Past couple of days and Metamorphosis!!!!

Hello everyone!!!!

Well, not feeling well today.  Lady problem is in town and ruining my life, haha. That said, yesterday I weighed in and STILL lost another pound. I am now at 271.8 pounds, a total loss of 3.6 pounds since last Tuesday. Not bad. 

I again, did my TA connect webisodes at the gym yesterday- except abs, which somehow didn't end up on my ipod. (This has since been fixed!)

For those of you who do not know what the TA connect webisodes are, here they are for your viewing enjoyment!

Butt and Thighs:

Arms: (This got me stares at the gym, people were looking at me doing unweighted arms like I was crazy, haha)

Abs:

I was only able to do 10 reps of the butt and thighs yesterday, usually able to do at least 20.  Going to try 20 reps today with some Beginner Dance Cardio.  At the gym yesterday I wasn't feeling up to dancing so I took a nice brisk walk on the treadmill.  

Last night I also pigged out on hot dogs and fries (had 2 orders, I was starving and my period was totally thinking for me, but it's ok because it's not an every day occurence anymore) so now I am drinking a lot of water to flush that sodium and bloat out of me. 

Also, for those of you who do not know, Tracy Anderson came out with a new video program- Metamorphosis by Tracy~!

The short version of the commercial can be found on Tracy's site:

www.tracyandersonmethod.com

What it is is a 90 day program with 9 different exercises that you change every ten days, as well as a cardio DVD.  There are also four options, based on your body type and the problem areas you would like to address.

I ordered the set for those of us who want to fix our entire body- Omnicentric.  The other three centrics are Abcentric, Glutecentric, and Hipcentric. 

I am still waiting for mine to arrive but as soon as I do, I will blog!  Warning- due to the excitement this will cause, corresponding blog post may be totally incoherent! 

Cleanse Results and thoughts

Hi everyone!

Turns out this cleanse I was on was pretty painless, and I lost 2.6 pounds just doing that and walking for 30 minutes a day.  I was never hungry, felt good and all sorts of good stuff.

I still weigh 272.8 according to the gym scale. Considering I had my cheat meal and didn't exercise over the weekend (as well as aunt flo on her way) not too bad.

Ok, you guys may not agree with me on this- but I am going to be starting doing the slim fast diet in combination with my TAM.  I know that there are a lot of people who disagree with meal replacement as a way to lose weight, but for me, I don't think I will suffer any ill effects from it, and if I do, I will make the changes necessary to stop them from happening.  (Such as eating more food, etc.)

For those of you who do not know what the Slim Fast diet is, it is a diet plan in which you drink a meal replacement shake for breakfast, one for lunch, and a healthy dinner.  Snacks in between are also allowed if you feel you need it. I want to keep doing this kind of diet mainly because of my lifestyle- not home often these days (especially on weekdays), and the main choices here at school are junk, junk with a side of junk, and more junk. I also want to continue shrinking my stomach so that I can eat smaller portions and feel fuller. With slim fast I'm able to take my shakes with me on the go, without worrying about overeating or eating something way too unhealthy. 

That said, I will still give myself a cheat meal, when I eat whatever I want for that one meal. Everyone deserves an indulgence here and there.

On the subject of exercise- I took a (faster this time!) 30 minute walk and even did some TA muscular structure moves that I remember off the top of my head. Doing it in front of a mirror makes a huge difference! I was relieved to see that the majority of what I was doing was right anyway.  And yes, a couple people were staring at me and yeah, I was a bit uncomfortable but quickly got over it and just finished it all.

Cleanse Day 2 (evening) and Day 3!

Hello!

I finished day 2 and 3 of my cleanse (doing day 4 today) and I am satisfied with what has been happening with my body. Especially in the weight area.

Tuesday (Day 2) weight: 275.4 lb

Wednesday (Day 3) weight: 274.2 lb

Thursday (Day 4) weight: 272.8 lb

So as you can see, I am losing weight, about 2.6 lb (a little over 1 kg) in 3 days.  I have also noticed another enormous change for me: my sleeping habits. I am in bed by 10:30 and up at 6 am with energy, no crankiness and no morning naps!!!!!  I actually look forward to my morning walks now. 

As for my eating- this has been working wonders. I am not hungry during the day, and at night I have been having a serving of fruit or vegetables, and I feel perfectly satisfied.  I also notice that I do not crave junk, not even diet soda. (I tried to drink a diet pepsi just to see, and I drank about half the can and stopped)  I am learning to like drinking water (I used to hate it) and I also see that I am less bloated in the belly, and I notice I am not retaining water in my thighs like I have been either. 

Tomorrow is the last day of cleansing before I reintroduce a real dinner back into my diet, as well as real exercise- back to the Tracy Anderson method with me once I am eating meals again!

Day 1 cleanse (pm) and day 2 cleanse (am)

Hi everyone!

As you read, I last posted about my morning on the cleanse I started. Here's how the evening went. 

I had my second snack (the peanut butter bar, which I may say is delicious for a "health" bar), and for dinner, my strawberry shake.  Strawberry shakes are now the part of this cleanse I look forward to, because they actually taste pretty good for what it is!   For my serving of fruit/vegetables, I had a good sized Korean pear- not too sweet, really watery and crunchy. I suggest you try them- very good! (I am not normally a fruit person by the way)

Now for how it made me feel- I found myself getting tired a bit easier.  I went to the laundrymat to do the wash, and the process of carrying it down the stairs, doing the laundry, folding and carrying it back up just knocked me out.  I was just drained.  As for the promise of boosted energy, yes I did feel that during the day, mentally but physically was another story. 

Also, this is not necessarily a bowel cleanse, but for me, I was on the toilet about 7 times, and I certainly felt like that's what it was doing.

Day 2-

I weighed myself on the gym scale finally (with  my workout clothes on and barefoot) and my "official" weight is 275.4 pounds/125.1 kg.  My scale at home, like I said, can't make up its mind.

So far, I just had my first shake (chocolate- getting that one out of the way!) and snack bar.  Also, I put in my 30 minute walk.  I really realized how out of shape I am because walking for 30 minutes at 3 miles per hour, I had a heart rate of 140 the whole time, which for walking I think is a bit high. And I was sweaty on top of it. I am making sure to stay hydrated of course. 

An update on my schooling: This semester is paid for, I have applied for scholarships for next year. Hopefully I know soon!!

Usana Reset Cleanse Day 1! (part 1)

Hi everyone!!!

I have blogged in the past about a cleanse I was going to try- Reset by Usana.  Today is my first real day of trying it.

I made a minor attempt on Saturday to do this, but my body at the time just wasn't having it.

The product claims that this 5 day cleanse can help reduce or eliminate junk food cravings and kick start weightloss anywhere from 0 to 12 pounds in 5 days.

Starting weight today: 271.0 lb (approximately, my home scale is a little funky, weighing in at the gym tomorrow for more accurate reading)

So far, this morning I have had my first shake of the day- dutch chocolate flavored.  Surprisingly, out of the three flavors it comes with (chocolate, french vanilla and wild strawberry) chocolate actually tastes the WORST out of the three. Not terrible but compared to the other two, it's not as good.

My morning snack- an oatmeal raisin bar. Very tasty and when I look at the ingredients it is all natural. 

Lunch- Another shake, but the French Vanilla one. This one tastes more like sweet milk, which I don't mind. There is a vanilla flavor to it as well.  

That is all I have had for now, but the next snack is a chocolate peanut butter crunch bar, and dinner will be a strawberry shake, as well as a serving of vegetables and a serving of fruit. 

I am also supposed to be drinking up to 80 ounces of water. So far, 32 down. 

Exercise- must be light, for 20-30 minutes. This means for the next 5 days, no Tracy Anderson.  I will keep it to a brisk walk until I am finished with my cleanse.  I start going to the gym tomorrow, just going to do some stretches and a walk.  I can't wait for it to be over so I can do some treadmill dancing.

For now, that's all folks, will post about my evening tonight or tomorrow!  If you want to know more about the cleanse or trying it, let me know.

Updates

Hi everyone-

Sorry I seem to have dropped off the blogging planet for the past few days. I haven't given up, promise!!!

I have been doing extensive research on finding new ways to bring money and get a job. I haven't given up my exercise, don't worry! I've just been stressed.

I mentioned earlier about a cleanse and diet program I am going to put myself on.  That cleanse is the RESET program by a company called Usana (whose products my friend sells), which involves for 5 days a shake for breakfast, lunch, and dinner and 2 snacks, which are all natural gluten free bars (not so different from ThinkThins).  Then, after that 5 days, you still have breakfast and lunch in shake form but have a healthy low sugar dinner and one low sugar snack (the other snack is another bar).  You are still allowed exercise while doing this (but the first 5 days has to be something like walking).

I am hoping this program helps me learn to control my eating, because it is seeming like portion control is somewhat hard especially when it comes to foods I find particularly delicious (read: UNHEALTHY). Also the goal is when you are close to or at your ideal weight, you slowly incorporate healthy meals back into your diet to maintain your weight. I really hope this works for me and I am fairly confident that it will.

I also begin going to the gym again next week for the sole purpose of using the treadmill for treadmill dancing/walking, and perhaps FINALLY trying out my MS work in front of a mirror~ (Probably will get a lot of stares but I don't care)

First weekend of bootcamp

Hi everyone... 

Well, this was the first weekend of bootcamp but it didn't go well.  I am realizing how bad my habits are, and that makes them all the more harder to break.

My main bad habit- which I really think is sabotaging all of this- my eating.  I have been doing the workouts but then, I end up stuffing my face more.  I think this is the hardest part of all of it.

I came across something I hope will help me- a friend of mine sells products from a company called Usana (they specialize in health products, vitamins, etc.) and they have something called the 5 day reset- supposedly it is supposed to reset your metabolism and kick start dieting, then after you drink shakes as meal replacement with a real food dinner.  I am figuring it's worth a try, Tracy mentions in one of her blog posts that when you're trying to lose weight and just getting into exercise, replace 2 meals with ThinkThin bars and use the other one as the main meal. 

Speaking of ThinkThins- I ordered a box, got them and as far as protein/diet bars go, these seem to be on the better tasting end of the spectrum.  I got a variety pack with chunky peanut butter, brownie crunch and chocolate fudge.  Out of these, I like the chocolate fudge the best- to me the chunky pb has a bit of a grainy texture to it but otherwise tastes good. 

Have I tried using ThinkThins as a meal replacement? Not yet, that's on the list for tomorrow.   Also, tomorrow starts day 10 of my boot camp sequence 1- then it's switching time!

Day 5 report-

Hello everyone!!!

Today was rough, especially when it came to working out.  It's like my mind and body were just trying to say "Nope. F*** it. Don't wanna, no way, no how."  And it almost won.  Almost all day, I just didn't do much until I finally forced myself to work out.  I did 20 minutes of cardio, but less of the MS than normal- just 10 reps.  I know it's low but better than nothing. 

I noticed another thing- I don't think I've been as mindful of my eating as I thought.  I have been looking at my calorie intake and it just looks like too much. 1700ish a day just seems a bit excessive (even though for my weight, the calculator says this is a good range but then again it's also just a guideline)  so I will be lowering it to 1500 max.  I think that's why I'm not seeing too much of a change.  Just thoughts. Also I don't think I have been as diligent as I could have with controlling my portions. I think I am going to try to put my meals on my smaller dessert/bread plates instead of my dinner plates.  I read that it can make a lot of difference subconciously of how much we eat portionwise. (Another Japanese principle I want to apply- they also eat on small dishes)

On another note- this blog is now accessible through a regular domain name: www.teenytinyquest.com

Day 4 report

Hi everyone!

Day 4... didn't go as well as I had HOPED. It wasn't terrible but it could have been a lot better.  Everything started going well, I even got my dance cardio in- 20 minutes from 10! :)

Until I checked the mail. A letter from my school saying after this semester, I will no longer be eligible for financial aid because I guess I'm taking too long to finish.  Insert panicking stress.

I was so stressed, worried and frantic last night that I was online looking for other ways to pay for school (I have about 2 years left), and worrying that I'll be stuck working retail for the rest of my life because I couldn't afford to go to become the nurse I had dreamed of being. Then by the time I look at the clock, it's 1 am. MS not done. Ugh.  At least I have the balls to admit I screwed up.

I'll try to do better for day 5- there's still time... Wish me luck, I need all the luck I can get.

Day 3 Report!

Hi guys!!!

Completed day 3 yesterday- and I have good news~~~ It DOES get easier!

For days 1-2 I was stuck at 15 reps on everything but my abs, which were done with 10 reps.  For day 3 I was able to raise the reps a little. I did 20 on my body and 15 reps on my abs.  And for those of you who know the moves- I was able to do that horribad connection push up (I was hardly able to do it at all!) for the full recommended time- 10 reps per knee and 10 reps both knees. 

As for cardio- day 3 was my last day to just do combo 1 step touching.  I actually feel that I am ready to go for both combos this time.  It's funny how on Sunday (day 1) doing just combo one made me feel totally exhausted, now it's much easier for me. 

As for my eating- I have been keeping with my calories- I am eating more calories than the boot camp diet because I am heavier.  

I posted a link in a previous entry to where I got my info- Calorie Calculator

I haven't weighed in yet but I am seeing a little shrinkage going on- in  my belly and my thighs, and a little on my arm.  

For day 4- I will try for 25 reps!

Day 2 of Boot Camp!

Hello everyone!

Day 2 is complete!!! (just so you know, blogs will be posted about the previous day usually)

So how'd it go?  Tiring, VERY tiring.  I woke up feeling like I got run over by a train from day 1 and I only did 15 reps on day 1.  I went to the mall to run some errands and my friend I was with told me I was falling asleep. This is true.  I was also walking around for a couple hours, so didn't do my dance cardio.  However, I did do my MS for day 2, still 15 reps and it was a hellish struggle. When I was done I could barely raise my arms up enough to wash my hair.  Went to sleep at 12 am and woke up at 11 am today! In the book she mentions flu like symptoms, exhaustion, and feeling like a ton of bricks. Check, check, checkaroo!

I hear it will get better and easier the more I do it. Let's hope!!!! 

Also- I ordered a 20 pack of ThinkThin bars that Tracy recommends- I will be using these as an on the go meal (or when I am at school or work and need a bite). 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002C4Z2TQ/ref=rcx_subs_dp

To get them as cheap as I did (about 20 dollars shipped) choose to have them autodelivered (this can be canceled any time) and Amazon is having a sale on ThinkThins- an additional 15% off- I saved about 10 dollars doing this.  I hope they're good! I should be getting them today. 

Boot Camp Day 1!

Hello everyone!!!

Yesterday was my first day of boot camp!  And, I actually thought for a moment yesterday that my workouts wouldn't get done... I was incredibly busy!

Starting weight (according to my scale that can't seem to make up its mind) 270.4 lb/123 kg.  Yuccck! 

Measurements- didn't take them yet but I have (horrifying) before pics. 

So what made me so busy yesterday?  I actually went grocery shopping at my local Korean market, and I found that all of the foods I plan to use as staples in my diet were on sale!  I got tofu for 99 cents a package (at the American grocery  by me tofu is like, 5 bucks a pack!) and got about 30 of them- they don't expire anytime soon and they can be frozen. Miso paste, lean sliced beef (almost 0 fats on it), kimchi (very healthy but for some it's an acquired taste), and some fruits.   The really fun part was carrying all of this up the stairs.  Very heavy and already made me think "How the hell am I going to get my MS done if I am tired from this??"

Next, I had to wash my mountain of laundry, another up and down the stairs with heavy stuff adventure. 

By the time I got home from doing these things I felt pretty much spent. Then the little voice in my head started screaming at me- "Um, you know there's something ELSE you better do!" So... I dragged my butt off the chair, put on my dancing shoes and hit it. 

I did my MS- 15 reps and that killed me.  (Still feeling it today) and as for cardio I thought I would be able to handle the moderate beginner plan. Nope. Still on Absolute beginner which means that I did 10 minutes of cardio, just step touching it (and still performing) and it kicked. My. Ass. 

So, I am glad to say day 1 is over, looking forward to day 2!