First Day Back

Well we arrived back on Texas soil last night at about 9:45.  We were thrilled!  It was a long day of being in the airport.  And a great example of thinking you are prepared and then life happens. 

The resort sends you off with a list of "safe"resturants in LAX and calorie counts for the menu options at the safe places...  So we had our plan, we would eat lunch at Subway and then go ahead and buy our dinner there too for the flight, and we would be just fine.  Welllll there is no subway where we were located in that airport! Sooo we pulled out the list and Outback was on there and RIGHT in front of our gate/ terminal thingy! Soooo there is where we would go.  Once we got in there, we found they do not serve a full menu and the "safe" items that were on the list were not served there. Sooooo we left! Obviously hungry we did not know what we would do, so we ventured down the way and found a nice premade salad and it did not have calorie counts on it, but it was basically lettuce and tomatoe.  Soooo we got that and split a turkey sandwich.  But were were not able to get nutrition info, so we were really cautious to even eat that.  But we did, and thought well DFWwill have a subway. We will just have to eat our dinner there later than usual... THEY didnt... at least near our gate. Sooooo we waited til we got home, and then we went to Taco Bueno... yeppppp thats right. Taco Bueno... 2 party tacos no cheese 208calories and a cup of chicken tortilla soup "skinny" style 60 calories!! Got tolove fast food that post nutrition info! It is a life saver!

Soooo we have beenloving on our great kids and family.  And the real world hit first thing when I woke up and realized the chef from Malibu escaped my luggage and my hot breakfast had not been made.  LOL and then the kids wanted donuts....noooooo, soooo once again we decided emergency fast food, subway breakfast!!! Sooo we go to the one here in Clyde, and wow they stopped serving breakfast while we were away.... grrrrr So I told Shane ok I got to get groceries...

And I did.

And we had an amazing Sandwich and Salad right here at home.  I tried a new recipe from the BL cookbook I bought and I thought I would share it with you.

Apple Blueberry Walnut Salad

6 cups springmix salad
1 granny smith apple sliced
1/8 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup dried blueberries
6 tablespoons of Maple Grove Farms of Vermont Fat free Raspberry Vinegarette ( at walmart)

Mix all ingredients together well.  Split into 6 servings Serve.

88 calories!  And Amazing!!!!!!!

We are doing great and I am having a blast cooking all of the great things we enjoyed in Malibu! 

Accomplishments

Well in one week I spent with about 80 guest here at the resort/ranch I witnessed alot of firsts... I saw 40+ year old women run for the first time, I saw my husband run on a treadmill, I re hiked Solstice with Shane for the first time! And he finished it AFTER he took the extra advanced hike up to another peak!!!  I have seen men drop pant sizes, I hiked with a 74 year old lady everyday!  Just tons of crazy un thinkable things. 

I just want to encourage my friends at home to keep making good choices.  And know if you really want it, you have to go to that place in your inner most being and DIG it out of you and you can do it too!  I have learned there is nothing I can't do for 30 seconds... well almost lol. 

I am also the most grateful for my support system!!! I have received more emails, txt, comments etc. that have stopped me in my tracks in the middle of the day and brought tears to my eyes! Thank you so much for everything! And you better believe that when we get home we need to be having us a Biggest Loser style BBQ, cuz Shane and I wanna show you a few things that we have had that if you try, you just wont be able to say no to!!!  I love you all!

OH and a side note. 

So on my first day here, I called my kids and talked to them... crying telling them I hated this place and how hard it was... I know, a lot to put on my 7 and 9 year olds, but little Alissa told me... " Mom its supposed to be hard... thats why your there?!?!" lol it stung and slapped me right in the face buttttt she was right! LOL

Once again, Thanks to Mom, Dad,  Steph and Amy for holding down the forts! Yall are amazing!

I feel your prayers every single day!

Oh oh oh and guess what??? Tomorrow at 10 am I am getting an Oxygen Facial... supposed to be a special detox on the skin for former smokers :) Since I am now one of THOSE!!!! :)

3 important things

Ok so with the first week behind my I have three basic things to share with you tips or tid bits if you will.

1. Get a journal, sheet of paper, folder something and start right now writing down every single thing you eat.  Take it a step further and go to http://www.calorieking.com/ and look up the calories.  Write it down! Every single thing you eat or drink for a whole day.  Just try it once.  You will be amazed.  But once you have gone to all of that trouble KEEP Doing it!!!!

2. Save up, shop online, or go to a sporting goods store and invest in a polar watch.  Way Cheaper than a body bug, which is what they use on the show, about 100.00 dollars, but it is a watch that you wear that monitors your heart rate and calories burned.  This is important because you can seejust how many calories you burn on the excersises you do.  As well as thru out your crazy day!

3.  Know your RMR (resting metabloic rate).  Look it up online there are websites with calculators that figure it up for you.  It is a few simple questions. What this is, is the amount of calories that your body burns naturally like if you never got out of bed, what your body would naturally burn.  Mine is 1600 calories a day.

Ok then take all of these and put it together.

Calories Burned
+
Your RMR
=

Your Income

Then calories eaten in a day would be called your EXPENSES


EXAMPLE

1575 CALORIES BURNED
+
1600 RMR
=
3175 INCOME
-
1200 CALORIES EATEN
=1975 CALORIES THAT HAVE BEEN BURNED TO ULTIMATELY KEEP ADDING DAY AFTER DAY TO 3500 CALORIES WHICH IS A LB OF FAT.  :)


OK so if your lost the basic thing is this.  Journal what we eat, know howmuch we burn, and no how many calories a lb of fat is. IF you follow this mathmatically weight will fall off. 

So that is the basically the eduacation basis they have here as far as the how to...

I have learned about emotional eating and the other types of eaters we all are but that is for another blog.

Next just want to say how amazing this week has ended.  Our last hike of the week is tomorrow, and we get to choose our hike, soooo My super strong hubby decided he would sign up with me for the hardest hike I have done yet.  You know the one i posted a pic of! Its huge!  But we are gonna take it together,one step at a time and it will be conquered.  This is just how we all should look at these "diets" or life style changes.  It is one step, one choice, sometimes it is unpleasent, sometimes it is downright enough to make you wanna cuss, but you have to put that foot on the ground and keep on keeping on.  If you stop in these hikes you just stop... no van comes to get you, you have to get up and finish it.  Well thats the courage it takes to beat this fight!
You know, every morning,  I listen to my music while hiking, I dont talk I just absorb myself in my praise music, batheing in it.  Knowing that it is our Heavenly Father who put Shane and I hear, helped me to quit smoking, gave shane and i the strength to hike over 20 miles this week.  He planned this.  He knew it would happen.  And I am now.... ever so greatful.  I am sorry for cursing it so much in th beginning.  It was the nicotine talking :)

I love you all and thank you so much for all your support and encouragement,  I get messages all thru the day, usually in between workouts, and they really inspire me to push harder in the next class. So thanks!

More than half way thru my first week!

Well as you can see, my plans to blog everyday did not happen!  In fact the only reason I am able to do it today is because I am not stretching, because I had intended to laundry instead, buttt once I got to the laundry mat I realized it is closed. hmmmm! ANYHOW,

Shane and I are doing great.

Monday was aweful! We both were ready to get our hineys to the front desk and demand a refund!  Reasons??? Welll when we got here Sunday we were very surprised and the place, not at ALL a resort!  I see now the huge price we paid was for our food and trainers because thats all we do besides sleep is workout and eat to survive! lol But Monday was so mentally hard.  I couldnt push thru a single workout. I was angry and crying alll day.  The nicotine withdraws were pure torture! The out door pool was "heated" ya right it was freeeeeezing! and it was required for me to attend a class in it twice on that day! lol Shane took it all in way better stride than me.  Monday night a trainer came up to me and asked me how do you like it, I said... I HATE this place. She looked hurt and confused, and I ended up telling her it was the withdraws talking...  The foood here is wonderful! Very feeling. Pre-portioned and calorie counted.  Your only way to go above 1200 calories is if you eat from the saladbar also labled with calorie counts.  Some days this is a must.  The harder I worked the more ravenous I felt.  This was breakfast on day one, Sausgage muffin with egg cheese and mixed fruit.  Alllll prepared Biggest Loser style of course.  It is a homemade turkey sausgae pattie with diced apple in it for added fiber a whole wheat english muffin tofu cheese (amazing) and then egg beaters for the eggs. Favorite breakfast so far~

This is our daily menu that is put if in the cafe for meal planning and figuring up you calories for the day. To this you also get an extra piece of fruit of your choice and 12 almonds for during your hike, and yes I said 12! I was like whats the point.  But on my first hike I went ahead and ate them and OMG it helped replenish great energy!

By Tuesday I was feeling every muscle in my body.  Crying a little less.  And working out a little harder.  Shane was just doing great. He hurt his hip a little, but the hot tub and sleepthat night worked that out I think. 

And By Wednesday, I found my groove.  I had a awesome hike. I confided in my tainer about  my head.  Fighting the addiction, fear i willnot reach my goal, and frusteration that I couldnt break a sweat.  She gave me some great advice.  Asurred me I woullllld find my sweat and 4 weeks here I will leave different! Well she was right, the next class I had was called Moutain.  You get on a machine and every two minutes you work harder, either faster or more inclined... and lets just say i found my sweat! LOL and when I did I almost cried.  Then I had kickboxing to which i beat the crap out of a punching bag and let out some aggression! LOL then pool.... sweeeeet poool was actually hot this day!!! It was a blast!

So here is Thursday. I am going to put some pics on face book beacause I can only add so many to the blog.

But God is good, and merciful. My mom and dad and sisters are doing amazing on holding down the fort for us at home. I talk to them every single day, and everything is great there.  I am so thankful for that!  The smoking thing. everyday thats a little better.  My mind is clearing it feels great and I am learning alot about my body and emotions. Some is just common sense, but some is new info to me, and it is eye opening.   Well it is time to start this day! See ya soon!

Arriving in Malibu in 5 Days!!!

Hello everyone! Welcome to my blog! I am super excited to do this, not only to share with all of my family and friends, but because I know months from now coming back to this blog will help me remember every emotion good or bad I felt thru this whole thing.  It will aslo serve as a tool for myself and others, I am sure I will be given million tidbits thru this experience, and what a great way to keep up with them!

Ok, so here is my story.  Longggggg story made pretty short! LOL

I started my weight loss journey on August 27, 2007.  I know that date, because it was the day that both of my children were officially in school, and I finally had time to start doing something for me!!  So at my start I weighed in at 301lbs! I have been working hard every since and I am now down to 157. No surgeries, just good old fashioned dieting/life changing with a little girl time at the track with which ever of my girlies could. (I hateeeee excersise.)  Crazy thing is I thought if I EVER got to 200 I would be happy with that... then 175 ohh that will be the day... wellll now I am prettty close to 150, but sadly some days I feel I may as well that 301 lb woman, because that's how I feel inside. 

So for me coming to the BL resort, is to lay that emotional weight down, and hopefully come home goal reached, and ready to just live a long healthy life!

I am coming with my marvelous husband, who is excited to be beginning his journey! And I am super pumped he is ready to start!  We have learned alot lately about how short life is, and the two of us want to be around for long time, and enjoy the QUALITY of that life!

We come from families who battle obesity and the complications of that disease! And we are ready to LOSE it all!  I pray that God fills me with the knowledge and strength to come home and pay this forward! There are several people in my life who feel they will never see their goal, and I want to help, prove and encourage them to see that if I can... they most definatley can!

Now I will not be speaking for him in this blog, but our family and friends at home wanna know just how we are doing, so this will be daily proof that we ARE still alive!

I guess if I dont post again, I will see you here once I'm in Malibu!