Wednesday, October 31, 2001

I am nervous about weighing-in tomorrow and taking my measurements. I'm afraid I will see another gain. I did not stay OP as planned this week so it won't be a surprise if I do see a gain. Though I do wonder why the exercise wouldn't keep me from gaining. It's not like I'm eating tons of food like I used to. I am still making wise decisions but once in awhile I am eating a bit too much. I'm not sure how I feel about WW anymore. I didn't even count my points today though I know that I stayed in my point range. I am doing good with keeping up with the exercise routine and am getting my second wind and feel back on track much better than the past week. Anyway, I will for sure continue with the exercise on a daily basis, but I'm not sure about WW. I will try to stick with WW at least until my trip to Floriday, but after that I'm not sure. Of course I'm bound to change my mind in the morning. :)

Posted by Leah @ 09:22 PM CST [Link]

Tuesday, October 30, 2001

Today was a scheduled rest day, but I decided to do a light workout anyway. My workouts have really been skimpy lately, and I've had too many rest days. I really don't have any excuse. I am slowly losing my motivation. I still want to exercise, but I'm not enjoying it like I did the past 2 months, and that scares me. I am hoping that I'm just in a slump. I'm going to order a couple new videos and see if that helps. Maybe I just need something different. I've also been thinking about adding a weight lifting routine into my workout rather than waiting until the new year. Maybe this will help too. So I will either order some new videos or I will develop a weight lifting routine.

I did not stay OP yesterday due to the fact that I went out last night. I have such a huge negative balance in my bank right now that I doubt I'll make it up by Thursday's weigh-in. I will stay OP today and tomorrow for sure though.

Posted by Leah @ 11:15 AM CST [Link]

Saturday, October 27, 2001

I had a pretty good workout today, much better than other days this week. I'm still not feeling 100% though. I've been smoke free for 13 days now, and the cravings are virtually gone. Any other time I've quit, I would still be craving them, very crabby, and antsy. Those things don't seem to be happening now. I've been feeling fairly relaxed and I'm sure it's due to exercising and eating healthier.

I did not stay OP yesterday as I went out for lunch with mom at one of my favorite diners, which I hadn't eaten at for many months. Anyway, I ordered my favorite chicken fillet with brew fries and ranch dressing. Then mom and I split a piece of butterscotch pie. It was worth every point! I have a wedding to go to tonight so I doubt I'll stay OP today either. But I will make up for it over the next few days.

Posted by Leah @ 11:59 AM CST [Link]

Friday, October 26, 2001

You know, I still don't feel quite up to par. I have never had a headache last this long. So my workouts have really suffered this week. I'm starting to lose some of my motivation, I fear. I don't feel that excitement every morning before exercising lately. I'm not sure if it's because I don't feel well or if I am losing my drive. Plus I am showing another weight gain this week, which is ticking me off. I have been faithfully staying OP and have been exercising some (not as much as usual though) so I'm not sure how I could be gaining. This is what happens every time I quit smoking. I have gained 15 pounds each time I tried to quit last year. That's 30 pounds and what is causing myself to be overweight. So I am feeling discouraged again. I'm going to keep plugging away though as at least I don't have to weigh-in until next Thursday. I better see some sort of loss, especially if I stay OP that whole time.

Posted by Leah @ 07:09 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, October 25, 2001

Well it's day 3 of my migraine and the last day. It's eased up considerably. I still didn't feel the greatest while working out so I didn't go for as long as I wanted.

I stayed OP yesterday and banked some points. I will be staying OP today too. I guess that's one good thing about being sick LOL. I am still seeing another weight gain though, which makes me unhappy. I can only hope I work it off before my weigh-in next Thursday.

Posted by Leah @ 01:23 PM CST [Link]

Wednesday, October 24, 2001

I did call in sick today. It's a good thing I got my workout done as the migraine is worse. I'll probably have it tomorrow also if it goes according to schedule. I hope not though as I've taken way too many rest days lately.

I stayed OP yesterday and plan to today as well. I am very bloated up though and can see another gain this week. I know it's because I quit smoking, and it sucks. I am eating right and still doing my exercises (most of the time) so I should not gain. Plus I'm drinking tons of water so not sure why I'm bloated either. Guess it's a good thing I won't be weighing myself until the following Thursday.

Posted by Leah @ 12:41 PM CST [Link]

I had a scheduled rest day yesterday and it's a good thing as I have a migraine. I still have it today but did my workout anyway. I am seriously thinking of calling in sick to work, but my mom is the boss LOL. She'll probably make me work tomorrow instead, which would suck. I'm still smoke free. I'll update my site later with my exercise.

Posted by Leah @ 07:39 AM CST [Link]

Monday, October 22, 2001

I gained 1 pound this week and lost 4/8 inches. I am not upset though as I did not stay OP at all, I took a few days off from exercise, and I did eat more as I quit smoking. I will stay OP this week. I am changing my weigh-in day to Thursday starting next week. So I will not weigh-in next Monday as planned. I always go out on Monday nights and really need to have some points banked. Plus that way if I go out to eat on the weekends, I'll have some time to really watch what I eat before weighing-in.

On the plus side, I have quit smoking and did not crave one at all yesterday. I did smoke 2 ciggs. when I went out on Saturday night for steak as we ran into my dad and it was too hard to resist with him sitting next to me all night. I had done so good when we went out Friday night! There was just too much going out this weekend. About once a month Shawn gets a 4 day weekend and that's when we go out with friends and have fun. Anyway, I figure I will only crave ciggs. really bad when someone I am with is smoking. As long as I know there is a possibility of me borrowing one, then that's trouble. But I don't care. If I do have one every once in awhile, that will be fine with me. The good thing is only a couple of Shawn's friends smoke. At least I am not addicted anymore as the nicotine (sp) is out of my system. Over time, I will be able to resist them completely.

Posted by Leah @ 09:04 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, October 21, 2001

I am dreading my weigh-in tomorrow. I know I did not lose weight but haven't checked in days. I haven't stayed OP though so I don't expect a loss. I had gone out to eat 3 times this week so I really blew it. Plus I didn't exercise the past 2 days. It's not that I haven't wanted to but I was so busy with other stuff that I guess I ran out of time. I know that if I don't have time to exercise in the morning to forget it as it's not likely to happen in the afternoon or evening. But I will be back on track starting tomorrow. I just hope I don't need to report too large of a gain.

Posted by Leah @ 09:36 PM CST [Link]

Friday, October 19, 2001

I forgot to mention that I tried on some of my size 12 jeans today, and I can fit into one (they run big) of them!! I had tried them on a few weeks ago and couldn't get them closed. I haven't been able to wear these pants since last Fall. Woohoo!! I need to lose about another 10 lbs. before I can fit into all my jeans. After that I'll need to go shopping for smaller sizes. :)

Posted by Leah @ 02:02 PM CST [Link]

I had my best workout ever! I really feel like exercising these cigg. cravings right out of my system so that's what I did. I've decided to leave my workout rotation blank for a few weeks and do what I'm in the mood to do. It seems I'm always changing it anyway because I get sore or feel like working something a little harder. I really pushed myself today because I see a 1 pound gain. Plus I am super bloated. This always happens when I quit smoking, but I thought with all the water I'm drinking and all the exericises I'm doing that it wouldn't happen. But it is. So I am fighting back with more exercise.

I'm doing great with the no smoking. Today is day 4 so I made it past my worst day, day 3. I'm hardly craving them at all and I am not overeating either. I stayed OP yesterday and even banked some points, which I badly need as I have a fairly big negative balanace. Shawn wants to go out for fish tonight, plus we are going out Saturday for steak, and then Sunday to a Packer party so I really could have used some banked points. I will do my best. I don't care if I don't see a loss this week, but I do not want to see a gain.

Posted by Leah @ 10:30 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, October 18, 2001

This is day 3 of no smoking. I kind of feel crappy today. I'm a little sick to my stomach and have a slight headache. This is usually my worst day. I am doing much better than the other times I've tried to quit smoking though.

I had a really good workout today despite the fact I don't feel well. I did not stay OP again yesterday. I have yet to stay OP this week. I'm cutting myself some slack (just a bit) this week since I am trying to quit smoking. I'm really going to buckle down next week to make up for it. Meanwhile, I will try to stay OP today. I really need to get some points banked as I have a huge negative right now.

Posted by Leah @ 07:32 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, October 17, 2001

Well I made it through day 1 without a cigg. The cravings are not as strong as they usually are when I try to quit. I usually have the most trouble on the third day, and wouldn't you know I work tomorrow so I hope I can stay busy and not cave in. I'm doing okay. I had really cut down the past few weeks to about 1 pack every 4 days so I'm not craving them all the time.

I did not stay OP yesterday though it wasn't because I quit smoking. Shawn and I ate at Taco Bell which put me over my points. I'm going to buckle down for the rest of this week as Shawn and I are going out Saturday night to my favorite steak restaurant so I'll need to bank some points.

I had a pretty good workout today. Believe it or not I'm still sore from my Cardio Sculpt video that I did on Sunday! I knew I got a good workout from that video, but I didn't realize how good. That goes to show how out of shape I still am.

I am very happy with my weight loss. I'm seeing a difference in my hips and thighs mainly. I still have my blubbery stomach though and wish that would go down. I did not always carry weight there so I'm hoping the next 10 pounds will really make my gut smaller.

Posted by Leah @ 09:31 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, October 16, 2001

Day 1 of no smoking. So far so good, though it is still morning :p. I'm not craving one yet, so we'll see.

Today is my scheduled rest day so no exercising for me. If I start craving a cigg. though I might jump on the elliptical machine. Please pray for me that God gives me the strength to do this!

Posted by Leah @ 10:42 AM CST [Link]

Monday, October 15, 2001

Good morning!! I lost 3 pounds and 1 2/8 inches. I am thrilled with this progress especially since I did not stay OP for 3 of those days. I have been doing a lot of aerobics this week so guess that helped. I am finally starting to notice my weight loss. It's so hard because I'm so tall so losing 14 pounds really doesn't show too much. On the flip side, gaining 14 pounds didn't show that much either. I'll have to lose another 15 pounds or so before anyone starts noticing my loss.

I am resolving to stay OP this week. I have decided to quit smoking tomorrow. It's time. I've been trying to prepare myself for the big day for 2 weeks now. I am doing this for my health now, which is a first for me. I really want to quit this time. I have been feeling so much better since exercising that it bothers me what those ciggs are doing to my body. This time I am not replacing my ciggs with food. The last 2 attempts at quitting resulted in my 30 pound gain. Not this time. I am going to stay OP this week even if it kills me.

I forgot to mention that I'm in a new point range now 20-25 points. *ack*

Posted by Leah @ 07:34 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, October 14, 2001

I completed my new Crunch Cardio Sculpt today, and it was much harder than I thought it would be. I'm very happy with it. I really got a nice all around toning workout in a short 30 minutes. I also tried my new Denise Austin Pilates video. I only made it through 15 minutes of the 20 minute workout. I just cannot get into that slow motion. I am going to force myself to do it at least once a week though as I really do need that stretching. I really need some flexibility in my body!

I did not stay OP again yesterday. I went over a point or two. I am not worried though. For some strange reason, I am still seeing a loss of weight. Any loss is good at this point. I'd love to lose 2 pounds per week, but if I only lose 1, I'm happy. I hope to be able to stay OP next week. :)

Posted by Leah @ 10:07 AM CST [Link]

Saturday, October 13, 2001

I just love my Peak Fat Burning Video! I really pushed myself today and I am a sweaty pig. I had said I would not weigh myself, but I can't help myself. I really want to keep my eye on my weight each day though I do understand my weight will fluctuate a couple pounds here and there. Anyway, I am still seeing a loss this week, and I'm thrilled.

It's a miracle because I did not stay OP the past 2 days. I knew I would not on Thursday as I went out for Mexican food, but I also did not stay OP yesterday. My bank balance is somewhere around a -8 or so at the moment. I really think I'm still seeing a loss mainly because I am doing more aerobics than I was before. Plus I was so incredibly out of shape so I was still building muscle. I have decided to do mainly aerobics for awhile as long as I'm seeing a loss and eventually get into some more serious weight lifting. Shawn has some really nice equipement and a weight cage so that should be fun. In the meantime, I'll still do my videos that use dumbells at least a few times a week along with my aerobics.

Posted by Leah @ 09:15 AM CST [Link]

Friday, October 12, 2001

I completed my new Totally Firm video this morning. It's mainly weightlifting, and it was tough for me as I was not in the mood for it. I can't say I tried as hard as I could have.

I really enjoyed my Mexican food last night and had a few drinks also. I ended up going over my points a bit but will make that up this weekend.

Posted by Leah @ 01:03 PM CST [Link]

Thursday, October 11, 2001

I never thought I'd be saying this but I love my aerobics videos more than any others! I thought I would hate doing aerobics, but actually, I love how the time flies and that quick movement. So I'm searching for some really good aerobics videos to add to my routine. I still don't like the ones that have any fancy moves though. I really love my Peak Fat Burning one. I can't tell you how many times I giggle through parts of it because of what Kathy Smith says or just because I am trying so hard. It's so much fun! So I'm searching for some more vidoes like that. I'd like to find ones that last more than 30 minutes but less than an hour.

Posted by Leah @ 12:59 PM CST [Link]

I almost didn't workout today. I usually get horrible period cramps and this month is no different. But I decided to just do it. I'm so glad I did! I feel so much better and my cramps have lessened a bit.

Today is my celebration dinner at my favorite Mexican Restaurant. I can't wait! I may end up with a negative balance in my bank, but I can make up for it this weekend. I only banked 2 points yesterday as it was one of those days when I was starving. I literally ate all day long, but thank goodness it was a lot of healthy snacks.

Posted by Leah @ 09:54 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, October 10, 2001

exercise, weight and fitness help: ivillage fit by friday. There are so many good articles here. I'm mainly posting these here so I can read them later. :)

Posted by Leah @ 03:30 PM CST [Link]

Cardiovascular exercise and weight loss

Posted by Leah @ 03:19 PM CST [Link]

Cravings: Why We Crave Sweets and What We Can Do About It

Posted by Leah @ 03:18 PM CST [Link]

Low Calorie Diet: 31 Flavorful Low-Cal Foods

Posted by Leah @ 03:16 PM CST [Link]

Fast Food: 10 Fast Food Lunches Under 500 Calories!

Posted by Leah @ 03:15 PM CST [Link]

Snacks: Triumph Over Snack Attacks And Tips for Healthy Snacks

Posted by Leah @ 03:11 PM CST [Link]

Water: How much do you really need?

Posted by Leah @ 02:54 PM CST [Link]

Lose Weight By Listening to Your Body! Hmmmm, this is another interesting article.

Posted by Leah @ 02:50 PM CST [Link]

The Wrong Way to Reward Healthy Habits is a must read. I know I used to be guilty of this way of thinking.

Posted by Leah @ 02:46 PM CST [Link]

The best time to weigh yourself...I didn't read this entire article, only the part pertaining to weighing in.

Posted by Leah @ 02:32 PM CST [Link]

I had a wonderful workout today. I got my period this morning and the horrible cramps are starting so I quickly did my workout. Tomorrow might be a rough one, but I am determined to work out anyway.

Shawn is taking me out for Mexican to celebrate my first 10 pound loss. I'm not sure if we'll go tonight or tomorrow night, but I need to bank some points. Otherwise, I'll make up for it the next few days.

I stepped on the scale today and see a 2 lb. loss already. I'm not going to step on the scale again until my weigh-in on Monday. I'd like it to be a surprise, if I really did lose some again this week. The only thing I'm really doing different than my other weeks without a loss is I'm making sure to take my Shaklee vitamins twice a day and I've increased my aerobic workouts. I'm thinking my body may not have been getting enough nutrients so it held onto the fat or something, who knows. Or it could simply have been that our old scale was broken long before Shawn actually broke it. I did think it was so strange that it stayed in the exact same spot for 3 weeks LOL. At any rate, I'm feeling motivated to stay OP this week, even with my period. I hope I can do it!

Posted by Leah @ 09:39 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, October 9, 2001

Today is a scheduled rest day for me. I was tempted to exercise anyway but decided to give my body a break. I'd like to take one rest day per week, if possible.

I stayed OP again yesterday except for the fact that I did go out for my weekly night at the bowling alley and had a few drinks. So I have a small negative balance in my bank, which will easily be made up today. I did great with my eating though.

Posted by Leah @ 12:59 PM CST [Link]

Monday, October 8, 2001

My hard work and staying OP this week has paid off. I lost 4 pounds!!!! I also lost 7/8 inches. I am happy with my progress and want to do it again this week. :) What is really strange is I'm expecting my period this week so I should be bloated. I had a big loss at this time last month also. Strange, but I'm not complaining. :)

Posted by Leah @ 07:28 AM CST [Link]

Sunday, October 7, 2001

Well I stayed OP again today though I ate so much junk food (PMS) and had to use a few points from my bank. I have closed out for the day though and still have 11 in the bank which will be gone tomorrow when it gets reset. All in all, I'm happy with my progress this week.

I'm discovering that I really am enjoying my aerobics videos even more so than my weight lifting ones or target tone ones. I guess I enjoy moving around and the time goes so fast. So I'm going to try to do aerobics almost every day with some weight lifting afterwards on alternate days.

I'm anxious for tomorrow as I'm weighing-in and taking my measurements. I'm pretty sure I lost some weight, but am not sure about the inches.

I've still been feeling very tired though I do think it's because of that TOM coming up. I'll know more in another week.

Posted by Leah @ 07:15 PM CST [Link]

Saturday, October 6, 2001

I stayed OP today again. This WW thing is really getting easier for me....at least for this week. Today was my major PMS day where I crave sweets. I made sure I ate my vegetable servings and other healthy foods, but I also treated myself a few times today with lowfat sweets. I even managed to bank 1 point which brings my bank up to 15. So tomorrow should be a piece of cake! I wish it were this easy every week.

Posted by Leah @ 09:09 PM CST [Link]

I had a super workout this morning. I really pushed myself, and I feel so much better than yesterday. I stepped on my scale this morning for the last time until Monday morning and see a fairly big loss! I can only hope it will be there Monday morning. I really need to see some progress!

Posted by Leah @ 09:38 AM CST [Link]

Friday, October 5, 2001

I made it another day OP with WW! I am thrilled! Plus I went out and bough a new scale today. I purchased a digital one that will show even half pound gains/losses, which is handy. This one is so much easier to read than the analog one I had. I'm kind of glad it broke. :) I did step on it this afternoon with all my heavy clothes on and can see a .5 pound loss, but I will see again in the morning as that's when I've been consistently weighing myself. After that, I refuse to step on it again until Monday morning.

Posted by Leah @ 09:40 PM CST [Link]

I was going to take a rest day today but then decided to hop on the elliptical machine. I intended to walk/run for 30 minutes but was pooped and not motivated to stay on after only 9 minutes. So that's all I'm doing for now. I am not in the mood to exercise today and my upper body seems a bit sore from my workouts. I will resume my exercises tomorrow. Meanwhile, I'm still doing great with my eating though. :)

Posted by Leah @ 07:23 AM CST [Link]

Thursday, October 4, 2001

Shawn broke our scale (accidently) so I can't weigh myself LOL. Guess I'll be shopping for a new one tomorrow and who knows what that one will read. I know every scale is different. I'm hoping it will show a lighter me hehehe.

I stayed OP again today and banked 7 points. So I now have 15 points in my bank which I'm going to put to good use tomorrow at the Chinese Buffet. I have been eating 2 good meals a day, plus a breakfast bar in the morning, and then my snacks have been consisting of tons of fruits and vegetables. I haven't been hungry at all for a change. I even had a few pieces of candy today (candy corn), and this was the first candy I've had in a long time.

I might take an exercise break tomorrow to give my body a rest since I'm so tired lately. I am PMSing so that might explain the tiredness but we'll see how I feel in a week or two. If I don't lose some weight and feel less tired within 2 weeks I'm going to have my thyroid checked as that does run in the family.

Posted by Leah @ 10:00 PM CST [Link]

I don't know why I keep stepping on the scale. It's only discouraging me! But the fact is, I did step on it again today and still no loss. I'm starting to worry because there are only a few more days left before weigh-in. I have been eating the right things, drinking my water, and exercising, dangit! I better see a 1 lb. or more loss by Monday. I am prepared for no loss though and if that's the case, I'm going to spend more time walking on my elliptical machine and only do some of my weight lifting videos.

And I could not wake up this morning. My workout wasn't the best. I was supposed to do a Hit the Spot Abs workout after my Turbo Sculpt but I didn't because I knew my body was not into it.

I have been feeling so tired all week. I can barely stay away past 9 p.m. and am tired through most of the afternoons. This worries me because I'm getting 8 or 9 hours of sleep each night and still tired. I am eating much healthier than before and I am taking a good multi-vitamin most of the time (unless I forget). I've been reading some articles and wonder if I'm not eating enough for my level of activity, though if I compare myself to everyone else who is exercising, I do think I am getting enough food. I just don't know, but I hope this goes away soon. Last week I felt energized and this week I'm tired. Strange.

Posted by Leah @ 07:12 AM CST [Link]

Wednesday, October 3, 2001

I had another successful day staying OP with WW! I even banked 2 more points for a total of 8 in the bank. I even treated myself to Taco Bell today but then had a lighter supper and tons of vegetables to fill me up througout the day. I really think I can do this! The hard part will be if Shawn and I go out to eat, which we always used to do on Fridays. I'm dying to go out for Mexican but am trying to wait another week or so until I lose some weight first.

I've ordered 3 more exercise videos and think my collection is almost complete. I'm really enjoying the variety and feel if I use different videos I'll always hit different muscle groups. Plus I'm building up my aerobics collection as I'm trying to do that 5 times per week. I'm also going to schedule 1 rest day a week to give my body a break. I still would like to add some walking into my routine but I really don't want to work out any longer, so we'll see. If I don't see any loss with the videos I'm doing now, then I'm going to increase my workout time again and add some elliptical machine walking into it.

Posted by Leah @ 09:16 PM CST [Link]

I stayed OP all week so far. I am so proud of myself. I will do it this week.

I had a great workout today. I pushed myself really hard through my aerobics video. I am beat!

Posted by Leah @ 10:13 AM CST [Link]

Tuesday, October 2, 2001

The Importance of Water- An Agent That Precipitates Weight Loss is a must read.

Posted by Leah @ 02:33 PM CST [Link]

Well it turns out I decided to go play tennis instead of my Tae-bo. This was my third time playing, but I'm getting better so I did a lot more running around. It seemed almost constant running and I'm beat!! So we only played for 30 minutes.

Posted by Leah @ 12:13 PM CST [Link]

I'm running behind schedule this morning. I'm usually done with my workout by now. But Shawn is doing his workout so I'm waiting for the exercise room as I'm going to need some room to move. I originally had a rest day scheduled for today but decided to haul out my Tae-bo for a change.

I stayed OP yesterday!! Yeah for me! Actually, this is a big deal because every Monday is weigh-in day at WW so my bank gets reset, and that is the night I go watch Shawn bowl and have a few drinks. So even with counting my too many drinks, I stayed OP. I would not have minded going a couple over as I could make them up this week, but I am happy that I don't need to worry about it. So the rest of the week should be a piece of cake. I am not going out to eat don't have any plans to go out. However, I am PMSing, but I have my fat free chocolate snacks in case of emergencies such as this.

Posted by Leah @ 09:45 AM CST [Link]

Monday, October 1, 2001

It's official. I'm not losing crap. I weighed in the same again this week and only lost 2/8 inches. What the heck!! I exercised 6 days for 4.2 hours and this is all I have to show for it. I stayed OP most of the days and really only went over a few points total for the week. I can't imagine I'm at a standstill already as I'm doing such a variety of workouts. I am doing aerobics with light dumbell weights on alternate days. I cannot figure it out, but I am upset.

So this week I will stay OP even if it kills me. This is my PMS week so it will be even tougher, but I don't care. I'm going to exercise every day and stay OP. I won't be held responsible for my actions if I don't see a loss next Monday :P.

Posted by Leah @ 07:10 AM CST [Link]

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