Shrink Yo'Self in 2012 Challenge

Assignment for the first week:  
What’s a challenge {and a new year!} without goals? We want you to think long and hard about this one. What do you hope to accomplish during the next 8 weeks? What do you hope to accomplish during 2012? List your goals out. Think of ways that you will make these goals reality. Don’t just say you hope to lose 20 pounds or that you want to run a marathon. HOW will you lose those 20 pounds? WHAT steps will you take? Will you follow a specific eating plan? Will you attend meetings? Details, people, DETAILS. If you missed Mel’s post on resolutions and goals, this is the time to read it! This assignment is due on Wednesday, January 4th! Be prepared to link up that morning with all the bits and pieces!

Time for a new Challenge!  What are my goals for the 8 weeks of this challenge?  To lose 10 lbs by getting back in to a work out regime and cutting carb consumption.  I will be horseback riding 2-3 times a week Yoga 1 and Bellydance 1.  That is my plan.  My sister is doing SugarBusters and I plan on joining her on this.  Its a healthy well rounded eating plan.

I have gotten into a really bad habit of eating junk food the past few months.  I am weaning myself off and will be including more greens in my diet as they have been sadly lacking.  I also have slacked on a healthy sleep cycle.  I need to be in bed at 10:30 and up at 6:30 to be able to follow my routine.   

Week 5 or is it 4?

Wow can't believe its already the 5th weigh in for Shrinkvivor.  I am happy to report I have not yet been exiled.  I might be by tomorrow but I can deal with it if it happens lol the idea of exile still feels like being sent to the corner.


I have been feeling bad every week when one of our team mates gets exiled.  I am still unclear how its being decided I think either lowest weight loss or someone votes them off?  


Anyhow enough obsessing about that.  I have been so overwhelmingly busy (that's a surprise right?) that I have not been as focused on weight loss as I would like to be (read as: my food choices have been highly suspect)  School is going AWESOME.  I had my first massage practical and got excellent feedback and compliments!  I have (with my my husbands artistic and design assistance) designed and sent to print my business cards and I have a page holding the spot for my webpage its a little hokey but its temporary until the real one can get launched.  

On top of all this I am participating in a small horse show this Saturday *gulp* first I run from school to the ranch and do the drill team in front of the audience...this is on a horse that has NEVER been in a show.  I am so nervous about how he is going to react.  My goal is not to run into anyone OR fall off.  If I have to choose between them I would go with the former.  After the drill team I am competing in walk, trot and then a trotting race.  There is another one where you take the saddles off and tuck a dollar under your leg to see who can keep it there longest.  I have never barebacked Romeo.  I keep meaning to but haven't gotten around to it.  I'm thinking this may not be the best time lol.  Anyhow that is what I have been up to.  


Oh and I have been losing some weight.  I weighed in the morning at 211.4 only 11.4 lbs away from my January 1st goal.  I really hope I can make it!

Today is the Shrinkvivor Kickoff!

Trying not to be negative about it..not the challenge itself that sounds like a lot of fun.  I mean not obsessing about how soon I am going to be voted off my team..paranoia kicks in lol.  My WL has been so erratic of late.  I will suddenly for no apparent reason drop 3 lbs or then go up and hang onto 1 or 2 its still consistently going the right direction so I'm not going to complain.  I just hope its consistent enough to stay on the team for a bit.  My goal is to get to 200 by end of the year.  If I can do it in the 7 weeks of shrinkvivor that would be great but that means I need to consistently drop 2.4lbs a week...not sure that will happen :) will do my best though!

We have been having car trouble this week.  Got the brakes done last week and the check hasn't even cleared and the car broke down.  The rear driver wheel made a weird noise and started waivering.  My huzby got off the road and made it to a 7'11 2 days and hours and hours of waiting later it made it onto a towtruck at which point the rear wheel just fell off...no the lug nuts and hub cap are still there the whole WHEEL fell off...yah I know my husband is so incredibly fortunate he got off the road and it didnt happen when he was going 70 down the freeway in traffic.  I am trying not think on that too much.

I have been practicing drill team for riding.  Its basically synchronized riding we have 6 riders doing circles and  figure 8's as pairs.  Romeo has never been ridden with a bunch of people and noise around.  I'm a little worried about how well I'm going to be able to focus him.  I think it will be a great experience though and am very excited about it!

Massage school is going great.  I have been doing massive amounts of massage.  You would think I would have dropped some weight but I console myself with the fact that my arms are definitely toning up and people think I have dropped more weight lol so I must be losing inches.  I am really amazed at how involved I am while massaging.  I was a little worried my mind would wander and I would get bored but so far that is the farthest thing from the truth!!  Yay.  Now if I can graduate and build a clientele life will be grand!

Here is the Shrinkvivor initial weigh in! 

Yikes!

Wow its been 3 months since I've checked in!  Craziness.  The summer as you can tell has been hectic.  On top of my usual activities I have started a massage certification program that takes up all Saturday and Wednesday nights so on top of working 45 hrs a week Im in school another 10 and I need to do 6 hours of massages outside of school.  Add that on to my riding, spending time with my husband and caring for my home and pets I am beyond busy.  


I have not been "working out" per se.  I have however been riding 2-3 times a week and giving massages almost daily which are both calorie burning activities.  I am still trying to squeeze workouts in the morning but I have been too tired to get my butt up in time so far.

I have joined a new challenge.  Its called Shrinkvivor.. I am a little nervous it sounds kinda harcore and you can get kicked out of your team which worries me lol.  I am sure it will be fun.  I have continued gradually to lose weight.  I am down to 215.  My goal is to get to 200lb by January.  Its doable but a bit of a stretch with my current schedule.  We shall see how it goes!

First weigh in of the challenge

Today is the first weigh in of the BURST INTO SUMMER Sisterhood weight loss challenge.  I am down 4 lbs in one week from 227.6 to 223.6...I am ecstatic and slightly suspicious.  It would be nice if dropping weight was always this easy. 

I spoke to a friend this morning and we are making tentative arrangements to go for a wog first think in the morning a couple times a week.  We need to solidify the plans I need to get back on track for my running.  I would like to do another 5K in August I think.  Additionally I need to do the 30 day shred at least 2 times a week and add some pilates in 2 times.  With riding that should round out my workouts!

Its been a very busy week as usual and HOT.  AC at my work has not been up to par.  That is my theory on why I have lost so much weight this week... my other theory/fear is that its all muscle because I have not been exercising.  We shall see how things go this week :)

Huh?

Well I stepped on the scale this morning and apparently for no reason whatsoever dropped 3.2 lbs I feel stunned and vaguely guilty...also incredibly happy lol.  The stun and guilt is because I REALLY don't deserve it.  I have not worked out and I have not been being careful with what I eat...at all.  In fact I have indulged my chip and ice cream cravings this week which I almost never do.  Maybe its the heat.  I have not been eating A LOT its more that I have been making bad choices.  I am hoping this loss will give me the momentum to start tightening my belt.  

I really do want to get exercising again I feel better but for some reason just haven't had the will power to get to bed and get up in time to do so.  I run such a tight routine that sometimes its all I can do to get work, service, meals done there is nothing left for exercise.  At least that's what I have been telling myself.   A lot of people from the challenge are doing a boot camp but I will be honest.  I detest boot camp workouts every single moment of them.  I like my workout to be something I enjoy at least some.  I have the Jillian Michaels 30 days shred and some Pilates workouts I want to start and then maybe run a couple times a week with Milla.  She surely needs the exercise!  So anywho my start weight for the challenge was 227.6 and now I am at 224.4.  It makes my goal for 215 pretty darn reasonable at this point!

New Challenge

I am starting a new challenge!  Time to try to lose another 10 lbs.  That will get me close to 215 that is the lowest I have been since I don't know maybe 1999?  It also puts me within 25lbs of my goal of 190!  If I hit 190 I should wear a size 12. Right now i am 16-18 but if I drop the additional 10 lbs I will be a 16!  woo hoo.  

Anyhow I don't have much else to report right now.  Just been working a lot.  I have a 6 day workweek this week on top of which I hitting a midnight showing of a movie and trying to wake up at 6 to work out beforehand so I am pretty beat.  I haven't been riding much the past couple weeks.  Time to get back on track with that as well.  Yawn back to work.  Sorry for such a boring post lol. 

I'm BACK

The cruise was wonderful!  The weather great and the food and company amazing.  I stuck to my goals and worked out 7 out of 10 days.  Huzby and I signed up for Pilates and I ran and used the elliptical several times.  I also shunned the elevator and only used stairs.  Beyond that I ate what I wanted.  When I got back I weighed myself and was up only 1 lb then this morning I checked again and I am down!! 228.3 woohoo.  Now I just need to get back to exercising.  I rode this week but haven't done much else sigh.  I am back to being tired I guess I got used to having a nice nap lol. 

We did get a bit of a bombshell dropped on us day before our vacation.  Our roomates informed us they were moving out in a couple weeks.  Horrible timing and it puts us in a rough spot.  We will figure it out though.  

Lets see what else.  I really need to post some pictures of my garden.  The climbing rose is FULL of blooms and I have almost everything where I want it.  The only major purchase left is the pond stuff.  I really need to paint the bench as well.  I have the paint hopefully I can get to it this weekend!

I'm on the Willie Wonka boat ride!

Between a massive case of hay fever and trying to shove 3 weeks of work into 1 I am feeling tired and a bit overwhelmed.  I did make it out to the ranch on Monday and had a really good lesson.  We are moving into more technique than I have ever actually covered before.  I've ridden off an on all my life but it was always hop on the horses back and go.  Now I am learning some really cool stuff about how Romeo's neck is supposed to be arched and how he is supposed to give the bit to me and how I teach him to do that stuff.  I have a lot to learn but I am excited I feel like I am trying to break through a wall and will be a much better rider for it!

I am in another challenge with the Sisterhood of the shrinking jeans.  Its started out a bit rough.  I am up .2 lbs instead of down anything.  I haven't run in weeks or been to the gym.  I am planning on doing some Pilates and running on the ship but I'm a bit nervous about it.  Sigh will have to see how it goes!

Gardening!

I have made so much progress on my garden.  This is the third year of my extended garden project and I believe it may be the longest I've stuck to any plan!  The first year everything was cleared out a small circle of lawn planted and a clumping bamboo to provide a privacy screen.  I also created a  couple winding gravel paths.  End of that year in the fall i planted my Climbing rose.  Last year I got several varieties of thyme in and got the arbor for the rose.  I also acquired a table for the patio area.  This year I have planted a small herb garden and am using a second set of stairs for a plant stand that is now decked out with plants and a few decorations.  I have two Topsy Turveys in which I will be planting a variety of veggies (yellow bellpepper, orange bellpepper, cucumber, grape tomatoes and the second one will be straight strawberrys)  I have purchased the stand for them and just need to get the rest of the veggies to plant.  I also bought an adorable owl statue for the garden.  I plan on digging in a stump of redwood putting some other garden statue on top and planting English ivy to grow over it.  The last BIG thing I want to do this year is put in my little pond and fountain.  I am very hopeful to get it all done in the next couple months.  That is pretty much the end of the 3 year plan.  I need to maintain things and watch them fill in.  I will get some pictures and update this post with them later on.