PROGRESS!!!

I have been veeery careful about how much I have been eating lately, and guess what? I am down 6 lbs!!! I am at 188.0! Woo hoo!! Perhaps I will be at 187 by Sunday. That would make me very happy.
Please check my other blog for "the big announcement" (oooh, the suspense!!)

Besos

26.2

I love this number! Anyone who knows me really well, knows that I am NOT a runner. I can walk up to 4.5 mph, or so, but my knees have told me many times "STOP RUNNING!!!". So why 26.2? Well, my first triathlon number was 262. I thought that was pretty rad. The guy who marked me said "hey, lucky number, eh?". Take off hoser. Well today I have a new reason for liking the number 26.2: BODY FAT BABY!!!!!! Now, before you start to think "um, wow Ames. Great job...?", remember that I started out just over 29%, which means I have lost 3%!! That is fantastic! I have been a little cranky that I haven't lost any lbs (still at 192), but I will take the body fat ANY day!
And now I have to go to work. BYE!

Little Red...the update you've both been waiting for

Little Red was AWESOME!! I am already committed to do it next year. What a fun ride. I rode with Matt's sister Kaitlin, and My brother Jason's wife, Natalie. We had such a fun time. I burned around 5000 calories!! I don't know for sure, because I accidentally reset my watch when we were stopped for lunch. :( I was a sad girl. Anyway, it was a wonderful day. I am looking forward to racing hard next year (and then I will probably work on bringing another Johnson into the world) ;)
Here's an update on my fitness-ness. I have not lost anything. I have been working hard, but not lost a pound in a while. I started a "cleanse" that gave me severe abdominal cramps (no, not THOSE cramps!), and I decided that it was not worth it. I am looking into the blood type philosophies, to see if my body reacts well to it. I sure hope so!!
I haven't checked my body fat since April, so I am not sure if that has changed. I HAVE, however, lost a total of about 2 inches off my waist! I am not giving up! In fact, if anything I am going to work harder. I have been focusing a lot on weights, so now I am going to keep that up and add a LOT of cardio. I just want to fit into my clothes.
On that note, no picture updates yet. I have to be down a solid 10 lbs first.
Hope you are all doing well! Thanks for following!

St. George Triathlon

WOW!!! That was THE hardest thing I have done in a LONG time. In fact, at the moment I can't remember anything that would compare. They cancelled the swim, because it was too windy, and the kayaks couldn't even hold their position. They decided to replace the swim with another 5k! What?? I admit that I was not prepared to do this tri anyway, but when they added the extra 5k, I was a little worried. Well, we ran on sand. Yes, I said sand. I have had some slight knee problems anyway, but nothing a cho-pat strap couldn't handle. This course, however, trumped. I walked part of the first 5k because I decided that a good race time was not worth permanent damage. The bike course had a huge hill, which my bike was not the one for it. My bike is pretty old, and does not have the really super extra low gears for hills. I, along with many others, walked up. :( I reached the summit, and the rest of the ride was fine. Some 70 year old guy came up behind me yelling "Come on pink fuel belt! You can do it!" He made comments like that to everyone that he rode by. "Hey green shorts! Let's go!", "Hey there black sweat band! Keep going!". It was awesome. He totally motivated me. Thanks cute old guy!!

Anywho, toward the end of my ride I had finally caught up the the 12 year old girl that was in my heat. She was adorable! She was telling me how she had 2 babysitting jobs later that day. Ahh, to be 12 again. We rode in together, but then she smoked me on the run. I ended up walking the last 5k (again, the knees). I sprinted across the finish line, because some woman yelled "finish strong!!". Ok!...and then...well, I couldn't breath. My knees are still hurting, but getting better. I am really excited, and slightly nervous for Little Red on June 6th. Natalie and I are going riding this weekend! Can't wait! And yes, I do know that I am crazy!

I have been a little slacker!

This week has been crazy!! Would you believe it if I said I haven't gone to the gym once?? Oh boy. But you know, I'm ok with it for THIS WEEK ONLY. It's finals and I have so much to do that I just don't have time to use 1-1.5 hours at the gym. I must study, write papers, etc. It's been crazy, and I'm barely hanging on to my sanity by a thread, but it's almost over. I have one more BIG final on Monday, then another on Thursday that I am not so worried about. I am going to spend the entire day today reading a book about Deafness and the Law. Maybe I'll hop on the bike at the gym and do it...that's a great idea!! I'm a genius. Then maybe next week, if I am not curled up in a corner, I will clean my house. It's funny, I don't know why this semester's finals have been so stressful, but it sure has taken its toll. It will be nice to look forward to my triathlon, and then Little Red. I am taking classes over the summer, but it should be a little smoother. Right?
Her's a shout out to Devon. Yesterday she told me I looked like I was "doing great/looking great". I could kiss you for that. And to my client who asked me yesterday if I was pregnant, then when I said no they asked if it was just fat on my stomach---I might kill you in the night. :) Devon loves me. lol!
Oh, a few cool updates: I finally bought clips for my cycling shoes, and I had the brakes on my bike tuned up, so I am READY to go! As soon as the rain stops, I will be rockin' that bike! Who wants to join me?
15% body fat or bust!

I just burned 1041 calories. I feel better.

Feelin the burn...why am I still feelin the fat??

Today was not a good day for my ego. Nothing fit, nothing looked good, and I have gained a total of 2 lbs in the past 2 weeks. WHAT?? I have been working hard, eating well/within my calorie limit, and working with a trainer. Why am I not losing anything? I understand that after a while, the pounds come off a little slower, but I'm in the first few weeks of this. Grrrrrrrrr. I'm not gonna lie, I am pretty irritated. Not discouraged, not depressed, not mad at myself for not working harder (I guess I can always work harder). I am irritated. And I'm not losing inches either. My trainer has me lifting 30 min 3x/week with 30 min cardio after, plus an extra 2-3x/week doing 1 hour of cardio. I think I am going to up the cardio by 30 min everyday and see what happens. I have to burn more calories. I don't want to get out of control with this, but dangit, I WANT RESULTS!!
Anyway, I weighed in this morning at 190.4. I didn't want to ge back to the 90's EVER (and lets be honest, who would anyway--big bangs...really??) I need to set up a better menu plan. Right now I am just working on making healthy choices throughout the day. I have been doing really good so far. If I eat something that I shouldn't, I make sure that I only eat a little, and I don't exceed my calorie limit for the day. I have really cut back on the Diet Coke intake too. I limited myself to $1 per day to spend on soda (that was part of my agreement with myself to get a trainer) I have done really well with that. On Saturday I started my plan to cut out the caffeine. I bought fresca and lite lemonade instead. I was pretty sad to find that the lemonade has aspartame, which is part of the reason why I wanted to ditch diet soda. Oh well. One less option. No biggie. I'm drinking a lot of water in an effort to not want to drink so much soda. It's working well!
Ok, well enough rambling. I have to go to the gym. Here's to the treadmill...and the stair stepper...and the eliptical...and to 15% body fat.
OH!! 2 more things. I am doing the St George Triathlon on May 9th, and "Little Red" is 7 1/2 weeks away!! Yee haw!

Almost done with week 2

Ok, so this week has been great with my workouts. I went to a spin class on Saturday morning that kicked my butt!! I'm glad they let me "take it easy" for my first day. I am staying in my "fat burning" heart rate zone, trusting that Polar really does know what they are talking about. (except for that spin class...yikes! That one worked my cardio endurance) I was told to "trust the science behind the watch", so I am.
I must admit that this week has been a little rough in regards to my food intake. My first week I was really good about eating proper portions and often throughout the day, but this week...eh not so much. Friday was especially bad. I has this super healthy pita thing for lunch, but I just ate SO much. Oh, and it was my breakfast too-I finally got to eat at like 11 am. It was 3 servings of meat, and I ate the whole dang thing. I was really glad that I felt sick afterward. That'll teach me-until dinner anyway. Every year, Matt's Grandpa takes all his kids and grandkids to dinner. Last Friday we went to Los Hermanos. It was so yummy! I got shrimp fajitas, which were delicious. The only problem was all the tortilla chips I ate while waiting for my food. I was so so hungry when I got there, then they had to prepare food for like 20 people, plus I am mildly allergic to wheat, so you do the math. Again, I was stuffed (to the rafters!). So in the end I ate 2 very large meals, a few small snacks, and tortilla chips. Oh boy. The beginning of the week was better. Tomorrow's weigh-in might not give me the results I want, so to that I say "THIS WEEK IS GONNA ROCK!!!"
This Friday will be my first session with my personal trainer. I am really excited to start working with her...she's gonna kill me! :)
9 weeks til the "Little Red Riding Hood" race. Yeah baby! I signed up today for the St. George Triathlon on May 9th. I can't wait!!
Ok, I'm tired and going to bed. Oh, and I just re-arranged my living room. Just thought I'd throw that in there. Thanks all for your support. Muchos besos.

Fueling the Fire, My Mom is a Psychic

Well, week 1 is over. Time to post the results...(drum roll please) 188.0!!!!!! And I'm down a full inch on my waist! I am feeling so good today. I'll be honest, my enthusiasm was starting to diminish a little. You know how you get really excited about something, and then after a few days you don't care as much anymore? (I am only adding this because I KNOW I am not the only one who feels this way) Well, it happened to me, especially after I didn't go to the gym on Saturday :( I felt sad about that. On Saturday morning I weighed in at 190.4. I was thrilled! I was chatting with my mother dearest last night, and she said something to the effect of "well maybe you will be in the 80's tomorrow, and you'll never have to go back to the 90's". Mom-will you predict my weight for next week? 70's perhaps? lol! Words honestly cannot describe how I feel to have that "9" gone. My goal is absolutely attainable. I just have to focus, and make it a priority. When I go up the plethora of stairs at the school, several times/day, instead of dreading/complaining about them, I think to myself "psh, PLEEEASE! I can take on those stairs! Bring it!" I don't complain about parking in "Far-Far-Away" anymore. I get excited when I reach the building because I think "Sweet! I got my heart rate up!"

Anyway, I feel super happy and oh-so motivated all over again. The flame hadn't completely gone out, but it needed a little fuel. It's a good thing I hired a trainer last week! Now I have someone to kick my butt at the gym, and to encourage me there too. Horray for exercise!!

On Friday I bought a little calendar that I carry with me. It has just enough space for me to write what I eat through out the day. Loni informed me that a serving of fruit is equal to 1/2 med. apple. Wow! I was totally suprised by that. I have been really careful to not OD on my fruit intake (no more than 5 servings/day). I'm so glad to know what a proper portion size is! Also, I have been trying to make sure that I eat enough veggies. So far, so good! Loni also taught me a little trick to making veggies not taste like diet food so much: grill them! It works so well. I heart grilled asparagus. In fact, I think I will have some when I go home for lunch. Also, in my handy dandy notebook I put a check mark everytime I drink 8 oz of water. I love spending my energy on something so good for me! Now I have to do homework, which is good for my grades.

Oh, and one more thing-due to my vast amount of blogging, I am typing a lot faster than I ever have. Man, this whole weight loss thing is doing wonders for me!

What am I gonna do??

Ok, today is my biggest challenge so far. I went to bad last night at 2 am because Matt suggested we watch Twilight. Now, before you start thinking he is in love with Edward, like the rest of us, allow me to explain: I paid him. Ok, that's a lie. We were trying to figure out waht to do for a date last night, and he suggested we watch a movie. I agreed, and he asked "Should we buy a movie?" The wheels in my head started turning, and I remembered that Twilight was out on video. I suggested that, and you know what? He agreed!! I about crashed my car. Sure enough, he was serious. He said "Well, I know you wanted it." Wow, Matt--You just scored major points. So anyway, we watched it until 2 am. I have a study group that I am leaving for right now, then a wedding at 1:30, then work at 4, then plans with Ashley. I can do it though! I can find a way. Maybe we can hurry the studying along...Whatever it takes, right? :)
Oh, I did go to the gym last night! Yeah baby. It felt great!

Days 3 and 4

Just "blogging in" (yuk yuk yuk!) to confirm that I indeed did go to the gym today, and yesterday. So far, so good! Matt came with me tonight. He is so supportive, and I am so grateful for him. Thanks schmoopie!
Also, I hired a personal trainer. You may be thinking "You are crazy", but you know, I am really in this to win. I figured out that if I work at Sorenson 1 extra day/month I can afford it. Hmmm...1 extra day of work for someone to tell me exactly what to do to reach my goals...DONE! I haven't met her yet, but they assured me she will kick my butt. I am so excited. I did well with my food today. I ate oatmeal with berries for breakfast (which Matt made for me), a big chicken salad for lunch, and a yummy taco soup that is super easy to make. I snacked well with fruits and..hmm I had a lot of fruit today. I ate veggies until I was sick of them. Pretty sure that was enough. :)
Here's to a great day tomorrow! (I am toasting with my protein shake)
Thanks all for your support.

Day 2--edited goals :)

I just got back from the gym!! Weeeee!!! I went to meet with a personal trainer, and to see how much it costs to meet with them regularly. *tangent with me for just a moment* Earlier today I realized that I spend at least $60/month on Diet Coke. YIKES!! That's insane. I have also done a little fast food analysis and realized that I am spending way too much on that. Like, totally for sure. Matt and I made goals a while ago to significantly limit our fast food intake, simply because it is so expensive. This may be a new incentive-trading the drive-thru window and so much soda for a personal trainer...Which reminds me of a really funny commercial I saw while I was warming up at the gym. It was a commercial break during "The Biggest Loser". Some guy ordered a bunch of food at a drive-thru, and when he got to the window, there was a muscle-y black guy with his arms crossed (fists behind the biceps to emphasize--lol!), with a super serious look on his face, shaking his head while blocking the girl from the restaurant who was trying to hand the guy a huge bag of food. It made me laugh out loud! That's right Mr. Fitness man!! You tell us what to eat!
Anyway, while I was meeting with the personal trainer guy, we talked about how much I wanted to lose, and he basically told me that I was silly. We figured out that my BMI is about 29%. Their little machines they use can be off up to 5 or 6 lbs, but it was a good place to start. We measured some new goals by what I want my BMI to be. Ready for this? 15%. Yep. that's what I keep telling myself when the training hurts so bad. "15%...15%..." I will get there, and I will have ab lines on my stomach! YEAH BABY!! So here are my updated goals: 156 lbs, 15% BMI

I did really good on my food today. I took a bag of carrots, an apple, a bunch of "cutie" oranges, and a V8 to work with me. I ended up buying some cheap-o sandwich because I didn't realize I would get so very hungry before my break. This girl cannot live on fruits and veggies alone! I went to the grocery store and bought a bunch of healthy stuff for snacking and for meals. Thanks for all your help Loni!! You are the bomb DAT com! Looking forward to tomorrow.

Off to a GREAT start!

I just got back from the gym. I did the elliptical for about 45 min, then went to a kick boxing class. Grand total calories burned: 1323. I am probably going to be so sore tomorrow!! It is worth it though. Time to get something healthy put together for dinner. YAY!

Whatever it takes!

There are at least 2 things I can easily justify not doing: Blogging, and working out. For those of you who know me, you know that I am extremely busy with school, homework and interpreting, not to mention church obligations, and time with my favorite person in the universe. To say the least, at the end of the day I am TIRED! I have, since Matt and I got married, gained weight, and I am a little sad about it. Ok...HOLD IT!!! This blog is all about being honest with myself, so I shouldn't start off with a lie. There have been multiple times where I have really cried over it. I can easily look a few months pregnant, and I hate it. Matt and I went to visit one of my best friends and her hubby, who currently live in San Francisco, for spring break. Ahhh...spring break. Loni is a fitness machine, and makes it a huge priority in her life. Before leaving Utah, I told Loni that I had gained weight, and that I did not want to talk about it at all. She was the bomb, and said nothing. Well, later on in the week, she was looking at her friends blog. Her friend started a blog to track her weight loss goal. (I will admit right now that this fitness blog thing is totally not my idea, but I love it! I even ripped off the name if the blog! That was due to a lack of creativity. I tried to come up with something, but all the addresses were gone, so there you have it; credit given where it is due.)
Here are the pictures from today. I am going to take pictures at random times throughout the day, not just in the morning. I will weigh-in every Saturday morning. My goal weight is 145. That is a lot for me, but I know I can do it. My goal is to get there by August 27th (aka my birthday). I just weighed myself, and I currently am...(drum roll please)...196.6. If you know me well, you know that there are 2 things I will never hide: my weight, and my age. I just don't care, so there you go. Keep it for a trivia game or something. Ok, so my goal is to lose 51.6 lbs, which means that I need to lose 2.3 lbs/week to stay on track. I am committing to eat healthy portions, plan and prepare my meals at night so I will not buy them at school, I will drink a glass of water before I drink a Diet Coke (I will NOT be giving up DC, but I will limit my intake), and I will lose 2.3 lbs/week. I WILL! I WILL!! I WILL!!! If you have any recipes that are low calorie, low fat, and still taste yummy, send them my way!!




Little confession: I am really nervous to put this stuff on a blog because I don't like the pictures I took today, but I wont care in 51.6 lbs. Yikes, that's a lot. I kinda laughed while I was taking these pictures because I thought "WOW, these look really bad! This is gonna be AWESOME when I lose this weight!" Here's to fitness! I'm off to the gym!