Workout Videos

Since there has been so much rain here in Kingston, which makes it hard to bike and rollerblade, I needed some sort of activity to do indoors. I have my DDR, but I wont want to do that everyday, especially when winter comes and all of my activity will be indoors.
I decided to by a couple workout videos.
I am a fan of the show "The Biggest Loser" so I looked up some of those videos and decided on 2 of them.

The Biggest Loser: Power Sculpt and The Biggest Loser: Cardio Max. These are the 3rd and 4th installement of the Biggest Loser workout videos.

I purchased them today for about 20$ for both from Amazon.ca. Part of the reason I decided on these videos was because the people on the video with whom you work out with are regular overweight people; contestents from the show :) They filmed these videos during the time in the house while airing the show, so these people are going to have the same difficulties as me, because they are also overweight. The videos also have 3 levels of difficulty to choose from along with a warm up and a cool down.

I am really excited to try these videos out. I have never used an excersize video before, so I think it will be fun.......HARD but fun :) now i just have to buy a couple hand weights.

Dance Dance Revolution

All I can say about this game is that it's AWESOME!!!!
Not only is it fun to play, it is a definate work out.

I had brought this game on our trip to Peterborough on the weekend and everyone love it. People were trying to beat their own scores, people were trying to beat other people, it was a blast!

Last night I used it for only 30 minutes, but man was it tough. Previously I was only using the beginner and basic stages, which were a workout, but pretty low or moderate. Last night I attempted the more difficut stages and boy is that a workout! Not only was I sweating and out of breath, but my muscles became sore. I loved it! I was able to earn 6AP using it.

For those of you that are not familiar with DDR, watch this.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=6JzcqALklRs
http://youtube.com/watch?v=uysU7cTgk5c&feature=related

Pretty much the point of the game is arrows are moving up on the screen. When they line up at the top you have to step on the corresponding arrow at the right time. The more accurate you are on steping on the arrows at the correct time, the more points you get. The more you step on correctly in a row (combo) the more points you get.

Friday's Weigh In

So I did weigh in last night and was happy that I STS. I was expecting a gain as I did not do so well last week, so staying the same is wonderful!!!! I jus thave to keep on it and make sure I have a better week this week :)

Weekend Away.....

Well today I kicked my but back into gear and got back OP. Ever since I went to Canada's Wonderland on Saturday I just haven't been able to get myself focused. I have none absolutely NO activity since it has rained every day this week, and I just lost all motivation. My portions weren't what they should have been, and I was definitely snacking on food that wasn't mine (John has his own snacks).

So today is a new day!!! I weigh in today after work, so since i haven't been OP I will be OK if I have a small gain (like 1 pound). More than that I think I will become more disappointed in myself.

So tonight John and I are driving to Peterborough to visit my future in laws. We haven't seen them in a while so I guess its time. I have a hard time staying OP when i visit, so this will be a big test. My Future MIL always cooks good meals, and seems to have some sort of baked good waiting on the counter every week (this woman cooks 8 pies for thanksgiving). It will be hard to resist!!! I will just have to make sure to drink lots and lots of water!!! His family know that I am trying to lose weight, and aren't the kind of people who will try to push food on me so I know I don't have to deal with pressure from others. I just have to use my own will power.

Everyone have a great weekend!!

PS. I will post my weight loss later today/tonight.

Recipe's

John seems to always want to bake or eat baked goods, so I decided it was time to hunt down some recipes I want to try. I have not tried any of these yet but I will post them for others. :)

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins
1 cup low fat vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup skim milk
1/2 cup quick rolled oats
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 large banana (mashed)
1 1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375F.
Combine Yogurt, milk, oats, vanilla, egg and banana. Set aside for 5 minutes
In a separate bowl, mix sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients.
Add chocolate chips.
Bake 15-18 minutes. Makes 36 Muffins @ 1pt

*** I put this into the recipe builder on WW with 1% milk. It is still 1pt. For 24 muffins it is also 1 pt and 12 muffins 2 pts.***

No Crust Pumpkin Pie
1 can(15oz) pumpkin
1 can(12oz) evaporated milk
3 egg whites
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup flower
1 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
3/4 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
2 tsp grated orange peal

Topping:
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup quick rolled oats
1 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 350F.
Make topping by mixing the topping ingredients (this may be easiest to do by hand)
Place all of remaining ingredients in blender or food processor and blend. Pour into 10inch pie pan.
Sprinkle the Topping on top.
Bake 50-55 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes. Refrigerate 4 hours.
8 servings @ 3pts

Banana Bread
1 1/2 cup flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1 1/4 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
2 egg whites
1 cup banana (mashed)
1/4 cup apple sauce

Preheat oven to 350F
Lightly grease 8"x4" loaf pan
Stir together dry ingredients
Add egg, banana and apple sauce
bake 50-55 minutes. 12 servings@ 2pt

I have not inserted any of these recipes into the recipe builder @ WW. I am currently not a WW online member so I cannot do so. If anyone sees any discrepancies with the points values let me know. Thanks and Happy Eating :)

*** I have now put these recipes in the recipe builder @WW and the points listed are correct***

Goals

I have decided that I need to make goals for myself. This could be where I failed last time. If I don't have a goal to try to achieve, I will not achieve anything.

For August I have given myself a few goals:

• Track EVERYTHING no matter if it is good food or bad
• Drink at least 2L (8cups) of water every day
• Become more active - ride my bike more often
• Lose 6-10lb by my September WI
• ENJOY THIS EXPERIENCE AND HAVE FUN!!!!!

Although August has not arrived, I will start this TODAY! No time like the present.

Pretty Successful Weekend

John and I along with a couple of friends decided that we were going to go to Canada's Wonderland this past saturday, so right off the bat I knew I was in for trouble.

On friday I weighed in and lost another 3 lb (yay me). I was pretty excited as I don't think I did that well during the week. I guess the new bike John bought me has been paying off!!!!

Well at Canada's Wonderland I didn't do so well when it came to healthy choices. We ate burgers and fries, dairy queen, and a monsterous funnel cake with ice cream and strawberries (that was coated in a sugary syrup). Then at the Hotel we had swiss chalet and I ate a bunch of chips.

Came home on sunday and to my surprise, I had only gained a pound!!! I guess hours upon hours of walking really helped me. When my Friday weigh in comes, and I still have this 1lb gain I will still be pretty happy with myself. I am back OP and ready for another week :)


I also wanted to add for anyone who is interested, I have placed a points counter on the bottom of my blog. :)

Some Pictures

Here are some pictures that I have available right now. I hope to put more up soon including those from highschool up until i was at my heaviest, then work my way down as i get smaller :)

Me and John (my fiance) at my Highschool Formal 2003. Here I weighed about 220 lb.

This was me at my heaviest; 274lb. This was around February the year I joined WW the first time.
Christmas 2006. My mom and I had lost 52lb (I was 222). We both received our 50lb magnet (yes it was a magnet before) on the same night.
This is me currently; 261.5lb. This is a picture from our engagement shoot. I hope to be thinner for our wedding photos next year.

First Post Ever

I have never written, or planned on ever writing a blog. I never saw a reason to. I have now given myself that reason: Weight Loss.

I have always had a weight problem, but it was never a huge issue. Of course it bothered me from time to time, but growing up it didn't seem to be a big issue with myself or others. I was always athletic, playing sports almost every day while in highschool. I used to walk everywhere. When you can't drive, what is left is walking.

The problem really began in my last year of Highschool (grade 13, 18 years old). That was the year that I decided that I didnt want to play sports anymore (big mistake) and that same year I got my own car. When you have the freedom to drive, you don't really want towalk anymore. I started driving to school (it took longer to drive than too walk) and I would go out for lunch almost every day.

In highschool I weighed about 180lbs (15-17years old athletic). By the time I was about 19 years old I weighed 220lb. Even then I didn't really look at my weight as a problem. I had just started a relationship (to whom I am marrying next year), just starting University, everything was great! No one ever believed me when I told them how much I weighed. They would always guess so much less; so I believed it.

Fast forward 3 years later (2006), I get my new driver's license photo taken (March), and a few weeks after that I get the card and OHH MY GOD!!! I couldnt believe what I looked like in my photo. I had just turned 22 and the drivers license I was using was from when I was 17 (and athletic). I couldn't beleive that in 5 years that my face got that large. I had ballooned to 274lb. I couldn't beleive I let myself get that large. Pictures are very honest!

On May 4 2006 I joined WW with my mom and friend and I was amazed on how easy the program was. My first weight in I lost 7lb. In 6 months I lost 52lbs and was at the weight I was when I started dating my fiance. Things were going good and I thought I could do it alone. Gradually my portions started getting larger and larger and I began finding myself at fast food restaurtants and ordering fries instead of a salad. It's now 2008 and I found myself sitting at 261.5lb. I had gained it all back again!!!!!!!! I just sat there and thought "What am I doing to myself?!?!"

I have commited myself to WW once again!! I am doing it myself, no meetings but with the help of the WW community message boards. I have completed one week successfully losing 2lb, and I will continue to struggle through this but hopefully with much success. I am doing this to look good im my wedding dress next year, I am doing this to not have to wear plus size clothes, I am doing this so I am not winded going up a flight of stairs and I am doing this for my overall health!!!!!