Contemplating coming back...and the next stage of my journey. MUSCLE :(

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

I've been gone for a while.. Trying out other programs & Apps. I'm still undecided. While Spark helped me lose almost all of my 40 lbs I was in a rut & felt I needed a change. I have a little time left on my 3 month WW deal. At first I really liked it. Dropped 5 lbs right off the bat. Then I started comparing the 2 & can't figure out how they can be so different. How is it on WW I can eat all the fruit & veggies I want but when logging calories on Spark I have to be careful & watch it? Honestly all it did was confuse me!!! Now I don't know what to eat or how to eat it. I obviously have to pick one plan & stick to it.. Any one have any feedback?

Also, I have a few lbs left to go & they are killing me! Hanging on for dear life! But my next stage in this journey is muscle building. I don't want to be a body builder but I don't want to just tone either. I am looking for a buddy or two to be motivators & pushers. I'm also looking for someone that is NOT new to this either. I know it is hard to train or work with someone from afar but I need someone to answer my dumb newbie questions & make sure I am doing what I should be doing. For example; any supplements like protein shakes, calcium etc. Less reps-high wt VS More reps-low wts Cutting, bulking, where cardio fits in & how much. Things like that.
I am a quick learner but there is so much info out there I am getting lost. And my free time is hard to come by. So I need to make sure I am working on the right things that will get me to my goal, not lead me away from it.
Hope to hear from some peoples!!!!

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

Looking for a buddy/support person..

Friday, December 21, 2012

Morning everyone!

I have been on Spark since June. This tool has been instrumental in my progress & I am so grateful. To be honest though from every thing I had read I really expected to make a lot of friends, a few close friends & feel like part of a family. I hooked up with a buddy immediately which was awesome but within the next two weeks it was obvious she wasn't committed & I think she eventually quit. So ever since then I have been on my own.
I'll admit it, it's probably my fault. I don't have a lot of free time so I can't join every group out there. I tried, it was too much to manage & keep up with! I have blogged a few times & I don't mind it but I am not one to blah, blah, blog about everything. I am kind of quiet & keep to myself....
But I have found myself in what I guess you would call a plateau. It has been a struggle & I now find myself reaching out to others for help. I have lost 31 or 34 lbs (depending on the day, hence the frustration!) Thought I got through it, lost a couple more lbs and now here I sit. Back & forth, see sawing.. Getting frustrated!! While I haven't thrown in the towel I have to be honest & say I find myself making poor choices here & there. Last night I picked up my sons plate & before I knew it I had the rest of his sandwich in my mouth! I ended up spitting it out & then stood there for a minute wondering what I was doing.. That used to be a horrible habit for me & I haven't done it since June.
I am still doing my cardio 6 days a week but I do it when I get home from work now instead of before work. I am NOT a morning person & it wasn't easy but I did feel better knowing I had my work out done & any additional I did was a bonus! I ended up getting sick the day after Thanksgiving & had to take a few days off until I felt better. Ever since then I struggle to get my butt out of bed soo early! It's so dark & cold & my bed is soo warm & snuggly :) Before then my workouts were at 4am, 6 days a week since June.
Even though I still do my workouts, it makes me feel rushed because I have so many other things to do in that little time frame before the kids need to go to bed.

I guess bottom line is I need some help! I am looking for a seasoned Sparker or someone around my stage that has been able to bust through their plateau(s). It would be nice to have some things in common (workouts, goals..) but its not necessary. Maybe different would be better? I am struggling also because it is starting to affect my confidence in myself & what I can do. I am also getting little comments from the hubby that tho they are not intended to be negative are kind of bumming me out.. Make me feel like I am failing & pulling me down more.

I KNOW I CAN DO THIS, I JUST LOST SOME OF THE SPARK FROM BEING STUCK HERE FOR SO LONG!!!

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

Question!!

Friday, July 27, 2012

Hi All,

This is my second attempt at a blog.. this time I have a question and am not sure what the best way is to get it out there for help.

If I understand this correctly when you set up your information pertaining to your weight and your goal weight your calories will be figured for you. Is that correct?

Now that I am 2 weeks into my new intense cardio I am exceeding my daily and weekly goals. I am getting the following message.

*The number of calories you should eat to manage your weight depends on many factors, including how many calories you burn through exercise. It may seem counterintuitive, but eating too little while burning too much can actually hurt your weight-management goals and the outcome of your fitness program. If you are consistently burning more calories than recommended here, please update your fitness settings as soon as possible. This may adjust your calorie ranges (if necessary) so you can reach your goals in a timely and healthy manner.


I definitely dont want to slow down or stop my weight loss. What do I need to do now???

  Member Comments About This Blog Post:

Dinner..

Sunday, July 22, 2012

Hello All,

This is my first attempt at a blog..

Had a nice Sunday, spent the day shopping with the hubby & kids & then went out to dinner. The kids really wanted to go to Texas Roadhouse so thats what we did.
I figured I had such a great week and really did a good job monitoring my intake & exercising that I deserved a "pat on the back". I ordered the Smokehouse Burger with fries & a water. While waiting for my food I had a few of the hot buns with cinnamon butter .
Funny thing is once I got my food I could only eat 1/2 of my burger & fries and I was full! I brought the rest home but I have no desire to finish it. I gave it to my husband to finish off.
Since this has been one of my fave TRH menu items I thought I would have really enjoyed it but to he honest it was kind of a let down. I felt over full & bogged down. I went over my calories for the day...While I am not happy with this I also think it has a good side to it too! I came to the realization that I don't want to eat like that anymore.. I don't want to feel so full that I don't want to finish my shopping or errands. I am not missing anything by the changes I have been making the last month.

So while it probably wasnt the best decision I made all week I do believe there was a positive side to it and a lesson was learned!
I think I am going to go for a short run later once it cools off just to ease my mind over the extra calories even though today is my "rest" day.

Now back on track for another awesome week and hopefully another two lbs dropped!

  Member Comments About This Blog Post: