The Challenge begins: September 1, 2013

so i did as i said i would and took my measurements today and came in at a whopping 165lbs..the heaviest I’ve been since i was diagnosed with pcos. i really need to start getting myself back on track and keeping myself motivated so i can be happy with the way i look again. when i was diagnosed with pcos, i was 138 pounds..so ive come a long ways up, and i know its going to take a long time to get back down.

since i know its going to be hard, instead of trying to lose 2 lbs a week, ill be doing 1lb a week, just so i stay on track and have an easier time reaching my goals. though i am embarrassed by them, i will be uploading progress pictures on the first of every month to see what progress i have made.

this being said, by october 1st, i plan to be at the bare minimum 4 pounds less putting me at 161. i know i can push myself to lose more in one month, but thats my goal for now, but I’m going to do what i can to crush it and lose even more.

id say i was off to a good start today, as i went hiking for 5 hours on a mountain in massachusetts [blog post with pics to come]. if i can stay this active and get a hold of good eating habits, i should be losing weight and feeling better in no time.

doing the 1 pound a week calculation, if i stick with it and work hard, by new years i should be down at least 16.5 lbs, putting me at 148.5, which would be spectacular. though my plan is to return to my original weight of 138, having an end of the year goal of 148.5 is a great way to start and ill work from there

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CHALLENGE TIME: Bring in the New Year Right

ive been back at school and working on living a healthier lifestyle for about a week now, and i think im starting to get the hang of it, so what better to do than challenge myself??

A couple days ago, i realized, wow, there’s only 4 months left til the new year, and just yesterday felt like 2012. So im challenging myself, and anyone else who is willing to join to do a 4 month challenge from september 1st to january 1st with updates on the first of every month [weight, measurements, and progress pictures]. if i get enough people, we can put together a facebook group for some daily/weekly encouragement/updates for each other and keep everyone motivated.

So on september 1st, i will be posting my current measurements and my goal for the end of the year. ill be taking a picture for my start day and when october rolls around, ill post my september with my october to see if ive made progress. while it is nice to have a weight loss goal, its not necessary. its more about how youre treating your body and how much better you’ll feel after the 4 months of treating it right!

hopefully i can get more people to join me, whether you have pcos or not, want to lose weight or just maintain a healthy lifestyle, everyone should try to treat their body right, so comment below and let me know who’s with me!!!!

Say Yes to the Dress

yesterday some of my friends and i were watching say yes to the dress where a few girls were looking for brides maid’s dresses and one of them had pros. it was really sad watching her struggle as she had been diagnosed a year earlier and gained 100 lbs. she didnt like what she saw in the mirror and wished she looked like she had before.

i could completely relate to her story as i look in the mirror, all i can see is a fat girl who used to be in great shape with a nice body. however, she did also make me feel better about myself as she gained 100 lbs in a year while ive gained 20 in two. it gave me motivation to really get a hold of my pros, because in a few years, i dont want to be the unhappy bridesmaid trying to find a dress that fits and looks good.

“Self-Monitoring Body Weight and Food Intake Regularly”

the title of this post is one of the subheadings in Karen Roush’s book, and i think it’s important enough to discuss, as it has given me success in the past.

in her book, she says:

“studies show that checking your weight regularly and keeping records of food intake promotes long-term success in weight control. when you keep a record of what you eat, how much you eat, and when you eat it, eating becomes a conscious, thought-out process. You pay attention to your food intake and the decisions you make about food.”

on my blog, i have a food journal category  where i normally post my daily meals as well as my exercise [when im not detoxing]. this helps me keep track of what i eat, and also puts a little pressure on me to eat better since im sharing with the whole world what i ate for the day.

years ago, i had a different blog, with the same purpose of weight loss, but i had not yet been diagnosed with PCOS. the blog and recording what i ate, as well as support from the blogging community ultimately helped me reach my weight loss goal. Now that things are a little different, i decided to start a new blog, tracking my weight loss as well as my PCOS symptoms.

As well as this blog, i also have an app on my phone called Loseit! which ive had for years [and used back in the day when i had my other blog]. its a free app that calculates how many calories you should consume a day depending on your height, weight, gender, how much weight you want to lose, and how fast. each day you are supposed to record your meals [it counts up your calories as well as your nutrition info], as well as your exercise. it helps keep you on track, and helps you set goals that are within reach.

even if you dont have a phone with app access, they also have a website where you can sign up for free [loseit.com] with the same benefits as the app. i highly recommend checking this app out, or any other calorie counting app, as they will keep track of your caloric intake, your weight along with your weight loss progress, your nutrition information, and how many calories you burn during exercise.

having any source of organization and recording when trying to lose weight is most beneficial.

And im back!

well finals were long and stressful to say the least, but im happy to say im home for the summer with no more back pain! ive been catching up on my sleep this weekend and am reprogramming my system around being home, as well as starting my detox.

i do the martha’s vineyard detox diet [can be found online or in your local library] which combines high density and high antioxidant green and berry drinks to 1. get rid of the toxins in your body, and 2. ensure you get the correct amount of fruits and vegetables in a day. it is an all liquid diet, which can be challenging, but it is truly rewarding in the end.

im starting my detox today, and it will last 7 days. after that, i will have 4 recovery days in which i will reintroduce foods to my body, but they will only be certain healthy foods.

from there on, im going to work to keep my body toxin free by staying away from processed foods and getting enough fruits and vegetables as well as exercise.

as my diet does consist of only liquids, its important to limit exercise as too much will cause your body to go into starvation mode, and you also have the risk of fainting, so im going to stick to toning exercises rather than doing cardio.

this diet takes a lot of sell control, determination, and motivation, as it is hard to resist foods that are in front of you all day long. however, im determined to finish the full 7 days!!

Weekend #3

im pretty disappointed in myself because i fell as though every weekend i just lose the progress ive made during the week, making me gain back whatever weight i could have lost. this weekend i did cut back on the drinking a lot, but i cant say i made any improvements on eating or exercising. its pretty hard staying healthy on the weekends at school, and i didnt realize it was going to be this big of a challenge. i really need to figure something out to keep myself in check. i was thinking id post every day during the weekend too, as well as during the week, as that usually keeps me on tracks and makes me focus more on how im treating my body.

im going to strive for one full week of eating healthy and getting enough exercise [which will include this weekend] so starting today i really need to focus on being healthier..and will be punishing myself at the gym today to make up for it. when the weekend comes around i really need to keep focused because im tired of having terrible weekends and feeling poorly about myself when monday rolls around at thats really what i have to keep in mind when my friends ask me to go out and eat, and i need to stop avoiding exercise. if i expect to see results, i need to work harder and stop having so many set backs. heres to [hopefully] my first full week of being healthy

Weigh in #2

i have a goal of losing about 1.5 pounds a week, but unfortunately, for week 2, my weight has stayed the same. i had a feeling i wasnt making any progress no matter how much i worked out or ate right, but i did a lot of research as to why.

i had been eating healthy, yes, but i found that there are many foods people with pcos should not be eating, including, sweets, soft/sports drinks, refined carbs, and processed grains. though i dont consume many of them anyway, i intend to eat none of them now that i am more aware that they could be stopping me from losing weight and reaching my ultimate goal.

as for exercise, i tended to do cardio for long periods of time at a steady pace, such as a road run or using the cardio equipment at the gym. while i was burning calories, it really wasnt helping me rid of any fat because slow paced steady cardio is in fact not good for you. so now im starting to do intervals when i do cardio, as it has been proven to get rid of fat much more efficiently.

though this week was not a success, i look forward to seeing better results next week and i will not be giving up!

Quote of the Day: 4/17/13

“While we may not be able to control all that happens to us, we can control what happens inside us.” ~Ben Franklin

i know tonight, right before dinner, im getting back my exam from the previous week. i feel as though I’m not going to get a good grade which usually leads to me being upset and eating. BUT. i am determined not to do that today. i cant control something that took place last week, but i can control what i put in my body, and eating poorly will only make me feel worse.

so, tonight will be the ultimate challenge, and sundaes are always available on wednesday nights, and i am determined to turn this one down.

Quote of the Day 4/9/13

“If hunger is not the problem, then eating is not the solution.” ~Unknown

i am one of many, im sure, who eats when their bored. THIS IS BAD. its very important to listen to your body to see when you are actually hungry. if you eat when youre not, you will gain wait, and if you dont eat when you are hungry, you will slow down your metabolism. This may seem like a complicated process because you dont have food available all day long, but its important to try your best and eat when its needed, not when youre bored.

the food you take in is an energy source for your body, and your body appreciates it when you take in just the right amount; not too much and not too little. while so many people stress how eating too much will affect you, eating too little will kill your metabolism so while its important to realize when you aren’t hungry, its also important to realize when you are.