2017 - What will this year bring?

Happy belated New Years to you all. 2016 will be remembered in epic proportions for many reasons. A lot more bad than good in my humble opinion, which weighs a lot for me.

This year I have things on my mind that I want to tackle. I don't want to call them resolutions because if I fail them, then I'll feel like a failure in general for not sticking to them.

STL Lose to Win Spring 2013 Challenge: Week 7

Well this is my first post for the month of March. A few things have been going on, but unfortunately none of them as of yet are me being back on track with my eating....ugh... I didn't weigh in two weeks ago because I wasn't feeling well.  Hence that is the reason that you don't see a week 6 update. But this past update last week the scale has me back up in weight. Not a good look. The weather is getting better was able to get in a walk on Friday. So sick and tired of this crazy weather... What to do.. what to do...

 



Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

STL Lose to Win Spring 2013 Challenge: Week 5

Yesterday was my scheduled weekly weigh-in. Now since last Tuesday my eating has not been the best and that is due to my decision to just enjoy myself for my birthday which happens to be on Feb. 17th. I enjoyed many a different foods from Feb 12th through Feb 19th. So when I went in to weigh yesterday I KNEW I was going to weigh more. It was simply just a given of how much. So I decided yesterday morning due to a snow day from work I was going to go in early so I wouldn't have to fight the snow storm that was scheduled to come in that afternoon.

These snow storms are something else

So I go in and weigh in and I gained 6 pounds back. ehh.. Well I said I would be ok with around gaining 5 pounds so I guess I'm somewhat ok.  Oh well that is how the cookie crumbles. So today I am on my second snow day and I'm going just a tad bit stir crazy. I wish I had room to workout where there wasn't a carpet around. Only place is in the basement but no room to really workout. Also I'm done with the study I was doing for my friend  so I am ok to go back to doing cardio. Hell technically I was done with it by last Thursday with my various birthday plans. Overall I'm proud of myself. I lost weight maybe not as much as possible but I just have to re double my efforts once I introduce my cardio back into the swing of things.

  

Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

STL Lose to Win Spring 2013 Challenge: Week 4

So as of right now this is week 4 of the STL Lose to Win Spring 2013 Challenge. So far the scale has been going down. I'm still in the middle of the No Cardio study for +Trenton Knew . I technically will be done on Sunday which happens to be my birthday but honestly......it might be done sooner than that. Especially if I am going out this weekend to celebrate. I will try to find healthy alternatives but then is there really a healthy alternative to beer and wine? When I went to my weigh in center I reported back to Trenton after leaving that I had lost 1 pound. So as of right now this is not producing the results he was hoping for. 

I am still keeping my online food journal blog and I must say that I do enjoy it. I like being able to snap photos of my food because I can't stand having to measure and then go on a website and break it down the ounce, weight, grams......I could just go on and on. My main thing I can't wait to get back into my cardio with my walking and going back to the gym and getting into my kickboxing and boxing classes. Yet I still remember that losing weight is definitely more mental than physical. Just have to keep that in perspective.

 

Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

STL Lose to Win Spring 2013 Challenge: Week 3

Well this past Monday I officially started my 2 week study for my friend +Trenton Knew . He asked me to keep a food diary of everything that I eat for the next two weeks and cut cardio out. Yet I am still allowed to do Yoga, Pilates, and Strength Training. In the past I used websites such as Sparkpeople and Fitday to track my eating. But it became such a pain in the ass when it asks you for the sizes/portion amount of what I was eating. So I thought what better way than to just take a damn picture of my food if I found it to be too daunting than to whip out a food scale out my purse (pure sarcasm injected here) .

So I started a food diary blog, technically I started it back in 2010, but didn't keep with it. So I though this would be a great way to start it over again and I gave it a new feel so its more simplified. It's not as detailed as this one. It's straight laced and to the point. It even has a boring grey back ground. lol I also changed the blog address to make it easier for me to remember and thankfully I also found an app online so I can post as well from it when I'm out. I also post pics of my food especially the ones when I am out at a restaurant and just want to take a pic to post in my diary to help me remember what I ate.

It's been working well so far. Yesterday I went to Curves to do my weekly weigh in and I lost an additional 2. 6 pounds. So I must be doing something right. Yet I still don't think I'm eating my required calories but I have not gotten dizzy so I guess that is good. In all honestly I think I probably have slashed them in half. Not to mention it is driving me NUTS/INSANE to not do any cardio!!!! I enjoy my daily walks and to have to cut them out for my friend's research can be a bit of a trial. But hey if this will help him with any further research he is doing regarding weight loss, I'm all for it.

Funny thing is that the last day of this two week research will end on my BIRTHDAY! So....we shall see how THAT goes...

Coming up REAL soon..;)

 

Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

STL Lose to Win Spring 2013 Challenge: Week 2

Well this week the weather was quite nice at least for two days. So on Monday and Tuesday I decided to take advantage of it and get a walk around the track at my job. God how I miss getting in those afternoon walks. They help so much with clearing out my mind. But of course by the time Wednesday came around so did the the aweful cold weather. So the walks have been put on hold again.

Strength Training aka Lifting Weights

How are my eating habits? Not perfect that is for sure. Are they better than last week? Yes. Can they be better? Oh hell yea. I'm getting there, slowly but surely. I went in yesterday to my Curves location for my weekly weigh-in. I honestly thought I had gained weight because my biological monthly "nuke bomb" had gone off beginning of this week so I was feeling crappy this week, so of course I needed some comfort foods but the 2 walks I had this week did also help as well.

So I weighed in and I lost close to 2 pounds. Mildly surprised but happy overall. Yet with my family's annual Mardi Gras party coming up tomorrow I guess I better enjoy myself because come Sunday I am helping my friend Trenton with a 2 week study. I volunteered to be a "guinea pig" for his study. I am to cut out all Sugars and no cardio. With the only exceptions being lifting weights, Yoga, & Pilates.

Wha?!!! No Sugar ---Let us Pray...

 

 So come next Sunday....oh wait a min, that is the biggest Chicken Wing day of the YEAR!!! 

I must say I do enjoy chicken...

The Super Bowl!! Argh........This study MIGHT have to wait on Monday for me to start.

 

Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

STL Lose to Win Spring 2013 Challenge: Week 1

Well this past Thursday I had my first official weigh in for the STL Lose to Win Spring 2013 Challenge. I was quite nervous because I unfortunately have not been to the gym on a regular basis since the week of December 6th 2012. I had hurt my left hand and needed some time to let it heal. I also had not been able to partake in my regular weekly walks because of the change in weather. So I became lazy in my routine and then unfortunately old bad habits started to resurface in my eating and had become full blown by the end of December and carrried through into the New Year even with my resolutions to myself.

So when I went to my Curves location to weigh-in it was more with a sense of dread  than with  excitement. I felt like I was walking to the gallows when I approached the scale.  When the employee instructed me to get on the scale I even closed my eyes and turned my head away from the numbers so I would not have to see them.

So I waited for the verdict and in the end I have gone back up 8.6 pounds.  Now I have mixed reviews on this. At first I was like "huh?" I thought I had gained back more than that especially with my eating. So I was happy that I hadn't ballooned all the way back up. Yet I was like damn, that is nearly a 10 pound gain in almost two months. So I went home Thursday evening and just thought, OK, so I got that part out of the way. Now I need to get back to my workout habits mentally and physically. 

Well yesterday I went to an Inaugural meeting that my friend Trenton had set up in regards to helping people with losing weight. Originally there were suppose to be about (I think) 5 people in this study, but in the end besides Trenton's wife, only myself and another friend of his showed up. Now earlier Saturday morning I had watched a series of videos that Trenton had instructed us to watch before the meeting. 





 So during the meeting he was bringing up some of the same points from the videos. I could definitely relate with them and my struggle with losing weight. So our meeting went from 1pm to around 3:15pm. I can't wait for our next meeting but I do plan on watching the videos again. They are definitely an eye opener.


Update with my other contest:  

 

This contest hasn't gone off to a good start because its been so bloody cold outside I haven't been able to get back into my walks yet. Not sure if there are any indoor track facilities in Saint Louis. Wish I could find one.

Have I had these thoughts before? Sure, every now and then but then I'm like, I don't want to be skinny, I just want to be healthy, just brickhouse & toned healthy. Not to mention if others can put in the work to get their results, then I have to do the same.

Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

Renewal of the Mind and some activities for the Body this year 2013

The new year brings about opportunities to renew one's efforts within themselves. For me it will be once again getting back into focus with my weight. This past Friday I signed back up for the walking challenge that is offered through my job. It starts back up on the 14th and seeing I have not been able to get in a good walk in over a month. I know I am long overdue to get back on track with getting my health back in order. I definitely plan to renew my efforts also with my walking project .

Conclusion to my two workout challenges this Fall of 2012:

For motivation!

The two challenges that I had signed up for earlier this fall have both come to a close. I had a good time participating in both of them and can't waint to sign back up next year.

The first challenge I completed was..

Fall 2012 Walking Works District Challenge

This challenge which started Oct. 1st through Nov. 11th, included 20 other school districts within Missouri and we competed against each other to accrue the most miles via walking, running, and other activities. Since I was doing boxing and kickboxing that conversion into milage for me was quite interesting;) Overall I did 134 miles via walking, boxing, and kickboxing. I know I could have put more effort into it with my boxing and kickboxing days especially since I didn't go on my regular days as much as I should have. But I did win the first and last week of the individual competition. On the first week I won a pair of socks and on the last week I won a goodie bag with some various items in it. Yet I wasn't one of the top 3 participant winners. I can't wait to sign up next year. I definitely will keep up with my Walking Project which I felt really helped with racking up some of the miles;)

 
 These are the results for this fall with all the different school districts

#	Team Name	Total Miles	Average per Walker
1	Wright City School District	4564.4	114.11
2	Meramec School District	3619.57	61.35
3	Maplewood Richmond Heights School District	3166.37	105.55
4	Union School District	2977.21	53.16
5	Riverview Gardens School District	2921.46	47.12
6	Pattonville School District	2847.19	49.09
7	Hazelwood School District	2487.45	65.46
8	Ritenour School District	1869.57	81.29
9	Warrenton School District	1643.72	182.64
10	Wentzville School District	1542.13	25.28
11	Normandy School District	1494.68	166.08
12	Brentwood School District	1200.97	133.44
13	CSD	1032.29	73.74
14	Webster School District	824.57	117.8
15	Strain Japan School District	818.03	116.86
16	Windsor School District	800.92	72.81
17	Crystal City School District	660.94	220.31
18	Hancock School District	558.76	31.04
19	Jennings School District	160.15	14.56
20	Spring Bluff School District	150.33	12.53
21	Bayless School District	57.39	57.39
22	Lonedell School District	0	0
23	Franklin Co School District	0	0

 



The second challenge I completed

STL Lose to Win Fall 2012 Challenge

Now this challenge I really enjoyed. Overall I lost 15 pounds with this contest which started from September 9th to December 6th. As I was working out I would go weekly to my designated weigh in site and have my weight loss/gain results recorded. What I really loved about this challenge was the accountability factor. If I missed two weigh-in's then I was out of the contest. The kickoff event for this on Sept. 9th was really nice and I left with alot of information. The Curves location that I go to weigh-in near my house was less than 10 minutes away and the staff is great.

I've already signed up for next year's contest which starts January 19th and I can't wait to pay my $10 entrance fee. I've decided I'm going to keep with this contest until I reach my goal.

weigh-in results from Sept. 9th - Sept. 30th

weigh-in results from Oct. 1st - Dec. 9th

 
What I can tell from looking back on this contest is that I definitely need to get a steady rhythm in regards to proper eating habits and get back into my workout schedule on a regular basis. Yet my biggest battle is definitely the eating. At this point I know I'm not eating enough and need to up it some more, but the challenge is not being bored with the same ole foods and probably trying my hand at making some new dishes.

What really is unfortunate is that now that this contest is over and the next one doesn't start until January 19th I'm already thinking, "What do I do now?" Maybe I can call the Curves location that I was going to for weigh-in's and ask if it's still ok for me to come through and weigh myself to keep me focused.


My latest walking project was walking to North Hanley and then around by UMSL (University of Missouri Saint Louis). Before then I hadn't been walking in over a week and my legs let me know it also;)





Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz

STL Lose to Win Fall 2012 Challenge: Week 12

Well this is the 2nd to last week overall in regards to the weight lost competition that I'm in. With Thanksgiving having been last week I thought I would have been a goner but shockingly so I was not. If you read the previous post you can see that we had tons of food. Yet the only thing I ate was a small bowl of mac n cheese, a piece of ham  brisket and some ambrosia salad. That was it! No dressing, cake, or anything else. I was super proud of myself but trust me it wasn't easy. For the most part at times throughout the evening with family I would stay in my room, not be anti-social but to get away from the temptation of the food.

Even when the food was brought out for seconds on Friday that evening, I stayed away from it also. Yet on the weekends I did get somewhat carried away with eating out so I was somewhat nervous come my weigh-in day this past Wednesday. I was prepared to put on a few pounds and I was ok with the results. I went up 3.8 pounds. Am I happy that I went up? Obviously no, but I'm amazed that it was ONLY 3.8 pounds. During Thanksgiving it's one of the worst times to gain weight from what I've read, ranging from 3 pounds to as much as 10. So I have no problem being on the lower part of the scale.

Endomondo results - November 2012

 It's been a pain to still workout. I have not been able to get back into my walking the way I would like to because of the weather. Being able to take my nature walks has me spoiled to the point I don't even like using the elliptical workout machines anymore. Haven't been able to get to the gym on a regular basis the way I would like to. I've been doing some reading on lifting weights so I'm going to try to work weights into my workouts at least twice a week.
 

So with just one more week to go with the contest, I know by far that even though I might not be one of the top winners overall, I am a winner because I stuck with the program. So I know I will receive a prize for weighing in the whole time period from the coordinators. 

I've already done pre-registration for the contest coming up in January at my weigh-in location.  I'll be headed to DePaul Hospital on January 19th @ 10:30am to complete registration. I will say this...the accountability factor with HAVING to weigh in and reporting to someone is HUGE. I plan to stick with this contest until I get to my ideal weight.

Until the next episode....

 All That MsJazz