Do I see abs?!

Do I dare say that I am seeing the beginnings of my abs? I sure hope so! I have missed them horribly, and I have missed my figure. I have been stuck at this weight for months now, but my waist has been shrinking. And my legs and arms have some serious tone in them. I've been completely focused on melting the fat WHILE building my muscle. I have seen tremendous results when I do both cardio AND weights. I have been running also and have finally made it to a 14 minute mile instead of a 20 minute mile. My goal is to get to a 10 minute mile and get my endurance up to 5 miles without having to walk a few paces to catch my breath...stupid asthma. My hope is also as I lose this weight, my asthma chills out. And running has done wonders in building my lungs. I am still doing Les Mills COmbat/Pump combos 5 days a week and have increased my calories. (Healthy calories mind you) Yes, every once in a while I will have a little something like chocloate, but I believe in NOT depriving yourself. Hopefully in a few more months I will see even more definition...and screw the scale. It's not my friend anyways, I obsess on that dang number it actually inhibits me. So the scale is a big no no for me except for every Monday, maybe longer. I am excited to see my results a few months from now! I am determined to keep this up throughout nursing school!

Change?

Today (4/8/2013) I feel like crap, in fact since I went out to eat last Friday I have felt like crap. I have been gluten and dairy free for a month now and I eat something that had to have been contaminated with gluten and I have been feeling like crap since. I do not like eating out anymore, it doesn't hold that excitement for me. I am actually quite fearful anymore. I'd rather cook my own meals so I know what is in them. I gained 5 pounds since then and I am waiting to feel better. It's Monday and I've been waiting 4 days to feel better. Ugh.....

Anyways, I have incorporated jogging into my Pump excercises and before Thursday I was down to 211 pounds. I do look slender besides the obvious tummy bloat and hopefully that will just go away soon.

I am headed out to the treadmill since it is cold, wet and dreary outside. Going to run my 1 mile, then do my weights. On call today for work so that may change. Hopefully feeling better and shaking this crappy feeling soon.

Tired of this plateau and a bit about my barrel racing goals.

Since my last entry, I have hung out at the same weight, plus or minus a few pounds. I was getting tired of trying and nothing happening again. So I broke down and ordered Les Mill Pump. It's a workout by Beachbody that requires you to lift weights to some killer music. I have been doing it for a few weeks and I notice the muscle tone, and I do feel stronger. But I either weight the same (building muscle) or I gain weight.

At my last doctor appointment, my doctor wanted to make sure my hormones, mainly my T3's were behaving themselves to rule out my plateau. They were just fine. (Thank goodness, no increasing my Armour medication.) So it's a true blue plateau. I have decided to increase my calories and add my cardio to my weight lifting. My calories will be clean. My carbs will be complex and I will still take in more lean protein and stay away from all things white. I will just need to increase my intake which will feel real strange. I did join a challenge on the Turbo Fire fan page on facebook. Sounds like it will be huge, so I want to do this. If I am one of the 10 winners, I will get some sweet workout wear. As in shorts, t-shirts and a sweet jacket. Plus, I will win in winning over my body. I know it goes through this starvatin mode, because at work I get so busy I forget to eat. I won't lose weight that way, so I must make my metabolism think it's not going through a famine. Here's to eating a bunch of clean calories and losing more weight. Along with Turbo Fire and Les Mills Pump.

On another note, my colt will be 10 months old on the first of March. He is already 14 hands and that is tall for a colt of his age. He is estimated to mature at 16.1 hands tall (Hands are in 4 inch incriments, so 16.1x4 and you get how many inches he will be tall from his withers (shoulders)) Plus, with barrel racing I need to be in tip top shape to be able to stay with him on those tight, rocket speed turns. Was not easy while I had on 250lbs. I literally gave up, but I didn't want to quit. So my goal is to be at 140 (hopefully more like 130-135) by the time he is 2 years old. So, I am pretty desperate to get there. Him being 10 months old now, I am running out of time. And here is a picture of the cutie. (He is actually 6 months old in this picture. He has grown much taller since this one has been taken.)

So close!

I wanted to lose 20 more pounds besides the 35 I lost last year. But I plateau'd, my doctor wanted me on his SlimDown diet but I kept putting him off. Well a couple of weeks ago I decided to go on it, I did very well the first week but since Christmas was the next week, I took a week long break. Now I am back on it and going strong. I have lost 8 pounds since starting it and am now weighing in at 218 lbs. I am so close to saying good bye to the 200's....so close! I took progress pictures so I can hopefully see the difference that I feel. My scrubs are so baggy the literally hang on me now. I need to go shopping for a smaller size.

I will be continuing this diet until I hit my goal weight with a few breaks i n between. I will start incorperating my workouts as soon as my asthma backs off...who knew I was allergic to Christmas trees. So sad....

Last Monday I had a doctor appointment with my doctor, apparently my meds are doing ok, but he had to up one of my hormone therapy meds. And he was happy that I lost weight, but since my risk for a heart attack is so high he has me on something to help my body drop the weight quickly. So far I have lost 5 more pounds last week with just working at work. (That in itself is considered a 12 hour cardiac workout itself.) It suppressed my appetite, I had no idea how much I actually ate in one sit down. No wonder I had a hard time losing weight. I eat a mere fraction now, and if I over eat I am sick to my stomach. I have to choose what I eat wisely and eat healthy foods that do me good. I make sure I get the protein, and the veggies and fruit I need. My desire for junk food is all but gone, I drink a ton of water and if I get a soda I can't finish it. I have to be picky and choosey about what I put in now and I am enjoying it. My energy is through the roof, so I totally burn a whole lot more than I take in. If I keep this rate up, I will be at my goal weight of 140 lbs by my birthday next year. I finally feel like I am making progress, and when I add my hardcore workouts in it will go faster. 

My clothes do not fit me anymore, they hang on me. But my other clothes are still too small. I'm inbetween, how do you shop for clothes when you will just blow by that size? But I will definatley have to invest in a smaller size in scrubs. The ones I have are literally falling off of my body. I am so loving this!!

It's been a while, I have now lost 20 pounds. Not much since I last posted, but it's a lot considering I was diagnosed with hypothyroidism. Now on the proper meds and taking vitamins, I am feeling a lot better. I have been trying to eat right, kind of hard when the easiest thing to do is grab fast food and run. My doctor has discissed a diet with me and wants me to stick to it. My weight is throwing my body's balance off and my cholesterol is high. He says this diet will pull the weight off of me as I excercise. PLUS, I want to barrel race competitively. It's very difficult, I will have to nix out bad carbs, stay at only 20 grams of carbs a day and eat high protein. I tried it and I am so addicted to all the crap that I couldn't do it. I was lethargic, sick and had headaches. I know it's withdrawls but working a twleve hour shift at a hospital and deal with that was a lot to me. But I really want this excess fat gone. I'll just have to suck it up and make myself do it. Or face the wrath of my doctor. In fact my doctor appointment is next Monday. I'd better get going on this, cowgirl up!

Well yesterday was my first day of Turbo Fire. I am starting the Prep schedule which eases you into the main schedule with all the HIIT workouts. It did kick my butt, but after about an hour or two of recovering I had this sudden burst of energy and had to do something, so my kitchen was spotless, the fam had dinner on time and dinner dishes were done. My husband was pleasantly surprised and had a happy tune last night. I had a good night of sleep. I am a bit stressed though as my work (Mountain View Hospital) has been calling me off a lot lately due to a low census. My paychecks are very skimpy and it worries me. I know, I am PRN (as needed) so I'm the first to get called off, but that doesn't make it any easier. I just hope this added stress doesn't curb my weight loss. :(

My stats as of yesterday - I will be measuring and weighing myself monthly.

Chest - 45.5

R. Arm - 14.0

L. Arm - 15.0

Waist - 42.0

Hips - 52.0

R. Thigh - 28.5

L. Thigh - 28.5

Total Inches - 225.5

Weight - 247.5