Itsy bitsy teeny weeny yellow polka dot bikini

I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. I spent most of it being sick but I was still able to enjoy myself. We had family come down for various parts of the weekend and hung out around the pool.

For the most part, I was able to stay on plan. Monday got a little out of hand with the cookies, but not bad considering what I would have eaten that weekend if I didn't keep myself in check. One summer BBQ down, several to go I'm sure.

The shocking thing about this weekend was the fact that I wore a bikini. Granted it was not one of those tiny skimpy ones, but it was a two piece, non-tankini swimsuit. And no it was not yellow polka dotted.

I'm still not where I'd like to be to be able to wear it out in public, but the fact that I felt mostly comfortable wearing around my family just goes to show how far I've come.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #40

Keep going. Don't give up. Take it one day at a time.

Hakuna matata!

Skinny Memories for Memorial Day challenge results

Skinny Memories for Memorial Day 4/9/2012 - 5/28/2012
Starting Weight: 177 ..... Goal Weight: 168 (-09) ..... Ending Weight: 166 (-11)

Total pounds lost: 11 pounds
Total percent lost: 6.215%

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #39

Anything is better than nothing. Don't worry about making a certain time or going a certain distance. Do what you can, push yourself a little, and go a little harder/faster/longer tomorrow.

Hakuna matata!

Weekly Progress Report

Last Weigh In: 168
Current Weight: 166

Still sick, but I'll take the losses where I can get them. Hopefully I will be back to 100% soon this week.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #38

Getting healthy is not just about getting as physically skinny as we can, it's about living a healthy lifestyle to promote good habits and live a long life.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #37

This weekend is going to be a hard one to get through for some people. BBQs, family gatherings, picnics... A lot of temptations. Remember your goal and how hard you've worked to get this far. Don't undo all that progress for something that will only last a day.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #36

Enough said. You can do it!

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #35

Well, is it? If so, great! Keep going. If not, what do you need to change to make tomorrow one step closer to your goal?

Hakuna matata!

Streaking newbie

So I'm really excited for my next challenge. Runner's World is hosting their first ever Summer Running Streak. Basically all it is is a challenge to run at least one mile every day from Memorial Day to the Fourth of July.

Click here for the full article

I am determined to stick to it and make it to the end!

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #34

This is my best friend's favorite quote (well one of them at least) and this morning I found it as part of a beautiful painting so I thought I'd share. Enjoy.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #33

To eat is a necessity, but to eat intelligently is an art. --La Rochefoucauld

It's easy to eat whatever you want everyday. Too many of us already do that. However, it takes quite a bit of knowledge and creativity to be able to eat smart. Learn how to fuel your body instead of dumping garbage into it.

Hakuna matata!

(No longer) Missing in action

I'm here. I'm still alive (there were moments where this fact was questioned). It's been a crazy week. Spent a lot of time outside in the GORGEOUS sunshine. Back to rain today. Saturday was spent doing some major house cleaning and furniture rearranging. My bedroom will get clean eventually. At least the main floor of my house is mostly clean.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #32

It doesn't even have to be an hour. 20 minutes people! Make it count. Your life may depend on it.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #31

Once you start losing weight, don't let it find you again. Learn about how to feed your body properly so when you transition to maintenance you can actually stay in maintenance.

Hakuna matata!

Weekly Progress Report

Last Weigh In: 169
Current Weight: 168

Slow and steady wins the race. Back to my 1 pound/week rate. Well, I guess it's better than no weight loss or even worse, weight gain! I'm falling behind on running and my daily water count so hopefully I can step that up again in the upcoming weeks.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #30

So I had to finish out Nike week with the most infamous of them all. This is arguably the simplest yet best piece of advice out there. No more excuses. Get out there and go.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #29

Victory is paid for in sweat, courage, and preparation. --Nike

Getting to goal is not impossible. But it does take work, a lot of strength, and a plan. Make sure you're ready with all three since you cannot stand on only two.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #28

Failure's not an option. It's a step. --Nike

Nobody's perfect. We all stumble along the way. It's part of the learning process. It's what motivates us to do better. Push harder. Go longer.

Hakuna matata!

Oh the sun'll come out tomorrow

Well the rain is finally dying down. Supposedly mostly cloudy this afternoon and then sunny and warm for the rest of the week. Yay! And then more rain on Tuesday. Bleh.

Luckily my plans for tonight got cancelled which means I can actually go for a decent run. My busy schedule and the weather have been making it especially difficult to get in more than just a couple of runs for the past week or two.

I'm still dilly dallying about actually signing up for a 5K this summer but I am determined to do it! I just have to figure out which one fits into my schedule. More to come on that I'm sure.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #27

Ran sounds better than run. --Nike

You can talk about it and think about it all you want, but it doesn't mean a thing until you actually do it.

Hakuna matata!

O Captain! my Captain!

And we're off! Biggest Loser 19 is officially underway. The teams are set and the numbers are racking up. Can the blue team defend their "Top Shaker" team title with their total exercise minutes? Or will the red team snatch it from under their feet? Who will win this battle of the pounds?

I am so excited to be a captain for the blue team. There has been so much activity on the discussion thread already and I hope we can keep the excitement going all the way to the end. I am determined to get my exercise numbers up this round as well as make my goal again. Bring it red team!

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #26

Training is the opposite of hoping. --Nike

You can't expect to get to work by hoping to get into your car this morning. Getting fit is the same way. You can hope all you want but you have to actually do something to get somewhere.

Hakuna matata!

How low can you go?

Well it's official. I am back down to my previous "lowest weight". But I don't plan on stopping now! No way!! I'm going to keep on going and get to my goal weight, and who knows, maybe even lower. But from here on out, every pound is a new record.

Hakuna matata!

I like to move it, move it

Wow it's been an action packed weekend. I haven't had time to post much since it was GORGEOUS outside and I had to soak up every bit of sunshine I could. Good thing too, it's raining again today... and tomorrow. Yuck!

Saturday I got my roommate to do 30 Day Shred with me. She was sore and tired yesterday but I think she liked it enough to stick with it. At least that's what I get from her Facebook post.

I worked out tonight with my roommate and now I feel like crap. And now I'm asking myself, "Why did I do this?" Oh that's right, to see how much I could hurt afterwards. And I think that I'm crazy enough to do it again next week.

Luckily there were no death threats in there. She knows where I sleep so I'd have to keep an eye on her if that was the case. But she definitely agrees with my title of "Satan Jillian".

Saturday I also went hiking/trail running as well as took Charlie to the dog park. Mother's Day was not quite as active since I had church in the morning. But we still were able to catch a couple of hours at the dog park again and walk along the trails.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #25

If you went running when you first started thinking about it, you'd be back by now. --Nike

This is how you make time. You do something when you first think about it. Don't debate whether or not you should. By the time you actually figure out what you're going to do, you could already be on your way.

Hakuna matata!

Weekly Progress Report

Last Weigh In: 170
Current Weight: 169

Woohoo! 160s baby!! So excited to break into a new decade. Hopefully I can say that again in a couple of months. Need to keep pushing!

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #24

Someone who is busier than you is running right now. --Nike

I get it. You're busy. We're all busy. There are so many things that need to be done throughout the day that how are we supposed to find time to exercise? The answer: You don't. If you try to find time, you'll never will. There will always be "too many things to do". You have to make time.

Hakuna matata!

Introducing Nike week

So I was surfing the web for some ideas for Thinspiration this week and I came across a list of phrases that Nike has used in their print ads over the years. Can I just say how much I love them?! They're short, they're sweet, they're to the point, but most importantly, they're so true! So I decided that this week was going to be Nike week. Enjoy!

P.S. Can web surfing count as part of my exercise today??

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #23

Running is the greatest metaphor for life, because you get out of it what you put into it. --Oprah Winfrey

Life is what you make of it. Both on the pavement/trail and off. If you put work and dedication into anything, you will get great results from it.

Hakuna matata!

Why are you wearing a suit today?

Because it FITS!

Today is a great day. This morning, on a whim, I decided to try on my suit pants just to see if maybe they fit yet (as of last week they didn't). And to my huge surprise, they buttoned and zipped with ease. [Insert girly squeal here]

My dad had bought this suit for me my senior year of college as a birthday gift and I had worn it to all the job interviews I had that year. Well I'm pretty sure my first day of work (three years ago) was the last time I have been able to wear it.

Since then, it has been living in the back of my closet, begging for it to see the light of day again. Let me repeat, today is a great day.

P.S. And yes I did go running last night like I planned to...

Hakuna matata!

EDIT (5/11/12 11:52am): I have been getting a TON of compliments today from co-workers. Not just on how I look, but even my presence and my mood. That was unexpected and amazing to hear!

Thinspiration #22

Eating healthy is not meant to limit us. It's to make us feel better that we are fueling our body and not just throwing junk into it. It also helps with our mindsets. Saying yes we can. We CAN do this. I have the power to make a difference.

Hakuna matata!

Why do I keep doing this?!

I totally fell off the band wagon last night. I was scavenging my house for anything and everything sweet (though I managed to leave all my NS food intact). There's been a lot going on this week and I had a temporary moment of weakness in all the stress.

I hate being an emotional eater. I'm hoping it just wasn't so weak that I totally undid my progress for this week. Not only that but I was a lazy bum. I just kept making excuses for why I couldn't exercise yet. And then I felt sick from all the junk I ate which really made me not want to exercise.

Game plan for tonight. Get home from work, take out my dog Charlie, change into work out clothes, and go running (or do 30 Day Shred if the rain picks up again).

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #21

Prove yourself wrong. You can do anything you set your mind to. Part of being healthy is having a healthy mindset. Listening to that negative voice in your head is not helping you to achieve your fullest potential. You CAN do it!

Hakuna matata!

Our growing country

Going off of today's Thinspiration, I heard an interesting statistic on the radio this morning and had to check it out when I got into work. According to this LA Times article, 42% of American adults will be obese by 2030 (compared to the 36% today).

Holy cow! And to think I used to be part of that growing statistic. Ladies and gentlemen, this does NOT have to be our future. As they say in one of my favorite movies, "a man can change his stars". We can prevent this.

Maybe the future world in Wall-e is not so far in the future after all...

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #20

Fitness - If it came in a bottle, everybody would have a great body. --Cher

Getting fit is not an easy task and if anything, it's getting harder these days. You have to work for it. It may take a while to get there but you WILL get there. It is not an impossible dream.

Hakuna matata!

Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin' alive, stayin' alive

So Satan Jillian is not quite as evil these days. Finally started Day 1 of 30 Day Shred last night and I'm still alive. I'm not saying it wasn't hard, but I don't feel like I belong 6 feet under.

I definitely think it helps that my cardio is in a much better place than it was the last time I did this video. I wasn't doing any other cardio at the time and so I got exhausted pretty quickly.

It also probably helps that I'm not doing it at 5:00 in the morning. Oh how I despise those early morning workouts. I may have to start doing them on some days though. Just have too much to do sometimes.

Hakuna matata!

Biggest Loser 18 challenge results

After a long 6 weeks, BL18 finally ended on the Nutrisystem discussion boards. BL19 starts next week and I am super excited to be a team captain this next time around. (Go Blue Team!) The sign up list is filled up and the waiting list has begun so we are good to go come Monday.

Biggest Loser 18 3/26/2012 - 5/7/2012
Starting Weight: 179 ..... Goal Weight: 170 (-09) ..... Ending Weight: 170 (-09)

Total pounds lost: 9 pounds
Total percent lost: 5.028%
Total exercise minutes: 2405 minutes

Midway weight rank: 21
Midway exercise rank: 17
Final weight rank: 15
Final exercise rank: 13

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #19

Health is not simply the absence of sickness. --Hannah Green

Just because you're not sick does not mean you are necessarily healthy. Healthy means that your body is functioning efficiently. You cannot expect your body to perform its best when the fuel you provide it is overly processed junk. Fuel your body and move!

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #18

If you're not already on your way to being a healthier you, then let today be your Day 1. Don't wait until you "find time". You have to make time. Go do 10 jumping jacks, get a salad for dinner tonight, or go to bed early. Better yet, do all three! You can do it!!

Hakuna matata!

The baby cows on my legs

I feel like my calves ripped themselves off my legs and ran away. They have been working double time these past few days.

Quick Weekend Recap
Friday - stair climbing
Saturday - hiking
Sunday - running

We went on a new trail on Saturday which I decided to name The Butcher Trail since it kills my calves (moo!) with its steep hills. Not that they weren't sore to begin with or anything...

Yesterday I was able to break a 10 minute mile. 10:15 and 9:42! That makes me really happy. Last time I was able to do that was in middle school. Now I just have to it for another mile...

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #17

Not every plan works for every person. We all have our own motivations, set backs, and mind sets. Just because we may have failed to follow our plan, does not mean we have failed to get to our goals. Make a new plan and try again. Tomorrow is a new day!

Hakuna matata!

Weekly Progress Report

Last Weigh In: 171
Current Weight: 170

Hit my mini-goal a week early which is super awesome. Would have liked to break into the 160's but hey, I'll take it. Hoping to step up the exercise numbers this week. I've been too lazy lately.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #16

Take care of your body. It’s the only place you have to live. --Jim Rohn

Our body is a temple, not a garbage dump. Take care of it. It's the only one you get and it is most precious. Treat it with respect and it will take care of you.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #15

Fall seven times, stand up eight. - Japanese proverb

Life is a roller coaster. Sometimes you're up. Sometimes you're down. The thing to remember is that when you're down, don't stay down! Get right back up and try again. No one is perfect and we all stumble along the way. Don't let one little slip up be your down fall.

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #14

I thought this was too funny to pass up. So maybe this saying shouldn't be taken quite so literally but that doesn't mean it's not (mostly) true. I know I can easily feel the difference between a day where I ate on plan and a day where I ate lots of fried foods and sugary snacks. Healthy is a lifestyle, not a temporary diet.

Hakuna matata!

Bring On the Bikini challenge - Before pictures

One of the requirements for my newest Nutrisystem challenge is to take a "before" picture in a swim suit so we can compare it to our "after" picture at the end of the challenge.

Well I decided to take it one step further and find an old picture of me in the same swim suit. I already plan on getting a new swim suit for this summer but I thought it would be neat to have the same one in all the pictures.

          

Summer 2007 I think... 215ish pounds, maybe??

5/3/12 171 pounds

Hakuna matata!

Thinspiration #13

Forget about getting skinny. Eat well and exercise... the weight will take care of itself. --Unknown

I wish I could say how much I love this quote. Sometimes we forget that the ultimate goal is not to get to a certain dress size or a certain number on the scale.

This journey is really about getting healthy. If we make healthy choices and have healthy habits, then the smaller weight/dress size will be a result of our successes.

Hakuna matata!

Bilbo Baggypants

I feel weird today. It's one of those Feel-Good-One-Moment-And-Then-Sucky-The-Next kind of days.

Today I'm wearing a pair of slacks that I couldn't even squeeze into a few months ago. You would think that would feel great, right? Well it does in a sense, knowing that clothing that was once too small is now almost falling off your hips.

However, they are so loose and baggy that I don't feel... what's the word I'm looking for... attractive? fashionable? Smokin' hot? I feel like one of those people on What Not to Wear with their clothes that obviously don't fit their body size/shape.

Thinspiration #12

You cannot plough a field by turning it over in your mind. --Unknown

It takes more to get healthy than just wishing for it. So you've thought about being healthier. Good job. Step one complete. Now keep going. Commit to it and do something about it. It will take work, and it's not easy. But it is attainable.

Hakuna matata!

Hotties out of Hibernation challenge results

Yesterday was the final day of the Hotties out of Hibernation challenge on the Nutrisystem discussion boards. I thought I'd post the final results here as well

Hotties out of Hibernation 3/1/2012 - 4/30/2012
Starting Weight: 184 ..... Goal Weight: 173 (-11) ..... Ending Weight: 171 (-13)

Total pounds lost: 13 pounds
Total percent lost: 7.065%
Total work out days: 38 days
Total 100% on plan days: 19 days

Hakuna matata!

Rain rain go away

... Come again another day where I'm not supposed to go out running!

I am not liking the weather forecast this week. The three days I was planning on going for a run are the same three days it's supposed to rain. I've already been slacking as it is and I'm afraid that I'm just setting myself back even further.

I may have to start pulling out the early morning runs sooner than anticipated. I was hoping to hold those off until it got a little bit warmer in the mornings. Oh well.

On a happier note, it's MAY! Which means we are that much closer to summer. //happy dance//

Hakuna matata!