Getting Started

Putting yourself out there, weight and measurements included, is a very personal and hard thing to do. Not to mention the photos of yourself that you look in the mirror and think, “this has to change.”

But, here I am.

 
I am 5’0″ and I weighed in at 136 this morning.

In the past (pre-pregnancy), I really only did cardio. I would sometimes do bodyweight exercise, but no weights. And I was never completely happy with my body then. I carry my weight in my legs, so naturally, I hated my thighs.

2010. Weight around 125

When I started the gym at the end of 2012, I started doing just cardio again. Through Instagram and Pinterest, I was able to get ideas of different weight exercises I could do. Then, I had a trainer create a program for me. I had the goals of running a sprint triathlon (something I would still love to do) and losing 10 Ibs to start.

That is still the goal. I don’t have a specific goal weight in mind. Maybe 116 and make it an even 20 Ibs weight loss. But as long as I lose fat and gain muscle, I’ll be happy. But short term goals, I want to lose my first 10.

There’s a gym at my new employer (which is free!) and I have been making use of that. My struggle is that I’m used to getting up early and working out before I start work. Which I love. But, they have an afternoon class, which is some cardio, HIIT, and weights. I love this class. But I don’t want to overdo the exercise. These classes are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. And there’s spin classes on Wednesday and Friday. So, I will likely stick to these.

As for nutrition, I need to look at my goals. One thing I will tell everyone who asks how I did it: please, please, please eat enough. I’ve been there. With a goal of 1,200 calories, I thought that if I ate less, it would be even better.

Your body needs fuel. I wish the podcast was still creating new shows, but it’s still available to listen. I highly recommend you listen to Fat2Fit radio. your health shouldn’t be a quick fix. How many times have you started a diet, only to give in to temptation after restricting and undo everything you worked for? I’ve lost count. Your weight loss should be a lifestyle change. Meaning, yes, you need to watch what you eat, but if you really want to have dessert, you can. I had my BMR tested (I have no idea how the test figures it out, but I had to breathe into a contraption for about 10 minutes.) My basil metabolic rate was 1350. Meaning, this is how many calories my body would burn on it own if I didn’t do anything. Never ever eat under your BMR. There are so many calculators out there for you to use! I recommend this. Another method I considered trying is IIFYM, but I’ll maybe move to that later. For now, my goal calories are 1750.

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To health!

Tis the season. I put Colleen to bed and thought about going to bed myself. I slept in a little later than normal, foregoing my usual morning workout since she was up during the night. Then I thought of all the food at our work potluck today and tomorrow’s Thanksgiving feast.

For a little background, I was generally a very active child. I remember riding bikes with friends. Always running. I joined track in 7th grade. I could generally eat what I wanted. In high school, I started gaining weight. I had a job at McDonalds, and I eventually stopped track. My highest weight was 147.

But when I was 16, I was experiencing some health issues that weren’t immediately diagnosed. I was constantly exhausted. No matter how much sleep I got, it felt like a struggle to stay awake. Headaches, dizziness; visits to the doctor lead to EKGs, EEG’s and constant checks for strep (I was pretty aggravated with this one. They would do one every month I came in looking for answers.) Finally, they did some blood work and I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism.

I was quite relieved, and after incorporating exercise, I was able to get my weight back down.

Fast forward a bit to 2011. Starting weight at beginning of my pregnancy was 139. By month 9, I weighed 174 and refused to look at the scale after that. After having Colleen, and a brief hospital stay for me (and her), I was 160-ish.

In December 2012, I was ready to start exercising again. I had put it off for far too long, and thought there was no need to wait for the New Year. I was ready right then.

And now we’re here! I generally wake early, about 4:30 and get my workout it. I was down to 126, but while exercising has been a great routine, my nutrition hasn’t been that good.

So, I’m going to share my healthy eating journey. I said in a previous post that I needed to cut my sugar intake down, and that is certainly still the case. I also need to cut out the bad eating (cupcakes and bakes goods are my absolute weakness). So, today, I start my recommitment at 136.6. I will post pictures and measurements tomorrow. I would love to connect with others, and I will use this blog to hold myself accountable. I will also share on Instagram (JennyLouns), and of course, you can find me on MyFitnessPal (lillouns).

To health!
xoxo
Jenny

Bed..

Insurance can be a frustrating thing, especially when it comes to something you need.

In trying to get the safety sleeper for Colleen, her team of therapists and teachers said maybe trying something less costly first could be the way to go, especially when it comes to getting insurance approval. Her PT found s the privacy pop, something similar to the safety sleeper, but far less costly. We got the mesh version so that she could still see out, but theres a number of different colors.

I would have loved one of these when I was younger. Heck, I wouldn’t mind one now. Colleen wasn’t completely sold with it either, to begin with.

“This isn’t my crib..”

She loves it now, but I’m not completely thrilled with it. We are on the right track though! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to rescue her from the side after she got stuck. The first night, I awoke to sounds that shouldn’t have been able to happen. She managed to push on the zipper, freeing herself and decided to roam her bedroom. I also put the mattress on the floor without the box spring because I wasn’t sure what would happen if she got down the side (weight wise and such.)

We’re one step closer in the right direction! We also have a wheel chair coming, as well as a jogging stroller. When she starts kindergarten (please, don’t remind me.) it might not be as easy for her to get around with her classmates. She gets tired easily, so a wheelchair would give her a way to get around faster. I personally cannot wait for the stroller. We are going to have many miles logged with that as soon as we get it.

Till next time.

xoxox
Jenny