Tony and I decided a couple months ago that I wasn’t going to be that concerned with my salt intake since when I workout, I sweat A LOT.  I still was a little conscious of how much I was eating and trying not to consume too much.  Since using myfooddiary.com I was able to track everyday.  Well over the last couple weeks I have (not so much) not been worried about it at all.  Seriously I was eating about 5000+ mg of sodium a day.  That is A LOT!!!  Well I am wondering if that is why I feel so bloated over the last week, why I have a 3 pound gain.  Maybe I am retaining a good deal of water.  

I have been watching old episodes of Biggest Loser and I heard one of the trainers tell a contestant not to consume more than 1200 mg of sodium a day.  WHAT??  Are you kidding me???  

I would have to only consume 1/5 of what I was.  That is going to be hard.  I told myself I would try over the next few days to eat less sodium.  So I was looking in my cabinets and pantry and tried to find low sodium foods and well…….it was hard.  I thought I could eat (just for a couple days) more oatmeal and some cottage cheese and then dinner will have the most sodium.  

Cottage cheese, I was disappointed to read that it contains 400 mg of sodium per serving (1/2 cup).  That is not good.  At least for what I am trying to accomplish over the next couple days.  No cottage cheese for me.  Chicken and tuna even has a good deal of sodium.  How ever am I going to only consume 1200 mg?   Unless my fridge is packed with fruits and veggies and financially that is just not possible.  Fruits and veggies down here is really expensive. 

I need to see if my weight dilemma right now is water related.  If it is not then it is either muscle gain or that I am destine to be overweight. 

……to remain positive through my weight loss journey.  I was steadily losing weight during the month of Oct and Nov.  Losing about 1 1/2 pounds a week.  That made me happy.  Then when Thanksgiving came, I decided to just eat a good meal and not worry about calories.  I didn’t completely stuff myself, I ate reasonable servings but I ate a lot of calories for dinner. 

For the week following and through last week I had lost 3 pounds a week.  I was feeling really good.  I thought maybe I had figured everything out.  I thought I was on a roll and the weight was just going to start falling off. 

Then this week started.  I got sick but I still worked out.  I was working out about 45 min a day instead of an hour but I just don’t think that would make a difference.  Tuesday afternoon I worked out and when I came home and weighed myself I was actually just below my mini goal I had set for myself.  I was so excited to see that number on the scale.  Everything changed yesterday morning and this morning.  I didn’t do anything different in my eating.  However yesterday I was UP 4 pounds and this morning it was the same.  I thought maybe I had just consumed a little too much sodium the night before or something but 2 days in a row to have the same weight.  UP 4 pounds.  Now last night was my night off from working out but that couldn’t have done it.  I only ate 2400 calories all day which is the amount I need to eat to maintain my weight and I am UP 4 pounds.  That is equal to 14000 extra calories (on top of the 2400) with nowhere to go.  It takes me almost a week to eat that many calories.  But I workout and burn probably half of that so what is the problem, where am I going wrong! 

I hear sleep is essential to aid in losing weight, is that why I have not done so well this week?  Am I really not eating enough because I know I am not eating too much.  Am I eating the wrong kinds of food?   Maybe I was eating more carbs this week!  Maybe I wasn’t drinking enough water!  Maybe I am gaining more muscle!  4 pounds though, that is just a smack in the face for all my hard work and effort. 

I stress about this often.  I mean it’s not like I only need to lose 10 pounds.  I have 55 well now 59 pounds to go.  That is a lot of weight to lose when I gain 4 pounds.  My month went like this, lost 6 pounds gained 4.  It will take me years to lose the rest of my weight at that rate. 

I may have to buy one of those Body Buggs.  They wear them on the Biggest Loser.  They seem pretty awesome I just didn’t want to spend $200.  Basically you wear them all day and it calculates how many calories you burn.  Maybe I burn a lot more calories than I am giving myself credit for which in turn would mean I am definitely not eating enough or vice versa….maybe I am not burning that many calories and I am eating too much. 
The only thing is that it is not only $200, that is just for the arm band.
Then you have to buy a watch if you want to be able to see the calories
you  burn at the time you are burning it otherwise you have to log on to
the website to download everything.  You do get 6 months of free service
online to set a meal plan and track your day….once that expires you have to pay  which can be about $99 for the year or you can pay monthly at $14.95.  It just seems like a really big investment.  I think the Body Bugg is cooler than the regular heart rate monitors that track your calories because those only seem to track during exercise.  The Body Bugg tracks all day.  From sitting on the couch, to cooking to exercising I will know by the end of the day just how much I burned. 

Maybe after the new year and we can get past the holiday, get back on track financially, get our tax return I will consider buying it.  Maybe the last couple days are a fluke.  Well no because this seems to happen every month or every 6 weeks or so.  Usually when it’s that time of the month I retain a lot of water and I gain a pound or two but when the week is over I shed that plus some.  But I can’t see in a couple days shedding the 4 pounds plus some.  If any of you have seen the Biggest Loser, I just don’t know how they do it.  I know that they are on a strict diet and workout 3/4 of their days but my goodness one girl lost 10 pounds in one week and then the next week lost 9 more.  Holy crap!!!! 

I have lost 59 pounds (as of todays calculation with my 4 pound gain) in just over 4 months, that is pretty darn good.  A good deal of that, well maybe 1/3 of that was baby weight but the remaining 2/3 took a lot of work to get off.  I am up for the challenge to lose the rest I just……..I don’t know, to see +4 pounds on the scale is just WHOA!!! 

I am so going to appreciate myself that much more when I lose all the weight, I am going to remember how hard it was and the struggles and sacrifices I went through to get to that point.  I want that to remain in my head forever so I will NEVER let myself get so overweight again. 

I was unhappy with myself.  I can tell just a small boost in my self-esteem now, I can’t imagine when I hit my final goal.  I am happier (well not so much today) the more I lose, I seem to have more patience in everyday activities and am so much more motivated to eat good and go to the gym.  When I see +4 pounds I just want to go stuff my face with everything I can possibly get my hands on, not because I am craving all that food or anything but just because I have had such amazing self control over the last 4 months that I just want to let loose. 

I don’t eat because of any emotional reasons like doctors always want to use as an excuse for overeating.  I eat because the food tastes so darn good.  I like sweets, I like cheese and bread and I used to like soda.  I drank some the other day (it has been about 3 months since I had any), it was diet, and I could only drink half of the bottle.  It wasn’t all that great.  Don’t get me wrong, it tasted good (it was diet mountain dew) but I just had no desire to drink it after the first couple sips. 

Well let’s just see over the next couple days.  Maybe I will get a surprise and lose the 4 pounds plus some and then I will have to come back and tell ya’ll what a goof I am . 

When I was a kid I was so clumsy.  I would trip and fall off a curb, sprain my ankle and while my ankle was wrapped and in pain, I would sprain it again.  My ankles are permanently swollen.  If I twist my ankle now it doesn’t even swell it just hurts for a few minutes and goes away. 

Over the years with all my weight gain I have been putting a lot of extra strain on my legs, joints and muscles.  So on top of the weak ankles and the weight gain I am putting extra pressure on my lower legs.  Since I have been losing weight, the pain is getting a little better but I still have 55 pounds to go which is still causing a little swelling and numbing in my feet and ankles. 

I have heard a lot about the magnetic bracelet but I didn’t think it would help me because my pain is in my legs.  I did some research and found they have anklets.  The powerful magnets are supposed to relieve pain and swelling.  Maybe it can help while I finish losing the rest of my weight.  It might be another 6+ months before I hit my goal and almost every night I workout I experience pain and numbness. 

I have been feeling like crap most of the day.  I didn’t nap because I was on the phone with DirecTv.  Tony got home around 6:30pm and he was feeling like sh*t so I knew he was not going to workout with me.  So I decided I would go early so I can get home and we can spend the evening together.

I finally got out the door around 7:30, Nicki came with me, and walked down the path to the gym.  I was pumped and ready to go.  I stepped on the stairmaster and started my normal level…..level 4.  About 8 minutes in to the workout I started to feel feverish.  I was hot but I felt clammy.  I was determined to make it through the workout.  Now I up’ed my level to 9.  Level 9 actually seemed easy for once.  I have been gradually trying to work my way up on the levels.  In the beginning I couldn’t do level 1 without feeling faint.  I hit level 9 for about 8 min, feeling like crap the whole time.  I decide to push myself that much farther and hit level 15 for the last 2 min 20 seconds of my workout.  I did it and if felt great.  I was proud.  I was actually able to do level 15 without any problems. 

I didn’t even know if I could continue.  All I kept thinking was PIZZA.  I need to hit my mini goal to get my Pizza dinner.  Now I don’t really want it this week because you know how when you get a cold, nothing tastes the same.  I didn’t want to waste my glorious dinner and not even be able to enjoy the flavor.  I am giving myself until next week to hit that goal and will enjoy PIZZA!!!  I try and push forward, make it through my hour workout.  I hop on the elliptical.  In the first 10 seconds of working on that machine I decided I am not going to make it very far.  I wimped out.  I did 5 min on level 5.  Not very hard….not hard at all!

Now I am disappointed in myself.  So I head to the treadmill.  I usually like to spice up my routine and workout on several machines.  I get on the treadmill, 3 mph at a 15 grade incline.  I do that for a few minutes then decide I need to run.  I do intervals of running and speed walking.  After 15 minutes on the treadmill I give up.  Just can’t do it anymore.  I needed to just go home.  I feel like turd.  I still managed to burn 610 calories but that was about half of what I usually burn. 

I head home, make a tasty grilled chicken, mac n cheese and veggie dinner.  Eat, bath the kids, put them to bed and head for the couch.  I hit the blogosphere and Tony passes out on the couch watching Talladega Nights…..hilarious movie. 

It is now midnight and I have been ready to pass out since about 10pm.  I know I am truly sick if I need to go to bed at 10.  I never go to bed until 1am but tonight I have been struggling to stay awake.

I ask myself, “why am I still awake?”  I need to get rest so I can feel better.  I just can’t tear myself away from the computer.  My sinus’ are stuffed, my head is starting to hurt and I can’t stop sneezing.  I hate feeling this way. 

I am going to go to bed now.  I need to sleep!!!  Must have sleep!!!

I talk a lot about my weight loss journey and exercise.  I do workout almost everyday.  In general though does anyone have competitive SO?  I wouldn’t change Tony for the world but he can be a bit competitive, from games to working out to just everyday activities.  The one I seem to encounter everyday is when it comes to working out. 

Last night we went to the gym and we talked about how many calories I was planning on burning,  if I say 1100, he has to burn 1105.  If I workout on level 10, he has to do level 15.  If I workout really hard and fast, he has to go just a little faster and a little harder.  LOL!  I mean it’s ok I just find it funny. 

Monopoly, now that is a different story.  We played one time when we first started dating with a couple friends and WOW he was competitive.  I am not sure I will ever play that game with him again. 

When it comes to working out though it sometimes pushes me to work harder.  It challenges me to try and be better than him.  He is all around just a stronger person so where my max on the elliptical right now is 15, he can do 25 and like haul @ss on it.  It just makes me laugh because just when I am one up on him and think “I’m all that” he pushes himself a little harder and one ups me. 
I sure do love him to death!  LOL! 

I am not sure if any of you have seen this commercial but I think their names are Tony and Leeanne!

We bought a scale back around Sept 12 and we  both started tracking our weight.  Tony’s “diet” is typically one huge meal a day which he eats really late at night.  He is usually busy at work and sometimes doesn’t get to stop and eat.  Maybe just munch on little things here and there.  He works out occasionally with me and half the time he just walks on the treadmill.  He just goes to keep me company.  While I work out hard and bust my butt.  He has lost since Sept, like 17 pounds, without much effort. 

Now me on the other hand, counts calories, watches what I eat (eats healthy) and exercises at least 5 days a week and I give it all I got and I have lost 17 pounds.  The same as Tony and he doesn’t watch what he eats.  If he eats at work it’s pizza, fried food or junk.  Me, I don’t know how much more grilled chicken and tuna I can eat.  I want a big chocolate bar with peanut butter smeared all over it.  I want Taco Bell and Papa John’s Pizza.  I want to not care what I eat or how much I eat.  Unfortunately for me that will never happen again unless I want to be big and fat forever. 

Don’t get me wrong, I am proud of my accomplishments.  I will be extremely proud when I hit my goal, to say I did it all myself the hard way.  I busted my butt everyday for a year and this is what I was able to do.  I will finally be proud to say how much I weighed and how much I lost.  I will appreciate and maintain my weight knowing how hard it was to get there.  I just don’t understand how or why women have to usually work so hard and men just poop it out. 

Everyday in the late afternoon I start to question myself whether I want to workout of not.  My first response is “heck yeah I want to work out”….I have come to far and worked too hard to be a lazy butt now.  Then as the afternoon gets later and we turn into evening I start to make excuses to myself as to why I shouldn’t workout.  I don’t feel good or it’s just getting too late or I have things I need to do.  Something makes me think twice about going to the gym. 

I have lost too much and sacrificed so much and worked too hard to start making excuses.  In the beginning I worked out everyday at least 2 hours every single day.  I realized that I was over-working my body.  I needed a day or two to let my body and muscle recover.  So after trial and error I decided that I would take 2 days off a week.  I work out 2 days have off 1 work out 3 days have off 1. 

Tony was working late tonight and so I thought if I stayed home I could get some things done.  Clean up the kitchen and do some laundry.  At the last minute I decided that I needed to go and work out.  I am always glad when I push myself and get in the gym.  I feel great after my workouts.   

**********There are too many hours in the day to not dedicate one to working out**********

I mean when I break it down, I sleep about 7 1/2 hrs at night so that leaves me with 16 1/2 hours and if I can’t fit one hour of working out in there then I have some issues.  Right? 

I need to achieve my goal and I am not going to if I keep making excuses and being lazy.  I sit around most of the day playing with my kids, doing dishes, occasional loads of laundry, make dinner and get the kids ready for bed.  There is no reason to not get my butt to the gym for 1 hour and burn some calories.  I am still only half way to my goal and I need to keep the same dedication and motivation to get me to my goal in a reasonable amount of time. 

That is all I have to say………Until tomorrow!

Good Night ya’ll!