Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Good morning!
 Honestly I am SO EXCITED about today's weigh in. I thought I had gained surely at least 2-3 lbs and was being generous with myself yesterday when I estimated 1.5-2.

I only gained 0.6 lbs! (must do my nails today!!)

Beginning Weight: 162 lbs

Current Weight: 148.8 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 13.2 lbs

I will take it! After 2 weeks of being sick, and not being able to work out, then out of town and OFF PROGRAM 0.6 lbs is absolutely ok with me. :)

Today I will be going back on program full force. I am also going to be starting a new workout routine! Pictures and info to come today will be the first day! I am designing this routine myself, and it is based off circuit training and strength training and using very limited materials. I am extremely excited to start this self designed boot camp, and if anyone is in the Cookeville area and is interested in joining me and my guinea pig friend Samantha and the boyfriend FOR FREE let me know! I would love to have more people working out with us!

Today was day 2 of the soul detox and I am really enjoying it! Today's lesson lead to my new prayer for myself and my relationships. 

I also found this yesterday, lead to this verse from SkinnyRunner.com as this is a verse she refers to often! She says it helps remind her of why she works so hard and runs so much, and that to keep a clear mind and positive outlook even when it gets tough! Meditation material here

Peace,

  Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

I feel like I should move this to a Friday post since I never seem to get to blog on Thursdays.

148.2 I'll take it!

Beginning Weight: 162 lbs
Current Weight: 148.2 lbs
Total Weight Lost: 13.8 lbs

So yesterday I got up and was really not feeling well. I went to the doctor as soon as the clinic opened to have some tests run. I hadn't weighed in that day so I wasn't really sure what it was going to be, but I had weighed in on Wednesday and it said 148.6 (same as last week) so I was curious as to what was going on. They took my blood pressure and all that jazz and then put me on the doctor scale. I watched as she started moving the balance weight and when she finished I noticed the bottom heavy weight was still set to 150, so I asked her what I weighed in at and she said 154. WHATTHEF***. I looked at the nurse and said "well that can't be right, I weighed in yesterday at 148.6" her response...."haha sorry."

Now having weighed in at almost 6 lbs heavier than the day before I was really curious as to what was going on (and really freaked out btw). The doctor looked at my symptoms and ran a urine panel. Apparently I have an advanced UTI and was really really dehydrated which was causing me to bloat (a lot). So I went home with 2 prescriptions, 1 antibiotic and 1 pain reliever (that makes my pee really bright yellow) and instructions to drink as much water as possible over the next few days. I drank a total of 160 oz of water yesterday!! I could tell it made a huge difference in how I felt and also in my weigh in this morning.

The antibiotics make me extremely nauseous, so much so that I ended up throwing up all my dinner last night and only could eat saltine crackers and some vanilla frozen yogurt (I know that sounds odd but the probiotic qualities of the active cultures in yogurt, fro-yo, and keifer help put back the good bacteria in your stomach after the antibiotics kill it all). I am waiting to here back from the doctors office about switching to a different antibiotic, if not I should be super skinny by the time these 10 days are over.

Here is the moral of this story kids.

1) DRINK WATER. You need to be drinking plain water everyday and lots of it. At least 8, 8oz glasses a day (or 64 oz). Without this water you body will not be able to function properly and could lead to bloating, constipation, headaches, fatigue, and even urinary tract infections. Also, drinking water will HELP you lose weight as it is essential to all vital organ systems in the body to run 100%.

2) If you are ever prescribed an antibiotic, you need to counter the effects by taking a probiotic as well. Antibiotics kill bacteria in the body, but in our intestines and stomach we have good bacteria that is essential to proper digestive functioning (flora). When antibiotics kill the bacteria targeted for your infection, they also take out the good stuff too which can cause excess yeast in the intestinal tract (candida) and can keep your intestines from digesting properly. I had candida in 2009 after a long stint with antibiotics. I looked like I was 5 months pregnant and had A LOT of digestive issues and it took me almost 2 months to get rid of it. So make sure you have a probiotic plan in place. There are a few ways to do this. You can buy probiotic supplements over the counter at your drug store. Make sure they have at least 5 million active cultures in the supplement (the one I take has 15 million) and keep them refrigerated at home, they last longer. You can also buy supplements at some chiropractic and natural health doctors offices or stores (I get mine from a natural health doctor). Food that contain active cultures are keifer, yogurt, and frozen yogurt along with some others. Make sure you don't take you probiotic supplement with your antibiotic, rather alternate them. If you take them together the antibiotic will cancel out the probiotic. Talk to your doctor or health care provider about a probiotic plan when prescribed antibiotics!!

Hope this helps kids. I am going to get back to reading the hunger games in my PJs on the porch since it is so beautiful outside!

Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Hey! I'm back!

So listen to what I did yesterday. Currently I am not in school for the summer, not working at my GA, and I don't have a regular job either so I am just chilling. Because of my lack of schedule it's easy to lose track of the days.Yesterday morning I got up and jumped on the scale, but not for my weigh-in. I had been weighing each day this week to keep myself on track after being out of town at a music festival all weekend and not tracking. The scale reads 148.8 and I am pleased with this, even thinking "by tomorrow I should be down at least another 0.2." I go on with my day until David comes home from work. We start talking and he makes a comment about how tomorrow is a half day. I get really confused because it's Wednesday and I don't understand why he would take a half day on a Thursday. After 3 minutes of intense arguing about what day it is, I find out it isn't Wednesday, it's THURSDAY. It's my weigh-in day and I had no picture! At this point it was already 12:30 so no weighing in now! So I apologize for my tardiness, I am an unemployed idiot.

So this morning I got up and weighed in again (since it's Thursday and all). Here ya go!

148 is an insane number for me! Kinda trippy

Beginning Weight: 162 lbs

Current Weight: 148.6

Total Weight Lost: 13.4 lbs

Pretty exciting to be at 148! Could have been a better weigh-in but with the Beale Street Music festival this past weekend I did pretty good to lose at all! So I am proud of myself. This past weekend showed me I could not track and still have control over what I eat and how much I eat and see some progress!  

The music festival was so much fun! Some of the bands I saw were Florence & the Machine, My Morning Jacket, 3 Six Mafia, The Civil Wars, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals, NEEDTOBREATHE, Dr. Dog, Little Richard, and Michael Franti & Spearhead. We ate good food, and saw some awesome shoes and had a blast hanging out with some of great friends. Here are some pics. Memphis is a black hole for Verizon service, so my phone spent a lot of time searching for service and being dead, so I didn't get too many. 

The whole crew. Love these people

Ran into Annie 4 times at the festival! Weird, but I love and miss this girl. 

Did I mention we saw DJ Honey Badger? ha. 

Being safe and responsible by taking a cab... 10 people in a six passenger van. it.was.hot.

Our hostesses... Thanks guys!

Long lost friend Jenn! Love this lady, we did Bonnaroo together last year

The Civil Wars 

My Ladies! Jess, Me, Chelsea, and Whitney and big street beers (I still got the smallest one)

Can't wait till the next one, but for now, I'll be staying on program, no drinking, and working out everyday! Hopefully next week I can have a KILLER weigh-in! My goal is to be at or below 147 and for the first time in a LONG time be within my BMI weight range!

Send some good vibes my way if you get a chance. 

Love,

  Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Well folks, it's that time of the month again... literally. I will be postponing my weigh-in for today. Check back tomorrow!!

In the mean time, since I am a psych major and all I found some articles on the subject for all my lady friends out there who may experience a similar situation each month! Educating yourself on the natural processes of your body can really help you NOT throw that scale out the window and want to jump off a building when it's your TOM and you have to weigh-in.

Do you lose the weight you gain on your period?

Why do I gain weight during PMS?

How to lose water retention weight during your period.

Sorry to all the men who are reading this, although on the other hand educating yourself might just save your ass from the unwanted side affects of the TOM. Keep you from stepping into the lion's den so to speak... your welcome.


Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Let me just tell you how excited I was to weigh in today! I had tracked ALL week, everything I ate. I worked out almost every day and earned a total of 59 activity points over the course of the week. I was diligent about this program this week because I am TIRED of low weigh-in losses. The 0.2 weigh in from last week kicked my ass into gear, I knew I was starting to slip. I knew I was getting complacent, and I knew that would never get me below 150 acting like that and this would be just like every other time. So here is my weigh-in today:

2 POUNDS DOWN!

Beginning Weight: 162 lbs

Current Weight: 149.2 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 12.8 lbs

YES!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited!!! I dropped below 150!! 

My 10% body weight loss will happen once I have reached 145.8 lbs so only 3.4 more lbs before I have reached my 10% weight loss! And 19.2 more lbs to go before I reach my goal. 

I remember being a Junior in High School and I had quit the dance team to focus on school and "building my resume" (yes I was that girl). My weight had risen fairly dramatically after I quit dancing, and also my hips widened, and my boobs came in, so I was much thicker than I had been before. I was also eating the worst food I can find and not working out at all, so I joined Curves. I was desperately trying to get back down to my 130 frame, but had really no idea how much food was going to impact this, or what I was doing.

I weighed-in one day and the scale said 147. I nearly died. I thought I was so fat, and I was so disappointed in myself (I told you I had body image issues and lots of negative self talk problems). Now when I hit 147 I am going to be FLIPPING OUT with excitement! I haven't weighed this much since I was 17, and although it was traumatic then I am much more educated and mature about it now. I know I am in control of my body, not the other way around. I know that Food is essential to a good life and happy body. I am so PROUD of myself now. I am below 150, and I never want to go back there again!

Here's something fun too I wanted to add. last week at work we were checking our BMI's because we were bored curious. Here is my BMI info. FYI You want your BMI to be in the 20-25 range as this is considered "normal weight". What's Your BMI?

2008-2009 (highest weight reached)

Weight: 182

Height: 4'5

BMI: 31.2

Category: Obese

February 23, 2012 

Weight 162 lbs

Height 5'4 

BMI= 27.8

Category: Overweight

April 26, 2012

Weight: 149.2

Height: 5'4

BMI: 25.6

Category: Overweight (Slightly)

Once I drop down to 147 I will be back in the normal range for my height and weight on the BMI scale. I know it's not an exact science, but it's another tool we can use to help us reach a health body weight! 

What a good day! I am super excited to see what the next week brings! This weekend I am going out of town so it will be a real challenge for me, but I think I can do it! Better get going on those activity points!!!

Have a VERY healthy day!

Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Happy Friday!!
   So sorry I didn't get this out yesterday! I was super busy at work and then last night ended up hanging out with my friend Samantha for like 3 hours walking! I earned 19 activity points yesterday from running with my friend Shelby then walking 5 miles with Samantha! Go me!

Here's this week's weigh-in:

-0.2 lbs

Starting Weight: 162 lbs

Current Weight: 151.2 lbs

Total Weight Lost: 10.8 lbs

Not the best weigh-in ever, but a loss is a loss so I'll take it!

I feel like I was really complacent last week with WW. I didn't track AT ALL. The only working out I did was the 10k I ran Saturday morning, so only losing 0.2 lbs is not shocking. This week I have decided to be diligent with tracking and exercise. It's way to early for me to get comfortable, I still have 21.2 lbs to go till my goal! This is my pattern though, and I feel like in this process it is so important for anyone to find their patterns and break them! In the past I will lose 10 lbs (now) and then feel really good about myself and get comfortable, and before I know it I have gained it all back. I will slack on food choices cause ya know that one cheeseburger isn't going to kill my progress, but that mentality everyday will. 

Yesterday we went to eat and I really really wanted some french fries. Instead of giving in I broke down why i thought I wanted them. 1) I was starving! 2) They sound good 3) Broccoli sounded less than appetizing. The I started thinking about how I would feel afterwards 1) guilty 2) bloated 3) upset stomach

I decided the French fries weren't worth it at the restaurant and if I still wanted some when I got home I could make some baked fries in a more controlled setting where I would know the ingredients!

Come to find out as soon as I got done eating I was so glad i didn't get them cause the broccoli was really good and I felt great after lunch!

I think it is definitely fine to give in sometimes, but control where you do it! If you have to have something make it at home and control what goes into it! And if you do splurge (and you should in moderation!) don't over do it!

So we will see how next week goes. I am so ready to hit the 140s!!

Love,

 Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Good Afternoon! Dang I have been so busy today, this is the first moment I have been able to sit down and start writing this! So anywho here the picture from this morning!

I really need a pedicure again!

Starting Weight: 162 lbs

Current Weight: 151.4 lbs

Total Weight Lost 10.6 lbs

Yay! I am so excited! Today I earned my second 5lb Star from weight watchers! 

Screen Shot from Tracker Page! Look at those Stars :) 

So today I was excited! I hit the 10 lb mark and it feels awesome! My running has also hit a whole new level. I ran 6.57 miles last Friday night which is insane. I have never run that far in my life and I didn't stop and finished in 1 hour and 12 minutes. Go Me! I was really proud of myself and this weekend I am running my first official 10K. 

Wish me luck! I'll post results when I am done!

Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Hey! Ok I know this is 2 days late, but ladies this post is for you cause I know you can relate. Guys... sorry in advance.

So Thursday morning I got on the scale. I was excited to see the number cause I knew it had gone down. I hadn't stuck to program exactly like I wanted to but more so than I had in past weeks. So I get on the scale and it calibrates and say 155.7... WTF! I really wanted to cry, I had no idea what was going on. I was so embarrassed and upset I just couldn't even take the picture or write about it. What is going on?? I felt really discouraged until about an hour later when (details omitted) I started my period. OHHHH ok well that makes more sense. I was so bloated and just icky. I felt like crap, my stomach hurt like hell (I equate it to someone trying to remove your insides with an ice cream scooper) and I could see my tummy bloating out a bit. So I weighed again on Friday, still high, still bloated, and trust me it was really difficult to not eat ALL DAY.

So, last night I went and ran 6.57 miles!! I was feeling better and ready to hit the pavement again. I finished in 1 hour and 12 minutes (13 WW activity points btw). It felt amazing and I felt really accomplished for having run so far even if my last weigh-in was a disaster. This morning I decided to weigh again and see if it was more accurate and I could tell I wasn't as bloated anymore. So here is your Saturday morning post disaster period weigh-in.

0.6 lbs down and crisis averted

Staring weight: 162 lbs
Current Weight: 152.6 lbs
Total Weight Lost: 9.4 lbs

I have no idea if this is an accurate reading from last week or if I am still bloated a bit (I swear to God it seems to last for WEEKS) but it shows a loss and I am happy with it!

So ladies out there don't freak out if you have a high gain around your "time". It's normal and it will go away. This is simply not a good time to weigh-in. My advice, just wait a few days and continue to work out and try not to eat everything you can find in self-pitty. I went and ran last night so that even if my loss wasn't what I wanted I could experience some progress and see a change. I mean 6.57 miles!! HELLO! That's the most I have ever run EVER! How exciting is that? It felt amazing, and definitely out shined any weigh-in I have had so far.

Just remember it's not just about the number on the scale. Our bodies are stupid funny sometimes, it's normal! Don't freak and don't quit. It will be just fine!

Happy Easter Weekend y'all!
Love love love,
Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Happy Thursday everyone!

This past week seemed to last forever! I'll post a recap in the next few days of a few fun things I have had going on! But first here we go for this week!

Definitely channeling the 90's with my new Toe Ring 

Starting Weight: 162lbs

Current Weight: 153.2lbs

Total Lost: 8.8lbs

So I lost 0.6lbs this week! Here's the thing, I really didn't do so hot with the program, but I think I have learned enough tools and tricks when it comes to choosing foods that I still did ok! It just makes me think how much could I lose in a week if I stuck EXACTLY to program and didn't go over my daily points/ weekly allowance and really worked out consistently?

Sounds like a good challenge for me! So this week my goal is to stick to program exactly... this is where I KNOW I will have issues:

Drinking- I drink socially on the weekends. During the week isn't an issue, I am too old and tired, but on the weekends I like to kick back with a few Woodchucks and have fun with my friends. The past few weekends have been particularly challenging because of St. Pattys Day (GREEN BEER!) and Saturday was my best friends Jessica's Birthday. This weekend I will try my best to not party like it's 1999.

Working Out- I love running, and I really enjoy working out... once it's over, or once I am well into it. I have an issue starting. I also have issues scheduling. Work and school are getting crazy with everything wrapping up in just 4 weeks (where has this semester gone?) and so I need to be better about scheduling time to run and just doing it! 

So those will be my two biggest things this week. I have the breakfast routine down and I think I have a fairly good grasp on what to eat and how much. So onto this week and we will see what we can do. 

I have some anxiety though as well. My highest weight in college was 182 lbs. YEAH... I got big for a while. 

December 2009, Bridesmaid

That picture is of me in my friend Eve's wedding. After this wedding I used to refer to myself as the biggest bridesmaid. Self deprecating behavior is not a stranger to me. At that point I weighed approximately 178 lbs. I don't have many pictures of me where I was at 182. The only one I could find is here...

May 2009. Ignore the crying, it was our last senior meeting in my sorority

I avoided camera's like the plague. I see this picture now and I think dear lord. At the time I remember being in such denial, I had no idea WHERE my weight was. I knew I weighed 182, but I still saw myself as someone who was in the 140 range. 

So after 3 years of a weight roller coaster, I am back down to near the lowest I have been since 2004 which is 152.  I have hit 152 many times over the past 3 years, but have never gone past it. So I am anxious because once I lose 1.2 lbs that will be exactly 30 from my highest weight ever, and my ultimate plateau. 

November 2011. Me presenting my research at ESBB in Marsailles, France.  Weight approx. 156

That's the newest picture of me that is my whole body and not just my face, and I am approx. 3lbs lighter now than I was then. My end goal with Weight Watchers is 130, which will be a total weight loss of 52lbs since 2009 and 32lbs lost on the program. There is a part of me that fears I will never get to that point, but I won't know if I don't stick to it and give it a try. 

So there is a bit about my history and weight struggles. Today starts week 5 on WW, and we will see what happens!

Love,
 Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Does it feel like a Friday to anyone else? All morning I have been on a Friday mindset... weird.

Anywho today, since it is Thursday, is my weigh in day. Let me just tell you, I was CERTAIN I hadn't lost any weight. First off Saturday was St. Patrick's Day. so green beer happened. And the since the green beer was really flowing it was followed by french fries and a hotdog from a street vendor at roughly 3:30 in the morning. I was the definition of heath that night! So I jumped on the scale prepared for not much of anything and here is what I saw...

YES!!

2/23/12- Starting weight: 162

3/22/12- Current weight: 153.8

Total weight lost: 8.2 lbs

I lost! Yahoo! Here's what I did differently this week...

1) Ate breakfast everyday! Even if it was just 8 oz of Naked Green Goodness Juice (my fav) I had something that was high in vitamins and minerals to get my system started. That's why I love the green juice, it's easy and quick and nutritionally it does a lot more for you than a sausage biscuit. 

2) I worked out. I earned 17 activity points spread out over the 7 days. I ran 3 days, and last night I did 4 miles! I tried to go for shorter intense workouts spread over each day. Consistency is the key here!

3) I stopped worrying so much about the points values of each food I ate, and just went with it. If I ran out of points, I didn't stress about it, and if I wanted something else I made sure it was healthy (ignore Saturday night) and dipped into my extra points. I did not use ANY of my activity points. 

So I am pleased, and re-energized with the system and excited to move into next week. I am so happy with the slow and steady progression, and I want to make sure I am doing this in the healthiest way and giving my body what it needs through the process. 

Have a great day! Do something for yourself today!

Emma

Thursday Morning Moment of Truth

Well it's Thursday again! Time for my weekly weigh-in, here we go.

Damn +.2

Staring Weight- 162, February 26

Current Weight- 155.4, March 15

Weight Lost- 6.6 lbs

To say I am frustrated would be an understatement. 

Some people might be wondering why I am posting this online. Yeah it's kind of embarrassing, and extremely public. I have done the weight watchers thing before, along with countless other "diets" and crazy shenanigans in order to lose weight. This time it is different. I have to keep reminding myself this isn't just about weight this is about mindfulness and my desire to eventually be able to help others. I am working on educating myself and pushing through the difficult time that comes with being on the road to real health. So I am posting this for all the world to see (or my 13 fans) for two main reasons. First to keep me accountable. I know how I am, I get all excited about a new project and when I start to see a decline (TODAY) or get bored I quit. By posting this on here I am being accountable to myself. Secondly, I think it will be important for me to share a really tough experience with others. This journey isn't going to be all rainbows and sunshine every week. Some weeks are going to suck, and some days I am going to fail. It's life! It's a lesson we all need to learn no matter the situation. Take it for what it is a move on. 

So while yes I am frustrated by this weeks weigh-in I have decided to stay positive about it. I gained, ok. I am done with last week. Today starts a new week and here are the areas where I think I messed up and will be working on to change.

1) Eating breakfast- I haven't been eating breakfast the past couple of days. not because of any other reason than I am lazy (would rather stay in bed longer) and I like having lots of points left at the end of the day to play with

2) Having all those points at the end of the day means eating too late- I am not a big fan of no eating after a certain time, I think it generally all comes out in the wash BUT avoiding eating late is something I try to do because I have stomach issues and I need to be more aware of my schedule. Working on a college campus means I am having meetings till 10 at night! (these kids are nuts)

3) Working out- I'll admit it, I didn't work out at all this week. Not once. Nada. That whole Spring Break, classes, late night meetings, etc. has gotten me in a bad habit. So instead of sleeping in super late everyday and eating late each night I need to re-evaluate my schedule and change some things. 

My experimental schedule for this coming week will be as follows:

Breakfast Everyday

Working out at least 30 minutes 6 times a week

Spreading my points through the day, 0 point snacks at night 

So there you have it. I had a shitty weigh-in but the reality is it could have been worse and I am not the victim here. I stuck to the program, but I am aware of where I slipped up and we will just keep moving forward and still stay excited about the 6.6 lbs I have lost so far!

Cheers,

  Emma

Thursday Morning Moment Of Truth

Today is Thursday which means weigh-in day! I was so nervous getting on the scale this morning for a few reasons.

•  I was concerned mostly with maintaining the 6 lb weight loss from the cleanse. It is very common to put weight back on after a cleanse BEFORE you start seeing a permanent loss so this was a big goal for me this week. 
•  Because of our 5 Year Anniversary this weekend I used up all of my extra weekly points so I was concerned about how this was going to affect my weigh-in
• I was so sore after my 5.5 hours of TURBO on Saturday that it took 4 days for my body to feel normal again so no working out for me after that!

So, I jumped on the scale and this is where we stand after week 1...

Yeah... I got a pedicure after last weeks picture

I lost 0.6 lbs! I know this isn't a big number but it means the following:

• I maintained!! Maintaining that 6 lb weight loss was my biggest goal and I did!!
• I still lost something! Something is better than nothing
• I am confident that with this next week consistent exercise and not using up those extra points will mean a bigger number next Thursday!

So all in all I am pleased with the Thursday weigh-in. Excited to move into the next week!

Much Love,

 Emma

Thursday Morning Moment Of Truth

Thursday has arrived! it's the first day of March and the first day of weight watchers! here's where I stand starting off.

My Tattoo is a Turtle incase you were wondering :)

WW Starting weight: 155.8
Weight lost from 3 Day Cleanse: 6 lbs! I started the cleanse at approximately 161-162 and weighed in this morning 6 lbs lighter. I'll take that!

So, I am pretty excited to start my day! For breakfast I will be having a fruit smoothie with strawberries and blueberries and a bit of truvia, and I am going to add in an egg white sandwich on a thin bagel with fat free cheddar! YUMM.

Total Breakfast Points: 7 point plus for all this food!!

Yummy!

Well, I am off to eat, pack my lunch and ride my bike to work! See ya later today!

Happy March!
Emma