Help me. Happy Go lucky but stuck!

Yep...yesterday we boxed. After our heart rate spike, and running the stairs, and throwing those damn medicine balls, we boxed.

Let me say that I love zumba, I took dance for 8 years when I was younger, but I don't always have the best coordination. So learning to jab and dance all while keeping my shoulders square, proved to be a little taxing!! But I did it! Meathead...who I am becomming fond of....stayed with me a few extra minutes to work on boxing with me as my partner had to leave early. He thinks I do better without the gloves off.

We ended the session with squats. But this time it was on the steps ( like shown above) he started us stacked about 6 high. Then we would do sets of 10. Remove a step until we were down to just one! I did every single one but my goodness it was really hard. My partner does it with beauty and grace. I have a hard time not swearing. Ha

Now for some advice, please!

I know I am exercising every day. 5 days this week so far. I am logging my food, eating fairly well, but I haven't lost much weight. I am doing the BTB challenge and of course all the new bandsters are rockin' but I am not even losing a 1lb a week at the moment and I am working so freaking hard! Do I need to go for a fill? Or should I let these work outs catch up with me. I haven't pb'd in quite a while...I did feel tight last week, but this week and yesterday especially I felt hungry all day! What do you people think!!???

So this heat............

So this heat we are all talking about has made me so very tight. But I have discovered a love for ice cream. Before being banded I never ate ice cream. Well not never but it was quite rare. I could never finish a blizzard. A gallon of ice cream in the freezer would go bad...no lie. But right now I want ice cream all day. And the good stuff. Ben and Jerrys or Hagen Das, Please.

That being said:

I am working my tale end off people! These workouts my meathead (trainer) is having us do are insane. But I am loving it. I am so happy with the way I feel. Yesterday was work out 3...

But I haven't lost even one lb. I am eating well under my calorie limit. Even with the occasional ice cream. I am trying not to get discouraged. It is only week two and I know I am probably gaining muscle as I am using muscles I haven't used since my college training days. So give me some love here ladies. Beth?? Did you drop weight quick when you started your mega work out?

My 2 lb a week goal is not happening! Yet.

But I am proud of me. Ladies, this is hard stuff and I am doing it. Like running up and down the blasted stairs. 10 times. Not 5 up and 5 down....Up down 1. I mentioned this in one of my last posts. But I mention it again because there is no way you would have caught me doing that before! EVA.

I love the girl I am training with. Jami. She is so sweet and kind and such a good motivator. In the last 3 up/down runs..she was ahead of me. She ran the last three with me, to keep me going. Some things we are equal on. Like the leg presses or the medicine ball exercises. But anything with running and endurance she is well ahead. It is important to me that I don't feel behind and intimidated. But I don't..so thank you Jami! PLUS...meat head, after yesterday said we girls were doing really well. And he said it with some truth in his voice! Praise be!!


Chicago

Have I mentioned how excited I am?
I am going to the drag show with my girls, possibly a comedy show, I am following Beth to a Jazzercise class! I decided to go with the salad bar option with dinner only because I know I can be fed well and I won't waste a bunch of food! I have one outfit picked out...bought some new shoes. Have some cool S&D jewelry. I think about it everyday! Bummed that some of you can't come! But just plain excited. Meeting you people is nerve wracking...Like first day of high school. But I wouldn't miss it.


Dinner

I made the best dinner last night. I am a fresh produce kinda girl and am really lucky to not only have my parents garden to steal from but our customers bring in loads of stuff for us! We just don't have time to grow our own...I have herbs a plenty, but veggies come from friends and fam! Anyway.. I got the last of my parents beets last night. I never liked beets until a few years ago. Pickled..yuck. They tasted like dirt. But my mom roasted them for us a few years back and OMG were they heavenly. I also have an acquaintance who produces her own goat cheese. She brought my order to me last week and I froze part of it. The cheese I opened was basil and green onion goat cheese and OMG that was heavenly too! So last night was this:

Roasted Beets, panko crusted turkey cutlets, topped with fresh goat cheese! I made corn on the cob for the hubs... It took me 30 minutes to eat 1/2 cup of beets and 3 oz of turkey but I loved every bite. I drizzled a little red wine vinegar and olive oil on the top. The whole meal was about 350 calories. I've got a cutlet left over which I will try for lunch but me and left over meat don't get along so well! But yum was it tasty.


Life

Life is busy right now. I keep saying this but I feel a little bit spread thin. But happy as well! Going to bed early is what I am doing. My house needs a cleaning. It isn't cluttered but I dusted my desk with my butt bringing dinner to the table last night! I actually thought to myself..I'm gonna write this in my blog tomorrow.
I am reading all your blogs. Replying quickly when I can! But thinking of you all!

Have a fabulous Wednesday, ya'll!

Stella & Dot Look Books

Just a quickie!


I am sending out my Stella & Dot Look Books this afternoon and tomorrow and I would love to mail you one if you wanna have a look! Please email me your information to ajames79@msn.com or amandajshaw@hotmail.com and I will mail it to you pronto!

If you are in the area and would like to come to my fashion show I'd love to have you. We will have martini specials and hors d'oeuvres and beautiful jewelry!

Have a lovely day, ya'll!

P.S. I am so excited about Chicago.

ladders, stairs, sore sore body parts...

Thursday, training number 2..I'm alive. I feel good but wowser.

I ran ladders or suicides or what ever you running types call them. I also ran up and down the steep stairs 10 times. Yep: up down 1, up down 2...and so on. I was able to run up the stairs okay coming down was harder.

We worked with weights, medicine balls, and a few other various torture devices.

Girl #3 didn't come back. So now I am the slow poke...since girl #1 is a marathon runner!

I love it. I am tired and sore, but I love it! I hope I lose some more weight too!



I am so busy at the moment. Work is busy. Stella & Dot has a new fall line and I am in love with it. I got all my jewelry yesterday. Socially I am trying to slow down but I keep saying yes. I have a wine tasting on Saturday. My husband and I haven't spent a nice evening together in ages. I am ready for a date. Trying to keep up with blog land too! Sorry if I run behind!

Bought some fabulous shoes for Chicago and they are tooooooo small. Bummer is Macys is totally out of anything else close to my size! Booo. So excited though!

Oh My Goodness...........my legs might fall off

I would first like to say...........OUCH.

My first training session at 6a.m. this morning was awesome. Truly it was good.  But my legs HURT! My thighs to be exact. I thought I might die drying off in the shower today.

My meat head (aka trainer with the personality of a wet noodle) started the session telling me and the two other brave ladies that he has been told he needs to be a bit more sensitive for the ladies. I am assuming  his bosses say this. He says he will be sensitive for this week only. If this work out was sensitive then I may be in for a real treat!

So this morning, armed (literally) with my body bugg, water bottle, and a towel to wipe my sweat from my brow and various other places I worked my little (read larger) tail end off! I feel good about where I am. I was right in the middle of the three ladies! Lady #1 is a runner. She does marathons and I assume this is training for her next big one. Lady #2 is me. I am no runner but I am also not in awful shape. I work out 1-4 days a week. Lady #3 has the most potential in this Weight Loss Challenge. She is pretty overweight and probably does no exercise. She probably is intimidated like crazy of even me (which she shouldn't be because I know how she feels) but we all three are super encouraging. I say girl #3 has the most potential because we all know in the beginning if you stay motivated you can lose the most weight! There are probably 40 ladies (maybe 3 men) in the Challenge this time but only us three brave the 6 am workout slot. I know a lot of other people prefer the two other trainers who are women. But I know that meat head must be good at what he does. Just not gonna let anything slide.


That being said you bunch of motivating fools! Thank you for a couple of things! First Dinnerland: I started week 2 running last night! The rest of you....do you know how special it makes me feel to have compliments like crazy about my picture from a couple of posts back. My head and heart were swelling. I do feel proud. I am not done but I feel accomplished. Also yesterday when I said I failed. I think I used the term to loosely and I apologize. You are right, I didn't fail. I just didn't complete what I set out to do! This week will be better!


I wonder, once you get down close do your goal..does the feeling that you are going to gain it all back, that this was just one of those diets and this won't stick, ever go away!?? I mean 7 months is nothing. I've lost weight before...it just never stayed gone. Is this gonna work for good? I hope so.

Off to drink some protein.

Okay, I am tired.

We went to the drive in last night in the next town over. I am tired. It was so much fun, first time I've been in years and we will go again but I am tired. We took all sorts of snacks and tasty treats! It was just a late night!

I did run last week. I did two out of three of my runs! So I failed. But this is a new week! I start my Weightloss Challenge at the center where I work out. To recap: it is a 12 week run with 2 training sessions a week. Plus a personal session. So tomorrow I start working out with a trainer that I don't love. Its a he and he is a meat head. But I think it will be hard. But that is what I need, right!?

I lost 1.4 lbs last week in the Back TO Basics Challenge. I'll take it! Like I said before I start the challenge tomorrow and I really hope to hit at least 2 lbs per week!! So it is possible!


I wish I had more interesting things to tell you about today! But I'll get back to you later this week with an up date!

That's All.

Before

Sept. 2010

During

July 2011

After

?

We shall just have to wait and see!

Challenges, Running, Commitments, and Awards...

BTB Challenge Weigh in.

Last week: 201
This week: 199.2
total loss: 1.8lbs

Awesome. Onderland and no more plateau. I'll keep it.


I go on Wednesday for my health assessment for this 12 week challenge I am starting on the 18th. I will discuss with my trainer what my goals are and also read the fine print for all the rules and regulations! Ladies and Ladies..(I still don't have any men following I think)..I am pumped about this challenge. I am excited to see how it helps. I'd love to lose 25 lbs. 25 lbs in 12 weeks is possible. That is 2.08 lbs a week. I lost 1.8 last week. With help I could do that...right? I think so. I really do. That gets me to Chicago...I think that is week 11. I might have to have all new clothes for Chicago. I better get selling some jewelry and hording my pennies away. (let me go find my husbands wallet)

Pumped.

Running

Dinnerland who inspires me regularly, made a comment last week in response (read my BYOC for Friday)  to me deciding I could never be a runner. I tried it. On a local Greenway. For 5 minutes. It hurt and I said never again. Well she changed my mind. I will try it again! She has so graciously posted a beginner running plan and I am going to do it. I might even start today. It really does seem doable. Especially if I commit to it while I am doing this Weightloss Challenge at my local fitness center. Why not right?! Check out her blog/running plan which I linked to with her name and let me know if you want do it with me!

Commitments

Dinnerland also posted this morning about her week commitments. Since I am feeling all inspired and pumped I decided to make a few commitments myself.

1. I will  only drink ONE evening out of the week. Some weeks I don't have any and some weeks I drink plenty. But I will commit to only one evening of libations.
2. I will commit to running Dinnerlands guide for 3 days this week! 30 minutes. Don't extend it she says.
3. I will commit to eating out only one evening this week. Again like drinking, I sometimes eat out none. But sometimes we eat out a couple of evenings. This week we will have one dinner out. And I will try and make a balanced meal the rest of the time.

 Awards


Jessica awarded me an: Adorable Blog Award!













Yay!! Thanks Jessica!

The Rules

1. Thank the person who gave you this award and link back to them in your post

2. Tell us 10 things about yourself

3. Nominate your bloggers

4. Contact these bloggers and let them know you have nominated them

Ten Things About Me

1. I hate massages. I can handle a back rub or a scalp massage. But I do not like strangers giving me rub downs. I know. It's sad.
2.  My sister and I are very close but we are very different. We argue like crazy but if you say ANYTHING bad about her. Beware. Only I can say bad things about her.
3. I am addicted to my sweet and spicy pickles that I am making right now. I could eat a jar all on my own. Real sugar in them too so I better not eat a whole jar.
4. I really dislike salmon. It is good for you but I am burned out. Seriously
5. My husband vacuums my house and it makes me love him even more.
6. I should be doing work right now but I am blogging instead.
7. I have two Fedora hats and I wear them regularly. Especially because Chris thinks I am cute.
8. I still love cheese. I love it more then bread or candy. And simply couldn't live without it.
9. I have a very expensive trashcan and I love it.
10. I made my husband blackberry and peach cobbler from the Eating Well magazine last night. It was a big hit. I did not enjoy it. BUT I don't love dessert.

I award this to Sam because she and I both need to stick to our goals. And we will!~ Plus she does have an adorable blog!!

HAPPY MONDAY YA'LL!

STELLA & DOT ~ Preparing our outfits for Chicago......and other beautiful events!

Ladies...I am curious if any one is interesting in having a catalogue party for Stella & Dot?

You can tell your friends, family and blogging communities and do it all via my website! No hosting a party, no cleaning your house, no making snacks...and best of all you get all the rewards! Up to $500 in free Jewelry and up to 4 items at 1/2 off!



the new Marchesa Story

 We just received the new fall line and I am super excited about dressing for Chicago now.

I am considering having a party myself and thought if you were interested in buying a piece from my line you could do it that way as well. Mama (me) needs new glasses and contacts. My eyes are bothering me from all this blog reading!

The Renegade Collection

My top selling Bracelets!

My Website is www.stelladot.com/amandajshaw

My fav earrings!

Thank you in advance for letting me do a little bit of marketing! I am trying to save money..as I said for glasses and also our trip to Chicago. I want to be able to do what ever I want while I am away and this is one way for me to do so!  Hope ya'll don't mind! Again..like what you see or are interested in maybe even joining my team? Let me know! You'd be surprised at how awesome this company is..no lie!

BYOC......if Draz can be a unicorn then I can be a mermaid!

BYOC~ a little Friday ritual from Draz herself!

1. If you were asked to symbolize yourself as an animal – which animal would you be?
I'll be a mermaid thank you! I swam for year competitively and had this strange fascination with mermaids. I was totally addicted to The Little Mermaid when I was like 12-13. I even wore band aids that had her on them. 13 people. That is silly!

So that is what I am. A Mermaid.
2. Did you ever play an organized sport – with coaches, rules and scoring? Tell us about it.

Yep. I swam. I danced on a team, I played softball, I did track and field.  But Swimming was my passion. I also coached swim teams and  a few Special Olympic teams.
3. When did you start shaving your legs?

5th or 6th grade.. I did so without asking, cut myself, and then got in trouble. But all the other girls on the swim team were doing it!

4. When you’re in a crabby – pissy – want to stab everyone you see kind of mood – what do you do to get out of it or do you revel in it?

I have days then I am pissy. But rarely. I normally just am for hours and then I move past it. I always feel lethargic and worthless and I am sure my husband feels the pain. But for the most part I don't get crabby. Now when I am overly stressed I do go a little mental. I sit down and try and count to 10.

5. Repeat question: Summarize your week in blogland and in real life.

Real life is good! I feel motivated again. I am excited about both challenges and I feel really good about finally being under 200. I have found out that  I will NEVER EVER EVER be a runner. I can go really fast on the Elliptical which I call running. But I went and did some running on a local Green Way and I hated it. So A goal will never be doing a marathon! :)

Bloglife: Good. Positivity is out there in some of our bloggers. Loving it. Motivation is kicking up and excitement about Chicago is ever present. I CAN'T WAIT! I am as always thrilled with the feed back from my last post about the fairness about my WLS and a challenge. Not because it favored in my direction but mainly because it is so damn helpful to have all you people around! Lurve it.

So Many things..so little time! A message from the chaotic

First...today I was 198.2.

After days, a month even..of bitching about a non moving scale. I saw the elusive onederland. I say this today and we shall see what happens tomorrow but when I entered onederland before it was always 199.5. I wouldn't accept it until it was 198 for a few days. So we shall see.

But here is what I know!

I will not accept not getting to my goal of 175...That is a goal I want to make and if I get there and re asses and decide to go to 150 then fine. But 175 is what I'd like to be first. I knew that the first part of this journey might be easier then the last part. I knew that I would have to work at this. I knew that NOTHING would be easy!

So here is what I am doing about it!

I joined the B.O.O.Bs Back to Basic Challenge. I weighed in at 201 I think.

Even bigger then that, I joined my gyms Weightloss Challenge which begins on the 18th. I will have two group sessions a week with a trainer and one personal training session a week for 12 weeks, I have a 12 week use of a body bugg with option to buy at half off at the end of the session, weekly weigh ins, nutrition advice, measurements...and accountability!

I am pumped! I like 2 out of 3 of the trainers. The 3rd is just fine..he just is a meat head in my opinion. I go for my assessment next Wednesday. I am looking to lose weight and tone.

My Question To You All!?

This challenge has prizes involved. Honestly I am not doing this for the prizes but they don't hurt either. Anyway...I haven't signed the forms yet so I am not sure what the rules and regulations are but: If there is no stipulation about WLS am I obligated to share that information? Main reason I don't want to share it is that i have kept this a secrete from the general public. I live in a small town, the trainers are friends with a lot of people I know, the owner of the gym is the brother of a close friend and anything I EVER say in that gym gets around. But I don't want to be a cheat.

You and I both know that this surgery isn't always easy. We have to work. I have had to work...and I will continue to do so. But do you think I ought to keep quiet and if I possibly win maybe in confidence ask them to omit me as a winner? Or don't give me the top prize? Or maybe I should just tell them from the beginning? Although I don't want to.

Morally speaking what do you guys think? Not medically because medically I don't think I have to disclose any information. But I want to be fair.

All this might have no bearing once I read the rules but I am battling this a little in my head.

If I can't do this challenge I will possibly buy a Body Bugg and work with a trainer. But it comes out cheaper if I do the challenge!

So what do you think?

Never, never, never, never, ever give up. Right Kellie?

Catching up...

reading blogs written over the weekend and Kellie wrote several quotes to inspire us! She said her favorite which just happens to be mine as well is this.

"Never, never, never, never, ever give up." Winston Churchill


Last week I wrote a little about needing some help. Some thing was keeping me down. Me, perhaps. I was keeping me down. Wait, I am keeping me down!

I worked out every day last week...including Saturday. Best thing is I swam on Saturday. Laps.

Chris and I took Saturday and Monday off from work. He actually decided to come in to the shop on Saturday to get some work down without customers. I decided to go an work out. I did about a 1/2 mile on the ARC Trainer and then decided to swim laps. If you remember I was a competitive swimmer for 18 years. Coached and taught lessons all through college! I probably haven't swam laps in years. But I enjoyed it. I swam 20 laps consecutively...I really feel like I could have doubled that but adult swim was over and the children were waiting at the door.  So a new work out to add.

I started the Back to Basics Challenge on Sunday! 201.0. I am happy with that weigh in but of course the very next day it was up a lb. Then this morning it was 200.8...so who knows. But I am excited to see what comes of this challenge!

I have also decided to do a few days of liquids. I am thinking Wednesday and Thursday. Do you guys do pure liquids? Or just soups with small amounts of chunks?

I think I will make a fill appointment too! As small tweak. Some days I am great with the eating some days I could eat a horse. So...I am doing what Winston suggests! Never giving up. I want these last 25 lbs to go so I can see where my next goal is!



My weekend was great BTW. 22 people showed up last night. I did ribs and turkey sausage for 22 people! I will never in my life understand why people don't RSVP for these events then call the day of and say they are coming. And I am the sucker that says okay! But it was fun...for everyone else. Nah it was fun for me but I swear my arm hair was singed in the rib cooking! I am tired today for sure. But I guess that is what it is all about!


Motivation Monday! Oh wait, it's Tuesday. Screw the motivation then! :)

I am stuck...and I don't mean with food!

All day long that is what I felt like! Last night I ate about 5oz of chicken 1 oz of left over fillet, maybe 3 table spoons of squash, same of (left over)mashed potato's, and same of spinach. Maybe even a bit more of all the veggies. The night before I ate about 5 oz of fillet, 1/2 cup mashed potatoes, one bread stick and about 3/4 of a cup of salad maybe.  That is more food then I have been able to eat in ages.

Granted I have been working out every morning. Unlike last week and the week before-nothing. I do okay during the day but once I get home I am bloody starving.  I start the day with a greek yogurt, maybe a string cheese, lunch is various items. I agree that I could be making better food choices for lunch but I am still not over eating. But why am I so hungry when I get home???

For one, I do know that my hormones are out of whack. I took myself off of my crappy birth control. Not so much to try and get pregnant but more to feel normal again. I am so much more myself these last three weeks then I have been in a while. I actually like my husband. I mean I liked him..but I did not LIKE him. If you catch my meaning without TMI. Hee hee I am a bit prudish I suppose.

So maybe along with my hormonal issues it has been making me starving.   I went to the beach with my husband on May 27th. I have not lost a single lb.I have been regaining the same 2 lbs..I lose a few oz and then gain it back. Lose it, then gain it! Grrrrrrr. Should I call for a fill? I went June 14th and he didn't think I needed one.

I think I need to get back to basics. Remember to stop eating when I am full, recognize the fact I am full, Protein first (although generally I am pretty good about that), no drinking with meal...you know the rest.  I just need to do it! I would seriously love to lose another 25 lbs...I would feel a major success and even if I kept going at that point I still would feel like I did what I set out to do!

Any pointers ladies??

4th of July

Hubs and I can see the town fireworks from our porch. It is like a personal viewing. We are having about 10 people over for ribs, turkey sausage, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, onions, mac and cheese (made by a friend)  and various other items. All of the veggies come from our gardens with the exception of the onions! I have haricot vert's as well (fancy green beans ya'll hee hee) but I think I will save them for just me and Chris. Lima beans are coming in, my husbands fav. Sugar snap peas are done and so are the beets!

I love fresh veg. Love it

I found a microwave pickle recipe online. Bread and butter so there is a good amount of sugar but I add garlic, onion, and siracha sauce. So they are sweet and spicy. Now that I typically eat in small amounts I don't deny myself a few pickles with sugar. A year ago I'd skip it. Either way it is a really good way for me not to waste these beautiful cucumbers that are coming up strong this year!

~

I am happy. I really really am. But I want to lose some more. Help me.