Lindsay Brin's 60 Day Slim Down and workout videos

jennieodwyer

Everything went really well! We got a good shot and surprisingly I was able to use a bunch of coupons and we got out of there with 11 prints for less than $20. I will never be able to repeat that for sure since it was all "new customer" coupons for this studio. We had a great day. I was still sick but my mom came with us and was a HUGE help and while we waited for the picture viewing we went shopping, got lunch, rode the carousel (it was at a mall if you couldn't tell, haha) and it was a great time over all.

I wasn't 100% on the diet this weekend since I felt so crappy (and when I am sick I am soooo hungry) but I kept it in reason and don't expect it to effect my weigh in this week. Dinner went well too. Love me some delicious turkey and the cauliflower is more than acceptable. I do use a food processor to make them. I love mine. It was a cheapy that I got for mother's day when Mike was out of work but I use it a lot. I rice cauliflower in it (as well as the mashing them), grind oats to make oat flour, use the blades to shred and slice veggies, and back when I could eat bananas is was great for making that frozen banana fake ice cream :happy: I would say it is one of my top kitchen appliances.

Well I am feeling weird about my body lately. I know I have been sick but I have been eating at quite a deficit (and still am working out like normal) yet I have been feeling really flabby and "fat". I am sure it is mental but I don't get it. I have been feeling strong and tight this whole time (even when the scale was going up) yet all weekend I just felt really giggly and flabby (particularly my stomach). The only thing I can point to is that I have been drinking alot of diet soda since I have been sick since it helps with the congestion and to flush my system. I know it isn't the best but it makes me feel better and keeps me from eating crap. That and maybe just being bloated from being sick is what is causing it, but I can't figure out why I feel like this. I haven't felt prolonged flabbiness like this since I have been on the "diet" meaning over 2 years ago. I mean sure I have felt chunky some days but it is over in a few hours or by the end of the day. It has been going on all weekend. Oh well hoping it goes soon. That or maybe I am flabbier and it is just the squishy fat and I am ready for a whoosh. haha (yeah right!)

mamareese

You are a bargain hunter! Nice job on the bunny photo deal!!

So glad the dinner went well. Sounds like you put some time in the kitchen! I'll have to watch for a good deal on a food processor. Seems like I could use it for a lot more things that I originally thought!

I have to giggle in an ironic sort of way about your last paragraph. I've been feeling lean, tight and good to go. Even made the comment to DH that I'm feeling good. Come yesterday I felt bloat city and puffy. I know I didn't eat as clean or get enough water in while shopping but I still made calorie and definitely took in more water than normal on a weekend. Yet, I still am slapped with that same feeling. It's annoying to say the least! I'm sure it'll go away for both of us if we just continue to persist. But it is a let down! :grumble: :grumble:

I packed up the foam roller with me since today was leg day but I also have elliptical (at the parents) scheduled for tomorrow. Definitely need to take the time to get that in. I'll be needing it soon. I'm praying my 'bun cakes' (as LB would say) are sore because I tried to hit them every way I could this morning. The weather smacked us with a wintery mix all day yesterday through this morning. I made it to the gym and the positive out of the weather was it allowed me more time at the gym. I had to move some things around at work given the cancellations so I got 90 minutes of Mommy time at the gym. Ah the bliss.:bigsmile:

I also bought some plain Fage greek yogurt. Mixed it up like usual. It'll be an adjustment but I think it's doable. I can't believe how much that 'snack' keeps me full through the night into my 'fasted' workout. I love it!!

jennieodwyer

Yes the plain Greek yogurt is amazing for its stats and satisfaction. I find it to be quite filling for sure! Lately I have been mixing mine with the jello and then adding berries and it almost seems like I am doing something bad, haha.

Well I do feel less flabby today which is good (also might be from the lack of soda) but I am back to the soda gods today as the congestion as come back with vengeance. Not cool:grumble: I still feel ok (other than all the phlegm and headaches) so I am going to try to keep working out through it. If it gets worse like it was on Friday and Sat, I will need to take some days off of working out. Some bugs I just can't seem to fight when I am working out. It is rare but there have been a few times that I have had some nagging upper respiratory issue that doesn't seem to go away until I take several days off (not just one, haha). Hoping that isn't it because I will finish LP strong!!!

Random side note, I have no idea what it is about carbonation, but it works miracles to help work out my congestion. I got a Big Gulp of Diet Dr. Pepper at lunch today and within 10 minutes of just starting it the nastiness starting moving out (gross I know :laugh:) I have no idea why it works but it also helps my mom so we just don't question it.

Oh and I think I have found a new use for the processor! I have been seeing a lot of ground chicken recipes and I see that you can just grind up chicken breasts in it instead (cheaper since we buy breasts in HUGE bulk and healthier since a lot of ground chicken is light and dark meat). Once I do it I will let you know how it goes. I am now on the prowl for pasta free casseroles. Since we are looking to move quite aways from my job, I will need to start making more dinners on the weekend since we will be getting home right when it would be time to eat. Casseroles seem to do the best for freezing. Need to find some without pasta since I am not a pasta fan in general. So low carb casseroles it is :laugh:

90 minutes of Mommy time? that must be heaven :flowerforyou:

mamareese

It was heaven. Given that I only had 30 minutes to bang out a quick cardio sesh this morning, I'm still going to revel for a few moments in that 90 minutes. There something about ear buds and no one in the weight room at 5am that makes for bliss (if I can just GET out of bed to get to that weight room!) :laugh:

My Mom, bless her heart...I asked my Gram the other night if she ever had brussel sprouts and what they tasted like. I'm trying to expand my 'greens' and heard roasting brussel sprouts is a decent veggie option. DIdn't my Mom pick up some for dinner last night?! :flowerforyou: She's a sweetheart. She even bought some of the "Food Should Taste Good" Sweet Potato Tortilla Chips that I LOVE for the family to try. Now, no one else but me liked them :blushing: but it was nice that she did that!! She's an awesome Mama & Nana!!

Cardio was rough this morning...between my HRM fighting me, my legs not getting enough apparent foam rolling last night, and the fact it was snowing again so I wanted to stay in bed- I'll admit to a rather weak session. I've got big plans for the next two days though. A good upper body & HIIT day tomorrow. Then Dan and I are taking a vacation day to 'enjoy each other's company' on Friday so we'll be hitting the gym on leg day together. WHICH means, some of the new exercises I've been wanting to try but need assistance on, I can do! I saw this Smith Machine donkey press and a vertical press on the Smith Machine that I want to give a go. But I want him to check it out with me before I go crawling under the smith machine solo!! :blushing: Things are going well...and I'm relieved. Just gotta keep up this stride. I thought about picking out new swim wear as some incentive...you know, try it on here and there as sort of a progression to goal thing. But I'm just not sure what the 'end product' will be. Even if I get the flat tummy...I don't know that it will be enough to get me past the damage to my belly button so that I'm comfortable in a bikini. I hope so, but I have my doubts that abs and a flat stomach will be enough to distract from the massacre that pregnancy caused on my naval!! :blushing: :blushing: We'll see...I'm still eying swim suits here and there.

Please keep me up to date on the ground chicken. I buy the bulk stuff at either BJs or grab a bunch on sale at Walmart. But if grinding is an option..I will follow you into the depths of grinding my own! I love the stuff way more than ground turkey...the Jenny O Lean ground turkey just goes on sale way more often then the ground chicken!!

I didn't realize the carbonation had that effect...but heck yes, if that works why not?

jennieodwyer

Hey I am here. Just barely! I was home sick yesterday since the coughing took a major turn the night before last and I was running on no sleep and still had to do three hours last night at the Ronald McDonald House. Sooo.... I tried catching up on a bit of rest (and I squeezed in a short weight workout but shhhhh....don't tell my hubby) but I still feel like crap and am coughing up all sorts of nastiness so I am giving myself a true rest day today and tomorrow to try to kick this thing once and for all. If not I will have to go to the Dr. and will probably need a round of steroids to clean out my lungs.

That is so sweet that you and you hubby have a vacation day together. And that is awesome that you go to the gym on it

Yes I will definitely let you know how the chicken goes. It isn't a grinder per se but people say you can just shove the breasts in there and it works the same. So why not give it a whirl?

mamareese

How are you feeling?? :flowerforyou:

Friday was great...lots of 1-on-1 with the hubster. Heck of a gym session and got lots done. It was awesome. Wish we could do it more often! Of course this weekend we have Friday off for the holiday and I'm thinking of taking Monday off too. <---This is what happens when I take one long weekend...I want more!! :bigsmile:

Weekend was eh. Workout was good Saturday but my food was poor after allowing myself to eat Pizza Hut. I'm just not moving forward mentally with allowing for one cheat meal, it turns into poor choices the next day. It's still a struggle for me. I did make spaghetti squash, I'm hoping it turns out and that I like it because it was super simple. It's my dinner for the next couple of nights so we'll see. Then it's on to eating out 2 days this weekend so I'm trying to keep the calories and carbs tight. It's going to be a struggle. I was ready to get back into the gym this morning though after a day of on Sunday. So much so that I woke up 3x from 400-500a so I'm sure I'll pay for that later!!

jennieodwyer

We are opposites this week. I wish I could work hard core like you but the bronchitis is just giving me fits! My diet has been very good (it has to be since I can't work out) but I am dying to get back to it and really kill it this week! I have been on antibiotics and steroids since Friday and while I see definite improvement, I am not back to normal for sure. The biggest thing is the cough that keeps me up at night. That is the worst. I have been trying to squeeze weight lifting in here and there just because this is my last few days of LP but it isn't consistent or that effective. Was hoping to be back this morning but since I was up at 4am hacking I decided I needed the sleep more. I will try to get in another weight training workout tonight (without my husband's knowledge since he is constantly on me about not taking enough time off when I am sick). I am sorry, if I can go to work and clean the house for showings and do all sorts of other stuff in daily life I can do 30-40 minutes of weight training. Its not like I am running a marathon :laugh: I haven't done any cardio since Tuesday. I am sure he is right but I am finishing this out

Glad you had a great Friday. I have to say, even if LP doesn't get me where I wanted to be weight wise, I am glad I did it since it taught me a lot about different macros and how I respond to it. As I said before I was surprised but how filling an extra amount of fat was (yolks, higher fat dairy) and I have to say I thought this high of a deficit and working out these last few weeks would make me horribly hungry but it really hasn't. Granted I haven't been 100% with workouts so that might have changed things. But I am surprised to know that as long as my protein is up the lower calories are quite manageable. I don't plan to keep them that low after this week but now I see I can do that low when I want to cut again as long as I keep my protein up. I think after this I will slowly increase calories and instead of worrying about keeping a perfect ratio I am going to have a goal protein amount and goal fat amount and let everything else fall where they may. We will see how that work out :laugh:

mamareese

Very true...it seems we were opposites. Now hopefully we can both get back on track (you with your medicine and me with putting my head back on right!! :blushing: ) and kick the crap out of the rest of March. Last week of CLX eh? Nice work lady! Awesome job!! Add that to your profile as ACCOMPLISHED!! :drinker:

LP is definitely a learning game. Heck, it all is. I've definitely learned alot this March and I have some ideas heading into the next 6 weeks. I am going to look at changing things up slightly at the beginning of April. One full week of April to finish out this 'plan' and reassess where I am at. Overall, I am pleased with how things have went. Sure, I've hit some roadbumps that I placed in front of myself but overall I've followed through. And that's the point of all of this...continue to learn and move forward!!

I did make the spaghetti squash and tried it last night. It wasn't wonderful, it wasn't awful. I think it's one of those acquired tastes that I'll just keeping whipping up and altering as need be. I will say that the spaghetti squash broccoli combo filled me up and I couldn't finish my plate of food. <---Never happens. :laugh: But it was very filling. I have 2 more meals out of that concoction and then I'll need to prep more food. Still trying to figure out what to take with us on our overnight. We have a microwave and a fridge...we will eat out one meal and eat at the hotel for the free breakfast (which hopefully means some eggs to sustain me). It should be fine. Though we are going to Chuck E Cheese for the kids, we aren't eating there which is good because they don't offer much in the way of staying on track. Sure, they have the salad bar but that all just looks a little to wrinkly for me!!

I did miss my morning workout. We have been having issues with the thermostat so Dan has been resetting the electric to try and fix it. But in doing so, I forget to adjust the clock so it was 6am before I got out of bed. It's leg day too. So I've got to see when I can fit that in. I should have grabbed S90 to take to my parents but hauling the weights over is so much work! Maybe plyo? We'll see...I don't want to miss a complete workout. If all else fails, I might double up tomorrow. We'll see what work brings!! Hopefully I can find time for something.

jennieodwyer

Oh I know you will get it done no matter what! I am still fighting this cough but I was finally allowed to work out this morning without my husband all over me about not taking enough time off. So that was nice. Yeah I am glad I will be finishing out. I am curious to see the results. I will keep CLX but I don't know if I will ever do another full rotation of it. I am not ready to throw it out like I was with Insanity but for some reason I don't think it was as effective for me as S90. I think the faster pace gave me more of a cardio effect I needed but I don't want to jump the gun. Definitely worth keeping but not jumping right into another round of it for sure.

I am off schedule with CLX this week with the sick days but I am getting all the last weeks workouts in (I did all three leans in a row in the last 3 days) and then I will do the cardio ones. I am actually going to be calling the whole thing on Thursday instead of Friday. Friday was my actual finish date to take measurements, etc but we were invited to my niece's birthday party on Thursday night and though I can make sure I eat healthy I can't control the sodium,etc so I just am calling it a day early so my final numbers aren't screwed up. Although Mike is going to love me when I make him take pictures of me at 5am on Thursday before I start my workout. haha I always like the pics to be right when I do my official weigh in when I am all dehydrated from the night and low on sodium from the day before. I know it makes very little difference but I like eliminating all possible variables. Since we usually do measurements/weigh on Fridays (which are my rest days) he gets to do it right when he wakes up at 6 but with the schedule being all messed up.

Then we leave on Friday for a three day lodge retreat, which should be alot of fun. It is for Mike's mom's 60th birthday that we are all getting together and doing this package:

http://www.roughcreek.com/specials/PDF/RC_EASTER-2013.pdf

It is expensive (glad his parents are paying) but it looks like a good time for all. Have fun Easter plans?

I can't wait to see your results in April. You have been doing a great job staying off the scale! I just joined another challenge with the group that I did the Easter one for. I wasn't going to since I didn't want to have to post when I gained over random trips and while I was increasing my calories a bit but I did like seeing the overall weight loss of people in my group and even though I had up and downs and didn't think I lost a lot, I could look at the numbers and see that I was still one of the highest % lost. So it helps put things in perspective. So I signed up

I don't know what exercise plan I am going with just yet. I have a few random youtube sets I have been checking out and I toy with going back to S90 but we will see. I was researching all my numbers and macros for the last time I have the most success of keeping my weight under 130 (last April, wow its been a year with very little progress, grrr). My average intake for that month was 1816 a day with a 35-40c/25f/35-40p. So I will play around with similar macros. I find this 50p/20f/30c very doable but it requires so much more planning to keep the fat down and the protein that high. I think for everyday life I want to increase the fat alittle and decrease the protein, but when I want to start cutting again I would go to those ratios first since they kept me pretty full on low calories (for me).

The one thing I am already starting to do is to just use the BMF to determine the calories burned during workouts. I was using the off body edit feature and manually entering in the activity since I felt the BMF wasn't really getting all the workout activity when it was like weight lifting. I wanted to err on the high side when I was doing such a big cut. Now that I am switching to a smaller deficit I would rather err on the lower side so I am just wearing the BMF without the HR for workouts. I will also be syncing it with MFP once I finish this week so I can work directly from those numbers. Should be interesting :laugh:

Yeah as for the squash, I feel like it does take some getting used to. I certainly isn't pasta and if you think of it like pasta you will be disappointed. You have to think of it as a healthy alternative that gives your twice as much food for half the calories. For me pasta itself has very little taste and it is all about the sauces you put on it. I treat the squash the same way. It is more like filler than main course Honestly, that is how I like to eat almost everything. I am all into volumetrics. I pour my small amounts of meat and sauce all over veggies (like I do with my broccoli and lean cuisine) and I feel like I am eating like a king. I am all about the volume. Tonight is a great example. I made my crockpot fiesta chicken which is supposed to be used in tortillas but I like to but it on a huge bed of lettuce/salad and let the juices be a bit of a dressing with a little sour cream (maybe I will try the greek yogurt instead :laugh: ). For half the calories of a tortilla I get to eat 4x as much. haha What can I say, small amounts of food make me sad :laugh:

mamareese

Yep, missed it. Worked late, traveled cross counties to get children, get broken vehicles to the shop, all things that inhibited a late workout. It happens. I got mine in this AM, i'll just have to move rest day. So be it. Onward and upward.

Your get away sounds fun! Definitely a nice little family get away! Enjoy yourself! I am counting down the hours until we leave. Granted its only a one night jaunt but the kids are excited, I'm excited, and with all the things going wrong lately- we need it as a family! Of course, everyone is healthy and we are thankful for that. And you try to keep that at the front of your minds but with 2 vehicles that need major shop repairs, a heater that's taking a crap while we continue to get snow, job searches, and money issues...it all piles up to getting you to a point you need a break. Even if it's a one night hotel and Chuck E Cheese! :bigsmile: I'm down for it as long as everyone is excited and together!!

Poor Mike. LoL. Props to him for getting up to do it! I've always got night pictures because Dan wouldn't be able to operate a camera before the sunrise. :laugh:

Stayed at the parents house- they had pizza and boneless wings...I had spaghetti squash and turkey sausage. Everyone made light of it so it wasn't too bad. Granted I wanted some damn pizza! But I got mine over the weekend...and will be overboard I'm sure on our dinner this weekend. It's all worth it in the end, right?! Moment on the lips, forever on the hips- or whatever mantra I need to repeat to myself this week!

I definitely think it'll be a nice transition to utilizing your BMF and really seeing what it can assist you with. I'll be interested to follow that journey. I'm not too worried about what comes next, but I am eying what to do for that final push before our little vacation. Exploring some options so we'll see. I think after we get back I'm going to cut back on # of exercises weight wise to increase cardio slightly and see what that impact has. If it's a good one, I'll have a better idea of what to do during those last few weeks. I have time to experiment as long as I stick to the plan!!

I am trying to rack my brain about what to prep to travel with. We are going to leave in the AM but be eating out of the cooler for lunch Friday...kids-simple sammies, they are happy...Dan-as long as it fills him up he's good...me, something that doesn't involve a microwave is a little more difficult but I'm wondering about just breadless sandwiches. Then it'll be up to me to make responsible (<---cough, cough) choices while eating out. I won't pretend I'm not going to eat the pasta if we end up at Outback or some wings if we go to BWW, but every other meal does not need to happen! Head on straight, head on straight!!

Did the cough hit you again last night? Or are you coming around the bend on the final stretch of it?! Fingers crossed it'll be the last one of this season!! :flowerforyou:

jennieodwyer

Sorry crazy day. Don't have much time to chat but I did want to let you know the cough is SLOWLY getting better. Cardio was rougher than normal this morning and would start some light coughing but nothing major. I am going to be hitting it tomorrow again though with the lean intervals. Hoping for the best on final weigh in tomorrow morning! Then will "do my best" this weekend. haha. See you tomorrow!!

mamareese

Crazy days lately, I understand!! I am glad you are starting to feel better. I am also so excited you finished CLX! Props to you sista! :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: :flowerforyou: And a loss for you today also! Great job! Did you get all your pics and measurements?

I made the decision (as noted in my blog post) to hold out another week on measurements and reassess from there. I feel like I have a good idea of what/where too do/go from here but I figured I'd throw it out and see what responses I get. I am always up for feedback. This mornings lift was hard. I was just not feeling 100% but got it in. My legs are feeling it already so I guess that's a good thing. Need to squeeze in a quick workout tomorrow AM (have to do a 5am even though I'm not working :grumble: since Dan needs to lift too before we head out of town) Upper tomorrow since I'm off schedule for missing Tuesday. The hotel has a treadmill I'm hoping to hop on why the family sleeps and then finish out one more week before changing anything when we get back. I need to foam roll...:huh:

I am going to prep some simple chicken salad and take some rice cakes with me for the trip up. That should tide me over until we make it up there. I'll pack some good stuff for the hotel room in an effort to limit self sabotaging this weekend! Also going to pack some water. I'm a water snob and can't handle city water. So best to just take the time to prep. Dan needs prep food anyways...man is ALWAYS hungry. :laugh: So I'll get it taken care of tonight. Though that needs done, packing, and then I have to get all the Easter eggs & baskets ready because when the kids load up in the car Mommy has to run back into the house and hide them secretly since by the time we get back the Easter Bunny will have already come and gone. (<---longest run on sentence in history!! ) It's going to be a busy night!!

Enjoy your weekend! I hope it's relaxing and wonderful!! :drinker:

jennieodwyer

Good for you for staying off the scale, water snob , you are much stronger than I! :laugh: Well I weighed in and was overall happy. I was a little annoyed that I wasn't able to go potty yesterday (sorry TMI) so my number might be slightly higher than it normally would but I can't complain with being at 127.4lbs. I was hoping LP would get me to 125. Close but no cigar. I did lose 8 pounds in the last 12 weeks which sounds quite impressive, BUT about 4-5 pounds of that was still holiday weight. So I would be interested to know what happened if I had started at my standard 130 (the barrier my body loves to sit at) instead of 135.4. I would definitely say I lost BF though. The calipers were on the 8mm mark this morning and it was 12mm when I started (it is in 2mm increments so I dropped down 2 levels on the calipers). So according to that I am just under 20% even in the new age bracket (which was a goal of mine but I need to stay comfortably under there).

So I made progress and didn't die so that is all one can hope for right? haha. I did take pictures and measurements but I haven't had to do the side by sides. I think I am seeing more definition though. I will post everything next week on my blog. I just don't have the time to get all of the photos edited and uploaded before I am leaving town. At this point everything is so minor but still. I want to see changes :laugh:

So I am going to slowly raise calories and I am about to connect my BMF to MFP (we shall see how that one goes!). I am not sure if I would do the full 12 week LP program again or if I would just go straight to a 35-40% deficit with really high protein since that seems to be where most of the action happened with me. I definitely will be cutting again before summer.

I too need to pack healthy food today for the road as well as in the room. I usually pack a bunch of protein bars on any trip to keep us from eating crap in between meals but since we are on the road I can bring more stuff. I see jerky, nuts, hummus and sandwiches in our future. haha. I also laugh with the water snob comment. As soon as we get to any hotel, we immediately go to a grocery store to buy a package of bottled water. I refuse to pay mini bar prices and hotel water is always nasty!

Well I am off for the weekend. Have a very wonderful Easter weekend and we will both do our best to keep it together :laugh:

jennieodwyer

Oh yeah I was totally off the wagon over the weekend. I hung in for one day then it all fell apart that dinner!! haha. So I haven't been on the scale since then. I will expect an increase but that is cool. The only thing I don't know is whether I should continue with the plan of eating higher calories (like 1600-1800) or if I should stay lower for a few more days to make up for my weekend binge. Hmmmmmm decisions. Great pic by the way

mamareese

Morning! I took Monday off so I spent the day cleaning, prepping food and hanging out with the family. I wanted to take today too, since the family is home probably still cuddled up in bed but sadly I had to head in to work! It felt good to hit the gym in the wee hours of the morning though. My 8am workout yesterday was fine but there's more people in the gym by then so it's not as 'fun' to get in my workout.

Thanks for the comment on the pic. You too! Looking good with that 6 pack! I'd say CLX and LP did you well, but I know 98.99% is your consistency and dedication to accomplishing your goals. I've realized that 110% over the last month. I, of course, 'knew' that was the key to this but I can 'feel' how that consistency really drives the progress now. Thus, I am spending lunch considering new objectives for the next 11 weeks pre-vacation. I will definitely be purchasing a new swimsuit though! I was pleasantly and annoyingly surprised by how ill fitted my suits were this weekend. Granted one of them was purchased shortly after my youngest was born and that one was like a darn tent. But even the one I purchased for vacation last summer, a strapless tankini...I was shocked to find out the bottoms were actually loose. I'd like to think that's a good thing but I'm not exactly on a mission to 'lose the booty', I just want that thing to fight gravity!! So we'll see...I plan on holding out for a while to see where the next few weeks lead me. Again, I'll probably never make it to a bikini because a front shot of my stomach even flexed may show abs peeking through but my belly button is a hot mess. :huh:

Easter was rough for me too. I kept it together 90% on the trip but Easter day my emotions got the better of me. I picked and picked, couldn't even log because I have no idea what I ate. All I know was I ended up in a food coma Sunday night, literally. I laid in bed and cussed at myself for reverting back to old habits after all this progress!! It was a wash. So I got my butt up Monday (work day off or not) and got to work. Chugging water and getting my head back on right. I hope SOMEDAY to get passed that holiday hiatus BS!

jennieodwyer

Ok that is awesome that all the bathing suits didn't fit!!! You rock girl! Your ab pic looked awesome but I know what you mean about wanting to feel comfortable with your mommy issues. I still have some skin that I can tuck away for pictures and stuff but it can all hang out when I sit down in a 2 piece so I am very careful about that action and trying to make sure bottoms are higher up. You can see the little bit of extra skin left in my profile after pic. There is that little fold showing out of my shorts. A small price to pay but I can't wait to have it cut off once I am done with having kids. haha!

Yeah I was happy with the stats from LP and CLX but I honestly didn't see too much of a change in the pictures. The only thing I can see clearly is the thighs which is my trouble zone so I am happy about that but then I notice that I barely lost anything in my thighs according to the measurements so maybe I was just standing differently. Whatever. I just have to look back and my true before and after pics (as shown in my profile) and I can't doubt the change there :laugh:

Yeah as for Easter, I was on the scale this morning and it was up over 4 pounds. haha. I am sure some of that will come down but I expect to see a 2 pound gain from the weekend debauchery. Speaking of scales, when do you break the streak and hop on?

jennieodwyer

Saw the you deactivated!! Was it a mistake or are you gone??

cleaneater80

Don't know where I found this thread but could not stop reading it. Love the way you two encourage each other and the work you have put in to get where you are. I"m hoping you didn't leave the site mamreese ;(

I'm needing some inspiration right now. I reached goal weight back in 2011 for my wedding and now am up 12lbs. I have had a hard time getting my head around being where I am now and the changes I need to get to where I want to be. I'm active and know how to eat right I'm just in some kind of funk that is stopping me from getting to where I need to be.

Jennie you are such a inspiration - How did you get started to really lose the weight and make some changes?

Love your banter back and forth -

jennieodwyer

Oh thanks, Mamareese should be coming back at some point! My breaking point was how unhappy I looked and felt after having my daughter. I was a size 14 and I had enough. So I started about 6 weeks after I had my daughter and never looked back. :laugh:

tsquaredmama

What's shakin' sista?

Weekend was interesting. Got the gym in but movies derailed eating. Things are looking up for this week. Not much longer and we'll be off on vacation. We have a tee ball game tonight so I had to add tonight's meal to prep cooking. Pretty sure I made 8 meals yesterday! Yowser!

What's new with you?

jennieodwyer

Hey girl!! Is it really you?? I didn't realize you had come back. haha I got a ton of FR after I posted 2 blogs and I guess you got accepted into the mix and I didn't notice haha!

Glad you are back!

Yeah the scale is looking really evil. Though I hit 125 and have been within less than a pound of 125 for 3 weeks now, since I increased calories (and had a single big cheat meal on Sat) my weight has been sky high. You came back at the perfect time so that you can talk me off the ledge. I know I need to give it more time and I didn't gain 3 pounds of fat but it messes with your head for sure!

Just have to keep the course. I want to live a normal life and I need to eat closer to 2000 on a regular basis to live how I want to live. But of course, I will only give this so long since I do have 2 beach trips coming up. So I do expect another cut coming my way but I want to give the higher calories a chance. How have you been?

tsquaredmama

Haha. Sorry, I should have noted that in my friend request!! Forgot about the influx you've gotten since the blog posts hit the top 10!!!

The scale blows. So I see why you are waiting on the profile page. You are right that you didn't gain the 3lbs but seeing it still sucks. I hear ya. I consistently see the 148 unless I eat high sodium them I'm up 3-4lbs and want to smack my head!

Definitely agree about the living the normal life. After this vacation push, which I'm still gearing back up for, I've got to find a suitable pace for the long haul. Sure they'll be the 30 days until vacation or birthday pushes but still need to look at that 'what can I do forever?' balance. The 6 days a week of the gym/home workouts is feasible. It's the balance of eating and we'll find it! I definitely wasn't prepared for it yet so I have a ways to go mentally. But it's a game of when/how just like the weight loss is!!

Things are good. I switched up the set up of my upper body this morning after talking to Dan. Usually I go with a minimum of 2 exercises per upper body part (i.e. chest, back, shoulders, bi, tri) with 3x15 but he suggested instead of mixing bis with tris in a superset...burn out bis together, tris together etc. So I did. And holy hell. My layout will stay the same but I'm sticking with his go heavy one day 8-10 reps and fast/lighter with 12-15 the other day. I always figured I should switch them to allow one part to rest before hammering the other but this was way more intense. Bis are throbbing now! :sad: Tomorrow is leg/booty day which is my favorite day so some foam rolling and rest tonight. Then one more early morning.

I get to go to Mother's Day programs for both the kiddos tomorrow. Soo excited!! :flowerforyou: It'll be nice to end the week on a high note with the kids!!

Any Mother's Day plans?

jennieodwyer

ohhh sounds like you have a good workout routine. Well as expected I was up 2lbs. Hard to know how much was from the cheat meal and how much was from the calorie increase but I have to stay strong. 1800-1900 is still a 20% deficit so I know it isn't fat and I need to just relax. I know I will be good one more week but if I see 2 more weeks of heavy gains (and getting close to 130 again) I know I am going to back off. I just can't deal with it right now. I will raise the calories more in the winter when I don't have to be in a bathing suit! :laugh: I have worked too damn hard to be in the 120s to give that up right during skin showing season.

Well we had some mother's day plans including a brunch for my family that I organized on Sunday but Josie has some stomach bug (I am home today) so I am not sure if she will be over it by then :ohwell:

I am glad you are back at MFP. What made you decide to come back?

tsquaredmama

I understand the conflict with upping them. And you've got to be comfortable with doing it so I hope the scale settles down for you so you can continue to see where your calories lie! I get the swimsuit thing 100%-there's more room for experimenting when things cool down outside!!

I do hope that Josie is feeling better!! Nothing worse than a sick little one on any day let alone a little holiday!

I was off work yesterday for the boys' Mother's Day thing so I didn't get on MFP. They were so stinking cute, I loved it. I'm glad Mother's Day falls during the school year! Means that I can go enjoy a little program every year they are little. Though Dan did tell me that I have to find something to do later so that the boys can 'work on' my Mother's Day gift. Too bad I already hit the gym!

Both the boys played tee ball today. Tarren had to sub in since we didn't have enough players. Talan never hits off the tee which I guess left Tarren something to prove since neither did he! :laugh: They did great. It's cold and rainy here so I'm glad we are home and on to lunch/laundry. But it was fun.

I had cardio today. I think tomorrow I'll swap my rest day in for a little stretch session and a small amount of cardio. With the weather turned crappy, we aren't getting out and up on the hikes like we have been. So I don't think taking the rest day out for now will hurt. Wednesday can be a rest day if needed.

I tried to prep as much food today as I could so I won't be swamped tomorrow. Who wants to prep cook on Mother's Day?! Not this chic. I did my egg muffins and some turkey is thawing for turkey muffins. I won't be able to do Dan's until tomorrow since the chicken needs to last him until Wednesday. But some is better than none.

I'm hoping these pinterested themed presents we did for my mom, Gram, and MIL dry!! Otherwise they'll be getting 70% dried clay danglers instead of 100% dry!! Procrastination is my middle name!!

Enjoy your Mother's Day and I hope Josie feels 100% ASAP!

jennieodwyer

I am back....just barely. After missing 4 days of work (one just for Josie, 2 for all of us and 1 more day just for me) I had to come back even though I can still barely keep any food down (or in for that matter). I did overdo it on mother's day brunch (because it was delicious) but considering I have only be able to eat crackers and bread since Sunday morning (and they are going through me faster than anything) I think I will post a loss. If nothing else it will be pure water weight! I think the earliest I will be able to work out again in Sat and probably not until Sunday or Monday since I am so weak from not eating and I am still not back to normal. I get hungry but the minute I eat something I feel sick as a dog and then I reject the food one way or another (I know TMI but as a mom I sure this doesn't bother you, )

Hope you had a great mother's day. Sorry to cut this short but I have mounds of work to get to since I missed so much.

tsquaredmama

I'm glad you are feeling better! What a down and out run you had!

Things have been hectic to say the least! Court today and full on pre-summer vacation work to do here at the office. It's been crazy. Both boys are now playing tee ball which is awesome. They did great at their game on Friday. The next one is Tuesday (our anniversary!) so we'll see how round 2 of both boys on the same team goes! It's fun to watch them out there with Dan coaching. I took almost 200 pictures (granted only about 70 turned out!) on Friday. I really need to get on that scrapbooking!

Workouts are going well. I was able to workout with Dan on Sunday. We went out to the Olive Garden (we traveled 40 minutes just to get a 'special' meal:laugh: ) It was nice but I definitely didn't mind my light lunch today...even if the breadsticks were delicious!! I'm running out of count down days so things are getting serious! Decreasing time on weights more and increasing cardio some. With a decrease in carbs, hopefully it will help. Either way, I HAVE to purchase a couple pair of shorts and a suit before we go. I'm down to 1 pair of jean capris (no work capris) and 2 pair of shorts! Eek! All my summer skirts, aside from a flowy white one I wear to work are too big. Can't complain about that but I can't find anything worth purchasing either!! You know shopping is...it's hit or miss!!

Are you back on a regular eating and workout schedule? Did Miss Josie get back to 100% too?

jennieodwyer

As of today I am 100% back to normal! Sorry I am on here late but I am still playing catch up. You know how that goes I am sure. I did see a nice 2lb+ drop last week from being so sick. So I do expect a rebound since I can now eat solid food. haha! But I am hoping it is still under 126, which is where I was before I increased my calories and had a big cheat meal and my weight shot up to 127. At least then I will feel like I am starting clean again. But we shall see I just realized I am only 3 weeks out from my beach vacation! 23 days to be exact! Gotta keep it tight!

We also have just over 2 weeks left on our listing agreement for the house and we have to decide what to do. We just dropped the price big time (and it is as low as we are willing to go now) but we are not sure what to do once the listing agreement ends if we don't have any interested parties. Soooo stressful. I just want to be done with it! Oh well can't think about it.

Congrats on everything being too big!! That is awesome girl. You rock!

tsquaredmama

Yeah for solid foods!!:laugh: I'm sure the weight will settle out this week. Keeping things consistent helps. <---a reminder for myself! :blushing:

Sounds like we are on the same timeline with vacations! I have 23 days today. I have to keep running the online calculator because I can never remember! All I know is it is creeping up on me!

Yeh, I tried on some shorts this weekend. Could not find anything that worked. There isn't a happy medium that I've found between juniors shorts which tend to be too short for me and women's shorts which have been too long. I have to have a little balance between 30 year old Mama of 2 and fitness Mama. :laugh: We plan on packing light since we have to take camp fire wood with us, along with food for the 4 days. But still finding something appropriate but comfortable for fishing, hiking, etc has been a struggle. I did hit the jackpot for Talan on a lawnsale over the weekend so he's set. Now on to me! Dan has the same problem though with shorts...he's always been an Abercrombie shorts guy but with all the added muscle those just don't work for him either...so he circulates 2 pair around..hell,the poor guy only has one pair of jeans, why am I complaining?

Today is our 8 year anniversary and a baseball game. Instead of staying with my parents like I typically do Tuesdays to make my Mom's babysitting of Tarren easier, we will all be staying at the house. I haven't decided on dinner but I plan on keeping mine salads. Gotta keep pushing that Jennie mentality of adding veggies to everything for density! :bigsmile:

I ordered a new workout top from JcPenny's along with a swimsuit cover up. Got both for $4 and they both fit great. So I rocked a bright *kitten* pink workout top this morning. :drinker: It was super comfortable sort of a loose fitting yoga type top. I may have to get another one!!

House selling...what a conundrum! I hope it works out for you! We talk about moving here and there but I doubt it'll ever pan out. The house was a foreclosure (might be repeating a previous conversation here) so we paid a reasonable price and thus leaving it for a bigger loan, bigger monthly payment is hard. But come summer the conversations always come about in regards to moving. We have enough room for a nice deck, a little swing set, etc but the neighbors porches are in line with ours so nothing we do is private, every time we are outside it's like a neighborhood party. And I grew up in the middle of no where with the ability to do whatever, whenever outside. It just gets cumbersome trying to have a nice campfire or a family lunch out back with the neighbors looking over you constantly. The pros and cons of all of it are exhausting! lol.

jennieodwyer

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!! Thats awesome. It will be 7 years for us in September (but we were engaged for 2 years while I was in law school so 9 years together but only 7 married). Glad you made it through the 7 year itch :laugh: Hope you do something special

I totally understand the short issue. My favorite shorts that are in the happy medium (not mom length but not up the crack hoochie shorts) are actually the Faded Glory shorts from Walmart! They are like the find of the century for me. They are great for me since they are not low cut (thus not showing crack or letting my mom skin hang out in the front) and they have a bit of wiggle room for my thighs and butt (not skin tight) yet they are at a very flattering length that isn't matronly yet is comfortable to wear anywhere. Oh yeah and they are dirt cheap! haha. I bought mine last year so the style is a little different than these but here are this year's versions:

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Faded-Glory-Women-s-Basic-4.5-Twill-Shorts/22152067

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Faded-Glory-Women-s-Basic-4.5-Shorts/22152002

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Faded-Glory-Women-s-Cargo-Shorts/22281912

I think I need to check out these myself since I don't have any cuffed ones (yes I know I have a problem, haha)

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Faded-Glory-Women-s-Belted-Denim-4.5-Shorts/22152007

I think the 4.5 length is right on the money (as is the $12 price and the fact that they are readily available at walmart :laugh: )

Yeah my body is still trying to figure things out. I got on the scale to day and it was over 129lb. ummmm no. That isn't even possible. I am extremely sore from all the workouts and I do expect a rebound since Friday'w weigh in was artificially low but that was nuts since I was 125 on Sat . I was off plan for dinner on Sunday but it wasn't anything crazy and I have been way under the rest of the time. So we will see if everything dies down before Friday or not but not going to worry about it. I want to lean out a tiny bit more if possible before the trip but we have a lot of events in the weekends leading up to the trip so I know that isn't realistic since the only way I lose any weight is to stick to my calories and macros 100% everyday. The most I can hope for is maybe a little bit down or just maintaining. Sigh. Its life right? :laugh: This is why I refuse to put 125lb down until I am at or under it for more than a day :laugh:

tsquaredmama

Surprisingly we have a Walmart :laugh: so I'll have to check them out. I'd order online but I have no idea size! So even if I can determine size and then order the colors/styles I like that would rock! Thanks for the heads up!!

Cardio today was awful (as I noted :grumble: ). It's stinkin' hot, the AC wasn't on at the gym, the lifters took the only fan and I haven't been feeling so hot since yesterday's baseball game. I didn't have any gas in my tank. I considered not even going and doing something at home but poor Dan slept down stairs last night since the only AC we have in right now is in the living room. Thus leading to an epic fail at cardio day. :explode: Back to weights with light cardio tomorrow so hopefully some rest and H20 give me the boost I need!!

Works just been a killer then being on the go with the kids, trying to get everything ready for summer, etc...I feel like I'm on fumes lately! You know how it is. Just a speed bump that I need to hurdle. Cardio isn't really my thing anyways!!

I found a pair of kakhi capris to wear today. I'm proud to say my booty didn't fit in them when I bought them end of season last year. So when they went on fine today, I was pleased. Just need to keep pushing. Going to taper my carbs back down (that's been hit and miss even with keeping calories in check) so that things are in line for the vacation. I need to get swimsuit shopping but I never seem to make it to a store without a kid in town. And the last thing my 2 boys want to do is wait for me to try on swimsuits!! :noway: