It's the Non Scale Victories that COUNT!!

It's a new dawn, it's a new day, it's a new life for MEEE and I'm feeling GOOOOOOD!!!

Hey bloggers, followers, friends, family.. how's everyone doing?? 

I am feeling wonderful! Today my blog is about NSV's or Non-Scale Victories! These are important to pay  attention to, as victory doesn't only come on the scale. Actually, it's usually the NSV's that mean the most!

Today I had an AWESOME NSV that I didn't even know I had! I was "window shopping" on the Old Navy website and automatically clicked on the "Plus Size" section.. only to find that I have out shrunk the smallest size that is offered in plus size! They only go down to a size 16 and I am now in a size 14!! It was super exciting for me.

Some other NSV's that I have had along the way include:

• -Bath towels fitting all the way around me and not needing a beach towel for the shower (simple but shows results!)

• - All the "Hey Skinny Minnie"s I get from my friends and family when they see me makes me feel awesome!

• - Reaching my last notch on my XL belt!

• -Bringing clothes in the dressing room and ALL of them fit! Some were actually too big!

• - My boyfriend pointing out that I no longer complain about how fast he is walking when we are going somewhere and being able to walk for long distances without feeling tired.

• -Being able to conquer the buffet.. and I don't mean conquer it as in eating something from every stand but being able to go and eat one plate of the healthier food on the menu.

• -Being told that I AM AN INSPIRATION (this is crazy to me!!)

• -Being able to RUN for extended periods of time!!

• - Making bags of clothes for Goodwill filled with things that are too big on me.

I could go on forever! The point is: As much as it feels awesome to say "I lost 53lbs"...the victories off the scale are the ones that count and really make a difference in my life!!

So I challenge you:

Look for NSV's in your life! Stand in the mirror and look at an old picture of you before you started your weight loss journey and compare it to the person looking back at you. Notice the definition in your face, your chin, your cheek bones, etc..

Think about  your habits before you started.. the snacks you used to munch on, the meals you used to eat 2-3 plates of, and compare it to what you eat now and how that has changed. Also, what you drink!! Compare the juices and the sodas to the amount of water you consume these days!

Take your measurements!! Keep a track of your measurements. Sometimes the number isn't always on the scale but in the inches!

* I actually just took my measurements today for the first time since March 13th and I have lost 4" off my hips!! 2" off my waist and an inch off my thighs!*

I got this status from a page on Facebook Mind Wise, Body Wise :

Start being the person you want to be today. Walk down the street as if you are at your ideal weight. Focus on the healthy body you want, the confidence and self esteem you’d love to have, and start to create those thoughts and feelings in your life today. You will be amazed at how different you will feel. 

Always give yourself credit for the changes you have made. Even if those changes are happening slower than you expected.. consciously saying "I need to make a change. I will make a change. I am making a change" with emphasis on the latter, is what's most important!!!

Let me know some of your NSV's!! Leave feedback! I would love to hear from you :) 

 When I reach goal I am making my own video like this J. Hud! I love her:

Until next time, 

Krystle

Do Something Realistic!

Question for you!! - As far as your weight loss plan goes, is it something that you can do for the rest of your life? Is it a lifestyle change or a quick fix?

I swear by Weight Watchers but I also know that it doesn't work for everyone. It is crucial though that if you want to lose weight and MAINTAIN that you pick a plan that is ideal for you FOR LIFE.. especially if you have struggled with your weight for a long period of time.

Maybe some people believe in the Atkin's diet or any "no carb" diet..or things like NutriSystem.. where you get prepackaged meals.. but for me I just can't imagine not eating pasta and bread for the rest of my life. Or eating boxed food every day FOREVER!  The thing with these short term diets is when you stop, all the weight piles right back on! Do something realistic!

Not trying to sell anyone on WW (Although it is wonderful!!) .. just want to put it out there that when starting a diet, make sure that it's something you can do long-term.

Let's have a great OP day!!

Oh and... I will be taking it easy today.. I twisted my ankle doing Turbo Fire yesterday. Pretty upset about it!! I have a 5K to run in 3 weeks :(

Love and hugs!
-Krystle

BE YOU(tiful)!

Gooood Monday Morning!!! Hope everyone had a fabulous Easter! I know I did...I taught my daughter (even though she is only 10 months old) the significance of the day, that we can have eternal life because of what Jesus did on the Cross for US! For her! .. She didn't understand a word obviously but it was important to me that I had that conversation with her.. it's not just about eggs!

Although the egg hunt we have every year at my grandparents' house was tons of fun.. baby girl was loving it!!


Here's a picture of her daddy helping her get an egg out of the tree: 

 

And my family on Easter Sunday: 

Now let's get down to business: 
 I know I'm not the only one who completely overindulged yesterday! Actually. I am willing to bet 99% of us did! And that's okay! We are only human.. holidays and large feasts only come around a few times a year. The important thing is that we get back on track! With exercise and eating and ESPECIALLY with water! I challenge anyone reading this blog today to drink AT LEAST 64oz of water..today. If you can drink more, then by all means go for it! I try to drink at least 100oz of water a day (Half my body weight in ounces). 

So let me know! Comment on the blog or on my Facebook. -  How Are You Getting Back On Track Today??! 

For me: 
-I woke up this morning and could just tell it was gorgeous out before I even got out of bed so I took my daughter out for a half hour jog/walk on the boardwalk. It was sooo enjoyable! I came in with intentions to do Turbo Fire except my daughter just fell asleep on me so I will postpone that workout for later today.. but it WILL get done!! (Providing my DVD's decide to work.. that's whole different story..I may have to return it for a new one). But if they don't work.. I will find another half hour workout. My goal is to do at least 70 minutes of activity today and 100oz of water. 

What's your goal for today? If you don't have one.. MAKE ONE! And don't stop until you reach it! 

57 Days Until Summer! Let's do this and do it right!! We are in it to win it people! You only get one body...treat it right!! And more importantly, ALWAYS love your body..whether you are heavy or skinny or just right... LOVE your body for what it is but if it needs changes for your health, then love it enough to make those changes! I'm glad I learned that lesson at a young enough age to turn my life around! 

Talk to you all soon!! 
-Krystle :)  

 

Are We What We Eat? ... Or What Our Friends Eat?

Hey lovelies!

I read an article yesterday that I found SO interesting!! It was called "Why Looking at Overweight People Makes Us Want to Eat More, Not Less". The article talks about a recent study where they show people of all different fitness levels, averaging 25 years old, different pictures including pictures of:

-Fat people
-Thin people
-Fat people eating
-A neutral image such as a tree

They then offered the participant candy to thank them for their time. They found that the those who looked at the picture of an overweight woman, took significantly more candy (averaging 2.2 pieces) than the person who looked at the picture of a thin woman or the neutral object (1.5 pieces). Obviously this was a subconscious thing, which goes back to something I have mentioned before about how food is SUCH a mind game!! This experiment was also done with cookie taste testing, yielding the same results.

Interestingly though, when participants were shown a picture of a fat person EATING, they took less candy (or cookies) than the individuals who were shown a picture of just an overweight person. Why is this??!

Well according to the study, it derives from stereotypes. We, as humans, automatically and subconsciously label certain actions with certain individuals i.e. fat people eat a lot; Chinese people are good at math, an African American with baggy pants uses all slang when he/she speaks etc...

And with those stereotypes, people begin to conform to act like this person without even knowing they are doing it.

A direct quote from this article - "...college students' scores on general knowledge questions increased after exposure to a professor but decreased after exposure to a supermodel."



One more thing about the article and then I will get to my own opinion: 
In the beginning, it also explains that studies show that people with close friends who are obese,  are 171% more likely to become obese themselves!! This blew my mind!

Okay so here are my thoughts on this::: 

1. This really shocked me but the more I thought about it, the more I actually understood. I have been there! I would see a close family member or a friend who didn't put thought into what they eat and I, in turn, would do the same. I would overindulge because I was surrounded be people doing the same. I didn't do this consciously, but I can definitely relate!

2. On this journey, we need to really stay focused. It is so easy to fall into a trap and pick up 3 pieces of candy instead of 1.. or NONE! But if we want to be successful, we must learn self control.

In the beginning of this semester at school, my teacher passed around a bag of candy while people did problems on the board. Knowing that I would too easily take the candy, I made sure I was one of the students doing the problem on the board and let the candy bag pass right by my chair. Conscious awareness! This is crucial. 

3. How can we change this?? One change in the study came when the surveyors asked the participants to write down their health goals for 3 minutes. When the participants did this, they took the same amount of candy whether they looked at the fat person or the thin person. If we are always consciously thinking about our health goals then it is less likely that our subconscious "overeating" habits will take over.

I make it a point to talk about my goals every single day.. whether on Facebook, to my mom, to my boyfriend, whoever.. not only does this keep my goals in the forefront of my mind at all times, but also holds me accountable for my actions!!

-As far as the friends thing goes.. this really had an impact on me. I want to be the friend who sets the trend to eat healthy, not the friend who follows the trend to pig out! I believe that I am doing this already in that many of my friends have seen my weight loss progress and made changes to their life because they were inspired by me. I hope to continue to do this for people! When I go out to eat now with friends, I will make a conscious effort to be the "Food Leader".

I think this also goes for exercise. Set the trend! Exercise is a GOOD thing.. not a dreaded task that must be done. I always rave about new exercises (Now! ... if you would have talked to me 6 months ago, I would not be telling you the same thing!) but I do this 1) because I love to exercise and 2) in hopes to inspire others to get up and get active!

I hope you got something out of this! Check out the article on Time Healthland - A Healthy Balance of the Mind, Body, and Spirit

Love,
Krystle

Success Is Failure Turned Inside Out

Sooo sorry I haven't blogged in DAYS!! Hope everyone is doing well :)

Good news! (A little late but still news!) - I reached my 50lbs goal! Actually exceeded it.. weighed in at 204.6 on Sunday which is 51 pounds down from where I started. Now just 49lbs to go!

I have been so so busy with work, school, mommy life, working out, training for this run, the list goes on! But I wouldn't have it any other way.. I love this life I'm living.

I have a bazillion thoughts though that I want to blog about that I have been putting in my mind's filing cabinet the last couple days so I hope to get to them over the next few days.. don't want to overwhelm in one blog!

This blog is short and sweet though because I am exhausted! I will definitely catch up with you guys this weekend, I promise! I just wanted to let you know that I didn't forget about my blog!

Until then, keep up the great work! Never give up! Write down your goals, tell people your goals, and hold yourself accountable - you will reach the top!

*My honey said something so nice to me the other day that I replay in my mind over and over.. he said "You WILL be successful. I will be a part a part of your success. Our daughter will be a part of your success. Let's do it.. write down your goals and you will achieve them!" .. he seriously has been my ROCK. They say one day you meet that person that you love like you have never loved before because they love you and support you in ways you never knew possible.. I don't know how but I got that lucky! :)


I pray that everyone going through this weight loss journey, as well as the journey that we call LIFE, has someone whether it is a parent, a spouse, friend, aunt, uncle, brother, sister etc... that supports them 150%! I think it's crucial in life to have that one person that is always in your corner.. to have one is awesome. To have a whole team is a serious blessing!!!'

I'll leave you with one of my favorite poems::

When things go wrong as they sometimes will,When the road you're trudging seems all up hill,
When the funds are low and the debts are high
And you want to smile, but you have to sigh,
When care is pressing you down a bit,
Rest if you must, but don't you quit.
Life is queer with its twists and turns,
As every one of us sometimes learns,
And many a failure turns about
When he might have won had he stuck it out;
Don't give up though the pace seems slow--
You may succeed with another blow,
Success is failure turned inside out--
The silver tint of the clouds of doubt,
And you never can tell how close you are,
It may be near when it seems so far;
So stick to the fight when you're hardest hit--
It's when things seem worst that you must not quit.
Edgar A. Guest

Talk to you guys soon! 


Love, 
Krystle

A few thoughts :)

Hey Bloggers :) 

A few things:

1. I ran for 5 minutes straight today!! Super excited. I didn't think I was gonna do it but it goes back to what I said before.. if you tell yourself over and over that you CAN do something.. when it comes down to it, you WILL.. it's really as simple as that!!

2. I made these cupcake pop things last night with my mom and snacked entirely tooooo much! They were so yummy and I over indulged. I'm a little worried about weighing in tomorrow morning even though I got in a last minute workout tonight. But in the event that I don't reach my 50lb goal tomorrow, I already know what I did wrong so there is nothing to it but to fix it for next week. Still hoping for the best though!!

(Mine didn't look quite as good as Martha Stewart's shown above lol)


3. My friend Amy sent me a message the other day for some tips on crunches. She said she used to be a cheerleader and they had to do 300 crunches at practice and the only way she got through them was to switch positions. So I made a little crunch schedule to incorporate her recommendations into my abdomen regimen:

(Obviously the begin again part and the amount of crunches you do is based on your body habitus and your fitness level.. do what you know your body can handle!) 

I also incorporate 3 sets of planks for as long as I can hold it and a few leg lifts... whatever it takes!!

Let's do this!! Summer is right around the corner and I can't wait to not be the "fat girl" on the beach anymore! LOL

 More blogging later :) Have a great night!

Krystle

STOP, Relax a bit!

Hey Lovelies! Happy Friday!

I wanted to talk today about recognizing your body's signals..this came about because of signals I received from my body today. I took a day of rest from all forms of exercise (other than cleaning, mommy-ing, food shopping, etc...) because my body told me to do so. I didn't wake up with the motivation that I normally feel in the morning. I was very stiff and as soon as I picked up my daughter from her crib, I laid back in my bed with her. Throughout the day, my back started feeling sore, then my knees, then my ankles, and by the end of the night I was/am in pain. I am glad that I noticed these cues early in the day and kept an eye on them throughout the day so that I didn't try to overexert my body.

This led me to looking up some info so I thought I'd share...

I learned that if you don't schedule a weekly exercise break, this can actually prove detrimental to your health. Although exercise is essential for your health, it is just as essential to give your muscles a break. I also learned that when you exercise every day, you are burning calories at an increased rate and in turn are losing fluid (which you SHOULD be replacing with lots of h20!), energy stores, and your muscles develop microscopic tears during those hard core workouts. It is important to give your body the time to replace what it has lost. <---You learn something new every day!!

Oh let me get on my soapbox for a minute:: This has nothing to do with health and weight loss..... well maybe brain health. A good friend of mine once told me, "I challenge you to learn 1-3 new things per day..look something up, read the newspaper, go on the internet, talk to someone new.. do whatever it takes but learn something new every single day".... I have never forgotten those words and now I am passing them on to you!

So back to what I was saying.. take a break every once in a while and listen to what your body is telling you. Sometimes, it is saying "Hey, I've had enough! Let me rest for a bit".. treat your body the way it deserves to be treated (in all aspects!!).

A problem that I was having when I first started with this whole fitness thing was losing motivation after a day of rest. If I took one day off, I would take 2 weeks off.. it took me a long time to get past that! A word of advice - If you have this same problem then on your rest days, don't sit on the couch all day. That makes it IMPOSSIBLE to get motivated again. Move around, play with the kids, maybe do a little low intensity yoga or pilates (nothing that will exert yourself.. just for a little stretching and breathing exercises), do anything except be a couch potato!!

Also, never lose sight of your goal. On my rest days I remind myself all day of what I am working for and where I am heading. I tell myself that this rest day is a reward for all my hard work this past week and if I want a rest day next week, I better put in the hard work again!!!

One more thought - Interval Exercising i.e. bursts of high intensity cardio along with lower intensity levels of the same or similar workout is said to help your body burn calories and fat long after your workout is complete. Just a tid bit for those worried about taking a rest day!

That's all for now! Talk to you all soon :)

-Krystle

Sources: www.helium.com

Don't Step On It, It Makes You Cry!

Hey my lovely bloggers! Hope everyone is having a wonderful day. I have a slew of ideas I want to talk about today. I hope you find it all interesting but just in case, I will break it up into thought segments!


Just an FYI about me - My brain is on overdrive 24/7.. there is never a point in time when I am not thinking about at least 7 things. (The average adult can think about an average of 5-7 things at once!)

Yesterday I was going through an emotional moment with my stomach. I know they say that "it didn't get there over night and it's not going to go away over night" but the way I feel about it is: No, you're right. It didn't get there over night.. it got there progressively over 23 years. I sure as hell hope it won't take 23 years to go away! ... 

Obviously that is an exaggeration as far as it taking 23 years to go away since now I am focused on it for the first time in my life. However, I get discouraged. I sit in the mirror and play with it, jiggle it around, mush it up, suck it in, stick it out, and so on. It saddens me


BUT... IT DOESN'T STOP ME! So after my little emotional breakdown yesterday regarding this, I decided that 
A) I need to step up my stomach workout regimen and 
B) I need to stick to this enhanced regimen every day! 


So today after my 2.5 miles with Leslie Sansone, I found a toning program on Netflix and went right to the abs section. That lasted 10 minutes and was pretty intense but I still wanted more so I followed it up with another 50 crunches. 


After my run this afternoon (which I will comment on in a few) I did another 50 crunches and tonight before bed I plan to do another 50. Tomorrow, I step it up to 75 each rep. 

For those looking for an extreme abdominal workout (I am also adding this to my regimen) CLICK HERE for Andia Winslow's Abdominal Potpouri. The girl is NO JOKE! She also has several other workouts on that site. 


NEXT TOPIC:


To lighten the mood a little bit, I have to comment on my daughter this morning. She was too funny. She is in the "Monkey see. monkey do" stage so it is pretty simple to teach her new things lately. So yesterday I taught her "Sooo big!!" and I raise my hands up and she copies. We did it at least 50x yesterday and she mastered it. 


So, this morning I was doing my abdomen workout and my daughter was sitting watching the TV as if it was a cartoon. The lady on the video raised her hands up as if taking a big breath in and when she did, my daughter raised her hands up and did "sooo big!!" with her big, one tooth, grin! It was the CUTEST thing!! Also, she loves to clap so now every time I am doing a workout and they clap, even if it's one clap, she lets out a round of applause.. I look at as her being my little cheerleader! :) She is amazing!!

BOB REVOLUTION!  - I got my first joggling stroller today and I lovvveee it! I had never even heard of  BOB Strollers but we were looking for a jogging stroller and my boyfriend found this one on craigs list. Apparently, they are the best strollers out there for jogging and it makes since seeing that they cost a fortune flat out! We were lucky enough to find a pretty good deal for a used one. 


So the lady dropped it off today and I couldn't wait to try it. I immediately took it outside on the boardwalk. It rides so smooth! I ran with one hand pushing the stroller ducking and dodging people on the boardwalk and was able to maneuver it with ease, one handed! My daughter also loved it. It has a very comfy looking seat. She brought a toy with her (aka the Wii remote lol) and sat quietly the entire time. If anyone knows my daughter, "quiet" is not her thing, haha! Definitely a great buy!!!

(Mine is lime green though!!) ^




Which leads me to....


My run today! The training today was 3 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking again x4 reps. Today was the first day I trained on the boardwalk and it is a whole new beast! Running against wind and on different turf, it definitely took a lot of getting used to. But it also put things in a new perspective for me. A power walk that used to take me an hour to get there and back (Tropicana to Taj Mahal and back) took me 34 minutes today!! I was super proud of myself. 


Things I like about jogging on the boardwalk:

• Getting to "people watch" the whole time ;)
• The view of the ocean you get as you run. 
• The fresh air!!!

A few things I disliked about jogging on the boardwalk: 

• People like to smoke cigarettes and not watch where they are blowing it so I ran through a couple puffs of disgusting smoke. 
• You have to go around people and find holes in crowds on busy days. 

• Since you aren't at a set pace like on the treadmill, it is much more easy to stop when you get tired. I took a few 10 second breaks but I made up for it at the end by doing an extra minute of running than what was required.  

Final thought: 


I took a peek at the scale today. I hate doing that.. the scale and I are not friends. And being a woman, our bodies fluctuate like crazyyy! Anyway, it said I was up almost a pound. I kept telling myself to forget what I saw...didn't work so much but after my first workout, I got back on out of curiosity and it said I was down. 


SO.. please everyone, don't be a slave to the scale. We fluctuate daily! Heck.. we fluctuate hourly! Weigh yourself once a week for your own sanity. :) I am vowing to only touch the scale on Sundays from now on! 

 Have a blessed day!
-Krystle xoxo 

Can't Stop, Won't Stop!

So I have been training to run this 5K and it's going well so far but I find myself starting to doubt my ability when I look ahead at the schedule. Before this, I would be lucky if I could run for 30 seconds without wanting to pass out. The first two days of training I had to run one minute at a time followed by one minute of walking x10 reps.

Then it stepped it up to 2 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking x4 reps. I didn't think I would do it but I DID. 

Yesterday stepped it up again to 3 minutes of running and 3 minutes of walking. I was really nervous about this one because for a non-runner, 3 minutes is a LONG TIME! But.. again, I did it. I had to cut the last 3 minute running segment down and break it up. I ran for 2 minutes, power walked 1 minute, then ran the 3rd minute but I still was pretty proud that I got it done. I'm not sure if the fact that The Biggest Loser was on the TV as I ran was a good thing or bad thing...just watching Jillian Michaels makes me exhausted! haha

So, here is where my nerves come in...Okay, 3 minutes is no SO bad.. I can handle that. But as I look ahead at the training schedule, by this time next week I am supposed to be up to running SEVEN minutes at a time!

On one hand I feel like this is crazy.. Krystle Bailey simply CAN NOT run for that long. On the other hand, I say this is a NEW me.. and I CAN.. and I WILL do this. I'm going with the latter because if you would have asked me two weeks ago if I could run for 3 minutes I would have told you, you were crazy!

I'm in it to win it! Normally, I would say "I won't stop until I reach my goal" .. but I don't like that saying when it comes to weight loss because when you reach your goal is when the real challenge begins and that is the worst place to stop! So I am saying, CAN'T STOP, WON'T STOP! 

This time next year my blog will be saying "I lost 100lbs and have ran several marathons!" Stay tuned!! ;)

• MIND OVER MATTER - Set in your mind that you CAN and you WILL do something before you even start. i.e. Yesterday when I got on the treadmill, I brainwashed myself to believe that my body IS capable of running for 3 minutes and the first time around I did it with ease. I was tired by the end but I looked at myself in the mirror and said "I GOT THIS!"
• MIX IT UP - I have realized in the past several months that switching up my workout schedule, trying different things, and surprising new muscles has really enhanced my weight loss and my flexibility! Yoga and pilates may not seem like intense workouts but you would be surprised at how bad you sweat! 
• H20 - Guzzle, guzzle, guzzle!! I can't stress it enough!! You may pee all day but that means it's working!!!
• BREAK IT UP - If you don't have time during your day to fit in a 60 minute workout, break it up throughout the day. I'm no fitness expert but from what I understand, if your heart rate is up for at least 20 minutes, you are burning calories. So fit it in where you can! I like to do a few small exercises a day on busy days. Example: Yesterday I did dance cardio in the morning for 30 minutes, pilates at lunch for 20 minutes, and my treadmill run at night for 30 minutes. 
• NETFLIX, DVD's, COMCAST - If you can't leave the house to go to the gym, there are a million resources right in your home. If you have Netflix streamed to your game console or to your TV, look up fitness programs. I have come to love the 10 Minute workouts they have. Gets your heart rate up and gets you moving throughout your day. Also, Comcast On Demand offers a huge array of fitness programs. 

Let's do this!! We have control over our bodies.. no more "I'm just big boned" excuses or "It runs in my family." We have the power to change these things and nothing is stopping us from living healthier for ourselves and for our families!!

God Bless, 

Krystle

Glorious Monday!!

I once heard someone say, "Monday is a lame way to spend 1/7 of your life" .. I respectfully disagree!

Mondays are my favorite day of the week (Well okay.. not my favorite but they are high in ranking!)

Mondays give you the opportunity to refresh yourself, refocus, regroup, set in your mind how your week is going to be. Are you going to let small things get you down this week? Are you going to let things roll off your back and enjoy living life? As far as your health plan goes, are you going to get in all your water this week? Stay On Plan? Plan ahead.. are you going out to dinner with family or friends one day this week? Maybe you need to really focus on your water intake, good health guidelines, and exercise Monday through Thursday so you can take a breather on Friday and go out for a couple drinks. I could go on and on.. all I'm saying is...

I like Monday.. it gives me the chance to organize all these thoughts in my head and get focused for a strong, healthy, happy week ahead!! Stop living for the weekend and live for TODAY! 

Every day is a great day when you wake up to that smile every morning ^ My pretty baby!

Let's do this! Let today be a great start to a great, fit, week ahead! Happy Monday!

Krystle

Weight Watchers Walk-It Challenge!

I wanted to provide information for the Weight Watchers Walk It Challenge for anyone who is interested and not informed! You don't have to be a Weight Watchers member to participate. I am training to run the celebration walk on May 22nd. The deal is, you train for 7 weeks, then at the end of the 7 weeks there is a celebration walk all across the country. The goal is to get people up and moving!!

You can find a walk in your area here!!


Here is the walking training guide! 

Or if you want to run, here is the running training guide! 

The walk is a non competitive 5K and should be a really good time!! Monday starts week 2 of the training but you can still get started!! It's never too late to get moving.

Hope to see as many people as possible get involved!! Oh and if you don't have one in your area you can also track your own route and still participate on May 22nd. A 5K is a 3.1 route!

-Krystle

The weight loss mind game!

Hey all! 

I weighed in today (I weigh myself at home since I don't have time to go to meetings with my 9 month old!).. I have a frustration with my scale.. I will explain after. My ultimate weight loss this week was 1.8lbs, which brings me to a total weight loss of 48.4lbs since September!!

A few things...

1. My scale is a PAIN in the butt! It always seems to fluctuate 2-3lbs within the 10 seconds that I got on, got off, and got back on. So I end up weighing myself like 10x to get a final answer.. whatever number I get the most, then I go with that. Oh well, it is what it is right? At least it's not jumping 10lbs like my old scale did.. I used to get so upset lol

 lol i love this cartoon ^

2. My original goal when I started this weight loss journey was 50lbs. My boyfriend and I both said we lose 50lbs and we would go on vacation together (He is a little behind to say the least lol he says he is waiting to catch up!!) Now my goal is 100lbs since I have become fully committed to this weight loss thing and I still weigh over 200lbs!

Me and my honey ^ I am so blessed to have such a supportive man on my side!! He'll get with the program...he keeps telling me he doesn't want to join WW but we'll see about that ;) He's perfect in my eyes. :) 



Anyway.. it is a mix of emotions hitting my first major goal:

•  I am very excited and proud of myself that goal is only 2lbs away. I cry all the time lol I am an emotional roller coaster!!
• I currently weigh 207 and cannot wait to reach ONEderland. With that being so close, it makes me nervous at the same time. I am afraid that I will get comfortable being that I have not been under 200lbs in so long and stop doing what I am doing. I hope that's not the case and I talk to myself every day reminding myself of my goals but it is a little nerve racking not knowing what it even feels like to weigh 199lbs. Although I think my excitement over powers any of those emotions. 
• Once I reach my 50lb goal, I have to double it! 

I don't think those words really described my emotions and I'm having a hard time explaining them better but it is a slew of mixed emotions, as is anything with losing/gaining weight. It's such a mind game!!

I had a conversation last night with a new friend that I met in the gym and I told her how I firmly believe that food is a complete mind game! For example.. if you have a foot long sub in front of you, 9 times out of 10 you are going to eat all or most of that sub because you THINK you are hungry for it. However, if you have a 6" sub in front of you, you eat the whole thing, you are more likely than not going to be satisfied off that 6" and walk away from the table without thinking, "I think I need another half of a sub".. it doesn't work like that. We just need to learn how to win the game 10 times out of 10!

I recently came to the awesome realization that I have the upper hand in this game after a life long battle. I control what I eat.. food no longer controls me. It is a beautiful thing when a life long member of the chub club can say that!!

The bottom line (since this blog ended up being an array of ideas!) is that we can't give up on our goals even if we hit smaller goals along the way. That's what makes the challenge interesting!, food won't change.. we have to change our mindset about food, weight struggles is a life long emotional roller coaster but when we have control, it can be a fun and REWARDING ride!!

Anyway, hope you all have a wonderful, blessed, Sunday!!

Krystle

What Works For Me!

Hey everyone! 

I thought I would post a bit about how I have found success this far along my weight loss journey..

I started Weight Watchers (BECAUSE IT WORKS!) in September and I swear by it!! It is the best weight loss program out there. I refuse to call it a "diet" because in my opinion dieting is something that people do temporarily to lose 10lbs or 20lbs.. whatever it may be. Weight Watchers is a life changing experience. You learn ways to alter your lifestyle without depriving yourself. For example, the other day I REALLY wanted an ice cream cone so I went and got myself an ice cream cone.. it cost me 5 Points but it was worth it. I feel as though if you deprive yourself from the things you enjoy, after a while you will just quit and go back to your old ways but if you treat yourself every once in a while then you are not really missing out. You can eat anything on this plan!!



This is a picture of my favorite breakfast! Only 6 points on WW or 7 depending on which waffles you get. 2 waffles, sliced bananas, strawberries, and blueberries with FF cool whip and Agave nectar! So delicious!

You can find more info on WW here!

Also, you would be surprised what you find yourself liking when you make a few alterations to your eating habits. For example, a grilled fish sandwich is just as yummy as a fried fish sandwich and much healthier!! Just like, egg whites and a slice of FF cheese, in my opinion, tastes just as good as regular scrambled eggs and cheese. 

Anyway, so along with Weight Watchers I have really gotten active!! I started with Zumba for the Wii.. I was doing it every day because it was so much fun.. once I started working out every day and feeling that adrenaline pump, I wanted MORE! So I branched out into other activities. Now I switch it up every day. Some days I will walk the boardwalk, other days I do Zumba or they have dance cardio on Netflix. I also LOVE Leslie Sansone DVD's! She has a bazillion different DVD's to choose from! (they also have them for free On Demand!) I ordered Turbo Fire that I'm excited to try but the seller on Ebay is being shady so I might have to wait on that refund and buy it again.

^ one of my favorite Leslie Sansone DVD's so far.. the time just flies.. you burn calories, you sweat like crazy, and you have FUN and before you know it, you walked 5 miles!

One more thing.. if you are on Facebook. I got involved with a friend's page, Nicole's Weight Loss Challenges!!!. She hosts team challenges as well as individual challenges that include getting in all your water, meeting all your good health guidelines, lots of exercise, etc.. It's a lot of fun, A TON of support from others on the weight loss journey, and a good reason to push yourself that extra little bit!

I recently started training to RUN... YES, I said RUN a 5K sponsored by Weight Watchers.. I will post the info for that in another blog if anyone is interested. It is technically a Walk but I am following the run schedule. Since I am going to Virginia for it, as there are none offered in NJ, I figured I would make it a challenge.

I bought Reebok Run Tones today (shown below).. I'll see how they work! My goal for Summer 2012 is to hit the beach.. *sexy thigh status!* :)

Hope any of this info was helpful! It's what works for me but remember, with anything, different strokes for different folks! Anything else I come across along the way I will definitely share!

Trying something new...this is me. Naked.

Alright, here goes nothing! I never blogged before but have always wanted to then I came across my friend's blog (www.electriksunset.blogspot.com) and I fell in love. She inspired me to finally start a blog but I was stumped on what to blog about. So I began wondering, What is important in my life? What do I feel passionate about? What could I talk about for more than one blog post? Well, what better to blog about than my life changing experiences?!

So here it is.. my first blog post..

My name is Krystle and I've been a fat kid my entire life! I played softball as a child and trialed some other sports but my love for food always kept me bigger and chubbier than all my friends my age. Growing up, I always managed to have a slew of friends though so it never occurred to me that anything was "wrong" with me or that anything needed to change. My dad would always ask me if I was watching what I was eating as I got a little older and I would brush him off with a "yea, Dad.. I'm good." .. then sneak the Oreos from the kitchen while nobody was watching.

 (The picture above - there I am in the pink with my Dad and my sisters)

I could write forever about the emotions of being fat and everything that goes along with that but I'd be here for days.

So let's jump ahead a few years..high school...

I was the fattest girl in school..(maybe one of two.. but I was up there!) but yet again, I always had friends! It was in high school though that I realized that being heavy was causing complications in my life...in gym class, in sports, shopping with friends became difficult because I couldn't shop at the same stores as my skinny friends, and especially in my love life (if that's what you want to call it). I had no problem hanging out with boys who always thought I was "pretty" or "cute" and were quick to have sex with me but I rarely found myself in a relationship because guys would see me at night but wouldn't be seen with the big girl on their arm at school. This went on from Sophomore year and on...It wasn't until I was 20 or so that I even realized what was occurring and the depth of the consequences of my actions. "I just wanted to feel loved"...I guess..  :-/



Senior year I lost a lot of weight..about 60 pounds.. and I felt so good about myself. I went to college with a more confident mindset but was in a crappy relationship that, looking back now, I stayed in for the fear of not finding someone else to "love" me...even though I highly doubt that this guy loved me at all. When that ended and I wanted to go home.. the weight slowly piled back on little by little and there I was, the fat girl again.

Jump ahead a few more years.. July 2009 I had just gotten back from staying a few months in Las Vegas with my aunt. The week I got home, I met Nick.. and oh how my life changed. We started hanging out all the time and things were just different than with guys I had dealt with in the past. He actually LIKED me!! Well it wasn't long before I got pregnant.. by November 2009 I was pregnant with our daughter. (I'll skip the details of our relationship for the sake of an extremely long blog! But he is amazing.. we have a wonderful relationship and a wonderful daughter who is now 9 months)

(The picture above is Nick, me, and our daughter the day after she was born)

When my daughter was born, I looked into those big brown eyes of hers and I knew I had to change. My dad died at 43 (a month before I got pregnant) of a heart attack and I was devastated. All I could think about was how I had to live a long life for my baby.. she needs me! At that time I was 253lbs AFTER I LOST MY BABY WEIGHT!...and in that moment.. I said this is it. I am losing it..and I'm losing it for good!!

I joined Weight Watchers and got active and the weight started flying off. Now I am down 46lbs and 8lbs away from ONEderland! I have not weighed under 200lbs since longer than I can remember! I feel amazing.. I know my honey can tell the difference in my body, my spirit, and my attitude as well as everyone else around me.

(The picture on the left is me the summer that I met Nick and the picture on the right is me March 2011 after losing 45lbs)

Everyone always asks for tips, recipes, my story.. well here it is. I promise to bare all.. this is ME! Come along for the ride!!