Milestones Reached!

Remember back in March when I posted this photo:




Well, now I'm proud to show you the newest photo of my scale, taken this weekend:



That's 20 pounds lost! Sure, it's not a lot of weight, but dropping the pounds isn't exactly easy for me. After a lifetime of binge eating and extreme dieting, my body has become pretty resistant to letting go of fat. 20 pounds is quite an accomplishment for me.

(And it took me over a week to get that photo. My body refused to go beneath 192.8 - not quite 20 pounds - for several days, toying with me and preventing me from claiming the victory until now.)

That's only one part of the entire story, though. Another set of numbers shows the change even more. Here were my measurements at the end of March - unfortunately, I never wrote down my starting measurements, so I have to go from the first recorded measurements, when I had already made amazing changes:

Chest: 36.75"
Waist: 36.5"
Hip: 48"

And now:

Chest: 35.5"
Waist: 34.25"
Hip: 44"

My clothes fit better, and I'm down an entire pants size and both a cup and band size in my bras. Lane Bryant generously offered to sponsor me and several other ladies for our trip to BlogHer, and you can expect to see me wearing these:




And a new bra, too. Amazing what the right bra can do to make your girls look like their pre-kid, early-twenties days.

You'll also see me in this dress, provided by JCPenney:


It's a dress I'd never have worn in previous years, but looks pretty good on the new me.

And finally, I'm going to be a Yummie Tummie Ambassador, helping to hold in the belly that won't go away.

I'm looking forward to seeing everyone at BlogHer! Look for me Friday morning running (and walking!) in the 5K Fun Run!

Not A Recommended Weight-Loss Method

Want to lose weight fast? If so, I'd like to not recommend a stomach bug.

Trust me, the weight loss is not worth what you have to go through.

I didn't plan on getting a virus this week, and I really didn't plan on getting it twice. (Had it late last week, got better, got it again the beginning of this week.) It has made it impossible for me to work out this week other than Monday, the one day I felt good. On that one day, however, I shaved nearly 2 minutes off of my 5K running time.

But I guess I should look at the positive: I'd rather get any illness out of the way now so I can be healthy for BlogHer. One week, people! ONE WEEK!

Getting excited yet?

I would be if I felt a little better.

What I've Learned from the 30 Day Shred

It's been awhile since I did Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred regularly. I still pull it out on days when I'm not running, but it's not the religious experience it once was.

However, while running today, I realized that I've learned several lessons about fitness and health thanks to that DVD. (And listening to Jillian on her radio show, The Biggest Loser, etc.) These changes in thinking have completely altered the way I look at fitness now. Now, I'm not saying that I like exercising more now - I still have to force myself to work out! But for those of you who have done the shred, tell me if these revelations sound a little familiar to you:

1. More time does not always equal more fitness
I used to be someone who thought the longer I worked out, the more weight I'd lose. So I'd tether myself to a treadmill at 3.0 mph tops and stroll along for 45 minutes to an hour, barely breaking a sweat, and congratulate myself at the end for all my hard work. Or in college I'd go lift weights for an hour, taking long breaks between each set, moving slowly from machine to machine as I chatted with my friends.

The truth is, I wasted so much time when I worked out like that. I could have had the same or better results by not resting between sets of weights and pushing myself harder on cardio. The Shred is only 20 minutes - but in that 20 minutes I get a better workout than two hours of the above routine.

2. Complacency will get you nowhere.
If Jillian taught me anything, it's that you have to constantly push your body to make it change. If you can only do 10 push-ups now, and do them everyday, it's likely that 10 push-ups won't be quite as hard a month from now. You have to change the position, or add more push-ups in order to continue making your body work hard.

The same goes for an entire workout. If you do the same workout for the same length of time each time you exercise, eventually your body will grow accustomed to the movements and it will no longer be effective. The Shred has three different workouts, each working your body in different ways, and if you get to the point where one level is easy, you can follow the harder variation on the moves.

3. You can do more than you think you can.
I remember that first time doing the Shred, and I distinctly recall yelling at the TV, "Are you f*cking kidding me!?!?" at one point. After that first time through, I nearly shrugged my shoulders and told myself this was too hard for me. But Jillian's words stuck with me: You're strong! Ain't nothin' you can't do! And as soon as I regained the feeling in my extremities a week later, I tried it again.

With the right motivation, it's possible to push yourself harder than you've ever pushed yourself before. I needed to hear Jillian yelling at me to keep going, don't quit, fight through the pain. Now I try not to let my self-doubt get the best of me. Your mind can help or hinder you - which is it going to be?

4. There's more to progress than numbers on a scale.
Some days my weight really gets me down. I hate it when that number doesn't budge. But even on weeks when the scale isn't moving, I've found other changes I can count on. I'm losing inches. I'm able to do one more push-up than last week. I don't feel like I'm going to vomit after the Shred. See? Lots of ways to measure your progress.

5. Don't go it alone.
Since early March, I've never felt alone when it comes to meeting my goals. The Shred was tough enough (and not at all girly) for my husband to join in for workouts. I also had support from all of you here, and from the Shredheads group. And this network of support has been vital to keeping with it. I'd have never made it a week if I couldn't post my success on Twitter and get nearly instant congrats, or keep myself accountable here, or have someone agree with me that swearing at Jillian on TV can be therapeutic.

So thank you, Jillian Michaels - you gave me the kick in the ass I needed to get moving again and I now know that despite sore knees, a busy schedule, and low self-esteem, I can do it. Four months, several inches off, one dress size down, and nearly 20 pounds lost. That is success.

And if you haven't tried the 30 Day Shred yet, Amazon has it for $6.99 right now!

(This is not a paid review, either. I bought my own copy of the DVD, and was not asked by anyone to give a review. Although meeting Jillian Michaels in person would be a welcome payment.)

Weekly Challenge: Doing What Works

Alright, we're down to the last couple of weeks now, so let's get really serious.

What has been working for you? In the past few months, what gave you the best results, or what were you most able to stick with? That's what you're going to do this week: whatever worked best for you. Throw out anything that didn't work, no matter how much you wanted it to work. If it didn't give you the results you wanted, why keep trying? Ditch it and get back to the activities that will help you the most.

For me, I had the best nutrition results when I followed Weight Watchers closely and drank a lot of water each day. It seems so simple, and it really is. If I write down and track what I eat, not going over my Points, I tend to eat more veggies and whole grains, since they're more filling for fewer calories.

Exercise-wise, I've signed up for the BlogHer 5K, and I plan to feel proud of that accomplishment. That means it's time to work harder on running longer intervals, adding more time to my run, and going the entire 5K distance. I've got access to a gym and a great weather week, so I have no excuses here. And a little teeny, tiny secret I'll share: I'm finding I like running better than other exercise.

So this week, I'm going to get back to what works best for me. I'm going to run, I'm going to track what I'm eating, and I'm going to drink more water.

What about you? What best practices will you be focusing on this week?

New Challenge on Monday!

We're under a month until BlogHer now, and now is the time where I'm trying to keep myself from getting complacent. It's so easy to look at nearly 20 pounds lost and think, "I've done great. I can totally relax everything a bit, right?"

But that's how I got all of these extra pounds to begin with. It's not like they suddenly appeared overnight. It took several days of choosing an extra serving, or going for something fried over something fresh. So while I'm thrilled at my progress so far, the job ain't over yet.

BlogHer is just a mental deadline for me, and my goal is to step out in Chicago looking and feeling great. Working out and eating better will continue after BlogHer, too, but I'm really hoping to get as far as I can before that weekend.

I'm currently at 194 pounds. Not a lot of change in the past few weeks, mostly due to birthday celebrations and probably too much ice cream. I'm setting a goal of seeing the 180's by the time I leave for BlogHer. Sure, no one else will see the number - it's not like someone is going to look at me and say "Girl, look at you! How does it feel to be in the 180's?" but I'll know it.

How is your progress right now? Still chugging along, going full speed, or stalled out? Start thinking about what has worked best for you so far, because on Monday I'm going to have a new challenge to help push us all the way until BlogHer!

Finish Strong

I know BlogHer is still just over a month away, and many aren't ready to think about the end yet, but the end of this particular challenge is drawing near. And while I've set many goals I want to reach by BlogHer, I just added one more and I hope many of you will join in with me.

Phat Mommy has organized a 5K Fun Run on Friday morning at BlogHer. OK, I'll admit the words "fun" and "run" really don't belong together, but aside from that, I think it's a great idea. So many women have been working on getting fit through walking and/or running, and this is the perfect chance to walk or run alongside the group of women who have been part of your support network for the past few months.

I've already signed up, and I'm challenging all of you to do so as well. It's $5 - that's all. If you can afford BlogHer, you can afford the $5 for the run. A t-shirt is included for that fee, and there's a chance more sponsors will add to the swag. And yeah, you'll have to get up early that morning. But you'll have time to shower afterward and make it back down to registration and breakfast.

Also, just because it's called a run doesn't mean you have to run. There are several women who plan to walk the entire distance, so know you won't be alone if you choose to walk.

To enter, visit Phat Mommy's blog for all the details. And leave a comment here to let me know if you're participating. I'm hoping to see several ladies I recognize beside me at the starting line. And we can all celebrate that no matter what our time is when we finish, we know it's better than it would have been had we tried a 5K in early March.

Fashion Show

Hey everyone, it's time for another interactive part of the show here. I somehow was one of the lucky ones to have some of my clothing for BlogHer sponsored by Lane Bryant. Amy (TasteLikeCrazy) sent them an awesome pitch, and I'm convinced it was her ability to sell us that led to this.

Anyway, shopping for clothing is never fun for me. And when I do think I really look good in something, I tend to bring it home, wear it out, get photographed in it, and then wonder What was I thinking? I look like a hot mess!

So I figured I'm going to do it right this time and bring along a few girlfriends for the trip. OK, well, I only brought one with me (Heather from Domestic Extraordinaire), but she had a camera, so it's kind of like you were all there with me.

Anyway, here are some photos of outfits I tried on. I need feedback on what you think works and doesn't work. And please, remember I was under fluorescent lighting - colors are off, and it's the most unflattering light to be seen in.

Outfit 1:


It's a pretty dress, but I don't think I have the boobs to carry it off. Without something filling out the top, it only draws attention to my tummy. But I could be wrong. Do you like it?

Outfit 2:


My least favorite item, but I decided to include it anyway just to see if anyone actually liked it. It felt too tight around the hips, but a larger size up would have caused gaping at the top.

Outfit 3:


I thought it was a cute dress in person, but Heather disagreed with me. "Frumpy" was the word she used, I think.

Option 4:


The tank is actually a shade of hot pink, but under those lights looks more of a salmon/orange color. Trust me - it's bright pink. The pants are true to color.

Option 5:


Same tank, different pants. These are a little longer, and made out of a smoother material. I liked both pants - not sure which would be best for me, though.

Option 6:


The pants are not to be judged here - they're a pair of Lee capris that I already own. We're only looking at the tank top in this photo. (Unless you really like my capris and tell me I should wear them at BlogHer.) It's a lightweight tank that would probably be perfect for the hot Chicago weather.

Option 7:


Same brown pants from option 4, but a sweet hippy t-shirt. Heather said she could tell I felt most comfortable in this. She's probably right. While I love playing dress up for events, a t-shirt and capris are my standard everyday clothing. And tie-dye? Right up my alley. But maybe too casual for BlogHer?

And finally...

Option 8:


This is not from Lane Bryant. It's from JC Penney's and I'm adding it in here because I've walked past that dress every single time I've been to the mall in the past two months. I tried it on once and loved how it fit, but didn't buy it because I wasn't sure I looked as good as I thought I did in it. So I dragged Heather in with me to try it again, and found I could wear a size smaller - YAY!

I like the dress, but I really need some additional opinions on it. (And, uh - ignore the chubby arm. I was holding my arms in some weird way that shoved all my arm fat front and center.)

Also ignore my ugly feet in all of these photos. Shoes will be decided after I choose clothing.

So that's the run-down. Let me which ones you like, and which you don't. Be honest, I can take it. Or if you see anything on Lane Bryant's website that I should have tried on, let me know that, too. If they're going to help pay for some of my clothing, the least I can do is look good in it for them, right?