Adventures of a Skinny Girl Wannabe

Winter has Come

Winter has Come Winter has come in Fargo and I woke up to a chilly 10 degrees, -9 with the windchill.  Due to some rain we received a day or so ago there is also a thin layer of ice on the roads which has caused several accidents. Last night after my dentist appointment I came home to my warm house and easily could have sank into my couch for the rest of the evening and not get any activity in.  A few month ago my husband and I purchased a treadmill that is in our basement in front of our big screen television.  I really have no reason not to get my working out in now that I have a machine setup in the comfort of my own home.  So I got my butt off the couch and ran for 40 minutes on the treadmill and then walked for another 30.  I felt so much better and my winter blues I had for the moment, seemed to fade away. Exercise is a great remedy for everything! :)

Biggest Loser Update

Biggest Loser Update Last night brought about another emotional episode of The Biggest Loser.  As we get closer and closer to the finale its sad to see some of our favorite characters go and last night was no exception. Five contestants remain and in an early competition each contestant had to hold on to a metal pole above water for as long as they could.  Jeff, Matt and Seth lost out early in the competition which just left Andrea and Susie battling it out.  In the end Andrea had the determination to hang on the longest and won an evening in a hotel offset with her husband.  In addition she had the power to give anyone 2 lbs as a penalty to what they would lose for the week. This episode kept me hanging on the edge to see what was going to happen with Matt's choice to gain 12 lbs. the week before.  Would it pay off?  The answer is yes.  This week he lost a dramatic 26 lbs!!!!!!!!!  Unbelieveable.  Susie and Seth also lost enough weight to keep them out of possible eviction.  That meant that Andrea and Jeff were the possible people to go because Jeff couldn't pull off another huge loss like all his previous weighins. Although all of the other contestants loved Jeff, they also knew he was the first ever contestant to lose 100 lbs. on the show and that he was their biggest threat.  So Jeff was voted off.  It was an emotional moment for all the contestants. In the after footage I couldn't believe the changes in Jeff.  Jeff is a doctor that tells his patients the importance of weightloss and up to this point his patients didn't see him as someone to handout advice in that subject.  He began the show around 370 lbs. and in his current weight footage he was 240 lbs.!  Trully incredible and inspirational.  That's my wrap up!

Humans For Sale Value

I read on another website about how someone determined that if they were sold as a human to another human that they would be worth some outrageous amount of money $1,238,034.00. 

Me, being my sometimes cocky self thought.. "I wonder what I'm worth, I must be worth more than that".

I visited the website www.humansforsale.com and found a series of questions ranging from my race, to if I smoke, exercise, and what shoe size I wore.

My final results were that I was worth $1,769,030.00!!!!

The results are in.. and I am worth more :)  There goes my head.  Can anyone top me?

I am worth $1,769,030 on HumanForSale.com

Body Pump Workout

Body Pump Night

The weather has been very dreary here lately and raining most of the time, so it has been hard to think of much of anything besides sleeping.

It would have been easy for me to back out of my workout for the evening, but I forced myself to go to the gym for my Monday night Body Pump class and I was so glad that I did!  Last night it seemed like every hard and challenging track they had, they used.  This made the workout one of the most challenging I have had up to this point.  It was just the motivation and spark that I needed to keep on moving and getting in my exercise.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments and ideas that everyone gave me regarding my weightloss.  I think I need to refocus myself and "get down to business" so to speak.  A few of you mentioned making sure I get in all my activity, measuring all my foods correctly, drinking all my water and if my current weight is where my body is comfortable.. then so be it.

I can't believe that Turkey day is around the corner.  I have to say that the only things I like about Thanksgiving are:

1 - I get the day off from work
2 - I get to see friends and family
3 - After Christmas shopping
4 - Did I mention I get the day off from work! :)

I really dread Thanksgiving and the idea of it being about a big meal.  Does anyone else have problems with a holiday that is focused around food?  I know already that I'm not going to overeat, because there is nothing worse then feeling like you have eaten to much all day and feel like you need a nap and then someway to work off all the food.

Lets all agree to spending time with our friends and family on Thanksgiving but not overdoing it. :)

Weight Watchers History

I began the Weight Watchers program in January of 2003 after I received some of the proofs from my wedding pictures.  Granted that I loved my wedding and the pictures, but realized that I didn't want to be that girl headed towards being overweight and unhealthy.

So I joined the Weight Watchers online program.  I have been an online member for this whole time and have joined meetings a few different times, but found that I don't get the motivation that others get from a group setting and didn't find a leader that was able to speak to me.

I started on the Winning Points plan and then when the plan changed to the Flex plan.  I began my Weight Watchers program at 185 lbs. and easily was able to lose the first 20 lbs. or so.  Then it became more difficult, but I battled my way through and little by little I got myself down to around 150 lbs.  That's 35 lbs. gone!

BEFORE                                      AFTER

 

My original goal that I set for myself was 140 lbs.  For the last 2-3 years I've been stuck right around 150 lbs.  One week I will gain a pound the next I will lose it etc.  I continue this process and have only been under the 150's a couple times but never able to fall into the 140's like I would like.

I'm 5'7 in height and am 28.  According to the BMI chart my current weight is a healthy one for my age and height, but just barely.  I'm in a BMI of 24.

I have tried the Core plan the last couple weeks to try to get things going in a different way and have not seen the dramatic results other speak of in relation to this plan.  I haven't found that this plan is dramatic enough on my system to lose more weight etc.

Although I've lost weight I constantly feel as though I'm failing because I can't get to the goal that I'm trying to achieve and although I feel great about the weight I've lost it doesn't seem like its enough.

Anyone have any advice on how to battle my way through this?

Choxie Chocolate Review

This weekend I discovered the most wonderful of wonderful chocolates.  Now understand that I'm not a big chocolate fan, so this is even that much more unique.

On Friday evening I was at Target and discovered a wonderful brand of chocolates called Choxie Chocolates.  These chocolates called to the artist in me because they all have wonderfully artistic screened designs on the front of each of the chocolates.

I couldn't resist, them especially because they were on sale.

Here are just a few of the chocolates that compose a sampler package:

  Cinnamon Spice     Pralines & Creme

Chocolate Limon    Apple Pie

Key Lime             Blueberry Creme

Pralines & Creme  Chocolate Mint

Needless to say you can see why these chocolates were calling my name.  I am on the Weight Watchers Core program and these chocolates were certainly not part of the plan, but who can stop from just eating one. :)  I'm happy to report I've only tasted 2 of these chocolates and are saving the rest.

My favorite so far are the chocolate mint Choxie Chocolates.

All Things Gary - Survivor Recap

Those of you that know me know that Survivor is my all-time favorite reality series.  I've only missed a handful of episodes over the course of all the different Survivor series episodes and last night I was in for a pleasant suprise.

Last night brought some twists and turns that were all unexpected.  The episode began with a food challenge.  In the food challenge contestants had to throw a spear-like object near a large on-land target and whomever got closer to the target got a wonderful meal.  The further away you were from the target the worse the food reward was.  Judd won this competition and no one was even close to him so he feasted on a meal of lobster, beer and steak.  I will spare you all the tedious details of what the others were able to eat, but Judd was then asked if he wanted to share his meal with two others.  Unexpectadily he decided to do so and chose Stephanie (no suprise there) and Bobby John?  I don't know why he chose Bobby John, but he said something about how he respected him and so the others had quite a time watching these three team members get drunk and then throw up in the tent later on that evening.

As another reward of his food challenge he received a clue about where the hidden immunity idol was and it said basically that it was in the trees.  Judd then proceeded to tell everyone no to worry looking in the trees as this idol was on the ground?  What a liar. 

Meanwhile Gary questioned a few people and discovered that he could be up for eviction, and in a weird balance beam like immunity challenge Jamie won the immunity so Gary knew that he could be going and that he depended on finding the immunity idol.

Clever Gary followed Judd in the trees to see where he was looking and found that Judd told people to look on the ground for the idol, but noticed that Judd was looking anywhere but on the ground for the idol and in the trees. 

Going to tribal council it seemed like an easy landslide vote with Gary going home.  I have personal interest in Gary because I'm in a Survivor pool and if Gary wins I also win some money.. So I was totally rooting for him to stay.. somehow. 

Jeff asked at tribal council if anyone had found the immunity idol and wanted to use it.  Everyone looked at it eachother and it appeared as though no one had it or wanted to use it.  Then all the sudden Gary started to move and reached into his bag and pulled out the idol!!!!!!!!!!!!!  This floored the other contestants who thought whomever found it would probably tell people and it shocked the devil out of everyone.  In addition, they realized they had to vote someone else out now that Gary was safe.  It was definitely a classic Survivor moment. :) 

Everyone but 3 people voted Bobby John out and he's now the first member of the Survivor jury. 

Star Wars Meets the Apprentice

I also watched the Apprentice last night and only have one thought besides the fact that Trump is getting a little firing happy. 

Where did they find these contestants?  How were they able to find so many contestants that knew nothing of Star Wars and had never seen a single movie?  Were these people really US citizens?  I guess I have a hard time believing that.  Who doesn't know a thing about Star Wars?

Body Pump - Weight Training

Its been a few weeks since my last time attending a Body Pump class.  Last night I decided since my workouts have been consumed by running lately, that it was time to pump some iron. 

For all of you that are unfamiliar, Body Pump is a program for weight training set to music.  This class is offered by my YMCA and I know it also exists in Gold's Gyms etc.  During the class we use barbels, handweights, aerobic mats etc. to weight train to music. 

For me it has been the only way for me to get my weight training in.  I have a problem training on my own because I lose my focus easily when I try to train on weight machines.  I never know how many repetitions to do and for how long and how much weight etc.

Body Pump is full of wonderful music and weight trains your entire body.  Although it may not seem that intense its working your muscles and if you overdo it you can easily tell the next day or two.

I remember the first time I went to this class I thought that I could use as much weight as the instructors, and at the time I felt good.  The next day I was also feeling good, and thought that the class was pretty easy.  I was wrong!  The next couple days after I could barely lift anything and felt as thought my entire body had been through a violent accident.  I rolled my car once in the winter and believe me when I say that I felt better after that accident with my body then I did after overdoing it at my body pump class.

I've gotten good at knowing how much weight I can handle so I no longer have any problems with this, but I see guys walk into our class all the time that think that since the class has a lot of women in it, that they must be able to use even more weight then all the women.  I can see them struggle through the routine and ironically I never see them come back to the class. :)  Been there, done that.

I highly recommend this class if you have it in your area, just remember to start off very slow.  Pump your body with body pump!

Reality TV Synopsis 11/09/05

America's Next Top Model was on last night.. and after my intense workout I thought I would watch the show, knowing that I still don't compare to the skinny silliness of the models on the show.  I must be getting old because they just seem like anorexic teenagers to me.. but I still enjoy the entertainment value of their cat-fights.

Within this episode they have a cheesy session of how each model gets their own crew to work on them in hair, makeup and clothing for a competition and whoever wins gets a role on Veronica Mars.  Kim won the competition which shocked Lisa totally.  Even though every girl hates Lisa (and she is so very weird) I secretly love her and the fact that she drives them all crazy.

Anyways.. getting to the end of the show Tyra had two girls that she was about to choose from to let one of them go home.. Then she suddenly said they were both going home because of their terrible performance.  Jayla and Nicole looked shocked and were in tears because they couldn't believe they were both going home.  Just then before Tyra let things get any further she shouts out.. that they are not going home because they are all going to LONDON!  The girls are shocked, but relieved and then everyone is happy.

This was the stupidest ending to a show ever and I questioned why I even watch this show any longer after a stunt like this.. ((sigh)).

After all the backlashing from America's Next Top Model I watched Martha Stewart's Apprentice.  I always like episodes where the teams have to pick a product and be on the QVC to sell their product.  It seems like such a fun thing to do on-air.  There wasn't much to report on this episode.  One team lost by a close margin and sent Howie home for not being able to sell their product correctly on QVC.  End of story. 

Final Thoughts:  I can't believe that Jim is still on the show.. and that he was actually good on the air on QVC.

Biggest Loser Results 11/9/05

For those of you that have been following the Biggest Loser there were some "shocking" events that occurred last night on the show.

Here is my rundown:

The teams were banished and it's everyone for themselves.  Whichever two people lose the least weight for the week they find themselves up for possible eviction.

In the immunity competition Seth and Matt battled it out, and in the end Matt held his own against Seth in a very weird mechanical jump rope competition, which meant that everyone else had to work their "butts" off to not have to be the one to go this week.

Matt made some interesting decisions.  The first being to cut his hair.  He was an out-right baby when they went to the salon the week before and realized after that visit that he should have made a bigger change (thank goodness).  Susie is a hairstylist and helped Matt change his hair and *damn* he looked good after he got his haircut.  He was literally transformed to another person.  Even the girls were totally shocked by the difference.  Since Matt was immune from leaving this week, he decided rather than trying to lose weight this week, that he would try to gain weight???????  What the devil was he thinking?  He starting eating regular foods to try to bulk up a little and at the weighin he said that he thought he may have gained this week.  He stepped on the scale and what do you know.. he gained 12 pounds!!!!!!!!!!!  Everyone was shocked.  What was he thinking?  We all know that this is a show about weight loss so what he was thinking by trying to gain weight so he could lose it the next week is beyond me.  I think for these tactics he should definitely be off the show.  He hasn't learned a thing if he thinks this is healthy for him and his body.  Enough ranting.

So at the elimination ceremony everyone but Jeff decided to vote to eliminate Shannon.  Mainly because she has lost more weight and is a bigger threat than Andrea.  Andrea will be going soon since her weightloss has been so small anyways.

In the "after the show" moments Shannon has done an outstanding job on her own.  She was looking mighty hot and diva like, just like she wanted!  You go Shannon!  Keep it rockin!

That's my wrap-up in a nutshell.  Over and out!