May 1st is the start of the 10 day challenge. For those that are participating with me here is what we CAN NOT eat!

Here is what we can eat. There are so many yummy things and filling on this list.

Now the key to this is have a plan! Make sure your fridge is stocked with veggies, lean protein, and nuts. Drink lots of water!!

If you end up eating something on the not allowed foods one day. It’s ok! We are human. Do not think for one minute that you’ve blown the entire 10days with that one thing on day 1 and hour 4. You have not! Reset start over with the next meal and move forward. Come back to this blog and comment on how you are doing? I will share how I am doing. I will share foods I am eating as well.

Today was my last weigh in at WW for the month of April. I sat down and reflected back on my wins and my losses (no pun intended).

I decided this year because I had goals I wanted to reach, that I was writing them down. Doing this makes the goal more real and important. I am not by any means disappointed in myself for not making/reaching my goals. So here is what I wanted to accomplish for the month of April:

• Lose 10.3 pounds
• Go to gym 3x week
• All blue dots
• 10,000 steps per day

Some of my goals may have been a bit out of my norm, but I believe this to be true

I did not reach my 10.3 pound loss goal. I am alright with that! Why? Because in the end I did have a loss over all for the month, that to me is a win! This is a journey and there will be gains and losses along this journey. Even though I did not reach my weight loss goal I set for the month, I did have a HUGE win this month, that I did not even write down to aim for. I hit a total weight loss of 75 pounds! I am over the moon excited and proud of myself. It was in 5e back of my mind that I would probably reach this mini-milestone this month.

I had 20 days of blue dots, meaning I stayed within my WW points range that day. Now I do want to say that on the either days that I didn’t get a blue dot does not mean I went over my daily pots, I could have been under my daily points.

I’m going to be real here I DID NOT have 10,000 steps per day at any point! This was an epic fail, but I also new that this was one of my want to reach goals and that I would really have to work at this! My job has me on my feet standing practically all day for 8 hours, and I get steps in at work, but when I’m done the last thing I want to do is be on my feet any more. So this goal will continue to need some work! I am ok with that.

I did get to the gym more then 1 time per week. Some weeks it was 3x some it was 2x. Again, I am working on creating a habit and for me I need to set small realistic goals. I have kept up with my water class and I am enjoying it. I have tried adding something new into my mix as well.

Looking ahead to May! I am starting the month out on a 10 day challenge. It’s simple I am eliminating the following from my diet for 10 days, to reset my body!

I will share how it’s going…

I am also keeping the same goals I had for April, except I’d like to lose 12 pounds in month of May. I also want to get outside some more! I have a great outdoor space and I want to do some at home workouts there.

So I knew  from being that I had done damage to my body overweight. I new that my joints would ultimately start to ache. I knew that my insides those parts you can not see, like my heart, liver, kidneys would be strained or weaker because I was overweight.  I am not naive to think that damage would not be able to be repaired. I knew that I had to take control of my life and start to be healthier, for me and for my loved ones. I did not ant to be a burden on anyone, if my health began to really deteriorate.  I also, knew that the most damage I had done was to my largest organ my skin!

A couple of weeks ago I was up by my family and they are supportive of my journey. I want to set a healthy example to my nieces, plus I want to be healthy to be around to watch them become the amazing women that they will become. They know I have lost almost 75 pounds. My youngest niece sees my arm arm while we are playing a board game, and asks why its so squishy. I tell her this what happens when you are overweight and you’ve stretched your skin for so long. As we get older we lose elestian in our skin and it does not tighten back up again. I said at some point when I reach my goal weight and I feel like I have toned enough I would probably look into having the extra skin removed. She goes to me, don’t get all of it removed I like a little of the squishy.

I am sharing this today, because as I am a little over half way through what I want to lose, the reality of what my body is starting to look like is really hit me.  I was always that girl who would go sleeveless, my arms were big but they were my arms and I was fine with it. With warmer weather soon to be here, I am becoming self conscious of my body!

I have WINGS!  They flap! While as I build more lean muscle yes it will not be so bad, but come people there will be flap!

 

My ams are not the only thing! My stomach and sides are not looking so great. My thighs are showing signs of loose skin. My stomach and sides I can hide and not show. But my thighs and arms if I choose to wear shorts or short-sleeves or even sleeveless I can not hide.

Boys, stop reading cause I’m going to talk boobies! Or more the lack there of now!! I never thought I had large breasts, I was ok with them. I got re-sized today and my girls are very sad looking. They are like deflated balloons! They were never perky but let me tell you they will only ever become perky if a  gifted surgeon makes them that way!

I felt like I was a pretty confident in my own skin person, but I am in a transitional place and right now I am wavering with that self-confidence!

This weight loss journey is a huge mental challenge! The challenge to stand in front of a mirror and look at yourself naked! You can really see the damage you have done to your body, at least that is what I see! That reflection doesn’t have me feeling very attractive! I do not feel sexy!

While I see that damage, I also see a strong, driven and motivated women! Who when she puts her mind to something she will be successful!

There is NOT much of anything I can do to tighten up my skin again, the damage has been done! There is NO magic collagen supplement I can consume to improve my elastian in my skin! Drinking my water! Eating a healthy diet and building lean muscle will help, but I will have loose skin! That one day I will have surgically removed, once I reach the point where I have reached my weight loss and fitness goals.

In my mind when I look in the mirror I know who I see. There are days that I struggle with that, but most days I don’t see the squishy wings, and deflated balloons!

 

So March is over, and I did not quit make my monthly goal of losing 9lbs. That is ok I still lost 2.8lbs for the month! So that is a win! Woot woot

I did have other goals for March that I won at! I committed to trying a new class at the gym, and I loved it! It’s called water power. I have a gym membership Wisconsin Athletic Club, I wanted to take advantage of the classes they offer and to try something new that I could end up enjoying. Let’s be honest, if we do not enjoy something we are just not going to do it!

I have enjoyed the Water Power class I took, to the point that it is now in my weekly workouts. I have found something I like and will commit to every week!

So with the start of April, comes new goals and some modified goals. For April I have committed to adding one more day to work out, and trying something new. With the weather finally getting warmer I can get outside and walk! My other goal for April is to lose 15lbs, I need to make up for last month. I also want to stay about 4 points below my daily of 26 points (WW program). Which means I’m aiming for Blue dots all month long!