The Weight Loss Chronicles: Transformation Tuesday...

In honor of transformation Tuesday, I am writing this post. Over the past year, I have been trying very hard to be healthier, lose weight, and regain my confidence. It's been a struggle I've faced on and off through out my life.

When I finally started to get serious about my weight loss journey, I was consistently in the gym 4-5 times a week and after 3 months I hadn't seen much progress. My measurements fluctuated and I gained about 10lbs. Frustrated and unhappy, I finally decided it was time to talk to a doctor.

In August of last year, the doctor determined I hade hypothyroidism. This wasn't too surprising since my mom was diagnosed with it several years ago. I started taking medication and by the new year my levels were in a normal range. I also made the decision to stop taking birth control at the end of February. Although most doctors say that birth control doesn't contribute to weight gain, I beg to differ. I gained a substantial amount of weight when I first started taking it and should've realized something wasn't right.

Flash forward to March of this year. I still wasn't seeing the results I wanted! After taking a couple of weeks off from the gym, I decided that I needed to stick with it!....and....I AM SO GLAD I DID! 

Over the past 3 months I've lost around 14lbs and I'm still going strong. I've also lost inches everywhere. Over the past month I started taking photos so I could see my progress. I know it may not seem like much but for me it is enough to keep me going!

Disclaimer: these are not photos I would normally be willing to share. Yes the mirror is dirty. Yes I took these right after working out. 

June 3rd vs June 16th

Just between these two pictures, I lost a total of 3 inches over all. Over the last 3 months I've been focusing on eating smaller portions, getting in 30 mins of cardio, and pushing myself at the gym. Even though I'm only there 3 times a week, I make it count! 

So to all of you out there struggling, just keep going! Be consistent and don't give up! After a year I'm finally seeing the results and there were a lot of days I wanted to give up. 

xoxo,

Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Thyroid update...

About two weeks ago I had a follow up appointment with the doctor. I did a retest of my TSH levels as well as testing a couple of other things related to the thyroid. I suspected that the dosage of medication I was on wasn't right. I was still feeling tired more than a normal person should. I also hadn't lost much weight maybe 3-4 lbs. However, my clothes were starting to fit a little better. 

When I met with my doctor, my suspicions became reality. They started me on the lowest dose which didn't make much progress in the 2 months I had been taking it. My TSH levels started around a 5.2 and had only dropped to about 4.5 in 2 months. My doctor informed me that she would like to see that number at a 2. So she upped my prescription from 50 mcg to 75 mcg and I have to retest around the end of January. 

With that being said, I am feeling a little less tired than before. I've been on the higher dose for about two weeks now and my measurements seem to be going down. I haven't had them taken and will probably wait until after Thanksgiving haha! I've also started working with my trainer for an hour every Friday. He paired me up with another woman who has thyroid problems and he works us pretty hard every week.

xoxo,

Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Sometimes doing everything right...

...gets you no where!

After four months of working out 4 times a week, I was hoping my progress would be right on track. Unfortunately, my genetics decided against that plan. From my initial weigh in to August 15th I gained almost 10 lbs. Gaining weight while working out doesn't necessarily mean that something is wrong. Muscle does weigh more than fat, so it is possible. All would've been great except some of my measurements went back up to their original size. This mixed with other symptoms made me wonder if something else was going on with me. 

My mother has a history of hypothyroidism (under active thyroid). Some of the symptoms include itchy skin, brittle nails, tiredness, and weight gain. Knowing this, I met with my doctor and explained everything I had been doing during the last three months. She decided it would be best to have my TSH levels tested, along with a few other things. I had my blood drawn the following day and two days later made a follow up appointment with her to review the results. As I thought, it was under active thyroid. She prescribed me medication and ordered a follow up blood test for two months down the road. I've been taking the medication for a month now and have seen some improvements. My hope is that by the time I see the doctor in two months I've lost the almost 10 lbs I gained.

On another note, I also switched personal trainers. Long story short, mine decided to quit. She was almost 7 months pregnant, in school, and working. I don't blame her for focusing on other important things in life. My new trainer has had me doing some interesting things. For example, he had me switch up my cardio routine. I do a total of 30 mins of cardio every time I go to the gym. Lately I've been doing the treadmill. I walk at a 8 incline and 3 speed for 5 mins and then turn around and walk backwards for 3 mins, same incline but I bump down the speed to a pace I feel comfortable with. I alternate back and froth until I hit my 30 mins.  Doing this will allow you to burn more calories and work muscles that don't normally get worked during cardio.

xoxo,

Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Making changes...

After a six year hiatus, last month I finally joined a gym and signed up for a personal trainer. Even though it can be a bit expensive, it is important to me to be healthy...so I am investing in myself. 

The first couple of weeks, my trainer focused on body weight exercises. Even though I wasn't using any weight, I never left the gym feeling like I could've done more. Today I finally got to see my hard work pay off. We took measurements for the first time in about a month and here are the results:

Bust: 1.5"

Arms: .5"

Waist: 1.5"

Calf: .5"

Overall I am down 4" from where I started. Even though it may not seem like much it's nice to see progress. As a goal oriented person, I like to be able to see where I am improving along the way. It's helpful because some days I feel like I'm not making any progress. So seeing results on paper helps me realize that I'm beginning to accomplish something I've been saying I would do for almost two years now. 

For those of you reading this thinking "I wish I knew what to do or where to start!" Let me help you out a little bit. Below are the first couple of workouts my trainer had me doing. I try to workout 3-4 times a week. I usually start with 10-15 mins of cardio to get my heart going. From there I do about 5-7 different exercises per workout. I rotate between upper and lower body and every workout includes abs. Now for the part you have all been waiting for (if you made it this far haha)...the workouts.

Lower Body & Abs

Body weight squats (3 sets of 10)

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Jump Lunge (2 sets of 20 or 10 per leg)

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Squat Jump (3 sets of 10)

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Hip Lift (3 sets of 10)

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Stability Ball Pass (2 sets of 10)

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Upper Body & Abs

Chest Flys on Stability Ball (3 sets of 10...start out with 5-7lbs if you can)

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Shoulder Press on Stablility Ball (3 sets of 10)

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Dumbbell Chest Press on Stability Ball (3 sets of 10)

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Push Ups (modified if needed) (2 sets of 12)

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Up/Down Plank (2 sets of 12)

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To build my various workouts, I use an app called Fleetly. It's free and pretty user friendly. It has pre-built workouts and you can create your own custom workouts. You can also add new exercises to the constantly growing library. It gives you points and medals for working out. You can even join the various challenges that they have and compete with other users. So if you have a smart phone, iPod, or tablet you NEED to get this app! Also if you add me as a friend, you can keep up with what I am doing and even see some of the workouts I create.

That is all for now. I hope that if you are still reading this I've inspired you to get up an get moving. Being healthy is important, even if you just start by walking for 30 mins a day...at least you are making small changes! I challenge you all to make an effort to be more active with your families, friends, or even co-workers. Get up and MOVE!

Question for the readers: What are some of your favorite exercises that make you feel the burn?!

xoxo,

Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Mama knows best...

I always knew my mother was a smart lady. In a recent conversation with her she said something that made me think differently this time around when it comes to weight loss/being healthy. She said something along the lines of "you have to want to do it for you." She has struggled with her weight ever since I can remember but she has finally decided to be healthier because she WANTS to, not because anyone else told her to do it.

In the past I've always had excuses about why I wasn't exercising or being active....my ankle surgery, too busy with school, too tired, not enough time, etc. Well I finally realized that I needed to MAKE the time to focus on my health. I've always been afraid of becoming so overweight that I wouldn't be able to do things that I enjoy. I want to be healthy when we decide to start a family. I want to fit into my clothes without changing 5 times because I don't like the way my outfit looks on my body. I want to feel comfortable in a swimsuit again. I want to be able to run a marathon one day.

I'm not the type of person that can walk into a gym and know what combination of machines to use in order to get results. Previously, I had a personal trainer who made up my work out schedule. It was EASY! I went to the gym, grabbed my paper, did the workout, and went home. I met with my trainer once a month and we took measurements and weight so I could see the progress. In about 6 months, I had lost around 30-40lbs, gained muscle, toned my body, and went from a size 15 to a size 5-7. That is CRAZY when I think about it! That is where I want to be at the end of all this....and it is where I should be. 

I finally decided to use a Groupon that I had purchased and am SO glad I did. My workouts are organized, target the full body, and include cardio. So far I have gone everyday this week...well except for today because they are not open but I did take Embree for a 2.45 mile walk/run. I am finally remembering what it feels like to WANT to workout. I love the feeling it gives me afterwards. I even love being sore because it shows me that I am ACTUALLY doing something right! I'm hopeful that after my two month period ends that I will have started to see results. A women who also workouts where I am going said, overall, she lost 18 inches in the first month. It is motivating to see and speak with people who are getting results and I can only hope I will see the same. 

xoxo,

Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Shedding lbs

About a week ago, I decided to start the South Beach Diet. After months and months of "trying" to eat healthy, I realized my problem was CARBS! 

I love them! 

All of them! 

Get in my belly you yummy, yummy carbs! 

Once I realized where my problem was, I decided to find a diet/eating program that fixed it! South Beach was the answer. For those of you who aren't familiar with South Beach, there are three phases of eating. Phase 1 lasts two weeks and you cut out ALL carbs! That's right no bread, corn, carrots, fruit, or anything that has copious amounts of carbs. 

I'll admit the first couple of days I would've killed someone for a In N Out burger...ok maybe not really...but I was SOOOOOOOO hungry even though I was eating 6 meals a day. After the cravings went away, it seemed to be fairly easy. Instead of making sandwiches, I make lettuce wraps. Instead of eating a hamburger, I eat a chicken breast. 

While it may seem VERY limiting, I keep telling myself that its only for two weeks! And let me tell you, it has been WORKING! That's right! For the first time in a long while, I have finally started to loose pounds consistently. In the first week, I lost around 5lbs. This week, I started running with Embree (FYI: I have been saying I was going to do this for MONTHS)! I even got Matthew to start working out with me and since I cook dinner most nights, he has been eating healthier than usual! At the end of the week I start Phase 2. I'm excited to be able to eat fruit again!

xoxo,

Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Saying Goodbye to Sugar...

Surprisingly enough, sugar is quite bad for our bodies. Now I know there are certain sugars that are kind of hard to avoid. According to this article, our bloodstreams convert sugar into 5 times more fat than if we were to consume starch!

I've recently decided to give up most sugar....well for 5 days of the week that is! I would NEVER be able to quit cold turkey. There are just some days that I need a sugary bite of goodness to make it through.  I say most sugar meaning unnecessary sugar ie: soda, candy, cake, cereal, etc. So far I've been doing pretty well (I'm only in week 2) lol! Last night I had a small brownie and was pretty much sick to my stomach after I ate it....probably a good thing I'm doing this challenge. 

xoxo,

Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Smoothies for Breakfast

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. We've all heard this many times before but for me it is one of the hardest meals of the day. In the morning I'm running around trying to get ready for work, taking care of Embree, and sometimes packing lunches. By the time I have to leave the house, there is no time for me to make something to eat. Usually I just skip breakfast all together and then I'm starving the rest of the day!

Recently I've seen and pinned a lot of smoothie recopies on Pinterest and decided I was going to make smoothie bags to simplify my life in the morning. Surprisingly, they were pretty cheap and easy to assemble and I now have breakfast for the next 24 days. There are many how to's out there on the interweb about making smoothie bags. I personally followed this one but instead of using ice cube trays, I used a muffin tin. 

When I went to the store I purchased a 64 oz bag of frozen strawberries, pineapple, bananas, yogurt, spinach, and almond milk. I bought the frozen fruit because it was slightly cheaper than buying it fresh, even with the sale that was going on. When I got home I divided up the yogurt into the muffin tin. Since I used a standard size muffin tin I was able to fill each cup with about 1/2 of a yoplait yogurt container. I chose to buy different flavored yogurt because I've tried making smoothies before with plain or vanilla and it just wasn't for me. Once the yogurt was in the tin, I put it in the freezer and started dividing up the fruit. I cut each banana in half and then into smaller pieces so it would be easier to blend. Then I add about 2 cups of fruit to each bag. Once the yogurt was frozen I added them to each bag.

I placed one smoothie bag in the refrigerator before I went to sleep. That way it will somewhat thaw out before I blend it up in the morning. If its not completely thawed in the morning, you can let it sit on the counter while you're getting ready. When I was ready to blend it up I added a handful of spinach to the blender first. To help blend the spinach I added about a cup of almond milk, you could also use water if needed. Once the spinach was blended up into a nice liquid, I added the contents of my smoothie bag and blended until it was the thickness that I like. You can add more almond milk if need to aid in blending. Surprisingly enough, I was unable to taste the spinach in my smoothie this morning and now I don't have to think about what I want to eat in the morning because it's already made.

xoxo,

Megs 

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Been a while...

Oh my it has been a while since I've been able to do any type of physical fitness. Having 18 credits, an internship, a part time job, a new puppy, and being a newly wed has kept me quite busy over the last few months. Now that the semester is pretty much over, I have sometime to breathe! Oh and Groupon decided to send me an email about a boot camp class that was offering 6 weeks for only $35!!! Normally this boot camp costs around $200 so what did I do....I bought it! They have classes twice a day, three times a week and you can attend as many as you would like. Because of my schedule this summer, I will only be able to attend the night class! I'm excited to try this out and see if I get any results!

xoxo,


Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Getting back on track...again & again...

Well...it's been a while since I posted about my weight loss efforts. I was doing good for a while, but once school started I was just too busy! I had a lot on my plate...well I still do but I have more time to focus on getting fit.

Recently, Matthew & I were watching late night tv and saw a story on this guy. His journey is quite incredible and inspirational. He is a personal trainer from Utah who decided to gain weight (50-60lbs) during a six month period and then teach everyone how to lose that weight. He is posting EVERYTHING....work out plans, diet menus, pictures of progress, etc. It is really an interesting concept! If you have time and want to learn more about it, check out his website.  

He just started his weight loss phase on November 5th. I plan on using his plans to further my weight loss. Also, I have been using weight watchers for the last few weeks. It has helped me lose a few pounds and maintain my weight the weeks I wasn't doing so well.

xoxo,
Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Finding the Time

At the start of every week, I tell myself "Self, this is the week you are going to be fully dedicated to working out! No more excuses!" Realistically, I would love to make it to the gym every day. However, there is not enough time in the day to do everything I need to do. With the wedding inching closer and closer, my days seem to have be busier and busier. Starting a new job didn't help too much either. This week I've done better by getting to the gym to lift weights twice already and I've been keeping close tabs on my eating habits. Although, it is hard to say no to Otter Pops!!! I just love those things!!

The other day I decided to hop on the scale to see if I had made any progress. To my surprise, I had dropped 1lb!!! I know that is not a lot but to me it was. At the beginning of July, we took a week vacation to California. When we got back, I was let go from my job, got sick for two weeks, and started a new job! I didn't have much time to make it to the gym with all of that going on. So I was surprised to see the number down from the original starting point!

Now I just need to keep this motivation going! School will be starting up next week and I will be busier than ever! I'm going to continue to try and make it to the gym a few times a week. Hopefully the numbers on the scale will continue to go down!

xoxo
Megs

The Weight Loss Chornicles: Falling off the bandwagon...

....and getting right back on!

Yes it's true, I somewhat fell off the bandwagon. The last week and a half, it was really hard for me to stay on track. I was really stressed about getting our invitations out but now that they have arrived at their destinations, I can get back to going to the gym. Yesterday, I finally set up some appointments with a personal trainer. Hopefully this will keep me on track and motivated. I'm excited to start working towards my fitness goals.

xoxo,

Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: Sweating Like An Oldie

A couple of weeks ago, I bit the bullet and joined a gym. I know...I know...I said I would never join a gym again, but the reality of it is that I needed better exercise equipment because the sorry excuse for a "gym" we have at our apartment complex just wasn't cutting it! Also, I joined a local, family owned gym...no corporate BS here! Just friendly people!

This week was the first week I worked out there. As usual, I received a free personal training lesson just for joining. And of course I used it asap! From my previous experience with a personal trainer, it is totally worth the money! I mean think about it...in about six months I lost around 30lbs, dropped 4 pants sizes, and two cup sizes. I was in great shape! Anyways, the initial consultation basically shows you some exercises that help strengthen certain areas of your body. All the exercises I was shown, I was very familiar with. I was actually quite surprised that I hadn't lost as much muscle as I thought I had. For example, on the leg press machine, the weight was set around 110lbs and I did 3 reps of 12. When I was in great shape, I believe I could do around 200lbs or maybe even more. Finding out that I wasn't as weak as I thought I was going to be was good motivator for me. I'm pretty sure I'm going to sign up for some type of personal training, their prices are pretty decent. Depending on how many you buy, you can get them as low as $30 per an hour session. I just haven't decided on how many session I want will need.

 On another note, as I've been attending this gym more and more, I've noticed a plethora of older people. I think this is another reason I feel more motivated to work out. I don't have to worry about being hit on while using a machine or feel self conscious about how I look in my clothes. I just go and sweat with the oldies!

Today was a great day of working out. I lifted weights for about an hour and then hit up the elliptical for cardio. I stayed on the elliptical for 30 minutes and burned around 240 calories. That's an average of eight calories a minute! Go me! And I felt like I could keep going! So this brought me to my next question, How many calories would I need to burn per a day to lose 1-2lbs in a week. Once I got home, I googled this of course. I found this website, which states that you need to burn 3500 calories a week or 500 calories a day (3500/7) to lose about 1lb of fat a week. Remember that it must be 500 calories above what you are taking in. To keep track of how much I'm taking in vs burning, I've been using this app. So far today, I've burned roughly 2,629 calories and eaten about 1,607 calories. That means today I've burned around 1,022 calories! Holy Smokes! I'm so proud of myself and can't wait to see what I can do tomorrow.

Until next time....

xoxo

Megs

The Weight Loss Chronicles: And So The Journey Begins

Like most women out there, I like to think there is a way to wish yourself thin. Or perhaps there is a magic pill that I can take and make all this weight magically disappear. It's hard to think that the 30lbs I worked so hard to loose a couple years ago has magically returned. But then again, I also thought I could quit working out and some how manage to stay thin. Don't get me wrong, most days I am ok with the way I look. Even with the wedding less than five months away, I still manage to feel confident in myself (most days). Perhaps it has to do with my awesome fiancé who will always love me no matter what I look like or the fact that most days I don't feel as overweight as I am.

It wasn't until recently that I finally started to feel motivated to get in shape again. Why all of a sudden become motivated you ask? I just happened to catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror the other day while at work and I had to do a double take because I could've sworn they replaced the real mirror with a fun house mirror! Although I'd like to think I'll be at an ideal weight soon, I know that it will take a lot of hard work, sweat, and determination. I'm not trying to be model thin or anything crazy, I just want to be healthy again. I want to be able to walk around without my thighs rubbing together or getting winded from jogging for a few minutes. I want to be healthy! I want to feel confident in myself again. I want to enjoy summer without feeling like a beach whale.

To start my weight loss journey, I decided that I needed to dedicate four days to working before I knew I was serious. Last week I accomplished that! I worked out four days out of the week and also kept track of what I was eating. I'd like to say that I was able to work out for at least an hour but I think forty five minutes was pretty good for my first week. This week I have started using Isagenix again. While I'm not doing a complete 30 Day Cleanse, I will be replacing two meals each day with a Isalean Shake. Also I've added a supplement that helps kick start your metabolism. For the first two weeks, I'm going to drink the Isagenix Cleanse twice a day (once in the morning and again in the evening). Since I have a hard time not eating, I'm hoping this will be easier and still beneficial. The next two weeks I'm going to try setting aside a day that I can actually cleanse all day. Cleansing your body not only rids it of harmful toxins, it can also help reduce water weight and generally make you feel better all around.

Since it's hard to see results day after day, I have taken my measurements and some pictures (that I'm to embaressed to post now) for reference. My hope is that by the end of this journey, I can lose the 40lbs I've gained over the last few years. I also want to be able to fit in all my old clothes again, since they are just taking up space right now. I know that this will not be an easy or short process, but I know in the end it will be worth it again. I hope that anyone who is reading this series will be able to find motivation or information that is helpful to them.

Starting Weight: 160(ish)lbs                  

Goal Weight: 125(ish)lbs

Height: 5' 2" [on a good day :) ]

Starting Measurements

Bust: 38"

Hips: 40"

Waist: 34"

Neck: 14"

Until next time.....

xoxo

Megs

C25K

I have decided that I need to start exercising a little bit more. I came across this running program called Couch 2 5K. Since then I have been thinking about starting it. For about 2 or 3 years now, I have been saying I want to run a marathon. Which, if you know me, is really bizarre for me to say! haha! I HATE running! But I think that I finally found a way to ease into! Couch 2 5K is a 9 week running program that requires you to run 20 - 30 minutes, 3 times a week.

I read that to maintain your current weight, you need to do 30 minutes of physical activity 3 times a week. Because I want to get into better shape, I've also decided that I am going to start Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I plan on alternating between both because I tend to get pretty bored with the same thing every day.

I suspect that I will probably have to repeat a couple of weeks in the Couch 2 5K running program but hope that I can keep with it! And once I graduate the C25K, maybe I might start their 10K running program. Don't worry, I'll keep you all posted on how I'm doing :)

xoxo
Megs