GI..GI..GINA!'s SparkPeople Blog

I'm gonna get myself in shape with some butt kickin latin turbo jammin fire baby!!

Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:37:56 EST

So....it's been a little bit. I can't say I'm terribly proud of myself for the past month and a half. I've been kinda lazy...and kind of a piggy. lol....I've enjoyed eating unhealthy food way too much and enjoyed laying around even more so. Sad...I know. I didn't do much damage weight wise....actually I'm holding steady. But I should be DOWN. Grrr. Anyways...time to get my butt back on track. Re-motivation time.

We're gonna be doing Zumba at Curves and I'm so excited. Not really fo...

I'm gonna be 28...nah...I'm gonna be 20!

Wed, 22 Sep 2010 14:34:18 EST

My September goals were definitely not met. I don't want to beat myself up too much because of it, but it is totally my fault. Eating too much and too little exercise...well that's not going to produce the results I want to see. Is it? Nope...

But ya know...I'm not going to be perfect. I can't say I totally regret it because I certainly enjoyed all the yummy food I've eaten over the past 30 days. I've enjoyed being lazy. There I said...sometimes, it's just fun to do nothing. HaHa. ...

What supplements do you take & why?

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:28:21 EST

Just curious about what supplements everyone is taking and what they're reason is. I love to read about supplements and how they can do amazing things for our bodies.

I take:
A multi-vitamin, Calcium, Vitamin D (5,000 IU), CLA, Hair Skin & Nails Supplement, B Complex, Fish Oil and a Maximum Antioxidant Formula.

A visual motivator!

Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:24:43 EST

I think this week I'll go buy one of those dry erase calendars to help myself stay motivated and on track. I think it will be a great visual motivator. If it's staring me in the face first thing in the morning and at night, I think it will really help my focus. I read it in an article on spark, and it sounds like just what I need. I love to be organized and somewhat methodical. Almost too the point of being anal, lol. But that's okay....it works for me.

So yeah...thats the plan. :D

The Game Plan

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:17:09 EST

Eating Plan:
Keep moving on with the Curves Weight Management Plan. Splurge on Sundays like I've been doing. It seems to be the perfect thing for my metabolism. I consistently lose each week.

Workout Plan:
Week 1: Turbo Fire Week
Week 2: Hip Hop Abs Week
Week 3: Turbo Jam Week
Week 4: Brazil Butt Lift Week
Week 5: Turbo Fire Week
Week 6: Rockin Body Week
Week 7: Turbo Jam Week
Week 8: Brazil Butt Lift Week
My goal is to do my Curve...

Goals for September & October

Mon, 30 Aug 2010 14:09:48 EST

Well I can't believe August is coming to an end. I've made major progress with my weight loss goals this year. Down 56.5 pounds at the end of August. So I'm well on my way. We are starting a new contest at work for the 2 pounds, and though I don't really get to participate since I'm an employee I still like to do each contest to help me keep my motivation. I think it really helps the ladies too.

So the contest is to work out 3 times each week, keep a food diary, and weigh in weekly...

Flavored Water (friend or foe?)

Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:00:48 EST

So I'm reading a book called Sweet Deception about all the dangers of sugar and sweeteners. Reading this information scares me quite a bit, especially since I load my water up with crystal light. Here I am thinking I'm making a better choice then drinking something sugar filled (because I can't drink plain water), but it turns out I'm not making a very healthy decision. Sure it's been better for my waistline then sugary drinks (like sweet tea!) but what about overall health? Man...it's scary ...

#1 Get on your deathbed

Fri, 20 Aug 2010 13:34:27 EST

I'm going to take the weekend to work on this. This is pretty hardcore and emotional and I really want to take some time to think it out.

Clearly imagine yourself lying on your own deathbed. Full realize the feelings connected with dying and saying good-bye. Mentally invite the people into your life who are important to you and have them visit you at your bedside, one at a time. Speak outloud or write them a letter. (i plan to do it this way) This is going to be one tough exercise....

Leopard print, powdered sugar & one tired girl!

Thu, 19 Aug 2010 18:51:57 EST

Well today was my day off, and I thought I'd get to enjoy some of it. But not so much. I have to bake and decorate cupcakes and 2 birthday cakes before next week. Not to mention that the fair is this week, so I'm working extra. I hate being this busy because then I don't get to exercise like I want too. This is my first time sitting down today since I woke up. I've been kneading fondant and gumpaste. I've been covered in powdered sugar. But everything looks amazing. But I still have cupcakes ...

100 Days of Ways to Motivate Me

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:32:06 EST

So i'm reading this book....called 100 ways to motivate yourself. Here is my plan. I'm going to read 1 way every day (i'm a poet and I didn't know it, lol) and I'm going to apply it in some way or discuss it. I plan to blog every day about it and hopefully along the way it can help someone else. Maybe even people can follow through with it too. I'm pumped up about this...because we all need a good kick in the booty. What better way then to learn a new motivational tool every day for 100 days....

Do the One Thing

Wed, 18 Aug 2010 14:26:30 EST

I'm reading this book...and this one little phrase speaks to me so much. At first I'm like what the heck does that mean? Do what one thing? Well...do the one thing you want to do and get it done. Do it well. Succeed. Then move on and do another thing. I'm really great and doing a lot of small things. But one big thing, well thats a different story. My mind gives 100 miles an hour in all directions and there are SO many things I want to accomplish and get done. But following through...thats th...

Caprese Salad Recipe

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 13:55:57 EST

We have 2 sweet 100 cherry tomato plants that are overflowing with little balls of yumminess. But we can't eat enough to keep up. So I decided over the weekend to make use of them and make a caprese salad. I found this recipe from eatingwell.com. Omg it's delicious! And so nutritious! And super simple.

Caprese Salad

Ingredients

* 2 medium red tomatoes, cut into wedges
*...

Boosting my Metabolism

Tue, 17 Aug 2010 12:53:23 EST

Instead of saying "I want to lose weight" why not say "I want to boost my metabolism." Same end results, but it's not so much pressure? Why don't we all do that? Well I'm gonna start.

What is metabolism anyways? It involves a complex network of hormones & enzymes that not only convert food into fuel but also affect how efficiently you burn that fuel. So....what that means is, the more efficiently we burn our food...the more weight/fat we lose? Ding ding ding!

Your meta...

Limiting Processed Foods

Fri, 13 Aug 2010 14:23:58 EST

Over the years we've all become really dependent on the convenience of processed foods. They last longer, tend to be cheaper...but are NOT worth it. All the diet and weight loss books I've read say shop around the perimeter of the grocery store. All the processed junk is in the middle. I'm really trying to do better about buying the "boxed" stuff. I always check out our grocery cart at the end and do a scan...and it seems like each week less and less stuff comes in a box. I'm really enjoying ...

Cooking!

Thu, 12 Aug 2010 13:56:46 EST

It's crazy to think that I would actually be enjoying cooking this much a few months ago. I'm loving the experience, even if I do have a few flops. This morning I ventured to make Huevos Rancheros after watching Throwdown with Bobby Flay last night. I figured it couldn't be that difficult and I LOVE eggs, so what the heck? My butt crawled out of bed this morning and went straight to the store and got veggies to make it. It turned out really good. Corn tortillas (not the best thing...but hey, ...

Progress Day

Wed, 11 Aug 2010 14:53:19 EST

So I decided not to do progress day until today...mainly because this past weekend was HORRIBLE for food. I knew that the scale would be up, if anything from water retention from all the sodium I consumed...So I gave myself a few days of clean eating, working out and lots of water to try to get rid of most of it to see my true progress.

Sure enough it worked. I'm down 2 more pounds and my body fat dropped another .3%. Still on track, even after a few bad days! Blood pressure was go...

Progress Day

Mon, 2 Aug 2010 14:37:30 EST

Every monday is my progress day. I check my blood pressure, body fat percentage and hop on the scales. I like monday, because then I have to be really aware of what I'm eating and how much I move over the weekend, because I know the progress day is looming near.

Today was a great progress day. My body is down .3% I lost another 1.5 pounds. And my blood pressure was 101/61. My heart rate was 71. So overall a good week! I didn't exercise as much as I had hoped last week though, becau...

The scale...throw it out!

Sun, 1 Aug 2010 18:53:16 EST

It really bothers me how obsessed some people are over the scale. I know we all want that perfect number to appear...but it just doesn't matter to me anymore. I wish at work I could get through some people's heads! Grrr!

Another thing that really irritates me is when they weigh in and the scale has either remained the same or gone up...and they say something like...well see what happens...i work out and I gain. Geez! Then I start asking them questions about their diet and they jus...

Blah...not feeling well....

Wed, 28 Jul 2010 13:47:31 EST

Not feeling well at all today. Kinda bummed out about it, because I just started my exercise rotation and don't want to get off track so early into it. No work outs today though. Pretty much everything from my belly button down hurts. Stupid period....my butt is sore from the Bum Bum workout yesterday. I'm not complaining about that though...I love muscle soreness. That means its workin! But I'm sick of dealing with the girly issues. :| Anyways...my plan for today was curves and HIIT 30. So m...

Bum Bum kicked my Bum Bum!

Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:36:25 EST

So first day of trying my newest set of workout videos. Brazil Butt Lift....I must say it's a lot harder then I expected. I thought this would be a pretty easy workout to get just get my heart rate up and add some new cardio into the mix. OMGGGG!! My butt and thighs are super tight. I totally felt it!!! Love it. I'm not complaining at all. I love a challenge. I love to be surprised.

Glad I decided to only do this program one day a week. Don't think I could handle much more. LoL......

Books, Book & MORE BOOKS!!!

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:46:29 EST

I gotta stop buying so many books...Seriously, it's like an addiction. I probably have 25 books I haven't read yet and I keep on buying them. And these are pretty much ALL fitness/nutrition/health related books. I'm cutting myself off. Until I get through the ones I have now.

The first one to get off my list: I Don't Go With Fat Boys by Dr. Doug Pray

My Goals!

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:44:04 EST

-Get my body fat percentage down to 25%
-Get my waist measurement down to 32 inches
-Get my BMI in the normal range
-Improve my flexibilty
-Improve my endurance
-Drop my resting heart rate
-Eat more fruits & veggies
-Take my supplements EVERYDAY
-Drink lots of water
-Stay away from processed junk!

12 Week Hybrid Rotation

Mon, 26 Jul 2010 19:30:56 EST

I created a crazy rotation to help me keep up my momentum! Sundays are turbo jam & abs day, mondays are turbo fire days, tuesdays are brazil butt lift days, wednesdays are turbo fire days, thursdays are hip hop abs/strength days, fridays are insanity/chalean extreme days, and saturdays are strength and stretch days.

Week 1:
Sunday-Cardio Party 1, Ab Jam
Monday-Curves, Fire 30
Tuesday-Curves, Bum Bum
Wednesday-Curves, HIIT 30
Thursday-Fat Burning Cardio, 3T ...

Gotta be good today....:P

Sat, 24 Jul 2010 07:23:12 EST

It's Saturday! And it's supposed to be over 100 degrees. It's gonna be a super busy day! I'm working this morning 7:30-10:30. So I'll get my Curves workout in at least. Then I'm gonna go straight home and I pray that my new workout videos are at my house. I wanna do one of them!!! Grrr! They should have come yesterday. Anyways, then I'm going to the Olive Garden. Yeah I know....TROUBLE!!! I'm gonna try to not overindulge too much, but come on....it's the Olive Garden, thats kinda the point. I...

Motivated & Invigorated

Fri, 23 Jul 2010 11:15:57 EST

Woke up bright and early today. Yet another thing I'm thankful for. Their for awhile I started sleeping in again. I guess that goes hand in hand with getting depressed again. You tend to want to lay in bed most of the day. Then you feel horrible for letting yourself sleep half the day away...which leads to an even deeper depression. The viscious cycle. But these past 2 weeks it's gotten easier and easier to roll my butt outta bed. So I feel better about myself and I don't waste precious time....

How my life is changing....

Wed, 21 Jul 2010 14:52:10 EST

Back when I lost weight before (157 pounds) I worked sooo hard to get it off. I restricted my calories, I worked out for 90 minutes every day. Got up at 4 am to do that. Felt horribly guilty if I consumed one calorie too many. I lost it so quick I never really got adjusted to the "new me on the inside" or the "new me on the outside". Everything in my life was I MUST WORKOUT and I MUST EAT RIGHT and NEVER MESS UP. I weighed myself 3-4 times a day and I didn't even realize how obsessed I got un...

3 pounds down out of 20!

Sun, 18 Jul 2010 14:11:32 EST

so my goal is to lose 20 lbs by my birthday which is october 4th. I weighed in today and i'm already down 3 pounds! I'm thrilled because I've been on vacation this whole week & really was fine with maintaining. I knew I wasn't going to make the best food choices. Especially after the wine festival. But I had a great week off and apparently it agreed with my butt. Haha! I'm excited to go back to work tomorrow & get back into a routine! Oh yeah today I made a super, simple, yummy snack. I slice...

i'm gonna lose 20 lbs by my birthday!

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 09:21:39 EST

that's my goal! 20 pounds down by my 28th birthday! I can soooo do this!

Goin down, down, down...

Fri, 9 Jul 2010 06:46:30 EST

The scales just keep on dropping so I'm definitley doing something right!
My mission for July....keep progressing just like I have been.
Move as much as possible!
Stick to my exercise schedule that I planned for myself. Get my M2 green everyday!
Try to stay away from processed foods. Visit the farmers market/produce stands and get yummy seasonal fruits & veggies! I really need more in my diet.
Drink water!
Take my supplements!
Keep a positive attitude!

i'm gonna shrink. No doubt.

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:51:10 EST

so I got turbo fire yesterday! I watched a short clip & it looks incredible. I've never done hiit but I've done plenty of turbo jam so I think I can definitley handle these workouts. I also have chalean extreme & haven't even done them yet. I really want to lose weight but pack on lots of muscle, so I think I'm going to come up with a routine and incorporate them both. This will be killer & I will without a doubt meet my goals in no time. So I'll be working on a 20 week routine.

Yes!!! Turbo Fire is here!!!

Tue, 29 Jun 2010 14:36:22 EST

I got it in the mail today. I haven't even opened it yet though. I have to work 3-8 and it didn't get to the house until ten til 2. Bummer. But I can't wait for thursday! I have the whole day off and you know I'll be turbo firin it up!

Monday Madness

Mon, 28 Jun 2010 14:55:00 EST

It's been a busy day at Curves! I love busy days...Time has flown by, that's for sure. I was really hoping to get Turbo Fire today in the mail, but it looks like it's stuck in Roanoke. So I guess I won't get it until tomorrow. I can't wait! I'm highly motivated right now, but I know thats gonna make me want to bring it on!! Oh yeah. :)

This weekend I wasn't as active as I wanted to be, too much going on. But thats okay. I did a curves workout on Saturday, and played some Wii on Su...

These Heart Minutes are driving me nuts!!

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:42:01 EST

My M2 wants me to get 60 minutes of heart healthy minutes every day! Blah...I know this is a good thing. I know this is a tool to make me work harder. I get that...but geez, sometimes I think it's trying to kill me. Well maybe not kill me but at least torture me. I'm having a hard time on the weekends with this. It's easy when I work 12 hours a day at Curves. I always burn enough calories...but getting my heart rate into my training zone for 60 minutes or more! Sheesh...this thing is determin...

I can't wait to get my turbo fire!

Fri, 25 Jun 2010 14:24:26 EST

It was shipped yesterday...I CAN'T WAIT!!!

Being as active as possible...

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:46:39 EST

One of my biggest goals is just to move as much as possible. Basically, I don't wanna sit on my butt for longer then 30 minutes at a time. This helps so much! I even downloaded an alarm for my computer to remind myself "hey chick...get off your a$$!" lol....According to my M2 i'm getting in anywhere from 18,000 to 26,000 steps everyday which is amazing! They say to aim for 10,000...so I'm kicking butt!

Yesterday was a really good day as far as movement is concerned. I got in 79 hea...

Spark Buddy?

Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:22:50 EST

Is anyone interested in maybe emailing daily or something to help stay motivated? Maybe even a small group of women? Just curious!

Watch out fat!

Mon, 14 Jun 2010 14:33:39 EST

I was down 2 more pounds this morning. Yay! I don't even want to mention how much weight I gained back during my hiatus....I'd say 50% of it was my fault, the other 50% was because I couldn't exercise like I had. When I hurt my back, I just couldn't give it my all and I honestly felt like a huge failure. That in turn made me in this depressed state (even though no one could really see it on the outside). And there in goes the viscious cycle of being sad, frustrated & angry at the world, so I ...

Weight Mirror

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:50:23 EST

www.weightmirror.com

Check it out....funny.

TGIF...even though I work all day....lol

Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:12:57 EST

I'm workin 7-6 today...but trying to make the best out of it. At work at Curves of course so that makes being active pretty easy. Walking lots...I worked out this morning. Had a great workout! We haven't been too busy...but enough to keep things moving along. Half the day is already done, so that's a good thing. Lunch from 1-3. I did Cardio Party Remix on break. So I have 60 minutes of workout time in. Lots of steps taken, so that will help. I will do the weighted hula hoop at some point late...

I love my M2!!

Wed, 9 Jun 2010 19:51:01 EST

So, not sure if anyone's heard of an M2....but it's this little device (kind of like a body bugg) but better. LoL. It's made by the same people who created CurvesSmart, which is a computer system that gives you instant feedback while you workout at Curves. It pushes you to do your best every single time! The M2 keeps you active all day. You wear it on your hip, it's small and descreet. In the morning the little ring starts out red...and it fills up to green to let you know you've done enough ...

I'm baccccccccccccccck!!!

Mon, 7 Jun 2010 14:24:37 EST

Geez...it's been forever. I totally fell off of everything, and I'm slowly but surely picking myself up again. Laziness.....blah. Anyways, no sense in harping on the past, it's just time to get crackin on the future! I gained some weight back...big deal. I got rid of it before, I can certainly do it again, right?!?!

Just wanted to say hi....I'll be back later to update ya on my plan of attack for the fat!!!!!

Back On Track Finally...YES!

Tue, 20 Jan 2009 08:36:40 EST

Well Sunday I officially started "fresh". I've made up my mind to not beat myself up over the weight I've gained back, due to my back problems and my bad attitude over my back hurting. HaHa. It's time to just get this weight off & stop procrastinating!! So Sunday was my first offical workout at Gold's. I had a trainer show me the back & leg machines. I did about 12 reps on each one. Then I used an Arc trainer (LOVE IT!!) and a bike. So much fun. Anyways....I've decided on a plan of attack. We...

YAY!

Fri, 16 Jan 2009 06:54:30 EST

Well some new things I just had to share! Yesterday I joined Gold's Gym...They had a great deal that I couldn't pass up. I have access to the entire gym and the exercise classes! I have my first session on Sunday. I also bought a pedometer to count my steps. Go me!

I'm baaaack!!

Sat, 27 Dec 2008 10:21:08 EST

Man it feels like it's been forever, since I've posted a blog. Well...I guess in all honesty it has. Ugh...I have totally fallen off the wagon...my butt's definitley WAY bigger then I want it to be. But...all I can do is move forward! I refuse to be down and out. This year is my year!! I'm stoked & ready to rock. :)

I'm working on a plan of attack! I'm not concentrating on scales tho, just how I feel energy wise and how my clothes fit. I know that if I do that again, I'll get obses...

Sick

Fri, 7 Nov 2008 08:43:07 EST

I've been dealing with stomach issues for the past couple of days....Not feeling well. I've still been working tho. Not sure whats going on. On the up side...I've lost weight. LoL. Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow.

My Skinny Jar

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 12:46:06 EST

Well I have 330 total exercise minutes in this week, which equals 16.5 dollars for my jar. However...this weekend I did eat Mexican and taco bake (neither of which is healthy! lol) so I have to deduct 2 bucks from it. Leavin me with 14.5 bucks! Not bad for a first week.

Over all i'm getting back into the swing of things; making work outs a priority, draggin my butt outta bed to get it done and out of the way. My eating has been so much better....and my main goal this week is to get...

Work has been crazy and will get worse!

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:40:13 EST

But I love being busy! Woohoo!! This month we're having all sorts of fun things. It's breast cancer awareness month, so we're having a full week of breast cancer related things. The Mobile Mammography is coming, we're having a pink day, and doing trivia questions all week so that members can win prizes. We're doing bingo all month and the first 20 winners get these adorable Curves breast cancer shirts! :)
Halloween week is going to be a blast as well. It's national nutrition week, so eac...

ChaLean Exteme

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:33:59 EST

I cannot wait til it comes out! I think it's supposed to come out in November. I'm so pumped up about this program. I know that Chalene will help me get ripped! I'm hoping to save $$ til then...but not sure if I'll have enough. I can't wait to do 3 months of nothing but Chalene. I'm ready for a change...but will continue with my turbo jam, hip hop abs, rockin body and ybb until i can afford to buy the new program. I know it will help me reach & surpass my goals! Woohoo!

The Skinny Jar Challenge (my team's newest challenge!)

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:19:39 EST

Okay…so I’ve realized totally that this team as taken a turn for the worse. We started a challenge…and I don’t think anyone is really participating. I’m bummed about that…but determined more then ever to turn things around. I want to start a brand new challenge and hope everyone will participate.

It’s really super simple! This challenge is called the Skinny Jar Challenge. The skinny jar challenge will benefit you and help you stay on track while allowing you to save money for a new...

How many workouts can I do? :D

Wed, 3 Sep 2008 20:49:16 EST

Well...I'm back at it with a vengeance! I just needed one solid day of 100% eating and back on track with workouts to feel that rush! I feel amazing. Like I'm back to my old self. Today was awesome. I ate so healthy and did 70 minutes of workouts! Yeah baby!!! GINA is back! YAY! But I'm going to have some fun this month. We're doing a challenge at work to see who can lose the most weight...of course, I want to win! But if I don't who cares? I'll be winning either way! Got weighed & measured t...