So, after what felt like a very long process, I am finally able to say that we have been approved for a loan on the Walnut! For those that are curious, the home is built by Shea Homes and is in the Fiddyment Farm development in West Roseville. We had to go through a pre-qualification, which led to some work that needed to be done on our part, that finally led to a loan application and another week of waiting. We didn't want to make any announcements, or really get excited about anything, but last Friday we got word that we had been completely approved. The whole thing took about a month from start to finish. All along I had a feeling that it would be okay, but there was that part of me that just didn't want to get my hopes up. So, as my coworker suggested, I remained cautiously optimistic. It paid off!
I am going to try to visit the homesite every week to take pics of the progress. We went a couple of weekends ago and took some after they had framed the foundation and dug the trenches for piping and whatnot, but then JB lost his phone. My intention is to use snapfish to create a coffee table book of the whole thing once it's done. I am not sure how much longer we have to wait to go in and start selecting options and whatnot. We were able to visit the design center in the beginning to get an idea of what the upgrades would cost and work within our budget. Luckily a lot of stuff comes standard, so we don't have to pay as much for certain things that we want.
It's so funny because once you tell people you are buying a new home, they all want to give you their suggestions and tell you to try to get as much out of the builder as possible for free. Just as much as I am not a salesperson, I am also not a very good negotiator. If I ask once and they say no, I don't push the issue. JB is the same way. But when you tell people this, they just try to give you even more ways to try to get stuff for free. I do appreciate some of the good heads up tips I have been getting from people, and every time someone tells me to ask for something for free, I just go, "Oh yeah, I should ask about that next time we are in there." and move on with the conversation. Luckily I know quite a few people who have been in this situation recently so they have given me good advice as far as picking options and what to ask about.
The home is set to be finished and close escrow by late November/early December. I am hoping it's earlier rather than later for tax purposes. It would be nice to get that tax credit and pay off a student loan. :) I will be posting updates as they come, so stay tuned!
Monday, August 10, 2009
Friday, August 7, 2009
The Results Are In...
Okay, so I know boot camp ended a week ago, but the instructor was on vacation and was not able to test my body fat, therefore I could not post my progress. I finally met with her this morning. After 1 month, 3 days a week for an hour at 6am, the results are in:
Weight: 143.5lbs
Body Fat %: 14.95%
Now, if you look back at my initial post, you might notice that I have gained .5 lbs. But I also lost 0.68% body fat. This means one of two things; that I lost some weight, but built up muscle which repleaced it or that some of my fat turned into muscle, which actually weighs more. My goal was to lose 8lbs and 3% body fat, which is quite ambitious in a month's time. It's do-able, according to JB, but probably not for my lifestyle. In order to reach this goal, I would have required much more gym time than my days allow.
That month did quite a few things for me besides shape me up. It added a level of discipline that I really needed. Getting up early requires going to bed early. Also, knowing that your body needs a certain amount of sleep to recover from hard workouts made it more of a priority for me to get more sleep. I stopped staying up late watching tv or reading. I was in bed by 10:30, 11 at the latest. Also, I started drinking more water and remembering to take my vitamins everyday. Of course, if you are working that hard, you don't want to ruin it by eating junk, so my eating was much cleaner than it had been. Lots of lean meats (chicken, tuna, ground turkey), fresh fruits and veggies, and complex carbs (brown rice, wheat pasta, whole wheat breads), and other protein packed snacks like yogurt and cottage cheese, peanut butter, cheese and crackers. Of course I had a few days where I let go a little and enjoyed myself, but I would get right back on track the next day and not let it derail me. I also cut back a lot on the alcohol intake, which always helps.
One thing I have learned, especially with restaurants being required to post the nutritional information for their dishes, is that eating out can really set you back and derail any progress you are trying to make. Restaurant-prepared meals are packed with fat and sodium and can blow your entire day of caloric intake in one meal. It's quite ridiculous and rather discouraging. Some people like to play dumb and ignore the facts because they really want to enjoy their night out. I would say that once in a while, that's fine. But if you eat out for lunch or dinner, or both, on a regular basis, you are not going to get anywhere very fast. And if you look at this information and try to order the best possible health-concious choice, it turns out to be a huge waste of your money. It makes me wonder if it will eventually change the way restaurants prepare their food. I sure hope so.
I am quite pleased with my results. I am very proud of my dedication and determination. I have noticed more definition in my arms and legs (not so much in my abs where I wanted it), and have received a ton of compliments, especially from JB. And the thing I think is the best part about it all, is that I am inspiring others to do the same. I have had several friends and family, including my roommates, that have started working harder to acheive their goals because they have seen a glimmer of hope that the hard work actually pays off at some point.
So, I just went shopping for new work clothes since all of my old stuff, even the stuff I had altered, was not fitting properly. Saggy and baggy to say the least. To give you an idea of how far I've come, aside from the pictures previously posted, two years ago I was a size 10 at NY&Company. This is the store I buy all of my work clothes from because I know I like thier stuff and I know my sizes there. A while back, I got to start buying size 8 pants and eventually had to have those taken in. The ones I had taken in are now baggy on me, hence the shopping spree.
As I am loading up my arms with size 6 pants and medium sized tops, the store clerk keeps coming up and unloading them from me and putting them in the dressing room. Once I get in there to try stuff on, I realize that everything is too big. The size 6 pants are just a smidge to big, so I ask for a 4. Well, let me tell you, we are not quite there yet. Although I could get them on just fine and buttoned with no problem, they created a bit of a muffin top. Much like my size 10 pants were doing 2 years ago. I opted to stay with the 6 for now, but was excited about the fact that I could even fit into the fours! I also bought smalls in some of the tops I purchased. A few were still in the meduim range, but it all depends on the style. I can't even remember the last time I bought a small anything!
So, all in all, the boot camp experience was great! I made a little progress, although not as much as I had hoped for, and I am still on my quest for a 6 pack. I just purchased a 90 day weight loss pack from dotfit.com which, along with my gym activity and healthy eating, should help with the progress. The most important thing to remember is to not get discouraged. It takes a few months to see initial results, but after that it's encouraging to actually see the hard work pay off and know that you are doing all of the right things.
Weight: 143.5lbs
Body Fat %: 14.95%
Now, if you look back at my initial post, you might notice that I have gained .5 lbs. But I also lost 0.68% body fat. This means one of two things; that I lost some weight, but built up muscle which repleaced it or that some of my fat turned into muscle, which actually weighs more. My goal was to lose 8lbs and 3% body fat, which is quite ambitious in a month's time. It's do-able, according to JB, but probably not for my lifestyle. In order to reach this goal, I would have required much more gym time than my days allow.
That month did quite a few things for me besides shape me up. It added a level of discipline that I really needed. Getting up early requires going to bed early. Also, knowing that your body needs a certain amount of sleep to recover from hard workouts made it more of a priority for me to get more sleep. I stopped staying up late watching tv or reading. I was in bed by 10:30, 11 at the latest. Also, I started drinking more water and remembering to take my vitamins everyday. Of course, if you are working that hard, you don't want to ruin it by eating junk, so my eating was much cleaner than it had been. Lots of lean meats (chicken, tuna, ground turkey), fresh fruits and veggies, and complex carbs (brown rice, wheat pasta, whole wheat breads), and other protein packed snacks like yogurt and cottage cheese, peanut butter, cheese and crackers. Of course I had a few days where I let go a little and enjoyed myself, but I would get right back on track the next day and not let it derail me. I also cut back a lot on the alcohol intake, which always helps.
One thing I have learned, especially with restaurants being required to post the nutritional information for their dishes, is that eating out can really set you back and derail any progress you are trying to make. Restaurant-prepared meals are packed with fat and sodium and can blow your entire day of caloric intake in one meal. It's quite ridiculous and rather discouraging. Some people like to play dumb and ignore the facts because they really want to enjoy their night out. I would say that once in a while, that's fine. But if you eat out for lunch or dinner, or both, on a regular basis, you are not going to get anywhere very fast. And if you look at this information and try to order the best possible health-concious choice, it turns out to be a huge waste of your money. It makes me wonder if it will eventually change the way restaurants prepare their food. I sure hope so.
I am quite pleased with my results. I am very proud of my dedication and determination. I have noticed more definition in my arms and legs (not so much in my abs where I wanted it), and have received a ton of compliments, especially from JB. And the thing I think is the best part about it all, is that I am inspiring others to do the same. I have had several friends and family, including my roommates, that have started working harder to acheive their goals because they have seen a glimmer of hope that the hard work actually pays off at some point.
So, I just went shopping for new work clothes since all of my old stuff, even the stuff I had altered, was not fitting properly. Saggy and baggy to say the least. To give you an idea of how far I've come, aside from the pictures previously posted, two years ago I was a size 10 at NY&Company. This is the store I buy all of my work clothes from because I know I like thier stuff and I know my sizes there. A while back, I got to start buying size 8 pants and eventually had to have those taken in. The ones I had taken in are now baggy on me, hence the shopping spree.
As I am loading up my arms with size 6 pants and medium sized tops, the store clerk keeps coming up and unloading them from me and putting them in the dressing room. Once I get in there to try stuff on, I realize that everything is too big. The size 6 pants are just a smidge to big, so I ask for a 4. Well, let me tell you, we are not quite there yet. Although I could get them on just fine and buttoned with no problem, they created a bit of a muffin top. Much like my size 10 pants were doing 2 years ago. I opted to stay with the 6 for now, but was excited about the fact that I could even fit into the fours! I also bought smalls in some of the tops I purchased. A few were still in the meduim range, but it all depends on the style. I can't even remember the last time I bought a small anything!
So, all in all, the boot camp experience was great! I made a little progress, although not as much as I had hoped for, and I am still on my quest for a 6 pack. I just purchased a 90 day weight loss pack from dotfit.com which, along with my gym activity and healthy eating, should help with the progress. The most important thing to remember is to not get discouraged. It takes a few months to see initial results, but after that it's encouraging to actually see the hard work pay off and know that you are doing all of the right things.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Halfway There!
Holy cow! Two blogs in one week! I must be bored at work. LOL!
So, today marks the halfway point for boot camp. I have successfully made it on time (at 6am) and all the way through 6 classes. I almost missed my alarm this morning though. Woops! It has not been easy. I definitely have to talk crap to myself in my head. The whole, "you're doing great, you can do it!" doesn't work on yourself. It's more like, "Don't be a p#$$4, you can do this. Some of these people are twice your age." No offense to those people. LOL!
Due to situations beyond her control, my partner in crime through this process has missed the entire week. Except for Monday when she was just "too tired". I could have forgiven her for that because when I woke up that morning and saw her text, I almost went back to bed myself. But I would have only been cheating myself. So, I went. And I have been regretting it ever since. Let me tell you, if I can remember, what Monday's workout entailed:
-2 warm up laps
-dynamic warmup (some different drills to get certain muscle groups warmed up)
-plank for two minutes
-A circuit that included doing a squat/bicep curl with 8lb weights simultaneously (10 reps), followed by 30 yards of walking lunges, 10 push-ups, 30 yards walking lunges back. Repeat again at reps 9, and so on, all the way down to 1.
-The rest of the workout is pretty much a blur, but it probably involved some upper body stuff with a resistance band and then some more core work.
If you did the math correctly, you would have realized that 60 yards of walking lunges, ten times, equals 600 yards of lunges. For those of you like me, who are bad with distance, that's 6 FOOTBALL FIELDS!!!!! By the end of that day, I was feeling tight. The next morning was a little worse. By lunch time, I could barely walk. All of those things that we take for granted like getting in and out of a chair or going to the bathroom, even steering with your knee, inflicted great amounts of pain. That night, walking up the stairs was difficult, but didn't hurt nearly as bad as having to walk down them the next morning. I had several questions from coworkers about the way I was hobbling around the office, and my boss told me, "You're too young to walk that old."
I can honestly say that in all of my years of dancing and working out (with or without a trainer) I have never been that sore. Everything from the waist down was sore and tight, but my quads felt it the most. When I would try to walk, I thought my knees were going to hyper-extend because of the fact that my muscles could not support them properly. My roommate used the example of the blow-up guys you see at the state fair or the car dealerships with their unstable limbs flailing about. That was me, flailing about down the hallway at work. Somehow I made it through the workout on Wednesday, and was very grateful when we were working different muscle groups. Today's workout was a little easier in that aspect, but still tough. Especially when she had us doing more lunges and some other squatting exercises. I can still feel the tightness, but it is now down to the level that I am used to experiencing from a tough workout.
I hate getting up early. With a passion. I really dislike levels of exertion beyond my comfort zone, and I hate losing a challenge. So, why the hell am I doing this? Well, to see if I can, for one. And then to say that I did. I am a lot tougher than I give myself credit for and I am proud of myself for making it through every one of these godforsaken boot camp classes. It helps knowing that I am motivating others as well and JB is being really supportive and encouraging.
I made it halfway, so I know I can make it the rest. I will try to start posting the workouts from each day, but sometimes, my mind is just jello by the time I get out of there let alone the end of the day.
So, today marks the halfway point for boot camp. I have successfully made it on time (at 6am) and all the way through 6 classes. I almost missed my alarm this morning though. Woops! It has not been easy. I definitely have to talk crap to myself in my head. The whole, "you're doing great, you can do it!" doesn't work on yourself. It's more like, "Don't be a p#$$4, you can do this. Some of these people are twice your age." No offense to those people. LOL!
Due to situations beyond her control, my partner in crime through this process has missed the entire week. Except for Monday when she was just "too tired". I could have forgiven her for that because when I woke up that morning and saw her text, I almost went back to bed myself. But I would have only been cheating myself. So, I went. And I have been regretting it ever since. Let me tell you, if I can remember, what Monday's workout entailed:
-2 warm up laps
-dynamic warmup (some different drills to get certain muscle groups warmed up)
-plank for two minutes
-A circuit that included doing a squat/bicep curl with 8lb weights simultaneously (10 reps), followed by 30 yards of walking lunges, 10 push-ups, 30 yards walking lunges back. Repeat again at reps 9, and so on, all the way down to 1.
-The rest of the workout is pretty much a blur, but it probably involved some upper body stuff with a resistance band and then some more core work.
If you did the math correctly, you would have realized that 60 yards of walking lunges, ten times, equals 600 yards of lunges. For those of you like me, who are bad with distance, that's 6 FOOTBALL FIELDS!!!!! By the end of that day, I was feeling tight. The next morning was a little worse. By lunch time, I could barely walk. All of those things that we take for granted like getting in and out of a chair or going to the bathroom, even steering with your knee, inflicted great amounts of pain. That night, walking up the stairs was difficult, but didn't hurt nearly as bad as having to walk down them the next morning. I had several questions from coworkers about the way I was hobbling around the office, and my boss told me, "You're too young to walk that old."
I can honestly say that in all of my years of dancing and working out (with or without a trainer) I have never been that sore. Everything from the waist down was sore and tight, but my quads felt it the most. When I would try to walk, I thought my knees were going to hyper-extend because of the fact that my muscles could not support them properly. My roommate used the example of the blow-up guys you see at the state fair or the car dealerships with their unstable limbs flailing about. That was me, flailing about down the hallway at work. Somehow I made it through the workout on Wednesday, and was very grateful when we were working different muscle groups. Today's workout was a little easier in that aspect, but still tough. Especially when she had us doing more lunges and some other squatting exercises. I can still feel the tightness, but it is now down to the level that I am used to experiencing from a tough workout.
I hate getting up early. With a passion. I really dislike levels of exertion beyond my comfort zone, and I hate losing a challenge. So, why the hell am I doing this? Well, to see if I can, for one. And then to say that I did. I am a lot tougher than I give myself credit for and I am proud of myself for making it through every one of these godforsaken boot camp classes. It helps knowing that I am motivating others as well and JB is being really supportive and encouraging.
I made it halfway, so I know I can make it the rest. I will try to start posting the workouts from each day, but sometimes, my mind is just jello by the time I get out of there let alone the end of the day.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Boot Camp
So, in case you haven't heard me talk about it or seen any of my face book status updates, I am currently in a fitness boot camp with Breakout Fitness. It started last Monday and it is brutal to say the least. First of all, it's at 6am. Second, every day (MWF) is a total body workout and it's always different so your body never really adapts to it. For the 12 sessions it was $200, which breaks down to $17/session. Great rate if you have ever had to pay for training. I guess if I have to pay someone to inflict pain on me, it's a good deal. The thing that surprises me is that even with going to the gym 3-5 times a week since the beginning of the year, this kicks my ass every day. I am sore by the end of the day and still sore by the next work out. It's pretty great though because there are men and women of all ages right along side you and seeing what people are capable of is pretty motivating.
The first week she had us weigh ourselves and do our body fat testing. Below are my results/goals to work towards:
Category
Current
Last
Date:
7/12/09
Body Fat %:
15.68%
Desired Body Fat %:
12.00%
Body Fat to lose:
5.97 lbs
Total Weight:
143.00 lbs
Lean Body Weight:
120.58 lbs
Body Fat Weight:
22.42 lbs
Goal Weight:
137.03 lbs
She is going to take our measurements again when this is all over at the end of the month and I will be sure to post them here to see if I have made any progress. I have been trying to do cardio and other workouts outside of this, but the first week was a little crazy. I am almost done with my Thursday class so I will have another day of the week for workouts as well.
Stay tuned...
The first week she had us weigh ourselves and do our body fat testing. Below are my results/goals to work towards:
Category
Current
Last
Date:
7/12/09
Body Fat %:
15.68%
Desired Body Fat %:
12.00%
Body Fat to lose:
5.97 lbs
Total Weight:
143.00 lbs
Lean Body Weight:
120.58 lbs
Body Fat Weight:
22.42 lbs
Goal Weight:
137.03 lbs
She is going to take our measurements again when this is all over at the end of the month and I will be sure to post them here to see if I have made any progress. I have been trying to do cardio and other workouts outside of this, but the first week was a little crazy. I am almost done with my Thursday class so I will have another day of the week for workouts as well.
Stay tuned...
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Change of Plans
Shortly after I wrote my last post I found out that by getting a loan on my own, we wouldn't really be approved for much of a house. This was kind of discouraging because it meant that we had to put our plans on hold for the time being and wait to see what happened next with a few things. One of those things was JB's job. I was unsure how long it would take for them to post the manager position for him to even apply, but then everything started happening pretty fast. They posted the position and he had an interview the following Tuesday. By Thursday, he had been promoted!!!!
This changes things in a great way for us. The house that I mentioned in my previous post, The Walnut, is now a pretty good possibility for us. We now have comparable steady incomes and are working to increase credit scores where necessary for financing. We informed our realtor that we would no longer be looking at resale homes and wanted to focus mainly on getting ourselves a Walnut. Last Sunday, she met us at the model homes and we walked through them again. We looked at the one we want, and then just to be sure, went around and looked at all the others to see the different options and ideas. Finally, we went in and talked to the sales representative.
She went over the prices of the different elevations with us. Luckily the one we want is the least expensive. She also went over some of the basic upgrades that we are most likely going to want in the home. The fireplace is optional, which I think is stupid, but we are probably going to get it anyway. There are no HOA fees for the development, but there are mello roos. The good thing here is that they lower the property taxes so that the mello roos and taxes combined still equal 1.25%. Their lender does FHA loans, which means we only have to put down 3.5% and we would only have to pay 25% down on any options we select, which also goes towards the down payment. This means we don't have to come out of pocket any extra for the options we want. The unfortunate part is that since we don't have 20% to put down, we have to pay a PMI, which is $160 a month!!! Hopefully within the next 5 years we might have enough equity in the home to get rid of that. Who knows what will happen in this state though.
We left the sales office feeling pretty optimistic. I think with both of our incomes and dwindling debt, we should be able to live comfortably in this home. And since it's 2434 square feet, we should be able to stay there for quite a while, family expansion or not. We made an appointment at the design center this Thursday to go and price out different options and whatnot, and we are going to do a pre-qual to see what suggestions they have to improve credit scores. They have a block for sale right now that would possibly close escrow by November, but we are not sure we will make it in that one with the things we still need to take care of. The next phase will possibly be move-in ready by Feb/March 2010. That will also be good because we can spend that time building up our savings. I tried to include some pics below of the model, although what we end up with is going to look completely different, but the site is being lame, so I put them on my facebook.
After we left the models, we headed over to the mall for lunch. I asked JB if we could look at sparkly things just for fun and he said yes. We looked in every jewelry store, but I already have a specific one in mind and only one store in the mall carries it. Of course we ended up there last. I didn't even find anything at the other stores that came close to the one I want. When I finally got to try it on, it was even more beautiful in person than the pics on the designer's website. I'm sure I won't be getting it anytime soon, but it was fun to try it on and see how it looked in person.
What a great day!
After we left the models, we headed over to the mall for lunch. I asked JB if we could look at sparkly things just for fun and he said yes. We looked in every jewelry store, but I already have a specific one in mind and only one store in the mall carries it. Of course we ended up there last. I didn't even find anything at the other stores that came close to the one I want. When I finally got to try it on, it was even more beautiful in person than the pics on the designer's website. I'm sure I won't be getting it anytime soon, but it was fun to try it on and see how it looked in person.
What a great day!
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Be Veeeeeery Quiet, I'm Hunting Houses
Gotta love my humor and my horrible Elmer Fudd attempt. It is true though, JB and I have started the process of looking for a house. Of course, we made the mistake of looking at models and fell in love with one, so of course nothing else is going to compare. Especially the stuff in our price range. Ideally, this is what we are looking for:
Single story
At least 1500 square feet
Roseville/Rocklin or Folsom area
Built in the last ten years
Great room concept
Master Suite
No tile countertops
There are a few more requirements and there is some stuff we are willing to budge on, but for the most part, that's what we want. The model home, The Walnut, is amazing. 2400 square feet of amazing, if I may. I can't even really describe it and just seeing the floor plan isn't enough. You have to see the model. It's like the heavens open and shine down light and angels sing for this thing. Well, maybe not, but that's how I feel. And I'm pretty sure JB feels the same way.
Fortunately for us, and not so much for others, there are a lot of short sales out there right now which puts houses that would normally be out of our price range, just within our reach. Maybe we will find an awesome home that is almost as good for us, but more affordable. All I know is that I have a tendency to get my hopes up about stuff like this, and get excited, and then get let down. That is going to get old pretty fast. A lot of the agents are listing homes really low to get the attention, but then when the offer goes in, the bank rejects it because it is nowhere near the appraisal value of the home.
Luckily we are using someone that is a client of JB's and she has been in the business for over 30 years. We met with her last Saturday to go over the things we were looking for and what we absolutely don't want. After that we went and looked at three houses, but two of them were in contingency. Each house got better, but none of them was "the one". I'm sure we will know it when we see it.
Another thing that might change is JB's position at work. He is interviewing on Tuesday for a fitness manager position and if he gets it, we might be in better shape income-wise. I'm not so sure about the rate we would be able to get though. I guess we'll just hang out and play it by ear.
Wish me luck!
Single story
At least 1500 square feet
Roseville/Rocklin or Folsom area
Built in the last ten years
Great room concept
Master Suite
No tile countertops
There are a few more requirements and there is some stuff we are willing to budge on, but for the most part, that's what we want. The model home, The Walnut, is amazing. 2400 square feet of amazing, if I may. I can't even really describe it and just seeing the floor plan isn't enough. You have to see the model. It's like the heavens open and shine down light and angels sing for this thing. Well, maybe not, but that's how I feel. And I'm pretty sure JB feels the same way.
Fortunately for us, and not so much for others, there are a lot of short sales out there right now which puts houses that would normally be out of our price range, just within our reach. Maybe we will find an awesome home that is almost as good for us, but more affordable. All I know is that I have a tendency to get my hopes up about stuff like this, and get excited, and then get let down. That is going to get old pretty fast. A lot of the agents are listing homes really low to get the attention, but then when the offer goes in, the bank rejects it because it is nowhere near the appraisal value of the home.
Luckily we are using someone that is a client of JB's and she has been in the business for over 30 years. We met with her last Saturday to go over the things we were looking for and what we absolutely don't want. After that we went and looked at three houses, but two of them were in contingency. Each house got better, but none of them was "the one". I'm sure we will know it when we see it.
Another thing that might change is JB's position at work. He is interviewing on Tuesday for a fitness manager position and if he gets it, we might be in better shape income-wise. I'm not so sure about the rate we would be able to get though. I guess we'll just hang out and play it by ear.
Wish me luck!
Monday, June 8, 2009
A Work in Progress
So, I posted an album on myspace and facebook with some pics from the past two years to chronicle my struggle with getting into shape. Being an active kid in high school with cheer and dance, fitness was never really something I had to pay attention to. Once I was out of high school, pretty much inactive and making my own money to buy food left and right since there was never much in the house that didn't require preparing, I started gaining weight. Now, I know that everyone goes through changes in their bodies as they grow older, but there is also a lot that you can do to affect the way it changes. Stuffing your face with fast food and not exercising, is probably not the best way to assist those changes that your body is already going through. There are other things that can affect a woman's weight as she ages as well, such as birth control. Hormones tend to have quite the effect on weight gain. And although I slowly gained some weight after high school, maybe about 5 lbs per year, breaking off my engagement (I promise, I will blog about that at some point) really sped up the process. It has been almost 4 years since then. The first two years I spent drinking from Thursday night to Sunday night and enjoying the late night eating, followed by lazy hangover days with greasy burgers that goes along with it. In May of 2007, I was almost 160 at 5'6". My body fat percentage was around 30% and I looked like this:
That's when I realized that something needed to change. I needed to start taking care of myself and changing my lifestyle. If this were easy, America wouldn't be obese. But I suddenly had this fear that if I didn't start doing something about it now, it would be much harder and a much bigger task later. It's not like exercise was foreign to me. I have danced most of my life and participated in soccer and gymnastics briefly when I was younger. But as an adult, finding time to work it into my busy social life outside of work was more difficult than I thought. At least that's what I told myself.
At some point, I found The Abs Diet. Which was interesting because it wasn't a diet at all. It was just a book with tips and workouts and recipes and knowledge. Once I educated myself on how bad what I was putting into my body was for me, it made it easier to stop doing it. It also taught me that everyone gets to indulge, and moderation is key. No brainer, right? Well, even with the foods and workouts right in front of me, it still wasn't easy. A year later, I still looked like this:
I felt like I was making progress, but clearly the pictures tell a different story. Have you noticed a common theme yet? Alcohol. Right. Apparently not only does alcohol equal empty calories and make you want to stuff your face, but it also hinders your body from burning fat, so very little, if any, of what you take in is even being burned off when you have alcohol in your system. Changing your lifestyle is really hard when you have collected friends and taken to activities that mostly revolve around drinking and spending money you don't have (different blog for a different day). I wonder how much more money and how many less lbs I would have if I counted up all my trips to Vegas over the last four years. Thinking about it makes my head spin. But of course I am not going to cut off all my friends and completely quit drinking. Not that I couldn't, but moderation is the key. So, I cut waaaaaaaaay back on the amount I was drinking and switched what I was actually drinking (Vodka/soda - the only calories are in the vodka - 50 per 1oz shot). That along with eating the right things most of the time and hitting the gym a few times a week was doing something, but not enough.
In December, JB let me borrow his body bugg. It's a device that you wear, always except showering and sleeping, that counts your calories burned and steps taken for the day. This tool accompanied with the website used to log your food and upload your bugg data, shows you what you are taking in and what you are burning and helps you to set goals and reach them. I started the day after Christmas 2008, still around 150 lbs, and around 25% body fat. I used it diligently for about 2 months. I was eating 1600 calories a day and burning 2200 at least. I was really good with my eating and was getting to the gym 3-4 times a week. I fell in love with Turbo Kick Boxing and JB fixed my running form so I could actually run for longer than 15 minutes and not get tired. Slowly but surely I started to see a change. I weighed in at 143 and was down to 23% body fat on May 22, 2009 and just last week in So Cal, took these pics:
I was half kidding while posing on the beach, but when I saw the pics, I felt like my hard work after all that time had finally paid off! Not to mention I can almost run a 10 minute mile!! This coming from a girl who failed PE her freshman year because she loathed running. Now I am one of those people that goes jogging after work in my neighborhood and does ab videos and squats and lunges in the living room if I can't make it to the gym. I enjoy working out now and I get frustrated when I can't go for days at a time. I find places to fit it into my schedule and even turn down invites if it means I have to skip the gym. I have turned time with friends into gym dates instead of happy hours (most of the time). And JB and I have gym dates at least once a week and love working out together. I admit, there are times that I slip, have bad days, whatever. Tonight for dinner I had chicken and mac 'n' cheese. But I don't get defeated or beat myself up about it and I get back on track the next day. It's almost like more motivation, at least that's what I tell myself ;)
JB likes to think he is mostly responsible, and I give him partial credit, but not as much as he thinks he deserves. I probably could have done it without him, but he made it a hell of a lot easier and way more fun. Makes me love him even more!
I am not exactly where I want to be yet, although I feel I am in a great place. There's something about having to get all of your pants taken in that makes you feel like you have accomplished something. Next up is a fitness boot camp. A coworker and I have signed up for the July session. Three days a week at 6am. I am going to hate and love every minute of it. I feel like that might just get me to where I want to be. That final push over the edge.
Stay tuned...
That's when I realized that something needed to change. I needed to start taking care of myself and changing my lifestyle. If this were easy, America wouldn't be obese. But I suddenly had this fear that if I didn't start doing something about it now, it would be much harder and a much bigger task later. It's not like exercise was foreign to me. I have danced most of my life and participated in soccer and gymnastics briefly when I was younger. But as an adult, finding time to work it into my busy social life outside of work was more difficult than I thought. At least that's what I told myself.
At some point, I found The Abs Diet. Which was interesting because it wasn't a diet at all. It was just a book with tips and workouts and recipes and knowledge. Once I educated myself on how bad what I was putting into my body was for me, it made it easier to stop doing it. It also taught me that everyone gets to indulge, and moderation is key. No brainer, right? Well, even with the foods and workouts right in front of me, it still wasn't easy. A year later, I still looked like this:
I felt like I was making progress, but clearly the pictures tell a different story. Have you noticed a common theme yet? Alcohol. Right. Apparently not only does alcohol equal empty calories and make you want to stuff your face, but it also hinders your body from burning fat, so very little, if any, of what you take in is even being burned off when you have alcohol in your system. Changing your lifestyle is really hard when you have collected friends and taken to activities that mostly revolve around drinking and spending money you don't have (different blog for a different day). I wonder how much more money and how many less lbs I would have if I counted up all my trips to Vegas over the last four years. Thinking about it makes my head spin. But of course I am not going to cut off all my friends and completely quit drinking. Not that I couldn't, but moderation is the key. So, I cut waaaaaaaaay back on the amount I was drinking and switched what I was actually drinking (Vodka/soda - the only calories are in the vodka - 50 per 1oz shot). That along with eating the right things most of the time and hitting the gym a few times a week was doing something, but not enough.
In December, JB let me borrow his body bugg. It's a device that you wear, always except showering and sleeping, that counts your calories burned and steps taken for the day. This tool accompanied with the website used to log your food and upload your bugg data, shows you what you are taking in and what you are burning and helps you to set goals and reach them. I started the day after Christmas 2008, still around 150 lbs, and around 25% body fat. I used it diligently for about 2 months. I was eating 1600 calories a day and burning 2200 at least. I was really good with my eating and was getting to the gym 3-4 times a week. I fell in love with Turbo Kick Boxing and JB fixed my running form so I could actually run for longer than 15 minutes and not get tired. Slowly but surely I started to see a change. I weighed in at 143 and was down to 23% body fat on May 22, 2009 and just last week in So Cal, took these pics:
I was half kidding while posing on the beach, but when I saw the pics, I felt like my hard work after all that time had finally paid off! Not to mention I can almost run a 10 minute mile!! This coming from a girl who failed PE her freshman year because she loathed running. Now I am one of those people that goes jogging after work in my neighborhood and does ab videos and squats and lunges in the living room if I can't make it to the gym. I enjoy working out now and I get frustrated when I can't go for days at a time. I find places to fit it into my schedule and even turn down invites if it means I have to skip the gym. I have turned time with friends into gym dates instead of happy hours (most of the time). And JB and I have gym dates at least once a week and love working out together. I admit, there are times that I slip, have bad days, whatever. Tonight for dinner I had chicken and mac 'n' cheese. But I don't get defeated or beat myself up about it and I get back on track the next day. It's almost like more motivation, at least that's what I tell myself ;)
JB likes to think he is mostly responsible, and I give him partial credit, but not as much as he thinks he deserves. I probably could have done it without him, but he made it a hell of a lot easier and way more fun. Makes me love him even more!
I am not exactly where I want to be yet, although I feel I am in a great place. There's something about having to get all of your pants taken in that makes you feel like you have accomplished something. Next up is a fitness boot camp. A coworker and I have signed up for the July session. Three days a week at 6am. I am going to hate and love every minute of it. I feel like that might just get me to where I want to be. That final push over the edge.
Stay tuned...
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Time Flies!!
Remember when I babbled about not going another month without blogging? My bad. Turns out in my world it's easier said than done.
Today is the last day of the term for me. What does that mean? I have to give a presentation, for one. It also means I get a week off of school and can focus on the gym. Annnnnnd, it means I get to go to Disneyland!! Yippee!
My best friend's little girl is 3 1/2 and it will be her first trip to Disneyland. How can you miss that? I want to be there to capture every moment of it. I don't have my own children yet (thank god!) which means I have to live vicariously through my friends and their little nuggets. This makes it possible for me to act like a child, with an excuse for once.
Hopefully when I return I will have lots of pictures and stories to blog.
Until then...
Today is the last day of the term for me. What does that mean? I have to give a presentation, for one. It also means I get a week off of school and can focus on the gym. Annnnnnd, it means I get to go to Disneyland!! Yippee!
My best friend's little girl is 3 1/2 and it will be her first trip to Disneyland. How can you miss that? I want to be there to capture every moment of it. I don't have my own children yet (thank god!) which means I have to live vicariously through my friends and their little nuggets. This makes it possible for me to act like a child, with an excuse for once.
Hopefully when I return I will have lots of pictures and stories to blog.
Until then...
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Busy Breezy
So, I had my step-mom ask me today when I had a free weekend in order for JB and I to come down to Vacaville for a BBQ with her and my dad. When I looked at my calendar, this is what I found:
Next Weekend: Mother's Day
May 14th - rehearsal dinner for Ry & Val
May 15th - Ry & Val's Wedding
May 23-25th - Memorial Day Weekend with a paper and presentation due on the 26th
May 30th - Cousin's Graduation
May 31-June 3rd - Disneyland
June 5-7 - Tahoe for Callie
June 13th - Callie's Birthday BBQ
June 20th - Callie & Peter's Wedding
June 28th - Celebrating Rob's Birthday
Fourth of July Weekend
I think I am open after that pending any school assignments. Whew! It exhausts me just typing that out. So, I promise, when you ask me to do something and I say I am busy, it's not just because I don't want to hang out with you. I really am BUSY!!!
Next Weekend: Mother's Day
May 14th - rehearsal dinner for Ry & Val
May 15th - Ry & Val's Wedding
May 23-25th - Memorial Day Weekend with a paper and presentation due on the 26th
May 30th - Cousin's Graduation
May 31-June 3rd - Disneyland
June 5-7 - Tahoe for Callie
June 13th - Callie's Birthday BBQ
June 20th - Callie & Peter's Wedding
June 28th - Celebrating Rob's Birthday
Fourth of July Weekend
I think I am open after that pending any school assignments. Whew! It exhausts me just typing that out. So, I promise, when you ask me to do something and I say I am busy, it's not just because I don't want to hang out with you. I really am BUSY!!!
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tropical Reflection
First off, although I don't have to apologize for anything, I still feel like I should. What kind of blogger waits a month between posts? How do I expect to gain a following if I give my hypothetical audience nothing to look forward to? Someday people will read this and will be dying to know what is going on in the life of Breezy. And they shall not be kept waiting.
I am currently in Honolulu, Hawaii doing some employee relations stuff for work. We have an acquisition office here and this is the second time in the past 8 months I have been on a company paid trip to the lovely island of Oahu. On Sunday night, while beginning to pack for this trip, I was not excited to go. I was stressed about dealing with the issues here as well as obligations I need to tend to back home, and I did not want to leave JB. He is going to a bachelor party in Tahoe this weekend and will be gone by the time I return. I will not get to see him until Sunday, if then. Sad face. All of this added up to me having a mental breakdown on Sunday evening and crying my eyes out all over JB's shirt. This, in turn, led to us having a rather serious conversation about our future together. Here is the gist of it:
I was stressed out about all the things I have going on as well as thoughts about the future and overwhelmed by the fact that none of it seems possible or even close to happening. Everything takes time, everything costs money, etc. Warning: watching Platinum Weddings when you don't have any money and are not even close to having a ring on your finger is not a great idea when you are already feeling this stress and pressure. JB was very good about handling this situation. I give him props for his investigation tactics. What started out as me telling him I am overwhelmed with school and work turned into us setting a goal for cohabitation.
Those of you that know me, and know my history (which I intend to blog about at a later date), will probably find this amazing and slightly insane. I never believed in the phrase, "When you know, you know." until I knew. And then it all made sense. Now it seems that everything just stands in the way of me being with JB, which is all I want to do. Daily activities like work, school, the gym, and life all keep me from spending time with him. Living on opposite sides of town makes it impractical to see each other more than once a week and on the weekends. It is good that we have to spend this time apart, otherwise things probably wouldn't have worked out the way they have for us. I realize this. And I also know it is completely unhealthy to not have separate lives, which is why we do. But it seems as though no matter what I am doing, I am thinking of him. I am wishing he were there with me to experience it with me. Just wanting to be in his presence because everything makes so much more sense. And blah, blah, barf. My point is, we have finally had a conversation that tells me I am not alone and that he feels the same way as I do about our relationship and our future and he is serious. The conclusion of this conversation is that somewhere toward the end of August, around our one year anniversary, we are going to start looking for a place together.
I am SO excited!!!
My point in telling you all of this is that this morning, while looking out the window of my 26th story hotel room at a Majestic view of the mountains set behind a golf course and half covered by clouds, I remembered what I was feeling 8 months ago standing in that very same spot (it was in a different room though).
8 months ago, I had recently reunited with the only person to have ever truly broken my heart. I refuse to blog about that situation anymore since I blogged it to death on myspace, but it was quite a long drawn out process that started as a wonderful and inspiring friendship. One that was, and still is, very unique. After a year and a half of not talking to him, I decided to bury the hatchet because I realized that his friendship meant more to me than my pride. It had taken me that long to heal the wounds, but I was finally ready for the reunion. It had only been two months since then when I stood and looked at this view for the first time. I was filled with emotional turmoil and confusion. I wondered if I could really handle just being friends and standing by and watching him spend his life with someone else. I had just finished reading a book he had given me, which was his favorite childhood story, that had an inscription inside the front of the book. I was still at a point where I felt I was recieving mixed messages, but not sure if he was sending them, or if I was making them up.
At the same time, this was a month after reuniting with JB in Vegas, which was really the beginning of the end (or the beginning of the beginning) for us. However, we had only sent text messages since then and had not even talked over the phone yet. I hadn't decided yet whether I was going to let him in and let things run their course, or cut him off at the pass and not let him waste his time when I was sure to eventually break his heart. He kept me company over text messages the entire time I was there by myself. I felt bad thinking that I was most likely just using him for attention when I had no one else to give it to me.
So, as I stood there this morning, once again taking in this Majestic view from my hotel room and reflecting, I was amazed at how much and how fast things changed in a short 8 months. That friend of mine is just that, a friend. Well, not "just that" because that would never suffice to describe him. He and I have a very special friendship. I cannot say that I have another friend like him. But although very dear, his is only a friend. Once I realized that was all it should and would be, that's all it was in my mind and I never turned back. People that knew what we had been through, before I cut him out of my life and during the period of healing, thought I was completely insane and there was no way we could ever just be "friends". But I am so glad that we are because he brings an element to my life, no matter how often, or sporadically I see him, that no one else ever could. And for that I am very grateful.
By reading the paragraphs above, it is obvious how much things have changed with JB. For me to go from not knowing if I wanted to pursue anything with this person, to knowing he's the one I want to spend today and all of my tomorrows with, IS completely insane. But it's also one of the best feelings in the world.
And so my friends, I can tell you from experience that time does heal all wounds. And if you continue to let love in, no matter how often it betrays you, it can do wonderous things. And blah, blah, barf.
I am currently in Honolulu, Hawaii doing some employee relations stuff for work. We have an acquisition office here and this is the second time in the past 8 months I have been on a company paid trip to the lovely island of Oahu. On Sunday night, while beginning to pack for this trip, I was not excited to go. I was stressed about dealing with the issues here as well as obligations I need to tend to back home, and I did not want to leave JB. He is going to a bachelor party in Tahoe this weekend and will be gone by the time I return. I will not get to see him until Sunday, if then. Sad face. All of this added up to me having a mental breakdown on Sunday evening and crying my eyes out all over JB's shirt. This, in turn, led to us having a rather serious conversation about our future together. Here is the gist of it:
I was stressed out about all the things I have going on as well as thoughts about the future and overwhelmed by the fact that none of it seems possible or even close to happening. Everything takes time, everything costs money, etc. Warning: watching Platinum Weddings when you don't have any money and are not even close to having a ring on your finger is not a great idea when you are already feeling this stress and pressure. JB was very good about handling this situation. I give him props for his investigation tactics. What started out as me telling him I am overwhelmed with school and work turned into us setting a goal for cohabitation.
Those of you that know me, and know my history (which I intend to blog about at a later date), will probably find this amazing and slightly insane. I never believed in the phrase, "When you know, you know." until I knew. And then it all made sense. Now it seems that everything just stands in the way of me being with JB, which is all I want to do. Daily activities like work, school, the gym, and life all keep me from spending time with him. Living on opposite sides of town makes it impractical to see each other more than once a week and on the weekends. It is good that we have to spend this time apart, otherwise things probably wouldn't have worked out the way they have for us. I realize this. And I also know it is completely unhealthy to not have separate lives, which is why we do. But it seems as though no matter what I am doing, I am thinking of him. I am wishing he were there with me to experience it with me. Just wanting to be in his presence because everything makes so much more sense. And blah, blah, barf. My point is, we have finally had a conversation that tells me I am not alone and that he feels the same way as I do about our relationship and our future and he is serious. The conclusion of this conversation is that somewhere toward the end of August, around our one year anniversary, we are going to start looking for a place together.
I am SO excited!!!
My point in telling you all of this is that this morning, while looking out the window of my 26th story hotel room at a Majestic view of the mountains set behind a golf course and half covered by clouds, I remembered what I was feeling 8 months ago standing in that very same spot (it was in a different room though).
8 months ago, I had recently reunited with the only person to have ever truly broken my heart. I refuse to blog about that situation anymore since I blogged it to death on myspace, but it was quite a long drawn out process that started as a wonderful and inspiring friendship. One that was, and still is, very unique. After a year and a half of not talking to him, I decided to bury the hatchet because I realized that his friendship meant more to me than my pride. It had taken me that long to heal the wounds, but I was finally ready for the reunion. It had only been two months since then when I stood and looked at this view for the first time. I was filled with emotional turmoil and confusion. I wondered if I could really handle just being friends and standing by and watching him spend his life with someone else. I had just finished reading a book he had given me, which was his favorite childhood story, that had an inscription inside the front of the book. I was still at a point where I felt I was recieving mixed messages, but not sure if he was sending them, or if I was making them up.
At the same time, this was a month after reuniting with JB in Vegas, which was really the beginning of the end (or the beginning of the beginning) for us. However, we had only sent text messages since then and had not even talked over the phone yet. I hadn't decided yet whether I was going to let him in and let things run their course, or cut him off at the pass and not let him waste his time when I was sure to eventually break his heart. He kept me company over text messages the entire time I was there by myself. I felt bad thinking that I was most likely just using him for attention when I had no one else to give it to me.
So, as I stood there this morning, once again taking in this Majestic view from my hotel room and reflecting, I was amazed at how much and how fast things changed in a short 8 months. That friend of mine is just that, a friend. Well, not "just that" because that would never suffice to describe him. He and I have a very special friendship. I cannot say that I have another friend like him. But although very dear, his is only a friend. Once I realized that was all it should and would be, that's all it was in my mind and I never turned back. People that knew what we had been through, before I cut him out of my life and during the period of healing, thought I was completely insane and there was no way we could ever just be "friends". But I am so glad that we are because he brings an element to my life, no matter how often, or sporadically I see him, that no one else ever could. And for that I am very grateful.
By reading the paragraphs above, it is obvious how much things have changed with JB. For me to go from not knowing if I wanted to pursue anything with this person, to knowing he's the one I want to spend today and all of my tomorrows with, IS completely insane. But it's also one of the best feelings in the world.
And so my friends, I can tell you from experience that time does heal all wounds. And if you continue to let love in, no matter how often it betrays you, it can do wonderous things. And blah, blah, barf.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Getting Started
For months I have been reading the blogs of my friends and family and wanting to start one of my own. I have done some blogging over the years on myspace, but realize that not everyone I know or want to see these things is part of that world. I have much to learn in this world, but am proud to finally be a member.
What's in a name?
While creating my profile here on blogspot, one question stumped me, "What do I want to call my blog?" What do I want to call my blog? I am a fan of alliteration, so I wanted something to go along with my name. It seems that "Bre's Blog" or something to that effect would be simple enough, but anyone who knows me, knows I am far from simple. I thought about "Blonde Ambitions", but didn't really want to be stereotyped or connected to a horrible Jessica Simpson flick. Also, when I googled it, I found another blogspot with that name. And finally I settled on this:
"Breezy In Bloom"
And here's why...
I am currently 27 and working on finishing up my masters degree in Human Resources. I have finally found a love that I wasn't sure existed. I have come to a great place in the friendships I hold near and dear to my heart. And I am working on family relationships that mean oh so much to me. In the past almost year, I have been going through a physical, mental and emotional transformation. I did, and am still doing, some soul searching and figuring out the person that I really want to be and the type of life I truly want to live. I am in bloom. Although I have been living for the past 27 years, I feel as though my life is just beginning and the journey is going to be amazing. I want to have a forum to share these things with family and friends.
Welcome to my blog.
What's in a name?
While creating my profile here on blogspot, one question stumped me, "What do I want to call my blog?" What do I want to call my blog? I am a fan of alliteration, so I wanted something to go along with my name. It seems that "Bre's Blog" or something to that effect would be simple enough, but anyone who knows me, knows I am far from simple. I thought about "Blonde Ambitions", but didn't really want to be stereotyped or connected to a horrible Jessica Simpson flick. Also, when I googled it, I found another blogspot with that name. And finally I settled on this:
"Breezy In Bloom"
And here's why...
I am currently 27 and working on finishing up my masters degree in Human Resources. I have finally found a love that I wasn't sure existed. I have come to a great place in the friendships I hold near and dear to my heart. And I am working on family relationships that mean oh so much to me. In the past almost year, I have been going through a physical, mental and emotional transformation. I did, and am still doing, some soul searching and figuring out the person that I really want to be and the type of life I truly want to live. I am in bloom. Although I have been living for the past 27 years, I feel as though my life is just beginning and the journey is going to be amazing. I want to have a forum to share these things with family and friends.
Welcome to my blog.
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