October 2010

Wow! November 2nd...Really??
Well at the beginning of this little journey I weighted well over 250 pounds.
At the beginning of October I weighed 247 pounds and on November 1st I weighed 242 pounds!
At first I thought...5 pounds. Just 5 little pounds. Then I thought about my bigger accomplishments

• I changed myself in a ways that can't be measured or weighed. 
• I have a new attitude about working out and eating right.  
• I have a new respect for my body and know that I need to take better care of it.
• I have made it a priority to learn how to take better care of my body. 
• I have lost inches and changed the shape of my body.
• I didn't gain all my weight back during the week and half that I didn't work out after surgery!
• I didn't gain during the week prior to Halloween...yes I view this as an accomplishment.  

I am 5 pounds lighter but its so much more than that.  I hope that anyone trying to lose weight can see all the other positives and not just focus on the numbers.  I am better now for the choices that I made in October and I hope to be even better this month!! 

We did order P90X! We were going to start it on the 1st but my doctor wants me to hold off.  We are aiming for the 14th.  I will keep you posted on the experience!

Here's to a new month with new goals!! 

Happy November!!

Livestrong.com

I am using an amazing website to set my goals and track my progress!
Is this necessary? No.
Could I just keep a notebook? Yeah.
Would it be as cool if just used a notebook?  Hells no!
Livestrong.com  is SO useful.  There are thousands of articles and tools that I have been using.

On Livestrong I set weight loss goals, find out what my caloric intake should be to achieve my goals, track the food that I eat and my workouts. At the end of everyday I can actually see if there is balance in my food intake and the calorie burn.

Do yourself a favor and check this site out.  It really has everything that you could EVER need.  Seriously.

There are other websites out there. I have some friends that use Weight Watchers Online and there is also the Jillian Michaels site.  Browse around and take your pick. Most of these sites also have mobile apps which I love!

Bottom line. Tracking your progress can really be useful. Also, seeing your progress in print can give you a big boost! I personally LOVE to see that down slope on the graph!!

I'm not naturally good at eating healthy...I am a bad snacker. Using Livestrong has made me think twice about the snacking and the kind of food that I eat.  I love to enter my workouts and see the "calories burned" number rise. Its all about what works for you and this site totally works for me!!

Need to Know: Target Heart Rate

This little journey that I am on is teaching me so much!

I know that things have been slow on the blog but I am keeping a note book of all the things that I want to share with you guys.  Please stick around and I promise that you will be glad you did. 

Today I want to share what I have learned about the importance of knowing your TARGET HEART RATE. 

You target heart rate is 50% {low intensity} to 85% {high intensity}of your maximum heart rate. 

Here is a simple chart from the American Heart Association:

MEASURING YOUR HEART RATE
I Wear a heart rate monitor when I work out.  This one...

I really love it! I programed my target heart rate range and at any point during my workout I can touch the top of the watch and get a reading.  

You don't have to have a monitor...
You can just do it the old fashion way.  It's just as effective!

There is more to it than just working out in that 50-85% range. I recently learned that there are "Training Zones".

Did y'all know this?? I did not..

TRAINING ZONES
Warm Up - 50 - 60% of maximum heart rate: The easiest zone and probably the best zone for people just starting a fitness program. This zone has been shown to help decrease body fat, blood pressure and cholesterol. It also decreases the risk of degenerative diseases and has a low risk of injury. 85% of calories burned in this zone are fats!

Fat Burn - 60 - 70% of maximum heart rate: This zone provides the same benefits as the healthy heart zone, but is more intense and burns more total calories. The percent of fat calories is still 85%.

Cardio- 70 - 85% of maximum heart rate: This zone will improve your cardiovascular and respiratory system AND increase the size and strength of your heart. This is the preferred zone if you are training for an endurance event. More calories are burned with 50% from fat.

You can customize your workout based on these ranges and what you hope to gain.  I personally spend an hour in my target heart rate. I spend about 15 minutes in Warm Up, 15-20 in Fat Burn and then about 30 in Cardio...more if  can!

OK. That's what I have learned! 

**Information for this post was compiled from lots of googling, wikipedia, The Walking Site, and Real Simple Magazine!

Stick with me...

Please don't abandon me.

I have so much to share with you.

I have so many posts lined up for you...I just need to write.

Yesterday I had a little surgery.

Learning to live a healthy life isn't my only priority.

The Mr. and I have started another journey. 

We are trying to start a family and have had some difficulty.

The surgery that I had brought us one step closer!

Anyway, surgery=downtime and downtime=writing!!

I am writing up a storm!!

Stick with me...

Feeling Good!!

First...

{via}

All of you.

It was really hard for me to put myself out here this

 way and I have gotten so much support!

I appreciate each of you!

Second...

I feel A-maz-ING!!

No. Lie.

I can't recall a time when I felt better!!

Now...

During the week I struggled a bit. 

OK...a lot.

I was sore, tired and had no time for anything else.

However, by Friday I was ready to rock! 

Will offered me a free pass {Anniversary Weekend and all...} and I turned him down!

I actually felt like working out...weird. I know. 

I didn't just want to do the minimum either.  I wanted to push past my usual limits. 

I did. It was incredible. 

I sorta wanted to die. 

Maybe even throw up. 

It felt great. I was sure I would die...

and I didn't. 

Not only did I not die, I was up and ready to roll the next day!

I think I might be getting how people can really be exercise junkies.  

I really do feel better. 

This really is taking up a lot of my time.  I had zero social time with friends and no time for blogging or other social networking.  This was hard for me.  By mid week I was getting pretty down and grouchy.  

I realized something today though.  I saw some of my friends.  They still spoke to me and they are still my friends.  I am not giving them up.  I just need to focus.  Establish some healthy habits and get in to a routine.  Then the workout schedule can be more flexible.  I can even include them.  My point is that I can have both...my friends and my health.  No sacrifices need to be made here {unless of course you are counting Oreos as friends}!

Anyway, I wanted you guys to know that I am busy working it!  Working on being healthy and happy.  Working on having my cake and eating it too...with my friends!

How are you doing?  Is it hard for you to find time to balance things in your life? How do you do it?

My "in house" Personal Trainer

Will has made me an offer that I can't refuse!  He offered to be my personal trainer!!  He has designed a work out that has me working out most everyday.  I am giving him in a month and if I see results then I have to continue to let him push me. I am nervous and excited.  Excited for the progress that I know can be made and nervous because I promised to keep this crazy workout schedule (crazy because my workouts are so sporadic).

I can do it. 

I know this.  I know that I have it in me.  Plus, Will loves to workout and he has promised to stay my side and work with me (even if I get annoyed and try to shove him off the treadmill).  We have only been at it for a few days but having him support me this way is amazing!

Basically, I am on a rotating schedule...
Relaxing walk - Sunday
Lower Body w/cardio - Monday
Upper Body - Tuesday
Yoga (stretching) - Wednesday
Core w/cardio- Thursday
Cardio- Friday
Saturday- make up (just in case I wanna blow off one night...which we all know that I will)

Having a schedule makes it easy to stay committed. Like, if I didn't have a work schedule I would probably end up procrastinating and doing projects last minute or trying to cram all my hours in at the end of the week.

Structure.  I need it. Bottom line.

Thanks Will for helping me with this.  Just know that when I am swearing at you tomorrow because I can't walk...that what I am really saying is "thank you and I love you".

Pump up the Volume

I don't love to exercise.  I really wish that I did.  I would love to be addicted to running instead of Oreos.  Why couldn't I be a swimmer instead of a expert cookie dunker? We all have our talents...

Anyway, I don't like working out (hate it...really). I do love listening to music.  I can get on elliptical and be bored to tears in 10 minutes but if I have some good jams I can rock out for 30 minutes and not even notice!  The key is finding the right music!  

I am part of a little group...its like a mini weight watchers group.  We weigh in every week and share recipes and ideas.  These ladies are amazing and you will meet them all here! Today you will meet Ashton! I love this girl.  Really.  She shared her play list with us and it is a-mazing! Get ready to download!

Jersey Shore Smush (i heart me some jersey shore, just saying)
1. Fascination by Alphabeat
2. Airplanes - BOB
3. Skinny Love - Bon Iver
4. I Like It - Enrique (Jersey Shore Title Track!!)
5. Dog Days Are Over - Florence + the Machine
6. Don't Stop Believing (Regionals) - Glee Cast
7. Homecoming by Kanye West
8. California Gurls by Katy Perry
9. Teenage Dream by Katy Perry
10. Dinosaur by Ke$ha (so funny - terrible song - funny though)
11. Speechless - THE Gaga
12. Shake It - Metro Station
13. The Youth - MGMT
14. Party in the USA - my girl Miley (I know you aren't surprised!)
15. Hero - Regina Spektor
16. Set the Fire to the Third Bar - Snow Patrol (I'm still pissed this wasn't actually in Dear John since it was in the ads, just saying)
17. One (Blake's Got A New Face) - Vamp Weekend
18. The Kids Don't Stand A Chance - Vamp Weekend
19. Calling You - Confessions of  Shopaholic Soundtrack (looooove this one)
20. Unstoppable - Confessions of a Shopaholic Soundtrack 

I love this play list! Also, I like to create a play list that is the same length as my workout and matches the mood that I need to be in. Example: I have 45 minutes of heart pumping tunes and then 20 minutes of chill music.  I know when the music slows down that I am done with cardio and it is time to cool down and do some yoga!! I can't watch the time while I workout.  Makes me crazy.  Seriously. 

OK. Pump up the volume and get after it!

Need to Know: Healthy Weight/BMI

When setting my weight loss goals the first thing that I looked at was my BMI {body mass index}and what my ideal or healthy weight range should be.  I get my BMI and weight when I do wii fit.  You can use this formula:

Or you can click here.  The calculator is great because it will let you know where you are in reference to a normal BMI and weight. 

This chart can also help you once you know what your BMI is. 

I also found this Ideal Weight Calculator. These are general ranges to give you an idea of what is healthy based on a minimal amount of information.  There are other factors that could be at play. Check with your doctor if you have other health issues.  My doctor said that 130 - 160 is a good range for me.  I haven't been that little since high school...eek!


Right now I am very overweight.  My BMI is over 30. This is really what got me motivated.  I am unhealthy.  Bottom line. 


Take some time before you set  your weight loss goals to learn more about your ideal weight and a normal BMI. Put being healthy first and I really believe that weight loss will follow!

Hi!

My name is Kimberly.
I am chubby.
I love food.
I don't really love to exercise.
See my problem?
I have lived the yo-yo life so long. I am so over losing and gaining weight.
I am also over beating my self up over it.

Are you with me?
I am done trying to be a size 2.  I am done being miserable and hungry.
All God's children come in all shapes and sizes.  We are all made differently.
I am accepting this fact and if you are over (or under) weight then you should too.

My goal is to reach and maintain a healthy weight the healthy way.
Changing my lifestyle and doing it because I should.
We get this one body.  Just one.
I need to take better care of mine and that is really what this is about.

On this blog I will discuss what I learn about taking care of my body.
How I have learned to keep my passion for food and learn to love exercise!

This blog is for my own benefit but I hope that by sharing what I am learning and putting myself out there that someone might learn something too.  I am also doing this for feedback.  What works for you?  What kind of exercise do you do?

Anyway, I have wanted to do this for along time...so here goes nothing!