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Showing posts from 2013

To Clarify

Are you excited for the 31 day challenge?  I sure am! Just to clarify a few things. One:  The Dietbet.  This isn’t the actual challenge, it’s just something to help motivate people who are focusing on weight loss during their challenge.  The whole point is to lose 4% of you initial weight.  I promise, losing 4% of your weight in 28 days isn’t hard to do!  Especially if you have the right mindset, and a game plan…which leads me to point two. Two:  The 31 Day Challenge.  This is the main part.  It isn’t necessarily focused on weight loss though.  However, my challenge is.  If you wish to participate in the challenge just think of something you want to implement or take away…something that will help to better yourself for 2014 and the future. Do you want to better your health?  Better yourself spiritually?  Emotionally?  Socially? Do something about it.  Make the goals.  Participate in the challenge.  You can do anything for 31 days! What have I challenged myself

2014 the Year of the Losers

Alrighty folks.  It’s that time of year when we make goals and resolutions…and the majority of people want to lose weight.  I, myself, only have about 40 or so pounds left until my goal weight and I just want to be done so bad!!  I’ve decided to make it a group effort.  There is power in numbers, afterall. I’m sure we’ve all heard the saying “I can do anything for X amount of time”…well, here’s our chance to prove it!  I want to start a 31 day challenge, for the month of January.  Who’s with me?  I’m planning on staying on track, 100%, for 31 days with my diet.  I’m planning on going to the gym or getting some sort of exercise 6 days a week.  (Yep, 6.  It’s not hard to go for a light walk on the treadmill for 30 minutes.) Now, your 31 day challenge doesn’t have to be like mine.  Maybe you want to challenge yourself to no sweets for 31 days, or no soda.  Maybe you want to get your veggie servings in everyday.  Whatever it is, to help you on the road to health, you should join!

Just a Bend in the Road

Well, I’m back from yet another hiatus.  This time, I’ve been on plan and working hard, I just didn’t think there was anything to post.  So, sorry. This post isn’t going to revolve around my weight loss, yes it will play a role, but it won’t be the focus.  I just know I’m not the only person in the world who is feeling the way I am right now. I don’t do well with chaos.  I feel helpless and vulnerable, and who really handles those emotions well?  Lately, my life has just been chaos, and every time I think I have a grasp on the situation, it goes into another storm. Yesterday, everything just piled up.  I am literally sitting here, in awe about how I have NO control right now, wishing I had a grasp at something…but I don’t.  (Imagine the opening scene of Gravity, and Sandra Bullock trying to grasp something in the chaos…that’s me.)  I don’t know how to fix anything.  I don’t know who to go to, to try and figure things out.  Chaos.  So, emotionally, I’m a wreck. Enter: m

A Broken Heart

Yesterday I did SO good!  I didn’t cheat at all, and I was really looking forward to my Lean and Green meal for the day. So my friends and I went to Texas Roadhouse for dinner.  They have the BEST chicken salads!..and also the best rolls…Whenever I go there I usually let myself have one and then I try and stay strong, which is normally easy because oftentimes they don’t refill the basket.  Well, our waiter was awesome!  He kept the rolls coming.  I was doing so good, reminding myself how I had stayed on track the whole day and I didn’t want to derail.  But I gave in.  I had one roll, and then another, and another, and the next thing I knew, I had had five or six rolls.  No big deal, right?  Wrong! To those that don’t know, when you don’t eat carbs, and then you overindulge, it HURTS!  I kept thinking I should just try and throw it up so it would stop hurting…but that would be a waste of a meal. When we got home, I kept joking with one of my friends that I just needed t

Ridin' Dirty

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Alright, I’m finally updating about the Dirty Dash.  I know you have all been just waiting with anticipation to hear how I did. Haha! Well, I did it!  AND it was SO much fun! I ran the race with three of my friends and I was so nervous because the three of them are a LOT more fit than I am.  I HATE the feeling of holding people back, so I think I was more nervous for the fact that I wouldn’t be able to run as much as them, but we would all be staying together…so I’d hold them back.  Hard to deal with. I had high hopes of doing the 10k, but I only did the 5k…but let’s just say that I got owned right before the end of the 5k and I couldn’t go on. Haha  The Dirty Dash has fun obstacles in the mud and it’s more about having fun rather than running a race.  (I think I ran probably 5 minutes, if that!, the entire time.) So we started off, and you have to run up this hill, not a very big one, but for someone who doesn’t run/kind of hates it because it’s hard to breath, it was a

Sayonara SEVENTY!

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It's that time again!  I've lost another 10 pounds!  So that makes my weight loss 70 lbs down.  I've actually lost a little bit more but I'm just rounding down and I'll get to 80 faster. haha Like I posted a few weeks ago, the changes are starting to become more and more recognizable.  I'm wearing a size of pant I don't think I've worn since junior high (maybe?) I bought a sweater last week that was a size smaller than the ones I bought last year...things are good! I always like to kind of put things into perspective, since it's hard for me to see the changes sometimes, so here is what 70 pounds looks like:  Kind of crazy! Another update: I've started exercising!  And I actually like it!  I'm running the Dirty Dash in 2 weeks, so I've just started running on the treadmill to get up a little bit of endurance, and I made a goal to start yoga in September...I'll talk about that adventure a little later! haha  (Cliff

I found my people

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I always thought I knew where home was:  North Ogden, Utah.  Well, I was wrong.  The second we landed in Hawaii, I felt like a piece of me was restored.  I didn't even know it was missing, but I found it.  Hawaii has my heart, and if I have it my way, someday I will return...permanently. :) I didn't end up skydiving, it was raining pretty hard almost the whole day we had planned to do it.  But I'm not bummed about it, we have skydiving here.  It would have been cool, but we got to do some other things that we hadn't initially planned. I took over 200 photos, and there's no way I can add them all here, so here's just a snapshot of a few of the memories.  I couldn't have asked for a better experience.  I was in my element, with my loved ones, in paradise. This one is just to show how happy I was.  I was comfortable in my skin, happy as a clam. I'm so homesick now! haha In regards to my journey:  Before I left I was .5 lbs away from l

Change is a GOOD thing!

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Life is SO great!  I'm starting to see my progress, and it's really making me happy and motivated. I have two AMAZING photographer friends!  The older pictures (when I was at my top weight) were taken by Shantel Urry  and the newer ones were taken by  Ashlee Parkinson . (Hint: If you like what you see, click their name and check out their other stuff! :)) It's just fun for me to be able to see!  Granted I'm wearing a looser shirt that isn't tight on the right, but still, you can see it.  Also, and I didn't realize this, but you can physically see that my confidence level has gone up.  I've always know who I am, no doubt about it.  I just never realized that through this process I'm becoming more confident and I'm growing so much daily...that's motivation enough for me to keep going. Wanna kick it Relief Society and hear a good news minute?  (This whole blog is a good news minute! haha) I've been needing to buy some new je

I'm an idiot

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I am!  I am a major idiot!  I'm not going to delete that last post because it's a reality check for me.  After I posted it I was just looking at it and glanced to the side at my "countdown".  And, you know what?  I've come a long way!  I'm 30 pounds lighter now then I was in July of last year.  I've almost lost 20 pounds more then I have to lose. I've done SO good!  I just need to keep remembering that.  I've almost lost SEVENTY pounds!   I can do it!  I just have to remember that loosing 1/2 a pound a day is still loosing !  Yeah it's frustrating, but if I just stick to it, I'll make it eventually.   Sorry friends.  I'm a roller coaster today.  Just had to count my blessings! :) xoxo

.5 a day keeps the doctor away...right?

Okay, so this is a quick post. I am frustrated!...and I shouldn't be... At the beginning of my weight loss journey I was losing weight SO fast, like 2-3 pounds a day.  It obviously slowed down, and luckily I haven't plateaued yet.  So what's the problem? I'm just so used seeing (or I just want to see) those 2-3 pounds a day that only seeing a 1/2 pound weight loss everyday gets frustrating.  Especially since I'm so much more strict now than I was before, I should be losing 1,000,000 pounds a day! (I obviously know that is completely unrealistic :) haha) This is just my rant.  There is no substance to it.  It's stupid, I know.  I'm just being real. With that, I'm going to Hawaii in a week!  I'm SUPER excited!!  (Even though I'm not to my Hawaii goal weight...stupid 1/2 pounds! haha) Just keep swimming, I guess. :)

Obsession and checking something off the list!

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Have you ever been obsessed with something?  To the point where it's all that you think about? I have.  And that's why I had to take a break. I got so obsessed with what I saw on the scale that it was overtaking my entire life.  I would weight every morning.  I would look at calendars and try and calculate my progress for the near future.  I would obsess over what I was putting in my mouth.  At the end of the night I would think about what I ate and try and figure out how much I would lose, or gain...almost to the point where it was too much. Luckily, this "obsession" didn't affect my outside life, just mentally.  I don't think my friends and family realized where I was mentally.  I realized that I needed a break to regroup my thoughts and calm down. And so, with that, I'm back.  :) There's a fine line between knowing where you are in loosing weight and obsessing, and, although it's hard, I'm really trying not to obsess this time.  Whatever

Secrets, secrets are SO fun! :)

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A TON of people have been asking me about what I’m doing to reach my weight loss goals.  What are my secrets?  My exercise routines?  Any tips?  So, I’ve decided to share a few  secrets with y’all, ready? OKAY! (haha) #1 Secret:   Losing weight is completely in your head.  It’s up to you to make the right choices, it’s up to you to find the motivation.  I’ve said it before but, before you start your journey, make up in your mind, first, why you are doing it, and second, that you can.  Trust me, it’s not easy to do, which is why most people only last a day or two, but it is SO worth the effort. #2 Secret:   Don’t focus on exercise at first.  Really!  I honestly have not implemented a fitness routine yet.  I’ve gone to the gym and lifted ONCE, in October, and I think my muscles are still sore.  (Thanks, Sammy! Haha) I’ve gone running ONCE.  But as of last week, I’ve started to throw in walks.  Not so much for the weight loss portion of exercise, but I’ve had so much pent up ene

Holi Festival 2013

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I have a few things that I look forward to every year, and last Saturday was one of them: The Holi Festival, in Spanish Fork.  I love this festival so much!  For those who know me, know that I LOVE color.  I get mesmerized by it.  I also love when people are happy.  So, this festival is right up my alley, happy people running around, having a great time and throwing chalk at eachother in bright, beautiful colors. I’ve been a few times and I just wanted to post some pictures here, it shows my weight loss progress really well.  (This is my weight loss blog after all. J ) These pics are from 2009... These two pics are from 2010, left, and 2013, right.  I remember feeling disgusting and not pretty at all in 2010.  This year, I had confidence and I felt good the whole time. Here's the group from this year.  We had so much fun this year!!  I'm already excited for the next festival. So, here's to looking forward to another great year, and anot

Farewell to 60

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It may have taken me a little over a month to lose 10 more pounds, but I did it!! I'm finally down to 60 pounds lost!!!  This is honestly insane, and I can't fully express my emotions. 60 pounds.  Wow.  I've expressed this before to a few friends, but, when I was at 30 pounds down it was a big deal, but I didn't really see the big picture.  60 pounds proves that I have done something hard.  That I am MORE than half way to my goal.  It's kind of mind blowing to think about!  Like I said, I can't fully express the emotion. To put it 60 pounds into perspective: I've lost that much fat!  How gross is that!?!? I love to see pictures that show my progress, since I see myself everyday I don't really notice it.  Last August I went to San Francisco with some good friends to see some Giants v. Braves games.  So, here's a picture showing 7 months difference: So the left is August 2012 and the right is today, March 15, 2013. My how 20 lbs. makes

Gee Wiz!

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I just wanted to take a moment and thank all of you!  I can't believe the outpouring of love and support and kind words that came my way yesterday!  I truly feel like I have this team cheering me on, and wanting success for me.  So, thank you. Honestly, words cannot express how grateful I am for each of you.  For reading my blog, for commenting on my pictures on Facebook, for talking to me about my success when you see me, even for the "likes".  You are the greatest people in the whole world! I posted a picture on FB yesterday at 5:15 or so, and by 8:00 this morning this is what I saw (and it keeps coming!).   I LOVE YOU ALL! :) I've mentioned it before, and I'll say it again.  Y'all are motivating to me.  If any of you are trying to make the healthy change, surround yourself with supportive people.  DON'T try and do it alone.  If people know, it will hold you more accountable.  Thank you for that! Here's my 50 pound down picture.  

A milestone

This will be short and UBER sweet... I'VE LOST 50!! POUNDS!! :) This is such a great feeling friends!  It's like this dream of losing weight and becoming healthy is no longer a dream, it's becoming a reality!  On my way there and making progress, just taking it day by day and trying to make healthy decisions all the time. On that note, I did have one of my favorite treats this weekend: pretzels and frosting.  Probably shouldn't have, and it took me out of fat burning, but I'm not going to let it get me down, taking it day by day, remember.  So, today is a new day, and a clean slate. :)  I'm down 50 pounds, nothing could get me down today.  :) With that, good luck to you all in your endeavors this week.  Thank you all so much for your encouragement and kind words, it really is so motivating to me! xoxo

A Letter

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A letter from myself to myself. Dear Emily, You can do this!  I know things get hard.  I know your brain just wants comfort foods sometime.  But don’t do it!  Don’t give in!  You’ve wanted this for so long, be strong. In the past year how many times have you “restarted”?  WAY too many times to count!!  It’s normal.  It gets hard.  Our brains have been programmed and changing ANYTHING that you are accustomed to is not the easiest thing to do. The thing that you have to do though, each time you slip up and give into your cravings, is not say “Oh well, I’ll do better tomorrow.”  NO!  Do better now!  So what, you slipped up?  That is no excuse to stop and restart tomorrow.  Tomorrow NEVER comes!  It’s always today.  Don’t do things that will make you regret yesterday. Think of the future.  Think of how you’re going to feel when you go to the mall.  No longer wondering “IF” but rather worrying about your funds. Think of the pride you have now, because you’ve co

My Goals...NOT Resolutions

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Just a quick update on my week:  I've done good!  It was my birthday, and I even went out to eat a few times and I still lost weight!  I've stayed on track with my new healthy lifestyle, and I am SO happy! Like I said last week, I have goals that are different from my resolutions.  My resolutions are set to help me become a better person.  My goals are just things I want to accomplish.  So here are my list of goals for 2013:  (Some of them are motivated by my weight loss.) 1.  Go skydiving.   I already have a few friends that are on board to do this.   You have to be at least 200 lbs. before you can go skydiving.    So this one is a goal and kind of a reward.   SO excited! Do you like my awesome "Paint" project? :) haha 2.  Pay off debt.  I'm not swimming in it, but I am a student who doesn't really qualify for grants or scholarships. 3.  Get an Ipad.  Yup. :) 4.  Hike Havasupai.     My weight has always held me back when it comes t

And there’s a hand my trusty friend!

I kind of wanted to write a post about New Year and resolutions, and the song "Auld Lang Syne" kept playing in my head.  So I wanted to find out what the heck the song really means, so before I start rambling on about weight loss journeys, here is the English translation of the original Scot's version of the famous song: Should  old  acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind ? Should  old  acquaintance be forgot, and  old  lang syne ? CHORUS: For auld lang syne, my  dear , for auld lang syne, we'll take a cup of kindness yet, for auld lang syne. And surely you’ll  buy  your pint  cup  ! and surely I’ll  buy  mine ! And we'll take a cup o’ kindness yet, for auld lang syne. CHORUS We  two have  run about the  slopes , and  picked  the  daisies  fine ; But we’ve wandered  many  a weary foot , since  auld lang syne. CHORUS We  two have paddled  in the  stream , from  morning sun till dine  ; But seas between us 

New Year, New ME!

Who is as excited for this new year as I am?!  Well, I'm excited and terrified.  For the first time in my life, I have no clue what's in store for me this year, but I can just feel change around the corner.  I like to have some control over my life, so I'd like to have one change that was inspired by me...and you guessed it, this year is going to be the year I loose ALL of my chub!  And hopefully, it will be before the summer. I know that I came back in October all gunghoe about starting back up...but then the election happened, which ruined me! haha So, here I am, making a resolution to take care of myself this year.  Put myself first, and take care of something that has been a burden for far too long. My first goal: to get to 220.  (I'm not sure what I am at right now, and I just ate, so I'll weigh in tomorrow.  I know, I'm not the most responsible blogger.) My plan: Food: Stick to my Medifast meal plans.  Plan ahead.  Don't eat out. Exercise:  Not