Weigh-In Wednesday

Today's Weight:

289.0

Happy Weigh-In Wednesday, everyone!! I lost 2.8 pounds this week! I am so excited for two reasons: (1) I exceeded my 10% goal of 289.8, putting me out of the 290s once and for all and (2) I didn't gain any (and actually lost) weight after our trip to Alabama! I'm pretty sure CrossFit had a lot to do with it, but I also showed a lot of restraint at the rehearsal dinner and wedding when it came to all the delicious food! I'm going to go ahead and pat myself on the back. I'm so happy right now!

I was extra worried because I was so sore Monday still from the intense CrossFit workout that I couldn't bring myself to exercise. I did, however, do a T25 video yesterday, and I felt a lot better this morning (without the soreness and stiffness I had for a couple of days).

Weight Watchers had me set my own new goal weight, so I decided that 272 would be a good goal to reach for. That'll make a total of 50 pounds lost once I hit it. (I originally set it for 250, but I decided to take smaller steps as to not get discouraged.) It's going to take much longer to get there, but I want something challenging to work towards. I know I can do it, and it's just a matter of time until I've met my overall goal of weighing 180 pounds (142 pounds lost since day 1)!

Total Weight Loss: 33 pounds

Only 109 to go!

Artistic Antics

Well, everyone, today was the first day of glazing! I was super excited to start painting all of my projects. There are so many different types of glazes, though, it's so hard to choose! There are transparent ones, semi-transparent ones, opaque ones, and under colors. Plus, there are these awesome ones with crystals in them that explode/melt and make little spots of different colors when they're fired. I'm so excited and want to use all of them, but I only have 4 projects to paint. Oh, well. I'll just pick out some of my favorites. We have 2 more weeks to paint/glaze and then it's firing time!
Even though she took half the class unloading the kiln, our teacher was in a surprisingly good mood today and actually complemented people (including us)! She also informed us that she would be able to do 2 glaze firings, so she got off Caitlyn's back about how big and wide her pieces were. Thank goodness! Anyway, here's what I got done today: I painted my owl spoon-holder with the under colors (black, orange, pink, yellow, blue, and green). They look super pastel, but once they're fired they become more vibrant and will be shinier after the clear coat. I can't wait to see the finished products!

Tomorrow is Weigh-In Wednesday!

Phenomenal Foods

Today's Phenomenal Food is:

Garlic!

I have an obsession with garlic. I seriously put it in everything. . .and a lot of it! I've always loved the flavor, and now I can love it even more because of its wonderful health and weight-loss benefits!

According to the article Garlic for Weight Loss from Health.am, "Garlic has been, for long, known for its health benefits such as prevention of heart disease, cancer, and diabetes etc. Now, researchers say that garlic may help in weight loss. Garlic contains the compound allicin which is supposed to suppress the appetite and aid in weight loss." The article goes on to talk about all the other health benefits garlic has such as regulating the body’s blood pressure, strengthening your body’s defenses against allergies, helping to loosen plaque from the artery walls, helping to regulate your blood sugar levels, and even killing and expelling parasites such as pin worms from the human body. It also says, "In addition to all these health benefits, garlic is packed with vitamins and nutrients. Some of these include protein, potassium, Vitamins A, B, B2 and C, Calcium, Zinc and many others."
Now I can indulge guilt-free in my love of garlic! May the weight loss continue!

2 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Weekend Warrior

Well, folks, it was a tough weekend to diet, but I did it!! I stayed within my points values each day and even worked out yesterday at a CrossFit gym!!! Hopefully the scale will prove that come Wednesday. I even said no to the whole piece of delicious cake at the rehearsal dinner and only took a couple of bites!

Roof at the rehearsal dinner!

Me and Momma Karlynn in the elevator!

Temptation...

On another note, my cousin Kyle got married yesterday and it was beautiful! They were married on his fiancé's (Maribeth) family farm outside Montgomery, Alabama. It was picture perfect! They seem so in love and I wish them all the best!

Today, we drove home (13.5 hours), and I am EXHAUSTED. Also, I can barely move from being so sore after CrossFit. Seriously, I have never been this sore in my whole life (no exaggeration). I couldn't even lift my arms above my head this morning and made my dad scratch my ear for me because it hurt to move. Hopefully I'm no so stiff in the morning. I won't be able to tie my shoes if I'm like this tomorrow. Hahaha. I guess that means I worked out super hard, so I'll accept the soreness gladly! Another week to check off the list!

3 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Alabama Adventures

Hello, hello! Instead of a Shopping Shenanigans post this Saturday, I decided to post about my trip so far.
This evening is my cousin Kyle's wedding, but to pass the time today, we went around Montgomery and saw the sights. We ate at a really good Mexican restaurant called Jalepeños and then walked around town. We also went to a car show this morning in the parking lot across from our hotel. It's starting to feel like summer!
Before any of the day's adventures started, I went with my uncle, my cousin, and his girlfriend to a CrossFit gym near the hotel. My cousin owns a CrossFit gym in Atlanta, Georgia, so he's an expert. My uncle walked me through a warm-up and a quick workout. Oh. My. God. It was the hardest I think I've ever worked out before in my life. I felt like I was going to puke afterwards. But, it was so worth it! I know I worked off any extra point I may have eaten and then some!
Anyway, happy Saturday! Wedding tonight and pictures to come!

4 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Exercise Escapades

Well, against all odds, I worked out every day this week! Yay!! I'm quite happy that I packed my workout clothes for my cousin's wedding here in Montgomery, Alabama, because our hotel has a gym. We left Cape Girardeau at 4:00 this morning and got here in plenty of time for me to workout, shower, and get ready for the rehearsal dinner. I'm so happy that I didn't have to skip today! Plus, we went out for BBQ for lunch and are going to have southern cooking for dinner (crab cakes, shrimp and grits, steak, etc.), so I'm glad I earned some extra activity points for the night. Hopefully I can still stay within my normal points range, though, since I never use my extra activity points.
It's been so good to see my family! They all live in different states or too far away in St. Louis for me to get to see them very often, so this has been a wonderful trip so far. Wedding pictures to come! Here's this week's workout schedule:

Monday: 1.74 Mile Walk/Jog around Concordia (30 min.)

Tuesday: Focus T25 Cardio (Alpha)

Wednesday: 1.77 Mile Walk/Jog around Concordia (30 min.)

Thursday: Focus T25 Speed 1.0 (Alpha)
Friday: Bike (Hotel Gym - 30 min.)

Monday's Jog/Walk

Wednesday's Jog/Walk - Oklahoma?

Hotel Gym!

5 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Recipe Report

Hello from Cape Girardeau! We have begun our trek to Montgomery, Alabama, to attend my cousin's wedding. The car ride and eating on the go actually went really well! I brought tons of healthy snacks (mostly fruit and popcorn) and when my parents stopped at McDonald's for dinner, I went across the street to Subway instead. Yay, me! Tomorrow is going to be the tough part of our trip, though. It'll be an all-day drive and then a rehearsal dinner. Fingers crossed that I can manage!
Anyway, onto today's Recipe Report. This week, I decided to make a (light) Strawberry Jell O Pie that my grandma usually makes, and it's always delicious! I used a reduced fat pre-made pie crust, sugar-free Jell O, and Truvia instead of sugar. It actually doesn't taste any different from the full-sugar version! Another plus is that it was super easy to make and is ready in only an hour or so! It ended up being 4 Points Plus for a slice (1/8 of the pie). I'll definitely make this again!!

6 days until Weigh-In Wednesday!

Weigh-In Wednesday

Today's Weight:

291.8

Happy Weigh-In Wednesday, everyone!! I lost 2.2 pounds this week!! I'm so close to my 10% goal of 289.8. It's only two more pounds and hopefully I'll get there by next Wednesday. I'm leaving tomorrow afternoon to go to my cousin's wedding in Alabama, so the road trip plus the wedding goodies will be hard on my diet. My mom and I bought healthy snacks for the car (yes, we're driving there) and I plan on not overeating at the reception dinner. I won't get a chance to workout Friday, which is kind of bumming me out, but I'll pack my workout clothes just in case I can find something active to do. I guess I could bring a T25 video and do it in the hotel room. We'll see what happens!
Anyway, I'm super excited that I have officially lost over 30 pounds! That's such a huge accomplishment. The pieces in my "Pounds Lost" jar are starting to stack up!! Even though it has taken since January 1 to get here, the pounds are still coming off and I'm still motivated. If I just take it one day at a time and make smart choices, I know I can get to my goal of weighing roughly 180 pounds by the end of the next school-year.

Total Weight Loss: 30.2 pounds

Only 111.8 to go!