What a Difference a Year Makes

My hubby took a picture of me this weekend while on our hike. It's not a good picture because I'm all sweaty and no make up lol. However, when he showed it to me, one thing stuck out at me. I didn't look like me. Seriously. I knew it was me, but I feel like it didn't look like me. At least not the me I remember. It's funny how although I lost a lot of weight I didn't see it. In my head I was still very round and plump. Now, let's get things clear.... I'm still round and plump... just a smaller version. LOL. So when we got home I played with the pic and compared it to one from less than a year ago. I'm wearing similar clothes just different colors, but yeah, the difference is obvious...

Needless to say, seeing this made me very proud of myself. I've come such a long way.

Weekly Weigh-In

As I said earlier, it was a busy week. Not only did I have work, but I also had my own schooling. As I suspected, I didn't make it into the ASL Class, but that's okay... I'll practice at home via YouTube. I didn't really get a chance to work-out, but I did force myself to park as far as possible. Every step counts. Hehehe. Any who, after a long and grueling week the results are in:

Starting Weight: 176.8 Current Weight: 174.6 Loss/Gain: -2.2 Honestly, I have no idea how I was able to pull it off... I really thought that for sure I'd gained... I guess eating better totally makes a difference. =) BTW, today ended up being a pretty cool day so the sis and I took the niece on a nice hike up to Griffith Park. While on the hike, I realized I totally missed hiking.... I'm glad it's finally cooling down a bit.... I missed fall :) Goal for next week: 172.6

Window Shopping

I was bored out of my mind earlier today, so I wanted to get out and do something. However, the heat was keeping me from actually being out and about. So I decided to head to the mall and just window shop. I went into my usual stores; Torrid and Lane Bryant and realized a) I no longer fit into Lane Bryant clothing and b) In a few I'll be completely out of Torrid as well. I didn't realize exactly how much smaller I was. For old times sake, I tried the smallest size in the store and it completely felt like a bag. Wow. It felt so good to realize that with the weight I also lost a lot of inches. So, I headed over to Express and Macy's and played dress up for some time. I actually fit comfortably into their clothes. How exciting, don't ya think? I didn't buy anything though, because I'm pretty much between sizes right now and didn't really see any good sales either... but I sure as hell left feeling so proud of myself :).

Weekly Weigh-In

Well, I decided to change my weekly weigh in to match the weekly weigh in over at PCOS Weight Warriors . Should be good :) Any who, this week was a hectic one. I started school, went to work, had my annual pap smear and blood work done, and visited Disneyland & CA Adventure.... busy busy I tell ya! It was actually a really good week. I got to test how I'll be having to manage my work, school, fitness, and family life. Overall, I think I did pretty good considering I hadn't been to school in almost 10 years. But that's a whole other post... lol. Weight wise, I did great :) Starting Weight: 179.2 Ending Weight: 176.8 Loss/Gain: -2.2lbs I met my goal plus some :)... yay! Feels so good!


And I almost forgot... these are the measurements... everyone noticed the loss in my abdomen... wowza...

Goal for the coming week: 174.4

Zumba!

I love dancing. When I hear a good beat it's hard for me not to move. So of course when I saw about 2 months ago that West LA College was offering Zumba I jumped on it! It was a five week course that I attended Thursday evenings for an hour. The instructor, Karma Raines is a trained dancer and it shows. She really made the class fun and got us moving. I didn't see any extreme weightloss perse, BUT I did notice my arms and booty toned up a bit. My arms are very hard to work because if I do weights I usually create muscle and bulk up, but Zumba seemed to slim 'em down. That was something I wasn't expecting, so overall, I am very happy with the results. So much so, that I signed up for another 5 weeks, but they don't start until the 17th of September. I also signed up for yoga because I've always wanted to try it as well as work on my flexibility. So in the meantime, I'm youtube'ing Zumba routines and got a playlist going.

Weekly Weigh-In

Busy week at work again. So busy, that I knew I'd end up staying late prepping, so I took my car. I really wasn't expecting to lose weight, but I did which is a shocker. I guess my body really wants to get rid of the excess :)

Starting Weight: 181
Ending Weight: 179.2
Loss/Gain: -1.8

I didn't meet my weekly 2lb goal by 2 oz!!!!, but I did make it to the 170's which is a record! I'm loving it! I also reached the 50lb loss which that in itself is an accomplishment. PLUS, according to my BMI tracker I am no longer "SEVERLY OBESE." Ughh... those words were just so harsh...lol, I'm now just "obese." Boo! But, that just motivates me to keep going and pushing hard. I CAN DO THIS!

By the way, I'm not preggo. Bummer... but I will get to see my doc on Thursday where I hope she can give me some hope... it's been a while since I've been to the dr... so I'm nervous as to what she'll say to me....

Any who, my goal for the coming week will be 177.2lbs. Should be easy since it's a short work week and I'll get to do a lot of walking in Disneyland next Friday :) Should be fun!

50 POUNDS GONE!!!!!

I am so happy. I knew I could do it, but I never thought I'd make it here so quickly. In 8 months I've lost over 50lbs! It's so surreal to me. However, I am very, very, very happy. I love knowing that I'm doing this on my own...the old school way...healthier choices, exercise, and family/friends support. I can already see myself at 130, which is smaller than I've EVER been since Jr. High. Eeeeeeeek!

BTW, I'm thinking of ordering me one of these LoseIt! Shirts to commemorate my 50lb loss.... whatcha'll think?

Weekly Weigh-In

I was so proud of myself when I realized I hit 100 miles on my Nike+GPS app on Tuesday.... I felt so accomplished :) It was a great week. A busy but great week.

Previous Weight: 184 lbs.
Current Weight: 181lbs.
Loss/Gain: -3 lbs.


I started walking during my lunch break (after I ate of course).  I think it totally kick starts my metabolism. and it feels great....


Goal for next week: 179!!!! I can't wait to be in the 170's!!!!!! YAY!!!! I tell you one thing, the only way I'm gaining weight is if there were a bun in the oven! hahahah.... which reminds me, I gotta take pregnancy test this week :/ 

Weekly Weigh-In

Having to do so much paperwork at work is not fun at all. Not only is it not fun, but it also hinders my weight loss because it keeps me sedentary. So this week I am not at all surprised that I didn't reach my weekly goal.

Previous Weight: 184.8
Current Weight: 184
Loss/Gain: -.8 oz

It's cool though. A loss is a loss. Now I just have to figure out a way to get my calorie burn throughout my week while at work.

New goal for the week: 182

Weekly Weigh-In

This week I was pretty busy at work. I ran between 14 classrooms delivering books and supplies... Manual labor I swear! Hahaha... I even got to the point in which I burnt out. I was doing way too much. I also walked to and from work daily. It was a good week with the exception of the big headache I got on Tuesday. But I'm feeling much better and full of energy once more :). All in all it was a very active week (including my zumba class)... and the results surely show it:

Previous Weight: 189.4
Current Weight: 184.8
Loss/Gain: -4.6lbs

As you can see I lost double of what I expected to lose and then some. It's so crazy to see results like these because honestly, a year ago no matter what I did not an ounce would budge. I am at a loss for words as to what my body is able to accomplish now. My friend Emyly was even shocked when she saw me for the second Zumba class... she said she could tell from one week to the other that I had lost more weight. I think it also had a lot to do with my period though. I hadn't had it in months and although it came in pretty strong last week it got rid of a lot of excess junk that was stuck in there... ewwwww. LOL. And also the fish oil and multi vitamin supplements.... they've certainly helped get my hormones in balance this last week :)

My new goal for the week is: 182.8

Good luck to meeeee!

Taking Care of My PCOS the Natural Way

I've mentioned before that I was diagnosed with PCOS a few years ago. It was a horrible experience because of all the side effects, but it also helped me see that I wasn't alone. However, my doctors were not that knowledgeable in the subject and the first thing they did was prescribe Metformin and Provera. I hated taking meds. I mean they helped bring back my period and luckily I didn't get a lot of the side effects other women have, but I never really felt that my periods were natural. Forgive me, but I felt like I was putting more chemicals inside my body than were necessary. After a few months I stopped. Sadly, I didn't really do anything else.

That was until this year when I completely changed my ways. I began exercising and promised myself that I wouldn't stop. I've been doing great. I've actually spent a lot of time researching PCOS and really getting to know my body. I can now tell when something is going to throw my system off and when I'm all good. You see, with PCOS you really have to pay attention to every little detail. Your body tells you what works and what doesn't. You have to learn to listen to it. Any who, I know that I need a multi-vitamin, so I researched a good natural whole food one. I came up with Rainbow Light Prenatal Petite. I chose that one because the pills are quite small and leave no after-taste. I picked the prenatal over the regular one because it's always been recommended to me by my doctors to take prenatals if trying to get pregnant. And since I am, it was the perfect choice. I got mine from Whole Foods.

While I was at Whole Foods I also got a bottle of Nordic Naturals Ultimate Omega Fish Oil. I've been meaning to get it for a while. They say that fish oil is really good for women who suffer from PCOS as it helps improve fertility.

I'm going to begin taking them tomorrow 8/1 to see if I notice any changes. Hopefully it'll be all good :). I'll post an update later on. 

Weekly Weigh-In

This week was definitely a good one. For one, aunt flo came! Secondly, I started my Zumba class.... which I absolutely LOVE, and thirdly, I went back to work. No gym time, but a lot of walking. I'm still doing the 2-3 miles a day, but this time I am increasing my pace.... the faster I move the more calories are burnt AND that usually revs up my metabolism. :) Any who, the results are in:

Previous Weight: 192 lbs
Current Weight: 189.4 lbs
Loss/Gain: -2.6 lbs

I am very happy. My hard work and healthier food choices have certainly benefited me. I can't wait for fall so I can get my heart pumping even more by doing more hikes. Yeah Boy!!! Hahaha. . . I can be such a dork sometimes :)

My new goal for the week: 187.4 lbs.

I am so excited and proud of myself. I love seeing the scale go down. I know at some point I'll plateu again, but that's cool. It happens. I'm just happy to see improvements in the meantime. Oh, I'll probably update this post later with my new measurements... it's that time again :).

So here are the results:

                                

I began taking my measurements about two weeks ago to see how my body was changing. In just two weeks It appears that I lost 1.5" from my arms, my boobs got 1" bigger (Thank you Aunt Flo), I also lost .5" from my thighs, .75" from my calfs, and 1.25" from my abdomen. For a little less than two weeks that's pretty good :). I'll be measuring myself once a month from now on. By the way, the app I used for the measurements is BodyShot.

Weekly Weigh In

This week I didn't get to put in any gym time as we were out at the Disneyland Resort. However, I did a whole lot of walking.... I also was very careful as to the food choices I made while still dining out.

Previous Weight: 194.2
Current Weight: 192
Loss/Gain: -2.2lbs

I am very happy with the results. I knew last week was something out of the ordinary and I had to keep my mind focused on a healthy weight loss. I'm glad to know I met my goal and a couple of oz extra :) Yay Me!

My goal for next week: 190

By the way, I'll be using this app for screen shots of my weight management. I like it better since it is much cleaner and easy to understand.  It's called "TargetWeight."

Weekly Weigh-In

Hello you! Let me start off today letting you know how excited I am! I am extremely proud of myself. Goes to show how a bit of self-control and exercise can make a huge difference. Well, last week I was very upset because I had gained weight. It was my fault though because I ate everything under the sun. I had no self control. This week I've kept it cool and ate only when I was hungry AND exercised somewhat everyday! I did that tank top DVD 3x's, I went to the gym twice, and walked at least 2 miles every day. My biggest thing was also that I had NO soda. That alone helps a great deal. Well, the results are in!

On 7/10 I was 201.6 (not shown) and on 7/17 I weighed in at 194.2. That is a total weight loss of  7.4# this week! 

Now, that is the most I've ever, ever, ever lost in a week. The highest I had done was 4# I guess my body really wanted to get rid of those pounds or it was mostly water weight because I didn't do any sort of crazy diet or starve.... Well, I'll take it for what it is and hope for a solid 2-3# a week from here on out :) Now since going on this get fit challenge I've lost a total of 37.2 pounds! Woot! Woot!I can't wait to be in the 180's!

My new goal for the week: 192.2

Working Out

I'm sooooo sore y'all! It's like a bus hit me. I can't believe how I'm feeling! Seriously, I'm tripping! Any who, this would be day three of getting back on track. I've already lost 2.4 lbs! How exciting! And that's not starving or anything like that. In fact, I feel like I'm eating way too much! Ha! I started doing this DVD called Tank Top Arms, Bikini Belly, Boy Shorts Bottom. I think it belongs to my sis because I don't remember buying it. It's pretty good. You see one of my problem areas is my arms... they are huge! I'm not kidding. See back in HS I was a cheerleader and we used to do a lot of stunts... by stunts I mean pick each other up etc. My arms got pretty strong, but as soon as I graduated I never did any exercise to keep my arms toned so now the muscle just flops there. LOL So I'm hopeful that this DVD will show me some techniques on how to tone up my biceps. Confession: I'd love to wear tank tops and sleeveless tops without a cardigan covering my arms. If you knew me you'd know I own a gazillion cardigans! LOL. Any who, I've also gone out running. I did the gym the first day, but honestly I'm not the gym type. I lose focus way too easily. But I do love the feeling of fresh air in my face... luckily around my block there's this pretty large street where people run and jog... so that's where I'm at. Oh, and before I forget, I started using this cute app on the iPhone called "TargetWeight". All it does is keep track of your weight.... I kinda like it :)

Any who, it's time for that run.... yay!!!
Love,
Sandrah

Getting Back on Track.... While Listening to Adele

The not so exciting moment when you need to weigh yourself knowing you've ate everything that's wrong came to me today. I could've just ignored my body and not weighed in. I could've just said "mañana," which means tomorrow in spanish... but I didn't. I decided to take responsibility for my actions and suck it up. I removed every piece of clothing from my body. Even my pint size earings where too much for this. And slowly I got on it. I closed my eyes and counted to ten. I opened them to realize I had gained weight. I was bummed. But what made this even worst for me was that I again was above 200lbs. 201.6lbs to be exact. I was upset with myself because there is no excuse. There is no excuse for what I chose to eat. So I decided to finally regain my composure and go back to what worked. it's as simple as that. Exercise and healthy dining. I know the things that hurt my metabolism (soda & sugar being the top two). I can have it once in a while or a little at a time, but I know that hasn't been the case. I know that i've over done it. And now I must take back control and get with it. So I had a nice healthy meal which consisted of chicken and broccoli soup... and a side of fresh fruit. I had some bubbly water with lemon to wash it down. Later on I pushed myself to the gym. I ran for an hour and hit the elliptical for a good 30 minutes. It was a good welcoming work out. I feel great :) I'm glad I have taken the initiative. It's hard y'all, but I need to do this for me. Wish me luck!

On other news, I'm addicted to the sounds of Adele. Everyone has heard the song "Rolling in the Deep". At least I think so. I fought hard not to fall into the trap... but yesterday while in search of new music for my ipod I downloaded her cd "21" and ohmyGOD! It is awesome! Her voice and style remind me of Ella Fitzgerald. She has such a soulful sound. I love her! "21" is an awesome album. It's been on replay the whole day. These are my faves from this CD thus far....