Monday, August 1, 2011

Moving on Up!

Hey everyone!  I thought I would get this done early on in the blog before I have too much content and it becomes a huge project.  Anyway, I have moved the blog over to wordpress.com, because I have had some people who haven't been able to comment and a few other problems.  I actually started the blog on wordpress before blogger, but already knew the blogger system so I stayed there.  Now with the problems I've been having, it finalized my decision to switch.  Please update your blog rolls on google readers!  I don't want to lose any of you awesome readers because of the move.
The new Shrinking Carrie Website!

Or, if you're having problems accessing the site the address is shrinkingcarriewww.wordpress.com

Sunday, July 31, 2011

Start of the Week Sunday Goals!

Yay!  It's Sunday again, which means another set of goals is just around the corner.  This couldn't come any quicker considering that I felt the start of a binge today.  I go to church for 3 hours on Sunday starting at 11:30. I usually eat breakfast around 8 and don't eat anything until sometimes 3:00!  That's a LONG time to go with no food.  Oatmeal only goes so far people!  When I get home I tend to just start eating, no plate or utensils.  Today I had some roasted chicken, triscuits, ranch, & cream cheese.  Oh, and a couple of Almond Joy mini's (ok, maybe 3).  I caught myself about half way through my tornado and took a step back.  Hopefully this little set back falls in the 90/10 rule.  If you eat good 90% of the time, that 10% won't matter.

I'm pretty sure that I got cocky this week with how easy it felt to eat good and make good choices.  I just knocked myself off my pedestal though, so now I need to re-focus with some good goal setting.   Let's see how last week goals checked out!

1. Gym 5 times........CHECK!  Yes people, I finally made it to the gym.
2. One new recipe...........Didn't happen.  I was going to try and make spaghetti squash spaghetti (instead of noodles) but every time I went to the store, they didn't have any spaghetti squash. Boo.
3. Read for 1 hour daily.....CHECK!  I've finally made a dent in my boring book I'm reading.  I'm almost done with "The New Rules of Lifting for Women".  Recap to happen sometime this week.  Man, I love to read!
4. Master grocery list.......Nope, even though I went to the store enough times this week.  It was the last thing on my mind for some reason.
5. Spend less time on computer.......No.  I made a Facebook Fanpage and did some other things as well.  I did do less mindless computer work.  You know, when your just bored and looking for something to look at, I did way less of that.
So here we are a new week and a new set of goals, who's stoked?! Me!

Start of the Week Sunday Goals!


1. Go to the gym 5 times.  Getting sick of that one yet, cause I am!  I can't deny that my week went a whole lot better considering that I started it with a workout.  
2. Do a mock run through of the first workout from "The New Rules of Lifting for Women". This  book will now be known as TNRLW.  I'm tired of typing out the entire title.  The first workout can easily be done at home.  This way I can tell how much weight I will need when I start the ACTUAL workout.  I can see if just doing it with my body weight will make me sore.  Then I will really know how weak I have made myself by being this obese.  Oh well, I gotta start somewhere!  Workouts will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.
3 Track.  It seems that this has to be on the list because if its not I get lazy.  My tracker will be tied to my hip.  
4. Baby proof my house.  Hanna is getting into EVERY THING!  She tried to put a piece of the cat scratcher into an outlet the other day, and my heart about stopped.  I've never moved so quickly.  And Apparently she's learned how to crawl through the sideways chair to get to the cats food and water (and littler box, yuck!).  This kid is going to kill me.
5. Try to get the baby blanket I've been knitting finished.  Yes, I started it when I first found out I was pregnant almost a year and a half ago.  It's time to get it done.  Good thing to keep my hands busy and eliminate food binges.  


Phew!  Another week, another set of goals.  This week seems very doable!
No Excuses!!!!!!!


Do you do any type of handy craft?
I can knit(barely), and a little sewing. 


What is a goal you are shooting to hit this next week? 

Friday, July 29, 2011

Odd Feeling....

Sweat it Out:
45 Minutes Elliptical

Do you ever have those days that don't feel like your regular routine days?  I'm having one of those days today.  I have done everything the same as the day before, but I feel odd.  I get this way the day after weigh in.  Its when I realize that I have done really good, but I have a whole week ahead of me until next weigh in day and that is 7 days that could be packed with who knows what.

Like I said in the last post my hub's has been working non-stop, and he also told me of the upcoming days he will probably be working.  There doesn't seem to be an end in sight.  Don't get me wrong we really need the money right now, so this is a total blessing and I don't want to take it for granted, but it feels like life is kind of at a stand still.  The only positive (besides the money) is that my husband and I are not tempted to eat out and I have complete control over everything I eat during the day with no influence.  The negative is that I do the same things day in and day out, and it is getting a little mind numbing.   

I'm going to assume this is the reason I have the odd feeling.  Too much tv and computer make Carrie a little paranoid. I think when I start the weight lifting challenge in August that will be pretty time consuming and I am excited about it.

Anyone have any fun weekend plans that I can live vicariously through?
What book are you reading right now?
I'm almost always reading two, if not more.  I'm a Gemini.  It's my thing.  The first is, of course, "The New Rules of Lifting for Women", and "The House at Riverton", which has kind of been slow and boring.

Thursday, July 28, 2011

What I Ate Weigh In Day!

Yay!  Today is the first installment of "What I Ate Weigh in Day!  This is the first weigh in day that I didn't feel like eating everything in sight, and I know it was because I was going to have to post it here for all to see.

Let me start off by saying that I planned on not going to the gym today because I had some appointments that were in the morning and I didn't want to shower twice.  But I am on track to make my "5 times going to the gym" goal.  Woohoo!

So the magic number when I got on the scale today was.......268.4!  That is a 2.8 pound loss.  Apparently, I need to keep this gym thing up, it seems to help.  Does anybody know what that means? No?

I made my 5% Goal!  This means that I have made my first official milestone goal!
Here are some of the benefits that I am reaping from losing 5% of my weight:

  • Lowers your body’s cholesterol levels
  • Can improve blood sugar control
  • Reduces aches and pains
  • Improves mobility
  • Can improve your breathing
  • Helps you to sleep better
  • Reduces the risk of sleep apnea
  • Helps prevent angina – chest pain caused by decreased oxygen to the heart.
  • Decreased your risk of sudden death from heart disease or stroke
  • May stop the need from regular medication
  • Reduces the risk of certain cancers

Can you believe that losing an amount like 14.4 pounds can help my body reap all of those benefits?!  

Now it is on to goal number two which is 10% of my starting weight.  The next goal weight is 254.5.  That number seemed impossible when I started this journey 6 weeks ago, but today I have tasted accomplishment and I want more.  

Next things next:  What I Ate Weigh In Day!

Breakfast: 1 egg with 3 egg whites, whole wheat bread with Peanut Butter, cherries, and sliced strawberries. 8 Weight Watchers Points Plus.




Lunch: Whole Wheat bagel thin with tsp. mayo, mustard, slice of Colby jack cheese, Black Forest Ham, sliced tomatoes, spinach.  Side of broccoli salad (raw broccoli with TBS of poppy seed dressing), and baby carrots.  13 Weight Watchers Points Plus.


Snack:  Weight Watchers Strawberry Creamie.  2 Weight Watchers Points Plus.


And a glass of my new best friend:



Dinner:  Chicken Cordon Bleu, green salad with English cucumbers, tomatoes, and a serving of ranch dressing. 11 Weight Watchers Points Plus.


Whole day: 34 Weight Watchers Points Plus target is 41 points. Guess I get to enjoy one more creamie.  Hehe.

Ok, one more thing I need to say before I sign off for the night.  I have to say some lovely words about my hub's.  He has been working his tail off 14+ hours a day so that we can get our money issues behind us.  He sacrifices more than I can say in words for me and our daughter and I love him dearly for it!  Dustin you're the best!

Last thing I promise!  I created a Shrinking Carrie fan page on Facebook.  Look at the side bar and take a moment to like my page.  Thanks guys!

Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Weighing in on Weighing in.

Sweat it Out:
45 Minutes Elliptical

***Disclaimer*** This post talks about poop, if you don't like it stop by tomorrow for a different post!

My workout is pretty monotonous right now.  Oh well.  At least I got to the gym and I'm still bucket sweating so I feel ok about it.  No weights because I'm giving myself a break before I start the weight lifting challenge extroidinare.  I'm almost done with the first part of the reading.  The author is hilarious so it keeps the facts and figures interesting.  I cheated a little and looked at the back of the book at some of the workouts.  Whoa.  They look pretty killer, considering I haven't done any serious weight lifting in a LONG time.  This will be an adventure for sure!

So my topic of interest tonight is on how often you weigh yourself and why you do as often as you do (say that 5 times fast!).  As I've stated in the past, I weigh myself everyday.  I do this for a few reasons:
1.  It's a habit.
2.  I went so many years without weighing myself and I think the ignorance helped me get to the weight I am today.
3.  It helps me know where I stand for the day.
But the main reason I weigh myself everyday is to stay in tune with my body.  I know that doesn't sound like a reason, but there's a lot you can read in your morning weight.

Things I have learned from Weighing Myself Everyday
-That fatty meal that I just ate, won't show up until the day after tomorrow.  So that means if I eat something fatty again today I'm already set back two days.
-Holy crap Carrie, cut back on the salt.
-Whoa, you totally didn't drink enough water yesterday.
-You didn't eat enough yesterday.
-That number is a fluke, try again tomorrow.
-Wow, I ate a lot of cheese.
-Did I poop yesterday?
-Um I should probably poop sometime today.
-I'm pretty sure there is 2 pounds of poop in me.
-I need to cut back on the cheese so I can poop.

Ok, so a lot of what I learn from weighing in is that I need to poop, and eat less cheese.  But in all seriousness, have you ever weighed yourself  before and after a BM?  There is quite a difference.  This is very frustrating for me because it always falls on a weigh in day that I don't BM until after my meeting and I lose another 2 pounds.

Aw, I feel so much better getting that off of my chest.  Sorry to get so graphic, but it has really been bothering me lately.  I guess I'll start loading up on the Metamucil and get things back to regular.

Do you like the taste of Metamucil?
I LOVE it.  It's like having a glass of juice or something.  It may be because I use to drink it so much I grew taste buds that really enjoyed it.

How often do you weigh yourself?

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Ho, hum....

Sweat it out:
45 Minutes Elliptical

Being a stay at home mom sometimes leaves me with days that I don't have a ton of stuff to get done.  Today was not one of those days.  I had to get supplies to do tie-dye shirts for an activity, and then make Hanna some baby food.  I know, it doesn't sound like a lot, but it takes orchestrating when you're making baby food.  I've got it down to a science.  I usually take two days out of the month and those are the days that I make all of the upcoming fruits and vegetables puree's for little Hanna-bear.  Plus, I can only run the blender at certain times during the day so that Hanna doesn't wake up from her nap.

The point is that I can always find a reason to not workout.  Hanna slept in until 8 which throws my whole day off because then her naps are messed up.  I thought to myself that maybe I shouldn't go to the gym because I need to keep her schedule, but then I read this article about having no excuses for not working out.

I will workout if I plan it into my schedule.  After I read that article I immediately put my gym clothes on and went to the gym.  I had a good sweaty workout too.  And it didn't throw Hanna's schedule off at all. I need to just not think and go.  I could probably apply that philosophy to a lot of different areas of my life.

Did you workout today?
Have you ever tie-dyed?  

Monday, July 25, 2011

Waiting it Out...

I'll write a post while I wait out the Presidential message that is airing over my "Hell's Kitchen"  show.  Ugh, I hate politics.  I have a hard time around election time, you want to be informed on the issues, but it just makes you more angry.  Just my opinion.

Anyway,
Sweat it Out
45 minutes on the Elliptical

That's right, I started out my Monday with a shweaty workout.  Maybe its because I'm doing a different elliptical machine or because I'm drinking an a** load of water, but I have been a sweaty mess when I've gone to the gym!  It felt so good today!  I kept the tempo in strokes on the Elliptical with the music I was listening to.  It was just what I needed to start the week off with a bang!

A new addition to my workout starting on August 7th will be a weight routine.  I am reading the book "The New Rules of Lifting for Women".  "Lift Like a Man, Look like a Goddess".


I like to lift weights.  I like to feel strong.  I remember when I was in high school (still over weight)  and was at the community center  exercising with a group of friends.  We were playing around in the weight room while we were waiting for a slide class to start and we started doing some bench pressing.  All of my friends were athletic and so imagine my surprise when not only could I bench more than them, I smoked them!  If I remember right I benched almost double of our strongest friend.  Ever since then I noticed that I had some decent muscles under all the fat I was hiding it with.

I've joined the Prior Fat Girl Group Challenge to try this books way of exercising for 6 months.  Big commitment, I know.  I will do this challenge to the best of my ability, considering that I am at least 100 pounds overweight and there may be some difficulty in some of the moves.  The book says that you will possibly weigh the same, but gain muscle replacing fat.  I'm only on page 25 right now, and will give a summary before I begin the program.  It also has a nutrition program that goes along with it, but I will be sticking to my Weight Watchers routine.

I will also be taking my measurements as well as weighing in.  Measurements will be done once a month.  First measurements will be taken on August 7th when I begin the program.

Wish me luck on this new endeavor!

Have you ever used a workout program like The New Rules of Lifting for Women or Body for Life?