Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 8

HAPPY 8 WEEKS! Only one week left in the BMI challenge! I've been working really hard this past week! The scale and my measurements have shown my efforts! I won't be posting my measurements until next week at the end of the challenge.

I have talked a little about my goals for hitting a certain number of weight loss. 10 lbs, 20 lbs, etc. But I haven't even posted about it yet! I will remedy that! As I complete each goal, I will edit the photo with the dates I've completed each goal! Here they are:

The necklace that I bought was from The {Posh} Daisy. I purchased the "Take me away - Green flower on Aqua Balloon" necklace. I had a discount code, so the total purchase was just over $10. And I love, love, LOVE this necklace because our town is huge on hot air balloons! We have Balloon Days every September!

For the 20 lb goal, I got my hair trimmed at Smart Style in Walmart by Nicole (love her!). It doesn't really look different because I only had about an inch and a half trimmed off. But I can feel a difference! And I haven't taken a picture yet... I'm kinda lazy! But you can tell my ponytail is shorter in the photos below!

Each goal is set around the price I plan on paying per goal. Some might go over a bit, some will be under. The manicure/pedicure will be for free because I have a gift certificate! I also set goals with items that I really want! Talk about great motivation!

Saturday, July 21st - Went swimming at the pool with Charles and the girls! We both did some water areobics while keeping our eyes on our girls. I love the pool workouts because I can sweat and stay cool at the same time! Later on that evening, Jamie and I ran the last workout of week 5 of the Cto5K workout! That was a 20 minute jog without stopping! And we both did it! I was so, so proud of us! Especially Jamie! That girl has been working hard!

Monday, July 23rd - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME! I turned 25 years young on Monday! I decided that I was going to start my 25th year off with an awesome workout! Jamie and I walked to Zumba. I put in 110% and when we left the class, Jamie said, "Want to jog the rest of the way home?" At first I said, "NO!", but then I said, "Okay! Let's do this!" So we jogged home and earned a piece or two of my birthday cake! 

Tuesday, July 24th - I had an off day at home (can't remember why!) and so I decided to go to the gym a little earlier than I had been. I walked to the Y to clear my head, then did 10 minutes on the NuStep doing different levels of intensity, then got on the stationary bike for 15 minutes doing different levels of intensity. I was a sweaty mess! I jogged home. Later on, Jamie came over and we ran the first workout of week 6 for the Cto5K! 

Wednesday, July 25th - Walked to Zumba with Jamie. We did some killer leg and arm workouts. The instructor had us really get into some of the moves! It was a lot of fun and we were all laughing the whole time!

Thursday, July 26th - I jogged to the Y after supper and did the same workout as I did Tuesday, I just changed up the levels on the machines and pushed myself a little harder. I jogged back home and rested for about 30 minutes before Jamie and I left to do our Cto5K workout. Besides the fact that I was sore in places I didn't know I could be sore it (thank you, Zumba!), I love that I am feeling stronger and stronger as we go! 

Friday, July 27th - I walked to Zumba with Jamie. We had an awesome workout, but we were super sore from the last two days! We pushed through it and got another killer leg and arm workout in! We walked to the park for a church picnic afterwards. The weather has been so much nicer the past two days, so we really enjoyed our cool-down walk! By the time we got to the picnic area, we weren't sweating as bad anymore! After the picnic, we walked back to my house! 

Start to Week 8 progression photos:

Start to Week 8 photos:

Start Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Week 7 Weight: 182 lbs

Week 8 Weight: 179 lbs

Weight Lost Since Last Week: 3 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 23 lbs

Weight To Go: 44 lbs 

When I looked at the scale this morning, I was in shock. I got on and off the scale about 10 times just to be sure! But it was the same weight each time! 179! 179! I broke into the 170's! I wanted to shout for joy! But I didn't want to wake anyone up! I have worked really hard to get to this point and I am so, so pleased!

When I see that I only have 44 more pounds to go, reality kinda hits me... I am actually doing this! It's still a ways to go, but that number keeps getting smaller and smaller! And soon enough, I will be in the clothes I wore when Charles and I first got married!

I had the idea to put on a few pairs of pants and dresses that I wore 8 weeks ago and I was floored when I realized just how much extra room I now had in them! I was making those clothes work hard 8 short weeks ago, and now I get to sell them because I no longer need them. That made me cry. In a good way! 

This dress skirt is a size 18W. In order to make it fit, I had to put my arms to my sides and push out! There is so much extra fabric on this dress. I liked it 23 lbs ago because I thought it hid my stomach and thighs. I don't even want to know what it looked like on me... all I know is that this skirt is leaving my wardrobe FOR GOOD! See:

These lounge pants are my favorite things to lounge around my house in. They are actually a size L, but I had stretched them out to the point of no return. I now have to tie them really tight in order for them to not fall off of me!

Those are called NSV (non-scale victories). And I am so happy to be fitting into my old clothes! I have some new shirts and pants that I have purchased in the past as motivation, and that is what they are now!

I know I can do this! I have one week left for the BMI challenge and I am kicking things into high gear! I have been doing good with my meals and workouts! If I keep this up, I will be in fantastic shape by the time I run the Color Run in October!

I saw this picture on a group I am in on Facebook, and I loved it so much that I decided it is my new lifestyle motto:

Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 7

I cannot believe that I am 7 weeks in! Seems crazy! Time has flown by! August third is approaching fast! I only have a little under 2 weeks left to get my BMI down as much as possible! I'm working on burning fat and building muscle. I've done more research into fueling before a workout and replenishing afterwards. The only thing that is frustrating, is that some places say, "Eat this!", while other say, "Don't eat that!" Blah! But most of the people out there in the fitness-blog land say to eat what you want to, as long as it is a healthy snack/meal.

All I have wanted to do the past week is binge eat. I have no idea why this week was the hardest for me... I didn't realize how binge eating had a hold on me. I use to do it nightly before I started my weight-loss journey. Every time I would get the girls a snack, I'd snag a few teddy grahams, a packet of gummies, a handful of pretzels, etc. I would ALWAYS have ice cream at night after the girls went to sleep. Not just ice cream, ice cream covered in chocolate syrup, crushed up candy, etc. I would buy a candy bar with every shopping trip. Not just a regular candy bar, a KING size one that I would inhale and hardly taste. Every time Charles and I would go to Taco Bell, we would get a bucket of Baja Mountain Dew and share it together. (I am not a huge pop drinker, but I would give in every now and then.) When we were heading out of town, I'd get a pop or fountain drink for the trip, followed by a super unhealthy fast food meal with a large pop. We'd buy a large pizza and split it between the two of us... 

And then there was my Dairy Queen obsession after Vivian was born... A large Chocolate Extreme Blizzard at least 2 to 3 times a week. 

That. Was. Bad. Really bad.

The kind of bad where I knew we couldn't afford it, so I'd make my husband credit card it. I still feel bad about it... I would like to blame it on my postpartum depression, but I won't. I could have lived without it.

It's kind of embarrassing to admit... but it's the truth.

I didn't realize how much of an emotional attachment I have with food. How weak it makes me feel... And that is when I tell myself this:

Looking back at my old eating habits, it makes me grateful for MyFitnessPal. The calorie counter has been awesome! And it has really opened my eyes to just how terrible my caloric intake was. It's no wonder I gained a ridiculous amount of weight. I have no one to blame for the way I was, except myself. But the same can be same can be said for right now on my weight-loss journey... I am where I am now because of ME! But I couldn't do this all on my own! I have had some awesome help and support:

Saturday, July 14th - We were all going to go swimming at the pool, but they were closed because they were understaffed. So Charles ran to the store and bought a sprinkler for the back yard. Holding my baby and running around was quite a workout! Jamie and I ran our Cto5K workout that evening!

Monday, July 16th - I woke up early to do my Zumba Toning DVD. It involved the toning stick and a chair. I was a little nervous, but the workout was awesome! I was a sweaty mess after the hour was over! Later that afternoon, Jamie and I walked to Zumba. It was a tough workout, but I was feeling the burn!

Tuesday, July 17th - I walked to the Y in the afternoon to get 30 minutes in the cardio room. I did the NuStep for 10 minutes and an elliptical machine for the last 20 minutes. I worked at the fat burning level instead of a cardio level. Jamie wasn't able to run the Cto5K workout with me, so I ran it on my own. It was nice to have the quiet, but I was kind of lonely! I might need to invest in an iPod or MP3 player for days like this!

Wednesday, July 18th - I walked to Zumba and met Jamie there. Jen was a little late, so I got to talk with some of the ladies that go to Zumba with us! Which was nice! We still got our hour-long workout in! Afterwards, Jamie and I ran the Cto5K workout from the day before so that she wouldn't be behind. I was sore, but it was nice to jog with a friend!

Thursday, July 19th - Cto5K with Jamie! It was the first time both of us have ever jogged for 8 minutes straight! (First time in a long, long time for me. First time for Jamie, ever.) I was very, very proud of myself and for Jamie! Not only did we run that once, but twice! For a total of 16 minutes! WOO HOO!

Friday, July 20th - Walked to ZUMBA with Jamie! Had an awesome workout! Halfway through, Jamie had to stop because her legs hurt really bad from her workout the day before. When we started the second half of the class, I noticed that I had no energy. I realized then that I had not eaten a snack before my workout. I will NEVER make that mistake again. My instructor, Jen, introduced me to a new class member who saw us doing Zumba in the parade! She's looking for results, and Jen wanted to show her that in just 7 weeks, you can lose up to 20 lbs!

Start to Week 7 progression photos:

Start to Week 7 photos:

Start Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Week 7 Weight: 182 lbs

Weight Lost Since Last Week: 2 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 20 lbs

Weight To Go: 47 lbs

I am very, very happy! I HIT MY 20 LB MARK! It was my original goal when I started the BMI challenge on June 1st! I can't even describe how great I feel right now! I went through my entire drawer of XL shirts today... AND THEY FIT! I still have some weight to lose, but I am wearing shirts that have sat in my drawer for over 3 years! I am so, so happy!

I celebrated my getting my hair trimmed! It cost $20. One dollar per pound. I am looking forward to the next 47 lbs and the goals and rewards I have in store for myself! I will post my goals and rewards in another post soon. But for now, I am off to spend the rest of the day with my wonderful family! Hubby and I might go out for supper tonight to celebrate my birthday a little early. I turn 25 on Monday! We decided taht we would buy a meal together and share it for two reasons: 1) Save money. 2) Cut calories.

I think it's a win/win for me! I get to spend one-on-one time with my hubby while still enjoying a meal and not worrying about calories! 

My new motto for the week:

Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 6

It seems that I keep on inspiring people! And I can't even describe how it makes me feel! I am overjoyed when someone wants to change their life and weight! As long as they are doing it for themselves!

The reason I have never had good results is because I was always wanting to lose it for other people. For a family party, family/class reunion, etc. Once I realized that I wanted to be happy with myself, it felt as if my eyes were opened for the first time. I didn't care what people thought of me from that point on. I only cared about what I thought of myself. I didn't love myself and you could tell. I wasn't taking care of my body and I used food for comfort. Once I woke up from my junk food haze, I decided it was time to stop saying, "I wish I was thinner." I decided to take action.

I am doing this for myself. If that makes me selfish, so be it. I have spent the better part of my life putting others ahead of myself. Making them happy and sacrificing my own happiness. I am tired of hiding in the shadows. I want to stand in the sun.

Monday, July 9th - Walked to ZUMBA with Jamie! We decided earlier in the day that because we were both busy on Saturday and didn't run our Cto5K workout, we'd run it after Zumba. We debated running before... but decided it was best to do it afterwards! So that's what we did! We were tired, but completed both workouts!

Tuesday, July 10th - Jamie and I ran the first workout of week 4! Seems crazy that we're already in week 4 of the running plan! We were a little intimidated by the workout, but we sucked it up and did it! We were a little sore from the day before, but like they say, soreness is weakness leaving your body!

Wednesday, July 11th - I walked to ZUMBA alone because Jamie got stuck behind a train! On the way over I was thinking about the past 4+ years of my marriage. All the things my husband and I have accumulated in the house, the ways we've changed, and all the weight I've accumulated on my body. As I was doing the Zumba workout, I put a little more into it than normal. I always push myself, but I upped it a little more. While walking home with Jamie, I remembered something I pinned on pinterest:

Thursday, July 12th - Ran the Cto5K with Jamie. We are amazed at our bodies and how much stronger they feel when we're jogging! It takes me longer to get tired, which is awesome! The sun is going down earlier, which is perfect because we get to watch the sunset!

Friday, July 13th - Walked to the Y with Jamie, but our Zumba instructor wasn't there. We had a sub. It took her 15 minutes to figure out how to get her CD to read in the CD player, so by the time we started, we had already lost that workout time. The workout made both of us feel silly, so it was hard to get into it. But I kept telling myself that I was there to sweat. It wasn't working... By the end of class, I was ready to run out of the room. So I did! I ran the entire way home! I think I burned more calories running home than I did in class... Next time, I'll just opt to workout on the elliptical instead!

Start to Week 6 progression photos:

Start to Week 6 photos:

Start Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Week 6 Weight: 184 lbs

Weight Lost Since Last Week: 4 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 18 lbs

Weight To Go: 49 lbs

I am beyond happy from this week! I've worked my tail off and the result is in the numbers! I am feeling great! Seeing a change in the number on the scale is one thing, but when I am moving a size down in my clothes... AMAZING!!!!! I can't believe that the clothes I was wearing 6 weeks ago were tight, now they are hanging on me!

I am also under the 50 lb mark for my weight to go! Seeing the "4" made reality sink in! I thought, "Maybe I can actually do this!" This is my new theme:

Only two more weeks of photos! My body-fat challenge has only 2 more weeks! The competition is getting heated, so I've got to kick things into high gear! One lady has lost over 20 lbs and 16 inches from her body! She's doing the Medifast plan, but I can't do that because I'm still breastfeeding! Eating only 800 to 1000 calories a day SCARES me.

So what is my plan? This:

Fourth of July Week/Weekend

Our Fourth of July was one for the books this year! It was Vivian's first Fourth of July, the first parade I've been in since High School, and the girls' first fireworks show! This was by far my favorite Independence Day since I've been married! Nothing is better than spending the entire day surrounded by family and friends!

I spent the morning getting ready for the parade with Karmen. We found a site that showed us how to cut regular t-shirts into workout shirts. So we took two shirts and made them for the parade! Once they were done, we headed over to Jennifer's house to line up for the parade. We took photos and then lined up for the parade!

Back Row (L to R): Kayla, Karmen, April, Carie (me), Tawnya
Front Row (L to R): Jennifer and Jessica

Charles was an *awesome* husband and had the girls all to himself! Super Daddy! It was hot outside, but that didn't keep the girls from enjoying the parade! He told me that they got to the parade a little late, but the girls had a blast picking up the candy and waving to the people in the parade!

I knew where they'd be as I started doing Zumba in the parade. They were at the half-way point in the parade, so I knew I'd be tired by the time I saw them! But as soon as I did, they were yelling, "MOMMY!" and I was waving like crazy! It was a nice energy boost!

They met back up with me at Jennifer's house. They were very excited to see me! Caitlin showed me the candy bag, Rosalie showed me some pencils and toys, and Vivian had all smiles! We came home and enjoyed the air conditioning! I showered and everyone else napped before we headed out to Aunt Karen and Uncle Dean's house for the annual 4th of July grill-out.

I was beyond tired, but the party was awesome! The girls just LOVE the toys at their house! PLUS, they bought a bunch of water guns and were filling up water balloons as we ate our supper. We were served hamburgers, hot dogs, potato salad, pasta salad, grapes, chips, and more! I made some rice krispie treats and sugar cookie cups for dessert and everyone loved them!

After dessert the entire family had a HUGE water balloon fight. I sat out with Vivian to take pictures! It was chaos at first, but soon after, everyone went after Charles!

After the water balloons were done, the adults filled up a bucket and let the kiddos play in it. They filled water guns up, splashed, and in the end, it was dumped over my nephew, Austin! Rosalie got some of the water on her, but she just laughed and laughed!

Afterwards, we went home to watch the fireworks from our front yard. It was the first fireworks display the girls have ever watched! They usually go to bed around 8 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., the fireworks were at 9:30 p.m. The girls napped late, so we knew they'd be fine to stay up. And they did wonderfully! They colored with sidewalk chalk, ran around the yard, and blew bubbles until it was time to watch the fireworks.

Right before the show started, Rosalie decided it was time to take off all her clothes! She does this inside, and we kept telling her to stop, but she decided to not listen... I decided to take photos instead of getting mad! She was super cute!

Once she was "nudie", it was time to watch the fireworks! After each one went off, the girls would giggle and scream, "THE FIREWORK WENT BOOM!" Caity kept her hands over her ears the entire time while Rosalie danced in circles after each firework!

We took the girls to the public pool the day after. It was Vivian's first time at the pool! I forgot my camera, but Jamie went with us and snapped a few photos of Vivian in her floatie!

Vivian turned 9 months on the 6th! Crazy to think that my baby is that old already! She is doing things much faster than my other two. She is pulling up onto things faster, trying to walk across the couch, and more! Happy 9 Months to my beautiful, precious baby girl, Vivian Rane!

We went to Red Oak for my nephew's first birthday party on Saturday. The girls were so excited to see Graydon and have some birthday cake! Once we got there, my sister Melissa was there with her baby boy, Tommy. I have never seen him before, so I was pretty excited to get to hold him! And Caitlin was pretty excited to see him as well!

Graydon and the girls kept loving on each other! They have only seen him about 10 or so times because we live across the state from each other, but they have never forgotten him! As soon as they saw him, they wanted to hold him and love on him!

Happy First Birthday Graydon! We love you very, very much and wish you many more birthdays! We hope to see you more than we did in your first year. Your Mommy and Daddy are very lucky to have such a handsome son!

Carie's Weight Loss Journey - Week 5

This past week was an off week for me. With the fourth of July and having my husband home, we were super busy! There was a lot going on, but I made sure to get my workouts in! That was the one thing I told my husband I needed to do!

Saturday, June 30th - We took the girls to Blank Park Zoo for Bunn's Employee Appreciation Day. We got in for free and had a free meal. It was a HOT one outside. We walked around for 2 hours and were pretty much drenched in sweat! I came home and still did the Couch to 5K run with Jamie! I was tired, but we were happy to have completed the workout!

Monday, July 2nd - Walked to ZUMBA with Jamie! Amber was there and the class was a little crowded again, but that always makes the energy level high! It was a practice day for the parade. And it was super hot inside! The humidity was killer. Karmen showed up for the practice. Afterwards, Karmen and I went on an hour long walk while pushing my girls in their strollers. (I was pushing Caitlin and Rosalie in the double stroller, Karmen had Vivian in the umbrella stroller.) We watched our guys play Frisbee golf! It was an awesome day for working out!

Tuesday, July 3rd - Another Zumba practice for the parade. We were sweating in the shade while waiting for everyone to show up! Afterwards, I went on Week 3's workout for the Cto5K with Jamie. It was a little more difficult, but we pushed through it and had a great jog!

Wednesday, July 4th - ZUMBA in the parade! I met up with the Zumba ladies about an hour before the parade for one more practice, then walked a few blocks to the start of the parade. Temperatures were nearing the 100's, but that didn't stop us! We did Zumba through the entire parade and we were very, very exhausted at the end! We had a cool-down walk back to our cars. We had a blast and even made the paper the next day! Here are some photos that were posted to Facebook the last few days:

Above photo is from the paper. The caption said;
Zumba: With temperatures nearing the 100-degree mark Wednesday, Jennifer Frakes, front center, instructor of Zumba Fitness at Southern Prairie YMCA and a handful of students from the class do Zumba though the entire Fourth of July parade route in uptown Creston.

Thursday, July 5th - We took the girls to the city pool with Jamie. It was a beautiful day, despite the heat. We swam for about an hour, then headed home. Jamie stayed with us the rest of the day and we ran our Cto5K workout that night. It was a lot easier to run than the first day! Plus, we were very sore from the parade the day before!

Friday, July 6th - Walked to ZUMBA alone because Jamie got stuck behind a train while walking over. The class only had 5 people in it! Kinda small, but it gave us lots of extra room! My instructor, Jennifer, and I were very, very sore from doing Zumba in the parade! We kept laughing back and fourth at each other every time we'd do a move that hurt! Plus we both got quite a bit of sun from the parade!

Start to Week 5, right side progression photos:

Start to Week 5 photos:

* I wasn't all the way turned to the side in this photo, so it looks a little bit off. *

Start Weight: 202 lbs

Week 1 Weight: 193 lbs

Week 2 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 3 Weight: 190 lbs

Week 4 Weight: 189 lbs

Week 5 Weight: 188 lbs

Weight Lost Since Last Week: 1 lb

Total Weight Lost: 14 lbs

Weight To Go: 53 lbs

I am down another pound and I am so, so happy! I have had a few friends who have said, "Only one pound? Aren't you upset that you've only lost one pound last week?" This is my answer to them.

I am very happy when I look at it like this: Here is 1 lb of fat.

Here is what the 14 lbs I've lost look like:

So yeah... I'm VERY happy with only losing about 1 pound a week! It's fine by me when I look at what I've lost so far! I just keep my sights on the big goal and the reasons I am doing this! Change takes time!