Finding Fit, the Poor Girl's Way

A couple measurements. Didn't have tape to measure, but will in the next few days!
Weight: 195
Jeans size: 14, usually. Sometimes they're tight. I fluctuate size pretty badly. 

Goals/Hopes:
1. My stomach shrinks. I fit into size 12 nicely. (hopefully lose some weight in that transition.)
2. Tone arms and legs. 
3. Adopt and adapt. Adopt a healthy lifestyle that works for me and my family, and adapt to it.

Plans:
1. Exercise for at least 1 hour a day. Doing something, anything. Walking, jogging, biking, Zumba or Hip Hop, lifting weights. Something. Anything. Just break a sweat once a day.
2. Do not ask my kids to do anything for me. No more "Can you bring me that, please?" or "Will you go put this up?" - Except for their chores and general duties that they are obligated to do, I will do everything and not be lazy.
3. Don't eat crap + drink water. Eat natural, and well. But still enjoy an occasional dessert or junky treat. No drinks except coffee, tea, water.

Image

I started today.
Stupid!
My house is a mess, and I didn't even have eggs in my fridge.

So, I skipped breakfast (wrong thing to do, I am fully aware - but I wasn't going to eat a Toaster Strudel like the kids did, and they also finished off the oatmeal, which I would have eaten but was being a good mom and making them eat something healthy.)

I put on my workout gear, plopped them in the stroller, and walked to the grocery store for milk and eggs. 

This is my countdown.

100% - amount I regretted walking to the grocery store once I was in the checkout line. Baby opened a package of creamsicle popsicles, and I had to buy them. I knew that would mean melting ice cream on the way home. Awesome. (At least they served as great bribing tools when she lost it later on the walk.) 

Walking north to the store is downhill. Returning home would be uphill (even at only a tiny incline, you can totally tell the difference when walking or riding bikes). With all those groceries. And babies. Uuuugh.Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.

27 -  number of surface blocks I walked. (Front face of block. About 7 square blocks total.)

** I created a profile at MapMyRun to track miles and routes and such. I logged my speedwalk/jog route into MapMyRun, and it was 2.35 MILES!!! I was so surprised and excited. What a great first exercise!!!

11 -  number of bags + milk I had to finagle into the bottom of my stroller. Good thing I'm a Tetris genius. 

9 - number of Core Power drinks I bought, before realizing on the way home that the AMAZING price listed in the cooler ($1.69/each, which is a really good price for protein drinks) was for the apple juice, and that my bill was so high because I'd paid $2.99 each for them. Crap!

Side note: This is my protein drink of choice at the moment. I like it better than Muscle Milk, and the Light has 20g protein, 150 calories, 3.5g fat, and 3g fiber. Vanilla is my favorite. Chocolate is okay. I've yet to try strawberry, and hadn't seen the coffee one. Yum! It is best COLD. Once it starts warming up, it's nasty.

Core Power

Skipping 8 & 7.  


6- - off-road detours due to avoid huge rain puddles at intersections (it rained all day and all night last night). Guess trudging through the soft soil and yards to avoid getting soaked probably helped burn a few extra calories...


5 - songs sang. ABCs (x3), I've Been Working on the Railroad, and a made-up dance song (in the grocery store)

4 - blocks that my toddler screamed bloody murder.

3 - number of times I ran/jogged. 1 long block, 2 short blocks.

2 - the number of times my toddler climbed out of the stroller and refused to get back in, thus stopping my walk or slowing it to .01 mph.

1.5 - hours to get to the store, shop, swing by Post Office, and walk home.

1 - number of times I teared up and almost lost it because I was pushing a stroller that held a toddler screaming bloody murder. 


0 - % amount I regretted walking to the store once I got home. (Also, number of times I will ever do that particular activity again. The toddler situation made me crazy. But at least I gave it a shot!)


So, I'm off to a decent start.

Important: I pulled out my old BodyMedia Fit armband, plugged it in to charge, and reopened my subscription to the site. I didn't get to use it on my walk, because it was charging, but I've had it on since then. It helps keep me on track, so that will be a good tool.

Mine is old like this one. I'd like a newer, sleeker one, but this is the Poor Girl's Guide, y'all.

I highly suggest BodyMedia or a Body Bug. They're great accountability partners when you don't have one. You have to look at your activity reading at the end of the day. Coupons here: http://www.retailmenot.com/view/bodymedia.com

Since putting on the armband (After my great walk - which has left me sore), I've burned 2800+ calories - probably double that since I didn't plug in until halfway through the day, eaten less than a thousand cals (I'll try to keep it to 1,200 during initial weight loss period), and taken about 6,000 steps. Before I went to bed, my weight is at 194.3. I will weigh every Thursday. 

It was a fairly successful day in my book.

I chickened out on photos, and will save them for Before/Afters. They grossed me out. But I did take some this morning. They'll come when I'm ready. I posted my weight. Baby steps. :)

Keep on keeping on,
Jessica