Stay with Me Now....

WEIGHT: 131 LBS!

LBS LOST SO FAR: 55

baby is 5 months old

LBS TO GO: 11!!

I know there is at least one of you out there reading. My dear friend and fellow blogger Heather. Thanks Heather for the kind words and 'referral'! Heather (The Long and Winding Road) has an amazing story to share. Her story takes her all the way from overweight and starting down the road towards diabetes, heart disease and other ailments...but instead she steered in the other direction and competed in a figure competition. Now, she is finding the balance between the two to live her best life. An intriguing and inspiring story that is worth checking out for the before and after pictures alone!

So someone is with me. And I hope you stay. Because I am afraid here is where I may lose people.

My focus has always been to show that anyone can lose weight and change their lifestyle. It doesn't require a miracle pill, liposuction, or a privileged life. Basically a good jog stroller and voila. No excuses.

After my last pregnancy I lost 75 lbs without a trainer, meal delivery system or extra nanny hours. It can be done. And it took me about 9 months.

This time, I knew the stages to go through, the progression that would be made and what to expect. So I prepared. By saving my pennies during the pregnancy and not buying clothing (I hate spending money on maternity clothes!) massages, going on trips or out to dinner. I knew where I wanted to spend my money this time.

This week, I am using those pennies. Here is where I hope I don't lose people. I never want someone to say "Oh, you could do it because you hired a trainer and someone else to make your meals." "I can't afford that." Well, I just lost 55 lbs without any of those things. 20 minutes a day. You CAN afford that.

Stage 4 (?) is on. I am so comfortable at this weight. But comfortable isn't the goal now is it? I said I would take it to the next level and it's time. Stages 1-3, anyone can and should do. Move more, eat less. I could continue along this path and lose the last 10 pounds over time and look fine. But fine isn't the goal now is it?

It's time.

I don't think it's realistic to ask you to work out hard, make healthy meals, have the fridge stocked and take care of yourself on no sleep. Sleep deprivation is the number one hinderance to a healthy lifestyle. When you are not sleeping, you do what you have to do to survive. For me that meant a food delivery system for quick easy meals. Like a prepackaged frozen meal except for me that isn't an option because it has to be gluten free. I never did eat the meals as intended, I used them as an emergency meal when the threat of not eating was present. It also meant lots of cardio because cardio is mindless and easy.

But I am sleeping now. Oh, am I sleeping. Sleep, glorious sleep.

So now it's time.

I cooked (see the next post).

I met with a trainer. Hardest thing ever. (only because the memory of running my first minute after the baby is diminished...) I am lifting hard and heavy with no whining. I want to cry. I want to stop. I want to beg for a magic pill. This is the stage where I may lose the rest of you. I want to show you girls that lifting is not just for boys.

The intensity of workouts has just bypassed normal people/normal bodies. Cardio, a little lifting and a couple grilled chicken salads is great and healthy and man, do I wish most people in my life would do it. But I'd like to not be normal. I want people to say "wow, you really do put flaxseed in your cereal?"

New workouts=need a new plan. I can't just get out and run everyday now. I must rest and let my body repair. I learned this the hard way this week. By thursday my body hurt, ached and I was worthless with my trainer. so....here's stage 4 (or 5, or whatever we are on....)

MONDAY: Upper body with trainer

TUESDAY: Lower body fast twitch

WEDNESDAY: Cardio/yoga

THURSDAY: Upper body fast twitch

FRIDAY: Lower body with trainer

SATURDAY: Cardio (running outside or full body fast twitch)

SUNDAY: Cardio

Rest days occur when my body tells me.

and we all know my kids are laughing at the plan....

So stay with me, if anyone is in fact there at all. This is where it gets good. This is where we start realizing what our bodies are capable of. And read the next post...this is where we realize that the food we use to fuel it really does matter. Stay with me, because we are about to enter "Your Best Life".