Tuesday, May 24, 2011

My Weekend

Sorry I haven't posted in a few days! I had a busy weekend, being sick!

Saturday morning I was up bright and early to go to our Tri-Ward Super Saturday! We made lots of fun crafts, including hair accessories made out of scraps of ribbon and polymer clay jewelry. I went out to lunch with a few friends, made a pair of glasses out of aluminum foil at Freebirds and then got my hair cut. As promised, here is a picture of said haircut:


Pretty cute, eh? I can do lots of different things with it, I can flip it out or round brush it all in. When Linda (my hair dresser) was first blowing it out, I seriously looked like I was getting Justin Bieber's haircut and that startled me a bit. I haven't been able to get it to not flip out the two times I have actually blown my hair dry...I need to go get a smaller brush!

Okay, so back to the exercise portion of this blog. I didn't get to the gym on Saturday due to my hair cut and us moving things around for when Forest's Mom comes to stay with us next week (I will talk about that later on...). Plus, I started to suddenly feel absolutely sick. I feared that I had the flu because it hit me like a ton of bricks. I spent the night sleeping mostly elevated (which I HATE to do) and when I woke up Sunday, I felt slightly better. I was pretty stuffy, but my discomfort was all in my head so I knew it wasn't the flu. Sunday was the Cystic Fibrosis Great Strides walk. One of my greatest friends, Cassi, has a nephew with CF and this is the second year we have walked for him. So, 7 months pregnant Cassi, her husband Bryce, their 22 month old Jackson, Forest and myself went on a 5K (or so...) walk. It wasn't very hot but it sure was MUGGY. It felt like walking through a cloud of water! At least I got some exercise in this weekend!

I ended up feeling worse Sunday night and by Monday morning, I was feeling 100% terrible. Forest spent the entire day getting our guest bedroom, well, guest-ready. I spent the day in bed with a sinus infection and headache from heck. I opted out of cardio today as well because I still wasn't breathing right. Hopefully tomorrow morning I will be back to normal and I can keep going. I was doing so well, it has really driven me nuts that I haven't been able to go for 5 days! Tomorrow is another day...

Friday, May 20, 2011

Day Five

As I mentioned earlier, I take care of a little girl who is 8 years old. Her name is Grace. Grace is a big part of my life and have accidentally led many to believe she is really mine. Alas, she is not. I wouldn't mind having a kid like her though! Anyway, today was field day at Grace's school. As Grace is physically challenged, there was a bunch of stuff she just couldn't do, without much help from me anyway. I got a workout from that alone! I think Grace's favorite part of the day was the fact she got to eat a few bags of popcorn. That child would crawl over a mountain for popcorn.

I was with Grace for 9 and a half hours today and when I got home at 6, I had a few things I needed to do and planned on going to the gym around 8:30. Forest (my husband) and I both got dressed to go and when we got to the gym, it was closed. Apparently I didn't pay attention to their hours very well, because the gym closes at 8pm on Fridays...

So, we went home and watched a movie together. At least it was Field Day!

Tomorrow I will start again.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

Day Four

In case you were all wondering...I am going to school to be a programmer, specifically in web development. My first two classes were Microcomputer Applications (or, computers for dummies, needless to say I got an A) and Interpersonal Communication (I also got an A, it was a fun class). This summer I take a developmental math class, because I am terrible at math, then in the fall I take the math class that will satisfy my credit. I am also going to take Fundamentals of Programming I (yay, I finally get to program something!). I decided to "spruce" up the blog a little bit but I didn't flex my programming muscles too much. I am such a perfectionist that if I did write up my own template for this blog, it would take away so much precious time that could be spent doing other things, like watching Modern Family. Seriously though, I hope this is a bit easier on the eyes.

I really had to drag myself out of bed today. My doggies were in a bit of a tizzy this morning. Pippin, our Bichion Frise, is the neediest dog in the entire world. He has allergies and tends to scratch himself until he bleeds. Well, he's sporting the cone of shame this week and he is not happy about it. He came running onto the bed at 7:30 this morning acting like he'd just seen a ghost and would not leave my side. Puck, our puggle, is a black ball of insanity. He's still a puppy and enjoys chewing anything he can get his teeth on. He stays in his kennel when we are asleep, but he was ready to be out and I was not!

So, when I finally did get to the gym, there wasn't a soul in the weight room! I spent a little time on each cardio machine and I did two runs of everything on the weight training side. I can feel myself getting stronger with each rep! I hope this helps some of my rib/back issues, as I am sure they are only that way because I don't have strong muscles back there!

I found the blog of a woman who has a similar build to mine and she has the cutest short hair! I called the gal who cuts my hair and I have an appointment for Saturday. I promise to take pictures when it's done!

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Day Three

I have been scheduling trips to the gym so that I will actually go. School starts again in about 2 weeks. I will be in class until 10am and then I work at noon. That should give me enough time to get to the gym and shower there when I am done. My only concern is my hair. As cute as my hair is, it takes an effort to get it that way. Honestly, I haven't felt like doing it the past two days because my arms are just so sore! It also gets in my face when I am at the gym...I think it needs to go. Thankfully my face isn't round, but I've always heard that if you are overweight you never want short hair. We'll see about that...

So, I learned today that you are not supposed to weight train everyday. Good to know! The new plan is to do just cardio one day, then cardio and weight training the next. I am going to be there 6 times a week and take Sunday off (it is the day of rest, after all). Today I got on the elliptical and lasted 3 minutes. My legs would not take it anymore. I went on the bike for a while and finally the treadmill, which again made me dizzy after just 10 minutes. I thought for sure the elliptical would be the best thing for me, but so far it's kicking my butt!

Eventually I am going to post a full-body picture of me, but I haven't had the time to take one. I usually hide myself in pictures! 

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Day Two

At the beginning of 2010, I started to feel really run-down and tired, almost constantly. I was always sore and stiff. The mornings were the worst, I just couldn't get myself out of bed. I discovered that I was Vitamin D deficient. I was also tested for a plethora of other things, like arthritis and such. Eventually it was figured out that milk was causing all of these issues. The lactic acid was building up in my joints, causing them to ache and be stiff. In August I stopped eating/drinking all milk products, which has been a challenge for me, as I love cheese. It clearly doesn't love me!

I woke up today feeling tired and sore. My body is obviously not used to this abuse. I noticed today that the treadmill makes me sick after about 10 minutes. I don't know why, but it makes me dizzy. I hope that changes! I learned how to properly weight train. To find the right amount of weight you should be lifting, do 15 reps in a row. If you can't do 15, it's too much weight, but if you get to 15 and you can keep going, you are doing too little. 15 is the magic number. Using that knowledge, I feel today's weight training was much more effective.

My arms were SORE this afternoon! The muscles I use everyday to lift the 50+ pound 8 year old weren't screaming too badly though!

Monday, May 16, 2011

First Time at the Gym

 I made it through my first day! That was easier than I thought. I think it's because my DH (dear husband) was with me. There are a few things you should probably know about me before I truly begin. I live in Texas, but I grew up in Michigan. I am married, but haven't been blessed with children yet. Instead, I take care of a little girl, who is 8 years old. She has developmental delays and doesn't walk on her own and says few words. I've been with her for 4 years now! Everyday together we watch Ellen, Jimmy Fallon and Oprah!

Oprah is ending in less than two weeks! On Wednesday I was watching the "Last-Ever Weight Loss Show" and I was genuinely inspired. Every one of her guests lost over 100 pounds! If all of those people could lose 100+ pounds, why couldn't I? The very next day after school I went to the my local rec center, which has been starting at me for years now. I finally (FINALLY!) got a membership there. We had a garage sale this last weekend (where I ate donuts for breakfast...) and then today, I talked my DH into coming to the gym with me. He was laying in bed early this morning and said "But what will I wear?". It's true, he didn't have anything that resembled gym clothes and actually wanted to go in his jeans! He may be skinny, but he's not in shape either! So, after some time and a trip to Wal-Mart, we finally got to the rec center. I jumped right onto an elliptical machine, ready to go for 30 minutes. 5 minutes in, my legs felt like rubber and I only lasted another 5! I hopped around on a few different cardio machines and then went to weight training. I am surprised I can lift as much as I can, I guess lifting an 8 year old several times a day helps! We were there for over an hour, I completely lost track of time. He was so sore after we were done, but I felt great! If I can keep this attitude going, it will probably get easier and easier.

Day One

I need a change. I need to change.

My name is Jenny and I am 27 years old, it's just shy of my 28th birthday. I have been overweight nearly my entire life, for just about 20 years now. I started gaining weight in my pre-teens and after many years of trying to figure out why, I was finally diagnosed with PCOS, PolyCystic Ovarian Syndrome. Today my Wii Fit told me I weighed 285 pounds and then said "that's obese!" in a far too cheerful voice. I haven't weighed myself in a while and I am shocked by that number because I was down to 260 not long ago. I don't feel like I weigh that much...and apparently neither does my body. My cholesterol is perfect, my blood pressure is just below normal, my blood sugar is good. PCOS causes me to have insulin resistance so I am on medicine for that, but that keeps my blood sugar from being too low. When I received my diagnosis, I was told that I would never have children of my own and that losing weight would be nearly impossible. I believed it.

I have been using that as an excuse for over a decade. Yes, PCOS does make it hard to lose weight, but I know it's not impossible, especially with all of the advancements that have been made concerning this syndrome. I can do it, if I really tried.

The honest truth is:

1) I *hate* exercising. It feels like such a chore and I never feel like I have the time to do it. I have a whole bunch of things here to exercise with - an indoor and outdoor bike, yoga supplies, a Wii Fit, videos, small weights and even a game on the PS3 that tracks your movement. Why don't I use them? Because there are at home and I am easily distracted! I take my dogs for walks everyday and I power walk so I do get exercise everyday, but obviously just walking is not going to be enough to lose this much weight.

2) I *love* food. Although I am not one of those people who loves to eat at McDonald's everyday, I love to eat! I love Mexican food and depending on how it's prepared, can be pretty terrible for you. The meals I make at home are generally healthy and I love veggies and salads, but my downfall is SUGAR! I could easily give up candy, but cakes, cookies, anything baked, I love them. Considering that diabetes is like a wildfire in my family, I really need to watch that.

Last year I decided to go back to school. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It's been an interesting adjustment, but I am glad I did it. I feel the same way about this project. I am finally excited to do something about it! I started this project because I know that I need to find a better way to lose weight. No more fad diets or depriving myself because as history has told me, I will fall off the wagon in two weeks and eat an entire cake (it was a small one, I swear!). I need to be strong and I need to have something to answer to. That is why I created this blog. I hope it makes me accountable for my choices, whether it be food choices or my choice to go to the gym or not.

I have not set a weight goal as of yet, because every time I do and I don't meet it, I get discouraged. My weight loss is probably not going to be as fast as it should be. I am not doing this to look better. I am comfortable with who I am and what I look like. I want to lose weight so the possibility of having my own children will increase and so that when I am older, I don't have to be plagued with weight-related illnesses. If I don't do this now, it is going to be so much harder to do later.

No one may ever read this blog and that's okay. It is here for me, first and for most, but my wish is that maybe someday I will inspire someone else to do what I am doing right now.