My get up and go got up and went.

Ok, the reason I haven't posted in a week is because I have been SUPER blah. I have an upper respiratory infection, and the doc gave me some hardcore cough syrup that would make an alcoholic tipsy. I feel like I've been sleeping non-stop. When I do workout, I cough my insides out. It's annoying, but I've still been doing combat. Needless to say, I haven't started the Wild Card Workout Jar, but I promise I'm going to as soon as I'm up to it!

I also changed my weigh-in days to Tuesdays. There are younger people in that meeting, and I just feel like I can relate better. Plus, the leader is the lady who signed me up and she's hilarious. So, I went to the meeting Tuesday and gained 0.6. I know it doesn't seem like a lot, but it really pissed me off. I guess I saw it coming... I mean, I haven't been nearly as strict. I haven't gone off the deep-end, but I haven't been by-the-book either. It's just been really hard for me to eat "filling foods" lately. I don't know why, but the thought of veggies make me feel just... ugh. I know I need to cut the crap and get over my excuses, but I'm stubborn. I just feel kinda stuck in a rut. And I REALLY need to drink more water.

But what I really need is inspiration, people! This is what you're here for, right? When I can't inspire you, I need you to inspire me. So... what have you been doing to stay on track? What do you think I should do to get me motivated again? I knew there would be ups and downs on this journey, but this "down" has me feeling jaded. I need you to light a fire under my ass.

Huh?

Heeeeyyyy team! How's it going? Ok, so today was weigh-in day for me, and I have to say that I wasn't expecting any weight loss. Not only did I go overboard this past weekend at the concert, but I just haven't been as strict from day to day. I didn't go crazy with food or give up or anything, but I was about 9 points over my weekly points, including the activity points I could've traded in. SOOO, I figured I would've maintained or even gained a little. But somehow, I still lost 1.2 lbs? YES! Not that I'm complaining - just shocked. So, that's a total of 7.8 lbs :) Yay! I only have 1.2 more lbs to lose, and I'll reach the 5% mark... so, that's my goal for next week. 5% of my body weight, GONE. Can't wait!
Moving on, my friend, Paige Varner, sent me part of an article she read that is a really freaking cool idea. I know I'm not the only one who gets super bored with working out after I do the same thing for a while. Here's a fun solution:

"When you’re bored, so is your body—and your fitness level can reflect that mental ennui. To keep things fresh, create a Wildcard Workout Jar: Jot down 20 different routines on scraps of paper—from skipping rope with your kids to a specific interval walk. Pull one from the jar each time your workout starts to feel ho-hum."
Cool, right? I'm gonna start doing this on the days I don't have Combat. Here' s the list of possible exercises I'm gonna put in my jar:

1. Jog to the dog park instead of driving. Walk back. (Don't forget dogs)
2. Dance in the mirror for 30 minutes. (Make sure to close the blinds)
3. 50 box-jumps.
4. Wiggle while you do mindless tasks, like brushing your teeth or cooking.
5. 50 burpies. (No complaining)
6. 10 minutes elliptical, 10 minutes treadmill. Repeat.
7. Take the dogs for a run around the apartment complex.
8. 20 squats, 20 push-ups, 20 sit-ups.
9. Stretch for 20 minutes. (Easy day. Enjoy)
10. Go to the gym for a total-body workout. Make sure to warm-up/cool-down.
11. Floor abs for 10 minutes.
12. Alternating jumping jacks and mountain climbers for 10 minutes.
13. 20 pull-ups. (Let’s be honest, jumping pull-ups)
14. Alternating lunges across the apartment 10 times. (We have a small apartment)
15. Try a class at the gym you haven’t taken yet.
16. Hardcore clean the house. Scrub! If you don’t break a sweat, do it again.
17. Go outside and throw the football with Chase.
18. Hand-wash your car.
19. Do a mile on the treadmill. (Try to walk as little as possible)
20. Whenever you walk, do so on your tippy-toes. (Your calves will scream)

What do y'all think? Anyone else gonna give it a shot? Let me know if you do, and what different workouts you decide to do. I tried to do mostly moderate workouts, with a few easy ones and a few intense ones. I'll let ya know how it is. I'm always down for a challenge, and I LOVE trying something new - especially when it comes to working out.

Keep me updated, and let me know how you're journey is going! I love hearing from you!

Slackin'

Hey, kids! Man, I am SO sorry I've been slacking like crazy when it comes to posting. I guess the break from school just has me being a lazy POS. It won't happen again. And to make it up to you, here's something to make you giggle.

*snort*

Sooo, to update you guys, my last weigh-in went well and I lost 2 more pounds! YEET! So, I'm down 6.6 pounds in all. I was pretty surprised cause I just felt blah all last week and I had a little too much fun last Saturday and drank all my extra points :/. However, my body forgave me and still allowed me to drop a couple of pounds. I'm kinda nervous about this week's weigh-in, though. We went to a James Otto/Trace Adkins/Toby Keith concert Saturday... of course country music concert = BEER. And tailgating. And grills. I tried not to do too bad, but I still went WAY over my daily points, and used all of my weekly points. And then some. *cringe* It was SO worth it, though. We had a blast. I'm going to the gym for the rest of the week, so hopefully I'll work it all off.

I've also been freaking sick the past week. UGH, it's such a pain. I have a sore throat/cough/headache and it's just annoying. It makes me not want to work out at all. In fact - I am ashamed to say - I literally did not leave my apartment yesterday. I laid in bed 90% of the day reading a book. The only time I stepped outside was to walk the dogs before we went to bed. I was such a piece of crap. I thought with all the rest, I'd wake up feeling good, but NOPE. Guess I just gotta suck it up and get off my ass.

So, I'm curious to know how all of y'all have been doing? We talk about me too much, I wanna know how YOU are. Share. I miss you guys. Anyone have scale victories? Non-scale victories? Stories? Catch me up!

Can I get a WHAT WHAT?!

What's up, y'all? Usually I don't fly off the handle and jump to the most exciting part of my day, but I am just SO freaking stoked. I had my weigh-in today and...........................................................................................................................


I lost a whopping 3.4 lbs in the last week! YEET! That's 4.6 lbs in 2 weeks, and I'm very proud of that :)
This plan is really working for me. It's sensible and I'm learning how to eat like I'm supposed to. I think before WW I was almost starving myself, and when I did eat it was never anything good for me. So my body held on to every last calorie it could. This equation equaled me being fat. But snacking on healthy stuff throughout the day is keeping me satisfied AND keeping my metabolism truckin'. Win/win. Also, you know what I learned in the meeting today? If you were to eat one - ONE - m&m, you'd have to walk the length of a football field to burn it off. Depressing, right? Man, I wanted to get up and leave when I heard that. I'll be thinking twice before I eat m&m's again. Some things just aren't worth it. The good news is, you're burning calories just by sitting there and reading this, so don't think what you do eat is just going straight to your thighs. Unless you eat too much. Or not enough. It's a bitch, ain't it? So simple, but so difficult. Not trying to be Debbie Downer, but just thought it was a fun fact that I'd share.


Moving on...So, I've officially been doing this blog for a month. It's July 29th, and you know what that means. Bikini photo time. I've been dreading this day since June 29th, but I promised myself whether I lost or not, I'd post pictures. It's holding me accountable, that's for sure. So... here we go.



*holds breath*





*exhales*


Ok. It's not a huge difference, but it's there. Small victories. I'm keeping promises and staying strong. Next month will be better. Then the month after that will be even better. Stick around, and you'll see.

Have any of you been keeping a photo diary? Lost anything? Gained anything? Talk to me.

Moto.

What's up, team? Seems like it's time for some motivation.

I've got a feeling some of you are losing steam... well you better get some fire under that ass! I'm not kidding! I'd just like to inform you that my size 14's are getting a little loose on me. YAY! However, I refuse to be the only one that's successful on this journey. I've made up my mind to succeed. Have you? I promise you that I know how easy it is to slip up once, then again, then to say "oh, hell, might as well just stuff mah face for the rest of the week. I'll start over Monday." Well, stop! You're worth more. So, hmph!

Thursday is my next weigh in, and it marks the 1 month anniversary of this blog. So that also means that I post another pic update. AGH! I'm sure there won't be a big change, but I'm looking at the big picture here. And I promised myself I'd post them no matter what. Even if it looked like this:




But anyways, Like I've said, this is a place to share your triumphs, as well as your trials. Where have you slipped? Lost motivation? Done well? Maybe you haven't been eating right, but you ran further than you have in years? Hey, I'm all about small victories! Talk to me.

By the way, if you need an extra push, watch this video. My friend Kris over at World Camp Crossfit is the best trainer in Albany. If you wanna get fit, he's the guy to see. Check him out at www.krismorrill.com. Get inspired. Tell him I sent you :)

Untitled from Kris Morrill on Vimeo.

Crazy Week!

Man, this week has been INSANE! Workout with The Biggest Loser stars Wednesday, saw 4 of the stars from The Expendables up close and personal yesterday (excuse the photo quality... all I had was my point-and-shoot camera :/) , plus got a pre-screening of the movie. And it was AWESOME! AND I had my weigh-in day Thursday... dun dun duuuuunnnnn.

So, I lost 1.2 pounds. I was really bummed. I mean, I've been hitting it hard and eating as close to perfect as I could. I never went over my weekly points, and I worked out 5 days last week. So after I weighed in I was close to tears. I asked the lady who weighed me what the deal was. I just didn't understand. I told her I'm a kickboxing instructor, and she said "Bingo!". Apparently, when people drop 5-10 pounds in their first week on the plan, it's pretty much all water weight. Those were the numbers I was looking for. But, she said that since I already work out a decent amount, that gets rids of my water weight. So the weight that I lose each week is actual fat. When I look at it that way, it's acceptable. Once you start losing fat, .5 to 2 lbs a week is healthy. So I'll take my 1.2 pounds with pride! She also said that what with working out, I need to pay more attention to inches and how my clothes fit, rather than weight. I won't lose as much in numbers as people who don't work out intensely, but I'll tighten up and be more lean and have more muscle, which is fine with me! I'm going for that Jessica Biel bod, remember? :)

How have y'all been doing? Any updates? It's almost been a month since we've started. Are you still with me?

The Biggest Loser

Woo, what a fun day! The workout with Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper was AMAZING. They were so fun, and REALLY intense. By intense I mean, they were freaking crazy. Nuts. Bonkers. They were actually filming an episode of Season 10 of the Biggest Loser. I'm not sure what episode, but we got to meet the contestants, and they were SO nice. One of them even fist-bumped me after the workout. So, I'm practically famous now. No autographs, please.





Anyways, we started out with jumping jacks. I was like, "ok, this won't be so bad." Then we did push ups. LOTS of push ups. And squats. And mountain climbers. And planks. And sit ups. And something called low-jacks, or "smurf jacks", where you're squatting down and doing jumping jacks. It effed up my knee, but it was SO worth it. Although, I have to admit there were plenty of times I stopped to watch Jillian and Bob. They were walking through the crowd of us, picking certain people to critique and push. They walked by me a few times, and they were close enough to touch. I had to refrain from grabbing her butt. Can you blame me? Oh, and Bob too. Meooowwww. Chase was taking pictures in between reps (haha), which was so sweet of him. All in all, it was a really bad ass experience. I wish I could've taken a picture with them, but Jillian and I will have plenty of pictures taken at our wedding :)




Soooo, tomorrow is the weigh-in day. Eek! I'm nervous, but I'm trying to mentally prepare myself to not get too let down if I don't lose much. Wish me luck! And let me know how y'all are doing!

Doodie Days

Yep, today is a duty day for Chase. BOO. That means I pretty much sit around all night, twiddling my thumbs and waiting to get sleepy. Another downside is that since I'm usually bored on duty days, I eat. HOWever, Tobi gave me the bright idea of creating a meal plan for the day. Why didn't I think of that? So, I've eaten something every 2-3 hours, and it's been wonderful. I've already had dinner and a snack AND I still have 2 points left over :) ... I might eat a popsicle. Mmmmm.

As far as the workout went, I taught combat all by my lonesome for the first time in FOREVER. The other instructor hurt her knee, so I had the pleasure of subbing. It was intense! It takes so much more energy to teach than it does to take the class, and even more energy to teach by yourself. I've been team teaching, which is still a crazy awesome workout, but I prob burned about twice as many calories. And I feel GREAT! All in all, today has been a success. I have my next weigh-in Wednesday, AND the workout with Jillian Michaels (and Bob Harper) is Wednesday, so I am pumped!


So, I've been recruited by others for WW, and now I've recruited a couple of people. Paying it forward, right? Is it working for anyone? Anything else working? What's up?

Thank you for your patience.

And THANK GOD for Weight Watcher's cheat points. We get 35 a week, and I used 30 of them last night. Chase grilled out and we had beer. And it was wonderful. Still, I ate a burger without the bun and skipped the dessert. My downfall was the Hawaiian rolls. Womp womp. I had 3 (or 4), but I still counted, and I'm proud of myself. I cheated, but it was within sensible limits. Hooray! Small victories.
The only problem is, I only had 5 more cheat points, and I was STARVING all day, so I used 4 of them. Only 1 left. Uh-oh. Good thing they start over on Wednesday. But Chase has 24-hour duty tomorrow, so I've got to fight getting lonely and eating my feelings.
In other news, does anybody have suggestions on filling foods I can eat? I keep hearing fruits, but I swear my body doesn't think so. I'll eat an apple and be starving 30 minutes later. It's ridiculous. I've thought about getting those full bars, but I need to look them up. I'm sure it's a load of shit, but it sounds like a good idea. Y'all know the ones I'm talking about?
How did everyone else do over the weekend? Anyone else hanging on by a thread? Talk to me.

P.S. Whitney, I'm sorry I went a few days without posting. Can you ever forgive me? A roo roo.

And Emmy, this cartoon made me think of you. You're on the left and I'm on the right.

I'm a loser, baby.

So why don't you kill me? Day uno of the Weight Watchers plan, and I'm feeling really good about it. The main thing I'm gonna need to start doing is eating more healthy, filling foods so that I don't get hungry every hour. But baby steps, right? I'm a carboholic, so in order to keep from going insane and just giving my weight loss the big middle finger, I'm going to have to slowly add in more vegetables and fruit. Up until now, the only thing green in my diet has been margaritas. :)
I attended my first meeting today, and I have to say that it was... ok. It left something to be desired, but I think it's just because I was the only one under 50 there, so I felt slightly out of place. Guess I'll have to meeting-hop until I find one that's more me.

Now, on to the big news....
*drumrooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo-ooooooooooooooooooooollllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll*..........


I am doing a group workout with Jillian Michaels and Bob Harper from the Biggest Loser!!!!!!!!!!


ZOMG!!!!! They are coming to Camp Pendleton next week and offering a free workout for military and their families. EEK! I am so freaking stoked. I have a total girl-crush on Jillian Michaels. And when I say girl crush, I mean I'm willing to propose to her next week. I'm buying the ring tomorrow.


What a sex pot!

But really, I'm hoping that they kick my ass. It would be an honor to pass out/throw up. And I better get a picture with them, by God.

So, that's the latest scoop. How are we doing, sexy people? Anyone seeing numbers go down? Anyone's clothes feeling baggy? Hmmm?

Stop dieting, start living.

Soooo, I enrolled in Weight Watchers today. Hooray! I am so freaking pumped about it. Like I've said before, I've tried pretty much everything, but the tools and tips they gave me today were so encouraging and seemed so simple! I think it'll actually be fun. I've never really minded counting calories, so I don't think the points system will be a big deal for me. I'm going to my first meeting tomorrow. Eeeek! I'm kinda nervous, but everyone there will be in the same boat as me, so I shouldn't feel too awkward, right? The lady who signed me up was a total doll, too, so she made me feel pretty comfortable. I think I just picture it as like an AA meeting, but for fat people. Am I right, or am I missing the mark? Though that hungry monster on the WW commercials is freaking adorable.

Anyways, I have a confession: since I'm starting the Weight Watchers way of life tomorrow, me and Chase had a cheat meal tonight. It's better than a whole cheat day, but then again I probably ate enough calories (or points) for a day. I felt like I deserved to get a farewell meal in there, since that's what they do on Celebrity Fit Club on VH1.

Welp, I have a crap load to go through as far as WW materials go. I know the basics, but the lady gave me like 3 different books, plus encouraged me to go online and peruse their website. Sounds like I have some studying to do. Wish me luck!

Another little update, in case you didn't see it on Twitter or the Book of Face: I am officially a paid employee of Gold's Gym in Temecula! I've been team teaching Combat there just to kinda get back in the game since I haven't really taught in like a year and a half, but now I will be getting paid for it. YEET! Talk about accountability.

So, are we staying strong, kids? How's it going? Anyone fall off the wagon? Here's the place to let it spill :)

Give peas a chance.

Welp, just had a healthy dinner with whole grain brown rice and sweet peas. Om nom nom. It was de-ricious. Speaking of dericious, this makes me LOL every time:


And we launched the new combat release today, too. I have to say, I've been kicking ass lately. How 'bout y'all? Too bad my metabolism is a P.O.S. and I'm losing like 0.00001 lbs. a day. Ef. Makes me wanna punch all you naturally skinny bitches in the mouth. I'm talking to you, Kristen Stewart.

Another thing I'd like to bring up is this: if you ever need motivation, but don't feel comfortable posting it as a comment, feel free to email me or message me on facebook. My email is haley.hardin@yahoo.com. I know that I need a pick-me-up every now and then, and I'm pretty much always by my blackberry, so I'd be more than happy to talk you out of those oreos or talk you into getting off your ass.

Only 17 more days until I have to post another bikini shot. Oh NOEZZZ! Better start throwing up after meals (kidding). Oh, and I almost forgot, I'm going to try out my first Weight Watchers meeting Wednesday! Eek! I'm excited! And nervous. I also want to try this place in town called Pole Kraze. It's an aerobics place where they teach you to pole dance and do burlesque dancing and all that raunchy mess. Seems out of the box. I've tried pretty much every fitness class out there, but nothing like this. I'm intrigued. Thoughts? There's no nudity involved, just cardio and toning in a fun, unique, and feminine way. It's pricey, though. Of course. But I have a feeling Chase wouldn't mind.

How we doin', team? Find any motivation that you'd like to share?

Workin' on my fitness.

He's my witness. Anyways, I did power yoga yesterday and it kicked my ass. THEN I went to Body Pump this morning AND had to practice the new Combat release. I am barely moving. The main problem with this is whenever I work out (especially in the mornings) I want to eat everything in sight all day. Since it kick starts my metabolism, I get hungry so quickly. I have to try really hard to not undo the work I did in the morning.

The good news is, I'm losing! YAY! It's not much, but you have to start somewhere. I want to look like a different person next time I visit Albany. And I'm going to. Seriously, I want to look like Jessica Biel. That's my ideal body. She's not too skinny, but she's lean and toned like whoa.

Isn't she a babe?

So, how's everyone's weekend going so far? I know weekends are the hardest. I want to cheat so bad cause when you're relaxing around the house it's so easy to just eat and eat and eat. Not to mention the weekends are when we always go out to eat, and it's ridiculously hard to eat right when you're not fixing your own food. But I'm staying strong! Stay strong with me!

On another note, have y'all seen the Carl's Jr. commercial with Audrina Patridge? What a twat. It makes me wanna punch a baby.

Ouch.

Man, I was SO discouraged this morning when I weighed myself. I started at 179.8, as you all know, and after this weekend with the family I'm at 181.2. I mean, I expected to be punished by the scale after my indulgence, but this is just ridiculous. 3 days of eating bad and it takes a whole week to undo. It's bullshit, but that's the way it goes.

On another note, my ass is so freaking sore from Zumba yesterday. It hurts to move. I mean, it's a good thing cause I'm trying to get that onion booty. You know, the kind that makes grown men cry? But ow. I did go to the gym today, and I'm tempted to go back tonight or run or something. I also think I'm gonna start doing the 6 small meals a day. That's what the Group Fitness Manager at the gym told me to do. Also, in the future I'm gonna write a book containing all the advice I've gotten over the years for losing weight. Some of it's helpful, but some just made me giggle. But I digress. I love to eat, so the 6 small meals a day thing will be good since it's so continuous. I'm going grocery shopping tomorrow, so I need to make a list of good-for-you food that I'll actually eat. I really need to cut back on the carbs. Not do away with them, but I need to limit myself. And the Coke Zeros. I drink like 6 a day, seriously. I'm going to start cutting back on that and start drinking water instead, like a good girl. Y'all have to keep me in check.

I heard one of the best pieces of advice I've ever heard today. It was from the Group Fitness Manager, and she said "Nothing tastes as good as being thin feels." WOW. That's so true. She said to say that to yourself when you have cravings and want to binge or just if you want to eat something you shouldn't. I want a freaking t-shirt that says that. But then people would be like "how would you know?" and I'd have to punch someone in the mouth.

SO how are we doing? Anyone lost anything yet? Getting discouraged? Staying motivated? Tell me!

Back on Track!

Woo! Day 9. I ate pretty much perfect yesterday, but I never made it to the gym. It was hectic, but I'm not here to make excuses. I'm practicing combat at home today for an hour, then going to Zumba tonight, so that'll get me back on the right page as far as exercise goes.

I've realized that if I eat a lot of calories at breakfast, that sets me up for failure for the rest of the day. I used to eat from 500-600 calories at breakfast, because I've always heard it needs to be the biggest meal of the day, etc. While I agree that breakfast is important and you SHOULD eat breakfast, in my opinion, a breakfast of around 300 calories is perfect. For me, anyways. It will vary depending on whether you're male or female, your size, blah blah blah. But it gets my metabolism going, but doesn't make me want to eat other big meals the rest of the day. I'm addicted to the Jimmy Dean sausage and cheese omelets.
Om nom nom. They're 270 calories, and it's straight up protein, so you don't get hungry as quickly afterward as you would if you ate a bagel. Plus they're quick, which is a huge plus. Jimmy Dean should totally sponsor me.

Anyways, I need to shoot up some caffeine and get my butt moving. I have to learn a whole new combat release before Monday, eeeekk! By the way, I saw an AWESOME bumper sticker the other day, and I totally want it. It made me giggle. Let it be your motivation for the day.

Welp, that didn't go as planned.

Alright, it's day 8, and man did I screw up! I was trying to think of all the excuses I could tell y'all, but honestly it's just my fault. Family was here and it was a celebration and I didn't exactly fall off the wagon... I jumped. We ate out, his mom cooked lasagna and apple cobbler, I mean we didn't hold back. I was a hardcore glutton for 3 days straight.

The good news is, I am disgusted with myself and I'm getting back on track today. Chase's family is heading back, and I have no excuse to keep stuffing my face. I'm scared to look at the scale and see how much I've gained. I might brave it tomorrow, after I work out and eat my 1600 calories today, but we'll see. The scale is a scary thing. I can definitely tell my clothes are tighter. Guess I'll be drinking a lot of water to wash the fat cells and toxins out.

So... how did we do? Anyone else cave in? Stay strong? If you didn't mess up at all this holiday weekend, I am so proud! Tell me all about it.

Day 4: Against All Odds

Man, today started out STRESSFUL! I woke up, ate a good breakfast, took the dogs for a walk, and got ready to drive down to San Diego to pick up Chase's mom and sisters. Was about to walk out the door, but looked at one of the dogs, Clary, and half of her face was crazy swollen :(. I mean HUGE. Of course I was freaking out. I drove her to the vet, and it turned out to be just a bee sting, thank God. But that whole episode made me late to pick up the in-laws.

Isn't she pitiful?

Things slowed down a little after that though. We all just hung out and showed them around town. I did decent up until dinner. Then I had sliders and some fries. I only ate until satisfied, though, and not full. I'm going to take today and tomorrow off from the gym, then go for an hour Sunday.

That being said, with stress, family, and a holiday I have been going COMPLETELY against everything I am accustomed to. I would've had a beer, a heavy dinner, and dessert tonight... then I would have come home and a few hours later had some chips while watching a movie. But I didn't! I'm beginning to think this is actually going to work. Every time I want to slip back into my old routine, I just think that in order to get different results, I must do things differently.

So, how are we holding up? P.S. This cartoon made me giggle.

Day 3: Me vs. Birthday Cake

Hey team! How we doin'? Staying strong? Have any struggles or temptations? I'd like to start by saying that I went to the gym this morning. Hooray! However, there was a woman in our class that turned 90 today, so someone brought cake for her after class... dun dun duuuuuuuuunn! I'm pleased to say that even when a piece was forced upon me, I STILL didn't eat it! Not even a lick! Ok, maybe I licked a little of the icing, but it was only 1 little lick. Anyways, my point is... The main reason I didn't eat it is because I'm a horrible liar and I wouldn't have been able to lie to you guys. I'm trying to be a positive role model, see? And I'm also tired of looking like a busted can of biscuits.

Soooo, I've done my workout, denied myself cake, AND took the dogs to the dog park. Success! I'm about to sit down to a healthy lunch, then clean the house down to the base boards. Chase's mom and sisters are flying in tomorrow. I'm so so so excited to see them, but this is potentially a recipe for diet disaster. We have family coming in AND it's a holiday weekend?! Maybe I'll give myself a shock collar and press the button every time I get near the hot dogs and chips. The workouts will be a struggle too. I might have to get up an hour earlier (gasp) to get my fitness on. Normally I'd say, "well, I can be off my diet just while they're here, and pick back up when they leave". But I know myself well enough to know I wouldn't pick right back up when they left, and then I'd be back where I started. Think skinny, think skinny, think skinny.

How are y'all gonna stay motivated this weekend? Any plans? Shock collars? Fill yourself up with water before each meal? Good old fashioned will power? Share!

Day Dos.

Alright, ladies and gents, how did you do yesterday and today? Yesterday was pretty good for me, the only thing I could have done better on was the end of the night... I went the Eclipse premiere at midnight, and was STARVING by 1am, so I had some of the hubby's popcorn. Shame, shame, I know. But I only ate until I was satisfied. The rest of the time I was trying not to pass out from excitement and trying to contain my inner fangirl for Chase's sake.

Today was even better. Since I got like 4 hours of sleep last night, I took a 5-hour nap today. I guess you couldn't really call that a nap, but that means I totally didn't eat those 5 hours, haha. Looks like I'll be taking a Tylenol PM to get my butt in bed before sunrise. I DID go to the gym today for an hour and a half. Woot! I went to the P90X abs class, then Zumba.

Which brings me to my next point: another goal I have is to not feel like a fat ass whore while shaking my bootay in Zumba. I usually hate Zumba for that reason. It's an awesome workout, but 1) I can't help but laugh at myself when I look in the mirror and I'm gyrating, and 2) there's ALWAYS a creeper in the back of the class. Never fails. Lately it's been a 45-year-old Indian dude WHO DOESN'T EVEN DANCE. He kinds moves around, but I know why he's there. He can't fool me. He's getting his kicks watching all the overweight women try to look like Latin strippers. Rando. But I digress...

Today was successful for me. How 'bout y'all?

P.S. Heather, I was TOTALLY saying those quotes to myself at the gym. :)

Here we go! Day 1.

Ok, it's Day 1, and I went to the gym this morning (yay!). I help teach Body Combat there on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and also some Monday mornings. It holds me accountable because the other teacher counts on me to be there. That's why I recommend having a workout buddy. You don't have to do the same workout, just plan to meet at the same time on certain days.

As far as diet goes, the way I lost weight in the beginning was by counting calories. I've tried every diet plan in existence, and this works best for me. I am SO picky, so it's incredibly hard for me to eat the right foods. Instead, I cut my portions and try to eat 1600 calories a day or less. But no fewer than 1200. I'm at 510 so far for the day, and I've done my hour of cardio, so I'm holding strong! Sure, it's only noon on the west coast, but I'm staying positive.

I've decided to keep a photo diary of myself. I'll do new photos every month, so I'll see how far I've come by July 29th, then August 29th, etc. This is extremely difficult for me, because I'm so used to posing to get the best angle. This is requiring me to show myself and the world my true size. While this is terrifying, it's also motivating. I'm NOT going to stay like this. I WILL get smaller. I encourage you to keep a photo diary too, and post them on here. It's scary, but it'll hold you accountable. We're all in the same boat. So, here we go!

Day 1 weight: 179.8

Let's lay it all out.

I'd like to say I'm doing this to get healthy, but that's a load of shit. Honestly, I just want to get hot. I'm 22. I'm entitled to focus more on my looks than my blood pressure. Getting skinny is what I'm after, getting healthy will be a nice side effect. Just want to get that out there. I've done plenty of weight loss plans in the past 12 years, but blogging had never had it's part in any of them. I feel like with having readers (and myself) holding me accountable, this might be just what I needed.

I've always been the overweight friend. By the time I got to the 5th grade, I was well over 100 pounds. I hit in the 170's my senior year of high school, and started going to PT Gym. A trainer there made a bet with me and gave me a diet and exercise plan. The bet was that if I followed his plan for 3 months, he would give me $50. I honestly couldn't care less about the $50, but this trainer was a total babe, so that's what kept me going. Seriously. So, I stuck to the plan and lost over 20 pounds. Then was hired at the gym. I kept losing and getting more and more in shape. I even got certified to teach a kickboxing class. The lowest I maintained was around 135. I was a size 6, but of course still thought I was fat. I was a ra-tard.

Then I got married. I literally blew up. I've been on a steady climb up the scale ever since, and now I'm in the 180's. This is ridiculous. I cry when I get dressed, none of my clothes fit, and I hate my body. I'm a chronic dieter, and I'll lose a few pounds, then put them right back on. My metabolism is shot.

Weight loss in a nut shell is this: burn more calories than you take in. That's it. Your body takes from your fat reserves and uses that for energy, causing you to lose weight. I KNOW this in my head, but making myself do it for an extended period of time is another story.

That's where you come in! I want everyone who is ready for change to join me. Share here your goals, struggles, triumphs, all that crap. I want to know. And I'll share mine with you. I'll keep you updated with my weight, with pics, with my diet, all that jazz.

Here are my goals: I want to go shopping because my clothes are too big for me, not because they are too small. I want to get a belly button ring again. I want to run in a sports bra and not jiggle. I want people to notice my face first, not my stomach. I want to WANT to go to the beach. I am currently a size 14. I'm going to be a size 6 again.

What are your goals?

I'm starting this physical and emotional beating tomorrow, so stay tuned.