Take that you evil plateau...

Well after bouncing around the scale for the past month and ony losing those pesky 8 pounds in 2 months I dropped 3 pounds this week :o) All I can say is Yipeee!Finally some more real progress. My eating was very clean and my workouts were as follows:
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Couch to 5k
Wednesday: Elliptical 20 minutes/ Weights 40 minutes
Thursday: Couch to 5k
Friday: Elliptical 20 minutes/ Weights 40 minutes (slept through Zumba)
Saturday: Trail Run
Sunday: 36 miles on the bike.

This week will be about the same but I hope to not sleep through Zumba because it is my favorite. I have a fabulous wedding reception to attend this weekend of a dear old friend. I am happy that I run that day so I don't have to stress out about what I put in my mouth that night.I love getting dressed up again and welcome the reasons to do so. Honestly during the week the only things that touch my face are chapstick,cleanser and lotion. My look screams "gym rat" and I am prud of it..lol.

8 Pounds.....

In 2 months time I have only lost 8 more pounds. Now I may have only lost 8 pounds but I have also lost 1 inch from my hips and 1 inch from each thigh. I also trained for and complete my first Triathlon. I have put over 450 miles on my bike and have had some form of exercise every day except four. So at first I was upset about this 8 pounds but it could be worse..I could of gained 8 pounds. I could of sat on my ass that whole time and not moved. I could of ate unhealthy foods but the point is that I didn't, I have still been diligent about my healthy lifestyle. So 8 pounds makes me happy, so happy that I googled 8 pounds.

Feeling Fantastic!!!

I am so thankful the supplements are working and the chiropractor has fixed me up. I was able to hit up my 15 mile ride Saturday night and was right back at the gym this week. 45 minutes of cardio yesterday and 20 minutes of cardio today and 30 minutes of weights. The rest of the week looks like 45 cardio, 20 cardio & weights, Zumba Friday and then a 34 mile ride this weekend. Again, I am so happy I am feeling back to 100%, well at least 95%. I still have a little bit of a cough left but it is fading quickly. So since I am feeling so fantastic I am sharing a recipe for Lo Mein made with Tofu Shirataki noodles:


Ingredients:
3 bags House Foods Tofu Shirataki, original spaghetti shape
One 10 - 16 oz. bag frozen Chinese-style stir-fry mixed veggies (with broccoli, water chestnuts, etc.)
8 oz. raw boneless skinless lean chicken breast; cut into strips
1 cup bean sprouts
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1/2 cup thinly sliced zucchini
1/2 cup chopped scallions
1/4 cup shredded carrots
1/4 cup reduced sodium or light soy sauce
1 tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. chicken-flavored powdered consommé/bouillon (like the one by Osem, which can be found with the kosher items at the supermarket)
2 no-calorie sweetener packets (like Splenda)

Directions:
Rinse and drain Tofu Shirataki noodles VERY well. Dry them thoroughly, and run a knife or kitchen shears through 'em a few times (so noodles aren't as long). Set aside. To make sauce, combine soy sauce, cornstarch, consommé/bouillon, and sweetener with 1/2 cup of hot water. Stir well and set aside. Bring a large pan or a wok sprayed with nonstick spray to medium-high heat. Add chicken and all the veggies (the frozen and the fresh ones). Stirring frequently, cook for 5 - 7 minutes (until chicken is cooked throughout and frozen veggies are heated). Pour sauce into pan/wok, stir well, and continue to cook until sauce has thickened. Lastly, add in the noodles, and cook until entire dish is thoroughly mixed and heated. MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Serving Size: 1/4th of recipe (1 HUGE serving)
Calories: 167
Fat: 1.5g
Sodium: 925mg
Carbs: 19g
Fiber: 6g
Sugars: 4g
Protein: 18g

POINTS® value 3*

Doctor,Doctor gimme the news................

I have been run down lately. Weak, dizzy, upset stomach, tired ect... I carb loaded and drank 3 power zeros just to get through that triathlon. I avoided the doctor for a while because I honeslty didn't want to hear about it. I figured it's humid, I am working out hard maybe I just need to hydrate more. Not so. My body is jacked up. I have a shit ton of vitamins and suppliments now to get my levels up. I was referred to a chiropractor for my back and was told I have osteoarthritis in my spine along with is being grossly out of place. I now I have 4 appointments within the next week and was told I couldn't run until it was better. I am not such a fan of running anyway but to be told you have the spine of a 60 year old is a little depressing. I was told to avoid my bike for a week to I wasn't in that scrunched position..LOL, I really don't see that happening. A week? I get antsy if I haven't ridden in 2-3 days.
So how did this happen? I have no idea how I screwed my back up, I have been in 8 car accidents and I fell down the steps last year but it has just now really started hurting. The levels are all my fault. 5 months ago I decided to get a bodybugg, I wanted to focus on my calorie deficit because I had hit a plateau on Weight Watchers. I have had a ton of problems with this device. I loved it for the first month and then it seemed like the numbers were off. Sometimes when I would take it off to shower it wouldn't even register being removed. So instead of me counting my WW points and getting in my 8 HG's I started using this bodybugg. So even though I was eating my points (calories) I was also pushing super hard in order to get to the 1000 calorie deficit. Too hard. 2 hours a day work outs. 1 hour at the gym, 1 hour at home and on cycling days anywhere from 1-4 hours. The people at Apex are sending me a new bugg to try.We both agree it wasn't reading properly. I am going to use this to calculate activiy points and not concentrate on that deficit so much. The point system works. I lost over 100 pounds counting points, the rest screwing around with my body. Now I return humbly to what works for me to shed the remainder of the weight. My mindset is already there and the mental hunger has already faded with this choice...it's true, the program works if you work it.

1 hour 33 minutes....

That is how long it took me to complete my first sprint triathlon. Race day is such a blur. Almost 16 months ago to the day I started my weight loss journey. I have lost so much weight but gained so much life. I still want to fast forward off this last 50+ pounds, I still didn't feel like I felt in wearing a bathing suit and spandex but I did it. I am proud.
The day started off with thunderstorms. We had no idea if they would even run it but headed up anyway. I was scared and kept hydrating. The day before I had thrown up from coughing too hard and was living off of halls.(I still am) Once I saw the water I wanted to cry. It was so rough from the storms. I just kept thinking there was no way I could swim that. The water was so bad they moved the buoys closer to the shore for safety. I racked my bike and and set up my little area. The start of the swim was chaos. We started in 3 waves and I was in the last one. By the time I came out of the water my heart could barely stay in my chest and instead of throwing on my cycling shoes and going I sat down on my towel. I just needed to get my bearings. I hurried up and slid in my spandex knickers, put on my cycling shoes and mounted up.
The cycling portion was rolling hills of 9.25 miles. It flew by. I passed about 20 people. I knew I would do well on this because it is my strongest event. I clipped along between 16 and 20 miles per hour and took in my GU about 4 miles in. Then it was time to get off my lovely bike and start the run. This was horrible. The sun came out and the breeze died down. I struggled for the first mile trying to find a good stride and I finally decided to walk. I walked quickly and broke down in tears. I was cramping, my lungs hurt and I was just plain tired. Despite my best effort to hydrate I forgot to drink on my bike and my hands were swelling. I stopped at the water station and saw another racer coming up behind me. We walked the last mile together talking about our girls and why we were doing this. It helped and I was thrilled to see the finish line.
I want to lose the rest of this weight now more than ever. I don't want to lug around this extra as I am trying to be active and healthy. I am sick of my ass not shrinking and of my flabby arms. I thought a year and I would be done..now I am thinking it will take 2. I am not in a hurry but I really want my outside to match my fitness level.
Overall I learned two things:
I can do anything I set my mind to.
Head to toe spandex is not flattering...at all.

300 swim, 9.25 bike, 5k run 1hr 33min
Jeramy's time 1hr 1min

A picture worth a thousand words...