Nik Gets Fit

I'm Not Okay... but That's Okay. (Part 1) - Weight Loss Update

2013-03-21T06:30:00.000-07:00

Before/during weight loss progress

As I sat down to write this post I was really depressed. There's so much on my mind and quite frankly I'm tired of putting up a good front and pretending that I'm alright. If you follow my Nik Gets Fit Facebook page then you already know bits and pieces but it's time I sit down and let it all out with this little "I'm Not Okay... but That's Okay" blog series.

I want to talk about my weight loss first. It has been such a slow process but I can't do anything but be happy when I look at old pictures. I'm doing it! It's not happening as quickly as I thought it would but the weight is coming off during the most stressful time in my life and that's absolutely amazing to me. The old Nikki would run to the fridge and raid the pantries to better cope with all that has gone on this past year. Don't get me wrong, at times I have done that but I picked myself up, dusted myself off and refocused.

When I started Nik Gets Fit (late 2011) I weighed around 250 pounds. I was just posting on my Facebook page about how I was looking at my drivers license laughing because I told them I weighed 250 when at the time I was between 265-270lbs and I now weigh much less. I need to get a new drivers license! Ha. Anyway, my current weight as of this morning is 203.8 pounds. I'm so close to being out of the 200's! Super excited about that.

I'm currently weighing a size 14 jeans, I believe the biggest size I bought was a size 22 but at some point I just started wearing big tshirts and sweatpants.

Posted this pic on my Facebook page. The high waists and crop top created quite the illusion! Disclaimer: I did not go outside of my house like this. haha

If you've been reading the blog then you know about my Obstacles & Ultimate Goal post. Although I am still not fully comfortable with showing my leg from the accident I have been taking major steps towards being comfortable in my own skin.

I wore a dress for the first time in November 2012. Almost exactly 1 year after I created this blog. I came across and clearance section and they had this cute dress for dirt cheap. I told myself I would just buy it and even if I didn't wear it I wouldn't feel guilty because it was so cheap. Well, I ended up wearing it! It actually didn't show much of my leg but it was still a huge step for me.

My daughter was really shocked to see her mama wearing a dress! Words can't even describe how that made me feel so I'll let the pictures do the talking.

I haven't worn a dress since that day but I wore a skirt with tights underneath a couple of times which is still a really huge deal for me.

I felt great but I haven't worn a skirt since then. When I saw a picture of the back of my leg it made me pretty self conscious because of the size difference.

I know I shouldn't let it bother me but it does. I'll continue working on it but I'm happy with the progress I've made. The old Nikki would completely skip over dresses and skirts being on the racks. Now I actually look at dresses in stores and online. It's a really great feeling. I don't think I would have ever pushed myself to do it had it not been for all of your support on this blog and my Facebook page.

I'm definitely going to start blogging more about my weight loss. I want to get more serious and make major changes so stay tuned for that!

So this was part 1 of this small blog series. My next posts will discuss my children, where they are with their autism and epilepsy, a little more about my life and current situations. Hope to see you there!

Xoxo, Nik

New Weight Loss Challenge Details

2012-11-30T05:22:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone! I wanted to put together a quick post about our new weight loss challenge. We've had a few of these in the past and they have all been successful. We will each put in some money via Paypal and the person with the highest percentage of weight lost will be sent all the money.

Rules:

You must pay $10 via Paypal to beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com - Please make sure you mark payment as "gift" so no paypal fees are taken out.
Start date is December 1st and the challenge will run through March 1st.
You must post a full body picture on the 1st of each month on my Facebook page holding a sign with your name and the date. Pictures are due on December 1st, January 1st, February 1st and March 1st.
You must weigh-in weekly. Post the picture on my Facebook page. Weigh-in's will be every Monday. Our first one for this challenge will be Saturday, December 1st and the next weigh-in will be Monday, December 10th. You must take a picture of your scale with your weight. A sign with your name and the current date must be visible in each photo. Weigh-in's cannot be more than 2 days late.
A few people on Facebook asked if they could email photos. I'm sorry but the first challenge there was too much confusion because photos were being posted on Facebook, emailed or sent in a message and people would later say they emailed their picture when I didn't have anything in my email. I know getting over the fear of posting your weight and pictures is tough. I've been there. You just have to go for it. No one is judging you. You're doing this to become a better person. A healthier person. A fitter person. Maybe this will give you a boost of self confidence as it has done for me. You can make a separate Facebook page and post from there so it does not show up in your personal timeline. I have no problem with that.
I am giving everyone until December 5th to get their payment in. No payments will be accepted after December 5th.

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

Weight Loss Updates + Becoming a Working Single Mother + Dealing with Epilepsy & Autism

2012-11-06T15:30:00.000-08:00

Where do I begin? It's been so long. Between weight loss, becoming a working single mother and dealing with my children's health issues, it's been rough! I know I have neglected the blog (as well as my main Beads, Braids & Beyond blog) however; I've been posting small updates on my Nik Gets Fit Facebook page but I think it's time to take a deep breath and let it all out.

Let's rewind...
I finally revealed the reason for my absence back on this post. It was very brief and straight to the point. If you don't recall the post, in short; I was cheated on. I decided I could not get over such betrayal so I ended it. He was very sorry but he just continued to drag out his lies which hurt me even more. I eventually contacted the other woman, she told me everything, she even sent me a couple of pictures of the two of them out on a date. Yes, it went that far. I don't think I can explain how hurt I was/am but after a while I felt numb from the pain. I decided to visit my family in Texas for a while to get my mind off of things. We had a great time visiting family and the kiddos loved all the swimming we got to do at beaches and pools but enough of that...

So, what else is going on?

Picture I took after being hired on the spot :)

I obviously couldn't continue staying at home with the kids. Bills still needed to be paid and although I know he was willing to help as much as he could, I wanted to show him that I could do it with or without him. And I did (am) doing just that. I got a job at a doctors office in marketing. It's a great opportunity for me and I am thankful to have gotten the job being that I have no real experience other than blogging (which includes marketing to an extent).

The Down Side

This was back in May at my daughters recognition program.

I work 40 hours a week. I leave between 7 and 7:30am and don't get home until 5pm. It's tough and I miss my kids so much. I feel like I'm missing out on so much. I only have a few hours before bed when I get home and at that point it's dinner, baths and getting ready for the next day.

My son and I.

My daughter and I.

I dressed up for Halloween for once!

Since taking this position I had to cancel my son's therapy for the time being. He was taking speech and occupational therapy for his autism and it was helping him quite a bit so I feel like a terrible mother. As soon as my boss gets back from her trip I am going to ask to have at least 1 day off each week for appointments.

Instagram love! :)

Epilepsy & Autism

My daughter, Miss A, has been having major issues since being diagnosed with epilepsy earlier this year. I feel completely helpless and pray every day about her new condition.

Over the Summer she was having issues saying her brain was bothering her. She would get sudden pains where her lymph nodes were and just cry. I took her to the hospital so many times and they never had answers. They would just increase or decrease her seizure medication which at the time was trileptal. She has a couple of at home 48 hour EEG's and they of course showed continued seizure activity. She began having night terrors which were almost as scary as her seizures. She would wake up so scared and just cry, claiming to see people in the room when I was the only one there. It's hard to type this without tearing up. The last straw was when she told me a voice in her head was telling her to cut her finger but she didn't want to but the voice kept telling her to. After that she had another EEG as well as a video sleep study and that's when they changed her seizure medication to kepra.

All had been well on the kepra up until about a month ago. We've been noticing her staring a lot, which the doctor believes are "mini seizures"/staring spells. She has not been focused at all in school which probably has a lot to do with these mini seizures. She started having night terrors again, not nearly as much though. She also started hearing voices again but nothing like before. I got her in to see neurology right away. They changed her dose of kepra and also put her on another medication. We will report back in a few weeks with the doctor to see how she is doing.

Miss A has gained quite a bit of weight since being put on medication. She is now dealing with bullying at school and comes home weekly crying about people teasing her. I have talked to the teacher time and time again but it's still an ongoing problem. I feel terrible for not being able to be there as much now that I'm working. I wish I could protect my baby from all of this name calling and teasing. She says they call her fat, make remarks such as look at her belly, etc. She has been so self conscious and depressed about this lately. I think I will try to get her into therapy for all of these changes.

She turned 7 years old on October 16th and had a grammal seizure the day after her birthday while I was at work. My heart sank when I received the call. Once again, the blame set in. I should have been there with her. I rushed to the hospital and stayed with her the entire time she was there; a total of 4 days.

During my daughters hospital stay.

As for my son Lil Man and his autism, he's making strides. Again, he hasn't been to therapy since I started this new job but he still goes to half day preschool and is doing awesome. He has been knowing all of his letters, sounds and numbers since he was 2 so he's been the head of the class for some time now. His biggest obstacle is his tantrums. They seem to be getting worse as he gets older. I try my best to keep my patience with him. I know it's not his fault and he doesn't completely understand. I really need to find something that will calm him. He absolutely loves books. All books. He can't ready but will place his fingers under the words and pretend like he's reading. He "reads" children's books, the bible, magazines, etc. He reads the letters on signs while we're out. He's the smartest little guy I know. Oh-- he got a hair cut, too! See above.

Weight Loss

On Halloween

Halloween

Gym time!

I guess that's what we're all really here for, right? :) Well, I'm not going to lie, it has been at a standstill, which has been depressing. But considering all of these changes, I think I've handled it pretty well. The old me would have gained 50 pounds by now. So far I have maintained my weight loss. I seem to stay between 210 pounds and 215 pounds. Hopefully I can break these 200's by the end of this year. *fingers crossed* I joined a great gym that kind of has a private feel to it. I was going almost every morning before work around 4am until more issues with my daughter came up. I've been drained lately, which I know is an excuse but I just can't seem to get out of bed that early any more. I need to force myself to make the time.

I guess that's all for now. I'll try to update more often. Please check my Nik Gets Fit Weight Loss page on Facebook for more updates and pictures. Thanks for your continued support! xoxo, Nik

The truth is...

2012-06-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

I was cheated on.

I've been typing this and deleting it since it happened. This was certainly not expected and I wasn't sure if I wanted to share this part of my life with you all but I have been avoiding my Facebook page lately. I tried to stay committed to the new lifestyle but I ended up turning to food. I feel pretty terrible and I'm not sure how much I weigh right now. I guess I will weigh-in on Monday.

I'm not sure if I will even keep this post up but I just wanted to give a little update. I'm feeling rather down right now and don't know what else to say.

Thanks for your support

-Nikki

Belly Progress Pictures - From 250 Pounds to 218 Pounds

2012-05-29T11:46:00.000-07:00

This is beyond hard. NO ONE gets to see my belly but after weighing in at 218 pounds today I thought it was time for some progress pictures. Of course I don't have a flat stomach, and I may never have one, but I see a huge difference and I'm proud of myself. It's taking longer than expected, but I haven't stopped!

Nik

Introducing Guest Poster KQ Smith!

2012-05-10T09:20:00.002-07:00

Hey Ya’ll I am so happy to be joining you on your journey with NikGetsFit. But before we jump into anything I just want to give a heartfelt THANK YOU to Nikki for giving me this opportunity to be here and share with you all!! She’ll never know how much this means to me.

Soooooooo I guess I should just jump right on in and tell ya about myself and why I’m joining ya’ll. . .For starters my real name is Kenisha, although somehow I gained a nickname a few years ago and since then everyone’s been calling me KQ, but no worries I’ll happily answer to both. I am a 35yr old mother of 1 (hopefully a 2nd one sometime in the near future), I’m a techie, a lover of food who enjoys finding ways to make things healthy, I’ve been a collegiate/post-collegiate track athlete, I love fitness and I too have been through a MAJOR weight loss journey. How much weight did I lose on my journey you ask. . .well truthfully the journey is never ending but all in all I’ve lost 100+lbs.

Now the next question is how did I do it but before I answer that I need to give a quick insight on how I got there in the first place. Prior to having my daughter I was a collegiate/post collegiate track athlete and for the most part I was in shape back then. After college I began enjoying life a bit too much and when it was all said and done I found out I was 195lbs on my 1st prenatal appointment. Now as most of you know there’s nowhere that can go but up and UP it went!! Once I had Kyndal Zoe I weighed in at 245lbs . After sitting with the majority of that weight on me for 6months I finally decided that ENOUGH WAS ENOUGH and the party started there! It was February 2005 when I began and because I was too embarrassed to let anyone see me I trained in my house for the first few months. Then ventured out to the gym once I thought I could deal with others seeing me in this depressing state, but I’d only go at night. During this time I flooded myself with information I’d had from the past when I was running, I read everything I could then I finally decided to get my Personal Training Certification. I also joined a GREAT group of ladies known as Buffmothers and received a lot of support, motivation, inspiration, and anything else you could think of from them. Within 18-20months I’d lost 70-80lbs and was feeling & looking fabulous. Now I’m gonna be honest here and tell you that those were NOT easy months as I was going through a tough divorce, financial issues and just over all STRESS but I used my desire to get the Real Kenisha back as a motivation to keep pushing.

After that loosing that initial 70-80lbs I was pretty satisfied but I’d always had a dream of being a Figure competitor so I began working towards that and man oh man was that a journey. My 1st year I competed in Fitness Modeling @ 150-155lbs so at that point I was down 95lbs since Day 1. I didn’t win or place in the top 10 but having come from where I began at 245lbs walking out on that stage and looking like I belonged was winning enough. But the competition journey didn’t end there. Last year I decided I had more work to do and Figure was calling me so I prepped looooong and hard and I crossed the stage and an unimaginable 140lbs at my 1st show then 2wks later I did it again but this time @135lbs. So now we’re talking about 110lbs weight loss. Needless to say I KILLED those shows and represented for the momma’s out there and placed 5th & 3rd all while my #1 fan, Kyndal Zoe was watching from the front row. During my 2 competition seasons I relocated to Connecticut to live with my Fiancé (wedding in August ya’ll . . .YEAHHHH) and finally decided to stop sitting on my certifications and start training. WOW when that happened I knew I was finally home. Now I had trained others before I moved but it was mostly all athletes like me and lemmi tell ya it’s a different vibe training an athlete and the everyday man or woman. I enjoy both but something about training the client I like to call “Mrs. Jones” and seeing her reach goals and benchmarks she never thought she’d reach is so rewarding. Then I began sharing my journey with others and I knew that I was finally doing what God had called me to do.

So that’s where I find myself today. . .training, motivating, sharing my journey & my truths (ups, downs, and everything in between) with any and everyone because I want us all to find their Healthy Happy selves and I know that by joining ya’ll we will all be richly rewarded both in Faith, Fitness & Friendship I look forward to connecting with you all as when forge our way though our journey’s on NikGetsFit!

So until next week, when I start bringing ya’ll workout, nutrition & motivation tips, you can find me at the links I will include below. And in closing I wish you a Happy, Healthy Blessed remainder of you week!! BTW if you didn’t notice from my kuntry typing, I’m from #DownSouth, so you may hafta bear with some of my sayings LOLOL ;)

You can find Kenisha (KQ) Smith here-
Facebook: www.facebook.com/kqfitness ("like" her page and tell her Nik sent you!)
Blog: www.kqfitness.blogspot.com

More pics of KQ Smith:

Big thanks to KQ Smith! Looking forward to more posts! :-)

Weight Loss Challenge Weigh-in!

2012-05-10T08:10:00.001-07:00

Our first weigh-in for the weight loss challenge was on Monday! Here are the results! :-)

Sarah
Start weight: 243.6
Current weight: 237.6
2.46% weight loss
Sarah writes: Week 1 I am down to 237 from 243. I have been eating 4 small meals of 300 calories and 2 100 calories snacks a day. I have been doing the 30 day shred and stationary bike. Drinking lots of water and trying not to eat very much carbs and sugar.

Kim M.

Start weight: 184.4

Current weight: 184.6

0.11% weight gain

Kim writes: I gained about 0.2 ounces so I am not happy but not upset either. I did not do much in terms of eating nor exercising last week so I guess that explains why my weight is still the same. Lol. This week I am committed to drinking more water and exercising at least 3 times this week.

Angela

Start weight: 232.2

Current weight: 230.4

0.74% weight loss

Winter

Start weight: 235.4

Current weight: 238.8

1.44% weight gain

Winter writes: Don't know how I gained 3 lbs in 1 week. My bro said that sometimes your body works against you. Ate pretty well, could have had more water intake. Not gonna beat myself up because I know I'm still a work in progress...

Brandi

Start weight: 213.8

Current weight: 210.4

1.59% weight loss

Brandi writes: I have been doing a 1200 calories a day diet, and I only went to the gym yesterday but I been exercising(sit ups, jumping jacks, etc.) around the house.

Shay

Start weight: 191

Current weight: 189.8

0.63% weight loss

Shay writes: This week I didn't do anything special except for eat less and workout more. I know this number could have been better but I didn't prioritize on some days so I wasn't able to get in all of my 2nd workouts. I'm focusing on a lot of cardio and weight lifting. This weeks goal is to go 10x harder than I even thought about goin last week.

Meg

Start weight: 306

Current weight: 300.6

1.76% weight loss

Meg writes: I have been trying to eat fruits and veggies and load up each meal with this, not skipping breakfast, my daughter and I are going on walks, she got us up to do yoga one morning. Trying to plan so I have good options available. My goal for next week is to focus on sleeping and not eating after 7:30 (maybe brushing my teeth at that time). Also I technically was 308 when I started May 1st, but I didn't retake and resend pictures. But I just wanted to share because even though they wont count for the competition, those 2 pounds were still work and I am proud that this competition came along to help support us all.

Monica

Start weight: 179.9

Current weight: 179.2

0.39% weight loss

Monica writes: This week I worked out 4x. I was on a good roll until Saturday and Sunday. Sunday is bbq day at the house so hence my .7lb weight loss. :/ At least I know where I went wrong this week!

Hope/Theblessedmomof3

Start weight: 191.4

Current weight: 187.8

1.88% weight loss

Hope writes: I worked my booty off this week and I had my cycle! Cardio and strength training have been my focus. I'm so sore (lower body) but I know that it's a "good" sore :) I feel stronger each day! I'm still tracking my food intake with MFP and that has been a lifesaver. This week I will focus on eliminating the unhealthy things I had this week. 3.6 lb loss this week and it was well earned! Let's Get It!!!

Nicole

Start weight: 275

Current weight: 270.8

1.53% weight loss

Nicole writes: Down 4.2 lbs!! I used the Noom weight loss app to track my calories (helped a lot) I walked a 3.1miles trail 3 days this week and used my calorie counter/ watch to track how much I burned. Pretty much calorie counting has helped me tremendously this week :-)))

Tonya

Start weight: 241.6

Current weight: 239.8

0.75% weight loss

Keisha J.

Start weight: 195.2

Current weight: 194

0.61% weight loss

Keisha J. writes: I don't know how I did it but I'll take it because I did not get a regular workout this past week at all. I have started eating better and drinking more water. So I hope to get in at least two or three regular work outs this week. I'm trying not allow everyday life affect my results. I'mma Bring It with P90X and Zumba. Watch out ya'll!!! LOL

Stacy

Start weight: 228.8

Current weight: 229

0.09% weight gain

Stacy writes: Last wk was a bad wk only worked out once n went for a few walks, I think what really did it was the 2 drinks I had when I went out fire girls nite on saturday.. But watch out got my p90x out the closet (bought it last yr n never opened it)....also took the time ti prepare meals fit the week so no fast food after practice thus week

Robyn

Start weight: 259.5

Current weight: 256

1.35% weight loss

C.Speaks

Start weight: 168.4

Current weight: 165.4

1.78% weight loss

Sara Y.

Start weight: 167.7

Current weight: 164.6

1.85% weight loss

Erica C.F

Start weight: 217.2

Current weight: 215.4

0.83% weight loss

Erica writes: So I gave it a strong effort this week! However celebrating Cinco de Mayo thru me completley off. So this is as good as it gets. But I will do much better this week! :)

Carol

Start weight: 179.6

Current weight: 180.6

0.56% weight gain

Carol writes: Bad week :( we mainly walked and did cardio this week eating was healthy so not burning enough calories

Leandra

Start weight: 324.8

Current weight: 319

1.79% weight loss

Anna

Start weight: 313.4

Current weight: 300.2

4.21% weight loss

Anna writes: whew! 13 pounds! I was not expecting to see that this morning. So happy!

Last week I worked out every day at least an hour a day sometimes more. I have a stationary bike I use & I have been using my Wii for Zumba and Biggest looser workouts. Going for walks with my kids and just doing a little extra moving around at home. And I breastfeed so that's about an extra 500 cal. or so a day!
I eat every 2-3 hours. I cut out sugary foods & no soda! I eat lots of fruits and veggies and protein! Trying to stay away from carbs lol. I also have protein shakes and have been drinking a TON of water!
I have not been counting my calorie intake so I am going to make that a goal for myself this week and I am going to not have anything to eat anytime after 8pm.

Bees weight loss

Start weight: 181

Current weight: 176

3.3% weight loss

Franchesca

Start weight: 233.2

Current weight: 231.2

0.86% weight loss

Franchesca writes: I'm feeling a little "eh" about my weight loss this week but the weekend got me. Darn that boxing and Cinco de Mayo! I ate well but didn't workout the whole weekend :(. Plan on stepping it up this week

Acacia

Start weight: 231.4

Current weight: 226.8

1.99% weight loss

Acacia writes: This week I did mostly walking, jogging and hiking. I have not been counting calories but watching my portion sizes closely and tried to stay away from processed foods. Down 4.6 lbs! Yay!!

Nicholle

Start weight: 231.4

Current weight: 228.6

1.21% weight loss

Nicholle writes: Last week, I was off to a GREAT start. I didn't skip any meals, I stayed on plan, and I didn't eat any sugar or carbs that weren't veggies, fruits, or whole grains. I drank lots of water, and I made sure to get plenty of sleep & take my vitamins.

Where I messed up at was the weekend. If I wasn't skipping meals, I was eating off plan. I didn't take my diabetes medication, and I did not exercise. I guess it's true when they say if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. I didn't have salad, chicken, cut veggies, fish or anything ready on the weekend, so it was a little out of control, but not too much! I do write on my FB page what I eat everyday, so you can see for yourselves. It wasn't horrible, and I didn't get discouraged if I ate something 'bad' and give up like I've done in the past.

I know where I need to improve this week. I'm going to be doing a combination of Jillian Michaels DVDS, Hip Hop Abs, Brazilian butt lift, and walking. I'm also going to start taking Janumet again, b/c even though I lost lbs, it's going to be harder to lose if my sugar is as high as it's been. I'm going to continue to go low carb, taking a multi-vitamin, drinking 90 oz of water a day, and will add in exercise. and I am not at all mad at a loss of 2.8. I know I can step it up though!

Stacey D.

Start weight: 195.6

Current weight: 193.2

1.23% weight loss

Niki G.

Start weight: 193.8

Current weight: 189.6

2.17% weight loss

Niki writes: 4 lbs. lost since last week :) Great start! I focused mostly on sticking to my meal plan last week: several small meals throughout the day with lots of fresh fruits and veggies and tons of water. The only workout I did was my couch to 5K program which is basically walking/jogging every other day for 30 mins. This week I will stick to my meal plan and begin strength training. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK EVERYONE!! ♥

Tomekia

Start weight: 235

Current weight: 228.2

2.89% weight loss

Tomekia writes: Started to watch what I'm eating.In the morning I eat oatmeal with peppermint tea,mid morning gratefruit with water and so on.I started working out 2X a day.1hr of dance in the afternoon and 30-35 mintue at night on the treadmill....

Crystal

Start weight: 329.4

Current weight: 325.6

1.15% weight loss

Dana

Start weight: Please let me know your previous weight Dana.

Current weight: 273.4

Arlene

Start weight: 251.8

Current weight: 248.2

1.43% weight loss

Nikina

Start weight: 174.9

Current weight: 171.3

2.06% weight loss

Nikina writes: I did great throughout the week but terrible once the weekend got here. Goal this week go strong well into the weekend. I would love to get out of the 170's. I plan to eat right and join a bootcamp. Let's see how it goes...good luck everyone!!

Shakira

Start weight: 292

Current weight: 289.2

0.96% weight loss

Shakira writes: Week 1 down 3lbs could be more but the weekends are killing me but hopefully its more next week . I have been doing zumba the gym and started walking my son to school and eating lots of veggies and water

Alyssa

Start weight: 204

Current weight: 200.6

1.67% weight loss

Alyssa writes: I'm very happy with this weight loss but I don't think it is 'real' weight loss. I've had a really bad cold this week so haven't eaten much and thats not a realistic situation. Obviously I haven't done any exercise this week. My goal for next week is to maintain this weight loss and for exercise I will go to do British Military Fitness tomorrow evening and get at least 1 x trail run done (aiming for 3km (1.86 miles)

Tia/Letillia

Start weight: 223.4

Current weight: 216.4

3.13% weight loss

Tia writes: Very Pleased with my results. This past week I went in hard with Zumba twice a day plus I saw my PT 3times. I Love the Treadmill so after Zumba I would hit that up for about 20-30mins depending on how I felt! This week I will work on muscle training and trying to Double up on the Cardio!

Tanasia

Start weight: 188.5

Current weight: 197

0.8% weight loss

Tanasia writes: Well I didnt do everything I wanted to or everything I should have with the stress of finals week, but no excuses... Im ready for this!

Erin K.

Start weight: 269.7

Current weight: 268.2

0.56% weight loss

Erin writes: Somehow I lost...crazy since I didnt even really try, I was in the middle of finals, so just gave up. This week I want to drink more water, and exercise at least 3 times.

Regina

Start weight: 196.6

Current weight: 192.6

2.03% weight loss

Regina writes: Healthy 1200 calorie diet. Workout 1-2 hr a day. Walk for an hr.

Keisha

Start weight: 286

Current weight: 283.6

0.84% weight loss

Ashley

Start weight: 225.6

Current weight: 221.8

1.68% weight loss

Ashley writes: I'm on a 1200 calorie diet and for work outs last week, I was moving a lot of heavy things, walking, and dancing :) (Don't get to go to the gym a lot but I make do :) )

Judy

Start weight: 185?

Current weight: 183? Judy please confirm numbers when you post, thank you. :-)

Nzinga

Start weight: 220.2

Current weight: 222.6

1.09% weight gain

Nzinga writes: Week 1 down 3lbs could be more but the weekends are killing me but hopefully its more next week . I have been doing zumba the gym and started walking my son to school and eating lots of veggies and water

Maria

Start weight: 234.4

Current weight: 227.6

2.9% weight loss

Quierston

Start weight: 251.2

Current weight: 250.4

0.32% weight loss

Quierston writes: Last week was tough for me. I have a back injury that comes and goes. This past week was rough but I tried to push through and get in as many work outs as possible, I do beach body Turbo Jam. I need to be better with my eating. I was feeling kinda bad for myself because of my back pain. Got a new plan in effect for next week. Hoping to return to my usual 2lb plus lose next week.

Jackie

Start weight: 247

Current weight: 239

3.24% weight loss

Jackie writes: Not a huge loss but it's a start, I didn't get to work out as much as I had hoped. But I tried to stay away from the yummy bad foods! :P Also I think I'm dying without my soda! lol But its worth it

Loulitha

Start weight: 249.5

Current weight: 249

0.2% weight loss

Amanda

Start weight: 212.2

Current weight: 211.6

0.28% weight loss

Amanda writes: For WL Challenge. Not a great loss... but something is better than nada. Just lets me know I gotta put in more work this week.

Kim C.

Start weight: 172

Current weight: 171.8

0.12% weight loss

Kim writes: ugh!! only lost 2 oz. it might have something to do with all those dinner rolls i ate friday night :O

Marissa M.

Start weight: 173

Current weight: 169.5

2.02% weight loss

Marissa writes: simple changes really made a difference! I cut out artificial drinks and soda this week. I had mio water enhancer when I needed my juice fix! Im using microwaved meals for now to get used to portion control. I am not all the way there with meal options but Im taking baby steps...I work out twice a day, I walk 2-3 miles in the afternoon and I do some zumba (or free soca dancing) at night.

Becca

Start weight: 216.2

Current weight: 215.4

0.37% weight loss

I AM NOT DONE ADDING PICTURES! I still have to add the ones from the nikgetsfit@yahoo.com email.

From now on, PLEASE make sure you all write your NAMES on the pieces of paper along with the date! It was very confusing trying to figure out who was who. Also, when you post your pictures on Facebook or email it to me, please tell me your STARTING WEIGHT (weight at beginning of challenge) along with your CURRENT WEIGHT! Pictures are NOT to be more than 3 days late! Thank you!

When It Rains, It Pours....

2012-05-10T05:52:00.001-07:00

....but after every storm, there's a rainbow, right?

This week has been rough but I think I have surprisingly handled it all well. Let's rewind back to Monday. Every Monday we weigh-in for our weight loss challenge. I lost a little, but not much so I was a tad disappointed in myself because I know I could have done a lot better.

I was looking back at this post and realized I weighed 228lbs in February, it's May! I won't even sugarcoat it, that's ridiculous. Sure, I've had to deal with some things but that's no excuse. I feel like I'm beginning to handle everything a little better rather than running to food for comfort.

Both of my children had their 48 hour EEG's this week. My son's is still on and he is not a happy camper. He fought every step of the way. It was really hard seeing him like that. My daughter felt a little self conscious with all of the wires and such on her head. She's usually the most confident child in the world so that was also tough.

This is what she wore to her EEG appointment. Picked it out herself! Check out the pink lipgloss, lol. I didn't have the heart to tell her no.

This is how she came back home. Not so confident anymore. :-/ But it's off now and she's doing fine! Hoping to hear about the results soon.

My Lil Man! Don't let the smile fool you, he is not pleased, lol.

I still have days when I wonder why this had to happen to my children? It's hard not to. Life has never been easy for me. I just try to think back at how strong my grandmother was when she raised me and my siblings and that gives me strength. My brother is "differently-abled" and between my brother and I she had a lot more doctors appointments and surgeries to go to than I could imagine. It was rough for her. She didn't have a wheelchair accessible van so we had to try to catch the bus with him. She remained strong for us.

My brother and I in April 2012

Just when you thought it was going to get better....nope, lol! I guess it's not really that bad but I had to have a painful ingrown toenail removed the other day.

My toe would not stop bleeding! I was going to post a picture of my toe but I think that would be too graphic for you all, lol.

Talk about a BAD experience! My toe wasn't even completely numb from the shots when the main just jammed the scissors under my nail, OUCH! He then gave me more shots in my toe and removed nearly half of my toenail. Not a good look. A couple of hours later I noticed my foot was really red and hot and the redness was going up my leg so I went back and apparently I had an allergic reaction so I had to take some medicine and get a shot in my butt. :-/ Not fun.

I still worked out that night though. I'm sorry but I'm just now getting into the swing of things and nothing is going to mess up my work out flow! I did P90X Shoulders and Arms.

Speaking of P90X, I started it with my brother and his girlfriend. It's actually going really well. I thought I would be uncomfortable or distracted with people around but it only seems to motivate me more. We do the workout in his jobs basement so there's a ton of open space. Yesterday I worked out with a couple of smaller girls (120-130lbs) and I think I rocked it. They did good too but I was a little surprised that I seemed to have more strength and endurance. Just goes to show that not all small people are fit! I look forward to seeing how strong we all become at the end of this.

So, where's my rainbow? You will just have to wait and see! I have some exciting things coming up and can't wait to share it with you all!

Stay tuned,

Nik

P.S. Don't forget to "like" NikGetsFit on Facebook! www.facebook.com/nikgetsfit

NikGetsFit Weight Loss Challenge - Meet the Participants!

2012-05-01T05:25:00.001-07:00

Hey friends! It's May 1st! Eeeek! The start of our weight loss challenge. I am so excited to begin this with you all!

The prizes:

A brand new Polar FT60 Heart Rate Monitor sponsored by Polar USA
The money pot reached $295 (maybe a couple of dollars less since a few people sent the money wrong and it charged me a fee) so the winner will take that as well! That's almost $300! Wow!
An Urban Decay Naked 1 or 2 Palette (purchased by ME!)
I am also talking with a couple of other people who would like to sponsor the challenge so stay tuned for more details.

The Participants:

Name: NikGetsFit (meee!)

Starting weight: 228.4 (trying to figure out how in the hayel it went up from last week! grrr!)

Name: Anna

Starting weight: 313.4

Name: Arlene

Starting weight: 251.8

Name: Nzinga

Starting weight: 220.2

Name: Regina

Starting weight: 196.6

Name: Carolyn

Starting weight: 235.5

Name: Bees Weight Loss

Starting Weight: 182

Name: Erin

Starting weight: 269.7

Name: Stacey D.

Starting weight: 195.6

Name: Taneka

Starting weight: 194.2

Name: Alyssa

Starting weight: 204

Name: Amanda

Starting weight: 212.2

Name: Ashley

Starting weight: 225.6

Name: Brandi

Starting weight: 213.8

Name: Cynthia

Starting weight: 205

Name: Cynthia J. G.

Starting weight: 212.5

Name: Jackie

Starting weight: 247

Name: Jasmine

Starting weight: 268.1

Name: Kali

Starting weight: 205.2

Name: Kim

Starting weight: 275

Name: Laketha

Starting weight: 203.6

Name: Loulitha

Starting weight: 249.5

Name: Monica

Starting weight: 179.9

Name: Nicole

Starting weight: 275

Name: Niki G.

Starting weight: 193.8

Name: Rebecca

Starting weight: 216.2

Name: Sabrina

Starting weight: 268.2

Name: Shakira

Starting weight: 292

Name: Stacy

Starting weight: 228.8

Name: Tanya

Starting weight: 294.2

Name: Winter

Starting weight: 235.4

Name: Yonet

Starting weight: 183.2

Name: Quierston

Starting weight: 251.2

Name: Tonya

Starting weight: 241.6

Name: Nikina

Starting weight: 174.9

Name: Cspeaks

Starting weight: 168.4

Name: Carol

Starting weight: 179.6

Name: Charmaine

Starting weight: 227.5

Name: Keisha

Starting weight: 286

Name: Franchesca

Starting weight: 233.2

Name: Hope

Starting weight: 191.4

Name: Letillia

Starting weight: 223.4

Name: Tanasia

Starting weight: 188.5

Name: Sara

Starting weight: 167.7

Name: Keisha J.

Starting weight: 195.2

Name: Candace

Starting weight: 252.2

Name: Shay

Starting weight: 191

Name: Meg

Starting weight: 306

Name: Angie P.

Starting weight: 217.8

Name: Sarah

Starting weight: 243.6

Name: Nancy

Starting weight: 262

Name: Simone

Starting weight: 278

Name: Judy

Starting weight: 185? (Judy please confirm that the number is 185 or is it 186?)

Name: Pam

Starting weight: 186.5

Name: Brittney

Starting weight: 176.6

Name: Bobbi

Starting weight: 147.4

Name: Kelly

Starting weight: 198.2

Name: Candace P.

Starting weight: 359.6

Name: Shameeka

Starting weight: 279.2

Name: Nicholle

Starting weight: 231.4

Name: Jenny

Starting weight: 268.4

Name: Geneva

Starting weight: 245.4

Name: AJ

Starting weight: 285.8

Name: Elyse

Starting weight: 209.4

Name: Kimberly M.

Starting weight: 184.4

Name: Maraya

Starting weight: 192.6

Name: Aayesha

Starting weight: 214

Name: Crystal

Starting weight: 329.4

Name: CJ

Starting weight: 273.5

Name: Angela

Starting weight: 232.2

Name: Acacia

Starting weight: 231.4

Name: Kim C.

Starting weight: 172

Name: Crystal E.

Starting weight: 210.8

Name: Kimberly B.

Starting weight: 161

Name: Trisha

Starting weight: 174.6

Name: Angie

Starting weight: 333.8

Name: Lil

Starting weight: 253.3

Name: Jandrea

Starting weight: 296.5

Name: Stephanie

Starting weight: 214.2

Name: Tomekia

Starting weight: 235

Name: Leandra

Starting weight: 324.8

Name: Carla

Starting weight: 206.4

Name: Erica

Starting weight: 217.2

Name: Elysia

Starting weight: 217

Name: Jessica

Starting weight: 208.2

Name: Cristina

Starting weight: 289

Name: Robyn

Starting weight: 259.5

Name: Nae

Starting weight: 284.8

Name: Amanda2

Starting weight: 258.6

Name: Veronica

Starting weight: 209.4

Name: Sonja

Starting weight: 271.8

Name: Dana

Starting weight: Please let me know the weight Dana.

Name: Marissa

Starting weight: 173

Name: Melnika

Starting weight: 260

Name: Maria

Starting weight: 234.4

I will edit as you all add your pictures and weights to the NikGetsFit Facebook page! www.facebook.com/nikgetsfit PLEASE make sure your pictures are in TODAY! We have to be a little strict on the rules with all of these awesome prizes. Thank you!

P.S. You are all already so beautiful, I can't wait to see what everyone looks like at the end! BANGING! ha!

Oh and for those of you who joined, what are your goals during this challenge? Please share!

NikGetsFit Weight Loss Challenge!

2012-04-24T14:51:00.000-07:00

Win this heart rate monitor!

Hey loves! Guess what? We're starting our weight loss challenge! If you have been following me on Facebook then you know I've been wanting to do this for a while now and the time is NOW! Just in time for Summer! This will last for 12 weeks so please make sure you are committed before signing up. :-)

The rules:

You must send $5 via paypal to beadsbraidsbeyond@yahoo.com You must mark the $5 as "GIFT" so there are no Paypal fees! All of the money will go directly to the winner of this challenge. There are NO refunds which is why I said to make sure you are fully committed. This is a one time fee that everyone on Facebook agreed on for extra motivation. The winner can buy a new outfit or whatever they want with the money! We do this in the weight loss group I'm in all of the time. I'm the one who handles the money and I've sent the money out every time so no worries there! :-)
You MUST submit a current before picture. You will need to take a full body picture holding a sign with this current date. You can take the picture before May 1st but no pictures will be accepted after May 1st.
You MUST weigh-in on May 1st! You will need to take a picture of your weight on the scale with the current date (May 1st) written on a piece of paper with your name on it. Pictures must be clear enough to read.
You will need to weigh-in each week. Same rules stated above apply. Take a picture of your weight on the scale with the date written on a piece of paper and your name. After May 1st every weigh-in will be on MONDAY!
You CANNOT be more than 3 days late with your weigh-in.
You must take a full body picture each month and also at the very end of the challenge holding a sign with the current dates.
We want to continue to be healthy with this challenge so we cannot accept anyone who is taking (or plans on taking) diet pills, diet shots, diet drops, etc. This will all be 100% from hard work, proper nutrition, exercise, etc.
There will be a set of basic questions to fill out each week. Just asking what you have been doing to lose the weight, etc.
This is a friendly challenge so please continue to be respectful and help motivate one another.
Pictures and weigh-in's will be posted on this blog. You will need to post your pictures on our Facebook page, www.facebook.com/nikgetsfit

The winner is based off of who has the highest percent of weight lost during this challenge.

The prizes:

The winner will receive all of the money put in from each participant. I will let you all know this number on May 2nd.
Polar USA is going to send the winner a FT60 Heart Rate Monitor. The same one I use! :-)
I am hoping Urban Decay (<---click the link. maybe they will see NikGetsFit brings them traffic and want to sponsor!) will sponsor this challenge as well. If not, I will purchase an Urban Decay make up palette (I'm thinking Naked 1 or 2) to ship to the winner. I will only ship this to a US address.

The start date is May 1st, the end date is July 31st.

Don't forget to stop by and "LIKE" NikGetsFit on Facebook! Tell your friends and family! www.facebook.com/nikgetsfit

Weigh-in + Updates & Goals

2012-04-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Excuse my dirty scale! lol I need to wipe it off.

I'm both happy and ashamed of this weeks weigh-in. Let me explain, before my daughter had her first seizure in March I had finally made it to 225lbs and was on my way to being out of the 220's. Since dealing with my daughters health issues my weight loss took a turn for the worst. Some time last week I weighed myself and the number said 234lbs. Talk about a reality check! I quickly jumped off of the scale and got to work. Nothing major, just small changes. Drinking more water, eating less, exercising. All the basic rules to weight loss.

My daughter was in the hospital for a few days last month and she has been having other issues on and off since then. With her recently being diagnosed with Epilepsy and my son having Autism, it's very tiring. I feel like my life consists of doctors appointments and hospital visits. I'm frustrated because I don't feel like I'm getting the answers I need about my daughter so I will have to go to another Children's Hospital about an hour away.

So, there it is. That's what drove me to my weight gain. That's life though, that's the hand I was dealt and I handled it poorly. I need to get a grip and figure out a better outlet other than just food because eating like a pig only makes me feel worse. I'm really ashamed at how much I was eating, like it was my last meal every time. Completely disgusting.

As for exercise, I have recently begun walking with my children. Nothing major, to and from grandma's, from school, etc. I have also started riding my old school stationary bike again. Hey, she's old, but she gets the job done!

Here's a couple of updated pictures when I attended a birthday party this past weekend:

Current Goals:

Drink (mostly) water. Occasional Crystal Light or Diet Dr. Pepper (weakness)
Cardio at least 3x a week for 30 minutes each time
I'd like to begin incorporating more strength. At least twice a week for 30 minutes each time. Any recommendations?
Get out of the 220's once and for all! *I'm giving myself until May 12th to reach this goal. If I accomplish this, I will do something nice for myself. I'm thinking a pedi.
Begin looking into a couch to 5k program

Simple goals, right?

If you have been following me on Facebook then you know I have plans to start a weight loss challenge soon. Make sure you stop by and "like" Nik Gets Fit on Facebook for more details! https://www.facebook.com/nikgetsfit

Thank you for following my journey, it means more than you realize! :-)

Just a bonus pic!

Nik

Polar FT60 Heart Rate Monitor Review!

2012-04-20T14:32:00.001-07:00

Polar FT60 heart rate monitor

As you may know through my blog, Facebook Page or weight loss group, I use a Polar heart rate monitor during my work outs. I used to use the FT7 which was great but ever since Polar USA was kind enough to send me this FT60 heart rate monitor to review, I have been HOOKED! The FT60 offers so many features! In fact, I'm still learning about many of them.

First, let's talk about the design. I know looks aren't everything, but this one is killing other heart rate monitors. It just looks so cool and well, let's face it, I already look bad enough as it is as I'm working out, I could definitely use a few cool points. ;-) The FT60 is very sleek and comfortable. A nice size screen for easy viewing.

Okay, let's move on to some of the cool features. I think my favorite feature is the calorie counter. This tells me how many calories I am burning during my work outs and how much of it is from fat. It has been pretty eye opening for me. It's interesting to see how less intense (or what I believe is less intense) work outs burn more fat calories. It totally makes sense though. Back when I had a trainer in December he broke this down for me. By the way, my personal trainer totally loved this heart rate monitor and was happy I had it on hand.

Click to enlarge

I love how at the end of the week I can see how hard I have trained. The monitor tells me how many calories I burned that week and if I'm improving. This is a big motivator for me! If you look under your weekly summary, it will also tell you how many sessions you had along with how long you trained, which is awesome if you set a goal to do 5 sessions and it only shows 3, you know you need to get your butt in gear next week!

This heart rate monitor also breaks your heart rate down into 3 different zones. This will help you maximize each work out. You can view all of the data as you're working out by pressing the top of bottom buttons on the right hand side.

If you're worried about setting up the watch, don't be! It's easy and completely fool proof! I thought it would confuse me but it's as easy as 1, 2, 3 thanks to the manual! :-)

There's a back light which is awesome if you don't have the best lighting or if you're in the dark (brave soul!).

The chest strap the heart rate monitor comes with is comfortable and actually fits me, so no worries there. I actually forget I even have it on!

You can purchase this heart rate monitor on Polar's website, Amazon or stores such as Dick's Sporting Goods.

I learn new things about this watch every day so this is not the last you will hear from me about it. If you would like to see more pictures, please check out my facebook page as I post a picture of the HRM after every work out. www.facebook.com/nikgetsfit

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!

I FEEL....AMAZING! 23 Pounds Down!

2012-02-10T18:40:00.000-08:00

I haven't made a post over here in FOREVER! Hello to all of my new readers! So much catching up to do...

Where do I begin? Well, I guess the title says it all. I'm down 23lbs as of February 9th. Slow and steady wins the race, right?

Here's some comparison pictures...

Same red Torrid blazer!

So, what have I been doing? Well, I have to be honest here, I haven't really worked out much since the beginning of January. So much going on! I just started back yesterday. I started Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 DVD. So far so good! I worked out a lot in November and a nice amount in December as well. I guess the main thing I've been doing is watching my portion sizes. I'm allowing myself to have some of my favorite foods, but in moderation. I'm not beating myself up if I mess up. If I mess up, I mess up. It doesn't ruin the entire day. I used to beat myself up so much. If I missed one work out I would be depressed and I'd just eat as much as I could for a day. Or two. Or three. O_O

On to some pretty cool news...I posted a picture on Torrid's Facebook wall wearing one of their jackets and they reposted my picture on their page! Check out their page here. How awesome is that? I love Torrid! I got so much positive feedback. It was such a confidence boost. It's kind of weird seeing all of the comments (you're gorgeous, you should model, etc) because of how low my self esteem can be at times. Honestly, it has a lot to do with my leg (see post here. warning: graphic), but I'm working through my insecurities. Still dreaming of the day I can wear a dress and not be paranoid and ashamed of my leg.

That's me...eeeeek!!!

I've been shopping for myself a lot lately. Sooo unlike me! My sister was visiting in December (stayed through January) and she really got me addicted to make up. I don't even know HOW to do my make up! lol! I have been practicing though. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it!

We started a new Money Pot Challenge in the BBB Weight Loss group. The women there are so awesome. This makes challenge #3 for us! The winner will get the entire "pot" of $60! How's that for extra motivation? lol

I'm in an OK place with my son being diagnosed with Autism right now. I was really depressed about it after finding out and neglected the blogs and just about everything else. He is doing awesome though. He amazes me every single day. He has been really big on pretend play lately. It's the cutest thing ever. He brings me his sisters tea set and sets it all up on the floor for us to play. He answers his pretend phone with a "Hello!" and "Yes?", he DANCES! He LOVES music. He has his own little dance moves. He finally started jumping up off of the ground. Still wobbly, but he's getting there. I could just brag about him all day. I truly hope and spray that he continues to make progress and I thank you all for your kind words and support. So many people emailed me sharing their story, shared websites, groups, etc.

I feel amazing. So much so that I just want to cry. Happy tears, of course. I was at an all time low...I can't even begin to explain. Thank you all so much for joining me in my journey.

I really don't want to ramble on too much. I just wanted to make a quick post to say hey. I will be updating more often so please continue to check back. For regular updates, please "Like" my Facebook page, Nik Gets Fit. I seriously cannot believe I have over 800 likes. I also recently joined Pinterest, you can follow me here.

Edited to add: Off topic, but MAC did my make up, check it out..

Weigh-in + Autism + New Outfit + Movie Night

2011-11-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

I know I was supposed to post my weigh-in on Monday but a lot has happened since then so here I am posting it now. I weighed in on Monday at 245.2 so I lost 2 pounds since the last weigh-in. The weight loss is going really slow lately and I'm not exactly sure why but I'll save that for another post.

On Tuesday I found out my son has autism. I almost feel like crying just typing that out again but I have received so much support on my Beads, Braids & Beyond Facebook pages that I don't feel like I'm in this alone. I have gotten so many comments, emails and messages that I haven't even gotten a chance to look at them all yet. I will definitely take the time to do that tomorrow because I'm still not sure where to start. When the doctor told me my son has autism I held my composure and just kept smiling at Lil Man so I wouldn't break down and cry. The doctor asked me if I was okay after a while and I just broke down crying. She told me she was wondering how I could be so strong and not show any emotion then she handed me some tissue. I sucked it up and finished up the appointment. I went down the hall to grab a few autism books she wanted me to read. I was crying hysterically asking the women for the books. I cried all the way to the car. I cried in the car. It seemed like I cried forever. I eventually regained my composure and took a nap. I woke up later and continued with our original plans of visiting the children's museum. The kids loved it.

I decided to go to the mall yesterday and buy myself something. I never shop for myself. I usually leave empty handed after trying things on in the dressing room almost in tears but not this time. Even though I hate buying things at this size, this is who I am right now. I want to dress for the body I have NOW. I don't want to walk around looking raggedy in tshirts and sweatpants anymore. I can be fat and fabulous too, right? I went to my favorite plus size store, Torrid. I bought an awesome red blazer, a pair of jeans and some boots. I usually dress in black so this was a big step for me. I wore the outfit to the movies tonight and I felt pretty good. It beats a t-shirt and no makeup, right? :) I even bought some red lipstick and I NEVER wear lipstick! I was afraid I would look like a fool but I'm tired of caring what people think so I went for it.

I have still been working out. I will make a post tomorrow with my time and calories burned for the week. Even though the weight isn't coming off as fast as I'd like, I still feel pretty good. I feel stronger every day. I know I have a new journey to face with my son and dealing with autism but I'm ready for it. I want to do everything I can to help him and I won't waste anymore time feeling sorry for myself. I hope to spend tomorrow writing out next week's plans, a daily routine that I can follow.

Thank you all for being there when I need you the most.

Nik

I haven't taken a picture with my children in I don't know how long!

I was dropping the kids off at my moms so no this is not my dog or tree, lol.

11/9-11/12 Workouts + Zumba & Zumba Mommy & Me!

2011-11-12T16:30:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! I'm back with a quick recap of this week's workouts. :) I am happy to say I worked out every day this week, Monday 11/7-Saturday 11/12. I also tried Zumba this week *gasp* It took a lot of courage and let me tell you, I looked a hot mess, but it was nice to try something new. Read more about my experience below. :)

11/9 Elliptical

11/10 I worked a little with a trainer this day on my back and shoulders and the rest was the elliptical. I was sitting for about 15 minutes and forgot to pause the monitor though.

11/11 I worked a little with a trainer again on biceps and I believe shoulders and the rest was the elliptical.

11/11 again. ZUMBA!

11/11 AGAIN! Yes, I got three workouts in! *proud moment* This was Zumba Mommy & Me.

So, my thoughts on Zumba. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about it just yet. There wasn't a lot of direction so I felt lost some of the time but I was able to keep up with the class for the most part. I stuck through the entire hour while others walked out so that felt pretty good. I was definitely the heaviest one there and felt a little self conscious. The women were not very talkative. When the class was over everyone just walked away, kind of like they do at the end of a flash mob, lol. Awkward. I gave one woman a thumbs up and started chatting a bit with another. We danced to Michael Jackson at the end, which was awesome. I think I will try a couple of different instructors before I give my final say.

Later on that night they had Mommy & Me Zumba with a different instructor so I decided to take my daughter. She really enjoyed herself. She wore her watch aka "heart rate monitor", trying to be just like mommy. It was so cute and I felt proud that I am beginning to set a good example for her. She's a natural when it comes to dance so she did a great job and kind of ditched me for a minute there, lol.

Here's a video I took of her in September at the Hispanic Festival. Child can dance better than me!

bad iPod pic, sorry!

11/12 I didn't have time for the gym today so I did a quick workout on the stationary bike at home.

I hope you all had a great week!

If you're interested in seeing what I eat, please check out my Facebook page.

I want to take a moment to thank you all again for your support. I feel so inspired by all of you. I can't believe we have almost 400 likes on Facebook already. *tear* THANK YOU!

Obstacles & Ultimate Goal

2011-11-08T13:04:00.000-08:00

I think it's probably harder for me to post this picture than let you all see me naked (please don't try to visualize that). This is the side of my leg. I cropped some out but most of my left leg is covered in scars and left disfigured. My right leg has skin grafts. I was hit by a van when I was 5 years old. It's a long story but I was on the sidewalk with my brother and sister and the woman was trying to run over her boyfriend. He got a broken arm. I have been emotionally and physically damaged by this and I am tired of hiding from the world. When you're overweight, you tend to hide anyway, but my insecurities go past my weight and into a dark place. It's hard for me to look at pictures of what my leg looks like because it becomes real and the thoughts and questions run through my mind all over again. It's physically painful for me to do certain things. I can't walk very far before my leg starts aching. I push through the pain while I exercise and just deal with it later. When I was working with the physical trainer today my leg was in quite a bit of pain but I refuse to use this as an excuse. This is an obstacle, but I refuse to let it hold me back. I wear pants all.the.time. no matter how hot it is. My Grandma tried to make me wear shorts when I was little so I carried a blanket around to cover my leg. I have been hiding for too long. My ultimate goal is to be able to wear a dress and show off my legs without feeling self conscious and think everyone is staring, even though they probably are. I don't want to feel insecure about this anymore. I want to be able to take my children to the water park and actually swim with them. I believe the weight loss will not only help me achieve this goal but also take a lot of physical pain away. I have to put a lot of weight on my right leg since my left is weak and let me tell you, carrying around 250 pounds on one leg is not easy. I cried during this entire post but I don't want you to feel bad for me. I think they are happy tears. I am excited for this journey and the life to come.

975 Calories Burned + Personal Training + The Biggest Loser

2011-11-08T10:10:00.000-08:00

I had an awesome work out today at the gym and burned 975 calories! Woot woot! I went in there with one goal: do the elliptical for an hour. After about 30 minutes, I was so ready to get off but I said no, I am going to stick to my goal and do this! I did intervals again, increasing and decreasing resistance. Intervals make it seem like the time is going faster, which is great. I had 2 minutes left to meet my hour goal and one of the personal trainers came up to me and asked if I would be interested in working with their main trainer who is only here visiting for 10 days (he lives out of state). I was drained but how could I say no to that? Free? I mean come on, yes please. He was really great. If he lived here, he would totally be my trainer! He had me doing stuff I had never done. Doing things with those big exercise balls, etc. I felt the burn and was shaking. He said I have a poker face and he needs to break that, lol. I definitely have a serious concentration face. After I worked with free weights and my own body weight for a bit we went to talk a little about nutrition and then came the pitch. Of course. I meet with him again on Thursday. I'm actually considering signing up for personal training for at least a month to see how I like it. He told me I'm really strong and he can tell I'm determined. I know he wasn't just saying that, because I know it's the truth. Yes, I'm tooting my own horn, lol. He also told me he does not recommend doing as much cardio as I've been doing (boooo!) and I need to work on strength 3x a day, working on different areas each time. He said he does not recommend the weight machines at all. Only free weights and your own body weight. I'm excited but a little hesitant at the same time. Personal training is not cheap by any means but they will give me an entire workout and meal plan so it doesn't hurt to try, right? Just in time for our "money pot" challenge! I totally stole the money pot idea from a forum I'm in. As you may know, I started a private group on Facebook and basically, we're all putting in $5 (well, not all of us, only those who want to participate) and whoever has the highest percentage of weight loss at the end of the challenge gets the money! It should be fun and a little extra motivation.

The Biggest Loser comes on tonight. Any fans? I just recently started watching but it's always motivating to see other people lose weight. The show is loooong though, 2 entire hours! Last time I watched I did jumping jacks and sit ups during the commercials and burned almost 300 calories. I'm not sure if I'll have the strength to do it tonight but I might try something. It's better than snacking during the show.

I also made a Facebook page. 246 likes in a day. Absolutely amazing. Thank you all so much for your support. I really appreciate it.

Battle of the Ponytail + Gym Time + Weigh-in!

2011-11-07T09:30:00.000-08:00

I know I look a hot mess. I had just gotten back in from the gym.

So I'm on the elliptical at the gym when I see the girl beside me checking out my ponytail swangage (yes, swangage.). I notice she starts trying to swing her ponytail so in my mind I'm like "oh wassup? You wanna battle?" so I start going faster on the elliptical. Swangage in full force. Needless to say, I won. Nik (1) Other Girl (0).

All jokes aside, I did get in a good work out. I burned 567 calories in 54 minutes. I did a 10 minute warm up on the treadmill then I did intervals on the elliptical for the rest of the time, increasing and decreasing resistance.

Today I weighed in at 247.2 so I lost 3.8lbs since last Monday. A good number but I weighed less yesterday so it's a tad bit disappointing. I do feel like I snacked a little more this weekend than I should have. Nothing terrible though. I'm still proud. :)

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