Nancy’s Weight loss Journey 5 Yrs & Counting

I hope no one is offended by my newest default pic.  The reason why I decided to put it up is pretty personal.  See, Rod and I had some fun with the camera.  He used one to do a MAXIM cover for me for my birthday.  I used a bow to cover up any ahhhhhemmmmmmmm body parts that may show just a weeenssssiee bit too much.  Why this pic?  Because I’ve worked sooooooo hard to earn it!  So why not?   For those who are understanding thank you….for those who don’t I can only say I’m sorry but that is the best I can do to be conservative.

I for so long don’t like what I look like on the outside.  Taking risky pictures is  one step closer to self confidence.  I’m still very shy but you know what, if I can help one buddyslimmer realize their own self worth and that our bodies are beautiful, then it’s worth it.  To be honest, I’m really nervous about having it up.  Not sure it it will be well received.  If not it’s only a delete button away.

Yesterday was HOT!  I was soooooooooooo sore from the 4 hours of exercise Thursday.

I slept all morning but did get up for the noon Kickboxing and Ashtanga Yoga. Food wise - no counting calories for the next 3 days.  I want to enjoy my 4 day weekend.

Today we are having a huge barbeque for the family.  Then we are taking off for Hollywood for clubbin.  My sister knows the promoter so we are all getting in free.
Oh, who wants to pay for an arm and a leg for drinks?  So we do it ghetto style - drink before we get there.  But I’m not drinking at all as I’m the designated driver.  I’d rather let my baby and the rest of my family drink.

I’m planning on going to a real Bootcamp class - not my bootcamp at one of the top level 24HR Fitness in Irvine.  Can’t wait to see what it’s about.  AND I MISS MY PUSH-UPS! PLANNING ON 250 REGULARS!

About alcohol - I usually don’t drink and lately just the thought of it is a big turn off.  Like today my sister made all kinds of mixed drinks and wanted me to drink.  I just don’t want any.  The last time I drank then tried to work out the next day, it didn’t go too well.  I prefer a goodworkout over drinks any day.

HAPPY 4TH!!! Eat, enjoy yourself and be safe!

I had so much fun on the last blog!! You guys made me so proud!  You all are so understanding!

I am taking a much deserved day off to have a 4 Day weekend!  I skipped the gym to hang out with my family and honey.  We took off for the casino for dinner at the best buffet.  I did very well.  Since I ate mainly fruits, veggies and protein during the day I had a lot of room for a buffet.  The great thing about a 5 star buffet - all you can eat crab legs, lobster and sushi and other stuff I won’t look at.  Oh!!! And chocolate covered strawberries!! I ate it all but never over did anything but the lobsters.

I ate a few fried shrimps - yummo, some rolls, and man of man like 6 lobsters!  They are small but heck - all you can eat lobster not so bad!  I did win many hands.  Even played Roulette but I came out even.  No win no gain except a good time!!!!

Well being that tomorrow is the start of my vacation, and if we don’t go to Vegas, I have 4 classes I’m doing!!! WHOO HOOO!!!  I have an 8am Lift Class, 9am Kickboxing class to follow.  Then I have Power Yoga at noon.  Then sleep and a final hour Pilates class at 7:30 pm.

In terms of food to prep for this, it’s about 300 cals of food at 6am and an energy bar 220  cals between classes.

Then Friday - whew, I can’t wait to do classes I never get to due to work!!!!!

Just one note, I Have an off the wall sense of humor.  95% of the time I joke a lot unless Miss Wildfire is in the house.  Don’t take me seriously, seriously.  If you do, you don’t know me at all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

All in all I plan to eat about 2500 calories Thursday to sustain all my classes!  Yep, good food good food!

Well, it’s early morning and no way can I catch up with all you fine men and women folks!!! Will do tomorrow.

Do broke people go to casinos?  Well, Monday night that would be me.  My brother was going with his girl and my mom - I tagged along.  This was after 3 hours of fun at the gym.  I got there and my mom forked over some money and  I lost it.

Then I check my brother who’s I don’t know why but playing in the Hi Roller section.  I saw a large stack and I took just $25.  I took that and made some dough. :)  Gave my mom $40 lost a bit and brought home the rest.  Nothing big, but enough for me to go to Costco to buy some strawberries, blueberries, cucumber, cottage cheese and to Mother’s for organic neccessities.

My brother, what can I say, came out ok tonight but that’s the life of a gambler  You win some and lose some.

On the way home we wanted to get Jack in the Crack.  I was thinking, how am I going to work the calories in?  Luckily we get there and there’s an Exterminator van outside.

Yep, saved 500 calories by not eating there.  Came home and gave my honey some money so he can eat.  Yep, poor guy is sooo skinny!! Weighs about 165 lbs if that right now!

It’s 2am and I’m tired.  I think I’ll eat a snack because I pushed my mom in that wheelchair all evening.  It’s a great thing these casinos are 1 to 2 hours away; I would be broke every day if they were any closer.

Tonight I have a 5K run planned - but Blaithin it’s at the gym.  I’m tying that in with an hr of weights and finish off with yoga.   I hope to get under 28 minutes this time for the run.  Wish me luck coach!   Oh, also have 300 push-ups regular planned!  I know I can get back into the higher count!

A TAN DARKER THEN RODNEY’S!!! lol

This weekend I spent as much time away from Buddyslim as I can.  I find I spend way too much time here.  There’s good and bad to that.  Honestly, I need to take time out for my family and friends and I did just that.

I exercised  a lot before Buddyslim and should there be a day without Buddyslim I will continue to do just exactly that.  I had to prove that to myself this weekend.  Yep, I am me without this place.  I’m not addicted to it like I used to.  On top of that, the vibe here has changed.  It’s not as friendly as it used to be.  I don’t know what happened here.  But sad to say, I’m not going to keep supporting people who don’t support me.  It’s a two way street.  I thank my friends who have stuck by me from day one and new ones too.  But I WILL NOT spend time on people who doesn’t take the time to be there for others.  You rub my back I rub your back.  Just my thoughts.  Just my thoughts.

Yesterday I went for a 10K run outside in the early morning.  Not timed or anything.  I just got it done.  It was nice.

Then I spent the afternoon swimming with my 2 and 5 yr old nephews.  In the evening I went for a nighttime swim with my brothers and sister - a ton on fun.    All in all a totalof 4 hours of activity.

Then today I spent the afternoon swimming for 2 hrs with the nephews and my niece. MY Lord, I’m almost the same shade as my honey.  Yep I am so tanned it will stick on me for the next 6 or 7 months.  *SIGH* Most people want a tan but not me.  Back to night time swimming only.

Monday exercise is bittersweet.  It’s the last Step class with Nygel before they cancel it on us. I frankly, am soooooooooooooooooooooo broke that I don’t have money to buy the fruits and veggies I need to sustain 3 hours of exercise.  But I’m going to devise a plan to get the money that I need.  Pay day isn’t until Wedneday. :(  My poor Rod lost 10 lbs from not eating so much but you know we didn’t spend our money wisely this time.

I will make the best of tomorrow with all three classes.  I’m enjoying kickboxing again and can’t wait to do it with Nygel.  Then finish off with Yoga.

I should be in bed but I forgot I haven’t been on here all day!

Friday kickboxing was the shi*!!!!!  I had so much fun!!! But I did not make it to HIP HOP! I chickened out. OH WELL, I have another Friday to do it.

Saturday morning I thought I should take the day off from exercise.  I didn’t get up to eat early like I would on days I do exercise.  10am rolled around and it’s still cloudy out.  I decided why not right?  After adding some of those little electrolytes pack thingies to my water I took off for a 5 mile run.  Yes Blaithin, I took it outside.  But it was horrible.  First mile I couldn’t do, second, third, fourth and fifth.  I did not have my usual level of energy.  Came back home and did some yoga by the poolside.  That is until the two nephews started doing it with me and the two yr old was sitting on my head during pigeon pose.  That was the best part of it.

I WILL NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER RUN WITHOUT EATING MY USUAL BREAKFAST OR PRE-WORKOUT FOOD!!!

How do people exercise without eating?  I don’t understand it because I just can’t!!! NO WAY NO HOW!!!! I’m fit and I felt like that was the first time I ever ran in my whole life!

We went to a wonderful show and dinner with Pirates and all that good stuff with my whole family.  We had such a great time.  I ate everything from appetizers, to the full dinner, ate off my two nephew’s plate and brought the rest of my food home for tomorrow’s lunch.  I did not worry about the calories.  AHHHHHHHH that was the first time I had mashed potatoes in forever!!! And chicken strips!!!  And little sausages!!!! Yep, all the little kids food!!

Sunday, I’m getting up early, eat a large breakfast so I can do my own BOOTCAMP workout!!! OH YES!!  My bootcamp workout consists a lot of free weights with 2 min cardio kicks in between sets.  I also use the BOSU, the stability ball and medicine ball.  The great thing with using the Aerobics room after all the classes is the SPIN bikes is in there and I can jump on for the cardio kicks.  I also love doing lunges across the room with 30 lb weights which is light but walking lunges takes more effort then stationary ones.  Oh and my lovely lovely push-ups!  Then yoga to finish off my morning.

It’s early morning, no way am I going to catch up on blogs, forums and what not.  Will do so Sunday. MISSED YOU GUYS!!!!

LAKERS WON BABY!!!!! OH YAY!!! OUR FISHER TOOK IT INTO OVERTIME WITH A BEAUTIFUL 3 POINTER AND WE WON.  3 GAMES DOWN & 1 TO GO!

My night was not the best but I made the most of it.  I come home to some bad news, PLAN B for my run went out the door.  We watched the Lakers beat the Magic and man I jumped so high into my honey’s open arm when Fisher made that 3 Point shot with 10 sec. to go.

PLAN C  for a gym tredmill run  went out the door because the Lexus wouldn’t start and Rod couldn’t save my parking spot.  If he didn’t I won’t leave in the other car.

So I said, honey, can I go for a run on the streets??   He knows he can’t stop me from going EVEN if he wants to.

I have to tell you the first mile was hard again.  What’s worse is once I left the busy market area and got into the residential area there was less street lamps.  Blaithin, you would be very proud of me!!! Only thing I was like dang, I’m not sweating because it’s very cool outside, but the moment I came in I was drenched in sweat.  WHOO HOOO!!

Yep, I turned my a$$ around right quick for fear of safety.  All in all I only did a 5K run.

Tomorrow  I plan on visiting an old Kickboxing instructor, do her class and then try my hands at Hip Hop.  YIKES!!! I Will DIE!! I have to left feet!!!!

Food wise I’m on it!!! WHOO HOOOO!!! Got all my fruits, veggies, water, protein, sodium, fat and carbs in check!!

Well if you live in Cali, that’s one month of RENT for ya!! Yep, we just signed on our new lease for the next year. Went up to $1900 per month. For 1100 sq feet, 2 bedroom one bath, yay - it hurts! The perks? I live in a gated complex with a pool literally right outside my front door. I am 5 minutes away from Disney. So close I can hear the fireworks every single night. I’m 10 minutes away from Newport Beach, 45 min from LA, 1 hr or so from San Diego, 2 hrs from the mountains, 4 hours from Vegas.

I didn’t want to get up.  Didn’t want to leave the comfort of my bed but I have something to prove to myself - have to do it.  One pant leg at a time, one shoe lace tied at a time.  As much as I didn’t want to it this morning  I just went.  After the warm up I still did not want to wake up.

But along the first mile of running I felt my spirit soar.  One foot in front of the other one step at a time.  When I made that turn to go back home 2.4 miles I had two choices - run it or walk it, I ran the whole way through.

I timed it Blaithin!! I did the run part 3.4 miles in 31 minutes! I used my music as a stopwatch.  THIS IS MY FIRST TIMED OUTSIDE RUN AND I LOVED IT!  The mile walk was my warm up and cool down.  Whew, morning was the shi*! :)  Blaithin, now my run is faster on the treadmill, but I will start shaving time off in the coming weeks.

I realize today that I’ve been depressed probably for the past month but didn’t recognize the signs till recently.

But as always, I refuse to allow anything to stop me from doing my thing.  Got my run in, then Ashtanga yoga later in the morning.

Oh, this evening I’m having so much fun with the WII FIT!!!!  Um, still can’t dance but I will sure try.

I won’t pretend and say I feel like myself just yet.  But just like my run, one step at a time I will get there.  Thanks to all who supported me yesterday.  Meant alot.

Coming from a very abusive relationship with the ex, including let’s see -physical violence, like one day we fought and he used his Timberland’s to grind me into the ground. Ummmm roommate calls the cops and I cover it up.  Oh, the marks were there for three days; then there’s the non communication amongst us, he smokes his weed, goes out with his friends, screws other women then comes home to me………………..etc. leaves little room for finding true love with a good man.

Now - to my prince!  Can I call  him that? LOL I love him so much!!!  Now this man, would want to hurt any man who even dares try to move a piece of hair on my head.  He is my bodyguard, my baby!! He is my lover, my best friend and he loves me with every once in his body!!  I have to say, this weekend we reconnected on a whole new level.  Just me relaxing more and learning to let stress go, live in the moment, DRAMA LESS - dawg - gotta throw that in yah know CUZZ some people wants to bring it my way - that’s right!!  With all that, we just took our emotional and mental relationship to a  whole new level.  We went, got a room in LA and just spend time being a happy couple.

I LOVES IT!!!!  Sometimes I pinch myself to make sure it’s all real.  Like, dang, that man is real!!! Fo’ sho’!~!!   Gotta throw a  little somethin’ somethin’ in. LOL

Anyhow, no one is gonna slow my roll, not in life, not anywhere.  Oh yah, saw “tough love” mentioned a few times, yah I give tough love because I care.  Why I put it in my recruitment - because sugar coating anything will not help an individual get to the next level.  NEXT ISSUE PLEASE!!

I loved Tuesday night!!!  I got in my own weights session in with the BOSU, ran 1 mile at 9:10, walked at a 10.0 incline for a mile, then I just did a SET class for  an hour.  Set combines step and weights.  Because it’s I did 60 min of weights already, I used very very light weights and focus more on cardio.

Just for LOL, gotta share with you I love love sunflower seeds.  It takes forever to eat and I love cracking them and eating them and very healthy too………. ‘cept one day Rod was watching me and he said I spits my shells like a dude! HEHE  It’s all good.  I’m a tomboy and I likes it like that.  Can’t change me there!!!

AND THIS MORNING -  RIGHT NOW 5:37 AM I AM STRAPPED AND READY FOR A 4.45 MILES OUTSIDE!!!! BRB!!!!  Blaithin, catch you in a bit.

Update for me: YEP YEP, got 1 mile of warm up and cool down in. RAN THE FULLL 3.4 MILES WITH EASE!

In this virtual world what we write is  a reflection of us.  For someone like me who is in introvert, being here has opened me up.  It took me about 8 months before I truly had a voice.  I write my blogs for me and those who are open and interested in my life.  That’s what a blog is, a place for us, any of us to have free speech.  Whether or not it’s boring, that’s not my problem nor do I care.  I chose to open it for the public to read.  If you don’t want to read my blog, then skip it - there’s 100’s of blogs written each day!  Go read and support those blogs.

Whether I get one comment, no comment or 10 comments, I’m doing this for me and that one other person who is looking for support.  If that one person happens to be 30, well, guess what, I did my job as a buddy.  The key word is buddy.  I am that, your buddy, your friend, should you have me.  Should you not, then please, stay away from my page, my blog, my comments.

Whether I spend 5 minutes here or 5 hours here, God gave me the freedom to be me and do as I please.  No one will ever stop me from speaking my mind, loving my friends here or giving support.

My skin, that WAS thin, is a bit thicker.  It takes a lot to get through now.

Friends, the ones who has been here with me each day, YOU MEAN SO MUCH TO ME! I’M HONORED TO BE YOUR FRIEND.  No, you can’t shut this girl up.  She will take her time to spend getting to know you, to know those who are willing to take my hand and take this journey together.

Day 1 Back to outside running

Day one of my marathon training and I’m on course.  With Blaithin, I love Little Flower, in my head, I strapped on my shoes and just went for it.  No excuses.  Girl, I did it mama.  After my warm-up and stretch, I had a hard time getting into a running groove, but after about 1 mile, I found it…yep you would be proud of me.  I set a goal for a stop light, surpass it and kept running.  I did about 4+ miles of run with about 1 1/2 mile of walk in between if that.  With my buddies cheering me on in my head, the excitement of a race, the desire to perform well and some great music playing in my ears, I ran and loved it!!!!!!!

Running outside is a bit harder then the treadmill, but today I enjoyed it more.  It’s all about our mental state.

I hunger to succeed and I will.

Day 2

Back to strength training and my push-ups tomorrow morning and yoga at night.  Yep, took almost 6 days for the soreness in my shoulders to go away.  Boy, I need to do that Pilates class again.

Foodwise, this is the last day of no counting holiday.  Tomorrow, I will be back at it.