When I Get There

I know that lately I've been talking a lot about not obsessing over weight Rather I would focus on being healthy, making good decisions, and being active.

However.......

I'm still pissed I'm not at goal.

I was just above goal before I left for Maine in June. Since then, I have been hovering between 138.6 and 137.6. Yes, 10 pounds less then I weighted this time last year.

BUT  STILL.....

I want to be there. I want to know what it feels like to get to goal. I've been close enough to taste it, just not close enough to have it.
All in all, August is a great time to concentrate on just that. Getting to goal, being healthy, making smart choices, eating correctly, all of that. I just wish I was there now.

I have never been going at being patient. I am an instant gratification girl. Blame my Generation Y status, if you must.

Hard work, dedication, sacrifice.... this is what it takes. I know this. But still, I wish I was there.

Why? I haven't a clue.
Will a few pounds really make a difference, will my butt look smaller, will my cellulite suddenly disappear or my make my belly bludge go away?

I highly doubt it.
This whole getting to goal thing is completely in my head.
But if that is what motivates me to do better, then that will have to do.

Here We Go

Stomach Virus = Over

JBerg's Body = Flabby

Recommitting Hardcore = Right This Minute


It's been a great 24 hour of actually eating healthy, lean, nutrient rich food. It's a great change from the 1 yougurt cup and 1/2 cup of macaroni and cheese I consumed both Sunday and Monday.

I didn't workout yesterday. I probably could have started a work out, however, I doubt I could have finished one. My engery levels aren't what they were. So instead of over doing it and pushing myself too far, I focused on eating healthy, staying hydrated and giving myself a chance to rest and regulate.

Tonight, I'm doing a nice cardio workout. The weights come back out tomorrow :)

I'm ready to feel healthy and strong and lean again.
I'm ready to enjoy a morning run and take pride in the fact that I did everything I could to keep my body healthy.
I ready to get back in action.

Today's Game Plan:

Breakfast: Green Monster (6:15ish)
Snack: Carrotts and 2% Cheese Stick (10ish)
Lunch: Pork Tenderloin in a Flat Out Wrap with a laughing cow cheese and peach salsa. Salad with 1 point dressing (12:30ish)
Snack: Greek Yogurt (4ish)
Dinner: Chicken Stir Fry with Brown Rice and Veggies (6:30ish)
Workout: I am planning on doing a straight cardio video but I may end up doing something with weights. We'll see how I feel toward the end of the day.

I am happy to be back on the right track. I am ready to do this.
I have so many important things to look forward to. I need to be healthy and fit for them.

200 Posts Later

Well, hot damn! It's my 200th post ya'll.

I should probably have prepared an outline for a well written post complete with insights into my soul, witty comments and stary gazes at my hopes and dreams for the future.

Instead, you're going to hear about how much I hated the month of June, the events I'm looking forward to and why I'm not so worried about my weight anymore.

NO WAY!

First things first, June:

June Sucked!

From unexpected deaths, to the vacation from hell and overly busy schedules. Mr. Berg and I haven't had a much time for ourselves as we would have liked. We spent a majority of the month running around like chickens with our heads cut off.

Even our wedding anniversary kinda sucked. Mr. Berg was sick and I sick of hearing about how he was sick. So, everyone was sick with or of something.
Lovely!

I had never been so happy to see July 1st in my whole life.

Events I'm Looking Forward To:Two weeks from tomorrow Mr. Berg and I will head south for a good friend's wedding. Truth be told, we haven't bought a wedding gift yet.
Another truth be told: We aren't 100% sure this wedding is taking place.

So, I'm not obsessing about what I'm going to wear or how I should do my hair. Instead, as the event grows closer and it does in fact appear to be happening, I'll pull out a dress that will hopefully fit and I'll regift something for the "happy" couple.
August will provide two weekends at the Shore. One for Labor Day and one for Mr. President's Birthday.

Then comes September. My birthday. I'll be 10 pounds skinner this birthday!

And finally,  a weekend in Vegas with The Mama and Mr. President for my cousin's wedding.

I'm probably the most excited about this one and it's for totally vain reasons.
I won't go into details, you'll think less of me.
Why I'm Not So Worried About My Weight:

I've been hovering on or around the same weight for a while now. I've come to the decision that it might be where my body wants to be. If that's the case. I welcome it.
However, I need to work on being more fit. There's a little more flub on my body then I'd like to see. There a little less muscle definition then I'm comfortable with.

And so, I challenge myself to find a way to incorporate three types of effective workouts into my weekly routine.

Cardio Weight Training- Firm Work Outs Essentially
Straight Cardio- Running, Dancing, A Few Firm Work Outs
Yoga/Pilates- A Good Stretch Never Hurt Anyone.

With my increased focus on staying in shape versus losing weight I would like to say one thing. I haven't given up on WW. I haven't stopped tracking and I haven't stopping monitoring what goes in my mouth.
It is my hope that those things never stop for me. I am a hardcore believer in weight watchers. I am a FIRMBeliver. I hope the tools I have found through both of these life styles never leave me. I hope to incorporate these tools into my life for the rest of my life.

The destination to a healthy, active life hasn't changed. The journey to get there hasn't changes. It's just a different terrain. I'll always be trying, I'll always be challenging myself.

And I love that.

New Day, New Week

I found myself saying last night that I couldn't wait for this week to be over.
It occured to me this morning, that today is technically the start of a new week for me. Today is weigh in day.

Granted, I'm not stepping on the scale today.
Would you want to weigh in after spending a weekend at the beach and then three days in Jewish Funeral Land...... yeah, I didn't think so.

I don't see a point in setting myself up for the disapointment, after a week full of heartbreak.

Yesterday, I gave myself some space.
I tracked everything I ate. I stayed mostly within my points.... darn that second glass of wine.
I haven't worked out since last week. I didn't push myself to squeeze it in yesterday or Wednesday. It wouldn't have ended well.
That being said, today is a new day an a new week.

The weather here is beautiful. It's warm, the humidity to down and there isn't a cloud in the sky. I'm looking forward to an excellent run tonight followed up with 30 minutes of yoga. I need to get back on track. I hope doing my favorite excercises will help jump start me into getting there.

I have all my meals planned for until Wednesday at lunch time.
I have every workout planned for now until Wednesday.
I have every intention of weighing in on Wednesday morning.

Why Wednesday?
Mr. Berg and I are going out of town Wednesday evening for my best friend's wedding. We won't return until the following week.

So Wednesday is weigh in day.

And since a new month is here. I should be setting some new goals for myself.
Honestly, right now, goals seem a little over whelming. I don't think the stress of the past week is behind me.
So for now, my goals are this:

1. Get to goal weight
2. Cook beets. Since I still haven't gotten around to doing that.


Today I'm going to focus on today.
Tomorrow I'll focus on tomorrow.
Day by day.
Week by week.

Here we go.....

Two Weeks

Two weeks from today right about now, my plane to Boston will be taking off.
I'll be heading north for my best friend's garden wedding at her parent's inn in Maine.
Mr. Berg and I decided to make a mini vacation about it and spent a few days by the coast. We are in much need of a break. This vacation couldn't come at a better time.

For the past two years, we've honeymoon and then vacationed in a more tropical location. First Antigua and then Jamaica. I'm sure the rocky coast of Maine will be a little bit different from palm trees and a continuous open bar.

I have a feeling we'll get over it.

This weekend we'll be spending our Memorial Day weekend on the eastern shore. I'm excited for beers for the screened in patio, crab cakes, wine, pedicures and fresh oysters. YUM!

Mr. Berg can't wait to get there. He's been pretty stressed lately between illness, accreditation exams and the like. My hope is he'll sleep for as long as he can this weekend. He needs the rest.

As for me:
For whatever reason, I stood on the scale last night after work.
This would be after I drank 32oz of water and I felt like a bloated cow.
It wasn't pretty but I carried on.
I had a good long work out last night. It felt great.
This morning I woke up feeling like my usual, non bloated self.
I'm hoping for good results on the scale tomorrow.
I have a feeling, that if I do reach my goal weight of 135 tomorrow, I may decide to go lower.
132 would take me to my comfortable college weight.  I'm hoping to maybe hover between 133 and 135.
Only time will tell.

All in all life is good.


Oh and I'm totally thrilled that Olivia won Biggest Loser.
She is AWESOME.

Pants That Don't Fit = Good Work, Indeed.

Spring finally decided to show up here in Central Pennsylvania. While the sun is still hiding amongst the clouds, the temperature has started to warm up. All week we are supposed to be in the low 80s to high 70s.

This is great, seeing as I moved my spring and summer clothing into my closet WEEKS ago.
It's nice to finally pull out my open toed shoes and my capri pants. The jean jackets are back into the rotation. And come Friday, I'm breaking out the white pants :)

However, we have a problem.

My pants don't fit.


I was so excited this morning to pull a brand new pair of capris out of the closet. I had been on the hunt for them since last year.
I matched them up with my really cute ruffled navy cardigan and my white tank top.
Since I've lost 11 pounds, I assumed the pants would be a little bit on the loose side.
What I wasn't planning on was that they'd be WAY too big.
I spent $50 on pants that don't fit.

Oh, don't worry I'm rocking them today. They're cute. Too bad I look like I have a load in my pants because they're too baggy.

And another thing.
My shoes don't fit either.

For YEARS I have been a solid 7.5 in shoes.
And now, 7's fit perfectly and my 7.5 are flinging themselves off my feet.

I feel like a little kid playing dress up, in my own closet.

Mr. Berg is never going to understand why I suddenly need more new clothes.... wish me luck trying to explain that one.


In other news "." has been pretty much a none event.
While I have a lot of bloating and fatigue, I have nothing in the way of mood swings, cramps, leg aches or massive night sweats. All of which are typical symptoms for me.

I got through a 30 minute cardio workout last night without much of an issue. I did lighten up my weights and used 3lbs instead of my typical 5lbs. I noticed I didn't have as much pep as I normally would. But I got through it and I got a good sweat.
I'm pretty confident that today will be the last full day of "."
Tomorrow I should be back to my regularly scheduled self and hopefully the bloat will be gone by Friday for WI day.

I took a page from the biggest loser last night and wrote my goal weight on the side of my left wrist.
It's keeping me focused. I really hope to hit my goal on Friday. I want to stand on that scale and let out a hoot.
If not this week, then hopefully next week and if not then then hopefully before I leave for my best friend's wedding.

Regardless of when I get there, I know I've already accomplished so much along the way.
I'm down a pants size. My clothes fit so much better.
I have fun getting dressed in the morning.

My stamina is up, my skin is clear, there is never a lack of energy.... well, okay, this week.
I sleep better, I workout harder, I eat for fuel.

I'm just plain proud of myself.
Regardless of what the scale says, I've done good work.
Good work indeed.....

Monday Challenges

I had two challenges to face yesterday. First I had to run and then I had to cook fish.

Guess what?

I was a total success.

Monday night I laced up my running shoes and took to the neighborhood. I didn't amp myself up for the adventure. I just simply laced up and went.  I prior to starting my running endevour I knew I wanted to keep things fresh and never take the samae route twice. Thankfully, my neighborhood is really big. I have plenty of options.

The first run of the day wasn't pleasent. My legs felt like lead and every pace felt rusty.
Thankfully, by the second run I was moving right along.
Sure, running makes you sore. By the end of the 30 minutes I was ready to be done but I never felt like I couldn't do it. I never felt like I wanted to give up.

Maybe I'll be a runner some day after all?

Moving right along to the fish.

Last night I had two defrosted talapia filets waiting for me.
(I know, I know, frozen fish. But I'm not 100% sure what I'm doing yet, give me a break.)

I decided to bake them per the package instructions and baste them in a lemon garlic sauce I had on hand.
They were delicious and dinner came together in no time flat. Seriously, bake fish for 10 minutes. In the meantime, steam your broccoli, prepare your cous cous and thow some salad in some blows.

Hello, dinner!
Mr. Berg loved it. I was completely impressed with myself.
All in all, it was a good shake up and we're excited to try it again.

And on top of all of that. I've been eating much for cleanly in the past several days then I have in a good while. I cannot believe the engery I have.
I was wide awake at 5am, ready to rock and roll.

Bring it on!

And so.... The Challenge Begins

Technically, I started my month of challenges a day early.

Saturday was beautiful. It needed to be embraced. So I ran.....

Mid morning on Saturday I laced up my sneakers, queued up my Ipod-complete with Couch to 5K Ap and set out on my newest adventure.

It couldn't have been a worse day to run in my neighborhood. It was community yard sale day. Good Grief, there were people every where. But it didn't stop me I weaved in and out of the people, running, walking and grooving to the music.

It was truly awesome.

When the 30 minutes was up, I was in awe of myself. I survived and it wasn't that hard.
I broke a sweat, my breathing was labored at times but when it all came down to it. I had an awesome time.

I couldn't wait to keep moving. So I went home and did some additional work out videos before hitting the shower.

Tonight, after work, will be my second run. I'm really looking forward to it.

So far, I've enjoyed the challenge.

Tonight, running aside, I will be challenging myself again.

Ladies and Gentlemen, I'm cooking fish!

This evenings menu includes Parmesan cous cous, steamed broccoli with EVOO and Lemon Garlic Tilapia!!
This will be an adventure. Mr. Berg is really excited.
I'm nervous, although, I'm not sure why.
I doubt fish is hard to cook.


So, welcome May.
I'm excited for the adventure :)

Work Out Video Warning

While standing in my basement this morning, 5:30am, blurry eyed and half conscious I noticed something.

There's warning screen on my workout video. It says :

If you experience pain or discomfort, discountine use of this video.

Ummmm..... hello?!?! It's Jillian Michaels People!! Of course it's going to be painful. Of course I'm going to be uncomfortable.

Hell, Jillian yells the at you: "Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable!"

Thank you Captain Obvious!


In other news: The first day of my dual challenge program went get.
I stayed off the sugar. I tracked everything I ate, made healthy choices and got in a great workout.
I noticed I had more energy before, during and after my workout. I think the healthy eating and all the water drinking had something to do with it.

I'm so glad to be back on program.

It's like a breath of fresh air.

I Believe I've Said This Before

Enough is enough.

Trust me on this.

This weekend started off well. Friday I had a really healthy dinner and did a great job of not over eating.
Saturday started off really well. I knew that Mr. Berg and I would be attending a Yankees game so I stayed focused on eating light and healthy and getting in a good workout.
The Yankees game went well. We were fortunate enough to be invited to the game by our investment banker, who had sky box tickets.
2 Beers, a crab cake, coleslaw and fruit later I felt like I was doing well. Until the french onion dip.... go figure.

And then Easter.

I woke up Easter morning and started eating. I didn't stop until well into the evening. It was bad! BAD! BAD! BAD!

Enough is enough.
Too much self sabatoge.
Too much out of control eating.
Too much for everything that isn't the right thing.

When was the last time I got too much exercise, too much sleep, drank too much water or tracked my points too honestly?
Yeah, slacker party of one? That's me.

Today is the day.
Enough is enough.

I'm doing a dual challenge this week:
1st- I challenge myself to 12 days of solid tracking. Every meal, every snack, every morsel. TRACKED.
2nd- I'm doing the WW Spring Into Action Challenge. This four week challenge is designed to launch you into Spring with Healthy Habits and Actions.
 This week is entitled " No Excuses." Perfect!
The focus for this week is to eat cleanly and get atleast 30 minutes of exercise most days.
This is exactly what I needed. Focus on good food, focus on exercise, a simple approach to ease me back into life.

I have workouts planned for every day this week with the exception of Wednesday and Thursday. I have just too many things going on those days between early morning meeting and late evening appoints. However, with two rest days a week, it all balances out.

I need to get back on the wagon.
Summer is nearly near.
My best friend's wedding is 7 weeks away!!

I can do this.
Focus!

Because You Need to Know

I ate the following things today:

• Juice- the high sugar kind
• A Green Monster Smoothie
• Barbeque Potato Chips, by the handfuls
• 2 Servings of Baked Beans, the not healthy kind
• Two Choc. Chip Cookies
• A Hot Dog- not the lean kind
• A Beef Stick- I don't eat beef ( but then again, there was the hot dog)
• Chedder Cheese
• Half A Bag of Jelly Beans
• Chicken Cordon Bleu
• Brown Rice
• Mixed Veggies
• More Jelly Beans- for real
• Two Cans of Diet Pepsi

On a brighter note:
I did say no to a doughnut



{headfreakingdesk}

Warrior FAIL!

Back Away From the Jelly Beans....

Seriously, why did I buy them?

I just eat them, at rapid pace, by the handful, all freaking day long!

I am typically really, really good at not eating sugar. If I don't keep it in the house, I don't eat it. I'm usually much more of a salty/savory snacker.

What's with the fricking jelly beans?

In other news....

this is a big deal.....

drum roll please.....

The scale did not lie!

One week after the lying scale accusations began, I weighed in this morning and I'm exactly the same weight as I was last week.

Which, might I add, is .8 away from my goal.

I'm pretty awesome.....

Until you put me next to the jelly beans, then I suck....

Warrior Challenge- Day Three

Yesterday's Review:
Yesterday I switched a few things up.
1st of all, I dropped my cheese stick in the afternoon and had 2 points worth of BBQ chips.
I know, processed crap. But goodness they were good.

I also used a few activity points for a glass of wine.

All in all. I broke even.

Today:

Breakfast: Same green monster smoothie as usual
Snack: Greek Yogurt/ Cherry Flavored
Lunch: 6" turkey sub with provolone cheese, red wine vinegar and a bunch of veggies. Apple Slices. Diet Coke (While running wildly through the grocery store.)
Snack: Small handful of BBQ Chips and 2 Fig Newtons. SERIOUSLY? Why did I eat those?
Dinner: Emily Bite's Deep Dish Pizza, carrots, Salad and a glass of wine.

Work Out: Firm Express Sculpt Workouts 1&4

Overview of Tomorrow:
Tomorrow is a scheduled day of rest. However, I may throw in a yoga dvd if I get some free time in the afternoon. We will have to see.
I also need to plan for my meals for tomorrow. As of right now I have a few ideas but nothing solid thus far.

I haven't been a perfect warrior. However, I'm doing a lot better then I have in a couple of weeks.
It's been a great challenge to stick with tracking and watching what goes in my mouth. Fig Newtons and BBQ Chips aside, I've done alright :)

In other news, I really have no news.
I'm looking forward to a relaxing weekend and spending time with my husband. It's been a long week. I'm ready for some down time.

Warrior Challenge Day 2

Yesterday's Review:
All in all yesterday was a good day.

Breakfast and my morning snack went on as scheduled.

Lunch I made a few modifications:
1. No orange marmalade. Instead I used my English muffin as a bun and slapped some barbecue sauce on my burger to counter balance the sweetness of the honey wheat flavor.
2. Instead of a salad with a teaspoon of EVOO and vinegar. I had my usual dressing and blue cheese crumbles and a teaspoon of EVOO.

PM Snack and Dinner were no problem

I earned four points during my workout and treated myself to a 3pt cookie.

So, all in all, between dailies and activity points, I had one left over.

Weigh In: The Scale Lies!
It was weigh in morning at the Berg household.
According to the scale. I lost a pound this week.
Apparently I weigh 135.8.
Personally, I think the scale is a dirty liar. There is no way in hell I lost a pound this week.
But okay, I'll go with it.

Today:
Breakfast: Green Monster Smoothie with Spinach, Mixed Berries, Skim Milk, a banana and of course 1 tsp of EVOO.
I ate this around 6:15am

AM Snack: Lemon Flavored Greek Yogurt
Probably  around 10am

Lunch: Garden Burger on English Muffin with Cheese and BBQ Sauce.
Salad with Dressing, EVOO and blue cheese.
Mixed Veggies
12:15ish

PM Snack: Pear and a Cheese Stick
Around 3:30pm

Work Out: Firm Express Cardio WorkOuts 1&4
Around 5:00pm

Dinner: Sherry Soy Chicken with Brown Rice, Snap Peas and a Big Salad
Around 6:30pm

Can I Be A Warrior Too?

Secret Confession:I love to watch The Biggest Loser on Tuesday nights.
It's probably my biggest guilty TV watching pleasure. And while Mr. Berg claims he hates the show, he knows all the contestants names and I think he even shed a tear when Courtney said her final fair well last night.

I found myself to be very caught up in something that trainer Bob (omg, I love him) said last night.
As he coached the Blue Team on their first workout of the week, he told them he wanted them to be warriors. He wanted his team to use this week to power through, to strive for excellence, and to push each other to their greatest potentials.

As I sat there, in my cat hair covered yoga pants and sweatshirt, I found myself wondering.... Could I be a warrior too?

I've been lax in my weight loss journey this past week. Mr. Berg and I traveled South this past weekend to visit his family. In involved a lot of food, a lot of wine and a lot of stress. While I was careful and watched my portions and choices, I wasn't the world's best example of sucess.

Add to that, Monday I didn't workout. Instead I caught up on housework, did laundry, put up my Easter decroations all while I fought a nasty battle with the stink bugs that decided to invade my home. (I flushed 15 of those suckers on Monday).

And yesterday, for most of the day, I was down for the count with a very nasty bout of tummy trouble.
(I also took Bob to the vet, which is a funny story for later)

Anyway, back to what I was orginally talking about.

Today and for the week that follows, I am going to strive to be a WW warrior. I will track every thing that goes in my mouth, I will stick to my workout plan and I will measure EVERYTHING. (I've been really, really bad about that lately.)

I will also post my daily menus, track my water consumption and cut most processed foods from my diet. I will however, drink wine. Because wine, my friends, is the best part of my weekends.

I hope this challenge will be the jump start I need to get back on the stick. I have a wedding coming up. And yes, I do love my body just the way it is right now, but I'd love to see how much more I'd love it if I got to goal.
So, here we go.

Warrior Challenge: Day One
Breakfast- 6:15am
Green Monster- 1 Cup Frozen Mixed Berries, 2 Cups Organic Spinach, 1 Banana(frozen), 1 Cup Skim Milk and 1 tsp EVOO- Blended to perfection

Snack- Sometime between 9:30-10
Greek Yogurt
(Baby carrotts if needed)

Lunch- 12:15ish
Garden Burger Topped with Pepper Jack Cheese
Dipped in a Ketchup/Mustard Mix
Salad with Vinegar and 1tsp EVOO
Green Veggies (2/3 cups- give or take)
English Muffin with Orange Marmalade 

(Yes, I could put my burger on my english muffin, except, I got the honey wheat kind, which is gross with a burger. I learned this the hard way on Monday)

PM Snack- 3:30ish
Apple and String Cheese
(more baby carrots if needed)

Dinner:
Sherry Soy Chicken Breast
Brown Rice
Green Veggie
Salad

Exercise: Firm Express CS 1&4

About That.....

It was an interesting weekend.
By Friday afternoon I was exhausted physically. Mentally, I was just fine. But my body, it felt like lead.
Try as I might, my workout blew. I got 3/4 of the way through it and threw in the towel. The energy just wasn't there.
After a good shower and change of clothes to get ready for our dinner plans it dawned on me: I had lunch at Noon and never had a snack that afternoon. Not to mention I had breakfast at 6:30 and never had a morning snack. No wonder my energy levels had tanked, I hadn't fueled the fires.

So I did a little research on the WW site. It is recommended you don't go more then 3-4 hours without eating.

Somehow, I'm pretty sure, for the past 28 years of my life, I missed the memo.

No friggin wonder I've been tanking lately with my energy levels.
I typically don't eat until I'm famished.
This explains a lot.

While cruising the WW site, I also noticed a lot of talk about the green monster movement.
Basically smoothies made with spinach, fruit, milk, evoo or flax seed.

This sounded interesting.... gross but interesting...
So Saturday morning I literally gave it a whirl.
1 Cup Frozen Berries, 1 Cup Milk, 1 Bananas, 2 Cups Spinach (fresh, baby variety), 1 tsp EVOO and tada! Green Monster.
It wasn't the best thing I ever drank but it wasn't the worst thing either. If anything, it was pretty good and provided me with 1 serving of milk, 5 servings of fruits and veggies and a healthy oil. It takes 3 minutes to make and 6 minutes to chug.

And it kept me full until 9:45- which happened to be the 3.25 hour mark, which means it was time to eat again anyway. And my energy levels were through the roof. Needless to say, this will be my breakfast ritual for a while.

You can't beat that much healthy in a cup.

I didn't workout all weekend. I gave myself the weekend off.
I slept like crap Friday night, my body while feed was still tired and I decided it was best to give it a rest and start up again Monday.
I think it was the best move for me. Sometimes, a long rest is just what the doctor ordered.

I feel really good today. I'm excited for my workouts tonight. I feel well rested, well feed and ready for a new challenge.

Sunday brought about a couple NSV as well.
I went shopping with the Momma. Who bought size 6 jeans and size 6 skirt? This girl.
I'm still an 8 in pants, but they fit so much better then they used to.

I was THRILLED!

It was just the push I needed to stick to my plan and keep on going.
Thursday I'll measure myself, this should be interesting :)

Happy Monday everyone!

Mind Your Own Weight Loss Journey J-Berg

Friday afternoon I found myself in a bit of a pickle. I was super busy at work, had a million things to do that needed to be done NOW, and no time for lunch.

So I made the mad dash to my local S*bw*y to grab my typical 6" turkey on wheat.

While waiting in what can only be described as an epically long line, the woman in front of me struck up a conversation.

(Apparently, reading emails on your smart phone while writing notes to yourself on scrap of paper from your purse means you look like you're ready to engage in meaningless small talk..... I know, I'm a bitch)

Anywho-

The woman in front of me was the typical domestic goddess of my small town. Stretch pants, over sized sweatshirt complete with iron-on teddy bear applique, she had a limited amount of teeth, her hair over bleached with 3" roots.

(see why I wasn't excited to talk to her)

She proceeded to tell me how she hates walking into fast food restaurants and seeing all the junk they supply kids. She pointed to the drink cooler and told me about how much sugar is in most of those drinks.

I smiled and told her I understood how she felt but at least S*bw*ay sold low fat milk, yogurt and apple slices for kids and adults alike.

She nodded and told me she had just begun her weight loss journey and had started watching what she ate, gave up soda and started going to the gym.

I congratulated her and asked her how it was going.

She said she doesn't own a scale but has noticed that her clothes are feeling looser and her energy is improving.

I told her that she must be very proud of her self and commented on how sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest differences.

It was then time to order.

She ordered a foot long meatball and pepperoni sub with extra cheese and extra mayo (Mayo? Meatballs? EWW!)

She also picked up two bags of sun chips (both for her, she told me so) and got a bottled sprite (which isn't soda because its clear, as she informed me).

I smiled and nodded and wished her luck.
All the while chewing on the side of my tongue.

Mind your own business, J-Berg.
Are you the perfect example of diet and exercise and healthy eating habits?
Nope!

Moral of the story, people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.... or doughnuts for that matter.

We're all traveling a long road when it comes to health and weight loss.
Be kind, and don't stop of offer directions unless of course you're asked.
And even then, speak kindly, it's not easy for you, why should it be easy for anyone else?

This Is The Song That Doesn't End

Yes it goes on and on my friends.

I've made enough excuses over the past month about my weekend eating habits. I slip up, over eat and when Monday comes I tell myself that today is a new day and move it.

But guess what.... it doesn't stop.
I do the same thing, time after time, weekend after weekend.
I haven't gained, but I haven't lost either.

And you know what? The only person I have to blame for that? ME.

Enough is enough.

Summer is coming.
My best friend's wedding is right around the corner.
It.ends.here.

Enough is enough!

Today I mentally recommitted myself to doing a better job.
And I also created some  punishments for myself.

Today instead of a nicely leisurely 30 minute yoga DVD- I've decided I need to spent some time with Jillian and her Power Yoga DVD. But before I do that, I'm adding a 10 minute Firm Express Workout. The one the kicks my ass every single time.

Sure, 40 Minutes of working out won't solve my problem. But the more I kick my own butt, the more I reinforce what I'm trying to do.

I threw three great workouts this weekend down the drain by drinking my face off. That's just stupid!
I canceled out healthy eating choices by choosing tacos instead of a burrito bowl, by deciding to eat handfuls of peanut butter pretzels for no good reason. Or for saying yes to that extra large scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Enough.
It ends here!
It ends today!

And now, it's time to drink another liter of water and go pick up my taxes.

(hello refund! good to see you)

And Then I F*cked It Up

Remember all that celebrating about dropping 10 lbs?

I celebrated my victory by over indulging in WAY too much beer this weekend.
Mr. Berg, having just passed a very important Insurance People's Exam, wanted to celebrate Saturday afternoon. Being the jovial, fun loving wife that I am, I went along with the flow.

The flow including beer tasting at two local breweries. After that we decided it would be fun to stay at the second bar, enjoy another pint and eat pretzels with mustard and cheese dip.

It was all down hill from there. Sushi for dinner that evening, followed by Mexican the next evening.

To say I'm bloated would be the understatement of the century.

It also goes without saying that I'm highly disappointed in myself. Once again, self sabotage.

The beer tasting was fine. I'm not a huge beer drinker so I didn't taste everything. But the pint, that was pushing it. Wine with dinner that wasn't a smart choice and then Mexican and more wine the following night, that was just dumb.

I've been back on track since Monday morning. Lots of water, small lean meals, lots of protein. I hope that in a few days things will be back to normal.

Until then, I'll continue to kick my own ass. You're welcome to help.

The Thing I Never Thought I Could Do

It happened slowly, over the course of several years. It started with a bad, bad break up and my life crashing down around me.

When all the bad things came to a head, I weighed a very, very unhealthy 123 pounds. I'm a petite girl, but not that tiny. You could see my ribs, my hip bones and my face looked sunken in.
Combine a job that left me with little time to sleep or eat and a relationship that was crashing down around me, and you got one very unhealthy J-Berg.

All through my college years I weighed right around 130 pounds. It was a comfortable weight for me. I liked the way my clothes fit, I had muscle and curves and while I was constantly wishing for a trimer waist line, I was happy.

 I started graduate school- I was skin and bones and a depressed mess. I made a point to put some weight back on. By Christmas I was back to 130, I felt and looked healthier. My state of mind had improved and my life was on its way back to normal.

And it continued to get better and since then, it hasn't stopped. It just gets better.

Yes, I get busier, my plate gets fuller but the quality of my life, my relationship with myself, my relationship with my friends, with my husband, with my family, has only gotten better and more fulfilling.

But there's a downside to goodness. By my second semester in graduate school I started putting extra weight on. I was working 50+ hours a week and still going to school full time. My social calender was full between great friends and a wonderful boyfriend.
There was always beer to be drank, pizza to be eaten and ice cream to enjoy.
I got lazy. I made the excuse that I was too busy to work out, so I didn't.

Looking back on those years, I'm positive I could have made time if I wanted to. I just didn't.

When Mr. Berg and I got engaged I made an effort to workout more and watch what I was eating. By our wedidng back I was right around 137 pounds. I was happy with how I looked, but I knew I could do better.

We settled into married life. I made healthy meals, concentrated on healthy lean protien and veggies. But there was still sugar and dessert and not as much exercise as there should have been. I never pushed myself to keep moving. Instead, if I felt tired or lazy I just didn't do it. It never occured to me that if I exercised or ate healthier, it would make me feel better.

When we went on our 1 year anniversary trip, I weighed 142 pounds.
By September, I was 146.

And that's when I cracked. I was convienced I never going to lose weight. I was convenieced I would always be heavy. I had tricked myself into thinking I was doing everything right and still not seeing results.

I knew the only person that could help me, was me. I needed to take control. I needed to hold myself accountable and create structure so that I could succeed.

When I joined WW I knew it would be a long journey. I also knew that it was one that I was doing for myself. I just had to keep going.

And I did.

I've gained, I've lost, I've had great week and terrible weeks. I've survived too much wine, over do it at workouts, a kidney infection, food poisoning, a back injury, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

I celebrated victories, beaten myself up over defeat. And through it all I kept at it. One step at a time, one day, one hour, one minute at a time.

And today, all of that paid off.

As of this morning, I have officially lost 10.4 pounds.
I hit the 10 pound mark!
I got a new 5 lb start on my weight chart!
There might have been some happy dancing going on in my office this morning.
I might have did a jig in the bathroom too!!

1.2 pounds to go until I hit goal. I am determined to get there next week. DETERMINED!!

So this morning, I did the thing that I thought I could never do.
I lost the weight.
I'm 10 pounds lighter and I feel AMAZING.

I will celebrate with a work out and a glass of wine.

I can't wait for next Thursday. Bring it on!!