, shakes, etc. My answer is simple. Hard work and dedication!

This week, I will share with you what I learned about food and drink.

Before I began this journey (again), I ate and drank whatever I wanted, in whatever portion I desired. I gained 50 pounds in the matter of a few short months. I saw the scale tip 300 pounds and had to pick my jaw up off the floor. That's when I decided to do something about it.

The first thing I did was get on MyFitnessPal and started logging what I ate. The first day was a HUGE eye opener. The things I was putting in my were outrageous. Calories, sodium, sugar, carbs, everything was off the charts and at the end of the day, it made me realize how the weight piled on so fast.

I could lie and said I talked to a nutritionist or others and got their takes on nutrition, but that simply wasn't the case. It's common knowledge that fruits and vegetables are good for you. That was a no brainer. Add more fruits and veggies to my diet. I did research on produce to find which were more nutritionally sound. After that I researched different sources of protein. Again, pretty common knowledge there. Eat meat, beans, or peanut butter. BUT, I did begin to research the leanest meats. I began to read labels, religiously, like it was my job. I always wanted to get the biggest bang for my calorie buck, especially since I was on a calorie budget.

A HUGE PART of eating healthier is PORTION CONTROL!!! This was such a challenge for me. I had the "fat girl" mentality and wanted to eat an entire chicken breast or half a box of macaroni and cheese in one meal. I couldn't have been more wrong. Reading your labels can help you with this too. Always read the serving size!

Best advice I can give you is as follows:
- Try to limit your intake of sugary drinks.
- Do most of your shopping around the perimeter of the store. It has the freshest products. If you can't do fresh veggies, use frozen. Steam in a bag frozen veggies are super convenient and the next best thing to fresh. In my house, we use half fresh, half frozen. There are 7 of us in the house and it can get costly.
- Read the label of everything you consume or put into a recipe. NEVER be afraid to swap for something healthier.
- Research portion sizes on things that aren't labeled such as fresh meat and produce.
- The less ingredients something has, the best it is for you, closer to natural.

Personal changes I made to my diet:
- Dannon Light & Fit Greek yogurt is my stuff! LOVE, LOVE, LOVE.
- Swapped out cow's milk. Swapped in almond/coconut milk.
- Drink water all day long. I will have a soda or tea every now and again.
- No white rice, bread, pasta. I swapped it all for whole wheat or brown rice.
- Experimented with new veggies and ways to prepare them.
- Researched food/ingredient swaps. Asking "How can I make this healthier?"
- I always compare labels to see how I can get the biggest bang for my calorie buck.

I am sure there will be a part 2 to this blog. It's late and my brain is beginning to shut down. LOL

I am excited to pass this along to all of you in my challenge group. Let's kick so much ass our feet hurt!
Fat2FitMama

NEW 90 Day Challenge starting 5/12/14

I cannot be more excited! Since I've shared the results and progress picture of my first 90 day challenge, I have been asked by some friends to host a 90 day challenge. I've got a group of women who are ready to hit the ground running next Monday!

There will be new challenge every week involving diet, water, cardio, and/or strength that I will be doing along side everyone in our group. Looking forward to the first week!

Fat2FitMama

Weigh In Wednesday 5/7/14

This was a good week. It seems that I am back on track to "losing weight", even though I am building muscle too! Next week we will see the final result of the "Lose 30 in 90" Challenge!

4/30/14 weight: 269.8

4/30/14 BMI: 41.0

Current weight: 266.1

Current BMI: 40.5

WEEKLY LBS. LOST: 3.7

Weekly % of body weight lost: 1.4%

Weekly BMI decrease: 0.5

Starting Weight: 305.5

Starting BMI: 46.4

TOTAL LBS. LOST: 39.4

Total % of body weight lost: 12.9%

May's "Bike Your Ass Off" Challenge: 30/200 miles complete

Day 87 of "Lose 30 in 90" Challenge!

Transformation Tuesday 5/6/14

MAKE SURE YOU READ ALL THE WAY TO THE END. AMAZING THINGS AT THE END!!

May has started off with a bang!

This week has been full of win in many aspects of my life. Even though I am having difficulties finding a job, I am holding my head up and focusing on the things I can control, outside of sending off resumes. I went back to school today, pursuing my bachelor's degree in Communications/Journalism. My kids are doing well, even though the boy child was feeling under the weather last night.

HOWEVER, this blog is mostly about the journey of this Fat2FitMama and I intend to put some focus into posting at least every 2-3 days with different things, not just weigh-ins.

Today's post is all about #transformationtuesday and reflecting on how far I've come since February. In my life, transformation is happening in so many ways and I am over the moon. The month of May will be my bitch and bring on so many more awesome things.

On May 3rd, I completed my first 5k. Notice I didn't say ran, but COMPLETED. That was a big achievement. When I was over 300 pounds and first started in the gym, I had a hard time completing 10 minutes on the treadmill.

I find that setting goals and challenges for myself are the best way to motivate me to achieve my ultimate goals. Since my goal for last month was to do the 5k, I was on the treadmill and walking/running outside ALOT. I wish I knew how many miles I logged. Now that it's done, I am staying off the treadmill this month. I may get outside and walk/run a little here and there, but I have sworn off the treadmill. INSTEAD, I have challenged myself to bike my ass off and bike 200 miles. On top of this, I am also completing a "Melt Your Muffin Top" challenge that consists of multiple abdominal workouts through out the month.

Today is the 6th and I am still on top of it all! I've completed 20 miles so far and have done each ab exercise as challenged! I won't go on about weight loss in this post. That will come tomorrow.

It has become a point in my life to serve as an inspiration, role model, and motivator to those who are trying to lose weight and/or live a healthier lifestyle. I pass the tools along. Use MyFitnessPal app, eat well, and work your ass off. You can do anything you put your mind to. I have started using Instagram (@hoteffinmess) throughout the day to capture what I do and how I do it, again to serve as an inspiration and positive role model for those who are following me. A good example of this happened today. I don't just talk about what to do, I do it, and prove it!

My trip to the grocery store today and my lunch. Notice the sushi (brown rice) in the cart. I was starving by time I got done in the store and wanted something quick, but healthy. Done!

NOW... for the best part of this #transformationtuesday blog post! I haven't done many progress pictures in without a shirt on. I did one on March 25, for the heck of it. On Sunday, I was curious because I noticed that things felt different, but of course I didn't see them. I took another set of shirtless progress pictures and when I compared the two side by side, I had to pick my jaw up off the floor. Excited as I was, I also realized that there are only 40 DAYS between the two.

This just goes to show what determination, hard work, and dedication can achieve. After seeing this, I am a firm believer that if I can do it, anyone can!!!

See you tomorrow for Weigh In Wednesday!

In Fitness and In Health,

Fat2FitMama

May 3, 2014 - Largest NSV to date!

I sit here, almost in tears. On one hand, I am thinking about my dearly departed friend, Caroline. On the other hand, I am incredibly proud of what I accomplished today. LARGEST NON-SCALE VICTORY TO DATE!!!

Today, my sister and I completed our first road race:

Maya Matters (Helping Hands for Kids with Cancer) 5k

Little back story - I lost my middle school best friend to leukemia at the age of 19. I have been involved in fundraising for pediatric cancer patients/families and research for 2 years now... hence my participation in this particular 5k.

3 months and [almost] 40 pounds ago, I would have NEVER imagined I could have jogged/walked 3 miles in under an hour. 

My Race Results:

Time: 50:40:21

Age Group (30-39) Finish: 16

Overall Finish: 114

Not bad for my first race. I am looking forward to participating in more and improving on my time, no doubt!! Gotta get through my challenges for the month of May, biking 200 miles and melting this muffin top.

In fitness and in health,

Fat2FitMama