Why You HAVE To Workout

There were a couple months at the beginning of my journey that I didnt really work out.  Maybe somewhere around month 4 & 5.  But ever since then, and for sure right after surgery...I have been doing SOMETHING that could be classified as a workout.  In the beginning it was just walking, increasing the distance every week.  Then it was bootcamp once or twice a week.  Now, and for the last 2 years really, it has been a steady workout of resistance/weight training (circuit). 

I was thinking last night about those of us "goalsters"...those of us who have reached our goals and are maintaining for the most part.  I can't think of one bandster who has reached goal that has not adopted working out into their lives.  Can you? 

With other WLS, you may be able to reach goal without really working out too much...but I know that even with rapid weight loss, eventually you are going to have to start moving....at least to keep the weight off.

But more importantly, to make you body look good.

Even if you could reach your goal with the lapband without a day of exercise, I don't think it would be very pretty in the end.  Think of rapid weight loss.  We know that losing weight really fast means that most likely, it is taking some of our muscle mass with it.  So you could end up skinny, but not fit.  And our metabolisms are already so so jacked up.  So if we lose muscle...that aint helping the situation.  Why do have a different body composition or shape than others who might weigh the same or less than me (I get the:Wow, you don't look like you weigh 170 a lot).  Its because my 170, or 178, or whatever...of course comes with some fat I could still stand to lose, but comes with a lot of muscle.  I know that we are all different.  Not everyone wants big ol' biceps, some people may enjoy the waif look. And that's cool.  I dig.  But if you want to get your extra off, keep your extra off, and have your remains work for you for the fullest...eventually, hopefully sooner than later...you are going to have to exercise on a regular basis. 

And I can tell you, for me, it's never really fun.  Like you will never hear me say "I LOVE WORKING OUT".  But you will hear me say "I LOVE SEEING WHAT WORKING OUT HAS DONE FOR MY BODY".

And that's the hard part at first.  When we have so much extra padding, sometimes it can take months...even close to a year...to see our hard work paying off.  But once you get that taste, it pushes you.  You just have to hold on through the "not seeing" part. 

But if this girl can do it, you can do it.

Fighting the good fight.  That's how we roll.

Where My Vitamins Live

Can you see them there?  Amongst the clutter?  Right on the top of my laptop docking station at work live my vitamins.  I house them in a little daily pill container.  And I am currently on the longest streak in the nearly three years that I have been banded of taking my vitamins as I am supposed too.  I load the container every Monday morning, and start taking them sometime after breakfast.  On the weekends, I throw the container in my purse and take it home. 

I am getting some blood work done for my upcoming 3 year check up, and I am anxious to see if the areas I was deficient in last year are better now. 

Just wanted to share what works for me! 

xoxo

Mommy Sipped The Hooch

So a couple important updates.

I have made a new rule.  If I drink at least 100 ounces of water, I can have one diet sunkist.  There.  So I had one last night, cold out of the fridge, a beautiful little can...and I drank that sucker in record time.  It was beautiful. 

BRUSSELS SPROUTS:  Big news kids.  They are NOT terrible.  Thank you for all the suggestions.  I went with Em's suggestion of a Rachel Ray recipe that calls for sauteing them with onions and then boiling them in a cup of chicken broth for 10 minutes (check the comments section from yesterday for the link).  Of course, I didnt use the bacon bc Heather doesnt really enjoy bacon (she's not right).  I went the boil route bc I like my veggies mushier rather than crispier.  It helps me.  So out they came.  They didnt make the house stink at all, probably bc of the onions and chicken broth.  I may have used too much salt...but oh well.  Heather loved them.  I believe her exact words were "that shit is good babe".  I didnt love them like I love broccoli, but I believe I can come to actually like them.  They will definitely be added to our veggie rotation. 

Along with our Brussels sprouts, we had about 4 ounces of chicken breast and a side of whole wheat cous cous that I mixed with halved grape tomatoes and feta cheese.  I really really enjoy cous cous. 

I hadnt hopped on the scale since Monday, and Monday is was 178.2...and I wanted to see 175.  I don't know WHY people, but that's what I had in my head...because you know when you start working out you instantly feel thinner?  Anyways, I saw 177.2.  Blah.  Fine.  So I ran before circuit this morning.  2 miles/26 minutes. Then I circuited for 45 minutes.  Total calorie burn of 610 calories.  Thank you heart rate monitor.  I will take that.

For breakfast I hate half an Atkins bar and drank a cup of milk.  For lunch I am having my creamy black bean soup (low in calorie and pretty tasty), and if I get hungry for snack I have an apple and peanut butter or some strawberry applesauce.

I am 33 ounces of water in and plan on getting my 100.  For no other reason than I can consume a pop.  Ooooh...if I drink 200 ounces can I have 2 pops?  I'm ON IT BUDDY!

Happy Thursday.  Keep living the dream people.

I Like Pretty Things

David B has been blowing my phone UP! He keeps calling...asking me out...and I say "NO DAVID BECKHAM.  NO!  I LOVE HEATHER".  He just won't get the picture though.

But I am not kidding when I said I stared at this picture for at least 60 seconds, elbow on desk, head in palm, mouth slightly opened.  He's pretty. 

What's funny though, is if I just look at the midsection-above the package, or at the quads, below the package-I could mistake him for my girlfriend. 

It's true.  I live with a ridiculous peace of muscle.  And during the winter, one may not be able to see what I am dealing with on a daily basis, but it's motivating.  Not like I think for a moment that any amount of working out would make me resemble her body, but she has spent many years working on her muscles and their placement.  For example, she has one of those butts.  You know.  Pokes out but sets high.

And this may have just turned into a Heather compliment fest, but I really had a point until I got distracted with Davie up there...

and of course the point is ME-focused.  I have been working on my lower half with squats, lunges, and the such...as I have discussed before.  And I am pretty sure that my quads AND my ass are getting bigger (not due to the few pounds I am up).  And both of these things are good...but they are almost counterproductive to one of my lifelong wishes (since puberty anyways) that pants shopping was easy.  Because my hips...well ladies and gentlemen, seem to be stuck in weight loss purgatory.  Meaning...fat doesnt seem to ever leave them.  And so now I am adding muscle bulk, not really trading that fat bulk...and holy Pepe jeans people...the fit of my slacks is getting weirder.

Sigh.  A trade off I suppose.

Anyways, those are my thoughts.  And one last thought about Heather.  The girl was off work for practically 2 weeks, barely worked out, and ate and drank like the end of the world was right around the corner.  She LOST weight.  Mmmmhmmm...saw 121 on the scale.  I almost stabbed her with my SonicCare the morning she skipped off the scale.  But I would miss her too much.

Or at least her ass.

The end.

My Playlist

It didnt show up for some of you, so here you go:

T.H.E (the hardest ever)-Will.I.AM (dirty version)
Break Stuff-Limp Biskit (dirty version)
Sugar-Kid Rock (again, dirty version)
So Hott-Kid Rock (dirty version)
Fish-Craig Campbell (country)
Nookie-Limp Biskit
Hell on Heels (country)
This is Why Im Hot-Mims (great reminder of why you are working out)
Stereo Hearts-Gym Class Heros
Work Out-Cole World J. Cole
You-Chris Young (country--might be too slow)
Pause Zumba Mix-Pitbull
Wobble-VIC
Walk This Way-Run DMC
Booty Wurk-Joey Galaxy
Shake Ya Tailfeather-Nellie
No. 1-Nellie
Sexy and I know it-LMFAO
Moves Like Jagger-Maroon 5
I do-Toya
Faded-Soul decision
Hurts so good-John Mellencamp
I wanna be bad-Willa Ford
Hit Em Up Style-Blu Cantrell

There you go kids!

My Quads Need A Sedative

I am not sure why, but my run on Monday has made me very sore.  Perhaps it was the wind, or just the added distance running outside, but I have run over 5 miles before on the treadmill and do not remember being hobbled.

Having to wear high heel shoes to work doesn't help.  I could barely walk out of the gym today, make the 20 feet trek to my office, and throw myself in my chair.  I thought someone would find me, laying in the parking lot, hugging my gym bag and whimpering.

We were supposed to do bootcamp this morning, which is a torturous 45 minutes cardio/ab thing Heather designed to break up the monotony of circuit....but no one showed up so I just ran on the treadmill.  Did I say this the other day?  Who knows.  I find the lack of the soda hooch is sucking my brain power...but the number one reason running outside is better than running on the treadmill?  You can't just stop when you are running outside.  I mean you can STOP, but you have to run back...or else make a phone call for a pick up.  But when you run outside, you have to run back.  On the treadmill, when you want to quit...you can just hop off.

So I did.  After 36 minutes and 2.72 miles.  Damn...I should have just made it to 3 miles.  But I did burn 400 calories.  So score! 

Tonight for dinner I will be trying a new vegetable called brussels sprouts.  I am scared.  They look very vegetable like.  But last year I fell in love with broccoli, so anything is possible.  I believe I will roast them the oven with salt, pepper, and olive oil.  Any suggestions are welcome.  Remember, the goal is to get me to like them.

Happy Wednesday my friends!  Go forth and conquer!

Why Dieting is Like A Gfit From Santa

It's NOT.  IT'S NOT LIKE A GIFT AT ALL OKAY?!

And for those of you who want to tell me...."It's not a diet, it's a lifestyle change"...I dont want to hear it okay?

I have decided that LIFE is a DIET.  If we can't eat whatever we want whenever we want, than it's a damn diet.

AND IT MAKES ME CRANKY!

sigh

There.  I feel better.  But only a little.  Only if we are measuring in sparrow farts.  Tiny.  That's tiny dude.

Can you tell it's day three of my detox from crap?  Or shall we call it "Food Freedom".  Oh how I miss thee Food Freedom.  I havent had a drop of pop (soda if you insist on saying it wrong) since 11:59pm of the year 2011.  I was thinking I would get through the withdrawal headaches, but they showed up last night.  Bastards.  And I ate 3/4 of an apple today because I read that apples are better than coffee at waking you up...and I don't drink coffee, so I cannot accurately compare, but I know they aren't as good as a nice cold can of POP!

DUDE!

This morning for breakfast I had half an Atkins bar and a cup of 2% milk.  Then for a mid-morning snack I had some pear pieces in lite juice and my vitamins.  After which, I took a big swig of water and then threw all that up.  Awesome.

For lunch I had some peanut butter and mr. apple, and a soup to go. 

jabckhvo;ivo;ernaoeb;ib*&@%*&^

tonight for dinner I will be enjoy an all beef frank, on one half a wheat bun, smothered in my chili with spicy mustard and cheese.  Now that's tasty.

Full of sodium you say?

I say suck it.

Just kidding.

Well.  Only a little.