Weight Loss Wednesday: Week 9 (or it should be...)

Happy August everybody! I have been working on my weight loss goals for a little over nine weeks now. I'm wishing I could have had better progress than I do, but I know that I did fall off the wagon for a while. Here's my current weight loss...

Almost 9lbs! So I guess I've been averaging about a pound a week, which is technically healthy weight loss. I should continue to lose about a pound a week, if my new program works well.

Through the recommendation of my sister and mother, I started using the Lose It! app the day before yesterday. This app is free and so amazing! It simply counts calories, but its such a streamlined, easy to use system, that I've become addicted! You begin by entering information about yourself, including age, weight, desired weight, height, sex, ect. The app then calculates how many calories a day you should be eating to meet your weight loss goal at the pace you want to lose it at. For instance, mine says I want to lose 33lbs at a rate of 1lbs a week, so I will reach my goal by March 21, 2013. 

Other features on this app include an awesome scanner that you can use to scan barcodes on packaging. This makes it easy to find and enter the foods you are eating. It also has a ton of exercises you can record, plus the ability to add your own custom exercises. Its so easy to keep track of everything you've burned/consumed. 

**Fun Fact** To lose a pound, you must burn 3500 calories (about 500 a day for 1lb a week) outside of your food intake

I have a budget of 1,718 calories a day...the problem has been sticking to it. This week (mind you, that's two days) I have gone 257 calories over my budget. Now, I know in the grand scheme of things, this isn't horrible. But it also means I need to learn to budget for unexpected meals. That, and limit myself when there are a lot of high calorie foods to be had. 

Please note that pictures from LoseIt! are not from my account

Wanna add me as a friend on LoseIt!? lexilou9788@yahoo.com

--Lexi Lou

Weight Loss...Thursday... Heh Heh

Ok, so I didn't get on to post yesterday. I could have, I just didn't. Man, I've got to get back on top of blogging!

Anyways, lets see how I've been doing, shall we?

I keep getting so close to breaking a 6lb loss, but haven't quite gotten there yet. 

So the last few weeks have been pretty hectic. I missed one day of counting points and just stopped. Isn't that always the way? You miss one day and all of your progress just goes down the tubes. I planned on picking WW back up, but seem to have misplaced my calculator. AH! Everything seems to be going wrong weight loss wise. 

But its all good!!

For now, my goal is to get in regular exercise and watch what I eat. Like I said in my previous post (Click here), I have created some healthy habits. First of all, I realize when I'm hungry or satisfied. I can stop myself before I get so full I'm sick, but I won't be hungry for a few hours. I'm also getting better about telling myself no. No, I don't need to have popcorn just because I'm watching a movie, and I definitely don't have to smother it in butter (even though it is SO DELICIOUS that way!). At the same time, though, I'm not depriving myself of foods I love. If I want to have a piece of cake, I eat one. I just make sure its not as big as one I would have taken in my less healthy days. 

And as far as exercise goes, I did better earlier in the week (no big shocker there). But there were at least three days in a row that I did at least a little exercise outside my normal routine. Also, I went on a hike last Saturday that really got my heart thumping (because I'm a baby, but oh well. Its a really awesome hike, I highly recommend it! Hike to Donut Falls! Its gorgeous!). My goal right now is to just keep it up. Even a little a day is more than I was doing before.

I feel healthier, and that is the ultimate goal. I want to be able to enjoy my life without restricting myself. Who knows though? I will probably start up WW again. I'll just have to see how it turns out. 

--Lexi Lou

Bucket List...Fail? Or Win?

Ok peoples... I think its safe to say that the blogging frenzy I was in a while ago has faded quite a bit. So I'll catch you up on what's been going on and promise to try to be better.

Weight loss...UGH! I fell of the wagon. Luckily my last lazy weeks haven't hurt me too bad. I realized I have developed some healthy habits. Hallelujah! I actually managed to lose a little without being too restrictive. But I am going back to WW tomorrow. (Fingers crossed for a new Weight Loss Wednesday post next week!)

A quick catch up on the other things on my Summer Bucket List. First the most disappointing... getting a job, buying a car, cleaning my room, and finishing my novel. Still looking for a job, even though the summer is half over now. And, of course, since I have zero funds for one, obviously I haven't gotten a car. The other two are more pathetic though. With all this free time on my hands, I should have time to write and clean, right? You'd think so. However, I have found so many other things to distract myself with. Like...hours sitting in front of the TV...or eating...or rehashing every situation with whomever will sit still long enough for me to talk to. I know, exciting right?! Time to be better about it. 

Hanging out a ton. This one is a bit harder, but I have been actively getting out of the house. I've gone to Family Home Evening with my single's ward a few times with some friends. I met some new people and hung out with them for a while (until the guy in the group my friend likes stopped talking to her. I'm guessing we won't be seeing much of them anymore.) I've got three Institute (Seminary for people in college) classes during the week, and I go almost every time...? And I've gone to night games and other various fun activities with a few friends. I really want to do even more though. I think its time for me to reconnect with those people I hung out with in high school, yeah? I'm trying to think up something to do, and then get everyone together. 

Now the exciting one... Getting back into the dating world...

(Annoying high pitch girlish squeal!!) 

That good enough? No? You want details? All righty... I'll start with the less juicy and work my way up.

As you know (or maybe not, I forget if I posted about it), I joined an LDS dating site a while ago. I was immediately bombarded. I guess fresh meat is an attractive quality? Anyway, I met a ton of really creepy old men and a few nice guys. I even went on a date with one of them. Not too exciting though. There was no chemistry on the date and a few days after he stopped texting me. Ah well, live and let live. (Too bad, he was super rich! JUST KIDDING! I'm not that shallow! But it was a nice plus...) I'm messaging a guy now that seems really nice. But how can you really tell that with online conversations? But I guess there's some potential there.

Now to the reason for the girlish squeal. I've had a bad case of permagrin (a disease, more commonly known as a cootie, that makes you think of a certain someone all the time causing you to smile constantly) since last Friday. **BACKSTORY** There's this guy in my single's ward that kinda liked one of my friends. He kept asking her out, but she kept making excuses because she wasn't interested. So she decided, against my better judgement, to give him my number and suggested (since I have so much free time) that he should take me on a date. He called a few awkward days of waiting later and asked me out. That Friday we went mini-golfing and got ice cream. Simple. I loved it!! We had so much fun! And when we got ice cream, we sat and talked for a few hours (until the shop closed and sometime after that as well). He then offered to give me a ride to FHE that next week. That was tons of fun too (jello fight, followed by a water balloon fight and ultimate frisbee)! Then I invited him to institute last night, and afterwards we played night games with some of my friend's friends. 

And we have another date planned for tomorrow! Plan A: Go to a hike with our FHE group to Doughnut Falls. Obviously super fun and a great way to talk and get to know each other even better. Another plan is set though. This one is necessary because he's heard the hike might be cancelled due to weather. So, if Plan A fails, then Plan B: Play in the rain together. HOW CUTE IS THAT?! Needless to say, I'm secretly hoping it rains tomorrow. 

He is so sweet and so much fun to be around! Not to mention easy to talk to. We have so much in common. He's already told me that he loves my smile and spending time with me. (Yet another girlish squeal of joy!) This totally caught me off guard, but that's fine with me. And who knows? Maybe we'll lose interest in a few weeks. Or maybe not... I'm just planning on having tons of fun and going with the flow, keeping my heart close to the Lord and letting Him guide me through my life. Still super exciting though!

--Lexi Lou

P.S. I got my patriarchal blessing last Sunday. It was amazing! SO AWESOME!!!

Putting My Life in His Hands...

So...long time no see! Needless to say, I have not been on top of my game as far as posting this last week.

I don't know what it was. I just lost all kinds of motivation. I missed the last week of my 30 Day Photo Challenge, I haven't wanted to post anything, and I sort of jumped the wagon as far as weight loss goes, resulting in my gain of 2+lbs this week. I am recommitting myself to it all though! 

I realized today while at church that I have been learning a great lesson over the last little bit of my life. In Relief Society, we were talking about tithing, and a sister subject of that, of course, is Faith. Our Relief Society President asked us to define faith without using the scriptural definition. (Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1) Many women said faith is putting your trust in the Lord. I wrote in my notebook, "Faith: Putting my life in God's hands and trust that He will direct it in a way that it is meant to be and what is best for me." As I sat there, I've realized that I've been blessed the last month or so to greatly increase my faith in Heavenly Father and His plan for me. 

I was visiting with a sister from my old ward. She wanted to see me to let me know how proud she was of the choices I had made concerning my last relationship. She mentioned to me that by receiving and acting upon revelation given to me from my Heavenly Father, I showed him that He could trust me to do those things he asks of me. Another sister in my ward told me that she knew that there were great blessings in my future for listening to the Spirit. I know this is true for anyone. Though it can be a scary, and sometimes painful, thing to do, when we get direction from our Lord we need to let go of what we want and give ourselves wholly to the will of Our Father. 

I found a link on Facebook (of all places! Click here to follow the page it was on. A note, the picture is theirs as well) that I really loved! This picture had a caption that read, "And finally, when you are compelled to give up something or when things that are dear to you are withdrawn from you, know that this is your lesson to be learned right now. But know also that, as you are learning this lesson, God wants to give you something better." This really touched my heart. I definitely feel like I've had some opportunities that I would not have had if I had stayed the course and gotten married. And I would not have ended up as happy in the end as I will by listening to the father. Another quote mentioned in RS today was, "When we turn our will over to Him, He will make more of us than we could make of ourselves."

I cannot wait for the blessings Heavenly Father has in store for me. I also testify that if you try like I am to listen to the whisperings of the Spirit and do what it prompts you to do, you can find a joy and peace in your life beyond anything people can give you.

--Lexi Lou

P.S. By the way, guess who is getting their patriarchal blessing next week?! WOOT WOOT!! The blessings just keep pouring out... 

Weight Loss Wednesday: Week 3

Needless to say, last week wasn't a very good one. I gained .7lbs. Not bad, but not very good either. I know exactly why all that happened though.

First of all, last week was just a lazy one. As far as being active goes, I always seem to do really well at the beginning of the week, then slowly taper off until by Thursday I'm not exercising daily. I've turned that around  (so far) this week. I didn't exercise Monday or Tuesday, but I've already done my exercise for today. Hopefully I can stick to it. 

And eating last week...woof! Just like the exercise, I usually do really well at the beginning of the week. However, last Thursday I went to my friend's wedding reception. She was having me help with all the delicious sweeties in the kitchen. As her mom left all of us to get ready, she told us we were free to try whatever we liked... And I did. I can proudly say I stayed away from the cup cakes and the mini mousse cups. Sadly, that's about all I stayed away from. There were this mint brownies that were heavenly! And the melt away cookies were so yummy!! Not to mention that, since my family and I got there early to help, we were given burgers (from a restaurant that I hope to stop going to at some point in my life... Starts with a great big yellow letter M) from the grandfather of the bride. He bought FIFTY burgers! His family ate about ten, maybe fifteen. Then he left the rest in the kitchen for us to enjoy... Can you see why I slipped up?! Not to mention this was the night before my weigh in, a fact I remembered about half way through the night. But even when I finally came to that realization, I just threw my hands up in the air and gave up. I ate like a pig!

But NO MORE!! 

I am rededicated to losing the weight! I feel like everyone going through their weight loss journey has to hit a wall like this. A day where you slip into your old ways.. and then realize you're the only one you have to answer to. I could have had someone there slapping my hand every time I reached for something yummy. But in the long run, they're not going to care if I eat myself to death. There is me and me alone. And I am done taking my own crap!!

So here we go, the new (and hopefully improved) Lexi!! 

Today, I made up my own work out routine. Yeah!! Kickin' butt and takin' names! 

Now, though I will be walking on the treadmill daily (hopefully) this routine is one I will do at least once a week. You should try it! It will probably be a little...strange(?) for some people's tastes. But I love it! And, if you wanted to,  you could personalize it to yourself!

I call it...

Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Workout!!

If any of you have seen the mini movie Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog, you know why I'm super excited about this routine. If not... WATCH IT!! It stars Neil Patrick Harris as sad, socially awkward citizen Billy, who moonlights as Dr. Horrible, the villain just wanting to be taking seriously and blogging about his desires to get into the Evil League of Evil. He is also secretly in love with average do-gooder, Penny (played by Felicia Day), who is dating his arch nemesis, Captain Hammer ("corporate tool" played by Nathan Fillion). This movie, directed by Joss Whedon, is my second favorite of all time!

I have created a running routine having to do with the music in the show. All you need to do this yourself is:

1. A treadmill
2. A TV visible from that treadmill
3. A way to watch Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Blog (I use Netfilx, personally)

Then, its pretty easy from there... First, determine your normal walking speed. Mine sits between 2 and 3 miles per hour. After that, just follow the synopsis below. Simply put, you will be increasing speeds during songs. Some are faster, so you will increase your speed more. Its kind of like interval training, only musical!

What to do:

ACT 1 Warm Up (don't worry, each act is only about 14 minutes long) 

• Walk at normal walking speed
• Song "My Freeze Ray"(1:38)- increase speed by 1mph (so 3mph for me)
• Decrease back to normal speed
• Walk until Dr. Horrible finds the letter from Bad Horse
• Song "Bad Horse Chorus" (0:33) -increase speed by 2mph (so 4mph for me)
• Decrease back to normal speed
• Walk until you are introduced to Penny on the Street
• Song "Caring Hands" (0:28) - Do nothing! But make sure to take a drink!
• Keep walking until Billy finishes talking to Penny
• Song "A Man's Gotta Do" (2:11) - increase speed by 1mph. Then during Captain Hammer's solo increase again by 1mph. Decrease by 1mph when Dr. Horrible talks to Captain Hammer. Continue at that speed for the rest of the number.

ACT 2

• Song "My Eyes" (2:45) -Maintain speed from "A Man's Gotta Do"
• Maintain speed while Billy talks to Penny at the laundromat and after when he is blogging again.
• Song "Bad Horse Chorus (Reprise)" (0:14) -increase speed by 1pmh (I would be at 4mph) or take a drink break
• Decrease to normal walking speed. Maintain this speed until Penny starts to sing
• Song "Penny's Song" (1:12)- increase speed by 1mph (I'd be at 3mph)
• Maintain speed through Billy meeting Captain Hammer
• Song "Brand New Day" (1:46) - Increase speed by 2mph (or your top speed. I cap out at 5mph). Maintain this speed until the end of the act.

ACT 3 Cool Down

• Song "So They Say" (2:03) - Decrease speed by 2 mph (back to 3mph for me) Maintain this speed until Captain Hammer is making his speech.
• Song "Everyone's a Hero" (2:46) - Decrease speed by 1mph (you should be back to your normal walking speed)
• Song "Slipping" (2:06) - increase speed by 1mph
• After slipping, decrease back to your normal walking speed. Maintain this speed through the end of the movie (including the song "Everything You Ever")

What I really like about this (besides the fact that I made it up) is that you can customize it to any movie or television episode. During more exciting parts or faster songs, increase your running speed. 

Please note! I am not responsible for injury occurring during the "Dr. Horrible's Sing Along Workout". Use this routine at your own risk! Please be sure to take it at your own pace. What is right for one person is not necessarily right for all. Please use common sense. If you feel pain or cannot breath, stop using this routine immediately and seek for medical help.

Thank you for the support guys! Until next week! (Let's hope the weigh in looks better!)

--Lexi Lou

30 Day Photo Challenge: Day 18 and 19

Whoops!! Darn, I missed again! That's alright though. Two days isn't too bad...

Day 18: A picture of your biggest insecurity...

Obviously, with my current weight loss goal, my biggest insecurity is my biggest part of me. My gut. The rest of my body (besides my second biggest insecurity, my double chin) is pretty shapely. My legs are killer, my arms are slender. Its just my belly. I'm both grateful and upset by this. I am glad that its only my stomach that looks gross. However, if my fat was spread all over my body, I might look thinner than I do now. 

This worries me more than just my looks though. Its a sign of diabetes to carry all your weight on your stomach. I've considered going in to get checked, but I want to get my weight under control on my own before I do that.

Day 19: A picture of a letter(like a letter you receive in the mail)...

I've taken the names and places off of this picture. This is one I'm going to be sending soon. I don't really get much mail besides ads... So... yeah.

--Lexi Lou

Weight Loss Wednesday: Week 2

Another week has come and gone. This week was full of ups, downs, and all sorts of temptations. Let's check on my progress...

Its true! My first week I lost 4.8lbs! I was so excited, mostly because I felt like I had done really bad. Tuesday night I got home late and just ate whatever I wanted. Then Wednesday (after I posted) I went to a bridal shower and a bachelorette party. I ate pizza! And yet, I still lost weight. I think the drop this week was just due to the fact that I am watching what I eat compared to the last few months of eating whatever the heck I wanted to. 

Since my weigh in though, I've had more rough patches. Friday was my five year old sister's birthday (she's so cute!). For her birthday dinner we went to an Asian buffet (I love Asian food! Click here for my post about that!). It was pretty hard. I wanted to share how I handled it.

First off, I've told my self on birthdays and other important holidays (like Thanksgiving and Christmas. No worries, there will be no excuses on smaller days) I will not count points. At the same time, I am not going to go crazy. So yes, I had a few plates at the buffet and went home and had cake and ice cream. I was careful though. 

I followed the Weight Watcher's tips for buffets. In their Dining Out Companion, it has two pages of what to do and what not to do. I've paraphrased them here:

1. Take a lap around the buffet. Look at all of your different options so you can avoid grabbing something not as worthwhile as something you may find later. If you do that, you'll be sure to get what you really want most on your first plate. That way when you get full you feel like you got the best stuff at the buffet.
2. Fill your plate with mostly good foods. Every plate should be half fruits and veggies. That way you'll get fuller on things that are good for you. Meats you get should be lean or small portions. 
3. Focus on foods you can't make yourself. If you're craving that high calorie food, but could probably make it at home, just wait. Home cooked meals are usually better for you than the stuff you find at restaurants anyways. 
4. Listen to your body and stop when you get full. Take breaks after you've finished a plate. You'll be able to more easily recognize that you are satisfied if you aren't finishing a plate and then jumping up to get another. 
5. Get rid of the idea that you must eat a ton to get your money's worth. The extra money you've paid is a small price to pay for feeling confident. Also, if you go overboard, its just pushing your goal off to a further date. 
6. If you think you can't control yourself, consider ordering ẚ la carte. With this option you get built in portion control.
7. If you want a dessert as well, be careful. Pick one favorite, and take half of a normal portion. Slice that cake in half or get half the pudding you normally would.

I followed all of these steps (except #6). I think what helped most was walking around the buffet. I really looked at everything and chose out things that I really wanted to eat instead of making impulse decisions so I could get back to my seat. I also filled half of my plate with fruit every time. I thought the fruit was really refreshing after the denser foods I was getting. I also got my most favorite...SUSHI! Loved it!

Then when I went home I had a small piece of cake and a scoop of raspberry sherbet (compared to the chocolate ice cream the rest of the family had). 

This week I'm really working on getting more active. I've exercised every day since Monday (three days...WOO!). I really want to start getting up early and exercising before I do anything else. I've been doing fun stuff. Mostly playing Just Dance and walking on the treadmill while watching upbeat shows (yesterday I watched Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat. It was way upbeat and I caught myself sort of dancing while walking. Great way to up the calories burned). I feel more motivated to do it if I'm having fun. 

We'll see how successful I am at the weigh in this week. Wish me luck!

--Lexi Lou

Ask Me Your Questions!!

Hey there! This will be a short post, I promise. Then you can get back to all the other...interesting(?) posts on my blog...
I want to get to know my audience (the whole five of you!), and I want you guys to get to know me. So here's the scoop. Post comments, questions, queries, whatever to any and every post. I will go through them and select a question to answer. I'll be answering questions starting biweekly on Mondays, maybe progressing to weekly depending on your response!
Now please, there are no dumb questions!! Ask anything you'd like to know! I can't wait to hear from you!

--Lexi Lou

Summer 2012 Bucket List

It seems like every blog I've visited recently has had a list of things they want to accomplish this summer. I haven't thought about it much, but I've decided I wanna write one as well. I want to really live it up this summer, and I want to be able to look back and see more than sitting on the couch and letting the summer slip by me.

My Bucket List for Summer 2012!!

1. Start Dating Again

I want to get back into that dating scene. Its gonna be tough though. Its been over six months since I've been on a date with anyone but my ex. I'm going to have to start slow. But I am determined to get back out there. The right guy out there for me is somewhere, and I can't wait to meet him. 

2.Get an Awesome Job

I desperately need money! Well, I guess not desperately, but I really want some money. To really be able to have a great summer I've got to have some green in my pockets. I know they say the best things in life are free, but there are some pretty fun things that cost money too. Plus, I'll need the experience for future jobs. Not to mention the fact it'll get me out of the house. If I could choose a perfect job for me right now, it'd probably involve childcare or something related to teaching.

3.Lose Weight

I know, I know. I'm not the biggest girl on the block. But I am pretty pudgy around the midsection. Not to mention gaining 12lbs since last summer. But this goal has more to do than looking good (though I am looking foward to that immensely.) My family has a history of diabetes, and I'm pretty sure I'm already showing the signs of prediabetes, if not worse. I really want to improve my health and be able to be my whole self. I don't want weight and health issues to hold me back. I'm already working on getting this goal done. I'm looking into joining Weight Watchers. My family is also planning on exercising together this summer. I hope to weigh a maximum of 145lbs by the time school starts up again (fingers crossed!).

4.Buy My First Car

Every teen dreams of the day where they have their own car. I just can't wait to not have to depend on others or a bus for a ride anymore. Feel like going to Walmart? Bam! I'm there. I don't need anything fancy. Sure, someday I'd love to own a 1956 cherry red Ford Thunderbird. For now, I just want something reliable that I can afford. Of course, that will be determined by whatever job I get, so it probably will be quite a clunker. But again, nothing wrong with that. 

5.Hang out a TON!

I need, need, NEED some social time. I've already been lucky enough to spend tons of time with my family. I love them so much! And I got to see my best friend and hang out before she left for California for the summer (Love you lady! Can't wait to see you again!) She'll be in and out of the state until school starts up in the fall. I want to get together on a regular basis with my other friends and make a ton of new ones this summer. I also want to be able to get together with my friends from college scattered around the state. I wanna go to a ton of parties and other events (going to a wedding this weekend. So excited!). I just wanna get out there and have fun in the sun with some freaking awesome people!

6.Get my Room Organized

My room is kind of a wreck at the moment. I share with my eleven year old sister. When I moved back home, it already was a little messy. That, plus all of my stuff I had at school (I don't get how stuff grows while you go away somewhere, but I ended up bringing a whole lot more home than I did to school.) has made the room a little hard to live in. We're already planning on buckling down and cleaning the room the first week of my little sister's summer vacation. This might be my easiest goal to accomplish. (By the way, my little sister has a blog too! She's so cute! You should check her out, it'd mean the world to her. http://www.thegirlgab.blogspot.com/)

7.Finish my Novel

Even if I only get it half finished, I'd love to work on my book. I've got the first chapter done, and I'm halfway through the second one. The way that I've plotted it out, I figure it will be about twelve chapters plus an epilogue. I really want to finally finish a story I've started, and I feel like this is the one to do that with. This is near the bottom of the priority list though. I need to be able to find a time when I'm not working and when I'm not going to want to hang out with friends. Until I get a job, I'm thinking doing it after I wake up and exercise with the family. We'll see how it goes. 

I hope to make this the best summer yet!! I'll try to let you guys know how everything goes. I can't wait for all the fun I'm gonna have!